Xi calls for breaking new ground in China's high-quality development during Sichuan inspection Xinhua) 08:54, July 30, 2023 General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 25, 2023. Xi inspected southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday and Wednesday. He visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City and the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, respectively. Xi learned about efforts in historical and cultural heritage inheritance and ecological conservation, the progress in the excavation and research of historical and cultural heritage sites, as well as the protection and restoration of cultural relics. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) CHENGDU, Sichuan/HANZHONG, Shaanxi, July 29 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping has called for breaking new ground in China's high-quality development during an inspection tour in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged the province to write a new chapter in advancing Chinese modernization. He said that it is imperative to apply the new development philosophy, forge a new pattern of development and promote common prosperity across the board and throughout economic and social development. He urged more efforts to advance the transformation of the model, driving force, areas and quality of development to break new ground in the country's high-quality development. During the Sichuan tour, Xi visited places including Guangyuan and Deyang cities from July 25 to 27. On Tuesday afternoon, he went to Guangyuan and visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao." Xi walked along the ancient road and took a close look at the ancient cypress forest that has been well preserved. Xi stressed the importance of building institutional frameworks and their implementation as well as inspiring the people's motivation, initiative and creativity to consolidate and expand the achievements in ecological conservation. On Wednesday afternoon, Xi visited the new building of the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang. Sanxingdui Ruins are the remnants of an ancient capital and represent the ancient Shu civilization. After touring the exhibition halls, Xi went to the venue for relic preservation and repair, where he carefully observed the procedures, details, and latest techniques. Xi also talked with the staff on site. He stressed more state support for the preservation and repair of cultural relics, describing the work as a long-term task. Xi also called for promoting craftsmanship and perseverance to yield more achievements in this regard. On Thursday morning, Xi was briefed by the Sichuan provincial Party committee and government about their work, and recognized their efforts in various respects. He urged Sichuan to make more progress in sci-tech innovation, the building of a modern industrial system, rural revitalization and the consolidation of ecological shields along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. Opening up new areas of development with sci-tech innovation is an urgent requirement for high-quality development, Xi said, calling on Sichuan to give full play to its strengths and make efforts on both sci-tech innovation and the application of scientific and technological achievements. He asked the province to resolve problems concerning a number of core technologies in key fields and to become an innovation hub in western China. Relying on its unique advantages in manufacturing, Sichuan should actively contribute to the safety of the country's industrial and supply chains, and dock itself with the new industrial layout in China's eastern coastal areas in a high-quality manner, Xi said. Stressing the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy, Xi called on the province to build a modernized industrial system with Sichuan characteristics and strengths. He urged Sichuan to put rural revitalization in a prominent position and further take on the responsibilities of stabilizing the production and ensuring the supply of major agricultural products such as grain, hogs and oilseed crops. Xi stressed that Sichuan should enhance ecological conservation, move faster to build a national park-based nature reserve system, and actively advocate eco-friendly and low-carbon ways of work and life. Xi urged Sichuan to keep skies blue, waters clear, and lands pollution-free by higher standards, improve the compensation system for ecological conservation, and elevate the modernization of ecological environment governance. Xi pointed out that as Sichuan is a place with frequent natural disasters, it is necessary to strengthen the building of emergency response forces. July and August mark the time the Yangtze River basin enters its main flood season, Xi said, calling for efforts to make preparations for flood control and disaster relief and minimize casualties and property losses to the greatest extent. Xi also urged Sichuan to comprehensively check the hidden dangers of workplace safety, and resolutely prevent and contain the occurrence of major workplace safety accidents. On the education campaign launched by the CPC, Xi urged Party organizations at all levels to fully carry out the CPC Central Committee's plans and make practical progress as the first round of the campaign will conclude in less than two months. On Saturday, Xi visited Hanzhong in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on his way back to Beijing. During his visit to the municipal museum, Xi emphasized making good use of museums. He also called for efforts to expand the influence of Chinese culture. "I was in Hanzhong in 2008 after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake to oversee the relief work. Hanzhong has always been in my heart over the years," Xi told local residents who gathered around him when he was leaving the museum. Xi said he was delighted to see huge changes of the city since then. In Hanzhong, Xi also visited a wetland park, where he stressed the important responsibility and great significance of protecting the wetland resources in the area along the Hanjiang River and its tributaries. He urged efforts to improve the overall protection and systematic restoration of the wetland ecosystem. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour. General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 26, 2023. Xi inspected southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday and Wednesday. He visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City and the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, respectively. Xi learned about efforts in historical and cultural heritage inheritance and ecological conservation, the progress in the excavation and research of historical and cultural heritage sites, as well as the protection and restoration of cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li Tao) General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 26, 2023. Xi inspected southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday and Wednesday. He visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City and the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, respectively. Xi learned about efforts in historical and cultural heritage inheritance and ecological conservation, the progress in the excavation and research of historical and cultural heritage sites, as well as the protection and restoration of cultural relics. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 26, 2023. Xi inspected southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday and Wednesday. He visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City and the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, respectively. Xi learned about efforts in historical and cultural heritage inheritance and ecological conservation, the progress in the excavation and research of historical and cultural heritage sites, as well as the protection and restoration of cultural relics. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 26, 2023. Xi inspected southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday and Wednesday. He visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City and the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, respectively. Xi learned about efforts in historical and cultural heritage inheritance and ecological conservation, the progress in the excavation and research of historical and cultural heritage sites, as well as the protection and restoration of cultural relics. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 25, 2023. Xi inspected southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday and Wednesday. He visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City and the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, respectively. Xi learned about efforts in historical and cultural heritage inheritance and ecological conservation, the progress in the excavation and research of historical and cultural heritage sites, as well as the protection and restoration of cultural relics. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 25, 2023. Xi inspected southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday and Wednesday. He visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City and the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, respectively. Xi learned about efforts in historical and cultural heritage inheritance and ecological conservation, the progress in the excavation and research of historical and cultural heritage sites, as well as the protection and restoration of cultural relics. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 25, 2023. Xi inspected southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday and Wednesday. He visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City and the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, respectively. Xi learned about efforts in historical and cultural heritage inheritance and ecological conservation, the progress in the excavation and research of historical and cultural heritage sites, as well as the protection and restoration of cultural relics. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 25, 2023. Xi inspected southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday and Wednesday. He visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao" in Guangyuan City and the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang City, respectively. Xi learned about efforts in historical and cultural heritage inheritance and ecological conservation, the progress in the excavation and research of historical and cultural heritage sites, as well as the protection and restoration of cultural relics. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Hanzhong Museum in Hanzhong, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 29, 2023. Xi made an inspection tour in southwest China's Sichuan Province. On his way back to Beijing, Xi inspected the city of Hanzhong in Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Hanzhong Museum in Hanzhong, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 29, 2023. Xi made an inspection tour in southwest China's Sichuan Province. On his way back to Beijing, Xi inspected the city of Hanzhong in Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) China donates modern fingerprint lab to Malawi Xinhua) 10:52, July 30, 2023 LILONGWE, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese government has donated a modern fingerprint and forensic science laboratory worth 143,000 U.S. dollars to Malawi Police Service (MPS) to enhance the country's law enforcement capacity. Chinese Ambassador to Malawi Long Zhou made the handover of the donation in Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, Friday. The newly donated facility is expected to play a vital role in expediting the investigation of criminal cases in Malawi, thus bolstering the efficiency and efficacy of police operations. Long emphasized the need for Malawi to embrace digital technology in the rapidly evolving global landscape. "Integrating digital devices into the policing system will elevate Malawi's standards and response capabilities," he said. Malawi Police Inspector General Merlyn Yolamu thanked the Chinese government for its invaluable support. "The implementation of the fingerprint lab is poised to streamline police operations, benefiting the nation as a whole," she added. China's commitment to assisting Malawi's security system extends beyond this donation, as the Chinese government has pledged continued support for Malawi's security efforts, signifying a lasting partnership aimed at strengthening the southern African country's safety and law enforcement infrastructure. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Restore teachers' dignity by reforming public education "Don't even step on the shadow of your teacher." That's what Koreans who attended high school in the 1970s were taught. Every morning, parents told children on their way to school, "Listen to your teacher and study hard." They even quoted a Joseon Dynasty dictum, "The grace of kings, teachers and fathers are all the same." Half a century later, everything is upside down. Last Saturday, more than 30,000 teachers rallied in central Seoul for hours amid the scorching heat (33 degrees Celsius). Their pickets called for restoring teachers' workplace conditions and reforming public education. The participants, including thousands who came from the provinces by bus, wore black attire to express condolences for a colleague who took her life in an elementary school two weeks ago due to stress caused by malicious parental complaints. Late last month, a sixth grader assaulted his female teacher in the classroom, causing injuries that lasted for three weeks. It seemed as if the teachers mourned the death of Korean public education. According to a survey, 99.2 percent of elementary school teachers said they had been bullied. Data also showed 1,249 assaults and injuries to teachers by students or parents between 2017 and last year. Teachers say these are only the reported encroachments on their dignity. Their job satisfaction rate plunged from 67.8 percent in 2006 to 23.6 percent this year. Some 87 percent of teachers have considered quitting at least once. However, the government is wrong in its diagnosis and prescription yet again. A week ago, President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed education officials to enact or amend various decrees and ordinances to enhance educational authority. Seeing the chief executive act quickly on a critical issue was good. But Yoon also called for revising "unreasonable self-autonomous ordinances." He referred to the ordinances of student rights implemented by seven municipal and provincial education offices. The education ministry went further. "The student rights code provides a blanket basis for filing malicious complaints," the ministry said. "It was introduced for ideological reasons in the first place." However, they must not regard teachers' and students' rights as a zero-sum game. Both are essential to restore genuine education. Middle-aged and older Koreans remember how some teachers abused them, verbally and physically, in and out of the classroom until the 1990s. Korean movies set in schools were often about resentment and revenge. Teachers have been accused and investigated for child abuse in 1,252 cases in the last five years. Of those, 676, or 53.9 percent, have been closed or dismissed by the police. It is easy to demonize some problematic students and "monster parents," as the Japanese call them. However, accusing specific groups cannot solve the problem, because all students, teachers and parents are victims of the abnormal education system here. Instead of looking and implementing a quick and easy fix, the government must try to change the overall educational environment or social climate. The president should stop blurting out off-the-cuff remarks in unfamiliar areas like education policy, which require a long time to shape. A few months ago, Yoon threw the education community into chaos by ordering the elimination of "killer questions" in the college entrance exam. Education Minister Lee Joo-ho praised his boss as being a better education expert than him. This time, too, Lee is about to weaken the student rights ordinance. Rather than restricting students' rights, the government must enhance educational authority. For instance, it can enact a teachers' protection act like the U.S., allow some means of discipline without corporal punishment like the U.K., and provide immunity for educationally justifiable acts. Yoon and his aides should suppress temptations to politicize education policy by ideologically dividing voters. Instead, they must create a society where diplomas from top universities are not necessary to lead a decent life. Reforming public education is the first step toward educational and social reform. Parents also should stop acting like consumers in an education market and teach their children at home with affection and discipline. HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with 100 outstanding voluntary blood donors nationwide on Saturday, who are in Ha Noi for a special programme honouring their good deeds. Speaking at the meeting, the Government leader said the 100 exemplary blood donors were beautiful symbols of humanity, demonstrating compassion and positive energy in the community and society. "You are truly living evidence and bright examples of goodness, contributing to building a compassionate community and a humane society, upholding the nation's fine traditions and inspiring others in the cause of national construction and defence," PM Chinh said. The Party and State always created favourable conditions for blood donation, he said, citing Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs blood donation appeal in April 2020 when COVID-19 was developing. The PM also lauded the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, the Ministry of Health, the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC), the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, and ministries and agencies for their efforts and contributions to the blood donation campaign. The drive needed a wide response from the public, he stressed, asking the health ministry, the VRC and the steering committee to review and supplement regulations for blood donors and continue addressing obstacles to voluntary blood donation, with attention paid to its quality, safety and sustainability. The leader suggested promoting digital transformation in this field and stepping up communications activities, expressing his hope and belief that the 100 individuals would play an active role in promoting such good deeds. Of the 100 representatives honoured this year, there are 20 women, 16 in the education sector, eight in healthcare, seven in the armed forces, and three are ethnic minority people. The oldest is 61 years old and the youngest is 22. Ten of them have donated blood between 19-29 times, 60 have donated between 30-49 times, and two have even hit over 100 donations. Since the establishment of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation in 2008, more than 16 million blood units have been collected, 99 per cent of which have come from voluntary donors. Each year's donation is always higher than the previous one, moving from 500,000 units in 2008 to 1.4 million units in 2022, according to Minister of Health ao Hong Lan. All cities, provinces and districts have set up their own steering committees for voluntary blood donation. This is the 15th year that the programme has been organised. Up to 1,500 blood donors have been commended over the past years. VNS HA NOI A clash occurred in Phnom Penh on July 29, resulting in the death of a 35-year-old Vietnamese citizen, reported the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia. KhmerTimes on Sunday said that Cambodian police detained the suspect, who had a row with the victim right before he shot the victim around 1:25pm on Saturday. The suspect quickly fled the scene on a Lexus RX300 vehicle, as seen in the traffic camera footage. The body of the victim is being kept at Stung Meanchey pagoda, waiting for the family to claim. Upon learning of the news, the embassy promptly took citizen protection measures to identify the victim as directed by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry. It also asked the Cambodian side to investigate and arrest the perpetrator, and work with relevant domestic agencies to inform the victim's family and provide them with guidance on necessary procedures following the incident. VNS By Le Huong It is a bright Sunday afternoon, and the room for common activities in Building X10 in Nam Thanh Cong living quarter in Ha Noi, is crowded as usual with 30 children, most with Down's syndrome, autism and other mental disabilities. The childrens dances and songs to the rhythm of an electronic keyboard echo throughout the otherwise quiet lane. Children lose themselves in the dancing. Some stagger slightly, but they soon catch up with the music's rhythm. In a corner of the room, Vu Thi Xuan joins the dance with her son. She sometimes holds his hands to imitate others movements. Xuans 16-year-old son tries to follow others, his face lit up with a bright smile. Every Sunday for the past 11 years, Xuan has brought her son and stayed with him here all day to join in the activities of the Ha Noi Club for Disabled Children. He has Down's syndrome, she tells Viet Nam News in tears. He cannot do anything himself. Everything, right down to basic personal hygiene matters, I have to do for him." Nams grandfather fought in the anti-American war and suffered from Agent Orange. He then gave birth to five healthy children, who then grew up and got married and gave birth to four children with Down's syndrome. My son is luckier than his cousins in the rural areas, Xuan says. His cousins have to be locked at home when their parents go to work. Xuan says Nam had changed a lot since he joined the club at six. When he heard people singing, he smiled. At home, when he got bad-tempered, she mumbled a song, and he seemed to feel peaceful again. There are various activities at the club. I have seen other children here learn very well. My son is much slower; he cannot remember much in Vietnamese spelling lessons and English lessons. But since joining the club, hes always happy. Thats enough for me. For the past 28 years, the club has been a favourite destination for children like Nam. Here, they can learn singing, dancing, spelling basic Vietnamese and English, and even some handicrafts like making paper flowers. Im a professional artist, says Phan Thi Phuc, the club founder. Before I retired, I was responsible for childrens repertoire at the Youth Theatre. I found out that a group of underprivileged children, including children working as newspaper sellers, shoe shine boys, and disabled children, did not have any special art programme. During my career, I met many such children loving arts and asked me to come to the shows to see them for free. I and other volunteer teachers have helped children to believe in equality and ensure that they are not left behind. Phuc says that of her first-generation club of hearing-impaired children, 18 got married and gave birth to normal children without impaired hearing. Many of our students have also had grandchildren already, she says. I just think our caring and sharing have created belief. I believe in my work. And when I believe, I am determined. For the past 28 years, Phuc has been joined by enthusiastic volunteer teachers to enrich the souls of hundreds of underprivileged children. Volunteer teacher Tran ang Quang, an 11th grade student says, I want to teach them as I would like to have more contact with disabled children in a friendly environment. I also want to teach them some basic English so that they can communicate in English when foreign visitors or reporters come to the club. Quang says he teaches the same lesson many times. Gradually, they can remember almost all the words he has taught. I hope they can have fun at the club and at home. Through my volunteering work here, I want to have more experience working in a new environment to support needy people. It brings no money, but I gain love and understanding, Quang says. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hong, a dance teacher, admits that at first, she found it difficult to communicate with the disabled. Their living environment was inside with their families only, she says. I teach them dancing, which requires many body movements. Gradually, they like it and are waiting for the lesson when Im late or have to be off from the club. I often have vestibular balance disorder, but as soon as I get a medical infusion, I rush to the club even with a bandage on my arm. They will hug me tenderly when they see me, which moves me a lot. However busy I am, I still fix my schedule to teach them on Sunday, she says. Hong says that over time, the children gain a much sharper ear for music. Their movements have become more artistic, she says. They put their soul into the songs and dancing. They have got much more interested in the art. Some children have engaged for a long time with the club and even assisted the teachers in return. I worked as a domestic helper for my family, says Nguyen Minh Hong, a 30-year-old woman with memory difficulties. I take the bus to the club every Sunday. I am delighted here with Mum Phuc and the other teachers and other club members. She also helps Phuc run the class. If there are any children misbehaving, I comfort them to concentrate on the lessons again, she says. Nguyen Nhat Le, a 26-year-old girl with Down's syndrome, who has joined the club for 20 years, says: I come to the club whatever the weather as I like it. I love Mum Phuc and all the teachers. Phuc says that now she just wishes to have more strength to continue her work with the club. My work has actually bought happiness for students and their families as well as gained praise from the whole of society, she says. All the teachers and club members wish to have permanent premises where they can practise and perform, so as not to borrow from local authorities or schools. I hope they will never forget art, says dance teacher Thanh Hong. Whether it is I, or any other teacher that teaches them, they should learn art to develop themselves and understand goodness and beauty. Parent Xuan says she profoundly hopes that the club will keep going forever. Phucs club is so good, it should be maintained for a long time, she says. Now my son is grown up, I tell him on Sunday morning: be quick to get to Mum Phucs club. He gets up very quickly and in joy. I think this club model should be maintained and multiplied. VNS By Thanh Nga Cashless payments have become a popular trend among Vietnamese people, with many increasingly opting to transfer funds or scan QR codes for both big and small transactions. This trend has even spread to traditional wet markets. According to Ngoan, a trader selling vegetables at Trung Van Market in Ha ong District, Ha Noi, customers who buy vegetables worth just a few Vietnamese thousand ong also want to transfer money, especially the young. Ngoan said that if she did not accept transfers, many customers would go elsewhere. Thuy, who went to a small market in Thanh Oai District, didn't bring her wallet, only her smart phone. She bought two glutinous rice doughnuts for VN7,000 [30 US cents] and transferred the money. She found the process convenient, as the seller had a QR code available, and it only took one or two seconds. Thu, a cake seller, accepts all forms of payment, whether cash or transfer, as long as it's convenient for the customer. For Hoan, a florist at To Huu Street, e-payment is more convenient, as it avoids confusion when receiving or returning change and eliminates worries about fake money. The trend towards cashless payments is not just limited to urban areas, as more people in rural areas are also embracing e-payment methods. HCM Citys Kim Hanh said that even in Mui Village in Ngoc Hien District, the southernmost region of the country, the souvenir shop there accepted payments through bank transfer or QR code. Similarly, Hue, a shopper from Ha Noi, was able to buy items like hair dryers, electric fans, and suitcases without carrying cash during her trip to Quang Ninh Province. The shop owners had a QR code available for customers to pay, even for small transactions like buying a hairpin for VN10,000 [40 US cents]. According to Pham Anh Tuan, director of the Payment Department under the State Bank of Viet Nam, non-cash payment activities are now developing strongly. Consumers can see non-cash payments at supermarkets, restaurants, shops, markets, and even iced tea stalls on the street. Tuan said among cashless payment methods, QR codes had the strongest growth rate in both quantity and value, with the number of payments increasing by about 225 per cent in quantity and 243 per cent in value compared to the previous year. One of the key drivers of the trend towards e-payments has been the growing popularity of mobile banking. Many Vietnamese consumers now use mobile banking apps to manage their finances, transfer money, and make payments. This has made it easier than ever for people to pay for goods and services using their mobile phones, without the need for cash or cards. Another factor driving the trend towards e-payments in Viet Nam is the increasing availability of digital payment options. Today, there are a wide variety of digital payment options available in Viet Nam, including QR codes, mobile wallets, and online payment platforms. These platforms have made it much easier for consumers to make payments online, whether they are shopping online or paying bills or services. In addition to these factors, the pandemic has also played a role in driving the trend towards cashless payments in Viet Nam. With social distancing measures in place, many consumers have been reluctant to use cash or visit physical stores. As a result, many have turned to digital payment methods as a safer and more convenient way to pay. Despite the many benefits of cashless payments, however, there are still some challenges. One of these is the issue of security. While digital payment platforms are generally considered to be safe and secure, there is a risk of fraud or personal data breaches. To address these concerns, many payment providers have implemented strict security protocols and fraud prevention measures. Challenges aside, the trend towards cashless payments in Viet Nam is on the rise steadily. As more consumers become comfortable with digital payment methods, and as more businesses begin to accept them, cashless payments will continue to grow in popularity. VNS The Hagerstown Aviation Museum in Hagerstown, Maryland has just taken delivery of a Fairchild-Hiller F-27A airliner, an aircraft originally built in 1958 at the now-dormant Fairchild Aircraft factory located at the same airfield as the museum (Hagerstown Regional Airport). Interestingly, the museums present home is the old Fairchild Aircraft Flight Test Hangar, dating from 1943! As many will know, the Fairchild F-27 is actually a license-built version of the Fokker F-27 Friendship, a successful turbo-prop commuter aircraft designed in the Netherlands during the early 1950s. Fairchild-Hiller built just over two hundred examples at their factory in Hagerstown, Maryland. The type enjoyed some success in the U.S. market, with a number of significant regional airlines operating the type. This particular example first flew in early 1959, the thirty third example off the production line. Butler Aviation (Pepsi Cola Bottling) registered the aircraft as N1004 in April, 1959. It underwent conversion into a freighter (F-27F) soon after in 1961. Ross Aviation of Albuquerque, New Mexico acquired the airframe in 1975. Then in 1980, the U.S. Navy made use of the aircraft as UC-27A BuNo.161628, initially basing it at the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) in Johnsville, Pennsylvania, where it took part in various assignments. During the latter stages of its military career, Imperial Aviation Inc operated it on the Navys behalf to support the Atlantic Underwater Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) on Andros Island in the Bahamas. The F-27 closed out its U.S. Navy service in 1988 while flying from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Patuxent, Maryland. The legendary Hawkins & Powers (H&P) aerial firefighting operator acquired the F-27 from the Navy in August, 1988, basing it at their home in Greybull, Wyoming and re-registering it as N127HP. H&P leased the aircraft to to various operators overseas, with periods of storage until D&G Incorporateds acquisition in 2000. The aircraft then passed through a handful of additional owners, but remained at Greybull until withdrawn from use and stored there in 2008. Circa 2014, the The Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting placed it on display at their facility in Greybull, with the Hagerstown Aviation Museum acquiring the airframe as a donation in 2016. While the aircraft was in excellent condition, with a fully-equipped passenger cabin and cockpit, the Hagerstown museum decided against trying to fly the F-27 to its new home, as it had remained idle for too long. This summer, the museum had the opportunity to disassemble the airframe and transport it to Maryland on a flatbed truck through the generosity of several donors. The main fuselage arrived in Hagerstown on July 27th, and is now safely in the museums hangar. The wings and center section await delivery on a second shipment, which will hopefully take place sometime soon. Anyone wishing to help this remarkable museum preserve the important heritage of Fairchild Aviation should click HERE to find out how. CAIRO Amna al-Nour narrowly escaped death twice. The first was when militias torched her familys home in Sudans Darfur region. The second was two months later when paramilitary fighters stopped her and others trying to escape as they tried to reach the border with neighboring Chad. They massacred us like sheep, the 32-year-old teacher said of the attack in late April on her home city Geneina. They want to uproot us all. Al-Nour and her three children now live in a school-turned-refugee housing inside Chad, among more than 260,000 Sudanese, mostly women and children, who have fled what survivors and rights groups say is a new explosion of atrocities in the large western region of Sudan. Two decades ago, Darfur became synonymous with genocide and war crimes, particularly by the notorious Janjaweed Arab militias against populations that identify as Central or East African. Fears are mounting that that legacy is returning with reports of widespread killings, rapes and destruction of villages in Darfur amid a nationwide power struggle between Sudans military and a powerful paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces. This spiraling violence bears terrifying similarity with the war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated in Darfur since 2003, said Tigere Chagutah, a regional director with Amnesty International. Even those seeking safety are not being spared. Fighting erupted in the capital, Khartoum, in mid-April between the military and the RSF after years of growing tensions. It spread to other parts of the country, but in Darfur it took on a different form brutal attacks by the RSF and its allied Arab militias on civilians, survivors and rights workers say. During the second week of fighting in Khartoum, the RSF and militias stormed Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, located near the Chad border. In that and two other assaults since, the fighters went on a rampage of burning and killing that reduced large parts of the city of more than half a million people to wreckage, according to videos shared by activists. What happened in Geneina is indescribable, said Sultan Saad Abdel-Rahman Bahr, the leader of the Dar Masalit sultanate, which represents Darfurs Masalit ethnic community. Everywhere (in the city) there was a massacre. All was planned and systemic. The sultanate said in a report that more than 5,000 people were killed and 8,000 others were wounded in Geneina alone in attacks by the RSF and Arab militias between April 24 and June 12. The report detailed three main waves of attacks on Geneina and surrounding areas in April, May, and June, which it said aimed at ethnically cleansing and committing genocide against African civilians. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias that during the conflict in the 2000s were accused of mass killings, rapes and other atrocities against Darfurs African communities. Former President Omar al-Bashir later formed the RSF out of Janjaweed fighters and put it under the command of Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who hails from Darfurs Arab Rizeigat tribe. The RSF didnt respond to repeated requests for comment on the allegations concerning the recent violence, including rapes. On its social media, the paramilitary force characterized the fighting in Darfur as renewed tribal clashes between Arabs and non-Arabs. In interviews, more than three dozen people and activists gave similar descriptions of waves of attacks by the RSF and Arab militias on Geneina and other towns in West Darfur. Fighters stormed houses, driving out residents, taking men away and burning their homes, they said. In some cases, they would kill the men and rape women and often shot people fleeing in the streets, al-Nour and other survivors said. Almost all interviewees said the military and other rebel groups in the region failed to provide protection to civilians. They were looking for men. They want to eliminate us, said Malek Harun, a 62-year-old farmer who survived an attack in May on his village of Misterei, near Geneina. He said gunmen attacked the village from all directions. They looted homes and detained or killed the men. His wife was killed when she was shot by fighters firing in the village market, he said. He buried her in his homes yard. Arab neighbors then helped him escape and he arrived in Chad on June 5. On July 13, the U.N. Human Rights Office said a mass grave was found outside Geneina with at least 87 bodies, citing credible information. The international group Human Rights Watch said it also documented atrocities including summary executions and mass graves in Misterei. The Sudanese Unit for Combating Violence against Women, a government organization, said it documented 46 rape cases in Darfur, including 21 in Geneina and 25 in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, as well as 51 in Khartoum. The true number of cases of sexual violence are likely in the thousands, said Sulima Ishaq Sharif, head of the unit. There is an emerging pattern of large-scale targeted attacks against civilians based on their ethnic identities, said Volker Perthes, the U.N. envoy in Sudan. The International Criminal Courts prosecutor, Karim Khan, told the U.N. Security Council last week they were investigating alleged new war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Nour, whose husband was killed in a bout of tribal clashes in early 2020, said assailants stormed her district of Jamarek in Geneina in late April and burned down dozens of houses, including hers. They forced people to get out of their homes, then shot at them, she said. In mid-June, she and a group of 40 men, women and children set off on foot for the border, planning to escape to Chad. They were soon stopped at an RSF checkpoint, she said. Holding the group at gunpoint, the fighters asked about their ethnicity. Two of the 14 men in the group were Arab, with fairer skin. The fighters abused and beat the others, who were darker skinned and had Masalit accents. You want to escape? You will die here, one fighter told the Masalit. They whipped everyone in the group, men and women. They beat the men to the ground with rifle butts and clicked the triggers of their guns to frighten them. One man was shot in the head and died immediately, al-Nour said. They took away the remaining men along with four women in their 20s, she said. She does not know what happened to them but fears the women were raped. They allowed the rest of the women and children to continue their trip. It was a relief to reach Chad, said Mohammed Harun, a refugee from Misterei who arrived in Adre in early June, but the wounds (from the war) will last forever. Photos: Sudan battles intensify DES MOINES The weather and the Republican presidential primary in Iowa are heating up. On a day when the heat index throughout Iowa scorched into the triple digits, 13 presidential candidates addressed a gathering of Iowa Republicans albeit indoors, under the refuge of air conditioning at the state partys annual summer fundraiser, the Lincoln Dinner. More than 1,200 people paid at least $150 for a ticket and showed up to hear the candidates speak at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines, according to a state party spokesman. Conversations with some of those Iowans who attended showed that the primary is far from a settled matter, even though former President Donald Trump has dominated early polling on the campaign. Trump has a 34-point lead over his nearest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in Real Clear Politics rolling average of national polling on the Republican presidential primary. There has not yet been substantive polling on the contest in Iowa, but what little polling has been published also shows Trump with a large lead over the field here. The Republican Iowa caucuses, the first casting of presidential preference in the nation, is scheduled for Jan. 15. Republican Party of Iowa state Chair Jeff Kaufmann implored the gathering of Iowa Republicans to support the partys eventual nominee in the general election against Democratic incumbent President Joe Biden. Yes theres going to be some elbows (by the candidates during the primary). Yes this is a full-contact sport, Kaufmann said Friday. But we are going to unify and get rid of that fool in the White House. What Iowans are saying Brad and Natalie Peterson, of Kellerton, said before Friday nights candidate speeches they were interested in hearing from South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott. The husband and wife, wearing Trump Country stickers handed out by the campaign, said they support Trump but are open to another candidate. They said they like Scotts personality and life story. I think hes a true American story. I think hes the type of person whos going to try to bring people together, Natalie Peterson said. I think we hear that a lot, but theres something about him just with events weve seen him speak at. But I would just want to see him in person. Scott often emphasizes his personal story and family history in campaign ads and speeches. He was raised by a single mother and says his grandfather left school at an early age to work on a cotton farm in the Deep South. The Petersons said they are wavering on Trump, in part because of instances where he goes rogue and makes inflammatory statements. I still think he can run the country really good. I think he can get us out of the hole were in, Brad Peterson said. But sometimes some of the stuff he says just kind of gets me. Dave Walford, of Grinnell, expressed a similar concern. Walford said he likes Trump and appreciates what Trump did during his first term. But he is concerned that Trump would lose the general election to Biden, as he did in 2020. Walford said he also likes Scott, Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. I do not have a favorite but there are some people I do like. My main objective is to getting someone that can be elected, Walford said. I appreciate what (Trump) did for the country the first time. My concern is how many people are going to vote against him because they dont like him, or dont like what he says. That, on the other hand, does not concern Roger Rinderknecht, of Clive. Rinderknecht would prefer that Trump is the candidate, although he also likes and would feel comfortable supporting DeSantis. He said Trumps sometimes abrasive style does not concern him. I know (Trump) says bad things. He talks bad. He runs people down. He does all the bad things that a guy shouldnt do. But hes still the best candidate, Rinderknecht said. Democrats charge Republicans have far-right agenda Democrats at a news conference earlier Friday slammed what they called the far-right agenda of the Republican presidential candidates. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joined Iowa Democratic leaders and said Democrats offer an alternative to the culture war issues in the Republican primary. During this years legislative session, Minnesotas Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party took control of the state House and Senate and passed laws strengthening abortion rights, providing universal free school lunch and paid family leave. While theyre going to go over there and debate tonight what books to ban, were banning hunger in our schools with the help of the Biden-Harris administration, were building out for the future, Walz said. These are the things that make a difference. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said the policies espoused by Trumps Republican competitors are no different from his MAGA agenda. Tonight were going to see desperate candidates peddle divisive rhetoric and extreme policies to pull Americans apart and to win over the fringes of their base, Hart said. Donald Trump, the undisputed leader of the party, is running again, promising to expand on his failed agenda. Declaration of the Second RussiaAfrica Summit We, the Heads of State and Government of the Russian Federation and African States recognized by the United Nations (UN) (hereinafter also referred to as the Russian Federation and African States), and representatives of the African Union and Africas leading integration organizations, gathered on 28 July 2023 in Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation) to participate in the Second RussiaAfrica Summit, <> Building on the historical and time-tested friendly ties between the Russian Federation and African States, mutual respect and trust, traditions of joint struggle for the eradication of colonialism and the establishment of independence of African States, <> Reaffirming the need to jointly oppose neo-colonialism, imposing conditions and double standards while not allowing these practices to deprive States and peoples of the right to make sovereign choices of their development paths, <> Acting in accordance with the national legislations of the Russian Federation and African States, have agreed as follows: Full text of the Declaration Mechanism for Dialogue Partnership 1. Strengthen the role of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum as the cornerstone of Russia-Africa multilateral cooperation that implements the decisions of the Summit. <> Political and Legal Cooperation 4. Enhance equal and mutually beneficial cooperation between the Russian Federation and African States in order to contribute t the establishment of a more just, balanced and stable multipolar world order, firmly opposing all types of international confrontation in the African continent. <> Security Cooperation 32. Strengthen cooperation between States to counter new challenges and threats, in particular terrorism, extremism, including violent extremism conducive to terrorism, transnational organized crime, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, piracy and armed robbery at sea, based on strict compliance with the generally recognized principles and norms of international law, primarily the UN Charter and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and taking into account the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. <> 34. Continue close cooperation to resolve and prevent conflicts in Africa. The principle of African solutions to African problems should continue to serve as the basis for conflict resolution. <> Trade and Economic Cooperation 41. Encourage further strengthening of trade, economic, and investment cooperation between the Russian Federation and African States. <> 43. Facilitate equitable access of all States to the benefits of the world economy and the international division of labour, as well as to modern technologies to support equitable and even development. <> Scientific and technical, humanitarian, educational, cultural, sports, health, youth and information cooperation 60. Develop cooperation in the field of education, facilitate participation in joint research projects, organization of scientific conferences and seminars, expansion and deepening of collaboration between educational institutions of the Russian Federation and African States. <> 63. Respect civilizational and national diversity of the Russian Federation and Africa, emphasize the uniqueness of the traditions and historical heritage of our peoples. Environmental and Climate Cooperation <> 73. Recognize the right of each State to choose its own best mechanisms and means for protecting and managing the environment, adapting to climate change and ensuring a just energy transition in line with national circumstances and capacities. WtR The judges of the miserable ICC continue to justify their impracticable and therefore dangerous for world peace decision to issue a warrant for the arrest of the President of Russia. Once again, the enemies of our country did not give a damn about the principles of international law and the basic rules of international relations. In particular, the non-distribution of the action of an international treaty to those states that do not participate in it. It is the cornerstone of the law of international treaties, and of treaty law in general. In accordance with the Vienna Convention of 1969, if the treaty provides for obligations for third states, then a clear and express consent of these countries to fulfill such obligations is necessary. Our country has nothing to do with the Rome Statute of the ICC and is not obliged to cooperate with it. His decisions are insignificant for us until we voluntarily become a member of this organization. And this will never happen. We despise the ICC and wish it a speedy and painful death from incapacity and impotence. The arguments used by the Hague judicial bureaucrats are an unprecedented abuse of the mandate given to them under the Rome Statute. They apparently planned to rewrite the basic principles of international law to suit the suicidal intentions of the decrepit hegemon. Although they are only judges and not legislators. And they forgot that ludicis est ius dicere, non dare. And here are the arguments for clarity: 1) The ICC has the right to take any such action. These on-call lawyers are unfazed by the courts lack of legal capacity to exercise unfettered universal jurisdiction over international crimes. In accordance with the Rome Statute, the universal jurisdiction of the ICC is provided only in the case of transfer by the UN Security Council to the prosecutor of this court of the relevant proceeding, and there is nothing of the kind at present and, of course, there will not be. The possession of this competence in full is possible only after the recognition of the legal personality of this court erga omnes by all states of the world, but the ICC has big problems with this. Not all states are ready to give whores from this institution jurisdiction over their own country. Moreover, these judicial prostitutes perform the perversions of a pimp with chronic diseases, who himself does not want to participate in brothel showdowns. 2) The actions of the ICC are indirectly supported by the members of the UN Security Council. The rationale is that they have never had any objections about the role of the court, its mandate, or its international qualifications. The Hague sluts (sorry, servants of Themis) again have problems with both an elementary account and their own memory. Among those states that do not participate in the ICC and do not recognize its jurisdiction, three of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council are Russia, China and the United States. The latter, more than once, pointed out to this organization its place. Back in 2002, the law on the protection of American military personnel was passed. It authorizes the use of military force to free any US citizen or US ally detained on the territory of a third state under an ICC warrant. Trump, too, has not spared strong words about this so-called court, and his administration has not been squeamish about economic sanctions and visa restrictions on ICC staff just because of speculation about US military crimes in Afghanistan. True, Bidens demented grandfather recently distinguished himself. It is he who is a sick pimp who, not formally participating in the ICC brothel showdowns, secretly runs a house of legal tolerance. Disregarding the opinion of the Pentagon, he ordered his administration to transfer to the ICC information about Russias actions in Ukraine. To us, in principle, this is up to the light bulb. But the US Department of Defense warned the old man that his actions could open the way for criminal prosecution of the US military. And the last. Warrants, prosecutors, trials against Russia all these are the amusements of our enemies, with which they amuse themselves from impotence. And yet we must remember these are potentially dangerous games. And this kind of action can at some point really become casus belli. Medvedev WtR Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation On the evening of 28 July, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a precision-guided weapons strike on an AFU control point in Dnepropetrovsk. The assigned target has been neutralised. The goal of the attack has been reached. The AFU continued unsuccessful attempts at offensive actions in South Donetsk, Krasny Liman and Donetsk directions. In Donetsk direction, as a result of coordinated actions of the defending units in close cooperation with artillery of the Yug Group of Forces, five enemy attacks have been successfully repelled close to Belogorovka, Avdeevka, Pervomayskoye and Krasnogorovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). AFU manpower and hardware have been hit close to Vesyoloye, Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka, Dyleevka, and Novgorodskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to120 Ukrainian servicemen, three armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, as well as one Msta-B howitzer. In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, as a result of active actions by artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces, enemy manpower and hardware concentration areas have been hit close to Zolotaya Niva and Makarovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Novoandreevka, Shcherbaki and Kamenskoye (Zaporozhye region). The units of the 36th Combined-Arms Army and Airborne Troops successfully repelled two enemy attacks near Staromayorskoye and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). During the fighting, the enemy lost up to 70 Ukrainian servicemen, one tank, one infantry fighting vehicle, and two pickup trucks. In addition, one ammunition depot of the enemy 44th Artillery Brigade has been destroyed near Maryanovka (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses were up to 135 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, three armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one D-20 howitzer. In Krasny Liman direction, as a result of the advance of assault detachments of the 42nd and 43rd mechanised brigades of the AFU, which was revealed by the reconnaissance of the Tsentr Group of Forces, the AFU troops were preemptively hit. Two enemy attacks have been repelled near Raigorodka (Lugansk Peoples Republic) and Serebryansky forestry. In addition, eight AFU manpower and hardware concentration areas have been hit close to Novogorovka, Nevskoye and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Torskoye, and Grigorovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 170 Ukrainian servicemen, three armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one D-20 howitzer. In Kupyansk direction, the assault detachments of the Zapad Group of Forces continued offensive operations close to Kuzyomovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic) and took more favourable positions. As a result of actions by Army Aviation and artillery, AFU units have been hit close to Sinkovka, Timkovka, Berestovoye (Kharkov region), Stelmakhovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles and one D-20 howitzer. In addition, one ammunition depot of the AFU 43rd Mechanised Brigade has been destroyed near Druzhelyubovka (Kharkov region). In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised 97 AFU artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and hardware in 103 areas. In addition, a fuel depot of the Ukrainian grouping of troops Zaporozhye has been destroyed close to Zaporozhye. One command post of the AFU 47th Mechanised Brigade has been hit near Orekhov (Zaporozhye region). Air defence facilities have intercepted two S-200 surface-to-air missiles upgraded to attack ground targets, seven Storm Shadow cruise missiles and two HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system projectiles. In addition, 6 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been destroyed close to Verkhnekamenka (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Spornoye, Pervomayskoye, and Maryinka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), as well as Marfopol (Zaporozhye region). In total, 457 airplanes, 244 helicopters, 5,314 unmanned aerial vehicles, 427 air defence missile systems, 11,021 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,140 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 5,652 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 11,951 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. WtR Daibutsu Hotel is the large multi-storied building in the center of the image. Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff There is an old saying that in wine there is truth but often one man's truth is merely an opinion that would be better kept to himself. Unfortunately, alcohol also inspires people to want to share their truths with everyone around them often in a loud voice. In December 1886, a serious incident took place at Daibutsu Hotel in Chemulpo (modern Incheon). The hotel was one of the largest and most popular in the port. It was also fairly cosmopolitan. Although it was located in the Japanese settlement of the port, it was frequented by sailors from various nations' warships and merchant vessels, businessmen and residents of Chemulpo, and those just passing through the port seeking opportunities. One of the latter, Walter Laws, a Black American, was sitting at a table and drinking (probably Japanese beer) with a member of the Korean Customs Service. Laws, who seems to have been emboldened with his drink, made a derogatory comment about a Chinese man at the counter. Daibutsu Hotel can still be found in Incheon's historical district, August 2019. Robert Neff Collection Russia just made its visit and now China Other words, we got your back Bro! North Korean leader Kim Jong un hosts Chinese delegation, both parties to jointly respond to difficult international situation. US has been sending strategic subs to South Korea recently as Seoul (SK) has threatened to wipe out Pyongyang (NK). Yes it started with South Korea threatening North Korea as is normally the way it happens And yes the west does not tell you that tidbit of info The changes we see are not new, but in the open now WtR We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form FILE - This undated photo provided by the Missouri Department of Corrections shows Johnny Johnson. Johnson, 45, was convicted of first-degree murder in in the 2002 death of Casey Williamson in suburban St. Louis. FILE - Tony Berastegui Jr., right, and his sister Giselle Berastegui drink water, Monday, July 17, 2023, in Phoenix. A historic heat wave that turned the Southwest into a blast furnace throughout July is beginning to abate with the late arrival of the monsoon rains. Forecasters expect that by Monday, July 31, at the latest, people in metro Phoenix will begin seeing high temperatures under 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) for the first time in a month. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File) A painter's process is almost always a private experience. Intimate and vulnerable, it's about letting thoughts, feelings, frustrations, and new learnings flow freely onto canvas; finding answers to questions and expanding the art through trial and error. This Friday, however, San Francisco artist Heather Day, known for her sweeping, organic sapphire hues, will expose her evolution to the public at the opening of her solo show with Athen B. Gallery. Called Conversations and Color, the exhibit takes over a 4,000-square-foot storefront near the Embarcadero to meld perspective and rhythm in 100 new paintings and some sculptural installations. The artist describes the show as the "culmination of a year and a half of unbridled curiosity and discovery," where she left the studio to wander and paint what she learned from cities and nature. The more she painted, the more she wanted to keep exploring; and each painting shares a moment or realization from her experiences. Presenting such a personal show after a year and a half of keeping new work to herself, Day emphasizes that this is about absorbing the art. "It's about taking a step back and appreciating paint for its process. The show represents a year of looking and listeningand ultimately translating our experiences into something physical." "Not What You Expected" Acrylic, spray paint, soft-pastel on Canvas. 36" x 48". 2017. "It was research, a quest in search of candor...from the communication between positive and negative space to the punctuation of color, I listened to the ambiguity of ideas, memories and experiences; and I made conversations in a new way," she says. This is where Day's show transitions from a walk-through gallery experience to a tete-a-tete on the creative process. Guest speakers, including the gallery's director Sorell Tsui, Facebook design program manager James Fleming, and seven female artists including Day will come in to open up a dialogue with the community on topics ranging from music to painting to tech. A curated lecture series called "I Say," these onsite conversations are scheduled for October 10, 17, and 24. "I wanted to push the envelope further and take full advantage of this downtown space and bring the public in through engaging talks...our speakers span multiple careers and genres, as do our topics," Day says. The full schedule of speakers and topics can be seen below. // Conversations and Color, a solo exhibit by Heather Day, opens Oct. 6th (reception 6-10pm), 160 Spear St. (Embarcadero),athenbgallery.com, heatherday.com. 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 Warner Bros. Pictures Movie The 'American Sniper' actor wanted to feature the title track from GaGa's self-titled album in his directorial debut but producer Mark Ronson wouldn't allow it. Jul 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - Mark Ronson barred Bradley Cooper from using Lady Gaga's "Joanne" in "A Star Is Born". The producer remembered how he was working with the "Poker Face" hitmaker on her fifth album, also called "Joanne", at the same time she was preparing to work with the Hollywood hunk on the romantic drama, and the 48-year-old actor had come to visit them in the recording studio. While Mark knew Bradley was a "big star and everything," he stood firm in wanting to keep the track away from the movie as the actor, who made his directorial debut with the film, was excited by what he got to hear. Mark told NME, "We were working on Gaga's album 'Joanne' and Bradley Cooper stopped by the studio one afternoon. I like his films. He showed up looking like a movie star. So we hung out." "He was really sweet, talking about this new script that they were both doing. I played him the song called 'Joanne' and he's like, 'That's great, can I have it?' I know he's a big star and everything, but I really liked that song. And I kind of needed it for Gaga's record." As a compromise, Mark agreed to find time in his schedule to work on a different track for the movie with Gaga, and he recalled the exact moment he knew "Shallow" - which went on to win an Oscar - would be a hit. He said, "We were working in this incredible studio in Malibu - Rick Rubin's studio, Shangri La - and it had this really long echoey hallway. I have this very distinct memory of Gaga's voice coming from 30 feet away, sounding so excited about something as she came in. She sat down at the piano and started singing 'I'm off the deep end' " You can share this post! By Steven L. Shields It happened again this morning. I pressed my bank's smartphone app, and a warning message popped up. "Keep your data safe by updating to the newest app." Bug fixes, hackers smarter than the programmers, and data breaches are reported all the time. I get similar messages when I go to my bank's website. I access the website a couple of times a month. Each time I log in, I get sent to the security page and am asked to download several "safety" measures. The programs I downloaded last time are no longer good enough for some reason. We were told from day one that computer technology would make us more productive, simplify our lives, and give us more leisure time. Not only is that not true, but our privacy also the data surrounding who we are, where we live, where we work, and how we go about our daily business is no longer ours to control. A recent headline in the local news told us that the so-called "Personal Information Protection Commission had fined OpenAI, the operator of ChatGPT, 3.6 million won (2,800 USD) for exposing the personal information of more than 680 users in Korea. Do the math! Your personal information is worth less than 5,000 won. Yet all the "big data" companies (who claim lives will be made better by collating the minute details of life) are laughing all the way to the bank. Every app, website and place you do business exposes your most intimate details to just about everyone else trying to get you to buy their product or use their services. A friend was recently surprised that after she bought something on Facebook, she began receiving dozens of advertisements on her newsfeed hawking other products and services that were related, sometimes only in the smallest way, to what she bought. A few years ago, a United States senator, in a hearing in Washington DC, asked Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg how they could make any money when they let people use their app/website with no membership fees. He declared that advertising revenue is how they make money. But it's not just advertising. Facebook, and all the rest, take all your sign-up information, take every keystroke you make, every news item you read, and sell that information to the highest bidder. Now AI has invaded our lives. The prospects are grim. A recent article suggested that AI could carry out coups. You know, overthrown governments, subvert democracy, and take away the people's choice. The technology could easily go rogue. Are governments powerful enough to put on the brakes? Computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, known as the "godfather" of AI, recently urged governments to stop machine takeover. In Australia, an errant algorithm caused many welfare recipients to receive demands to repay the government for benefits received wrongly. In many cases, the amounts were thousands of dollars. Staff at the welfare offices assumed the letters their office sent were legitimate when clients called to find out why. Officious civil servants told callers they had no choice but to comply if they got a letter demanding repayment. All their internal (and electronic-based) records showed that the person owed the money. The result was suicide by many welfare recipients before the government discovered the error. It all started with an innocuous magnetic strip on the back of your credit card several decades ago. Then came the ubiquitous "bonus point" cards and systems. The merchants sell that information (your phone number, for example) and make more money than your "buy 10, get one free" deal. Did you never wonder why you get all those marketing phone calls? Now business consultants are telling businesses they must "ride the wave of generative AI to create new and disruptive ways of earning revenue" They are warned they will lose in big ways if they don't. Yet at the same time, AI is fueling scams; no one seems to be able to stop them. The best way to protect yourself is to get off the grid. The problem is, you can't rent or buy a house, you can't connect utilities, and you can't even drive a car or ride a bus anymore. Nothing in our lives is analog. All it takes is the slightest electronic disruption; life as we know it now could be irreparably damaged or destroyed. We have no choice in the matter. I don't know how to change things or protect myself from data and identity theft. So next time you get a notice from your website or app to update to the latest operating system or the newest version of the app, you better do it now. But even so, there's no guarantee. The programmers and hackers are having a field day with us! Rev. Steven L. Shields {slshields@gmail.com} has lived in Korea for many years, beginning in the 1970s. He is the president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea. He served as copy editor of The Korea Times in 1977. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect The Korea Times' editorial stance. Instagram Movie The EGOT winner's withdrawal from the action-thriller movie comes just a few days after comedienne Sarah Silverman called out actors who are continuing to work during the strikes. Jul 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - Viola Davis is no longer a part of the action-thriller movie "G20". The EGOT winner decided to pull out of the project to support the ongoing Hollywood strikes. "I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike," the 57-year-old said a statement obtained exclusively by Deadline. "I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision. JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA and the WGA." In "G20", Viola plays a U.S. president named Taylor Sutton who must fight to keep her family and fellow diplomats safe after the G20 Summit is taken over by terrorists. It is one of more than 100 "truly independent" film and television projects that have been cleared to start production amid strikes alongside projects starring Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey and more. Viola's withdrawal came just a few days after Sarah Silverman called out actors who are continuing to work during the strikes. "I feel f**king pissed off, and I know I just must not be understanding something," the "Saturday Night Live" alum argued in an Instagram video. "There are like 40 movies being made right now. Movie stars are making movies because they're independent movies, and SAG is allowing it because if they do sell it to streaming, it has to be because streaming is abiding by all the things we're asking for," the comedienne continued. "That's just working. The strike ends when they come to the table and we make a deal in agreement. So, you're just letting people make movies, and movie stars are making movies that you know the goal is to sell them to streaming." "Please, explain to me why I shouldn't be angry, because people are making real-deal sacrifices. People, writers, actors, crew people, all these people are sacrificing their livelihood for this cause. It's called 'union strong,' where we are all together," she further fumed. "And when SAG joined the strike, we should see every movie star out there striking along, because you have insurance because of your union and you get residuals because of your union. All of these things you get because of your union and you can't stand with your union?" You can share this post! A man found dead in the driveway of a Dale County home Saturday was fatally mauled by a pack of dogs, not shot as investigators initially believed. Ozark-Dale County E911 received a call about 9:15 a.m. Saturday of an unresponsive man in the 5500 block of County Road 33 in the Skipperville community, said Sheriff Mason Bynum. When deputies arrived, they found 27-year-old Demarcus Sam McKenzie II, of Skipperville, dead on the scene. It initially appeared he had been shot in the head. Bynum on Sunday said investigators and a crime scene technicians processed the victim and collected statements from witnesses, there were some inconsistencies and a lack of physical evidence to support those initial thoughts. Investigators carried out a search warrant on the residence where the victim was discovered lying near the driveway. In that search investigators collected a home security surveillance system DVR which captured multiple views of the exterior of the home. During a review of the surveillance footage investigators were able to determine that the victim was present inside the home prior to the incident. It appears, the sheriff said, that as the victim was exiting the residence a dog became aggressive towards the victim. The victim began to run down the driveway as two or three more dogs joined in on the attack. The video showed McKenzie tripping near the base of the driveway as more dogs joined in on the attack. At one point, five to six dogs were seen violently attacking and mauling the victim as he struggled to stand. After a few minutes, the dogs overpowered McKenzie and he appeared to become incapacitated. Although this does not make this event any less tragic, we hope this will allow the victims family to continue to grieve with a sense of closure, Bynum said. Late Saturday night, I met with the victims mother and family and provided them with our findings. Bynum said the investigation is ongoing. He thanked the Ozark Police Departments Criminal Investigative Division and Crime Scene Unit, as well as ALEA SBI agents, for their help in the probe. We will continue with the investigative process, Bynum said, and consult with Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams on what steps to take as we move forward. Thirteen years ago, the city of Huntsville agreed to invest $76 million in an idea. Thirteen years later, that investment built the infrastructure for a mixed-use office park that is Redstone Gateway with more than 2 million square feet of occupied space and room for that square footage to more than double. With the ratification by the city council Thursday, the city of Huntsville has completed its obligated work at Redstone Gateway. The work at the development, however, is far from over. Related: Why Redstone Gateway appears to be slow-moving project This finishes the citys portion of this, but there is still 2.7 million square feet of office space, retail, hotel space that will be built there, Mayor Tommy Battle said. And the Redstone development company, owned by (Corporate Office Properties Trust), will be finishing out the rest of the development. The city was able to help facilitate this. But we were very careful to make sure that we did it at no risk to the citizens. The project, launched in 2010 with an expected $1 billion in investment, is a complex financial arrangement between the city and LW Redstone, the Armys hand-picked developer for Redstone Gateway which functions as a key research and development hub just outside the main gate of Redstone Arsenal. In addition to office space, the development has one hotel and another one under construction as well as restaurant and retail offerings. Its been super successful, said Shane Davis, the citys director of urban and economic development. LW Redstone is a partnership between Maryland-based Corporate Office Properties Trust, a major developer of office space for the federal government, and Montgomery-based Jim Wilson & Associates the developers of the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover. The project began with LW Redstone agreeing to loan the city up to $76 million to build the infrastructure which included roads, sidewalks and a sewer system as well as relocating an electric substation. The city is paying back that $76 million in a tax increment financing district with property and sales taxes collected from the project. Finance Director Penny Smith said that debt is projected to be paid off by 2045. Davis told the council that Huntsville taxpayers are protected because the project, financially speaking, is self-contained. The money the city borrowed to build the infrastructure comes from within Redstone Gateway and the funds to repay that money -- via tax revenues -- comes from within Redstone Gateway. The city ultimately borrowed about $73.7 million for the Redstone Gateway infrastructure but the city council voted Thursday to reinvest the remaining $2.3 million available in infrastructure for a smaller portion of Redstone Gateway located behind the arsenals gates. According to Redstone Gateways website, 16 buildings have been completed outside the arsenal gates with one completed behind the gates. The development includes Boeings hub of operations in Alabama. Another four buildings are under development. Davis said Redstone Gateway, along with Cummings Research Park, gives Huntsville the best of both worlds. Cummings is the second-largest research park in the country, the fourth largest in the world and is home to HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Lockheed Martin, Blue Origin and the University of Alabama in Huntsville as well as more than 300 other companies. Cummings tenants typically purchase the land for their sites and, as a result, the parks buildings are more spread out. At Redstone Gateway, office space is typically leased and the master plan is much more compact. Whether leasing space or buying land, Davis said, Huntsville has offerings for both. The density of it is kind of the magic of it, Battle said of Redstone Gateway. It makes it into a real park and it has much more density than we would have in (Cummings) Research Park itself. This extends the life of research park probably 10 or 12 more years. So that research park will still be able to be for those who want a broad campus, a large campus and building on four acres of land. Thats still available. But it is available (at Redstone Gateway) here to lease property in an office park setting. Its been another summer of backed up traffic on Interstate 10 approaching the Wallace Tunnel, and a Bayway transformed into a massive parking lot whenever a crash occurs. The interstate averages more than 78,000 vehicles per day west of the Wallace Tunnel in downtown Mobile, and worries continue to mount over a future in which more than 95,000 vehicles will be traveling along the interstate within 20 years. Every day along Government Street and I-10, we see the need for a long-term solution to our traffic congestion, particularly during these peak travel months, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said. Progressing on schedule A rendering from 2019 of the future I-10 Mobile River Bridge in downtown Mobile, Ala. (rendering courtesy of the Alabama Department of Transportation) But despite years of frustrations and setbacks, state and local officials are moving forward in assembling teams to oversee an estimated $2.7 billion project. The overall project is highlighted by a new six-lane, 215-foot-tall cable-stay bridge in downtown Mobile that connects to an elevated and expanded new Bayway. The six-lane Bayway will run 7.4 miles and will connect Mobile to Daphne. The first of the physical evidence of the years-long construction project could come next week. Omaha-based Kiewit Corporation, which is part of the design-build team for construction work mostly in Mobile County, is expected to have geotechnical drill rigs in place in Mobile. This type of work is aimed at investigating the physical properties, like the soil, that construction crews will build on. We are very excited to see this critically important regional project progressing on schedule, Stimpson said in a statement to AL.com. I know residents on both sides of Mobile Bay will be encouraged to see us taking another step forward. Related content: The Alabama Department of Transportation has the design-build teams in place and are splitting the project into two segments. Both construction projects will occur concurrently. They are split at about the Mobile/Baldwin County line. Negotiations between ALDOT and the teams involved in the project are still ongoing, and neither projects contracts including the price-tags -- have been finalized. Details, so far, include: Project 1 consists of the cable-stay bridge over the Mobile River and will also include I-10 interchange improvements at Broad and Virginia streets, and the West Tunnel (Canal/Water Street) interchange. The design-builder for this project is via a joint venture with Kiewit, Massaman Construction Co., and Traylor Brothers Inc. or KMT. All three firms are U.S.-based, according to Tony Harris, spokesman for ALDOT. The team also includes numerous local firms such as Volkert, Jordan Pile Driving, McInnis Construction and H.O. Weaver & Sons. Project 2 is centered around Baldwin County and includes replacement of the 50-year-old Bayway with a new structure that will be elevated approximately 12 feet higher than the current interstate. The project will add additional capacity and provide resiliency from storms as well as interchange improvements at the Midbay interchange and the U.S. 98 interchange in Daphne, according to Harris. The projects team, which was assembled last month, consists of Colorado-based Flatiron Construction and Connecticut-based Lane Construction. The team is being referred to as Mobile Bay Constructors (MBC), and Harris said their plan is to utilize a significant number of locally based subcontractors. Harris calls the firming up of the design-build teams a significant step, noting that both will be responsible for the projects construction. Its a really big deal, said Jack Burrell, a Fairhope City Councilman and chairman of the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organizations policy committee. I dont have any reason to believe they wont get them under contract. There is some surveying and geotechnical work that will be done in the next few weeks. It all points to what were hoping to break ground on by the end of the year, and probably at the latest, early next year. Mega financing The biggest issue remains with financing, and going after grants that could help reduce the borrowing that will be needed to build it. ALDOT is hopeful that a U.S. Department of Transportation Mega Grant will offer an opportunity to reduce the projects financing that will be offset with toll revenues. As proposed, the motorists will be assessed a $5.50 toll if they have not secured an ALGO Pass. If they do have the pass, the toll rate will be $2.50 for a one-trip over the new infrastructure only. A $40 monthly discount will also be available. Existing infrastructure Wallace and Bankhead tunnels and the Spanish Fort Causeway remain untolled. The Eastern Shore MPO gave ALDOT the go-ahead on Wednesday to pursue a Mega grant to offset the projects massive price tag. The application deadline is August 21. Related content: The application comes about eight months after the U.S. DOT awarded $1 billion in initial Mega grant funding to only nine projects nationwide. There were more than 130 applications, including a $500 million request from ALDOT for the I-10 project. Despite not receiving any grant money, the I-10 project was categorized as one of 13 projects eligible for project-specific targeted technical assistance from the U.S. DOTs Build American Bureau. That announcement has elevated the hopes of local officials that future Mega grant funding rounds might provide some funding for the I-10 project. For the next four years, the U.S. DOT through the bipartisan infrastructure package passed by Congress in 2021 will provide $1 billion each year for Mega grant recipients. Harris, with ALDOT, said the state has been working with senior staff at the U.S. DOT since the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway was named a project of distinction after last years Mega grant application process. Harris said the federal agency has provided them with technical guidance and assistance about the I-10 project and with the application the state is submitting next month. Even without a grant, the project is deemed financially viable, though it will be heavily leveraged through borrowing. Revenues from the tolls will be utilized to pay a lion share of the borrowing costs. The entire project, without receiving additional grants, relies heavily on financing that includes $1.2 billion through bonding and another $1.1 billion through federal loans under the Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (TIFIA). The project has limited dedicated funds. In 2019, a $125 million federal grant was secured through former U.S. Senator Richard Shelbys office. Another $250 million is dedicated through state funding. The leadership of the Alabama Democratic Party (ADP) Saturday kicked members of the public out of a meeting without starting it. ADP Chair Randy Kelley said in an interview Saturday afternoon that they had to conduct the meeting in an executive session because members of the public were being disruptive. They werent on the committee, he said. They were a guest. And we didnt know who those people were. The motion at the first meeting since the party leaders passed new bylaws and eliminated diversity caucuses in May, came amid a protest from about 15 members of the eliminated groups and supporters. As a result of eliminating diversity caucuses, 53 members lost a seat on the partys State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC). The state Democratic Party faces an investigation by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) over the bylaw changes and elimination of caucuses. The Saturday board meetings agenda included a vote to approve job descriptions for the partys executive director and director of communications. It also included a report from the chairman as well as a delegate selection report, a report on the process of selecting delegates for the national party convention, and a congressional reapportionment update. Michelle French, a member of the SDEC, the governing body of the organization, attended the protest Saturday. She said she saw a young, diverse and energetic party during SDEC elections at a meeting in August 2022. Now, she said, she couldnt believe she had to protest her own party. Theyre disenfranchising their own people, she said. More from Alabama Reflector Before establishing quorum, ADP Chair Kelley and Joe Reed, chair of the Minority (Black) Caucus, attempted to stop attendees from recording the meeting. Kelley repeatedly asked that people unplug their devices, and Reed threatened to throw recording devices outside. The chairman is presiding, Reed said. The chairman has ruled that there will be no taping and no film. If you got a tape or a film in this room, unplug it out of these walls. Members said the state party bylaws require meetings to be open to the public. James Ward, the vice chair of the Hispanic caucus that was abolished in May and elected member of the SDEC, objected to the request, saying that allowing recording would help restore trust in the state party. There is a lack of trust in your leadership, and Id like to record, he said. In the interview after the party meeting, Kelley said theyre not recording our meeting for any good. They are recording our meeting in order to undermine our organization, Kelley said. Tabitha Isner, the vice chair of the state party, objected to Reeds request, stating that Alabamas law allows recording when at least one party the person recording knows about it. Reed interrupted her and shouted, You be quiet, girl. Representation At a May 6 meeting, the SDEC voted to abolish the youth, LGBTQ+ and disabled caucuses, while reducing the power of other minority caucuses. The meeting was tumultuous. Members of the affected caucuses, some of whom are Black, sharply criticized the moves, saying they stripped key groups of representation. They also criticized the passing of the bylaws and called the vote questionable. Kelley and Reed argued the prior bylaws diluted the power of Black Democrats, the biggest part of Alabamas Democratic electorate, to lead the party. Kelley, who has called the critics losers, said that the changes did not cost anyone representation and better reflect the Democratic electorate. SDEC member Eddgra Fallin, in an exchange outside before the meeting with protesting members, said that Black Democrats deserve more representation than other minority groups because of slavery and thats why [Black Democrats] get to determine. When Hispanics came to this country, they didnt come into slave ships. They werent forced to labor for free for 400 years. They did not suffer Jim Crow. They have the right to vote. They have not had to fight for anything, she said. A large share of Hispanic and Latino immigrants remain in the country without legal status due to problems in the nations immigration system. Legal residence does not give an immigrant the right to vote. Only after becoming a naturalized citizen would an immigrant be allowed to vote. Children of immigrants brought into the country long before they could make decisions for themselves, have been fighting for the right to work and go to school in the country for over 20 years. Complaints Isner and 42 other Democrats filed a complaint in June with the state party. The DNC voted in June to review the complaint. After the Saturday meeting, Isner said that the only thing that could have warranted an executive meeting was personnel matters related to salary. She said that during the executive meeting, they rehashed the argument that no one lost representation with the new bylaws, discussed delegate plans and tried to remove her from the 1st vice chair position. She also said that three vice chairs presented reports, but she was not involved in drafting the agenda and was not asked to bring a report. Since the original complaint, there has been two more filed: one by Ralph Young, a member of the ADP, and April Hodges, chair of the abolished Hispanic caucus. Young sent a letter dated July 1 to the Democratic National Committee asking rules and bylaws committee (RBC) co-chairs to place a restraining order on the vote concerning the delegate plan. Youngs letter to the RBC cited Hodges complaint, another party member, alleging the state party purged at-large members because of their race, ethnicity and other identifying factors. Fallin said it was insulting that they were being accused of discrimination and exclusion, because nothing is true. The Alabama Department of Corrections is searching for a man who escaped Saturday from a work release program in Prichard. Correctional workers discovered Kent Woods, 36, was missing during an 11 a.m. institutional count. Woods, who is described as 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing approximately 165 pounds, was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and khaki pants, according to authorities. He is serving a 10-year prison sentence for robbery at the Mobile Community Based Facility and Community Work Center at 2423 N. Beltline Highway in Prichard. Anyone who has information about his whereabout is asked to call CrimeStoppers 24-hour tip line at 334-215-7867 or 1-833-251-7867. Seen is a Samsung Electronics' booth at the Flash Memory Summit 2022 held in Santa Clara, Calif, Aug. 3, 2022. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will join this year's event, which will take place at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara from Aug. 8 to 10. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics By Baek Byung-yeul Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will unveil their latest products and technologies at next month's Flash Memory Summit, the world's largest flash memory chip event, in the U.S., hoping to make a breakthrough in the chip industry, which is suffering one of its worst ever downturns due to high inventory levels and persistent weak demand, according to the industry officials, Sunday. The Flash Memory Summit is the largest event in the flash memory semiconductor industry as global companies and prominent figures gather at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California to share new technologies and market trends. This year's event will take place from Aug. 8 to 10. Unlike the 2022 event that focused on data center-related products, this year's event is expected to cover storage trends in the emerging automotive market, which is expected to become a new income source for flash memory players as more cars are becoming "smart" with the advent of electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous driving systems. With more vehicles being equipped with advanced automotive electronics equipment such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and infotainment systems, the importance of compatibility and stability between hardware and software components has increased. Both Samsung and SK are expected to show the lead they have taken in this lucrative sector at this year's event. Samsung recently began mass-producing universal flash storage (UFS) 3.1 memory chips for automotive infotainment. Kim Jae-joon, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics, told investors during a conference call on July 27, that Samsung is strengthening its competitiveness to respond to the rapidly growing automotive memory semiconductor market. "With the advent of EV and autonomous vehicles, the demand for automotive memory is strong. We expect the automotive memory market to grow at an average annual rate of mid-30% over the next five years in terms of volume," he said. "In fact, automotive demand is expected to grow rapidly and become a larger business opportunity than the application side of PCs by the early 2030s, so we continue to strengthen the competitiveness of related businesses." SK hynix is also expected to showcase technologies related to automotive products. In June, the company said it became the first Korean chip company to achieve Capability Level 2 certification for Automotive SPICE, a software development standard for the European automotive industry. Noting these changing trends, the organizer of the event also plans to hold many sessions to shed light more on flash memory technologies for cars. "Regulators want the industry to move to clean air vehicles as rapidly as possible while manufacturers are developing new technologies to enhance vehicle safety and communications," Tom Coughlin, Flash Memory Summit program chairman, said. "It all requires major advances in data capture, management, storage and continuous communications with other vehicles, roads and locations. Which places added pressure on flash memory devices to perform accurately 100 percent of the time." It has been a week of scandalous doings on Attorney General Merrick Garlands watch. Congress seems paralyzed to intervene with more than hearings, and so far, only federal district court Judge Maryellen Noreika has tried. As I explain, its questionable whether her conduct will prevent the Justice Department from exonerating Hunter Biden from laundering what may be as much as $50 million in bribes from countries, including China, Ukraine, and Romania, into his familys pockets. Through Jack Smith, it has corralled President Trumps valet and the Mar-a-Largo maintenance worker into the ridiculous documents case. Finally, it dropped another case against crypto scammer Sam Bankman-Fried, who contributed as much as $90 million dollars of ill-gotten funds almost entirely to Democrat candidates and their action committees. Hunter Biden and the No-good, Dirty Deal Ferried to the courthouse by a substantial (obviously taxpayer-paid) motorcade, Hunter appeared chipper, obviously believing that his very significant tax avoidance and FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) violations were going to be wiped off the prosecution table if he pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges for unrelated offenses. The tables quickly turned. It was alleged that counsel for the defense had misled the court clerk into believing she was acting for the government in requesting the amicus brief filed by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith be removed from the docket. Upon learning of the impersonation deception, the Judge threatened sanctions against Hunters team. Its not clear whether or not she accepted the explanation offered, ("an unfortunate and unintentional miscommunication), but on Friday, she entered an order that reads in relevant part: Any such issues and inquiries shall be submitted in writing and placed on the docket. To the extent that the rare instance arises in which a writing is not practicable, a phone call may be made to my Chambers by an attorney who represents one of the parties in these cases or an interested third party. The case went downhill after that when it appeared the government and defense counsel had tried to pull the wool over her eyes about the full extent of the plea deal. The plea on its face seemed to recommend probation after Hunter admitted guilt on two misdemeanor charges that he failed to pay over $100,000 in taxes on income earned in 2017 and 2018 and would avoid consequences for a felony gun charge. The devil was in the details: A side pretrial diversion agreement, the most important portion of which (paragraph 15) had just been handed to the judge before she entered the courtroom. The judge needed clarification of it as it appeared to give Hunter immunity from a firearm offense as well as tax and other tax crimes. "Have you ever seen a diversion agreement where the agreement not to prosecute is so broad that it encompasses crimes in a different case? she asked assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Wise. Mr. Wise replied that he had not. Questioning why such promises were made in the diversion agreement -- an agreement she could not rule on [by its very terms] -- the judge said: It seems to me like you are saying just rubber stamp the agreement, Your Honor. This seems to me to be form over substance. Ultimately, the judge deferred action on the plea deal, declaring that she could not accept it as is. The DoJ has been insisting to congressional investigators that it could not respond to inquiries about the Hunter case in those matters still under investigation, but the diversion agreement, of course, would render that claim and any investigation baseless. In any event, when pressed, the prosecution team denied that accepting the plea deal would grant Hunter criminal immunity in perpetuity, at which point the deal fell apart because Hunters counsel quite reasonably believed that would be the effect. Hunter responded, not guilty, and the hearing ended. I think it is beyond debate that the government backed off what criminal lawyers call a global agreement because it stunk of a partisan cover-up, mostly to protect the big guy, President Biden. In Hunters case, according to what folks in the courtroom have told me, Hunters plea was structured under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(c)(1)(B), which is usually just a plea in return for a joint sentencing recommendation only, and contained no information on its face about other potential charges, and contained no clear agreement by DOJ to forego prosecution of other charges, Will Scharf said. Instead, DOJ and Hunters lawyers effectively hid that part of the agreement in what was publicly described as a pretrial diversion agreement relating to a 922(g)(3) gun charge against Hunter for being a drug user in possession of a firearm, Scharf said. The lawyers slipped Hunters blanket immunity in the pre-trial diversion agreement so the judge could not accept -- or reject -- the blanket immunity part of the deal. However, the judge smelled a rat and blew up the entire plea deal! So, they put the facts in the plea agreement, but put their non-prosecution agreement in the pretrial diversion agreement, effectively hiding the full scope of what DOJ was offering and Hunter was obtaining through these proceedings. Hunters upside from this deal was vast immunity from further prosecution if he finished a couple years of probation, and the public wouldnt be any the wiser because none of this was clearly stated on the face of the plea agreement, as would normally be the case, Will Scharf said. Its as yet unclear to me what the next step by the prosecution will be. I understand that the first thing Hunter did when he entered the courtroom was to sign the diversion agreement. Former Deputy Independent Counsel Sol Wisenberg tweeted it was of no effect because it was conditioned on a plea agreement that was not accepted by the Court. Will Hunters counsel argue that is an independent agreement that does not require court approval to be effective? Would that work? New Charges in the Trump Document Case As if admitting the prior charges were weak, this week, Jack Smith added charges against Trumps valet and the Mar-A-Lago maintenance man, accusing them of concealing documentation by deleting security tape footage in the storage room. They tried that gambit earlier before Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida, where they were forced to admit they only needed to see the video from May 24 until June 2, which they were already given. Sam Bankman-Fried You may recall Sam, the son of two Stanford University professors: who was accused of misusing customer deposits and who made $90 million in campaign contributions to around 300 predominantly left-wing political candidates or action committees (PACs). Prosecutors argued the United States mishandled the process of extraditing Bankman-Fried from the Bahamas, writing a letter stating, In keeping with its treaty obligations to the Bahamas, the government does not intend to proceed to trial on the campaign contributions count. Bankman-Fried, who had a net worth of around $26.5 billion at his peak, ranked behind only George Soros in donations to the Democrats last year. He also donated to some Republicans through what he described as dark channels. [snip] Bankman-Fried was the founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX but resigned last November after the companys collapse, costing customers and lenders billions of dollars. He was subsequently arrested and released after paying a $250 million bond: the largest in American history. There remain other charges for fraud involving banks and customers. It will be interesting to see if the Justice Department conjures up another catch-us-if-you-can phony baloney diversion agreement. To sum up, this week, in two cases -- Hunter and Bankman-Fried -- the Department of Justice went out of its way to hide evidence of millions of dollars of overseas money being funneled to Democrats and in a third, it is resurrecting stale, paltry charges against the likely Republican challenger for president. If you experienced unprecedented delays during air travel this summer, the airlines likely blamed it on the weather. You might have been surprised, for bad weather wasnt reported in the news. But here is what should surprise and shock you even more. The real reason a shortage of pilots and air traffic controllers (ATCs) is linked to the Great Reset, the agenda to control people and restrict freedom conceived by the global elite and being implemented through leftist groups and their sympathizers. It is now well known that Klaus Schwab, chief of the elitist World Economic Forum (WEF), set the Great Reset in motion during the pandemic, calling it an opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset the world. The COVID lockdown also connects to the story of the recent flight delays, because it was during the pandemic that travel restrictions were imposed worldwide and pilots and ATCs were laid off. At Londons Heathrow, alone, for example, traffic plunged more than 75% from 80 million passengers daily to about one million. The ostensible reason for limiting travel was to curb contagion and virus mutation. But a sinister agenda was afoot. The travel restrictions, quarantines, vaccine passports, social distancing, the lockdown itself, and other measures were not so much for disease control as for imposing the dystopian New World Order. COVID was a smokescreen. In the name of a recovery plan, radical steps were initiated to restructure the world economy and usher in an extreme environmentalist and statist framework of governance as the new norm. As the lockdown progressed beyond a few months, proponents of the climate agenda and the Green New Deal claimed an intersection between the pandemic and a furtherance of their goals. These progressives deployed a double-edged sword: they said decreased air and car travel was contributing to a healthier planet; simultaneously, they warned that global warming would contribute to health problems and even start more pandemics. So, the pandemic became a convenient excuse to justify far-reaching policy changes that would control and direct everything from the utilization of natural resources to the movement and monitoring of people. The implementation of movement restriction measures called for in the Great Reset has already manifested in several ways. Air travel is being discouraged with the inconvenience of delay, cancellations, and staff shortage. Other movement is being checked by a policy thrust toward banning gas-powered cars, instituting congestion pricing, and developing the impractical idea of so-called 15-minute cities. These policies also call for car-free cities, limiting airline travel, and a 'global tax' on airlines; that is, the more you fly, the more you pay. In 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the Air Resources Board to ban new gas-powered cars by 2035, linking heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts to climate change. Seventeen states that have vehicle emission standards tied to California rules are weighing similar mandates. In 2022, the 193-member nation International Civil Aviation Organizations (ICAO), a U.N. agency, agreed to a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Ironically, the call to reduce the use of aviation fuel is accompanied by a boom in private air travel, as airline travel becomes more difficult. Private jets constitute 25% of U.S. flights and increased by 17% in the first half of 2022. Clearly, despite purported concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, the Great Reset does not restrict travel for the elite. The agenda obviously has more to do with politics and control than science. This year, summer air travel was subjected to massive delays. More than 11,000 flights were delayed or cancelled on June 25; some 8,000 on June 26; and there were 35,000 flight delays and 7,000 cancellations on July 4. Candid airline employees confessed this had nothing to do with the weather, and that pilot and ATC understaffing was responsible for the chaos. In late June, I found myself stuck in New York for three days with no available flight options to the West Coast. I was also trapped in Reykjavik for four nights because of the cancellation of flights to Ilulissat, Greenland. An Icelandair captain revealed the reason: a tower at an adjacent airport, required for potential flight diversions, was unmanned because of an ATC shortage. Despite the shortage of aviation personnel, Congress rejected an amendment to HR 3935, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill, that would have required airlines to reinstate pilots who were fired or stepped down because of vaccine mandates. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who introduced the amendment, said, Hundreds of pilots were forced out of their livelihoods over the past several years for their refusal to get the COVID vaccine. Surprisingly, 83 Republicans joined their Democrat colleagues in voting against an amendment that would have ameliorated the pilot shortage. The FAA has been criticized for lacking a plan to address the serious shortage of ATCs: 77% of critical air traffic control (ATC) facilities are staffed below the 85% threshold. Currently, controllers are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks to cover shortages. The shortage of about 3,000 ATCs has been responsible for large numbers of flight cancellations and delays. The fact that the FAA paused training in the wake of the COVID pandemic has added to the already serious problem, compounded by the diversity agenda. Under the Obama administration, the FAA furthered diversity goals by screening applicants using biographical questionnaires that supplanted skills-based tests. Former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson had then reported that applicants with lower aptitude in science were being preferred over those who scored high in science. Similarly, applicants who were unemployed for the previous three years got more points than licensed pilots. As Carlson rightly put it, the FAA was actively searching for unqualified ATCs, prioritizing identity politics before passenger safety and ultimately reducing the available pool of ATCs. The resultant delays and restrictions bring to mind the post 9-11 commissioning of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) under the aegis of the Department of Homeland Security and how it was insidiously expanded, using the fear of terrorist attacks, to serve a state that is becoming increasingly authoritarian. A parallel could be drawn with how the pandemic and the supposed menace of climate change are being used to get people to accept without question the need for surveillance and other restrictions on freedom. In the name of rooting out terrorists, the TSA began by having its airport staff probe and prod ordinary Americans, including children and the wheelchair-bound elderly. Its mandate now covers the entire transportation landscape, including all surface transport systems. From 26,941 screeners in 2014, the number has leapt to over 60,000 today. Travelers are now inured to surveillance and willingly submit to scans, pat downs, and other intrusions. The globalist elite and their progressive cohorts hope that, similarly, with the fear of new pandemics and end-of-the-world climate scenarios on their minds, people will acquiesce to giving up their freedom and living as directed by states that are in the control of the elite. With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring climate the number one threat to world health in the 21st century, conditions are now in place for the centralized control proposed under the Great Reset. This amounts to the weaponization of the weather to bring about a Sinification of America under one-party rule. It is high time people became aware of the true objective of the climate agenda: curtailing and monitoring human activity and allowing the elite to ultimately control all resources by working through so-called experts who make decisions without accountability. Before it goes any further, this blatant attempt to seize liberty and extinguish freedom must be stopped. Photo credit: YouTube screengrab (cropped) Correction: Traffic decline at Heathrow Airport corrected from 88% to 75%. A few weeks ago, Dennis Prager said, "No one understands what socialism is." He is right. Even economists are confused, and for good reason. After Joseph Stalin gave socialism a bad name, socialist journalists and historians changed its definition to dissimulate socialist activities. They settled upon a new definition: "the government's takeover of the means of production." The new definition made socialism into something that is not likely to happen, thus concealing ongoing socialist operations. The operations of socialism could proceed; however, the operators could no longer be called socialists. This ruse persists today. In the eighteenth century, the term socialism was a nebulous bromide to reference a desired perfect society. Karl Marx codified it in the Communist Manifesto. It was subsequently identified as "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" and more commonly as "Take from the rich and give to the poor." It is the Robin Hood theory. Perhaps that is why it sells so well. Taking from the rich to give to the poor, or to anyone else, is an economic system. Make no mistake: socialism is an economic system. Socialism has had various monikers throughout its history, starting with the name Marxism, followed by fascism, Leninism, communism, and the Third Reich. Each moniker represents a different intent or method to implement socialism. Marxism is socialism by force. But force upon whom and by whom? Marx envisioned force by employees upon their employers. When he published the Communist Manifesto in 1848, the ideal of socialism spread throughout the world like a flash of light. Marx was only twenty-nine years old when he wrote it. He was an occasional journalist and sold op-ed articles to various newspapers. He was impoverished his entire life, and in later years lived off pecuniary gifts from his friend Friedrich Engels. Marx's hatred of the wealthy and their supporters, the bourgeoisie, is obvious throughout the Manifesto. The class warfare and hatred that he created have survived to this day in socialist philosophy. In the 1800s, American newspapers were rife with articles and political cartoons that promoted socialism and its innate hatred. Socialism survives on the noble ideal to help the poor but operates with a false economic assumption made a part of the philosophy by Karl Marx. He said, "The abolition of bourgeois individuality, bourgeois independence, and bourgeois freedom is undoubtedly aimed at." In other words, in economic terms, the wealthy do not share enough with the poor, so they must be controlled, punished, or eliminated. This is the false and destructive aspect of the socialist economic philosophy. In the U.S., the bourgeoisie have become Republicans, who must be controlled, punished, or eliminated. In 1848, when the Communist Manifesto was published, Horace Greeley was the unquestioned leader of our media. Greeley read it and declared himself a socialist. He wrote numerous articles and op-eds promoting socialism. Greeley even employed Karl Marx as a European op-ed journalist for his New York Tribune newspaper. In the 1850s, our American media became promoters of socialism and promote it to this day. One can fairly say socialism was created by a journalist and is perpetuated by journalists. To Horace Greeley's credit, he disagreed with Marx's demand to implement socialism by force or violence. The rest of our media followed his lead. That has served our country well. Elsewhere, journalists sided with Marx and precipitated numerous wars to implement socialism. In Germany, Marxism was particularly revered. In a book, The Big Lie by autodidact historian Dinesh D'Souza, the author refers to a fascinating observation by a German historian, Gotz Aly. Aly points to the leftist journalist Wilhelm Marr, who coined the term anti-Semitism. Aly claims that in 1879, Marr "faulted Jews for outperforming ordinary Germans." In Germany, Jews were the bourgeoisie. They owned many of the businesses and tended to be quite wealthy. Hitler was born in 1889 and grew up in an atmosphere that viewed Jews as the bourgeoisie. Hitler was a Marxist-style socialist because he wanted to somehow, forcefully rid his country of Jews. D'Souza points out that Hitler became obsessed with the German question of what to do with the Jews Judenfrage. It is no wonder that Hitler founded a Marxist-style socialist party, the National Socialist German Workers' Party. In D'Souza's book, we find that Hitler said in 1927, "We are socialists. We are the enemies of today's capitalist system of exploitation ... and we are determined to destroy this system under all conditions." In Italy, contemporary journalists of Wilhelm Marr were Giuseppe Mazzini and Alessandro Mussolini (Benito's father), a politician who wrote op-eds for a socialist journal. Benito was born in 1883, six years before Hitler, and was raised in a socialist family. He was quite brilliant and an excellent writer and orator. He was also a journalist. By 1909, Benito had written for a variety of socialist newspapers. By that time, he was widely read throughout Europe. One of his most ardent admirers was Adolf Hitler. Benito was also a Marxist-style socialist; however, that changed. By this time, Marxist philosophers and journalists throughout Europe were expressing frustration that Karl Marx's revolt had not occurred. Mussolini formed a union of workers, but they failed to revolt against the owners of their businesses. Mussolini was quite frustrated. He concluded that workers would never revolt against their employers, so he decided that an outside force, a government, must do it for them. Finally, Mussolini and discontented socialists, restless revolutionaries, and discharged soldiers met to discuss the establishment of a new force in Italian politics. Mussolini called this force Fasci di Combattimento the Italian Fighting Leagues, or the Fascist Party. In the days of ancient Rome, a fasces was a bundle of rods, often including an axe. It is a symbol of power by force. 0 Mussolini's followers wore black shirts. In 1922, the black-shirt fascists marched into Rome and took power with little resistance. Socialism had won the population. So fascism is also socialism by force, like Marxism. However, it is not force by employees; it is force by government. Marxist fires had been burning in Russia. Vladimir Lenin had concluded the same as Mussolini: that a government rather than the workers needed to force socialism. He named his force the Communist Party, and his followers were Bolsheviks. They took power by force in the October Revolution of 1917. Lenin was an expert in the study of Marxism and, although not a journalist, was quite a philosopher and writer. He added something new to Marxist philosophy. Lenin believed that the evils of capitalism included commerce with other nations. By trade and commerce the capitalist country could subjugate other nations, make them dependent, and force them into capitalism. To prevent this, Lenin advocated communist revolutions in other countries to pre-empt the capitalist conversion. Leninism, or communism, is socialism by force of government by imperialism. Hitler was learning from Mussolini and Lenin. Let's set aside the monikers and look at the economic system of socialism. Take from the rich and give to the poor. How do we take from the rich? We tax them. Taxation is the sword and tool of socialism. It is the fasces of socialism. The U.S. had no income tax until 1913. By 1926, in the Roaring Twenties, unfettered capitalism had brought prices down so low that one person, earning the average wage of only $1.24 per hour, could pay off his home in five years, purchase a vacation home, pay that off, and support a family of five all the way through college. Note that our vacation home boom in resort towns occurred at that time. So what happened? Why is our goods-to-price standard of living so much lower and still declining each year? Franklin Roosevelt increased income taxes for the poor in the lowest income bracket from 4 to 24 percent, in the highest bracket to 94 percent (reducing what we could afford to pay), and corporate taxes to 40 percent (increasing the price we must pay). This is nonviolent socialism at full throttle. We became a hybrid capitalist-socialist nation. Franklin Roosevelt had completed the transformation of the Democrat party into a socialist party, and their occasional moniker is "progressives." James T. Moodey is a retired entrepreneur, author, and economic essayist. His recent book, The Ladder Out of Poverty, determined why the poverty rate has not declined since the Great Society promised to end poverty. Image: Praveenp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped). Many who oppose the war in Ukraine dont understand that America has a vital stake in the outcome: Putins Russia is the ideological and practical descendent of the worst of the Soviet Union and is, therefore, very dangerous. To see that, one must understand the balance of power after WWII; what was happening within the USSR before, during, and after WWII; what happened when the USSR ended; and what Putins Russia is today. WWII was a war against fascism, a subset of socialism. Without the USAs industrial/military power, WWIIs outcome could have been different. I know because I lived through it. Born in the USSR, I survived grade II dystrophy during the 1941-1942 Ural winter thanks only to American egg powder and corned beef. Until I was 20, I wore a hand-crafted coat made from an American bed cover. And I wont even mention Sherman tanks, Aerocobra fighters, ammunition, explosives, machine tools, etc. Within the USSR, Stalin had been whats called a Great LeaderVelikij Vozdjust like Fuhrer Hitler and Duce Mussolini. (The word vozd designates the chief of a tribe, not the leader of a civilized society.) Among other depredations, his policies starved between 6 and 7 million people to death, mostly in Ukraine and Kazakhstan (1932-1933), oversaw about 2 million concentration camp deaths (1930-1953), shot over 1 million (only in 1937-1938!), used 27 million Russian soldiers bodies to absorb Nazi bullets because his socialist infrastructure couldnt produce enough guns, and beganin agreement with Hitleran attack on Poland (1939). Until 1974, Soviet peasants were worse off than Imperial Russian serfs had been. They had no internal passports, a prerequisite for a normal life. A Stalin-era peasant could not leave the collective farm under penalty of prison. Likewise, Stalin-era industrial workers were forbidden to leave their jobs also under penalty of prison. No other country had such severe anti-labor laws. The Soviet state ferociously persecuted the best Soviet people. Its enough to mention eight giant figures the Soviets killed: the physicist Bronstein; the poets Oleynikov, Charents, and Tabidze; the biologist Vavilov; the world-renowned poet Mandelstam; the writer Yuvachov, a.k.a. Kharms; and the famous actor-director Michoels, assassinated on Stalins direct orders in 1948. Image: Putin and Xi (edited). YouTube screen grab. Soviets, like Nazis, enthusiastically reengineered the population, summarily executing tens of thousands of people of different ethnicities, according to national quotas per region, and deporting whole peoples (Chechens, Balkars, Crimean Tatars, Volga Germans, etc.). Stalin had even planned 1953s the Great Deportation of Jews, which would complete Hitlers Holocaust. The plan failed only because Stalin was eliminated by his own secret service in March 1953. After the war, the USSR used its share in the victory to hide its brutal totalitarianism and advance its international agenda. And because America worked with the USSR to defeat Germany and the Soviet army was occupying half of Europe, the West chose to close its eyes to the USSRs total fascism. It is utterly naive to believe that modern Russia is distinct from its brutal communist past, whether in practice or goals. For 73 years, the Soviet regime was able to re-make the Soviet population through genocide, relocation, and state terrorism, leaving behind Russians with a low spiritual and moral level who feel safe under a totalitarian state. The USSR never saw a real de-Stalinization. Stalins values continued, even as the USSR polished its image. Putins advent, along with his gang, marked a clear-cut return to Stalinism in its worst forms. There are hundreds of political prisoners in todays Russia, and Putins government has carried out dozens of assassinations against political opponents since 2000. True, this looks innocuous compared to Stalins terror, but Putin doesnt need to engage in mass repression. He has already ensured that hell have the peoples unconditional support. This mafia don managed to give Russians, suffering from miserable life conditions and an inferiority complex, an important quasi-religious social and geopolitical goal: The Russian World (something like the Holy Land during the medieval crusades). Under Putins aegis, a new term has gained currency in the media to denote Putinism: Rashizm in Russian, short for Russian fascism. Russias territory, its unlimited natural resources, and its intimidated population under the orders of a fascist government create a danger for the world, one more serious than Hitlers threat in 1939. And Russian aggression in Ukraine repeats what Hitler did once he went beyond his borders: e.g., bombing cities, destroying crucial infrastructure, killing civilians, and kidnapping thousands of children. Those who say that the Ukraine war is the start of WWIII are correct. The fascists are on the march again, and those who think that march stops with Russia are fooling themselves. Were already seeing a Fascist International: Russia, China, and Iran, plus minor players (Belarus, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea), are coming together. Only America has the economic and military power to stop this dangerous alliance from reaching fruition. If the worlds fascist forces are allowed to form a real Axis of Evil, we will face the Mother of All Wars. The fascists must be stopped right awayor else victorys final price will be monstrousand victory, of course, is not guaranteed. History is replete with examples of barbarians destroying civilizations. Because conservatives dislike Biden and his reasons for joining the fight, that doesnt mean the war is wrong. Indeed, what too many ignore is that, in 1994, the U.S. promised to defend Ukraine against Russian aggression because Ukraine had abandoned its nuclear weapons. Given that obligation, one can argue that the U.S. isnt doing enough to support the Ukrainian military and the country as a whole. Biden is doling out weapons, never staunching Ukraines slow bleed, instead of giving Ukraine the ability to win. Trump, of course, saw this coming when he told NATO leaders in 2018 that they needed to increase their defense spending and preparedness and decrease their dependence on Russian energy. They just laughed at him. Currently, Russia is moving hard against Ukraine and, if Ukraine falls, more of Europe is opened to the latest European dictator to say that he just needs Lebensraum. That is what I mean by saying that fighting the Russian aggression against Ukraine is Americas war. Last week, Congresspeople Brown, Booker, and Padilla declared racism a public health crisis that is responsible for disproportionate health outcomes by race. Communities of color continue to be disproportionately affected by negative health outcomes, from chronic diseases to maternal and infant mortality. Disproportional health outcomes are tragic, but thats not tied to racism. By alleging it is, these politicians shirk their duty to solve pressing problems, demonstrate their ignorance of government-supplied data, and falsely impugn America and the medical profession. Black babies die from sudden unexpected infant death syndrome at 2.1 times the rate of whites, but it has nothing to do with racism. One study showed that black mothers dont follow the Safe to Sleep recommendations. Some said they thought they were unnecessary or made them uncomfortable. Another study pointed to black mothers continued use of high-risk sleep practices. A 2019 study found that black people aged 5155 were 28% more likely to have a chronic disease compared to white people of the same age. Many cried racism, but thats not correct. Poor health outcomes are tied to increasingly sedentary lifestyles and being overweight. Culturally, blacks dont subscribe to thin is in. American blacks in general accept larger body sizes and feel less guilty about overeating than other ethnic groups. Blacks are least likely to engage in non-work physical activity or regular exercise, while Latinos are second. According to the CDC, Black adults (49.9%) had the highest age-adjusted prevalence of obesity, followed by Hispanic adults (45.6%). Blacks are the only racial group to disproportionately exceed the three categories of obesity. Blacks are 13.4% of the population but 25% of the overweight, 19% of the obese, and 22% of the severely obese population. The correlations between regular exercise and health care outcomes are impressive, for example, 25-50% reductions in depression, osteoarthritis, and cardiovascular deaths. Image: Lizzo. YouTube screen grab. Being overweight is the single greatest contributing factor to an increased presence of diseases and other unfavorable health outcomes. The more people are overweight, the worse the outcomes. People who are obese have increased risks for many causes of death and serious disabilities, including maternal mortality, type 2 diabetes, neuropathy, hypertension, stroke, coronary heart, kidney, and gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, many forms of mental illness and decline, sleep disorders, amputations, difficulty functioning physically, and many types of cancer, including kidney, liver, and breast. Hypertension increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the leading causes of death in the United States. About 55% of black adults have hypertension. A study reports that High blood pressure has been a common significant factor associated with the excess disease burden for African Americans. People of color are less likely to take measures to control hypertension, resulting in increased risks of dying from a stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease. Dr. Richard White, who is black and works at the Mayo Clinic, has studied the correlation between health literacy and health outcomes in minority populations. He does not point to racism as a causal factor. Its really going to require the African-American community to come together as a unit to really say, you know what? this is our health as a community, this is something that were going to take the initiative and interest to improve ourselves and not necessarily rely on outside or external forces to try and make it happen for us. Thats good advice. Some studies have found that African-American health habits are not influenced by external sources like medical doctors. Instead, they prefer informal sources. Blacks must draw their own conclusions and then act on them. Most of the data cited above comes from research supplied by the CDC and NIH. Why is Congress falsely asserting that disproportional health outcomes for communities of color are tied to racism and trying to hold all Americans responsible for minority health outcomes? Maybe it secures votes, but it wont improve health outcomes, and it stokes the nations already plummeting racial disunity. It's another Sunday and time to reflect on another day in the life and times of VP Kamala Harris, or the lady who said most Americans cant afford a $400 surprise expense, but conveniently forgot that she is a part of the current administration. She then called Iowa heartbeat law an 'outright ban' but was not challenged on the exceptions, as in cases of rape or incest. The VP also forgot that this law is the result of a legislature elected by Iowans. Who cares about that, when the abortion activists keep calling on the Biden administration to codify Roe? As Disney continues on a suicide mission of $900 million in losses, they should consider a new movie about someone named Kamala Roe who travels in the forest with her 7 friends. We will cast them as follows: Dopey is the person who writes her speeches or keeps telling the VP to cackle while laughing: Grumpy would be Congressman Nadler who hasn't smiled in years; Sneezy would be Dr. Fauci who wears a mask to protect the community from the latest virus; Bashful would be Governor Newsom who keeps hinting and hinting; Sleepy would be President Biden. Happy is her former staffer. Can you think of anyone else? VP Harris is one heartbeat from the presidency and that is why the Democrats will be do everything in their power to keep the President's heart beating. In the meantime, Disney should consider my idea for the movie because nothing else is selling tickets. P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Photo credit: Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 2.0 license It would read. "The media will eventually be forced to cover the history of Biden family corruption, instead of: Hunter Biden can't stop gifting the GOP with potential scandals Allegations about Hunter Bidens art sales could cause a new political headache. Another potential Hunter Biden scandal appears to be brewing. This time its about his foray into the world of fine art and a media report that he sold art with a high price tag to a Democratic donor. Bidens attempt to break into the art world was always going to look bad. Now it could become yet another political headache for President Joe Biden as Republicans dog him for his sons history of misconduct and impropriety. And it comes as Hunter Bidens plea deal over federal tax charges unexpectedly unraveled Wednesday. This article makes it appear that Joe is an innocent bystander in the Biden Crime family's business of lining the family's pockets with kickbacks when the truth is Joe was always the head of the family crime business. Hunter Biden didn't fly on government jets around the World just to keep his dad company. He flew to get kickbacks for the family, and Joe has clearly lied for years that he had no idea what Hunter or Joe's brother did in business and that no one in Joe's family ever made money from foreign countries. Sadly, MSNBC, along with most of the media, has covered up for the criminal activity of the Bidens and Clintons for years because all they care about is winning elections. They ran lies about Trump and Russian collusion for years with no evidence, but no matter how much evidence they have that Joe Biden participated in business deals with Hunter, they intentionally lie to the public that there is no evidence. And they knew the truth in 2020 when they buried the story of Hunter's laptop by spreading the lie that it was Russian disinformation. And they clearly have no interest in finding out about the classified documents in Joe's garage, and elsewhere, or who brought the cocaine to the White House because Joe is a Democrat. They also don't care how incompetent Joe obviously is. Most of the media is worthless since all they have become is a campaign and propaganda arm for the Democrat party pushing the radical leftist agenda to remake, destroy America. RFK Jr. is NOT an antisemite he is a politician who didnt exercise discretion. Rather typical. He did not blame Jews for creating COVID, he merely posited that COVID might preferentially attack Caucasians and whites. His conjecture, if anything, would have laid the blame at the door of the Chinese or the CIA. The press soon jumped upon his statement as malicious. But were it so, why would the ever diligent defender of Israel and Jews, Dov Hikind of Brooklyn, host RFK Jr. on his podcast? Even Dov Hikind admitted that Your [RFKs] intentions may be very pure. [1:02] Even Rabbi Shmuley defended RFK. RFK Jr. was just tackling the touchy subject of bioweapons. That didnt stop the internet from accusing RFK Jr. of a plethora of hateful opinions. However, he hit back quite effectively. I wont be lectured to about antisemitism from Democratic lawmakers like Wasserman Schultz @RepDWStweets who voted to give Iran $150b while that regime promises a new Holocaust against the Jews. -- RFK Twitter. He also listed a report he used for the basis of his claim. However, RFK Jr. placed too much faith in official science. Had RFK thought this through, he could have avoided some errors. Ashkenazic Jews have a massive amount of autosomal European DNA. Recent STRUCTURE analysis of the entire Jewish Diaspora estimated that the Ashkenazi and Syrian Jewish populations have between 20 and 40% European admixture. -- PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Other studies indicate even higher percentages of European DNA. The present research indicates that only a small portion of Ashkenazi Jews have maternal mitochondrial DNA which tracks back to the Mideast to the four matriarchs of Israel: Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Ziphah. This is more than a mere statistic, since Jews usually track ancestry through the maternal line. Thus the great majority of Ashkenazi maternal lineages were not brought from the Levant, as commonly supposed, Dr. Richards and colleagues conclude in their paper. Overall, at least 80 percent of Ashkenazi maternal ancestry comes from women indigenous to Europe, and 8 percent from the Near East, with the rest uncertain, the researchers estimate. -- New York Times However, on the paternal line (Y-chromosome), the Jewish lineage shines through. Past research found that 50 percent to 80 percent of DNA from the Ashkenazi Y chromosome, which is used to trace the male lineage, originated in the Near East, -- NBC News. The standard interpretation is that single Jewish men who migrated to Europe married European women. Again, since it is modern practice for Jews to trace their lineage through the female lines, it is assumed that the women were converts. Okay, so Ashkenazi Jews are not purely Middle Eastern. What this tells us is that Jews do indeed have a connection to the Mideast, however they also have a connection to Europeans. Given that Ashkenazic Jews carry such a high load of European DNA, it would be impossible to target a genetic bioweapon that goes after Caucasians and spares Ashkenazic Jews. What this means is that RFK Jr. was not antisemitic, but his comments were ill considered. Had he pondered a bit more, he would have realized that the official reports he read were ridiculous or misinterpreted. Similarly, WIRED magazine claimed in 1998 that Israel was developing bioweapons to get rid of Arabs. Israel is reportedly developing a biological weapon that would harm Arabs while leaving Jews unaffected, according to a report in London's Sunday Times. The report, citing Israeli military and western intelligence sources, says that scientists are trying to identify distinctive genes carried by Arabs to create a genetically modified bacterium or virus. -- WIRED WIRED Magazine credited the source to the London Sunday Times, but whatever the source is, no thought was put into the article. Even WIRED admitted that the problems would be formidable. The task is very complex because both Arabs and Jews are Semitic peoples. But according to the report, the Israelis have succeeded in isolating particular characteristics of certain Arabs, "particularly the Iraqi people." -- WIRED Complex?! How about impossible. More than half of Israel is either Sephardic or Mizrahi Jews which carry a lot of Arab DNA. Any such weapon would kill half of Israel at least. Yet, apparently, a member of the Knesset at that time was furious about it. Dedi Zucker, a member of the Israeli parliament, denounced the research in the Sunday Times. "Morally, based on our history, and our tradition and our experience, such a weapon is monstrous and should be denied." -- WIRED So RFK Jr. is not unique. These are politicians not scientists. Mind you, these claims were not coming from nut cases, but respected sources and authorities, proving that even experts are gullible. Now, it would not surprise me if one Israeli scientist had broached the subject. What about a bioweapon to get rid of the Arabs? But only a few seconds later another scientist would have said, Shut up! Half of my relatives are Sephardi. Do you want to kill them? DONT BE SO STUPID! And it would have ended there. Scientific journals publish a lot of idiocy. Think of global warming. And RFK Jr., who fights with Big Pharma and is a big COVID Vaxx skeptic, should have been more circumspect. He mistrusts Big Pharma. Why wouldnt he treat all medical reports with proper skepticism? As for me, I am not sure if I agree with the percentages in those reports above about Ashkenazic DNA, but it is clear that Ashkenazim have a lot of European mix enough to make targeted bioweapons unfeasible. RFK Jr. was also slammed in other places as an antisemite for meeting with Farrakhan. I doubt that proves anything. Just typical politicking without aforethought. I admire RFK Jr.s anti-Vax crusade; but the rest of his agenda is not well thought out. What we have to remember is how such idiocies can propagate. Remember that Antonio Egas Moniz won a Nobel prize for the Frontal Lobotomy. America invaded Iraq in 2003 over a non-existent weapons of mass destruction program. And the present opioid crisis started when a letter to a medical journal was misinterpreted by Sacklers Purdue Pharma to push OxyContin. RFK Jr. is not an antisemite, but he should have put more thought into his statements. Photo credit: Fix News Channel screengrab (cropped) David Hanson, vice president of global channel development at Starbucks Asia Pacific, poses with Dongsuh Foods' Starbucks ready-to-drink beverages at a resort on Jeju Island, Thursday. Courtesy of Dongsuh Foods Starbucks executive vows to continue strong partnership with Dongsuh, introduce new coffee products for local consumers By Kim Jae-heun JEJU Dongsuh Foods and Starbucks have marked cumulative sales of 1 billion Starbucks ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee beverages in Korea since 2006 when they launched the joint business. The achievement is meaningful for both firms as they pioneered the local RTD market, which was scaled at only 170 billion won ($133 million) 17 years ago. In 2022, the market reached 1.45 trillion won. "Any time you hit a billion, this means you reached a critical mass. You have a reason to celebrate," Vice President and General Manager of Global Channel Development at Starbucks Asia Pacific David Hanson said during an interview with The Korea Times, Thursday. "People have been engaging with you, they are loyal to the brand and you had a long-term future. A billion is something to pause and recognize and think about how you get to 10 billion." In 2005, Dongsuh signed a contract with Starbucks to manufacture and market its branded coffee beverages here. Starting with the launch of three types of Starbucks Frappuccino bottled coffee in 2006, they have stayed together ever since by gradually expanding their product lines to include cans, cups, and PET bottles. Starbucks AP Vice President David Hanson speaks to The Korea Times during an interview at a resort on Jeju Island, Thursday. Courtesy of Dongsuh Foods A biological male with superficial features of a woman won the Miss Netherlands contest earlier this month and will go on to represent the Netherlands in the Miss Universe pageant later this year. Too bad for womens rights and following the science. Regardless of trends overseas that have manifested themselves here in America, if the United States is to continue to advance as a science and technology superpower, we must again teach our students from the youngest age that 1 + 1 = 2, and only 2. As in, one unique male gender plus one unique female gender equals two unique genders, and only two unique genders. Never in the history of the world has a society been so confused about sex and gender. Yet, esteemed academicians that fancy themselves to be intelligent have apparently convinced the titans of sports, business, industry, and pageantry that gender is fluid because XX and XY are somehow malleable. In the real-world, XX and XY are hard-wired realities and no amount of drugging and butchering of the human body will change that. The good news is that the mind, which believes that chemical and physical changes can alter XX and XY, can be changed. A muddled mind has been a welcome challenge to the mental health profession in the past; yet the profession seems to have given up or cowered to the new idea that your thoughts can alter who you are in reality. Fortunately, just as time and reason vanquished the pseudo sciences of astrology, alchemy, eugenics, and Lysenkoism, a modern, advanced culture can conquer the fantasy of multi-genderism. Victory over non-science is not achieved by succumbing to confused thinking by accepting, applauding, and promoting it. Compelling others to accede to faulty logic through employment programs such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) only compounds the confusion. Most Americans are liberally open to the views of others. They will listen to and tolerate all reasonable assertions and positions. Americans are pleased with their level of overall tolerance and have generally taken a live and let live attitude to diversions from what they see as normal. Nevertheless, when untoward convictions, masquerading as facts, are imposed on people of commonsense, a revulsion develops. Commonsense cuts to the chase when it comes to the basics of life, which includes mating and survival. Without mating there would be no survival. And no human since the dawn of humans needed to be told what side of the sex divide they were on. Unknowingly applying the basic scientific method that includes observation, hypothesis, and testing, even ancients discovered the science of sex. They observed their genitalia, hypothesized being male or female based on their observation, and intelligently went with what they saw, since this was one time testing evidently was not necessary. Who would have guessed that what was apparent to our unenlightened ancestors is apparently abstruse to todays intelligentsia and those befuddled by these literati? A return to basic science is desperately needed -- a return to the science of the real. Scientists and non-scientists alike must stand up to anti-science ideas and to their promotion through bullying via fanaticized and politicized pseudoscience, its scientists, and its purveyors. Forcing anti-science ideas on people can confuse them into rejecting true science and what authentic science promotes. This increases the challenge of encouraging the public to trust in trustworthy medicines and vaccines and to practice healthy lifestyle choices (like avoiding excessive smoking and drinking and dysfunctional fantasies). But its more serious than just demoralizing and confusing the public on health and wellness issues. We can be sure that our biggest global competitor and enemy, China, is not secretly plotting to destroy the U.S. through better DEI programs or through more effectively erasing gender distinctions. Rather, as the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun-Tzu might say if he were alive today: A nation that cowers to men in dresses is a nation ripe for defeat by men in uniform. Image: Anthony J. Sadar Anthony J. Sadar earned graduate degrees in environmental science and science education. His science career of 40+ years has been divided among work in government, academia, and consulting. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License Dialing the time machine back to 1972, we find a previous presidential scandal. Though not directly involved, Richard Nixon was the focus of blame. A handful of operatives in Nixon's campaign and administration performed a "third-rate burglary" at the opposition's headquarters. Several of those involved avoided using their first names. Instead, they were G. Gordon Liddy, E. Howard Hunt, and L. Patrick Gray. Most curious in this affair was the lack of a serious motive. Nixon's re-election was a solid inevitability. Not all that long after the Watergate break-in hit the news, Nixon carried 49 states, and McGovern didn't even carry his home state of South Dakota. It seems most likely that internal polling would have been aware of this. Once the scandal became full blown, "Don't Blame Me I'm from Massachusetts" bumper stickers started appearing referencing the only state along with D.C. that went for McGovern. A lasting effect of the election of 1972 is that primary elections have replaced nominating conventions as the way both parties usually select their candidates. Ostensibly, this is supposed to be more democratic but it has also drastically increased the hunger for campaign contributions, since there is almost twice as much campaigning to be done. An aspect of an unintended anti-democratic effect of this transition is that the larger money sources, such as George Soros, have strengthened their grip on the process. In Biden's case, the scandal is not especially political, but instead that of a quest for profit. He has been caught selling influence and often not in the best interest of the United States. Wrapped into this burrito is the Department of Justice and other government minions, who've gone to great lengths to keep this business out of the news. Trump's presidency exposed the myth of government being politically neutral. "Official" conspiracies abound in order to influence public opinion and further evidence of this keeps emerging. As this is being written, the news is totally abuzz over judge Noreika's refusal to accept Hunter Biden's sweetheart plea deal. Now, since Hunter's plea has been changed to not guilty, we may possibly be treated to the embarrassing spectacle of a public trial but don't hold your breath. More likely, the DoJ conspirators and Hunter's defense team will work out a more acceptable plea that won't gag the judge. Mr. Trump should now expect another surprise raid on his residence just to divert attention. Oh, something like this has just happened, as Jack Smith of the DoJ has added another slew of meaningless charges against Mr. Trump. Also of particular interest is Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa). Being the longest serving Republican in the history of the U.S. Senate, he is also the one remaining Watergate senator. And as ranking member of the Budget Committee, he is a significant player in today's political circus. Two years after Nixon lost to Kennedy, in a close contest, he then lost to California's incumbent governor, Pat Brown (yes, Jerry's father). Afterward, he famously announced to a fairly hostile media that "you won't have Nixon to kick around anymore." Six years later, he was elected president. Being no dummy, Nixon had a major impact on toning down the political anger over the Vietnam War. He instituted the draft lottery so young men of military age would have a much clearer idea of what fate had in store for them. On the other hand, Biden's harvesting of graft was further enhanced by his inheritance of Obama's politically weaponized Deep State. Does the name Lois Lerner come to mind? Trump's aberrant presidency, though it interrupted the continuum, gave the Deep State operatives a good chance to sharpen their knives. There is genuine fear that we are circling the drain into a totalitarian one-party dictatorship. I tend to disagree, because ordinary people have this odd personality quirk: self-interest. Americans, especially, are particularly protective of their standard of living. We don't like having to step over passed-out vagrants, or step in their excrement. We don't like having fewer choices when we go shopping. We especially don't like being told what to eat, what to watch on TV, or what to say when we argue. But we also don't like making enemies. Hence the suppression of personal dissent from the prevailing dogma, also known as implied censorship. As I wander the pathways of my neighborhood in the progressive stronghold of Oakland, California, I often converse with my neighbors. They are much more conservative than an outsider would expect. There are, of course, true doctrinaire lefties. But they seem to be in, at least, a slight minority. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but this same story is playing out in many other venues. Weariness of crime is front-burner; so are taxes and burdensome authority. Back to Hunter's problems...just for fun. The DoJ prosecutor and his co-conspirator in Hunter's defense tried to pull a fast one on the judge, thinking she was as stupid as other judges they had previously fooled. They guessed wrong. She busted them, and now the corruptocrats are scrambling. This has further added to the "Deep State as enemy of the people" meme as well it should. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. Bumped from Sunday: The current heat wave is being relentlessly blamed on increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but there is a much more plausible explanation, one that is virtually endorsed by two of the world's leading scientific organizations. It turns out that levels of water vapor in the atmosphere have dramatically increased over the last year and a half, and water vapor is well recognized as a greenhouse gas, whose heightened presence leads to higher temperatures, a mechanism that dwarfs any effect CO2 may have. So why has atmospheric water vapor increased so dramatically? Because of a historic, gigantic volcanic eruption last year that I probably along with you had never heard of. The mass media ignored it because it took place 490 feet underwater in the South Pacific. Don't take it from me; take it from NASA (and please do follow the link to see time-lapse satellite imagery of the underwater eruption and subsequent plume of gases and water injected into the atmosphere): \ Still from the time-lapse photos. When the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted on Jan. 15, it sent a tsunami racing around the world and set off a sonic boom that circled the globe twice. The underwater eruption in the South Pacific Ocean also blasted an enormous plume of water vapor into Earth's stratosphere enough to fill more than 58,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. The sheer amount of water vapor could be enough to temporarily affect Earth's global average temperature. "We've never seen anything like it," said Luis Millan, an atmospheric scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. He led a new study examining the amount of water vapor that the Tonga volcano injected into the stratosphere, the layer of the atmosphere between about 8 and 33 miles (12 and 53 kilometers) above Earth's surface. In the study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, Millan and his colleagues estimate that the Tonga eruption sent around 146 teragrams (1 teragram equals a trillion grams) of water vapor into Earth's stratosphere equal to 10% of the water already present in that atmospheric layer. That's nearly four times the amount of water vapor that scientists estimate the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines lofted into the stratosphere. [emphases added] NASA published the above in August 2022. Half a year later, a newer study increased the estimate of the water vapor addition to the atmosphere by 30%. From the European Space Agency: In a recent paper published in Nature, a team of scientists showed the unprecedented increase in the global stratospheric water mass by 13% (relative to climatological levels) and a five-fold increase of stratospheric aerosol load the highest in the last three decades. Using a combination of satellite data, including data from ESA's Aeolus satellite, and ground-based observations, the team found that due to the extreme altitude, the volcanic plume circumnavigated the Earth in just one week and dispersed nearly pole-to-pole in three months. [emphasis added] Another scientific paper explains the "net warming of the climate system" on a delayed basis. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory further explains: Volcanic eruptions rarely inject much water into the stratosphere. In the 18 years that NASA has been taking measurements, only two other eruptions the 2008 Kasatochi event in Alaska and the 2015 Calbuco eruption in Chile sent appreciable amounts of water vapor to such high altitudes. But those were mere blips compared to the Tonga event, and the water vapor from both previous eruptions dissipated quickly. The excess water vapor injected by the Tonga volcano, on the other hand, could remain in the stratosphere for several years. This extra water vapor could influence atmospheric chemistry, boosting certain chemical reactions that could temporarily worsen depletion of the ozone layer. It could also influence surface temperatures. Massive volcanic eruptions like Krakatoa and Mount Pinatubo typically cool Earth's surface by ejecting gases, dust, and ash that reflect sunlight back into space. In contrast, the Tonga volcano didn't inject large amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere, and the huge amounts of water vapor from the eruption may have a small, temporary warming effect, since water vapor traps heat. The effect would dissipate when the extra water vapor cycles out of the stratosphere [Emphases added] So there you have it: we are in for extra atmospheric heat "for several years" until the extra water vapor injected by this largest-ever-recorded underwater volcano eruption dissipates. Jeff Childers, who brought these scientific data to my notice, writes: Here's why corporate media is ignoring the most dramatic climate even[t] in modern history: because you can't legislate underwater volcanoes. You can try, but they won't listen. So what's the fun in that? Corporate media only exists to further political ends. Since volcanoes aren't subject to politics, why bother? He brings up the work of Ethical Skeptic: Ethical is suggesting that the water is heating the air instead of the other way around. And the Earth's core is heating the water. It's a theory that explains everything. Meanwhile, "science" is baffled. From just a month ago, in mid-June: See? But though scientists are baffled, corporate media and its repulsive allies are busily blaming ocean warming on carbon dioxide a ludicrous notion. I am the first to admit that none of this not the atmospheric CO2 theory of global warming, nor the effect of the largest ever known undersea volcanic eruption is scientifically proven. But before we impoverish ourselves trying to reduce CO2 emissions (while watching China dramatically increase them), let's practice real science and not jump to conclusions based on an imaginary "consensus." Hat tip: Alan Fraser. (ANSA) - ROME, JUL 30 - Rimini's latest craze, barefoot bikini dancing in beach bars, has split the city council in the Romagna resort from lifeguards and discotheques which are demanding authorities clamp down on it. The dancing craze, in the bars and eateries known as chiringuitos, is backed by by former deputy mayor Gloria Lisi who has urged the council to formally approve what is already de facto happening. But tourism councillor Juri Magrini has turned her down saying "the beach can't become a disco, there are norms forbidding it". Mayor Jamil Sadegholvaad has come out in favour of allowing people to dance in their bathing costumes, but insisted "there must be rules". Lifeguards and discos are also demanding "more rules and controls", associations said. (ANSA). The Scottish Liberal Democrats have called on the Scottish Government to offer more support to ambulance crews after revealing extremely worrying waiting times. The party revealed statistics gained through freedom of information laws that showed 2,974 people waited more than eight hours for an ambulance last year. The figures also showed that more than 33,000 people waited for over two hours for an ambulance. Calls are coded in order of priority, with purple the highest and red the second most serious. Alex Cole-Hamilton (Credit, Jane Barlow/PA) The longest waits for a purple or red call were 119 minutes and 685 minutes, respectively. The longest wait for any call was 1999 minutes (33 hours), although this was for a yellow-coded call, the second least serious. Of those waiting, more than 20 callers coded purple and 558 red-coded callers had to wait more than an hour for an ambulance. Alex Cole-Hamilton, health spokesperson and leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said his party called for an inquiry into avoidable emergency care deaths but it was obstructed by nationalist MSPs who did not want to know. He added: If you or a loved one find yourself in a moment of crisis, you want to know that someone at the other end of a phoneline will be able to help. For high risk callers to be waiting more than an hour for an ambulance to arrive on the scene is extremely worrying. The ambulance service has a phenomenally tough job. It is no surprise that they have been warning of pressure cooker conditions for years. He continued: Rather than take for granted that ambulance staff will always be able to save the day, the SNP should recognise the pressures that the service is under and look again at what needs to be done to improve life for both patients and staff. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: We apologise to anyone who has had an unacceptable wait for an ambulance. We are committed to ensuring that there are no unnecessary delays in transferring patients to hospital and continue to work closely with health boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure that emergencies are urgently responded to. We continue to invest in supporting SAS staff and patients, including a record number of staff recruitment since 2020, with a further 307 to be recruited in 2023/24. The closure and subsequent reopening of the UKs largest gas storage site cost the country nearly 1.7 billion over two years, Labour has said. The party has blamed the Conservatives for what it has labelled a costly mistake, as Labour accused ministers of ignoring warnings about the winding down of the Rough storage facility under the North Sea. The storage site had been mothballed from 2017 but was partially reopened last year, when it was able to store around 30 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas. Centrica last month increased capacity at the site, the UKs largest facility, in order to provide the firm with a bigger safety cushion for next winter. Labour said that, with more storage, the UK could have bought gas more cheaply now and stored it for use over the winter. But it said the lack of capacity will now cost the country dear. Labour said the UKs storage capacity is 2% of annual demand, a fraction of the equivalent figures in Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands. Despite warnings, this Tory Government shut down gas storage and once again left working people paying the price for their sticking plaster approach, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said. Yet another failure on energy security hasnt just left families paying more, its left us exposed and reliant on others. Instead of investing in homegrown energy to lower bills, create jobs and strengthen our energy security, they are happy to keep laying the costs on working families. Labour said the UK was paying 685 million over the odds for winter gas this year, after paying out 967 million extra last year due to the lack of gas storage facilities. The Opposition said that the Governments mistake was piling pressure on already hard-pressed families. Built on the rock of economic responsibility, Labour will drive forward the industries of the future working in partnership with businesses and workers to sort out these Tory energy failures, get bills down and restore some economic security, Ms Reeves said. Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps hit back at Labour. We will take no lessons on energy security from the party that wants to ban new oil and gas licences in the North Sea, risking hundreds of thousands of British jobs, handing control of our energy to countries like Russia, and hiking up prices. Meanwhile, we are reinforcing our energy security by securing almost 200 billion of investment into low-carbon energy projects since 2010, backing new nuclear and floating offshore wind, and investing in low-carbon alternatives helping to grow our economy. The rededication of a memorial to the National Army soldiers killed in the Civil War enables their memory to be rehabilitated, a ceremony in Dublin has heard. Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sean Clancy paid tribute to the some 810 soldiers killed serving on the Free State side in the 1922-23 conflict as he addressed the event at Glasnevin cemetery on Sunday. Descendants of some of those who died, representative of all four provinces on the island of Ireland, were invited guests at the ceremony, among them relatives of Michael Collins, the commander in chief of the National Army who was killed in 1922. (l to r) Tanaiste Micheal Martin, Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces Lieutenant General Sean Clancy and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during the rededication (Brian Lawless/PA) Government coalition partners Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin, the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, the two main parties forged from the divisions of the Civil War, also attended the rededication of the National Army Monument. Sinn Fein TD Matt Carthy also attended the military commemoration, as did Dublin Lord Mayor Daithi de Roiste. Prior to the ceremony, there was no monument in Ireland specifically dedicated to the soldiers of the National Army who fought against the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War. Weeks after the war ended, on August 3, 1923, the Oireachtas passed legislation that led to the creation of the modern-day Irish Defence Forces, Oglaigh na h Eireann. The rededication event for the forgotten fallen of the National Army, which had already adopted the name Oglaigh na h Eireann during the Civil War, took place on the Sunday prior to the centenary of that date. It is appropriate then, in the spirit of real inclusiveness, of ethical remembering, and with a full desire to deal with some of the more uncomfortable aspects of our shared history, that we remember some of 810 uniformed members of Oglaigh na h Eireann who gave their lives in the service of the state during the tragic and critical period at the foundation of our democracy, Lt Gen Clancy told the ceremony. For far too long there has been no memorial of any kind, nor any complete listing of the National Army war dead. Indeed, this year represents perhaps the last real opportunity to rectify that. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (left) and Tanaiste Micheal Martin unveil the National Army Monument (Brian Lawless/PA) The remains of some 180 of the 810 soldiers who died serving in the National Army are buried at the plot in Glasnevin cemetery. Sources at the archives show that the average soldier buried here was in his early 20s, was unmarried and from a working-class background, said Lt Gen Clancy. Many had previously served in the IRA during the War of Independence, some even in the 1916 rising, many others had served in the British Army, underlying yet again how complex is the weave of Irish history. The chief of staff highlighted the poignant example of two young Belfast-born Dublin-raised brothers Frederick (18) and Gerald McKenna (16) who were buried in Glasnevin after being killed together in action in Cork in August 1922 only a month after joining the National Army. Whatever the often very legitimate reasons our forebears may have had for forgetting in the intervening 100 years, I think its appropriate now that I as the 32nd Chief of Staff of Oglaigh na h Eireann should finally take this opportunity to rehabilitate their memory, said Lt Gen Clancy. Ukrainian soldiers fired UK-donated AS90 self-propelled artillery guns to mark the end of their training in south-west England. Uniformed troops wearing ear defenders blasted rounds into the air as Ukraines blue and yellow flag was pictured flying above one of the artillery units on Thursday. British Army instructors taught the 72 Ukrainian army personnel how to operate and maintain the guns when in combat, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. Newly trained Ukrainian artillery specialists firing British donated AS90 155mm self-propelled artillery guns (Ben Birchall/PA) The photos were taken at the end of their seven-week training course and the troops will soon return home. More than 1,000 UK service personnel have been involved in running the programme, taking place at MoD sites across the North West, South West and South East, as part of the UK Governments support for Ukraine following its invasion by Russia in February 2022. Training on the AS90 guns is taking at a specialist facility under the control of the Royal School of Artillery and is conducted by officers and soldiers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, the MoD said. Ukrainian artillery specialists under the supervision of British Army instructors (Ben Birchall/PA) Some of the newly-trained Ukrainian troops were experienced artillery soldiers while others had minimal or no military experience, it added. The UK Government provided 2.3 billion of military aid to Ukraine in 2022 and has promised a similar amount this year. It said it has supplied more than 10,000 anti-tank missiles, 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, more than one hundred anti-aircraft guns, self-propelled artillery, and trained more than 15,000 recruits. SANDY HOOK, N.J. (AP) Four people found clinging to the hull of an overturned boat off New Jersey were rescued and taken to a hospital, authorities said. Coast Guard officials in New York say Coast Guard crews and New York police and fire units were deployed to the area off Sandy Hook after receiving a distress call about 1 a.m. Sunday over VHF Channel 16 from the sailing vessel Eagle, which reported having run aground and was taking on water. Petty Officer Logan Kaczmarek told the Asbury Park Press that rescue crews found a floating debris field of items from the boat. They then found the four people about 2:15 a.m. Sunday holding onto the floating hull near the Romer Shoal Light Station about 2 nautical miles (4.6 kilometers) from the tip of Sandy Hook. Crews from Station Sandy Hook pulled two people from the water while the other two were rescued by New York fire crews. All four, who had all been wearing life jackets, were taken to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch for treatment. There was no immediate word on their conditions. Gunfire erupted early Sunday in the parking lot of a Michigan shopping center, leaving five people wounded, two critically, and several people detained for questioning, police said. The shooting unfolded about 1 a.m. outside the Logan Square Shopping Center in Lansing, according to the Lansing Police Department. PHOTO: Police officers cordon off a crime scene at the Logan Square Mall in Lansing on July 30, 2023, after a shooting left five people injured, two in critical condition. (WLAJ-TV) When officers arrived at the scene, they found a large crowd with multiple gunshot victims, police said. PHOTO: Police officers cordon off a crime scene at the Logan Square Mall in Lansing on July 30, 2023, after a shooting left five people injured, two in critical condition. (WLAJ-TV) The victim ranged in age from 16 to 26, police said. Two of the victims were taken to local hospitals in critical condition, according to police. A motive for the shooting is under investigation. It was not immediately clear why a large crowd was gathered at the shopping center when the shooting occurred. PHOTO: Police officers cordon off a crime scene at the Logan Square Mall in Lansing on July 30, 2023, after a shooting left five people injured, two in critical condition. (WLAJ-TV) Due to the size of the crowd, Lansing police requested backup from several neighboring law enforcement agencies, officials said. MORE: 1 dead, 'multiple' people shot at party in Muncie, Indiana Police officials said several firearms were recovered at the scene and several people have been detained for questioning, but no arrests have been announced. 5 wounded, 2 critically, in Michigan shopping center shooting originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally in Erie, Pa., U.S., July 29. AP-Yonhap A federal judge has thrown out Donald Trump's $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN, in which the former president claimed the network's description of his election fraud as the "big lie" associated him with Adolf Hitler. In a ruling late on Friday night, U.S. Judge Raag Singhal, who was nominated by Trump in 2019, said CNN's words were opinion, not fact, and therefore could not be the subject of a defamation claim. "CNN's statements while repugnant, were not, as a matter of law, defamatory," wrote Singhal, who sits in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, near Trump's home at his Mar-a-Lago resort. In a statement, a Trump spokesperson said: "We agree with the highly respected judge's findings that CNN's statements about President Trump are repugnant. CNN will be held responsible for their wrongful mistreatment of President Trump and his supporters." The statement did not say whether Trump would appeal the decision. The lawsuit, which was filed in October 2022, highlighted five instances in which CNN either published stories or aired comments referring to Trump's assertions about the 2020 election as his "big lie." The phrase is also associated with the Nazi regime's use of propaganda. The wording, the lawsuit said, constituted "a deliberate effort by CNN to propagate to its audience an association between the plaintiff and one of the most repugnant figures in modern history." But the mere use of the phrase "big lie" is not enough to give rise to a true connotation, Singhal wrote. "No reasonable viewer could (or should) plausibly make that reference," he said. Since launching his first presidential campaign in 2015, Trump has often attacked media outlets whose coverage he dislikes, with CNN a favorite target. Trump is the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, despite facing both state and federal indictments. (Reuters) KHAR, Pakistan (AP) A suicide bomber blew himself up at a political rally in a former stronghold of militants in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 44 people and wounding nearly 200 in an attack that a senior leader said was meant to weaken Pakistani Islamists. The Bajur district near the Afghan border was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban a close ally of Afghanistans Taliban government before the Pakistani army drove the militants out of the area. Supporters of hard-line Pakistani cleric and political party leader Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam generally supports regional Islamists, were meeting in Bajur in a hall close to a market outside the district capital. Party officials said Rehman was not at the rally but organizers added tents because so many supporters showed up, and party volunteers with batons were helping control the crowd. Officials were announcing the arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, when the bomb went off in one of Pakistans bloodiest attacks in recent years. Provincial police said in a statement that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives vest close to the stage where several senior leaders of the party were sitting. It said initial investigations suggested the Islamic State group which operates in Afghanistan and is an enemy of the Afghan Taliban could be behind the attack, and officers were still investigating. There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs, said Adam Khan, 45, who was knocked to the ground by the blast around 4 p.m. and hit by splinters in his leg and both hands. The Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the bombing was aimed at setting Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that such crimes cannot be justified in any way. The Afghan Talibans seizure of power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government in November, and have stepped up attacks across the country. The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan. In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere. Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The Associated Press that so far 44 people had been martyred and nearly 200 wounded in the bombing. The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. n February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families. Sharif later, in a phone call to Rehman, the head of the JUI, conveyed his condolences to him and assured him that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad also condemned the attack. In a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, it expressed its condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims killed in the attack.. Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehmans party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt. Rasheed, the regional chief of the party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work. The bombing drew nationwide condemnation, with the ruling and opposition parties extending condolences to the families of those who died in the attack. Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections. Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones, Rasheed said. Mohammad Wali, another attendant at the rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him. I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground, he said. We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones. ___ Riaz Khan reported from Peshawar. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmad contributed from Islamabad. The son of Colombias president has been arrested as part of an investigation into money laundering and illicit enrichment, the Colombian attorney generals office said in a statement. Nicolas Petro a congressman in the Atlantico province was placed under investigation by the attorney generals office in early March over accusations that he had taken money from drug traffickers in exchange for including them in his fathers efforts to broker peace talks with criminal organizations in the Caribbean region, CNN reported at the time. Petro has previously denied the accusations against him saying they were nothing more than political and personal attacks that seek to destroy the work he had achieved his career, he said in a March 2 statement. Responding to the news of his sons arrest, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he was hurt, but guaranteed the prosecution procedures would be in accordance with the law. As a person and a father, so much self-destruction and the fact that one of my children goes to jail hurts me a lot. As President of the Republic, I assure that the prosecution has all the guarantees on my part to proceed in accordance with the law, Petro wrote in his official Twitter account on Saturday. Petro went on to wish his son luck and strength and reiterated his intention to not intervene or pressure the attorney general in this case. Back then, the president welcomed the investigation, inviting the attorney general to get to the bottom of the allegations surrounding his son. An arrest warrant was also issued against Nicolas Petros former wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez Castro, for the crimes of money laundering and violation of personal data for events that occurred from 2022 to date, the attorney generals office said in the statement on Saturday. Those captured will be placed at the disposal of a Municipal Criminal Judge with the Function of Guarantee Control, who will be asked to impart legality to the search, capture and seizure procedures of material elements of evidence. In the same way, charges will be made for the aforementioned crimes and a measure restricting freedom will be requested, the statement said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit Donald Trump filed against CNN in which the former U.S. president claimed that references in news articles or by the network's hosts to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election as the Big Lie were tantamount to comparing him to Adolf Hitler. Trump had been seeking punitive damages of $475 million in the federal lawsuit filed last October in South Florida, claiming the references hurt his reputation and political career. Trump is a candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination in what is his third run for the presidency as a major-party candidate. U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal, who was appointed by Trump, said Friday in his ruling that the former president's defamation claims failed because the references were opinions and not factual statements. Moreover, it was a stretch to believe that, in viewers' minds, that phrase would connect Trump's efforts challenging the 2020 election results to Nazi propaganda or Hitler's genocidal and authoritarian regime, the judge said. CNNs use of the phrase the Big Lie' in connection with Trumps election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people, the judge wrote in his decision. Email messages seeking comment were sent to Trump's attorneys in South Florida and Washington. CNN declined to comment on Sunday. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP An inmate who escaped from a New Hampshire correctional facility was shot and killed by a police officer after threatening two people with a knife, officials said. On July 21, Darien Young walked off the grounds of the Calumet House transitional housing unit a facility for prisoner re-entry in Manchester and didn't return, the New Hampshire Department of Corrections said in a news statement. Six days later, Miami Beach police said they received a 911 call at 5:32 p.m. that a man was threatening two people with a knife at a Victoria's Secret. Police arrived at the location and an officer shot Young. Young, 29, was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition, Miami Beach Police said. He later died, the corrections department confirmed. Young, who was incarcerated for controlled drugs, burglary and other charges, was eligible for parole on July 31. Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the shooting, the Miami Beach Police said. Taylor Swift's Seattle concerts cause seismic activity, geologists say LeBron James shares video of son Bronny recovering at home after cardiac arrest Mega Millions jackpot hits $1 billion The House Republicans who craft the conferences government funding bills are showing signs of frustration as hard-line conservatives pressure leadership for further cuts to spending that some worry could be too aggressive. Some of the 12 Appropriations subcommittee chairs the so-called cardinals told reporters that they are struggling to see where those additional cuts could come from, as Septembers shutdown deadline looms. I just dont see the wisdom in trying to further cut to strengthen our hand. I dont know how that strengthens our hand, Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), a House Appropriations subcommittee chairman, said of conservatives push to further cut the already-scaled-back spending bills. I do think it puts some of our members in a very difficult spot, particularly those in tough districts, because theyre going to be taking some votes that become problematic, he added. The House left Washington for a long summer recess Thursday after being forced to punt a bill to fund agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. Conservatives are dug in on their demand for steeper spending cuts, to the chagrin of moderates who are wary of slashing funding even more. The chamber has passed just one appropriations bill, funding military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The internal divisions are gripping the party as time is running out: The House has just 12 days in September to move the remaining 11 appropriations measures and hash out their disagreements with the Senate, which is marking up its spending bills at higher levels, setting the scene for a hectic fall that could bring the U.S. to the brink of a shutdown. Those dynamics are putting GOP appropriators in a bind, leaving them searching for ways to appease conservative requests without gutting their spending bills. Weve done a lot of cuts, a lot of cuts, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-Texas) told The Hill this week. And so if its cuts just for cuts sake, I dont agree with it. But if its something that we can do without, thats fine. Not a lot of wiggle room left Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) Republican appropriators in the House announced earlier this year that they would mark up their bills for fiscal 2024 at fiscal 2022 levels, as leaders sought to placate conservatives who thought the debt ceiling deal struck by President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) earlier this year didnt do enough to curb spending. The Senate is crafting its bills more in line with the budget caps agreed to in the deal, but House Republicans are already fuming about a bipartisan deal in the upper chamber that would allow for more than $13 billion in additional emergency spending on top of those levels. House GOP negotiators also said they would pursue clawing back more than $100 billion in old funding that was allocated for Democratic priorities without GOP support in the previous Congress. While that move drew support from hard-line conservatives, the right flank was far from pleased when it heard appropriators planned to repurpose that old funding known as rescissions to plus-up the spending bills. In a letter to McCarthy earlier this month, a group of hard-line conservatives called for all 12 appropriations bills to be in line with fiscal 2022 spending levels without the use of reallocated rescissions to increase discretionary spending above that top-line. Otherwise, the 21 lawmakers threatened, they would vote against the measures. But that request could prove difficult for GOP appropriators to fulfill. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), chairman of the panel that proposes funding for the Department of State and foreign operations, said that appropriators are already dramatically reducing spending, suggesting that there are not too many remaining areas to trim from. My bill is below the 2016 levels, he said, later adding, When youre below the 2016 level and were still confronting China I think theres not a lot of wiggle room left. Its a challenge, but I think well get through it. I really do, he added. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), who heads the subcommittee that oversees funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Interior, scoffed at the idea of even steeper cuts to his bill. Then you just drop it on the floor and stomp on it. What else do you do with it? he told reporters. You cant make logical cuts in there. Republicans appropriators are voicing optimism that the conference will be able to sort out its differences on spending, but some also hope their levels will stick even though they include rescissions. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) whose panel handles funding for the Department of Energy, which is proposing offsetting billions of dollars in spending with clawbacks said it would be extremely difficult to craft his bill without the rescinded funds. And given our priorities in my bill, national defense with the nuclear weapons portfolio, nuclear cleanup, Army Corps including, all the community-directed fundings, I feel good about my bill, and I hope my numbers hold, he said. Because its gonna have to be in negotiations with the Senate and the White House as well, he added. Womack whose subcommittee crafts funding for the IRS and the Treasury Department said he doesnt think moving the goalposts on these numbers is helpful in strengthening our ability to negotiate with the Senate. August preparations for a busy September Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) Frustrations among appropriators are bubbling up as Congress inches closer to the fall, when lawmakers are facing a Sept. 30 deadline to approve funding or risk a government shutdown. With time running out, some House lawmakers say conversations may continue over the long August recess to try to hash out remaining differences. Well have to see, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said when asked about potential plans for talks between leaders and House Freedom Caucus members over the break. I mean, we got a lot of work to do. I think a lot of work [has] got to be done behind the scenes, he said. If not, you know, here You gotta beg the question about whether we should be gone for six weeks. We should be getting our job done. Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) echoed that sentiment, saying I would think so when asked if lawmakers will have conversations over the break. Adding to the August workload, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) suggested earlier this week that bicameral negotiations could take place over the weeks-long recess as lawmakers stare down the shutdown deadline. Not all Republicans, however, are viewing a shutdown as a risk. During a House Freedom Caucus press conference this week, Good said we should not fear a government shutdown, claiming that most of what we do up here is bad anyway; most of what we do up here hurts the American people. But that perspective does not jive with the view of McCarthy, who declared Thursday: I dont want the government to shut down. Multiple Republicans are ultimately expecting Congress to eventually pass whats known as a continuing resolution (CR), or a measure that temporarily allows the government to be funded at the previous fiscal years levels, to prevent a lapse at the end of September. But they also understand the task could be difficult in the GOP-led chamber, where Republicans arent happy about the idea of continuing funding at the current levels which were last set when Democrats held control of Congress. I think theres a very good chance that well see a CR, but I know theres a lot of work to get a CR done, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), another appropriator, said Thursday, noting there are a lot of members that dont want CRs that are tired of them. But Aderholt suggested a CR could notch sufficient GOP backing if theres a larger plan in sight that the party can support. The Speakers been very good about having a plan, he said, adding, I think thats what hes good at, and Im optimistic that he can come up with something. Emily Brooks contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Italys defense minister called his countrys decision to join a flagship Chinese infrastructure scheme wicked, as the government weighs up whether continue as part of the scheme. In an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper published Sunday, Guido Crosetto said that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which Italy signed up to under its previous government had done little to help the countrys exports. The BRI a name coined by Chinas Xi Jinping in 2013 is Beijings global infrastructure investment program. It was established to rebuild Chinas Silk Road, connecting Asia with Africa and Europe with the aim of increasing trade and economic growth. The initiative has seen billions of dollars poured into infrastructure projects each year paving highways from Papua New Guinea to Kenya, constructing ports from Sri Lanka to West Africa, and providing power and telecoms infrastructure for people from Latin America to Southeast Asia. Critics see the BRI as a way for China to spread its influence across the globe. Italy in 2019 became the only major Western country and the only country from the G7 group of advanced economies to join the BRI, Crosetto told the Corriere della Sera the choice to join the Silk Road was an improvised and wicked act, made by the government of Giuseppe Conte, which led to a double negative result. We have exported a load of oranges to China, they have tripled their exports to Italy in three years. The most ridiculous thing then was that Paris, without signing any treaties, in those days sold planes to Beijing for tens of billions The question now, he said, is how Italy can withdraw from the BRI without damaging relations with Beijing. He described Beijing as a competitor, but also a partner. Italys membership of the BRI expires in 2024. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that it was possible to have good relations with China outside the scheme. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Miami plastic surgeon has been accused of injecting blood contaminated with plastic into a liposuction patient. The doctors attorney says that didnt happen, and the complaining patient is upset over a refund not given for a Brazilian butt lift not done. Whats definite is 305 Plastic Surgerys Dr. Karl William Schwarz Dr. William Schwarz on the office surgery centers website has agreed to pay a $7,500 fine, up to $6,196 in case costs, take a five-hour continuing medical education course in risk management and a three-hour course in medical recordkeeping. A letter of concern also will be filed against Schwarzs license. Thats in the proposed settlement agreement that the state Board of Medicine will or wont approve during its Aug. 4 meeting. The Public Book for that meeting, posted on the board website, includes that proposed settlement as well the Florida Department of Health administrative complaint and the Schwarzs response via attorney Gregory Chaires. After Chaires gives a long denial of the blood accusation, he writes, as Dr. Schwarz wishes to put this matter behind him so that he may return his complete focus to his patients and family, he has decided to enter into the proposed settlement agreement. Schwarz hasnt faced any discipline since becoming licensed in Florida on June 28, 2017. The American Board of Plastic Surgery says hes been board certified since Nov. 11, 2017. READ MORE: Miami plastic surgeon fined for ignoring patient having post-liposuction problems A liposuction done, a BBL not done in Miami The Florida Department of Health administrative complaint says patient S.H. went to 305 Plastic Surgery, 564 SW 42nd Ave., on Jan. 26, 2021, so Schwarz could perform a liposuction with fat transfer and cell saver. A Brazilian Butt Lift or BBL is a liposuction procedure in which fat is sucked from part of the body and injected into the buttocks. The complaint describes the cell saver procedure as a blood transfer that involves recovering blood lost during surgery and re-infusion into the patient. Chaires letter said the 34-year-old woman was there for 360 liposuction (abdomen, waist, mid back, lower back, love handles) and BBL, both of which she had done by a different surgeon on Nov. 21, 2019. The complaint said Schwarz told S.H. he did the liposuction and the cell saver, but not the fat transfer due to the discovery of small beads of plastic during the liposuction procedure. But, the complaint also claimed that Schwarz, in doing the cell saver re-injection, injected blood that was recovered from the liposuction procedure after discovering plastic beads in the tissue removed from S.H. Also, Schwarz, the complaint alleges, noted in S.H.s operative report that (he) injected 990 cc of fat into each of S.H.s buttocks, though he had failed to inject any fat into either one of S.H.s buttocks. Chaires letter says Schwarz did find hard spherical, pea-sized objects that kept clogging the fat-sucking cannula when he performed the liposuction on S.H.s back area. But, the presence of those objects and patient safety were exactly why Schwarz didnt inject that fat into S.H.s buttocks. And, the cell saver procedure actually is done by the anesthesiologist, Chaires wrote, who had only material from S.H.s front. Chaires said the departments reviewing physician, Dr. Byron Pat Pazmino critically misunderstood the events that occurred during the surgery. The administrative complaint is framed upon the opinion by Dr. Pazmino, which incorrectly represents events that did not occur, namely the alleged injection/transfusion of red blood cells into the patient that were mixed with lipoaspirate contaminated with foreign bodies, Chaires letter said. The patient only received aspirate from the front of her body, which was obtained prior to and apart from the back of her body where the foreign bodies were identified. Chaires letter says S.H. came back the next day and was healing well and was without complaint. It also says, however, that she was upset because she was not given a refund for the butt lift not done. The actress, 60, married her longtime beau ex-Ferrari CEO Jean Todt in an intimate ceremony in Geneva on Thursday Michelle Yeoh/Intagram Michelle Yeoh Shares Behind-The-Scenes Wedding Photos: '19 years and YES!! We are Married!!' Michelle Yeoh is feeling the love following her wedding! The Oscar-winning actress, 60, gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her wedding to ex-Ferrari CEO Jean Todt which took place in Geneva on Thursday as she shared photos from the special day on Instagram on Saturday. 19 years and YES!! we are married!! Yeoh captioned the wedding-themed carousel. Thkq to our families who love us for all these years. We love you and heres to many more to come . In the first photo, Yeoh smiled alongside her new husband Todt, 77, as they held hands and gazed down at their wedding rings in the ornately decorated Genevan building where they tied the knot. Michelle Yeoh/Intagram Michelle Yeoh Shares Behind-The-Scenes Wedding Photos: '19 years and YES!! We are Married!!' Related: Michelle Yeoh Marries Longtime Fiance Jean Todt After 6992-Day Engagement! Yeoh modeled a chic bridal look as she wore a white silk shirt tucked into a high-waisted white tulle skirt with frills. The beautiful bride wore her hair loosely in waves. Groom Todt, meanwhile, looked dapper wearing a dark blue suit and patterned tie. The following photo showed the newly-married couple standing in the same room beside a table in between wedding guests. The actress also gave fans a preview of the set-up for her and Todts wedding night as she posted a photo that showed the newlyweds sitting up in bed in front of a pair of swan-shaped towels decorated with petals. At the head of the bed lay more petals placed into the shape of a large heart. Michelle Yeoh/Instagram Yeoh shared the romantic layout for her wedding night Related: Who Is Michelle Yeoh's Husband? All About Jean Todt Finally, Yeoh shared a shot of a framed photo from the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, in which she starred, photoshopped with her and Todts faces as they sat on a motorcycle. The photo was labeled Love Never Dies no doubt a sweet and playful nod to the couples long relationship and 19 year engagement. Yeohs wedding photos come after marrying her longtime beau Todt this week. The pair married in an intimate ceremony in Geneva on Thursday, 19 years after the groom first proposed. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. We met in Shanghai on 4th June 2004, a message in the wedding program shared on Instagram by ex-Ferrari Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa began. On 26th July 2004, J.T proposed to marry M.Y and she said YES, the program continued, revealing that Todt and Yeoh got engaged after less than two months of dating. Today after 6992 days on 27th July 2023 in Geneva, surrounded by loving family and friends, we are so happy to celebrate this special moment together! the note concluded. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. PARIS (Reuters) -France condemned violence against its diplomatic mission in Niger and pledged to react strongly to any attack on its nationals or interests, as anti-French protests took place outside the French Embassy in Niamey on Sunday following last week's military coup. "The President will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests," President Emmanuel Macron's office said in a statement, specifying that it would respond to attacks against French diplomats, armed forces or businesses. In a separate statement, the Foreign Affairs ministry condemned all violence against diplomatic missions and called on Niger authorities to protect the French mission as required under international law. Macron has spoken with ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and former president of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou in the last few hours, the statement from the president's office said, adding that both of them condemned the coup and called for calm. France, the former colonial power in Niger, announced on Saturday it was cutting all development aid to the country and called for Bazoum to be returned to office following his ouster late on Wednesday. Niger has been a security partner of France, and the United States, which have used it as a base to fight an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa's wider Sahel region. (Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau and Layli ForoudiEditing by Bernadette Baum and Frances Kerry) ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) The discovery of four dead women in a drainage ditch just outside Atlantic City was shocking news in 2006. International media flocked to the seaside gambling resort. More than 100 detectives and prosecutors were assigned to investigate. Casino guests worried about safety, and the victims fellow sex workers began carrying hidden knives. But as the years passed, the publics attention and fear faded, and the case of the Eastbound Strangler so named for the direction the victims heads were facing remained unsolved. The arrest earlier this month of a man charged with killing three women whose remains were found on a Long Island beach in 2010 has breathed fresh life into another long-dormant case with obvious parallels; the Gilgo Beach serial killings involve a total of 11 victims, most of whom were young, female sex workers. Yet the recent breakthrough, and the rekindling of public interest, only highlights a painful truth: Many similar cases like the one in Atlantic City -- remain open. The FBI would not say how many killings of sex workers in the U.S. remain unsolved. Media accounts and statements from local authorities show a long trail of open cases, from nine women whose bodies were found along highways in Massachusetts, to 11 found dead in New Mexico, and eight more found amid the crawfish farms and swamps of southern Louisiana. The killings of other sex workers in Chicago, New Haven, Connecticut and Ohio, among other places, also remain mysteries. From the days of Londons Jack The Ripper in the 1880s, serial killers, particularly those preying on sex workers, have often gotten away with it, in part because their victims were easy targets living on the margins of society. Gary Ridgway, the so-called Green River killer convicted of 49 killings in Washington state, said at during a 2003 court hearing in which he pleaded guilty that he chose sex workers as victims because he knew they would not be missed quickly, if at all. I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught, he said. Two women were out for an afternoon walk near Atlantic City in November 2006 when they found a body in a ditch. They called police, who quickly found three others nearby. The $15-a-night motel in Egg Harbor Township behind which the four bodies were found is long gone. It was torn down in an attempt to clear a seedy area known for crime, drugs and disturbances and the murders of Barbara Breidor, 42, Molly Jean Dilts, 20, Kim Raffo, 35, and Tracy Ann Roberts, 23. Because it is near the ocean, like Gilgo Beach, the location has prompted much speculation by amateur detectives about a single killer, but some other online sleuths have pointed out that oceanside areas are often the remotest locations after hours on the densely packed East Coast. Gilgo Beach is about 3.5 hours drive from Atlantic City. Gone in New Jersey are the four small wooden crosses someone erected on the site, along with the folded-up paper note bearing a Biblical quote promising justice that someone left there on one of the anniversaries of the discovery of the bodies. For families left behind, each new day without word in the case of their loved one brings fresh pain. I kind of lost hope that anyone was even searching for the killer anymore, said Joyce Roberts, whose daughter Tracy Ann was one of the four Atlantic City-area victims. The first six months, the prosecutor did get on the phone with me and told me they were working on it. Then it just fell off the radar, she said. It was like nobody cared anymore. That is a sentiment echoed by Phoenix Calida, a former sex worker from Chicago who now advocates for them through the Sex Workers Outreach Project. Police departments often refer to it as an NHI case: No humans involved, she said. You feel like the only way youll be remembered is when they catch the serial killer who killed you, and then theyll make five movies about him and no one will remember your name. Massachusetts State Police are investigating nine unsolved homicides possibly committed by the same person, said David Procopio, a spokesperson for the agency. He said two additional missing persons cases may be homicides related to the other nine. Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, said the New Mexico cases remain actively investigated, with multiple detectives working them. The 11 victims were all involved in drugs and prostitution, police said. A reward of $100,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case, which involved two victims who were just 15 years old. Despite the decade-long efforts of a local, state and federal task force, Louisiana has at least eight unsolved apparent homicide cases involving sex workers between the ages of 17 and 30. Their bodies were found in marshy areas in Jennings, a small town in the area known as Cajun Country, between 2005 and 2009. Prosecutors in New York's Suffolk County investigating the Gilgo Beach cases have been in touch with multiple law enforcement agencies, but District Attorney Ray Tierney would not say which ones. Everything is being examined and looked at, and this is an active investigation, said Anthony Carter, Suffolk County's deputy police commissioner. He would not say if his agency was investigating any connection between Heuermann and the Atlantic City murders. Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds said the four cases from the drainage ditch outside Atlantic City remain active, with detectives assigned to them, but would not say how many. He declined comment on the Long Island case as we are not involved. Joyce Roberts, the victims mother, said no one from law enforcement has called her since the arrest was made in the Long Island cases. Police in Las Vegas, where Heuermann owns a time share, said they are investigating whether Heuermann may be involved in cases involving the killings of sex workers there. In the months immediately after the bodies discovery near Atlantic City, the local prosecutors office and a dozen other law enforcement agencies had 140 people assigned to the cases, Ted Housel, who was prosecutor at the time, said in 2008. By the first anniversary, the total had fallen to 85, and those investigators were also working other cases. Calida, the former sex worker from Chicago, said women involved the sex trade are frequently robbed by people who know theyre carrying cash, and are sometimes coerced into sexual activity by police in return for not being arrested. She said an attacker knows you cant or wont report it. Youre an easy target and they know it. Three of her friends who were also sex workers in Chicago also turned up dead. You see someone, you become friends with them and then one day theyre suddenly just not there, she said. Wed all go out asking around and looking for them, and then a few days later a body would be found. Theres always this specific fear that its a serial killer. Sometimes we never even get a body back to bury. And we wonder: Will law enforcement take it seriously because its just another sex worker? ___ AP writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque; Steve LeBlanc in Boston; Julie Walker and Robert Bumsted in Suffolk County, New York; Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this story. Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC Colombia's President Gustavo Petro delivers a speech during a regional meeting in Neiva, Colombia, July 29. AP-Yonhap Colombian President Gustavo Petro's son Nicolas was arrested Saturday on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment in a scandal linked to Petro's election campaign, officials said. Colombia's first leftist president wrote on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X, that police arrested his son and the son's ex-wife Daysuris Vasquez. Security agents arrested Nicolas Petro, 37, and Vasquez in the coastal city of Barranquilla and brought them to the capital Bogota, where prosecutors said they were secured under heavy guard at a bunker awaiting a court hearing. In March, in an interview with the magazine Semana, Vasquez alleged that Nicolas Petro received large amounts of money from drug traffickers and smugglers in 2022 for his father's ultimately successful presidential campaign. But instead, the younger Petro used it to live in luxury in Barranquilla, Vasquez alleged. Petro wrote: "I wish my son luck and strength. May these events build his character and may he reflect on his mistakes." "As a person and father it hurts to see so much self-destruction," he added, and vowed to stay out of the legal proceedings involving his son. Prosecutors confirmed the arrest of Nicolas Petro on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment. Vasquez was also charged with money laundering. Since the scandal broke, President Petro has denied receiving money from the country's powerful cocaine lords. He himself asked that his son be investigated. Nicolas Petro was born in the 1980s while his father was in the Marxist M-19 urban guerilla insurgency, one of several armed groups fighting the lock on power by traditional political parties. The father recently said he was absent from his son's life due to the civil war, unlike with his five younger children raised after a peace accord with the M-19 movement was signed in 1990. Nicolas Petro was a lawmaker for his father's party in the northern Atlantic department. News outlets published bank records of his showing he had far more assets than his salary from congress justified. In that department and elsewhere along Colombia's Caribbean coast, the younger Petro became a key player in his father's drive to become president. People in the country's Caribbean region have historically been wary of leftist politicians, but in 2022 they supported Petro as the country elected him as its first leftist president after decades of rule by conservatives. Vasquez said in the March interview with Semana that her former husband received the equivalent of $124,000 from a former drug trafficker named Samuel Santander Lopesierra. She said President Petro was not aware of the money Nicolas Petro got from the convicted trafficker. Santander Lopesierra served 18 years in prison in the United States for drug trafficking. In another scandal, involving illegal wiretaps, former Colombian ambassador to Venezuela Armando Benedetti threatened to reveal what he said were irregularities in the Petro campaign in the Caribbean region. In leaked conversations with the president's ex-chief of staff, Benedetti suggested Nicolas Petro was involved in these irregularities. (AFP) Republican candidate Will Hurd said Sunday he expected to get booed at the Iowa Republicans Lincoln Dinner on Friday night, when he asserted that former President Trump was only running for the White House again to stay out of prison. One of the things we need in our elected leaders: to tell the truth, even if its not popular, Hurd said Friday. Donald Trump is not running for president to make American great again. Donald Trump is not even running to represent the people that voted for him in 2016 and in 2020. Donald Trump is running for president to stay out of prison. In an interview on NBCs Meet the Press, Hurd said the reaction was as expected but noted there were some in the audience who remained quiet and a few who clapped as well, which he said came as a welcome surprise to him. Of course, it was as expected. I knew there were going to be people that didnt like it, but what I didnt expect was there were a lot of people that actually clapped, and then there were more people that just sat there politely and probably understand and knew what I was saying was the truth, Hurd told NBCs Chuck Todd when asked about getting booed at the dinner. Hurds remarks Friday came just after a superseding indictment charged Trump with three additional crimes in the probe into his mishandling of classified documents. Special counsel Jack Smith and his office accused Trump of working with employees to try to delete surveillance footage after learning they would be subpoenaed. My goal was not to go in there and talk to the people that have been frustrated when theyre told that the person that they respect has been lying to them, Hurd said. I was there to talk to the people that believe in personal responsibility, that believe character matters, that believe service matters, that believe that the United States has a role in the world and its important to us back here at home. Those were the people that I was going to speak to, and also to prove to the rest of the field that were running for an election, and if youre afraid to talk about Donald Trump or talk about his baggage, then youre not ready to be president of the United States, he added. Hurd launched his long-shot bid as one of the few candidates willing to go after Trump directly, as many of his fellow contenders seek to sidestep the issue, despite Trumps massive lead in hypothetical GOP 2024 primary polls. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. JERUSALEM (Reuters) -The leader of Israel's parliamentary opposition on Sunday demanded that the government freeze its judicial overhaul for 18 months if it wants to resume negotiations on a consensus formula for the changes. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition pushed through the first elements of an overhaul of Israel's judiciary, seeking to restrict judges from challenging some government decisions. The moves have triggered months of demonstrations among Israeli opponents. Netanyahu, who has been urged to seek consensus by Israel's president, paused his overhaul earlier this year to hold talks with the opposition. But after those talks broke down, Netanyahu pressed ahead anyway, pushing last week's bill through parliament in a narrow vote over an opposition boycott. Speaking to parliament on Sunday, opposition leader Yair Lapid said that if the government wanted the consensus talks to resume, it should pass legislation jointly with the opposition to pause its overhaul for 18 months. Changes made during that period would require a two-thirds majority, he said. "If the government wants to reach broad consensus, the burden of proof is on it," Lapid said. "As long as there is no freeze of the legislation, there is no point nor logic to discussing other laws or other agreements, because it is entirely clear that the government will again run away at the last moment." Netanyahu's Likud Party, in response, said it was willing to negotiate but claimed that Lapid, who served briefly as prime minister last year, was demanding more conditions than he would insist on from the Palestinians. Monday's amendment limits the Supreme Court's powers to void some government decisions if it deems them "unreasonable". Netanyahu's coalition says the judicial changes are needed to push back against what it describes as overreach by a Supreme Court that it says has become too politically interventionist. Critics say the changes will open the door to abuses of power by removing effective checks on the executive's authority. The Supreme Court agreed to discuss petitions to strike down the new law in September, setting the stage for a constitutional showdown. (Writing by Dan WilliamsEditing by Peter Graff) By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A top Israeli lawmaker said on Sunday that any forging of relations with Saudi Arabia did not appear imminent, citing what he described as sticking points in negotiations currently being held between Riyadh and U.S. mediators. U.S. President Joe Biden, having dispatched his national security adviser to Saudi Arabia to discuss a possible normalisation deal with Israel that he deems a policy priority, said on Friday that "there's a rapprochement maybe under way". The idea has been under discussion since the Saudis gave their quiet assent to Gulf neighbours United Arab Emirates and Bahrain establishing ties with Israel in 2020. But Riyadh has not followed suit, saying Palestinian demands must first be met. "I think it's too early to talk about a deal being in the works," Yuli Edelstein, head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee and a senior member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, told Israel's Army Radio. He brushed off the possibility that the impasse between Netanyahu's hard-right government and the statehood goals of the politically divided Palestinians was the main obstacle. "How shall I put this delicately? There are clauses that are far more important or problematic than such-and-such declarations in the Palestinian realm," he said. "Most of the Saudi discourse is with the Americans, and not with us," he added, saying that when it came to Riyadh's demands of Washington, "there are some things we can live with better, and some things we can live with less well". Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, asked by reporters as he entered the weekly cabinet meeting whether there would be progress in the Saudi talks, said: "I hope so." Saudi Arabia seeks U.S. cooperation in establishing a civilian nuclear programme on its soil. U.S. and Israeli media have also reported Saudi efforts to upgrade U.S. defence imports. Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will build a 100 billion shekel ($27 billion) rail expansion that will connect its outlying areas to metropolitan Tel Aviv and, in the future, could provide overland links to Saudi Arabia. (Writing by Dan Williams; editing by James Mackenzie and David Evans) By Martin Quin Pollard BEIJING (Reuters) -France wants better access to the Chinese market and a more "balanced" trade relationship, not a "decoupling" from the world's second-biggest economy, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday after meeting top Chinese officials. "We don't want to face some legislative hurdles or some other barriers to get access to the Chinese markets," Le Maire told a press conference in Beijing a day after what he called "constructive" trade talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng. "This of course was at the core of our discussions," he said. "We want to get a better access and a more balanced access to the Chinese market." At Saturday's meeting, He said China hoped France could "stabilise the tone" of EU-China relations, while Beijing was willing to deepen cooperation with Paris in some areas. European officials have repeatedly said they wanted not to decouple from China but to "de-risk" in the face of what the Group of Seven calls China's "economic coercion". "Derisking does not mean that China is a risk," Le Maire said. "Derisking means that we want to be more independent and that we don't want to face any risk in our supply chains if there would be a new crisis, like the COVID one with the total breakdown of some of the value chains." China is France's third-largest trade partner, but French firms are increasingly concerned they could get caught in the crossfire of rising rivalry between Washington and Beijing, the world's economic superpowers. Asked about fears amongst some European automakers that cheap Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) could flood European markets, Le Maire said France had its own plan, which it was working with Europe on, to better focus France's and Europe's EV subsidies to increase competitiveness. "We stand ready to have Chinese investments of the automotive industry in France and in Europe," he said, adding it would be "a very good thing" to have the Chinese companies investing and developing in Europe. Le Maire said France was on the right track, paving the way to better access to the Chinese market for French cosmetics (Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard, Kevin Yao, Joe Cash and Ningwei Qin; Editing by William Mallard) Butler County, Ohio, deputies found approximately 30 dead dogs and puppies, in various stages of decomposition, stuffed into fridges and freezers earlier this week at an Ohio animal rescue. According to the Butler County Sheriffs Office, there were more than 90 dogs and puppies removed from what deputies and investigators said were the most horrible conditions they have ever seen. The dogs and puppies were being held at two different properties in Madison Township in various structures, the sheriffs office said. One of the structures law enforcement discovered was a garage with more than 25 caged canines and an indoor temperature of 89 degrees. Numerous animals were kept in cages together that were filled with urine, fecal matter, and no food or water. One cage contained a mother and eight newborn puppies, the Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Authorities also found 11 adult canines in the main house, with some caged together, according to the news release. The deceased canines were found in five refrigerators and freezers, some of which were not working, throughout the two properties, the release said. Deputy Dog Wardens described the conditions of the house as unlivable. The odor was strong enough to burn their eyes and take away their breath. Conditions were so horrendous that Deputy Dog Wardens had to leave the structure numerous times to catch their breath, the release states. CNN has tried to contact the Butler County Sheriffs Office for further comment. The owner of the dog rescue was operating it under the business name Helping Hands for Furry Paws, according to the release. The owner and operator of the rescue, who police identified as Rhonda Murphy, faces dozens of charges of neglect and cruelty to companion animals, both felony and misdemeanor, according to the release. CNN was unable to contact or identify an attorney for Murphy. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com BEIRUT (Reuters) -At least six people were killed in two days of clashes in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, where the mainstream faction Fatah fought against rival groups that support Islamists, security sources said. A Fatah commander was killed on Sunday in an ambush that also injured several of his aides in the crowded, impoverished Ain el-Hilweh camp near the southern coastal city of Sidon. Four of the aides later died of their injuries, a security source said, adding that sporadic clashes in the camp intensified later on Sunday. Clashes began the previous day with a failed assassination attempt on a leader of a group sympathetic to hardline Islamists in which one person was killed. That was followed by gunfire and attacks by armed militants on the headquarters of Fatah. Fighting subsided but did not completely stop after a ceasefire was reached at a meeting between rival Palestinian factions that included representatives of pro-Iranian Hezbollah group and its ally Shi'ite Amal movement that hold sway in southern Lebanon. Shops had earlier closed their doors and some people fled the camp, the largest refugee camp in Lebanon, as tensions between the rival groups mounted on Sunday, a witness said. The Lebanese army said a mortar fell inside a military headquarters with one soldier wounded. The U.N. agency responsible for the welfare of Palestinian refugees that provides basic services to nearly 50,000 people living in Ain el-Hilweh said it was suspending all operations in the camp. Dorothee Klaus, direct of UNRWA in Lebanon, said in a message on the X messaging platform that the agency called "on all militant parties to ensure civilians' safety and respect inviolability of U.N. premises", adding that the clashes damaged two schools run by the U.N. agency. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned his country was again paying a price as "an arena to settle foreign scores." The camp has regularly seen factional disputes spiral into deadly violence. Some 400,000 refugees live in Lebanons 12 Palestinian camps, which date back to the 1948 war between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The camps mainly lie outside the jurisdiction of Lebanese security services. (Writing by Suleiman Al-KhalidiAdditional reporting by Nidal al Mughrabi in GazaEditing by Frances Kerry) Within a week span during July, more than $12 million of drugs and drug monies were confiscated by the California Highway Patrol around the Central Valley. The massive drug busts were a result of four CHP traffic stops, with three vehicles pulled over in Fresno County. The biggest seizure among them took place in Merced County. On July 21, CHP pulled over a Kia Soul for a traffic violation in Merced County. The officer ended up seizing 161 pounds of fentany-laced pills, 133 pounds of methamphetamine and 37 pounds of cocaine. Combined, the confiscated narcotics from that incident alone totalled $10.5 million. More drugs would try to be moved in the Valley in the coming days. Authorities said $1.3 millions of drugs were seized Monday in Fresno County after CHP stopped a vehicle and found 25 pounds of cocaine. The drugs had been hidden inside a Ninja blender box located inside the vehicle, according to CHP. On Wednesday, a CHP traffic stop in Fresno County led to a sergeant finding $120,000 in cash believed to be from the sale of narcotics. CHP said the money was located in a sophisticated hidden compartment constructed of a Jeeps transmission tunnel. Then Thursday, CHP said a sergeant discovered a vehicle with $286,000 of drugs inside. The traffic stop happened in Fresno County and approximately 6.5 pounds of fentanyl was found. Suspects from Mexico, Wash., Calif. A total of six people were arrested. Five of them were younger than 25 years old. Ponce Rosales 23, of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, was arrested from the Merced County bust. Rosales was a passenger in the vehicle. The driver fled the scene and hadnt yet been located. Rosales was taken to the Los Banos City Jail on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sale, transportation of methamphetamine across noncontiguous counties, possession of cocaine/fentanyl for sale, and transportation of cocaine/fentanyl across noncontiguous counties. Moises Delgado, 23, and Juan Carlos Suarez-Mendoza, 24, both of Wapato, Washington, were arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail for various drug related charges, stemming from the 25 pounds of cocaine found. Carlos Eduardo Paez Garcia, 31, of Fontana, California, was arrested for various criminal and drug related charges. Authorities said Paez Garcia was linked to the $120,000 in alleged drug money. And Diana Isela Leyva-Pacheco, 22, and Daniel Rosas-Gomez, 23, both of Seattle, Washington, were arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail for various drug related charges. They were booked following the seizure of 6.5 pounds of fentanyl. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration - DEA (DEA), two milligrams of fentanyl is a lethal dose. The fentanyl recovered in this case has the potential to kill 1.5 million people. NIAMEY, Niger (AP) Thousands of people backing the coup in Niger marched through the streets of the capital denouncing France, the country's former colonial power, waving Russian flags, and setting a door at the French Embassy ablaze on Sunday before the army broke up the crowd. Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Russia's involvement in the rallies, if any, isn't clear but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading Down with France and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian mercenary group Wagner is operating in neighboring Mali, and under Putin Russia has expanded its influence in West Africa. The new junta's leaders have not said whether they intend to ally themselves with Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners. French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated and anyone who attacks French citizens will see an immediate response. Niger, a French colony until 1960, had been seen as the West's last reliable partner battling jihadists in Africas Sahel region. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nations troops. At an emergency meeting Sunday, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorized the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued its own 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government. Shortly after the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Chadian President Mahamat Deby arrived in Niger to lead mediation efforts, according to the Chad state radio station. ECOWAS has struggled to make a definitive impact on the regions political crises in the past but Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Nigers first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday that they had deposed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the countrys new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africas Sahel region. Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew Bazoum because he wasnt able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that was a pretext for a takeover driven by internal power struggles. We couldnt expect a coup in Niger because theres no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power, Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Tchiani. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum's predecessor, and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. Niger's dire security situation is not as bad as that in neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Some taking part in Sunday's rally warned outside bodies to stay away. I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business, Oumar Barou Moussa said at the demonstration. Its time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. Its time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty." Niger has the most at stake of any country in the Sahel if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance it has received from abroad. On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic cooperation with the U.S. hinges on the release of Bazoum who remains under house arrest and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. Macron said he'd spoken to Bazoum and his predecessor on Sunday. On Saturday France suspended all development and financial aid to Niger. The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020. While the bloc has struggled to have much impact, the measures placed on Niger Sunday show the gravity of the situation, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute. The strenuous measures they have put in place or threatened to put in place show not only how seriously they are taking this crisis, but also the urgency the regional body and larger international community feel in trying to force a return to normal that will likely prove elusive, he said. The response from the bloc towards Niger differs from how it dealt with recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, which did not involve the threat of force if constitutional rule wasn't reinstated. In the last few decades it has sent troops into member countries a handful of times. In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war. In 2017 it intervened in The Gambia to prevent the new presidents predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Approximately 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues. Economic sanctions could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest U.N. data. The country relies on imports from Nigeria for up to 90% of its power, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The sanctions would suspend all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger. In a televised address Saturday, Col. Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a plan of aggression against Niger and said the country would defend itself. Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force, said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher in conflict resolution and peace missions at the Centre FrancoPaix. Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear." ___ Associated Press reporters Angela Charlton in Paris and Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria and Edouard Takadji in N'Djamena, Chad contributed. NEW YORK (AP) Robert Chambers, better known to some as the Preppy Killer," was released after spending 15 years in prison for drug and assault charges, according to state records. Chambers spent a similar amount of time in prison after pleading guilty to strangling Jennifer Levin in New York City's Central Park during the summer of 1986. Chambers entered the plea to killing 18-year-old Levin as part of a deal when a jury could not reach a decision after nine days of deliberations. He was released in 2003 for that crime but again ran afoul of the law soon after. He was again arrested in 2007 for selling drugs out of his apartment. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison but was released Tuesday four years early from the Shawangunk Correctional Facility in New York, according to online inmate records maintained by the New York Department of Corrections. Chambers, now 56, will remain under supervision for up to five years, records show. By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's Defence Ministry said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones early on Sunday that had been trying to attack Moscow. Nobody was hurt and there was only minor damage to the facade of two office buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The area, several miles from the Kremlin, is known for its modern high-rise towers and one of the buildings damaged was home to three Russian government ministries as well as residential apartments, Russian media reported. The fact that hostile drones have begun reaching the heart of the Russian capital in recent months, even if they do not inflict serious damage, is uncomfortable for the authorities who have told the public that Russia is in full control of what they call its "special military operation" against Ukraine. The incident followed what Russia said was a similar Ukrainian attempt to attack Moscow with two drones last Monday, one of which was brought down close to the headquarters of the defence ministry. It spoke at the time of taking harsh retaliatory measures against Ukraine. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said after Monday's attempted attack that there would be more drone strikes. There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv to the latest incident. "There were no casualties or injuries," Sobyanin, the mayor, said in a short statement on the incident. Flights to and from Moscow's Vnukovo airport were briefly suspended due to the incident, the TASS news agency reported. The Defence Ministry said two drones had crashed in the Moskva-Citi district after being brought down using radio-electronic equipment. Air defences had shot down one more in the air over the Odintsovo area in the Moscow region, it said. "On the morning of 30th July, an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime using unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in the city of Moscow was foiled," the ministry said in its statement. Separately, it said it had also successfully thwarted an overnight attack on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, by 25 Ukrainian drones which it said it had either shot down or forced to crash. Nobody had been hurt and no damage done in the Crimea episode, it said. GLASS AND DEBRIS A young woman who gave her name only as Liya described the Moscow incident. "My friends and I rented an apartment to come here and unwind, and at some point, we heard an explosion and it was like a wave, everyone jumped," she told Reuters. "And then there was a lot of smoke and you couldn't see anything. From above, you could see fire." Some glass panels in one high-rise building were blown out and glass and debris littered part of the pavement below, according to a Reuters reporter on the scene, which had been cordoned off by police and emergency services. Two drones reached the Kremlin in May in the most high-profile incident of its kind. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn in Moscow and Rishabh Jaiswal in BengaluruEditing by William Mallard, Lincoln Feast and Frances Kerry) Demonstrators hold a Russian flag and banners during the gathering in support of the putschist soldiers in the capital Niamey, Niger, July 30, 2023. The signs read "Down with France and its allies," "Down with imperialism." Reuters-Yonhap Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched through the streets of the capital, Niamey, on Sunday waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France. The protestors marched through the city to the French Embassy and a door was lit on fire, according to someone who was at the embassy when it happened and videos seen by The AP. Black smoke could be seen rising from across the city. The Nigerien army broke up crowd of the protesters. Russian mercenary group Wagner is already operating in neighboring Mali, and Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to expand his country's influence in the region. However, it is unclear yet whether the new junta leaders are going to move toward Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners. Days after mutinous soldiers ousted Niger's democratically elected president, uncertainty is mounting about the country's future and some are calling out the junta's reasons for seizing control. The mutineers said they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France, because he wasn't able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that's just a pretext for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation. "Everybody is wondering why this coup? That's because no one was expecting it. We couldn't expect a coup in Niger because there's no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power," Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who also goes by Omar and is now in charge of the country. Tchiani was loyal to Bazoum's predecessor and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. The AP cannot independently verify his assessment. Nigeriens holding a Russian flag and placards participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023. Days after mutinous soldiers ousted Niger's democratically elected president, uncertainty is mounting about the country's future and some are calling out the junta's reasons for seizing control. The signs read: "France kills Niger," and "For a new Niger long live CNSP." AP-Yonhap By Alexander Tanas CHISINAU (Reuters) - Russia's embassy in Moldova has announced it will temporarily stop providing appointments for consular matters in what Moldovan officials say is a situation linked to the order by the country's authorities to reduce staff. A statement issued by the embassy late on Saturday said consular appointments would be suspended from Aug. 5 "for technical reasons." Ex-Soviet Moldova has been buffeted by Russia's war in neighbouring Ukraine and its pro-European President Maia Sandu has denounced the invasion, and accused Moscow of trying to destabilise her country. Moldovan officials say the order to reduce staff at the Russian embassy to 25 from the current level of more than 80, to take effect from Aug. 15, will establish parity with Moldova's embassy in Moscow. "They are not being declared persona non grata. They are simply being asked to leave to establish parity," Igor Zakhahrov, foreign ministry press secretary, told reporters. The reduction was ordered after press reports that more than two dozen antennas had been installed on the Russian embassy's roof for surveillance purposes. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has vowed Moscow would take retaliatory measures to be announced later. Much of the embassy's consular work concerns the pro-Russian separatist enclave of Transdniestria, which broke away from Moldova before the collapse of Soviet rule and where 200,000 Russian passport holders live. Embassy staff were previously able to travel to the enclave on the Ukrainian border to conduct consular affairs, but authorities in the separatist region say the reductions will make that arrangement much more difficult. (Editing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Chris Reese) By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who has sometimes raised the spectre of a nuclear conflict over Ukraine, said on Sunday that Moscow would have to use a nuclear weapon if Kyiv's ongoing counter-offensive was a success. Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, a body chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said in a message on his official social media accounts that Russia would be forced to fall back on its own nuclear doctrine in such a scenario. "Imagine if the.. offensive, which is backed by NATO, was a success and they tore off a part of our land then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia. "There would simply be no other option. So our enemies should pray for our warriors' (success). They are making sure that a global nuclear fire is not ignited," he said. Medvedev, who has cast himself as one of Moscow's most hawkish voices, appeared to be referring to part of Russia's nuclear doctrine which sets out that nuclear weapons can be used in response to aggression against Russia carried out using conventional weapons which threatens the existence of the Russian state. Ukraine is trying to retake territory which Russia has unilaterally annexed and declared to be part of its own territory, a move condemned by Kyiv and much of the West. Putin said on Saturday that there were no serious battlefield changes to report in recent days and that Ukraine had lost large amounts of military equipment since June 4. Kyiv says its forces are making some progress in their drive to retake territory, albeit at a slower pace than desired. Kremlin critics have in the past accused Medvedev of making extreme statements in an effort to dissuade Western countries from continuing to supply Ukraine with arms. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Susan Fenton) SUTTON, Neb. A long-lived cluster of storms caused plenty of problems Saturday as it moved from the Plains into the Midwest. Earlier in the day, dozens of storm reports showed wind gusts well over 60 mph in eastern Nebraska, including an 81-mph gust in Dorchester and a 78-mph gust in Plymouth. The town of Sutton, Nebraska, declared a state of emergency Saturday morning, asking residents to stay off the roads, according to a Facebook post by city managers. "Only emergency personnel and responders are allowed on the roadways at this time," the post read. In Missouri, storm reports from across told of downed trees and power lines. More than 100,000 power outages were reported across the Show Me State on Saturday evening. Because of the storms, the Kansas City Chiefs moved their practice indoors on Saturday. The video below shows the torrential rainfall that ended up striking the training camp. Shelf cloud over the Kansas City Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri. July 25, 2023. A wind gust of 79 mph was reported at St. Louis International Airport. There were also several reports of tree and power line damage across the St. Louis metro. The cluster of storms was continuing to move east as of Saturday evening. The Storms Prediction Center has been issuing Severe Thunderstorm Watches to match the course of the system. Models show the cluster weakening after sunset, but residual storms could linger through Sunday morning across the South. Magali Urbina standing on the edge of her property near the border buoys in the Rio Grande Under the brutal heat of the midday South Texas sun, pecan farmer Magali Urbina found herself dealing with a sadly familiar scene: a family of dehydrated, injured migrants on her property. In front of her, Border Patrol officers were putting an IV drip into the arm of the father, a 32-year-old Venezuelan with dark purple bruises and fresh, swollen cuts across his body. His wife, 22, sat next to him crying while their two children - aged five and eight - watched the situation unfold, alarm visible on their faces. "This happens every day with that wire," Mrs Urbina said, gesturing towards imposing and chaotic coils of razor wire glinting in the sun on Heavenly Farms, the property she runs along with her husband Hugo in the small town of Eagle Pass. "I've seen this every day this week," she added. Just days before, she said, she had helped cut a pregnant woman free from the concertina wire. The Venezuelan family was led away by Border Patrol agents after being treated The Venezuelan family had come face-to-face with the realities of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's unilateral border strategy: floating barriers in the Rio Grande and a fortified riverbank manned by state troopers, local police officers and the Texas National Guard. Texas officials credit the plan, known as Operation Lone Star, with stopping nearly 400,000 migrants from entering the US illegally, over 30,000 criminal arrests and intercepting hundreds of millions of potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. "Until President Biden reverses his open border policies and does his job to secure the border, Texas will continue protecting Texans and Americans from the chaos along the border," the operation's leaders said in a joint statement on 18 July. The state-led operation, however, has come under intense criticism from the federal government and the White House. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently referred to reports of mistreatment of migrants at the hands of Texas troopers as "abhorrent" and "despicable". Mexican authorities recently recovered two unidentified bodies from the Rio Grande, one of which was discovered floating along the buoys and the other found three miles (4.8km) north of the buoys. One of the victims was reportedly a child from Honduras. The cause of death is not yet known in either case. Stuck between the two sides in the debate is Eagle Pass, a small town of about 30,000 that sits across the Rio Grande from the Mexican city of Piedras Negras. Here, authorities have taken over one of the city's main parks, built makeshift walls out of shipping containers and unveiled a controversial string of buoys in the river to deter migrants - a move that has already prompted local and federal lawsuits and a diplomatic complaint from Mexico. Critics of the buoys have characterised them as a political stunt that is unlikely to have any significant impact on the flow of migrants. In recent days, several groups of migrants have reportedly crossed the river in the vicinity of the barrier. "They've turned Eagle Pass into a war zone," Jessie Fuentes, the owner of a local kayak company that has sued Texas' government over the buoys, told the BBC. "I feel like I'm in a turf war between the federal and state government, and in the middle is our community," he added. Mr Fuentes, a retired educator, is among the Eagle Pass residents who say that their lives have been upended by Operation Lone Star. In his case, the border buoys dashed his dream of supplementing his pension by leading kayak tours of the Rio Grande. "My goal in life was to relax on that river and show people how beautiful it is," he said. "But that got blown to heck. To me, it's not political. It's the other P - it's personal. I cried when I saw those barriers." Nowhere in Eagle Pass is Operation Lone Star's disruption as visible as Heavenly Farms, the Urbina family's sprawling 300 acre (121 hectare) pecan farm on the outskirts of Eagle Pass near the river buoys. The property's outside edges along the Rio Grande have been taken over by state authorities, who have set up earth berms, concertina wire and locked fencing in a bid to deter migrants. These steps, the Urbina family claims, have been taken despite their protests and pleas, both over their property and the safety of migrants. "They're trespassing on our property and militarising it. We can't even enter the area," Hugo Urbina said. "They've basically burglarised and destroyed a portion of our property." Mr Urbina said that the constant movement of heavy trucks and military vehicles has hit the farm's production levels, which he believes is due to "constant flow of dirt" in the air. "It's been pretty devastating to us," he said. "And they aren't even letting Border Patrol do their job properly. It's become an unsafe situation." A migrant family attempts to navigate through concertina wire in Eagle Pass on 27 July Eagle Pass has traditionally had a close relationship with Border Patrol. Many residents - from across the political spectrum - say they favour a strong border, even if they disagree with the tactics and strategy of Governor Abbott. "There's a lot of different reactions within the community, because of all the [migrants] that have been out there in the streets or released," said Pepe Aranda, a two-term former Eagle Pass mayor who now runs a real estate brokerage. "It's pretty split right now". Others note that while Operation Lone Star has disrupted some lives in town, it has also brought with it a boon to some parts of the local economy. "It's the part nobody wants to say out loud," said one local businessman, who asked not to be named. "There's so much money involved in this." Local hotels, for example, are filled with National Guardsman and out-of-town state troopers, and restaurants in town see a steady stream of uniformed personnel. "Complicated, I'd say, is the best word to describe what's happening," said Elias Diaz, a member of the Eagle Pass city council. "This is a town that lacks a lot of infrastructure a lot of people are living in poverty." Shelby Park, near one of Eagle Pass' border crossings into Mexico, is now home to makeshift barriers and police vehicles "We do see a lot of money being pumped into the operation. Some of it gets people jobs and keeps hotels full," Mr Diaz added. "But at the same time, it's done nothing other than to create chaos to try to curb immigration patterns." Governor Abbott and Texas officials have repeatedly shrugged off criticism of Operation Lone Star. They have refuted claims that migrants are being mistreated and vowed to fight any legal challenges to its authority in court. The federal government, for its part, has already filed one legal challenge over the river buoys, and is reportedly looking into reports of migrants being mistreated. On the ground in Eagle Pass, some said they fear their voices will be lost amid the wider debate between politicians far from the border. "Talk to us," Mr Fuentes pleaded. "Don't come and build walls or barriers without really knowing our area. Don't disrespect us." NEW YORK (AP) At a moment of growing legal peril, Donald Trump ramped up his calls for his GOP rivals to drop out of the 2024 presidential race as he threatened to go after Republican members of Congress who fail to focus on investigating Democratic President Joe Biden. Trump also urged a halt to Ukrainian military aid until the White House cooperates with congressional investigations into Biden and his family. Every dollar spent attacking me by Republicans is a dollar given straight to the Biden campaign, Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. The former president and GOP front-runner said it was time for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others he dismissed as clowns to clear the field, accusing them of wasting hundreds of millions of dollars that Republicans should be using to build a massive vote-gathering operation to take on Biden in November. The comments came two days after federal prosecutors unveiled new criminal charges against Trump as part of the case that accuses him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club and refusing to turn them over to investigators. The superseding indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that Trump and two staffers sought to delete surveillance at the club in an effort to obstruct the Justice Department's investigation. The case is just one of Trump's mounting legal challenges. His team is currently bracing for additional possible indictments, which could happen as soon as this coming week, related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election brought by prosecutors in both Washington and Georgia. Trump already faces criminal charges in New York over hush money payments made to women who accused him of sexual encounters during his 2016 presidential campaign. Nevertheless, Trump remains the dominant early figure for the Republican nomination and has only seen his lead grow as the charges have mounted and as his rivals have struggled to respond. Their challenge was on display at a GOP gathering in Iowa Friday night, where they largely declined to go after Trump directly. The only one who did accusing Trump of running to stay out of prison was booed as he left the stage. In the meantime, Trump has embraced his legal woes, turning them into the core message of his bid to return to the White House as he accuses Biden of using the Justice Department to maim his chief political rival. The White House has said repeatedly that the president has had no involvement in the cases. At rallies, Trump has tried to frame the charges, which come with serious threats of jail time, as an attack not just on him, but those who support him. Theyre not indicting me, theyre indicting you. I just happen to be standing in the way, he said in Erie, adding, Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it actually a great badge of honor.... Because Im being indicted for you. But the investigations are also sucking up enormous resources that are being diverted from the nuts and bolts of the campaign. The Washington Post first reported Saturday that Trumps political action committee, Save America, will report Monday that it spent more than $40 million on legal fees during the first half of 2023 defending Trump and all of the current and former aides whose lawyers it is paying. The total is more than the campaign raised during the second quarter of the year. "In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Bidens cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, the leadership PAC contributed to their legal fees to ensure they have representation against unlawful harassment," said Trump's spokesman Steven Cheung. At the rally, in a former Democratic stronghold that Trump flipped in 2016, but Biden won narrowly in 2020, Trump also threatened Republicans in Congress who refuse to go along with efforts to impeach Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said this past week that Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry into the president over unproven claims of financial misconduct. Trump, who was impeached twice while in office, said Saturday that, The biggest complaint that I get is that the Republicans find out this information and then they do nothing about it." Any Republican that doesn't act on Democrat fraud should be immediately primaries and get out out! he told the crowd to loud applause. They have to play tough and ... if theyre not willing to do it, we got a lot of good, tough Republicans around ... and they're going to get my endorsement every singe time. Trump, during the 2022 midterm elections, made it his mission to punish those who had voted in favor of his second impeachment. He succeeded in unseating most who had by backing primary challengers. At the rally, Trump also called on Republican members of Congress to halt the authorization of additional military support to Ukraine, which has been mired in a war fighting Russias invasion, until the Biden administration cooperates with Republican investigations into Biden and his familys business dealings words that echoed the call that lead to his first impeachment. Hes dragging into a global conflict on behalf of the very same country, Ukraine, that apparently paid his family all of these millions of dollars, Trump alleged. In light of this information, Congress, he said, should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles ... the weapons stockpiles to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime familys corrupt business dealings. House Republicans have been investigating the Biden familys finances, particularly payments Hunter, the presidents son, received from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that became tangled in the first impeachment of Trump. An unnamed confidential FBI informant claimed that Burisma company officials in 2015 and 2016 sought to pay the Bidens $5 million each in return for their help ousting a Ukrainian prosecutor who was purportedly investigating the company. But a Justice Department review in 2020, while Trump was president, was closed eight months later with insufficient evidence of wrongdoing. Trumps first impeachment by the House resulted in charges that he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on the Bidens while threatening to withhold military aid. Trump was later acquitted by the Senate. (Reuters) -Ukraine is to start consultations with the United States this week on providing security guarantees for Kyiv pending the completion of the process of joining NATO, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff said on Sunday. Andriy Yermak, writing on the Telegram messaging app, also said officials from a number of countries were preparing to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss Zelenskiy's peace plan for Ukraine, based on the departure of all Russian troops. Yermak did not say when the next meeting would take place but said the plan would be discussed in three phases, leading up to a meeting of heads of state and government. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the meeting in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, saying it would be held in Jeddah on August 5-6. The talks on security guarantees with the United States are a follow-up on pledges issued by the Group of 7 (G7) at the NATO summit in Lithuania earlier this month to draw up and honour security guarantees. "We are starting talks with the United States (this) week," Yermak wrote on Telegram. "Security guarantees for Ukraine will be concrete, long-term obligations ensuring Ukraine's capacity to defeat and restrain Russian aggression in the future. These will be clearly drafted formats and mechanisms of support." He said the guarantees "will be in effect until Ukraine secures NATO membership." The Western Alliance's Vilnius summit offered support to Ukraine in countering Russia's 17-month-old invasion and individual countries pledged new weapons, but no date for Ukrainian membership was set as long as the war continues. Members of the G7 agreed for each nation to negotiate agreements to provide security guarantees and help Ukraine bolster its military. In his comments, Yermak said more than 10 other countries had joined the G7 declaration and Ukraine was negotiating terms of future guarantees with each of them. Yermak spoke of the forthcoming meeting in Saudi Arabia at a gathering of regional officials in the western Ukrainian city of Ivano Frankivsk. He said an initial international meeting devoted to the peace plan took place in Copenhagen in June. In addition to calling for a withdrawal of Russian troops, Zelenskiy's peace plan also provides for the restoration of Ukraine's pre-war borders and the return home of all prisoners and deported children. Russia and Ukraine held a series of peace talks soon after Russia's invasion in February 2022, but these failed to produce any agreement. Ukraine, its military now bolstered by Western arms, now says it will not take part in any further talks until Russian troops leave. (Reporting by Ron PopeskiEditing by Chris Reese and Diane Craft) Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected in 2024. NBC News contacted 44 of those who served in then-President Donald Trumps cabinet between 2017 and 2021. While many declined to comment or didnt answer, only four have publicly endorsed Mr Trump for the office he once held. Several of them have been trying to remain as neutral as possible as the Republican primary plays out. There are those who oppose Mr Trumps return to the presidency. Former Attorney General Bill Barr told NBC, I have made clear that I strongly oppose Trump for the nomination and will not endorse Trump. Mr Barr was asked how he would cast his vote if the 2024 general election ended up being a rematch between Mr Trump and President Joe Biden. Ill jump off that bridge when I get to it, he said. The Trump campaign told NBC to contact three ex-cabinet members, one who has endorsed him and two who didnt commit to doing so at this time. Speaking about Mr Trumps cabinet, the director of presidential studies at the University of Virginias Miller Center, Barbara Perry, told NBC, Theyre not friends theyre not hanging on forever. Theyre going to skip out, or hes going to push them out in some instances, she added. Those supporting Mr Trumps return to the White House are former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, his last Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former budget chief Russell Vought, and former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell. A spokesperson for Mr Meadows told NBC he fully supports Mr Trump. Mr Vought wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in May that Mr Trump is the only person I trust to take a wrecking ball to the Deep State. Ive seen his willingness up close and behind closed doors, he added. My friend and former boss is going to finish what he started. One of Mr Trumps chiefs of staff, Mick Mulvaney, told NBC that he is working hard to make sure that someone else is the nominee. I think hes the Republican who is most likely to lose in a general election, of all our leading candidates. If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be him, he added. Two former members of the Trump cabinet ex-VP Mike Pence and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley are running against Mr Trump in the Republican primary. Former Trump Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told NBC he supports Mr Pence. Mr Coats is a former GOP senator from Indiana, where Mr Pence served as a US representative and governor before becoming vice president. I think he has all the qualities to be a great president, Mr Coats said. I know its a steep climb for him, but I think the steps he has taken now show the integrity of who he is and his qualifications. Elaine Chao, Mr Trumps Transportation Secretary, has criticised Mr Trump for his racially charged attacks against her. When I was young, some people deliberately misspelled or mispronounced my name, she has said. Asian Americans have worked hard to change that experience for the next generation. He doesnt seem to understand that, which says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans. Ms Chao is married to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell who didnt respond when asked by NBC if she would support anyone in the presidential race. Mr Trumps Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, told NBC: Donald Trump is my friend and would make a fantastic president, and if I have an announcement to make about 2024, Ill look forward to doing so in an appropriate way. Trump Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, now a Montana Representative in the US House, told NBC: I think the president is on a glide slope right now, but hes got some hurdles. From an individual who worked for him, I know hes tough. Theyre throwing everything at him, and hes got some significant hurdles ahead. I take the indictment seriously, I think everyone should. So hes got some tough hurdles before him, but I tell you what, theres only one Donald J Trump, he added. Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was photographed in St Petersburg during this week's Africa-Russia summit. He was seen shaking hands with Ambassador Freddy Mapouka, a presidential advisor in the Central African Republic (CAR). The image was posted on Facebook by Dmitri Syty, who reportedly manages Wagner's operations in CAR. It is the first confirmed sighting of Mr Prigozhin in Russia since Wagner's failed mutiny in June. Mr Prigozhin and Mr Mapouka's meeting took place at the Trezzini Palace hotel in St Petersburg, BBC Verify confirmed. BBC Verify used facial recognition software to compare known photographs of the CAR official with the picture featuring Prigozhin and got a 99% match, indicating the two images are of the same man. Details of the interior seen in the background of the photo were also matched to the Trezzini Palace hotel which, according to Russian media, is owned by Prigozhin. The lanyard worn by Mr Mapouka has a distinctive pattern, which is identical to that of the official lanyard worn by delegates at the summit. Searches for the same image did not find any earlier copies, which indicates it has only appeared online recently. There are several hundred Wagner mercenaries in diamond-rich CAR, helping the government fight rebel groups. The UK last week imposed sanctions on the two heads of Wagner's operations in CAR, accusing them of torture and killing civilians. In St Petersburg, Prigozhin was also photographed with the head of Afrique Media, a Cameroon-based pro-Russian TV outlet, where he has been interviewed at least three times this year. The meetings follow Mr Prigozhin's appearance in Belarus last week. A video on Telegram channels linked to the Wagner mercenary group shows him welcoming fighters and describing recent developments on the frontline in Ukraine as a "disgrace". He also hints that Wagner might rejoin the war at a later date. During the Africa-Russia Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa on both a commercial and aid basis to help avoid a "global food crisis". "We will be ready to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea with 25-50,000 tonnes of free grain each in the next three to four months," Putin said. These are all Russian allies, except Somalia which is suffering a severe humanitarian crisis. Russia recently withdrew from a deal under which Ukrainian grain exports passed through the Black Sea to reach global markets, including Africa. The EU said it believes Mr Putin is misleading African countries over his promise to send free grain to the continent. The European Commission said Russia was unlikely to honour its pledge. PAVLIVKA, Ukraine (AP) The summer winds carried the smell of burned grain across the southern Ukrainian steppe and away from the shards of three Russian cruise missiles that struck the unassuming metal hangars. The agricultural company Ivushka applied for accreditation to export grain this year, but the strike in mid-July destroyed a large portion of the stock, days after Russia abandoned the grain deal that would have allowed the shipments across the Black Sea without fear of attack. Men shirtless and barefoot, with blackened soles from ash, swept unburnt grain into piles and awaited the loader, whose driver deftly steered around twisted metal shrapnel, bits of missile and craters despite his shattered windshield. They hoped to beat the next rain to rescue what was left of the crop. According to the Odesa Regional Prosecutors Office, Russia struck the facility July 21 with three Kalibr- and Onyx-class cruise missiles. We dont have a clue why they did it, explained Olha Romanova, the head of Ivushka. Romanova, who worked in the debris alongside the others, wore a red headscarf and an exhausted expression and was too frazzled to even estimate her losses. She cannot comprehend why the Russians targeted Ivushka, as there are no nearby military facilities and the frontlines are far from the village in the Odesa region. They spent so much money on us, she said, puzzled. The missiles that ruined the silos are worth millions of dollars far more than the crop they destroyed. But Ivushka wasn't the only target in Odesa. The main port also was struck, leaving Black Sea shipping companies that relied upon the grain deal to keep them safe and food supplies flowing to the world at a standstill. The Black Sea handled about 95% of Ukrainian grain exports before Russias invasion and the U.N.-brokered initiative allowed Ukraine to ship much of what farmers harvested in 2021 and 2022, said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute. Ukraine, a major supplier of corn, wheat, barley and vegetable oil, shipped 32.9 million metric tons (36.2 million U.S. tons) of grain under the nearly yearlong deal designed to ease a global food crisis. It has been able to export an additional 2 million to 2.5 million metric tons (2.2 to 2.7 million U.S. tons) monthly by the Danube River, road and rail through Europe. Those are now the only routes to ship grain, but have stirred divisions among nearby European countries and generated higher costs to be absorbed by Ukrainian farmers, said Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Russian missiles strikes against the Danube port last Monday also raised questions about how much longer that route will remain viable. Thats a disincentive to keep planting fields already threatened by missiles and strewn with explosive mines. Corn and wheat production in agriculture-dependent Ukraine is down nearly 40% this year from prewar levels, analysts say. From the first of July last year until June 30 this year, Ukraine exported 68 million tons of grain, according to data from Mykola Horbachov, the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Ukrainian farmers shipped 11.2 million tons via railways, 5.5 million tons by road transport and around 18 million tons through Danube ports. Additionally, nearly half of the total exported grain, 33 million tons, was delivered through seaports under the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Ihor Osmachko, the general director of Agroprosperis Group, was unsurprised by Russia's withdrawal from the deal leading to its collapse. His company had never considered it a reliable or permanent solution during wartime. He said Russians frequently stymied the deal, even while it was functioning, by delaying ship inspections until the cargos were sent back, leading to $30 million in losses for his company alone. Now, they are once again forced to pay to reroute 100,000 tons of grain trapped in ports that are no longer safe, Osmachko said. We have been preparing for this whole time, Osmachko said. We havent stopped. We are moving forward. Osmachko estimated around 80% to 90% of the approximately 3.2 million tons of grain Agroprosperis exported to China, Europe and African countries during the past year went through the grain corridor. The most significant problem today is the cost of logistics, explained Mykola Horbachov, president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Before the war, farmers paid approximately $20 to $25 per ton to transport grain to the Odesa ports. Now, logistics costs have tripled as they are forced to pay more than $100 to transport a single ton via alternative routes through the Danube port to Constanta, Romania. If we were to go on the Danube with the grain corridor closed, practically all our production would be unprofitable, Osmachko said. The Danube ports can't handle the same volume as seaports. The most Agroprosperis has sent through this route is 75,000 tons per month, compared with a monthly average of 250,000 tons through Black Sea ports. The Ukrainian harvest this year is the lowest in a decade, according to a July report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Horbachov said shipping costs to export around the world and uncertainty about the length of the war will last could quickly make new planting unprofitable for Ukrainian farmers. Ukraine currently produces three times more grain than it consumes, while global prices will inevitably rise if the country's exports decrease. I think youre looking at a diminished Ukraine for at least the next couple of years and maybe longer, said Glauber, the former U.S. agricultural official. Thats something the rest of the world just needs to make up. The war from all sides poses risks for Agroprosperis. In the Sumy region on the Russian border, farmers harvest their crops wearing body armor. Sometimes they must stop their combines in the middle of the wheat fields to pick up shrapnel from Russian projectiles. It can get tough at times, Osmachko acknowledged. But there are responsibilities some have duties on the front. Some must grow food and ensure the countrys and worlds security. ___ Volodymyr Yurchuk in Lviv, Ukraine, and Courtney Bonnell in London contributed. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine In the wake of a superseding indictment in the classified documents case, former President Trumps ever-growing legal woes and the 2024 Republican presidential primary race will likely dominate this weeks Sunday talk show circuit. The Justice Department (DOJ) brought new charges against Trump over his handling and retention of classified materials on Thursday night, accusing the former president of attempting to delete surveillance footage at his Mar-a-Lago property. More than 300 classified documents were recovered from the resort in Palm Beach, Fla., last year, some 100 of which were found during an FBI search of the property last August. The superseding indictment also alleged that Trump aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira aided the former president in his efforts to delete the footage. While Nauta was charged in the initial indictment, de Oliveira was a new addition to the case. Trump slammed the new charges on Thursday night as ridiculous, claiming that they amounted to election interference at the highest level. This is prosecutorial misconduct used at a level never seen before, he told Fox News Digital. If I werent leading Biden by a lot in numerous polls, and wasnt going to be the Republican nominee, it wouldnt be happening. It wouldnt be happening. The former president has repeatedly claimed prosecutorial misconduct and election interference in the wake of two indictments. Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records over a 2016 hush money payment earlier this year, followed by the initial 37-count indictment in the classified documents case last month. Special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the DOJs Trump-related cases, also appears to be nearing an indictment in his investigation into the Jan. 6 riot. The former president received a letter earlier this month notifying him that he is a target of the probe, and his attorneys met with Smiths office on Thursday. Similar events also occurred before the last indictment. Alina Habba, a legal spokesperson for Trump, is set to join Fox News Sunday this weekend to discuss the new indictment, while Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), who served as lead counsel in Trumps first impeachment, will also chat about the investigation during an appearance on ABCs This Week. Despite his ever-growing legal woes, Trump continues to hold a commanding lead over the 2024 Republican field. A recent Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey found that 52 percent of Republican voters would support the former president in the primary, leaving him 40 points ahead of the next candidate. While Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held onto second place in the poll with 12 percent, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy saw his support tick upward to 10 percent. Ramaswamy, who is set to join CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, has repeatedly defended Trump amid his recent legal battles. Like the former president, Ramaswamy suggested on Thursday that the new charges represented election interference. Theyre leaving nothing to chance this time. Lock him up, facts or law be damned, he said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. While Ramaswamy and others have stood firmly behind the former president, the anti-Trump candidates in the GOP field have used the repeated indictments to knock their rival with limited success. Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, who will make an appearance on NBCs Meet the Press this weekend, suggested on Thursday that the former president is running to stay out of jail. Donald Trump is not running for president to make American great again, Hurd told CNN. Donald Trump is not running for president to defend our interests overseas. Donald Trump is not even running to represent the people that voted for him in 2016 and in 2020. Donald Trump is running for president in order for him to stay out of jail. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also called the former president a one-man crime wave on Thursday, while former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson suggested in Iowa on Friday that voters have an opportunity to choose a new direction for America and for the GOP. Christie is set to join CNNs State of the Union, and Hutchinson will make an appearance on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday. Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this weeks Sunday talk shows: ABCs This Week New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R); Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.); actor Matthew McConaughey NBCs Meet the Press Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.); former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, a Republican presidential candidate CBS Face the Nation Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Republican presidential candidates; Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg CNNs State of the Union Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican presidential candidates; Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Fox News Sunday North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican presidential candidate; Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.); Alina Habba, a lawyer for Donald Trump Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio); Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; Miranda Devine, New York Post columnist and author of Laptop From Hell; Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law professor emeritus and author of Get Trump For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Reps. Byron Donalds, Wesley Hunt and John James denounce notion that enslaved people benefited from slavery ANKENY, Iowa (AP) U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has criticized fellow Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for supporting new standards that require teachers to instruct middle school students that slaves developed skills that could be applied for their personal benefit. What slavery was really about was separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives. It was just devastating, Scott, the sole Black Republican in the Senate, told reporters on Thursday after a town hall in Ankeny. So I would hope that every person in our country and certainly running for president would appreciate that. People have bad days, Scott added. Sometimes they regret what they say. And we should ask them again to clarify their positions. Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks during a town hall meeting, Thursday, July 27, 2023, in Ankeny, Iowa.(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) DeSantis has been facing criticism from Florida teachers, civil rights leaders, President Joe Bidens White House and even Black Republicans on the school standards. Vice President Kamala Harris, the nations first Black vice president, traveled to Florida recently to condemn the curriculum. DeSantis fired back on Friday, saying that part of the reason our country has struggled is because D.C. Republicans all too often accept false narratives, accept lies that are perpetrated by the left. Campaigning in Iowa, he added that he was defending Florida against false accusations and against lies. And were going to continue to speak the truth. The back-and-forth marked a shift in campaign styles for both DeSantis and Scott, who have not directly critiqued each other and have instead focused much of their antagonism toward President Joe Biden. It also comes as DeSantis effort has endured a mid-campaign reset, making staffing cuts to accommodate campaign expenses. Another Black Republican presidential candidate, former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, has also criticized DeSantis over the curriculum, as have Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, Wesley Hunt of Texas and John James of Michigan, Trump allies who are among a handful of Black Republicans in Congress. Scotts comments came as he and DeSantis stumped in Iowa before the state Republican Partys Lincoln Day Dinner. At that gathering, 13 candidates in the GOP presidential primary field, including front-runner Donald Trump, will be addressing an expected 1,200 activists on Friday. Scott, part of the GOPs most diverse presidential field ever, was asked for his opinion on the standards hours after DeSantis defended them to reporters. At the end of the day, you got to choose: Are you going to side with Kamala Harris and liberal media outlets or are you going to side with the state of Florida? DeSantis said, citing Democrats criticism of the wording on slavery. I think its very clear that these guys did a good job on those standards. It wasnt anything that was politically motivated. Responding on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to reporters posts of Scotts video, a super PAC supporting DeSantis on Thursday night called the posts incredibly sloppy or intentionally disingenuous, reposting video of DeSantis defense of the curriculum earlier in the day. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Tim Scott, Black GOP reps. criticize Ron DeSantis over Floridas slavery curriculum appeared first on TheGrio. Former President Trump on Saturday mocked fellow Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd, after he was booed during an Iowa GOP event the night before for slamming Trump amid his growing legals woes. In Iowa last night I noticed that a little known, failed former Congressman, Will Hurd, is ridiculously running for President, the former president posted on Truth Social. He quit Congress because it would have been impossible for him to win in his district he did a really bad job. Anyway, he got SERIOUSLY booed off the stage when he said I was running to stay out of jail,' he continued. Wrong, if I wasnt running, or running and doing badly (like him & Christie!), with no chance to win, these prosecutions would never have been brought or happened! Hurd, a former Texas lawmaker, was booed by a crowd of Iowa Republicans at the Lincoln Dinner after claiming Trump is only running for the White House to stay out of prison. One of the things we need in our elected leaders: To tell the truth, even if its not popular, he said Friday. Donald Trump is not running for president to make American great again. Donald Trump is not even running to represent the people that voted for him in 2016 and in 2020. Donald Trump is running for president to stay out of prison, Hurd added, as the crowd began to heckle and boo him. The Texas Republican who has been a sharp critic of Trump echoed claims he made earlier this week after the Justice Department levied new charges against the former president in the classified documents case. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage The DOJs superseding indictment that was filed late Thursday accused Trump of making attempts to delete security footage at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., that may have shown boxes of classified documents being moved around the property. The new charges which bring his count up to 40 in the documents probe also included two co-conspirators: aide Walt Nauta, who was indicted in the original case, and the Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira. Trump called the allegations ridiculous and claimed they amounted only to election interference at the highest level. He repeated a similar view on Saturday, asking why the Justice Department waited so long to bring the charges. Why did the Radical Left Democrat Prosecutors wait so long to bring these ridiculous cases against me, the former president said in a separate post on Saturday. They could have been brought years ago but no, they waited to bring them in the middle of my campaign for President because that way they could Interfere and disturb my run for the White House. Two more coming, I guess? What they didnt count on is the fact that the people of America understand these thugs and lowlifes, and my poll numbers have only gone up! he added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Young people in Thailand took to the streets to protest the country's recent election incident. Footage shows people gathering at the Sanya Dharmasakti Monument in front of Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. You can see them starting a controlled fire and burning certain objects. In a protest against the military, they are calling for the 250 military-controlled senators to allow the poll winner Pita Limjaroenrat to take office. Locals say they are disenfranchised following this block, which would have seen Pita of the liberal progressive Move Forward Party leading the country forward as Prime Minister. BOONE, Iowa President Joe Biden's inability to secure the nation's southern border is to blame for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's controversial use of buoys and razor wire to stop migrants from entering the country, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said Saturday while campaigning for the Iowa caucuses. I support what Gov. Abbott is trying to do. But Gov. Abbott shouldn't have to do this. This is a federal responsibility. And it's been completely abdicated by the Biden administration, said Burgum, one of the Republican presidential candidates crisscrossing Iowa this weekend. Republican presidential candidate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum waves at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, July 28, 2023. This is on Biden administration, not on Gov. Abbott, Burgum told reporters after speaking to about 30 people at a Boone cafe Saturday. The Biden Justice Department this week sued Abbott over the states floating barrier, saying its illegal and raises humanitarian, navigation and public safety issues, resulting in adults and children being severely cut during river crossings. The battle over the Texas barrier comes as Customs and Border Protection says migrant encounters were down 30% in June, the first full month since new Biden administration immigration restrictions went into effect, the Associated Press reported. July 11, 2023: Workers assemble large buoys to be used as a border barrier along the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass , Texas. The floating barrier is being deployed in an effort to block migrants from entering Texas from Mexico. As the leader of a "big border state," Burgum said he's "got a lot of empathy for what he's (Abbott) going through." "If millions of people were piling into North Dakota from Canada, wed be doing everything we can. But wed be doing the job that belongs to the federal government, he said. When asked if he would use tactics like razor wire to protect North Dakota, Burgum said this is what we end up with without a secure border. Nobody wants to see a child that gets cut on razor wire, but why are people not entering (legally) through ports of entry, said Burgum, who added that he would support changes to the U.S. immigration system to allow more migrants to enter the country legally. We can have a discussion about legal immigration across all skill levels, he said. We can do that like other smart countries. Because we have a place that people want to get into," said Burgum, adding that "Canada is poaching highly skilled, foreign-born residents in the U.S. whose visas are expiring. Theyre advertising to get those people to move to Canada, Burgum said. They added like one million highly skilled people last year. When we have 11 million jobs open in America, were hurting our economy, our long-term competitiveness by not being smart about how were going to do this, said Burgum, who is campaigning on improving the nations economy, energy independence and national security. But we cant have a conversation in this country about immigration policy without secure borders, said Burgum, who was introduced by his wife, Kathryn. Burgum said he agreed with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' stand to not endorse a Republican candidate in Iowa's first-in-the-nation GOP caucus. Reynolds become a target of former President Donald Trump, who criticized her for failing to give him a nod, saying she wouldnt be governor without his endorsement. Thats the smart thing to do. Thats the right thing for Iowa, Burgum said. Its her job to do the right thing for Iowa. Go Iowa. Go Kim. Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com or 515-284-8457. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Doug Burgum says Texas' razor wire, buoy barrier 'is on' Biden by Sumon Corraya Sukhen Dulal Tigga, 32, an ethnic Oraon, is a gift who will represent our diocese in the world," said Bishop Tudu. We shall offer him our support with prayers and love. The missionaries selfless life attracted me, the new priest told AsiaNews. His aunt too was a source of inspiration. Dinajpur (AsiaNews) Last Friday, the Diocese of Dinajpur had the joy of seeing one of its own become the first local PIME missionary. Deacon Sukhen Dulal Tigga, 32, was ordained a priest by Bishop Sebastian Tudu. The ordination was held in the Cathedral of St Francis Xavier in the presence of about a thousand people, including many priests and nuns. Yesterday, Fr Tigga celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving in his village of Rajarampur. PIME missionaries have been carrying out their apostolate in Bengal since 1855. Fr Tigga, an ethnic Oraon, becomes the seventh PIME priest from a Bangladeshi diocese. Almighty God chooses people for his work. Sukhen Dulal Tigga was chosen to preach the Gospel, Bishop Tudu said in his homily. As he congratulated him, the prelate also urged him to be an excellent priest and missionary, adding that PIME missionaries have made a huge contribution to this diocese and, now, we have a PIME missionary. Feeling proud for Fr Tigga, he described him as a gift who will represent our diocese in the world. Our faithful will thus be with him when he goes to any country as a missionary. We shall offer him our support with prayers and love. "When I was a primary school student in Suihari, I saw the life of PIME missionaries, the new PIME priest told AsiaNews. Their selfless life attracted me to become a missionary myself. So I expressed my desire to Fr Fabrizio Calegari". Fr Tigga also owes a lot to his paternal aunt, Nomita Tigga. Since our family was poor, and our parents could not provide for our daily needs, my aunt paid for the school fees of all of us children, he explained. She never married, and sacrificed her life for us, encouraging me to become a priest, he said. Her simple life dedicated to others was a source of inspiration for me." After his priestly ordination, Fr Tigga will return to Italy where he will carry out his first service in missionary outreach with young people. "With young Italians I will share my testimony of faith," he explained. Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country of about 165 million people. Christians are just 0.3 per cent of the population. PIME missionaries baptised Fr Tiggas grandparents, and his path is now going in the opposite direction. "Once the Italian PIME priests came to us to preach the Gospel, now I will go to them as a missionary. I ask for your blessing and prayers," he said. ECCLESIA IN ASIA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN ASIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY SUNDAY VIA E-MAIL? SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER HERE. Chevrolet launched the Impala as a Bel Air version in 1958, but a year later, the company decided to promote it to a stand-alone series thanks to the overnight success it recorded from the first months of availability. The second-generation Impala was available for two years, in 1959 and 1960, with both introducing additional refinements to a nameplate that later became the best-selling car in the United States.1960 witnessed the return of the three round taillights and the debut of new technology, such as cruise control.Despite launching as a Bel Air version and embracing different paths, Impala continued to share most parts and engines with the other full-size model in Chevrolet 's lineup. As a result, many people trying to restore an Impala turn to Bel Air donors for the necessary parts, as certain model years are nearly identical.The 1960 Impala and Bel Air that someone posted on Craigslist is a perfect match, selling together for an almighty project that could eventually bring a full-size Chevy back to the road.Both cars are hardtops and look like they've been sitting under a carport for many years. The owner shared a few details about them, but they claim the Impala is complete and sells with a title, while the Bel Air is a donor that should only be used for parts. We're not getting any information about the engines, but considering the Impala is complete, we should assume something is still there.The 1960 Impala was available with the same engines as the previous model year. The lazy six-cylinder unit was the right choice for those who wanted a fancy companion to the supermarket, while the V8 units were the 283 (4.3-liter) and the 348 (5.7-liter), both with carburetors. The fuel-injected 348 was pulled on the 1960 Impala.While we don't know if this 1960 Impala comes with a straight-six or a V8, I can only hope it's not locked up from sitting, as both cars look like they've been sleeping in the same place for a very long time. The owner says most trim is in the trunks, so in theory, you should get the full lineup to bring the Impala back to the road.The 2-door hardtops won't sell cheaply , which makes perfect sense. You get a complete 1960 Impala plus a donor to help you with the restoration. You should inspect them thoroughly before committing to a purchase, as the photos indicate they both require major metal work. You can have both for $10,000, and if you want to check them out live, you must get a plane ticket to Salem, Oregon, where the two are now sleeping. A trailer is the only way to take the two Chevys back home. The Dodge Charger came about as Chrysler Corporations answer to the muscle car riot against the mainstream automobile philosophy of early sixties America. The Mustang had turned the tables against the Barracuda in 64, effectively beating Mopar at the small-body-with-sporty-looks-without-luxury-pomp game. A retaliation was duly needed and Chrysler haunted Fords sweet laurels sleep dreams with a full-size fastback. Introduced in 1966, the Charger wasnt a sales superstar 37,300 units were assembled but it served its hidden purpose of introducing the 426 cubic-inch (7.0 liters) Street HEMI lord of combustion hell to the general public. Not that it tipped the scales in Dodges favor regarding satisfying bean-counting bureaucrats, but it kicked competition in the rear valance.For what is worth, the fastback styling wasnt new to America any more than it was to Chrysler the Plymouth Barracuda is the most obvious example. But a full-sized automobile that combined the sleek lines of a sloped back with the comfort treats of the inside wasnt that common.Granted, there was a notable lookalike from afar (and from the side), it could have been mistaken as a stunt double for the Charger superstar: the AMC Marlin. However, the Dodge had something extra over the personal luxury car from American Motors Corporation: big-block muscle.And it wasnt just the HEMI that packed a mighty punch. In 1967 the last production year for the first generation of the Charger another iconic V8 was introduced. The 440-CID (7.2-liter) Magnum wasnt an insatiable horsepower ogre like its hemispherical-heads little brother, but torque-wise, it came pretty close.The HEMI was good for 425 hp and 490 lb-ft / 431 PS and 664 Nm (it kept the same specs throughout its entire street existence between 1966 and 1971). The 440 wasnt of the same monolithically absolutist V8 creed and did see several modifications.Released in the Charger in 1967, the biggest-block from Mopar initially offered 375 hp and 480 lb-ft / 380 PS and 651 Nm from a four-barrel architecture. While power was significantly lower than the HEMIs rating, tire-blazing torque wasnt. Furthermore, the Magnum delivered the crank-punishing force at 3,200 RPM (as opposed to the 426s 4,000 RPM).And yet, despite this muscle abundance, the Charger took a nasty kick in the sales groin, nosediving to half the volumes from its initial year; 15,788 fastback Dodges rolled off the assembly line in 1967, with just 660 L-Code Magnum 440 V8s.The Road/Track package wasnt to come until a year later when the complete restyling of the Charger effectively quadrupled sales. But the buds of muscle car-ness R/T nobility were already blooming in 67 when the 440 CID V8 was offered as an option. (Remember, the R/T Chargers would have the big-block 440 as standard, with the alternative being the overpowering 426 HEMI).The 1967 model is one of the rarest Chargers made, and the L-code optional engine is among the unicorns. L was the trim tag letter used for the big 440-cube plant, and it came with a three-speed automatic (floor-shifted) or a scarce four-speed manual.One of the elusive 1967 Dodge Chargers assembled with a 440 V8 heart and an automatic TorqueFlite 727 tranny is up for grabs, and it is a bundle of mixed feelings. It is a one-family-owned Mopar the original buyer passed it to his son, who sold it to the current dealer original-interior Charger with one repaint since 1967.The car has been off the road for over twenty years, but being a Texas vehicle (and garage kept, at that) fended off humidity and corrosion. Sadly, the R/T engine is no more (clarification for purists: while the performance package was offered for the first time in 1968, it kept the previous years 440 four-barrel V8. The engine would have been identical to what our hero was gifted at birth, hence the R/T allusion).Instead, a 383 now resides in the engine bay the seller doesnt specify the year of the replacement motor or its state of tune topped by a Holley four-barrel double-pumper. Allegedly, the car is drivable, but a thorough go-through is recommended to make it roadworthy. Notably, the mileage is not mentioned, and theres no telling what happened to the original big-block.The three-on-the-floor 67 Charger makes it one of 528 made for the model year, and it was linked to a 3.23:1 rear with a Sure Grip differential. It also received air conditioning, a 2-watt AM radio, and a tinted windshield.The broadcast sheet details the entirety of attributes of this unusual Charger see it in the gallery. Still, the essential aspect of this surviving relic is not disclosed. The price is a call for details type of arrangement.This Dodge's correct sale value is hard to speculate since the market isnt abundant in these rare oddballs. A complete 440 Charger from 67 (meaning it retains its original motor, tranny, rear, interior, and body) is offered for anything between $40,000 and $50,000. This year, the mid-size pickup truck sector is heating up all over the planet. In America, there's an all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma looking forward to keeping its sales crown, and in far-away places like Thailand or Australia, a new Mitsu is duking it out with rivals. Although it's a forbidden fruit in the United States, the sixth-generation Mitsubishi Triton (L200) sounds quite enticing for North America, too. It's larger than the outgoing model and also features an entirely different style that emphasizes robustness more than anything else. Hey, and we should all remember that Mitsubishi even tested its all-new truck in America late last year. Some prototypes were spotted stateside.Unfortunately, so far, the global rollout only includes places like Thailand (where it's also produced), as well as many other ASEAN and Oceania markets. For example, we already know that after 12 years of absence on the market, Japan will get a taste of the new Triton (also known as L200 in other regions) sometime in early 2024. Also, around that same time in February 2024, to be more precise Australia dealerships will get their stocks filled with the new iteration of the mid-size pickup truck.All in all, the new generation is highly desirable it has a completely new design, a modern interior with better appointments and more on-board technology, it's safer and more comfortable, and also has a newly developed 2.4-liter turbodiesel mill under the hood with three options 148, 181, and 201 horsepower plus up to 470 Nm (347 lb-ft) of torque. As such, no wonder its capabilities have increased, including its braked tow rating that's now 400 kg (882 lbs.) higher than before, at 3,500 kg (7,716 pounds).Naturally, that attracted much attention including from across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. For example, Nikita Chuicko, the virtual artist better known as kelsonik on social media, probably thought now was the right CGI time to fiddle with the newly introduced truck and bestow his signature 'Shadow Line' transformation upon it.Essentially, this is a de-chroming procedure, and it's widely used by custom and personalization houses to achieve a desirable 'murdered-out' look in combination with an all-black paint or wrap job. Here the digital project doesn't reach as far because this Mitsubishi Triton is dark gray, not black but you get the point, especially after the pixel master also matched the menacing appearance with much more prominent, black aftermarket wheels.All in all, this really isn't a bad attitude on behalf of the virtual Mitsubishi Triton with ' Shadow Line ' and matching aftermarket wheels. Too bad it's merely wishful thinking, though, as we think that at least some of its potential rivals on the US market would tremble a little at the sight of something like this. Impala became Chevrolet's coolest kid on the block after its promotion to a stand-alone series in 1959, while the Bel Air was relegated to a second-class citizen in the GM brand's lineup. While Impala received most of Chevrolet 's love, it continues to share many parts and engines with the Bel Air.For example, the 1964 model year launched with a similar minor facelift and identical engine lineup. The same lazy six-cylinder unit served as the base configuration, while the V8 offering included the famous 283, the 327 with either 250 or 300 horsepower, and the 409 big-block monster that could go up to 425 horsepower.The Bel Air that you can see in these photos is an original 1964 model that somehow ended up abandoned on the side of the road for too long. The folks at Backyard Classics say they purchased the Bel Air and listed it online, hoping someone sees it and decides to start a restoration project.The car doesn't look good, but it doesnt seem to be a wreck. It's obvious this Bel Air has been sitting for a long time, but the body isn't as rusty as expected. I've seen plenty of classics turning into rust buckets after years of sleeping outside (such as this 1965 Mustang), but this 1964 Chevy passed the test of time fairly easily.We're not getting too many details about its condition, but you shouldnt expect anything other than a project. The rust is already there, and I'd thoroughly inspect the undersides this is where I expect the biggest amount of rust, especially if the car has been sitting outside. The sellers claim you'll find some rot on the body, but the damage is "not too bad."The V8 under the hood is a 283, whose condition is unknown. The good news is that it still turns over by hand, so in theory, it's not locked up from sitting. The bad news is that the hood is no longer there, so the engine has been fully exposed to whatever happened outside. A good mechanic should be able to tell more about the engine, so I fully recommend a complete inspection before the purchase. The car is not complete, and if you buy this Bel Air for full restoration, check out everything inside and outside to determine how much is missing.Unsurprisingly, the car doesn't cost more than a new premium smartphone. The garage in charge of finding a new owner says the Bel Air is ready to go for $1,250. Interested buyers can inspect the vehicle in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, and a trailer is the only way to take it home, considering its condition and the current health of the engine. There is a reason why BMW decided to wrench the alphabet and replace mundane horsepower with M power and it has everything to do with not giving a damn about anyone elses chest-pounding high-performing speed machines. Photo: YouTube/OFFICIALLY GASSED - OG Photo: YouTube/OFFICIALLY GASSED - OG Photo: YouTube/OFFICIALLY GASSED - OG When Bayerische Motoren Werke set their sights on building a sleeper, they nailed the wow factor right in the head and theyve only gotten better and better at it over the last four decades. Come 2023, and nearly every model from the Bavarian lineup has an M-derived add-on. But truth be told, only two thoroughbreds sparkle and shine in the Germans stable: the M5 and the M3.While the former stayed true to its origins and continued to add horsepower to its variable-piston dowry, the M3 had a very different, albeit equally successful, path through life. We wont go through the somewhat confusing history of the model. Note that it started life as a race car for the road (built for homologation purposes), and it had two doors initially (that would be in 1986).It was upgraded to a four-door sedan during its second generation (1994 and onward). Still, two decades later, it saw a Siamese brother emerging from its very own platform: the BMW M4 which was, and still is, an M3 with two doors. Sometimes, Germans demonstrate such refined humor that even the British fall for hook, line, and sinker.Since we mentioned the M3 and the British in the same paragraph, lets return to 2023 and see how present-day motoring is BMW M-honored on the left-hand-drive side of the Atlantic. The Officially Gassed vloggers organized a BMW-only showdown. And, because this is the United Kingdom, theres a catch or two, to be bluntly honest.The cars bear the M letter and boast massive tuning; suffice to say that the value of modifications greatly exceeds the list price of each of the two Beemers involved in this event. By the way, it is a drag race over a quarter mile.The first contender is a proper M car: a BMW M3 the F80 from yesteryear with slight modifications to its drivetrain. Well, by `slight,` I mean 900 PS and 1,000 Nm sent to the rear wheels (thats 888 hp and 738 lb-ft for gearheads from the United States of Automobile).Of course, the standard M3 from ten years and one generation ago didnt exactly come from the factory carrying the strategic arsenal of this particular example. This fully-built three-liter straight-six S55 engine has port and polished heads, high-performance valve springs, an externally-gated single turbo kit, methanol-injection cooling, and M5 injectors. Thats why it produces twice the power of the car it is based on.A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission puts the tire torture on the ground via the limited-slip differential. This unique M3 is rated at 562 hp/ton (because of its 1.6-ton stripped-interior body-mass index), considerably lower than its adversary.This night-school-teachers-daily-driver-looking BMW M140i from the second generation of the 1 Series packs a nasty bite, thanks to a heap of tuning and tons of steroid overdose. It also relies on BMWs emblematic three-liter inline-six magnificence to make go-fast magic happen. However, this specific unit went through the gates of combustion hell and respawned as a supercar-obliterating maniac.It has identical power and torque figures as the M3 (900 German PferdStarke PS and 1,000 Newton meters / 888 hp, 738 lb-ft) thanks to a single turbo, a performance exhaust, performance intake manifold with port injection, and a three-step intercooler. An upgraded oil cooler, a custom gearbox cooler, high- and low-pressure fuel pumps, and nitrous injection.With a gutted interior, this small hatchback tips the scales at under 1.5 tons, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 610 hp/ton. The eight-speed automatic gearbox also received an upgrade to better deal with the engines output and crack the whip on the rear wheels.The two stages of this face-off quarter-mile fratricide consist of a set of best two-out-of-three rolling start sprints, followed by a classic standing sprint over the 440-yard straight. Mathematically, the lighter M140i is the bookies favorite and crankshaft reality proves the theory: the five-door compact leaves the M3 in the dust in two of the three rounds.Things turn out dramatically different in the quintessential contest, with the sedan beating the nitrous oxide mutant a clean three out of three. Its best run is an 11.14-second performance at 141 mph (227 kph), marginally faster than the 11.89 seconds and 138 mph (222 kph) for the M140i. In the end, the conclusion or should we call it confusion? is this: finding a displacement replacement doesnt guarantee undisputed authority at the track, but it sure does leave the door wide open for yet one more round of cubic money arson. There's a high chance that electric cars are the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term "subsidies." There's also a good chance for you not to care about this complicated economic concept. And there's a very slight chance that you really are familiar with what subsidies are and how they impact economies and, ultimately, our lives. Photo: Image by Freepik Are subsidies good or bad? Or both? Photo: Image by macrovector_official on Freepik Pollution is not a good thing. But how bad is it? Photo: Image by jcomp on Freepik how much does the pollution cost, really? Undermining our chance of survival EV I must be frank: until the 2008 global financial crisis, I didn't really understand what subsidies are, nor was I interested to find out more about them. But there was a particular moment that changed my view. Do you remember when GM, Ford, and Chrysler CEOs flew to DC in their companies' luxury private jets to ask Congress for $25 billion to avoid bankruptcy?Tom Schatz, at that time President of Citizens Against Government Waste, told them: "This is a slap in the face of taxpayers. To come to Washington on a corporate jet and ask for a handout is outrageous." Mind you, Rick Wagoneer, Alan Mulally, and Robert Nardelli had the nerve to ask for $25 billion in taxpayer money after they flew in expensive private jets when the economy was collapsing.It was like a fancy businessman coming out of his Ferrari near a bus stop and asking people nonchalantly to give him money to pay for the leasing. Simple as that. I don't know about you, but the word "outrageous" is far from enough to describe my feelings when faced with that episode. At that point, I realized we should pay much more attention to how the elected government spends subsidies.The debate on this subject is too time-consuming, but I'll briefly touch on the fields related to the auto industry. For instance, the purpose of the subsidies for renewables was to kickstart a much-needed transition from the fossil fuel economy. The reason is very simple burning fossil fuels to create the energy we need to keep the economy and society rolling results in ever-growing pollution, which slowly menaces our health and the environment.Unfortunately, the logic of this statement is perverted by many who point out that using taxpayers' money to tackle a so-called environmental problem please notice the shadow of a doubt these voices are bringing into the discussion is the cause of economic problems. Simply put, renewables subsidies distort the real economy, and they are unfair.The same goes for electric vehicle subsidies, which create artificial competition with internal combustion engine vehicles and ultimately endanger a century-old industry of huge importance for our lifestyle and working habits. Switching to EVs means hundreds of thousands or even millions of layoffs; only the rich will afford to own cars; climate change is a hoax, and they greenwash us only to take our money; and all other sorts of conspiracy theory warnings.When you put things this way, subsidies are bad. The picture comes down to a hipster coming out of his expensive Tesla and requiring all the good fellows in affordable Corollas or good old F150s to give him much money for nothing and then forcing them to buy Teslas or even give up on their reliable cars. I bet that depicting subsidies this way would anger anyone, especially petrolheads.I'm afraid I surely must disagree with such nonsense. But then, I know a thing or two besides this very truncated image, and I can prove that the image I just depicted is mostly fake news.I'm sure everybody understands that burning fossil fuels result in pollutants that affect our health and the environment. The problem is that some of us believe the harm is of little importance, while others simply ignore the future repercussions. It's like the smokers , who are aware of the risk they take smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, but they choose not to care about the health hazards which will most likely occur decades later.While second-hand smoking which is inhaling the fumes from a smoker nearby has somehow little effect on people, it's not the same with transport pollution. All those cars, trucks, and buses roaming in the cities spew nasty pollutants directly into the air we breathe, smokers and non-smokers alike. The "second-hand smoking" from their exhausts has a big toll on our health and, consequently, on the economy.Too bad we, as a society, are not used (or don't give a damn, frankly) to translate this harm into costs. However, it should be very easy. Just think about a smoker who spends 2 dollars a day on his cigarettes. In 10 years, he literally burns 7,300 dollars, and in 20 years, almost 15,000. At this point, there's an 80% chance he's going to develop a form of lung cancer, which will cost him or the health system tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Oh, and how much does the pain and suffering cost?I simply depicted the negative externalities. Which, in the case of fossil fuels, comes down to air pollution, global warming, climate change, and all the harm they do, ranging from floods, violent storms, wildfires, and so on. All of these have huge costs, and these are more and more of a burden for the whole society.Oversimplifying the picture, eight billion people and countless other lifeforms are paying the toll for less than two billion vehicles using internal combustion engines . Of course, the energy sector is the number one source of pollution, but the transportation sector is the second one. And apparently, the only one where CO2 emissions and other harmful pollutants still grow year-to-year. But, hey, we love numbers, so the next question isFor you or me, it's nearly impossible to translate into money the pollution's harm. But there are others who have the knowledge and resources to do that, like the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other entities of great importance for the global economic system. Of course, it's also possible that you heard these are devil's tools, most likely from those sources claiming climate change is a hoax and that EVs and renewables are bulshit.So, let's see some values. In the 2019 study "Global Burden of Disease," the World Bank concluded there were 6.4 million premature deaths and 93 billion days of illness because of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). All of these translated to costs of health damages in the amount of $8.1 trillion or 6.1% of global GDP.Now, what could we have done with 8,100 billion US dollars in 2019 if they weren't wasted because of pollution? Elon would probably say 1,600 Gigafactories, which could provide batteries for around 800 million Teslas a year. That's half of ALL the cars in use today in the world and 99% of them use polluting internal combustion engines. Do you see the paradox here?Let's move on. IMF estimates that fossil fuels subsidies say what? were around $5.9 trillion in 2020 or 6.8% of global GDP. I bet it may come as a surprise for many, but all over the world, the oil, coal, and gas industry benefits from subsidies.To be fair, these subsidies are divided into two categories. Firstly, there are explicit subsidies (undercharging for supply costs, just like in the case of renewables), which account for less than $500 billion. The rest of the $5,400 billion were implicit subsidies (undercharging for environmental costs and foregone consumption taxes).It's a lose-lose scenario, really. Imposing a fair pollution tax on gasoline, for instance, would enrage society, and most likely, our civilization would collapse. Bye-bye constitutional rights; welcome to Mad Max scenarios . Following the business-as-usual scenario has an even worse outcome, possibly life extinction on Earth. But maybe this is just nonsense, and I sound like an apocalypse-crazy messengerThe costs of using fossil fuels are simply huge because of their harmful effect. But subsidizing the use of fossil fuels, now that's something beyond my logic. Imagine that explicit subsidies reached a record value of one trillion dollars in 2022, at a time when it's imperative to ditch fossil fuels as soon as possible so that we can have a chance to adapt to climate change.Unfortunately, the recent G20 meeting in India at the end of July disagreed on phasing out fossil fuels subsidies. And it's simply outrageous that governments spend more on fossil fuels subsidies than on agriculture and water subsidies, which are critical to avoid devastating hunger and freshwater crisis. Of course, fossil fuel pollution is affecting our most basic resource for living on this planet: the air we breathe.But somehow, money is much more important than air, water, and food. It's simply madness, don't you agree? Subsidizing so generously the fossil fuels industry for God's sake, we could use that money to build at least 100 Gigafactories every year! is like a mobster seizing people on a burning bus and asking them for money to pour more gasoline on the fire.Now, with that picture in mind, I'd like to know if you still don't care about fossil fuels subsidies or if you still think that's not an issue. I hope you now realize that Elon Musk wasn't kidding some years ago when he proposed the phase-out of EVs subsidies if the government would put an end to those for fossil fuels. It turns out that society or at least politicians is too hooked on fossil fuels industry interests. At least, now you'll probably disagree with those blaming renewables andsubsidies. SUV kW They have already offered an important glimpse of their future muscle car last year when they unveiled the Charger Daytona SRT Concept , and the next-gen Hornet is also understood to go down the all-quiet route. But what about the Durango?Depending on whom you ask, there are several scenarios using different nameplates from the brand's past, and all of them indicate an electron-sipping future for the. The next-gen will, therefore, not only ditch the HEMI V8 mentioned above but also the remaining units fed by gasoline. The supercharged 6.2-liter mill is good for a whopping 710 hp (720 ps/530) and 645 pound-feet (875 Nm) of torque in the SRT Hellcat, allowing it to hit 60 mph (97 kph) in just 3.5 seconds. The lump gives it a best-in-class maximum towing capacity of up to 8,700 pounds (3,946 kg), according to Dodge.Now, about that rumored all-electric power of the next-gen Dodge Durango, assuming that the automaker will keep this moniker around for their future flagship SUV in North America, we could speculate on the numbers, stating that the range-topper will dwarf the outgoing Hellcat in every aspect. But the truth is that we know nothing about the output and thrust. In fact, we cannot even tell you when it is due, though several outlets report that it could be a few years away from taking an inevitable swing at the rumored all-quiet replacement of the Lamborghini Urus, facing it in all sorts of direct head-to-head battles.While we're trying to find out some juicy details about the successor to the current Durango , the rendering world has started messing around with its looks. The CGI shared in the gallery above came via kelsonik on Instagram, imagining the high-rider with an entirely new face. The design was inspired by the one of the Charger Daytona SRT Concept, hence the new grille with retro-futuristic styling, minimalist headlamps, and a new bumper with a sizeable air intake in the middle and vertical vents on each side, as well as the apron attached to it. Complete with the scoop, the hood carries over from the current Durango, and the doors now feature flush-mounted handles. The pixel manipulator also gave it smaller side mirrors and new wheels of a larger diameter before calling it a day.Between us, we think the front fascia of the electric muscle car study suits the Durango rather well, and together with additional modifications, it would be an interesting zero-emission SUV. And we don't have to tell you to take this rendering with the proverbial pinch of salt, as there's no indication that the vehicle will look anything like this, do we? Can Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta advanced driver-assistance system become the world's best software for enabling vehicles to drive themselves, as its name suggests? We don't know. But there's certainly a lot of potential in it. So, why are Europeans getting a better deal than those living in North America? FSD Photo: Tesla Not guilty ADAS Photo: Tesla A once in a lifetime opportunity EV Photo: ffiarpg on Reddit Fair point. Will hold on EU price change until Tesla gets clarity from regulators about Smart Summon feature release date. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 12, 2019 After all, Elon Musk is adamant aboutBeta being vital. The CEO says it will be one of the reasons why the automaker's cars will be worth a lot of money. The executive said it could end up being worth well over USD100,000. That's, of course, true in a scenario where the hardware and the code are ready for full-scale deployment.Even so, why should Europeans get a better shot at investing early in software that will guarantee a great return? Well, the answer is pretty straightforward. FSD Beta just doesn't do all that much in Europe. Over the pond, it's not even worth buying Enhanced Autopilot.At the time of writing, FSD Beta costs USD15,000 in the US and CAD19,500 (USD14,716) in Canada. In most European countries, the ADAS is priced at EUR7,500 (USD8,277 / CAD10,909). We checked Tesla's strategy in its most important markets, and that's the price found commonly seen on the automaker's platform. Even in Eastern Europe, FSD Beta has the same price, not accounting for currency fluctuation.Paying to unlock this software in Europe only gets customers basic Autopilot navigation, automatic lane change (when the driver signals to do so), and traffic light and sign recognition. That's it. At the time of writing, European Tesla vehicles can't automatically park, and the Summon function doesn't work. As expected, Smart Summon is also disabled.Tesla can't be blamed for limiting its EVs' capabilities. It could unlock all these missing features but would do so against the law. Moreover, it didn't even have testers to begin with. As such, there is insufficient data regarding the Old Continent's roads. Some testers have recently received access, but they're actively working to lay the foundation for the European version of the. And that's pretty complicated.It's unclear if Tesla's still hiring drivers to map out Europe, but that may not be necessary. Elon Musk said the software could work almost anywhere in the world after learning what happens on North American city roads and highways.The European Union has yet to have a unified traffic law for every member country. Moreover, some European nations aren't part of the European Union. There's a lot of bureaucracy going on.Early adopters are right about being upset. But they shouldn't blame the world's most valuable automaker for the EU's late regulations. Four years ago, Elon Musk promised not to update the FSD Beta pricing policy and wait until Tesla got the "OK" from all the relevant authorities.To this day, sadly, that has not happened. Thus, Tesla can't allow FSD Beta buyers to experience what the system can do when it's working as intended.But there's an upside to all this. The EU is finally moving in the right direction with the legislation regarding ADAS. Thanks to the European Commission's involvement, it could give Tesla's FSD Beta the much-awaited green light as early as September.Right now, Tesla manufactures the world's best-selling vehicle and remains a preference for most people who have switched to all-electric cars. Even better, many who haven't yet jumped to a zero-tailpipe emission powertrain strongly consider a Tesla as their first. That is good news for everyone because it eliminates a major worry the resale value. Tesla will gain more market share in Europe as long as it remains popular. And with Elon Musk at the helm, that's not improbable.Once the law is clear and FSD Beta works in Europe, many people will want to experience it. That's only going to raise the value of Tesla EVs.Elon Musk also said his company would make Europeans pay the total price of FSD Beta when it does exactly what it says. Thus, expect its value to double as soon as EU countries (and other Old Continent nations) agree on all the laws regarding advanced driver-assistance systems. It will most likely cost EUR15,000.Moreover, everyone expects the next generation Model 3 (Project Highland) to be officially introduced this fall. Buying this vehicle that boasts the latest hardware and enabling the trendy FSD Beta software for it... It's a match made in (Wall Street) Heaven. Those looking to secure their vehicle's value over time already envision a great deal happening.But even better, Tesla caved and recently announced FSD Beta can be transferred . Attaching the software to the buyer's profile is the next logical step. The automaker will have to do it at some point. So, you could end up paying once for the entire suite and simply enjoy it forever as it evolves into the promised robotaxi-enabling software.Progress is clearly ongoing. Tesla's CEO recently said that he drove the FSD V12 Alpha, which he described as being "mind-blowing."Finally, let's remember Tesla's biggest advantage over every other EV market player its reliable Supercharger network. Nothing seems to stop the now-Texas-based brand from remaining a colossal player in the automotive industry and strengthening its grip on the all-electric car market.Europe, this is your shot at scoring a great deal that Americans cannot. China has 318 online ride-hailing companies by end of June Xinhua) 10:58, July 30, 2023 BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China's online ride-hailing companies reached 318 by the end of June, five more than the number registered in the previous month, data from the Ministry of Transport shows. By the end of last month, the authorized ride-hailing vehicle certificates and driver licenses in the country hit 2.43 million and 5.79 million, respectively, according to the ministry. In June, China saw some 763 million ride-hailing trips, up 3.7 percent on a monthly basis. In 2022, online ride-hailing trips made up about 40.5 percent of total taxi trips, an increase of 6.4 percentage points from a year earlier. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Three major drug dealers have been arrested by police who seized over 50kg of crystal meth, commonly known as mutoriro, plus 2kg of mbanje. The suspects, who were arrested under the ongoing operation: No to dangerous drugs and illicit substances, have since appeared in court where their trials are now pending. Police launched the operation following reports of rampant drug abuse, especially among youths. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the latest arrests, adding the operation would continue. The Zimbabwe Republic Police has intensified the fight against illegal drug peddling syndicates in the country and assures the public of readiness to ensure that the law takes its course without fear or favour, he said. The big haul was made on July 22 when detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics in Harare recovered 2,253kg of mbanje and 49.4kg of crystal meth after receiving information from an informant that he had been given a bag in Beitbridge containing the drugs by a suspect who is yet to be identified. On July 21 detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics acted on received information and arrested Tinashe Utete (24) at Tashinga Car Park, Zengeza 5, Chitungwiza for unlawful possession of 5.34 grammes of crystal meth with a street value of $300 000. In a related case, Precious Manyere (37) was also arrested at a house along Dunmore Street, Queensdale, Harare on July 21, for illegal possession of one gramme of crystal meth with a street value of $70 000. The drugs were to be delivered to a certain man in Bulawayo. On July 23, 2023, detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics, Bulawayo reacted to a tip off and arrested Mbonisi Mpofu (46) at Yonah Shopping Centre, Entumbane for illegal possession of 3g of methacathinone with a street value of $40 800. Criminals involved in drug trafficking and peddling in communities will certainly be arrested. We urge the public to continue reporting illicit drug activities to the police, said Asst Comm Nyathi. Herald The Russian war in Ukraine still causes massive consequences for the Eastern European state, and here is another blow for the country that started the invasion on February 24, 2022. The Japanese government has just decided to extend the ban on luxury cars exported to Russia starting August. The ban targets all new and used cars with engines over 1900 cc, but also hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric passenger cars, as well as large vehicle tires, which will not be sent to Japan starting August 9. Further details on the ban will be disclosed a week before it goes into effect.The export control order banning exports of goods to the Russian state, that would strengthen the country's industrial base, has been confined by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura.Last May, in Hiroshima, state heads met for the G7 summit. It was the moment they collectively agreed to keep tech and equipment that could help Russia's attacks on Ukraine away from the Eastern European state.The restrictions that are set up in Japan are in line with the measure taken by the European Union. New sanctions, this time regarding 1900-cc vehicles, have been in force since June 23.It is the strategy that the Japanese are using in their intent to reduce economic ties with the state that started the war on February 24, 2022, and also slowing slowing down on war whatever might help Russia to continue the war. The use car exports from Japan into Russia have been on the rise for months, after many carmakers and states decided to reduce or halt the cars export to the Russian market.The figures of used cars imported into the state doubled and eventually more than tripled compared to the same period of the previous year, according to Reuters. The data from the finance ministry's customs bureau reveals that the incoming sum amounted to some 29 billion yen, translated into approximately $205 million.Japan started out on the restrictions road last year, in April, implementing a ban on exporting luxury cars worth more than 6 million yen ($42,510). A ban on the export of trucks weighing over 5 tons was added in June 2022.Yet, there are luxury cars that still make it to Russia through dealerships who call on intermediaries to sell them vehicles that customers ask for.Materials such as steel, plastic, and electronic parts are also banned for export because there is a risk they could be diverted to military use in Russia.Furthermore, carmakers have been halting operations in Russia. That means that the local car market is making efforts to compensate. Lada has, indeed, seen improved figures.Before the war, about 100,000 cars were sold there every month. The car industry is now spiraling down, with the figures going down to around a quarter of that sales volume, pointing to a massive consumers' weakness. Few people in the US would not seriously consider a sub-$50,000 battery-electric pickup truck like the F-150 Lightning Pro. The torque's instant, the maintenance's cheaper, the powertrain's more reliable, and running it can cost much less than a diesel- or gas-powered equivalent when charging at home or work. But is this type of truck good at navigating off the beaten path? Someone put Blue Oval's first such vehicle to the test, and now we have an answer. EV kWh GVWR Photo: Truck King on YouTube Sadly, the $49,995 F-150 Lightning Pro can't be ordered at the time of writing. The 2023 model year has been sold-out for quite some time. Prospective buyers can only wait for next year's version or order a much more expensive Rivian R1T The Cybertruck shouldn't even be mentioned here because 1.9 million people are reportedly waiting to spec and buy one. Even if that number is greatly exaggerated, Tesla will still have its hands tied with satisfying demand. If you're not among the pre-order holders, it would be wise to look elsewhere.Similarly, the GMC HummerPickup reservations are closed, and the Sierra EV is coming next year. To add insult to injury, the Ram 1500 REV is scheduled to enter production in 2025.Moreover, the hotly-anticipated Ultium-powered Chevrolet Silverado EV with a GM-estimated 400 miles of range is coming this fall. But you won't get this truck until the summer of 2024. The units sold earlier this year were aimed at fleet and commercial customers. Retail must wait.Realistically speaking, Americans only have two options regarding an all-electric pickup truck: Ford's F-150 Lightning and Rivian's R1T. That's it.While the latter has been put through off-road tests on multiple occasions and impressed nearly everyone, the F-150 Lightning didn't get as much attention in this respect. A Canadian YouTuber took it upon himself to give us a real-world in-depth look at what this electric vehicle can do when the pavement ends.The chosen model was a top-of-the-line Platinum trim unit with a starting cost of USD91,995 in the US and CAD115,000 in Canada. It includes the Extended Range Battery, which adds 33of usable energy storage unit capacity and increases the gross vehicle weight rating () to 8,550 lb. It also gives the EV around 80 miles of extra range.But the lad discovered that the F-150 Lightning Platinum isn't very good at tackling rough terrain and muddy trails. The truck has everything it needs to perform well (including skid plates) but is being kept behind by its ground clearance, weight distribution, and suspension setup. It comes in contact with the ground too often for comfort.This vehicle isn't meant for serious off-roading and at that price point Almost nobody would dare to drive it where there's no asphalt, even though it has a dedicated off-road mode.The Blue Oval's F-150 Lightning needs a dedicated off-road trim, which ought to add beefier tires and a small lift kit. Some extra lights and a reliable air suspension would also be nice. But such changes might require a range tradeoff.Keep in mind this doesn't mean the F-150 Lightning is bad at doing virtually anything else. The vehicle is plenty capable of towing stuff around, helping tradespeople do their jobs easier, and acting as a power source for your house. The pickup truck also offers a premium environment for the driver and passengers. It's just not as good as the Rivian R1T when it comes to venturing into the wild. 30 July 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Elnur Enveroglu Read more The thirty-year occupation is also a bitter consequence of the tragedies committed in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan. Behind these three decades there are dozens of tragedies, murders and war crimes. Meshali tragedy has been recorded in history as one of those events. The village of Meshali, once located in the heart of the mountains with its charming nature, ice springs, green and deep forests has been completely erased from the face of the earth today. On December 23, 1991, at around 7 o'clock in the morning, Armenian terrorist groups surrounded the village, brutally murdered the local villagers, burned and looted every last house. Since there was a huge loss of life that morning, the incident was written down in history under the name of the village - Meshali tragedy. According to preliminary information, Armenians killed more than 30 Azerbaijanis (elderly people, women, children) and brutally burned many of them. There were people who went missing during the tragedy. No one survived from the houses of 3 families of the villagers, 14 women, children and old people were burned alive. 32 years have passed since the massacre in Meshali village of Khojaly region, which is still under the control of the separatist and occupying Armenian regime under the protection of the Russian "peacekeeping" contingent. Actual genocide was committed in Meshali. The bodies of innocent people were transported by helicopters for two days. Investigations after the tragedy once again proved that by committing such massacres, Armenians received special instructions from Moscow and Yerevan to completely clear the former Nagorno-Karabakh of Azerbaijanis. Looking at the chronology of the events, it can be clearly seen that the reasons for the massacres committed in Meshali village of Khojaly district are somewhat practical in nature. In other words, it is clear that the human crime in Meshali was also a preparation for the Khojaly genocide that took place only 3 months later. Unfortunately, the world community's indifference and lack of reaction to the Meshali tragedy laid the groundwork for the Armenian fascists to commit a larger-scale genocide on February 26, 1992. The occupation of Garabagh was also remembered for the murders committed by Armenian terrorist groups. Although the lands freed from occupation after the Patriotic War are somewhat salve for this wound, it is difficult to forget the history. Because the perpetrators of this crime have not yet received the punishment they deserve. It is no coincidence that the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, in one of his speeches, made the following statement about the Armenian criminals involved in the murders: "I am sure that one day the Armenian criminals who committed the Khojaly tragedy, showed cruelty to the civilian population, and destroyed the civilian population will answer before the court. That day will come." Yes, the honourable President was right and that day is near. It should be noted that on February 26, 2023, when President Ilham Aliyev visited the Khojaly Genocide Memorial, he stated that he identified the exposure of the perpetrators of the Khojaly Genocide and wide awareness of the international community as one of the priority areas of Azerbaijan's foreign policy. Just the other day, the detention of the participant of the Meshali genocide once again shows that the state of Azerbaijan has not forgotten the atrocities committed against the civilian population and that the criminals involved in the genocide against our people will not be able to escape liability. For example, until the end of the last century, Israel pursued war criminals and brought them to justice regardless of where they were hiding in the world. Some Holocaust survivors sought to keep the issue of justice for Nazi crimes alive. Chief among these was Simon Wiesenthal. After being liberated from Mauthausen concentration camp, he worked for the War Crimes Section of the United States Army. In 1947 he opened the Jewish Historical Documentation Center in Austria to collect information about Nazi perpetrators who had escaped justice. Wiesenthal used the leads he collected to pressure governments to renew efforts to bring the perpetrators of Nazi crimes to justice. In some instances, his leads led to the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators. But as time passed, some of the war criminals died and the search gradually slowed down as there were very few suspects left. Although 30 years have passed since the atrocities committed by Armenian terrorists, they are still remembered and the faces of the criminals are well recognized. The Republic of Azerbaijan continues its activities in the pursuit of those criminals. The criminals involved in the genocide against Azerbaijanis will have to answer for their crimes sooner or later. Whether the state of Armenia stands behind them, or whether they take refuge in some country and hide there - it makes no difference to Azerbaijan. Even if the Armenian state defends them, it will eventually bring official Yerevan to responsibility. After Khachaturian was detained at the Lachin border checkpoint, the fact that the Armenian MFA protested against it means that this country openly supports war crimes at the state level. This once again shows that the current Armenian government, which supposedly "wants" the signing of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and the establishment of good neighbourly relations, is actually trying to justify the crimes committed by them by defending the people involved in the genocide against Azerbaijanis. And finally, let us note once again that the state of Azerbaijan will continue its efforts to prosecute and punish those who committed atrocities against Azerbaijanis in the early 90s. --- Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews deputy editor-in-chief, follow him on @ElnurMammadli1 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 20:30 (UTC+04:00) Armenia ranked fourth in the list of world exporters of semiconductors for the defense industry, Azernews reports, citing Bloomberg. "After Putin's invasion of Ukraine, this country unexpectedly became the world's fourth largest exporter of semiconductors ready for combat to Russia," the agency notes. The graph below shows the growth in the volume of semiconductor exports from Armenia to the Russian Federation since the beginning of the war. Earlier, Minister of Finance of the Republic Vahe Hovhannisyan reported that exports from Armenia to Russia in 2022 increased by 187% compared to 2021. At the same time, according to him, most of it falls on re-export. The Armenians themselves do not know how to produce semiconductors and complex equipment. In addition, Armenia has not yet been subjected to any significant sanctions for large-scale assistance to Russia in the war in Ukraine. The double standards of the West never cease to amaze. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 10:00 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikail Jabbarov met with the head of the Financial Department under the Turkish President Goksel Asan on July 28, the Minister said on Twitter, Azernews reports. The minister noted that during the meeting the importance of the Azerbaijani-Turkish union in strengthening economic ties between the two countries was emphasized. "We discussed mutual benefits arising from the promotion of mutual investments and explored opportunities for cooperation in the field of supporting entrepreneurial initiatives," Mikail Jabbarov wrote on his Twitter. The delegation headed by Mikail Jabbarov is on an official visit to Turkiye. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 10:59 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Ali Asadov has visited the Baku Shipyard. The Prime Minister familiarized himself with the works done at the plant, the projects implemented so far and potential projects, Azernews reports. As part of his visit, Ali Asadov met with the Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, Executive Director of "Azerbaijan Investment Company" OJSC Ulvi Mansurov and Chairman of the Board of Baku Shipyard Elshad Nuriyev. The meeting discussed the plant' activity and presentations regarding plans to ramp up its production capacity, operational and commercial efficiency, attraction of financial mechanisms and long-term loans etc. The sides also highlighted the issues of attracting a financing mechanism and long-term loans for sustainable and full use of the production capacity of the plant, creating new closed areas to increase the production capacity of the enterprise, as well as expanding the technical capabilities of the plant for the production of renewable energy. A task was given to the Economy Ministry to present specific proposals for increasing the plant's potential and expanding production works. Later, the Prime Minister met with the plant workers. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 10:35 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan's Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) Sabina Aliyeva has responded to the statement on the situation around the Lachin-Khankendi road made by Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric, Azernews reports. "We are concerned over the statement of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the situation around the Lachin-Khankendi road," she said According to the statement, the Azerbaijani side issued multiple statements regarding the free passage of vehicles of the citizens of Azerbaijan of Armenian origin for humanitarian purposes through the Lachin-Khankendi road. The ombudsman reiterated once again that Azerbaijan ensures passage of vehicles for humanitarian purposes with no signs of humanitarian crisis whatsoever. She called on to refrain from such statements without getting to the bottom of the matter. The Ombudsman emphasised that such statements increase tension in the region and undermine the peace process. She drew the CoE Secretary General's attention to the issue of landmines in the liberated Azerbaijani territories. "This challenge slows the process of safe return of 100, 000 people, who were expelled from their ancestral lands for nearly 30 years, " the Ombudsman added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 'Protest' by official, public/media institutions of Armenia to detention of war criminal Vagif Khachatryan, who killed 25 Azerbaijani civilians, is nothing but an act of supporting and justifying war crimes at state level. "He tried to use ICRC medical evacuation for human smuggling, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmat Hajiyev wrote on his Twitter. Note that Vagif Khachaturyan, internationally wanted fugitive of Meshali massacre of December 22, 1991, was detained by the military personnel of the State Border Service at the Lachin border crossing point of the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border while trying to go to the Republic of Armenia for treatment through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The investigation established Vagif Khachaturyan, an Azerbaijani citizen (born in 1955), a native of the village of Badara, Askeran region, who lived in this village and worked as a driver at the city motor transport enterprise in Khankendi, together with other persons of Armenian nationality, committed an armed attack in Meshali village with the use of various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, as a result of which 25 people of Azerbaijani nationality were killed, 14 people received injuries of varying severity, 358 people were forcibly evicted from their places of legal residence. In addition, Vagif Cherkazovich Khachaturyan, continuing joint criminal actions with persons with whom he had previously colluded, destroying and damaging property belonging to the state and villagers, caused material damage in the total amount of 5,496,900 manats. On November 12, 2013, a decision was made to bring Khachaturyan Vagif Cherkezovich as a defendant under Articles 103 (genocide) and 107 (deportation or forced relocation of the population) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, but the investigation did not know his whereabouts. By a court decision, a measure of restraint in the form of arrest was chosen against him with an announcement on the international wanted list. As a result of search activities, on July 29, 2023, Vagif Khachaturyan was detained by the servicemen of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan at the Lachin BCP, located on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, while trying to leave for the Republic of Armenia for treatment through the International Committee of the Red Cross. Vagif Khachaturian will be provided with accommodation in a medical facility in Baku, where he will be provided with the necessary medical assistance, and conditions will be created for visiting him by representatives of the ICRC. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 11:44 (UTC+04:00) "Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs again spreads misinformation. The mentioned 68-year-old person, Vagif Cherkezovich Khachaturyan, is an internationally wanted fugitive of Meshali massacre, Khojaly," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Aykhan Hajizade wrote on Twitter in response to Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ani Badalya's false information. "It is unfortunate that instead of apologising and helping to bring war criminals into justice, Armenian officials still try to justify illegal actions, including the abuse of ICRC facilitation for deviation from the trial. Moreover, spokesperson of Armenian Foreign Ministry, who refers to international law and the international humanitarian law, is unaware that the Lachin Checkpoint has been established by Azerbaijan in its sovereign territories, and no one can judge its legitimacy. The International Court of Justice has also rejected this claim by Armenia," Hajizade tweeted. Note that Vagif Khachaturyan, internationally wanted fugitive of Meshali massacre of December 22, 1991, was detained by the military personnel of the State Border Service at the Lachin border crossing point of the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border while trying to go to the Republic of Armenia for treatment through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The investigation established Vagif Khachaturyan, an Azerbaijani citizen (born in 1955), a native of the village of Badara, Askeran region, who lived in this village and worked as a driver at the city motor transport enterprise in Khankendi, together with other persons of Armenian nationality, committed an armed attack in Meshali village with the use of various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, as a result of which 25 people of Azerbaijani nationality were killed, 14 people received injuries of varying severity, 358 people were forcibly evicted from their places of legal residence. In addition, Vagif Cherkazovich Khachaturyan, continuing joint criminal actions with persons with whom he had previously colluded, destroying and damaging property belonging to the state and villagers, caused material damage in the total amount of 5,496,900 manats. On November 12, 2013, a decision was made to bring Khachaturyan Vagif Cherkezovich as a defendant under Articles 103 (genocide) and 107 (deportation or forced relocation of the population) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, but the investigation did not know his whereabouts. By a court decision, a measure of restraint in the form of arrest was chosen against him with an announcement on the international wanted list. As a result of search activities, on July 29, 2023, Vagif Khachaturyan was detained by the servicemen of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan at the Lachin BCP, located on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, while trying to leave for the Republic of Armenia for treatment through the International Committee of the Red Cross. Vagif Khachaturian will be provided with accommodation in a medical facility in Baku, where he will be provided with the necessary medical assistance, and conditions will be created for visiting him by representatives of the ICRC. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2023 15:10 (UTC+04:00) Armenia, through the illegal regime in Azerbaijan's Karabakh, continues to obstruct the transfer of humanitarian assistance through the Aghdam-Khankendi route, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov said in the letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Azernews reports citing Trend. According to Bayramov, Armenia also organizes so-called public protests against the usage of alternative routes for the delivery of cargo and services and, recklessly, instrumentalize the residents for its malign political agenda of ethnic and racial hatred. "As such, it undermines the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence regarding international humanitarian assistance and non-interference with the sovereignty and consent of the recipient country as reflected in relevant United Nations documents," the minister noted. "This arbitrary denial of humanitarian assistance based on ethnic hatred is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, provides the most vivid evidence of Armenia's politicization and abuse of the activities of ICRC and proves that allegations of the so-called "blockade" are false and groundless." "The above-mentioned is enough to eliminate any doubt that, by speculating about an "illegal blockade" and "humanitarian crisis", Armenia in essence engages in a reckless exercise of misleading and manipulating the international community, including the Security Council, in an attempt to blackmail Azerbaijan and impose its agenda of torpedoing post-conflict normalization efforts on the international community," he pointed out. "Allegations of deliberate disruption of the electricity and gas supply to Karabakh region by Azerbaijan are equally unsubstantiated. Suffice it here to recall the order of the International Court of Justice of 22 February 2023, in which the Court essentially rejected Armenia's request for an indication of a provisional measure on Azerbaijan on the basis of these allegations," Bayramov further said. "Such attempts of Armenia take place at a time when there is a historic opportunity for the eventual normalization of relations between the two countries after a 30-year-long bloody conflict. Past months have witnessed a significant intensification of the normalization process with the active engagement of international partners. The talks have allowed the sides to narrow down their differences and achieve progress on several articles of future bilateral agreement on the establishment of peace and inter-State relations," he added. The issue of transportation of humanitarian goods for the Armenian residents of Karabakh in the direction of Barda-Aghdam was discussed during the meeting of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President of the Council of the European Union Charles Michel in Brussels on July 15. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz FORMER Zanu PF youth leader, Jim Kunaka, has approached the Constitutional Court, challenging a High Court decision barring exiled former minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, from running in the August 23 presidential election. Kasukuweres candidature was accepted by the nomination court on June 21,a month before it was revoked by High Court judge, Justice David Mangota. Mangota made the ruling after Zanu PF activist, Lovedale Mangwana, approached the High Court challenging the former Local Government ministers candidacy. Mangwana argued that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) violated the Electoral Act by accepting Kasukuweres nomination papers yet he had been out of the country for over 18 months. The former Zanu PF commissar appealed the ruling at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court on Friday, however, upheld Mangotas ruling. Kasukuwere, nicknamed Tyson, said they will challenge the latest ruling. In his application seeking access to the ConCourt, Kunaka said Mangotas ruling violated the constitutional right of voters to vote for their preferred presidential candidate. I nominated Saviour Kasukuwere as a presidential candidate. He was my candidate of choice, Kunaka submitted. It is my respectful contention that the decision of the court in question infringes on my right to choose a candidate of my choice to participate freely in politics as protected by sections 58 and 67 of the constitution of Zimbabwe. The judgement of the court was a constitutional judgement pursuant to an application made by the first respondent in terms of Section 85(1). I, therefore,seek direct access to this honourable court to set aside the judgement in question on the basis that my constitutional rights have been infringed. Kunaka said many Zimbabweans wanted to vote for Kasukuwere. There are millions of people who will vote in that election, and there are thousands who will vote for Kasukuwere, Kunaka said. The courts judgement, infringed on my rightsthe rights of the thousands of Zimbabweans who will vote for him, the hundred or so persons that nominated him as myself." Kunaka said barring Kasukuwere from participating in the elections will dent the credibility of electoral processes. It is, therefore, in the overwhelming interest of justice that the judgement be set aside and that he be allowed to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming election, he submitted. "Kasukuwere was not removed by the constituency registrar from the voters roll as defined in Section 33 of the Electoral Act. He added: That being the case, the court could not move to act for and on behalf of the Zec in removing Kasukuwere when the nomination court had sat. "A free and fair election requires that individuals are allowed to choose their candidates and that those nominated to stand should be able to stand. Kunaka cited Mangwana, Kasukuwere, Zec, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, the Judicial Services Commission and Attorney General, Prince Machaya, as respondents. Lawyers who spoke to The Standard said the ConCourt application was critical and urgent. The application by Kunaka doesn't stop the decision of the Supreme Court, lawyer Dumisani Dube said. However, due to the importance of the matter in the constitutional jurisprudence of the country, the court may set the matter down urgently before the election date. I also think Kasukuwere should have been the one who approached the Constitutional Court, as he had a direct and substantial interest in the matter and not a third party, who might not have the locus standi." Another lawyer, Nqobani Sithole said: Its not about the abuse of court processes, as it might appear, but the two different courts (High Court and ConCourt) deal with different issues. The High Court only deals with interpretation of the law and the ConCourt with constitutionality. Standard 29 July 2023 14:12 (UTC+04:00) Armenia obstructs full resumption of Lachin checkpoint's work, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov said in the letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Azernews reports via Trend. Despite the consistent calls of Azerbaijan and series of discussions with the mediation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war], Armenia continues to refuse to provide a guarantee not to repeat such incidents and, thus, obstructs the full resumption of the work of the checkpoint, the minister noted. "Azerbaijan's consistent calls upon Armenia for cooperation through the border and customs institutions to ensure the smooth functioning of the cross-border movement of persons, cargo and services equally have remained unanswered. On the contrary, Armenia, through its illegal subordinate regime, has imposed restrictions on the movement of Armenian residents of the Karabakh region and effectively deprived them of the opportunity to use the border checkpoint without prior permission. Pending Armenia's lifting of its restrictions on the free movement of civilians and cargo through the Lachin checkpoint, and proceeding from the need for minimizing the impact of the situation on the local civilian population, Azerbaijan has since been facilitating the passage of local Armenian residents through the checkpoint for urgent medical purposes on an exceptional basis. On average, 25 to 30 persons have passed the checkpoint on a daily basis to travel for medical purposes. This continues notwithstanding attempts at smuggling certain prohibited goods in ICRC-hired vehicles, which was publicly confessed by this organization," reads the letter. In order to prevent the transportation of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military equipment from Armenia for illegal Armenian armed groups on the territory of Azerbaijan (which weren't withdrawn contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020), and as an adequate response to the unilateral establishment of a border checkpoint by Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22 at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, on April 23 at 12:00 (GMT+4), the units of the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan set up a border checkpoint in its sovereign territories, on the border with Armenia, at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 11:20 (UTC+04:00) Amendments have been made to the Charter of the Azerbaijan Innovation and Digital Development Agency. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a relevant decree in this regard. According to the decree, the amount of the authorized capital of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency was increased to 6.78 million manat ($3.99 million). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 12:23 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan looks forward to further expansion of bilateral ties with Morocco, the Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on Twitter. "On the National Day of Morocco, we cordially and wholeheartedly congratulate the people and the government of Morocco and convey to them our best and most sincere wishes! We look forward to further expand our bilateral ties," the ministry said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 17:18 (UTC+04:00) The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan made its comments on the statement of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia regarding the arrest of Vagif Khachatryan, Azernews reports. To evade its obligations, Armenia is once again attempting to deceive and politically manipulate the international community regarding the arrest of Vagif Khachaturyan by the State Border Service of Azerbaijan at the Lachin border checkpoint while trying to cross into Armenia in an ICRC vehicle on July 29. As stated in the information of the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan committed a massacre against the Azerbaijani population in the Meshali village of the Khojaly region within a group of Armenian armed formations on December 22, 1991. 25 Azerbaijanis were killed, 14 were wounded and 358 were displaced in the mass killings. Khachatryan Vagif Cherkezovich was charged under the articles 103 (genocide) and 107 (deportation or forced exile of population) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan within the aforementioned criminal case, with pre-trial detention being ordered by the court as a preventative measure. He was arrested within this criminal case on the border checkpoint on July 29 while traveling to Armenia. Vagif Khachatryan was placed in a medical facility in Baku and necessary medical treatment was ensured taking into account the purpose of travel of Vagif Khachatryan to get medical assistance. Steps taken by Azerbaijan were within both international law and Azerbaijans legislation. As confirmed by the ICRC, since December last year, travel of almost 700 persons of Armenian origin via the ICRC to Armenia and back to Azerbaijan was facilitated with no unlawful acts being committed against them. Thus, the claim of the Armenian Foreign Ministry on imminent threat to persons crossing the border checkpoint is completely false and only serves to induce panic among the Armenian residents. Regarding the claim by Armenia of the alleged breach of the international humanitarian law by Azerbaijan during the arrest of Vagif Khachatryan we would like to note that no restrictions on legal actions against the war criminals exist in the international humanitarian law. Furthermore, it is completely inappropriate for Armenia to refer to the international humanitarian law considering the genocide and the massacres committed by it in 30 years against the civilian populations of Khojaly, Malibeyli, Gushchular, Aghdaban, Ballighaya, Bashlibel, as well as other settlements and cities. Armenia must support the actions to bring to justice the persons who committed crimes against humanity including genocide, as well as massacres against the Azerbaijani civilian population during the 30 years long occupation period instead of attempting to shield them and cover up their acts. The smear campaign carried out by Armenia against the measures of Azerbaijan in this area are nothing more than a justification and support for war crimes. Azerbaijan clearly declared time and again during 30 years that it has started the criminal cases against the persons who committed war crimes in its territory with international warrants being issued against these persons, and Azerbaijan will continue to act within the criminal proceedings and the internal legislation to bring these persons to justice according to the international practice, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry said in its statement. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 16:00 (UTC+04:00) A meeting with the new vice-presidents of the Azerbaijan State Oil Company (SOCAR), appointed by the relevant decree of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, has been held at the company's headquarters, Azernews reports. Azerbaijani Minister of Economy, Chairman of SOCAR Supervisory Board Mikayil Jabbarov and SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf expressed their gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for the special trust and congratulated the vice-presidents on their appointment and wished them further success. In his speech, Mikayil Jabbarov recalled the last meeting of the SOCAR Supervisory Board. He noted that the new operational model to improve the company's management structure and efficiency had been approved with the organizational structure and internal processes to be developed. The minister outlined that the new operational model would contribute to the improvement of corporate governance processes, business sustainability and corporate culture. In their remarks, the incoming SOCAR vice-presidents expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the trust put in them. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00) The son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro was arrested on Saturday morning on accusations of money laundering and illicit gain, the nations attorney general said. Prosecutors started investigating Nicolas Petro in March after his ex-wife Daysuris Vasquez gave an interview alleging he took money from criminals. Both Nicolas and Vasquez were detained on Saturday for events that took place starting last year, the attorney generals office said. As president I assure you that the attorney general will have all guarantees to proceed according to law Petro tweeted on Saturday morning. As a person and a father, so much self-destruction and the fact that one of my sons goes to jail hurts me a lot. The accusations reaching the presidents inner circle take place at the start of Colombias new legislative session in which Petro hopes to push through some of his most important reforms. The scandal could also impact regional elections set for late October, in which Petros party will fight for the nations top five mayoralties. Earlier this year authorities also opened an investigation into the presidents brother, Juan Fernando Petro, over alleged payments from cocaine traffickers who wish to negotiate with the government. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 15:41 (UTC+04:00) At least five people lost their lives, and 23 others were injured when a passenger bus en route to eastern Kars veered off the road and overturned into a ravine, Azernews reports via Turkish media outlets. The passenger bus overturned into the ravine after passing the viaduct near Karakurt village in the Sarkams district, on the Erzurum-Kars highway, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Sunday. The bus reportedly flipped over from approximately 50 meters (164 feet) in height. The accident happened during the morning hours following which emergency response teams, including health, national medical rescue teams (UMKE), gendarmerie, and fire crews, were swiftly dispatched to the scene. Ambulances transported the injured to hospitals in nearby Erzurum and Kars. An ambulance helicopter that descended onto the highway airlifted one critically injured person to Erzurum. The Kars Governor's Office confirmed that five people lost their lives in the accident that occurred around 7:50 a.m. local time (4:50 a.m. GMT). "In the accident that occurred because of the passenger bus veering down from the viaduct in the Karakurt location of the Sarkams district of our city, five of our citizens died and 23 of our citizens were injured, one of them is in a critical situation. The injured were transferred to Sarkams State Hospital, Kafkas University Hospital, and Horasan State Hospital," read the statement. The accident occurred at Karakurt-Horasan Road's Tasl Guney-2 Viaduct, connecting the cities of Kars and Erzurum, which was recently completed in November 2022 and opened for traffic. The viaduct, measuring 574 meters in length and 120 meters in height, had been an essential infrastructure project in the region --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 July 2023 22:26 (UTC+04:00) West African leaders on Sunday gave the military coup leaders in Niger one week to cede power, warning they did not rule out the "use of force", and imposed immediate financial sanctions. The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) demanded the "immediate release and reinstatement" of elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held by the military since Wednesday. "In the event the authorities' demands are not met within one week (ECOWAS will) take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force. For this effect, the chiefs of defence staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately," the bloc said in a statement after its summit in Abuja, Nigeria, on Sunday. Niger's coup military leaders warned against any armed intervention in the country. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, receiving close to $2 billion a year in official development assistance, according to the World Bank. It is also a security partner of former colonial power France and the United States, which both use it as a base to fight a militant insurgency in West and Central Africa's wider Sahel region. The West African leaders could for the first time, consider a military intervention to restore President Mohamed Bazoum who was ousted when General Abdourahamane Tiani was declared the new head of state on Friday. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Bahrain Police arrested an Asian woman who had five kilograms of the narcotic substance Shabu at the Bahrain International Airport. The suspect has been held in custody for further investigation. The arrest took place after an alert from the Anti-Narcotics Department of the General Directorate of Investigations and Criminal Investigations was issued. Prosecutors opened an immediate investigation and took the suspect for questioning. During the interrogation, the suspect confessed that she was guilty of carrying such drugs with her. The seized drugs are undergoing tests by the Drug Control Department. Legal actions will be taken to bring the suspect to trial on drug smuggling charges. As per official government statistics, Bahrain currently houses 320,000 non-resident Indians (NRIs), contributing to the overall NRI population of Gulf countries, which exceeds 8.8 million. NRIs are individuals who hold Indian passports but live in foreign nations. Out of the total 13.4 million NRIs worldwide, the CC (Cooperation Council) countries have the most significant proportion, making up more than 66 percent. According to data from India's External Affairs Ministry, accurate up to March 2022, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) holds the highest number of NRIs in the region, with an impressive count of 3.41 million. Read More: 10 Best Indian Dessert Recipes Saudi Arabia comes in second place with 2.59 million NRIs, followed by Kuwait with 1.02 million, Qatar with 740,000, Oman with 770,000, and Bahrain with 320,000 NRIs. Apart from the GCC countries, the United States and the United Kingdom also draw a substantial NRI population, hosting 1.28 million NRIs in the US and 350,000 in the UK. Furthermore, Australia, Malaysia, and Canada have substantial NRI communities, showcasing the global presence of Indian expatriates worldwide. In Bahrain, NRIs hold a vital position in the country's diverse cultural milieu and play a significant role in driving its economic growth and development. Their presence reflects the strong ties and shared interests between Bahrain and India, fostering a flourishing bilateral relationship. ZANU PF is in the eye of a storm amid accusations that its officials are disrupting learning at schools, especially in rural areas as campaigning for the August 23 elections heats up. The Standard established that aspiring candidates and their supporters were sometimes holding campaign meetings at schools where they force teachers and learners to attend. In 2018, Masvingo High Court Judge, Justice Joseph Martin Mafusire barred Zanu PF from abusing learners, teachers and school property in pursuit of personal political interests. The United Nations (UN) welcomed the ruling saying it was in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that the best interests of the child must be the paramount consideration in every situation, and at all times. In Mutare, Citizens Coalitions for Change (CCC) aspiring candidate for Mutasa Central, Trevor Saruwaka, lodged a complaint with the Education ministry recently after accusing the Zanu PF candidate, Innocent Benza of launching his campaign at Vumbunu Primary School. Educators Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general, Tapedza Zhou, said reports of lessons being disrupted by Zanu PF officials were a cause for concern. The future of our children is by far more valuable than the 2023 elections that shall come and go like dew, Zhou said Holding the whole nation at ransom, trivialising the education of our children and disregarding the constitution with impunity have no place in a civilised society and negate the spirit of the second republic. Zhou said learners should also not be exposed to violent campaigns. We all have a duty to be responsible enough to protect our future generations from political violence. Learning must go on undisturbed. Amalgamated Rural Teachers of Zimbabwe leader, Obert Masaraure, condemned the disruption of lessons as barbaric. The former liberators are now dragging learners to political rallies, abusing school property for political gain and even abusing teachers in pursuit of private political interests, Masaraure said. They have successfully made learning impossible in our schools. If these people remain in power the education of our children will be at risk. Zimbabwe needs a break from this barbarism. Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro, said he was not aware of such allegations when contacted for comment. Zanu PF spokesperson, Christopher Mutsvangwa, said the ruling party was not disrupting any lessons. We know where this is coming from, Mutsvangwa said. Zanu PF as a revolutionary party we value education and we are not fools to disrupt lessons. In 2018, legislative watchdog Veritas and the Association of Rural Teachers Unions of Zimbabwe went to the High Court challenging Zanu PF for forcing school authorities to provide transport and other services for its supporters to rallies as well as forcing schoolchildren to attend political rallies. Standard Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Kim Larson, left, Ganna Rozumna and Natalia Sira discuss a nursing collaboration project. Larson is the first member of East Carolina University's College of Nursing to receive a Fulbright Scholar award. (ECU photo by Rhett Butler) Intercultural virtual exchange courses between nurses from Poland and ECU will research best practices around the world with health care support for refugees. Larson and her team will then travel to Poland to interview nurses working with Ukrainian refugees to get ground truth about what is actually happening with health in the diaspora. The third step will include convening a panel of expert nurses to determine best practices and methods of dissemination for training and education to nursing students. This post appears here courtesy of ECU News Services . The author of this post is Benjamin Abel Kim Larson, an East Carolina University professor of nursing, learned in February that she would be the first member of the College of Nursing to receive a Fulbright Scholar award, a prestigious federally-funded award that will support her research on how health care professionals can best support the needs of the war-driven diaspora from Ukraine.Larson's Fulbright project, a partnership with Polish nursing colleagues, will determine how to best prepare European nurses to care for the Ukrainians who were forced to flee their homes after the Russian invasion in February 2022.Bimbola Akindate, the dean of the College of Nursing, takes particular pride in Larson's work. ECU's motto is 'Service', Akintade noted, and Larson is shifting that spirit of service from ECU's campus in eastern North Carolina to the global stage.Akintade said.Ruie Pritchard, Fulbright Association North Carolina Chapter co-president, an emeritus professor of education at NC State and former Fulbright Scholar, said that the Fulbright experience is life-changing and with 130 institutions of higher education across North Carolina, the state has the expertise to effect real change in the world.Pritchard said.Larson first came to North Carolina to complete her Master's degree in public health at UNC Chapel Hill after working for several years with the Peace Corps in Honduras. She had no real ties to Central America before finding a phone number to a Peace Corps recruiter and placing a cold call.Larson said.When her two-year stint in Honduras wrapped up she found opportunities to continue her outreach to Latinos in need among migrant and seasonal populations in Newton Grove, North Carolina, rather than overseas.After more schooling and work as a nurse supporting community health, Larson took a job teaching at ECU and met a faculty member who had also worked in Central America. In 2008, she carried out the first community health nursing cultural immersion program in Guatemala. The pair partnered with a community-based organization, Centro Llinguistico La Union, in Guatemala for 12 years until the program fizzled in the face of travel restrictions forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. It picked up again in 2022.A few years ago Larson started to seriously research the requirements to apply for a Fulbright award. The one criterion that kept surfacing was an established relationship with a person and organization in a foreign country. In 2019, Larson was included as a health sciences member of a grant request filed by ECU's Office of Global Affairs for an international university-to-university outreach and collaboration program. As soon as the program started to take shape and build steam COVID-19 put the brakes on any meaningful interaction.Lucyna Paszewska-Zywko, a nurse who teaches at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, was part of the partnership and worked through the pandemic to stay in touch with her peers at ECU. Once the pandemic subsided enough for Larson and Paszewska-Zywko to see opportunities to rekindle their partnership, they dove headlong into planning again.Larson said.And then the invasion of Ukraine happened. Larson said it became painfully obvious that their focus would have to shift to support the humanitarian crisis that was bleeding across borders throughout Europe.In December 2022 the U.S. Fulbright Commission told her she was recommended for Poland. After an interview with the Polish Fulbright Commission, on Valentines Day 2023 she was formally notified that her project was approved.Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program lists its mission as beingAt the end of February 2023 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported more than 1.5 million Ukrainians are under the protection of the Polish government and more than 8 million refugees are spread across all of Europe. News reports suggest about 113,000 Ukrainian refugees have made it to the US with many more Americans volunteering to support those displaced by the war.Larson said.Larson loosely equates the pre-invasion shift of migrant workers from Ukraine across the shared border with Poland to the way Mexican and Central American migrant workers cross into the U.S. for work. Some stay and some return home, but the 8 million Ukrainians displaced by the invasion is more than the Polish health care system can manage.Larson said.She is working with an academic publishing house to create a free online education course that will be available in a host of languages.Larson's project is titledand is segmented into three parts:Larson said. The pre-planning is ongoing now and her stay in Poland will run from August to December of 2023. It will take at least one more year to compile the research and field work into training for nurses working with refugees.Larson said the World Health Organization already understands much of the systemic health challenges among Ukrainians, but she is more interested in the acute health needs that have arisen in the wake of the war. She anticipates mental health care will be a huge challenge, along with cardiovascular disease, other unmanaged chronic maladies and cancers that either haven't been diagnosed or treated.Larson said.The work Larson is undertaking with the Fulbright award is another peak of public service on her public health journey. She relishes the opportunity to be the first member of the College of Nursing to be accepted into the Fulbright Program in the college's six decades of educating nursing professionals.Larson replied.Larson said.North Carolina scholars have a long history of being selected to conduct research and represent the United States as ambassadors of hope in regions of the world where hope, and medical care, are precious commodities.said S. Grace Prakalapakorn, Fulbright Association North Carolina Chapter co-president, a pediatric ophthalmologist and associate professor at Duke University, and former junior Fulbright researcher in Thailand.Prakalapakorn said that the Fulbright experience is an opportunity for Larson and other Fulbright scholars toLarson said that her time in the Peace Corps, and her work with migrant populations in rural North Carolina, molded her into the nurse and researcher who is uniquely suited to undertake the task she has set out for herself. On Tuesday, Fred Von Canon officially announced his candidacy for North Carolina's 1st Congressional District. Von Canon will likely be one of several Republicans vying for the opportunity to run against incumbent Congressman Don Davis, a Democrat.NC-1 is based in the northeastern part of the state and is composed of 19 North Carolina counties, including Edgecombe, Franklin, Nash, Pitt, and Wilson.Von Canon lives just outside the district, but he says only by about 1,500 feet. He said that might change depending on how state lawmakers draw district lines this fall.Von Canon announced his decision to run in front of a crowd of supporters that included family members, friends, activists, and donors. During his announcement, Von Canon shared details about his background, emphasizing his conservative political views and outlining his vision for the future, particularly underscoring the importance of electing capable leaders who can offer conservative solutions.Von Canon said.WHO IS FRED VON CANON?Von Canon's upbringing in rural Virginia was marked by limited resources and challenging circumstances. Following his service in the United States Navy for over eight years, he gained computer skills while working at Oracle. Von Canon subsequently established a successful software training business. Now seeking to represent North Carolina in Congress, Von Canon portrays himself as an embodiment of the American Dream.Von Canon has experienced mixed results so far in his political career. While he has won two Republican primaries for the North Carolina House, Von Canon has lost both general election campaigns by less than 6 points. Both losses were to Rep. Terence Everitt, D-Wake.The district Von Canon ran for was difficult to win as a Republican and has trended more and more Democratic for several election cycles.Von Canon said.Von Canon also said he would support an initiative to prevent direct individual trading of stocks.Von Canon said.Von Canon's wife, Anita, is a former teacher who remains involved in education through tutoring services. The couple is involved in a number of marriage and pro-life ministries through their church and other local organizations.Von Canon said.Von Canon and his wife attend Faith Baptist Church in Youngsville.STATE OF THE RACEThe North Carolina General Assembly is set to redraw congressional districts later this year. These changes may affect the boundaries and number of the 1st Congressional District; however, the district is likely to be less affected by redistricting than other congressional districts across the state.Von Canon declared his candidacy in spite of redistricting uncertainties. He hopes to be the Republican who would presumably face off against Congressman Davis in next year's general election.Political prognosticators expect a competitive Republican primary for the 1st Congressional District. The seat will be one of a handful of opportunities for a Republican to go to Washington D.C.With Congresswoman Virgina Foxx, NC-5, declaring for re-election, and Republicans poised to draw new congressional maps, there will likely be between three and five new opportunities for a Republican to win a congressional district.One of those opportunities will depend on whether Congressman Dan Bishop, NC-8, decides to run for attorney general.Sandy Smith, who won the district's Republican primary in 2022, is anticipated to seek the nomination again after losing to Don Davis in the general election last year. Smith narrowly defeated Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson in a crowded eight-person race, obtaining about 31% of the vote.According to sources, Roberson is also strongly considering another run.Christine Villaverde, who lost by about 29% to Deborah Ross in North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District last year, has also said she is running for the nomination. In the Bahamas in early 2021, Sam Bankman-Fried was allegedly conducting a brazen, multi-billion dollar scheme. He virtue-signaled for liberal causes, was put on the cover of magazines, and-until things got really bad-seemed to stay off the authorities' radar.Around 800 miles east at the same time, a conservative activist named Peter Schiff was running his own bank in Puerto Rico. Schiff is a financier and prominent economist who regularly speaks publicly about how he thinks the government should be run: with fewer taxes and less regulation. The U.S. government teamed up with four other countries to undertake theagainst Schiff. Despitethey found nothing.Then they destroyed him anyway. Authorities leaked the existence of the investigation to the media, then cited the resulting negative publicity to take the bank from him, costing him more than $10 million.The IRS' top criminal enforcement official flew to Puerto Rico to hold a press conference where he gave the impression that the IRS was shutting down Schiff's bank for facilitating tax evasion and money laundering-even though, if you were paying close enough attention, that was not the case.Schiff's Euro Pacific Bank (EPB) was actually being closed by a Puerto Rican oversight board that claimed that it was "critically insolvent." In other words, the board claimed the bank might not be able to return its customers' money if there was a run on accounts-which is what happened in the case of Bankman-Fried. But Schiff's bank catered to ultra-conservative clients who prioritized keeping their money over earning interest. The bank didn't lend out its deposits, and profits came mostly from charging fees for transactions. EPB kept its depositors' money on hand, making it perhaps the most run-proof bank in the world.The Puerto Rican regulator later acknowledged EPB had more than enough cash to cover all of its deposits. Nonetheless, Puerto Rico put it into receivership toIt said Schiff couldn't be permitted to own it because of: articles based on law enforcement officials leaking the existence of the investigation which ultimately found nothing. A year later, the receiver has not returned any of the deposits, amounting to more than $65 million, to the bank's thousands of customers.Schiff had a track record of being right on economic issues. He warned early on that cryptocurrency was-as Bankman-Fried demonstrated-bad news. NPR heralded him for predicting the economic collapse of 2008.He also had a fear that the government couldn't always be trusted to behave ethically. And with every twist in the saga, he was seemingly more correct about that, too.In 2018, Schiff did something apt to cause panic inside the IRS: He went on the Joe Rogan Experience, the largest podcast in the country, and encouraged people to move to Puerto Rico. It's a U.S. territory with great weather and beautiful women, he said. And-perhaps most importantly-the U.S. tax code exempts its residents from the federal income tax.he said in a subsequent appearance.Each one of those transplants was availing themselves of a provision set up by the U.S. itself, but they also represented dollars to which the IRS was no longer entitled.The same year, the governments of the U.S., Australia, Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands teamed up to create theor the J5, mirroring theprogram of the intelligence community. J5 was born out of embarrassment over a scandal known as the Panama Papers, in which hacked emails from a law firm in that Latin American country illustrated how wealthy westerners, including then-British Prime Minister David Cameron, had benefited from stashing money in offshore locations.Authorities couldn't seem to differentiate between an economist's philosophical and political beliefs that taxes should be minimal and a willingness to commit crime. And so a prominent Fox News guest became the subject of a sprawling criminal probe.Though a massive web of crypto tax evasion was rocking the global financial sector during the same time period, J5 appeared to do little for two years. Instead, in 2020, it took its first major action: setting its sights on Schiff in what it called anthat showed thatBut this seemed like less the result of expert sleuthing than the kind of lead that might turn up from a Google search for people who don't like taxes. Schiff uses a megaphone to voice his criticism of the tax code. His father was a famous tax protester who died in prison for refusing to pay. Schiff routinely does media appearances where he takes a libertarian's view of measures like the PATRIOT Act, a component of which involves the government more closely tracking people's bank accounts.Schiff incorporated Euro Pacific Bank (EPB) in Puerto Rico in 2017. He said it was based there because that's where he lived, and that it catered to small businesses who did business in multiple countries and needed currency exchanged, as well as people who were attracted to the fact that it was marketed as abank, where all the money would be safely stored and not put into risky loans.Though it was an off-shore bank holding money for people from other countries (it was not permitted to have Puerto Rican customers under its license, and had no other U.S. customers), Schiff said it had extreme compliance measures to ensure that people weren't using the bank for illicit purposes. It refused to do business with people whose money was made in arenas Schiff viewed as shady, such as cryptocurrency or gambling, and rejected 75% of applicants because they did not satisfy the bank's compliance officers, he said.Schiff told The Daily Wire.He said authorities couldn't seem to differentiate between an economist's philosophical and political beliefs that taxes should be minimal and a willingness to commit crime. And so a prominent Fox News guest became the subject of a sprawling criminal probe.he said.In January 2020, two IRS agents visited Schiff's home on the island holding a summons from a grand jury based in Sacramento, California. The letter saidbecause it couldU.S. officials are also barred from disclosing information about grand jury proceedings, part of a process designed to protect people who may not wind up being charged, much less convicted, of anything. But journalists soon knew of the secret document. Reports surfaced citing authorities who revealed a massive investigation into a bank that, in one television program's words, posed aJust as five national governments worked together on the probe, four news outlets did, too. They included The New York Times and three Australian outlets: The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and Australia's 60 Minutes, a television program with the same name and style as the U.S. show. The media pieces, which ran in coordinated fashion in October 2020, amounted to breathless cheerleading for a government task force that, so far, hadn't seemed to show any results.The head of Australia's criminal tax enforcement, Will Day, sat for an interview with Australia's 60 Minutes, whose segment had the feel of serving up Schiff's head on a platter as part of an over-the-top marketing piece for Day and the J5, which it called60 Minutes Australia closed by saying,60 Minutes Australia's case thatwas seemingly based on only two things: Schiff's politics and the J5's word. Schiff is knownit said. And his bankWhen Schiff, who sat for an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, denied that his bank did anything wrong, the journalist told himThe journalist revealed that he knew of the government subpoena, and after Schiff replied that the government ordered him not to discuss it, the program played dramatic music and saidJudge Ian McNeil Jackman-the brother of actor Hugh Jackman-wrote in a defamation case thatWhile luring U.S. citizens to Puerto Rico might have rankled the IRS, Australian officials may have had their own motive to want publicity. The month before, a major bill that would grant the government new powers for ahad been introduced in Parliament. It had failed the prior year, and it needed a groundswell of public concern about financial fraudsters to pass. 60 Minutes said its segmentand thatA reasonable person might rightfully be suspicious of a small bank that holds the money of individuals from other countries in a low-tax jurisdiction. It seems like a classic location where tax evasion and money laundering could occur. Yet, despite five governments and four news outlets investigating, the stories didn't provide a single example of a customer using the bank for tax evasion or money laundering, much less the bank's complicity.Of the names of customers that 60 Minutes invoked, there was no indication they used the bank for wrongdoing-though the media didn't present it that way.the program said. In reality, Angel had a drug conviction 18 years earlier. The criminal record was so old that it was sealed by the Australian government and wouldn't come up in any background check. On top of that, he never used his EPB account at all, and EPB had closed it years prior, according to an independent audit conducted by DLA Piper at EPB's request.Another EPB customer was Simon Anquetil, an executive of a payroll company who had no criminal record when he opened an account in 2015, but years later was charged with and pleaded guilty to major tax crimes in Australia. DLA Piper said those crimes had nothing to do with the bank. In 2016, EPB rejected an application from the company that committed the fraud and blocked five wire transfers associated with it; in February 2017, before he was charged, it disbursed money from his account to the Australian government; and in March 2020, it closed his account, the independent report found. A third customer name was a person who in 2013 was arrested but never charged with a crime. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The police have asked that drivers exercise caution and expect delays in the area (stock image) Aer Lingus is re-opening its pilot recruitment programme, where they will offer 90 aspiring pilots the opportunity to train and work with the airline. This is the first time since 2019 that the company is running its intensive pilot training programme and will recruit 18 candidates in this years round. Aer Lingus will begin accepting online applications from now until 16 August 2023. The programme will span over the next five years, and is fully sponsored by the airline. Marking the return of the pilot recruitment initiative, Aer Lingus Chief Executive, Lynne Embleton said: The Aer Lingus Future Pilot Programme opens a world of opportunity for the next generation of pilots who will join our airline. "Aer Lingus transatlantic expansion and Dublin Hub growth strategy, means there are opportunities for new Aer Lingus trained pilots to join our team of Captains and First Officers who currently fly to over 80 European destinations, and to 14 North American destinations on our longhaul network. "Our continued focus on using Irelands unique geographic position to connect Europe to North America and vice versa presents immensely exciting careers for those who are passionate about being a pilot. "We have a rich history at Aer Lingus of training pilots and our new Future Pilot Programme continues in that wonderful tradition, for which we are well known and respected. We encourage everyone interested to consider our fully funded future pilot programme and we particularly encourage females to apply as we continue our efforts to close the gender gap in aviation. Beginning in January 2024, successful candidates will undergo a 14-month pilot training course combining theory and practical studies, in collaboration with the Spanish flight training school, FTE Jerez. Following a period of 14 months of study in Jerez, the students will return to Aer Lingus Training Academy in Dublin to complete their training; they will be mentored and supported throughout by the Aer Lingus Liaison Pilot. On qualifying, they will receive a Multi-crew Pilots Commercial Licence, leading them to become a First Officer and ultimately a Captain for short and longhaul routes. The newly qualified pilots will go on to operate some of the most leading-edge aircraft in terms of sustainability. Aer Linguss Chief Instructor, Captain Karl ONeill, is looking to attract people to Aer Lingus who are highly motivated and passionate about aviation: Operating an aircraft requires specific skills and competencies. While pilots are required to be technically adept, many of the required competencies like decision-making, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication are readily transferred from other careers. "We are seeking to attract future pilots with a wide breadth of qualifications from all backgrounds to reflect the rich diversity of our society and economy. We are looking for those with strong people skills, who are pragmatic and committed in their ambition to join our existing team of outstanding pilots. Successful candidates will go through one of the most thorough and high-standard training courses in the world with mentoring, guidance, and support throughout, Captain ONeill said. Aer Lingus is dedicated to enhancing and embracing diversity in its selection process and is actively striving to increase the number of female applicants to the programme. It said while the current figure of 11pc female pilots is industry-leading, the airline acknowledges the need to surpass this representation. In the last recruitment round, only 7pc of applicants were female, a statistic it said it is determined to significantly improve upon. Its focus remains on promoting a fair and merit-based approach, valuing individual abilities and skills, while actively encouraging and empowering females to apply and pursue careers as pilots. For more information, please visit: https://www.aerlingus.com/careers/careers-in-the-air/future-pilot-programme/ Community help to make brides dream come true Danielle and Darren Collins wedding (Photography by Fionnuala McMenamin and Jason McCartan) Danielle and Darren Collins during their wedding day (Photography by Fionnuala McMenamin and Jason McCartan) Danielle on her wedding day (Photography by Fionnuala McMenamin and Jason McCartan) A terminally ill Co Tyrone woman has thanked everyone who helped make her dream of getting married come true. Danielle Donnelly tied the knot with Darren Collins in front of friends and family at the Silverbirch Hotel in Omagh on Friday. Last year Danielle was diagnosed with an aggressive form of stomach cancer, called adenocarcinoma. Danielle and Darren Collins during their wedding day (Photography by Fionnuala McMenamin and Jason McCartan) Knowing that she may not have long to live, the couple wanted to get married as soon as possible and the local community rallied around to ensure the childhood sweethearts enjoyed their dream day. Read more Man dies after quad bike accident in Co Tyrone farm tragedy Danielle (35), a mother of five from Omagh, told the Belfast Telegraph: I had an absolutely amazing day everything was just perfect. I cant thank everyone enough for everything. Photographs from the day show the happy couple, who got engaged in October 2021, exchanging vows and sharing a dance afterwards. Danielle and Darren Collins wedding (Photography by Fionnuala McMenamin and Jason McCartan) Last month this newspaper carried the story of how the couple had reached out on social media for help to organise their wedding day and were overwhelmed with the response. More than 500 people donated to a fundraising appeal, with almost 23,000 raised. The local community also helped in every possible way, with musicians, videographers and others gifting their time and services to ensure the couple enjoyed their special day. The PSNI is investigating an alleged hate crime after a preacher was filmed in Belfast city centre accusing LGBTQ+ people of wanting to rape our children. Thousands of people took to the streets of Belfast as its largest ever Pride parade made its way through the city on Saturday. More than 250 different groups signed up to take part in Saturday's event, an increase of 25% on last year. Belfast street preacher told passers-by that members of the LGBT community wanted to rape our children The theme for Belfast Pride 2023 was Stand By Your Trans, and the parade was led off by trans, non-binary and gender diverse people. A number of posts appeared on social media about preachers in Belfast city centre. Alliance Party councillor Micky Murray posted a video in which the preacher says: Homosexuals have become so brazen that they wanted to rape the righteous, well thats whats happening today. They want to rape our children, they want to rape our country, they want to pillage and they want to pilfer all in the name of love. The preacher concluded by saying: We need to stand up against the sin of homosexuality. The story of Belfast Pride During the video two police officers can be seen observing the incident and then speaking to a man who appears to be trying to video the preacher. In his tweet Mr Murray said people had asked for evidence after some people had questioned the veracity of his comments. He had posted earlier in the day to highlight Christian preachers on Royal Avenue, on the day of the Belfast Pride parade and the police let them continue on. Mr Murray added: This is an absolute disgrace and a failure of policing. Read more Belfast Pride parade hits record number of participating groups In response, Superintendent Christian Bradley said the police are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a male using a public address system in the Royal Avenue area of the city on Saturday, July 29 prior to the Belfast Pride Parade. Officers were present at the scene and gathered evidence on body worn video. This footage is being reviewed by investigators. The incident is being treated as a hate crime. However, there is currently no specific hate crime legislation in Northern Ireland. Head of Nations & Regions at Amnesty UK, Patrick Corrigan, posted stating: A person who uses threatening, abusive or insulting words is guilty of an offence if (a) he intends thereby to stir up hatred or arouse fear; or (b) having regard to all the circumstances hatred is likely to be stirred up... Public Order (NI) Order 1987. A fire at a west Belfast house is being treated as arson with intent to endanger life by police. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which happened at a property in Mount Eagles Glen on Saturday. Extensive damage has been caused to the house. Detective Sergeant McCartan said: It was reported just before 11.40pm that a house in the Mount Eagles Glen area was on fire. Officers attended, along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service who extinguished the blaze. Thankfully, no-one was inside at the time but significant damage has been caused to the property. We are treating this reckless incident as arson with intent to endanger life and would appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and saw anything or who may have CCTV, dashcam or other video footage to contact us. Police have asked that anyone with information contact them via 101. The Prime Ministers claim that the Windsor Framework removed the Irish Sea border has been completely debunked by a House of Lords report, a DUP grandee has said. Lord Dodds said the UK and EU deal, announced in February and aimed at reducing red tape on post-Brexit trade, has actually worsened the situation for business. He was reacting to a report from a Lords select committee published last Tuesday. Speaking to former First Minister Dame Arlene Foster on GB News, Lord Dodds said the report has come to some very serious conclusions, that I think will make uncomfortable reading for the government. The former DUP deputy leader said the framework will make it worse for businesses, which "should worry everyone in NI". He also indicated that a return to Stormont by the DUP was not imminent. The framework sought to cut the bureaucracy on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland created by the protocol. A key element is the creation of red and green lanes that differentiated between goods whose end destination was Northern Ireland and those due for onward transport into the EU single market over the Irish border. It also created the Stormont Break a mechanism whereby MLAs could flag concerns about the implementation of new EU laws in Northern Ireland - a move that could lead to the UK government vetoing their introduction. But the DUP has indicated the framework does not go far enough to address their concerns and Lord Dodds said the latest Lords report was evidence that problems remained. Lord Dodds told GB News: We have now this bizarre situation where goods moving within the United Kingdom have to go through these lanes which is going to cause real problems. "The FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) were criticising the situation the other day, saying there was going to be a real problem come October, when this is supposed to be coming into force. "The only people who can use green lanes are really large retailers whose end destination for those goods is in Northern Ireland and who apply not for EU labels. "But for virtually everybody else other retailers, manufacturers, meat for processing, grain to be used to feed animals vast swathes of goods coming from Britain to Northern Ireland have to use this red lane. "And this red lane is full customs checks, documentation as if you were sending to the European Union. "So this idea that Rishi Sunak said that he had removed, through the Windsor Framework, any notion or any idea or any sense of an Irish Sea border is, Im afraid, debunked completely by this report. The Lords' report was informed by evidence from the UK government, EU Commission, business representatives, trade bodies, academic, legal and trade experts as well as community organisation representatives. It found the framework's benefits included the eased movement of retail goods; agri-food produce, including chilled meats; parcels; pets; and human medicines via the green lane. However, peers cautioned that for some businesses the processes under the framework will be more burdensome than under the protocol as it is currently being implemented. That is because the protocol, as it stands, is being operated with several grace periods and exemptions. Lord Dodds added: The report cuts through the hype and the spin that the government has launched around the Windsor Framework. It may be better than the original Protocol as it was agreed, but of course that original protocol was never implemented. It had a lot of grace periods and easements, because to implement it fully would have destroyed the Northern Ireland economy. "What it finds is that for many businesses, this Windsor Framework will be worse in terms of burdens and duties and red tape and costs than what we have in the current arrangements since Brexit. And that is something that should worry everybody in Northern Ireland, whether youre a unionist or a nationalist or whatever political persuasion you are, he added. The DUP collapsed the Stormont power-sharing institutions last year in protest at the protocol. Asked by Dame Arlene about a route back to Stormont over the next few months, Lord Dodds said: All of us who are involved in politics want to see government restored in Northern Ireland if we possibly can, but the UK government has a mighty responsibility here. It gave pledges and promises to the people that it would get rid of this Irish Sea border, that it would deal with the democratic deficit and deal with diversion of trade. It has yet to deliver on that. So the ball is very much in the court of the government. Until it deals with that issue, and delivers on the promises that it made, then Im afraid we could be for more periods of instability. TUV leader Jim Allister said the latest report exposed what his party has dubbed the Windsor Whitewash. Mr Allister said it was abundantly clear that the Irish Sea Border stayed, that we remained in the EUs single market for goods and under its Customs Code and, thus, GB was to continue to be designated a foreign country whose goods must be checked when entering the EU territory of Northern Ireland. He added: The practical and constitutional detriment of the Windsor Whitewash is matched only the folly of those who profess allegiance to the Union, but who want us to implement its destruction through operating what now must and can only be a Union-dismantling Stormont. Responding to the Lords report, a UK Government spokesperson said: The Windsor Framework is the best deal for Northern Ireland - restoring the smooth flow of goods with Great Britain and protecting its place in the Union. It cuts paperwork and checks compared to the old protocol, lifts the bans on products like seed potatoes and provides a durable, sustainable basis for the future. The committee's report underlines the importance of restoring the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly it sets out at length how restored institutions would give Northern Ireland a greater say over the new arrangements. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has pledged to crack down on criminals applying for British citizenship (Jordan Pettitt/PA) New rules are set to come into force aimed at preventing serious criminals gaining British citizenship. Changes to the good character requirement of citizenship applications from Monday will see tougher rules applied to anyone who has received a 12-month prison sentence. Currently an attempt to gain British citizenship will normally be refused if an individual has received a four-year jail term. Previously an application was also likely to be rejected from anyone who has served between 12 months and four years in prison until 15 years have passed since the end of the sentence. Anyone who had spent less than a year in prison also faced an application being rejected until 10 years had passed. The changes bring the system into line with immigration rules, with new rules designed to be stricter and more specific on the so-called good character requirements. The Home Office said the reforms will remove the previous rules whereby some criminals could be granted citizenship after a certain number of years have passed. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said British citizenship is a privilege (Aaron Chown/PA) British citizenship is a privilege, said Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Those who commit crimes shouldnt be able to enjoy the breadth of rights citizenship brings, including holding a British passport, voting and accessing free medical care from the NHS. I am cracking down on abuse of the UKs immigration and nationality system, by introducing a tougher threshold so that serious criminals cannot gain British citizenship. This is the fair and right thing to do for our country. There will be exceptions to the new rules and the Home Office said some people could show mitigating circumstances which could support a citizenship bid. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick is facing claims that he left his ministerial briefcase unattended on a train. The Sun newspaper reported that witnesses had seen the Home Office minister leave his red box unattended for at least four minutes. A spokesman for the minister strongly denied any suggestion that the politician had abandoned the box. According to the report, Mr Jenrick was on a train back to his Newark constituency on Friday morning. The paper also published pictures that it said shows the red box on a seat in a first class carriage on the train. The minister could now face questions about whether a security breach was committed. His spokesman said: Mr Jenrick was working on the train throughout the journey, with his ministerial box close by at all times. He sat in the seat directly to the left of this misleading photo and he left the train with his locked ministerial box. Michael Fassbender and wife Alicia Vikander with a member of staff at the Salthouse Hotel in Ballycastle Actress Amber Heard, who was embroiled in high-profile court battles with ex-husband Johnny Depp, has been spotted in Co Antrim. Its understood the star of movies such as Aquaman and The Rum Diary was seen in Ballycastle earlier this month. Reports say she was accompanied by friends at a restaurant in the town, Ursa Minor Supper Club, hosted by Ursa Minor Bakery School. Ursa Minor said on Saturday that it didnt discuss customers on privacy grounds. A number of people posted on social media referring to sightings of the actress in Ballycastle. Another post said she had been seen in Holywood as well. She is not the first Hollywood star to visit Ballycastle. Ballycastle's Ursa Minor X-Men actor Michael Fassbender and wife Alicia Vikander who played Lara Croft in Tomb Raider recently stayed at the Salthouse Hotel in the town. Fassbender has family links to the Antrim coast. His grandparents lived in Larne, where he spent many holidays as a child. Michael Fassbender and wife Alicia Vikander with a member of staff at the Salthouse Hotel in Ballycastle The hotel also hosted Harry Potter star Helena Bonham-Carter and former James Bond Pierce Brosnan in March this year. Several years ago a number of Hollywood stars, including Fassbender and Jamie Dornan, were photographed in Ballycastle hostelries. It emerged they had been guests at a party in a celebrity hideaway in the Glens near the seaside town in a house owned by an agent who represented Dornan and Fassbender, among other big names in the acting world. The Salthouse Hotel Last December Heard agreed to pay Depp $1m in settlement of a defamation suit over an article in which she called herself a victim of abuse. Depp, the star of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, had sued his ex-wife over an article in the Washington Post in which she described herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. She hadnt named her former husband, and she filed a countersuit to his action. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in 2014 During the six-week US televised trial, the couple, who divorced in 2017, gave dramatically different accounts of their five-year relationship. Depp denied his ex-wifes claims that he had subjected her to emotional, physical and sexual abuse. The jury sided mostly with Depp and awarded him damages. Read more How Jurassic Park snatched Spielberg from the jaws of mediocrity The verdict surprised legal experts because it followed Depps loss in a libel trial in the UK two years earlier. A High Court judge in London ruled an article in the Sun newspaper that described Depp as a wife beater was substantially true. Brie Larson is asked awkward Johnny Depp question at Cannes Film Festival ID spoofing: I had 5,000 calls in just one day - NI artists warning after details stolen by scammers Conleth Hill has said the character he plays in the BBC comedy drama The Power of Parker would be called out for his behaviour in todays world. The Ballycastle actor admitted he was uncomfortable playing Martin Parker, a sleazy salesman in a love triangle with his wife and mistress. Conleth (58) said: You know, Martin is a man of his times, so I sometimes found it quite uncomfortable the things I had to say to the girls. You wouldnt get away with it nowadays. Read more NI actor Conleth Hill back in business with Sian Gibson in new show The six-part sitcom, set in the 1990s, was co-written by Paul Coleman and Sian Gibson, who worked together on Peter Kays Car Share, which Sian and Conleth also appeared in. In The Power of Parker, his character owns a chain of electrical stores, but his business is struggling and he is seriously in debt. He is also juggling relationships with wife Diane (Rosie Cavaliero) and mistress of 25 years Kath (played by Sian) who join forces to bring down Martin. Rosie Cavaliero, Conleth Hill and Sian Gibson Conleth explained: Its about my undoing. Its Dynasty set in Greater Manchester. One moment theyre all lovely and the next minute Im a horrible a**hole. Martins all man and then some. His defence is its not his fault he fell in love with two women. Martin Parker is a man of his time he has a successful business, a beautiful wife and home, great suits and cowboy boots. He seems to be on top of the world, but as the first episode unfolds we realise that his dodgy dealings and his love life are beginning to catch up with him. It didnt feel like a period piece to me, even though its set in the 1990s, because I was alive at that time. But I realised halfway through filming that some of the younger cast members werent even born then. Every now and again, you get these smacks in the face that remind you of how old youre getting. Sian (47) always had Conleth in mind for the role and joked the producers were asking themselves, Who could be this handsome and egotistical?. She said: Yeah, of course we [had him in mind] Hes a great mate and an amazing actor. Hes perfect. We begged Conleth replied: No, you didnt. You didnt have to beg. I wouldnt do it unless I thought it was brilliant. It was a no-brainer really. We have a working relationship. We filmed a pilot by David Ireland in Belfast called Group, about group therapy, but it was never picked up. Then we did Peter Kays Car Share and Britains Got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a new Celebrity Jesus Christ Superstar Strictly on Ice. Stay up to date on Berkshires news with Berkshires in Brief, our free daily newsletter WINDSOR The price hike of a mineral thats been a staple in potter Constance Talbots renowned clay recipe is prompting her to reconsider how shell work from here on out. I was heartbroken, said Talbot, known as Connie, about being told in March that the price had gone up 300 percent that industry is gobbling up the lithium-containing mineral spodumene for electric car batteries, cellphones and other technology. Talbot initially could not see her ceramic world without this ingredient that helps clay expand and contract without exploding or cracking when exposed to flame. She's put her heart into flameware cooking pots. But now that's changed and shes ready to do it differently. Shes changed recipes roughly every 10 years, anyway, she said. Ive really had a good run with it, she said, adding that shes got six to eight boxes of that clay left. After that, Its going to be in car batteries, not in pots. Talbot, 76, has worked with clay and fire for 60 years. Shes thinking she might retire in a way. But, do potters ever really retire? No, she agrees, as admirers stroke her pots and longtime followers descend upon her lush and fragrant yard to buy them, talk about them, or ask after her and her husband. Talbot is one of the founding members of Hilltown 6, a collective of potters tucked away in sleepy rural hillscapes like Windsor. Theyve added three more artists to the six, but the original name stuck. Theyve built alchemical worlds in the woods where they work with clay and chemicals and fire. Then each summer they emerge, open up their studios, hold demonstrations and sell pots to the public for the annual Hilltown 6 pottery tour. A portion of its proceeds go towards local elementary schools to purchase art supplies, with this year's donation being in honor of Talbot. Saturday and Sunday is their 17th round. Montereys Ellen Grenadier joined Talbot with her wares, as did Tiffany Hilton of Florence and Abby Berkson of Easthampton. Visitors flocked to Talbot's studio on Saturday. She held court sitting near her pottery since she was recovering from a bout of Lyme disease. One visitor asked about the age of her red farmhouse; 1806, is when she said it was made. She later said it was the home of her grandfather, who was the minister of East Cummington. In the early 1980s she began living here and making pottery though her work with clay goes back to her childhood in Washington, Conn. Her father was a sculptor and an apprentice of his who had been to Japan taught her to make pottery. Together they built a wheel and a small wood-fired kiln. Quote Shes a household name to us. If you walk into our dining room Constance is everywhere. Linda Zoe Podbros, on the art of Constance Talbot At Bennington College in Vermont she made her own major: Clay Musical Instruments From Peru. She ran with this. At one point she landed at the Museum of Natural History in New York, having measured the volume and pitch, ranges and notes of Peruvian instruments. She made some herself, and naturally, took off for Peru and the upper Amazon. She lived there for a decade building a workshop, kilns and wheels and teaching locals how to do it. She continued to go back. I was a 20-year-old whatever and I didnt know anything, she said, and I got myself so deep in it. Her family still has a deep connection with Peru her son Matthew was born there, and lives there with his family and runs an ice cream franchise called Creme de la Creme. As she told her story, friends stopped in for a chat. Its hell getting old, said one after chatting with her about health ailments. Another speaks of her own white hair and whether its a good style or not for gray hair. Talbot says silver is good. Anything you dont like, Talbot says, You just have to try it. They all approach Talbot as if she is a goddess. Shes a household name to us, said Linda Zoe Podbros, of Sharon. If you walk into our dining room Constance is everywhere. Podbros had made the pilgrimage with Susan Linn, of Brookline, and Amrita Jayin, a friend from India. Linn needs more of Talbots soup bowls. She's buying a mug. She holds it up and explains what she loves. The lightness, the soft edges. They all like that hands, not machines, make these things. Especially Talbot's hands. Berkson said it was an apprenticeship with Talbot that gave her a strong foundation for whimsical, yet robust pots with painted flowers, rainbows and unicorns. They have good handles and function well, Berkson said, "because of my training with Connie. 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 While discussing COVID-19 at a dinner party, apparently unaware he was being filmed, Kennedy stated, There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately. He continued, COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese. The establishment media and politicians have determined these statements are antisemitic so Kennedy has been forced to spend the last 2 weeks making it clear he stands with the Jewish community, and is 100% committed to supporting Israel. He has stated that he was referring to a 2020 study by the Cleveland Clinic which examined genetic factors which may determine susceptibility to COVID-19. The researchers stated that clinical observations suggest that genetic factors may influence COVID-19 disease susceptibility, but these factors remain largely unknown. The study did examine the genetics of Ashkenazi Jews, African Americans, East Asians, and South Asians. Does this guy bother to do even the most basic due diligence before he falls all over himself to promote the mainstream narrative? Here is the peer reviewed study that says near exactly what RFK says: https://t.co/qhTcb3NKDn https://t.co/hr6FAgbbHR pic.twitter.com/q9QOQcQn2F LastAmericanVagabond (@TLAVagabond) July 16, 2023 The NY Post also maligned Kennedy for stating that we do know that the Chinese are spending hundreds of millions of dollars developing ethnic bioweapons and we are developing ethnic bioweapons. He also said they seemingly referring to the U.S. government are collecting Russian DNA and Chinese DNA so we can target people by race. In this case, Kennedys crime is to speak an uncomfortable truth: governments around the world, including the United States, have certainly studied the potential for genetically targeted bioweapons. Unfortunately, the conversation around bioweapons that could be targeted based on race or genetic factors has been lost in the accusations of antisemitism. You dont need to agree with Kennedys statements (or campaign) to understand that there are very real concerns relating to DNA targeted weapons. What follows is a brief run down of some of the references to such technology and why it is relevant at this moment. Ethnic Weapons In 1970, Carl Larson, a licensed physician who was also the head of the department of Human Genetics at the University of Lund in Sweden, wrote an article titled Ethnic Weapons which examined the possibility of facilitating the targeting of specific ethnic groups with covert weapons. In the essay, Larson shares disturbing revelations relating to chemical and ethnicity focused weapons, including the suggestion that friendly forces could use incapacitants in entangled situations to give friend and foe a short period of enforced rest to sort them out. He also says using psychochemicals and gentle persuasion civilians in enemy cities might be reeducated. Larson makes it perfectly clear that genetic differences have made what he calls ethnic weapons possible. Innate differences in vulnerability to chemical agents between different populations have led to the possible development of ethnic weapons, Larson wrote. Larson also discusses the role enzymes play in impacting potential enemies. Under an image of soldiers exiting a helicopter Larson writes, enzyme inhibitors could turn these troops into a state of paralysis. Larson says that scientists had previously understood the enzymatic process for RNA production but now understand how to regulate the initiation and specificity of enzyme production. He also noted they understand not only how to initiate enzyme production, but how to inhibit it. He concludes, Thus, the functions of life lie bare to attack. Despite not being a member of the military, Larsons essay was taken seriously enough to be published in Military Review, the journal of the U.S. Army. The Ethno-Bomb In November 1998, the Sunday Times published a controversial report alleging that Israel is working on a biological weapon that would harm Arabs but not Jews. The report was sourced from anonymous sources within the Israeli military and western intelligence. The report claimed that Israeli scientists were developing an ethno-bomb which would identify distinctive genes carried by some Arabs and then target them with a genetically modified bacterium or virus. The stated intention was to use these genetically modified organisms to alter the DNA within the hosts living cells. The Times report also references a confidential Pentagon report from 1997 which warned that biological agents could be genetically engineered to produce new lethal weapons. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen also warned about nations developing certain types of pathogens that would be ethnic-specific. The Times report claims a senior western intelligence source confirmed that Cohen was speaking of Israel. Not long after the publication of the Times report and subsequent debate, the British Medical Association (BMA) began warning of the dangers posed by ethnic weapons. In a report titled Biotechnology, Weapons and Humanity, the BMA said it could no longer ignore the reports that such weapons were currently being developed. Weapons could theoretically be developed which affect particular versions of genes clustered in specific ethnic or family groups, the BMA concluded. Additionally, the Times mentions that during South Africas Truth and Reconciliation Commission it was revealed that biological studies were conducted by South African scientists during apartheid. Specifically, the Times mentions Dr Daan Goosen, head of a South African chemical and biological warfare plant, who said his team was ordered in the 1980s to develop a pigmentation weapon to target only black people. Goosens team theorized spreading disease in beer, maize, or vaccinations. The Times article also mentions another report from Foreign Report, a publication of Janes which focuses on security and defense intelligence. The Foreign Report piece allegedly claims South African sources said Israeli scientists were using South African research in their efforts to develop an ethnic bullet against Arabs. Unfortunately, we have been unable to locate an archived version of this article. Project Coast Dr Daan Goosen was not working alone in his research on genetic or ethnic weapons. He claims Wouter Basson, the Director of South Africas secret bioweapons programs, ordered him to create ways to suppress population growth among blacks and to search for a black bomb, a biological weapon that would select targets based on skin color. Basson himself shared this information with investigators, discussing plans for epidemics to be sown in black communities with cigarettes and letters laced with anthrax. The program he directed was known as Project Coast and is alleged to have lasted from 1981 to 1993. In These Times reports that according to the authors of the 2002 book Project Coast: Apartheids Chemical and Biological Weapons Programme, no records are available to confirm that the biological agents were destroyed. The entire web of players involved in the South Africa program, including the CIA, is worthy of further investigation. DNA Collection as a Gateway to Genetic Weapons and Medicine? Now that we can conclusively say that Mr. Kennedy is hardly the first person to warn of raced-based weapons, or ethnically targeted weapons, or gene-based weapons, lets take a moment to ask how this conversation applies to the average person. For example, how exactly could the development of a genetically targeted weapon affect you and your family? For one, genetic editing techniques like CRISPR and the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 have brought great advances in understanding DNA and the genetic engineering and editing techniques. These advances also include the potential for the technology to be used as a weapon. However, the COVID-19 panic and the constant demands to get tested are likely the number one way most people have become entangled with this developing field. In 2021, I reported that a Chinese company with connections to the Gates Foundation was involved in COVID-19 testing and posed a potential threat to American privacy, particularly the medical and health data of those who have been tested for COVID-19. Chinese company BGI Group, the largest biotech firm in the world, offered to build COVID labs in at least six U.S. states, and U.S. intelligence officials issued warnings not to share health data with BGI. Meanwhile, journalist Natalie Winter of National Pulse uncovered documentation of a relationship between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and BGI going back nearly a decade. Winter found a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Gates Foundation and BGI to form a collaboration on global health and agricultural development with the goal of achieving common objectives in health and agricultural development. The collaboration deals with developments in human, plant, and animal genomics, the study of DNA. Bill Gates also visited BGI headquarters in 2010, according to a report from the Financial Times. The Times stated that BGI is working towards a goal of building a huge library based on the DNA of many millions of people. BGIs goal is to use this information for new drugs, genetic research, and transforming public health policy. Since March 2020, BGI has sold millions of their COVID-19 test kits around the world, including the United States, Europe, and Australia. The company is based in Shenzhen, on the coast of Guangdong, China. They have made a name for themselves by selling genetic sequencing services around the world, which has helped them to create a large database of DNA. BGI is also well known for creating a cloned pig in 2010. Another way many people around the world have unwittingly become part of this conversation is through the use of DNA testing companies such as Ancestry and 23andMe. Millions of people around the world have voluntarily provided their DNA samples in the hopes of learning about their family history. In a January 2021 60 Minutes report, Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe, answered questions regarding her companys use of the data they are collecting. Wojcicki is the sister of Susan Wojcicki, head of YouTube until February 2023. While Anne Wojcicki says that her company has empowered individuals with this opportunity to come together, to crowd source research, she doesnt shy away from acknowledging that her company plans to use the information to develop drugs. And I absolutely stand behind: we are going to develop drugs. So that everyone is actually benefiting from the human genome. So absolutely the data is valuable, Wojcicki told 60 Minutes. While she says she agrees that Americans should be concerned about Chinas investments in genomic research, she believes the answer is for the United States to invest in genetic programs. While the 23andMe model appears to be focused on selling medicine based on genetics, its clear that the Chinese, American, and Israeli governments likely also have their own military interests in this data. This means medicines and weapons based on your specific genetic traits could already exist or likely will very soon. And, if you thought you escaped this DNA collection by avoiding 23andMe and COVID-19 tests, you also have to worry about the police collecting your DNA. According to a 2013 Supreme Court decision, police have the right to take DNA swabs from suspects even before being found guilty of a crime. Justice Kennedy found that the governments interest in identifying arrestees outweighed concerns about 4th amendment constitutional protections in favor of collecting DNA samples. The Court compared DNA collection to taking a photograph or collecting fingerprints. In response to the courts decision, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) wrote: When a law enforcement entity collects a DNA sample, the government indefinitely retains that persons full genetic makeup. There is no statute requiring the federal government to discard the full DNA sample. As genetics researchers discover new ways to use DNA, the potential for misuse by government increases and threatens individual privacy. No matter what angle you look at this issue from, whether Robert F. Kennedy Jrs statements were 100% accurate regarding COVID-19 being targeted to specific races or ethnicities, they do point to a frightening reality which has been recognized by military experts, governments, and scientists for decades. The reality is that we are our DNA, and the uniqueness of these genetic factors could one day be the very thing which allows us to be targeted by weapons or medicines. In the wake of the recent Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, internal documents produced by Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, tell a horrid story of the White House (through the office of the Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy) directing tech platforms to censor and label as 'misinformation' true stories of vaccine injury and side effects -- the very definition of a disinformation campaign. In Senator Jim Jordans latest of two posts dubbed the Facebook Files, he reveals the depths to which our government was willing not only to suppress the First Amendment rights of its citizens, but actively target them as 'dissidents' for exercising their protected speech on matters of life and death significance, and without which informed choice and the medical ethical principle of informed consent would not be possible. Commenting on an internal email produced by Zuckerberg upon threat of contempt, Senator Jim Jordan said: The Biden administration also wanted Facebook to remove TRUE information as well and shared a screenshot of a Facebook (Meta) employee stating that The Surgeon General wants us to remove true information about side effects. This revelation has deeply concerning implications, consistent with what surfaced in the Twitter Files as well: namely, that there exists was a carefully coordinated and controlled set of policies across all Big Tech platforms set up on behalf of our government (and foreign influence operation NGOs like CCDH) using Stanfords Virality Project as a central coordinating nexus, to cover up vaccine harms and to target those who either produced or shared information on the topic as spreaders of misinformation or disinformation. The internal emails also revealed that White House went so far as to pressure Facebook to remove humorous posts about the vaccine, including the following meme. Clearly, anything the White House considered would promote vaccine hesitancy was a potential target. In other words, the information required for citizens to make informed medical choices, and the ability to discuss it with friends and family in the modern day equivalent of the public square -- social media -- was actively suppressed; an egregious violation indicating that our government's top health agencies and officials were actively weaponized against their citizenry through Orwellian propaganda tactics serving the political and profiteering motives of the pharmaceutical industry. The Surgeon General and White House Did Exactly What They Accused US Citizens ("Disinformation Dozen") of Doing: Spreading Mis-, Dis- and Mal-Information On July 15th, 2021, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy held a press briefing alongside Press Secretary Jen Psaki where they announced an advisory on health misinformation as an urgent public health crisis and a released a report titled Confronting Health Misinformation: The U.S. Surgeon Generals Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment [Internet], intended to counter the rising threat of an infodemic allegedly being caused by misinformation super-spreaders. Read my latest article: Sayer Ji: Anti-Vaxx Extremist or Whistleblower? The SECRET to How I Survive That press conference also drew specific attention to 12 people, including myself, presidential candidate RFK Jr., Dr. Mercola, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, describing this arbitrarily conceived group as: 12 people who are producing 65 percent of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms. All of them remain active on Facebook, despite some even being banned on other platforms, including Facebook ones that Facebook owns. Their list of 12 people was provided by a fake 'grassroots' group called the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), recently revealed to be a UK-based foreign influence operation being funded by charities, including two of which receive grants from the UK government itself. CCDH fabricated this fake and highly defamatory report it called the "Disinformation Dozen" and which Facebook itself confirmed was entirely false, calling it a "faulty narrative," "without evidence." The Surgeon General's report featured the following definition of misinformation: "Misinformation can sometimes be spread intentionally to serve a malicious purpose, such as to trick people into believing something for financial gain or political advantage. This is usually called disinformation. Clearly, in retrospect, the Surgeon General's report intentionally spread misinformation that was not only false, but maliciously targeted US citizens who shared information about the vaccine harms that they knew were true. They suppressed them anyway because it interfered with the profiteering pharmaceutical companies they were partnering with in spreading egregiously inaccurate and irresponsible information about these mRNA experimental interventions, e.g. "safe and effective," "they stop transmission and reduce hospitalizations," all of which have now been proven false. This internationally covered press conference would be followed by a wave of manufactured, media-amplified vitriol against us, the 12 named US citizens, even though it was premised upon CCDH's fake report. No doubt, strategically, this ploy distracted from the millions of nameless US citizens who were also being monitored and censored across perhaps billions of social media posts, through a highly coordinated set of private/public partnerships which Matt Taibbi labeled a Vast Censorship Enterprise. You can learn more about this story, and 50 top players colluding to create what Taibbi calls an "information cartel," by reading his excellent article here: Report on the Censorship-Industrial Complex: The Top 50 Organizations to Know Fernando Perez Algaba had been staying in Argentina for a week before his alleged murder. Fernando Perez Algaba, the cryptocurrency influencer from Argentina who had been missing for more than a week, was found dead on Wednesday. Police found Mr Algaba's remains inside a suitcase near a stream in Argentinian capital Buenos Aires, according to New York Post. The grisly case came to light after a group of children found the red suitcase filled with body parts while playing by the stream on Sunday, the outlet further said. The entrepreneur was missing since July 19. Quoting local media, the Post said that the children's parents informed the police who inspected the package and found Mr Algaba's legs and forearms. His other arm was found in the stream. On Wednesday, the police found the missing head and torso. They said the body parts were cleanly amputated, suggesting the work of a professional, as per the outlet. The police sent the body for autopsy and the report revealed that Mr Algaba was shot three times before his body was chopped up. They were able to identify Mr Algaba by his fingerprints and the distinctive tattoos on the body parts. As per a Marca report, the self-made billionaire was based in Barcelona, where he shifted from Miami. He had been staying in Argentina for a week before his alleged murder. Mr Algaba accumulated his wealth by renting luxury vehicles and selling cryptocurrency and flaunted his lavish lifestyle to almost one million followers on Instagram. The influencer had rented an apartment and was supposed to return the keys on July 19, but failed to show up and sis not answer the phone after which a missing complaint was filed by the property owner, according to the outlet. Post a commentThe police have arrested one person in connection with Mr Algaba's death and are investigating why he was killed. They, however, suspect that he was killed over his numerous debts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that red meat allergies caused by certain types of ticks is an emerging public health concern after two studies found that the phenomenon is on the rise. Alpha-gal syndrome, or AGS, is a serious and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that comes after people eat red meat or consume products that have alpha-gal, a type of sugar found in most mammals, according to the CDC. The syndrome is caused by the lone star tick, which can transfer alpha-gal into an individuals body. As a result, the body can develop an immune system response to the sugar whenever one consumes it. The lone star tick, or Amblyomma americanum, can be found across the southeastern and eastern United States as well as Mexico and parts of Canada. The tick has a single spot on its back, earning it the lone star name. Its also known as the northeastern water tick or the turkey tick. Unlike deer ticks, the lone star tick has a smaller chance of transmitting Lyme disease. However, it can transmit a range of other diseases to people such as monocytotropic ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and southern tick-associated rash illness. There have also been reports that it is a vector the heartland virus. The tick generally lives in wooded areas, namely where white-tailed deer reside. It can also be found in areas between grassy and forested ecosystems, using thick underbrush or high grass to attach to its victimlike the deer tick or other ticks. The number of suspected AGS cases in the United States has increased substantially since 2010, and states with established populations of lone star ticks are most affected, although suspected AGS cases were also identified in areas outside of this ticks range, the CDC said in a report this week. As for the AGS meat allergy, it can manifest as anaphylaxisor a life-threatening allergic reaction characterized by a sudden constriction of airways and a drop in blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health. Researchers say that unlike allergic reactions to other foods, which are generally immediate, AGS reactions can occur three to six hours after eating red meat. AGS symptoms can include a rash, hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, stomach pain, and heartburn. Symptoms can be mild to severe, officials have said. The burden of alpha-gal syndrome in the United States could be substantial given the large percentage of cases suspected to be going undiagnosed due to non-specific and inconsistent symptoms, challenges seeking healthcare, and lack of clinician awareness, Dr. Johanna Salzer, an author with two CDC studies, said in a statement. Its important that people who think they may suffer from AGS see their healthcare provider or an allergist, provide a detailed history of symptoms, get a physical examination, and a blood test that looks for specific antibodies (proteins made by your immune system) to alpha-gal. Between 2010 and 2022, about 110,000 cases of AGS have been officially identified, it said. But the actual number of AGS cases in those 12 years or so might be as high as 450,000, said the CDC. Alpha-gal syndrome is an important emerging public health problem, with potentially severe health impacts that can last a lifetime for some patients, Dr. Ann Carpenter, an epidemiologist and lead author of a CDC study, told ABC News. Ms. Carpenter added that it is now critical for clinicians to be aware of AGS so they can properly evaluate, diagnose, and manage their patients and also educate them on tick-bite prevention to protect patients from developing this allergic condition. A CDC survey noted that 42 percent of 1,500 health care participants had never heard of AGS, while 35 percent said they were not too confident in their ability to diagnose the condition, and only 5 percent said they were very confident. The CDC noted in its report this week that people with suspected AGS are located particularly in Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Suffolk County, on New Yorks Long Island. However, it said that the study also identified focal clusters of cases in areas where there are no known established populations of lone star ticks, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, although these data are relatively sparse. The geographic distribution of AGS is very similar to that of ehrlichiosis, caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii, disease agents also known to be transmitted by the lone star tick, it noted. Dr. Erin McGintee, an allergy and immunology physician in Long Island, New York, told NBC News that there has been an uptick in people with AGS over the past decade or so. Shes treated about 900 such patients to date. Out here in the Hamptons, Ms. McGintee said, most people know at least one other person who has the syndrome. Lack of funding is not the reason Ireland is experiencing huge deficits in how vulnerable children are cared for, the Taoiseach has said. Leo Varadkar was commenting on issues facing the under-pressure child and family agency Tusla. Advertisement Earlier this month, a retired judge said Tusla is at crisis point due to a shortage of suitable placements and qualified staff. The former District Court judge Dermot Simms wrote to Government Ministers and State agencies to express his utmost concern for minors in the care of the State and said Ireland is likely to face future claims for failing to comply with its duty to those children. Advertisement Last week the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) published a critical report into the Separated Children Seeking International Protection service, which is provided by Tusla. Advertisement The inspection focused on governance, childrens rights, the quality and safety of child protection and welfare services that unaccompanied children received and found it was not compliant across all 10 standards assessed. Due to staffing challenges last year, there was a crisis response focusing on unaccompanied childrens basic care needs and accommodation rather than on their wider protection and welfare needs, it said. Advertisement Mr Varadkar acknowledged the pressure Tusla is under but said the problems cannot be readily resolved just by diverting more money to the agency or passing new laws. There are lots of very good things about being a child in Ireland, he said. We have one of the best education systems in the developed world and some of the best outcomes for children when it comes to things like literacy. Even if you look at areas like paediatric healthcare, there are very good outcomes and very low levels of infant mortality in Ireland, for example. So there are lots of very good things about being a child in Ireland. Advertisement But there are also huge deficits as well. No politician is unaware or unaffected by the fact that so many people, so many parents, cant get the therapies that their children need. Advertisement Advertisement Mr Varadkar said the Government will publish its Disability Action Plan in the coming weeks and additional placements are being created in the healthcare professions to train more people. He added: Tusla is under a lot of pressure. There are just more children than in the past whose parents arent able to look after them anymore and the increasing issue of migrant children and unaccompanied children arriving into the state that need our help. That is a real challenge. It is something that we are very much across. Like a lot of things, if it was about signing a cheque or a statutory instrument, we would do it in the morning. But its not. It is about finding appropriately skilled people, setting them up properly and then making sure that policies are implemented and standards are upheld. That is often the trickiest part, but it is something we take very, very seriously. Denmarks foreign minister said on Sunday that the government will seek to make it illegal to desecrate the Koran or other religious holy books in front of foreign embassies in the country. Foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in an interview with the Danish public broadcaster DR that the burning of holy scriptures only serves the purpose of creating division in a world that actually needs unity. Advertisement That is why we have decided in the government that we will look at how, in very special situations, we can put an end to mockery of other countries, which is in direct conflict with Danish interests and the safety of the Danes, he said. A recent string of public Koran desecrations by a handful of anti-Islam activists in Denmark and neighbouring Sweden have sparked angry demonstrations in Muslim countries. Advertisement Advertisement Mr Lokke Rasmussen said the Cabinet of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is determined to find a legal tool to prohibit such acts without compromising freedom of expression, but he acknowledged that would not be easy. There must be room for religious criticism, and we have no thoughts of reintroducing a blasphemy clause, he told DR. But when you stand up in front of a foreign embassy and burn a Koran or burn the Torah scroll in front of the Israeli embassy, it serves no other purpose than to mock. Advertisement His comments followed a statement issued late on Sunday by the Danish government saying freedom of expression is one of the most important values in Danish society. But, it added, the desecration of the Muslim holy book in Denmark has resulted in the nation being viewed in many places around the world as a country that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions, and traditions of other countries. The government repeated its condemnation of such desecrations, say they are deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals and do not represent the values the Danish society is built on. In Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Sunday on Instagram that his government is analysing the legal situation regarding desecration of the Koran and other holy books, given the animosity such acts are stirring up against Sweden. Advertisement Advertisement We are in the most serious security policy situation since the Second World War, Mr Kristersson said. The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation has called an emergency remote meeting on Monday to discuss the Koran burnings in Sweden and Denmark. An 80-year-old former Olympian with Parkinsons disease is to blast off on Virgin Galactics first space tourism flight next month 18 years after buying his $250,000 ticket. Jon Goodwin competed as a canoeist in the 1972 Games in Munich and said he will be the first Olympian to become an astronaut when the VSS Unity takes off from New Mexico in the USA for a 90-minute trip into space on August 10th. Advertisement Mr Goodwin, from Newcastle, who holds various records for canoeing expeditions, was diagnosed with Parkinsons in 2014 and hopes his latest adventure will inspire others to do abnormal things. Virgin Galactics rocket plane ignites as it blasts off to the edge of space on June 29, the companys first commercial space flight (Virgin Galactic/PA) On Sunday, he told BBC Breakfast it feels completely surreal to finally be on the verge of the voyage he booked in 2005. Advertisement He said he is extremely excited for what will be the icing on the cake after a life of doing exciting things. Advertisement I always believed it would happen, a lot of people didnt, Mr Goodwin said. I had a lot of faith in the project and went out to the Mojave Desert (in California) a number of times, watched the development, which was really interesting. So, I watched it right from the beginning. Asked if the cost of the ticket still seems worth it, he said: I think its incredibly well-spent money. If, at the time, I was doing it with the Russians, it would have cost me millions of dollars. Advertisement Reflecting on his Parkinsons diagnosis, he said: I hope it instils (sic) other people to do what Im doing, that it doesnt stop them from doing abnormal things. Im really looking forward to it. Since his diagnosis, Mr Goodwin has climbed up Mount Kilimanjaro and cycled back down. Virgin Galactic said he will be only the second person diagnosed with Parkinsons to fly to space. Advertisement On signing up for the mission in 2005, he told BBC Breakfast: I just saw it When it came up I was the fourth person to pick up the phone and sign up; theres now 700 following behind me. It was just to have the opportunity to do something very few other people have done more people have climbed Everest than have gone into space. Advertisement Advertisement So, I do hesitate on certain things, inasmuch as theres no toilet on this rocket ship, I have to go back to wearing nappies which I cant remember the last time I had a nappy on. Asked how he will top going into space and back, he joked: It might be that I need to go to the Moon or something. Those on board will enter sub-orbital space, where they will briefly experience weightlessness and be able to take in extraordinary views of the planet. He added: Im very thankful to Virgin Galactic because when I got Parkinsons I thought they were going to tell me that I couldnt do it, but theyve never consulted me about it, theyve just assumed Im fit enough to do it. My wifes always fully supportive of whatever I want to do. We have two boys and theyre both coming out to see me whizz into space. The two boys think its what Dad does, its not unusual for them. Keisha Schahaff, 46, and her 18-year-old daughter, Anastatia Mayers, will join Mr Goodwin on the trip, becoming the first mother and daughter to go into space, after winning a coveted place in a prize draw. The trip will raise funds for Space For Humanity, a non-profit group which seeks to send ordinary citizens into space to give them a grander perspective on the challenges facing Earth. Theresa Mays former chief of staff has been selected to fight Matt Hancocks seat at the next general election. Nick Timothy, a key adviser to the former prime minister, was confirmed as the Tory parliamentary candidate for the constituency on Sunday evening. Advertisement Mr Hancock, the former health secretary, currently represents the constituency as an independent after having the the Tory whip removed in November when he agreed to appear on ITV reality programme Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! The move drew the ire of some members of his local Conservative association, with Mr Hancock due to stand down at the next British general election. Former health secretary Matt Hancock. Photo: Steve Parsons/PA. Advertisement Mr Timothy is believed to have strong family ties to the constituency, which Mr Hancock won in 2019 with a 23,000 vote majority. Advertisement Local Conservative councillor Lance Stanbury welcomed the selection of Mr Timothy, who remains a prominent voice in Westminster circles and in the media. Delighted, absolutely delighted that Nick has been selected to fight for West Suffolk, he told the PA news agency. He gave an excellent presentation today and is clearly all over the policy and understands all the issues for West Suffolk and I think will make a great candidate. Advertisement Another local Conservative, who did want to give their name, told PA that the association do not want a career politician. They said that Mr Timothy has a good focus on the area, a lot of his family live here and he knows the area well. Chair of the West Suffolk Conservative Association Rachel Hood said it had been a rigorous, open and transparent process. We had a very high calibre shortlist of candidates and we are very grateful to everybody who put themselves forward for selection, she added. Advertisement Russian authorities said three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure of one of four airports around the capital. It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fuelling concerns about Moscows vulnerability to attacks as Russias war in Ukraine drags on into its 18th month. Advertisement The Russian Defence Ministry referred to the incident as an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime and said three drones targeted the city. An investigator examines an area next to the damaged skyscraper in the Moscow City business district after a reported drone attack (AP) One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defence systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district in the capital. Advertisement Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor. Advertisement Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack insignificantly damaged the outsides of two buildings in the Moscow City district. A security guard was injured, Russias state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials. Advertisement The Russian Defence Ministry referred to the incident as an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime (AP) No flights went into or out of Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the city for about an hour, according to Tass, and the air space over Moscow and the outlying regions was temporarily closed to any aircraft. Those restrictions have since been lifted. Moscow authorities also closed a street to traffic near the site of the crash in the Moscow City area. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials, who rarely if ever take responsibility for attacks on Russian soil. Advertisement Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack insignificantly damaged the outsides of two buildings (AP) Russias Defence Ministry reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone outside Moscow on Friday. Two more drones struck the Russian capital on Monday, one of them falling in the centre of the city near the Defence Ministrys headquarters along the Moscow River about two miles (3km) from the Kremlin. The other hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. Advertisement In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defencces on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down. Ukraine attacked Russia with drones on Sunday, damaging two office buildings just miles from the Kremlin and a pig-breeding complex on the countries border. The attacks, which Ukraine did not acknowledge in keeping with its security policy, reflected a pattern of more frequent and deeper cross-border strikes the Kyiv government has launched since starting a counter-offensive against Russian forces in June. Advertisement A precursor and the most dramatic of the strikes happened in May on the Kremlin itself, the seat of power in the capital, Moscow. Sundays was the fourth such strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, showing Moscows vulnerability as Russias war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month. The Russian defence ministry said three drones targeted the city in an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime. Advertisement Advertisement An investigator examines an area next to the damaged skyscraper in the Moscow City business district after a reported drone attack (AP) Air defences shot down one drone in Odintsovo in the surrounding Moscow region, while two others were jammed and crashed into the Moscow City business district. Photos and video showed that a drone had ripped off part of the facade of a modern skyscraper, the IQ-Quarter, 4.5 miles from the Kremlin. When the drone hit, sparks, flames and smoke spewed from the building, with debris falling on to the street. Advertisement A security guard was injured, Russias state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials. Russias Ria-Novosti news agency reported the buildings tenants included several government agencies. Flights were temporarily suspended at Moscows Vnukovo airport, and the airspace over Moscow and the outlying regions was temporarily closed. The Russian Defence Ministry referred to the incident as an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime (AP) Advertisement President Vladimir Putin, who was in his home town of St Petersburg at the time of the attempted attacks for meetings with African leaders and a naval celebration, was briefed, his spokesman said. Ukrainian officials did not acknowledge the attacks but President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly video address: Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process. A Ukrainian air force spokesman also did not claim responsibility but said the Russian people were seeing the consequences of Russias war in Ukraine. Advertisement All of the people who think the war doesnt concern them its already touching them, spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told journalists. Advertisement Theres already a certain mood in Russia: that something is flying in, and loudly, he said. Theres no discussion of peace or calm in the Russian interior any more. They got what they wanted. Drones penetrated central Moscow (AP) Mr Ihnat also referenced a drone attack on Crimea early on Sunday Ukrainian territory which Russia occupied and illegally annexed in 2014. The Russian defence ministry announced it had shot down 16 Ukrainian drones and neutralised eight others through electronic jamming. No casualties were reported. Mr Zelensky has vowed to take back all land Russian forces have occupied, including Crimea, and his efforts have been strengthened by the receipt and deployment of increasingly advanced Western weapons. In the earlier attacks on Moscow, Russias defence ministry reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone outside the city on Friday. Four days earlier, two drones struck the Russian capital, one of them falling in the centre of the city near the Defence Ministrys headquarters along the Moscow River about 2 miles from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. Advertisement In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said air defences downed four drones on Moscows outskirts and jammed a fifth that was forced down. Russia has also blamed Ukrainian forces for attacking border areas, and on Sunday, the governor of one such region, Bryansk, said a Ukrainian strike damaged a pig-breeding complex and injured three people. In Ukraine, the air force reported that it had destroyed four Russian drones above the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Information on the attacks could not be independently verified. Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike late on Saturday killed two people and wounded 20 in the city of Sumy in north-east Ukraine. A four-storey vocational college building was hit, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said. Local authorities said accommodation and teaching buildings were damaged in the blast and a fire that followed. The return to a single host paid off for the Logies as Sam Pang delivered a performance rich in zingers, but that couldnt save Australian TVs self-declared night of nights from running long, delivering some shock results, and going completely off the rails in the home stretch. In a night full of cross-promotional stunts from new broadcaster Seven, the most egregious was saved till last. It was already 11.30pm when 71-year-old Dancing With The Stars host Daryl Somers was wheeled out to present the nights crowning achievement, the Gold Logie. Sonia Kruger wins the Gold Logie at the 63rd awards. Credit: Sam Tabone/Getty Images In a bit designed more to test the patience of anyone still watching than to deliver laughs, Somers attempted to stage a mock auction among the seven nominees, none of whom seemed much up for the stunt. Finally, and somewhat inevitably, Sonia Kruger host of three shows on Seven was announced as the most popular personality on Australian television. Taking to the stage she aimed for humour but landed wide of the mark by quoting a conversation with an agent who had allegedly told her, I think people are a little over Hamish [Blake]. We could say as I wrote a few weeks ago there is something cruel in our society. But dont we need to push beyond that, and ask why, and what can be done? I have lately been thinking of a short story by J.M. Coetzee, called The Dog. In it, a woman is terrorised by a local dog. She asks its owners to be introduced, so the dog might stop treating her as an enemy. They refuse. It is our road, one says. We did not invite you here. You can take another road. It is a story and so not easily reduced, but one possible meaning for me has to do with those who seek protection or asylum and the response of those who are asked to give that protection. The image that stays with me is of the dog, filled with what the woman takes to be hatred, hurling itself against a fence. I am left with the feeling that on this question of asylum and protection there is something blind and animal at work something not easily grasped or dealt with. Loading Climate change is another blind force. And that blind force will soon create still more refugees: some estimate more than a billion in just the next 27 years. Some will flee as their lands become unliveable; some will flee as conflict breaks out over the land and drinkable water that remains. Some already have. By blind force I do not mean to absolve us of responsibility; merely to note that we are poor at thinking about our responsibility in such matters. Remember that we export huge amounts of fossil fuels. Australians are likely, then, to arrive at the perverse situation of having genuine responsibility for creating climate refugees while insisting on our right to refuse entry to many of those same refugees for reasons we have never been called upon to fully explain. A royal commission would do some useful things. It might even ask some of what lawyer Michael Bradley described as the large, uncomfortable questions. But asking and answering the largest and most uncomfortable questions is not only up to commissioners or even politicians. A society is built in many ways, by all the individuals who live within it. The refugee crisis is far from over, whatever we may tell ourselves since the boats have largely stopped coming to our shores. If we stand any chance of working out whats really been going on with the cruelty we exhibit towards asylum seekers and fixing it before politics overwhelms us once more, that work must begin now. Even then, the task may prove beyond us. Melbourne University will become more open to the public under a major proposal to demolish six buildings at the Parkville campus to make way for 22,000 square metres of green space. Under the plan, several of the universitys landmark buildings would be torn down - including the John Medley Building, the Medical Building and the Howard Florey Building - by 2040. All heritage-listed structures would remain. The university is one of the Melbourne cityscapes most prominent institutions. The uncosted master plan aims to turn its traditionally inward-facing architecture into a space to be used by the entire community. University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Duncan Maskell said the plan reflected the universitys long-term strategic, academic and research ambitions. If you only know one thing about Portugal, its probably the tarts. You may have a vague sense of names such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Ferdinand Magellan; you might recall something about painted tiles and fortified wine. But you definitely know the tarts. Pasteis de nata are Portugals gift to the world. Also known, imaginatively, as Portuguese tarts, these gorgeous treats have a crisp, buttery puff pastry base, and are filled with a sweet custard thats usually flavoured with cinnamon and vanilla. The tarts are baked at high temperature to achieve their slightly burnt tops, and are traditionally dusted with cinnamon and eaten still warm. There are few things in this world finer than a fresh pastel de nata (pasteis is the plural, pastel the singular) and a strong coffee. First serve The story of pasteis de nata is one of those fanciful tales that surely isnt true, and yet, apparently, is. Back in the 18th century, Portuguese nuns would use egg whites to starch their habits. That left them with plenty of spare yolks, which were in turn used to create all manner of yolk-heavy sweets. At the famous Jeronimos Monastery in Belem, then just outside Lisbon, monks used those yolks to create a custard tart, which they sold to the public in the early 1800s to survive during the Liberal Revolution. In 1834, when the monastery was closed, the custard tart recipe was sold to a nearby sugar refinery, which soon opened a shop called Fabrica de Pasteis de Belem. Its still open today and its original recipe remains a secret. Order there You have to go to the original, despite its touristy popularity: Pasteis de Belem, in Lisbon (pasteisdebelem.pt). Order here ECOWAS has struggled to make a definitive impact on the regions political crises in the past, but Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Nigers first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. Supporters of mutinous soldiers hold a Russian flag. Credit: AP Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday that they had deposed Bazoum and on Friday named General Abdourahmane Tchiani as the countrys new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africas Sahel region. Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew Bazoum because he wasnt able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that was a pretext for a takeover driven by internal power struggles. We couldnt expect a coup in Niger because theres no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power, Professor Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Tchiani. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoums predecessor, and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. Loading Nigers dire security situation is not as bad as that in neighbouring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Some taking part in Sundays rally warned outside bodies to stay away. I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business, Oumar Barou Moussa said at the demonstration. Its time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. Its time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty. Niger has the most at stake of any country in the Sahel if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance it has received from abroad. Loading On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic co-operation with the US hinges on the release of Bazoum who remains under house arrest and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. Macron said he had spoken to Bazoum and his predecessor on Sunday. On Saturday, France suspended all development and financial aid to Niger. The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military has taken power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020. While the bloc has struggled to have much impact, the measures placed on Niger on Sunday show the gravity of the situation, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute. The strenuous measures they have put in place or threatened to put in place show not only how seriously they are taking this crisis but also the urgency the regional body and larger international community feel in trying to force a return to normal that will likely prove elusive, he said. The response from the bloc towards Niger differs from how it dealt with recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, which did not involve the threat of force if constitutional rule wasnt reinstated. In the last few decades it has sent troops into member countries a handful of times. In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war. In 2017, it intervened in Gambia to prevent the new presidents predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. About 7000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal entered, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues. Economic sanctions could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest UN data. The country relies on imports from Nigeria for up to 90 per cent of its power, the International Renewable Energy Agency said. The sanctions would suspend all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger. In a televised address on Saturday, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a plan of aggression against Niger and said the country would defend itself. Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force, said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher in conflict resolution and peace missions at the Centre FrancoPaix. Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear. AP Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukraines President, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Friday signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to December 25 from January 7, the day when the Russian Orthodox Church observes it. The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to abandon the Russian heritage, including that of imposing the celebration of Christmas on January 7. It cited Ukrainians relentless, successful struggle for their identity and the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays, fuelled by Russias 17-month-old aggression against the country. Volodymyr Zelensky (centre) inspects damage of the Odesa Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa on Thursday, July 27. Credit: AP Last year, some Ukrainians already observed Christmas on December 25, in a gesture that represented separation from Russia, its culture and religious traditions. The law also moves the Day of Ukrainian Statehood to July 15 from July 28, and the Day of Defenders of Ukraine to October 1 from October 14. After its preview at the Manila International Auto Show and the subsequent arrival of its first batch of units , its now official: Chery A... China continues to issue highest-level alert for rainstorms Xinhua) 13:24, July 30, 2023 BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) continued to issue a red alert, the country's highest weather alert, for rainstorms on Sunday. From 2 p.m. Sunday to 2 p.m. Monday, heavy downpours and rainstorms are forecast in Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Xinjiang, according to the NMC. Some parts of these regions are forecast to experience heavy rainfall, with maximum hourly precipitation surpassing 60 millimeters, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales. Local governments have been urged to fulfill their emergency and rescue responsibilities effectively. The center has also suggested that assemblies, classes and businesses be suspended and called for efforts to guard against possible disasters such as mountain torrents, landslides and mudslides. China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Tennessee Valley Theatre will host an evening with the Servants Quartet on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. The Servants Quartet includes Nathan White, Anthony Noga, David Noga and Ethan Leon. They will present a night of Southern Gospel. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged, appreciated and will go straight to the theater. Air Force Airman Gavin W. Close, 20, graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas on Thursday. The airman completed an intensive, 7.5 week basic military training program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. He is the son of Travis and Tina Close of Signal Mountain. Airman Close graduated in 2021 from Signal Mountain Middle High School. He earned his Eagle Scout Award through Scouts BSA Troop 116 on Signal Mountain in 2019 which qualified him as an E2 upon graduation from Air Force BMT. He departed from Lackland Air Force Base to the intelligence technical school for 9S100 Scientific Application Specialist in San Angelo, Texas at Good Fellow Air Force Base. His close friend Ben Cagle introduces him photo by Earl Freudenberg Johnny Eagle accepting his membership photo by Earl Freudenberg Ying Benns, former WFLI owner, and Judge Russell Bean photo by Earl Freudenberg Earl Freudenberg (2016 inductee) Keith Bilbery 2015 inductee and Mike Huckabee TV announcer, and Johnny Eagle Johnny Eagle listen to narrator talk about his accomplishments photo by Earl Freudenberg Previous Next When Johnny Eagle joined the Air Force in 1959 he never realized it would lead to a nearly 60 year career associated with radio and broadcasting. Mr. Eagle was inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame Saturday night at the historic Mule House in Columbia, Tn. Heres part of the broadcaster's acceptance speech: Im just a country boy, the youngest of six with five older sisters whose parents were sharecroppers for a time. I only have one surviving sister and she is here tonight. Also celebrating with me tonight are my son Keith and his wife Susie and my daughter Tammy. Susie, my daughter in law, is a recognized Chattanooga radio personality. Im sad that I dont have my late wife Jet Fli Jackie here to celebrate this honor with me but Im blessed to have a very special and wonderful lady in my life Mary Jane who is here tonight. "Im sure most of you know that to enjoy success in the radio business you have to have someone to believe in you. That person in my career was William E. "Billy" Benns. His widow Ying and daughter Betty are here tonight. "I also have a lot of special friends here tonight helping me celebrate. A big thank you to my close friends Ben Cagle and Earl Freudenberg (another Tennessee Radio Hall of Famer) plus a host of talented people that worked for me and were alongside of me over the years. "In the words of the late Dr. Billy Graham, 'I not only know who I am, I also know where Im going.' May your troubles be less, your blessings more and may nothing but happiness, come through your door. Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil, it has no point. Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen for this honor. Mr. Eagle said while he was on active duty in Hawaii, he and a fellow airman entered a contest on radio station KIKI. He said the announcer read the definition of a word and he and his friend had to guess the word. He said his buddy actually guessed it and he called the station to identify the word. He said, They asked us to come to the station to claim our prizes; dates with co-eds who were attending college on the island. Winning the contest led to a part time overnight job at the radio station. After completing his obligation to Uncle Sam, Mr. Eagle enrolled in the Keegan Technical Institute in Memphis. Upon graduation he got a job a radio job at a Fort Payne, Ala., station. Mr. Eagle said he wasnt extremely happy at the Alabama station and when he learned about a job opening at a new station in Chattanooga he applied. A few weeks later he got the job at the new 10,000 watt station. WFLI Radio went on the air Feb. 20, 1961 and Johnny Eagle went to work for the station the first week in April. In 1963, he was named program director, and in 1965 he was promoted to station manager eventually going into sales. Mr. Eagle would work for WFLI for nearly 20 years. He said, I never realized joining the military would lead to a life long career associated with radio. Also being inducted into the Career class of 2023 were Devon ODay, WSIX, Nashville, Dr. Al Adams Johnson, WKCS. Knoxville, and Art Gilliam, WLOK Memphis. The Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame was established in 2011 and is dedicated to documenting, preserving and honoring the broadcasters, managers, support staffs of radio station in Tennessee. The current Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame president is Pamela Fur, who works in Nashville radio. For the third summer in a row, the Connecticut Summer at the Museum program offers free admission to children 18 or under and one accompanying adult for dozens of museums across the state. The program runs from now through Sept. 4, with over 100 museums participating this year. To qualify for free admission, the child and adult must be residents of the state and the adult may be asked to present a valid ID. This originated as the brainchild of Governor Ned Lamont in thinking about how to get kids and families back in the educational ecosystem after the pandemic, which was very detrimental to young learners, Executive Director of the nonprofit CT Humanities Jason Mancini said. The program, which began in 2021, runs through the Department of Economic Community Developments Office of the Arts, in conjunction with CT Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Arts. The money itself comes from the federally-funded American Rescue Plan Act, created to bolster the economy in response to the pandemic. Each year, the Connecticut legislature must approve the funding in order for the program to continue. This is a program we could have never come up with because wed never have had the money to fund it under normal circumstances, Director of Arts, Preservation and Museums at the Office of the Arts Elizabeth Shapiro said. The first year of the program, the funding totaled $15 million, according to Shapiro. This year, the program received $10 million. This money goes to museums across the state in the form of grants to supplement what they would have made if they charged admission for children and an accompanying adult. Museums must reapply to the program each year. Its about really making sure we eliminate barriers to entry, both in an organizations capacity to provide resources such as exhibits and programming, and barriers to entry for the public coming to visit those organizations, Mancini said. Tangible impacts Curator of Southingtons Barnes Museum Christina Volpe highlighted the importance of children being able to access museums such as the Barnes Museum, which holds historical artifacts from as early as 1836. Children are the next generation of preservationists, history enthusiasts, and cultivators of culture, Volpe said. Getting kids excited about history shows you can reflect on and learn from the past, better understand your present, and prepare for the future. The Barnes Museum has participated in the program since its inception. Volpe emphasized that it helps make the museum accessible to the Southington community. A program like this adds to the whole community, not just to this museum, Volpe said. It opens the doors and gets kids involvedThe visitor I get the most is the visitor who has lived in Southington their whole life but never set foot in our building until now. The Barker Character, Comic and Cartoon Museum in Cheshire has also participated in the program for three summers. General manager and curator Karen St. Clair said that while the museum typically has good foot traffic during the weekends, the museums participation in the program has resulted in an increased number of visits during the weekdays as well. Theres so much out there that we take for granted, St. Clair said. This changes how people perceive their home state and how they interact with all the amazing things there. It adds so much value. St. Clair sees many more families visit the museum in the summer than during other seasons and said that the program boosts business. The pandemic hurt us in a way, but it didnt really hurt us because of great programs like this, St. Clair said. Were doing more sales now than before because even though admission for a child and their accompanying adult is free, people tend to spend more money in the gift shop. A temporary fix? The program derives its funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, whose funds must be fully allocated by the end of 2024. This leaves the future uncertain for the Connecticut Summer at the Museum program after next year. Even this year, the program received $5 million less in allocated funding compared to 2021, leaving the Office of the Arts and CT Humanities with no money to spend promoting it. However, Shapiro urged families who have enjoyed the program to be vocal about their experiences. If constituents talk to legislators about the importance of this program, perhaps there will be funding from other sources, Shapiro said. People can support museums in other ways, too, Shapiro added, in addition to advocating for the grant program to continue. Make friends with the museums you love, she said. As people are visiting museums across Connecticut, it would be great if they had ones they loved and think about becoming members and supporting them in other ways. These organizations can be fragile and need the support. Going to a museum never gets old This program remains unique among ways in which states promote art and culture, per Mancini. What all our counterparts across the country are recognizing is Connecticuts role in exposing our youngest citizens to these cultural experiences and creating opportunities to re-engage with art, Mancini said. Learning is a lifelong process, and Connecticut should be proud of its role in this process. For Volpe, having the Barnes Museum belong to a program alongside dozens of other museums across the state provides a sense of solidarity in promoting the importance of such spaces Of the 169 cities and towns in Connecticut, almost all of them have a historical society or a museum of some sort, Volpe said. If many of us participate in this program, it showcases how important it is to invest in art and culture. Museums continue to offer an educative, interactive experience for children and their families, Shapiro emphasized. Theres never a time in the life of a family, however you may define family, that going to a museum ever gets old, Shapiro said. Information The Barnes Museum in Southington is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m. or by appointment and offers two free adult admissions for every child. For more information, visit http://www.thebarnesmuseum.org/. The Barker Character, Comic and Cartoon Museum in Cheshire is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.thebarnesmuseum.org/. Other museums participating in the program include the Wallingford Historic Preservation Trust, Mystic Aquarium, Wadsworth Atheneum of Art, and many more. To learn more about participating museums, please visit https://www.ctvisit.com/articles/connecticut-summer-museum-2023-free-admission-kids. 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 One of the most well-known residents of Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois, is the notorious Chicago mobster Al Capone. While the cemetery is mostly populated with dead gangsters, there is another significant figure buried at the cemetery who did not become famous for organized crime. And that individual is none other than Julia Buccola Petta, otherwise known as the Italian bride. Her resting place is easy to find as its marked by a detailed life-sized statue built in her likeness. The statue is of Julia wearing a wedding dress, resembling the photo attached to her gravestone depicting her on her wedding day. Julia was born in Italy in 1891. After her father passed away in 1913, Julia and her mother, Filomena, traveled to the United States. They settled down in the west side of Chicago, where she married Matthew Petta in 1920. Not long after her marriage, her life was tragically cut short. She died while giving birth to her stillborn son and was buried in her wedding dress with the infant in her arms. You might think thats where the story ends, but theres actually a lot more to it. Shortly after Julias death, Filomena was haunted by nightmares of her daughter. In the dreams, she saw that Julia was still alive and needed her help. The nightmares were relentless, and for the next six years, Filomena tried to gain permission to have Julias body exhumed. Finally, her request was granted. When the casket was removed from the ground, everyone was surprised to see that Julias body showed no signs of decay, even six years after her death. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Over 1,800 terrorist attacks in the first 6 months of 2023 in West Africa The first half of 2023 saw a surge in terrorism in West Africa, the leader of a regional bloc told the U.N. Security Council, disclosing that over 1,800 attacks were recorded, leading to about 4,600 deaths. Omar Touray, president of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States, also known as the ECOWAS Commission, said the victims arent just those who lose their lives in the attacks, The Associated Press reported. Half a million people have become refugees, fleeing their homes due to the violence, Touray said, adding that nearly 6.2 million have been internally displaced. The region is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, Touray told the Council, warning of potential future disaster. He noted that 30 million people in the region are in need of food aid. If the international community doesnt respond adequately, that number could rise. By the end of next month, 42 million people might need help, he said. Touray pointed to several factors contributing to the insecurity, of which terrorism is one. Others include armed rebellion, organized crime, unconstitutional government changes and environmental crises. Even fake news has played a role. Theres also the issue of military rule, he added. Three countries Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea are under such control, he added. This reversal of democratic gains, according to Touray, aligns with the regions growing insecurity. Touray provided a country-by-country breakdown of terrorism-related deaths. Burkina Faso has suffered the most, with 2,725 deaths. Mali has lost 844 lives. Niger and Nigeria have witnessed 77 and 70 deaths, respectively. Even coastal states havent been spared. Touray mentioned recent terrorist attacks in Benin and Togo. He viewed them as an indicator of the expanding reach of terrorism. Various initiatives have been launched to tackle this insecurity. Yet, according to Touray, a lack of coordination hampers these efforts. ECOWAS wants to integrate these initiatives into a regional plan. To this end, ECOWAS military chiefs of staff have consulted on strengthening a regional standby force. The aim is to support member states in fighting terrorism. It would also guard against threats to the constitutional order. Touray shared two proposed options. The first is establishing a 5,000-strong brigade, which would cost $2.3 billion annually. The second option is a more flexible deployment of troops on demand, which would cost $360 million per year. Touray voiced the African Unions request for funding. He asked for African peace operations to be funded from the U.N. regular budget. This budget is contributed to by all 193 U.N. member states. The U.N. Security Council also heard from Leonardo Santos Simao, the head of the U.N. office for West Africa. He echoed Tourays concerns, emphasizing the deteriorating security situation in the central Sahel. U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood also addressed the council. He expressed concerns over democratic backsliding in the region. He also criticized the Russia-based Wagner Group for alleged human rights abuses. The violence in West Africa, particularly its expansion toward the littoral states of Benin and Togo, underpins a larger concern International Christian Concern, a U.S.-based persecution watchdog, sees this spread of terrorism as part of a global Jihad. Responding to Tourays disclosure, ICC expressed concerns about Islamic extremists aims to enforce extreme Sharia law wherever they conquer. It explained in a statement that this poses a significant threat to Christian communities in the region who are often singled out as targets. The organization called for global prayers to strengthen unity within the church, end the tyranny of terrorists and replace the prevailing darkness with the light of peace and compassion. Ukraine to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 in move away from Russian Orthodox traditions In a landmark legislative move, Ukraine has shifted the date of its official Christmas celebration from Jan. 7 to Dec. 25, stepping away from the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church, allied with Putins regime, and in a bid to live their own life with their own traditions (and) holidays. The Ukrainian parliament passed the bill earlier this month, which has now been signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelensky, CNN reported. The legislation has been interpreted as a breakaway from Russias cultural dominance, especially since the Orthodox community in Ukraine has been steadily distancing itself from Moscow following Russias illegal annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in Ukraines eastern Donbas region in 2014. Russias invasion of Ukraine amplified the split between the two branches of Orthodox Christianity. The division deepened when the head of Russias Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, endorsed the invasion, framing it as a cultural conflict between the wider Russian world and Western liberal values. The legislation essentially formalizes what some churches in Ukraine had already started practicing. For instance, a branch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine allowed its churches to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 last year. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church also moved its celebration of Christmas to Dec. 25. The legislation also modifies the dates of several Ukrainian holidays that coincide with religious festivities, including the Day of Ukrainian Statehood, the countrys independence day, which has been moved from July 28 to July 15. Additionally, the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, a day to honor veterans and war dead, has been shifted from Oct. 14 to Oct. 1. Last December, President Zelensky signaled a move against churches affiliated with Russia, allegedly to bolster the war effort. The Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council instructed the government to ban any church that might be following orders from Moscow, as reported by Reuters at the time. In a bid to curb the influence of pro-Russian elements, Zelensky contended that these actors were trying to weaken Ukraine from within as the nation continued to resist the Russian military invasion inside its borders. We will never allow anyone to build an empire inside the Ukrainian soul, Zelensky said in an address at the time, as quoted by the newswire. There have also been efforts by security forces in Ukraine to investigate Orthodox churches associated with the Moscow Patriarchate. Last November, Ukraines Security Service conducted searches at several theological seminaries and Orthodox Churches tied to the Moscow Patriarchate and reportedly found pro-Russian propaganda materials. Amid these developments, Patriarch Kirill has been accused of abusing his position to justify the war and was even sanctioned by the U.K. government last year. He has also unsuccessfully implored other religious leaders, including Pope Francis, to urge Ukraine not to close down a monastery historically tied to Russia. As tensions mount, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church faces eviction from the 980-year-old Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex in the nations capital. The UOC was given until March 29 to comply with the order. The Ukrainian culture ministry claimed that the UOC violated the terms of the agreement regarding the use of state property, without specifying how, while the UOC asserts it is a victim of a political witch hunt. 'Deeply Alarming': Communists, LGBTQ Activists Reportedly Target Christian-Owned Coffee Shop Over 'Biblical Stance On Sexual Sin' link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 11:53 11:53 A "deeply alarming" situation has unfolded in Colorado, where a Christian-owned coffee shop has reportedly been under fire by LGBTQ activists, communists, and others over the owners' "biblical stance on sexual sin." "Since its opening last month, The Drip Cafe, a Christian-owned coffee shop ministry in Denver, has been targeted by protesters over its belief that homosexuality is sinful," Christian Post reporter Ian Giatti wrote earlier this month. "Owner Jamie Sanchez believes the Denver Communists and other LGBT protesters were triggered by Scripture on the website of his coffee shop's parent nonprofit Recycle God's Love, which ministers to the local homeless population." Giatti joins "The Inside Story" to further break down what's going on and why it matters. FOLLOW BILLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: - Follow Billy on Twitter - Follow Billy on Instagram - Follow Billy on Facebook A "deeply alarming" situation has unfolded in Colorado, where a Christian-owned coffee shop has reportedly been under fire by LGBTQ activists, communists, and others over the owners' "biblical stance on sexual sin." "Since its opening last month, The Drip Cafe, a Christian-owned coffee shop ministry in Denver, has been targeted by protesters over its belief that homosexuality is sinful," Christian Post reporter Ian Giatti wrote earlier this month. "Owner Jamie Sanchez believes the Denver Communists and other LGBT protesters were triggered by Scripture on the website of his coffee shop's parent nonprofit Recycle God's Love, which ministers to the local homeless population." Giatti joins "The Inside Story" to further break down what's going on and why it matters. Voice of the Martyrs adds 4 African countries to list of nations hostile to Christians A persecution watchdog has added four more African countries to the list of the worlds most dangerous and difficult places to follow Christ in its 2023 prayer guide for churches. Announcing the launch of its annual 2023 Global Prayer Guide, The Voice of the Martyrs, which has tracked the persecution of Christians worldwide since 1997, said it has added and designated Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique and Niger as hostile nations. VOM explained that the hostile designation includes nations or large areas of countries where national governments attempt to provide protection for the Christian population, but Christians are routinely persecuted by family, community members and/or extremist groups because of their witness. The Global Prayer Guide is free to anyone who requests a copy here and was created to inform and equip Christians worldwide with how best to pray for their persecuted brothers and sisters. Benin, which borders western Nigeria, is considered the birthplace of voodoo, and many in the north view Christianity as a threat to their traditional beliefs. Jihadi violence increased in Benin during the second half of 2022, according to another watchdog, International Christian Concern, which says extremist groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State have been waging war in the Sahel for several years. However, the violence is slowly creeping south and west into neighboring states, including Burkina Faso and Benin. Christians account for roughly 30% of the population of 13.3 million in this small West African nation, and Evangelicals about 8%. In Congo, the church in the eastern parts is under immense pressure, VOM explains, as Islamist groups severely persecute Christians there, raiding villages, destroying churches and brutally killing hundreds of believers. Last October, a group of nongovernmental organizations urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to allow Congolese citizens to remain in the United States with a work permit as they face the possibility of severe persecution by Islamic extremist groups in their home country. ICC also warned at the time that Christians in the eastern DRC were suffering persecution at the hands of extremist groups like the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic extremist group mainly active in the eastern North Kivu province near the border with Uganda. "Though the Congolese government is pushing back against these terrorist groups, insufficient attention is paid to Christian communities, which are targeted for their differing religious beliefs," ICC stated at the time. "ICC has witnessed the violence in the DRC firsthand, in one instance coming across the still-smoking wreckage of a car attacked by terrorists in June of this year. Just days later, at least 10 Christians were killed when an Islamist extremist group ambushed their three vehicles near the village of Makisabo, Beni. The Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamist extremist group, allegedly blocked the road, shot all the passengers, and set the vehicles on fire." VOM added that in Mozambique, an Islamic insurgency that started in 2019 continues to create chaos and instability in the northern province of Cabo Del Gado. Islamic extremists have been exploiting a crisis in the coastal province of Cabo Delgado. A civil war started in 2017 over the area rich with gas, rubies, graphite, gold and other natural resources. Protesters demonstrated against what they say is profits going to an elite in the ruling Frelimo Party, with few jobs for local residents. In Niger, radical Islamists from countries surrounding the nation, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, are attacking Christians inside the country with increasing frequency, VOM said. The ongoing spread of radical Islam on the African continent is increasing the daily danger for our Christian brothers and sisters there, VOM spokesperson Todd Nettleton said. The first thing that persecuted Christians ask Christians in free nations to do for them is to pray. In March 2021, over 130 people and nearly two dozen children were killed in a series of suspected Islamic extremist raids in Niger. In 2020, the U.S. State Department created a special envoy position to monitor rising extremism in Africa's Sahel region as al Qaeda and Islamic State-aligned militants were expanding their footholds. Along with the Global Prayer Guide, VOM also offers resources on its app for iOS and Android and the website, icommittopray.com. Christian Nationalism and mocking victims On Twitter, Stephen Wolfe, author of The Case for Christian Nationalism, claimed he didnt know who Emmett Till was until he recently googled his name. He then commented: Yea Im supposed to care about some 1955 event that all the libs care about. Their minds are captured. Till was a 14-year-old 5 foot four inches black boy from Chicago who, while visiting rural Mississippi, was beaten to death, shot, tied to a 70-pound fan and thrown into a river by two white men. His offense was reputed to have whistled at a white woman. A local all-white jury quickly acquitted the killers, who openly boasted of their crime. Tills mother demanded his body be returned to Chicago, where his disfigured face was displayed before thousands of mourners. The national outrage helped fuel the rise of the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks attended a solidarity rally for Till a few months later in Montgomery, Alabama, where young Martin Luther King Jr spoke. Soon afterwards she was famously arrested for defying segregation on a public bus. So yes, Till was a teenage nobody whose brutal murder ultimately helped transform America. More than just libs care. The murders of nobodies often signify a great deal. The torture and unjust execution of an obscure Jewish preacher in a Roman province two thousand years ago transformed the world. In Gods eyes, nobodies are often very important, ultimately superseding many supposed somebodies. Tom Hollands Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World describes how the Gospel preached by that obscure Jewish preacher remarkably made nobodies somebodies. He recalls Blandina, a teenage slave girl in Lyon, France, tortured and killed because of her Christian faith in 177. She was merely a slight, frail, despised woman, who endured her sufferings with remarkable faith, for which she became an honored saint in the early church. Set among the elite of heaven, seated directly within the splendor of Gods radiant palace, ahead of those who in the fallen world had been her immeasurable superiors, [she] was a potent illustration of the mystery that lay at the heart of the Christian faith, Holland recounts. Blandinas owner, a wealthy Christian woman, was also martyred in the Lyon arena. But her name is lost to history. In the economy of God, its the last who shall be first. Those things reckoned by men low, and invisible, and contemptible, are precisely what God ranks as deserving of great glory, wrote Irenaeus, a Lyon priest who later became a bishop and saint. The elevation of nobodies into somebodies is a unique gift of Christianity to the world. All societies naturally esteem the rich, the powerful, the very strong, the very beautiful, the brilliant, and the people who sparkle. Ordinary people, especially if they are poor, unattractive, inarticulate, lacking in influence, are typically overlooked, or even despised. But the Bible says God looks at the heart, and God rejoices to elevate the despised over the mighty, to humble proud humanity, and to reveal His own glory. As John Wesley wrote, the people God uses most powerfully are often the filth and off scouring of the world. Christianitys elevation of the lowly has fueled centuries of charity, philanthropy, humanitarianism, and social reform. The weak and the vulnerable are no longer seen as the inconsequential natural servants of the strong, rich, and mighty. There is in Gods view an equality among all, and even a special preference for the humble and despised. In Gospel-influenced societies, there is even an exaltation of victims that would have shocked pagan societies, who disdained victims as losers. But Christianity worships a Victim who willingly sacrificed Himself. Many of His followers have been victims, including the Lyon slave girl Blandina. In contemporary Western culture, the obsession with victimhood is often tiresome. There is now a glorification and power in victimhood. Self-professed victims get special attention and rights. We are victims too! We are not privileged! The ancient philosophers would be stunned by this turnaround. Nobody in ancient Rome or Athens, or ancient China, or prehistoric Africa or America, was seeking power through victimhood. Victims were at the bottom. They would have asked: who wants to be there, even rhetorically? Tiresome as it sometimes is, our modern partiality to victims is a legacy of Christianity. It motivates us to at least seem to care about overlooked people. Despite all the hypocrisy and exploitation of the title, often by people who are themselves privileged, we can give thanks that in a Gospel-influenced society, victims matter. The lowly are in theory no less important than the mighty. This vision at least tries to approximate Gods Kingdom. Mocking genuine victims hearkens to a more brutal, pre-Christian ethos in which strength and not lowliness is esteemed. Emmett Till was a brash Chicago teenage boy who didnt know his place in the deep South, for which he was murdered, with no consequences for his killers. Who cares? Any sympathy for such a victim itself signals weakness, according to a natural pagan perspective. Stephen Wolfes book The Case for Christian Nationalism extolls a fantasy Calvinist confessional state in which the elect rule over the lost and reprobate. Gods reputed people have the power, and the people less favored are their subjects, living under their rules. Its vision of power over service isnt very Christian. And its subjugation of some people over others based on their religion isnt very nationalist. It certainly isnt at all American. But disdaining Emmett Tills murder, and the civil rights revolution it helped unleash, as part of the wider ongoing, 2000-year-old Christian revolution of equality and dignity for all, is helpfully clarifying. Originally published at Juicy Ecumenism. Former justice minister David Lametti, left, was, strangely, dumped from the Liberal cabinet this week as was former public safety minister Marco Mendicino who had stumbled on a number of issues, embarrassing the government. Guest columnist John Corlett is president and executive director of The Center for Community Solutions. Life was a roller coaster ride, but now because of Medicaid I have balance and stability. My therapist sees it, my case manager sees it, my pastor sees it, and everyone I associate with sees it. And Im still getting better. This is the first time Ive been out in over a year and a half in 10 years; Ive hit my mile marker and I have no intent on going back. These are the words of an Ohioan who had formerly been incarcerated in one of Ohios state prisons, talking about how getting and keeping healthcare coverage via Medicaid has changed his life for the better. The United States holds the unfortunate distinction of having the highest incarceration rate in the world. Ohio ranks fifth in terms of prison population, with 383 individuals incarcerated for every 100,000 residents. A 2021 analysis conducted by Columbia University revealed a correlation between incarceration and higher death rates from infectious diseases, chronic respiratory disease, drug use and suicide. The percentage of incarcerated individuals with mental illnesses or substance use disorders has skyrocketed, with prisons and jails seemingly replacing the mental health institutions prevalent in the 20th century. Risks do not end once individuals leave prison. Those reentering the community face isolation and a higher risk of overdose death, criminal involvement and multiple emergency room visits if their underlying substance abuse disorders or mental health issues remain untreated. Risks escalate when individuals are released from prison or jail without access to medication, providers and -- most importantly -- healthcare coverage through Medicaid. For over 15 years, the Ohio Department of Medicaid and the Ohio Department of Corrections have collaborated to support transitioning into community. During the Kasich administration, Medicaid was expanded under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In 2014, Ohio initiated an acclaimed initiative to enroll people in Medicaid before their release from prison and connect those with the greatest healthcare needs to providers after release. In 2018, Congress passed legislation mandating guidance on how states could design Medicaid demonstration projects to offer services release, supporting reentry into the community. This spring, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the long-awaited guidance, granting states unprecedented flexibility to deliver a comprehensive range of health and supportive services up to 90 days before a persons release. It also enables the financing of essential investments in new services. Fourteen states soon followed California and Washington, the first states to embrace this opportunity. Conversations about the new Cuyahoga County Jail and increasing incarcerated populations should incorporate an examination of how this new Medicaid demonstration opportunity can enhance public health and public safety and reduce correctional costs. Although it poses challenges, Ohios previous experience could make implementation easier compared to other states. Locally, there already exists a strong partnership between the Cuyahoga County Jail and the MetroHealth Medical System, one of Ohios largest Medicaid providers renowned for its expertise in implementing Medicaid demonstration projects. I hope Ohio and Cuyahoga County will explore this new opportunity. Readers are invited to submit Opinion page essays on topics of regional or general interest. Send your 500-word essay for consideration to Ann Norman at anorman@cleveland.com. Essays must include a brief bio and headshot of the writer. Essays rebutting todays topics are also welcome. Dear Annie: You printed Thoughts from Ireland, about the generous benefits that workers there have compared with those in the United States. I witnessed the same thing when we visited relatives in the U.K. 35 years ago. It was explained to me that companies hire enough employees to have coverage when workers are off for vacations or sick leave. They rotate the floating workers, who are trained to cover all types of work. Everyone has generous vacation time, but those with high stress jobs, especially in direct care, have extra time off for their mental health. We found this quite interesting because we had worked in a field where, when we returned from our vacation, our work that came in while we were gone would be waiting for us. Only emergencies were handled, which put extra work on co-workers already handling their own work. It would be great to have companies here follow some progressive practices for the mental health of the workers. Their system results in more people employed and a happier, more productive workforce. Too bad our corporations and employers cannot grasp that. -- Thoughts from the U.S. Dear Thoughts from the U.S.: Most companies in the United States grasp what you are saying and offer generous benefits to their workers. You can compare our economic system with other systems, and I believe the American free enterprise system is best, certainly in terms of raising the overall standard of living. But thank you for your input. View prior Dear Annie columns 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 Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM INGLEWOOD, California -- Taylor Swift has just six more concerts until shes done with the U.S. stretch of The Eras Tour. Swift will be at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, from Aug. 3 to Aug. 9. Swifties in California and those all over who want to see Swift during her final U.S. concerts in the Los Angeles area can buy tickets on third-party vendor websites. WHERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR THURSDAY, AUG. 3 CONCERT: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek | TicketCity | MegaSeats WHERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR FRIDAY, AUG. 4 CONCERT: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek | TicketCity | MegaSeats WHERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR SATURDAY, AUG. 5 CONCERT: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek | TicketCity | MegaSeats WHERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR MONDAY, AUG. 7 CONCERT: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek | TicketCity | MegaSeats WHERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR TUESDAY, AUG. 8 CONCERT: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek | TicketCity | MegaSeats WHERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR WEDNESDAY AUG. 9 CONCERT: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek | TicketCity | MegaSeats Swift will have just under a month for a break before she starts the Latin America part of her The Eras Tour from Aug. 24 until Nov. 26. Tickets for Mexico City are also available as well as for her stops in Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Singapore and Paris dates. Check out Swifts re-recorded Speak Now album, which was recently released. Kaylee Remington is the commerce reporter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Follow her for deals, trends and breaking news in the shopping and entertainment industries. Read her work here. CLEVELAND -- The assassins of truth charged with peddling State Issue 1 want us to believe theyre disciples of good government. But another of their obsessions seems to be sex. Issue 1, argues a television ad urging a yes vote on Aug. 8, is about stopping out of state special interests that put trans ideology in classrooms and encourage sex changes for kids. Issue 1, of course, is about none of those things. But that hasnt stopped many proponents from making sexual bigotry a cornerstone of their pathetic campaign. What Issue 1 is actually about is muzzling voters. For Ohios rulers, its about obliterating the few remaining vestiges of accountability standing between them and unchecked power. As Senate President Matt Huffman told The Columbus Dispatch in May of last year, We can kind of do what we want. Huffman now wants to remove kind of from the equation. Towards that end, Huffman and his co-conspirators who control every aspect of state government want to raise the threshold needed for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution from a simple majority to 60%. One major strategy being used in a twisted effort to sell Issue 1 to voters is vilifying transgender people. The ad quoted above is being aired by Protect Ohio Women, the group formed to oppose any effort to legalize abortion in the state. Of course, targeting sexual identity for political reasons is a tactic Ohios Republicans have used before. In 2004, in an effort to help incumbent President George W. Bush carry Ohio in his re-election bid, most state Republican leaders rallied behind a constitutional ballot issue to prohibit gay marriage. Their creepy obsession with gays paid off. The marriage ban passed and Bush carried Ohio. Eleven years later, a few months before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide, Ohios attorney general filed a brief asking the high court not to impose such a blanket legalization. That attorney general is now governor of Ohio. Mike DeWine supports passage of Issue 1. Ohios current attorney general and Issue 1 supporter, Dave Yost, is another closeted in the bedroom of political voyeurism. Yost is one of 19 Republican attorneys general who signed a letter to President Joe Biden demanding that other states send him medical records of women who travel to other states for abortions. No wonder Yosts son and daughter-in-law last year split with him on the abortion issue in a very public way. Another Issue 1 tactic is to claim its needed to protect our kids, as Sen. J.D. Vance falsely declares in an ad. The far right loves to use kids as a political weapon. What it loves more is serving its gun lobby masters and opposing any effort to ban the sale of assault-style weapons used to slaughter those kids in their classrooms. Fearing a future ballot issue that would ban assault weapons, the gun lobby is a vocal supporter of Issue 1. With defeat looming, Issue 1s founding fathers are lashing out. In a recent op-ed in the Dispatch, Huffman blamed Democrats and the media, claiming, The rank hypocrisy of yet another far-left meltdown from our state media reeks to high heaven. Huffman failed to mention that the legislature he controls last year passed a law essentially prohibiting special elections in August because they consistently lead to low voter turnout. Not surprisingly, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled its OK for the legislature to break its own law and schedule an election on Aug. 8. Even Ohios disreputable high court now rests snuggly in Huffmans pocket. Also missing from the sneak preview of Huffmans rant was any mention of last years trampling of the Ohio Constitution requirement that state lawmakers draw fair legislative boundaries. Huffmans allegiance to the constitution seems limited to days when he isnt violating it. As Ive been suggesting for months, whats now clear is this attempt to fool voters wont work. Also clear is that legacy media, beset with economic woes, is having a major moment here. This campaign has shown that when newspapers and other media outlets pay relentless attention to an issue, they can still help make a difference. Nevertheless, on the morning of Aug. 9, Ohio will still be a red state, a place that grudgingly tolerates dissent. Thats why many expect Huffman and his legislative colleagues will respond to a humiliating Issue 1 defeat in a mean-spirited way. I absolutely suspect they will push back if Issue 1 fails, House Minority Leader Allison Russo, the Columbus-area Democrat who has emerged as one of Issue 1s many thoughtful opponents, told me. It is clear they do not want to be held accountable by voters. Its those same voters wholl be the real heroes here, casting absentee ballots in astonishingly high numbers and leading many Republicans to privately acknowledge the Aug. 8 results wont be pretty. Ohioans arent yet ready to embrace authoritarianism as warmly as voters in places like Tennessee. In a July 18 piece in the Atlantic magazine titled, Is Tennessee a Democracy?, Pulitzer-Prize-winning historian and journalist Anne Applebaum detailed how Republicans running that southern state no longer even pretend to be governing in a democratic manner. They are going to win the next election and probably the one after that, Applebaum wrote of Tennessees rulers. Yet they sound as if winning isnt enough. They also want opponents to fall silent, and they are doing what they can to make that happen. Thats precisely what many Republicans running Ohio want to happen here. Chances are, theyre mad as hell that voters are about to stop them. Brent Larkin was The Plain Dealers editorial director from 1991 until his retirement in 2009. To reach Brent Larkin: blarkin@cleveland.com Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions, comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. CLEVELAND -- By now, most readers know there will be a special election on Aug. 8. This is a critical moment for all Ohioans, especially working families and those who enjoy union benefits. That is why the North Shore AFL-CIO and its affiliate unions have invested considerable time and resources in opposition to Issue 1. Issue 1 is a sinister attempt by extremists in our state, funded by out-of-state monied interests, to change the Ohio Constitution. Since 1912, Ohioans have had the right to put constitutional amendments directly on the ballot and win voter approval with a simple majority. To get that amendment on the ballot, citizens must meet specific signature quotas in 44 of our 88 counties. Meeting the quota is not an easy thing to do by any means but it is a fair and democratic way. The extremists are trying to end majority rule by requiring a 60% vote for passage. That means a 40% + 1 minority of voters can determine the outcome of all proposed amendments. Even worse, extremists want to make it harder to get a proposed amendment on the ballot in the first place by requiring signature quotas be met in all 88 counties. That means you could meet the quota in 87 of our counties and have one county into which, perhaps, special interests dumped money to make sure the effort fell short, spoiling the entire process. It is not easy to amend our state constitution. Collecting signatures in 44 counties and passing a citizen-led amendment is tough. As cleveland.com has reported, since 1914, only 71 citizen-initiated amendments have made it onto the Ohio ballot, and only 19 have passed. That is equal to a little more than one in four. Now, Issue 1s aim of increasing the number of counties so that all will require signature quotas caters to special interests with the financial means to meet these signature requirements. At the 1912 Ohio Constitutional Convention, former President Theodore Roosevelt spoke about his belief in pure democracy, a value he shared with President Abraham Lincoln, whom he quoted: This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it. Roosevelt added that, unless representative government does absolutely represent the people, it is not representative government at all. I see no more concrete an example of a representative government failing to represent the people than the August election of a year ago. Ohioans were forced into a primary election to nominate legislators representing congressional districts that the conservative-leaning Ohio Supreme Court twice declared unconstitutional because of partisan gerrymandering. The extremists ignored the people of Ohio and the rule of law. Ohioans must acknowledge that we have extremists in our legislature and executive offices. We cannot let them erode any more of our power as citizens. For organized labor, we were a House Speaker race away from having a pro-Right-to-Work leader in the Ohio House of Representatives. We got lucky, but since then, we have seen attempts to roll back child labor laws, prohibit university employees from striking, restrict union release time, and destroy prevailing wages. All of this says nothing of the hypocrisy of the extremists in our state government who ended most August special elections last year because of the low turnout and the high cost of running such elections. Yet, today, those same extremists are ignoring the law they passed by forcing this Issue 1 constitutional amendment to the ballot. Enough is enough. We want representative government and the citizen-led constitutional amendment process is one of the last tools in the toolbox to lift our voices. On behalf of the North Shore AFL-CIO, I ask that you get your family, friends, and neighbors to make a plan to vote on or before Aug. 8, and to vote no on Issue 1. Brian Pearson is political director of the North Shore AFL-CIO based in Cleveland. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our opinion content or comments or corrections on this guest column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com CLEVELAND -- That government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth These are the closing words of the Gettysburg Address delivered by Abraham Lincoln on Nov. 19, 1863. Looking out at a battlefield where thousands of soldiers had fought and died in an epic struggle to maintain a democratic form of government in the United States, Lincoln was asserting that governments work best when they represent and respond to the will of their citizens. Let it be noted that Abraham Lincoln was a founding member of the Republican Party and the first Republican to serve as president of the United States. Yet, he did not say government of, by, and for the Republican majority in the Ohio legislature. For Lincoln, it was and should always be the will of the people the citizens the electorate that should prevail. I mention this historic reference as a reminder that the current Republican majority in the Ohio legislature is acting in direct violation of this core principle of democratic government through their devious and disingenuous efforts around Issue 1 and the Aug. 8 midsummer election. The first thing to be noted is that just last year, Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced that Ohio should not hold midsummer elections, because the cost was too high, and the expected voter turnout would be too low. One year later, he is supporting the very thing he earlier opposed, even though the mitigating factors are likely going to be the same. It will still be expensive to run a statewide election, and low voter turnout is a legitimate concern. The second thing to consider is the intent of this ballot initiative, which is to make it harder to amend the Ohio Constitution by increasing the percentage of the votes cast from 50% plus one of the votes cast to 60%. This moves the process away from a simple majority of the electorate needing to vote in favor of something, to a scenario where a minority of 41% of the voters can prevent any amendment they do not like -- even if it is supported by 59% of the people. Now we come back to concerns about low voter turnout. Are Republicans in the legislature hoping for low voter turnout so Issue 1 can have a better chance of being approved? Why not just wait until the standard general election in November to have this vote, when a larger and more representative electorate will participate? So much for of, by, and for the people. This third point is what is really at stake in Issue 1. The Ohio legislature is keenly aware of what happened in Kansas on Aug. 2, 2022, when voters in that state rejected an attempt by the Kansas legislature to add language to that states constitution that would place restrictions on abortion and womens reproductive rights and prosecute persons who sought or assisted in providing such health care services. Nearly 2 million voters in Kansas rejected the proposal of their own legislature by a margin of 59.16% to 40.84%. It is easy to see that if the voters in a reliably Republican and conservative state like Kansas will vote against harsh restrictions being built into their state constitution, Republican legislators here in Ohio are rightly concerned that, if Ohioans are allowed to vote and majority rules, the abortion restrictions they have put in place in this state might be similarly rejected by the voters. With an attempt underway to amend the Ohio Constitution in November to protect abortion rights and keep legislators away from decisions that should be left to women, their families, and their doctors, nothing works against democracy more than this attempt to make it harder for the will of the majority of the people to prevail. What was it that Lincoln said about of, by, and for the people? The Rev. Marvin A. McMickle is the retired president of Colgate Rochester (N.Y.) Crozer Divinity School and pastor emeritus of Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. These are the stakes on Aug. 8, when Ohioans who havent voted early will cast ballots to decide whether Ohioans will keep or lose a fair chance to amend the Ohio Constitution: A no vote on Issue 1 is a vote for continuing control by Ohio voters of what, the Ohio Constitution says, is their state government: All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for their equal protection and benefit, and they have the right to alter, reform, or abolish (it), whenever they may deem it necessary. But a yes vote on Issue 1 a measure proposed by the General Assemblys Republican majority is a vote for business-as-usual by a legislature elected in gerrymandered state Senate and Ohio House districts and beholden to political fat cats. For 111 years, Ohioans have been able to amend the Ohio Constitution if 50% plus one of those voting statewide on a proposed change voted yes. But Issue 1, if it passes, would require a yes vote of at least 60% of those voting on a proposed constitutional amendment. The story behind that story: Requiring a 60% supermajority vote to ratify proposed amendments is aimed at a voter-proposed amendment, on Nov. 7s statewide ballot, to guarantee women the right to choose abortion in Ohio. Issue 1 is also aimed at a possible 2024 amendment to end the gerrymandering of Ohios congressional and General Assembly districts, gerrymandering that has led to lopsided GOP majorities in the General Assembly 67 of the Houses 99 seats, 26 of the Senates 33. As the Ohio Constitution now stands, passing the abortion amendment in November would require yes votes from at least 50% plus one of those who vote on it. But if Issue 1 passes on Aug. 8, passing Nov. 7s abortion amendment would require yes votes from at least 60% of those voting on it. Complete coincidence polls have suggested that just less than 60% of the Ohioans who are asked say that they support a womans right to choose abortion. Likewise, just less than 60% of the voters in Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan and Montana recently ratified pro-choice amendments in those states in the wake of last years Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. Also, for 111 years, Ohioans have been able to place a proposed amendment on the statewide ballot by gathering a specified share of signatures from at least 44 of Ohios 88 counties. Issue 1 would require a signatures from all 88 counties. And today, if a proposed amendments sponsors initially submit fewer than the required number of signatures, sponsors are granted 10 more days to gather the necessary number. ssue 1 would abolish that grace period. Thats the A-to-Z of Issue 1, despite all the double-talk by its GOP backers about out-of-state special interests trying to hijack the Ohio Constitution. Thats a sick joke coming from a legislature that routinely ignores politically inconvenient parts of the Ohio Constitution, such as city and village home rule, and which also ignores the constitutions one-subject rule thats supposed to limit what a given bill covers, and from a legislature that enabled the House Bill 6/FirstEnergy scandal. Issue 1 is so rancid that four recent governors Republicans Bob Taft and John Kasich, Democrats Richard F. Celeste and Ted Strickland oppose it. They may have few other things in common, but theyre united against Issue 1. The Ohio Constitution empowers voters to directly amend the constitution precisely because a one-party state government isnt about to reform itself. Republicans control every statewide elected executive office and the Ohio Supreme Court; have run the state Senate continuously since January 1985; and controlled Ohios House of Representatives for all but two years since January 1995. No doubt the GOP sees voters right to directly amend the Ohio Constitution as a threat to Republicans monopoly on Statehouse power. They should. It is. And thats exactly why the GOP rammed Issue 1 onto the statewide ballot and why Ohioans should vote against it. Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens. To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-408-9474 Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. Ranked choice voting is not a radical idea. It was used for decades in parts of Ohio. And with two states (Maine and Alaska), two counties and 46 cities now using it elsewhere in the United States, advocates estimate 13 million voters currently have a chance to rank candidates on a single ballot. The ranking process, which appears to work seamlessly in these jurisdictions, then winnows the field down to a choice most voters ranked well, reducing the likelihood of extremists prevailing at either end of the ideological spectrum. But now that one single town in Ohio, University Heights, with fewer than 14,000 residents, had the temerity to consider the idea -- to consider it, but not to move ahead with it -- entrenched powers in Columbus have leapt into action to squash this idea without further ado. In what can best be described as a publicity stunt, a Republican lawmaker from Bowling Green has moved ahead briskly to introduce a bill to ban ranked choice voting in Ohio -- violating (once again) the home rule powers the Ohio Constitution guarantees the states cities, villages, and charter counties. State Sen. Theresa Gavarones Senate Bill 137 would not just prohibit ranked choice voting but also deny to any Ohio municipality or charter county (Cuyahoga and Summit) that might have the temerity to try it anyway its share of state Local Government Fund aid. Gavarone agues that, Ranked choice voting flies in the face of what the founders of the country and those in Ohio had in mind when they established the one vote, one voice model centuries ago, cleveland.coms Sabrina Eaton reported. By that measure -- basing todays laws on what the founders had in mind when they wrote the Constitution in 1787 -- women and Blacks might not be able to vote today. Nor is it a radical departure from local tradition. According to Rank the Vote Ohio, between 1913 and 1961, five Ohio cities used ranked-choice voting: Cleveland, Ashtabula, Toledo, Hamilton, and Cincinnati. (With a November 1921 charter amendment, Cleveland voters adopted ranked choice voting for City Council elections. It was repealed ten years later). Ranked choice voting is also in keeping with a one-vote standard. Everybody still votes on one ballot on which they rank the candidates. Eaton describes the procedure: Voters rank multiple candidates on a ballot in order of preference. If no candidate gets an initial majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest first-choice ballots drops out, and ballots for the eliminated candidate are reallocated to each voters second-choice candidate. Eliminating the candidate with the fewest ballots and reallocating votes to other contenders continues until a winner gets a majority. FairVote, another nonpartisan nonprofit that advocates for ranked choice voting, reports that 51 American jurisdictions have RCV reaching approximately 13 million voters. This includes two states -- Maine and Alaska -- three counties, and 46 cities. Alaskas use of RCV became widely known in November, when U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat, won election to a full term, besting Republican ex-Gov. Sarah Palin. Gavarone herself doesnt appear to practice what she preaches on the supposed inviolability of voting rules. She is one of two primary sponsors of Senate Joint Resolution 2 that put Issue 1 on Ohios statewide Aug. 8 ballot. It would require a 60% yes vote on any proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution. For 111 years, the required yes vote has been 50% plus 1. Last year, Gavarone joined other General Assembly Republicans voting to all but abolish August special elections based on their low turnout and costs. This year, Gavarone co-sponsored a bill seeking to permit August elections -- to decide constitutional amendments such as Issue 1. The Ohio Constitution guarantees home rule rights to the states municipalities and charter counties. Gavarone should respect that, not try to undermine it more than the General Assembly already has. All else equal, if a city or village or charter county wants to try what it sees as an arguably more representative method of voting -- one thats already in use elsewhere in this country -- thats the communitys business, not the Statehouses. Thats what the Ohio Constitution all but says, and what practicality demands. Youd think a supposedly conservative General Assembly would understand that. Evidently, not all its members do. About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com CLEVELAND -- Earlier this year, The Washington Posts Pulitzer-Prize-winning columnist George F. Will wrote a thought-provoking column on Americas federal justice system which ran in The Plain Dealer March 10 (Relying too much on plea deals can undermine justice). Will stated the only right affirmed both in the Constitution of 1787 and in the Bill of Rights is the right to trial by jury. Article III of the Constitution states, The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury. The Sixth Amendment of the Bill of Rights guarantees that, In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury .... Will opined that plea bargaining, an arrangement between prosecutors and defendants circumventing a trial in exchange for a guilty plea and a lesser sentence, is the most pervasive and glaring civil rights deprivation. In 2022, according to Will, 98.3% of federal criminal convictions, and about 95% in the states, resulted from bargained guilty pleas. To a significant extent, he reported, this occurred through various methods of coercion. For example, even in municipal courtrooms, first-time offenders arrested for operating a vehicle impaired (OVI, as DUIs are known in Ohio) often agree to have the charges reduced to reckless operation. For legal fees, a fine, court costs, drivers license points and/or a possible temporary suspension of driving privileges, the case is adjudicated. This is less risky and more expedient than going to trial with the likelihood of greater penalties for an OVI guilty verdict. A recently published American Bar Association 2023 Plea Bargain Task Force report states, Some [court] jurisdictions have not had a criminal trial in many years. At higher levels, a defendant who doesnt agree to plead faces the possibility of harsher trial penalty sentencing if convicted. Will argues this is unjust. One of the ABAs recommended reforms is that sentences should not be punitively inflated simply because a defendant exercised the right to a trial. In 2005, my fellow jurors, hearing an aggravated burglary criminal case in Cuyahoga County Commons Pleas Court, elected me as jury foreman. After three days of deliberation, we ended up hung, but went from 9-3 to convict to 10-2 to acquit. Those who follow politics have witnessed the lives of well-known politicians impacted by recent indictments, convictions and even releases from prison. Last month, U.S. District Judge Timothy Black sentenced former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and former Ohio Republican Party chair Matthew Borges to 20 years and five years, respectively, in federal prison. After a six-week trial in a Cincinnati federal courtroom, a jury had found both guilty for their roles in the Ohio House Bill 6 $60 million bribery scandal. During another week in June, a federal grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump on 37 counts while former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora was released from a federal medical center in Boston after serving 12 years of his original 28-year corruption sentence. In various ways, including leaked recordings and released wiretapped conversations, Trump, Householder and Dimora did not cast themselves as sympathetic figures. Nonetheless, they had, and in Trumps case, have the right to go to trial either believing in their innocence or not foreseeing a unanimous jury guilty verdict. Both Householder and Dimora would probably have received lesser sentences had they plea-bargained or been more contrite. Federal judges hammered them both at sentencing. Householder, like Dimora, claimed any contributions or gifts received were just part of doing governmental business. Dimoras appeal on those grounds was recently denied. Both Householder and Borges have appealed their convictions, even though most are rarely overturned. If a plea bargain cannot be reached, prosecutors often revert to a term called stacking, meaning overcharging a defendant and hoping that at least one of the charges leads to a conviction at trial. Stacking, in my opinion, occurred in both the Trump and Dimora indictments. Public defenders are available to those who cannot afford an attorney, but not many court-appointed lawyers are willing to provide a rigorous defense when they are often paid a set amount per case. The cost of a federal trial is usually prohibitive unless someone is wealthy or a large corporation is charged. Five men were indicted as part of the HB 6 investigation. One died by suicide while two others, Juan Cespedes and Jeffrey Longstreth, accepted plea deals. Both may have had deeper involvement in the scandal than Borges, but likely will get lighter sentences, having turned governmental witnesses. Borges was also offered a deal but rejected it, opting for a jury trial. Eleven years ago, Dimora was convicted on 32 of 33 criminal counts as part of a two-year federal investigation of Cuyahoga County corruption. Dimoras co-target, former Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo, received a reduced sentence after cooperating with federal investigators. Ironically, most of what Russo told them they probably already knew from wiretaps. In 2020, Russo was also released from a federal medical center, having served only 10 years of his 22-year prison sentence. He died two years later. During many high-profile federal investigations, a wide net is cast, hoping to snare role players who might help convict the main targets. The county investigation netted convictions of more than 70 people, mainly via plea agreements. One of the unfortunate collateral damage victims was Harland Diamond, the former owner of Executive Caterers of Landerhaven. As The Plain Dealer reported at the time, Diamond admitted he conspired with Dimora to help use campaign contributions to pay for an event he had catered, as the only way to collect money Dimora owed him. During the investigation, Diamond spent thousands in legal fees, claiming that, as a layperson, he didnt know detailed campaign finance laws. He finally accepted a plea deal, rationalizing, as he told me, that any punishment for a then-septuagenarian likely would not be severe. He was correct when U.S. District Judge John Adams sentenced him to probation, questioning why Diamond was even appearing before him. Ironically it was the only indictment Dimora was acquitted on, but sadly Diamond had already pleaded guilty. With current federal sentencing guidelines, judges have narrow latitude in sentencing, even if they do not agree with the circumstances or proceedings leading up a plea agreement. Among other possible collateral damage victims are Trumps Mar-a-Lago aide Walt Nauta and property manager Carlos de Oliveira, who were indicted for making false statements and concealing documents. While Trump is their target, prosecutors clearly hope these employees will flip on Trump to avoid possible prison sentences. Will contends this is not what our Founding Fathers probably envisioned when they wrote our guiding documents. I agree with Will. Republican Bob Paulson, the former mayor of Solon, writes an occasional column on politics from the middle. To share ideas and feedback with Bob Paulson: bobpaulsonPD@gmail.com Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. AVON LAKE, Ohio -- How to explain The Plain Dealers unrelenting assault on Issue 1, and opponents all-out advertising blitz against it (more than $3 million)? Try the June 25 headline, August election makes Ohio ground zero in abortion fight. Pro-choice groups apparently hope to ride negative reaction to last years Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Supreme Court decision to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right. That they may sense a momentary majority accounts for their urgency. That is exactly the reason that Issue 1 should pass. Webster defines constitution as the basic principles and laws of a nation, state or social group that determine the powers and duties of the government and guaranty certain rights. As a foundational document, a constitution should be hard to change. In the 231 years since ratification of the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution has been amended 17 times, most recently in 1992 (a technical amendment). The Plain Dealer has pushed the narrative, as in a June 18 headline, that, Ohio could be among toughest states to change constitution. But only 17 states currently allow citizen-initiated amendments. A more accurate headline would be, Even if Issue 1 should pass, Ohio will still be one of a minority of states where citizens can initiate a change to the constitution. In 2017, the report of the Ohio Constitutional Revision and Update Committee unanimously recommended increasing the required majority to 55%. The redistricting amendment of 2021 clearly relates to the powers of government. It passed in 2015 by a 71% majority. Should a constitution include as a foundational right, commensurate with freedom of speech or the press, a position that perhaps 49% of voters vehemently oppose? Does anyone believe that pro-life Ohioans would consider the matter settled once and for all? Yet, it could be settled without a constitutional amendment. Most Americans believe that abortion should be legal under certain circumstances. President Bill Clinton famously said that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. Nearly everyone agrees with at least two of those. Both current Ohio law and the proposed abortion amendment are between the most extreme positions. Reasonable people should be able to compromise. Then, let both sides use their powers of persuasion to promote their desired results. The redistricting amendment, recently validated by the U.S. Supreme Court, should increase pro-choice voting power. Hard as it is to change, the U.S. Constitution was once amended to advance a social agenda. Ardent proponents seized an opportune moment to make prohibition the law of the land. That was a mistake, rectified 14 years later. Amending the constitution should require thoughtful deliberation. Does anyone think most voters will read, never mind carefully weigh, the proposed The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protection for Health and Safety amendment? Are we not more likely to endure shrill, misleading, and expensive propaganda? Amending the Ohio Constitution should require more than a simple majority. Vote yes on Issue 1. John Duffy is a semi-retired lawyer who has maintained a law office in North Olmsted for 45 years. He is also former chair of the English Department at St. Edward High School, an adjunct teacher of real estate law at Cuyahoga Community College for 37 years and a frequent contributor to The Plain Dealers letters to the editor column. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. Indonesian President Joko Widodo makes a speech during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Minister's Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 14, 2023. A new regional cross-border payment system recently implemented by Southeast Asian nations could deepen financial integration among participants, bringing the ASEAN bloc closer to its goal of economic cohesion. The program, which allows residents to pay for goods and services in local currencies using a QR code, is now active in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. The Philippines is expected to join soon. That's according to each country's respective central bank. The move comes after the five Southeast Asian countries signed an official agreement late last year. At the recent ASEAN summit in May, leaders also reiterated their commitment to the project, pledging to work on a road map to expand regional payment links to all ten ASEAN members. The scheme is aimed at supporting and facilitating cross-border trade settlements, investment, remittance and other economic activities with the goal of implementing an inclusive financial ecosystem around Southeast Asia. Analysts say retail industries will particularly benefit amid an expected rise in consumer spending, which could in turn strengthen tourism. Regional connectivity is considered crucial to reduce the region's reliance on external currencies like the U.S. dollar for cross-border transactions, particularly among businesses. The greenback's strength in recent years has resulted in weaker ASEAN currencies, which hurts those economies since the majority of the bloc's members are net energy and food importers. "The system will forgo the U.S. dollar or the Chinese renminbi as intermediary," said Nico Han, a Southeast Asia analyst at Diplomat Risk Intelligence, the consulting and analysis division of current affairs magazine The Diplomat. A unified cross-border digital payment system will "foster a sense of regionalism and ASEAN-centrality in managing international affairs," he added. "This move becomes even more crucial in light of escalating tensions among major global powers." How it works By connecting QR code payment systems, funds can be sent from one digital wallet to another. These digital wallets effectively act as bank accounts but they can also be linked to accounts with formal financial institutions. For instance, Malaysian tourists in Singapore can make a payment with Malaysian ringgit funds in their Malaysian digital wallet when making a transaction. Or, a Malaysian worker in Singapore can send Singapore dollar funds in a Singaporean digital wallet to a recipient's wallet in Malaysia. Fees and exchange rates will be determined by mutual agreement between the central banks themselves. For now, a region-wide system like this doesn't exist in other parts of the world but down the road, the Bank of International Settlements, based in Switzerland, hopes to connect retail payment systems across the world using QR codes and mobile phone numbers. Police officers block off an area around a damaged office block of the Moscow International Business Center (Moskva City) following a reported drone attack in Moscow on July 30, 2023. Three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow early on July 30, 2023, Russia's defence ministry said, in an attack that briefly shut an international airport. While one of the drones was shot down on the city's outskirts, two others were "suppressed by electronic warfare" and smashed into an office complex. No one was injured. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images) Russian officials say they shot down three Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow early Sunday, hours before the start of a major military parade attended by President Vladimir Putin. Images from a crash site in Moscow showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor, with glass shattered and structural beams snapped and deformed. One person was injured in the strikes, which forced the closure of airspace over Moscow and outlying regions, and an hour's delay in takeoffs and and landings at Vnukovo International Airport, according to TASS. The incidents were the latest in a series of attempted drone assaults including on the Kremlin and on Russian border towns that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv. On Monday, a drone fell in the center of the capital near defense ministry headquarters, while another hit the south of the city, gutting several upper floors of a building. The Russian defense ministry described Sunday's incident as an "attempt by the Kyiv regime to launch a terrorist attack by unmanned aerial vehicles" in a statement on Telegram, and said that three drones targeted the city. Ukraine stopped short of taking responsibility for the latest attacks. "There is always something flying in Russia, including in Moscow," Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Ukrainian national television. "No matter how hard the Russian authorities want to turn a blind eye to this and say they have shot everything down, something is still arriving." Later on Sunday in St. Petersburg, Putin presided over Navy Day celebrations, a national holiday which honors the military's sailors, celebrated on the last Sunday of July. St. Petersburg is around 400 miles northwest of Moscow. Earlier in the month, a U.K. ministry of defense intelligence update posted said nuclear-powered submarines in Russia's northern fleet would not take part in its main review for the first time since the inauguration of the tradition in 2017, citing the need for "maintenance" as well as "internal security concerns." At the parade, the origins of which stretch back more than 300 years, Putin promised 30 new warships would join the nation's fleet, according to TASS. Iranian navy commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani was among those at the ceremony. Iran also provided three naval vessels to participate in the parades, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Iran has become Russia's top military supporter, selling self-detonating "Shahed" drones and unmanned UAVs to Moscow. Russia has used these drones to attack Ukraine's energy and critical infrastructure in strikes that have killed civilians. Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev again raised the prospect of nuclear war in the conflict. In a post on Telegram, he said that if Ukrainian forces seized "part of our land," Russia would have to "opt for the use of nuclear weapons." Medvedev, who is currently deputy chair of the country's Security Council, which is chaired by Putin, has periodically resorted to nuclear threats in the year-and-a-half since Russia invaded Ukraine. NIAMEY, NIGER - JULY 30: Coup supporters take to the streets after the army seized power in Niamey, Niger on July 30, 2023. (Photo by Balima Boureima/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) West African nations imposed sanctions and threatened force on Sunday if Niger's coup leaders fail to reinstate ousted President Mohammed Bazoum within a week, while supporters of the junta attacked the French embassy in Niamey. The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc's response to the Sahel region's seventh coup of recent years came as crowds in Niger's capital Niamey burned French flags and stoned the former colonial power's mission, drawing tear gas from police. Images showed fires at the embassy walls and people being loaded into ambulances with bloodied legs. At an emergency summit in Nigeria to discuss last week's coup, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States called for constitutional order to be restored, warning of reprisals if not. "Such measures may include the use of force," their communique said, adding that defence officials would meet immediately to that effect. Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who came to power in 2021 after a coup, met his Nigerian counterpart Bola Tinubu on the sidelines of the summit and volunteered to speak to the military leaders in Niger, two presidential aides told Reuters, asking not to be identified. Niger's state TV showed Deby arriving and meeting them. ECOWAS and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union said that with immediate effect borders with Niger would be closed, commercial flights banned, financial transactions halted, national assets frozen and aid ended. Military officials involved in the coup would be banned from travelling and have their assets frozen, it added. Niger's prime minister under Bazoum's government, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, said ECOWAS sanctions would be disastrous because the country relies heavily on international partners to cover its budgetary needs. "I know the fragility of Niger, I know the economic and financial context of Niger having been the finance minister and now prime minister," Mahamadou, who was abroad when the coup occurred, told France24 television from Paris. "This is a country that will not be able to resist these kinds of sanctions. It will be catastrophic." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed ECOWAS's action on Sunday. "We join ECOWAS and regional leaders in calling for the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family and the restoration of all state functions to the legitimate, democratically-elected government," said Blinken in a statement. Four years ago, Elizabeth took a "Business English" course to communicate better with her colleagues. But the 35-year-old Taiwanese professional who lives in Singapore said they still ridicule her accent. So she's now thinking about taking more courses, with two goals in mind: to improve her English pronunciation and "remove" her native accent, she said. "I think my Chinese accent is really annoying to others," said Elizabeth, who asked that CNBC not use her real name to protect her employment. "I do think [removing it] will be beneficial for my personal life and help me to perform better at work." Lost opportunities Globally, nearly one in five workers say they feel they've been passed over for business trips because of the way they speak, according to an SAP Concur report published in June. The results were most pronounced in Asia-Pacific, especially Australia/New Zealand (31%), Taiwan (26%) and Singapore/Malaysia (25%). But some non-native English speakers have trouble just getting their foot in the door. A study published in 2022 found that job candidates who speak with "standard accents" that is, the accent generally accepted in a given region are more likely to be hired. The research found this was due to a perception that other accents thwart communication, to accent prejudices or both. "Disentangling these two explanations is not easy," Jessica Spence, a postdoctoral researcher at The University of Queensland and one of the study's authors, wrote in an article on The Society for Personality and Social Psychology's website. People may rationalize not hiring an accented speaker because of concerns about their communication abilities, when even if unconscious the decision may be rooted in underlying prejudices, she wrote. The study which analyzed 27 other studies on this topic found that job candidates' comprehensibility, or how easy they are to understand, did not affect whether they got a job offer. We found that candidates who spoke with non-standard accents were rated as less competent and less intelligent. Jessica Spence The University of Queensland "What was related to hiring decisions, however, was judgments of the candidates' perceived social status: We found that candidates who spoke with non-standard accents were rated as less competent and less intelligent," she wrote. The study also found that accent bias was far more pronounced for female job applicants, as well as for those with foreign accents, than those with regional ones. Are language courses a solution? That leaves professionals who work outside of their home countries, like Elizabeth, in a bind, which is why she said she's now considering paying for accent reduction classes at the New York-based company Accent Advisor. The company teaches "the Standard American Accent that you hear on American news programs and in educated circles," according to the website. In an email reply to CNBC queries, the company said, "The goal of accent training is not to eradicate accents, but to empower individuals to communicate more effectively and confidently while preserving their unique cultural heritage." One-on-one online sessions are 25 minutes long and start at $18 per lesson, according to its website. Others undergo training provided by their organizations, said Regina Kim, an assistant professor at Fairfield University's Dolan School of Business. "If employees feel that their accents are impeding them training may be helpful, especially for those who feel that their heavy accents get in the way of communicating with others," she said. Tracey Derwing, professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, told CNBC that training can be conducted by a trained language teacher or speech language pathologist. But accent reduction courses that promise to get rid of a certain accent in a short period of time are more popular, she said. It horrifies me that companies would train people to anglicize their accent that is a direct reinforcement of racism. Ritu Bhasin leadership specialist and author Brad Harris, a professor of management at HEC Paris business school, cautioned that it may not be reasonable or healthy to encourage employees to change their accent, if it's a strong part of their identity. "In a lot of ways, this is similar to the idea of 'code switching' which is exhausting and unsustainable for employees," he added. Ritu Bhasin, leadership specialist and author of "The Authenticity Principle," agreed, telling CNBC: "It horrifies me that companies would train people to anglicize their accent that is a direct reinforcement of racism." A useful tool? But Elizabeth said she sees such courses as a way of "taking control" of her situation. "I don't feel like I'm removing part of myself. My intention is to communicate better with other people and to quickly gain trust at work," she said. Elizabeth likens learning an American accent to "just one of the tools" in her arsenal one she can deploy when needed. "It is convenient to say or criticize such courses, but that's forgetting real problems that I am facing every day," she added. "People are already biased and prejudiced no matter what," she said. "If everyone is really so genuine and accepting of each other, we wouldn't even be talking about this." The role of companies Even so, Kim said, non-native speakers shouldn't have to change the way they speak to satisfy others' biases. "The responsibility for interrupting racism in the workplace is on leadership, not the employee who's actually experiencing it," Bhasin added. For employers and organizations, it's crucial for leaders to have bias-disruption training, Bhasin said. "I'm sure that many leaders don't even realize that accent-based bias exists," she said. "We need to teach how bias shows up in everything from recruitment practices, to work allocation, from mentorship to compensation decisions and succession planning." Based on Kim's research, role-taking simulations where native speakers are asked to speak in a foreign language and listen to their own speech is effective. "Many interviewees claimed that native speakers lack empathy because they do not know what it feels like to work in a foreign language on a daily basis," she added. The more one is exposed to an accent, the easier it becomes to understand it. So companies can also encourage teams to work together for longer periods of time, Kim said. Plus, "as team members collaborate over time, they have more opportunities to exchange personal, idiosyncratic information," she said. "Consequently, surface-level differences such as ethnicity, gender and language become less important in defining a person." Send them on that trip Ivona Hideg, an associate professor in organization studies at York University, said companies should not shy away from sending individuals with accents on business trips. "What managers tend to do is what we call third-party prejudice accommodation," she said. "They're saying: 'I have no prejudice against you, but my client does. I'm not going to send you because of my client.'" But that only perpetuates prejudice and stereotypes, she said. "Managers are guilty of prejudice, as much as they'd like to think they're not." Leaders need to have the courage to say: 'This is the best person for the job.' Brad Harris Management professor, HEC Paris Business School Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 29) The search for missing passengers of the boat that capsized off Binangonan, Rizal may be halted on Sunday, just a few days after the tragedy struck. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the operations will stop if there are no more families looking for victims. "Maaring ang termination ay bukas, pero depende pa sa gagawing recommendation ng ground commander na in-charge doon sa incident," PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo told CNN Philippines. [Translation: The termination may be tomorrow, but it still depends on the recommendation of the ground commander in charge on the incident.] Balilo added that rescuers had a hard time conducting the search due to bad weather and murky waters. M/B Princess Aya left Binangonan at around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday en route to Barangay Gulod on Talim Island. The overloaded boat sank 45 minutes away from its destination. The incident left 27 people dead while 43 others survived. CNN Philippines correspondent Daniza Fernandez contributed to this report Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) Falcon further intensified into a typhoon while moving over the Philippine Sea, the state weather bureau said late Sunday evening. No storm signals were raised but Falcon continues to enhance the southwest monsoon, or habagat, that is bringing rains over parts of Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported in its 11 p.m. bulletin. The western portion of Luzon may expect rains from the habagat in the next three days, according to PAGASA. "Pag sinasabing typhoon category, umaabot hanggang Signal No. 4 ang tropical cyclone wind signal na maaaring itaas. Sa pagkakataong ito, walang nakataas dahil walang direktang epekto yung bagyong Falcon," PAGASA weather specialist Obet Badrina said. [Translation: Under the typhoon category, up to Signal No. 4 is the tropical cyclone wind signal that can be raised. In this case, none was raised because typhoon Falcon had no direct effect (to the country)] PAGASA earlier reported that intense to torrential rains are likely in Zambales and Bataan, while heavy to intense rains are expected in Occidental Mindoro due to the habagat. Metro Manila, Cavite, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Bulacan, the northern portion of Palawan may experience moderate to heavy rains. PAGASA further said Falcon remains unlikely to make landfall in any part of the country throughout the forecast period. As of Sunday evening, Falcon was seen near the border of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and it may exit the country's weather monitoring area on Monday evening or Tuesday morning, the state weather bureau added. A gale warning is also in effect over several coastal waters along the western seaboard of Luzon, PAGASA said. Falcon was last spotted 1,090 kilometers east of Extreme Northern Luzon, moving north-northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph). It was packing maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 170 kph. Falcon is the sixth tropical cyclone to enter the PAR and the third in July. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) The international celebration of World Youth Day will take place in Lisbon, Portugal on Aug. 1-6 after it was postponed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, at least 600,000 delegates from all over the world are expected to attend the global gathering. According to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, at least 1,500 Filipino will attend the six-day event. Pope Francis will preside over the World Youth Day celebration, his first foreign trip after undergoing hernia surgery last June. The Argentine pontiff will lead the praying of the rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions. He will be accompanied by youths suffering from illness. He will visit the Shrine of Fatima and will have a meeting with the Jesuits at the Colegio de S. Joao de Brito. The head of the Catholic Church will also preside over the Eucharistic celebration for World Youth Day on Aug. 6 at Campo da Graca. With this years theme Mary arose and went with haste from the Gospel of Luke, Pope Francis urged the Catholic youth to emulate the Blessed Virgin Marys readiness to set out on a journey to help others. I would like to see a seed for the worlds future. A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are brothers and sisters, Pope Francis said in a video posted on Thursday. We are at war; we need something else. A world that is not afraid of witnessing to the Gospel, he added. Initiated in 1986 by Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day is held every three years. It was last celebrated in Panama City in 2019 and was postponed in 2022 due to the pandemic. Pope John Paul II established World Youth Day as an international gathering of youth for prayer, worship, and celebration of the Catholic faith after seeing a huge crowd of young people gathered during the International Jubilee of Youth in 1984. In 1995, the global gathering was celebrated in Manila and was attended by at least 450,000 pilgrims. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines has to start importing rice to prepare for the impacts of El Nino and Typhoon Egay on local harvest. In a situation briefing with government officials in Tuguegarao City on Saturday, Marcos said he is worried about the local rice supply following reports on agriculture damage caused by Egay. He also stressed that the country should boost its rice stocks to ensure that it is prepared for the impact of El Nino on agriculture, and that he may seek a supply deal with India. "I think about the national supply of rice because ini-import lahat ng Indonesia, nagsara ang VietnamIndia nagsara. Pero I think I can make a deal with India, baka meron tayo mapakiusapan do'n, but we have to start importing already. Vietnam says nailabas na raw lahat ng kanilang ilalabas. Thailand puwede pa," said Marcos, who is also the agriculture secretary. Everybody is preparing for El Nino, lahat ng Southeast Asia, sabay-sabay nagbibilihan. Ninenerbyos ako tataas na naman ang presyo kahit mag-import tayo, he added. [Translation: I think about the national supply of rice because Indonesia is importing, Vietnam has closed, and India has closed. But I think I can make a deal with India But we have to start importing already. Vietnam says theyve exported everything they could, so we can turn to Thailand. Everybodys preparing for El Nino, all of Southeast Asia. Everyone is buying at the same time, thats why Im nervous that the prices will be high even if we import.] RELATED: 'Weak' El Nino begins, impact on PH coming up PAGASA Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba said agriculture damage caused by Egay in his province has so far reached over 539 million, of which 327 million were recorded in corn production, 123 million in high-value crops, 41 million in rice, 47 million in fisheries, 1.05 million in livestock. Damage to infrastructure in Cagayan is at 862.3 million, he added. According to the latest report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the initial estimate of damage to agriculture was at 1.5 billion, and the livelihoods of more than 100,000 farmers and fisherfolk were disrupted. Production loss was at 130,776.58 metric tons, and at least 130,440.2 hectares of crop area were affected by Egay. Marcos told local government units affected by the typhoon to submit detailed reports on agriculture damage and the needs of farmers. He also said the Department of Agriculture could provide palay, corn, and high-value crops seedlings to farmers as support. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he will file on Monday a resolution that will recommend the end of bilateral talks with China and denounce the superpowers harassment of Filipino vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). That's number one, it's of course to continue the diplomatic protest, then discontinue bilateral discussions with China. And then number two, to file the appeal to the [United Nations] General Assembly (UNGA). Puwede rin po nilang aksyunan 'yun [They can act on it]. That will be one of the options, Zubiri said in an interview on Friday. This comes after Sen. Risa Hontiveros filed a resolution urging the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to raise the issue of Chinas harassment of Philippine vessels in the WPS to the UNGA. He said his measure would express the Senates condemnation of Beijings incursions in Philippine waters and its continued rejection of the 2016 Hague ruling that nullified its claim over the South China Sea. Zubiri added that the new measure would give the government more options in addressing Chinese harassment aside from the proposed UNGA resolution. Hindi naman po tayo executive. Ang pangulo talaga ang nagdidikta ng foreign policy ng ating bansa kung gusto ba niyang makipagdiskusyon, gusto ba niya itong idulog sa UN General Assembly, o gusto niyang mas matindi pang ipaglaban ang ating mga stake dito sa mga lugar na ito, he said. [Translation: We are not the executive. The president dictates the foreign policy of the country if he wants a discussion, or if he wants to go to the UNGA, or if he wants to fight harder for our stakes in these areas.] President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier commented on Hontiveros resolution, saying the countrys foreign policy was not defined by the legislature but by the executive. READ: Marcos on Hontiveros' call to raise WPS incursions before UNGA: 'Foreign policy not set by legislature' Although the Senate puwede naman pong magbigay ng tinatawag na opinion. We can make suggestions. We can give the sense of the Senate na nakikita po natin, 'yung galit po natin dito sa pangyayari sa West Philippine Sea, he said. [Translation: The Senate can give its opinion. We can make suggestions. We can give the sense of the Senate, where we see anger at what is happening in the West Philippine Sea.] Senators will meet with officials from the DFA, National Task Force-West Philippine Sea, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, and Armed Forces of the Philippines on Monday to discuss ways to enforce the countrys sovereignty over the contested waters, Zubiri disclosed. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. In a textbook lift-off, ISRO launches seven Singapore satellites with PSLV-C56 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s workhorse launch vehicle PSLV-C56 on Sunday successfully launched seven Singapore satellites, including the primary payload DS-SAR, a Radar Imaging Earth Observation satellite, from the spaceport of SHAR Range, in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota. ISRO successfully launches seven Singapore satellites with PSLV-C56. Photo courtesy: ISRO Twitter "PSLV-C56/DS-SAR Mission fully accomplished," ISRO said, adding that all satellites were precisely launched into their intended orbits. PSLV-C56/DS-SAR Mission: The mission is successfully accomplished. PSLV-C56 vehicle launched all seven satellites precisely into their intended orbits. Thanks to @NSIL_India and Singapore, for the contract. ISRO (@isro) July 30, 2023 After a 25.5-hour countdown, the 44.4 m tall four-stage vehicle with a lift off mass of 228 tonnes, took off majestically from the First Launch Pad at 0630 hrs. Scientists at the Mission Control Centre, including ISRO Chairman S. Somnath, watched the trajectory of the flight with bated breath. PSLV-C56/DS-SAR, is the dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for ST Engineering, Singapore. The launch was conducted by ISRO under a contract with New Space India Limited (NSIL). After a flight duration of about 25 minutes, all seven satellites had to be injected into the orbit. After a flight duration of 21 minutes, according to the mission plan, PSLV-C56 had to first launch the primary payload, DS-SAR, a 360 kg Radar Imaging Earth Observation satellite into a Near-equatorial Orbit (NEO) at 5 deg inclination and 535 km altitude. All seven satellites were successfully deployed into their intended orbit, achieving the mission's objectives approximately 20 minutes after liftoff. The DS-SAR satellite, a Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR), creates two-dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects. It is a collaborative project between DSTA, representing the Government of Singapore, and ST Engineering, and is designed to meet the imagery requirements of diverse Singapore government agencies and ST Engineering's clientele in the commercial sector. Later, the six co-passenger satellitesalso from SingaporeNuLIon by NuSpacean advanced nanosatellite enabling seamless IoT connectivity in both urban & remote locations; ORB-12 STRIDERa satellite developed under international collaboration, Galassia-2a nanosatellite orbiting at low earth orbit; SCOOB-IIa nanosatellite flying a technology demonstrator payload; Arcadean experimental satellite for atmospheric coupling and dynamics exploration and VELOX-AMa technology demonstration microsatellitewill be placed in the orbit in that order in a span of four minutes. The successful launch of PSLV-C56 and DS-SAR serves as a testament to India's growing prominence in the global space industry, strengthening collaborations and drawing the attention of commercial satellite operators from around the world. This achievement not only generates revenue but also significantly contributes to the growth of India's space economy. With this, ISRO has launched 531 foreign satellites and the fourth dedicated PSLV launch for the Singapore government to date. As anyone who's ever been thrown out of a multiplex for trying to magically Last Action Hero their way into the screen knows, movies aren't real. They're intricately constructed works of art put together by writers, filmmakers, and let's be honest, probably cocaine. Like in any other job, people making movies sometimes screw up little stuff. But rather than let those screw-ups ruin things, we've found some pretty out-there justifications to help preserve the illusion. For example ... Advertisement 5 The Santa Clause -- The Death Conspiracy As we've mentioned before, the Santa Clause franchise is basically a Jenga game of insane narrative choices. And right when we thought we'd tackled every creepy implication of that wacky universe, one fan found perhaps the creepiest. In The Santa Clause 2, we learn that Santa is forced to take a wife, who then also becomes immortal. But in the first movie, when the original Santa dies, Tim Allen shows up to the North Pole and ... there's no grieving widow. Where's the mandatory Mrs. Claus? Either there's an incongruity in the whole Santa mythology, or there's the more grisly possibility that once Santa kicked the bucket, Christmas magic murdered his poor wife. Alternatively ... The Crazy Theory: There's one way to explain Mrs. Claus' absence which doesn't involve some kind of yuletide death curse: Santa faked his death. As a fan pointed out, the titular clause states that whoever puts on Santa's suit "fully accepts the duties and responsibilities of Santa Claus in perpetuity until such time that wearer becomes unable to do so by either accident or design." Walt Disney Pictures "This really feels like something that should require a notary." Adding the word "design" leaves open the possibility that Santa orchestrated his little "accident." That would explain why when Tim Allen spots Santa on the roof, he's standing by the chimney, but isn't carrying his magic sack. He had no intention of delivering presents -- he was purposefully making a ruckus in order to get spotted, fall, stage his own death, and have the sucker who spotted him take his place. Hell, that fall is questionable as hell. He slides off the roof and lands flat on his back in a giant snow pile like a Hollywood stuntman. (Yeah, 'cause it's a movie stunt. We know, shut up.) Most importantly, this means that Mrs. Claus isn't dead, but rather waiting for Old Saint Dick at the airport with two tickets to South America. Related: 6 Fan Theories (That Improve Movies) 4 Star Wars -- The Force Sapped Obi-Wan Of His Youth Ewan McGregor's portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi was one of the best parts of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. Even when hanging out with a four-armed monster in a 1950s greasy spoon, he somehow manages to comport himself with dignity. The prequel version of Obi-Wan is also a spry young man-- like, "able to obtain the high ground" spry. But when we see him again in A New Hope, he's ... old. So old. Like, ten years too old to be too old for this shit. Lucasfilm Ltd. Lucasfilm Ltd. It's the desert, man. Gotta remember to hydrate. How did Obi-Wan go from a dashing young knight to looking like he's about to ask for the senior's discount at Burning Man? It's not like the actors' ages add up, either. Alec Guinness was 63 when A New Hope came out, Ewan McGregor was 34 when Revenge Of The Sith was released, and only 19 years separate the two. Obi-Wan has somehow aged an extra decade. And in real life, Guinness had lived through two world wars and the '60s, so he seems positively ancient. You could chalk this up to George Lucas paying less attention to math than he did to magical germs and Watto's hat collection. Or it could be because ... The Crazy Theory: Obi-Wan's youth was drained from him. Anyone who has children is probably familiar with the concept, but in this case, his youth was taken by the Force. The idea is that Obi-Wan didn't merely protect Luke by moving to Tatooine and assuming the job of elderly weirdo, but that he also used his powers to hide Luke's presence from Darth Vader. In the same way that Luke's astral projection drained him of his remaining life in The Last Jedi, Obi-Wan's efforts accelerated his aging process. Plus, despite what John Williams' soaring music would have you believe, those twin suns aren't doing anyone's skin any favors. Related: 6 Fan Theories That Vastly Important Films If They're True 3 Back To The Future -- Marvin Berry Is A Time Traveler As great as they are, the Back To The Future movies aren't without their noticeable goofs. There's everything from George McFly somehow not being suspicious that his son is a dead ringer for that guy whose capacitor his wife wanted to flux, to Marty not noticing that his girlfriend's face, voice, and general demeanor have inexplicably changed between movies. One inconsistency you probably didn't notice involves the guitar Marty rocks out on to the delight (and eventual horror of) the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance. Play You were probably too focused on the flawless vocal sync. The problem is that cherry red Gibson ES-345 didn't exist in 1955. And the production totally knew this and didn't care. Was it simply a matter of artistic license? Or was it because secretly ... The Crazy Theory: Marvin Berry and his band were from the future too. The group hired to play the school dance seemed like they were from the 1950s, but then, how do you explain that anachronistic guitar? Easy: They were sent back in time to help Marty. Remember, they're the ones who conveniently show up to save him from Biff's goons. Universal Pictures Universal Pictures It's a shame the market for a good goon hasn't held up. Consider this possibility: In the original timeline, Marty asphyxiates in the back of a trunk. A guilt-ridden Doc enlists "Marvin Berry and the Starlighters" to go back in time to rescue him, and that's the timeline we see play out. OK, this sounds totally nuts, but it also makes that phone call to Chuck Berry not just a throwaway joke, but an important effort to preserve history. Think about it. Marty is playing "Johnny B. Goode" to a room full of high-schoolers. What's to stop one of them from stealing it? By calling up the original author, time traveler Marvin ensures that "Johnny B. Goode" gets written by Chuck Berry and not, say, that ginger turd who tells George to "scram." All Marvin has to do is pretend to be some long-lost cousin, which is why Chuck seemingly doesn't know who's calling him. Universal Pictures "If I'm not your cousin, then how do I know you're really a nasty-ass perv? Yeah, that's what I thought. Now listen to this ..." And speaking of time trickery ... Related: 5 Movie And TV Fan Theories That Make Way Too Much Sense 2 Fantastic Beasts -- Prof. McGonagall Pulled A Hermione Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald features a laundry list of callbacks (or call-forwards, since it's a prequel) to the original Harry Potter series. There's the Mirror of Erised, the Philosopher's Stone, Voldemort's pet snake Nagini as a perfectly nice human woman, etc. Most notably, we get to see 1920s Hogwarts, and meet Dumbledore before he went full Gandalf. Warner Bros. He forgot how to cast Personalus Groomus sometime in the '70s. For some reason, we also get a brief cameo from Professor McGonagall ... despite the fact that she hadn't been born yet. Should we just be happy that this particular addition to the Potter canon doesn't include public crapping? Or is there a way to make sense of J.K. Rowling's madness? The Crazy Theory: It's not impossible for McGonagall be at Hogwarts if she used a Time Turner. It's not that crazy an idea; in a universe wherein pocket-sized time machines can literally be operated by children, maybe everyone should be considered a possible time traveler. The theory posits that McGonagall went back in time to help Dumbledore, who doesn't want to battle his ex, Grindelwald. Why? According to her Pottermore page, young Minerva fell in love with a Muggle named Dougal McGregor. They eventually split up, but what if it was almost way worse? Grindelwald's plan involves taking over the non-magical world. What if he succeeded and McGonagall's beau was enslaved or killed in her original timeline? If she wants to fix things, her only option would be to pop back into the '20s, gain Dumbledore's trust, and help convince him to duke it out with his creepy perv-stached former lover. That, or it was midichlori- oh wait, wrong terrible prequel series. Related: 5 Theories That Make Famously Bad Movies Awesome Advertisement Advertisement It seems like we all need to apologize to that woman who claimed to see an invisible entity on the back of her plane. On Wednesday, Congress held a hearing on UFOs where three former military officials testified under oath that the government internally acknowledges the existence of flying saucers and nonhuman biological matter. While the jokes have been flowing about the apparent evidence of extraterrestrial lifeforms, others have felt a certain level of vindication. Both Jersey Shore alum Snooki and Blink-182s Tom Delonge took to the internet to share their excitement about the historic revelations that they believed in all along. Meanwhile, Charles Oppenheimer, the Grandson of the Atomic Bomb, rushed out to watch Christopher Nolans biopic much like the rest of the world. In a conversation with Time Magazine, he shared that while he found himself accepting and liking the film, there was one scene where he felt extreme creative liberties were taken. The scene in question features the elder Oppenheimer narrowly avoiding poisoning a university tutor. Charles told the magazine that there's no record of him trying to kill somebody. There might be some people in Japan, of course, who disagree with this sentiment. Through it all, another batch of hilarious tweets graced our timelines including those about the real cure to male loneliness, the truth about overnight oats and the thing that makes action movies so special. One of our greatest Foreign Secretaries, Ernest Bevin, declared back in 1951: 'My policy is to be able to take a ticket at Victoria Station and go anywhere I damn well please.' It is a good policy. Peaceful travel is a huge force for good, destroying prejudice, educating us in the admirable things about our neighbours, making conflict and misunderstanding less likely. It is also fun. Life is immeasurably better in this age of easy, affordable travel than when we were stuck at home. Not long before Bevin made his statement, he could have done more or less as he pleased, for passports only became a normal requirement for travelling Britons after the outbreak of the First World War. A memento of this relaxed and vanished age of free movement still exists at Blackfriars Railway Station in London, where the names of possible destinations are carved on the pillars Berlin and Bromley, Naples and Sheerness, Westgate-on-Sea and Venice, all mixed up together as if it didn't matter whether you were going to Canterbury or St Petersburg. Decades of war and tension changed all that. But even so, those who can recall travelling on the Continent before Britain joined the Common Market can still remember a remarkably relaxed regime, a quick glance and a blurred rubber stamp. There was even the 'British Visitor's Passport', which you could get without fuss from a Post Office or a Labour Exchange, valid almost everywhere in Western Europe. Then Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin giving a speech around 1950 How strange, then, that a supposedly more unified and peaceful Europe should reverse all this. Are we being punished for our temerity in leaving the EU? It looks like it. We have not ceased to be a civilised and law-governed country, so why must we be treated as some sort of menace? Europeans claim in principle to favour free movement. The EU enthusiastically abolished its internal borders, yet it is now planning to impose a system designed to make travel across the Channel as dismal and bureaucratic as possible. Having abolished the old Iron Curtain, Brussels now proposes to kettle the UK behind an Electronic Curtain. There will be fingerprints and facial recognition, and all kinds of highly personal data fed into the EU's computers. 'What could possibly go wrong?' one might ask. This nightmare is called ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System). Its supporters justify it by comparing it with the USA's similar ESTA, but who would model their border control on America's ultra-suspicious and unfriendly frontiers, with their endless queues for the law-abiding, while illegal migrants still flow in, in uncounted multitudes, along the Mexican border? So much for the pretext of 'security'. The EU, like America, surely needs to worry more about illegal migrants crossing the Mediterranean and planning to stay than about British tourists arriving for a fortnight's holiday. Those in charge know this is going to be a major nuisance, or why is implementation likely to be put off until after the Paris Olympics, when France hopes for a major surge of visitors? Apparently, this unwelcome yet still avoidable change has already long been agreed by UK diplomats during the original negotiations on our departure from the EU. In that case, the Government must reopen the issue before it is too late, and at least achieve another postponement while it is reconsidered. This was a serious mistake. There is no good justification for it. It should be reversed. The first episode of a new BBC documentary about the death of teenager Gaia Pope in November 2017 - and how society failed her - aired this week. The hard-hitting three-parter delves deep into Gaias disappearance, and the reasons behind her tragic death from hypothermia on perilous Dancing Ledge in coastal Dorset. Presenting it is former Essex reality TV star Zara McDermott, the series marks the latest string in her documentary bow. In 2021, the 26-year-old's own story on revenge porn was told via BBC3, opening the door to charity work against sexual abuse that has seen her meet Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales on multiple occasions - including becoming a champion for Kate's recent Shaping Us campaign. Mcdermott, 26, pictured with the Princess of Wales in January this year at the royal's Shaping Us campaign. Since making a documentary for BBC3 about her own experiences of revenge porn, Mcdermott has met Kate and Queen Camilla on several occasions The star, left, will become the first ever Love Island contestant to appear on Strictly Come Dancing later this year. Right: Her new documentary, on the tragic death of Gaia Pope is currently airing on BBC 1 The ex Love Island and Made in Chelsea star, who is still dating MIC co-star Sam Thompson, 30, is enjoying a remarkable rebranding, going from looking for love in a Mallorcan villa, and famously crying on a bench in Made in Chelsea, to campaign for change on serious issues with the highest profile names. Indeed, such is the BBC's belief that Mcdermott could be a rising star for the broadcaster, they've given her the ultimate seal of approval - a spot on this year's Strictly Come Dancing. Here, FEMAIL looks at how Zara has transformed her career from bikini-clad dater to shining a light on sexual violence and abuse of women... LOVE ISLAND: THE REALITY TV BIG BREAK 'Quite serious': Zara was just 21 when she entered the Mallorcan Love Island villa Announcing herself as a government adviser, 21-year-old Mcdermott set pulses racing when she entered the Mallorcan villa, the same year that Dani Dyer appeared in 2018. She described herself as 'quite serious' but also 'spontaneous, fun and energetic' in her dating profile, saying 'I think that if I like someone, I will go for them 100%.' The Islander surprised daters when she entered the villa on Day 15 but lasted just ten days before she was dumped by another star in the making Dr Alex George. It was enough to bless the ambitious star with a healthy social media following, putting her on the path to TV stardom. GOING VIRAL FOR CRYING IN M.I.C, AND X FACTOR CELEBRITY APPEARANCE TV gold: Mcdermott's tears over cheating allegations in an episode of Made in Chelsea went viral in 2019 The reality star later reignited her romance with Sam Thompson and the pair are still dating For some reality TV fans, Zara will forever be most remembered for weeping on a bench after being accused of cheating on boyfriend Sam Thompson with music boss Brahim Fouradi during her time on X Factor: Celebrity. The reality star had appeared on the series in the summer and autumn of 2019, as part of the Love Island pop group No Love Lost. At this point, she had been in a relationship with Sam for several months. The couple went public with their romance in May 2019, four months after Zara's split from Love Island co-star Adam Collard. It is unlikely that she will fall victim to the infamous Strictly curse because she is still dating Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson, with whom she has starred alongside on the E4 show The star has a large social media following after rising to fame on Love Island in 2018 and competing on The X Factor: Celebrity the following year, performing for Simon Cowell The TV gold moment saw Zara begging for Sam's forgiveness on a bench - a clip that went viral after airing. Later, the reality star admitted the infidelity, posting to Instagram that 'a huge mistake I made a year ago has recently come to light and I want to face this head on. She added: 'I dont condone being unfaithful and I made a huge mistake at a time in my life where I was hugely selfish and immature. THE FIRST BBC DOCUMENTARY ON REVENGE PORN In her first BBC documentary, on revenge porn in 2021, Mcdermott revealed she felt 'shunned, punished and shamed' by her teachers and peers as a 14-year-old after a boy at her school circulated a naked image of her (pictured outside Parliament Square in London) In February 2021, Zara revealed how revenge porn had made her consider suicide after a boy shared naked pictures of her around their school when she was just 14. Revenge Porn - or Image-based sexual abuse - is the sharing of private, sexual materials of another person without their consent. In the BBC3 documentary, she revealed how she felt 'shunned, punished and shamed' by her teachers and peers, while the boy who sent the image got off 'scot free'. The reality star turned documentary maker, pictured filming her BBC3 documentary on revenge porn, has since campaigned with Refuge to bring about a change in laws surrounding the crime Zara has fronted several documentaries for BBC Three including about her experience of revenge porn and the rise of eating disorders among teens Zara, who was later victim to the same offence in 2018, said the shame drove her to consider taking her own life so she wouldn't have to go back to school. The boy had shared the image with friends and it circulated around the the Coopers' Company and Coborn School in Upminster, Essex, before reaching neighbouring schools by lunchtime the following day. It even reached her 11-year-old brother and her mother, who worked in the food and tech department of the school, who had to confront colleagues and other parents who told her she should 'be ashamed'. She has since gone on to present other BBC documentaries including Uncovering Rape Culture and her most recent Gaia: A death on Dancing Ledge. She's also presented dating show Love in the Flesh. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH ROYALTY - AND A SPOT ON STRICTLY The then Duchess of Cornwall first met McDermott during a reception at Clarence House in London to mark 50 years of Refuge Following on from the release of her documentary, the 26-year-old's career has seen a gear change, with opportunities to work with royals coming thick and fast. In January this year, Zara made a surprise appearance at The Princess of Wales' Shaping Us event. The reality star turned TV presenter rubbed shoulders with royalty at the BAFTA London event, which saw the royal launch the next stage of her Shaping Us campaign and was hosted by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. The 26-year-old joined the Princess at the Percy Community Centre in Bath in May, posing with students who had been helped by the programme, alongside Dame Kelly Holmes In conversation: The Princess chatted to Dame Kelly and McDermott, who is one of the Shaping Us campaign champions - Kate's initiative to promote the importance of early years development And in May, she was again by the Princess of Wales' side as they visited a Bath community centre being supported by Dame Kelly Holme's charity. Mcdermott is signed up as one of the Shaping Us campaign champions - Kate's initiative to promote the importance of early years development. Zara previously met with Queen Consort Camilla at Buckingham Palace for a reception to raise awareness of violence against women. In November, she was welcomed to Buckingham Palace for a reception to raise awareness of violence against women and girls, as part of the United Nations' 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. In February 2022, McDermott met Camilla at Paddington Haven, a sexual assault referral centre in West London At the summer's end, she'll be the first Love Island star to make the leap onto Strictly Come Dancing. Up until now, the BBC has not recruited anyone who has found fame on the show to compete for the Glitterball trophy, but the broadcaster believe due to her focus on documentary making Zara fits the bill. A Strictly insider told MailOnline: 'Zara is the perfect signing for Strictly, not only is she beautiful and glamorous but she is hardworking and will take being on the show very seriously. 'She's absolutely loved the experience of documentary making and is over the moon to further her relationship with the BBC by signing up to Strictly. 'It is a dream come true for her and becoming the first former Love Island star to do so is the icing on the cake.' Susie Hasler felt compelled to interrupt when she heard the negative comments The girl was reportedly grabbing passers-by to tell her friend she looked awful A fashion stylist was browsing through Primark when she overheard a teenager telling her friend she looked 'terrible'. Susie Hasler felt compelled to intervene as the girl's friend was grabbing passers-by to tell her friend she looked awful while trying on pair of sunglasses. The stylist, from West Sussex, was in Bluewater Shopping Centre, just outside of London when she noticed the cruel behaviour. She said that when other shoppers began agreeing with the friend's 'negativity' she had to do something. Susie Hasler was browsing through Primark when she overheard a teenager telling her own friend she looked 'terrible' and felt compelled to interrupt Susie runs her own award-winning personal styling business, Styled by Susie, and explained what had happened in a video on her Instagram. She said: 'With friends like this, you don't need enemies.' Recounting the ordeal, she said: 'I was in Primark and there were two girls who were trying on sunglasses. 'One of the girls was getting passers-by to tell her friend how awful she looked. 'She was saying 'those glasses look awful, excuse me, can you tell my friend how terrible she looks'. Susie was in Bluewater Shopping Centre's Primark when she overheard the conversation 'I said 'excuse me, can I have a look?' She turned around and she was wearing high-fashion sunglasses, not to everyone's taste. 'And I said 'I'm a personal stylist, and I think they look fab, and if you love them, you should get them'. 'At which point, the friend said 'I think I'm going to listen to the personal stylist's point of view'. Susie runs her own award-winning personal styling business, and explained what happened on her Instagram, her followers flooded the comment section with praise for her actions 'And her friend said 'but I don't like them, I like the more classic styles'. READ MORE: Mother who was bullied at school for her dress sense is now an award-winning stylist after launching a blog while she battled postnatal depression Advertisement 'I said to her, 'what about your friend? She likes these? She looks fab in them' - so she went and bought them.' Susie told her followers that there is a message to be learned from the incident. She said: 'Be careful who you surround yourself with and remember just because your friend doesn't like it doesn't mean you don't have to buy it. 'Follow your own style intuition. And if I'm nearby, I'll tell them off!' Susie's followers were in support of her actions and flooded the comment section with praise. 'Love this. I bet she feels amazing every time she wears them now too. Well done you for stepping in!' one person wrote. Another added: 'Thank you so much for interrupting her and putting her in her place.' Susie added: 'It is well known that women dress for other women - so it's important to build each other up. If a friend tells you she doesnt like an item of clothing you pick up, it's likely she is influenced by her own taste and likes/dislikes.' A holistic nurse practitioner has lifted the lid on the surprising ways your bowel movements can affect your weight. Jonathan Mendoza, who is known as 'Nurse Doza,' has more than 193,000 followers on TikTok, where he shares educational videos about health and wellness. The content creator from Austin, Texas, went viral this week after explaining how healthy poops equate to weight loss, while unhealthy poops lead to weight gain. 'I bet you didn't think your poops could affect your weight in a good way or a bad way but they can,' he began. Jonathan Mendoza, a holistic nurse practitioner based in Austin, Texas, went viral on TikTok after explaining how unhealthy poops can lead to weight gain Mendoza, who is known as 'Nurse Doza,' has more than 193,000 followers on the platform , where he shares educational videos about health and wellness 'If your digestive tract is off in any way, your body is off, including your overall health,' he continued. 'And let's be honest, with weight gain, you really don't have that in a healthy individual.' Nurse Doza said to look at weight gain as inflammation in the body that is 'causing havoc and dysfunction.' 'Imagine if you have arthritis of your knee. Your knee is going to swell. That's the problem right there,' he explained. 'Well, imagine if you had arthritis of your belly.' The nurse practitioner gave an example of someone who knows that their overall lifestyle including their eating habits is what is causing the weight gain. 'Okay, well, where are you putting this lifestyle?' he asked. 'You're putting your lifestyle right here in your fat cells, and you're putting it right here in your liver, and you're causing them to become inflamed, which is causing you to become inflamed.' When it comes to your bowel movements, he noted that if your digestive tract is working properly, you're eating food, digesting it, metabolizing it, and then pooping it out. 'That's exactly how health is supposed to work, right?' he said. 'So if something gets backed up and it gets stored in my fat cells, my liver, it's most likely because I couldn't poop it out.' Nurse Doza added that he often asks patients how many times they poop a day to assess their health. 'If something gets backed up and it gets stored in my fat cells, my liver, it's most likely because I couldn't poop it out,' he explained The nurse practitioner stressed that healthy poops should be an 'overall focus of longevity' because 'health poops are a sign of good health' 'Don't look at it just as weight gain,' he advised. 'Look at it as health. Because healthy poops are a sign of good health... An overall focus of longevity and health should be healthy poops, and it's a reason why we should talk about this.' The nurse practitioner's video has been viewed more than 390,000 times in just a few days. 'This! I worked over the summer full time and waited until I got home to go to the bathroom. Gained over five pounds cause of holding,' one person responded. 'I know exactly what you are talking [about],' someone else commented. '[It] happens to be when I eat bread or wheat products.' Another added that they '100% agree,' saying, 'I have to do it every day.' Nurse Doza recently shared his 'ultimate guide to healthier poops' on his podcast, The School of Doza. He explained that most people don't even realize that they have digestive issues because they think it's normal to go to the bathroom once every two or three days. 'That's not normal,' he said. 'Healthy poops mean that you go consistently when you want to, and you can count on your fingers how many times you have gone in the last couple of days. For most people that's not the case. That's not the norm.' 'You should be able to poop daily,' he added. 'You should be able to poop after meals. You should be able to poop first thing in the morning because your body's relaxed.' He now looks completely unrecognizable and has ditched showbiz The banjo-playing teen star of the 1972 thriller film Deliverance looks unrecognizable more than five decades after the movie's release as he turns his back on showbiz. 51 years after the film hit theaters, movie lovers are still gushing over the unique character who strummed a banjo in many memorable scenes. However, he has since done his best to vanish from the spotlight and now looks shockingly different from his character. Billy Redden, now 66, shot to fame when he was just 15 years old by portraying Lonnie, a 'backwoods mountain boy' who blew everyone away with his banjo skills. Since the film's release, he turned his back on both Hollywood and the banjo as he now takes on a string of jobs to make ends meet and looks nothing like he did when he rose to stardom over 50 years ago. The banjo-playing teen star of the 1972 thriller film Deliverance (shown) looks unrecognizable more than five decades after the movie's release as he turns his back on showbiz Billy Redden, now 66, (seen in 2022) shot to fame when he was just 15 years old by portraying Lonnie, a 'backwoods mountain boy' who blew everyone away with his banjo skills At the time of the film, Billy wasn't a trained actor but lived in Rabun County, Georgia, which is where the movie was shot. He was cast due to his thin figure and narrow eyes that made him look like the perfect man for the part. The flick starred Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, and Jon Voight. The actors play four city-slicker pals who take a canoeing trip to Georgia But, now, Billy looks completely different than he once did at 15. He was last seen sporting a short haircut, glasses, and slight scruff as he held onto his reliable banjo. The flick starred Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, and Jon Voight. The actors play four city-slicker pals who take a canoeing trip to Georgia. The friends are determined to take one last trip down a river, however, it quickly takes a dark turn. Things get even more heated when the businessmen develop an attitude with the locals, prompting the character Drew to enter a musical duel with Lonnie. Despite the scene becoming famously known as the dueling banjos, it was later revealed that Billy had to wear a special shirt that allowed someone else to stick their hands through and play the banjo during filming since Billy wasn't musically trained. Since the film's release, he turned his back on both Hollywood and the banjo as he now takes on a string of jobs to make ends meet and looks nothing like he did when he rose to stardom (Billy shown working at Walmart) Since his departure from the spotlight, Billy (seen in 2008) has done everything possible to get rid of the image tied to those in his county that came from the film Following the release of the movie, Billy tried to hold onto his fame for a short period by organizing tourist trips down the Chattooga River, which was featured in the movie. He played 'banjo man' in a number of other films, including Tim Burtons 2003 hit Big Fish, Outrage: Born in Terror, Blue Collar TV, and Blastfighter. He officially left showbiz behind in 2009 and took on other jobs such as a cook, dishwasher, and store associate at Walmart to get by. Since his departure from the spotlight, he has done everything possible to get rid of the image tied to those in his county that came from the film. In the 2012 documentary, The Deliverance of Rabun County, he said: 'We're not a bad people up here, we're a loving people. Rabun County is a pretty good town. It's real peaceful, not a lot of crime going on. Everybody pretty much gets along with everybody.' For all the latest Royal news, pictures and video click here The completed statue will be unveiled outside Oakham Library, in Rutland A new statue of Queen Elizabeth and her beloved corgis is set to be unveiled. Throughout the the late monarch's 70-year reign, she became known around the world for her love for Pembroke Welsh Corgis, turning the dogs into a symbol of British royalty. The incredible sculpture, which features the Queen dressed in official royal robing, stands at 7ft tall and was created using 800 kilos of clay, reports The Telegraph. The never-before-seen statue is designed by British sculptor Hywel Bran Pratley, and once completed will be available for viewing pleasure outside Oakham Library, in Rutland. Chief commissioner of the project, Dr Sarah Furness, the Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, said she wanted to erect something that reflected the monarch's 'warmth and humanity'. British sculptor Hywel Bran Pratley (pictured) working on his 7-foot-tall sculpture of the late Queen Elizabeth II in his London studio She explained: 'I wanted something that reflected Her Majesty as a Queen rather than as a person for posterity. But we wanted to do something that reflected her warmth and humanity too'. Dr Furness said the idea came to her unexpectedly following an outpouring of sentiment from the local community, who wished to console the loss of the sovereign. Currently, there stands just one full-sized statue of Her Majesty in the whole of the UK, which was erected in Windsor Great Park in 2002 to mark the Golden Jubilee. However Mr Pratley, 51, adds that this statue will focus on the Queen in her youth, as well as feature her dressed in state robes. Sarah Ferguson (pictured with the corgis she adopted after the Queen died) says the dogs are recovering from their grief The Queen (pictured) kept corgis throughout her life. After her death last September, her two dogs were adopted by Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Speaking of his inspiration behind the sculpture, he added: 'I very quickly thought that I would like to have a corgi nestling in her robes by her feet because what a great symbol it is, artistically, of her being mother of a nation. The dogs and us able to shelter under Her Majesty'. He hopes that King Charles will take on the special honour of unveiling the statue, adding that Buckingham Palace is aware of its erection. The Queen owned dozens of corgis throughout her life, many of which were descended from her first corgi, Susan. The pets, who were beloved by the Queen, turned up to show their respects during the procession to Windsor Castle this afternoon The royal aides looking after the late Queen's beloved Corgis were seen given them a sympathetic stroke as the Monarch's committal service went underway Her two surviving dogs, Muick and Sandy, who were entrusted to the Duke of York after the Queen died and are currently being taken care of by Sarah Ferguson. The Queen's love of Corgis stretches back to her childhood, when her father King George VI bought Princess Elizabeth and her younger sister Princess Margaret a Pembrokeshire Welsh Corgi when she was seven. King George brought one named Dookie home for her and Princess Margaret, after they played and fell in love with Viscount Weymouth's own Corgi. The King and Queen Mother tried to breed Dookie, and a few years later he had two puppies with another mate, who were named Crackers and Carol. The Queen's love of Corgis stretches back to her childhood, when her father King George VI bought Princess Elizabeth and her younger sister Princess Margaret a Pembrokeshire Welsh Corgi when she was seven. Pictured aged ten with two Corgis Throughout her reign, the Queen was photographed with her beloved Corgis and Dorgis on numerous occasions and it is believed she has owned as much as 30 of them throughout her life (pictured with her pets at the Windsor Horse Trials) Susan arrived in 1944 for the Queen's 18th birthday, and they quickly became inseparable. The Queen loved Susan so much that she joined the Monarch and Prince Philip on honeymoon in 1947. Susan soon began her won Corgi dynasty, with Sugar, who was Prince Charles' and Honey, who went to the Queen Mother. The Queen's love of the breed quickly became one of the things she was most known for around the world. Her Majesty owned more than 30 dogs throughout the years. Her latest, which were acquired in 2021, are believed to have been gifts. The news comes after a call-out was made by Ministers to the country to suggest the best way to commemorate the late Queen. Millions have been invited to come up with an idea for a fitting memorial for her remarkable 70 years of devoted service to the nation. The new statue was commissioned by Rutland's Lord-Lieutenant, Dr Sarah Furness, and the finished bronze sculpture will be placed outside Oakham Library in Rutland. (Pictured: A Statue of the Queen in Gravesend, Kent ) A National Memorialisation Committee has been set up to establish a permanent memorial and to explore how a legacy project could benefit Britons. A Government source told the Mail on Sunday that for the first time, public representations would be considered. One early and controversial suggestion was to replace the Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace with something in Elizabeth II's honour. But that was swiftly rejected. The independent advisory committee whose membership is yet to be established but which should be announced before the anniversary of the Queen's death on September 8 was set up by the Prime Minister and is led by the Cabinet Office. It is understood it will use a two-pronged approach: setting up a permanent physical memorial such as a statue, funded by public donations, while also launching a legacy community scheme. The plans will be presented to the King before being publicly announced. The Duchess of York has been spotted for the first time following diagnosis Sarah Ferguson has been pictured out for the first time following her breast cancer diagnosis. The Duchess of York, 63, was joined by her ex-husband Prince Andrew as he drove her through Windsor on Sunday. Looking relaxed in a light blue shirt and navy jacket, the mother-of-two tied her red hair back and went make-up free for the low-key outing. Meanwhile, Andrew, also 63, kept warm in a fabric jacket. It comes as the royal described her breast cancer as an 'enormous friend' who she thinks of as a 'shield of protection'. Sarah Ferguson has been pictured out for the first time following her breast cancer diagnosis The Duchess of York, 63, was joined by her ex-husband Prince Andrew as he drove her through Windsor on Sunday The Duchess revealed she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a successful single mastectomy at King Edward VII's Hospital in London, last month. She has since been recovering at home at Royal Lodge, Windsor, where she lives with her ex-husband. Sarah and Andrew were married from 1986 to 1996 and share daughter Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie together. Speaking on her podcast Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah, which was released last week, she discussed the diagnosis. She said: 'I really feel this is really exciting, about having this enormous friend with me, who is now my friend, to such a degree I feel like a shield, like I've got a shield of protection, because it feels like it's definitely there to say, "We got this".' At the time the episode was recorded, she said she was enjoying watching Wimbledon and had received hundreds of letters from people who had shown her an 'outpouring of kindness.' The Duchess also said she believes in 'manifestation' and 'the power of positive thought', adding: 'I think there's no question about it'. The duchess's cancer nightmare began two months ago when a routine test first detected something was seriously wrong before the Coronation. In early May, Sarah attended an appointment in London for a mammogram. Rather than being given the all-clear, as expected, the technician explained that a 'shadow' could be seen in the breast. Looking relaxed in a light blue shirt and navy jacket, the mother-of-two tied her red hair back and went make-up free for the low-key outing A source close to the duchess told Mail on Sunday: 'Most people usually associate breast cancer with a lump but that's not always the case. 'A lump can be detected by the patient, but this was a 'shadow', which can go undetected because it's a wider spread of cancerous cells that can be picked up through screening. 'In Sarah's case, a biopsy was taken from the shadowy area of tissue and a few days later the results came back to confirm the diagnosis breast cancer.' Given the size of the area, a lumpectomy was ruled out and Sarah was strongly advised to go ahead with a single mastectomy, which would eradicate the shadow of cancerous cells across the breast. Sarah was said to be devastated but determined to press ahead with a mastectomy as soon as possible, telling friends she had 'no choice' but to go through with the operation. Speaking on her new podcast Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah she discussed the diagnosis Christina Choy was the surgeon who carried out the mastectomy. Once it was complete, consultant plastic surgeon Stuart James, who was once hailed as one of the country's top breast doctors by Tatler magazine, then took over, performing a breast reconstruction with the 'DIEP flap' technique. By coincidence, Mr James is known to Prince William. In 2013 the heir to the throne attended an operating theatre at The Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea where Mr James explained the procedure of a breast reconstruction. The special procedure is so complex that only highly skilled surgeons are allowed to attempt it. Fergie previously spoke about how Beatrice and Eugenie had responded to her diagnosis, saying it had been 'scary' for the whole family It involves making an incision in the abdomen and taking fat from the stomach to form a new breast. Experts say this can take more than six hours because it involves microvascular surgery which involves cutting and then re-joining delicate 2mm blood vessels. But The Duchess endured a punishing eight-hour operation as surgeons battled breast cancer. This month, The Mail on Sunday revealed the full extent of her exhausting ordeal including four days in intensive care at the private hospital where the duchess was monitored around the clock. A friend of the duchess, who is now back at home, said: 'The surgery was very long getting on for eight hours and it was more involved than people think. Today, the message she wants to get out is that she is very grateful to those who saved her and she feels very lucky to be alive. 'Specifically, the duchess wants to thank the two incredible surgeons Christina Choy and Stuart James who carried out the operation and all the medical team who worked tirelessly to help her.' The 63-year-old was diagnosed with the disease and has undergone a successful single mastectomy at King Edward VII's Hospital in London Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated? What is breast cancer? It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts. When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule. Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare. Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body. The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated. What causes breast cancer? A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'. Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics. What are the symptoms of breast cancer? The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign. The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit. How is breast cancer diagnosed? Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours. Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer. If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray. How is breast cancer treated? Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used. Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour. Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery. Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying. Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer. How successful is treatment? The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure. The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 70 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage. For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000 Advertisement But the length of time under the general anaesthetic took its toll on Sarah Ferguson, whose vital signs were then monitored in intensive care for four days. She told friends that she is facing a 'long road' to recovery but is determined to 'beat it'. Her younger daughter, Princess Eugenie, has 'all but moved in' to help look after her mother while sister Princess Beatrice is said to be a frequent visitor and 'constantly on the phone'. Andrew has been on hand to help and friends and family have been rallying around to provide hot meals and run errands. A Buckingham Palace source confirmed that the King had also written to his former sister-in-law, sending his sincere wishes for a speedy recovery. A Palace insider said that plans for the Yorks to move out of Royal Lodge and into Frogmore Cottage, Harry and Meghan's former home, have been 'quietly shelved' for now. The duchess wants to thank the two incredible surgeons Christina Choy and Stuart James who carried out the operation and all the medical team who worked tirelessly to help her Andrew has been on hand to help and friends and family have been rallying around to provide hot meals and run errands The Duchess of York, whose stepfather Hector Barrantes died from lymphatic cancer in 1990 at the age of 51, has long been a champion for the charities working to combat the disease. In November that year she opened a specialist cancer unit at the Middlesex Hospital in London for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Since then, Sarah has become a patron of the charity, attending almost all of the charity's new unit openings. Over the years, her daughters Beatrice and Eugenie have both joined their mother in supporting the charity. Sarah said that both princesses spent their 18th birthdays visiting teenage cancer units. Revealing her own cancer battle before her operation, Sarah said in her podcast: 'I volunteered to work for the Teenage Cancer Trust because my stepfather died of cancer. 'He was a wonderful man. I adored him.' A source said that, after a period of recovery, the duchess intended to 'spread the word' and work to raising awareness of the importance of early cancer detection. She told her podcast: 'I'm telling people out there to go get checked. Go get screened. Go do it. I'm not just talking about breast cancer but all cancers.' This summer, why not take a break with the most escapist new book trend the destination thriller, or lets call it triplit? Unsurprisingly, the vogue for escapist tomes set in exotic locations began to take root while we were all (including authors) stuck at home during the pandemic. But if youre expecting sunshine and sangria, think again; the twist that makes this genre fun is that its all about revealing the dangerous underbelly of paradise. Why? Just as on-screen weve been busy watching one percenters fail to find happiness despite their riches (in Succession, of course, but also The White Lotus and Nine Perfect Strangers, the latter both set at luxury resorts), its oddly reassuring to know that even in the lap of luxury things can go wrong. And, however lovely your surroundings, when youre out of your comfort zone at a remote hotel, villa or island, things can go wrong very quickly or so the thrillers suggest. This summer, why not take a break with the most escapist new book trend the destination thriller, or lets call it triplit? (stock photo) For writers, the format offers the perfect opportunity to write a so-called locked-room mystery where the characters are cut off from the outside world, meaning the suspect for what occurs must be among the assembled cast. Not for nothing was queen of crime Agatha Christie, who sent her characters to suffer through a tour of Egypt in Death On The Nile among other ill-fated excursions, the prototype for the titles were seeing now. Best-selling author Catherine Cooper has made her name with thrillers set in luxury settings overseas, from The Chalet in 2021 to The Chateau, with The Island out this autumn (HarperCollins, October 12), set in the Maldives. As she says: There are many reasons for the appeal of glamorous locations for thrillers not just the descriptions of beautiful suites and Michelin-star meals but also the mismatch between the lavish lives of the visitors and those who are waiting on them. Also, I very much feel theres a tendency to feel that terrible things are less likely to happen in beautiful surroundings, so its somehow all the more horrifying when it does. She adds: There is an extra element when you are away from home, you are surrounded by strangers, people may not be who you believe them to be. And the trend shows no sign of slowing down; the recent London Book Fair saw agents on the look-out for more destination thrillers, with The Bookseller reporting that publisher Transworld has just signed a thriller about a post-divorce celebration trip in the Maldives (yes, again) to land next summer with the brilliant title of Bad Tourists. One that chimes with anyone whos felt a murderous impulse over losing a sun lounger to a fellow holidaymaker. For the full triplit experience, you can even match your beach tome to your favourite type of holiday for a truly immersive read - so heres my pick of the newest and most thrilling releases . . . DEATH IN PARADISE The Honeymoon by Kate Gray (Welbeck, out now) The Honeymoon by Kate Gray (Welbeck, out now) If youre on a romantic getaway, reassure yourself that however bad that last row was over directions, things arent going quite this wrong. In Bali, two couples meet on their honeymoons, never thinking that the trip of a lifetime will end in murder. As author Kate says: The oppressive heat, the language barrier and different cultures can sometimes feel completely alienating and isolating, pushing characters out of their comfort zone. And if couples having a terrible time abroad strikes a chord, you could also try The Summer Holiday by S. E Lynes (Bookouture, out now), about a marriage in trouble in Spain after an old friend appears. DEEP-SEA DANGER The Dive by Sara Ochs (Bantam Press, out now) The Dive by Sara Ochs (Bantam Press, out now) For water babies who prefer holidays to be more about turquoise seas than five-star spas, try this tale of diving instructor Cass, taking a group of newbies out off the coast of Koh Sang, Thailand. Inevitably, things dont go as planned someone is making sure that these backpackers never leave paradise. This new release was inspired by debut author Saras own backpacking travels with friends in 2015: I wrote The Dive during the monotonous reality of lockdown as a way to mentally travel back to my favourite place in the world: the coast of Thailand. I hope it gives my readers the same opportunity! But there was a dark side to her visit. Shortly before she left she discovered that a year before Id arrived, two tourists had been murdered on the beach a short way away from where I had been, she recalls. MAJORCA MYSTERY The Beach Party by Nikki Smith (Penguin, out now) The Beach Party by Nikki Smith (Penguin, out now) Ever had a holiday with pals go haywire? Heres a way to revisit that in style without the tears in a taverna. Split between the 1980s and present day, this pacy thriller follows six friends on a holiday gone awry in millionaires hideaway Deia, Majorca (TV drama The Night Manager was filmed at its famous seafront restaurant Cas Patro March). Some 30 years later, someone is determined to make them pay. Author Nikkis location oozes exclusivity with its stunning villas and gorgeous beaches, contrasting with the darkness within the characters themselves. And if you like a tale of friends falling out abroad, A. A Chaudhuris The Final Party (Canelo, out now) sees three couples gather in a luxury Italian villa for a 40th. As everyone knows, holidays can be stressful enough without throwing in a Major Life Event let alone a murder. A HIKE FROM HELL The Contest by Karen Hamilton (Headline, out now) The Contest by Karen Hamilton (Headline, out now) If you prefer your holidays more active than relaxing (or just like to read about others being adventurous from the comfort of your balcony), this novel lets you join a team of luxury travel guides escorting their wealthy clientele up Mount Kilimanjaro as part of an annual competition. Naturally, someones not just there for the prize, but has a more sinister motivation. Author Karen is former cabin crew and loves exploring what happens when were on holiday, believing that were taking a break from life, only to discover that our troubles may have also come along for the ride. One that will make you feel thankful for keeping your feet firmly on the ground ISLAND THRILLER The Club by Ellery Lloyd (Pan, out now) The Club by Ellery Lloyd (Pan, out now) If youve champagne tastes on a book-club budget, pick up this New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection from Ellery Lloyd, the pseudonym for husband-and-wife writing team Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos. Newly out in paperback, its about a collection of members clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich party in private. If it does sound rather Soho House, inside whose walls Meghan and Harry famously had their first date, thats no coincidence Collette was the clubs former editorial director. I worked at Soho House during the period that Soho Farmhouse was launching, and it struck me that a private members club, especially one in a remote location, would be the most incredible setting for a murder mystery, And Then There Were None-style, she has said, referring to the classic Christie story set on an island off the Devon coast. Here, the story unfolds at the launch party of the clubs latest outpost, on a private island off the coast of Essex ruined when two bodies wash up. Talk about a conversation-stopper . . . Nando's has delighted fans by dropping a merch to spice up your style, including sliders, an Extra Hot hoodie and socks. The chicken chain released a brand-new capsule collection which launched on Wednesday with prices start from 15. The Sauce Collection is a limited-edition line for those wanting to spice up their style this summer. The six-part collection includes a bag for life for 35 which is inspired by Nandos takeaway bags. The white unisex T-shirt which has a bottle of PERi-PERi hot sauce embroidered on the front and Extra Hot written on the back is 30. Nando's has dropped new merch to spice up your style- including sliders, an Extra Hot hoodie and socks The black oversized unisex hoodie also has Extra Hot written on the back and retails at 45. While the quirky black sliders have Nando's written across them in red for just 35. The new core collection champions the world-famous PERi-PERi through embroidery and print design details. And no sauce collection would be complete without a bottle of Extra Extra Hot PERi-PERi for 3. Nandos champions its Southern African heritage by working with South Africa-based artists, charities, farmers and more across the business. South African designers and suppliers were sourced to create the tees, hoodies and bags, while the sliders and socks are produced in the EU. To mark the drop, Nandos brought together fans and employees in a summer-themed shoot. The unisex collection is available to buy at www. shop.nandos.co.uk. The white unisex T-shirt which has a bottle of PERi-PERi hot sauce embroidered on the front and Extra Hot written on the back is 30 The six-part collection includes a bag for life for 35 which is inspired by Nandos takeaway bags The chicken chain released a brand-new capsule collection which launched on Wednesday and prices start from 15 The black oversized unisex hoodie also has Extra Hot written on the back and retails at 45 It comes after Nando's made a change to their loyalty scheme, meaning it will be quicker for chicken lovers to get their hands on free food. Here's what's on offer: If you collect three Chillies, you get the Green Reward which is a free chicken, three wings or a starter If you collect six Chillies, you get the Orange Reward which is a free chicken, single burger, pitta or wrap If you collect 10 Chillies, you get the Red Reward which is a free whole chicken, meal with regular sides or a salad or bowl Advertisement Typically the restaurant gives customers one 'Chilli' each time they spend 7 or more. 'Chillies' are the equivalent of loyalty points and you collect them each time you eat at Nando's. For just one week, the peri-peri restaurant is doubling the amount of Chillies customers get, so for every 7 you spend, you will get two instead of one. The offer is running in all UK and Ireland restaurants between July 31 and August 6 - so you will need to be quick to make the most of it. It will make it easier to build up your Chillies and claim free food faster. Thanks to the deal, if you spend just 7, you will only need one more Chilli before you get a Green Reward. By purchasing two meals that are worth 7 or more on two separate trips, you will be able to claim a free half chicken, single burger or pitta or wrap - this is normally priced at 8.95 If you're a Nando's regular, you could even try to build up enough Chillies for a free whole chicken, meal with regular sides or a salad or bowl - you would need to buy three meals on three separate trips. Two-thirds of fertility clinics in the UK offer unproven and potentially risky IVF add-ons, MailOnline can reveal today. Some facilities even flog the extra treatments, which can cost hundreds of pounds, without explicitly warning desperate couples that they might not work. Add-ons offered include tests which supposedly spot the best embryos and hidden genetic abnormalities. Experts are now demanding an end to the 'profiteering' practice, urging sites to stop cashing in on vulnerable Brits longing for a baby. Our investigation looked into all 75 clinics in the UK offering IVF. Seven treatments fall under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's red category, which indicates there is 'no evidence to show it's effective at improving the chances of having a baby for most fertility patients'. Five are classed as amber, meaning there is no conclusive evidence the treatments work, so the add-on should not be recommended for use Ceri Griffiths-Kennard (pictured) suffered three failed pregnancies after having nine rounds of IVF over 10 years MailOnline discovered 48 (64 per cent) offered add-ons labelled 'red' by the fertility regulator. Such a marking indicates there is 'no evidence to show it's effective at improving the chances of having a baby for most fertility patients'. Seven treatments fall under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's red category. Some 13 clinics (17 per cent) offered 'assisted hatching'. It is claimed the technique, which can cost up to 600 and uses acid or lasers, helps an embryo 'hatch' out of its protective layer of proteins to implant itself in the lining of the uterus. READ MORE: England's 'cruel' IVF postcode lottery MAPPED: How some NHS boards only offer one free cycle, limit treatment to under-35s and deny couples who have kids already Under current official guidelines, women under the age of 40 struggling to have a child should get three cycles of the fertility treatment on the NHS. Yet only three parts of the country abide by this access criteria, developed 10 years ago Advertisement But studies warn this add-on could damage the embryo, and there is no evidence it improves pregnancy rates. Pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) is offered by 39 clinics in the UK (52 per cent), making it the most popular marketed add-on. PGT-A involves checking embryos for abnormalities in the number of chromosomes, which, in theory, may indicate a genetic condition or signal that an embryo is less likely to develop into a baby. It can also involve removing a cell from an embryo, which may damage it and prevent it from successfully developing in the womb, which can cause problems in later life. Experts say the procedure can also lower the chances of pregnancy for someone in their 30s it can give inaccurate results, meaning healthy embryos are discarded and women are left with fewer to choose from. Dr Dean Morbeck, who sits on a panel of leading fertility specialists, said: 'A randomised controlled trial showed early versions of this genetics testing actually lowered a patient's chance of pregnancy, and the current version still lacks evidence that it benefits all patients. 'Furthermore, it lacks evidence that it doesn't harm patients with few embryos available for testing. 'PGT-A is invaluable for a 40-year-old patient with a lot of embryos. It's less valuable and potentially harmful for a 30-year-old patient with 1-2 embryos.' Endometrial receptivity array a test costing up to 700 that claims to find the optimal time for an embryo to be transferred into a womans uterus is offered by 26 sites (35 per cent). It involves taking a biopsy of the uterus lining, which can lead to infection, bleeding and perforation of the uterus when a small hole is accidentally made. Sometimes perforation can lead to haemorrhage or sepsis. Not all add-ons have potential health risks to the mothers and their children, but the financial set backs can become an unshakable burden for desperate families. With each add-on costing hundreds, and patients tending to undergo multiple cycles, costs can easily spiral. Ceri (left) and her partner, Oliver (right), pinned their hopes on IVF add on treatments but now feel 'left down' by the NHS and feel her eggs were wasted After relying on these potentially useless add-ons for a decade, she was left devastated after miscarrying three times. She lost one through a chemical pregnancy before five weeks and miscarried twice before eight weeks - her latest was twins (shown in scan) Intracytoplasmic morphologic sperm injection (IMSI) another red IVF add-on that costs up to 700 essentially cherry picks sperm under a microscope. While it is non-invasive and does not have any risks, the HFEA says there is no proof that it works. At least 12 clinics (16 per cent) in the UK offer it, though. Many NHS hospitals offer these add-ons but it is the private sector that is routinely called out by professionals. Some accuse them of 'profiteering'. WHAT IS THE HFEA TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM Red: There is no evidence from RCTs to show that it is effective at improving the chances of having a baby for most fertility patients. Amber: There is conflicting evidence from RCTs to show that an add-on is effective at improving the chances of having a baby for most fertility patients. This means that the evidence is not conclusive and further research is required, and the add-on should not be recommended for routine use. Green: There is more than one high quality RCT which shows that the procedure is effective at improving the chances of having a baby for most fertility patients. Source: HFEA Advertisement Dr Bassel Wattar, a consultant in reproductive medicine at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and senior research fellow at University College London, said: 'Unfortunately, several of these interventions have limited evidence of benefit behind them. 'Yet they continue to be promoted by private clinics outside the boundaries of recommended evidence-based practice. 'Such practice often exposes vulnerable patients to profiteering.' There is 'ample evidence' that add-ons such as assisted hatching 'do not significantly increase the chances of pregnancy', yet they are still offered frequently, he said. Ceri Griffiths-Kennard is just one of thousands of women in the UK who opted to have add-on treatments in the hopes of increasing their chance of having a child. After nine rounds of IVF over 10 years, the 37-year-old and her husband Oliver, 39, still desperately long for a child. The restaurant owner, from Anglesey, Wales, claimed she was never told about the lack of evidence surrounding add-on treatments, which she had on the NHS. She said she felt 'let down' after having two miscarriages and one chemical pregnancy an early miscarriage in the first five weeks and was never referred to a specialist. Instead she carried on with the hope that another IVF round with the help of add-on treatments would give her the child she always longed for. She feels that the eggs that she has used so far have been wasted. Ceri claimed the Hewitt Fertility Centre at Liverpool Women's Hospital recommended two rounds of endometrial scratching classed as an amber add-on without explaining the risks or lack of evidence. It is thought that scratching the womb releases hormones, making the lining more receptive to embryo implanting. Risks include pain, blood loss and, in rare cases, an infection in the cervix that spread to the uterus. Ceri said: 'The hospital staff were lovely, but the procedure was horrible. Around a third of IVF cycles among under-35s resulted in a live birth in 2019. Yet this dropped to just 4 per cent in over-44s 'They just suggested I should have it done. They said the theory is that it encourages blood flow to the area to encourage a healthy womb. That is all they said. 'Only after doing my own research in the last month or two did I know there was no evidence.' Ceri said she was never told about the HFEA's traffic light system and the practice of providing people with add-ons is taking advantage of vulnerable families wanting to have a child. 'It's all a money-making scam if you ask me', she added. 'It has been incredibly hard. I feel angry, and I feel let down.' Ceri had three other amber add-ons time lapse imaging, embryo glue and an elective freeze all cycle. Although the NHS has funded her treatments so far, it could have cost her tens of thousands of pounds if she was forced to pay privately. Ceri is now desperately trying to save to pay for another round of IVF in the hope that she may still have children. READ MORE: Rise of the single mother: Number seeking to get pregnant through IVF soars 44% in wake of Covid - amid boom in egg-freezing rates Hollywood actress Sienna Miller revealed last year that she had frozen her eggs aged 40 to avoid the 'existential threat' of her ticking biological clock Advertisement Thousands of Brits go through a similar emotional rollercoaster every year as one in seven couples face difficulties conceiving. Around 53,000 Brits went through the gruelling process of IVF in 2019, latest figures from the HFEA show. Many will take extreme measures to have a baby, as some clinicians have witnessed families re-mortgage their homes to afford the extra cash for treatments. Dr Sarah Armstrong, a consultant gynaecologist at St Michael's Hospital in north London, told MailOnline: 'For patients, they are vulnerable because they are desperate for success. 'Choosing an add-on offers a sense of control, with the possibility of overcoming problems encountered previously. 'We had participants describe how the cost of the add-ons paled in comparison to the headline cost of IVF and that meeting the extra cost in one case by re-mortgaging their home was worth it, even for the tiniest extra chance of success.' Now, experts are calling for add-ons to stop being used as a false sense of security to leer families into spending obscene amounts of money on treatments with uncertain clinical backing. Dr Ying Cheong, professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Southampton, told MailOnline: 'HFEA makes it clear that an "add-on" is a treatment that lacks evidence of clinical benefit and involves an additional cost to patients. 'Clinicians should not offer treatments that lack proven clinical benefit, especially when these are at additional cost to patients.' The HFEA told MailOnline it has warned clinics about the 'inappropriate' use of these treatments and has plans to crack down on those offering unproven 'add-ons' to sensitive patients. Professor Tim Child, chair of the HFEA's scientific and clinical advances advisory committee, told MailOnline: 'The HFEA has raised concerns for many years about the inappropriate use of some treatment add-ons. 'The HFEA has no power to take action against clinics offering inappropriate add-ons.' A trust spokesperson for Liverpool Women's Hospital said: 'We would like to apologise for the upset caused to the patient as a result of their experience. 'We have reached out to the patient to allow us to look into this further to better understand the issues and identify where we could have done better.' When Ceri Griffiths was offered IVF add-ons, the 37-year-old accepted, hoping it would massively boost her odds of having a baby. But, instead of the family she so desperately craved, the restaurant owner was left with nothing but heartache. Now Ceri, who suffered three miscarriages through her exhausting 10-year fertility struggles, fears she has 'wasted' her first round of collected eggs. Although Ceri's four add-ons none of which are proven to work were paid for entirely by the NHS, other women are not as fortunate. For example, had Ceri, from Wales, gone private, undergoing the same procedures could have cost her upwards of 10,000. Ceri Griffiths-Kennard suffered six failed pregnancies after having nine rounds of IVF over 10 years Ceri and her partner, Oliver, pinned their hopes on IVF add-on treatments but now feel 'left down' by the NHS and feel her eggs were wasted Some couples longing for a kid have told of their regret at spending their life savings on fertility treatment and the handful of extras offered. Discussing the devastation of repeatedly going through the trauma of a failed pregnancy, Ceri told MailOnline: 'Every time you do it, it gets harder and harder. It chips away at you. 'It's been really hard. It's been really hard for my husband (Oliver) as well. If anything, it's made us stronger together. And he's so supportive. I think it's affected his mental health just as much as mine.' READ MORE: England's 'cruel' IVF postcode lottery MAPPED: How some NHS boards only offer one free cycle, limit treatment to under-35s and deny couples who have kids already Under current official guidelines, women under the age of 40 struggling to have a child should get three cycles of the fertility treatment on the NHS. Yet only three parts of the country abide by this access criteria, developed 10 years ago Advertisement One add-on given to Ceri during her nine rounds of IVF was an 'endometrial scratch'. Like the name suggests, doctors physically scratch the lining of the womb, which apparently releases chemicals that make it more receptive to an embryo. Yet this is marked as 'amber' by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) regulator, meaning there is little evidence to show it boosts the chance of pregnancy. Five add-ons fall under this category. Ceri was given four of them, some of which were carried out repeatedly. Yet she claims that not one doctor explained how the add-ons had 'conflicting' evidence around the odds of it actually helping. Discussing her experience of scratching, Ceri said: 'The hospital staff were lovely, but the procedure was horrible. 'They just suggested I should have it done. They said the theory is that it encourages blood flow to the area to encourage a healthy womb. That is all they said. 'Only after doing my own research in the last month or two did I know there was no evidence. After losing her fallopian tubes due to a blockage at just 23, Ceri was aware that it would be impossible to get pregnant naturally. It meant IVF was her only option because eggs are fertilised out of the body and implanted into the womb replacing the role of the fallopian tubes. In 2013, Ceri, who at the time lived in Lincolnshire, had her first round of IVF through Care Fertility Nottingham, paid for by local health chiefs. After just one round, complications started to hamper the couple's dreams of having a baby. Ceri, 29 at the time, was diagnosed with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). It can cause women's ovaries to expand dangerously. In severe cases, victims can be left fighting to breathe with blood clots in their lungs. Ceri's first round ended in a chemical pregnancy, a miscarriage that happens within the first five weeks. An embryo forms but then stops developing it can happen so early that many do not even notice it. Ceri - pictured with her husband Oliver and her dog - says she was routinely given four amber marked treatments, out of a possible five, by the Hewitt fertility centre After relying on these potentially useless add-ons for a decade, she was left devastated after miscarrying three times. She lost one through a chemical pregnancy before five weeks and miscarried twice before eight weeks - her latest was twins pictured in the scans above After a failed second attempt in Nottingham, the pair started to struggled mentally with the fear of never being able to have a family of their own. Ceri and Oliver moved to Wales in 2014 for a job at a caravan park and so was referred to a closer clinic the Hewitt Fertility Centre at Liverpool Women's Hospital. She had another seven rounds with three other add-ons: elective freeze-all cycles and time-lapse imaging, artificial egg activation and embryo glue. Between them, they claim to help select only healthy eggs, promote hormone production and reduce disruptions to development in a bid to increase the odds of pregnancy. READ MORE: Scandal of the risky, rip-off IVF 'add-ons': Shock audit reveals TWO-THIRDS of clinics sell couples desperate for a baby up to 7,500 worth of unproven extras - including some that might be unsafe Ceri Griffiths-Kennard (pictured) suffered six failed pregnancies after having ten rounds of IVF over 12 years Advertisement Yet none of her attempts were successful. At the Liverpool centre, Ceri endured two miscarriages one at six weeks and another at eight weeks. She says she was never told about the HFEA's traffic light system and the practice of providing people with add-ons is taking advantage of vulnerable families wanting to have a child. 'It's all a money-making scam if you ask me', she added, 'It has been incredibly hard. I feel angry, and I feel let down.' Now she is making a formal complaint against the NHS after she says it allowed her to 'go through all her eggs without ever referring her to a reoccurring miscarriage clinic for further testing'. She believes the add-ons gave her a false sense of security and by not seeing a specialist, her eggs were 'wasted'. As Ceri's biological clock is ticking, she is desperately trying to find the funding for another chance with a specialist. She says she needs to scramble to find at least 12,000 for a fresh cycle to collect more eggs. She wants to freeze any left over embryos developed with the eggs for future use with a miscarriage specialist. Thousands of Brits go through a similar emotional rollercoaster every year as one in seven couples face difficulties conceiving. Around 53,000 Brits went through the draining process of IVF in 2019, according to the HFEA. A trust spokesperson for Liverpool Women's Hospital said: 'We would like to apologise for the upset caused to the patient as a result of their experience. 'We have reached out to the patient to allow us to look into this further to better understand the issues and identify where we could have done better.' California topped the list, followed by Maryland and New York Analysis of Google searches revealed which states are the most sleep deprived Americans living in big cities and along the coasts are missing out on more sleep than the rest of the country, new data reveals. Meanwhile, less populated states filled with wide open spaces got more shut-eye, according to an analysis of Google searches for sleep remedies and insomnia. Noise, commuting, and caffeine could all be responsible for these residents being more sleep deprived than more rural populations. The data, seen in DailyMail.com's interactive map, sheds a light on which populations are more likely to be part of the one third of Americans who aren't getting enough sleep every night and are more vulnerable to a host of chronic health issues. The above map shows the rate of sleep-related searches per 100,000 residents by state. California fared worst overall while Montana fared best Most sleep-deprived states in US REVEALED California (805 sleep-related searches per 100,000 residents); Maryland (770) New York (765) Massachusetts (754) Nevada (753) Georgia (743) Connecticut (739) Virginia (737) Texas (725) New Jersey (724) Advertisement Least sleep-deprived states in US REVEALED Montana (480 sleep-related searches per 100,000 residents) South Dakota (487) Idaho (515) Wyoming (516) Iowa (518) West Virginia (530) North Dakota (541) Arkansas (541) Maine (556) Kansas (558) Advertisement Mattress sales company Amerisleep analyzed data from the last 12 months for 96 search terms on Google related to sleep such as 'insomnia', 'sleep deprivation' and 'how to sleep faster'. The company then compiled the data to calculate a rate by multiplying the search volumes by 100,000 and dividing that figure by the state's population. The findings suggest that California was the most sleep-deprived state in the nation, with the highest number of sleep-related searches and a rate of 805 searches per 100,000 residents. The second worst state for sleep was Maryland, with a rate of 770 sleep searches per 100,000 residents, followed by New York state, at 765 sleep-related searches. Rounding out the top five were Massachusetts (754) and Nevada (753). However, Montana was the least sleep deprived state in the country, with just 480 searchers per 100,000 residences. It was followed by South Dakota (487), Idaho (515), Wyoming (516) and Iowa (518). Overall, the average national search rate for sleep-related issues was 699 per 100,000 residents. Research shows that people who live in urban areas may find it harder to sleep because of the increased noise and pollution. Dr Lisa Wolfe, a sleep specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, told the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM): 'As a "big-city doctor", there is some insomnia that I see that is city-related.' Studies have found that noise is one of the biggest sleep disrupters in cities, as people may live too close to a highway, busy street or major airport. People living in larger cities are also more likely to work corporate office jobs that start early in the morning or require working late, meaning less time for rest. Also, in these areas, which often have a coffee shop on every corner, residents may be more likely to drink caffeine, which has been shown to ruin sleep quality if consumed too late in the day. Commuting, whether on public transit or in busy traffic, also leaves less time for sleep, Dr Wolfe said. Montana, on the other hand, is a more rural state filled with wide open spaces. The entire state has just one million residents, one-eighth of the amount in New York City alone. This means less noise to disturb sleep quality. It also places a greater emphasis on agricultural work than corporate careers, making a lack of sleep from commuting less likely than in big cities. The above shows the proportion of Americans who say they do not sleep for long enough. This was unchanged from 2013 to 2020 The findings come at a time when one in three US adults aren't getting enough sleep, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency recommends all adults aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Youngsters need significantly more time in bed, however, with teenagers requiring eight to ten hours of sleep and children aged six to 12 years needing nine to 12 hours. A lack of sleep has consistently been linked to chronic health problems such as sleep apnea, heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression. It can also lead to insomnia, where someone routinely has trouble falling asleep. A spokesperson for Amerisleep said about the data: 'A good night's sleep is vital for our bodies to repair and maintain themselves. 'Sleep disorders have become more common in modern times due to lifestyle changes such as work schedules, technology and overall health.' In September 2021, London-based Leah Hardy (pictured centre) was diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of breast cancer that had already spread to the lymph nodes under her arm. She says: 'My treatment so far has included eight rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, reconstruction with implants and 16 sessions of radiotherapy, all of which has left with me with complications. A year ago, one side of my reconstructed chest swelled up dramatically. It hurt, and my skin was red and inflamed so I called the hospital and was given an urgent appointment. So far, so good. But, after a cursory examination, the doctor told me I was mistaken. I wasn't swollen at all, he insisted. Slowly, as if to an idiotic child, he explained that my plastic surgeon must have put in a much bigger implant on one side 'in case it shrank when you were having radiotherapy'. I looked at him in astonishment. I had my reconstruction surgery four months before. Did he seriously think I'd only just noticed this obvious asymmetry?' Pictured left: Musician Alienna Nova is another whose crippling pain was repeatedly ignored by male doctors - in her case for 15 years, and pictured right, Khushboo Hirani, an actress from North London, was experiencing so much abdominal pain that she 'struggled to walk' when she was dismissed by a male doctor in 2019. England's 'cruel' IVF postcode lottery is today laid bare by MailOnline's interactive map. Under current official guidelines, women under the age of 40 struggling to have a child should get three cycles of the fertility treatment on the NHS. Yet only three parts of the country abide by this access criteria, developed 10 years ago. The majority of health authorities, who are allowed to make their own access rules, offer only one cycle of IVF. Some deny it to women over 35. Others even refuse to pay for the procedure if they or their partner already have any children. Charities slammed the 'arbitrary' criteria adopted across England, arguing it forces couples desperate for a baby into 'significant financial hurdles'. Your browser does not support iframes. Around a third of IVF cycles among under-35s resulted in a live birth in 2019. Yet this dropped to just 4 per cent in over-44s Private clinics can charge upwards of 10,000 for one cycle of IVF, which has a success rate of just 27 per cent. But the success rate heavily depends on age. Around a third of IVF cycles among under-35s resulted in a live birth in 2019. Yet this dropped to just 4 per cent in over-44s. The data crunched by MailOnline was published by the Department of Health, in its attempt to set out how access to NHS-funded IVF varies across the country. The procedure, first performed in the 1970s, involves removing an egg from a woman's ovaries and fertilising it with sperm in a laboratory. READ MORE: Scandal of the risky, rip-off IVF 'add-ons': Shock audit reveals TWO-THIRDS of clinics sell couples desperate for a baby up to 7,500 worth of unproven extras - including some that might be unsafe Ceri Griffiths-Kennard (pictured) suffered six failed pregnancies after having ten rounds of IVF over 12 years Advertisement The fertilised egg, called an embryo, is then returned to the woman's womb to grow and develop. Figures show that only women aged 35 and under are eligible for NHS-funded IVF in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This is the most stringent age cut-off of any integrated care boards (ICBs). Some do offer IVF to women aged up to 42. Women under the jurisdiction of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ICB must also not have any kids from a current or previous relationship to meet the criteria. A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB told MailOnline: 'We understand how important IVF is for couples that need help to conceive, and to ensure our policy is consistent with best clinical practice, national policy and other commissioners of this service, our policy is currently under review.' However, the same policy is in place at 24 of the 33 ICBs (73 per cent) that provided details of the fertility services to the Department of Health. This is despite it not being mentioned in guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which the NHS is urged to follow. Only eight ICBs provide full cycles. If a full cycle is not offered, it means any remaining viable embryos are not used. However, couples can choose to freeze them, for a fee, so they can use them in a further transfer privately which costs around 2,000. Guidelines from NICE also set out that all IVF should be offered to women under the age of 43 who have been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for two years. However, while women aged 40 or under should be offered three IVF cycles, those aged 40 to 42 should only be offered one, the NHS says. And the final decision about who can have NHS-funded IVF is made by ICBs, whose criteria can be stricter than those recommended by NICE. Some ICBs throw up extra hurdles to those seeking to have children. These include not offering the fertility treatment to those who have paid for even a single cycle of IVF themselves, which costs 7,000 to 8,000 on average in the UK. Others stipulate that patients must have suffered from unexplained fertility for three years before they can access the treatment. For female same-sex couples, most ICBs require them to have paid for three to 12 rounds of artificial insemination when sperm is injected directly into the womb before they can access IVF on the NHS. Fresh official figures show that while some parts of the country offer three rounds of the fertility treatment, others provide just one Dr Catherine Hill, interim chief executive of the charity Fertility Network UK, told MailOnline: 'It's 45 years since the world's first IVF baby, Louise Brown, was born in Oldham. 'This means England has had longer than any other country to get access to NHS-funded fertility treatment right and yet we are a very long way from this. 'It is still the case that if you need medical help to conceive, most people in the UK have to pay privately, and the level of help you get differs depending on where you live. 'The vast majority of integrated care boards don't offer three full IVF cycles to women under 40, as recommended by NICE guidelines. 'Instead ICBs implement their own arbitrary, cruel and often non-clinical criteria to ration access to NHS-funded fertility treatment. READ MORE: I'm an embryologist - these are the six things every woman MUST think about before freezing their eggs Egg freezing has taken off over the last decade, with the numbers turning to the fertility preserving treatment increasing 10-fold over the last decade. Pictured: Test tube with eggs samples Advertisement 'Some bar women over 35 from NHS help, others offer only the absolute bare minimum of just one embryo transfer, and most say if you have a fertility problem but you fell in love with someone who already has children then you can't have help.' She added: 'If you're a woman in a same-sex relationship, then you'll face significant financial hurdles before you can have NHS treatment and if you're single, you'll either face the same financial barriers or be denied any help. 'As a society and a healthcare system we are failing fertility patients. 'Sadly, the Government's recently published incomplete data on what ICBs offer does absolutely nothing to change the current appalling picture of NHS fertility provision in England.' Sarah Norcross, director of Progress Educational Trust, a charity that campaigns to improve choices to those suffering from infertility and genetic conditions, told MailOnline: 'Almost 20 years after the NICE Guideline for fertility treatment was introduced, it still has not been implemented. 'A patient's ability to access NHS fertility treatment still depends on where they live. This is, and has always been, unacceptable. 'PET is campaigning to end the postcode lottery, so that all ICBs comply with the NICE Guideline.' Clare Ettinghausen, director of strategy and corporate affairs for the HFEA, told MailOnline that while fertility treatment 'helps thousands of people every year start a family', access varies across the country. It noted that 17 per cent fewer NHS-funded IVF cycles took place in 2021, compared to 2019 due to Covid-fuelled waiting list backlogs. Kayleigh Hartigan, fertility expert and founder of Fertility Mapper, a platform for reviewing clinics, told MailOnline: 'The data shows significant differences in who has access to fertility treatments, and what and how much treatment they are entitled to across the UK. This is known as the "postcode lottery".' She added: 'Fertility treatment is costly and emotionally and physically draining. 'Providing clear and transparent information is critical to support people through this process, putting them back in the driving seat and helping them make informed choices. '[It] is a difficult process for everyone and its made even harder by fragmented treatment pathways and a deep lack of transparent information and data. 'This makes finding out how to pay for treatment, and choosing the right clinic for your budget and needs both difficult and stressful.' China growing into source of consumer goods innovation 14:44, July 30, 2023 By Li Jie ( People's Daily Smartphones are exhibited at the Appliance and Electronics World Expo 2023 in Shanghai, April 27, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Ma Weiqin) New products are an important engine driving China's consumption growth today. This year, a number of new products have been launched in various sectors of the consumption market, including Huawei's P60 smartphone, the Blossoms Collection perfume of Jo Malone, collaboration T-shirts of UNIQLO, as well as new vehicle models by Chinese carmakers BYD, GAC Group and NIO. Many consumers told People's Daily that new arrivals account for a big portion of the products they purchase and can ignite their passion for consumption. They said they would often follow the brands they like to see if these brands have launched new products, and they are always tempted by new functions, appearances and experiences. According to statistics released by online marketplace Tmall under Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, every one in six Chinese online shoppers is buying newly released products today. People join a shopping festival in Chongchuan district, Nantong, east China's Jiangsu province. (People's Daily Online/Zhai Huiyong) Last year, more than 50,000 newly released products on Tmall achieved a turnover of more than 1 million yuan ($139,975), which means that 136 one-million-yuan commodities were hitting the shelves every day on average. Besides, 500 brands generated over 100 million yuan in sales of new products, hitting a record high. What's behind these figures is the record-shattering speed of enterprises in launching new products in the Chinese market. Panasonic sells in China nearly 3,000 home appliance models in tens of product lines under almost 30 categories. According to Tan Yuewen, head of the product marketing department of Panasonic Appliances (China) Co., Ltd., new products make up around 10 percent of major appliances for sale each year, while the figure is above 20 percent for small appliances. China has the world's largest and fastest-changing home appliance market with the fiercest competition, and with e-commerce, the market sees the highest demand for product updates, said Tan. "Only by constantly speeding up R&D can we catch up with the changes in the Chinese market," he noted. According to statistics, product launches on Tmall jumped 137 percent year-on-year in 2022, and the figure exceeded 500 percent and 300 percent in the motorcycle equipment and ready-to-cook meal sectors, respectively. That in kids' toys and pet supplies also doubled, making them the niche categories that have generated over 10 billion yuan in sales of new products. General manager Mu Shan of Tmall's marketing department told People's Daily that new products play a significant role in promoting brand development and leading consumption trends, and are a major way to obtain new consumers and a key of enterprises to maintaining their profits. Hot-selling new products and brands in China are also making their ways in the global market, such as floor washers and multifunctional pet supplies. Executives of many enterprises told People's Daily that apart from placing their production and manufacturing facilities in China, more and more enterprises are designing and developing their products in the country and then launching these products overseas. This is attributed to the "assistance" from young consumers and e-commerce. Statistics indicate that Chinese young consumers have a strong purchasing power, and they value not only the quality and functions, but also the appearance of products, which creates new space for innovation. E-commerce is the best "test field" for new products. Manufacturers can obtain product feedbacks on e-commerce platforms at the earliest possible, which makes possible digital insights, flexible supply chain and co-creation. Tourists buy duty-free commodities in a duty-free mall in Haikou, south China's Hainan province. (People's Daily Online/Su Bikun) Last year, a special development team was established by American chocolate brand Dove and Tmall, which developed, in a very short period of time, two new products - black chocolate crisp and chocolate&cheese crisp. The black chocolate crisp became the hottest-selling item of Dove's store on Tmall in just 10 days after its launch, and 76 percent of its buyers were new to the product. "Our cooperation with Tmall shortened our R&D cycle by half, which enabled us to turn ideas into commodities in a more swift and targeted manner," said Gao Haowei with Dove's e-commerce sector. In the fast-changing Chinese market, some enterprises are aiming at not only launching new products, but also developing a set of marketing methodology. Gao told People's Daily that many enterprises are making innovations according to this highly replicable method: leaning consumer demands, creating consumer portraits, building capability in co-creation, optimizing products and promoting them in the market. Over recent years, executives of many enterprises in various industries have witnessed the high acceptability of Chinese consumers for innovative products. They believe that China is growing into a source of consumer goods innovation of the world. In general, consumers are getting more rational and attaching more importance to health and the non-material features, and that's what brands should target in the future, they said. 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He is on blood thinners, statins and medication for high blood pressure. But he also drinks a lot, most days, and I worry that he has a problem. Should I try to get him to stop? This is a problem I often hear in my clinic. Alcohol is a huge health risk, particularly if a person drinks excessively. On the other hand, not everyone who drinks a lot ends up unwell it is all to do with an individuals constitution and genetics. People often worry about liver disease due to alcohol but this is by no means the only issue drink can cause. High blood pressure, heart disease and cancer, not to mention brain diseases such as dementia and depression, are all linked to alcohol intake. And it is very addictive I often see people who cant cut down for a sustained period of time, let alone stop. My worry for someone drinking while on blood thinners and other heart drugs is the effect of alcohol on those medications. Theres also the chance of falling if drunk and then having a serious bleed from an injury due to bleeding a lot more than usual when on blood thinners. A head injury would be a particular concern. Safe drinking for men and women is considered to be under 14 units a week thats about six pints or glasses of wine. Safe drinking for men and women is considered to be under 14 units a week thats about six pints or glasses of wine Sometimes there are very clear signs that someone drinks too much: opting to drink over other activities, not being able to say no or even hiding the habit. It can be hard to broach the subject with a loved one without being judgmental or confrontational. Talking about your concern and being supportive when theyre sober is the best way, rather than using accusatory words such as alcoholic. Drinkaware.co.uk has more advice on what to do if youre worried about someones drinking, including tips on what to say and what not to say. I am suffering from a dragging and pushing feeling in my pelvis, a swollen tummy and discomfort around my bottom. My GP checked for a prolapse but she said that wasnt the problem. I then had an ultrasound and was told that they could see congestion which Im not sure I understood. Could the doctor be missing something? Dragging and pushing are classic features of a prolapse when one of the organs within the pelvis, such as the womb, drops down into the vagina. It is normally caused by an issue with a weakened pelvic floor and often occurs after the menopause. What the ultrasound revealed may be a condition called pelvic congestion syndrome. This can be identified on a scan as the blood vessels around the ovaries wider and different to normal. It is usually seen in women before menopause and causes pelvic pain because the blood vessels are not working as efficiently as they should. It can cause a dull ache, a dragging type of pain, and piles which would cause discomfort in the anus. For proper diagnosis, you need a scan of the pelvic veins. With no clear answer, it would be reasonable to ask for a further conversation with the doctor, another examination and even a referral to gynaecology. These are not symptoms to be ignored. Im on a drug called levothyroxine for my underactive thyroid. But when I take it, I get a feeling of pins and needles in my face and my ears feel blocked, as if I am on an aeroplane. It takes a few hours to wear off. The specialist I saw says it is not the drug, which I have been taking for 22 years, and until this year I have never had a problem. What do you think it could be? Write to Dr Ellie Do you have a question for Dr Ellie Cannon? Email DrEllie@mailonsunday.co.uk Dr Cannon cannot enter into personal correspondence and her replies should be taken in a general context Advertisement An underactive thyroid gland, known as hypothyroidism, is where the thyroid, which is in the neck, does not produce enough hormones. These are important for maintaining energy levels, and symptoms of having insufficient amounts include tiredness, weight gain and feeling depressed. Levothyroxine is a hormone tablet prescribed to treat these problems. Its common for people with an underactive thyroid to also suffer nasal congestion, stuffiness, sinus issues and even impaired hearing but they are not side effects of levothyroxine. It is perfectly possible that these symptoms have nothing to do with the drug but that they occur first thing, before breakfast, which is coincidentally when you take your tablets so you are wrongly associating the two. It would not be unusual for your sinus and ear congestion symptoms to appear first thing in the morning. When we get up from lying down, it causes fluid to move within the ear or sinuses, which can cause these symptoms. If a medication has been taken long term in this case 22 years its possible these problems are a result of the condition not being controlled as well, and there may be a need for a dose adjustment. Its also possible the sinus problems are linked to an allergy, and a two-week trial of antihistamine tablets might be worth considering to see if this has any impact. Tackling the nightmare of sleeping pill addiction UK health chiefs introduced a brilliant initiative which I want everyone to know about a guide for patients who take sleeping tablets but want to reduce or come off their dose. Sleeping pill dependence is a huge problem in the UK. About a million people take the pills so-called z-drugs such as zopiclone and benzodiazepines to help them sleep or tackle severe anxiety. But they are not a long-term solution. They come with a serious risk of addiction over time you have to keep taking more to get the same effect. UK health chiefs introduced a brilliant initiative which I want everyone to know about a guide for patients who take sleeping tablets but want to reduce or come off their dose And after just a few weeks of use, my patients tell me that they suffer brain fog, struggle to concentrate and feel emotionally numb. As a doctor, you worry that patients havent taken in the risks of these drugs, because theyre often prescribed in a time of crisis. But now they will have a simple guide to help weigh-up their pros and cons. Itll also offer advice for those worried about going cold turkey. Ill be pointing my patients towards it, and other GPs should do the same. I was right about beta blocker Earlier this month I answered a readers question about her husbands heart condition, atrial fibrillation. He was taking a medicine called bisoprolol and I mentioned that it was not often prescribed for the condition its not what GPs would call first-line treatment. I suggested her husband ask the doctor why he was on it. Ive since received emails from other readers saying that they have atrial fibrillation and have been on bisoprolol for years without issue. Bisoprolol is a beta blocker it slows the heart beat but it is only recommended for atrial fibrillation if the patient also has another medical condition, such as diabetes. I suspect that the readers who say they are on bisoprolol for atrial fibrillation will also be suffering a concurrent problem. EATING OUT Rock stars love the unshowy Italian spot Riva, in Barnes, West London and it's a hit for Tom, too 'You must have the soft-shelled crabs, moeche, just in from Venice,' says Dorothy, Andrea Riva's stern but utterly lovely right-hand woman. We must, and we do, and they are indecently sweet and crisp, three mouthfuls of saline-scented delight. Dorothy has been at Riva, an Italian restaurant in Barnes, for as long as I can remember. Which must be at least 20 years. You learn right from the start that it's always best to follow her advice. Or that of Andrea, the capo tall, elegant with an eternal twinkle in his eye. These days, it's quite a schlep to Barnes, what with that damn Hammersmith Bridge still being closed. Still, Riva is one of those restaurants you'd cross burning deserts on bare knees to reach. Rock stars love the unshowy Italian spot Riva, in Barnes, West London and it's a hit for Tom, too. Pictured: Riva's 'indecently sweet and crisp' soft-shelled crabs It's as much a discreet club (although open to all) as it is a restaurant, a place that inspires quietly fervent adoration. On any day, you might see rock stars (impromptu late-night jam sessions are not unknown), actors (Stanley Tucci, a man who really knows his gnocchi. And who's here, at his usual table), writers and well-heeled locals. Restaurant critics too. The late, great A A Gill was a regular, as is Fay Maschler, and Matthew Fort, with whom I'm lunching today. But there's nothing showy or pretentious about Riva. It's a broad, democratic church and one entirely worthy of worship. At times, Riva can feel like a large dinner party, as tables chat to each other, and Andrea wanders around the room, telling tales and pouring you a glass of his new favourite wine, while Dorothy ensures things are immaculately run. And although the food has a strong Lombardian accent, you rarely need to see a menu. 'What's good today?' we ask. 'Everything,' replies Dorothy with a smile. Before reeling off the specials. I eat vitello tonnato, thin slices of pink veal coated in a cool, gloriously rich tuna sauce, softly pungent with anchovies, and studded with salty capers. Plump, briny bivalves are added generously Then spaghetti vongole with bottarga cured mullet roe another special. The pasta has just the right amount of bite, the plump, briny bivalves tossed in with a generous hand. The bottarga adds a mellow, gently fishy burr. It's as fine a plate of pasta as you'll eat anywhere. Matthew, not easily pleased, agrees. We share a plate of good cheese, and a couple of grappas, and chatter deep into the afternoon. If only all lunches were this divine. About 35 per head. Riva, 169 Church Road, London SW13; riva.restaurant DRINKS: Charlotte's appetising Albarinos For more than 70 years, 1 August has been Albarino Day. The flagship white grape from the rugged coastal region of Galicia, in northwest Spain, unites bright citrus and refreshing stone fruits with a mineral zing reminiscent of the sea. It's also grown across the border in Portugal, where it's known as Alvarinho, while exciting examples can be found elsewhere in the world, including South Africa. For more than 70 years, 1 August has been Albarino Day. The flagship white grape from the rugged coastal region of Galicia, in northwest Spain, unites bright citrus and refreshing stone fruits with a mineral zing reminiscent of the sea VINA TABOEXA ALBARINO 2022 (12.5%), 9.99, Waitrose. This crisp white pairs perfectly with seafood, boasting zesty notes and a hint of bottled Atlantic sea air a well-priced own label from Waitrose. BOWL GRABBER ALVARINHO 2022 (12.5%), 10.50, Ocado. The pure joy evoked by the jazzy label is captured in this sunny Vinho Verde wine, delivering zingy fruit and a refreshing mineral finish. Here's a tropical and warm expression of Albarino from this leading South African wine region that maintains its characteristic bright acidity SPIER ALBARINO 2022, STELLENBOSCH (13%), 11.99, Majestic Wine. Here's a tropical and warm expression of Albarino from this leading South African wine region that maintains its characteristic bright acidity. SOALHEIRO ALVARINHO 2022 (12.5%), 18.75, thewhiskyexchange.com. From top Portuguese producer Soalheiro, this serious white showcases intense sweet citrus and fragrant florals. There's ageing potential, but no need to wait it's already delicious. Outline There are brochure-pretty, well-groomed little Greek islands, and then there's mighty Crete, which could be its own country: mountainous, remote, widely untamed by tourism and fiery of spirit in both senses. Of course, if you want a switch-off package break, Crete can deliver. But there's more... A-line Suave Elounda Bay lures well-knowns of the Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Leo DiCaprio order. Bed down at Elounda Peninsula (eloundapeninsula.com, from around 340 a night) for private pools and if you're calamari'd-out Japanese menus. Further south, Daios Cove (daioscovecrete.com, from around 590 a night half board) is Architectural Digest-glossy. Bottom line Crete is a budgeteer's delight. Case in point, The Old Phoenix (old-phoenix.com): a smattering of unfussy balconied rooms (from around 40), with a bougainvillea-clouded taverna, where Crete's western mountains plunge south to the sea. It's walkable from the southern port of Loutro itself an affordable, real-feel place. Or there's tiny Kato Zakros an east-coast beach haunt below peaks with a skein of no-shoes, no-news bars. Here you'll find Studios Stella (stelapts.com): a clutch of 70-a-night boltholes in pin-drop-quiet grounds of palms. Beeline Built around 1500BC and still standing tall, the Palace of Knossos, 5km south of the capital Heraklion, is top of every tourist's to-do list. Mythic home of the ancient Minotaur half-human, half-bull it still bears the lurid colours of a clumsy 1900 restoration. Yet the towering scarlet columns and leaping-dolphin frescoes are catnip for Instagrammers. Want to mix and match sightseeing and slobbing? Preveli Monastery, on the south coast, has a dazzling blue-and-white beach. Take a picnic. Storyline The legend of the Minotaur isn't Crete's only (in)famous tale. Victoria Hislop's page-turner The Island is all about Spinalonga, the notorious leper outcrop marooned in the Bay of Elounda. Visit by boat tour and absorb the eerily silent colony ruins. There are brochure-pretty, well-groomed little Greek islands, and then there's mighty Crete, which could be its own country: mountainous, remote, widely untamed by tourism and fiery of spirit in both senses. Stock image used Hotline Aim for June or September. No clouds or crowds, and a nicely unhurried vibe. Waistline In Crete, depending on what you eat, you can keep it or kiss it goodbye. Island olives, onions and sweet tomatoes make the ubiquitous Cretan salad as delicious as it is healthy. Ditto fresh lemon-drenched seabass. However, too much galaktoboureko creamy custard in filo, laced with lemon or rose and you can reckon on serious (swimming) costume drama. Decline Island-wide, carafes of grape-based spirit raki are offered free at the end of every meal but be afraid, be very afraid: you could run a four-wheel drive on the stuff. Song line 'Come on down to the Mermaid Cafe/And I will buy you a bottle of wine' sang Joni Mitchell on her heartbreak 1971 album Blue (she'd been hanging out with hippies in caves in Matala). That joint is gone but there is a terrific tiny shack with a mermaid mural on Sweetwater Beach, 20 minutes by public boat from Loutro. Swim in transparent shallows, then order lunch: fridge-cold white wine and herby stuffed tomatoes. Feline Crete means cats, nowhere more so than in the honeycomb backstreets of the postcard port town Chania. They're photo-fabulous, curling around your feet as you neck frosty Mythos beer at a shady taverna table. Offline Beyond the resorts and towns, wifi can be patchy. Make the most of the downtime. Airline Take your pick between Heraklion (best for Brit-favourite Elounda and the east of Crete) and Chania (for the rural mountainous west). You'll be landing in either airport in four or so hours, whether you opt for BA, Easyjet, Wizz Air or Ryanair. Next in line You'll be back, so fly to Heraklion and head three hours east to Vai, a demerara-sand beach backed by palms grown, they say, from dates discarded centuries ago by Arab pirates. Lunch? Fried octopus with ouzo (around 12) at Hiona (hiona.gr). The sweetest little taverna in Crete has about four tables on a rocky outcrop under tamarisk trees. Security fears over an 'invasion' of electric cars from China have emerged as experts warn the vehicles could be remotely controlled to 'paralyse' Britain. Professor Jim Saker, president of the Institute of the Motor Industry, said Britain faces 'major security issues' from Chinese cars, adding that there is 'no way' of stopping them coming under remote control. In a report set to be shared with car makers and regulators, Prof Saker said: 'The car manufacturer may be in Shanghai and could stop 100,000 to 300,000 cars across Europe, thus paralysing a country.' According to The Telegraph, while regulators are able to test samples of cars for spyware or other security issues, Prof Saker added that checking thousands of vehicles is not possible. As many as 30 new electric car brands are looking into the UK car market, most of them being Chinese. Security fears over an 'invasion' of electric cars from China have emerged as experts warn the vehicles could be remotely controlled to 'paralyse' Britain (File image) As many as 30 new electric car brands are looking into the UK car market, most of them being Chinese (File image) Last week the head of Vauxhall-owner Stellantis warned of an 'invasion' of Chinese electric cars. Carlos Tavares claimed that Stellantis faces a difficult scenario in which it must compete with Chinese cars which are less expensive while having to invest billions of pounds into electrification. Prof Saker highlighted a report published this July, in which MPs warned that China has successfully entered every sector of the economy in Britain. Chinese car makers have more access to the battery technology required for electric vehicles (EVs), meaning they can bring vehicles to market quicker. Meanwhile, China is also more dominant in lithium production and refining, according to The Telegraph, owning many of the mines that produce it. Prof Saker warned the UK has not done enough about the threat of China using its dominance in the market for key minerals such as lithium. 'Virtually every country is trying to fight against an overreliance on China, except the UK,' he said. Sometimes it is the grand professionals who get things wrong and the little people who are the ones who get it right. There is a rule of thumb in equity markets that retail investors are sucked into buying at the top of the market. Remember how, years ago, whenever shares boomed there would be pages of adverts in the newspapers for unit trust launches? And when the markets went into reverse nobody wanted to buy, and the adverts dried up? We hear a lot these days about Fomo fear of missing out but in investment it's a long-established human characteristic. Little people: On a ten-year or longer view, UK personal investors will in general have done at least as well as their professional counterparts, and probably somewhat better This year the triumph of small investors vis-a-vis the big boys has been the dominant theme of investment across the Atlantic. At the start of the year, as highlighted here last week, most top analysts forecast shares would fall further. Yet, thanks in part to continued buying by retail investors, the most important index, the S&P500 is up nearly 20 per cent this year. In a notable mea culpa, the chief analyst for Morgan Stanley, Mike Wilson, acknowledged last week in a client note that 'we were wrong'. Hats off to him for the confession, but hats off too to the millions of small investors who kept faith with corporate America. Back here, the market has moved sideways, so the past six months haven't really been an example of retail investors beating professionals, as they have over there. But over a longer period, which of course matters more, a rather similar story emerges. On a ten-year or longer view, UK personal investors will in general have done at least as well as their professional counterparts, and probably though it is hard to find the data somewhat better. On a ten-year or longer view, UK personal investors will in general have done at least as well as their professional counterparts That is not because they are better stock-pickers. There doesn't seem to be much evidence of that. It is because of asset allocation. Individuals have held on to a decent stake in UK equities, while the professionals have sold out. As we have highlighted recently, the share of UK equities held by British insurers and pension funds was down to about 4 per cent in 2020, against a peak of more than half in the late 1990s. The share of UK equities held by individuals also fell from 15 per cent in 1999 to 12 per cent. But add in the 7 per cent of unit trusts and 1 per cent from investment trusts, and personal holdings will be over 20 per cent of the market. And individuals don't hold many gilts. There was a long bull market in gilts until two years ago. Since then it has been one of the most catastrophic periods in history for holding fixed-interest securities. The biggest holder of gilts is the Bank of England, thanks to the quantitative easing programme. The latest estimate for its loss was published on Tuesday just under 150 billion. That is a beefy sum even by public accounting standards and must be paid by us as taxpayers over the next ten years. The losses incurred by pension funds and insurance companies will also be huge, another example that the professionals can give awful advice. The fundamental point is that we need, as a society, to encourage our savers to buy and hold equities. It is a lesson that has to be learnt and relearnt. Over any long period they give better results than fixed-interest securities, and much better results than leaving money in a bank. So what's to be done? Well, there is an organisation, ProShare, founded back in 1992 to promote wider share ownership. Now it focuses solely on employee share ownership, but I think it would be fair to say that the zip has gone out of that movement. In any case, it isn't a great idea for employees to have too much of their assets invested in their employer. If the company goes through tough times they may lose both their job and their savings. It's far better to spread the risk over a range of investments. Earlier this year, Archie Norman, chairman of Marks & Spencer, launched a scheme called Share Your Voice. The idea was to update company law so firms could communicate directly with shareholders with holdings in nominee accounts, as well as making company annual reports shorter and simpler, and so on. Most of this is sensible, and it is in line with the views of this newspaper that we should try to encourage greater investment in stocks and shares. But ultimately the killer argument is that, aside from buying a home of one's own, money put in a spread of the shares of solid companies will in the long run almost certainly do better than anything else. Why is Britain cursed with bad bank bosses? Alison Rose's defenestration is a shocker because until her failure of judgment over Nigel Farage, she was one of the good ones. She delivered the numbers and showed admirable determination to break with NatWest's toxic past. Claims have been made in the Left-wing press that Rose was a victim of sexism and that her offence was relatively minor in the pantheon of sins. It may look small beer compared with her predecessor Fred Goodwin's reckless arrogance. But any chief executive who breaches customer confidentiality has to go and could not be excused on the grounds of gender. The standard of conduct from the bosses of the UK's top banks has been worryingly low, however, not just before and during the financial crisis but beyond. The culture of impunity persists. Individuals seem to face insufficient consequences. Andy Hornby, the chief executive at HBOS when it had to be rescued, remains at large and is now boss of The Restaurant Group. Antonio Horta-Osorio kept his job at Lloyds after being caught in a liaison in a hotel with a mistress. He went on to become chairman of Credit Suisse where he was removed for breaking Covid rules. These things matter, because banking is founded on trust. Expectations of behaviour and judgment are rightly very high. Concern: The standard of conduct from the bosses of the UK's top banks has been worryingly low Many customers of Barclays, including me, have been troubled by the friendship between its former CEO Jes Staley and the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Staley has been embroiled in a legal case in the US over Epstein, a former private banking client at his previous employer, JP Morgan. Staley has denied involvement in Epstein's crimes. Barclays' board knew at the outset there were question marks over Staley's relationship with Epstein. The Barclays board appointed him despite the reputational risk, and stood by him in 2018 when he was fined more than 640,000 for trying to unmask a whistleblower. At the time, the City regulators found 'his behaviour fell below the standard we require' yet he kept his job for three years. No wonder the board of NatWest thought they could keep Rose. Whilst Staley's troubles have received relatively little coverage here, NatWest has been caught up in Britain's continuing Brexit preoccupation. Why, though, is the casualty rate among bosses of UK banks so high? One answer: these are difficult jobs, subject to relentless scrutiny, and bankers are only human. Another is a failure to concentrate on banking basics: providing customers with the services they want and supporting businesses. A third is inadequate boards, stuffed with also-rans and self-serving grandees. They should spend less time trying to defend indefensible executive behaviour and wokery, and more time thinking about what customers really want. The common thread in banking debacles is losing sight of the real purpose of a lender, which is customer service. One of the problems at Coutts appears to have been misunderstanding the nature of a private bank, whose point is to be exclusive and elitist. Why were bosses trying to portray it as a half-baked activist organisation? If I were a rich client, I would want to be greeted by flunkeys with gold frogging on their frock coats, served my statement on a silver platter and pelted with violet petals, not given a lecture on being woke. In 2019, consumers worldwide spent almost 100 billion on subscriptions of one sort or another. By last year, that had more than doubled to 210 billion and experts suggest total expenditure will exceed 450 billion in the next three years. Individual company fortunes may wax and wane. But overall the so-called subscription economy is booming as more and more firms offer their wares via monthly payments. Taking the lead: The 210 billion-a-year subscription sector includes TV channels to keep dogs occupied Music and movies led the way. Now, however, we can subscribe to online yoga and language lessons, loo roll, cheese and chocolate deliveries, even dog TV, designed to entertain Fido while his owners are out. As the list grows, it becomes hard to remember what you have bought, how much you paid for it and whether you still want it. Bango helps to make the process easier. Based in Cambridge, Bango is a clever technology company that makes it simpler for businesses to charge for goods and customers to pay for them. The firm was founded in 1999 by entrepreneur Ray Anderson and initially focused on developing tools that would allow consumers to pay for music and video games through their mobile phone bill. Anderson still chairs Bango, but the firm has expanded significantly, as citizens the world over increasingly use mobile phones for almost every aspect of daily life, from shopping to binge-watching Ted Lasso. Bango customers include Amazon, Google and Microsoft, as well as major telecom companies, from Vodafone to Samsung to America's AT&T. Last year alone, Bango processed more than 7 billion of payments made by consumers across the globe, from Tokyo to Frankfurt to New York City. The firm also bought its main rival, Docomo of Japan a deal expected to turbocharge sales and profits. Now Bango has a new division that allows consumers to see all their subscriptions in one place and makes it easier to add, cancel, upgrade or downgrade each and every one of them. Customers: Bango's services are used by Amazon, Google and Microsoft, as well as major telecom companies, from Vodafone to Samsung to America's AT&T For mobile phone firms, the service helps attract and retain customers, as they can offer discounts or special offers along the way. For businesses, Bango's network of telecom customers gives them access to millions of potential new subscribers and sophisticated data so they can offer personalised recommendations to consumers. The service, known as super-bundling, has been taken up by several firms, including Verizon, one of the US's largest phone groups, and leading Australian player Optus. Others are expected to follow suit. A recent survey showed that 88 per cent of large phone firms here and in the US plan to offer super-bundling in the near future and Bango is the dominant player in the market, described by customers as leaps and bounds ahead of rivals. Other companies are interested in Bango's technology, such as Japanese employee benefits specialist Benefits One which is using it to provide added extras for millions of workers. A first half trading statement last week was upbeat and brokers expect Bango to deliver substantial growth, with revenues forecast to rise 73 per cent this year to $49 million (38 million) and a further 16 per cent in 2024 to $57 million. Bango was loss-making last year, but profits of $3.4 million are expected this year, soaring to $14 million next year. The firm, which reports in dollars because most of its contracts are denominated in the US currency, also won the first ever King's Award for Enterprise for International Trade earlier this year. Midas verdict: Bango shares are at 1.89, having been at more than 2.50 at the beginning of the year. The fall reflects wider unease about technology stocks rather than Bango's own growth potential. Supportive brokers believe Bango shares could hit 3.15, as the subscription business expands and the group moves into profit. Buy. Traded on: AIM Ticker: BGO Contact: bango.com or 01223 617 387 Perhaps the Square Mile shouldn't have been surprised when Matt Moulding's THG bought freesheet newspaper City AM last week. THG already runs a couple of publications through subsidiaries. And Moulding has been unimpressed, to put it mildly, by the negative news coverage that he and THG have endured since his company floated in 2020 and some of that came from City AM. Claim: THG's Matt Moulding insists City AM will retain independence in terms of its content From sceptical opinion pieces scrutinising his company's use of garbled jargon to an article describing his 'latest outburst' following another rant about the stock market, the publication has not lavished him with praise. His mother won City AM's 'Mum of the Year' award after she telephoned Sunday Times journalist Oliver Shah and read the riot act on her son's behalf. Moulding insists the title will retain independence in terms of its content. But Whispers can't help wondering whether Mama Moulding will have a hotline to the editor's office. Palaniappan swapping takeaways for toolboxes We hear that a former Uber and Just Eats executive will be swapping takeaways for toolboxes. Jambu Palaniappan is set to run Checkatrade, a website that directs consumers to local tradesmen. While many of us might prefer personal recommendations, Checkatrade a subsidiary of private equity-owned HomeServe is betting this will change. Palaniappan, a Silicon Valley old hand, will be responsible for ramping up growth in the UK. New book from Varoufakis Treacle-voiced heart-throb Yanis Varoufakis is releasing his new book in September, sadly too late for it to be a summer beach read for his many swooning admirers. Called Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism, the latest tome from Greece's former finance minister promises to dissect how 21st Century capitalism was usurped by a 'new economic system' overseen by Big Tech and central banks. 'With every click we labour like serfs to increase its power,' one blurb teases, suggesting in another line we may not have noticed as we were watching cat videos on TikTok. Varoufakis has yet to expand his arguments using, er, Big Tech, on his Twitter, Instagram and, yes, TikTok accounts. Cat got your tongue, Yanis? Poachers make the best game keepers Former rogue trader Nick Leeson has spent the past few months as a private spy with the London-based Red Mist Market Enforcement Unit, which investigates financial misconduct. In his role at the group Leeson, the ex-derivatives trader who brought down 233-year-old Barings Bank in the 1990s, helps investors seek compensation in court when regulators are not able to help. Now the word on the street is that a big Middle Eastern client has enlisted his help to conduct due diligence for potential investments aiming to scrutinise potential transactions with the same forensic attention to detail that applies to Red Mist's other research. They say poachers make the best game keepers. Quit: NatWest boss Dame Alison Rose Banks are shutting more than a thousand accounts every working day, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The number of bank accounts being closed has ballooned in recent years from under 50,000 in 2016 to almost 350,000 last year. Details of the sheer scale of account closures were obtained under a Freedom of Information request made to City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority. They come as crisis-hit NatWest continues to reel from the fallout of the Nigel Farage affair. Dame Alison Rose was forced to quit as chief executive last week after NatWest's private banking arm Coutts closed the account of the former Ukip leader due to his political views. Almost 90,000 individuals are estimated to have been categorised as 'politically exposed persons' by the banks. These include MPs and other figures deemed to be at risk of abusing their positions for private gain and who require extra checks. Separate figures from the Financial Ombudsman Service show NatWest, which is 39 per cent taxpayer-owned, had the joint highest number of complaints about decisions to close bank accounts last year, along with Barclays. But NatWest chairman Sir Howard Davies, who is under pressure to step down, said account closures were 'not an enormously big consumer issue' and the number of complaints was 'stable'. The FCA data on 'debanking' obtained by The Mail on Sunday is based on annual returns from almost 250 lenders who have shut accounts solely because of concerns over financial crime such as money laundering and fraud. The huge rise in account closures would appear to confirm anecdotal evidence that lenders are increasingly adopting a 'shoot first, ask questions later' approach. Growing numbers of businesses, individuals and charities say this has led to their accounts being shut despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing. Sources say some customers are being debanked simply because they hold perfectly legal cryptocurrency or gambling accounts. Such closures are frequently shrouded in secrecy with banks refusing to say why an account has been shut down, usually to avoid tipping off criminals. 'In some cases banks are legally prevented from telling customers why an account has been closed,' said Tina McKenzie, policy chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses. 'But where possible, they should be told, so that if there has been a misinterpretation or misunderstanding, it can be swiftly resolved.' McKenzie called on regulators to publish annual figures on how many accounts have been closed. Individual banks are currently not required to give this information. Banks generated more than a million 'suspicious activity reports' in 2019/20 and around half of these were referred to the National Crime Agency. The FCA data suggests it is far more widespread than was previously known 'It's clear that more innocent customers are having their accounts closed wrongly,' said Jenny Ross, editor of Which? Money. MPs on the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking last week launched an inquiry into the scale of bank account closures. 'The FCA data suggests it is far more widespread than was previously known,' said James Russell, managing partner of Humphries Kerstetter, the City law firm working with MPs. Simon Fell, an MP and former co-chairman of the APPG, said banks seemed to be dropping customers 'simply to de-risk' rather than having genuine concerns. 'This is a worrying trend and one that needs proper scrutiny,' he added. The Government has announced plans to change the rules around bank account closures including a requirement to give longer notice of an impending shutdown. The FCA said more monitoring by banks may explain some of the increase in account closures. 'Lead belt': Some of the universe's largest battles are fuelled by games companies based in Nottingham When it comes to mythical conflicts, Nottingham is associated with Robin Hood and the wicked sheriff rather than with legions of orcs and goblins. But some of the universe's largest battles are fuelled by games companies based in the East Midlands city, in an area known as the 'Lead Belt' a reference to the casting of model soldiers in lead alloy. The largest of the firms, headquartered in an industrial estate not far from the city centre, is Games Workshop, owner of the Warhammer franchise and the world's largest manufacturer of miniature battle figures. Since its inception in the 1970s, the firm has grown into a global behemoth and its former employees have spawned several smaller companies that collectively employ more than 2,600 people and contribute millions of pounds to the British economy. Other companies to have set up shop in the area include The Assault Group, Mantic Games and Wargames Foundry. Another, Warlord Games, makes a series called Bolt Action which it boasts is one of the world's leading Second World War wargames. While many would dismiss the pastime of sending hand-painted miniatures of fantastical creatures into battle as the preserve of children and maladjusted men in dimly lit basements, Warhammer has legions of devoted fans around the world. Famous enthusiasts include Superman actor Henry Cavill, musician Ed Sheeran and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. Pumping out thousands of miniature warriors is a profitable business. Games Workshop itself raked in profits of 170.6 million in its latest annual results on the back of record sales of over 445 million. Enthusiast: Superman actor Henry Cavill The FTSE 250 firm has been listed in London for nearly three decades. The share price has been on a tear since 2017 and exploded during the pandemic when new customers took up the hobby in a attempt to escape the boredom of lockdown. The stock topped out at a record high of 123 in September 2021 and, despite a steep drop in 2022, regained most of its lost ground. Shares are currently changing hands at 116, giving the firm a market cap of 3.7 billion. That is the same value as easyJet and more than Mike Ashley's retail empire Frasers Group. Games Workshop is as British as they come. It was founded in 1975 in London by game designers John Peake, Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson. The firm originally made wooden boards for traditional games including backgammon and later imported copies of the US fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. It struck gold in 1983 with the launch of Warhammer Fantasy and achieved success again four years later with its sci-fi-inspired counterpart Warhammer 40,000. It relocated to Nottingham from London in 1997. Such is Warhammer's popularity that many enthusiasts from around the world embark on a pilgrimage to the company's headquarters, which includes the Warhammer World visitor centre. There has been a material increase in interest in tabletop games, particularly those that are immersive and strategic Charles Hall, Peel Hunt The boom in business has also provided Games Workshop with a lucrative intellectual property portfolio. The firm last year signed a deal with Amazon's TV production arm to bring a Warhammer-inspired series to screens. Charles Hall, analyst at City broker Peel Hunt, said that while Warhammer had begun life as a 'super niche hobby', its mainstream appeal had broadened in recent years, helped by the success of medieval fantasy series including Game of Thrones and Netflix's The Witcher. In a report this month, Hall said: 'Additionally, there has been a material increase in interest in tabletop games, particularly those that are immersive and strategic.' The companies that make up the wider 'Lead Belt' account for about 90 per cent of the British wargaming miniatures market. Many supporting businesses are located nearby. by Alexander Ziperovich As Donald Trump hit the stage at the Iowa Republican Party Lincoln Dinner Friday, as far and away the leading frontrunner in the Republican primary, the Brooks & Dunn song Only in America played in the background, in what seemed to be a bit more than a happy coincidence. One could end up going to prison. One just might be president. The lyrics, perfectly timed for his arrival, perhaps played as a result of Trumps ongoing beef with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, whos supporting a badly limping Ron DeSantis campaign. The stunt apparently caused significant anger in the Trump campaign, which was not amused by the dig. Former US president Donald Trump. Photo: AP Nonetheless, the episode seemed to sum up what has become a truly surreal campaign season, as the leading Republican candidate for president simultaneously fights numerous state and federal criminal indictments, even while he runs his third presidential bid. Incredibly, Donald Trump, 77, appears poised to secure a third Republican nomination, in spite of the charges, in a political party that has been utterly broken, tamed, radicalized, and reshaped in his sordid image. Its inexplicable and yet entirely unsurprising. At this point, the GOP is more of a cult of personality than a mainstream political party, as Republican primary voters seem ready to again embrace a man who has lost the last three national elections for the party, been impeached twice, led a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and is now being prosecuted for a slew of felonies committed both before, during, and after he was in office. Its a political nightmare, and the party cant seem to wake up or move on from it, to say nothing of the country itself. Meanwhile, most of Trumps purported opponents in the Republican Party are refusing to confront him or condemn his wrongdoing, continuing a well-established pattern of silently tolerating his endless moral and ethical lapses. Indeed, his rivals have barely mentioned the case against the former president, preferring to ignore the massive elephant in the room. Instead, most Republican candidates are choosing to tiptoe around the former president, playing nice and placating his voters, even as brand new obstruction charges trickled out of the Special Counsels sweeping federal investigation last week. Likewise, additional criminal indictments are all but assured in Washington and Georgia related to January 6, and Trumps efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss. Its a landslide of legal accountability, but most Republicans would prefer to look away, per usual. Still, not a single rival is threatening his grip on the party. His closest adversary, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has yet to utter a word of real criticism of Trump, and has instead lamented what he claims is the weaponization of the Department of Justice, calling the prosecutions a political witch hunt in an echo of Trumps own rhetoric. Clearly, DeSantis is hoping Trumps legal ordeal takes him out of the race without any assistance from himself, at which point he can naturally assume the mantel, a tricky proposition that risks making him look like a coward, particularly as Trump gleefully attacks DeSanctus, or DeSanctimonious, as he calls him. Indeed, Ron DeSantiss much-hyped campaign has been in free fall essentially since it began, launched on a glitchy Twitter feed that crashed several times, in whats proving to be a good metaphor for the campaign itself, which hes apparently rebooting. Its certainly not looking optimistic. There have recently been numerous embarrassing staff layoffs and budget crises, and the campaign appears to be imploding under the pressure of the national spotlight. The flow of bad media has been relentless, and DeSantis has performed poorly under the glare, flying around on private jets as his campaign hemorrhages big donor cash. More to the point, his frigid personality, facial tics, and increasingly extreme right-wing politics are no match for the former presidents dark charisma, and DeSantis appears to be flailing, and in serious trouble. Recent national polling from FiveThirtyEight show Trump dominating the race. Hes currently climbing at about 52%, as DeSantis continues to plummet to about 15%, a difference of nearly 40 points, and the difference keeps expanding. Recent faux pas relating to Floridas anti-woke school curriculum, which is teaching kids that Black slaves got valuable life skills from chattel slavery, have earned him more dire coverage. In other words, Donald Trump looks like an easy favorite to win the Republican primary; Ron DeSantiss light touch strategy is making him look weak and feckless, and in a political party tuned to the strongman vibe, this is problematic, to say the least. Chris Christie is putting up a good fight, attacking Trump mercilessly, but his worse than anemic polling shows that its a message the Republican Party isnt keen to hear. Mike Pences sagging campaign appears to have stalled out and died, and it looks like the former vice president might not even qualify for the debate stage. Long-shot candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has promised to pardon Trump if elected, and hes polling nearly even with DeSantis. Incredibly, Trump looks like a lock for the nomination, setting up a scenario where hell be running for president in a general election while being tried in criminal court, in what is a novel situation, to say the least. Last Wednesday, Mitch McConnell appeared to suffer a small stroke, while holding a press conference at which the 81-year-old senate minority leader was unable to speak, before being escorted away from the mic. The moment seemed to capture a political party that has lost its voice, having been utterly overwhelmed by Donald Trump and his election denialism, conspiracy theories, and violent far-right politics, without a way back. In any case, Donald Trump is the Republican Party. Thus, the United States faces the grim prospect of yet another presidential election dominated by Donald Trump and his corrosive lies, even as the former president stands trial in both state and federal court for a long list of crimes. Its an unprecedented moment in American history, with the Republican Party unable and unwilling to free itself from the grip of its authoritarian leader, as our democracy suffers the consequences. And Donald Trump could win. In that case, hes promised to strengthen his own executive power, unsurprisingly, concentrating inordinate power in his own hands, presumably after ordering his attorney general to dispense with the investigations, indictments, and active prosecutions of himself. Hes also sworn swift vengeance for his political enemies, promising retribution in the form of political purges of the federal bureaucracy, or what he calls the deep state. His campaign has said Trump would seek to enhance the presidents power over nearly every aspect of the federal government, bringing independent agencies under Oval Office control. In other words, hes going to make himself into a dictator, enabling him to dominate the entire country and government the same way he dominates the Republican Party now. Its an extraordinarily dark vision that is completely at odds with Americas democratic ideals, and yet it seems increasingly possible, as Trump bulldozes over his adversaries in a broken and defeated Republican Party. Alexander Ziperovich is a Political analyst and Opinion columnist. He writes about politics, justice, foreign affairs, and culture, dissecting the larger historical and social context behind important events. Britain's biggest private sector pension fund has lost 16 billion after an 'unnecessary' debt-driven investment strategy unravelled. The Universities Superannuation Scheme looks after the nest eggs of 528,000 past and present higher education staff. It is one of the few defined benefit schemes still open to new joiners that offers a pension based on a member's final salary. USS invested heavily in controversial liability-driven investments (LDIs) despite warnings from sponsoring employers at Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London. On the edge: USS invested heavily in controversial liability-driven investments despite warnings LDIs are meant to help ensure schemes can fulfil their promise to pay future pensions. But they came unstuck after last year's mini-Budget sent the pensions market into meltdown. The rout, which revealed huge borrowing hidden in the pensions system, was only halted by a 19 billion Bank of England bailout. USS, led by former pensions regulator Bill Galvin, insisted it was not a big user of leveraged LDIs. But accounts just published show the scheme's assets plunged from 89 billion to 73 billion last year. 'These accounts show a terrible picture of unnecessary losses,' said pensions expert Henry Tapper. Galvin, who is due to retire this year, was an architect of LDI strategies as industry regulator. He was paid 790,000 in his last year at USS, including a 262,000 bonus. Despite the fact that its investments include a 20 per cent stake in troubled Thames Water, the scheme's overall funding position improved due to higher gilt or Government bond yields reducing its liabilities. Do you have information on Birmingham City Council home to school transport contracts? Email oliver.price@mailonline.co.uk An unassuming office above a children's playschool in a Birmingham industrial park was at the centre of a multi-million pound investigation at Britain's biggest council. The tiny premises is the listed base of operations of taxi firm Green Destinations Ltd, which will have billed Birmingham City Council an eye-watering 17million this year for ferrying children to and from school, analysis of documents leaked to MailOnline reveals. Our investigation has uncovered that GDL, owned and run by Jameel Malik, are routinely paid around 200 a day - tens of thousands of pounds a year - to drive lone pupils just a few miles to school. Included among the dozens of huge charges is a 230, three days a week charge, to drive a single child less than two miles each way to school in a wheelchair-accessible cab, around 65 per mile. A Hackney Carriage fare would be less than 15 a day. Another example is a 210 a day, or 40,500 a year, fare to drive one pupil a little more than three miles each way. The firm also charged 120 a day, nearly 23,000 a year, for a daily journey of just 1.5 miles each way for one pupil in a standard car. An unassuming office of above a children's playschool in a Birmingham industrial park was at the centre of a multi-million pound misconduct investigation at Britain's biggest council (registered offices of Green Destinations Ltd pictured) Jameel Malik, director and owner of home to school transport firm which may have been overpaid by Birmingham Council by around 11million Eye-watering home to school transport fares charged to Birmingham City Council by Green Destinations Ltd (figures have been rounded) The boss of rival cab firm HATS, which has similar contracts with the Labour-run authority, was more than surprised by figures which suggest GDL charge around 11million more per year than their competitors for a comparable service. The number of routes operated by GDL in Birmingham has grown substantially since 2020 - and rose by more than a third between 2022 and 2023, leaked data suggests. Can you share any information on Birmingham City Council home to school transport contracts? Email oliver.price@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement Allegations from a whistleblower that staff may have 'knowingly enabled or allowed overcharges to occur' spurred the more than 3billion-a-year authority to launch an internal investigation. But the council has refused Freedom of Information requests from MailOnline for the investigation report, saying the 'information was given in confidence'. Officers did however admit that there was a public interest argument to releasing the report as it concerned 'serious' issues of 'maladministration and misconduct by individuals, in the performance of Council business'. This comes as the council faces turmoil after it was revealed it needs to find 100million to fix a 'failing' IT system - as the Labour leader was forced out. Local authorities are legally required to provide pupils with transport to school in certain situations, often if they have a special need or disability, or if they live too far from an appropriate school. Green Destinations Ltd has charged approximately 17million to run more than 450 home-to-school transport (H2ST) routes a year. But if their pricing mirrored that of nationally recognised competitors such as HATS, analysis suggests this cost could be closer to 6million - an 11million difference. Birmingham City Council has repeatedly refused to engage when asked for comment on the accuracy of these figures. The council claimed an internal audit found 'no evidence' that an employee or employees may have knowingly enabled or allowed overcharges to occur. But they have refused to release this report citing 'commercial sensitivity'. Minibuses owned by Birmingham home to school transport firm Green Destinations The registered offices of Green Destinations Ltd at SKN Business Centre in Birmingham When accounting for the number of pupils in a vehicle and route mileage, GDL, a large regional medical and H2ST transport firm, charges nearly three times more than their biggest competition, the data shows. Another local firm, AFJ Ltd, also appears to be charging Birmingham Council far more than their competitors for their services. They run more than 173 routes at a total cost of around 7million a year but analysis suggests that they charge nearly two times more than major competitors - amounting to approximately 3million a year. Sources have told MailOnline that the council were made aware of higher amounts charged with GDL and AFJ's contracts by staff, but senior leadership have seemingly failed to act on those concerns for more than a year. It has been claimed that staff who have raised these issues were routinely blocked from important meetings on H2ST contracts - and some of these people have been let go for seemingly unrelated reasons or decided to leave the organisation. The officers who are directly responsible for arranging these H2ST contracts are still employed by BCC. The data suggests that, aside from higher than usual prices on individual routes, a significant proportion of the money going to GDL and AFJ comes from the large proportion which have just one child in a vehicle - the most expensive way to transport pupils. Half of the routes run by GDL are solo occupancy, which is by far the highest proportion of any H2ST in Birmingham. The firm runs more than 60 per cent of all solo H2ST routes in Birmingham. More than a quarter of AFJ's routes in Birmingham, around 50 are solo occupancy routes, which is the second highest by some margin. This accounts for more than 10 per cent of this type of route. But major competitors, including nationally reputable firm HATS Group, who have contracts for a significant number of routes in Birmingham run close to zero single-child home to school journeys. HATS chairman Henry Bilinski has claimed that their firm has not been offered a fair opportunity to tender for lucrative solo-route contracts on this scale, which could be against public procurement laws. He also said the company lost a significant chunk of their business a year after being brought in despite a pristine record. But Birmingham Council claimed all contracts were 'tendered in accordance with the council's procurement processes and in a legally compliant manner'. The group was brought in to run services at short notice in August 2021 after supplier North Birmingham Travel had their contract terminated after a scandal over poor welfare and compliance checks. Despite issues with the outgoing supplier, HATS successfully redeployed more than 275 staff and procured 127 vehicles at a cost of nearly 3.2million. But the firm lost around half of their routes with BCC a year later. Mr Bilinksi said: 'In August 2022 just prior to the commencement of the new Academic Year, HATS were informed that we had lost approximately 50% of the school routes - despite our excellent compliance record, up-front investment and, we believe based on 25 years industry experience, being very competitively priced. 'The award of this work is governed by strict legislation which includes statutory and regulatory compliance, quality thresholds and cost weighting. Birmingham City Council will be aware of this legislation, including the robust checks and balances, governance and due diligence requirements, of which this legislation has oversight 'Despite this, HATS has the capability and the desire to undertake contracts for solo H2S routes in Birmingham but we have not been given the opportunity, or it is our understanding that we were outbid by other providers. The winning provider's tender documentation should always be submitted in commercial confidence to BCC, so we would not have sight of another provider's route pricing. When asked to comment on an example route run by Green Destinations, which cost nearly 100 per day to transport one pupil under six miles each way, Mr Bilinski said: 'We would have offered a much more competitive price. I want to deliver a service that is good value for money. 'Based on the information you've given me there's no way we would be charging this much. He said: 'The local authority should retender out the routes.' And staff who brought up the issues with GDL contracts were accused of unfairly targeting the firm by senior managers. A poster advertising for new driver positions in Birmingham for Green Destinations Ltd A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: 'The city council's Internal Audit regularly carries out reviews across the organisation, and responded following an allegation that an employee or employees may have knowingly enabled or allowed overcharges to occur. The investigation found no evidence or indication of this. 'Route costs vary due to the type of vehicle required, journey distances and durations and number of students on each vehicle and their individual needs. Solo occupancy routes are often required due to the individual needs of the students; these routes are regularly reviewed and all students are supported to access shared transport where appropriate. 'Historically, a large number of contracts were procured at short notice and high cost due to the emergency procurement of North Birmingham Travel contracts to avoid substantial disruption to vulnerable Special Educational Needs Students' school attendance. However, a new procurement Framework is being launched to enable us to procure our contracts cost effectively.' They said they could not provide a copy of the internal audit report as it contains 'commercially sensitive information'. When specifically asked why Green Destinations and AFJ received the vast majority of solo routes between them, the spokesperson did not answer the question. They said: 'Following NBT termination there was an emergency procurement which was awarded to HATS. 'There was also a further procurement exercise undertaken to provide temporary cover if needed during the mobilisation period for summer 2021. There was a poor response from the market, likely owing to the shortage of appropriate fleet/drivers etc. Green Destinations won this. Some solo routes may have gone to GDL via that mechanism.' The spokesperson then claimed there was a 'healthy split of solo routes between providers' in May 2022. But leaked data shows and sources suggest this claim is open to question. They said: 'Our records show that when an exercise was undertaken to review the number of solo routes in May 2022, there was a healthy split of solo routes between providers. The number of solo routes was high at that time owing to COVID restrictions which were being phased out around then, allowing us to begin merging pupils back onto shared transport.' When pressed again on why Green Destinations had such a high number of solo routes compared to other providers, BCC again did not answer the question. MailOnline understands that the council's internal review led to recommendations being made to senior leadership, but BCC did not disclose what these were when asked. Responding to these three questions, the council instead said: 'Our first consideration when making arrangements for transport is always the needs of the children and young people accessing the service. All home to school transport contracts have been tendered in accordance with the council's procurement processes and in a legally compliant manner. 'These processes are regularly audited as part of a planned review process, as well as in response to any concerns raised. These reviews have found the award of transport contracts to be compliant with legal tendering practices. 'Contract prices will vary based on factors including the types of vehicle required for pupils' needs and the availability of operators in the market at that time. 'A small proportion of pupils receive one to one transport where this is necessary due to their needs. These solo routes are put out to tender and regularly reviewed. 'The council is moving to a new procurement framework for home to school transport later this year which will promote greater competition for transport routes and reduce contract prices.' Green Destinations Ltd did not respond when contacted for comment by MailOnline. AFJ Ltd were approached for comment but one had not been provided by time of publication. Vallow will be sentenced at 9am MT on Monday in Fremont County, Idaho Vallow, 50, was convicted in May in the murders of daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son JJ Vallow, 7, and The twisted story of doomsday mom Lori Vallow and her cult leader husband Chad Daybell is a tangled web of death and deceit that sounds like it was ripped from a Hollywood movie script: two dead children, a trail of suspicious deaths, and the bizarre inner workings of a 'religious cult'. It's a case that drew nationwide interest when Vallow's 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old son Joshua 'JJ 'Vallow vanished in September 2019. Just a few months later, Vallow and her new husband were vacationing in Hawaii - the children nowhere to be seen. The story took a tragic turn in June 2020 when their bodies were discovered buried in shallow graves on Daybell's property. It was later revealed that the couple had referred to the children as 'zombies' who stood in their way. A string of mysterious deaths then emerged involving family members who the couple referred to as 'dark' possessed individuals. One was Daybell's former wife Tammy Daybell, who died less than two weeks before he married Vallow. Over the next three years, the grisly saga continued to unravel and on May 12, after weeks of gut-wrenching testimony, Vallow was convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children and conspiring to kill Tammy. Both Vallow and Daybell are in jail awaiting their fate - one that self-proclaimed doomsday predicter Daybell, who spent years preaching that the end of the world would be on July 22, 2020, likely did not see coming. Vallow, 50, faces life in prison without parole when she is sentenced on Monday morning in a Fremont County, Idaho courtroom. Daybell will not be at the sentencing. He is set to stand trial on April 1, 2024. Lori Vallow, 50, was convicted of murder in the deaths of 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ Vallow, and conspiring to kill her husband Chad Daybell's previous wife Tammy Daybell JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan vanished in September 2019. Their bodies were found buried in Daybell's backyard in June 2020 Chad Daybell, pictured during a court hearing in August 2020, built a following as a religious fantasist who warned of an impending apocalypse. He faces his own murder trial in April 2024 Over six weeks, prosecutors in Vallow's triple murder trial called more than 60 witnesses, who gave explosive and harrowing testimony that sent shivers through the courtroom. The defense did not summon a single witness to refute their claims. Prosecutors successfully argued that the doomsday mother was motivated by 'money, power and sex' and that she used all three of those things to achieve her twisted ends. They said that under the influence of Daybell, she became obsessed with ideas of an impending apocalypse, and the only way to save her children's souls so they could be among 144,000 people who would survive was to kill them. Jurors heard how the couple saw her children and Daybell's wife as 'obstacles' to the romantic life they envisioned for themselves in Hawaii. Prosecutors said Vallow and Daybell believed - or chose to believe - that those who stood in their way were 'dark' possessed individuals who they referred to as 'zombies.' After JJ and Tylee's disappearance, authorities started looking at the trail of deaths that could be connected to the pair. Tammy was Daybell's wife when he met Vallow. She died suddenly in October 2019. Initially, her death was ruled as the result of natural causes. As the investigation into Vallow and Daybell deepened, Tammy's body was exhumed and reexamined. An autopsy - which Daybell had refused the night Tammy died - revealed that she had died of asphyxiation, the same cause of death which would later be determined for JJ. Vallow was eventually arrested in Hawaii in February 2020 - five months after JJ and Tylee were last seen alive. The children would not be found for another four months. A string of mysterious deaths emerged involving family members on both sides The 'charred remains' of Tylee Ryan, 16, and JJ Vallow, 7, were found at the couple's home in Salem, Idaho. Pictured: Investigators searching the property on June 9, 2020 During the trial, prosecutor Lindsey Blake described to the court how charred remains were all that was left of Tylee. She told jurors: 'You will hear it explained as a mass of bone and tissue. That's what was left of this beautiful young woman.' Tylee's DNA was later found on a pickaxe and shovel in a shed on the property. JJ's body was wrapped in trash bags and duct tape - the tape binding his arms in front of him and wrapping around his head. He had been suffocated inside a plastic bag. The two children and Daybell's previous wife Tammy were all killed because they stood in the way of the couple's relationship, the State said. 'Remember, the defendant will remove any obstacle in her way to get what she wants, and she wanted Chad Daybell,' Blake told jurors. 'The defendant used money, power and sex to get what she wanted.' 'The common theme was the body has to be destroyed,' Blake said. 'The defendant and Chad used their self-proclaimed religious teachings to justify their actions to others their actions from affair to murder.' Prosecutors said the couple planned to use life insurance money from Tammy's death, and that Vallow kept collecting and spending the children's social security and benefits after they died. As public interest in the case grew, the couple fled Idaho for Hawaii, marrying on the beach in a romantic ceremony that they gleefully documented in photos Chad and Tammy Daybell pictured before she was murdered in October, 2019 However, Vallow's defense attorney pointed the finger at her doomsday preacher husband in a last ditch attempt to sway the jury. Jim Archibald attempted to paint a picture of Vallow as a loving mother who was seduced by Daybell and lied to protect him. He claimed she had no idea Daybell and her brother Alex had 'stuffed her kids' bodies in Chad's backyard'. But the jury was not convinced and convicted her on all charges. Her defense team did not call a single witness nor did they put forward any kind of explanation for how the children died. After six weeks of grueling testimony, on May 12, 2023, Vallow stood emotionless and her victims' loved ones wept as the verdict was read aloud in a Boise, Idaho courtroom. In June, just a month after the trial ended, Vallow requested a retrial with her attorneys arguing that the jury was influenced by 'outside sources' but Judge Boyce denied the motion. Vallow faces life in prison when she is sentenced Monday. Pictured is her recent booking photo Daybell was due to stand trial alongside Vallow before their cases were separated by a judge Emotions are expected to run high yet again at Vallow's sentencing on Monday with a handful of family members planning to give victim impact statements before Fremont County District Judge Steven Boyce makes his ruling. The victim impact statements may be read aloud in court by the victim or may just be submitted to the judge. It's not clear who will physically be in court Monday. Vallow's oldest son Colby Ryan is expected to provide a statement, along with JJ's grandmother Kay Woodcock and the child's designated representative, Summer Shiflet, who is also Vallow's sister. Tammy Daybell's sister Samantha Gwilliam and her father Ron Douglas are also expected to provide statements. Tammy's aunt, Vicki Hoban was granted special permission to speak due to the fact that Tammy's mother passed away in June. In Idaho, only immediate family members are permitted to give victim impact statements and an aunt is not considered 'immediate.' Vallow's attorneys recently tried to challenge the ruling but Judge Boyce denied their motion and said Wednesday that Hoban will be allowed to speak. Vallow herself will also have an opportunity to speak before Judge Boyce hands down the sentence. It's a chance for her to speak without objection or cross-examination. She chose not to take the stand in her defense at her trial. JJ's grandparents, Larry and Kay Woodcock, led the national campaign to find the missing kids. They were in court throughout the trial and endured harrowing evidence about the murders. Kay is expected to provide a victim impact statement on Monday JJ's grandfather Larry Woodcock was elated when Vallow was found guilty of murder in May Judge Steven Boyce on Wednesday denied a motion from Vallow's defense team asking that Vicki Hoban, Tammy Daybell's aunt, be denied permission to give a victim impact statement Vallow, who appeared on zoom for a hearing last week, will be present in the courtroom for her sentencing on Monday where she will have an opportunity to speak before she learns her fate What type of sentence could Lori Vallow receive? Lori Vallow faces 10 years to life in prison on each of the murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges that she was convicted of back in May. She could also receive one to 20 years in prison for a grand theft charge. Vallow will not receive the death penalty after Judge Boyce removed it as an option in March. Judge Boyce could hand down a fixed sentence, which means Vallow will not be eligible for parole until that time is completed. So if she is given a fixed life sentence, she will never be eligible for parole. What happens to Lori Vallow after she is sentenced? After Vallow is sentenced on Monday, she will be transferred from the Madison County Jail, where she is currently housed, to the Idaho Department of Correction. It's been reported that she will likely serve her sentence in the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center. Vallow can file an appeal within 42 days of being sentenced, which can take around three years for the case to move through the appellate courts. If that appeal is denied, she can file a second - a process that can take another three years. How does the sentence affect Vallow's case in Arizona? Charles Vallow (left, with wife Lori) was shot dead in July 2019 in Arizona by Alex Cox, his wife's brother. Cox died in December 2019. In July 2021, Lori Vallow was charged by a grand jury with conspiracy to murder her husband Alex Cox (pictured), shot Lori's fourth husband Charles Vallow on July 11, 2019, months before his own death in December 2019 Brandon Boudreaux (left) was returning home from the gym when a bullet ripped through the driver's side door of his car. His estranged wife Melani was part of the same cult as Vallow Vallow faces conspiracy to commit murder charges in Arizona for the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, as well as the attempted killing of her former nephew-in-law, Brandon Boudreaux. Charles was shot dead in July 2019 by Vallow's brother Alex Cox, who died just months later from natural causes. Vallow was indicted by a grand jury in Phoenix in July 2021. It was argued that before Charles Vallow died, he had filed for divorce. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced following Vallow's trial in May that she would be extradited to Arizona to face the charges. She does not face the death penalty in Arizona. Vallow's nephew-in-law Brandon Boudreaux, the estranged husband of her niece Melani, survived the botched hit after the bullet ripped through the driver's side door of his Tesla in Gilbert, Arizona, in October 2019. Ryan Pillar, a detective with Gilbert PD, said that Vallow's brother Alex Cox was behind the attempted hit on Boudreaux. If the hit had been successful on Boudreaux, Melani - who was part of the couple's cult - would have received $200,000 in a life insurance payout. In the end she got $300,000 from their divorce settlement. What's next for Lori Vallow's husband Chad Daybell? Chad Daybell will not attend his wife's sentencing hearing, but it's likely he will be able to view the proceedings from where he is currently being held at the Fremont County Jail, in Idaho. Daybell's trial is set to begin on April 1, 2024, and expected to last weeks, possibly longer than Vallow's. Unlike Vallow, who is being sentenced two months after her trial, Daybell will be sentenced immediately after a verdict comes down. He faces the death penalty. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell's twisted relationship Match made in hell: Lori and Chad met in October 2018 at a religious conference The last known photograph of Tylee, center, during a family trip to Yellowstone National Park with JJ, left, her uncle Alex Cox, right, and her mom Lori, in September 2019 The pair met in October 2018 at a religious conference and in 2019 married on a beach in Hawaii just two weeks after his wife Tammy was suffocated to death at their home in Rexburg in October 2019. Vallow's fourth husband Charles Vallow had been previously shot dead by her brother Alex Cox in July 2019. The State claimed Vallow and Daybell's relationship was a driving force behind the murders and the jury heard endless evidence regarding their sick religious cult. During the trial, the jury heard how the couple had previously discussed removing the 'obstacles' of her children and their respective spouses while engaged in an affair. FBI agent Hart said: 'There were several communications regarding JJ and Tylee that were relevant to their deaths. They discussed their deaths. After the affair began, there began to be communication regarding the deaths of Charles Vallow, Tammy Daybell, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan.' Their messages were often highly sexualized - Daybell even writing Vallow an erotic novel in the form of chapterized texts. Through the texts, agent Hart established that Daybell was the 'quasi-religious leader' of their cult and that Vallow acted as his conduit through which other members, like her brother Alex Cox, would seek advice. Vallow was served poolside in Kauai on January 25, 2020, with demands to produce her children to police after they had been missing from Rexburg, Idaho since September 2019 Daybell, 54, sent the messages in the form of a romance novel about them but changed their names to 'James' and 'Elena', according to a police report. The cringe-inducing texts refer to a 'spiritual connection before this life' and the 'great missions they would perform together' Jurors shifted in their seats as investigators testified about toe-curling erotic texts between Vallow and Chad Daybell where they had nicknamed themselves 'James' and 'Elena' as they spoke in cringeworthy metaphors about 'gripping the storm' and 'intense waves' . On August 9, 2019, Vallow texted Daybell, whom she called 'Bubby.' 'That is pretty incredible. Fire emoji. Fire emoji. Fire emoji. Fire emoji. The fire is definitely burning. I miss you way too much. You have to stop or I might explode.' Another text read: 'The intensity of each encounter in my mind. One greater than the last. Fire emoji. Fire emoji. Especially this last one. I've never loved you more. It just keeps growing.' Daybell responds: 'I completely agree. We were definitely in new territory in your bedroom.' 'Elena's magic hand has gripped the storm,' he continued. 'Barely able to breathe as intense waves wash over them.' Lori Vallow was motivated by 'money, power and sex' Chad Daybell enters the courtroom during his preliminary hearing in St. Anthony, Idaho, on Monday, August 3, 2020. He is being tried separately In court, prosecutors argued Vallow was motivated by 'money, power and sex' and that she used all three of those things to achieve her twisted ends. Jurors heard how they saw her children and Daybell's wife as 'obstacles' to the romantic life they envisioned for themselves in Hawaii. Prosecutors said Vallow and Daybell believed - or chose to believe - that those who stood in their way were 'dark' possessed individuals who they referred to as 'zombies.' 'Remember, the defendant will remove any obstacle in her way to get what she wants, and she wanted Chad Daybell,' prosecutor Lindsey Blake told jurors. 'The defendant used money, power and sex to get what she wanted.' The couple had planned to use life insurance money from Tammy's death, and that Vallow kept collecting and spending the children's social security and benefits after they died, the state argued in court. 'Tylee had money. Lori wanted it and because of that, Tylee is gone,' Blake said. Vallow and Daybell are accused of killing his wife Tammy (left) in October, 2019. Vallow is further accused of plotting the death of her estranged husband Charles who was shot by her brother in Arizona in July of that year. She is facing a separate trial over his killing. Brandon Boudreaux, right, pictured with his ex-wife Melanie. In October 2019, a month after Tylee and JJ were last seen, he was targeted in a drive-by shooting in Arizona She described JJ as a 'vibrant, happy-go-lucky'. But caring for JJ, who had autism, required 'time, effort and energy'. Caring for JJ 'took away from the defendant doing what she wanted to do - devoting her time to Chad Daybell,' said Blake. Blake also said that Vallow and Daybell felt they needed to destroy the bodies because the children were 'dark' and 'zombies.' The couple had believed they could rate people 'light or dark' and getting 'rid' of evil spirits from dark people, jurors heard. They were convinced the second coming of Christ was imminent and only 144,000 people could be saved. 'She was here on a religious mission to gather the 144,000, so she needed to spend her time and energy there,' the prosecutor said. 'What she did on earth no longer counted for her,' Blake added. Vallow and Daybell used their warped religious ideas to 'justify' their actions. 'The common theme was the body has to be destroyed,' Blake said. 'The defendant and Chad used their self-proclaimed religious teachings to justify their actions to others their actions from affair to murder.' Graphic photos and grim evidence shown in court leaves jurors, family members visibly shaken The trial's most difficult moments have come as prosecutors presented horrific, previously-unseen pictures of JJ and Tylee's badly decomposed remains. Detective Ray Hermosillo, from Rexburg Police Department, said: 'Through the videos and pictures that we had seen of JJ for the last eight months... the tips coming in, everything we had obtained and looked at, I was able to recognize that same little boy lying on the table to be JJ Vallow. He had the same haircut.' He detailed how JJ was found with 'a thick layer (of duct tape) across his mouth jaw line to jaw line'. Tylee had been partially eaten by an animal and her pelvis was hacked into with a sharp tool before her corpse was burned. Her remains were so badly decomposed no autopsy could be performed to determine a cause of death. Images of the teen's charred and burnt remains were also shown to the court, showing how she was found 'stuffed' into a melted green bucket. A 'partial human skull' was also found in the grave. Several jurors were visibly shaken by the graphic pictures and relatives in court, including JJ's grandfather, Larry Woodcock, broke down when the pictures were shown. Woodcock, who watched proceedings with wife Kay for the entirety, was overwhelmed by weeks of testimony about the grisly murders. Vallow's former best friend Melanie Gibb, testified in court, and jurors were played a telling phone call between the two that occurred two months after JJ and Tylee were last seen alive. During the call, which Chad Daybell was also on, Vallow also makes the haunting claim she could reveal JJ's whereabouts, but that 'that would not be good for JJ'. Gibb also alleged that Vallow's brother, Alex Cox, warned that 'you don't want to know' what happened to JJ after she asked about his whereabouts. Several months later, the little boy's badly decomposed body was found buried near his sister's remains in Daybell's backyard. The strange behavior of Lori Vallow At Vallow's trial earlier this year, while jurors and the public were shocked by the evidence, her reactions ranged from laughter to indifference. One of the cult mom's only displays of emotions came when she asked to be excused from proceedings while grim photos of her children were shown to jurors. Judge Steven Boyce rejected the request and Vallow sat with her head bowed while pictures of their remains were shown. But later in the trial, when further pictures were shown of Tylee's remains, Vallow appeared totally unfazed. She even casually chatted with her attorneys and jotted notes as images of her daughter's fractured, badly-burned pelvis were shown. Vallow also grinned during the opening of the case, regularly exchanged jokes with her lawyers, but otherwise sat emotionless while former friends and relatives testified at length about the bizarre beliefs which led her to dispose of her children. Jurors were undoubtedly acutely aware that Vallow's reactions were at odds with the gravity of the case and the charges against her. Even as the guilty verdicts were read, she remained emotionless in the courtroom. Vallow kept her hands crossed as some of the counts were read aloud Vallow, pictured at pre-trial hearings, looked relaxed throughout much of the trial and even shared jokes with her attorneys. One of the cult mom's only displays of emotions came when she asked to be excused while grim photos of her children were shown to jurors Vallow was brought down by a litany of damning evidence that included a strand of her own hair found on duct tape wrapped around her son's battered body and chilling text messages plotting to cause her children pain. Dailymail.com reveals some of the biggest blows landed by the prosecution in Vallow's blockbuster trial. Lori Vallows hair found on duct tape around JJs body Perhaps the most significant piece of evidence was a strand of Lori Vallow's hair found on duct tape that was wrapped around her son JJ after he was suffocated inside a plastic bag and buried in a shallow grave on Daybell's property. Keeley Coleman, a senior DNA analyst at Bode Technology in Virginia, told jurors she was sent genetic profiles for Vallow along with hair that was attached to the piece of tape. Coleman said she received three DNA profiles from Vallow, Tylee and Melanie Gibb - Vallow's former best friend, as well as several items of evidence. 'The partial DNA profile matched the DNA profile provided for Lori Vallow,' Coleman told jurors. 'The probability of randomly selecting a random individual in relation to that profile is 1 in 71 billion.' JJ's cause of death was 'asphyxia by plastic bag over the head and duct tape over the mouth,' Dr Garth Warren, of the Ada County Coroner's Office, revealed. The coroner suggested the boy scratched his own neck as he struggled to escape. Horrifying text messages plotting to cause children pain Prosecutors recovered realms of disturbing text message exchanges between Vallow and Daybell during their year-long murder investigation. In one exchange, Daybell asked Vallow if she wanted him to 'cause pain' to her niece's children while on a trip with JJ. The pair referred to the kids as '3s' - which was the couple's twisted rating system for 'dark people' they believed were possessed. Vallow told him to hold off but added if they started acting up again 'we can zap them.' Daybell responded: 'If they are going to act up, we'll at least give them a reason to scream.' In another exchange between the pair Vallow complained about her teenager daughter Tylee acting weird. Daybell responded by claiming he had 'turned up the pain' on her daughter and 'placed a spiritual virus in her. The twister couple also had a twisted percentage scale to show how close her kids were to death. FBI Agent Doug Hart testified that the closer the number was to 100 or zero, the closer they are to death. When Vallow found out her son JJ was a two, she pressed Daybell: 'Not zero?' Chilling account of last time JJ was seen alive The last picture of JJ, 7, before he vanished in 2019. His body was found buried on Daybell's property. A trash bag was duct taped around his head and he was still wearing his red pajamas During the trial Vallow's friend gave a chilling account of the last time her seven-year-old son JJ was seen alive on September 23, 2019. David Warwick, who recorded a religious podcast with Vallow, spent the weekend at Vallow's home in Rexburg, Idaho, along with Daybell and Vallow's brother, Cox. JJ had been there for much of the weekend - but the little boy was gone when Warwick left on the Sunday morning, he said. 'We went downstairs to say goodbye and Lori was there and she just said that JJ had an episode,' he said. 'She said he was out of control and she could not control him and so she had Alex come get him She said that he climbed the cabinets and the fridge and the upper cabinets and pushed over her picture of Christ.' He added he did not see any of the damage that Vallow claimed her son caused, when he was 'out of control.' The night before, JJ had spent part of the evening with Vallow's brother Alex Cox, who brought the boy home later that night. Warwick recalled the moment he carried him into the house - one of the last ever sightings of JJ. A photo of JJ in his red pajamas was shown in court - the last picture of the boy before he was found dead. He had been buried in those same red pajamas, wrapped in duct tape and placed inside a black plastic bag. Vallow's hysterical jailhouse call with surviving son Lori Vallow and Colby Ryan. Jurors were played a disturbing phone call between Colby Ryan, 27, and Vallow while she was held in prison following the discovery of Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua Jackon 'JJ' Vallow, seven Jurors were played a disturbing phone call between Vallow and her son Colby Ryan, 27, while she was held in prison following the discovery of her dead children. Lori Vallow laughed hysterically as her only surviving son confronted her about the murder of two of her children - and insisted Jesus Christ was 'on her side.' A distressed Ryan told his mother 'you murdered my siblings' and demanded an explanation after their bodies were found in shallow graves at Daybell's property. Vallow then utters a high-pitched laugh as Ryan accuses her of 'blasphemy'. He says to his mother: 'Tell me that, that Jesus Christ is on your side right now.' She responds: 'I can tell you that.' Ryan also tells Vallow during the call: 'I have prayed for you in my worst moments. I have prayed for my siblings who you swore to me were okay. I thought I could trust you. I thought that you were a completely different person.' He adds: 'You lied to me, specifically to me, more times than I can count. To know that they are gone and you knew, and my phone's been texted by my little sister who's not even alive, my little brother, who's the sweetest little kid ever. For what purpose?' But Vallow repeatedly says 'you weren't there, you don't know what happened'. Ryan previously said he'd received messages that purported to be from Tylee but were actually sent after she was murdered. 'The texts I received back were different to the way Tylee would type,' he said. Tylees credit card found in Vallows car An Instagram post from Tylee with her mom dated May 14, 2017, when she was 14 years old During the trial, prosecutors showed how Vallow drained her children's bank accounts in the days after they were killed, spending the cash at restaurants. She also continued taking thousands in social security payments meant for her children after they went missing. The jury heard how a credit card belonging to Tylee was found in Vallow's rental car when it was searched in January 2020 after Vallow and Daybell fled Idaho to live in Hawaii. Kauai Police Detective Colin Nesbitt testified that they found the credit card in Vallow's purse when the couple was stopped by police after being served the day before with an order to produce her children. A few days later, a search of the rental car revealed documents and electronic devices, including JJs iPad, Social Security cards for both the children. There were also several alarming items found during the search of Vallow's apartment and garage including guns, army-grade knives, and empty magazines for various weapons. Police recovered Hazmat-style suits and preparedness bags with emergency kits, a camouflage suit, ammunition, guns, silencers, and black trash bags full of clothes and papers. Toys and and other items belonging to JJ, including prescription medication, were also found in the search. Couple repeatedly told others they had no children The court heard how Chad Daybell told his murdered wife's sister that Lori Vallow had no children - nine months before the bodies of her two kids were found buried on his property. He told Samantha Gwilliam, the sister of Tammy Daybell, that his new wife was called Lori Ryan and her previous husband had recently died of a heart attack - but Gwilliam did her own internet research and discovered he had been lying. When the couple later inquired about a property in Hawaii they also told the realtor they had 'no kids' and were going to be 'empty nesters'. The email was sent three days after the pair were married on a beach in Hawaii - six weeks after her kids were last seen alive - but before the cops had been alerted to their disappearance. Their bodies were found just seven months later, buried on Daybell's property. Vallow bought wedding ring before Daybell's wife died Vallow was also convicted of conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell, her lover's wife Lori Vallow used the Amazon account of her dead ex-husband Charles Vallow to shop for wedding clothes and a ring for her marriage to Chad Daybell days before the murder of Daybell's wife Tammy in October 2019. The jury heard how she searched for a 'beach wedding dress', bathing suit, malachite ring and men's clothing. Vallow and Daybell went on to marry in Hawaii less than two weeks later - in a ceremony that included the malachite ring and other items named in the Amazon searches. It was deemed at the time that Tammy had died of natural causes, a pulmonary edema due to seizure-like activity. Daybell refused an autopsy. However, Tammy's body was exhumed in early December, 2019, after cops learned that Vallow's children were missing. Her death was reclassified as suspicious and the murder trial jury learned she had died by asphyxiation. A key architect of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament thinks Australia is obligated to return 'stolen cultural land' and 'compensate' First Nations people. Marcia Langton has republished her 'Welcome to Country Handbook' with new details pertaining to the upcoming referendum. The academic said a No vote would 'doom' Aboriginal Australians 'to a permanent status as marginalised peoples' and cited a 'growing impatience' over the delays in 'righting the fundamental injustice'. The prominent anthropologist and geographer is the latest in a string of government advisors on the 'Yes' side of the referendum who have publicly discussed compensation and land being returned to traditional owners, after Thomas Mayo and Teela Reid made similar representations. 'Our predicament is known the world over, and in other such countries there has been a reckoning with the colonial past,' she said. Another key architect of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament thinks Australia is obligated to return 'stolen cultural land' and 'compensate' First Nations people. Pictured: Marcia Langton (left) with Thomas Mayo (centre) and Anthony Albanese (right) She is the latest in a string of government advisors who have publicly discussed compensation and land being returned to traditional owners, after Thomas Mayo (right) and Teela Reid (left) made similar representations 'Repatriation of stolen cultural heritage, development and aid programs, compensation, and other measures are part of the global human rights response to the legacy of imperialism and colonialism. 'Pretending that Australia has no such obligations is a head-in-the-sand approach, politically immature and distinctly unhelpful in overcoming the problems that we have inherited.' Professor Langton continued: 'The impoverishment of former colonies with the centuries of extraction of human labour and local resources all taken is now recognised as mass larceny.' The academic said a No vote would 'doom Aboriginal people to a permanent status as marginalised peoples' and cited a 'growing impatience' over the delays in 'righting the fundamental injustice' She recently noted that if the referendum were to fail, many non-Indigenous Australians would 'not be able to look [her] in the eye' as a result of the shame. She will not speak at conferences, and she can't imagine there will be too many of her peers who would be willing to perform Welcome to Country ceremonies. Two years after last publishing her Welcome to Country Handbook, Professor Langton released a new edition with Hardie Grant, edited with new and up-to-date details about the progress of the push for a referendum. She said she is 'counting on [her] fellow Australians' to vote Yes, vowing that doing so will 'end the blame game and political theatre of white guilt'. Over the years, Mr Mayo has made controversial comments regarding reparations, rent and land rights 'The First Peoples of Australia have a genuine right to take responsibility for our own futures, by advising parliament and government on the best ways forward,' she said. Professor Langton hoped her book would help to deepen the public's understanding of the past to help them 'overcome their colonial burden'. 'If the referendum fails, the readers of this book will inherit this unfinished business,' she said. 'Should this happen it will have dire consequences not just for my people but for the nation.' Professor Langton quoted Mr Mayo, a fellow member of the Referendum Working Group. She said: 'The view among most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is well expressed by delegate Thomas Mayo.' Over the years, Mr Mayo has made controversial comments regarding reparations, rent and land rights. Mayo has become one of the most prominent campaigners in the Voice after contributing to the creation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017 A series of tweets dating back to 2018 reveal he sought an eventual treaty that would see land handed back to First Nations people. This vision for a Voice to Parliament appears to directly contradict Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's hope for a 'modest' concession to assist the nation's most vulnerable. He listed 'all the things we imagine when we demand' a Voice, including 'reparations, land back, abolishing harmful colonial institutions'. Mr Mayo said a 'guaranteed representative body' was 'needed [to]... properly pursue the rent that is owed and an abolishment of systems that harm us'. 'A constitutionally enshrined Voice is important to establish to use the truth to support treaty negotiations.' Mr Mayo has since told Daily Mail Australia he is now of the understanding a Voice will 'focus on practical issues that matter to Indigenous communities such as better employment outcomes and housing'. Teela Reid, a lawyer, Wiradjuri woman and public speaker, also once described the proposal to change the constitution as a 'journey with all Australians to demolish the systems that continue to oppress us' And Teela Reid, a lawyer, Wiradjuri woman and public speaker, also once described the proposal to change the constitution as a 'journey with all Australians to demolish the systems that continue to oppress us'. Ms Reid, who sits on the government's Voice to Parliament Referendum Engagement Group, says she is not 'radical', despite her views. Ms Reid has said she is 'concerned by the conservatism of [her] profession' and urged lawyers across Australia to support the Voice in a wide-ranging interview on YouTube. She also called for strong activism she likened to the push for communism in the 1970s. In newly unearthed tweets from 2019, Ms Reid said: 'Aboriginal people built the nation and now it's time you pay rent.' In January this year, Ms Reid demanded 'every Aboriginal elder in NSW should be living rent-free'. She said such action was the 'bare minimum this state has to offer given the displacement and dispossession'. The first major shots have been fired in what is set to be one of the most bitter and family showdowns in Australian legal history as the Rinehart siblings square off in their billion-dollar battle with mum Gina. The mining magnate's son John Hancock, 47, and his sister Bianca, 46, are seeking assets they say their grandfather Lang Hancock left to them. The claim they are owed billions that mother Gina - Australia's richest person - shifted from a family fund into her own company. Backing their mother, however, are younger sisters Ginia, 36, and Hope Welker, 37 (from Gina's second marriage to Frank Rinehart) who have both stayed loyal to the family empire. Bianca (left) believes she and brother John are owed billions in assets she claims mum Gina has hidden John Hancock is gunning for their share in assets they say their grandfather Lang Hancock left them as part of the Hope Downs operation John and Bianca who scored the first public win in a separate civil case in the WA Supreme Court last week between Gina and reclusive mining heiress Angela Bennett. Bennett, the daughter of Lang's former business partner Peter Wright, is among those challenging the Rinehart fortunes, along with his son Michael Wright and his children, Leonie Baldock and Alexandra Burt. The court heard that a 37-year-old letter from her Gina's father Lang was 'significant evidence' that Gina knew a Pilbara iron ore mine that has since netted her company billions of dollars was meant to be shared with Mr Wright. That letter was unearthed by Bianca and John and tendered to the court on behalf of Wright Prospecting by lawyer Julie Taylor. In the letter, Lang had outlined the division of assets and stipulated his company Hancock Prospecting was to retain East Angelas now known as Hope Downs 4, 5, and 6 jointly for the 'Hanwright' partnership. 'Lang and Mrs Rinehart knew and understood that those areas were held jointly for the partnership,' Taylor told the court. Gina knew an iron ore-rich tenement was jointly owned by another company before she signed a deal with Rio Tinto to mine it, a trial has been told While this civil case is only in its early stages, the letter in question is being seen as a potential game changer for the Wright family as well as Bianca and John who both have lawyers present at the hearing in Perth. The outcome of this case will have a major bearing on their own case which is currently in confidential arbitration - the culmination of a years-long feud between the four siblings and Gina now the world's richest woman. The basis of their claim is that their grandfather allegedly left them assets which, they say, Rinehart illegally moved from a family fund into her own company. Hope and Ginia are from her second marriage to Frank Rinehart and are not involved in the claim against their half-siblings. It's understood they, along with their mother, are deeply estranged from Bianca and John, with Ginia already anointed as the successor to the Hancock Prospecting empire once Gina steps down. Bianca Rinehart married businessman Sasha Serebryakov in 2013 but mum Gina did not attend the wedding Based in Bondi with her personal trainer husband Simon Robinson, Ginia is the wealthiest of Gina's children, ranked 46th on the 2022 Forbes Rich List with a fortune of $2.47 billion. Her wedding to Robinson at Hamilton Island's luxurious Qualia resort in 2016 attracted a who's who of the Australian power-listers including Fairfax Media director Jack Cowin, advertising kingpin John Singleton and Nutrimetics pioneer turned wealthy property developer Imelda Roche. It was only the second of her children's weddings at which Gina has been a guest; she was not invited to the weddings of either daughter Bianca or son John but did attend the nuptials of reclusive daughter Hope in 2005. However that marriage, to US mining executive Ryan Welker, ended in 2013 - around the same time Hope dropped out of the legal fight against her mother after earlier siding with Bianca and John. Ginia Rinehart has long supported mum Gina and is tipped to succeed her at Hancock Prospecting Gina and Ginia together here in 2011. The youngest sibling is believed to be her mother's 'favourite' Hope reportedly took a $300million payout from Gina and has since remained silent on all family matters, though her personal wealth now stands at $2billion according to Forbes. She retains the surname Welker and is believed to be based in New York with her three children. Bianca's personal wealth stands slightly higher at $2.42billion while John's sits at $2billion. A senior advisor at Lind Partners LLC, John also runs his own private investment fund and shares three children - Georgia, 17, Jasmine, 14 and Zara, 9 - with wife Gemma. The clan are believed to be residing just outside of London in the UK and travel regularly to Dubai and Switzerland. Both he and sister Bianca could increase their financial stake in the family trust considerably if their claim against Gina - which is currently in secret arbitration - is successful. The trust is now worth an estimated $9.2 billion. The civil proceedings in the WA Supreme Court are, however, are expected to be lengthy with lawyers for all sides reportedly on retainer until December 2023. The Rinehart Children John Hancock, 48 (Against) An investment banker and the only son of Gina Rinehart, Hancock has spearheaded the decade-long legal campaign against his mother and Hancock Prospecting despite the fact it was Hope who lobbed the first grenade. Based in the UK, John shares three children with wife Gemma and is understood to be estranged from younger sisters Hope Welker and Ginia Rinehart. Bianca Rinehart, 47 (Against) The glamourous, Brisbane-based Bianca is the eldest daughter of Gina Rinehart and is a trustee of the Hope Margaret Hancock Trust. She has long sided with brother John in their battle for a bigger share in the family trust. She has a degree in hospitality and hotel management from Flinders University in Adelaide. Ginia Rinehart, 36 (With) The youngest of the Rinehart clan and believed to be closest to her mother, Ginia has stayed loyal to Gina throughout the years-long family dispute and is touted to take over Hancock Prospecting when her mother steps aside. Hope Welker, 37 (With) Despite now being firmly behind Gina Rinehart in the family legal battle, Hope initially sided with brother John and sister Bianca. However, a divorce from mining executive husband and what she called 'financial strain' at the time led her to switch sides in 2013. It's believed Hope now lives in New York under her former married name. During the Great Migration animals travel from Serengeti in Tanzania towards Masai Mara reserve in Kenya A wildebeest calf ran for its life in the Mara River in Kenya from three snapping crocodiles then a hungry lion Advertisement This is the moment a wildebeest calf swam for its life while being chased by crocodiles only to be ambushed by a hungry lion once it reached the river bank. The calf, thought to be around eight months old, was filmed taking part in the dramatic chase in the Mara River in Kenya during the migration season. It is unclear how the youngster had become separated from its herd. In a nail-biting chase, the calf made his way across the river with three crocodiles snapping at his heels - only to be ambushed by a waiting lioness once it reached the shore. The clever creature chose to cross the river in relatively shallow water, meaning it could run over the rocks rather than swim, giving him an advantage over the crocodiles. However, immediately after the wildebeest safely made it to dry land, it was faced with another dangerous threat. A waiting lion approached from ahead, forcing the wildebeest into a quick evasive manoeuvre up the bank and onto flat ground with the sudden ambush. Another terrifying race for its life began, with the lion quickly gaining on its helpless prey. During the Great Migration, which typically occurs at the end of the rainy season from July to late September, thousands of wildebeest and zebras travel from Serengeti in Tanzania towards the Masai Mara reserve in Kenya. In a nail-biting chase in Kenya, a wildebeest calf made his way across the river with three crocodiles snapping at his heels Things were looking good for the wildebeest as it approached the shore away from the crocodiles - which are one of the biggest threats animals face during the Great Migration each year After cleverly crossing through shallow water to gain extra speed, the wildebeest enjoyed a few seconds of triumph as he made it to shore A waiting lion approached from ahead, forcing the wildebeest into a quick evasive manoeuvre up the bank This is the shocking moment a wildebeest was ambushed by a lion, moments after escaping from crocodiles on the Mara River along the Kenya-Tanzanian border The poor wildebeest had to once again run for its life as it was chased by a hungry lion, forcing it to make a tight turn up through the grass The lion appeared to gain on the young calf, who seemed to have been separated from the rest of the herd With up to 1.5 million wildebeest travelling each year, the spectacle is considered to be one of the 'Seven Wonders of the Natural World'. The biggest dangers of the journey include crossing rivers infested by giant Nile crocodiles. Wildebeest are members of the antelope family. They can grow up to eight feet in length. They often graze in mixed herds with zebra, which helps both species keep an eye out for predators. Wildebeest can live for more than 40 years - although their average lifespan is closer to 20. WildEarth is available to watch on Freeview Channel 91. A murderer who helped 'Nottingham's first serial killer' slaughter three homeless women has been granted a parole hearing and could be freed. Dean Carr, then 30, was jailed for life in 2006 for the murder of Ellen Frith, 25, as part of a gang led by Mark Martin, who was convicted of Ellen's murder and also Zoe Pennick, 26 and Katie Baxter, 18. Carr was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to a minimum tariff of 14 years for his part in the murders. He had denied killing Ellen. This is his second parole hearing. The case shocked the nation as it emerged that Martin, then 26, took the lead in the three murders but was helped by Carr and a third homeless man called John Ashley. The trial in February 2006 was told that Martin strangled his victims between December 2004 and January 2005 and had openly boasted of the killing spree to a fellow inmate whilst on remand. Dean Carr (pictured) was jailed for life in 2006 for the murder of Ellen Frith, 25, as part of a gang led by Mark Martin Dean Carr, then 30, was jailed for life in 2006 for the murder of Ellen Frith, 25, (middle) Katie Baxter (left) and Zoe Pennick (right) Carr (pictured) was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to a minimum tariff of 14 years for his part in the murders in 2006 The body of Ellen was the first to be discovered when fire crews attended a blaze in a burnt-out flat in the St Ann's area of Nottingham, on the 24th January 2005. Martin had strangled her following a drink and drug-fuelled afternoon at the property he had been using as a squat, before setting light to the building. The court was told that Martin had killed her after an argument about drug money. Prosecutor Peter Kelson QC told the jury: 'Martin was relishing in being known as Nottingham's first serial killer.' Carr was found guilty of the murder of Ellen by a majority verdict. He has served his minimum tariff so is now eligible for parole or a move to an open prison. A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: ''An oral hearing has been listed for the parole review of Dean Carr and is scheduled to take place in November 2023. 'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community. 'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims. 'Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing. 'Evidence from witnesses including probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements are then given at the hearing. 'The prisoner and witnesses are then questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more. 'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.' The parole hearing has been scheduled for the 29th of November. Carr, now 47, has served 17-years in jail so far. The court was told that the bodies of the women were not found in the order in which they were killed. After Ellen had been discovered, rumours swept the homeless community in Nottingham that more women had been killed. Detectives were given the names of the three suspects. Within days, police arrested and charged Martin and John Ashley, then 34, who was known as 'Cockney John,' with murder. As investigations continued, police searched old packing warehouses off Great Northern Close in Nottingham, which were used by some of the homeless to take drugs. Mark Martin, who was convicted of murdering three woman And it was there, on February 11, 2005, they found the crudely buried, partly decomposed remains of Katie Baxter. A police dog pinpointed Katie's remains near an old wall heater. Her body was underneath 'carefully placed' pieces of soil, bricks and foliage. A charred piece of wood lay nearby. As forensic scientists moved in to begin her excavation, they were unaware that Zoe's body lay a little under two metres away. After Katie's body had been taken away, specialist officers continued their fingertip search of the area and frogmen trawled the nearby canal bed. Zoe was eventually found on the 16th February 2005. They found a burnt piece of wood on her grave, and debris piled over - foliage and bricks - was similar to that used where Katie lay. Nottingham Crown Court was told that Martin was a drifter with a reputation for being a bully. He was known as Reds among the homeless community and would often steal their benefits. He refused to give evidence at his trial, but an inmate who shared a cell with him whilst Martin was on remand told the jury that the killer had boasted to him about the murders. The prisoner, Scott Sinclair, said that Martin told him that Katie Baxter had been picked up by Martin in the city centre and taken down to the warehouse site. Sinclair said: 'He said he picked her up and took her down the factory because she fancied him. They went into the tent (Martin's home) chatting, and then he just snapped and strangled her.' The exact date when Martin committed his killings is not clear, but Sinclair said that Zoe was lured to the same warehouse by Martin a few days after he murdered Kate. He told Sinclair that he had persuaded her to come with him by saying he had 2,000 cigarettes, and wanted her to sell them on. Then he grabbed her by the throat and strangled her. 'He said it was hard and she didn't want to die,' the witness said. 'He was punching her, kicking her.' Ellen was born in Chesterfield and started to smoke cannabis at 16 before moving onto harder drugs. She left home and had complained of hearing voices saying her parents were going to kill her. She had been diagnosed with cannabis psychosis before she moved to Nottingham. Her father said he had 'tried everything he could' to get her off drugs, and last saw her on New Year's Eve, 2004. Speaking of Ellen's murder, Sinclair said that she went with Martin to the squat with Carr and Ashley to smoke drugs. He revealed that Ellen had been strangled in the kitchen by Martin and Ashley had finished her off. Carr had been present. Sinclair said Martin told him in prison: 'If I've killed one, I might as well kill 21.' Passing sentence, Mr Justice Butterfield told Martin: 'The facts of these crimes are so horrific and the level of offending is so serious, you must be kept in prison for the rest of your life. 'These matters were committed by you because you positively enjoyed killing, taking the wholly innocent lives of these three young women for your own perverted gratification. 'You have not shown a moment of remorse. You have revelled in what you did, glorifying the macabre details of these senseless, brutal and callous killings.' After the verdicts, Detective Superintendent Kevin Flint said that Martin would have been 'highly likely' to kill again if he had not been caught. 'Martin was a very, very dangerous individual,' he said. 'That sort of situation had never come to Notts before and it's a rare occurrence throughout the country.' Martin was sentenced to life imprisonment and is one of around 50 inmates to be issued with a whole-life tariff, meaning he will die in jail. Ashley was convicted of killing Ellen and Katie Baxter and was jailed for a minimum of 25-years. He was cleared of murdering Zoe Pennick. The money is funneled through Confucius Institutes and other cultural and language programs China is funding America's public schools to the tune of $17 million dollars, it has been revealed, with Republicans now probing the disturbing donations. The report by Parents Defending Education states that the close coordination between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and U.S. schools to establish Confucius Classrooms has historically included 143 school districts in 34 states and Washington, D.C. In addition, at least seven contracts are still active in Texas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington. The report called 'Little Red Classrooms' reveals that $17 million has been funneled from CCP-connected financial institutions into U.S. K-12 schools, through Confucius Institutes and other cultural and language programs. At least seven contracts are still active in Texas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington It also states that the CCP has 'ties to school districts near 20 U.S. military bases' and three of the nation's top science and technology high schools have been infiltrated. 'While the United States is not officially part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese state media has touted the work done by Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms to further the Chinese Communist Partys global influence,' the report continues. China has facilitated these relationships through grants and sister school partnerships going back to 2009. Programming and funding has varied between school districts, the report adds. PDE President Nicki Neily said in a statement that the 'alarming evidence' uncovered by the investigation should 'concern parents, educators, and policymakers alike.' The report has been given to state and federal lawmakers in the hopes that it will spur action. China's President Xi Jinping is pictured. Concerns are growing over his country's funding of America's public schools Rep. Jim Banks is demanding the Education Department take action with 'urgency' in in order to terminate these 'disturbing' partnerships, he says in a letter to Sec. Miguel Cardona on Wednesday obtained by DailyMail.com. 'The Chinese Communist Party is not a trustworthy partner. Accepting funding and influence from our greatest adversary is a threat to Americas children and national security,' Banks told DailyMail.com. He wrote in the letter that the U.S. must 'take every measure' to strengthen its defenses against China including by 'blocking their ability to propagandize in America's K-12 schools.' The congressman - who sits on the newly-established House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party - is asking for immediate action from the Biden administration. He also noted that under former President Donald Trump, the State Department in designated Confucius Institutes a 'foreign mission,' which helped shut down some of these 'dangerous programs.' Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., told DailyMail.com the report is 'alarming' because 'we truly don't understand the full extent of Communist China's meddling in our education system.' 'Not only is the CCP trying to promote their propaganda through education programs but are using Chinese shell companies to outright buy American private schools around the country.' He is urging state governments, along with federal assistance, to start 'cracking down on the targeting of our children.' Waltz has also sounded the alarm on Chinese-owned schools in the U.S. with Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) programs. He has asked the Pentagon to survey those schools because he views it as a grave national security threat. Sen. Roger Marshall told DailyMail.com that the Parents Defending Education report should 'alarm' every American parent, especially because the CCP is targeting schools to close to military bases. The Kansas senator introduced a new bill Tuesday that would prohibit federal agencies from funding research in China or 'any entity' owned by China. 'From buying our farmland to setting up CCP police stations here on U.S. soil, stealing our intellectual property, spying on our military bases, and now buying their way into our children's K-12 schools, it is past time for this administration to wake up and realize what we are up against,' he told DailyMail.com. According to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Pentagon is prohibited from providing money to 'institution[s] of higher education that hosts a Confucius Institute' after October 1, 2023. As a result, since the 2021 NDAA passage, over 100 U.S. universities shut down their Confucius Institutes. As of March 2023, the National Association of Scholars counts a total of 13 Confucius Institutes in the U.S. - with over 108 closing or in the process of closing. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher worked to have Alfred University in New York's Confucius Institute closed in recent weeks. The university obtained a five-year $13.5 million taxpayer-funded research grant in 2022 to by the Pentagon to conduct hypersonic weapons research. Gallagher took issue with national security concerns he had about millions in Pentagon funds going to a CCP-linked university. In a June 13 letter obtained by DailyMail.com, university attorney Robert Fisher responded to Gallagher saying Alfred University has decided to close the Confucius Institute 'as of June 30, 2023.' Gallagher told DailyMail.com regarding PDE's report that the CCP cannot be allowed to 'influence the American education system,' adding 'Americas children deserve better.' There are four additional universities who host a Confucius Institute and have been awarded a DOD grant - University of Toledo, University of Utah, St. Cloud State University and Wesleyan College. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told DailyMail.com that it's 'ridiculous' there aren't measures 'protecting our children from CCP influence.' 'Learning languages and cultures critical to national security, like Chinese, is essential, but it shouldnt come with Communist propaganda and influence,' he added. In 2019, the FBI found that 'foreign state adversaries seek to illicitly or illegitimately acquire U.S. academic research and information to advance their scientific, economic, and military development goals. FBI Director Chris Wray outlined the threat in a 2020 speech, saying China pays scientists at U.S. universities to 'secretly bring our knowledge and innovation back to Chinaincluding valuable, federally funded research.' Teachers, governors and pupils are leaving a 'toxic' primary school in droves over allegations of 'commonplace' racism, bullying and serious failings. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, has lost around a third of its pupils as parents pull their children out amid a plethora of concerns. Causing the most consternation is an allegation that in November 2021, the headteacher Sue Woods - who took over headship in late 2019 - used the N-word to describe a group of black children. The whistleblower, an experienced and long-serving teacher, claims that she was put on a support plan and told to complete demeaning tasks, became frightened at work and felt victimised. She resigned in May 2022, citing that 'I did not feel I could continue working in a school where racism, bullying and victimisation were commonplace, especially when such allegations were covered up'. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's headteacher Sue Woods is accused of using the N-word to describe a group of black pupils Following the alleged incident, all school staff were sent on a diversity awareness course. Wiltshire Police said (26 July 2023) that it was investigating an allegation relating to staff conduct, but confirmed that it did not relate to children at St Joseph's. They said: 'An allegation involving staff conduct has been reported to Wiltshire Police. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.' The whistleblower isn't the only teacher to have walked out, with about 22 staff leaving since the new head's arrival. In the past three months alone, three staff members have resigned including the assistant headteacher. Many of them cited Mrs Woods' behaviour as the reason in exit interviews and at least two staff members were close to taking their own lives, according to an insider. Over the past four years, the school has seen a dive in pupil numbers. Before Mrs Woods' takeover, the school had around 150 pupils and was regularly oversubscribed. In September this year, the reception class will host just four children. The rapid fall in pupil numbers has resulted in a reduction of classes from five to four, with the loss of a teacher and teaching assistant post. According to an Ofsted Parent View questionnaire carried out earlier this year, 82 percent of parents were unsatisfied with the school's ability to support SEND children and 45 percent of parents who partook said they would not recommend the school to other parents. There are claims that some parents were told that their child's SEND assessment was awaiting review by Wiltshire Council. However, after waits of up to two years, some parents contacted the council directly to discover that no assessments have been sent in by the school. Whilst parents of children attending nearby Kemble Primary School said they would 100 percent recomm+ended it to others and 96 percent would recommend Crudwell Church of England Primary School. In another alleged incident, death threats were sent to a pupil via an online learning platform. According to the insider, it's believed one pupil accessed another pupil's account to send the threatening messages. When the victim's parents got involved and asked the school if the police were informed, the senior leadership team reportedly claimed that they had been - but couldn't provide a crime reference number or other information. On checking with the police, it was confirmed that no report had ever been made in relation to the incident. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Malmesbury, Wiltshire where a third of pupils have reportedly been removed by their parents due to the 'toxic' culture of 'bullying and racism' It's alleged that members of the senior leadership team called the boy - who was accepted to be an innocent party - in for a meeting and effectively told him that the police will be coming to question him about it. It's said the boy was left in tears and scared about what might happen next. In a shock move in June, more than half the St Joseph's governing body resigned, losing six out of seven foundation governors and the school's only local authority governor. It came after the board had attempted to investigate numerous allegations made against the headteacher and were reportedly blocked by Wiltshire Council. In a joint letter they said: 'We have not reached this decision lightly but regrettably our relationship with the senior leadership of the school has strained over the last few years. 'We have tried to fulfil our duty to you, the pupils of the school, the local authority and the Diocese but it has now reached point where we feel we can longer discharge our statutory function with any true meaning. 'Over the many years that our members have supported the school we have enjoyed excellent working relationships with the outstanding teaching and support staff. 'Sadly, we have seen far too many of them and pupils leave in the past few years. 'We wish to extend our thanks to staff past and present for their tireless efforts and dedication to the school and we wish them every success in the future.' There are calls for complete transparency around issues that have arisen, full investigations, following established best practice, to be undertaken with the results being made available to school staff, governors and parents to restore the reputation and standing of the school in the community once more. An insider said that leaving the issues unaddressed has had a 'huge and harmful impact on the community' and wants Wiltshire Council and the Diocese to step up to avoid the school's complete collapse. Andy Brown, Corporate Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive, Wiltshire Council, said: 'We have robust policies and processes in place to deal with any incident reported to us. 'We are confident that the Interim Executive Board will ensure that governance is robust and rigorous with all appropriate processes being followed.' A spokesperson for the Interim Executive Board at St Joseph's said: 'As a responsible employer, we don't discuss the individual circumstances of any current or former employees. 'The Interim Executive Board will address the complaints and concerns raised, and ensure that governance is robust and rigorous with all appropriate processes being followed.' A spokesperson for Clifton Diocese said: 'The Interim Executive Board are responsible for Governance in the School and the Diocese is confident that they will review the complaints and concerns raised and ensure that all appropriate processes are being followed.' MailOnline contacted St Joseph's Catholic Primary School for comment. She sparked fury after being placed in a female prison as a biological male A transgender triple murderer controversially housed in a women's prison has been accused of 'preying on inmates' while bragging about receiving 'special treatment' due to California's woke incarceration policies. Dana Rivers, 68, who previously went by David Chester Warfield before transitioning to female, brutally shot and stabbed lesbian couple Charlotte Reed and Patricia Wright, before turning the gun on their 19-year-old adopted son Benny Diambu-Wright in November 2016. At her sentencing last month, judge Scott Patton said the killings were 'the most depraved crime I ever handled in the criminal justice system in 33 years'. But a 2021 California law allowing criminals to request their prison based on their gender identity has allowed Rivers to wreak havoc in Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, California. 'Rivers has been a problem since (she) rolled in the door,' one inmate at the facility told the Washington Free Beacon. '(She) is trying to control the women, saying he gets to bypass everything special treatment.' Decades before her horrific crime, Rivers was a renowned transgender activist who made national headlines in 1999 after being fired from her teaching job for transitioning genders, and angering faculty by reportedly discussing 'sexuality and the importance of gender self-determination' with students. Transgender murderer Dana Rivers, 68, has allegedly been terrorizing female inmates from behind bars The Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla is the largest female prison in California, and houses roughly half of the state's female prison population Patricia Wright (left), her wife Charlotte Reed (right) were stabbed and shot multiple times in their Oakland home by Rivers, before she shot dead their son Benny Diambu-Wright, 19 (center) After ending up in her chosen prison, which houses roughly half of California's female inmate population, the murderer has allegedly been terrorizing her peers. Inmates have complained that she has been leering at the women to make them uncomfortable, while patronizing them and rubbing the outlandish transgender policies in their faces. As part of this, she has allegedly been forcing the women to push her around the prison in a wheelchair. California has come under fire in recent years after the introduction of the lenient policy brought concerns for the safety of female prisoners. The move even led inmate Tomiekia Johnson to be fired from her job in the prison after she filed a complaint against the prison enforcing the policy. 'I think it's a slap in the face,' she told the Washington Free Beacon, claiming that another inmate told her the transgender killer had been 'staring at my butt.' 'As much as they know Ive been vocal about being housed with predators, and how much they target me, and how much its a known fact that they harass me and provoke me, for them to put him in the building with me is beyond negligent,' Johnson continued. 'I feel betrayed by the prison for doing this.' 'Overall, the whole vibe is, how are we supposed to rehabilitate and recover from these traumas when were housed with the same kind of people we were trying to get away from,' added another former inmate Amie Ichikawa. 'You thought prison would at least allow you to leave that behind while you work on yourselfmeaning [leave behind] domestic abusers and woman beaters.' Rivers was able to target her prison thanks to Senate Bill 132. At the time it was passed in 2021, just over 1 percent of California's prison population, or 1,129 inmates, identified as transgender, according to the state's correction's department. Several other states including Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts have passed similar laws. Rivers is formally known as David Warfield. At her sentencing for the triple murder, the judge said it was 'the most depraved crime' he had ever handled in court The couple and their son were murdered by Rivers in a hate crime after the transgender activist was banned from attending a women-only lesbian festival in 2016 Wright and Reed shared two other children together. Their son Diambu-Wright, who was also killed, was from Africa When she carried out the brutal killings almost seven years ago, Rivers shot Reed twice before stabbing her 40 times in a furious rage. She had been left seething after being banned from a female-only lesbian festival, leading her to target the family, who she knew, out of revenge. The transgender activist also murdered Wright by shooting her in the back and left breast and stabbing her in the neck and shoulder, before fatally shooting their adopted son Benny, 19. Police rushed to their California home after reports of gunshots, and officers arrived at the home to find a blood-covered Rivers holding a can of gasoline, with knives, brass knuckles and ammunition in her pockets. The married couple was pictured on Facebook riding a motorcycle after getting hitched. River attempted to escape on the same motorcycle the night of the murders. The killer remained in custody for five years until she was found guilty of the murders in 2021. Amie Ichikawa, 41, who spent five years at the same Chowchilla prison Rivers is going to, said the law was 'lesbophobic', and endangered the lives of half of California's female prison population. Rivers has already been transferred to Chowchilla prison, where well over half of all California's female inmates are housed Rivers was an award winning teacher who captured headlines in 1999 after she was fired for transitioning genders, leading her to make a series of TV appearances Rivers, pictured in 1999, was a US Navy veteran before she became a teacher in California Rivers was a US Navy Veteran and former award-winning teacher when she went by the name David Warfield in the 1990s. The veteran notified Center High School in Antelope about her plans to undergo surgery to change her gender and was put on leave before she was fired. Rivers gained media attention in 1999 following her termination and the launch of a lawsuit against the school that reached a $150,000 settlement. The alleged murder was in the spotlight for a short period of time and appeared on several television shows, including the Today show. Russia has practiced ethnic cleansing for centuries. This involves moving one ethnic group and replacing it with another. Most Western nations now consider this a war crime though it still occurs and often goes unpunished. A current example is the Russian occupation forces in Ukraine who are now trying to ethnically cleanse the remaining Russian-occupied areas after outright failing to pacify the locals, who were remarkably uncooperative and often violently opposed to the Russian occupation. This was made worse by Russian efforts to get local Ukrainians to cooperate in accepting the fact that Russia now considered them Russians, by trying to take away Ukrainian identity documents, including passports, and replace them with Russian documents. That did not work and, worse, many local Ukrainians joined the armed partisans and that included killing Russian-appointed officials. Russia, per its centuries-old ethnic cleansing solution to troublesome minorities, believes the easiest way to get rid of the partisans is to send all the Ukrainians to Russia and replace them with Russians. Russia calls this filtration but this is a war crime according to the Geneva Convention. In March 2023: Vladimir Putin was indicted by the ICC (International Criminal Court) for war crimes. This all began when, having occupied portions of the Ukraine in the current war, Russia sought to find enough local Ukrainian collaborators to allow convincing propaganda videos to be made. This effort was disrupted by widespread and often violent resistance to the occupation, including attacks on collaborators and efforts to stage a fake election. Russian efforts to cut occupied areas off from the outside world have been energetic but not enough. Replacing Ukrainian cell phone service with Russian cell service was not enough. Civilians risked arrest and worse by keeping their Ukrainian cell phones to collect and smuggle out videos of what is really going on. This included threats, sometimes carried out, to cut electrical service and access to clean water. Threats were made and carried out to take children from families and send the kids to Russia as hostages. At first Russia resorted to what they called filtration to identify the Ukrainian civilians most hostile to the occupation and the planned referendum to justify Russian annexation of these areas. Filtration had worked in the past but was ineffective when the civilians knew that there was a war going on to liberate them from Russian occupation. This changed civilian attitudes in Crimea and Donbas that had been under Russian control since 2014. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces had been occupied by the Russians in the first month of the 2022 invasion and proved largely immune to filtration because the initial Russian offensive in the north was quickly defeated with heavy Russian losses. Russian troops who escaped that defeat were sent to Donbas, Crimea, Kherson and Zaporyzhzhia where they confirmed the defeat in the north. The Ukrainian military kept expanding and receiving more weapons from NATO allies. This led to the September 2022 Ukrainian offensive that drove Russian forces out of northeast Ukraine and portions off Donbas. Large quantities of Russian armored vehicles and trucks were captured intact, plus thousands of tons of artillery ammunition. Within weeks the captured materials, especially the artillery ammunition, equipped Ukrainian units successfully drove the Russians out of large parts of occupied Donbas, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya. The September offensive also put about 20 percent of Russian troops in Ukraine out of action. This caused problems in Donbas and Crimea where local men who had been conscripted into the armed forces refused to serve outside the provinces they came from. They would defend their home province but would not fight anywhere else. Russia had worse problems getting any new troops to serve in Ukraine because the news that Russia was losing in Ukraine had become common knowledge in Russia and military-age men were desperate not to be mobilized to serve in Ukraine. Those who did find themselves in uniform soon discovered that all the stories were true. The new troops were given decrepit equipment and less than two weeks training before being sent off to die in Ukraine. It wasnt just Ukrainian soldiers the Russian troops had to worry about. More civilians in Russian occupied areas were getting armed and organized so they could attack Russian officials and Ukrainian collaborators. The Russians sent to operate the filtration process were sought out for attack and Russian troops found that the safest thing to do was stay out of the way of the armed and angry partisans. A growing number of Russian civilians and Ukrainian collaborators were leaving occupied Ukraine for Russia. As a result of this, Russia is now trying to depopulate Russian -occupied Ukraine of Ukrainians and replace them with Russians. Rounding up Ukrainian women and children is relatively easy compared to the men. Many of their men were violently opposed to deportation and more of them joined the partisans. Russia doesnt have enough troops or Russian police to handle this so the occupied areas have become hazardous for Russian troops to operate in, and much more so for any collaborators or Russians imported to serve as local officials. So far no Russian civilians have appeared to replace the Ukrainians kidnapped into Russia. Apparently filtration works both ways and the armed and unarmed Ukrainians are trying to filtrate the Russians out of Ukraine. The case went unsolved so she launched a podcast in pursuit of the truth A woman has launched a podcast to investigate her father's unsolved murder more than 20 years after his death, in the hopes of finding out who shot him - and why. In 2002, Madison McGhee's father, John Cornelius McGhee, 45, was shot and killed in the doorway of his home in Bridgeport, Ohio, a small town in Belmont County on the border with West Virginia. According to an incident report from the Belmont County Sheriff's Office it was a home invasion gone wrong. But McGhee says that theory is laden with inconsistencies - and ignores that her father, also known as JC, was a former drug dealer turned confidential informant for local law enforcement. So far, McGhee has released six episodes of the podcast Ice Cold Case, which unravels the different theories and potential characters behind her father's sudden death. John Cornelius McGhee, 45 at the time, was shot and killed in the doorway of his home in Bridgeport, Ohio Madison McGhee (pictured), 28, has launched a podcast investigating her father's unsolved murder more than 20 years after his death in the hopes of finding out who shot him and why The fatal incident happened shortly after 6am on July 11, 2002, between two neighboring houses in Bridgeport, Ohio. Pictured is an excerpt from a local newspaper at the time The fatal incident happened shortly after 6am on July 11, 2002, between two neighboring houses in Bridgeport, a town of around 2,000 people in rural Ohio, according sheriff's office incident reports seen by DailyMail.com. McGhee's father lived in one of those houses and that day was there with his elder daughter and McGhee's sister Alyssa, who was sleeping at the time. Next door lived JC's sister Pearl. Her son Omar had been there that morning with his girlfriend Kim. After the event, Pearl, Omar and Kim told deputies a group of around four men dressed in black arrived at Pearl's house in at least three cars and armed with shotguns and pistols before bursting into her home and demanding drugs or money. Amid the chaos, the house was ransacked, Pearl and Kim were tied up with telephone cord, covered in blankets and the men doused them in alcohol before threatening to set them alight. According to those reports, Omar was able to escape and fled to a nearby auto shop. It was at point that at least one of the men moved next door to JC's house and fatally shot him in the head in the doorway. JC's daughter Alyssa told deputies she was woken up at the time by the sound of a gunshot. Alyssa then found her father bloody in the doorway of the house and called 911. Minutes later, Omar used the phone in the auto shop to call 911 to report that his 'neighbor' was being robbed and that 'they got my mom and my girl', presumably referring to Pearl and Kim, according to a dispatch transcript. The transcript of a 911 call made by Omar at around 6.30am on July 11, 2002, minutes after Madison McGhee's father, John McGhee, was fatally shot in the head Details in sheriff's office's account are limited but according to the report a coroner found that JC was killed with a bullet to the head from a pistol 'It was a kill shot,' McGhee told DailyMail.com. 'A coordinated hit.' McGhee, who was just six-years-old at the time, had been living with her mother in Charleston, West Virginia, and was told by family that her father had died from a heart attack. Some ten years later, aged 16, she went to Bridgeport with her mother and met her cousin Omar. It was after that meeting that McGhee's mom told her that her dad had actually been killed. At the time she was about to graduate high school and thinking about a career in TV production. 'I went to school with the idea that production was something I was passionate about but there was this poke in the back of my mind that I could make something about my dad's murder,' she said. 'I think that that voice just got louder and louder as I got older.' McGhee was six-years-old at the time her father's death and initially told he died of a heart attack. It was not until ten years later that she discovered he had been murdered Then came Covid, and with nothing much else to do, she started to dig and recorded her conversations with the people she spoke with along the way. Throughout her podcast McGhee probes various theories as to why those men were present that day and why her father was shot. Along the way she introduces characters in her father's often murky life, including his ex-girlfriend, Daneen Schrader, and her new boyfriend at the time, Butchy. According to sheriff's office's documents, Daneen gave birth to JC's son, but as an informant JC had also been involved in Butchy's recent indictment. During the podcast McGhee also suggests her father was in the midst of a custody battle for the child. 'My dad was due in court the day after he was murdered for the custody of Daneen's son, who was also my dad's son and my half brother,' she said. And according to some, Butchy was an acquittance of Omar. 'I have heard that they were friendly,' said McGhee. 'That's just through talking with people who are around at the time.' In the hours after the shooting on July 11, Belmont County sheriff's deputies interviewed JC's ex-girlified Daneen Schrader, with whom he was engaged in an ongoing child custody battle Although there is now no leading theory, in the weeks after the killing in July 2002, Belmont County Sheriff's department and prosecutors singled out one man - Daryl Smith, according to sheriff's department logs. He was thought to have been present at the time based on information given by Kim, Omar and Pearl, who all identified him among a series of photos. Belmont County sheriff's department and the prosecutor's office were sure enough that Smith was involved that they took his case to a Grand Jury, which threw it out at the last minute, according to McGhee. In each episode of the podcast, McGhee pieces together more pieces of the puzzle, meshing together the varies theories in the hopes of landing on a narrative that ties up all the loose ends. Although the podcast was scheduled for eight episodes, McGhee has said it will have to go on. 'Putting this all out is helpful because information will come in, and the bigger this gets, the more information will funnel through,' she said. 'But I need proof. I need someone to come forward and say I was there and this is what happened. That is going to be really difficult, but I'm not giving up until that happens.' The first episodes of Ice Cold Case are available to listen for free. A 30-year-old OnlyFans model has accused China Airlines of keeping her pet cat in a cage for 38 hours after not allowing her to bring the animal on plane to Bali. Speaking to DailyMail.com Thursday, Content Creator Nina Galy that she is now considering legal action against the airline, weeks after laying bare the ordeal endured by her pet, named Baby Cat, on TikTok this month. In the July post - which has since amassed more than 17 million views - Galy accused China Air of traumatizing, sedating, and even starving Baby Cat, by locking it up during an initial 13-hour layover flight from Los Angeles to Taiwan. However, when the LA-based influencer touched down herself, airline officials told her the cat would not be allowed into Indonesia, and that she would have to fly back to the US immediately if she wanted to claim the animal again. She eventually obliged - but was ultimately dismayed when she found the animal had peed and thrown up in her cage. Weeks later, Galy's initial TikTok - and several others since - caught the carrier's attention, leading a rep to reach out to Galy with an offer of compensation, after she spent nearly $1,500 on consultations and vaccinations to ensure the cat could enter the country. She was also forced to fork over another $1,900 for the flight home. Scroll down for video: A 30-year-old OnlyFans model has accused China Airlines of keeping her pet cat in a cage for 38 hours after not allowing her to bring the animal on plane to Bali Speaking to DailyMail.com Thursday, Content Creator Nina Galy that she is now considering legal action against the airline, weeks after laying bare the ordeal endured by her pet, named Baby Cat, on TikTok this month Currently mulling legal action, Galy - who has more than 400,000 followers on TikTok - recounted to DailyMail.com how the ordeal left both her and her cat emotionally and physically ill. 'Shes been through everything with me from my college degree to my divorce,' she said of the animal, whose name is Baby Cat. The influencer - who has chalked up the airline's apparent oversight to 'human error' - added: 'Honestly, I felt like the worst cat parent, the worst human being. 'I felt like I betrayed my cat.' She added that she began the process of legally importing Baby Cat to Indonesia more than three months ago, spending a total of approximately $1,900 dollars on travel expenses and certifications to do so. As her July trip to the country's popular island province approached, Galy said she thought she had done everything in her power to make sure her cat could tag along with her on the trip. Tracking down the appropriate doctors, she gathered all of the necessary paperwork and paid for a series of blood and COVID tests for both her and Baby Cat, along with several animal vaccinations. Each test had to be separate, with each appointment being 2-3 weeks apart, she said. Eventually, she was able to depart as planned July 5 - but was met with her first roadblock when she and Baby Cat arrived at LAX airport. It was there that Galy was informed that her pet could not travel with her in the cabin, and would instead need to be stowed away as cargo. For this, she said the airline charged her a total $730 in four separate transactions, adding to her already costly itinerary. China Airlines have since said Baby Cat should not have been allowed to board at LAX, but did not elaborate on why - despite Galy insisting to DailyMail.com Thursday she had rigorously checked the rules and regulations in place for pet travel. Weeks later, Galy's initial TikTok - and several others since - caught the carrier's attention, leading a rep to reach out to Galy with an offer of compensation, after she spent nearly $1,500 on consultations and vaccinations to ensure the cat could enter the country. She was also forced to fork over another $1,900 for the flight home Currently mulling legal action, Galy - who has more than 400,000 followers on TikTok - recounted to DailyMail.com how the ordeal left both her and her cat emotionally and physically ill That said, Galy went on to concede how she thought this was just a small blip in the road of her journey - that is, until she touched down in Taiwan. When she arrived, she said she was told by airline officials that Baby Cat could not enter Indonesia, and claimed she was told that 'human error' - which airline officials would later attribute to the LAX ground staff - was the reason for them denying the cat entry to the county. They did not specify why, and arrived at the decision even though the cats carrier had a final destination tag to Bali on it, as is required by the airline. Her only option, she was told, was for them both to fly back to the US. She also had to pay for the flight back to the United States for both of them, even after admitting that they allowed this mishap to take place. While she waited for hours on end in the Taipei Taoyuan Airport, Galy attempted to ask China Airlines to at least fly her back to the US. Speaking to DailyMail.com, she recalled how a manager allegedly responded with, 'I do not accept your opinion. China Airlines does not owe you anything.' From when they boarded their first flight at LAX, Galy and Baby Cat were already separated for 13 hours. After being told she had to go back to the states, Galy was not able to be with her cat for another 13 hours, until the next plane took off for LAX. Galy added that the airline told her that the cat was kept in a basement with a blanket over her carrier during that span. After being told she had to go back to the states, Galy was not able to be with her cat for another 13 hours, until the next plane took off for LAX. Galy said that China Airlines told her that the cat is going to be held in the basement with a blanket over her carrier for that time Now, Galy is looking for an international lawyer to help her go after China Airlines for their admitted mistake - after she reportedly received a text message from a China Airlines customer service manager on July 17. Not wanting to speak over text, Galy responded by email - at which point officials gave her offer of compensation. According to Business Insider, which viewed the message, the email saw the rep dispute Galy's claims that staffers did not feed or take care of the animal during its lengthy internment. 'For clarification while you were waiting in Taipei, China Airlines ground staff did feed your baby cat and make sure baby cat was taken care of on July 6, 2023,' it read. 'For your inconvenience, we are able to provide a round-trip premium economy class ticket from USA CI gateway cities to any destination operated by China Airlines.' A representative added in an email that an internal investigation found that the LAX ground staff were wrong to accept Baby Cat onto the flight, and that staff 'immediately explained the situation' to Galy, That correspondence also insited airline staffers 'ensured that the cat was well-fed and in good health.' After returning back to her mother's house in the U.S. on June 7, Galy was finally reunited with her cat again. When she touched down, a person she believed to be a gate agent greeted her, and allegedly attempted to deescalate the situation by starting to apologize. At that point, Baby Cat was sitting at the carousel in baggage claim and Galy ran to reunite with her. 'I'm like in the middle of the baggage claim on the floor, with my cat, sobbing. And, she smelled like a big, giant ball of crap.' The morning after Brittany Higgins spoke at a March4Justice rally outside Parliament House, her boyfriend boasted she had overshadowed Lisa Wilkinson and her daughter. David Sharaz was quoting Ms Higgins's best friend Emma Webster when he sent his girlfriend a congratulatory message after she attended the Canberra protest two years ago. The former Liberal Party staffer had stood out in her all-white ensemble and towered over the diminutive Wilkinson, who was then still co-host of The Project. '"Emma: Lisa and the daughter really pale in comparison to Britt and her bodyguard,"' Mr Sharaz wrote to Ms Higgins on March 16, 2021. 'We exude power,' he added. 'They disappear into the crowd.' The messages are contained in a leaked cache of text exchanges between Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz, seen by Daily Mail Australia. The day after Brittany Higgins spoke at the March4Justice Rally outside Parliament House in 2019, her boyfriend boasted that as a couple they were more powerful than Lisa Wilkinson. (Ms Wilkinson's daughter Billi FitzSimons, circled, was present at the protest with Ms Higgins) The day before the rally, Ms Higgins told Mr Sharaz she had been anxious about appearing on stage after Wilkinson, writing, 'I don't want to follow her hahah', and, 'That's very intimidating'. Mr Sharaz responded, 'No it's all about you', 'It's wonderful' and 'She loves you'. In other messages, Ms Higgins mocked Wilkinson for repeatedly mentioning her journalistic achievements in a telephone conversation and admitted she knew little about her decades-long career. 'She kept referring to her career assuming I'd know information about her which I found kinda funny,' Ms Higgins said in one message. Mr Sharaz also suggested Wilkinson was not tech-savvy, noting she did not use WhatsApp, adding, 'She didn't even know what LinkedIn was.' Wilkinson had introduced Ms Higgins at the March4Justice rally, watched by her daughter Billi FitzSimons, who was a writer for women's website Mamamia at the time. Billi is now the editor of youth news publication The Daily Aus and her father is Wilkinson's husband, author and onetime rugby international Peter FitzSimons. The day before the March4Justice rally, Ms Higgins told Mr Sharaz she had been anxious about appearing on stage after Wilkinson, writing: 'That's very intimidating'. Ms Higgins is pictured at the protest with Wilkinson David Sharaz was quoting Ms Higgins's best friend Emma Webster when he sent his girlfriend a congratulatory message about her appearance at the March4Justice protest Thousands of women gathered at 40 protests across Australia on March4Justice day to demand an end to gendered violence, inequality, and misogyny in the workplace. Ms Higgins attacked then prime minister Scott Morrison during her speech, claiming he 'undermined and discredited my loved ones' after she accused a colleague of raping her inside Parliament House. 'I have read the news updates every day at 5am because I was waking up to new information about my own sexual assault through the media,' she told the audience. Earlier, Wilkinson told the throng: 'If everything Brittany told us is true, Parliament House appears to the be the easiest place in this country to rape women and get away with it.' The previous month Ms Higgins had alleged in an interview with Wilkinson on The Project that she was sexually assaulted in the office of then defence minister Linda Reynolds in March 2019. Ms Higgins mocked Wilkinson for repeatedly mentioning her journalistic achievements and stated she knew little about her decades-long career. 'She kept referring to her career assuming I'd know information about her which I found kinda funny' Bruce Lehrmann was later named as Ms Higgins's alleged attacker but always maintained his innocence and a rape charge against him was withdrawn after juror misconduct aborted his trial. In WhatsApp exchanges between Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz the couple discussed making arrangements to speak to Wilkinson ahead of The Project interview. On January 20, 2021, Mr Sharaz wrote to Ms Higgins, 'Lisa rang. Let's chat tonight. It's good news.' 'She wants to fly me and you down on Monday for a meeting with her and the EP at a non-disclosed location.... Are you able to sneak off on Monday? 'She also said to me, "We need to make sure we hold britts hand through all this. She can call me anytime". 'So if you want to talk to her first before anything you can. We can use my mums phone etc x Oh it's not for the interview btw. It's just for a meeting. To talk logistics.' The next morning Ms Higgins told Mr Sharaz, 'FYI - I WhatsApped Lisa'. He responded 'Can I see X' followed by, 'Haha did Lisa have WhatsApp? She didn't even know what Linkedin was ha ha.' Regarding the prospect of Ms Higgins talking to Wilkinson, Mr Sharaz wrote: 'Let me know how it goes. You can finally ask her if she has caps on her teeth.' 'We exude power,' Mr Sharaz wrote of himself and Ms Higgins (pictured). Comparing the couple with Lisa Wilkinson and her daughter Billi, he added: 'They disappear into the crowd' Later that day, Mr Sharaz wrote: 'All I care about what that she was sensitive and supportive of you?' Ms Higgins replied: 'Yes, she was lovely. Very nice. She kept referring to her career assuming I'd know information about her which I found kinda funny.' Mr Sharaz: 'Hahahahhaaahhaaahaha' Ms Higgins: 'Because beyond broadly liking her, I am not intimately aware of the timeline of her career haha.' Six days after those messages, Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz met Wilkinson and Network Ten producer Angus Llewellyn in a Sydney hotel room. The meeting was intended to lay the groundwork for Wilkinson's interview with Ms Higgins and the entire five-hour conversation was recorded. During the chat Wilkinson namedropped actor Natalie Portman, bragged about knowing ex-prime ministers and called herself a 'champion for women'. Mr Sharaz suggested Wilkinson was not tech-savvy, noting she did not use WhatsApp and stating, 'She didn't even know what Linkedin was' As the group dined on corn chips, vegetable spring rolls and calamari, Mr Sharaz asked Wilkinson what she stood to gain from interviewing his girlfriend about her rape allegations. 'Champion for women who are suppressed,' she replied, immediately. 'I'm always about exactly the same thing - the inequality that exists out there, whether it's white privilege, whether it's male domination, whether it's criminal activity that is suppressed.' Wilkinson then described her upbringing: 'I'm a girl from the western suburbs of Sydney, I'll always be motivated by exactly the same thing. People who deserve to be heard, not being heard.' The day after the meeting Mr Sharaz sent Ms Higgins another message on WhatsApp. 'Lisa rang me... not sure why,' he wrote. '...She seems to really care... or is very good at acting.' A man who married the daughter of a couple he was accused of murdering at their farmhouse is living as a recluse 30 years later as police announce they have reopened the case, MailOnline can exclusively reveal today. Jonathan Jones was cleared of blasting his future in-laws Harry and Megan Tooze to death with a shotgun, but the double murder at a farm in South Wales in July 1993 remains unsolved. Jones, who says he has suffered three decades of 'inner turmoil', hopes a forensic review of the murders will lead police to the real killer of his wife's parents. Locals say Jones, 63, and Cheryl, his wife of 25 years, are rarely seen together and say he lives alone at the marital home, a modest semi in Caerphilly. A neighbour said: 'You never see him, not even to put his rubbish out. I haven't seen Cheryl there for quite a while.' But the couple were filmed together by ITV this week after South Wales Police announced top forensic scientist Dr Angela Gallop has been brought in. Jones, who wrongly served a year of a life sentence for the murders, claims to have worked with police to find the true killer. The former self-employed recruitment consultant says he is 'hugely excited' that the forensic team will crack the case. Jonathan Jones (right), who was wrongly accused of the murder of his future in-laws. His wife of 25 years Cheryl is picture on the left Pictured here is Harry Tooze, who was shot dead at his South Wales farmhouse in 1993 Megan Tooze was found dead alongside her husband He told ITV Wales: 'There hasn't been a day in the last 30 years where we haven't thought about, and most days talked about, some aspect of this case. Inside I think we are both hugely excited but we are trying to contain that and manage as best we can. 'I have high hopes that the new technology will yield some results that will help us get to the bottom of this. Jones is pinning his hopes that the fresh inquiry will exonerate him completely and at the same time identify the real killer. He said: 'I'm very aware that there have been huge advances in DNA technology over the last 20 or so years. Without wanting to raise expectations too high, I have high hopes that the new technology will yield some results. [If fresh evidence was found], it would lift a weight that both Cheryl and I have been carrying for 30 years. We will be delighted when and if that happens.' Fruit farmers Harry and Megan, 64 and 67, were shot at point-blank range, in the grounds of their isolated home in Llanharry, near Bridgend. Their murders have been linked to serial killer John Cooper who is serving a whole life sentence for the shotgun murders of two couples in Pembrokeshire in the 1980s. Forensic experts explore the crime scene in the rural south Wales farmhouse where Harry and Megan Tooze were killed in 1993 Police officers pictured in 1993 with sniffer dogs along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path The method and execution-style killings were trademarks of Cooper, known as the Bullseye killer who appeared on the darts quiz show with the same name. Jones refused to comment on Cooper as a potential suspect when a TV dramatisation of the killings titled the Pembrokeshire Murders was screened in 2021. He said at the time: 'People have approached us with information since it happened and we have passed their information to South Wales Police. We have been in contact on a fairly regular basis for what is now decades.' Only-child Cheryl stood by Jones when he was charged with the murder of her parents Harry and Megan following a botched murder investigation. On the night the bodies were found, uniformed police officers contaminated the murder scene by trampling over the couple's farmhouse and outbuildings. But the most serious blunder was they allowed Jones into the farmhouse giving an explanation why his fingerprint was found on a teacup in the kitchen. Jones was found guilty of their murder but cleared at the Court of Appeal where Cheryl was waiting with open arms to greet him. She was three months pregnant when they married in 1998 and set up home in Caerphilly, 13 miles from Harry and Megan's farmhouse. In the ITV Wales interview, Cheryl told how she is still haunted at losing both her parents at the hands of a mystery gunman. Now 63, she hopes the forensic review may finally get justice for her parents 30 years after their bodies were found in a cowshed, covered in carpet and under bales of hay. She said: 'It never goes away, you wake up in the morning and it hits you, what happened. This is such a welcome development. 'It's giving me renewed hope, I've been wanting this to happen for such a long time. I don't believe anyone could commit a murder of that nature and not leave traces. 'It being difficult is the understatement of the century. We've lived in limbo for such a long time. 'I've always tried to remain focused. It's been like being on an emotional rollercoaster. 'You think oh yes it's going to be solved and then you go down again and up again and it's really wearing, so now I really really welcome this development.' Jones was inside the couple's 260,000 home but didn't come to the door or answer his phone when MailOnline called. Consumers face a double blow this week as stamps without barcodes will no longer be valid from tomorrow, and increases in alcohol duty kick in on Tuesday. Anyone ignoring Royal Mail's deadline for old-style stamps will find their letter being treated as if there is insufficient postage and a surcharge will be due. People who are stuck with now-useless stamps can exchange them for free in the Royal Mail's Swap Out scheme. However, the process is a lot more convoluted than simply taking them along to a Post Office. Instead, you need to pick up a complicated form from the counter or print one out from a website complete it and then send it off, along with your stamps, to a freepost address. The Royal Mail has said that it will it try to ensure people have their new stamps 'within seven working days', but already many customers have complained of long delays. Anyone ignoring Royal Mail's deadline for old-style stamps will find their letter being treated as if there is insufficient postage and a surcharge will be due People who are stuck with now-useless stamps can exchange them for free in the Royal Mail's Swap Out scheme. However, the process is a lot more convoluted than simply taking them along to a Post Office There are also different forms for stamps worth less than and more than 200 in total. The Mail on Sunday successfully fought for the deadline for old stamps to be pushed back from January over fears that there had been too little warning. Christmas stamps and other special stamps with pictures on will remain valid without a barcode. Meanwhile, the price of alcohol is set to rise across the board from Tuesday, after the Government introduced a new taxing system based on alcohol by volume (ABV). According to the Treasury, the changes will 'make the system fairer and responsive to new products entering the market as consumer tastes evolve'. But drinkers are likely only to notice the price hike and the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has called the increases potentially 'crippling' for the producers it represents. The WSTA has also calculated that the changes will mean duty on a bottle of wine goes up by 44p, on a bottle of vodka by 76p and on a bottle of port by a whopping 1.30. The Mail on Sunday has previously revealed how some vineyards were plotting to cut the amount of alcohol in their wine to reduce the duty, despite concerns about the impact this would have on flavour. The phenomenon of 'drinkflation' has already seen beer fans hit, with Foster's lager, Old Speckled Hen, Bishops Finger and Spitfire among brands to have had their alcohol content reduced. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that alcohol duties will raise 13.1 billion in the 2023-2024 financial year. Charles has spent a lifetime looking impeccable. And no more so than when he dons a kilt. He has worn kilts since a boy doubtless the reason he always looks more at ease in one than in anything else. The kilt can look both solemn, as it did when Charles stood vigil by his mother's coffin at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, or relaxed, as when he posed for photos on honeymoon with Diana on the banks of the River Dee. It's a shame Prince William doesn't follow his father's example. Perhaps his knees are knobbly. More likely, William simply does not have his father's sense of style. The sporran, which can be as varied as a woman's handbag, has the same function as a pocket. I'm convinced that the more elaborate the sporran, the scarier the owner. Charles gets the kilt length exactly right mid-knee and teams it with impeccable hose and Ghillie brogues (the shoes have no tongue, allowing them to dry speedily after a tramp across wet moorland). TO THE MANOR SPORRAN: The then Prince Charles at Balmoral on his 30th birthday, dressed in full Highland attire CLAN GATHERING: William and Harry flank Peter Phillips, with, from left, Zara Phillips and Princess Beatrice. Back row, from left: the Duchess of York, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Princess Anne I particularly love Charles and Camilla in matchy-matchy kilts like Ken and Barbie. The only question remaining is whether our King wears anything beneath his kilt. We will never know because the fastener, reminiscent of an old-fashioned nappy safety pin, doesn't actually fasten anything. Instead, it simply gives weight to the fabric in a strong breeze. Why Charles is King of kilts -- but William's refused to wear one since he was a wee lad By Claudia Joseph His great-great-great grandfather Prince Albert designed the family's Balmoral tartan after he and Queen Victoria were seduced by a visit to their 'dear paradise in the Highlands', and since then generations of Royals have donned kilts when they travel to Scotland. When Charles III heads north this week to stay at the Castle of Mey, he is expected to show the Royal kneecap once again. Yet Prince William, who inherited his titles Duke of Rothesay and Lord of the Isles on the accession of his father, hasn't worn any tartan since childhood. He has shunned Highland regalia on every occasion north of the border, including the Braemar Games and even his graduation from St Andrews University, when he chose instead to wear a traditional suit with a white bow tie and black silk academic gown. No one has been able to explain William's apparent indifference to tartan and it has been the subject of much discussion. King Charles while judging the tug of war final between Help for Heroes and Police Scotland as he attends the Mey Highland & Cultural Games at the John O'Groats Showground in Caithness Charles with Camilla on their anniversary with matching Tartan It may be that in the privacy of the rugged Balmoral estate, he has learnt a painful truth, observed by the writer Neil Munro, that 'there's nothing the midges like to see among them better than an English tourist in a kilt.' More likely, he just doesn't fancy the sheer draughtiness of the thing. But his reluctance recently prompted a comment from his father's Scottish tailor, John Sugden, owner of Campbell's of Beauly and holder of the Royal Warrant. Mr Sugden said: 'We would be happy to tailor a kilt for the Prince of Wales should the opportunity arise,' he said. 'His father is a very keen wearer of Highland dress and a great supporter of Scottish traditions.' Unlike the Prince, the King has an extensive wardrobe of kilts, jackets, sporrans and socks. BONNIE PRINCE CHARMING: Charles and Diana on their honeymoon on the River Dee Charles in 1955 and a kilt-clad Prince William at Balmoral in 1987 He has worn kilts since he was a child: to mark his seventh birthday, in 1955, Buckingham Palace released a photograph of him in Balmoral tartan, in the grounds of the family's Scottish estate. On this year's Father's Day, he shared a photograph of himself with his sons Wlliam and Harry on the banks of the River Dee in 1997. He was wearing Lord of the Isles tartan. And on their first wedding anniversary, in 2006, Charles and Camilla wore co-ordinating suits in Balmoral tartan when they arrived at Crathie Church beside the Balmoral Estate. The Prince of Wales has never explained why he refuses to wear a kilt in adulthood but even his mother, Princess Diana, no lover of things Scottish, used to display a gesture, such as a tam o' shanter bonnet, to the delight of fans. Tartans have been worn in the Highlands for hundreds of years, and were popularised by Sir Walter Scott in the 19th Century, but the kilt as we know it does not have such a long history. According to one account the short kilt, the one that is worn today, was actually invented by an Englishman, Thomas Rawlinson, in the 1720s. Balmoral tartan was created by Prince Albert in 1853, in a grey fabric with red and black checks, designed to resemble granite. Documents in the National Archives at Kew confirm its use is restricted to the Royal Family and the Sovereign's piper. A man who was recently freed after serving 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit is moving out of Britain permanently and moving to the Netherlands. As he boarded a Eurostar train from London St Pancras to Amsterdam yesterday, Andrew Malkinson, 57, said he wants to renounce his UK citizenship for a Dutch passport. He said that Saturday was 'the first day of the rest of my life' as although he was born in Britain it no longer feels like home after his traumatic ordeal. Mr Malkinson, who spent much of his 20s backpacking and had been working in the Netherlands when he was returned to the UK in 2003 and falsely imprisoned, told The Mirror that he now 'feels more Dutch than English'. He said he is going to ask the Foreign Office to negotiate for a Dutch passport on 'humanitarian grounds'. Andrew Malkinson has boarded a Eurostar train from London to Amsterdam He was recently freed after serving 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit (pictured here on Wednesday) Mr Malkinson won his 20-year-battle to clear his name after he was convicted of raping a woman after a trial in Greater Manchester in 2003, in what the former security guard slammed as a 'set up'. The following year he was jailed for a life with a minimum term of seven years but remained in prison for a further 10 because he maintained he was innocent as he continued to live out a 'joyless existence' behind bars. His conviction was quashed by senior judges at the Court of Appeal on Wednesday after DNA evidence linking another man to the crime came to light. Mr Malkinson said that had he had not been arrested, he would have been living in the Netherlands for 23 years and be eligible for a passport, the Mirror reported. He said the criminal justice system took 'everything' from him but hopes that returning to Holland will help in his healing as he will be back with friends. The two police officers who pinned the rape on Mr Malkinson were commended during his original trial, but the victim of the gross miscarriage of justice said it was a 'smash in the face because I knew I'd been set up'. He added that he wants the authorities to be held to account and he that he wants compensation. Mr Malkinson is now living on benefits but could be in line for up to 1million in compensation for his wrongful conviction but his lawyer has warned his client may be waiting 'years'. Mr Malkinson is now living on benefits but could be in line for up to 1million in compensation for his wrongful conviction And he also faces the possibility that he would have to pay for the 'torture' he suffered for nearly 20 years, as a substantial sum of his compensation may be deducted to repay the prison - HMP Frankland - for food and accommodation costs. His lawyer Emily Bolton, from the charity Appeal, who were key in securing his acquittal saw Mr Malkinson off at St Pancras. He hugger her and thanked her for her hard work as he left for new horizons as she told him: 'You've got this!' Fellow passengers asked him for selfies once he was threw passport control. Due to post-Brexit immigration rules, Mr Malkinson can only stay in the Netherlands for up to 90 days but he is also planning to visit his sisters and their children in Australia if his health allows. He suffers from type 1 diabetes and said he will be doing well if he reaches 70-years-old. He also missed seeing his own son grow up due to his incarceration. Ministers are under pressure to ban 'aggressive' American bully dogs which have been blamed for a wave of vicious maulings. Almost two thirds of Britons want the breed outlawed after a sharp rise in horrific attacks. Bully dogs share genetic stock with banned pit bull terriers but have been cross-bred to add size and muscle. The largest weigh more than nine stone. Dog attack campaigner Dr Lawrence Newport, who commissioned the poll, said bully dogs have been responsible for nine fatalities since 2021 three of which were children. Ministers are under pressure to ban 'aggressive' American bully dogs (pictured) which have been blamed for a wave of vicious maulings Dr Newport added: 'The American bully's impact has been horrifying. If you argue these dogs are dangerous you will get a flood of comments saying it's the owners' fault. The reality is different.' No UK dog association recognises the American bully, so the number on Britain's streets is hard to establish. Last week, The Mail on Sunday revealed almost 3,500 people needed reconstructive surgery following a dog attack during the past year an 80 per cent rise from 15 years ago. A Defra spokesman declined to say whether Ministers were considering a ban. A spokesperson from the Dog Control Coalition said: 'All members of the Dog Control Coalition - the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Scottish SPCA, The Kennel Club, Hope Rescue, Battersea and British Veterinary Association - are deeply saddened by recent dog attacks and our thoughts are with all those affected. 'We strongly believe that breed is not a reliable indicator of aggression in dogs. The solution to the incredibly concerning number of dog attacks is not to ban American XL bullies or any other breed because a ban would not effectively protect the public. 'The increased popularity of XL bullies has made them valuable commodities, resulting in irresponsible breeding, rearing and ownership. We therefore need to focus on the enforcement of current breeding and dog control regulations, and on promoting responsible dog ownership, rather than trying to eradicate certain types of dogs. 'There is no reliable evidence which shows a ban on XL bullies would prevent further incidents. There is a significant body of robust and rigorous evidence and a range of academics who unanimously agree that banning breeds as a strategy to effectively protect public safety from dog bites is unsuccessful. 'In fact, breed specific approaches can potentially place people at greater risk of being bitten. Labelling some dog breeds as dangerous potentially creates false assurances about dog behaviour leading people to believe any dog not illegal to own is inherently safe. Banning breeds can also increase their popularity, especially with those who seek to use dogs for wrong purposes - to harm or frighten others. 'Measures aimed at reducing dog bites not only have to be evidence based, they also have to be practical to implement. The current breed ban is already costly to enforce both financially and emotionally. Dogs whose behaviour has never posed a risk to public safety but are suspected of being a banned type are typically seized and kennelled, with some owners facing a criminal record as well as destruction of their dog. 'Absolutely no-one wants dogs behaving aggressively within our communities and the need for a new approach is clear. However, it won't be a single, one size fits all solution, and any change must be robustly evidence based and practical. As animal welfare organisations we also want to see any approach compatible with good dog welfare.' A retired minister, David Zandstra, who was arrested in Georgia earlier this week, charged with murder in the slaying of an eight-year-old girl whose remains were found in Pennsylvania almost a half-century ago, is now being investigated over the disappearance of a four-year-old girl from California. Fairfield Police Department are reexamining a 1991 California cold case which saw the disappearance of Amanda 'Nikki' Campbell in the Bay Area. Campbell's case is extremely similar to that of Gretchen Harrington, who vanished while heading to Bible school in Pennsylvania in 1975. Zandstra, 83, was arrested for her kidnapping and killing on Monday, but he is also believed to have lived in the area close to where Campbell disappeared, 16 years later. Campbell was abducted by a stranger and vanished as she was on her way to a friend's house on December 27, 1991. Her body was never found. Authorities are looking into 83-year-old David Zandstra's potential involvement in the 1991 disappearance of a four-year-old girl Amanda 'Nikki' Campbell from California David Zandstra, 83, of Marietta, Georgia, was charged on Monday with criminal homicide and kidnapping of a minor in the 1975 death of Gretchen Harrington but his DNA is now being compared with several cold cases across the country including Amanda 'Nikki' Campbell Campbell was abducted by a stranger in December 1991 while heading to a friend's house - her body was never found and her case is treated as missing persons Police are now looking to see if there is a link between Zandstra and Campbell releasing an age-progressed photo of what Campbell may look like today. According to the State of California Department of Justice, her disappearance is still treated as a missing persons case. DNA from Zandstra is now being compared to material from open cases in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, authorities said. The sample will be be submitted to CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) often used by law enforcement. It will be compared to open cases in Pennsylvania and across the nation to see if Zandstra is potentially connected with any other cold cases. Zandstra lived in Texas and Georgia after leaving Pennsylvania. The Christian Reformed Church lists him as having ministered in New Jersey, California and Texas before retiring in 2005. Authorities say they are concerned that there may have been more victims and urge anyone with information to contact investigators. Harrington, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister and his wife, disappeared in mid-August 1975 while walking from her Marple Township home to Bible school at Trinity Church Chapel, where Zandstra was pastor Zandstra, of the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, was charged Monday with criminal homicide, first, second- and third-degree murder, kidnapping of a minor and a related count in the 1975 death of Gretchen Harrington in Delaware County. Harrington, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister and his wife, disappeared in mid-August 1975 while walking from her Marple Township home to Bible school at Trinity Church Chapel, where Zandstra was pastor. District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer told reporters in Media, Pennsylvania, the defendant was 'a monster' and 'every parent's worst nightmare.' 'This is a man who is a remorseless child predator who acted as if he was a friend, a neighbor and a man of God, and he killed this poor little girl,' Stollsteimer said. After allegedly killing the child, he then 'acted as if he was their family friend, not only during her burial and the period after that but for years,' the district attorney said. Harrington's body was found two months later by a jogger in Ridley Creek State Park in Media. Harrington was usually accompanied by her sisters to Bible school but was alone on the fateful day because of a recent birth in her family. She was offered a ride by Zandstra, who was also the father of one of her best friends, Stollsteimer alleged. 'So when he offered her a ride in his car, of course she got in the car,' he said. Harrington's body was found two months later by a jogger in Ridley Creek State Park in Media, Pennsylvania Zandstra took her to a wooded location and eventually struck her in the head and, believing her to be dead, tried to cover her body, authorities said. Returning to his church, he 'tried to act like nothing had happened,' and when her father, pastor of the nearby Reformed Presbyterian Church, called seeking to find her, Zandstra was the one to call police, Stollsteimer alleged. Over ensuing days, hundreds of people searched nearby woods, and authorities distributed more than 2,000 leaflets and set up a 24-hour hotline, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. When the girl's body was found in mid-October 1975, her clothing was 'folded and in a neat pile' near her body with her underwear hanging from a tree branch 'like a flag ... as if to call attention to the place,' the Inquirer reported at the time. Returning to his church, Zandstra 'tried to act like nothing had happened,' and when her father, pastor of the nearby Reformed Presbyterian Church, called seeking to find her, Zandstra was the one to call police, Stollsteimer alleged Stollsteimer said new information from an unnamed friend of the victim led State Police to travel to Georgia and interview Zandstra, who authorities allege then confessed to the crime. Trooper Eugene Tray said the defendant's demeanor was 'relieved' as if it was 'a weight off his shoulders.' Stollsteimer said Zandstra, however, was fighting extradition from Georgia - though the prosecutor vowed that he would be returned to face justice in Pennsylvania. DNA from the defendant will be compared to material from open cases in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, authorities said. Zandstra lived in Texas and Georgia after leaving the commonwealth, they said. The Christian Reformed Church lists him as having ministered in New Jersey, California and Texas before retiring in 2005. Trooper Eugene Tray said the defendant's demeanor was 'relieved' as if it was 'a weight off his shoulders' Trinity Church Chapel Christian Reform Church in Broomall Authorities said they were concerned there may have been more victims and urged anyone with information to contact investigators. Zandstra remained in custody in Georgia; a message was left Monday for a Pennsylvania attorney listed as representing him. Harrington's family asked for privacy but said in a statement they were 'extremely hopeful' that the person responsible would be held accountable for taking her away from them, which they said 'forever altered our family and we miss her every single day.' 'If you met Gretchen, you were instantly her friend. She exuded kindness to all and was sweet and gentle,' the family said. 'Even now, when people share their memories of her, the first thing they talk about is how amazing she was and still is ... at just eight years old, she had a lifelong impact on those around her.' Anyone with information about Zandstra's time in Fairfield, California or who may have information to on Amanda 'Nikki' Campbell's disappearance is asked to call the Fairfield Police Department at (707) 428-7300. Many of Scotland's favourite seabirds are 'on the brink of extinction' from a deadly third wave of avian flu. Over the past two years, tens of thousands of birds have been killed by the infectious seasonal virus. Experts warn the situation is now a 'crisis that could become a catastrophe' as the flu once again tears through colonies. Kittiwakes on the red list of species considered to be facing a high threat of global extinction are among those at risk. Also in danger are the great skuas, sandwich tern, common tern, herring gull, black-headed gull and guillemots a species on the amber list. The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza known as avian flu is responsible for devastating populations of seabirds that are already in need of urgent help due to decades of decline. Wildlife charity the RSPB is calling for the governments in the UK to urgently publish their Seabird Conservation Strategies. SURVIVAL BATTLE: The common tern. Over the past two years, tens of thousands of birds have been killed by the infectious seasonal virus ON DANGER LIST: The great skua. Experts warn the situation is now a 'crisis that could become a catastrophe' as the flu once again tears through colonies Thousands of seabirds are reported to have died this summer already, with 21 of the UK's 25 breeding species now having tested positive for the virus since 2021. This is a genuine crisis that could become a catastrophe Jeff Knott, director of policy and advocacy at the RSPB, said: 'This must be the moment that our governments step up to the challenge of addressing wider marine pressures and subsequent seabird declines. This is a genuine crisis that could become a catastrophe. 'There is no time to waste and so all four governments of the UK must urgently publish their long overdue Seabird Conservation Plans to help build the resilience and long-term health of our seabirds. 'Without robust measures to address these challenges, and with avian flu ripping across the UK as we speak, our seabird colonies are being pushed to the brink.' Continuing into its third year, avian flu has been devastating seabird colonies around the UK, with outbreaks along the East coast of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Midlands and Northern England causing grave concern. Across the RSPB's nature reserves alone, so far more than 3,000 birds have been recorded dead as a result of the virus in 2023, adding to the 17,000 fatalities reported across RSPB sites in 2022, although the total death toll is unknown. According to the RSPB, due to many seabirds being long-lived and slow to breed they will struggle to bounce back from the effects of avian flu. Some species can take up to five years to start breeding, and then only produce one to two chicks a year if they are successful. Under immense pressure from other challenges at sea, including sandeel fishing, warming marine temperatures and entanglement with discarded fishing gear, seabirds face a number of different of threats to their survival, the charity warns. Although the UK Health Security Agency says the risk to humans is 'very low', beachgoers are being urged to stay away from dead or sick birds and report them to authorities. Dog-walkers are also being asked to keep their pets on leads. In the past month alone, hundreds of dead birds suspected to have been infected with avian flu have been found washed up on beaches across the UK, including Stonehaven Beach in Kincardineshire, and on the Isle of Man. Israel recently revealed that it is negotiating the sale of 200 older Merkava tanks. The sale value of these tanks is estimated to be more than $50 million. There are two potential customers, one in Europe and one somewhere else. No further details were released. If these sales go though, it would be the first time Israel exported Merkavas. Israel rarely releases details about military matters, and that includes the Merkava. News does eventually get out. For example, Israel had developed a fifth version of its Merkava, but decided not to produce it. The Merkava 5 was quietly developed, built, tested and deployed in small numbers during late 2022. This was ahead of schedule because the original delivery date was supposed to be early 2023. The program was canceled because of cost and a decision that the current Merkava 4 with Model 5 improvements was adequate. Like the earlier Merkava models, Merkava 5 is an improved version of the previous model. The 65-ton Merkava 4 entered service in 2005 with an upgraded version appearing in 2011. Further upgrades of Merkava 4 turned out to be so extensive that this version was designated Merkava 5, which weighs the same as Merkava 4. That name change decision was reversed. Several hundred Merkava 4 tanks on order or in production will instead be produced with the Merkava 5s features and enter service as improved Merkava 4s. This means there will be 360 Merkava 4s and over a hundred improved Merkava 4s. The price per tank will also increase from $4.5 million for each Merkava 4 and about $5 million for each improved Merkava 4. Improvements in the improved Merkava 4 include a more effective engine along with upgrades to the Iron Vision system that provides the commander a view of what is happening outside the tank. The new version provides a more realistic day/night view of what is outside as well as indications of where enemy fire (bullets or projectiles) hitting the tank is coming from, and how best to respond. This was the result of upgrading the fire-control system. The Trophy APS (Active Protection System) has also been updated to be more effective and incorporate some of the lessons of the war in Ukraine. Israel is the smallest nation in the world to design and build its own tanks. This was the result of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, which took Israel by surprise and inflicted heavy losses before Israel counter-attacked and defeated Egypt and Syria and their larger number of modern Russian tanks. Israel carefully analyzes the results of each war it fights and makes changes to deal with problems encountered. The 1973 war prompted Israel to start designing and building its own tanks. By 1979 the 61-ton Merkava entered service and 250 were built by 1983. That was the year the first of 580 62-ton Merkava 2s entered service. Production of Merkava 2 ended in 1989. The first two Merkava models were similar in design with both using a 105mm gun. The Merkava 2 had additional armor, a five percent more powerful 950 HP engine, and a 20 percent higher top speed of 55 kilometers an hour. The external 60mm mortar, mainly for firing smoke shells, was moved inside for the Merkava 2. There were a lot of other mechanical and electronic upgrades. By 1989 all the active-duty armored brigades had Merkavas and many of the reserve armored brigades as well. Using lessons learned from the 1982 fighting in Lebanon, Israel developed a much improved 63.5-ton Merkava 3 which entered service in 1990. By 2002 680 Merkava 3s were built. The main improvements in the Merkava 3 were a 120mm main gun and much more powerful 1,200 HP engine that produced a 60-kilometers an hour top speed, faster acceleration and a more maneuverable and nimbler tank. All the armor was of a modern composite design. Fewer main gun shells could be carried; 46 120mm ones compared to 60 105mm shells in the Merkava 2. Merkava 3 could load shells faster because of a five-round mechanical drum. The fire-control system was also upgraded, as were many other components. The Merkava 3 is still used, mainly by reserve armor brigades. In 2003 the 65-ton Merkava 4 was introduced. So far 360 of these have been produced and most have already undergone several major upgrades. Merkava 4 has improved armor, a redesigned turret, 25 percent more powerful 1,500 HP engine and a top speed of 65 kilometers an hour. Merkava 4 is even more nimble and maneuverable than Merkava 3. Merkava 4 carries 48 rounds of 120mm shells and uses a 10-round electric powered drum for quick loading. Merkava has a smoother ride because of an improved suspension system. There is also improved protection for the crew against mines and roadside bombs. By 2021 360 Merkava 4s were built. All Merkavas feature a unique design feature; the engine is in the front. This adds more protection for the four-man crew and any passengers in the large rear compartment. That compartment can hold more 120mm shells or other supplies or up to eight passengers. Usually six infantrymen are carried, providing Merkava with its own infantry support. This is especially useful in built-up areas. Merkava 4 underwent several major upgrades. In 2012 Israel completed equipping all the Merkava tanks in an armor brigade with the Trophy APS. In 2010 the first battalion of Merkavas was equipped. In 2011 Trophy defeated incoming missiles and rockets in combat for the first time. This included ATGMs (Anti-Tank Guided Missiles), possibly a modern Russian system like the Kornet E. This ATGM was introduced in 1994 and sold to Syria, who apparently passed some to Hezbollah and Hamas. A few weeks before the ATGM intercept, Trophy defeated an RPG warhead, an unguided rocket propelled grenade fired from a metal tube balanced on the shoulder. As it was designed to do, Trophy operated automatically and the crew didn't realize the incoming RPG and missile warheads had been stopped until after it was over. That is how APS is supposed to work. In 2017, a ground vehicle VR (Virtual Reality) system called Iron Vision was introduced and Merkava 4 was the first tank to get it. Iron Vision meant a tank could largely dispense with tanks traditional dependence on the tank commander spending a lot of time with his head sticking out of the turret to get a better view of the situation. The VR helmet display helmet is worn by the tank commander and not only shows real-time video of what is outside, but also an overlay of other information or even a map. Israel pioneered the development and use of such helmets, and the F-35 stealth fighter was designed to use a VR helmet. Most modern tanks are equipped with these small external digital video cameras but Iron Vision makes the external cameras much easier to use. In 2020 Fire Weaver fire control network software was first installed in Israeli tanks and will soon be installed in warplanes, artillery and other armored vehicles. In 2021 at least two of the four active-duty armored brigades had Fire Weaver. Once all the active-duty armor brigades have it, the six active-duty infantry brigades will receive it. Some of the 22 reserve brigades, nine of them armored, may get the system as well. Fire Weaver takes data from existing sensors on tanks and other armored vehicles as well as artillery and warplanes, and rapidly (within five seconds) lets vehicles, warplanes and artillery know which available target each combat system should fire at. This eliminates a common battlefield situation where too many weapons fire on some targets while other targets are not initially fired on at all. Currently, tank crews and artillery spotters (troops who call back to tell artillery which targets to hit) have manual procedures for picking which targets they should fire at. That often works quite well, especially during a situation where a tank unit encountering the enemy has an opportunity to fire first. Fire Weaver automates these decisions and makes more effective choices more quickly. The troops and pilots can override Fire Weaver-selected targets but tests have shown that Fire Weaver is usually quite effective in selecting the best targets for each tank, artillery unit or aircraft. Fire Weaver is easy to implement in the Israeli military because the Israelis have already been providing their troops with better sensors and battlefield networks. For example, in mid-2019 three Israeli firms, responding to an IDF proposal for bid, showed off their versions of the proposed Carmel Concept for future armored vehicles. Three different armored vehicles; the Merkava 4 tank, Namer IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) and the Eitan 8x8 APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) had proposed versions of Carmel installed. Carmel involves several existing technologies plus proposed new ones that would turn an armored vehicle into a combat system that would operate with, a crew of two or a robotic vehicle operated remotely (like a UAV) or autonomously, to benefit from more information about where friendly and suspected enemy forces were. This information would often be delivered in real-time. This sort of thing provides a tremendous advantage in combat. The best example of similar (to Carmel) existing tech is used in the American F-35 stealth fighter-bomber where numerous sensor and communications systems are controlled by software that uses data fusion. This is merging data from many sources and presenting it to the pilot in a comprehensible fashion to provide the F-35 pilot with unprecedented situational awareness. That means an accurate picture of where the pilot and everything else in the vicinity is. It had long been known that superior situational awareness was the key to victory in combat be it in the air, at sea or on land. Carmel proposes that manufacturers find ways to effectively combine existing tech with improved software. This would include more AI (Artificial Intelligence) to analyze sensor and situational data at high speed and either act autonomously (as ADS, or Active Defense Systems, do) or present options to the vehicle operators. Although the Merkava was introduced in 1979 it wasnt until mid-2006 that Israeli tanks saw their first heavy combat in 24 years. It was also the first combat for the then new Merkava 4. Actually, it was the first heavy combat for the Merkava 2 (introduced in 1983) and Merkava 3 (1989). In 1982, 180 Merkava 1s saw action during the war with Lebanon. Until 2006 Merkavas had only been used in peacekeeping and counter-terror operations with the Palestinians. The Israelis, as they have in all past wars, collected detailed information on each tank that was hit by enemy fire. Israel won't, for obvious reasons, release all this information, but have provided some data. "Several hundred" Merkavas were sent into southern Lebanon in 2006. Of those, ten percent were hit by enemy fire, including mines and roadside bombs. Merkava faced modern ATGMs for the first time in 2006. Only 18 tanks were seriously damaged, and only a third of those were from several hundred ATGMs fired by Hezbollah. Only two of the 18 heavily damaged tanks were destroyed, and both of those were damaged by roadside bombs. In those two cases, the tank was over the bomb when it was detonated. The experience in Lebanon again proved that ATGMs tend to be overrated. Israel first encountered ATGMs during the 1973 war, and quickly adapted. ATGMs were much less effective in the 1982 war, and didn't do all that well in 2006 either. The Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah quickly learned that the Merkava frontal armor was impervious to their Kornet ATGMs. Getting side and rear shots was more difficult, and not a lot more successful. While the ATGM warhead often penetrated, the Merkava was designed to take this kind of hit and survive, and survive it did. In addition to fire extinguisher systems, the ammo and fuel are stored in such a way that secondary explosions are rare. The crew normally survives these hits, as does the tank. One of the biggest problems with Israeli tanks in Lebanon had to do with the crews. Because of the heavy use of Israeli troops in counter-terror operations since 2000, most tank crews have spent a lot of time without their tanks, serving as security troops (light infantry). The lack of training in their tanks reduced the effectiveness of the Merkavas in Lebanon. This was not a critical factor, but it annoyed the tank crews quite a bit. The tankers were also peeved at the lack of protective devices, like smoke grenades on some tanks, or active defense systems like the Trophy APS. This was because so much money was diverted to counter-terror operations. While only six tanks were destroyed in Lebanon, over a hundred tank crewmen were killed or wounded by ATGMs. Hezbollah would often use a missile just to nail the vehicle commander, who often was standing up and vulnerable to enemy fire, with his head and chest out of the turret hatch to get a better look at what's going on. Tank commanders would like to see some money spent on sensor systems (cameras) that enable the tank commander to get a good look around the tank, from inside the tank. The Lebanon operation was a wakeup call for the Israeli government to stop shortchanging efforts to improve their tanks. As good as the Merkava is, there are not a lot of export customers. There was apparently only one export customer so far, Israel did not reveal who it was and no other public information about a foreign user has appeared. One difficulty with export orders is that Israel builds the Merkava itself and cannot afford large production facilities. Moreover, many key components come from the United States, which gives the Americans a veto power over who exports go to. Merkava is also very expensive, with the most modern Merkava 4/5s costing over $5 million each. Israel cannot afford to keep all its Merkava in service. Currently 220 of 550 Merkava 4s are in storage, while only 160 of 730 Merkava 3s are in use, the rest in storage. There are still 370 Merkava 2s available, but all are in storage. If there is a major war, the stored Merkavas can be ready for combat in a few days, or less. These storage tanks would be used to replace tanks out of action for combat or non-combat reasons. Because the Merkava is designed to reduce crew casualties, most of the crews of damaged or destroyed tanks are available for duty within hours. While storage tanks dont get many of the upgrades, the basic controls of Merkava were kept the same or similar from one model to another to make it easy for crewmen who started out in a Merkava 4 to operate an earlier Merkava model taken out of storage. The success of Merkava and the need for a new APC (armored personnel carrier) to replace the current 18-ton American M113s led to the production of several hundred Namer IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles). These were basically Barak tanks without the turrets. At first the chassis of the 61-ton Merkava 1 was used but the protection for the nine infantry and three-man Namer crew was considered inadequate. Instead, the chassis of the 65-ton Merkava 4 was used. This Namer used the Trophy APS and that seemed to provide the needed protection. The Namer is the best protected IFV in service. It is armed with a small RWS (remote controlled weapons station) containing a 30mm autocannon. There is also a 60mm mortar and a 7.62mm machine-gun that are manually operated by crew or passengers. The latest addition is two Spike ATGMs that are carried and launched from a metal pod that is inside the vehicle and raised from inside the Namer for use. The passengers and crew are seated in blast resistant seats to protect them from injury if Namer encounters a large roadside bomb or anti-tank mine. This approach proved successful when such large explosions were encountered. A 'bossy' midwife who told a new mother that terrorists could poison formula milk in a bid to persuade her to breastfeed has been struck off. Anna Semenenko, 59, who qualified in Leningrad in 1995, was struck off this month over allegations about her competence and conduct between 2015 and 2019, the Mirror reports. Ms Semenenko denied the findings of the Nursing and Midwifery Council and claims she has been targeted for being Russian. The council said her comment about terrorists poisoning formula milk was 'highly inappropriate' and that she was trying to influence the new mother with 'false and misleading information'. Anna Semenenko, 59, (pictured) told a new mother that terrorists could poison formula milk in a bid to persuade her to breastfeed She also embarrassed another patient by commenting on her 'pretty' private parts, before she went on to use the patient's phone to take pictures of the stitching for no clinical reason, the panel heard. She was also accused of telling a mother during during an examination that her husband must have 'a very small penis as you are very tense'. Furthermore, the council found her to have pressured a patient into allowing her partner to watch her giving birth and later joked she would get '10 male doctors' to give the woman her stitches. Staff said she told another patient at the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall NHS hospitals in south Wales: 'I am Anya, I am Russian. If you don't like that I can get another midwife.' The ban Ms Semenenko received showed the 'seriousness of the misconduct found', the panel further said. Staff said she told another patient at the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall NHS hospitals in south Wales: 'I am Anya, I am Russian. If you don't like that I can get another midwife' (File image) At her home in Talbot last night, the midwife said she would appeal and 'apply to the High Court for wrongful dismissal'. She told the Mirror: 'I have 25 years' experience and have delivered 2,000 babies. I've always had satisfactory work assessments. Yet I have been made to look like a monster.' She claims she was told to not tell patients she was Russian after she joined the Royal Gwent Hospital in 2015. There, she allegedly had to endure jokes about being a KGB agent, drinking vodka and carrying novichok. She was suspended in June 2018 and sacked for gross misconduct in July 2019 after complaints she signed off notes for a doctor without checking them, to which she said: 'I think this is about discrimination because I am Russian. And, yes, I am quite bossy.' Joe Cooray, Ms Semenenko's legal adviser, has made applications to the panel 'alleging, among other things, contempt of court, evidence tampering and the presenting of forged documents'. Energy secretary Grant Shapps has revealed that he and his entire family have been victims of the 'de-banking' scandal because he is a 'politically exposed person'. The cabinet minister said that major banks have banned his wife and children from having accounts. This comes in the wake of the scandal that saw ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage having his Coutts bank account closed, leading the the resignation of multiple senior figures including NatWest Group chief Dame Alison Rose. Mr Shapps, the MP for Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire, said that one bank said he had to show them a massive 18 years worth of payslips before they would let him be a customer. He hit out at the idea that banks should be policing people's views, The Sun on Sunday reports. Energy secretary Grant Shapps (pictured) has revealed that he and his entire family have been victims of the 'de-banking' scandal because he is a 'politically exposed person' Cabinet minister Mr Shapps (pictured with his wife Belinda and their three children) said that major banks have banned his wife and children from having accounts The furious politician, 54, told the paper that lenders have 'gone too far with this' and should instead 'get on with the job of being good at banking' and not 'second guess society'. It was also revealed this week that NatWest had the joint highest number of complaints about decisions to close bank accounts last year. There were 274 customer complaints about the bank shutting accounts during the 2022-23 financial year and the same number for Barclays, according to data from the Financial Ombudsman Service. Mr Shapps revealed that his wife Belinda and their teenage sons have been caught up in the de-banking scandal. He added that every single member of his family, including his wife, brother and sister, have had difficulty in getting accounts at different major banks. The minister said that HSBC sent his younger son, 19, a letter asking him to provide a list 'as long as your arm' about things such as the source of his wealth, which he branded as 'completely unreasonable'. He added that his eldest son, 22, was denied an account entirely by a challenger bank as they are not allowed to open accounts for politically exposed people. Mr Shapps, a father-of-three, slammed the state of affairs as 'mad'. He also revealed that he was asked for 18 years of P60 forms when he applied for a bank account recently, but questioned how he was supposed get hold of payslips for the entire time he has been an MP. He added that it was frequent occurrence for MPs and permanent secretaries in the civil service to rejected by banks, saying that those who are committed to public services run the risk of being targeted by the banks. Banking boardrooms have gone crazy over woke culture, Mr Shapps claimed. He added that their customers' political or social beliefs are none of their business. The energy secretary also slammed Coutts for their 'dodgy dossier' which led to Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage losing his account. It referenced an article where Mr Farage called the Tory MP a 'globalist' and claimed it was an anti-semitic trope targeted at Mr Shapps, who is Jewish. But he told The Sun this conclusion was a 'load of tosh'. The energy secretary also slammed Coutts for their 'dodgy dossier' which led to Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage losing his account and ultimately the resignation of NatWest CEO Dame Alison Rose (pictured) Nigel Farage has continued his war with Britain's banks as he accused them of 'making massive profits whilst treating the public badly' Sir Howard Davies has vowed to stay on as NatWest chairman - despite calls for him to quit - as he claimed it was 'important there is some stability' in the wake of the 'de-banking' row This comes as Nigel Farage continued his war with Britain's banks as he accused them of 'making massive profits whilst treating the public badly'. The ex-UKIP leader hit out after NatWest reported pre-tax proft of 3.6billion in the six months to the end of June, up from 2.6billion the same time last year. The bumper profit brought renewed scrutiny about 'low' saving rates being offered to the bank's customers, while loan and mortgage rates continue to soar. After the resignation of Dame Alison and Coutts boss Peter Flavel, Mr Farage has piled on pressure for NatWest Chairman Sir Howard Davies to resign. But Sir Howard this morning vowed to stay on in his role - despite calls for him to quit - as the 72-year-old claimed it was 'important there is some stability' at the banking group. A man who escaped a New Hampshire prison was identified as an armed man who took hostages and made threats at a Miami Beach Victoria's Secret before he was shot and killed by a police officer. Darien Young, 29, made a break from his transitional housing unit in the minimum-security New Hampshire Department of Corrections in the early morning hours of July 21. Six days later, at around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, police were called to the lingerie chain's Miami Beach location, nearly 1,500 miles away, for a disturbance. Officers arrived and video showed them going door to door to evacuate various stores in the area. Eventually they came upon a man, now confirmed to be Young, threatening two people in the store with a knife when an officer opened fire and shot him. Darien Young, 29, made a break from his transitional housing unit in the minimum-security New Hampshire Department of Corrections in the early morning hours of July 21 'I was able to hear the gunshots. I heard the sound. I thought I was mesmerized a little bit,' Shanell Santiago, who works nearby, told NBC 6. 'I was like, maybe it's in my head right now. I didn't have music on. So it was clear as day.' 'It was like four or five shots,' Santiago added. 'I already know it's something major. Could be a hostage situation.' Young was pronounced dead later that evening at a local hospital. He was initially jailed on charges of receiving stolen property, burglary, falsifying evidence and controlled drug acts prohibited. Young was eligible for parole as early as July 31, ten days after he made a break for it and three days after he was fatally shot. The latest Young would have been released from prison for his convictions was January 31, 2028. The shooting is being investigated as part of standard protocol, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Six days later, at around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, police were called the lingerie chain's Miami Beach location for a disturbance Officers arrived and video showed them going door to door to evacuate various stores in the area Eventually they came upon a man, now confirmed to be Young, threatening two people in the store with a knife when an officer opened fire and shot him Young was eligible for parole as early as July 31, ten days after he made a break for it and three days after he was fatally shot The officer who shot Young was later identified as veteran Officer Corey Jackson. Jackson was said to have been consoled by his fellow officers shortly after he fired, according to WSVN. The people being threatened by the escaped inmate have not been identified. An American nurse and her child have been kidnapped in Haiti amid growing violence and unrest in the country. Alix Dorsainvil, originally from New Hampshire, was working in Port-au-Prince with a nonprofit organization helping locals as a medical professional. She is married to its founder and director Sandro Dorsainvil and was kidnapped along with the couple's child near Haiti's capital on Thursday morning. A spokesman for the organization El Roi Haiti said they were abducted 'while serving in our community ministry'. The US State Department said on Saturday it is aware of the kidnapping reports and is contact with the Haitian authorities where it 'will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners.' On the same day Dorsainvil was kidnapped, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of a 'very deep concern for the situation [in Haiti], particularly with regard to the violence and the activities of the gangs' during a meeting with his Australian counterpart. American nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her child have both been kidnapped in Haiti amid growing violence and unrest in the country Dorsainvil, originally from New Hampshire, was working in Port-au-Prince with a nonprofit organization helping locals as a medical professional Alix and her child were kidnapped on the same day the State Department ordered nonemergency American government employees and families to leave Haiti 'due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure'. Christian organization El Roi Haiti said it would be working on their return and added: 'We continue to work with our partners and trusted relationships to secure their safe return.' In a statement, the State Department said: 'The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas.' Kidnappings could involve ransom negotiations and Americans have been physically hurt. Families have previously been asked to fork out thousands of dollars to see their loved ones again. Alix, who graduated from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, was described as a 'deeply compassionate' and a 'loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family' by the nonprofit . 'Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus,' it added. She is married to its founder and director Sandro Dorsainvil (left) and she was kidnapped along with the couple's child near Haiti's capital on Thursday morning Alix and her child were kidnapped on the same day the State Department ordered nonemergency American government employees and families to leave Haiti 'due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure' A spokesman for the organization El Roi Haiti said they were abducted from their location 'while serving in our community ministry' El Roi Haiti shared a video on Vimeo three years ago featuring Alix in which she spoke about how Sandro invited her to Haiti to care for school children. 'My name is Alix. Im a nurse from New Hampshire, but now I live in Haiti, Sandro invited me to come to the school to do some nursing for some of the kids. He said that was a big need that they had,' she said in the clip. 'At first I didnt think that there was going to be much of a need there. But when I got there there were so many cases.' Sandro was raised in a rough part of Port-au-Prince, his El Roi Haiti bio stated. He went to a Christian high school in the United States before he studied at Liberty University in Virginia. He then returned to Haiti and started the nonprofit on the basis that faith could help solve the country's issues. Gang violence has taken over Port au Prince and crime has been widespread. More than 165,000 Haitians have abandoned their country due to the current climate, according to a United Nations report which was published last month. 'Gang attacks, extrajudicial killings, kidnappings and gender-based violence have become part of the daily lives of Haitians, forcing locals to flee their homes,' it said. Things have gotten so bad some Haitians who are seeking safety have camped next to the US Embassy in the capital. Haiti has been devastated by two earthquakes and the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021 and it has struggled with political instability, poverty and violence. A probe into the use of Scottish airports by CIA torture flights is still 'ongoing' exactly a decade after it was ordered to be carried out 'with no dilly-dallying' by the country's then legal chief. Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland instructed an investigation into so-called rendition flights, said to have been used to take terror suspects to secret detention sites where they were allegedly tortured. When Mr Mulholland informed MSPs in June 2013 that Scottish police would probe the flights, he said: 'It is very important there should be no dilly-dallying on this matter. The use of torture can't be condoned. It is against international law and contrary to the common law of Scotland.' However, a decade on, it is unclear when, or if, the inquiry will ever conclude or how much it has cost. It's understood police have looked into at least six stopovers four at Prestwick Airport and two at Glasgow. Research suggests that 13 possible rendition flights also landed at Inverness, Wick and Aberdeen between 2004 and 2006. AIR FORCE: Gulfstream jet N379P was said to be involved in Scottish landings It's understood police have looked into at least six stopovers four at Prestwick Airport and two at Glasgow Dr Sam Raphael, professor in international relations at the University of Westminster who has conducted extensive research into the flights, said: 'It has now been a decade and we have seen precious little. 'The CIA's programme of rendition and secret detention in the 'War on Terror' involved the most extreme forms of torture, including drowning to the point of unconsciousness and mock burial. 'The scars of this mistreatment live on and it remains vital we know what role Scotland played in this violation of international law, and whether any individuals broke Scottish criminal law.' The US Senate issued a partially classified 500-page report on the CIA programme in 2014. Police Scotland asked the following year to see the full 6,000-page report, which would reveal dates, locations and other redacted details, but Scottish detectives didn't get it. It's believed it would include information to show that several flights which touched down in Scotland were involved in transporting suspects for torture. One was Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, rendered from Afghanistan to Poland in 2003. Gulfstream jet N379P, dubbed the Guantanamo Express, stopped at Glasgow Airport on the way back from dropping him at a CIA prison in Poland known as Detention Site Blue. In previous evidence to the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee, Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said US officials had refused to let officers board a flight to check occupants. Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie, who has campaigned on the flights for years, said: 'This supposedly ongoing investigation has ground to a halt. It would be better for the Lord Advocate to come out and say that American obstructionism is proving an unbreachable wall than to pretend that this investigation is leading anywhere fast.' Current Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, KC, told MSPs last year: 'The criminal investigation by Police Scotland is ongoing.' The Scottish Mail on Sunday last month asked for an estimate of inquiry costs but Police Scotland said it was 'too costly' to work it out. A spokesman said: 'All information made available is being considered by the Crown Office and Procurator A young Australian man is fighting for his life after suffering a suspected brain injury following a horrific fall in Europe. Sydney man Nicholas Jakovcevic, 20, is in intensive care after falling from a fence on the Croatian holiday island of Brac. Mr Jakovcevic had been spending the summer on the tourist island, which is on the Adriatic Sea. The accident happened at around 3am on Thursday in the village of Donji Humac as he took part in festivities celebrating Saint Ana, the local patron. Sydney man Nicholas Jakovcevic (pictured) is in intensive care after falling from a fence on the Croatian island of Brac The accident happened at around 3am on Thursday in the village of Donji Humac (pictured) Local food and live music are a part of the festivities which take place on July 26 each year. The 20-year-old fell several metres from a fence and was later taken by helicopter to the KBC hospital in the city of Split in mainland Croatia. Doctors confirmed Mr Jakovcevic is 'seriously injured' and is believed to have suffered a concussion injury to the brain, News Corp reported. He reportedly has not yet been operated on, but is in intensive care. 'It seems the fence got broken and he felt down and got his head injured,' a local said. 'It was near the island's most famous traditional food restaurant Kopacina in Donji Humac.' Doctors confirmed Mr Jakovcevic (pictured) is 'seriously injured' and is believed to have suffered a concussion injury to the brain Police are investigating how Mr Jakovcevic, one of whose parents is understood to be from the island, fell from the fence. The island of Brac's population is 13,000, but just 177 live in the tiny village of Donji Humac. Brac is 50 minutes by ferry from Split. A spokesman for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said consular assistance is being provided to an Australian man in hospital in Croatia. Callie Clemens, along with her dog Giselle and a small team of volunteers, have spent the past three days searching cockroach infested storm drains in Houston in a desperate attempt to rescue a litter of trapped puppies. The rescue mission began when someone reported seeing a litter of puppies crossing the street, but lost sight of them and could only hear whimpers. Clemens, who is the ex daughter-in-law of New York Yankees legend Roger Clemens, told Dailymail.com the area is infamous for 'puppy dumping' - where people abandon their unwanted dogs, leaving them to fend for themselves. Despite the challenges and potential risks, she felt compelled to take action, stating: 'I knew nobody would do it, so I had to jump in.' Clemens, who started a nonprofit Paws Off The Streets, found two of the black lab mutts on Friday and was heading back into the drain Saturday night alone to find the last one. If the third puppy is found, it will be taken to the city shelter, but Clemens is so invested she is contemplating keeping it. 'There's no way the puppy can get out by it's self so it's up to us and I have no shame to go down and get it,' she told Dailymail.com with a hoarse voice after days of yelling through the tunnels. She has also injured her foot and is taking antibiotics after spending hours in the dirty water. Pictured: Callie Clemens with one of the dogs she rescued. Over the past three days, Callie Clemens, along with her dog Giselle, and a team of volunteers, have been searching roach infested storm drains in Houston in a dedicated effort to rescue a trapped litter of puppies Despite the challenges and potential risks, Clemens felt compelled to take action, stating, 'I knew nobody would do it, so I knew I had to jump in' In her seven years of doing rescues, Clemens said she has never lost a dog, and said she is not about to start now. Clemens, who has been fighting for the lives of vulnerable animals in need for years, was called and did not hesitate to start the search. At 11:20 PM on Friday night, Clemens arrived at the scene accompanied by her dog Giselle, a skilled animal sniffer. Despite lacking any special gear or knowledge of that specific underground terrain, Clemens fearlessly ventured into the cockroach-infested drains upon hearing the puppies' cries. As she descended, the frightened pups scampered away from her. 'The puppies screamed. They got louder and ran away. We had to try and corner them. We ended up going more north,' she said. 'I saw them pretty quickly. They ran away, they were tiny,' she added. The dedicated group of volunteers managed to rescue two of the lost litter, but Clemens could still hear one or two others underground. The volunteers used dog sounds on their phones, hoping to elicit a response from the remaining puppies. Throughout Friday night, the volunteers persevered in their search, wading through unpleasant water and braving nests of cockroaches in their quest to locate the crying puppies. Clemens remains determined, asserting, 'I know they're still in there; I just think they're further down.' Even after staying underground until nearly 2am, she's prepared to go back down Saturday night and won't rest until she finds the last pup of the litter. According to Clemens, the city has been supportive, unlocking the drain and providing engineers to assist her in going down. One engineer even created a map of the drains to aid in her search for any remaining puppies. She found two dogs on Friday and is heading back into the drain tonight alone to find the last one At 11:20 PM on Friday night, Clemens arrived at the scene accompanied by her dog Giselle, a skilled animal sniffer If the third puppy is found, it will be taken to the city shelter, but Clemens is so emotionally invested that she's contemplating keeping it herself Despite lacking any special gear or knowledge of that specific underground terrain, Clemens fearlessly ventured into the cockroach-infested drains upon hearing the puppies' cries The dedicated group of volunteers managed to rescue two of the lost litter, but Clemens could still hear one or two others underground The volunteers used dog sounds on their phones, hoping to elicit a response from the remaining puppies One engineer even created a map of the drains to aid in her search for any remaining puppies Clemens, pictured with one of her own dogs, remains determined, asserting, 'I know they're still in there; I just think they're further down' She believes the litter went further north, meaning she must enter through a different entrances to reach them, one that is only 24 inches wide, only adding to the struggle. 'It's difficult to get in there. You have to be very small because not anybody can fit,' she said. Clemens mentioned that she left food and water for the dog, and said the dogs are unable to escape on their own. She has the next two days free and is fully committed to spending that time searching for the last of the puppies. She expressed her dedication, saying, 'I'm invested, I am hopeful and I remain optimistic. It's very hard to get me to quit. I'm very passionate about it.' Entering the tight 24-inch hole is a challenge, but at just five feet tall, Clemens can manage it and is willing to go in alone. She acknowledged that finding people willing to join her in the search is difficult, as many are willing to help financially but not physically. She believes the litter went further north, meaning she must enter through a different entrances to reach them, one that is only 24 inches wide, only adding to the struggle Entering the tight 24-inch hole is a challenge, but at just five feet tall, Clemens can manage it and is willing to go in alone Clemens mentioned that she left food and water for the dog, and said the dogs are unable to escape on their own Nonetheless, she expressed gratitude for the group of five individuals, the city, the engineer, and others supporting her. Despite facing complaints from one neighbor who considered the opened drains a safety hazard, Clemens remains undeterred. The drain's unpleasant smell and cockroach infestation haven't stopped her either, even with broken nails and cuts on her feet. Clemens said there is a significant animal issue in Houston, with the area being known for its high number of stray dogs and lack of neutering laws. About 1 million stray animals are reported to be roaming the streets of Houston, many of them horribly abused and even left for dead, according to a documentary 'For the Animals' which covers two sisters trying to solve Houston's stray animal problem. 'It's become more of a crisis every day, between the dogs breeding exponentially and the government ignoring the problem,' twin activist Tena Lundquist Faust said. Clemens, who is passionate about the issues, said this wasn't her first time rescuing animals trapped in drains or water holes in the region. She rescued a kitten in May 2021 that was also stuck in the drains. Through these experiences, she became familiar with the drain system. 'That's how I figured the drain system.' In the past, she has also found a dog stuck in a steep water dike which she saved. Clemens shared with DailyMail.com other pictures of puppies that she has rescued over the years Clemens said there is a significant animal issue in Houston, with the area being known for its high number of stray dogs and lack of neutering laws The drain's unpleasant smell and cockroach infestation haven't stopped her either, even with broken nails and cuts on her feet Clemens rescued a kitten in May 2021 that was also stuck in the drains. Through these experiences, she became familiar with the drain system She ended up needing assistance with a rope to be safely brought out. 'The water dike for storms they're very steep,' she said, 'They had to get a rope to get me out.' So far, two puppies have been rescued. It's unclear how many are still in the drain. One puppy who was rescued went to ASPCA and the other to the city shelter. But Clemens doesn't let fear hold her back and is willing to take risks for the sake of helping animals in need. She confessed, 'I do some pretty stupid stuff, I just try not to think about it and just do it.' A young girl has suffered horrific, life changing injuries after being viciously mauled by her family's pet dog. When Niki Chrysanthopoulos, 12, got back from school on Thursday, the American Bull Terrier attacked her without warning at her home in Melbourne's Drouin suburb. The attack was so brutal, part of Niki's lip was ripped off and her teeth were knocked out of place. Niki Chrysanthopoulos (pictured), 12, has suffered horrific, life changing injuries after being viciously mauled by her pet dog She needed 20 stitches and it is feared that some of her injuries could be permanent. It happened when the dog started to growl as Niki leant down to give it a kiss, and he then latched onto her face. 'I just started screaming,' she told 7News. When the shock wore off and reality set in, Niki realised the gravity of the situation. 'After surgery I was freaking out and I couldn't look at my face because I was scared to see what I'd look like,' she said. Niki's mum Tanya did not think twice about having the dog put down after the attack. 'On the outside he looked like a big gentle giant, he had a good heart, but in the snap of a finger he was a totally different dog,' she said. 'I did not hesitate at all (to put the dog down). He's hurt my baby. At the end of the day, if a dog does that, it needs to be put down.' The attack was so brutal, Part of Niki's lip (pictured) was ripped off and her teeth were knocked out of place Niki's mum Tanya did not think twice about having the dog (pictured) put down after the attack Niki will probably need multiple further surgeries, including facial reconstructive and dental work. Family friend Carolyn Lawrence has set up a fundraiser to help the family with their medical expenses. 'When we saw the pictures of (Niki), it was just horrible,' she said. Ms Lawrence wrote on the GoFundMe page that Tanya's parent's are also 'very sick ... so life is hitting her hard right now'. California residents are reacting with disbelief after Elon Musk's X has officially installed a massive, pulsating new sign on top of the company's headquarters in San Francisco. It comes just days after the billionaire allegedly had the original blue bird sign removed from the building without notifying security. One resident, a local journalist named Christopher Beale, posted video of the new sign with a realization of what this means for locals. He was responding to a user who had seen the sign and said 'Imagine this f***ing X sign right across from your bedroom.' 'Imagine no more. This is my life now,' Beale posted to the social media giant on Saturday, with a full clip of the undulating X logo. California residents are reacting with disbelief after Elon Musk's X has officially installed a massive, pulsating new sign on top of the company's headquarters in San Francisco Imagine no more. This is my life now. https://t.co/k5QfAm8yuG pic.twitter.com/e7ECCM2NUD Christopher J. Beale (@realchrisjbeale) July 29, 2023 Fellow San Franciscan Riley Walz said that he actually was a bit wistful for the old Twitter logo. 'You know, the sign is missing. So, a little sad. I guess it's a new beginning for X, so that's interesting,' Walz told NBC Bay Area. The city of San Francisco has opened a complaint and launched an investigation into the giant 'X' sign. City officials say replacing letters or symbols on buildings, or erecting a sign on top of one, requires a permit for design and safety reasons. Any replacement letters or symbols would require a permit to ensure 'consistency with the historic nature of the building' and to make sure additions are safely attached to the sign, Patrick Hannan, spokesperson for the Department of Building Inspection said earlier this week. Musk stunned the world last week when he revealed the new logo and moniker of the popular social media platform. Erecting a sign on top of a building also requires a permit, Hannan said Friday. 'Planning review and approval is also necessary for the installation of this sign. The city is opening a complaint and initiating an investigation,' he said in an email. Musk stunned the world last week when he revealed the new logo and moniker of the popular social media platform One resident, a local journalist named Christopher Beale, posted video of the new sign with a realization of what this means for locals He was responding to a user who had seen the sign and said 'Imagine this f***ing X sign right across from your bedroom.' 'Imagine no more. This is my life now,' Beale posted It comes just days after the billionaire allegedly had the original blue bird sign removed from the building without notifying security Feedback on the brand switch has been met with mixed reviews, with many taking the opportunity to mock the swap and removal of the famous blue bird This week police were briefly called to the HQ after a worker began tearing down letters from the building's iconic sign just one day after Musk rebranded the platform. Police responded to a 'possible unpermitted street closure' outside the building on Monday afternoon after a man on a cherry picker was seen removing pieces of the company's sign - but later said no crime had been committed. As of 2.30pm work appeared to have halted for unrelated reasons and on one face of the sign all that remained were the letters 'er' and a bird. San Francisco Police Department officers suggested the work had been authorized by Twitter but not been properly communicated with building security. Feedback on the switch was met with mixed reviews, with many taking the opportunity to mock the swap and removal of the famous blue bird. The new installation comes after police were briefly called to the HQ after a worker began tearing down letters from the building's old iconic sign this week Musk explained his reasoning behind the dramatic rebrand of Twitter, saying it was time to 'bid adieu' to the old logo, telling a user on his platform. 'Twitter was acquired by X Corp both to ensure freedom of speech and as an accelerant for X, the everything app.' Experts have warned that other companies, such as Twitter competitor Meta, may take issue with the rebrand, with X already widely used and cited in hundreds of trademarks. Six people are dead after a small plane crashed in the Alberta mountains, police have confirmed. Five passengers and the pilot were onboard the Piper PA32 aircraft when it crashed in Kananaskis Country, a mountainous region located about 100 kilometres west of Calgary, on Friday night. The plane had been route to Salmon Arm, British Columbia for a church function, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has revealed. The cause of the wreck is unknown, but RCMP described the crash as 'very violent' and said there were no survivors. RCMP have secured the crash site while the Transportation Safety Board of Canada conducts its investigation. Six people have died after a small plane crashed west of Calgary in the Alberta mountains on Friday night, police confirmed (stock photo of Alberta Mountains) Five passengers and the pilot were onboard the Piper PA32 aircraft when it crashed in Kananaskis Country on Friday night (stock photo) RCMP say the pilot and five passengers, all believed to be from the Calgary area, left Springbank Airport in a Piper PA32 around 8.45pm on Friday. Officials lost communication with the plane, headed to Salmon Arm, around 9.30pm, CTV News reported. RCMP were notified that the plane was missing around 1am on Saturday and a search was conducted by a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) squadron based in Winnipeg. The squadron, with help from Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue, found the crash site around 7.30am on Mount McGillivray. The crash site is understood to have been just a kilometres away from Kananaskis Village. Crews located the wreckage using the plane's emergency locator transmitter. Officials launched a search for survivors, however all six people in the plane had died, RCMP Staff Sgt. Ryan Singleton said. RCMP did not release the names of the victims. 'Recovering the bodies of the pilot and the passengers was very challenging due to the difficult terrain,' Sgt Singleton explained, adding that 'all six bodies have been successfully recovered.' The squadron, with help from Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue, found the crash site around 7.30am on Mount McGillivray. The crash site is understood to have been just a kilometres away from Kananaskis Village He said: 'On behalf of the Alberta RCMP, I'd like to extend my deepest condolences to the families of those onboard the aircraft.' Sgt. Singleton said the Canadian Armed Forces also extended its 'thoughts to those families and friends of the deceased at this very difficult time'. Kananaskis Country mountain rescue specialist Mike Koppang said crews were at the scene for most of Saturday morning and into the early hours of the afternoon. He told CBC News: 'Unfortunately, it wasn't the outcome we would have liked to see.' Mr Koppang also noted that weather conditions were cloudy in the Kananaskis region on Friday night. The crash remains under investigation. A Montana man has discovered he was neighbors with Alicia Navarro, the missing Arizona teenager who was found alive in Montana four years after she vanished. Garrett Smith, 22, estimated that he saw Navarro around 30 times in the apartment building he shared with his girlfriend Megan Alexander, 23, in the city of Havre. The day before Navarro showed up at a police station close to the Canadian border earlier this week and identified herself as the missing teen who vanished in 2019, Smith had heard her yelling at the man she was living with. 'I was here the other day and I heard them yelling. She did say, 'I will go back.' But that's all I heard,' Smith, 22, told the New York Post. The next day, Navarro walked into the Havre Police Department and asked to be taken off a list of missing people in order to obtain her driver's license, stating a desire to live a 'normal life.' Garrett Smith, 22, estimated that he saw Alicia Navarro around 30 times in the apartment building he shared with his girlfriend Megan Alexander, 23, in the city of Havre It remains unclear how Navarro, now 18, traveled more than 1,000 miles alone to a small town on the border of Canada to identify herself to police, or where she has been since vanishing Smith said Navarro and a man in his 20s were living in the apartment building for about a year. 'I would see both of them walking out,' he said. 'Quite often. I think I saw them holding hands once when they were leaving.' But he'd only spoken to her just days before she went to the cops, saying she was 'looking for her uncle' by a post office. 'She was asking for directions. She looked scared,' Smith said, noting that despite being barely younger than him, Navarro referred to him as 'Mister.' 'She said she was walking with her uncle and got lost and she's looking for 6th Street,' Smith added. 'I later found out that she was referring to him as her uncle.' Smith said that Navarro's voice was 'scratchy' and that she often appeared in bad shape. 'Her braces looked pretty bad. She had braces on when she went missing in Arizona in 2019. It looked like she still had the same braces on,' Smith said. Police in Havre said in a statement that Navarro 'appeared to be fine and in good health' when she went to them. Smith said Navarro and a man in his 20s were living in the apartment building for about a year Police in Havre said in a statement that Navarro 'appeared to be fine and in good health' when she went to them A day after Smith heard her yelling at the man she was referring to as uncle, she went to the police. 'She literally walked into the police station and said, 'I am Alicia Navarro. I know I am reported missing and I would like to be taken off that list and get a driver's license,' said Trent Steele, president of the Anti-Predator Project and spokesperson for the Navarro. 'She wanted a Montana driver's license,' he told The Daily Beast. Steele said that Navarro has had a brief video call with her mother but the two have not spoken. 'They have their own healing journey to go on. They've got stuff they have to do first,' he said. 'She is safe. I hope people wait for the facts of the case before making their assumptions.' Nunez, who has never given up her search for Navarro, posted a video on the Finding Alicia Facebook page, calling the news a miracle and said the family is thrilled to know she is safe. Navarro, who has been described as having high-functioning autism, was just 14 when she slipped out of her Glendale home in September 2019. Alicia Navarro, now 18, is pictured at Glendale Police Department 'I think this is a happier ending than any of us thought,' Steel told The Post. 'We're absolutely thrilled. This is a win.' Steel added that Navarro has 'not made her intentions clear' about plans to return to Arizona. Footage shared by Fox10 showed Navarro chatting with cops from Glendale who scheduled an emergency meeting with her after she reappeared earlier this week. An officer asks her: 'Did anybody hurt you in any way?' 'No, nobody hurt me,' Navarro replies. It remains unclear how Navarro, now 18, traveled more than 1,000 miles alone to a small town on the border of Canada to identify herself to police, or where she has been since vanishing. 'She is by all accounts safe. She is by all accounts healthy, and she is by all accounts happy,' Officer Jose Miguel Santiago said at a news conference. Nunez says her daughter's reappearance is proof 'miracles do exist,' as she urged family members of other missing people not to give up hope. Navarro had not been heard from since she left her home in the early morning hours of September 15, 2019 while her parents were sleeping (pictured before she vanished) In a Facebook video on Wednesday, Navarro said she feels relief knowing that her daughter is alive and well Lt. Scott Waite said that Navarro had an 'emotionally overwhelming' reunion with her mother over the phone and was 'very apologetic (as) to what she has put her mother through.' Navarro had not been heard from since she left her home in the early morning hours of September 15, 2019 while her parents were sleeping. Her disappearance sparked a massive search that included the FBI. Police spokesman Jose Santiago said over the years, police had received thousands of tips. After hearing the news that an 18-year-old identified herself as the missing teenager, Glendale police said they immediately responded to the unspecified small town in Montana. Officers said they were able to verify Navarro's identity, and that she has been extremely cooperative with authorities. 'I can't even begin to express to you all the pride that I personally have in the men and women here at our police department,' Santiago said. 'Since her disappearance, our men and women here have been working tirelessly around the clock to not only bring closure to this family, but to make sure Alicia gets everything she possibly needs.' He added that the girl 'by all accounts appears to be in good spirits' and 'really just wants to move on with her life. 'She is very apologetic to what she has put her mother through. And she understands that she has caused a lot of pain to her mother, and it was not intentional on her behalf, and she is hopeful that they can have a relationship.' Her mother Jessica raised concerns that Navarro, who was diagnosed as high-functioning on the autism spectrum, may have been lured away by someone she met online when she disappeared in 2019. Investigators from the police department, FBI and US Marshals Office are now trying to determine what happened to Navarro after her disappearance at the age of 14. Police said Navarro told them that she hadn't been harmed. 'I would ask patience, not only for us as law enforcement in this investigation, but patience for Alicia and her family,' Glendale Police Department Lt. Scott Waite said Wednesday. 'We can only imagine what she's going through, mentally, emotionally, as well as her family, and as much as we'd like to say this is the end, this is probably only the beginning of where this investigation will go.' The Glendale Police Department said they were able to confirm Navarro's identity, and emphasized that she is safe Over the years, Navarro's mom, Jessica Nunez, partnered with various private investigative services, put up billboards, appeared on television programs and used social media in her efforts to find her daughter Police said she wasn't being held and could come and go as she pleased. She does not face any criminal charges, they added. 'She is not in any kind of trouble,' Santiago said. Navarro went missing just one week before her 15th birthday, leaving her mother a handwritten note in her bedroom that read: 'I ran away. I will be back, I swear. I'm sorry.' A few days prior, Arizona Republic previously reported, the girl had asked her mother, Jessica Nunez, if she could stay home from school. Nunez agreed, figuring her daughter was nervous about starting classes at Bourgade Catholic School in Phoenix. The mother-daughter duo then spent the next day visiting a chocolate factory, and Nunez said her daughter seemed happy. But that night, Navarro asked her mother what time she was going to bed, and slipped out of the house when she was asleep. Nunez suspected Alicia may have been abducted by someone she met online gaming. 'I'm more than 90 percent sure that my daughter met this person online,' she claimed at the time. The mother said her daughter was a pretty cautious person, so it would have been unusual for her to be easily lured. 'Knowing the way my daughter's personality is, I don't think that she would have fallen for that,' Nunez said. 'This person probably took a while to be able to gain [her] trust.' Navarro had long suspected that her daughter was abducted by someone she met online gaming, though police were never able to find any proof of that Over the years, Nunez partnered with various private investigative services, put up billboards, appeared on television programs and used social media in her efforts to find her daughter. Meanwhile, the Glendale Police Department followed up on thousands of leads regarding Alicia's disappearance. It reported last year that it was getting at least one tip a week about Navarro's disappearance, but there was never any concrete evidence she was abducted. Now, Nunez said in a Facebook video, she just feels relief. 'I, first of all, want to give glory to God for answering my prayers and for this miracle,' she said. 'For everyone who has missing loved ones, I want you to us this case as an example that miracles do exist and never lose hope, and always fight.' She said she didn't yet have all the details about her daughter's disappearance, 'but the important thing is that she is alive. 'I want to thank the community and God for all that you have done,' she said. A renter claims his tap water is being pumped from a sewage-filled creek and that he has been evicted from the house after taking his complaints public. James Buttifant, 65, says it did not occur to him to ask about the quality of the water when he moved into his small Maraylya rental, in north west Sydney, which cost $245 per week. His unit is one of a set of detached residences on the acreage but Mr Buttifant believes his is the only one that relies on water pumped from the contaminated creek. James Buttifant says the tap water being piped into his cheap rental comes from a sewage contaminated creek 'There's three sewage pipes, possibly four, that empty into a paddock right next to my place,' he told Yahoo. 'It eventually makes its way to the creek that gets pumped into our taps ... I have to shower in that water.' Mr Buttifant claims he was issued a Notice To Terminate Tenancy after the media reported on his situation and contacted real estate agency First National Connection. He also claims the landlord only told him not to drink the water after he had already moved into the small unit A tribunal hearing was held in February to settle the issue but as a result the landlord only agreed to give a $25 a week reduction in rent. 'The Tribunal said to cover the costs of drinking water,' real estate agency from First National Connection said. 'The tenant didn't feel comfortable drinking the water that he was supplied with.' An agent told Yahoo that a sample of water had been observed during an inspection and as far as they were concerned there 'were no issues' because it looked 'visibly clear.' Mr Buttifant admitted he didn't check the water quality when he first moved in. After a tribunal hearing the landlord agreed to cut Mr Buttifant's rent by just $25 as compensation for the filthy water Mr Buttifant says his tap water is pumped up from a creek that is also used to dump sewage in 'I mean, who turns the tap on when you're inspecting a place? I certainly didn't think to do that,' he said. Mr Buttifant is a 65-year-old retiree but says the issue with the water is making him look at moving, which may mean going back into the workforce. 'I really want to get out of this place, I'm online trying to look for rentals and at flatmates.com but I don't have a job, that's the first thing they ask you,' he said. 'I have nowhere else to go,' he said. Daily Mail Australia contacted First National Connection for comment. A crisis in available rental properties has driven prices sky high in Sydney and other capitals depriving many of a secure roof over their head. Charity Mission Australia reported the demand for their homelessness services, mainly based in New South Wales, has jumped by 26 percent to 7,378 people over the past two calendar years. The report, which was released in May, described homelessness as a 'national emergency' that was widening to include groups that previously had secure accommodation. 'We're now seeing families with children, including those escaping domestic violence, more older people specifically older women and many people who are working full-time,' Mission Australia's program manager, Donna Davis, said. 'There really is a whole new cohort of people that need our help.' The report blamed skyrocketing rents, low wages and income support payments, and the shortage of social and affordable housing for compounding the problem. Real estate research firm, Proptrack, confirmed rentals in Sydney for under $400 a week have hit record lows - plunging from 21 per cent of all rentals to just 9 per cent between 2020 and 2023. Rapper Kanye West is back on Twitter after nearly eight months after getting kicked off by owner Elon Musk, who reinstated his account as he rebranded the social media platform to X. Kanye West, referred to as 'Ye', won't be able to monetize his account on X and advertisements won't appear next to his posts, according to the platform. Ye has not posted since being reinstated on Saturday. His profile is still accompanied by a gold check mark, supposedly reserved for 'official business accounts.' Ye's account was suspended in December, just two months after he had last been locked out of Instagram and Twitter following a series of controversial posts - one of which appeared to show a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David. Rapper Kanye West is back on Twitter after nearly eight months after getting kicked off by owner Elon Musk, who reinstated his account as he rebranded the social media platform to X His profile is still accompanied by a gold check mark, supposedly reserved for 'official business accounts'. Ye has not posted since being reinstated on Saturday Kanye West, referred to as 'Ye', won't be able to monetize his account on X and advertisements won't appear next to his posts, according to the platform. Ye's account was suspended in December, just two months after he had last been locked out of Instagram and Twitter after a series of controversial posts - one of which appeared to show a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David Both platforms removed his posts at the time. His last Tweet was on December 1, 2022, a day before his account had been suspended by Musk. In the months leading up his suspension, Ye made repeated anti-Semitic remarks in a series of offensive tweets. Ye was kicked off Twitter 'for incitement to violence' after the rapper posted the picture of the swastika - the symbol of the Nazi party - and the Jewish holy symbol. The post came hours after an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, when West sparked outrage by declaring his 'love' of Nazis and his admiration for Adolf Hitler. Ye's account was initially locked for 12 hours, preventing him from tweeting, and later suspended. Musk, who purchased Twitter in October and was known for taking a more relaxed stance on content moderation, told West: 'Sorry, but you have gone too far. This is not love' in a text message shared by the rapper before the ban took effect. Kanye West and Bianca Censori are seen on May 13, 2023 in Los Angeles Ye responded: 'Who made you the judge.' 'I tried my best' Musk wrote in a tweet after Twitter deleted Ye's offensive message and temporarily locked his account. 'Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended.' Subsequently, his Twitter and Instagram accounts were blocked and his lucrative deals fell through. After Ye's string of vile anti-Semitic comments, his reputation was left in tatters and causing brands - including Adidas, Balenciaga, Vogue and GAP - to drop him in droves. The performer was unrepentant, refusing in multiple interviews to apologize. As a result, his net worth has plummeted. His divorce from ex-wife Kim Kardashian also finalized the same week. He also tweeted out the word 'Shalom' - a Hebrew word meaning peace and love -less than 24 hours after he announced that he was back on Twitter weeks after being banned him from the social media platform for his vitriol anti-Semitic remarks 'Testing Testing Seeing if my Twitter is unblocked,' the rapper tweeted out informing his nearly 40 million fans that he was back on the social media platform Kanye West has been restricted from Instagram for supposedly antisemitism claims, saying Sean 'Diddy' Combs was being controlled by Jewish people Kanye West continued his return to Twitter with a disturbing tweet where he suggested he would be 'going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE' while bringing back his 'White Lives Matter' T-shirt In October, after being censored on Instagram, Kanye West returned to Twitter with a tweet suggesting he would be 'going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.' He added: 'The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.' That renewed attack on Jewish people came just a day after sharing screenshots on Instagram revealing messages sent to Diddy in which Ye, 45, accused the rapper of being controlled by Jewish people trying to silence his 'White Lives Matter' message. The post resulted in his Instagram account being suspended. Musk welcomed his return to the platform at the time, tweeting 'Welcome back to Twitter, my friend!' After his initial posts were removed, Ye called out Zuckerberg's company on Twitter for restricting his account. 'Look at this, Mark. How you gone kick me off Instagram. You use to be my n***a.' 'I tried my best' Musk wrote in a tweet after Twitter deleted Ye's offensive message and temporarily locked his account. 'Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended' Initially, Twitter locked Ye's account for 12 hours, according to a screenshot he posted on Truth Social, the rival platform founded by Donald Trump After West mocked Musk by tweeting a photo of the billionaire shirtless, Musk responded: 'That is fine'. In the photo with Musk is Ari Emanuel, the Hollywood super agent who Ye repeatedly targeted in his Infowars outburst. Musk and Emanuel are friends, but the Tesla billionaire insists the friendship has nothing to do with Kanye being thrown off Twitter Ye posted screenshots of his furious text exchange with Elon Musk, who warned him, 'you have gone too far' after Ye posted an image of a swastika in a Star of David After Ye's string of vile anti-Semitic comment s, his reputation was left in tatters and causing brands - including Adidas, Balenciaga, Vogue and GAP - to drop him in droves. The performer was unrepentant, refusing in multiple interviews to apologize. As a result, his net worth has plummeted. His divorce from ex-wife Kim Kardashian also finalized the same week Ye doubled down on his anti-Semitic tweet and claimed he was just 'calling out bad business' when he promised to go 'death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE'. Soon after in November, the rapper returned to Twitter after drawing widespread backlash over multiple anti-Semitic rants across social media last month. In one of his first tweets since his suspension on the microblogging site, the 45-year-old rapper informed his more than 31.9m followers that he was back. 'Testing Testing Seeing if my Twitter is unblocked,' the rapper tweeted out informing his nearly 40 million fans that he was back on the social media platform He also tweeted out the word 'Shalom' - a Hebrew word meaning peace and love -less than 24 hours after he announced that he was back on Twitter weeks after being banned him from the social media platform for his vitriol anti-Semitic remarks. Ye said he 'absolutely' does not regret his anti-Semitic Twitter tirade at the time. The Kremlin today bluntly threatened use of nuclear weapons in the wake of the Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow's skyscraper zone. Three drones struck an elite office building and residential skyscraper in Moscow early Sunday morning in what Russia's Defence Ministry has branded an 'attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime'. Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and Putin ally, has warned there is 'simply no other way out' and said that Kyiv should 'pray to our warriors' that they do not 'allow the global nuclear fire to flare up'. Moscow said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones early on Sunday that had been trying to attack the capital. It also claimed its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to attack Russia-annexed Crimea with 25 drones overnight. Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been targeted by Kyiv throughout Moscow's Ukraine offensive but has come under more intense, increased attacks in recent weeks. Kyiv has repeatedly said it plans to take Crimea back. The explosion was captured on camera in the early hours of Sunday morning Investigators examine a damaged skyscraper in the 'Moscow City' business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, early on Sunday A worker is seen on his phone inside a damaged building in the Moscow-City business centre following a dron attack early Sunday morning A view of the damaged building in the 'Moscow City' business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow Investigators examine a damaged skyscraper in the Moscow City business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow A view of a damaged office block of the Moscow International Business Centre following the early Sunday morning drone attack Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and Putin ally, has warned there is 'simply no other way out' and said that Kyiv should 'pray to our warriors' that they do not 'allow the global nuclear fire to flare up'. Medvedev (left) is pictured with Putin (right) The suspected Ukrainian attack inflicted the kind of terror on Moscow that Vladimir Putin's armed forces have imposed on Kyiv and other Ukrainians cities during the war. Medvedev on Sunday - Russia's Navy Day - slammed the Ukrainian offensive, warning: 'Our Armed Forces, repelling the counteroffensive of the collective enemy, protect the citizens of Russia and our land. 'This is obvious to all decent people. But beyond that, they prevent world conflict. 'After all, if we imagine that the offensive of the [Ukrainians] with the support of NATO was successful, and they seized part of our land, then we would have to, by virtue of the rules of the decree of the President of Russia dated 06/02/2020, go for the use of nuclear weapons. 'There is simply no other way out. 'Therefore, our enemies must pray to our warriors. They do not allow the global nuclear fire to flare up.' He also mentioned the Kremlin's new Armageddon high speed underwater kamikaze nuclear drone, Poseidon, which still in development. Putin supporters say the weapon could sink Britain under a giant tsunami. 'Poseidon unmanned aerial vehicle joins the congratulations [for Navy Day] and recommends that the enemies of our country pray for the health of all Russian sailors,' Medvedev said. The first of two drones penetrating the Russian capital's much-vaunted air-defences struck at 3:20am. It hit the 50-storey IQ Quarter Tower, part of a business district called Moscow City that also includes elite residential apartments and penthouses Nobody was hurt and there was only minor damage to the facade of two office buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russia's Defence Ministry said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones (circled) early on Sunday that had been trying to attack the capital. Moscow also claimed its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to attack Russia-annexed Crimea with 25 drones overnight Authorities cordon off the area near the buildings that were struck by Ukrainian drones on Sunday morning Debris is sprawled across the road after Ukrainian drones struck an office building in Moscow Emergency personnel are pictured at the site of the drone attack in Moscow on Sunday A view of a damaged office block of the Moscow International Business Centre (Moskva City) following a reported drone attack in Moscow on Sunday President Vladimir Putin on Sunday praised Russia's navy in an address at an annual warship parade in Saint Petersburg, which he attended accompanied by several African leaders. The military display took part as Moscow's offensive in Ukraine stretches into its second year and three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow early on Sunday. The Russian Navy has played a key role in Moscow's assault on Ukraine by pummelling the Western-backed country with ship- and submarine-launched cruise missiles, among other operations. Without mentioning Ukraine in his speech, Putin hailed 'the brave crews of ships and submarines'. 'In the name of Russia, our sailors give all their strength, show true heroism and fight valiantly, like our great ancestors,' Putin said. 'Today, Russia is confidently implementing major elements of its national maritime policy and is consistently building up the power of its navy,' he added. Forty five ships, boats and submarines took part in the parade along with around 3,000 servicemen, the Kremlin said. The former imperial capital hosted a Russia-Africa summit earlier this week. Several leaders and representatives of African countries including Mali and Burkina Faso attended the parade on Sunday. President Vladimir Putin on Sunday praised Russia's navy in an address at an annual warship parade in Saint Petersburg, which he attended accompanied by several African leaders. Putin is pictured at the parade on Sunday Without mentioning Ukraine in his speech, Putin hailed 'the brave crews of ships and submarines'. He is pictured with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during the parade Three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, Russian authorities said, prompting a temporary closure of traffic in and out of one of four airports around the Russian capital. 'Sixteen Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed by air defence fire,' the Russian defence ministry said, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles. 'Another nine Ukrainian drones were suppressed by means of electronic warfare and, without reaching the target, crashed into the Black Sea,' the ministry added. The first of two drones penetrating the Russian capital's much-vaunted air-defences struck at 3.20am. It hit the 50-storey IQ Quarter Tower, part of a business district called Moscow City that also includes elite residential apartments and penthouses. While no one was hurt, there was minor damage to the facade of two office buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The area, several miles from the Kremlin, is known for its modern high-rise towers and one of the buildings damaged was home to three Russian government ministries as well as residential apartments, Russian media reported. The attack reached the heart of Moscow, close to the White House headquarters of the Russian government. One of the buildings struck by the drones houses the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The office of the Ministry of Digital Development, Telecommunications and Mass Media is also based here, part of Putin's propaganda edifice. Government documentation from the ministries was strewn in the street after the attack. Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure for air traffic of one of four airports A view shows the damaged facade of an office building in the Moscow Emergencies services members gather outside the damaged office It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and third this week A view of the damaged skyscraper is shown. The attack has fueled concerns about Moscow's vulnerability to attacks as Russia's war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month Putin says he does not reject starting peace talks with Ukraine: READ MORE Vladimir Putin (pictured yesterday) has said he does not reject the idea of peace talks with Ukraine, but warned there are things that are 'impossible to implement' Advertisement One video highlights the voices of two women seeing an incoming drone. 'There it is flying,' says one. 'It flies so quick.' Another video has two more women on Presnenskaya Embankment, one saying: 'I told you' One screams: 'Ah! Mamochka! [Mummy] 'Right next to us a drone hit a building. 'I filmed it.' Guests at a Novotel hotel at Moscow City were panicked by the attack. A young woman who gave her name only as Liya described the incident, saying: 'My friends and I rented an apartment to come here and unwind, and at some point, we heard an explosion and it was like a wave, everyone jumped. 'And then there was a lot of smoke and you couldn't see anything. From above, you could see fire.' Some glass panels in one high-rise building were blown out and glass and debris littered part of the pavement below, which had been cordoned off by police and emergency services. Flights were temporarily halted at major Moscow international airport Vnukovo, used by Putin and members of the Russian government, due to the drone strikes. A source said: 'Vnukovo airport is closed for arrivals and departures. 'Flights are being redirected to other airports. One flight is in the waiting area.' Later the airport was reopened. Air defences were working in the Odintsovo district. The Defence Ministry said two drones had crashed in the Moskva-Citi district after being brought down using radio-electronic equipment. A view shows the damaged facade of an office building in the Moscow City following a reported Ukrainian drone attack An official inspects debris at the site of a damaged building in the Moscow-City business centre following a reported drone attack A Rosgvardiya officer responds to the site of a damaged building in the Moscow-City business centre following a reported drone attack in Moscow Police officers stand in front of a damaged building in Moscow on Sunday following an early morning drone attack A view of a damaged building in the Moscow-City business centre following the drone attack Air defences had shot down one more in the air over the Odintsovo area in the Moscow region, it said. 'On the morning of 30th July, an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime using unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in the city of Moscow was foiled,' the ministry said in its statement. 'One Ukrainian UAV was destroyed in the air by air defence over the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region. 'Two more drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of the Moscow City non-residential building complex.' It was portrayed as an 'attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime'. Separately, it said it had also successfully thwarted an overnight attack on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, by 25 Ukrainian drones which it said it had either shot down or forced to crash. Nobody had been hurt and no damage done in the Crimea episode, it said. There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainians. Moscow routinely downplays attacks by Ukraine in an attempt not to alarm people. Moscow routinely downplays attacks by Ukraine in an attempt not to alarm people. Pictured: A general view of a damaged office block of the Moscow International Business Centre after Ukrainian drones attacks in Moscow on Sunday Some glass panels in one high-rise building were blown out and glass and debris littered part of the pavement below. Pictured: A broken glass pane is seen near a damaged office building in the Moscow City on Sunday following the drone attack Firefighters and search and rescue teams continue to work after Ukrainian drones attacks in Moscow on Sunday Firefighters and rescue crews are pictured at the scene of the drone attack on Sunday The glazing was shattered as a result of the blast at the level of fifth and sixth floors of the 50-story building on Presnenskaya embankment. Pictured: A fire truck near the building A source said: 'The glazing was shattered as a result of the blast at the level of fifth and sixth floors of the 50-story building on Presnenskaya embankment.' TASS reported: 'There are no casualties and no fire has started. 'The people are being evacuated. Operational services and law enforcement agencies arrived on the scene. 'Law enforcement agencies reported that the Air Defence Troops repelled an attack by two aircraft-type drones in the west of Moscow Region. 'In addition, eyewitnesses report the sounds of an explosion in the west of Moscow.' In Crimea, the defence ministry claimed that 25 drones had been repelled. The defence ministry said: 'Tonight an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by twenty-five aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles on facilities on the territory of the Crimean peninsula has been foiled. 'Sixteen Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed by air defence fire. 'Another nine Ukrainian drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and crashed in the waters of the Black Sea and Cape Tarkhankut without reaching their target. 'There were no casualties or damage as a result of the foiled terrorist attack.' Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor An investigator examines an area next to the damaged skyscraper Russian law enforcement officers and emergencies ministry members work at an accident scene near the damaged office building in the Moscow The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an 'attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime' and said three drones targeted the city Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor Putin's 'zombie soldiers' are returning from Ukraine with thirst for violence: READ MORE Large numbers of soldiers are now alcoholics or drug addicts embracing the violence and cruelty they have seen on the frontline, according to a shocking new report (File Photo) Advertisement The attack came after Putin on Saturday said he does not reject the idea of peace talks with Ukraine. Putin, speaking at a press conference on Saturday after having met with African leaders in St Petersburg on Friday, said an African and Chinese initiative could serve as a basis for finding peace but warned there are things that are 'impossible to implement'. Both Ukraine and Russia have previously said they will not come to the table for negotiations unless certain preconditions are met. It was reported last month that African mediation in the conflict could begin with confidence-building measures followed by a cessation of hostilities agreement accompanied by negotiations between Russia and the West. 'There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented,' Putin said yesterday. 'But there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement.' He added that one of the points in the initiative was a ceasefire. 'But the Ukrainian army is on the offensive, they are attacking, they are implementing a large-scale strategic offensive operation... We cannot cease fire when we are under attack.' A view of the damaged skyscraper is shown in the 'Moscow City' business district Police officers stand in front of a damaged building on Sunday following a reported drone attack in Moscow A police officer is seen standing near a cordon at the site of the drone attack on Sunday A police officer keeps watch at the site of a damaged building in the Moscow-City business centre following an early Sunday morning drone attack On the question of starting peace talks, Putin said, 'We did not reject them... In order for this process to begin, there needs to be agreement on both sides.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly rejected the idea of a ceasefire now as it would leave Russia in control of nearly a fifth of his country and give its forces time to regroup after 17 grinding months of war. Meanwhile, reports emerged last night that Saudi Arabia is planning to host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia's war on the country. Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, as well as Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, an official - speaking on the condition of anonymity - said last night. A high-level official from US President Joe Biden's administration also is expected to attend. The source claimed that planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv and Russia is expected not to attend. The kingdom and Kyiv did not immediately acknowledge the planned talks. Pictured: Footage of the Ukrainian drone attack carried out in Moscow early Sunday morning On Russia's Navy day Dmitry Medvedev mentioned the Kremlin's new Armageddon high speed underwater kamikaze nuclear drone, Poseidon, (pictured) is still in development. Putin supporters say the drone could sink Britain under a giant tsunami A view of the damaged facade of a building following a reported drone attack in Moscow on Sunday The Russian Ministry of Defence on 30 July accused Ukraine of carrying out an attack with three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) against facilities in Moscow The early Sunday morning attack followed what Russia said was a similar Ukrainian attempt to attack Moscow with two drones last Monday. One fell in the centre of the city near the Defence Ministry's headquarters along the Moscow River about 2 miles from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said after Monday's attempted attack that there would be more drone strikes. There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv to the latest incident. 'There were no casualties or injuries,' Sobyanin, the mayor, said in a short statement on the incident. In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defences on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down. Russia said on Monday it would retaliate harshly against Ukraine after two drones damaged buildings in Moscow, with one strike close to the building where the military holds briefings on what the Kremlin calls its 'special military operation' in Ukraine. The four male soldiers missing after a helicopter crash are identified The four men feared dead after a Defence helicopter went down in waters off the Whitsunday Islands have been identified. Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock, and Corporal Alexander Naggs were named by the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, as the four involved in the crash. The helicopter were be members of the army's 6th Aviation Richmond Unit based at the Holsworthy Army barracks in Sydney. Lieutenant General Stuart said their names had been released with permission from their families. Search and rescue teams resumed the search for the crew of the missing MRH-90 Taipan on Sunday morning but it's feared the crew members are unlikely to still be alive. Four soldiers who were onboard a helicopter (pictured) when it crashed just off of Hamilton Island, Queensland, at about 10:30pm on Friday have been identified The chopper was conducting joint military joint military exercises as part of Operation Talisman Sabre when it crashed at about 10:30pm on Friday. Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Sunday there was a 'very real sense of poignancy and an anxiety' associated with the search and rescue. 'Our thoughts are very much with the aircrew and of course their families,' Mr Marles told troops participating in the Talisman Sabre drills in Townsville on Sunday. 'This accident makes very clear what this exercise means, the dangers that are involved, the risks that inevitably come with it. 'The significance of it all, particularly given the events of Friday night, is made very plain and very clear. We owe all of you an enormous debt of gratitude.' In a brief statement in Canberra, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the nation's 'thoughts and prayers' were with the families of the missing crewmen. NSW Premier Chris Minns said his heart was with the families who 'must be hurting this morning'. Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock, and Corporal Alexander Naggs were named by the Army with permission of the families (stock) Lieutenant Max Nugent (left), Corporal Alexander Naggs (right) He confirmed one of those feared dead was the son of a senior NSW police officer. '(They're) a family that's given so much to the people of this state, of this country,' he told Sky News on Sunday. 'I can only imagine what they're going through today. It's just devastating.' More than 800 personnel across military and emergency services are joined the search and rescue mission, including specialist navy divers. Debris consistent with a helicopter part was found near the crash site on Saturday, with Channel 9 reporting the fuselage was among the fragments pulled from the water. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash. The entire MH-90 Taipan fleet have been grounded until further notice. It's the second time an Australian MH-90 has been involved in an emergency this year after a helicopter ditched into Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast during routine training. In a short statement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) said the nation's 'thoughts and prayers' were with the families of the missing crewmen Debris consistent with a helicopter part (pictured) was found near the crash site on Saturday, with the fuselage of the helicopter reportedly being drawn from ocean An exclusion zone remains in place in waters south of Hamilton Island and incorporates waters from the southern tip of Long Island, east to Perseverance Island, south to Cole Island, and west to the mainland at Round Head. Exclusion zones also extend to 1000m from any military vessel. It is understood all debris is being delivered to nearby warship Brisbane. Members of the pubic who locate debris are urged not to handle it and to contact police. Talisman Sabre exercise director Brigadier Damian Hill said the water is 'quite deep' in the area being searched and the arrival of HMAS Huon on Sunday would assist with the search. 'HMAS Huon has some of our more experienced divers should we need to look under the water for wreckage as the search and rescue continues,' he said. Rescue aircraft and more than 800 personnel across military and emergency services are joined the search and rescue mission are continuing to search for the missing men The chopper was taking part in Exercise Talisman Sabre, which has been paused in light of the accident. According to the Australian Army, the MRH-90 Taipan aircraft is one of the 'most advanced tactical troop transport helicopters of the 21st century.' The ADF currently has 47 of the choppers - which can reach maximum speeds of 300km per hour - through the Advanced Helicopter Program for Australia. The MRH-90 also reportedly has the 'highest crashworthy standards'. It comes only a week after Talisman Sabre commenced, with the deputy prime minister kicked off the exercise in an opening ceremony in Canberra. 'It is a privilege to officially open Talisman Sabre 2023 and welcome all participating nations,' Mr Marles said n July 21. Talisman Sabre, is the ADF's biggest training exercise, involving more than 31,000 soldiers, marines, sailors and pilots from across 13 countries. US Marines and Australian soldiers have been conducting exercises together in the Whitsundays as part of Talisman Sabre. Australian and US forces have been joined by officers from Canada, Fiji, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, the UK, France and Germany. Support services for ADF personnel Defence all-hours support line 1800 628 036 Defence Member and Family Helpline 1800 624 608 US pledges to stand by Aussies after Talisman Sabre crash tragedy For information on how to access mental health professionals 1800 IMSICK (1800 467 425) Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling (formerly VVCS) 1800 011 046 Department of Veterans' Affairs 1800 838 372 The pilot of a light aircraft has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after it crashed into a horse during takeoff in South Australia's Yorke Peninsula. Emergency services, including the South Australia Police, the SA Ambulance Service and the SA Country Fire Service (CFS) were called to a private airstrip on a paddock at Anderson Rd, Brentwood, a town in the state's west, at about 9.20am on Sunday. The pilot, a 64-year-old local man and his passenger, a 56-year-old woman also local to the area, were able to escape the aircraft. The recreational light aircraft collided with a horse on takeoff and crashed on a paddock at Brentwood, a South Australian town in the state's west The pilot, a 64-year-old man, was rushed to hospital with serious injuries while his passenger, a 56-year-old woman escaped uninjured The man was flown to Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious injuries while the woman was uninjured. It's understood the aircraft was travelling at about 110km/hour at the time of the collision. Although the horse has been treated by a vet, police confirmed it is alive and standing upright despite the collision. About 15 CFS volunteers, three CFS trucks and a bulk water carrier remained at the scene to secure stock, and assist paramedics with establishing a helicopter landing zone. Crews were also on standby in the event of fuel leaks. While the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) have been notified of the incident, it will likely not investigate the crash because the light aircraft was a recreational plane. Instead, the investigation will likely be handled by Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus). Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly rejected the idea of a ceasefire Vladimir Putin has said he does not reject the idea of peace talks with Ukraine - as the Russian capital was hit by a three-drone attack. The Russian President said yesterday that an African initiative could be a basis for peace in Ukraine, but argued it was hard to implement a ceasefire when Kyiv was on the offensive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly rejected the idea of a ceasefire now as it would leave Russia in control of nearly a fifth of his country and give its forces time to regroup after 17 grinding months of war. It comes a Russia's Defence Ministry said three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow early this morning, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure of one of four airports around the capital. Officials referred to the incident as an 'attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime'. The attack was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fuelling concerns about Moscow's vulnerability to attacks as the war in Ukraine drags on into its 18th month. Vladimir Putin (pictured yesterday) has said he does not reject the idea of peace talks with Ukraine and said an African and Chinese initiative could serve as a basis for finding peace but warned there are things that are 'impossible to implement' Drones attacked Moscow's elite office and residential skyscraper district early today causing damage to at least two buildings early this morning Three drones attacked Moscow early this morning, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure of one of four airports around the capital. Pictured: A view of a damaged office block of the Moscow International Business Center this morning Russia's Defence Ministry referred to the incident as an 'attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime'. Pictured: Firefighters work near a damaged office building in the Moscow City today following a reported Ukrainian drone attack Putin, speaking at a press conference yesterday after meeting African leaders in St Petersburg on Friday, said an African and Chinese initiative could serve as a basis for finding peace but warned there are things that are 'impossible to implement'. Both Ukraine and Russia have previously said they will not come to the table for negotiations unless certain preconditions are met. It was reported last month that African mediation in the conflict could begin with confidence-building measures followed by a cessation of hostilities agreement accompanied by negotiations between Russia and the West. 'There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented,' Putin said yesterday. 'But there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement.' He added that one of the points in the initiative was a ceasefire. 'But the Ukrainian army is on the offensive, they are attacking, they are implementing a large-scale strategic offensive operation... We cannot cease fire when we are under attack.' On the question of starting peace talks, Putin said, 'We did not reject them... In order for this process to begin, there needs to be agreement on both sides.' Zelensky is understood to have said that peace talks with Russia would only be possible after Kremlin forces are removed from occupied territory. Meanwhile, reports emerged last night that Saudi Arabia is planning to host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia's war on the country. Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, as well as Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, an official - speaking on the condition of anonymity - said last night. A high-level official from US President Joe Biden's administration also is expected to attend. The source claimed that planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv and Russia is expected not to attend. The kingdom and Kyiv did not immediately acknowledge the planned talks. Investigators examine a damaged skyscraper in the 'Moscow City' business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, early on Sunday A view of the damaged building in the 'Moscow City' business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow A view of the damaged skyscraper is shown in the 'Moscow City' business district Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure for air traffic of one of four airports News of alleged peace talks comes a drones attacked Moscow's elite office and residential skyscraper district early today causing damage to at least two buildings. Screams were heard as explosions ripped apart the several floors of a major building. The suspected Ukrainian attack inflicted the kind of terror on Moscow that Vladimir Putin's armed forces have imposed on Kyiv and other Ukrainians cities during the war. The first of two drones penetrating the Russian capital's much-vaunted air-defences struck at 3:20am. It hit the 50-storey IQ Quarter Tower, part of a business district called Moscow City that also includes elite residential apartments and penthouses. There was a report of two victims injured - a security guard and a 21 -year old woman - but multiple ambulances were at the scene. The attack reached the heart of Moscow, close to the White House headquarters of the Russian government. One of the buildings struck by the drones houses the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The office of the Ministry of Digital Development, Telecommunications and Mass Media is also based here, part of Putin's propaganda edifice. Government documentation from the ministries was strewn in the street after the attack. The attacks came as Putin prepared to mark Russian Navy Day in St Petersburg and Kronstadt today along with leaders of countries attending a Russian-African summit. One video highlights the voices of two women seeing an incoming drone. 'There it is flying,' says one. 'It flies so quick.' Another video has two more women on Presnenskaya Embankment, one saying: 'I told you' One screams: 'Ah! Mamochka! [Mummy] 'Right next to us a drone hit a building. 'I filmed it.' Guests at a Novotel hotel at Moscow City were panicked by the attack. Another shows a woman in bed as the drone attack is seen from her high-rise window. A view shows the damaged facade of an office building in the Moscow Emergencies services members gather outside the damaged office It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and third this week A view of the damaged skyscraper is shown. The attack has fueled concerns about Moscow's vulnerability to attacks as Russia's war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month Flights were temporarily halted at major Moscow international airport Vnukovo, used by Putin and members of the Russian government, due to the drone strikes. A source said: 'Vnukovo airport is closed for arrivals and departures. 'Flights are being redirected to other airports. One flight is in the waiting area.' Later the airport was reopened. Air defences were working in the Odintsovo district. There were also reports of an intense drone attack on annexed Crimea. The Russian Defence Ministry said: 'On the morning of July 30, an attempt of a terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime with unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the city of Moscow was suppressed. 'One Ukrainian UAV was destroyed in the air by air defence over the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region. 'Two more drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of the Moscow City non-residential building complex.' It was portrayed as an 'attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime'. There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainians. Moscow routinely downplays attacks by Ukraine in an attempt not to alarm people. A source said: 'The glazing was shattered as a result of the blast at the level of fifth and sixth floors of the 50-story building on Presnenskaya embankment.' TASS reported: 'There are no casualties and no fire has started. 'The people are being evacuated. Operational services and law enforcement agencies arrived on the scene. 'Law enforcement agencies reported that the Air Defence Troops repelled an attack by two aircraft-type drones in the west of Moscow Region. 'In addition, eyewitnesses report the sounds of an explosion in the west of Moscow.' In Crimea, the defence ministry claimed that 25 drones had been repelled. The defence ministry said: 'Tonight an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by twenty-five aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles on facilities on the territory of the Crimean peninsula has been foiled. 'Sixteen Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed by air defence fire. 'Another nine Ukrainian drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and crashed in the waters of the Black Sea and Cape Tarkhankut without reaching their target. 'There were no casualties or damage as a result of the foiled terrorist attack.' Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor An investigator examines an area next to the damaged skyscraper Russian law enforcement officers and emergencies ministry members work at an accident scene near the damaged office building in the Moscow The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an 'attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime' and said three drones targeted the city Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor Two more drones struck the Russian capital on Monday, one of them falling in the center of the city near the Defense Ministry's headquarters along the Moscow River about 2 miles from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down. Russia said on Monday it would retaliate harshly against Ukraine after two drones damaged buildings in Moscow, with one strike close to the building where the military holds briefings on what Russia calls its 'special military operation' in Ukraine. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said at the time there would be more drone strikes. The devastated sister of a transgender boy who took his own life after he was allegedly subjected to relentless bullying at school under his new identity, has vowed to change the education system she blames for the tragedy. Onyx Rose, 13, was found dead by his mum at the family home in Beaudesert, Queensland, on Sunday, July 16. Around 100 guests attended a service at the same property on Saturday to commemorate the 'vibrant and caring' young boy. Grieving sister Ivy Lambert delivered a eulogy, telling mourners the death of her younger brother - who was born a girl named Rose - would not be in vain. Around 100 mourners attended a service on Saturday to commemorate the life of Onyx Rose (pictured), 13, who took his own life after allegedly being bullied at school Ms Rose's sister, Ivy Lambert (pictured right) said her brother's death would not be in vain and she would change the school system she believes allowed the bullying to flourish 'The last two weeks have been a blur. I still can't believe you have gone. A piece of my soul went with you,' said Ms Lambert, according to The Courier Mail. 'I will not stop until this (state education) system has changed. 'I will be your voice and they will hear us.' Ms Lambert, wore bright red t-shirts with the slogan 'kindness is key', reportedly said her younger sibling with the 'beautiful golden brown eyes' was 'always helping people work through their emotions with bullying but in the end the bullies got her'. She said Onyx Rose had 'this awesome happy go lucky vibe' in her younger years who loved animals and eventually wanted to become a vet. Ms Lambert previously told Daily Mail Australia that Onyx had been viciously bullied by students at Beaudesert State High School, in the state's Scenic Rim region, after he started using he/him pronouns rather than she/her. 'He didn't have gender issues - he accepted that he wanted to be a boy,' said Ms Lambert. Onyx's family have accused the school of failing to stop the bullying . The school said it was deeply impacted by his death Onyx did not want to go school after complaining of being taunted by other students when he changed his pronouns to male 'The kids at school wouldn't accept it. The students would taunt him in front of everyone. 'It got so bad he would be shaking if he was forced to go to school.' The classroom taunts allegedly moved online with fake accounts that pretended to be Onyx emerging and harassing other students. 'They called her a weirdo and a goth-wannabe,' said Ms Lambert. The bullying escalated in last August when a pack of girls allegedly confronted Onyx in the school bathrooms. 'The school said they would 'handle it' but there's never been any consequences for the pack of girls who tried bashing him in the school toilets last year,' said Ms Lambert. 'After that we were lucky if he went to school twice a week.' Onyx's family is now seeking justice for what they claimed was a lack of a response or duty of care to the bullying he endured. 'We haven't received any support from the school ... the teachers have been instructed not to discuss it with students either,' said Ms Lambert. 'I got blocked when I contacted the school's official Facebook page.' However, after being contacted by this publication, principal Grant Stephensen extended support to the family as well as sending a backdated email to parents - several days after Onyx' passing. Onyx (pictured), who loved animals and eventually wanted to become a vet, was remembered as having an 'awesome happy go lucky vibe' in her younger years 'Please know that your family is in our thoughts at this time,' a letter to Ms Lambert began. 'My staff and I have been deeply impacted by this.' 'We have been given pause to reflect and want to ensure Beaudesert SHS is a safe place for students to learn. Your voice is an important part of our reflection.' Mr Stephensen also contacted parents via email offering that students could speak to counsellors about their feelings. 'The school has put in place a process that allows students an opportunity to talk about their thoughts and feelings with trained professional staff,' the email read. 'Guidance officers will be available in the school should your child require further advice or support.' A Queensland Department of Education spokesperson confirmed allegations of bullying at Beaudesert State School are being looked into and that staff and students have been offered support. 'Staff and students close to the student were spoken to directly, while others were informed at assemblies or through information sent to parents,' the department said. 'The school has been in regular contact with the student's family and is also speaking with local elders.' For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14 Three brexiteers have claimed their bank accounts have been cancelled with no explanation as part of a regime of 'political ethnic cleansing'. Arron Banks, co-founder of the Leave.EU campaign, Andy Wigmore and Richard Rice, leader of the Reform UK party, each claim they have been cut off by their respective banks. Banks said Barclays had closed his accounts in 2018 because of his support for Brexit, while his right hand man Wigmore and his wife and children had their NatWest accounts frozen while on holiday last year, according to the Times. Tice, 58, also claimed that Metro Bank had closed Reform's business account in 2021 while digital banking provider Tide closed his consultancy business' account a year later. The claims come after Nigel Farage revealed he had been ditched by Britain's most prestigious bank Coutts, which is owned by NatWest, due to his political views, which was later revealed to be true. Three arch brexiteers have claimed they have had their bank accounts frozen as part of a regime of 'political ethnic cleansing' (Pictured: The so-called 'bad boys of Brexit', Andy Wigmore, Arron Banks, Nigel Farage and Richard Tice) The claims come after Nigel Farage revealed he had been ditched by Britain's most prestigious bank Couttes, which is owned by NatWest, claiming it was due to his political views, which was later revealed to be true The three men, who formed the so-called 'bad boys of Brexit' along with Farage, have citicised the alleged moves by the UK financial giants. Wigmore said: 'Howard Davies [NatWest Chairman] and Alison Rose [Former NatWest CEO] seem to have presided over a regime of political ethnic cleansing. 'Had I not had some very good friends to help me, my family would have been absolutely screwed.' Tice added: 'This is a defining moment you are now seeing the revenge of the right against the woke.' Banks, who previously donated 8million towards his unofficial Brexit campaign, also claimed his ex-wife and his brother's law firm had been affected. These new claims are likely to fuel calls for the Government to act to ensure political campaigners are not banned by overly cautious banks. Former UKIP leader Farage first revealed he had been ditched Coutts, which is owned by parent company NatWest, on June 29 and claimed it was due to his political views. But on July 4, a BBC story quoted a source at the bank saying his account was closed for failing to meet minimum wealth thresholds. NatWest CEO Alison Rose later revealed she had been the source of the BBC article and admitted the information she provided had been incorrect. NatWest CEO Alison Rose (pictured) revealed she had been the source of a BBC article bank saying Farage's account was closed for failing to meet minimum wealth thresholds After attempting to cling on to her role she resigned in the early hours of 26 July, while Coutts CEO Peter Flavel stepped down with immediate effect the next day. NatWest boss Howard Davies has vowed to stay on in his role until April 2024 as planned despite mounting pressure for him to step down as well. Anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller, shot to fame when she launched two legal challenges to the Government's attempts to 'get Brexit done', also had the bank account for her political party shut down without explanation.. She claimed that several weeks ago online bank Monzo suddenly closed her political party's account, saying it could not 'share the specific reason' while referring vaguely to its 'legal and regulatory responsibilities'. A woman in her 20s has tragically drowned at a popular beach in Sydney when a freak wave swept her off rocks. Emergency services were called to Botany Bay boat ramp at about 12.30pm on Sunday following reports concerning a woman's welfare. Police were told the woman was standing on the rocks at Botany Bay National Park when she was hit by a wall of water. A woman, believed to be aged in her 20s, has drowned after she was hit by a freak wave and swept of rocks in Botany Bay National Park (pictured, police scene) A passing boat saw the woman's body and pulled her onboard before heading to the Botany Bay boat ramp, where paramedics treated her. She died at the scene (pictured) Members of the public in a passing boat saw the woman in the water and pulled her aboard. The woman was then taken to the boat ramp, where she was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics. Despite their efforts, the woman died at the scene. Police said the woman has not been formally identified but is believed to be aged in her 20s. A report will be prepared for the Coroner. MANZINI SEDCO Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Khethiwe Mhlanga says the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (EYA) 2023 has showcased that in the local market there is high growth in entrepreneurs. Mhlanga urged all emaSwati to support the local entrepreneurs in both goods and services sector. Let us become conscious consumers and buy locally produced goods. When shopping, make it a habit to always reach for the locally produced goods as that is how well grow our businesses and the economy at large, said Mhlanga. development Mhlanga said the 17th edition of the EYA came with a lot of growth in the space of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) development and Small Enterprises Development Company (SEDCO) continued to be committed to entrepreneurship development. We appreciate His Majestys Government for the support that they have given us in our endeavour to promote entrepreneurship throughout the Kingdom of Eswatini, said the CEO. Mhlanga acknowledged all partners who worked closely with SEDCO as they developed the capabilities of MSMEs. Mhlanga mentioned that entrepreneurs were hope that as a nation we were improving the productive capacities. She highlighted that according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), productive capacities have three main dimensions which are productive resources, entrepreneurial capabilities and production linkages. growth Mhlanga said these defined the countrys capacity to produce goods and services which contributed to economic growth. We are seeing this with the entrepreneurs who have joined the EYA 2023 competition as they are both in the goods and services sectors, the CEO said. Mhlanga noted that the entrepreneurs had shown growth and resilience as they had transformed their businesses over the years while others were innovative. She said, therefore, they are enhancing their competitiveness through skills development and technological transformation. She stated that a competition such as the EYA assisted entrepreneurs to network with each other as well as the financial sector. knowledge Mhlanga said past and future winners were encouraged to continue to impart knowledge to the present and future entrepreneurs. Be a mentor/business coach. SEDCO will also tap into your success stories to shine a spotlight as well as encourage others to venture into entrepreneurship, said the CEO. The CEO further said this competition (EYA), therefore, served as a means to share information about the entrepreneurial mindset within the Kingdom of Eswatini. She said each child in every region would be aware that entrepreneurship was possible and instrumental in changing our socio-economic status. She said this competition was exemplary of the Eswatini they cherished which promotes inclusiveness. She said it touched on green entrepreneurship, technological entrepreneurship and has all target groups such as youth entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs living with disabilities. Police have offered a 50,000 reward to anyone with information about a shooting of two teenage girls at a party last year. Both girls, aged 13 and 16 have since fully recovered from the drive-by attack in Moss Side, Manchester. The teenagers, who were hit by shrapnel, were not thought to be the intended targets of the shooting. Renewing an appeal for information, Detective Inspector Madeline Kelly said that the incident could have easily had 'tragic consequences'. She said: 'The reckless and dangerous actions of those firing a gun that night could easily have had tragic consequences. Police are offering a reward of 50,000 to anyone with information about a shooting in Manchester in July 2022 Two girls were injured during the shooting on Quinney Crescent in Moss Side Police believe that the girls were not the intended targets of the attack 'We do not believe the two girls were the intended targets that night and were instead simply at the address enjoying a party. 'The actions of those responsible demonstrate that they have zero regard for who they could have hurt. They are dangerous and GMP is determined to find them and hold them to account for such a callous and cowardly attack. 'We now have a 50,000 reward available for anyone who has key information that can lead to the successful conviction of those responsible for this horrific attack.' The shooting occurred outside an address on Quinney Crescent where a party was taking place, on July 29 2022. Anyone with information should contact Greater Manchester Police either by submitting it online or calling 101 quoting crime number 3388 of 29/07/22 and operation name 'Meppen'. A business owner has claimed police will not investigate shoplifting offences unless the theft is over 200, there is clear CCTV and the criminal's full name is known. Shop owner Richard Inglis has accused the police of effectively decriminalising shoplifting by failing to take it seriously. Mr Inglis, who runs a chain of Co-op stores, said he was told by police that reports of shoplifting need to meet a certain criteria before a policeman will respond. The revelation comes after a shop worker showed the extent of her injuries after being botted by a shoplifter. Charlene Corbin, 28, has since shared pictures of her gruesome head wound to highlight the danger retailers face from increasingly brazen and violent thieves. Charlene Corbin, 28, was bottled by a shoplifter at the Co-Op where she works Pictured is CCTV footage of shop workers confronting a thief at Richard Inglis's Co-Op store Mr Inglis has claimed that the police do not look into thefts if they do not fulfil a set of criteria Mr Inglis said: 'It used to be a police officer would have come down, taken a statement and CCTV. But as they have cut back on resources we have to do our own statements now and upload the CCTV to a system and those cases are then reviewed. 'The burden of proof we have to provide now is so extreme. 'I have been told by the police that the value of the stock has to be over 200 and if I don't know their name and don't have a clear shot of their face on CCTV then it won't get to court. 'If not they will take it as a report but would mark it up as no further action, then it just becomes a statistic but nothing is going to be done. They basically told me it's not the right use of resources. 'Most of the police we deal with want to do more but they know it's a waste of their time if it just gets filed further up the line or if it gets to court and the court don't do anything. 'They've decriminalised these things and that has caused it to increase, there's no deterrent.' He has 32 members of staff working for him across three stores in Hampshire that he owns. He said it is not uncommon for them to be punched by shoplifters and some have been attacked with knives or had bottles thrown at them. Pictured is Ms Corbin's head wound that she sustained after being bottled by a thief at the store Mr Inglis added: 'Across our sites we can have up to eight or nine incidents on a bad day. 'We have teenagers taking part in TikTok crazes taking low value items but looking for a rise so they are abusive and looking for confrontation through to addicts and alcoholics making needle and knife threats to staff. You can't control these people.' Miss Corbin, who works in a Co-op in neighbouring Dorset, was attacked when she went to stop a thief she saw steal a hot pastry and two bottles of alcohol. She said: 'I grabbed my head and went back inside the store. I started to feel slightly faint and then I fell to my knees. 'I took my hand off my head and realised I was bleeding. I felt it trickling all down my neck and chest - my work shirt was red with blood. 'In the two years I've worked there, we've had staff pushed and spat at, smacked. It shouldn't be happening. 'Since this incident I completely stay out of the way of shoplifters now and I worry about colleagues putting themselves in danger. We don't feel safe.' A spokesman for Dorset Police said a 22-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of inflicting actual bodily harm and released on bail pending further enquiries. In response to Mr Inglis' claims, Chief Inspector Chris Douglas, from Hampshire Police, denied they have a set criteria for shoplifting offences. He said: 'We do not make decisions based on the value of items stolen, although this does form a part of our risk assessment. 'We assess crimes based on balancing threat, risk and harm to the community or individual. 'It remains very important for all incidents of shoplifting and associated assaults to be reported to us so that we can identify crime patterns and offenders. 'I would like to reassure local communities and business owners that we do take reports of these types of incidents seriously. We will always investigate where there are viable and legitimate lines of enquiry available to us. 'We do appreciate the emotional, physical and financial impact that these types of offences can have, not only on those employed by local businesses, but the businesses themselves and also the wider community.' Major chains including John Lewis, Asda and the Co-op have been targeted by organised criminal gangs as crimes with shoplifting soaring by 26 per cent in the past year, according to the British Retail Consortium. Many of the stores blame police for the surge in the disturbing crimes as families struggle amid the cost of living crisis. One survey by the BRC says 56 per cent of retailers rated the police response as 'fair' - with others declaring it even worse. The problem has become so serious the Home Office has ploughed funding into trying to stem the flood of illegality. A spokesperson said: 'Theft is down 20 per cent compared to pre pandemic levels. However, we recognise the impact that theft can have on retailers which is why we are supporting police by providing funding for crime prevention means. The Co-op has released some of the CCTV footage from their stores, with one London shop 'looted' three times in just 24 hours 'The Government's anti-social behaviour action plan, which is backed by 160million of funding will make our communities safer by ensuring perpetrators face swift and visible justice, tougher punishments and introduce early interventions to reduce this behaviour.' The Co-op say the level of 'out-of-control crime' saw one inner-city London store 'looted' three times in just 24 hours. It warned the onslaught was unsustainable and could see some communities become a no-go area for local stores. The parade came after three done attacks in Moscow in the early hours Vladimir Putin promised 30 more warships during Navy Day on Sunday Vladimir Putin showed off Russia's military might with a host of warships, nuclear submarines and sailors at the country's annual Navy Day celebrations on Sunday - as he promised to bolster the fleet with 30 more vessels. Some 45 ships, submarines and other vessels took part in Russia's annual Navy Day event, a traditional show of military might which takes place in the Gulf of Finland and on the River Neva in St Petersburg. Around 3,000 navy personnel also took part in a parade on land, the Kremlin said - which came following three drone attacks in Moscow on Sunday morning. Putin, accompanied by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, the head of the Navy, inspected some of the ships from a launch boat on the Neva before making a speech. 'Today, Russia is confidently implementing the large-scale tasks of our national maritime policy and is consistently building up the strength of our Navy,' said Putin. Vladimir Putin today promised to bolster the Russian navy with 30 more ships during the annual Navy Day parade in St Petersburg The parade showed off the country's military might with 45 warships (pictured here on the Neva river) 'This year alone, 30 ships of different classes are being added to the fleet,' he said. He made no substantive comments on what Russia calls its 'special military operation' in Ukraine. READ MORE: Kremlin threatens use of nuclear weapons in retaliation for drone strike on Moscow skyscrapers Advertisement The Russian president went on to praise the navy, hailing 'the brave crews of ships and submarines'. Putin added: 'In the name of Russia, our sailors give all their strength, show true heroism and fight valiantly, like our great ancestors.' The scenes on Sunday morning saw Russian warships sail down the Neva River in St Petersburg as Putin vigilantly looked on at his country's show of naval prowess. The display came as three drones struck an office building and residential skyscraper in Moscow early on Sunday morning - in an attack that Russia's defence ministry dubbed 'an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime'. After the attack the Kremlin bluntly threatened the use of nuclear weapons. Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and Putin ally, warned there is 'simply no other way out' and said that Kyiv should 'pray to our warriors' that they do not 'allow the global nuclear fire to flare up'. Putin, 2nd left, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, left, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, review warships from a boat before the main naval parade Navy Day is a traditional show of military might which takes place in the Gulf of Finland and on the River Neva in St Petersburg. Pictured: Warships fire a salute in Vladivostok Some 3,000 sailors also took part, dressed smartly in white uniforms for the important parade Putin, Yevmenov and Shoigu, right, arrive at The Peter and Paul Fortress to attend the Navy Day parade Putin went on to praise the navy, hailing 'the brave crews of ships and submarines' Four African heads of state attended Navy Day and five other African countries sent representatives, according to the Kremlin. Pictured: Putin and several African leaders Putin spoke to his defence minister Shoigu, who this week returned from a visit to North Korea Putin, accompanied by Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov Naval cadets play drums during the Navy Day parade in Saint Petersburg on Sunday Putin and Shoigu reviewed the warships before the parade began (pictured) Spectators take in a selfie against the backdrop of Russian missile corvette Sovetsk sailing along the Neva River Russia's Pacific Fleet warships parade off the port city of Vladivostok during the celebrations The first of two drones penetrating the Russian capital's much-vaunted air-defences struck at 3.20am. READ MORE: Fresh humiliation for Putin as he faces poor turnout by African leaders at key Russian summit - days after he quit grain deal Advertisement It hit the 50-storey IQ Quarter Tower, part of a business district called Moscow City that also includes elite residential apartments and penthouses. Nobody was hurt and there was only minor damage to the facade of two office buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The attack reached the heart of Moscow, close to the White House headquarters of the Russian government. Four African heads of state attended Navy Day and five other African countries sent representatives, according to the Kremlin. They were invited after a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg which concluded on Friday at which delegates discussed grain supplies and potential peace talks on Ukraine. Putin has been attempting to win support for his war against Ukraine in the Russia-Africa summit this week. He pledged large no-cost shipments of grain to six African nations, although Guinea was not included. Russian sailors are pictures with warships in the background in St Petersburg This image distributed by Sputnik agency shows Russian President Vladimir Putin attending the Navy Day parade Marines show off their skills during the Navy Day celebrations in the port city of Novorossiysk Sailors stand at attention on the deck of a Russian Black Sea Fleet warship The display in Novorossiysk saw the crowd of sailors stand to attention in celebration Russia's Black Sea Fleet warships take part in the Navy Day celebrations in the port city of Novorossiysk Naval cadets parade during the Navy Day celebrations in the port city of Novorossiysk Marines showed off their skills in Novorossiysk with a mock fight The promise follows the scrapping of the Black Sea grain deal with Ukraine, which allowed exports to some of the world's poorest countries. 'Our country will continue supporting needy states and regions, in particular, with its humanitarian deliveries. We seek to actively participate in building a fairer system of distribution of resources. We are taking maximum efforts to avert a global food crisis,' Putin said. 'I have already said that our country can replace Ukrainian grain, both on a commercial basis and as grant aid to the neediest African countries, more so since we expect another record harvest this year,' he said. Russia intends to ship up to 50,000 tons of grain aid to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and Central African Republic in the next three to four months, Putin said. However, Putin also faced humiliation at the summit, which took place on Thursday and Friday in St Petersburg, due to a poor turnout from African leaders. Only 17 heads of state took part, fewer than half of the 43 who attended the first in 2019, while 32 other African countries were represented by senior government officials or ambassadors. The event came after Russia destroyed Ukrainian grain warehouses on the Danube River in a drone attack on Monday, targeting a vital export route for Kyiv in an expanding air campaign that Moscow began last week after quitting the Black Sea grain deal. A six-year-old girl died after her leg was amputated by the propeller of a boat that her mom was driving on Lake Pleasant. The schoolgirl was rushed to hospital after being pulled from the water in Peoria, Arizona, on Friday. Authorities confirmed she was pronounced dead at the medical center, and a spokesman for Maricopa County Sheriff's Office called it a 'tragic accident.' A group of 12 people from two families had been swimming and wakeboarding on their boat from around 7am. The group of six adults and six children, who were all wearing life jackets, were on the same boat when the incident happened. Authorities confirmed a six-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the medical center, and a spokesman for Maricopa County Sheriff's Office called it a 'tragic accident' A group of 12 people from two families had been swimming and wakeboarding on their boat from around 7am Around 11am, the child's mother had been driving near Paul's Hideaway, with cops confirming no one realized the girl was still in the water. Her mother began to accelerate to pull another member of the family who was wakeboarding, and the schoolgirl was run over by the boat. The father of the child was in the water holding onto a wakeboard when he noticed someone in the water and swam to the child. Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez said: 'He and the mother quickly realized their daughter was in the water and had suffered a leg amputation from the boat's propeller. 'Witnesses at the scene confirmed that the child's mother was operating the boat when she began to drive and, unbeknownst to the family, the child had somehow entered the water. 'There is no impairment investigation at this time. We have investigators that went and check for signs; though it is an ongoing investigation we don't see any signs of impairment as of right now. Her mother began to accelerate to pull another member of the family who was wakeboarding, and the schoolgirl was run over by the boat 'We are going to call this a tragic accident. Contributing factors that may have led to this incident is a lot of people on the boat. 'Detectives are with the boat and processing the boat and looking at safety measures that were or were not in place. 'But it looks like things that need to be on the boat are on the boat. Nobody comes out here and expects a tragedy.' The owners of the boat were described by cops as 'experienced boaters', adding they 'may have lost track of who was on the boat' because they were in 'different locations swimming and wakeboarding.' Deputies and Peoria Fire-Medical Department firefighters responded to a 911 call, after fellow boaters brought the child to the harbor because poor cell service meant they were unable to reach the emergency services initially. Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder following an investigation launched into a man who had fallen into a river. Police were called early on Sunday morning to a report that a man in his 20s had fallen down an embankment near Victoria Bridge in Hereford on the River Wye. The man is believed by police to have been involved in an altercation before he fell into the water. His family have been informed of the development, West Mercia Police said. Detective Chief Inspector Tony Garner said: 'Teams have continued to search the river today but unfortunately have so far been unable to find the missing man. Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man in his 20s fell down an embankment into the River Wye near Victoria Bridge early on Sunday morning 'Our enquiries are still in the initial stages, however, following new information that the missing man was involved in an altercation, we have now arrested three men on suspicion of murder. 'They are currently in police custody while our enquiries continue into the circumstances leading up to the time the man is believed to have entered the river. A friend of the man alerted the police to the incident at 12.05am on Sunday. A cordon remains in place at the scene and searches continue with the help of specialist support. Witnesses should contact West Mercia Police quoting incident 5i of July 29 2023 or Crimestoppers to remain anonymous. An Oregon couple with a gorgeous riverside cabin overlooking the calming water have been named America's most welcoming Airbnb hosts. Cyndi and Tim Hill have 416 five-star reviews for their Stayton rental located on the Santiam River - and have received 100 percent satisfaction in every category. Tim is a realtor and Cyndi works for the Keizer School District - but they rent out the gorgeous cabin - fit with an art studio, rain shower and heated floors - on the side. They started the side hustle in 2017 and have never looked back. The cabin, which costs around $112-a-night to reserve off-season, is currently fully-booked until December. The married couple said: 'Living out on the river with all the creatures and beauty is amazing and we enjoy sharing it!' Their luxury cabin suite is suited for two adults on the Santiam River, and is marketed as a 'special place to relax, unwind or a romantic getaway' Cyndi and Tim Hill have 416 five-star reviews their Stayton rental located on the Santiam River - and have received 100 percent satisfaction in every category 'We were totally surprised and we had no idea that there was such a thing and especially not for the whole country,' Cyndi told KOIN. 'We do our best to keep it as spotless as possible and as nice as possible, but mainly we just want to spoil our guests just like we would want to be if we were somewhere.' 'Were so close to Salem, Portland, Eugene, and were 25 minutes off of I-5 and you would never know it by looking at the backyard and the river. You would think youre out in the middle of nowhere,' Tim added. Their luxury cabin suite is suited for two adults on the Santiam River, and is marketed as a 'special place to relax, unwind or a romantic getaway.' It is also attached to the Artsy Fartsy Studio, where guests can let their creativity run wild. 'You have a private entrance, Keurig coffee maker, with assorted pods and creamers, snacks, microwave, mini fridge with separate freezer which includes 2 ice trays,' their listing read. 'You also have a cabinet with grill accessories & tools, toaster, 13 pan for pizza (on request) for the grill and a few spices like (Lawrys seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, PAM) plus a champagne bucket and glasses to celebrate. 'The beautiful luxury Spa bathroom has 2 fluffy white robes and soft fluffy towels, a large soaker tub for two that fills from the ceiling (If you've been to Five Pines in Sisters, you know this tub!), a 20 rain shower for two and an amazing one of a kind petrified wood sink and private toilette area.' The large bedroom is fit with a king size luxury mattress and a gas fireplace - as well as a flat screen HDTV. Guests are welcomed to stay and enjoy their time on the cabin's balcony The bathtub in the couple's Airbnb listing The suite at the Airbnb includes snacks and bottled waters, heated lap blankets for the back deck when its cold and a large beach towel for each occupant. A view at sunset over the river. The couple started the side hustle in 2017 and have never looked back Guests are encouraged to bring their favorite book, fishing pole, kayak, tubes and rafts for their stay. The suite at the Airbnb includes snacks and bottled waters, heated lap blankets for the back deck when its cold and a large beach towel for each occupant. And guests are implored to not do any washing dishes during their stay - as a treat. 'Dishes are run through a dishwasher, please dont rinse them just scrape any food off the plates, etc. into the garbage,' the listing stated. 'Put the dirty dishes in the grey tub located under the sink and set it on the front deck. We want to spoil you, we'll take them and return them back to the deck clean.' Ciara, who stayed there in July 2023, said: 'This was our second stay and we had so much fun in the sun and on the river. Cyndi and Tim are wonderful hosts. 'We love their little art studio and look forward to it when booking. Its such a cool experience that just adds specialness to this already perfect Airbnb.' Amanda, who also stayed this month, added in her review: 'This was one of our best rental experiences ever. The cabin is remarkable, romantic, and fun. 'Cyndi and Tim were the most hospitable hosts. We were fortunate to spend time with them in their art studio learning and creating, and it was a blast! 'They thought of every detail to make their cabin unique and cozy and high quality. They were kind, welcoming, provided privacy, and went above and beyond to make our stay incredible. The gorgeous view from the cabin Guests are encouraged to bring their favorite book, fishing pole, kayak, tubes and rafts for their stay The large bedroom is fit with a king size luxury mattress and a gas fireplace - as well as a flat screen HDTV One review said: 'I honestly am speechless. This was the best Airbnb we have stayed in! Cyndi and Tim were amazing hosts and the home was better than imaginable' A review left in their guest book The welcome entrance to the cabin It is also attached to the Artsy Fartsy Studio, where guests can let their creativity run wild 'We normally shy away from rentals that share the same property space with homeowners, but this was no trouble. In fact, it was pleasant and special. 'Cyndi and Tims cabin is definitely a place we could see ourselves coming back to again.' Shann, who stayed in June 2023, said: 'I honestly am speechless. This was the best Airbnb we have stayed in! Cyndi and Tim were amazing hosts and the home was better than imaginable. 'You walk through the door and are just drawn to the view. You are RIGHT ON THE SANTIAM! The deck chairs and heated blankets were just what we needed with our cups of coffee - and you dont even need to bring your own Yeti! 'Watching the birds and just sitting in the quiet of nature with the sound of the river and the birds. Nothing can top that. 'The bed was so comfortable & I think we spent 75% of our time in their cozy robes. The bathroom is like being at a spa! 'They even had bubble bath! We were welcomed with a personal sign, snacks and when we logged in to Netflix they had even added us there! It might seem small to some but these touches made us feel so special 'Our favorite part was meeting Cyndi and Tim and doing the art project. Its a must! Its so fun! 'Book this place now! I want to say more but I have run out of room.' A Democratic congressman admitted it's 'clear' that First Son Hunter Biden broke the law and should be prosecuted. Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut said during a Friday night interview with MSNBC that 'it is clear he [Hunter] broke the law with respect to taxes and possibly the ownership of a handgun.' 'He should be held accountable for that,' he said, also taking a swipe at his Republican colleagues who 'never' would have made the same admission about the Trump family during the former president's time in office. 'If he [Hunter] traded on his fathers influence, he should be held accountable for that. And Im emphasizing this because you never, ever heard a Republican say the same thing about Donald Trump or his family,' he said. His comments come days after a federal judge tossed out a plea agreement between Hunter Biden and the feds on income tax evasion and gun charges. Hunter Biden's plea deal fell apart last week in federal court in Delaware as a judge dismissed its incredibly broad parameters. The First Son ended up pleading not guilty to two counts of misdemeanor tax evasion Himes argued there remains no evidence that President Joe Biden colluded in any way with Hunter on his crimes - but if evidence is brought to light, it should be taken seriously. 'Now, to the question about impeachment, there is today zero evidence, zero evidence that Joe Biden, the president of the United States, knew about what his son was doing. If, if he did know about it, if he participated in that, then that is a very different conversation,' he said. The scandal-plagued First Son remains under federal investigation and last week pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay income tax after a sweetheart plea deal fell apart in real time at the courthouse. The White House has stated the president has and will continue supporting his son throughout the investigation. 'Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and this was a personal matter for him. As we have said, the president, the first lady - they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life,' said Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. 'This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president, President Trump.' Jean-Pierre added the President would not be pardoning his son, whose guilt remains in question. Last Wednesday, US District Judge Maryellen Noreika torched parts of the agreement during a three-hour hearing in her Wilmington courtroom. She took exception to a paragraph on any potential breach of the deal that could result in prosecution for his gun charge - and who would decide if Hunter was found to have violated it. Normally, prosecutors would make the determination. But under the language pushed by Hunter's team, if the government believes there is a 'knowing material breach' of the agreement, it would seek a determination by the U.S. District Judge in Delaware - Noreika. They would seek a determination based on a 'preponderance of the evidence,' and if they get one could prosecute for perjury, obstruction of justice, or other criminal violations. The judge called the deal 'not standard' and said it might be unconstitutional to give her a role normally fulfilled by prosecutors themselves, who are part of the executive branch. 'I don't want to violate the separation of powers or do anything (un)constitutional,' the judge said. She also said she had never seen a diversion agreement 'so broad' that it encompasses crimes in another case. President Joe Biden laughed at Republicans threatening to impeach him over his alleged involvement in his son Hunter's business deals on Friday. The White House has maintained that Biden was never 'in business' with his son 'I thought that Hunter Bidens attorneys made it quite clear why they wanted the judge involved, which is to have this neutral party in the event that the Department of Justice is under a different administration,' former Southern District of New York Prosecutor Jessica Roth told CNN. Adding the Biden family's ongoing legal trouble is Hunter's former business partner, Devon Archer, who is set to testify in Congress on Monday - behind closed doors - that Joe was part of phone calls when Hunter made lucrative overseas deals. Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee last month released testimony from an IRS whistleblower saying Hunter invoked his father when he sent a threatening WhatsApp message to a Chinese businessman. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said this week that an impeachment inquiry is possible - and his GOP colleagues have already expressed support. The White House has maintained that Biden was never 'in business' with his son. Though, the president actually said he never talked to Hunter about the foreign deals. Hunter is expected to return to federal court in several weeks to see if a judge will accept a new deal between prosecutors and his legal team. The nephew of Australian comedian Jim Jefferies' is among the four men feared dead after an Australian Army helicopter crashed in waters off the Whitsunday Islands. The chopper was conducting a joint military exercise as part of Operation Talisman Sabre when it crashed at about 10.30pm on Friday. Search and rescue teams resumed their efforts on Sunday looking for the missing MRH-90 Taipan but fear the crew are unlikely to still be alive. Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock, and Corporal Alexander Naggs were named by the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, as the four involved in the crash. They were all members of the army's 'highly skilled' 6th Aviation Richmond Unit based at the Holsworthy Army barracks in Sydney. Lieutenant Nugent is the son of senior NSW Police Force officer Daniel Nugent. The Inspector is the brother of one of Australia's most well-known comedians Geoff James Nugent, who goes by the stage name Jim Jefferies. It is understood Jefferies is flying back to Australia from the US to be with family, 7News reported. Comedian Jim Jefferies' (left), his brother NSW Police Force officer Daniel Nugent (centre) and nephew Maxwell Nugent (right) are pictured together Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent (pictured) is a member of the army's 6th Aviation Richmond Unit It is understood Jefferies (pictured on US talk show Jimmy Fallon in 2022) is flying back to Australia from the US to be with family NSW Premier Chris Minns praised the family and their dedicated service to Australia. 'I can only imagine what they're going through today. It's just devastating,' he told Sky News. Defence Minister Richard Marles said there was a 'very real sense of poignancy and an anxiety' associated with the search and rescue. 'Our thoughts are very much with the aircrew and of course their families,' Mr Marles told troops participating in the Talisman Sabre drills in Townsville on Sunday. 'This accident makes very clear what this exercise means, the dangers that are involved, the risks that inevitably come with it. 'The significance of it all, particularly given the events of Friday night, is made very plain and very clear. We owe all of you an enormous debt of gratitude.' The chopper was conducting a joint military exercise as part of Operation Talisman Sabre when it crashed at about 10.30pm on Friday (pictured) Debris consistent with a helicopter part was found near the crash site on Saturday, with reports the fuselage was among the fragments pulled from the water More than 800 personnel across military and emergency services are joined the search and rescue mission, including specialist navy divers. Debris consistent with a helicopter part was found near the crash site on Saturday, with reports the fuselage was among the fragments pulled from the water. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash. The entire MH-90 Taipan fleet have been grounded until further notice. An exclusion zone remains in place in waters south of Hamilton Island and incorporates waters from the southern tip of Long Island, east to Perseverance Island, south to Cole Island, and west to the mainland at Round Head. Exclusion zones also extend to 1,000 metres from any military vessel. Anyone who finds debris are being urged not to touch or handle it and to call police immediately. Corporal Alexander Naggs (left) and Troop Commander Captain Daniel Lyon (right) were also identified as two of the men onboard the helicopter Father-of-three and highly respected senior special operations aircrewman Phil Laycock (pictured) was also onboard The MRH-90 Taipan aircraft is one of the 'most advanced tactical troop transport helicopters of the 21st century', according to the Australian Army. The ADF currently has 47 of the choppers - which can reach maximum speeds of 300km per hour - through the Advanced Helicopter Program for Australia. The MRH-90 also reportedly has the 'highest crashworthy standards'. It comes only a week after Talisman Sabre commenced, with the deputy prime minister kicking off the exercise in an opening ceremony in Canberra. 'It is a privilege to officially open Talisman Sabre 2023 and welcome all participating nations,' Mr Marles said n July 21. US Marines and Australian soldiers have been conducting exercises together in the Whitsundays as part of Talisman Sabre. It is the Australian Defence Force's biggest training exercise, involving more than 31,000 soldiers, marines, sailors and pilots from across 13 countries. Australian and US forces have been joined by officers from Canada, Fiji, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, the UK, France and Germany. The MRH-90 also reportedly has the 'highest crashworthy standards' (pictured, MRH-90 practising winching operations with Aviation Support trainees on the HMAS Adelaide) Support services for ADF personnel Defence all-hours support line 1800 628 036 Defence Member and Family Helpline 1800 624 608 US pledges to stand by Aussies after Talisman Sabre crash tragedy For information on how to access mental health professionals 1800 IMSICK (1800 467 425) Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling (formerly VVCS) 1800 011 046 Department of Veterans' Affairs 1800 838 372 Only four of the once-Cabinet members for former President Donald Trump publicly said they would support his reelection in 2024, according to a new report. Several strongly oppose his campaign, some are even working against his bid to become the GOP nominee and many didn't respond to requests to comment on his efforts. Former Attorney General Bill Barr has some of those most harsh words for his ex-boss, telling NBC News: 'I have made clear that I strongly oppose Trump for the nomination and will not endorse Trump.' 'I'll jump off that bridge when I get to it,' he added when asked how he would vote in the general election if it ends up being a 2020 rematch of Trump vs. President Joe Biden. Former Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said: 'If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be him.' Donald Trump's former Attorney General Bill Barr (right) said he would 'jump off a bridge' if Donald Trump is the 2024 Republican nominee Of the 44 candidates reached by NBC News, only four have publicly supported Trump's reelection effort. Former Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney (pictured) said: 'If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be [Trump]' Of the 44 people reached by NBC who served in Trump's Cabinet, only four publicly support and endorse his reelection. This includes former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, his final Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former budget chief Russell Vought and former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell. Additionally, two former Trump officials are actually running against him in the GOP primary ex-Vice President Mike Pence and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. Trump's former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats says he is backing Pence. Currently, Trump is polling above 50 percent against more than a dozen other candidates vying for the nomination, according to a FiveThirtyEight tracking. In second place currently is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with less than 20 percent. Others who have not endorsed Trump so far include Mike Pompeo, once Trump's Secretary of State and CIA Director; two of his former Defense secretaries, Mark Esper and Pat Shanahan; a former Chief of Staff John Kelly; and another former Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire. Directly on the opposite side of his fellow former Chief of Staff, Mulvaney is among those who wants Trump defeated by another GOP candidate in the primary election. 'I am working hard to make sure that someone else is the nominee,' Mulvaney said to NBC. 'I think he's the Republican who is most likely to lose in a general election, of all our leading candidates. If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be him.' Trump is by far the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican primary race so far with a 36.9% lead against second place candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Vought tweeted in May that Trump 'is the only person I trust to take a wrecking ball to the Deep State.' 'I've seen his willingness up close & behind closed doors,' Vought added. 'My friend & former boss is going to finish what he started.' In June, Grenell tweeted 'Trump 2024' in response to a tweet from DeSantis, the No. 2 runner in the Republican primary. A Meadows spokesperson said the former top aide 'fully' supports Trump. Trump's former Director of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson said in a statement that 'Donald Trump is my friend and would make a fantastic president, and if I have an announcement to make about 2024, I'll look forward to doing so in an appropriate way.' There are 14 GOP candidates up against Trump, but little have any chance of beating him in the primary election so far. Most polls show Trump ahead of the field by at least 30 percent, with DeSantis usually in the distant second place. A Rhode Island woman found a pearl while slurping clams during a date-night years ago and is now using the giant stone in her engagement ring. Sandra 'Sandy' Sikorski, 70, and her 'soulmate' Ken Steinkamp, 75, were enjoying some hard clams at the Bridge Restaurant and Oyster Bar in Westerly, Rhode Island, during Christmas 2021 when they discovered the spotless stone. Steinkamp offered her the last one on the platter, and 'That's when I tasted this big, round thing in my mouth, and I'm thinking, "What the heck is this?"' Sikorski recounted to WJAR. 'So I take it, spit it down in my hand and put it on the table.' The couple was stunned when they realized it was a shiny pearl she had spit out, and when Steinkamp went to propose two years later, he knew he wanted to use the stone in an engagement ring. Sandra 'Sandy' Sikorski, 70, and her 'soulmate' Ken Steinkamp, 75, found a pearl when they were shucking clams at a restaurant on Christmas 2021 Sikorski said Steinkamp offered her the last hard clam, and when she shucked it she felt 'this big, round thing in my mouth' They were eating at the Bridge Restaurant and Oyster Bar in Westerly, Rhode Island The Mercenaria pearl the couple had stumbled upon was flawless, measuring 9.8 millimeters which would qualify as six karats if it were a diamond and is a perfect oval shape. Experts say the clam would have had to go untouched for nearly half a century to create a pearl that size, which is uncommon for Narragansett Bay, where the clam is believed to have originated. Along the New England coast, only one in 5,000 hard-water clams produce a pearl, most of which are 'poor quality or damaged.' But not the one Sikorski spit out. 'This has a really nice luster,' Steinkamp told the Boston Globe. 'That's what caught my eye. It's rare to get one.' The couple immediately knew they wanted to use the pearl in an engagement ring one day The couple immediately knew they wanted to use the pearl in an engagement ring one day, and decided to have the ring made last month. They sent it to Marc Fishbone, a renowned goldsmith in Connecticut. Sikorski spent about three hours talking to Fishbone about what she wanted for her ring, she said, and the couple were willing to wait a year for it to be completed. But Fishbone finished the metalwork in just two weeks. He cast the gold, making it sturdy, so that the pearl did not have to be cut at all and added two diamonds from Sikorski's personal collection. 'I started looking at it, and I was going in some of my drawers to see what I had to play with,' Fishbone said. 'I found a piece, I re-modified it, and I was able to take eight prongs and add it to the piece to make the pearl stand up.' 'The piece came out beautiful, far better than what I ever thought,' he said, adding that there were no blemishes on the pearl. 'When she came to pick it up, she was almost crying and wanted to give me a big hug.' Steinkamp also said he could hear his bride-to-be crying when he picked up the ring, which worried him at first and he pulled over his car. But his worry soon turned to joy when he realized Sikorski was stunned at how it came out. 'I think it's the way it was wrapped,' she said. 'It's wrapped in 18-karat gold, and very elegant; a little vintage. Because of the luster of the pearl, the gold matched it. 'The yellow-gold makes it appear more special,' she explained. 'The filigree [metal carvings] made it look richer.' Steinkamp eventually proposed on July 8, and the couple decided to return to the restaurant to tell the staff ' Sikorski wants to pass the ring off to her granddaughter in the future Steinkamp eventually proposed on July 8, and the couple decided to return to the restaurant to tell the staff 'and they were excited about it. They posted it on their website,' he said. Bridge Restaurant hostess Myra Dionisio said the eatery was thrilled to be the backdrop of their love story. 'I can't even tell you of the thousands and thousands of oysters and cherrystone [clams] everyone shucks each day,' she said. 'Not once in five years has anyone mentioned anything about finding a pearl. 'We need to hear more stories like this.' Sikorski now wants to one day pass on the ring to her granddaughter. 'It's a great feeling honestly,' she said. 'It's a vision, and seeing a vision come true.' Steinkamp added they had rings early on in their relationship 'just as a token of our commitment, but this [pearl ring] amps up the promise. 'I think it's the making of a Hallmark movie,' he said. Some people have since told the couple they've been searching their entire life for a pearl from a hard shell, considered to be one of the rarest gemstones. 'I'm humbled,' Sikorski said. 'It is possible to make something beautiful from something you take for granted a little thing you found in a clam.' MANZINI First National Bank (FNB) Eswatini has, this month, doubled the loan limits to small businesses from E250 000 to E500 000. This was stated by FNB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dennis Mbingo on Friday night during the 17th edition of the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (EYA) 2023. The awards were held at Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre. Mbingo said employment and wealth creation were hiden in the many problems that communities faced. He said, however difficult it may seem, the long-term solution to job creation as a country was in enabling those who could solve day to day problems in the towns and villages. Mbingo said that was why their grant support for entrepreneurship, as FNB, was not pushed by a need for profit, but a genuine desire to help solve one of the challenges, enabling people to solve their own problems and to create business opportunities from that. That is why of the E42 million we spent in non-technology procurement in the past 12 months, E38 million was spent in Eswatini businesses as part of a very deliberate Buy Swati agenda, said Mbingo. He added that, that was also why they were actively trying to ease access to lending for small businesses by using automated decisioning that did not require lots of paperwork, financial statements and human involvement - computing technology makes the lending decision. We live to see the day those small businesses, that are currently employing a few people, ultimately employ hundreds, Mbingo added. Taking personal ownership and interest in the development of employment opportunities for emaSwati. Your support for the Entrepreneur of the Year has been consistent and very visible. This reveals a lot about the desires of your leadership, your wishes for us as a people, and your vision for our beautiful country. organisations The CEO further appreciated His Majesty King Mswati III, the government, especially the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Small Enterprises Development Company (SEDCO) staff, management and the Board of Directors, colleagues in the private sector including employer organisations like Business Eswatini (BE), and the Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC), as well as employee organisations, for the collective commitment and obsession they had on the creation of employment opportunities for all citizens. It is our collective effort that can make the difference you seek Your Majesty, said Mbongo. He said gainful employment provides cashflow for food and general sustenance. He said it also gave dignity and the encouragement to wake up and to show up with confidence. Mbingo stated that some people could attest to the fact that employment should not be narrowly defined as working for someone. Our generation and those who have come before us have a responsibility to make sure that self-employment is a critical part of the employment definition, he said. Mbingo added that their first assignment as adults was to find a way to eat bread from the sweat of their face and then go pursue their dreams. He said from the thorns and prickly weeds they were to clear in order to make a living, they were also to find their purpose. Mbingo highlighted that the path to purpose goes through work, even if it meant helping out at home with daily chores while figuring out employment opportunities, and this was the encouragement needed to constantly share with young people. This is the shocking moment a huge suicide bomb exploded at a political rally for an Islamist party in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 40 people. The blast occurred when a bomb ripped through a crowd of supporters of hard-line cleric and political leader Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, according to local officials. More than 130 people, including children, have been reported injured in the incident on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajur district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the border with Afghanistan. Video showed crowds listening to the speaker as they waved flags of support before the rally was interrupted by a terrifying explosion. The bomb sparked chaos as emergency services descended on the scene to attend to the casualties. The provincial police chief Akhtar Hayat said the blast was caused by a suicide bomb. Some of the injured were taken to the main hospital in the city where an emergency has been declared, while others were airlifted by military helicopters to hospitals in Peshawar. Video showed crowds listening to the speaker as they waved flags of support (left) before the rally was interrupted by a terrifying explosion (right) At least 40 people have been killed after a suicide bomber set off explosives in north western Pakistan Rescue workers and other people transport an injured person to the hospital. More than 130 have been injured Khar, Bajur district is in north western Pakistan, close to the border with Afghanistan Pictures of the scene showed people being hurried into ambulances and a cordon being put in place. Mr Rehman, whose party is currently in government as part of a coalition, was not present at the rally. Maulana Ziaullah, the local leader of Mr Rehman's party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), is among those killed by the blast. JUI-F was part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, of which Mr Rehman is also president. The group was formed in 2020 and successfully ousted prime minister Imran Khan in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. Bajur was until recently an area known for attacks and was a safe haven for Islamic militants until large military operations removed the threat. However Pakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since last year when a ceasefire between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad broke down. However, most of the recent attacks have been on security forces and installations, rather than political gatherings. People shift coffins to collect bodies of the victims outside a hospital following a blast JUI-F was part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, of which Mr Rehman is also president Some of the injured have been taken to the city's main hospital which has declared a major emergency, while others have been airlifted to Peshawar The TTP pledges allegiance to, but is not directly a part of, the Taliban in western neighbour Afghanistan. Pakistan's security forces say the TTP have sanctuaries in Afghanistan, which the Taliban run-administration there denies. Mr Rehman is considered to be sympathetic to the Taliban, which has governed neighbouring Afghanistan since 2021. Afghanistan's administration condemned the explosion in a statement by their spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Rallies are being organised across Pakistan ahead of upcoming elections due by October. Robert Chambers - also known as the 'Preppy Killer' - will be under state parole supervision in Rockland County, New York, after being released from prison after 15 years and might be back with his flame. Following his release, it is possible he is reuniting with his longtime girlfriend, Shawn Kovell, 54, who reportedly remained loyal to the killer throughout his most recent prison stint. Chambers, 56, strangled 18-year-old Jennifer Levin to death in Central Park in 1986 and served an initial 15-year prison sentence for manslaughter. The New York Post reported that a woman answered Kovell's phone over the weekend and said she and Chambers 'still talk,' though she denied actually being Kovell, who still resides at a Manhattan address, according to records. Chambers was released last week from the Shawangunk Correction Facility in New York after serving 15 years of a 19-year sentence for operating a cocaine and heroin operation out of a Manhattan apartment in the mid-aughts. Robert Chambers, 56, aka the Preppy Killer, went to prison for a second time in the mid-200s for running a drug operation out of his Manhattan apartment Chambers at the time of his second arrest had a serious girlfriend, Shawn Kovell, 54, who had stayed with him throughout his first stint in prison, which he served for killing teenager Jennifer Levin in 1986 At the time of his 2007 arrest, Chambers had been living with Kovell. After he was put away for the first time in 80s, Kovell reportedly took the bus upstate for years to visit him in prison for years. Kovell's defense attorney, Franklin Rothman, told the Post it's been hard for him to forget either Chambers or Kovell. Kovell served no jailtime after the drug bust, but Chambers, he said, received an unusually harsh sentence. 'I dont know if its loyalty or love,' said Rothman of the pair's long-term romance. 'She really had significant feelings for him. She genuinely seemed to care for him. Maybe they were a good fit or maybe it was the drugs but it seemed to go pretty deep. 'I have no idea if shes waiting for him again this time but maybe theyve both gotten better. She had some real issues, she was battling demons at the time,' he said. According to the outlet, Chambers' mother, a 92-year-old woman who now goes by Mary, but reportedly used to go by Phyllis, lives a reclusive life on Long Island. Chambers will be under state parole supervision in Rockland County, New York, and may be attempting to reunite with Kovell It's not clear if Chambers and Kovell remained in touch through his second 15-year stint behind bars. According to records, she still lives in Manhattan Jennifer Levin was 18 when she was strangled to death by Chambers, who at first denied involvement, but then said she was the victim of rough sex they were having in Central Park Kovell remained with Chambers throughout his first trial in the 80s - the two had met shortly before the 1988 trial began Jennifer Levin, 18, was just a few weeks away from heading off to college when her body was discovered by a cyclist in Central Park on August 26, 1986. Police soon arrived and began a citywide manhunt for any suspects in the case, going so far as to shut down all the bridges and tunnels in Manhattan. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the man responsible was sitting nearby and watching this all unfold. Chambers would later confess to the murder of Jennifer, claiming it was an accident that was brought about when she demanded rough sex. Levin had been out with her friends the previous night at Dorian's, a popular bar located just a few blocks east of Central Park. Those friends quickly told police they remembered the young woman had been speaking to Robert outside the bar, with a few recalling that the pair were seen walking off together at the end of the night. Police went to Chambers' house that same day. His face was covered in scratches similar to the ones found on Levin's own neck from where she tried to pry off her killer's hands. He initially blamed the markings on his cat, but agreed to accompany police to the station for further questioning about Levin's death. Chambers initially told police he had seen Jennifer at the end of the night outside the bar, but that the two parted ways shortly after saying their goodbyes. Prior to the killing, Chambers had attended several prestigious northeastern prep schools and ran with a high society crowd in New York City Chambers with his mother on March 25, 1988, walking toward their Upper East Side home It was when police presented him with the fact eyewitnesses had seen the two walking off together that his story began to change, and he told police not only did he and Levin go to Central Park that night, but it was also he who killed the teenager. He claimed Levin had asked him for 'rough sex,' and then tied his hands with her underpants when stimulating his genitals. At one point things got too rough, said Chambers, who was more than a foot taller than his victim. He claimed after managing to untie his hands, he threw Jennifer off his body, and that she was killed when she struck the ground. Police then informed Chambers he would be booked but allowed him to see his parents before he was sent off to jail. When he saw his father, he said: 'That f***ing b****, why didn't she leave me alone?' Chambers faced two second-degree murder charges at trial, during which the prosecutors were not able to present evidence they had uncovered linking Chambers to more than 30 robberies. It turned out he had been stealing for some time to fund his cocaine addiction after being kicked out of Boston University following just one semester at the institution. Murder defendant Robert Chambers ducks under a police line in Central Park near the place he admits killing Jennifer Levin The defense presented Levin as a promiscuous young woman despite no evidence to support the claim beyond the fact that she was a popular student. This was enough to deadlock the jury, however, and after nine days with no decision, Chambers and his attorneys agreed to enter a guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter and burglary. He was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison and ultimately ended up serving the full term and and extra time for his infractions behind bars. Chambers maintained after his release that he strangled Levin to stop her from hurting him during 'rough sex.' Donald Trump has had to use more than $40 million from his 2024 campaign donation on legal costs as indictments stack up against the former president. Legal spending has outweighed all other expenses for Trump's Save American political action committee, according to July federal filings and these fees amount to more than his campaign even raised overall in the second quarter of 2023. Save America PAC will disclose in Monday's filing $40.2 million in legal spending, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post bringing Trump's post-presidency spending on legal woes to around $56 million. The PAC raises most of its money from small-dollar contributions given by Trump supporters. Many fundraising tactics for Save America include calls to help defend the ex-president and 2024 candidate from investigations and charges against him. Trump is facing federal indictment in Florida and state charges in New York. More criminal indictments are looming, as well, in Washington, D.C. and Fulton County, Georgia related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Donald Trump's Save America PAC spent $40.2 million from campaign donations in legal spending this year. Pictured: Trump walks out of his arraignment in Manhattan on April 4, 2023 The massive spending on legal-related costs come as indictments and investigations against the former president continue to stack up mainly from DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith (pictured) Justice Department's first indictment handed down against Trump last month was related to his handling of classified documents after leaving office. He took materials with 'classified' markings to Mar-a-Lago and stored them haphazardly around the estate, according to images from an FBI raid of the premises last year. Now, DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith sent a letter to Trump informing him that he is a target of his investigation into the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, meaning another indictment is impending. Spending on legal woes continue to cloud the former president's campaign but he remains the far-frontrunner in the GOP primary election against a whopping 14 challengers. There are no plans to stop spending on Trump's legal fees, his advisers said, claiming costs for lawyers for dozens of people close to the ex-president are necessary and will only inflate as investigations continue and trials are scheduled ahead of election day. Trump and his campaign team repeatedly accused the DOJ and FBI of a 'witch hunt' by pursuing politically motivated investigations against him. 'They know they have no legitimate case,' Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said. He added that Save America pays legal fees for those who worked with the ex-president 'to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed.' Smith's first indictment was related to classified documents Trump took to Mar-a-Lago (pictured) and in the latest development, the Special Counsel sent a letter to Trump informing him he is a target of the investigation into the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot Trump, his longtime valet Waltine 'Walt' Nauta and his property manager Carlos De Oliveira were all charged in the classified documents case. The indictment unsealed on Thursday reveals that Nauta told a Trump employee that he is loyal to the former president and authorities allege Trump called De Oliveira last August to say he would pay for his attorney. Prosecutors are worried about who is paying for lawyers and other legal fees for witnesses and others involved in the cases against Trump Trump advisers told The Washington Post that the PAC is footing the legal bills for almost anyone involved who requests help from the former president and his team. Libbie Mugrabi has revealed her new romance with Von Dutch co-founder Bobby Vaughn in a loved-up photo of them wearing matching diamond-encrusted sunglasses. The multi-millionaire fashion designer, 43, debuted her hot new beau after her messy $100million divorce from art mogul ex-husband David Mugrabi in 2020. Mugrabi and Vaughn posed in his-and-hers $900 Louis Vuitton sunglasses and shared a sweet snap of him feeding her at a restaurant. 'Were the new power couple, were going to be bigger than Posh and Becks,' Libbie exclusively told DailyMail.com. David and Libbie divorced three years ago - and the ordeal included a fight over a $72million Manhattan townhouse, his family's art collection estimated to be worth $5billion, and their Hamptons home. Despite the tumultuous breakup, her ex-husband David posed in a Von Dutch shirt following the news of Libbie's new man - seemingly giving his blessing. Libbie Mugrabi has revealed her new romance with Von Dutch co-founder Bobby Vaughn in a loved-up photo of them wearing matching diamond-encrusted sunglasses Mugrabi and Vaughn posed in his-and-hers $900 Louis Vuitton sunglasses and shared a sweet snap of him feeding her at a restaurant Just last week, Libbie was accused of failing to pay her staff minimum wage. In the pending civil court case, the plaintiffs allege Mugrabi failed to pay them minimum wage when they were employed by Libbie as domestic workers. According to the Manhattan Supreme Court filing, Libbie, 43, owes $17,912 in damages, together with approximately $3,200 in interest and $19,912 in civil penalties. Libbie told DailyMail.com: They keep dropping this maid lawsuit to my houses. 'Theyre really going for it, she said, referring to a previous case in which housekeeper Janneth Gonzalez Duarte sued Libbie, having accused her of violently attacking her in Libbies Hamptons manor in July 2022. Despite the tumultuous breakup, her ex-husband David Mugrabi (pictured) posed in a Von Dutch shirt following the news of Libbie's new man - seemingly giving his blessing David and Libbie Mugrabi (pictured in 2018) went through a messy divorce in 2020 Duarte told the court Libbie broke her cell phone and threatened her with a knife and a mop handle. Earlier this year, Libbie showed up to the Manhattan Family court in a $25,000 bulletproof vest to obtain a retraining order against ex-husband David Mugrabi, who Libbie claims hired a Russian hitman to kill her. Libbie is now trying to focus on her new romance with LA native Bobby. The couple met after Libbie whisked him to her Hamptons abode to advise her on her fashion brand, L'Scher. The socialite showed up to family court in lower Manhattan with a $25,000 bulletproof vest shielding her chest - as she claims her ex-husband hired two Russian hitwomen to kill her Libbie Mugrabi stepped out of her car donning sunglasses, a white see-though dress revealing her underwear, and sling-back kitten heels. She wore a bag from her own brand, L'scher Libbie standing outside court in lower Manhattan Over the course of the month, the pair developed feelings for each other and now they've not only become partners in business, but in love too. Since meeting Bobby, a friend told DailyMail.com, Libbie has completely mellowed: Shes so happy with Bobby, hes a great guy, he's put a spring in her step. Bobby appeared on Hulu show 'The Curse of Von Dutch', The show delved into the popular brand's demise. On the Hulu show which is currently streaming, Bobby admitted to shooting dead his friend and business partner, 29-year-old Mark Rivas at Bobby's home in Venice Beach in 2005 in a dispute over a girl. Arming himself with a gun, Bobby shot his friends, a father of one, several times in response to Mark attacking with a broken beer bottle. Libbie MuGrabi shares her lavish lifestyle on social media. She split from her billionaire husband in 2020 Vaughn was charged with first-degree murder, but was acquitted after a jury ruled the friends death was justifiable homicide. Now the new 'It' couple are putting the past behind them as they forge a new life together. They met after Libbie slid into Bobbys direct messages to invite him to consult on her fashion line LScher. The couple romance developed a few weeks after they began working together and have been inseparable ever since. Friends say they havent seen Libbie this happy since her divorce from David. The novel is described by Vintage US as 'outstanding' but is 'firmly of its time' Raymond Chandler's first novel published in 1939 has been hit by a trigger warning by its publisher because of its 'outdated language'. The Big Sleep is considered to be an all time best work of crime fiction and is the first of Chandler's novels to introduce his character of the private detective Philip Marlowe. Vintage, a US imprint of Penguin Random House, has now put a note on the book noting its 'outdated language and cultural representations'. Chandler's novel is described by the publisher as a story of 'a dying millionaire who hires private eye Philip Marlowe to handle the blackmailer of one of his two troublesome daughters'. As a result Marlowe finds himself involved with kidnapping, pornography, seduction, and murder. Raymond Chandler's (pictured in 1954) first novel published in 1939 has been hit by a trigger warning by its publisher because of its 'outdated language' Pictured is the cover of the Vintage edition of The Big Sleep, which includes a warning in the front The note on the inside of the novel reads: 'While these books are outstanding works in the genre, they are also firmly of the time and place in which they were written. 'These novels may contain outdated cultural representations and language. 'We present these works as originally published,' it says according to The Telegraph. The publisher has acquired the special selection of crime novels after taking over detective novel publisher Black Lizard to form Vintage Crime/Black Lizard. The seven titles, described as noir mysteries and available to American customers, are decorated with a small black lizard and a singular block colour. They all contain a brief warning to readers. Other novels in the collection include The Postman Always Rings by James M Cain, A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes and A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell. It is understood that these special editions are only issued by the US imprint, and will not being issued by the UK Vintage imprint. The trigger warning comes a month after Ernest Hemingway's works were hit with warnings over his language and attitudes. Penguin Random House is reissuing the Old Man and the Sea authors works and in the latest edition of his 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises it says: The publishers decision to present it as it was originally published is not intended as an endorsement of cultural representations or language contained herein. Nobel Prize-winner Ernest Hemingway has also been slapped with trigger warnings by publishers over language and attitudes Virginia Woolf's (pictured) 1927 novel To the Lighthouse is now published with a disclaimer about the contents of the book His Men Without Women short story collection has a similar warning. The Sun Also Rises is considered one of the greatest American novels, but has faced criticism for anti-Semitic tropes. Also on the list is Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse. Woolf's semi-autobiographical novel tells the stories of trips made by the Ramsay family to their summer home on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. A new edition, published by Vintage, will, however, be prefaced with a statement explaining that the decision to print the novel in its original form is not an 'endorsement' of the 'cultural representations or language' used in Woolf's book. Also affected are the works of PG Wodehouse which were issued with a blanket trigger warning over concerns that it contains 'outdated' social attitudes. All news editions of Wodehouse's work will now come with warnings saying that his novels depict obsolete attitudes. Vintage was approached for comment by MailOnline. The French embassy in Niger has been attacked as pro-Russian protesters marched through the capital after the pro-western government was overthrown in a military coup. Thousands of supporters of the junta that seized control of Niger this week marched through Niamey, denounced the country's former colonial power and set a door at the French embassy alight before the army broke up the crowd. Video showed black smoke across the city from the burning of the door, while protesters also burned French flags, stoned the embassy and smashed doors down, drawing tear gas from police. Shocking images showed raging fires and people being loaded into ambulances with bloodied legs. The Russian private mercenary army Wagner is operating in neighbouring Mali and its warlord leader Yevgeny Prigozhin commended the coup and offered to deploy fighters. President Vladimir Putin is hoping to expand his country's influence in the region. Crowds in Niamey waved Russian flags and chanted 'long live Putin' and 'down with France'. The new junta's leaders have not said whether they would move towards Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners. The French embassy in Niger has been attacked as pro-Russian protesters marched through the capital after the pro western government was overthrown in a military coup Pro-junta demonstrators set fire to the French embassy before the army intervened to break up the crowd Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum because he was not able to protect the nation from growing jihadi violence Pro-junta demonstrators break down one of the doors of the French embassy building as violence erupted in Niger French President Emmanuel Macron said attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated. Anyone who attacked French nationals, the army, diplomats and French authorities would see an immediate response, he said. Niger, a French colony until 1960, had been seen as the West's last reliable partner battling jihadists in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nation's troops. At an emergency meeting on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorised the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government. Mr Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed Mr Bazoum and on Friday named general Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country's new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa's Sahel region. Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew Mr Bazoum because he was not able to protect the nation from growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that was a pretext for a takeover driven by internal power struggles. French President Emmanuel Macron (R) with Niger's overthrown president Mohamed Bazoum on June 23. Mr Macron warned anyone who attacked French nationals or diplomats would meet 'immediate and intractable' retaliation Nigerien security forces launch tear gas to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader general Abdourahmane Tchiani Demonstrators hold Russian flags during the gathering in support of the putschist soldiers in the capital Niamey Mr Macron said he had spoken to Mr Bazoum and his predecessor on Sunday. On Saturday France suspended all development and financial aid to Niger Protesters cheer Nigerien troops as they gather in front of the French Embassy in Niamey People display a Russia and a Niger flags outside the National Assembly building in Niamey 'We couldn't expect a coup in Niger because there's no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power,' Professor Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Mr Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, general Abdourahamane Tchiani, who also goes by Omar. Niger's dire security situation is not as bad as that in neighbouring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Some taking part in Sunday's rally warned outside bodies to stay away. 'I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business,' Oumar Barou Moussa said at the demonstration. 'It's time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. It's time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty.' Niger has the most at stake of any country in the Sahel if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance it has received from abroad. On Saturday, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic co-operation with the US hinges on the release of Mr Bazoum who remains under house arrest and 'the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger'. Mr Macron said he had spoken to Mr Bazoum and his predecessor on Sunday. On Saturday France suspended all development and financial aid to Niger. The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020. If ECOWAS imposes economic sanctions on Niger, which is what normally happens during coups, it could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest UN data. Yellow, one of the country's oldest and largest trucking businesses, is preparing to file for bankruptcy and may collapse within days, leaving some 30,000 workers without jobs. The nearly 100-year-old company is known for its competitive pricing and has more than 12,000 trucks shipping freight across the US for brands including Walmart and Home Depot. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company is preparing to file for bankruptcy and is in the process of selling off other parts of the business. Total shutdown is expected within days. Hundreds of non-union Yellow employees were laid off Friday from the Nashville, Tennessee, company, and about 22,000 Teamster members' jobs hang in the balance. The 99-year-old American trucking business may shutdown as soon as Monday, leaving 30,000 workers without jobs Yellow is the third-largest US carrier in the so-called 'less-than-truckload' segment, which operators carry goods for multiple customers on the same trailer Since 2021, the struggling brand has implemented a cost-cutting plan that executives hoped would put the business back on track. The company's circumstances have become all the more dire as shipping demand across the freight sector declined substantially this year. In a memo sent out on Friday, Teamsters told local unions that 'likelihood that Yellow will survive is increasingly bleak.' They urged employees to gather their personal things and prepare for the worst. In a memo to staff, Yellow wrote: 'The company is shutting down its regular operations on July 28, 2023, closing and/or laying off employees at all of its locations, including yours.' Last week, a company official told the New York Times that the company was preparing for 'a range of contingencies.' By Friday, a company spokesperson would not tell the Times anything more. Yellow is saddled with some $1.5 billion in debt as of late March, including $729.2 million owed to the federal government for a controversial pandemic-era loan the Treasury Department extended on national security grounds in 2020. A June 2023 congressional report concluded the Treasury Department dodged its own policies to issue the loan and the previous administration had made a mistake in doing so. Last week, Yellow, which had $5.2 billion in revenue last year, narrowly avoided a driver strike by Teamster union members after failing to make a $50 million payment for employee benefits. The company now has a 30-day period to catch up on pension and benefits payments. In May, Yellow reported a loss of $54.6 million, a decline of $1.06 per share, for its first quarter of 2023. Operating revenue was about $1.16 billion in the period. An investors note from financial service firm Stephens last week estimated that Yellow could be burning between $9 million and $10 million each day. Yellow is saddled with some $1.5 billion in debt as of late March, including $729.2 million owed to the federal government for a controversial pandemic-era loan the Treasury Department extended on national security grounds in 2020 Teamsters threatened to strike when they learned the company had stopped making pension and benefits payments last week Using a liquidity disclosure from earlier this month, Yellow had roughly $100 million in cash at the end of June, the note added - estimating that the company has been burning through increasing amounts of money through July. 'It is reasonable to believe that the company could breach its $35 mil. liquidity requirement at any moment,' Stephens analyst Jack Atkins and associate Grant Smith wrote. The reports of bankruptcy preparations arrive just days after a strike from the Teamsters, which represents Yellow's 22,000 unionized workers, was averted. Yellow's CEO Darren Hawkins is pictured. His company faces potential bankruptcy A series of heated exchanges have built up between the Teamsters and Yellow, who sued the union in June after alleging it was 'unjustifiably blocking' restructuring plans needed for the company's survival. The Teamsters called the litigation 'baseless' - with general president Sean OBrien pointing to Yellow's 'decades of gross mismanagement,' which included exhausting the $700 million federal loan. On Sunday, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, averting a strike - and giving Yellow '30 days to pay its bills,' notably $50 million that Yellow failed to pay the Central States Health and Welfare Fund on July 15, the union stated. While the strike didn't occur, talks of a walkout may have caused some Yellow customers to pull back, Chan said. Talks between Yellow and the Teamsters, which also represents UPS's unionized workers, are ongoing. The current contract expires in March 2024. 'The financial struggles of Yellow are not related to the union and the contracts,' Jindel said, pointing to management's responsibility around its services and prices. He added the union wages from Yellow are 'lower than any competitor.' If Yellow files for bankruptcy and customers continue to take their shipments to other carriers, like FedEx or ABF Freight, prices will go up. James Comer is calling out President Joe Biden's Department of Justice for apparently acting out of the norm in an attempt to stop anyone from 'cooperating' with the House Oversight's investigation into Hunter Biden. The DOJ's actions related to the probe are an attempt to 'intimidate' witnesses key to getting to the bottom of the President's son's shady overseas business deals, Comer claims. The Southern District of New York received a letter on Saturday demanding it expedite its sentencing of Devon Archer, former business associate of Hunter, 53. Not only is it unusual for the DOJ to send a letter like this on a Saturday, Comer said in an interview on Fox's Sunday Morning Futures, it also comes just two days before Archer is set to testify to the House Oversight Committee on Monday on Hunter's shady foreign business deals. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Sunday morning that the Department of Justice is trying to intimidate witnesses not to testify to his panel as they investigate President Joe Biden's son hunter, 53 Comes after DOJ sent a letter to a New York judge urging expedited sentencing for Hunter Biden's (center left) former business associate Devon Archer (right). Hunter served on Burisma's board with Archer and he is set to testify before the Oversight panel on Monday @RepJamesComer joined @MariaBartiromo this morning with breaking news ahead of Devon Archer's scheduled testimony tomorrow pic.twitter.com/tqpeRPNaTU SundayMorningFutures (@SundayFutures) July 30, 2023 'The letter from the Department of Justice is trying to nudge the judge to go ahead and sentence Devon Archer for something unrelated to what we're going to be talking to him about tomorrow,' Comer explained to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday morning. 'It's odd that it was issued on a Saturday.' He added: 'And it's odd that it's right before he's scheduled to come in to have an opportunity to speak in front of the House Oversight Committee and tell the American people the truth about what really went on with Burisma.' Archer served on the board with Hunter Biden at Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings LLC. Not only is it claimed that Hunter only got the job there because of his father's influence, but he also earned millions for a job many claim he was unqualified to have. Comer claims it's likely that the DOJ obstructed justice or at least is attempting to by sending the letter to the judge. 'I don't know if this is a coincidence, Maria, or if this is another example of the weaponization of the Department of Justice,' Comer said. 'But I can tell you this the lengths to which the Biden legal team has gone to try to intimidate our witnesses, to coordinate with the Department of Justice, and to certainly coordinate with the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee to encourage people not to cooperate with our investigation, to encourage banks not to turn over bank records, to encourage Treasury not to let us have access to those suspicious activity reports, it's very troubling.' Republicans are highly critical of Biden's DOJ, claiming that the agency is working on behalf of the administration and the Biden family rather than looking into legitimate wrongdoing by the President and his adult son Hunter. 'I believe that this is another violation of the law, this is obstruction of justice,' Comer said of the letter. 'But, nevertheless, we're going to continue to move forward and try to present the American people with the facts and the truth about this president and his family.' Comer said it is unusual for DOJ to send letters like this on Saturdays, and said it's a pattern of trying to stop anyone from cooperating with the Oversight investigation into the President's son Pictured: Hunter Biden, 53, left a Delaware court on Wednesday, July 26 after a plea deal fell apart for two misdemeanor tax fraud charges that would see him avoid jail time Archer will still appear before the House Oversight panel for a closed-door testimony on Monday related to his business with Burisma and the President's son. It comes after the panel held a hearing earlier this month with two IRS whistleblowers that claim the DOJ and FBI carried Hunter's case of tax fraud with 'special treatment.' If it was fair, they claimed, Hunter would be charged with felony tax fraud. Additionally, Hunter's plea deal with Delaware prosecutors fell apart last week after he decided to plead not guilty to two misdemeanor tax fraud charges and a gun charge that would see him avoid jail time. The investigations into President Biden's son are stacking up and Comer plans to continue the pressure as the White House refuses to comment on anything regarding Hunter and his foreign business deals and shady tax practices. His siblings told police their mother would 'spank him with a wooden spoon' A couple charged with beating their five year-old adopted son to death and leaving his brain 'obliterated' posted a fundraiser online to pay for their attorneys. Lauren, 34, and Jacob Maloberti, 33, a corrections officer at Fayette State Correctional Center in Pennsylvania, are accused of violently abusing Landon, 5, causing blunt force trauma to his head and neck. Police probed the couple after they brought the unresponsive schoolboy into AHN Hempfield Neighborhood Hospital on January 30, claiming he had been 'wobbly from COVID a month prior.' Hospital staff claimed Lauren showed no urgency when they arrived, with the couple waiting an entire day after allegedly inflicting the injuries to get him medical attention in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Just two days after they are accused of beating little Landon so badly he suffered three bleeds on the brain, Lauren set up a GoFundMe initially asking for help with legal fees and then funeral costs. Little Landon was beaten so badly that he suffered three bleeds on the brain as a result of the brutal attacks Lauren, 34, and Jacob Maloberti, 33, a corrections officer at Fayette State Correctional Centre are accused of violently abusing Landon, 5, causing blunt force trauma to his head and neck The fundraiser, which has since been removed, raised $5,350 with Lauren begging for sympathy before her adopted son died on February 7. She wrote: 'Tragedy struck our family when our precious baby boy went unresponsive. I rushed him to the ER and they intubated him and he's been unresponsive ever since. the outcome is not looking good. 'As we were in the hospital CPS took away our parental rights pending the investigation. 'I'm devastated. We are devastated. We both need good attorneys. My kids are my world. Any little bit helps us as we navigate life right now with our new uncertainty. 'Help us fight I can't live without our kids. I'm already loosing my boy.' It was later updated to say they had to prepare for the 'most unimaginable outcome' and her heart was 'breaking in a million pieces'. But despite posting on social media to appear as doting parents, police say the couple caused such significant injuries to the little boy that he was unable to stand, eat or drink. Doctors at the hospital said the parents should have called 911 immediately, as Landon's brain was 'obliterated' in the assault. Lauren set up a GoFundMe initially asking for help with legal fees and then funeral costs days after Landon's death Jacob Maloberti, 33, a corrections officer at Fayette State Correctional Center, told officers that Landon was sick Police said the child had multiple bruises on his body, could not breathe on his own and had rotational head trauma consistent with severe child abuse. One doctor described the abuse as 'torture'. Law enforcement interviewed his siblings who said Landon was spanked by their mother because 'he does not learn his lesson', adding Lauren would hit him with her open hand, a wooden spoon or use a spray bottle. The criminal complaint against the pair, who have five other children, stated Lauren gets 'more angry' with Landon when she spanked him and would send the children upstairs. His siblings said they would hear him cry, and former colleagues of Lauren said she 'hated him' and he was 'hard to love'. When interviewed by police Lauren reportedly changed her story multiple times, while Jacob told officers that he was sick. Both parents are accused of sending several text messages from April of 2022 until his death, which allegedly show disdain for Landon, with Lauren accused of saying she was 'going to kill him'. The Allegheny County Medical examiner determined the little boy's manner of death was a homicide. Jacob has been charged with one count of criminal homicide, endangering the welfare of children, and criminal conspiracy, as well as two counts of aggravated assault of a child. Hospital staff claimed that Lauren showed no urgency when they arrived, with the couple waiting an entire day after allegedly inflicting the injuries to get him medical attention His siblings said they would hear him cry, and former colleagues of Lauren said she 'hated him' and he was 'hard to love' Lauren faces the same charges as her husband, with an additional count of first-degree murder. Pennsylvania law uses the term criminal homicide to cover all classifications of murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter, whereas first-degree murder alleges the defendant knowingly and willingly killed another person. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said: 'Landon had blunt force trauma to his head and neck, blunt force trauma to his torso, and blunt force trauma to his extremities. 'His injuries caused substantial pain at the time they were inflicted, with impairment of function including the inability to stand, inability to eat or drink, and loss of consciousness. 'Tragically, Landon suffered abuse and trauma over the span of his short life. We intend to prosecute this case with the dignity and honor Landon deserves. 'Landon also had prolonged and intensive medical interventions prior to his death and multiple bruises in different stages of healing.' Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said: 'Landon had blunt force trauma to his head and neck' The criminal complaint against the pair, who have five other children, states Lauren gets 'more angry' with Landon when she spanked him and would send the children upstairs She confirmed the couple's other five children had been removed from their care and were now safe, but would not comment on if more should have been done to prevent Landon being adopted by the Maolbertis. Delmont police chief T.J. Klobucar said in a statement he had 'never faced and incident like this' adding that the little boy suffering several bouts of abuse. Landon's obituary stated he loved playing with monster trucks and cars, singing country music, and eating pickles. Landon's biological grandmother, Kathie Sheffler, told police she did not notice any signs of abuse until April of 2022 when Lauren no longer let her see Landon. She claimed Lauren told her 'he was bad' and didn't respond when she asked to see Landon over the holidays. Police added Lauren complained to about Landon telling his grandmother he loved her, but wouldn't say it to his adoptive mother. Sheffler said: 'It didn't have to be like this. He was a sweet little boy. He didn't have to die. I just want justice.' The Malobertis are being held in Westmoreland County Prison without bond and are scheduled to appear in court again on August 8. Texas Governor Greg Abbott staunchly defended his decision to install a floating border wall along the Rio Grande to attempt to keep illegal migrants from entering his state. 'I will do whatever I have to do to defend our state from the invasion of the Mexican drug cartels and others who have tried to come into our country illegally, and I will protect our sovereignty,' the three-term Republican leader of the Lone Star state told the state's Republican county chairs on Friday. Abbott installed a nearly 1,000-foot line of large, bright-orange buoys that create a divide in the river that separates the US from Mexico. Recently, Joe Biden's Justice Department filed suit to have the floating border removed, arguing it is illegal and raises both humanitarian and environmental concerns. But, so far, Abbott has refused to remove the barriers. Migrants who reached shore walk between the floating border and barb wire along the Rio Grande border with Texas. The line of buoys was installed to prevent illegal crossings into Texas, and primarily into Eagle Pass The improvised border was installed near Eagle Pass, a city thought to be a primary entry point for illegal border crossings. The creative solution to an ongoing issue also allows authorities to move and extend the floating border to cover 'hot spots' where migrants are sneaking into the US. 'It's called operation hold the line. They are holding the line and ensuring that nobody enters the state of Texas illegally,' said Abbott. Despite the DOJ's suit, which calls the floating border an 'unlawful construction,' the southern governor has no plans to remove it. 'He gave me a lawsuit, and by God, Joe Biden, we will see you in court,' said Abbott with conviction. 'I challenge the federal government to show that they have spent that much money in the state of Texas on the border under Joe Biden as president,' he added. As the suit was filed early last week, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said: 'We allege that Texas has flouted federal law by installing a barrier in the Rio Grande without obtaining the required federal authorization.' She added Abbott's move has prompted diplomatic objections from Mexico. In a pre-emptive response to any protests from the administration, Abbott wrote a letter to President Joe Biden that read in part: 'If you truly care about human life, you must begin enforcing federal immigration laws.' 'By doing so, you can help me stop migrants from wagering their lives in the waters of the Rio Grande River. 'You can also help me save Texans, and indeed all Americans, from deadly drugs like fentanyl, cartel violence, and the horrors of human trafficking. To end the risk that migrants will be harmed crossing the border illegally, you must fully enforce the laws of the United States that prohibit illegal immigration between ports of entry.' A caravan of illegal migrants attempts to wade past a string of buoys being installed to prevent crossings in the Rio Grande river Part of the string of buoys seen on land. Governor Greg Abbott has called the effort 'operation hold the line' The floating border extends about 1,000 feet and can be moved based on where crossing 'hot spots' are Migrants from Venezuela - one of them breastfeeding a baby - waded through the Rio Grande past buoys and razor wire searching for an entry point into the US A member of the Texas National Guard stands with a barb wire as they reinforce the northern border with steel spikes below the Reforma International Bridge, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico On Friday, the same day Abbott delivered his fiery remarks, a group gathered outside the Governor's mansion in downtown Austin to protest the new border policy. Under Operation Lone Star, Texas has deployed thousands of National Guard troops to the border and bussed migrants to Democrat-led cities far from the border. The president's administration has welcomed over 500,000 aliens over the past two years under programs designed to reduce the number of illegals who try to sneak across the border with Mexico. Officials from the Customs and Border Protection say there were fewer than 145,000 encounters with unauthorized migrants in June along the frontier with Mexico. That is down from more than 200,000 per month at the start of this year. But there are still believed to be at least 100,000 migrants waiting at the boundary hoping to get into the U.S. Madam, You cant run a successful entity in a sea of chaos. Government incompetence, corruption and policy paralysis have left critical infrastructure in the country in tatters. The public healthcare sector has collapsed and outside of the kingdoms highways, many roads have more potholes than the roads. Poorly maintained State schools are keeping a whole generation from access to a decent education. Theft of everything from copper cables to household items are common, and crime has soared to such an extent that we wouldnt be surprised that private security companies now employ more people than the police service. We are indeed, as many have said, running the risk of becoming a failed State because were already on borrowed time. This isnt how it was supposed to be. Governments role as a provider of basic services is virtually non-existent in large parts of the country. Government has failed people of the country in terms of what its supposed to do, which is provide services for citizens. The divide between rich and poor is widening in a country that is among the most unequal nations. The inability of the State to meet the needs of emaSwati in public healthcare services has reached unprecedented levels. Government is struggling with corruption such that it is delaying sustainable development goals. And as a result of this, the marginalised people of this country are hurting the most. A huge percentage of the countrys population, of just over one million, lives in poverty. And a huge percentage of the countrys workforce is unemployed. Many of governments entities are in financial distress, mostly because they lack credible financial management. People are politically appointed to managerial positions that they arent qualified for. While the evils of corruption are well documented, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has been rendered useless by a justice system that should have protected it. Things are falling apart right before our eyes and trust in government has plummeted. And as a result, the countrys governance system has been attacked because of governments failures. Government is currently a leaking bucket and we are not seeing a concerted effort from our leaders to stop this leakage. Anthony A British woman is being assisted by police after reportedly being sexually assaulted in a toilet at a nightclub in Spain. The woman told cops she was targeted in the early hours of this morning at the unnamed disco in the southern city of Seville after being followed by a 'foreign' man. Local reports said she was with two female friends who got talking to a group of five men in the nightspot who included the alleged sex attacker. She was taken to Seville's Virgin Macarena Hospital for a routine examination after alerting staff who raised the alarm. The woman, whose age has not been made public, is said to have been in a 'state of shock' when she was taken to hospital. The woman told cops she was targeted in the early hours of this morning at the unnamed disco in the southern city of Seville after being followed by a 'foreign' man. Although the nightspot has not been identified, it is believed to be in a central neighbourhood of Seville called Encarnacion (a general view of the Metropol Parasol in Encarnacion Square in Seville) The woman told cops she was targeted in the early hours of this morning at the unnamed disco in the southern city of Seville after being followed by a 'foreign' man She was taken to Seville's Virgin Macarena Hospital (pictured above) for a routine examination after alerting staff who raised the alarm The five men police are understood to be trying to track down have all been described as foreign. Police have yet to make any comment and offer any information on their nationalities. An ongoing investigation has been launched by a court in Seville. Although the nightspot has not been identified, it is believed to be in a central neighbourhood of Seville called Encarnacion. Years ago it was a run-down part of the city but is now described as one of its most trendy areas. Its transformation has been linked to a large wooden structure called Metropol Parasol in Encarnacion Square in Seville's old quarter which accommodates a traditional market and restaurants as well as a 'rooftop' terrace with a panoramic view. Metropol Parasol is better-known by locals as the Mushrooms of Seville and since their opening in 2011, the parasols have become Seville's third-most visited urban landmark. The chances of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pulling off a comeback to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 are fading, experts say. Now DeSantis' best chance at getting the nomination is to win in Iowa and hope that momentum can bring him to the finish line. He is already trying to do that, engaging in more traditional politicking as he delivered a speech Friday night which has earned him the endorsements of two state representatives. DeSantis, 44, continues to trail former President Donald Trump in most national polls, which have Trump up by more than 30 points despite recent indictments charging him criminally for keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The Republican governor has been suffering in recent weeks from bad press for overspending $20million and axing 38 campaign staffers. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is trying to woo Iowa Republicans as he seeks to rebuild his campaign. He is pictured here speaking at the Republican Party of Iowa 2023 Lincoln Dinner Friday night Trump is by far the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican primary race so far with a 36.9% lead over second place candidate DeSantis The Florida governor is apparently hoping to repeat former Sen. John McCain's strategy in 2008 who successfully beat ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for the Republican nomination despite his initial lead in the polls. In that case, Giuliani said he was skipping the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire to focus instead on campaigning in Florida, a swing state. Due to those efforts, Giuliani soon found himself slipping in the Iowa caucuses, while McCain surged ahead. The former Arizona senator went on to win the New Hampshire primary and gained a lead in the national polling average he maintained through the Republican National Convention. DeSantis' campaign is now hoping a strong showing in Iowa will do the same for him, catapulting him in the polls. Much like McCain, DeSantis has seen his unfavorability rating surge over the spring and summer. It has risen from 35.6 percent in the beginning of the year, to 45.5 percent now, according to Politico. Meanwhile, Trump's favorability rating has remained relatively constant, data from FiveThirtyEight showed. DeSantis' campaign is apparently hoping a strong showing in Iowa will do the same for him, catapulting him in the polls He has been engaging in direct politicking in recent days, meeting with voters directly DeSantis is pictured greeting guests at the Lincoln Dinner Friday night In an effort to change his rating, DeSantis has been hitting the ground in Iowa meeting with voters personally and outlining what he would do if he were elected. At a speech Friday night, DeSantis said he wants to stop the 'weaponization' of the federal government and pledged to 'rip the politics' out of the military, the Des Moines Register reported. He also used the opportunity to hit Vice President Kamala Harris, who criticized DeSantis' new educational curriculum, which teaches that slaves developed skills. 'We have beaten the left's agenda in the state of Florida, so she thinks she can come down and lie about what we're doing,' DeSantis told the crowd of Republican voters. 'I'm not budging an inch. We are going to fight back against these people, and we are not letting them take over our schools any longer.' That speech earned him a standing ovation, and the endorsements of Republican state representatives Bill Gustoff and Dan Gehlbach. 'The Lincoln Dinner showed that Republicans have a deep bench of great candidates for president in 2024 compared to the train wreck offered by Democrats. Iowans will have a difficult choice for caucusing,' Gustoff said in a statement. 'But Gov. DeSantis knocked it out of the park in his short speech packed with a long list of plans to put the country back on track, complete with a record of accomplishment to show why he's the one to get it done.' Gehlbach also said: 'Ron DeSantis had an awesome, energetic speech last night that offered a positive vision for the future. 'He's ready to get to work on Day One, with specific plans for our country.' He added the Florida governor 'took the time to talk to every single person in the room after his speech at the Iowa GOP dinner, far more than any other candidate I saw.' His speech at the Lincoln Dinner earned him the endorsements of Iowa State Reps Bill Gustoff (left) and Dan Gehlbach (right) Prior to the speech, the Florida governor made his way through the state in a bus sponsored by his related PAC, 'Never Back Down' taking on President Joe Biden and his family. 'When I'm president we are not going to allow any cocaine in the White House,' he exclaimed as he took the stage at at the Revelton Distilling Co. in Osceola Thursday night. He made the same proclamation Friday at Smokey Row Coffee in Oskaloosa. While there was no evidence the cocaine found near the Situation Room belonged to Biden's troubled son Hunter, a recovering crack addict, DeSantis connected it to the First Son by immediately referencing his own children. 'I do have to say, I have a 6, a 5 and a 3-year-old that my wife and I chase around the governor's mansion in Tallahassee and so I can't necessarily promise there won't be problems in the White House with them,' he said. 'But that's just like marking on the wall. I've got the magic eraser. We can take care of that.' On Thursday night, DeSantis again talked about the importance of there being a 'single standard of justice in this country.' 'You know, if Hunter Biden were a Republican he'd probably be in jail three years ago and yet now he's trying to get a sweetheart plea deal. But this judge actually stood up against that, which I was surprised about,' he said, referencing Wednesday's federal court hearing in Delaware, in which the first son's plea deal was put on hold. DeSantis toured Iowa this week, taking plenty of swings at President Joe Biden and his family but staying away from former President Donald Trump's increasing legal turmoil But DeSantis has so far refused to talk about Trump's legal problems. When asked to react to Special Counsel Jack Smith filing a superseding indictment against Trump and an additional Trump employee, which alleged the ex-president asked an aide to delete surveillance footage to wipe evidence that could be used in the classified documents investigation, DeSantis said it was 'in the past.' 'Well, we have - we have engaged when, when appropriate,' DeSantis told DailyMail.com, when pressed why he wouldn't touch Trump, who he'll have to beat in the GOP primary if he wants to be president. A heartbroken 'best friend and soul mate' of a woman who was killed when her car crashed during a 'dangerous pursuit' with another vehicle has said 'there are no words to describe the pain I feel' in a touching tribute. Amy-rose Wilson, 27, has been named locally as the victim of a collision on the B902 New Carron Road, in Falkirk, at around 6.10pm on Saturday. Emergency services rushed to the scene, where Amy-rose was tragically pronounced dead. Police have said her death is being treated as suspicious. On Sunday evening, her friend Leigh Currie posted a heartfelt tribute with a collection of photos of them smiling brightly together along with a screenshot of their final messages where they both said they loved one another. 'There are no words to describe the pain I feel, the best ones get taken far too soon you were more than my best friend, you were my soul mate,' she wrote. 'I will miss you forever and love you even longer, cant think of better last words to have said to each other sleep sweet Amy.' Amy-rose had been driving a silver Vauxhall Vectra, and now police have launched a murder probe as they hunt for the occupants of a black Mercedes C-Class involved in the incident who fled the scene. There was an altercation between those travelling in the vehicles at an address on Foundry Street a short time before the car chase began, Police Scotland have said. Amy-rose Wilson, 27, has been named locally as the victim of a collision on the B902 New Carron Road, in Falkirk, at around 6.10pm on Saturday On Sunday evening, Leigh Currie posted a heartfelt tribute to her 'best friend and soul mate' Leigh Currie (right in both) posted a collection of photos of her and Amy-rose (left in both) smiling brightly together below her touching tribute Leigh Currie posted the last messages that the two friends sent to one another where they said 'Love you' and 'Love you too' Those involved are then said to have got into the Mercedes and 'dangerously' pursued the Vauxhall on New Carron Road - causing it to crash into a Volkswagen Tiguan. A 22-year-old male passenger in the Vauxhall and a 39-year-old man in the Volkswagen suffered minor injuries in the collision. According to Amy-rose's Facebook, she was in a relationship with an XL Bully dog breeder named Ryan Paterson. After news of the deadly crash emerged, friends and loved ones paid tribute to Amy-rose online, describing her as a 'lovely lassie' and an 'angel'. Vicky Dumighan said: 'Oh Amy-rose Wilson my heart absolutely breaks for you and your family, such tragic news! I was only speaking to you last week. Sleep tight sweetie xxx.' Lucy Burns said: 'Not the news you want to hear - one of your long times friends gone so tragically.' One friend said: 'Rest easy Amy-rose. Hard to believe I only spoke to you on Tuesday x'. Another said: 'We will miss you always angel.' Friends and loved ones paid tribute to Amy-rose online, describing her as a 'lovely lassie' and an 'angel' Detective Inspector Hazel Reid, of the Major Investigation Team, said: 'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the woman at this very difficult time. 'We have a dedicated team of officers working on this investigation and extensive enquiries are ongoing at this time. 'It is imperative we trace the occupants of the black Mercedes who fled the scene. 'We believe this vehicle has pursued the Vauxhall in a dangerous fashion, resulting in a crash with the Volkswagen Tiguan. Forensics officers examining the wreckage of a two-vehicle collision in Falkirk on Saturday A 22-year-old male passenger in the Vauxhall and a 39-year-old man in the Volkswagen suffered minor injuries in the collision The Mercedes is said to have 'dangerously' pursued the Vauxhall on New Carron Road - causing it to crash into a Volkswagen Tiguan 'Officers are gathering CCTV footage from the surrounding area and door to door enquiries are also being carried out. I am keen to speak to anyone with any private CCTV, dashcam or any other footage they think would assist the enquiry. 'We will have a continued police presence in the area and anyone with any concerns can approach these officers. 'It is vital that we find out more about what has happened as soon as we can and I would urge anyone with information to contact us as soon as possible, no matter how insignificant it might seem.' Officers can also be contacted by calling 101 and quoting reference 2938 of Saturday, 29 July, 2023. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111. President Joe Biden's administration is set to launch a beta website for its new income-driven student loan repayment plan today. The program changes the federal student loan system so that some borrowers will be able to make lower monthly loan payments - some all the way to $0. A member of the administration told CNN that part of Biden's 'overall commitment is to improve the student loan system and reduce the burden of student loan debt on American families.' Borrowers will be able to begin submitting applications for the program immediately, as federal student loan payments are scheduled to resume in October. The plan - called SAVE or Saving on a Valuable Education - was finalized after the Supreme Court's decision last month struck down the president's student debt forgiveness initiative. The Biden administration is set to launch a new website to allow federal student loan borrowers to sign up for a program that will allow them to pay them off based on income - reducing the monthly burden for many Americans Students protest in front of the Supreme Court after the justices ruled to strike down the administration's program was not legal 'The SAVE plan is a big part of that. It is important in this moment as borrowers are getting ready to return to repayment,' a member of the administration said. The process of enrolling for the new website is meant to take about 10 minutes, and several sections should be able to automatically populate with information the government has at its disposal already - such as IRS tax returns. 'We will be able to show borrowers their exact monthly payment amount and give them the ability to choose the most affordable repayment plan for them,' said an official. Unlike with past systems, borrowers will only need to apply once, which the administration believes will make this plan much easier to use. Once an application is submitted, the approval process is expected to take a couple of weeks. Individuals who are already enrolled in the federal government's REPAYE - Revised Pay As You Earn - plan, will automatically have their enrollment switched over. The official launch of the new website will occur in August - applications submitted during the beta period need not be resubmitted. During the beta period, the Department of Education will watch the performance of the site and identify in real time any issues. The site may then be paused at any time to make necessary updates. The plan, which is for current and future federal student loan borrowers, will calculate payments based on income and family size. Some monthly payments will reportedly be as low as $0. The income level required to qualify for $0 payments has been upped from 150 percent of the federal poverty guideline to 225% of it. That means an individual making $32,805 will pay $0 and a borrower for a family of four making $67,500 will pay $0. DOE estimates more than 1million borrowers will qualify for the $0 payment plan. Some borrowers will eventually have their payments cut in half when the program takes full effect next year. They may then have their remaining debt forgiven entirely after making at least a decade of payments. The new plan will also mean that unpaid interest will not accrue over time if a borrower makes their full monthly payments. The ultimate cost to the federal government of the SAVE plan is somewhere between $138billion and $361billion over ten years, depending on how many people sign up. Some models predict a much higher number. In comparison, Biden's original student loan forgiveness program that was nixed by the Supreme Court would have cost the government $400billion. Some predict President Joe Biden's new student loan forgiveness plan based on income-driven repayments will cost taxpayers $475 billion over the next ten years The DOE has not faced successful legal challenges to similar programs it has set up in the past. Some critic say the new plan is just another way the administration can make life harder for the average taxpaying American by subsidizing the loans of others. David Williams, President of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, told DailyMail.com: 'This new announcement is absurd and is a slap in the face to taxpayers. 'The Biden administration is hell-bent on recklessly spending hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars bailing out wealthy student loan borrowers, even after being rebuked by the country's highest court. 'More than 80 percent of the country that doesn't have student loans will be forced to subsidize the small percentage of Americans that do have loans. And, once again, the Biden administration is circumventing Congress. 'Whether it's mission creep by agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission with politically motivated antitrust lawsuits, the Securities and Exchange Commission with ESG rules, or the latest Department of Education ending with student loans, these actions must be stopped immediately.' A California woman was suspected of stealing $7,500 worth of clothes from a Lululemon store - just days after pilfering $22,500 worth of garments from the same shop. Leasia Marie Bradley, 26, of San Diego, was arrested and booked after surveillance footage caught her in the act at the store inside the Irvine Spectrum mall. Bradley, who was wearing a mask, was allegedly caught looting from the women's leggings section as she slowly opened a large bag and filled it with the Lululemon items. But this was allegedly not her first jaunt. According to the police, Bradley looted over $20,000 worth of clothes from the same pricey athleisure store the week before. Brazen Bradley also had a $150,000 warrant out for her arrest in San Diego for robbery. Leasia Marie Bradley, 26, of San Diego, was arrested and booked after CCTV footage caught her in the act at the store inside the Irvine Spectrum mall Bradley, who was wearing a mask, was allegedly caught looting from the women's leggings section as she slowly opened a large bag and filled it with the Lululemon items She was caught and arrested outside the mall, police said An investigation into her alleged looting is ongoing. Irvine Police Department said in a statement: 'We do not tolerate organized retail crime in Irvine. 'Yesterday, our agency conducted a joint enforcement detail with the California Highway Patrol to identify and arrest people involved in [retail crime]. 'The team arrested Leasia Marie Bradley, 26, of San Diego, after she stole $7,500 worth of merchandise from Lululemon. She is suspected of stealing over $22,500 in merchandise from the store last week. 'Bradley also had a $150,000 warrant for her arrest in San Diego for robbery. 'Linwood Irwin Green, 71, of San Diego, was located in the parking lot. Additional stolen property was found inside the pairs vehicle. 'Both were booked at Orange County Jail on multiple charges, and the investigation is ongoing.' Brazen Bradley also had a $150,000 warrant out for her arrest in San Diego for robbery In May, two Lululemon employees were fired for 'breaking employee policy' after brazen thieves stole armfuls of expensive yoga gear and they tried to stop them. Shocking footage shows masked robbers taking merchandise from displays near the front of the store in Peachtree Corners, Atlanta, before rushing out to their getaway car. The Lululemon shop where assistant manager Jennifer Ferguson worked has suffered a spate of robberies. Her husband, Jason Ferguson, claimed she was fired after calling the police on the crew of thieves who hit the store multiple times. Jennifer and another employee named Rachel Rogers, who were working in the front, claim they were let go for trying to stop them and 'breaking employee handbook policy' of not interfering with a robbery. It comes as stores across the US experience a sharp rise in crime and some major retailers have been forced to shut down shops due to millions of dollars in losses as rampant theft plagues businesses. He was critically injured and died on Sunday A five-year-old boy has died after being knocked down by an elderly driver in a horror car accident in Sydney's north. Emergency services raced to Anzac Avenue in Collaroy, about 22km north of the CBD, at about 1.25pm on Sunday following reports of a crash. Paramedics treated the little boy at the scene before rushing him to Sydney Children's Hospital in a critical condition. The five-year-old died at about 6pm that evening. The driver, a 77-year-old man, was taken to Northern Beaches Hospital where he underwent mandatory testing. Emergency services raced to Anzac Avenue in Collaroy, about 22km north of the CBD, at about 1.25pm on Sunday following reports of a crash (pictured) A crime scene was established with specialist officers investigating. 'Just before 1.30pm today, emergency services were called to Anzac Avenue at Collaroy, following reports of a crash,' NSW Police said in a statement. 'On arrival, officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command found a boy had been struck by a car. 'NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the five-year-old boy at the scene. 'He was taken to Sydney Children's Hospital in a critical condition but died about 6pm that evening.' A report will be prepared for the coroner. Dramatic cellphone footage caught the moment a small plane somersaulted after it crashed into the water off a New Hampshire beach. Videos posted online show a Piper PA-18 slowly descending before it landed in the water just about 30 yards away from people trying to escape the heat at Hampton Beach Saturday afternoon. The impact sent it flipping over, tail-over-nose, and caused it to sway back and forth several times. The banner it was carrying across the blue skies also got torn off in the sudden descent, reportedly landing on some beachgoers nearby, all of whom were uninjured. Fortunately, the pilot was able to get out of the vessel and swim to safety without any injuries either. He was the only one on-board the ship at the time. A small plane nosedived into the Atlantic ocean just about 30 yards from beachgoers in New Hampshire Saturday afternoon The Piper PA-18 swayed back and forth several times from the impact of the crash landing Thousands of people on the New Hampshire beach shortly after 12pm were left stunned by what they had witnessed. Liane McNamara was videotaping her brother-in-law boogie boarding at the time, when she noticed the plane. 'I said, "Wow, that's really low,"' she recounted to the New Hampshire Union Leader. 'It just kept coming lower. Then it nosedived and flipped over.' Another beachgoer, Gera Ocuette Jr, told WCVB he even saw he propeller stop. The cockpit appeared to have been stuck underwater for a long time, based on the multitude of cellphone footage taken of the crash, but witnesses said they saw the pilot swimming out of it and away from the plane. 'He walked out in his cloths and socks and shoes, and he was shaken up though,' Laurie Lemoine said. 'Some people were like, "Is this a joke? Is it a stunt?"' McNamara said. 'It was very surreal.' The unidentified pilot was assessed by Hampton police and other first responders at the scene, but did not suffer any injuries and was not brought to a hospital. Shortly thereafter, a group of lifeguards and beachgoers used heavy rope to drag the plane out of the water. The plane can be seen nose-down in the waves after the crash on Saturday afternoon before a group of lifeguards and beachgoers helped pull it to shore That same group was later seen moving the plane across the sand and along the shoreline. Hampton police said they and firefighters responded to the crash scene, and members of the US Coast Guard and New Hampshire State Police Marine Patrol Unit responded to the beach. The crash is now being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. The pilot is said to be cooperating with the investigation. His face matched mugshot on watchlist of suspects wanted by police or courts It comes as ministers have encouraged police to use the 'big brother' technology A wanted sex offender was caught among crowds at the Coronation using facial recognition cameras, it can be revealed. It comes as ministers have encouraged police to use the 'big brother' technology. The 33-year-old man was wanted on recall to prison when he walked past a hi-tech camera van close to Buckingham Palace on the day King Charles was crowned. When the image of his face was scanned by Scotland Yard's system, it matched a mugshot on a watchlist of suspects wanted by the police or courts. It set off an alert that led to his immediate arrest. The operation has been hailed by ministers as further evidence of the benefits of live facial recognition (LFR) as a way of searching for known offenders, particularly at large public events. The 33-year-old man was wanted on recall to prison when he walked past a hi-tech camera van close to Buckingham Palace on the day King Charles was crowned. When the image of his face was scanned by Scotland Yard's system, it matched a mugshot on a watchlist of suspects wanted by the police or courts Until now it has only been used regularly by two forces the Met (like above at the Coronation) and South Wales Police amid civil liberties concerns and legal challenges. But the Government now wants it rolled out across the country Until now it has only been used regularly by two forces the Met and South Wales Police amid civil liberties concerns and legal challenges. But the Government now wants it rolled out across the country. In July the cameras were used at Silverstone by Northamptonshire Police as part of a major security plan amid fears that the British Grand Prix would be targeted by Just Stop Oil activists, but no arrests were made. Police chiefs are set to be issued with national guidance on the effective and legal use of LFR soon, and could even receive central funding to purchase the kit needed. The Home Office said last night: 'Facial recognition plays a crucial role in helping the police tackle serious offences including murder, knife crime, rape, child sexual exploitation and terrorism. 'New technology is key to more effective, efficient policing and we are keen to see more police forces use facial recognition, in a fair and proportionate way.' Metropolitan Police figures show that 30,633 faces were seen by the LFR camera on Piccadilly on Coronation Day, May 6, with a further 17,250 scanned close to the Thames at Savoy Place and 20,578 near Waterloo. The images were all compared against a watchlist of 10,451 images of known offenders. Only the Piccadilly camera set off two alerts and only one of which led to action being taken. The Met confirmed: 'As part of the operation for the Coronation, LFR was deployed on Saturday, May 6. 'One arrest was made as a result of the technology. One man, 33, was arrested at Green Park on recall to prison for breach of a sexual offences prevention order and non-payment of fines.' It comes as it emerged that Home Office officials have drawn up plans to lobby the independent privacy regulator as part of a bid to roll out the cameras. The strategy was reportedly agreed by the Home Office, policing minister Chris Philp and Facewatch, the firm behind the recognition software, The Observer reported. Minutes of the meeting appeared to show Home Office officials agreeing to write to the Information Commissioner's Office to advocate for facial recognition technology. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that 'war is returning to Russia' after a drone attack on the capital of Moscow. Zelensky said in his nightly video address to the nation that Ukraine 'is getting stronger' and the war is gradually returning to Russian territory to its 'symbolic centres and military bases', adding that this is 'an inevitable natural and fair process'. This bold response comes after a drone attack which was launched in the early hours of Sunday morning, and was described by Russian authorities as an 'attempted terrorist attack' that had been 'thwarted'. Russian authorities have placed the responsibility of the attack squarely at the feet of the Ukrainian forces, and while this latest response from Ukraine's premier was not an outright admission, the address showed a stepped up steeliness from his usual approach. Zelensky started his address by noting that today is the five hundred and twenty-second day of the 'so-called "special military operation", which the Russian leadership expected to last for a week or two'. But he also warned, 'Russian terrorists can still attack our energy sector and critical facilities this winter'. In the address, Zelensky said that discussions were held with communities in preparation for 'all possible scenarios'. This, he said, included in the issue of urgent reconstruction, including the energy sector and various systems of ensuring life in communities.' The Ukrainian President also emphasised the role of local authorities across the country in being active before the cold months of the year, when communities could be faced with brutal conditions. The Kremlin's response to the attack bluntly threatened use of nuclear weapons in the wake of the Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow's skyscraper zone. Three drones struck an elite office building and residential skyscraper in Moscow early Sunday morning in what Russia's Defence Ministry has branded an 'attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime'. The aerial assault came after Vladimir Putin said he does not reject the idea of peace talks with Ukraine. Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and Putin ally, has warned there is 'simply no other way out' and said that Kyiv should 'pray to our warriors' that they do not 'allow the global nuclear fire to flare up'. Moscow said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones early on Sunday that had been trying to attack the capital. It also claimed its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to attack Russia-annexed Crimea with 25 drones overnight. Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been targeted by Kyiv throughout Moscow's Ukraine offensive but has come under more intense, increased attacks in recent weeks. Kyiv has repeatedly said it plans to take Crimea back. The explosion was captured on camera in the early hours of Sunday morning Investigators examine a damaged skyscraper in the 'Moscow City' business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, early on Sunday A worker is seen on his phone inside a damaged building in the Moscow-City business centre following a dron attack early Sunday morning A view of the damaged building in the 'Moscow City' business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow Investigators examine a damaged skyscraper in the Moscow City business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow A view of a damaged office block of the Moscow International Business Centre following the early Sunday morning drone attack Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and Putin ally, has warned there is 'simply no other way out' and said that Kyiv should 'pray to our warriors' that they do not 'allow the global nuclear fire to flare up'. Medvedev (left) is pictured with Putin (right) The suspected Ukrainian attack inflicted the kind of terror on Moscow that Vladimir Putin's armed forces have imposed on Kyiv and other Ukrainians cities during the war. READ MORE: Putin says he does not reject starting peace talks with Ukraine - as Moscow is hit by drone strike that damages buildings close to the Kremlin and closes Russian airspace Advertisement Medvedev on Sunday - Russia's Navy Day - slammed the Ukrainian offensive, warning: 'Our Armed Forces, repelling the counteroffensive of the collective enemy, protect the citizens of Russia and our land. 'This is obvious to all decent people. But beyond that, they prevent world conflict. 'After all, if we imagine that the offensive of the [Ukrainians] with the support of NATO was successful, and they seized part of our land, then we would have to, by virtue of the rules of the decree of the President of Russia dated 06/02/2020, go for the use of nuclear weapons. 'There is simply no other way out. 'Therefore, our enemies must pray to our warriors. They do not allow the global nuclear fire to flare up.' He also mentioned the Kremlin's new Armageddon high speed underwater kamikaze nuclear drone, Poseidon, which still in development. Putin supporters say the weapon could sink Britain under a giant tsunami. 'Poseidon unmanned aerial vehicle joins the congratulations [for Navy Day] and recommends that the enemies of our country pray for the health of all Russian sailors,' Medvedev said. The first of two drones penetrating the Russian capital's much-vaunted air-defences struck at 3:20am. It hit the 50-storey IQ Quarter Tower, part of a business district called Moscow City that also includes elite residential apartments and penthouses Nobody was hurt and there was only minor damage to the facade of two office buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russia's Defence Ministry said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones (circled) early on Sunday that had been trying to attack the capital. Moscow also claimed its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to attack Russia-annexed Crimea with 25 drones overnight Authorities cordon off the area near the buildings that were struck by Ukrainian drones on Sunday morning Debris is sprawled across the road after Ukrainian drones struck an office building in Moscow Emergency personnel are pictured at the site of the drone attack in Moscow on Sunday A view of a damaged office block of the Moscow International Business Centre (Moskva City) following a reported drone attack in Moscow on Sunday President Vladimir Putin on Sunday praised Russia's navy in an address at an annual warship parade in Saint Petersburg, which he attended accompanied by several African leaders. The military display took part as Moscow's offensive in Ukraine stretches into its second year and three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow early on Sunday. The Russian Navy has played a key role in Moscow's assault on Ukraine by pummelling the Western-backed country with ship- and submarine-launched cruise missiles, among other operations. Without mentioning Ukraine in his speech, Putin hailed 'the brave crews of ships and submarines'. 'In the name of Russia, our sailors give all their strength, show true heroism and fight valiantly, like our great ancestors,' Putin said. 'Today, Russia is confidently implementing major elements of its national maritime policy and is consistently building up the power of its navy,' he added. Forty five ships, boats and submarines took part in the parade along with around 3,000 servicemen, the Kremlin said. The former imperial capital hosted a Russia-Africa summit earlier this week. Several leaders and representatives of African countries including Mali and Burkina Faso attended the parade on Sunday. President Vladimir Putin on Sunday praised Russia's navy in an address at an annual warship parade in Saint Petersburg, which he attended accompanied by several African leaders. Putin is pictured at the parade on Sunday Without mentioning Ukraine in his speech, Putin hailed 'the brave crews of ships and submarines'. He is pictured with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during the parade Three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, Russian authorities said, prompting a temporary closure of traffic in and out of one of four airports around the Russian capital. 'Sixteen Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed by air defence fire,' the Russian defence ministry said, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles. 'Another nine Ukrainian drones were suppressed by means of electronic warfare and, without reaching the target, crashed into the Black Sea,' the ministry added. The first of two drones penetrating the Russian capital's much-vaunted air-defences struck at 3.20am. It hit the 50-storey IQ Quarter Tower, part of a business district called Moscow City that also includes elite residential apartments and penthouses. While no one was hurt, there was minor damage to the facade of two office buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The area, several miles from the Kremlin, is known for its modern high-rise towers and one of the buildings damaged was home to three Russian government ministries as well as residential apartments, Russian media reported. The attack reached the heart of Moscow, close to the White House headquarters of the Russian government. One of the buildings struck by the drones houses the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The office of the Ministry of Digital Development, Telecommunications and Mass Media is also based here, part of Putin's propaganda edifice. Government documentation from the ministries was strewn in the street after the attack. Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure for air traffic of one of four airports A view shows the damaged facade of an office building in the Moscow Emergencies services members gather outside the damaged office It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and third this week A view of the damaged skyscraper is shown. The attack has fueled concerns about Moscow's vulnerability to attacks as Russia's war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month Putin says he does not reject starting peace talks with Ukraine: READ MORE Vladimir Putin (pictured yesterday) has said he does not reject the idea of peace talks with Ukraine, but warned there are things that are 'impossible to implement' Advertisement One video highlights the voices of two women seeing an incoming drone. 'There it is flying,' says one. 'It flies so quick.' Another video has two more women on Presnenskaya Embankment, one saying: 'I told you' One screams: 'Ah! Mamochka! [Mummy] 'Right next to us a drone hit a building. 'I filmed it.' Guests at a Novotel hotel at Moscow City were panicked by the attack. A young woman who gave her name only as Liya described the incident, saying: 'My friends and I rented an apartment to come here and unwind, and at some point, we heard an explosion and it was like a wave, everyone jumped. 'And then there was a lot of smoke and you couldn't see anything. From above, you could see fire.' Some glass panels in one high-rise building were blown out and glass and debris littered part of the pavement below, which had been cordoned off by police and emergency services. Flights were temporarily halted at major Moscow international airport Vnukovo, used by Putin and members of the Russian government, due to the drone strikes. A source said: 'Vnukovo airport is closed for arrivals and departures. 'Flights are being redirected to other airports. One flight is in the waiting area.' Later the airport was reopened. Air defences were working in the Odintsovo district. The Defence Ministry said two drones had crashed in the Moskva-Citi district after being brought down using radio-electronic equipment. A view shows the damaged facade of an office building in the Moscow City following a reported Ukrainian drone attack An official inspects debris at the site of a damaged building in the Moscow-City business centre following a reported drone attack A Rosgvardiya officer responds to the site of a damaged building in the Moscow-City business centre following a reported drone attack in Moscow Police officers stand in front of a damaged building in Moscow on Sunday following an early morning drone attack A view of a damaged building in the Moscow-City business centre following the drone attack Air defences had shot down one more in the air over the Odintsovo area in the Moscow region, it said. 'On the morning of 30th July, an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime using unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in the city of Moscow was foiled,' the ministry said in its statement. 'One Ukrainian UAV was destroyed in the air by air defence over the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region. 'Two more drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of the Moscow City non-residential building complex.' It was portrayed as an 'attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime'. Separately, it said it had also successfully thwarted an overnight attack on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, by 25 Ukrainian drones which it said it had either shot down or forced to crash. Nobody had been hurt and no damage done in the Crimea episode, it said. There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainians. Moscow routinely downplays attacks by Ukraine in an attempt not to alarm people. Moscow routinely downplays attacks by Ukraine in an attempt not to alarm people. Pictured: A general view of a damaged office block of the Moscow International Business Centre after Ukrainian drones attacks in Moscow on Sunday Some glass panels in one high-rise building were blown out and glass and debris littered part of the pavement below. Pictured: A broken glass pane is seen near a damaged office building in the Moscow City on Sunday following the drone attack Firefighters and search and rescue teams continue to work after Ukrainian drones attacks in Moscow on Sunday Firefighters and rescue crews are pictured at the scene of the drone attack on Sunday The glazing was shattered as a result of the blast at the level of fifth and sixth floors of the 50-story building on Presnenskaya embankment. Pictured: A fire truck near the building A source said: 'The glazing was shattered as a result of the blast at the level of fifth and sixth floors of the 50-story building on Presnenskaya embankment.' TASS reported: 'There are no casualties and no fire has started. 'The people are being evacuated. Operational services and law enforcement agencies arrived on the scene. 'Law enforcement agencies reported that the Air Defence Troops repelled an attack by two aircraft-type drones in the west of Moscow Region. 'In addition, eyewitnesses report the sounds of an explosion in the west of Moscow.' In Crimea, the defence ministry claimed that 25 drones had been repelled. The defence ministry said: 'Tonight an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by twenty-five aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles on facilities on the territory of the Crimean peninsula has been foiled. 'Sixteen Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed by air defence fire. 'Another nine Ukrainian drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and crashed in the waters of the Black Sea and Cape Tarkhankut without reaching their target. 'There were no casualties or damage as a result of the foiled terrorist attack.' Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor An investigator examines an area next to the damaged skyscraper Russian law enforcement officers and emergencies ministry members work at an accident scene near the damaged office building in the Moscow The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an 'attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime' and said three drones targeted the city Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor Putin's 'zombie soldiers' are returning from Ukraine with thirst for violence: READ MORE Large numbers of soldiers are now alcoholics or drug addicts embracing the violence and cruelty they have seen on the frontline, according to a shocking new report (File Photo) Advertisement The attack came after Putin on Saturday said he does not reject the idea of peace talks with Ukraine. Putin, speaking at a press conference on Saturday after having met with African leaders in St Petersburg on Friday, said an African and Chinese initiative could serve as a basis for finding peace but warned there are things that are 'impossible to implement'. Both Ukraine and Russia have previously said they will not come to the table for negotiations unless certain preconditions are met. It was reported last month that African mediation in the conflict could begin with confidence-building measures followed by a cessation of hostilities agreement accompanied by negotiations between Russia and the West. 'There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented,' Putin said yesterday. 'But there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement.' He added that one of the points in the initiative was a ceasefire. 'But the Ukrainian army is on the offensive, they are attacking, they are implementing a large-scale strategic offensive operation... We cannot cease fire when we are under attack.' A view of the damaged skyscraper is shown in the 'Moscow City' business district Police officers stand in front of a damaged building on Sunday following a reported drone attack in Moscow A police officer is seen standing near a cordon at the site of the drone attack on Sunday A police officer keeps watch at the site of a damaged building in the Moscow-City business centre following an early Sunday morning drone attack On the question of starting peace talks, Putin said, 'We did not reject them... In order for this process to begin, there needs to be agreement on both sides.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly rejected the idea of a ceasefire now as it would leave Russia in control of nearly a fifth of his country and give its forces time to regroup after 17 grinding months of war. Meanwhile, reports emerged last night that Saudi Arabia is planning to host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia's war on the country. Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, as well as Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, an official - speaking on the condition of anonymity - said last night. A high-level official from US President Joe Biden's administration also is expected to attend. The source claimed that planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv and Russia is expected not to attend. The kingdom and Kyiv did not immediately acknowledge the planned talks. Pictured: Footage of the Ukrainian drone attack carried out in Moscow early Sunday morning On Russia's Navy day Dmitry Medvedev mentioned the Kremlin's new Armageddon high speed underwater kamikaze nuclear drone, Poseidon, (pictured) is still in development. Putin supporters say the drone could sink Britain under a giant tsunami A view of the damaged facade of a building following a reported drone attack in Moscow on Sunday The Russian Ministry of Defence on 30 July accused Ukraine of carrying out an attack with three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) against facilities in Moscow The early Sunday morning attack followed what Russia said was a similar Ukrainian attempt to attack Moscow with two drones last Monday. One fell in the centre of the city near the Defence Ministry's headquarters along the Moscow River about 2 miles from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said after Monday's attempted attack that there would be more drone strikes. There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv to the latest incident. 'There were no casualties or injuries,' Sobyanin, the mayor, said in a short statement on the incident. In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defences on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down. Russia said on Monday it would retaliate harshly against Ukraine after two drones damaged buildings in Moscow, with one strike close to the building where the military holds briefings on what the Kremlin calls its 'special military operation' in Ukraine. Marks & Spencer has been forced to admit that its British potato crisps were actually made with non-British potatoes. Packets of hand-cooked M&S crisps boasted the use of 'specially selected' British potatoes. But the same packets were also labelled with a warning that they 'contain non-British potatoes'. Amid the food shortages caused by last summer's drought, M&S said it sourced potatoes from outside the UK 'for a few weeks'. The retailers agreed with Trading Standards to add an advisory to its packaging about the potatoes' origin. But industry leaders have slammed the packaging as 'outrageous'. Helen Morrissey, a retail expert from Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'If something states that an ingredient is from a certain place and of a certain quality, then consumers have every right to expect that this is the case as they may well have made their decision based on that information. Marks & Spencer has been forced to admit that its British potato crisps were actually made with non-British potatoes 'It's outrageous to make clear claims as to how and where ingredients are sourced if it's not true.' On the front of the crisp packet was a silver stamp declaring the 'hand cooked British potatoes'. There was also a description of the 'British potatoes specially selected each season'. But it also had a 'non-British potatoes' warning. Packets of hand-cooked M&S crisps boasted the use of 'specially selected' British potatoes. But the same packets were also labelled with a warning that they 'contain non-British potatoes' (File image) Tom Bradshaw, of the National Farmers Union, said: 'All we ask is that food labels are clear, simple and contain accurate information, including country of origin.' An M&S spokesman said: 'An unprecedented industry-wide shortage, caused by drought last year, meant we and other businesses were forced to source some potatoes from outside the UK for a few weeks ahead of this year's British potato harvest. 'As agreed with Trading Standards, we temporarily updated our packaging and are pleased to say our crisps are now back to being made using 100 per cent British potatoes.' Rafia Zakaria in The Baffler: THERE IS, EASILY FOUND on the internet, a photograph of the writer Kingsley Amis relaxing on a beach with his back to the camera. Written in lipstick on his back are the words 1 fat Englishman. I fuck anything. The words are the handiwork of his then wife Hilly, who had learned that her husband was having an affair with fashion model Elizabeth Jane Howard. Howard would eventually become the writers wife, the two of them having fallen in love during the inaugural Cheltenham literary festival that Amis had attended (and Howard had directed). Having won the spot beside this literary genius was a dubious blessing. Howard, who had written three novels of her own before ever meeting the author who made his reputation with the publication of Lucky Jim in 1954 (and who in 1963 published One Fat Englishman), found herself running a large household revolving around the lone star of Amis. She stopped writing, took to cooking elaborate meals, juggling the schedule of Amiss two sons to whom she was stepmother and a thousand other necessary tasks. As recounted in Carmela Ciurarus recent book Lives of the Wives: Five Literary Marriages, Howard was often so very tired that she would fall asleep sitting upright in a chair in the evening. With this capable woman at his side, Amis continued his writing career having changed out the wife he had procured at Oxford for a prettier new model. More here. Scrapping the hated 'tourist tax' could give Britain a 10 billion boost, major research reveals today. Flying in the face of Treasury claims, the report suggests that bringing back tax-free shopping for overseas visitors will have a net positive effect on Government coffers. Ditching the tax could also support thousands of jobs and create new ones, according to the study from the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The Mail, which jointly commissioned the report, launched its Scrap the Tourist Tax campaign in April to give the economy a much-needed shot in the arm. The country's biggest businesses have backed the bid with Harvey Nichols, Marks & Spencer and British Airways among 350 brands to have signed an open letter to the Chancellor demanding a rethink. Flying in the face of Treasury claims, the report suggests that bringing back tax-free shopping for overseas visitors will have a net positive effect on Government coffers Now the CEBR has found that the economy would be better off by more than 10 billion a year by reinstating VAT refunds. The Treasury could also see an annual 2 billion boost. The report estimated that spending eligible for tax-free shopping stood at 6.6 billion last year rising to 7.7 billion this year. Assuming all visitors took up the VAT rebates, around 1.1 billion of this would have been returned to customers in 2022 or 1.3 billion in 2023. On a per visitor basis, VAT refunds would reduce the cost of a visit to the UK by around 4.2 per cent, the CEBR calculated. It estimated that the cost reduction would have increased visitor numbers by 1.7 million last year rising to two million in 2023. The report says: 'We estimate that a fully utilised tax-free shopping scheme could have increased GDP by 9.1 billion in 2022. Applying this figure to 2023's projections, a tax-free shopping scheme could have boosted the size of the economy by 10.7 billion.' The research, which assumed that the scheme would be open to all overseas tourists, represents a 'best case scenario' in which every visitor makes a rebate claim on eligible purchases. The Treasury has claimed that bringing back VAT-free shopping would cost 2 billion in lost taxes. While tax receipts lost would amount to 1.1 billion in 2022 or 1.3 billion on 2023 projections, the report found that the benefits far outweigh the cost. It adds: 'In particular, we find that the value of lost sales tax is more than offset by additional receipts from other taxes. For every 1 lost in sales tax revenue as a result of tax-free shopping, the Exchequer is expected to gain 1.56 in other taxes. 'This highlights that the additional activity stimulated by tax-free shopping, and the associated increase to tax revenues from such activity, significantly outweigh the corresponding loss of revenue from sales tax specifically, even in scenarios with lower take-up rates.' The CEBR's report also said that reintroducing a tax-free shopping scheme would support thousands of jobs and even help to create new roles. Last night leading hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, who helped to commission the research, welcomed the findings. Sir Rocco, who organised the open letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, said: 'The Government's tourist tax, which has made the UK the most expensive place to shop in Europe has turned into a disaster for hospitality, retail, travel and tourism. 'Just at a time when they should be doing everything they can to boost anaemic economic growth, ministers have tied one hand behind the backs of businesses by abolishing the traditional VAT rebate for tourists that did so much to encourage visitors to come to the UK to spend money.' Earlier this month it emerged that officials working for Mr Hunt had asked for evidence of the 'wider economic impact' of scrapping the tourist tax. Referring to this, Sir Rocco said: 'The Treasury has asked for evidence... Today they have it. This new economic analysis shows that a VAT rebate scheme would boost visitor numbers to the UK by two million this year. Earlier this month it emerged that officials working for Mr Hunt (pictured) had asked for evidence of the 'wider economic impact' of scrapping the tourist tax 'The Treasury has claimed that restoring the traditional VAT rebate would cost billions, but this report shows that analysis to be flawed and misleading. Tourists who come here spend right across the economy not just in shops but in hotels like mine, restaurants, visitor attractions, galleries, theatres and museums and on public transport.' Sir Rocco added that the criticism from business leaders had become 'deafening', saying: 'It is impossible to see how ministers can keep refusing to budge. We need a change of policy from the Chancellor as soon as possible to get the economy growing again.' Brian Duffy, of the Watches of Switzerland group, which also helped to commission the research, told the Mail: 'This evidence is even more compelling than I anticipated. It is simply irresponsible of the Government not to give this full consideration. 'We are aware from our brand partners and published data that tourist spending is bouncing back in the EU in a way that is simply not happening in the UK, and this is all down to the absence of VAT-free shopping. Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng announced plans to reintroduce the VAT rebate last autumn, but Mr Hunt reversed the move soon after entering No 11 'Our economy needs sustainable growth and this report points to a significant growth opportunity from tourism.' The Treasury scrapped tax-free shopping for overseas tourists in 2021 believing that it was a 'costly relief which does not benefit the whole of GB equally'. However, it kept tax-free shopping for goods purchased in the UK and sent directly to an overseas address, including the EU. Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng announced plans to reintroduce the VAT rebate last autumn, but Mr Hunt reversed the move soon after entering No 11. Campaigners believe that the removal of the scheme is driving tourists away from London and Edinburgh to other European cities such as Paris, Madrid and Milan. Earlier this year, British brand Mulberry closed its Bond Street store as a result of the loss of tax-free shopping. Dozens of MPs from across the political spectrum have backed the Mail's campaign, and serving Cabinet ministers are known to have privately taken up the case. A host of heavyweight businesses and luxury brands are also urging the Government to ditch the tax including the Ritz London. The latest signatories to Sir Rocco's open letter include fashion house Vivienne Westwood, Edwardian Hotels and tailor Oliver Brown. The tourist tax affects every high street in Britain... The case for scrapping it is overwhelming, writes ANDREW HINDS BY ANDREW HINDS Our business was established in 1856 and has been independently run and family owned ever since. We have 127 F. Hinds stores across England and Wales, which will be a familiar sight to many of you in your local high street. In the past, we have always offered tax-free shopping and there is no doubt that it has traditionally been a significant draw for foreign tourists coming to the UK. Indeed, figures from Visit Britain show that shopping has long been one of the most popular reasons cited for visiting the UK. British business made 3.5 billion in tax-free sales to tourists every year. The scheme was a boon to big tourist hotspots like London, Manchester and Edinburgh, out-of-town shopping villages which attract visitors seeking bargains, and also ordinary high streets. This is not just a narrow issue affecting a few luxury stores in London's West End, as ministers claim when challenged about their decision to scrap VAT rebates for tourists in 2021. In our experience, tourists travel all over the UK and spend across the economy. The scheme was a boon to big tourist hotspots like London, Manchester and Edinburgh, out-of-town shopping villages which attract visitors seeking bargains, and also ordinary high streets In places like Cambridge, tourists are the lifeblood of local businesses. In other parts of the country, foreign visitors come to see friends and family perhaps a child who is studying at a university in the UK or to visit our famous tourist attractions. So, to a greater or a lesser extent, this issue is affecting every high street in the land. We have certainly noticed that tourist footfall has not returned to the degree we would have expected post-Covid, and official figures bear this out. Of course, these tourists would not just spend in retail stores like ours. They contribute to the entire economy, frequenting restaurants, museums, galleries, theatres, hotels, public transport and so on. At a time when we should be straining every sinew to boost economic growth, we have instead made ourselves the most expensive place to shop in Europe. Every single country in the EU still offers tax-free shopping, while we don't. It is clear this puts our economy at a significant disadvantage. It doesn't make any sense. Campaigners believe that the removal of the scheme is driving tourists away from London and Edinburgh to other European cities such as Paris, Madrid and Milan Ministers have asked for evidence of the harm being done. I am one of 350 business leaders who has signed an open letter to the Chancellor describing the tourist tax as a spectacular own goal. The fact that so many leading businesses have felt compelled to put their names to the campaign in this way is extremely telling. Businesses like mine don't generally like to get involved in political issues. We have done so because there is a very clear impact on the jewellery trade. People in all sectors are seeing the effect on their business, feel very strongly that end of tax-free shopping is turning into a disaster for our economy and want the Treasury to think again. Today's economic analysis by the Centre for Economics and Business Research should give the Government pause for thought. The Government claims the scrapping of tax-free shopping saves the exchequer 2 billion a year. This is short-sighted, since the foreign visitors who come from the US, Middle East, China and elsewhere to shop in our famous shopping districts inject huge sums into the broader economy, on top of what they spend on retail purchases. The new research concludes that when you take all that wider spending into account, reintroducing VAT rebates would boost the public finances by 2.3 billion a year. It would also support jobs and crucially, bring in an extra two million tourists a year to the UK. As we struggle for economic growth, we can't afford to turn away these high-spending visitors. The evidence is now overwhelming that scrapping the tourist tax would boost the entire economy and the public finances too. So, a U-turn is inevitable; it's only a matter of timing. I would urge the Government to get on with it. Police forces will be ordered to offer direct routes for detectives to join should Labour win power at the next general election. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has set out plans to boost the number of trained detectives in Britain as she hit out at 'abysmal' crime-solving rates. Labour pointed to Home Office data for England and Wales that showed under six per cent of of crimes were solved by police last year. The proportion of crimes that resulted in a charge or summons was 5.7 per cent, although that figure represented a small increase on the previous year. The figures, which cover a 12-month period from April 2022 onwards, showed that 2.3 million crimes were dropped without a suspect being found. The charge rate for sexual offences was 3.6 per cent, with rape at 2.1 per cent. Only 6.5 per cent of robbery offences ended with someone being charged. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper set out plans to boost the number of trained detectives in Britain as she hit out at 'abysmal' crime-solving rates Labour pointed to Home Office data for England and Wales that showed under six per cent of of crimes were solved by police last year Ms Cooper said the figures were a 'national scandal' as Labour pledged to boost the numbers of crimes solved if the party enters government again. The party has vowed to introduce a new requirement for police forces to run direct recruitment of detectives to reverse what the Police Foundation has decribed as a 'chronic shortage', with almost 7,000 vacancies. Labour said fewer than half of police forces have a scheme to directly recruit detectives with relevant professional backgrounds and skill sets, such as those who have worked in business fraud investigation, technology or child protection. They would make it a requirement for every police force to operate such a scheme. Ms Cooper said: 'After 13 years of Tory government, over 90 per cent of crimes are going unsolved. 'That is the abysmal Conservative record on law and order - more criminals being let off and more victims being let down. 'For some serious crimes, like rape and robbery, the charge rate is now so low it constitutes a national scandal. 'For far too long in this country, too many crimes have been committed without any consequences. 'Victims increasingly feel like no-one comes and nothing is done. Labour is determined this has to change.' Policing minister Chris Philp accused Labour of being 'soft on crime and soft on criminals'. He said: 'Where Labour are in power, crime is over a third higher than Conservative-run areas, and Sir Keir Starmer whipped his MPs to vote against tougher sentences for rapists and murderers, as well as campaigning to keep dangerous foreign criminals in the UK. 'Under the Conservatives, adult rape convictions have increased by two thirds over the last year, dangerous criminals are being locked up for longer, and there are now over 20,000 new police officers helping to keep our streets safe.' A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'Since 2010, our communities are safer - with neighbourhood crimes including burglary, robbery and theft down 51 per cent and serious violent crime down 46 per cent. 'The Government has delivered more police officers than ever in England and Wales and the Home Secretary expects police to improve public confidence by getting the basics right - catching more criminals and delivering justice for victims. 'As part of the Beating Crime Plan, we have also committed to giving every single person in England and Wales access to the police digitally through a national online platform. 'This will allow the public to access a range of interactive police services in one place, including information on neighbourhood police officers and their contact details, allowing them to raise concerns with neighbourhood officers directly.' Trucking giant Yellow collapsed on Sunday, ceasing operations immediately and leaving some 30,000 workers without jobs. The closure is the biggest in terms of jobs and revenue in the U.S. trucking industry, according to The Wall Street Journal - which first reported its shutdown. The company, which received $700 million in federal COVID relief funds in 2020, is preparing to file for bankruptcy and is in talks to sell off all or parts of the business. The nearly 100-year-old firm is known for its competitive pricing and has more than 12,000 trucks shipping freight across the US for brands including Walmart and Home Depot. But in recent years it has struggled under the weight of debt and had a highly contentious relationship with the Teamsters union: on Sunday, each side blamed the other. Hundreds of non-union Yellow employees were laid off Friday from the Nashville, Tennessee, company, and about 22,000 Teamster members were told their jobs hung in the balance. On Sunday morning, the company sent out notices to customers and employees saying it was ceasing all operations at midday. Stan Koniszewski, a union leader for Teamsters Local 294, said Sunday was 'a sad day in the freight industry' and promised to help members file unemployment claims and look for new jobs The 99-year-old American trucking business ceased business at midday on Sunday, leaving 30,000 workers without jobs Yellow is the third-largest US carrier in the so-called 'less-than-truckload' segment, which operators carry goods for multiple customers on the same trailer Since 2021, the struggling brand has implemented a cost-cutting plan that executives hoped would put the business back on track. The company's circumstances have become all the more dire as shipping demand across the freight sector declined substantially this year. Last week, Yellow, which had $5.2 billion in revenue last year, narrowly avoided a driver strike by Teamster union members after failing to make a $50 million payment for employee benefits. The company had a 30-day period to catch up on pension and benefits payments. The Teamsters blamed the executives for poor management. 'Teamsters have kept this company afloat for more than a decade through billions of dollars in wage, pension and work-rule concessions,' a union spokesman said. 'Yellow couldn't manage itself, and it wasn't up to Teamsters to do it for them.' Stan Koniszewski, a union leader for Teamsters Local 294, said it was 'a sad day in the freight industry.' He said the union 'will be there with whatever support we can give', helping them file unemployment claims and trying to find them new jobs. 'Whatever we do, we will do together as a family - a strong 294 family,' he said. In a memo sent out on Friday, Teamsters told local unions that 'likelihood that Yellow will survive is increasingly bleak.' They urged employees to gather their personal things and prepare for the worst. In Friday's memo to staff, Yellow wrote: 'The company is shutting down its regular operations on July 28, 2023, closing and/or laying off employees at all of its locations, including yours.' On Sunday, Yellow blamed the union for its intransience. A spokeswoman for Yellow said it had not asked the union for concessions in its recent restructuring. 'Yellow offered to pay its employees more,' she said. The union 'refused to negotiate for nine months.' Last week, a company official told the New York Times that the company was preparing for 'a range of contingencies.' By Friday, a company spokesperson would not tell the Times anything more. Yellow is saddled with some $1.5 billion in debt as of late March, including $729.2 million owed to the federal government for a controversial pandemic-era loan the Treasury Department extended on national security grounds in 2020. A June 2023 congressional report concluded the Treasury Department dodged its own policies to issue the loan and the previous administration had made a mistake in doing so. In May, Yellow reported a loss of $54.6 million, a decline of $1.06 per share, for its first quarter of 2023. Operating revenue was about $1.16 billion in the period. An investors note from financial service firm Stephens last week estimated that Yellow could be burning between $9 million and $10 million each day. Yellow was saddled with some $1.5 billion in debt as of late March, including $729.2 million owed to the federal government for a controversial pandemic-era loan the Treasury Department extended on national security grounds in 2020 Teamsters threatened to strike when they learned the company had stopped making pension and benefits payments last week Using a liquidity disclosure from earlier this month, Yellow had roughly $100 million in cash at the end of June, the note added - estimating that the company has been burning through increasing amounts of money through July. 'It is reasonable to believe that the company could breach its $35 mil. liquidity requirement at any moment,' Stephens analyst Jack Atkins and associate Grant Smith wrote. The reports of bankruptcy preparations arrive just days after a strike from the Teamsters, which represents Yellow's 22,000 unionized workers, was averted. Yellow's CEO Darren Hawkins is pictured. His company collapsed on Sunday A series of heated exchanges have built up between the Teamsters and Yellow, who sued the union in June after alleging it was 'unjustifiably blocking' restructuring plans needed for the company's survival. The Teamsters called the litigation 'baseless' - with general president Sean O'Brien pointing to Yellow's 'decades of gross mismanagement,' which included exhausting the $700 million federal loan. On July 23, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, averting a strike - and giving Yellow '30 days to pay its bills,' notably $50 million that Yellow failed to pay the Central States Health and Welfare Fund on July 15, the union stated. While the strike didn't occur, talks of a walkout may have caused some Yellow customers to pull back, Chan said. If Yellow files for bankruptcy and customers continue to take their shipments to other carriers, like FedEx or ABF Freight, prices will go up. The Somerset village that came together to save its 15th century pub from a developer is now fighting to save another sacred spot. Some 470 residents in sleepy South Stoke banded together to raise just over 1million to buy back The Packhorse Inn in 2016 in a determined bid to stop the Grade-II listed tavern from being converted into flats. Now, five years on from the community-owned pub reopening its doors, the village just outside of Bath is facing the prospect of a major housing development in the heart of the countryside. In addition to the 171 homes already being constructed on the South Stoke Plateau - a Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - The Hignett Family Trust has submitted plans to build 300 more houses as part of the controversial Sulis Down project. The sprawling green fields, which served as a vital escape for many during the Covid-19 lockdowns, have been at risk of development for more than 20 years but locals have consistently vowed not to back down. Leading the rebellion is the South of Bath Alliance (SOBA), whose chairman Colin Webb told MailOnline that those in the village will certainly take inspiration from saving the pub which 'has become the heart of the village'. The Somerset village that came together to save its 15th century pub from a developer is now fighting to block plans to build 300 more houses on a stunning plateau. Pictured: Campaigners who are battling to save the plateau Above is the proposed development. There are already 171 homes being constructed in Phase 1. Developers have submitted plans to build 300 more houses (Phase 3 and 4). If this is approved, they will try to build around 50 more (Phase 2). The Packhorse Inn which was saved by locals in 2016 is just round the corner (bottom right of map) The sprawling green fields, which served as a vital escape for many during the Covid-19 lockdowns, have been at risk of development for more than 20 years but locals have consistently vowed not to back down The red areas are the parts of the plateau which are under threat as the Hignett Family Trust look to sell on more land 171 homes are already being constructed on the plateau just outside of Bath in the heart of the countryside There were plans to turn the pub into a private residence but locals raised money to buy back their watering hole using the 2011 Localism Act to turn it into a community asset. How South Stoke came together to save its 15th century pub from a developer The South Stoke community well and truly came together when 470 residents clubbed together to raise more than 1million to buy their 15th century pub The Packhorse Inn back. Developers bought the Grade-II listed tavern in 2016 from a pair of businessman who intended to renovate the pub into flats. The buyer had plans to turn the property into a private residence which sparked anger among residents who bought back the watering hole using the 2011 Localism Act to turn the pub into a community asset. The first community offer to buy the pub was declined by the seller but due to the law being evoked by the council the property had to be sold within a year. The act gave the community time to raise funds to put in a bid to the previous owner who told the community if they could raise 500,000 he would sell it to them. Between them they raised 1,025,000 who paid as little as 50 each to own The Packhorse Inn. Now, they face a battle to save the sprawling green fields around the corner. Advertisement With all eyes now on the plateau, Mr Webb said: 'I think the number of objections that have gone in signify the extent to the community, not just around this area but in Bath generally, are so against it all. 'Everybody's really distressed about it, because it's very much a landscape that's valued for walking and it's an important agricultural provider. It's just part of the character of this part of the world. Bath is a bit like Venice or somewhere which has to be massively protected.' Bath & North East Somerset (BANES) Council confirmed that there has been 1,173 objections and 18 support comments to the application to build 300 extra houses as part of Phase 3 and 4 of the development. The Hignett Family Trust sold part of their land to Countryside Properties in April 2021 for 19.8million so that 171 homes could be built in Phase 1. The application was reluctantly approved in 2018 after planning chiefs criticised the 'piecemeal' approach and lack of a comprehensive master plan. The cheapest home available is a two-bed property on the market for 355,000. Phase 2 - which would only be applied for if the developers get the green light for Phase 3 and 4 - would also bring around 50 new houses around Sulis Manor which is currently a residential language school for children. The plateau is made up of Sulis Manor and seven fields. Fiona Gourley, councillor for Bathavon South, said that the Local Plan allowed for a total of 300 dwellings, which means only a further 129 homes should be built - something locals had agreed to. 'For the developers to try to push for another 300 units now is just greedy and would set a precedent that undermines the democratic engagement between the Council and residents,' she told MailOnline. Ms Gourley added that local residents have been opposing development on the land for decades and 'understand clearly if the plateau is built over, it will be lost forever'. Campaigners are fighting to stop 300 more houses being built on the South Stoke plateau. Pictured: One of the western fields now threatened A typical sunset on the eastern South Stoke plateau. Campaigners have long battled to stop the land being developed The hedge in the distance would be covered by houses. Campaigners say there are better places the development could be built on The fields beyond the trees are under threat. Locals in South Stoke have hit out at 'greedy' landowners There has been 1,173 objections and 18 support comments to the application to build 300 extra houses. Pictured: A Cotswold dry stone wall in disrepair on the western plateau The western fields with one of over 70 trees threatened with removal. The application is yet to be approved or rejected A tree lined walk to the east - the field on the left is now threatened for development but locals are not backing down Campaigners have flagged several concerns with the development, including additional traffic to an already congested area of Bath, the loss of habitats and the impact on local infrastructure. They have also queried why a total of more than 500 dwellings are needed when Bath - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - is exceeding its housing targets. In the latest Government Housing Delivery Test, which was published in January 2022, 184 per cent of required new housing had been delivered in Bath - almost double the target set in the Local Plan. Ms Gourley, who has lived in South Stoke for nearly 30 years, explained: 'The proposed development will not help solve Bath's housing crisis the cost of most of the proposed homes would be out of reach of most local people, whereas there are large brownfield sites awaiting development elsewhere in the city with better transport links and sited closer to employment. She added: 'The absence of social infrastructure on the estate (e.g. schools, shops, surgeries, community spaces etc) will put pressure on the surrounding areas which are already under-resourced.' Locals have also voiced concerns about the construction of allotments which was one of the conditions for the new 171 homes. While they recognise the provision of allotments is a good thing, developers are trying to put them on a field east of the new homes - which is beyond the allocated area for development and within the Green Belt. Mr Webb highlighted that some residents who currently have stunning views over the plateau may decide it is best to 'move on' if the development goes ahead, while he also suggested that prospective buyers in the area are being put off by the project. 'I know there are some properties that have been on the market that have been sticking, because people have found out about the possible development occurring,' he said. Mr Webb believes it is paramount that people 'recognise for future generations that this [land] is something of value that we must all do everything in our power to protect. He added: 'I mean, if we all accepted that we have to put up with car fumes and traffic fumes and jams and so on and so forth, then it would be a rather sad way of dealing with it and responding to it.' Locals in South Stoke clubbed together to buy back their 15th century pub The Packhorse Inn. It reopened five years ago Historic photos of The Packhorse in South Stoke, Somerset which has reopen after locals raised a million pounds to save it Punters enjoyed a pint at the Packhorse Inn when it reopened its doors in 2018 after being bought back by locals in the area Jenny John, who has lived in South Stoke since 1990 and was part of the battle to save the Packhorse Inn, believes the development is 'built on greed and not need'. She told MailOnline: 'Everyone knows we need new homes but this is the wrong type of houses in wrong sort of place.' Ms John, who was on the South Stoke Parish council for 10 years and is now part of SOBA, added that the Hignett Family Trust has 'wanted to cover it in houses and concrete' since she first arrived. She added: 'I feel its completely unnecessary. Its in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is where you are not supposed to make developments unless it is in exceptional circumstances.' Ned Garnett, also a long-term South Stoke resident, likened the development to a 'David and Goliath' battle. He told MailOnline: 'The frustration at the moment is its now over a year since application went in. 'They submitted 2.300 pages in April last year. Since then, a further 2000 amendments have been made over the last year. That speaks volumes. An application that requires 2,000 amendments is seriously flawed.' Mr Garnett believes that the South Stoke locals can take hope from their victory to save the Packhorse Inn. He said: 'Its been a huge asset to village. Its made such a difference, it's a real community success story. 'I think theres two things to look at. One is that local people can make a difference. And the other is that its a long game. It doesnt happen quickly. 'The fight to save the Packhorse went on for four years. Frankly the campaign to save the plateau is 20 years long.' BANES council said that a 'target decision date is due to be updated later this year'. The Hignett Family Trust declined to comment. Are YOU fighting against a developer? Email arthur.parashar@mailonline.co.uk If you're a fan of stargazing, make sure you block this evening off in your diary. The Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower will reach its peak tonight, providing you with the perfect opportunity to see shooting stars from the UK. The shower takes place from 12 July to 23 August, but will be most active at around 03:30am, according to the UK Meteor Network. At this point, you should have a pretty good chance of seeing a shooting star, with up to 25 meteors flying overhead every hour. Here's everything you need to know about the Delta Aquarids - including how and when to see them from the UK. The Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower will reach its peak tonight, providing you with the perfect opportunity to see shooting stars from the UK For your best chance of seeing the meteor shower, head to an area with little light pollution and face south Tips to see the meteor shower Make sure that you are in a dark sky area and have an unobstructed view towards the south. Lie down on a blanket or sit in a lawn chair to ensure that you have a wide view of the sky. Your naked eye is the best instrument to use to see meteors don't use binoculars or a telescope as these have narrow fields of view. Allow your eyes to adapt to the dark and don't look at any lights, or at your phone, to maintain your dark adaptation. Source: Royal Museums Greenwich Advertisement The Delta Aquarids are a moderate meteor shower that results from the cloud of debris left behind by an unknown comet. As this debris enters the Earth's atmosphere, it burns up, resulting in bright meteors in the night sky. The name of the shower comes from the constellation in the night sky that it appears to be travelling directly outward from. The radiant of this particular shower lies inside the constellation of Aquarius near the bright star Delta Aquarii. Although best viewed from the southern hemisphere, those of us in the northern hemisphere will still be able to see it. 'The best time to see the Delta Aquariids in 2023 is in the early hours of Sunday 30th July,' UK Meteor Network advises. 'The peak activity occurs at around 3.30am but you should aim to start watching from 2.00am.' For your best chance of seeing the meteor shower, head to an area with little light pollution and face south. Lie down on a blanket or sit in a reclining chair to give yourself a wide view of the sky. Don't worry about buying binoculars or a telescope - these have narrow fields of view, so it's actully more effective to use the naked eye. If you can stay awake, it's best to head out early and allow your eyes to adapt to the darkness for a few hours Unfortunately, the peak occurs when the moon is two days before full, which could make spotting the shooting stars tricky. The Met Office also predicts heavy showers, so you might want to pack an umbrella if you're venturing out If you can stay awake, it's best to head out early and allow your eyes to adapt to the darkness for a few hours. 'Once you've located Delta Aquarii on the sky, look away from the radiant point if you look in the direction of the radiant you will only see short meteors,' Royal Museums Greenwich advises. 'Meteors will appear longer the further away from the radiant you look, so aim your gaze about 45 degrees away from Delta Aquarii.' Unfortunately, the peak occurs when the moon is two days before full, which could make spotting the shooting stars tricky. The Met Office also predicts heavy showers, so you might want to pack an umbrella if you're venturing out. 'If the forecast isn't favourable, find a different location to observe from or view the meteor shower on another day,' Royal Museums Greenwich added. If you miss this meteor shower, the good news is there's not long to wait until the next one. The Perseids Meteor Shower will take place from 12-13 August, with 100 shooting stars every hour. He has captured stunning mountainscapes everywhere from the Canadian Rockies to the Italian Dolomites Advertisement 'Mountains hold an air of mystery and intrigue. So says Arpan Das, whose incredible photographs of mountains capture the essence of their mystery in spellbinding fashion. Taken everywhere from the Canadian Rockies to the Swiss Alps, these shots are proving a hit on Instagram, earning Das nearly 40,000 followers to date. The Indian photographer, who is an astrophysicist and data scientist by trade, reveals his interest in mountain photography began when he went on a hiking excursion in the Italian Dolomites. It was during that experience that I had an epiphany I knew instantly that landscape photography was the path I wanted to pursue passionately, he tells MailOnline Travel. And while his forte is mountains, he shows great flair in photographing a wide variety of landscapes, from gushing waterfalls to towering rock formations. Das, who is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, reveals he goes to great lengths to nail the perfect shot, starting with extensively researching potential locations using tools such as Google Earth. He then hikes through the mountainous terrain to reach his desired vantage point, arriving in time to capture the landscape in the best light - 'during sunrise, sunset and the night'. Once hes got the shot, Das reveals that post-processing techniques - such as adjusting the colour balance - are crucial to his work, though he emphasises that he doesnt digitally manipulate his images. The reaction from fellow Instagram users is often one of amazement, he reveals, saying: Many of these places are breathtakingly beautiful and evoke a sense of wonder. People are particularly surprised to learn that these landscapes are real.' The photographer adds: The power of photography lies in its ability to transport people to places they have yet to explore, and it's truly rewarding to share these real and stunning landscapes with others. Scroll down to transport yourself to the mountaintops from Das's spectacular portfolio... This striking picture was taken in the French Alps. Das tells MailOnline Travel: What I love about mountains is their sheer vastness and the profound perspective they offer. Standing in their presence, we are reminded of our relative size in the grand scheme of nature' LEFT: These rock formations can be found in Nevada, Das reveals. Comparing the landscape to the surface of Mars, he says the scene looks 'straight out of science fiction', adding: 'The alignment of the moon was the cherry on the top.' RIGHT: The Swiss Alps were the setting for this atmospheric shot. Das says: 'The Swiss mountains possess a natural beauty that is truly remarkable. The sheer majesty of the Alpine peaks is a sight to behold, and capturing their grandeur through my lens is an exhilarating experience' This breathtaking photograph shows Ship Rock, a volcanic rock formation in San Juan County, New Mexico. Das describes it as 'one of the many wonders of the American Southwest' LEFT: This postcard-perfect scene is in British Columbia, Canada, Das reveals. He says: 'The vast amount of pristine wilderness in this country is truly one of a kind.' RIGHT: Mist envelops the peaks of the Swiss Alps in this dreamy photograph by Das You can feel the chill in this beautifully wintry shot, which was snared in Mt Hood National Forest in Oregon LEFT: This vivid shot was captured in British Columbia. 'My heart is captivated by the raw wilderness of Canada's mountain ranges,' says Das. RIGHT: A full moon looms over Death Valley National Park, which straddles the border of California and Nevada, in this enchanting shot This impressive photograph shows a jagged peak shrouded by the clouds in the Italian Dolomites This moody shot - illuminated by 'some amazing diffused light', Das notes - was taken in Yukon, a mountainous territory in Canada This spellbinding shot was captured in the Canadian Rockies. Revealing how he reached this vantage point, Das says: 'I had to go through some forests and waist-height snow to reach this place, which I found on Google Earth' LEFT: Das snared this mesmerising image in the Alabama Hills, a sprawl of hills and rock formations in Inyo County, California. RIGHT: This vibrant photograph shows a cloud formation in the skies over Death Valley National Park in the U.S LEFT: This eye-catching shot shows a lake in British Columbia. 'The country's landscapes are a sanctuary of natural beauty,' Das says of Canada. RIGHT: Das captured this dramatic picture in the mountains of British Columbia Das turned his lens on Switzerland's Aletsch Glacier, the largest and longest glacier in the Alps, for this magical photograph LEFT: A carpet of golden larch trees can be seen in this magnificent drone picture, taken in the Swiss Alps. 'This is by far the densest larch forest I have ever seen and literally, every single tree was golden,' says Das. RIGHT: It was summertime in the Swiss Alps when Das snared this glorious shot Das captured this picture of the Matterhorn, an iconic mountain on the Swiss-Italian border, from an ice cave. He says: 'I reckon there might be very few ice caves in the world with such a great mountain backdrop - and when it is Matterhorn it becomes extra special' This atmospheric sunrise shot was during a 'peaceful morning in the Swiss Alps'. Das says: 'My profession as an astrophysicist profoundly influences my landscape photography. Science provides me with a methodical and analytical approach to understanding the universe's complexities, while art grants me the freedom to express and communicate the emotions and experiences evoked by the natural world' This is yet another showstopping picture of the Swiss Alps by Das. He says of the reaction to his images: 'Many find my images to be transportive, providing a sense of calm and beauty amidst their busy lives. Some viewers connect deeply with specific photographs, triggering cherished memories or a newfound appreciation for nature' The Swiss Alps can be seen during the sunrise in this otherworldly shot. Das says that the mountain range offers a 'refined and awe-inspiring beauty' The Swiss Alps can be seen on a foggy morning in this dramatic picture by Das. He says the fog created 'unreal' conditions Icicles frame this evocative scene of freshly fallen snow in 'one of the most beautiful valleys' in the Swiss Alps. Das describes the setting as 'magic' Das doesn't just have a knack for photographing mountains and peaks, as this picture proves. It shows 'just one of the thousands of beautiful waterfalls in British Columbia', Das reveals The film about the nuclear scientist Robert Oppenheimer is not just bad, noisy, hard to follow and far too long. It gets in the way of understanding one of the great events of our times. I have been amazed by the way so many people have claimed to have enjoyed it. I endured it. The only common complaints have been about the rather underpowered portrayal of the actual detonation of the first bomb on July 16, 1945. What were these complainers expecting? A blast-wave in the cinema? Apparently people think it is not spectacular enough. I say, thank heaven for that. I have walked on the blasted nuclear testing grounds of the old Soviet Union in Kazakhstan, amid the total, desolate silence and seen the traces still left years afterwards: the vast, solid concrete slab, the size of a block of flats, tipped to a drunken angle by the blast; the shards of black glass all over the earth's surface, mementoes of the day the heat of the bomb fused the desert sands into a sea of such glass; and the soft warnings of the scientists who accompanied me: 'Do not linger here. Do not under any circumstances disturb the dust, in case you breathe it in. It is still lethal.' Who needs another great big bang to know that this moment mattered? There is enough archive film of the tests and of the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for those who wish to know. I have been amazed by the way so many people have claimed to have enjoyed it. I endured it How can there be so little actual dialogue in so long a film? Why does the director, Christopher Nolan, feel it necessary to accompany conversation, when it happens, with loud, driving music (and sometimes with unexplained crashing noises) to tell us this is all important? Why do we need to see Oppenheimer and his Communist mistress, Jean Tatlock, sitting in armchairs with nothing on or engaging in fantasy ghostly sexual congress during a committee session? Why was this film even made? Like Nolan's previous blockbuster and critical success, Dunkirk, I think it leaves the audience knowing less about the subject than they did before they went into the cinema. Here is a rather simple story. The US government grasps that, with a huge concentration of brilliant minds and vast sums of money, it may be able to make a weapon more destructive than any in history. The possibility is not a secret. Scientists in several major powers, including Britain, had been examining this since 1939. British experts have already made major advances but the country lacks the money to carry them through. A large team of British scientists go to the US to help in what they think (wrongly) will be a joint Anglo-American project. Like Nolan's previous blockbuster and critical success, Dunkirk, I think it leaves the audience knowing less about the subject than they did before they went into the cinema Hollywood, typically, makes little of the British contribution or of the later freezing out of Britain, which led to the 1945 Labour government restarting the UK's own independent nuclear weapons programme. A brilliant, brutal bureaucrat, General Leslie Groves, has proved he can work wonders by building the Pentagon in no time. He is picked to build the bomb, and chooses Oppenheimer as his scientific chief, a Left-wing eccentric with a messy sex life and a tragic marriage (his wife is an ex-Communist who drinks too much), who reads the Hindu scriptures for relaxation. He is not your ordinary suburban person. He has Communist friends but he is good at nuclear physics and managing scientists. Oppenheimer duly delivers the bomb, too late to be used on the Nazis but in time to be dropped on Japan. Bang. Hurrah. The war ends. Sorry about all the innocent people who got burned to death but that's war and they shouldn't have attacked Pearl Harbor. The end. Except that it isn't the end. All kinds of worrying things are buried in the story. At one point, in 1942, one of Oppenheimer's Communist friends suggests that Oppenheimer gets in touch with the Soviet Union about the bomb project through a British scientist (and Soviet asset). Oppenheimer realises the suggestion is treasonous and refuses it. But he does not report the contact for eight months. When he does, he tries to cover up his friend's role for four months. All this matters because soon after the German defeat, it becomes clear Stalin has penetrated the bomb project, and has known for ages about it. And the US, having been Stalin's close ally until 1945, violently switches to being Moscow's bitterest enemy. How can there be so little actual dialogue in so long a film? Why does the director, Christopher Nolan, feel it necessary to accompany conversation, when it happens, with loud, driving music (and sometimes with unexplained crashing noises) to tell us this is all important? Suddenly, now that the Soviet Union is the enemy, all those Communist dalliances in the 1930s start to matter. Just because the stupid, gristle-brained Senator Joe McCarthy says so, doesn't mean the American establishment hasn't been infiltrated by pro-Soviet Communists. Subsequent intelligence disclosures confirm that it was. Oppenheimer, later in life, ceases to be indispensable to the US nuclear bomb programme. Plenty of others can handle it. He has also become politically awkward as he clearly suffers from remorse over the uses made of his discoveries. But why is so much of the film devoted to an attack on an obscure US politician, Lewis Strauss, who took part in the campaign to remove Oppenheimer's security clearance. Hollywood was badly scorched by crude witch-hunts during the McCarthy years and has never really seen straight over such issues since. The danger was not imaginary, or purely the result of American hysteria. The truth is that there were Communists, and fellow-travellers, in the US and in Britain, and that quite a few became agents of Stalin. Many probably got away with it. In unhysterical Britain, the nuclear scientist Alan Nunn May, an actual Communist, was jailed for ten years for giving secrets to the Soviets. The German refugee Klaus Fuchs, who also gave British nuclear secrets to Stalin, was jailed for 14 years and went to live in Communist East Germany when released. All of this has been known for years. But a film made in 2023 needs to get past these ancient 1950s Hollywood resentments. Here are several huge issues barely touched on. The scientists knew they were building a weapon of mass destruction but excused themselves because Hitler might build one, too. We now know that Hitler never got near building a bomb. Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves (centre) examine the twisted wreckage that is all that remains of a hundred-foot tower, winch, and shack that held the first nuclear weapon. On the far right is Victor Weisskopf, of the Manhattan Project's Theoretical Division The whole moral driving force of the project was a fantasy. In the summer of 1945, British intelligence assembled a group of captured German scientists at a picturesque old house in Godmanchester, near Huntingdon. The house was bugged from basement to attic. The Germans were astonished at news of the bomb and plainly had never got within miles of making one. This has been public knowledge since 1992. Even more devastating is modern historical research about Japan. It is clear that Japan's surrender was not forced by the bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Japan's fanatical leadership cared little about civilian deaths (they had not blinked when a firebomb raid in March 1945 killed 100,000 in Tokyo itself). By the time the bomb was ready, there were few Japanese cities of any size left standing. The scholar Tsuyoshi Hasegawa concluded from Japanese and Soviet records that Japan's surrender was mainly caused by Stalin's decision to enter the war. The military leadership feared he would invade Japan from the north and seize large parts of the country. It has long suited Japan and the US to pretend that the two A-bombs ended the war. Japan can pose as a victim nation. The US, which is embarrassed about being the only country to use the bomb in war, can soothe consciences by saying the action saved tens of thousands of Allied troops from death. But the worrying truth is known to academics and diplomats. So the second great justification for the use of the bomb in 1945 melts away. President Truman's airy dismissal of Oppenheimer as a 'crybaby' for doubting the morality of using the bomb now looks callous and self-serving. Truman was a nobody promoted to power by the crooked Tom Pendergast machine in Kansas City, Missouri. For sure, he was no great intellect. Oppenheimer, by contrast, was a powerful thinker. A great film could have been made out of this huge story. But this wasn't it. Kanye West was spotted while stepping out in Verona, Italy on Saturday afternoon. The 46-year-old rapper stood out during his time in the getaway destination as he covered his face with a sizable black hood and spent time with a female friend. The controversial musician - who allegedly spent the night with an Australian model several years ago - also donned a jet-black t-shirt on top of a dark gray long-sleeve undershirt. West, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, paired his tops with an oversized pair of pants, the bottoms of which were tucked into sock-like shoes. The performer added a bit of shine to his look with a single sparkling necklace. Unique fashion: Kanye West was spotted while stepping out in Verona, Italy on Saturday afternoon The Stronger rapper's outing took place not long after his Twitter account reinstated, almost eight months after suspension. The Grammy Award-winning performer was previously known for extensively utilizing his platform on the social media platform, which is currently being rebranded as X, to promote his various projects. However, West was initially suspended from X in November of last year after he posted antisemitic messages on his account. According to Metro, the rapper wrote that 'I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.' He added: 'The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.' The performer was released from several deals with various apparel companies after making his statements. West was eventually allowed to return to X, although he was quickly suspended for a second time after he posted an image of a swastika blended with a Star of David in December. X's owner at the time, Elon Musk, said that the post violated a company rule concerning incitement to violence. Incognito: The 46-year-old rapper stood out during his time in the getaway destination as he covered his face with a sizable black hood and spent time with a female friend Back in black: The controversial musician also donned a jet-black t-shirt on top of a dark gray long-sleeve undershirt Fresh kicks: West, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, paired his tops with an oversized pair of pants, the bottoms of which were tucked into sock-like shoes Back on: It comes after his Twitter account reinstated, almost eight months after suspension, though his last post was made on November 30 and simply read: 'Shalom : )' Suspended: West was initially suspended from X in November of last year after he posted antisemitic messages on his account The controversial entrepreneur previously stated that he wanted the platform to serve as a hub for free speech, a standpoint that ultimately became the subject of controversy. According to The Wall Street Journal, West's account was reinstated after X was assured that he would not use his platform to promote antisemitism or violent acts. However, the rapper has not made any posts on his account as of Saturday afternoon. The most recently-shared tweet on the performer's account was made on November 30 and simply read: 'Shalom : ).' The Block is going carbon neutral in next year's season, according to the Herald Sun. Paperwork lodged with the Hepburn Shire Council show a planning permit has been submitted for five luxury houses on vacant farmland in Daylesford's Raglan Street, country Victoria. The report details the proposed development of five fossil fuel free, carbon neutral, five bedroom homes designed by an architect. The homes will also feature a mezzanine, rumpus room, heated swimming pool and al fresco areas as part of the layout. Julian Brenchley of Group Architects, who is The Block's regular architect, was listed as a joint applicant on the proposal. The Block is going green in 2024, after leaked paperwork showed the carbon neutral plans five properties in Daylesford's Raglan St, country Victoria. Pictured: Scott Cam Daylesford is approximately 110km away from Melbourne and is often used as a weekender for those wanting a break from the city. The Block just wrapped filming at Charming Street in Melbourne's Hampton East. After a massive year of building topped by a controversial auction last season, the next line-up of contestants can expect an even tougher go at the competition. The report details the proposed development of five fossil fuel free, carbon neutral, five bedroom homes designed by an architect. Pictured is a mock-up from the submission With $100,000 prize money up for grabs, contestants will be put to the test as they're tasked with building a separate granny flat in addition to family homes. In 2022, winners Omar and Oz walked away with $1,686,666.66, the biggest-ever profit on the show. Scott Cam is meanwhile preparing to attend the TV Week Logie Awards on Sunday after being nominated for the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter. The Block just wrapped filming at Charming Street in Melbourne's Hampton East. Scott is seen at the Charming Street residences He is competing for the gong against Hamish Blake, Julia Morris, Shaun Micallef, Sonia Kruger and Tony Armstrong. The Block has also been nominated for Most Popular Reality TV program and Most Outstanding Reality Program. Cam's work on The Block has already seen him earn several accolades, including the Silver Logie for Most Popular Presenter and the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Australian TV Personality in 2014. Seth Rogen opened up about staying away from Marvel or DC-based projects during an interview with Polygon that was published on Friday. The 41-year-old actor told the media outlet that, although he was a fan of several big-budget superhero projects, he was afraid of working with diminished creative control. The performer who recently blasted CEOs of streaming services also expressed that his creative partner, Evan Goldberg, would likely not be a fan of the way that Marvel or DC projects are produced. Rogen stated: 'We really have a pretty specific way we work; me and Evan have been writers for 20 years at this point. It's a fear of the process, honestly.' The Pineapple Express actor did, however, admit that he was particularly fond of certain superhero-centric projects. Speaking his mind: Seth Rogen opened up about staying away from Marvel or DC-based projects during an interview with Polygon that was published on Friday; they are seen in January 'I say that knowing nothing about the process. There are a lot of Marvel things I love,' he stated. Rogen went on to state that he was afraid that the creative process he developed with Goldberg would not work well with executives from Marvel or DC. He said: 'It's mostly a fear of how would we plug into the system they have in place, which seems like a very good system, and a system that serves them very well. But is it a system that we would ultimately get really frustrated with?' The This Is The End star also discussed working on franchise-centric projects with his longtime creative partner. 'What's also appealing for us about The Boys and the other bigger franchise-y type things we've done, is that we are creating the infrastructure and process for them, not plugging into someone else's infrastructure and process,' he said. The actor then described himself, as well as Goldberg, as 'control freaks.' Rogen is currently preparing for the release of the upcoming animated action-comedy movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The actor, who co-wrote the feature's script and served as one of its producers, voiced Bebop in the star-studded feature. Concerned: The 41-year-old actor told the media outlet that, although he was a fan of several big-budget superhero projects, he was afraid of working with diminished creative control Being honest: The Pineapple Express actor did, however, admit that he was particularly fond of certain superhero-centric projects; he is seen in January Term of endearment: The actor then described himself, as well as Goldberg, as 'control freaks'; the two are seen in April Other cast members in the movie include John Cena, Rose Byrne and Jackie Chan. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is currently scheduled to be released on August 2 in the United States. The movie has received positive reviews from critics, and it currently holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A sequel to the feature and a television series centered on the reptilian martial artists, are are both currently in development. KIIS FM host Lauren Phillips celebrated the birthday of her multi-millionaire fiance Paul O'Brien on Saturday. The TV and radio presenter, 41, shared a gallery of loved-up photos to Instagram capturing her and Paul celebrating the special occasion. One photo shows the lovebirds posing up a storm in their kitchen in front of a blue and white birthday cake, while Lauren held up a champagne glass. The pair were all smiles as they shared a toast. Another photo showed the pair rocking their best angles on their balcony against a scenic city skyline. KIIS FM host Lauren Phillips, 41, celebrated the birthday of her multi-millionaire fiance Paul O'Brien on Saturday. Lauren shared this happy snap of herself toasting while Paul prepared to cut his birthday cake 'Today we celebrate one of the best. Happy birthday Paul,' Lauren wrote next to the photos. Lauren announced her engagement to Paul live on-air on Monday, telling her co-host Jase Hawkins about their surprise proposal in Mykonos. O'Brien runs high-end aviation charter group AVMIN and has several celebrity clients, including Matt Damon, his wife Luciana Barroso, Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky. Another photo showed the pair rocking their best angles on their balcony against a scenic city skyline 'We went to Europe for the holidays. We had a few days in Rome just the two of us and I thought if he was going to propose, it would've been the two of us,' she began. 'Then we went to Mykonos and met up with all of our friends and turns out I was the only person who didn't know about it. He proposed in front of all our friends. I had no idea and then next minute he was down on one knee.' Lauren said the public proposal was such a surreal experience that at first she thought Paul was teasing her. Lauren announced her engagement to Paul live on-air on Monday, telling her co-host Jase Hawkins about their surprise proposal in Mykonos 'I think I thought he was joking. It was an out of body experience. I don't think I even looked at the ring. I just hugged him and cried and then we stood up and we all celebrated.' The notoriously private couple have been dating since early 2020 and now live together in Byron Bay. Lauren started dating Paul while she was living in Melbourne at the start of the Covid pandemic in early 2020. Leonardo DiCaprio was seen soaking up the sun during a relaxing yacht day as he was joined by bikini-clad Neelam Gill amid a lavish summer getaway to Italy on Saturday. The Titanic actor, 48, who was recently seen surrounded by blonde bombshells at a Sardinia nightclub, stayed cool wearing a pair of vibrant blue swim trunks while lounging on the spacious boat with the model, 28, and pals. The Oscar winner also threw on a white cap over his locks to partially conceal his face when stepping out into the bright sunshine. Later in the day, Leonardo had a quick outfit change and sported a short-sleeved, white button up that was partially unfastened towards the collar. He also added a green cap on top of his head and was spotted holding a conversation with a friend as they sat underneath the shade to step out of the heat. Relaxing outing: Leonardo DiCaprio, 48, was seen soaking up the sun during a relaxing yacht day as he was joined by bikini-clad Neelam Gill, 28, during a lavish summer getaway to Italy on Saturday Soaking up the sun: The model was seen opting for a skimpy white bikini as she joined the actor and close pals on the spacious yacht DiCaprio was also joined by the British fashion model who showed off her summer-ready body in a skimpy white bikini. Her long locks were slicked back into a simply ponytail to prevent any loose strands from falling onto her face. For a finishing touch, the beauty threw on a pair of stylish black shades and opted to go barefoot while spending time on the boat. Earlier this week, Leonardo and Neelam were previously seen soaking up the summer sun on his yacht in Sardinia shortly after the model denied romance rumors between the two in order to clear up any speculation. On Friday, she took to her Instagram stories and penned to her followers, 'Just to clear up any rumors I am not Leonardo DiCaprio's 'new flame.' Gill then revealed that, 'In fact, I am in a committed relationship with his good friend, and have been for many months now.' She went on to explain, 'The only reason we have been pictured in the same vicinity is because I have been there with my partner. I hope this clears up all the false stories.' The two stars fueled romance speculation due to being spotted together on multiple occasions together in recent months, such as venturing to celebrity hotspot, St. Tropez, to meet up with actor, Tobey Maguire. Staying cool: The Titanic actor beat the heat by wearing a pair of vibrant blue swim trunks while lounging on the yacht Vacation mode: The Oscar winner also threw on a white cap over his locks to partially conceal his face when stepping out into the bright sunshine Quick check: The star was seen briefly looking down at his smartphone which he held in his right hand Sleek: Her long locks were slicked back into a simply ponytail to prevent any loose strands from falling onto her face Along with Neelam, the Inception star has also recently been linked to model and Love Island host, Maya Jama, also 28. The pair were first linked earlier this year in February when the two partied together in London. In April, a source told The Sun that both the actor and media personality, 'are in regular contact and have been on a string of dates.' 'They have both recently come out of long-term relationships so neither of them are rushing into anything they are having fun and seeing how it goes.' 'They live in different countries, and Maya has had a long -distance relationship before and knows its tough, so they are taking things a day at a time. Leo has certainly been wooing her though; he loves spending time with her,' the insider added. That same month, Maya took to her Instagram to respond to the romance rumors and stated, per Page Six, 'Ive been minding my business on holiday & said I wouldnt respond/pay attention to any of the silly stories anymore but you need to stop now.' She also addressed a 'Leo' necklace she has worn, and explained, 'that is literally my star sign. We are not dating. Move on please.' Keeping it stylish: For a finishing touch, the beauty threw on a pair of stylish black shades and opted to go barefoot while spending time on the boat Outfit change: Later in the day, Leonardo had a quick outfit change and sported a short-sleeved, white button up that was partially unfastened towards the collar Catching up: He also added a green cap on top of his head and was spotted holding a conversation with a friend as they sat underneath the shade to step out of the heat Having a blast: The Oscar winner was seen spending time on his yacht while joined by close pals as he enjoys the hot summer season in Italy Recently linked: Along with Neelam, the Inception star has also recently been linked to model and Love Island host, Maya Jama, also 28; model seen earlier this month in London DiCaprio has also notably been linked to Gigi Hadid on and off since September 2022, when the two were spotted getting close at a nightclub in New York City. In February, a source told DailyMail.com that the actor was 'single' while a separate insider told People that the relationship 'fizzled' out. However, in March, Gigi and Leonardo once again sparked romance rumors after they were seen crossing paths at an Oscar party, and two months later, attended the same MET Gala party. In June, a source gave an update to Us Weekly and stated, 'Leo and Gigi have a friendly, no-strings 'situationship' right now.' '[They] travel so often so its best for them to keep their relationship open and fluid. Neither one of them wants to settle down at the moment.' 'Theyre only seeing each other right now. Its [still] casual, and they arent labeling it, [but] theyre dating [again]. Leo wants to take it slower with Gigi because theres potential there, and he wants to preserve it.' 'False stories': 'Ive been minding my business on holiday & said I wouldnt respond/pay attention to any of the silly stories anymore but you need to stop now,' Neelam penned earlier on Friday Also linked: DiCaprio has also notably been linked to Gigi Hadid on and off since September 2022, when the two were spotted getting close at a nightclub in New York City; model seen earlier this month in Malibu And earlier this month, the pair reportedly partied together at the Hamptons, with an insider telling Page Six, 'Leo and Gigi were talking to each other. She seemed thrilled. Everyone thought they were together [as a couple],' although there was no PDA between the two. Shortly before, a separate insider told DailyMail.com, 'They tried dating some time ago to see if there could be anything there, but there just wasn't. They are friends and have been for so long, but they are not in an open relationship with no-strings-attached.' 'People just need to let this go. That is not how Leonardo handles relationships. This makes him sound cheap and that he is not. When he is with someone, he is with them. He enjoys his friendship with Gigi and that is that.' Their two-year romance was the talk of the town, but artist Antonia Showering and Carphone Warehouse founder David Ross have now called it quits. I can reveal that the pair, who welcomed a baby boy earlier this year, have told family and friends about their break-up, although their only public declaration has been to unfollow each other on social media. It is understood that the newborn has not taken David's surname but the couple continue to be devoted parents. Artist Antonia, 31, a scion of the Babycham dynasty, was first romantically linked with the 58-year-old mobile phone tycoon in 2021. They were occasionally spotted enjoying cosy dinners at London's finest restaurants and spent much of their time together holed up at Nevill Holt, the multi-millionaire's stately home in Leicestershire. Their two-year romance was the talk of the town, but artist Antonia Showering and Carphone Warehouse founder David Ross have now called it quits. Artist Antonia, 31, a scion of the Babycham dynasty, was first romantically linked with the 58-year-old mobile phone tycoon in 2021 Last July, I revealed that they were expecting their first child together and it appeared that the pair's relationship was on solid ground, with their shared love of art being a strong bond between them. However, throughout their relationship, which they tried to keep largely out of the spotlight, they had faced some scrutiny over their notable age gap, with David being just a year younger than Antonia's father. Shortly before they had started dating, David was also embroiled in a political row when he gifted Boris Johnson a 15,000 holiday to Mustique. However, the then Prime Minister was cleared of breaching the code of conduct over the financing of the luxury holiday. The businessman, who has amassed an estimated 700 million fortune, was also said to have enjoyed his status as one of Britain's most eligible bachelors. Not long before dating Antonia, he fathered a son with Cecilie Fredriksen, 39, the Norwegian-born daughter of billionaire shipping tycoon John Fredriksen. Neither Antonia, who previously dated Game Of Thrones star Alfie Allen, nor David responded to an approach for comment last night. Lisa Hochstein slammed her estranged husband Lenny Hochstein after learning of his engagement to girlfriend Katharina Mazepa, despite still being married to her. The Real Housewives of Miami star, who celebrated her 41st birthday just days ago, took to her Instagram Stories after Mazepa, 27, announced her and 57-year-old Lenny's happy news to her social media on Saturday. Lisa reminded the world that Lenny is still married to her, writing, 'Congrats to my current husband and his mistress on their engagement.' She also hit back at Lenny's mom, and her mother-in-law, Marina Hochstein, who made a dig at her while congratulating her son on his new engagement earlier in the day, and said he did not have 'love' or 'respect' in his prior marriage. 'What a wonderful mother in law and grandmother. How disgusting,' Lisa clapped back in response. No congratulations: Lisa Hochstein, 41, slammed her estranged husband Lenny Hochstein, 57, after learning of his engagement to girlfriend Katharina Mazepa, 27; Pictured 2023 'Mistress': 'Congrats to my current husband and his mistress on their engagement,' the Real Housewives of Miami star, who is still legally married to Lenny, wrote on her Instagram Yikes! She also slammed Lenny's mom, Marina Hochstein, who made a dig at her while congratulating her son on his new engagement earlier in the day Marina commented on Mazepa's engagement post writing, 'I will be very happy that this time you are getting a woman who love and respect you. You certainly did not have that in your previous marriage. Good luck congratulations.' The plastic surgeon, also known as the 'boob god' of Miami, was pictured getting down on one knee in a video and a number of snaps shared by Mazepa on Saturday. 'On top of an ancient pirate cave, overlooking the sunset over breathtaking Es Vedra, he asked to steal me away forever,' Mazepa wrote of the proposal, which took place in Ibiza, Spain. The pair were pictured standing on a beachside cliff with a romantic background of the sunset and sail boats in the water. The proposal comes just a little over a month after RHOM star Lisa was accused of 'pushing' and 'verbally assaulting' her estranged husband. After she said yes, Mazepa was pictured jumping into Lenny's arms as they celebrated their happy news. Katharina put on a leggy display wearing a white ruffled mini dress and a pair of espadrille wedges. The bride-to-be wore her brunette tresses pinned back and cascading down in curls. Lenny opted for a more casual look, wearing khaki shorts and sneakers white a white button-up shirt. Katharina also happily showed off the giant baguette cut sparkler on her finger. In the first snap Lenny was seen beaming at his new fiancee with his arms wrapped around her. With her hand placed on his chest her stunning ring was visible even from far away. The next slide showed a video of the special moment, with the pair holding hands at first, before Lenny knelt in front of Katharina and popped the question. She was seen putting her hands over her mouth in surprise. After nodding yes, Lenny got back up and slipped the engagement ring on her finger. Katharina then jumped into his arms before the video zoomed in on the sunset in the background. Another snap saw the moment Lenny proposed from a a different angle. The last one revealed the diamond rock against the background of the ocean. Engaged! Earlier in the day Katharina proudly shared that Lenny had proposed to her and she said yes She said yes: The plastic surgeon, also known as the 'boob god', was pictured getting down on one knee in a video and a number of snaps shared by Mazepa Sparkling! Katharina also happily showed off the giant baguette style sparkler on her finger What a view! She put on a leggy display wearing a white ruffled mini dress and a pair of espadrille wedges and looked surprised as her boyfriend proposed Wow: 'On top of an ancient pirate cave, overlooking the sunset over breathtaking Es Vedra, he asked to steal me away forever,' Mazepa wrote of the proposal, which took place in Ibiza, Spain Romantic: The pair were pictured standing on a beachside cliff with a romantic background of the sunset and sail boats in the water Celebrating! After she said yes, Mazepa was pictured jumping into Lenny's arms as they celebrated their happy news Happy together: The duo looked thrilled as they held each other Mazepa finalized her divorce from ex-husband Shilo Mazepa this past May. According to documents obtained by Page Six, the divorce settlement states that Katharina and Shilo - who is a U.S. diplomat - divided their assets and kept everything that's in their current possession. And while the model is legally free, her plastic surgeon boyfriend is not. Lenny is in the midst of a contentious divorce from Lisa. The former couple have been battling it out over alimony and child support, as well as they kids daughter Elle, three, and son Logan, seven. Lisa split with her ex Lenny last year, with the plastic surgeon filing for divorce in May 2022, after more than 12 years of marriage. Hochstein previously called out Mazepa for 'lurking' around her ex for the past few years. A Real Housewives fan Instagram dubbed @rhom.peacock reposted Lenny's December 2021 holiday photo with Lisa and their two children highlighting that Mazepa liked the photo. 'It appears that side piece has been lurking for a while... hmmmm... suspicious ... #rhom #peacocktv #bravotv #r#realhousewives,' the caption read. Hochstein replied from her verified Instagram account, 'Theres so many more this person has liked for over 2 years on both of our accounts. She was also following until a few months ago.' Mazeppa revealed to Page Six that she followed Hochstein because they were both in the, 'same social circle.' Moving on: Lenny - who wed Lisa in October 2009 and filed to divorce last May - began dating the Austrian model Mazepa in the wake of the parting Lurking: Lisa previously called out Mazepa for 'lurking' around her ex for the past few years and liking her old Instagram photos Strange: 'Theres so many more this person has liked for over 2 years on both of our accounts. She was also following until a few months ago,' Lisa said of Katharina 'I dont think liking a picture she was tagged in years ago is all that crazy. Personally I dont remember liking or commenting on her page,' Mazepa said. Lisa previously alleged her Lenny cheated on her with Mazepa, a claim he denied. In May, his estranged wife has was accused of pushing and verbally assaulting Lenny in an altercation at their home. Lenny claims the Bravo star went on a violent tirade against him on May 10 after he entered the bedroom they used to share in their $10million Star Island mansion. Lisa allegedly ran out of her combined bathroom and closet after Lenny entered the bedroom to pick up his mail where she usually leaves it, according to new documents filed by Lenny and seen by Page Six. After running out of the bathroom, Lisa 'surprised [Lenny] by engaging in a verbal tirade demanding to know why he had entered the master bedroom,' per the legal filing. Lenny stated that he retreated after Lisa began pushing him, but that the reality star 'continued to pursue and follow him while yelling at him.' He claims Lisa could have closed the bedroom door after he left the room but instead chose to escalate the situation by calling 911 and portraying him as the 'aggressor.' Officers with the Miami Beach Police Department answered the call but decided there was not enough probable cause to make a domestic violence arrest. Responding to the new allegations, Lisa told Page Six 'there is a long history of me having to call the police because of Lennys behavior.' Divorce drama: In May Lisa was accused of 'pushing' and 'verbally assaulting' her estranged husband amid their contentious divorce Parents of two: The former couple - who split in May of 2022 - have been battling it out over alimony and child support; Pictured with daughter Elle, three, and son Logan, seven She claims Lenny entered the bedroom without her consent while she was not fully dressed and refused to leave, calling her names and taunting her in front of the children. Lenny has requested an emergency motion to be granted temporary full custody of the former couples two children. Lenny has also claimed Lisa is 'bleeding him dry financially' amid their contentious divorce. He said Lisa 'has embarked on a course of conduct aimed at bleeding out [Lenny] from a financial standpoint' and has 'charged in excess of $10,000 to [Lennys account].' Lenny also claims in the documents that Lisa 'shockingly' spent $4000 in the course of a 'week and a half', says her spending 'constitutes marital waste' and requests for the court to sanction her for her 'cash grab.' In a separate filing, Lisa alleged Lenny 'turned off' her access to grocery outlets Instacart, Uber and Uber Eats, which she says is in violation of a previous order. She also alleged that Lenny has made her feel 'threatened' by making 'unannounced visits' to their former marital home - and claimed he once showed up with his mother and called her a 'felon' and 'verbally berated her' in front of their children. She further claimed Lenny told her she 'would soon be going to jail' and their kids 'would soon be having a better mother.' Rumored romance: While Lenny has moved on with Katharina, Lisa has been linked to Introhive founder Jody Glidden, 37; They are pictured in May in Florida Lisa is now fighting for exclusive use of their Miami home, in spite of a prenup which states she must move out. The pair are warring over their prenup, with Lisa wanting the agreement overturned while Lenny wants it kept in place. Lenny - who wed Lisa in October 2009 and filed to divorce last May - began dating the Austrian model Mazepa in the wake of the parting. Late last year, he claimed in court docs that Lisa was out of control with her spending, running up a $9,000 tab for designer clothes in a single week. On the Real Housewives of Miami fifth season reunion that aired in March, Lisa conceded that her spending habits were a factor in her split from Lenny. While Lenny has moved on with Katharina, Lisa has been linked to Introhive founder Jody Glidden, 37, with the two pictured together on a number of outings in the past few months. Jessika Power has shared her plans to return to her native Australia following her split from British boyfriend Connor Thompson. The Married At First Sight star, 30, took to Instagram on Saturday where she let slip she was 'saving money' to return Down Under, after moving to the UK to live with former flame. 'I'm in my saving money era because I need to go home to Australia,' Jessika said while spruiking a budget concealer. 'I've been sick for five days, really sick ,where I couldn't even move out of the bed. I was sweating for days in bed' she said, before clarifying she didn't have Covid. 'I might be a bit annoying on social media today [due to being so sick in bed].' MAFS bride Jessika Power, 30, (pictured) revealed her plans to return to Australia on Saturday while detailing being sick for the last 'five days' - following her split from ex-boyfriend Connor Thompson Jessika confirmed in June she'd split with her English boyfriend after two years, saying that the decision was mutual. Connor also confirmed the split to Daily Mail Australia on June 22. Jessika has since unfollowed her beau on Instagram. 'I'm in my saving money era because I need to go home to Australia,' she said She also recently shared a post to her Instagram story asking her fans to recommend a removalist company to bring her belongings back home. The reality TV star also shared a cryptic quote to her Instagram about 'happiness and respect'. 'Staying in a relationship just because you love somebody is not worth it. Love is not all you need. Respect is what you need. Time is what you need. Reassurance is what you need. Happiness is what you need. A best friend is what you need,' it read. Jessika confirmed in June she split with her English boyfriend after two years, saying that the decision was mutual. Connor also confirmed the split. Pictured together in happier times In September last year, Jessika revealed Connor had met all of her family and they all approved. 'He's met my family in Perth and my family on the Gold Coast,' she said at the time. 'I haven't introduced most of my boyfriends to my family, but every single family member, even my dad, love him.' She added: 'My nan asked me the other day when we're getting married!' Jessica and Connor returned Down Under in August last year to promote Celebrity Slim, for which she was an ambassador. The blonde rose to fame on season six of Married At First Sight Australia in 2019. Asher Keddie is returning to screens in a new Amazon Original miniseries opposite Aliens icon Sigourney Weaver. The Offspring star, 48, is appearing in The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, which is based on a 2018 novel by Australian author Holly Ringland. Keddie revealed on Sunday that she was thrilled to be appearing in a production based on one of her favourite novels, alongside Weaver and Leah Purcell. 'There are a lot of surprises in there, so many secrets and much that's hidden when we first meet all the characters, including mine,' she told Perth Now. 'Filming was a really thoughtful process and despite the very difficult themes that we explored... there was hope and joy in the story.' Asher Keddie, 48, (pictured) is returning to screens in new Amazon Original miniseries The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart The gripping series was filmed in a century old home in the Hunter Region of New South Wales and follows a young girl living on a rural flower farm. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is available to stream on Amazon Prime from Friday, August 4. While Keddie has been on Aussie TV screens for over 35 years she finally got her big Hollywood break last year in the Amazon series Nine Perfect Strangers. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, which is based on a 2018 novel by Australian author Holly Ringland Asher stars in the drama alongside Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy and Luke Evans. The acclaimed actress has been acting since she was 11, first appearing in western television drama series Five Mile Creek, which also starred Kidman. She went on to star in several Australian TV series and movies, but received wide recognition for her roles in the critically acclaimed shows Love My Way and Offspring. Keddie has been married to Melbourne artist Vincent Fantauzzo since 2014 and shares two sons with him, Valentino and Luca. Keddie revealed on Sunday that she was thrilled to be appearing in a production based on one of her favourite novels, alongside Sigourney Weaver. Pictured: Weaver in 1986's Aliens Model Lila Moss has clearly had enough of the UK's unreliable weather, making a sunny getaway to Italy with her new boyfriend, the fashion marketer Yoni Helbitz. She shared pictures of herself among the citrus groves on Instagram, captioning them 'Back in lemon land', as well as photos of local cuisines and coastal vistas. The 20-year-old also showed off her enviable wardrobe from a sheer white dress and yellow bikini, below, to a sleek deep green dress for dinner, left. The pictures also showed the insulin pod Lila wears to manage her Type 1 diabetes. Model Lila Moss has clearly had enough of the UK's unreliable weather, making a sunny getaway to Italy with her new boyfriend, the fashion marketer Yoni Helbitz She is no stranger to the jet-set lifestyle given that her mum is supermodel Kate Moss and her dad is media mogul Jefferson Hack She is no stranger to the jet-set lifestyle given that her mum is supermodel Kate Moss and her dad is media mogul Jefferson Hack, but she earned her rest and relaxation time following a slew of successful deals. Not only is she an ambassador for Yves Saint Laurent Beauty, but she recently posed for jewellery designer David Yurman. Meanwhile, Yoni, 20, has been working for fashion brand Self Portrait. The Princess of Wales must be very proud her cousin Tallulah Goldsmith has graduated from Newcastle University. Tallulah, 21, who studied psychology, celebrated getting her degree by posing in her gown, left, between her proud parents Luan and Gary, who is Carole Middleton's younger brother. Despite The Toon's reputation as a wild party city, it's clear Tallulah was the model student as not only has she done her uni work, she also toiled as a content writer for management consultancy firms on the side. With all her newfound knowledge in psychology, perhaps she could offer her services to smooth over certain tetchy Royal relationships? The trailer for the upcoming horror film Saw X was released on Saturday. The highly-anticipated prequel focuses on the origin of the sadistic John Kramer, played by Tobin Bell, who is later known as Jigsaw. The movie which recently released a new poster is chronologically set after the first Saw installment (2004) but before the events in Saw II (2005). The trailer begins at a hospital where a doctor, played by Octavio Hinojosa, informs Kramer that he has been diagnosed with near-inoperable cancer. Bell's character is then directed to Mexico City, where a surgeon portrayed by Synnve Macody Lund brings him in for experimental treatment. He's back! Tobin Bell reprises roll of the sadistic Jigsaw for the upcoming horror film Saw X, which released its first trailer Saturday Storyline: The forthcoming feature serves as a prequel to Saw II and focuses on the origin of John Kramer, played by Tobin Bell, who later became better known to the public as Jigsaw The trailer begins at a hospital where a doctor, played by Octavio Hinojosa, informs Kramer that he has been diagnosed with near-inoperable cancer Although Kramer goes under the knife, he is later informed that his tumor was never removed during the procedure and that he only has 'months, at best.' Bell's character is then seen sketching ideas for torture methods and ominously states that 'I still have a lot of work to be done.' Kramer then kidnaps several of the individuals involved with his surgery and brings them to a nondescript warehouse, where they are then strapped into various torturous devices. He then addresses his captives and informs them that 'It's time to play a game.' Kramer adds that 'You all pretended to cure me. But what I have planned for each of you is very real.' Bell's character then places his captives into various torture devices before sending in Billy the Puppet to provide them with surgical instruments. The longtime horror franchise lead then states: 'The only thing I have not provided is your anesthetic. But trust me, you will want to remain alert.' Kramer subsequently instructs one of his captives to remove 'a big enough piece of your cerebral tissue' in order to save his life. A new route: Bell's character is then directed to Mexico City, where a surgeon portrayed by Synnve Macody Lund brings him in for experimental treatment Double-cross: Although Kramer goes under the knife, he is later informed that his tumor was never removed during the procedure and that he only has 'months, at best' Ready for business: Bell's character is then seen sketching ideas for torture methods and ominously states that 'I still have a lot of work to be done' Pain: Kramer then kidnaps several of the individuals involved with his surgery and brings them to a nondescript warehouse, where they are then strapped into various torturous devices Ominous: He then addresses his captives and informs them that 'It's time to play a game' Out for blood: Kramer adds that 'You all pretended to cure me. But what I have planned for each of you is very real' Extra help: Bell's character then places his captives into various torture devices before sending in Billy the Puppet to provide them with surgical instruments Harsh: The longtime horror franchise lead then states that 'The only thing I have not provided is your anesthetic. But trust me, you will want to remain alert' The horror genre legend then tells his victims that 'This is not retribution. This is a reawakening.' A rapid-fire montage then ensued in which Kramer's victims underwent various forms of torture during his pursuit of revenge. The trailer ends with Amanda Young, played by Shawnee Smith, removing a pig mask while looking at an unseen figure. Saw X is currently scheduled to be released theatrically on September 29. Kate Ritchie has revealed she will be skipping the Logie Awards this year. The Home and Away star, 44, instead spent time with her daughter, Mae, eight, and her heavily-tattooed brother Stuart on Sunday. Turning her back on glamorous festivities at Sydney's The Star, Kate relaxed in the sun at a park with shirtless Stuart who revealed his full back tattoo. 'No Logies frock for me today,' she wrote, adding the hashtags 'family time' and 'Sunday' to the image. Kate's followers were quick to notice Stuart's sizeable inking down his entire back. Kate Ritchie has revealed she will be skipping the Logie Awards this year. The Home and Away star, 44, instead spent time with her daughter, Mae, eight, and her heavily-tattooed brother Stuart on Sunday 'Is that one of the River Boys?' one follower asked sarcastically. 'Definitely her brother...' another wrote. Others were impressed by Kate's brother's inkings, as well as their close relationship. 'That back tattoo is gorgeous,' one follower wrote. 'Enjoy your family. Simply the best,' another added. 'Family! Enjoy!' yet another wrote. Kate's followers were quick to notice Stuart's sizeable inking down his entire back Kate has won two prestigious Gold Logies in the past for her work as Sally Fletcher on Home and Away, from 1988 to 2008. The TV star, who was born in Goulburn, south of Sydney, has three siblings - brother Stuart and two sisters, Rebekah and Susan. She attended Campbelltown North Public School as a kid only to latee move on to the selective Hurlstone Agricultural High School. Kate, who was born in Goulburn, south of Sydney, has three siblings. A brother, Stuart, and two sisters, Rebekah and Susan. Here with Stuart Kate has had somewhat of a tumultuous year having left Nova's Kate, Tim & Joel Show, only to be replaced by Ricki-Lee Coulter. She had quit the show following a long absence and stint at rehab for alcohol dependency. Kate's most recently spoke about how her daughter Mae gives her 'purpose' and 'strength'. Kate has won multiple Gold Logies in the past for her TV work on Home and Away. The star then made a successful transition to radio on Nova. Here at the Logies in 2008 Kate opened up about motherhood in May, gushing to The Sunday Telegraph about her only child. 'Mae gives me incredible purpose and strength and she is one of the few people who allow me to be truly me. Nothing more or less,' she said. 'I am merely her mummy and she loves me for that. In fact, if I am to be really honest, as she gets older she is also teaching me I am deserving of love.' Sami Sheen and her rumored new beau stepped out in Los Angeles on Saturday. The daughter of Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, 19, was spotted hitting up Erewhon Market with the hunky brunette, where they purchased a bag of groceries. Sami who has an OnlyFans account showed off her belly button ring in a cropped pink tank top styled with short shorts. Her mystery man kept close to her as they made their way out of the store and towards their parked vehicle. Sami's bleach blonde hair flowed down to her waist and she appeared to be wearing little to no makeup. Lovebirds: Sami Sheen and her rumored new beau stepped out in Los Angeles on Saturday Sami was seen carrying a brown bag full of groceries by the time they were walking out of the store. The boyfriend looked to have a small item, or bag, in his hands as they prepared to head off to the next destination. Also opting for comfort on another warm summer day, the young man donned black shorts with a black tank top and white and black sneakers. Sami also took to Instagram on Saturday to grab the attention of her followers by sharing a sexy snap. The social media star posted a photo showing herself striking a provocative pose in pink lingerie. Sami can be seen on her knees leaning up against a large pink stuffed animal. 'Just found this from last year & never posted it,' she revealed in the caption. For this picture, she styled her platinum locks back off her face with a couple of ponytails and a part in the middle. Over the last couple of weeks, Sami has been seen out shooting her new reality show with her sister Lola Sheen, who only just turned 18 in June. Sami Sheen has been at the center of a family squabble that pitted her mother and father against other on regards to aa particular issue. It all centered around Sami launching an OnlyFans page, which is an adult content subscription service. After some backlash from people who thought she was too young to be posting sexy and revealing snaps. In a show of support, her mother not only commended her daughter for having the confidence to launch the page and showcase her figure, the former Playboy model also opened up her own OnlyFans account, where she shared images of her womanly curves, for a subscription fee. The daughter of Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, 19, was spotted hitting up Erewhon Market with the hunky brunette, where they purchased a bag of groceries Teaser: Sheen also teased her fans and followers by writing: 'You might want to check my Twitter' inside this photo Controversy: The social media darling was in the middle of a rift between her parents when she signed up for an OnlyFans account, which is an adult content subscription service Sheen celebrated her one year anniversary for signing up for OnlyFans on July 14 Her father, who's had a few sexy scandals in past years, let it be known he did not approve of his daughter showing off her figure for a price. Sami hasn't let the controversy sway her thinking about OnlyFans, and in fact took to Instagram on July 14 to mark the one-year anniversary of joining the service. 'cheers to 1 year with @onlyfans im so beyond grateful for my subs thank u for always chatting with me,' she gushed in the caption of her July 14 post. It showed her sitting on a couch on her knees wearing just a Only Fans white t-shirt Reese Witherspoon's lookalike daughter Ava Phillipe looked the spitting image of her mum as she shared a stunning swimsuit snap to Instagram on Saturday. The Legally Blonde star's 23-year-old daughter, who she shares with ex Ryan Phillippe, showed off her incredible figure in the cut-out one piece. Ava left her blonde tresses loose as she lay on the floor posing up a storm next to a swimming pool. The snaps revealed that the college graduate has landed a new brand partnership with Aerie. Captioning her latest post, she wrote: 'Soaking up the second half of Summer with @aerie.' Looking good: Reese Witherspoon's lookalike daughter Ava Phillipe looked the spitting image of her mum as she shared a stunning swimsuit snap to Instagram on Saturday Twins: The actress, who shares Ava with ex Ryan Phillippe, could pass for sisters with her daughter Reese, 47, who was married to Ryan from 1999 until 2008, was quick to hit the like button and Ava's younger brother Deacon followed suit. The actress also shares her son Tennessee with her ex, Jim Toth. The two tied the knot in 2011, but they announced in a joint statement in March that they were divorcing after nearly 12 years of marriage. In 2021 Ava said she isn't sure if she wants to follow in her famous parents' footsteps. The blonde is a graduate of UC Berkeley. She has also worked as a model while building her social media profile to 1million followers. Phillippe revealed to E! that she isn't quite sure if she wants to pursue acting. Phillippe worked for Pat McGrath Labs x Bridgerton, a limited edition collection from 2021. Footsteps: After her time in academia is done, Ava revealed in a new interview with E! that she isn't quite sure if she wants to pursue acting Exploring: 'I'm exploring, and that's so awesome. I'm so lucky to be able to do that and to find things that work for me. I can't wait to see what's next,' she added She opened up that her parents have been supportive in her endeavors and want her to choose her own path, whatever that may be. 'My parents have always encouraged me to choose the path thats right for me and, you know, guide me along the way to make better choices than I might make,' Ava said. 'Im so grateful for that. That is such a privilege to have parents that support you in that way and to want you to be who you truly are meant to be. So I think Im trying to do that,' she added. When asked about the potential for an acting career, Phillippe said, 'I don't see it out of the question, certainly,' but she still hasn't fully decided. 'Im not so sure on where Im going yet. Thats kind of what Im trying to figure out in this stage of my life, whats the right fit for me and whats going to do the best for others within that context, and what can I be most impactful with,' she added.' 'I'm exploring, and that's so awesome. I'm so lucky to be able to do that and to find things that work for me. I can't wait to see what's next,' she added. When asked what she's learned while attending UC Berkeley, Ava added, 'not to take everything personally, especially socially.' 'We can get wrapped up in our heads that everything is about us in some way or another, in hurtful ways, in helpful ways and everything in between,' she continued. 'But I really think the lesson I'm learning is, let people be who they are and do your best with what you know,' she added. Reese revealed in a November 2021 interview with InStyle that she often gets mistaken for her daughter, which she loves. 'It makes me feel so young. I'm so proud of her. She really rolls with it.' Sunrise hosts Matt Shirvington and Natalie Barr made their red carpet debut as co-hosts at the Logie Awards on Sunday after the former Olympian joined the show last month. The duo beamed as they made a grand entrance at The Star in Sydney. Natalie was the epitome of timeless elegance in a sophisticated strapless black gown. Her makeup palette was also on point, with the TV star rocking a smoky eye, black mascara and glossy nude lipstick. Her brunette locks were artfully tied up, her fringe parted down the middle to frame her face in a soft, flattering style. Sunrise hosts Matt Shirvington and Natalie Barr made their red carpet debut as co-hosts at the Logie Awards on Sunday after the former Olympian joined the show last month The duo beamed as they made a grand entrance at The Star in Sydney Meanwhile, her Sunrise partner-in-crime looked every bit the dapper gentleman. The 44-year-old sported a tailored black tuxedo, perfectly paired with a crisp white button-up shirt and a classic black bow-tie. His ensemble was polished off with a pair of shiny black shoes, completing his debonair look. Her makeup palette was also on point, with the TV star rocking a smoky eye, black mascara and glossy nude lipstick Meanwhile, her Sunrise partner-in-crime, former Olympian Matt Shirvington, looked every bit the dapper gentleman Shirvington and Natalie celebrated recently celebrated their big ratings win, after rival Today show was forced to operate without its leading man Karl Stefanovic, who was away from the desk on a two-week holiday. Karl, 48, was previously slated to go head-to-head with David Koch's replacement, but was MC'ing at chicken heiress Tamie Ingham's wedding to Guillaume Brahimi in Paris instead. Instead, the program was fronted by Karl's co-host Sarrah Abo and fill-in, Nine's chief political editor Charles Croucher. Shirvington and Barr celebrated recently celebrated their big ratings win, after rival Today show was forced to operate without its leading man Karl Stefanovic, who was away from the desk on a two-week holiday 'The timing is absolutely horrible. It's never been more important for Karl and Sarah to put on a united front,' a source told New Idea. 'It's crucial Karl be there to prove what Today is made of while Shirvo and Nat try to step up without Kochie [David Koch].' However Nine Network's director of morning television Steven Burling defended Karl's break and said it was 'pure coincidence'. '[Karl] booked in these two weeks' leave some months ago. The fact his holiday coincides with Shirvo's first day is pure coincidence. Nothing more,' he said. Michelle Keegan was all smiles as she arrived on set in Manchester on Sunday for the final few days of filming her new Netflix drama Fool Me Once. The actress, 36, braved the wet weather as she wrapped up warm in a large padded pastel pink coat as she chatted to crew members ahead of the scene. She donned a white high necked long sleeved top underneath and opted for a pair of black trousers. Michelle later swapped the large coat for a smart boucle black long jacket and styled her long dark tresses in a neat low ponytail. The former Coronation Street star walked to set under an umbrella which a crew member carried over her. High spirits: Michelle Keegan was all smiles as she arrived on set in Manchester on Sunday for the final few days of filming her new Netflix drama Fool Me Once Looking good: The actress, 36, braved the wet weather as she wrapped up warm in a large padded pastel pink coat as she chatted to crew members ahead of the scene On set: She donned a white high necked long sleeved top underneath and opted for a pair of black trousers She was later spotted speaking to producers while sat in a blue vehicle before driving off. It's been rumored Michelle has reportedly signed a 1M deal to star in the Netflix series, which is based on one of Harlan Coben's books. In the upcoming show, Michelle plays Maya, a mother who suffers a trauma after returning from war. Seven of Harlan's hit books have already been adapted into Netflix series, including psychological thriller The Stranger, which garnered huge popularity on the platform. According to the book's synopsis, Maya goes through a trauma when her husband Joe is brutally murdered. But two weeks later, she has to deal with a mystery when she sees her infant daughter playing with Joe on her baby monitor. She will star alongside the likes of Richard Armitage, Adeel Akhtar and Dino Fetscher on the show. Speaking of Michelle's new role, a TV source told The Sun: 'This is a huge role for Michelle.' 'Harlan's dramas are some of the most streamed on Netflix and people watch around the world.' A release date for the series is yet to be confirmed but it is expected to be available for streaming from late this year or early next. All smiles: Michelle later swapped the large coat for a smart boucle black long jacket In character: She styled her long dark tresses in a neat low bun from a centre parting Keeping warm: The former Coronation Street star walked to set under an umbrella which a crew member carried over her Getting ready: Michelle was giving a helping hand out of her coat ahead of filming a car scene Incredible: She looked stunning as she applied a light radiant palette of makeup Stunning: She was later spotted speaking to producers while sat in a blue vehicle before driving off Sensational: Michelle couldn't contain her smile as she looked at a crew members phone on the way to set Amazing: It's been rumored Michelle has reportedly signed a 1M deal to star in the Netflix series, which is based on one of Harlan Coben's books Wow: In the upcoming show, Michelle plays Maya, a mother who suffers a trauma after returning from war Amir Khan's wife Faryal Makhdoom ditched her wedding ring while out partying after her boxer husband was caught sexting another women. The mother-of-three, 32, put on a brave face as she posed with a pal for stunning Instagram snaps on Saturday during a night out. It comes after MailOnline revealed that Amir and his wife Faryal, 31, have separated and are said to be splitting their time between their homes in Dubai and Britain while Faryal decides whether she wants to end their 10-year marriage. Faryal looked typically stylish in a green feather trim blazer and accessorised with several rings, but her wedding band was gone. Amir has jetted back to London from Dubai after being caught sexting another woman. Separated: Amir Khan's wife Faryal Makhdoom ditched her wedding ring while out partying after her boxer husband was caught sexting another women Split: It comes after MailOnline revealed that Amir and his wife Faryal, 31, have separated and are said to be splitting their time between their homes in Dubai and Britain while Faryal decides whether she wants to end their 10-year marriage The former professional boxer, 36, took to his Instagram Stories on Friday to share that he was leaving Dubai, where he has been staying, and returning to the UK. It comes after a new woman has claimed she had an affair with the boxer over four months - which only ended when his wife Faryal threatened to 'name and shame' her. The unnamed woman has revealed that the champion fighter admitted his marriage was 'on the rocks' and said that she slept with him this year after he demanded 'no holds barred' sex. The woman reportedly said she met with Amir on several occasions, but that their fling ended when she received a call from his furious wife. Elsewhere on Friday, Faryal took to her own Instagram Stories to share a string of cryptic posts about 'love' and 'loose ends' after Amir was caught sexting another woman. Amir shared a video on Friday confirming that a car was picking him up and taking him to the airport in Dubai for a flight back to London. It is not known where Faryal is currently staying. He later shared a selfie of himself lying back and relaxing on the aeroplane as he prepared to have a nap on the nearly eight-hour long flight. Meanwhile, Faryal took to Instagram to share a cryptic message about falling in love with someone who doesn't make it seem 'hard'. She wrote: 'Fall in love with someone who doesn't make you think love is hard.' In another post, Faryal shared a poem about the main character of a book 'finding their love' and 'shining' bright. It read: 'Just like a book, I hope the second half writes a perfect tale where all loose ends find their place.' Elsewhere this week, Amir also shared a birthday tribute to Faryal on Instagram , uploading a snap of both of them smiling together. Amir, who is currently in Dubai, captioned it: 'Happy birthday Faryal. You deserve the world and more,' with a heart emoji. He then reiterated the message on his Story as he added another photo of his wife and wrote: Since its 12am in Dubai, I want to wish Faryal a happy birthday.' In the second post, his wife looked stunning as she posed for a selfie with a full face of glamorous make-up. Looking good: The mother-of-three, 32, put on a brave face as she posed with a pal for stunning Instagram snaps on Saturday during a night out Travels: Amir Khan has jetted back to London from Dubai after being caught sexting another woman and separating from his wife Faryal Makhdoom It comes after MailOnline exclusively revealed that Amir and Faryal have separated and are currently living apart after he was caught sexting another woman. Amir's tumultuous marriage to the mother of his three children is on the rocks after the sportsman approached bridal model Sumaira online and eventually asked her to send raunchy pictures. It is understood that Amir and Faryal are now separated and are splitting their time between their homes in Dubai and Britain while Faryal decides whether she wants to end their 10-year marriage. A source close to the Khan family told MailOnline: 'Faryal is taking time to think about whether or not to walk away. She's going through a very difficult time and choosing to focus on her children while she and Amir continue to co-parent.' MailOnline contacted Amir for comment at the time. Amir admitted he 'regretted' messaging model Sumaira, revealing he'd contacted her out of 'boredom' and telling The Sun that he'd go through therapy to stop him sexting other women. Asked if he would attend therapy sessions, he said, according to The Sun : 'That question hasn't been brought up before. 'But maybe I do need help to stop me from messaging other women. I am willing to go to therapy to stop me sending texts to women who aren't my wife. 'I think nowadays with mental health issues, any help goes a long way. It's definitely something I would do. Things like that do help, so maybe it's something to think about.' Messages: Elsewhere on Friday, Faryal took to her own Instagram Stories to share a string of cryptic posts about 'love' and 'loose ends' after Amir was caught sexting another woman Cryptic: Faryal took to Instagram to share a message about falling in love with someone who doesn't make it seem 'hard' The sportsman said Faryal was 'disgusted' at the news of him messaging another woman, with her telling him: 'If you have a diamond at home, why do you want to mess around with rocks and stones?' Amir admitted his behaviour was 'not nice' and noted that his children will one day read about what happened, which he said will 'upset them'. Initially complimenting the model's tattoos, Amir's messages quickly turned racy, telling the model that she 'looked good (in a) G string', suggesting that she'd had a boob job and asking her to send raunchy pictures, before then trying to meet up with her in person. Faryal appeared to defend her husband, blasting Sumaira in a lengthy Instagram post after the model claimed Amir had told her his marriage was 'a bit of a business arrangement'. On Instagram, she said she 'refuses to play out my marriage publicly' and said that 'after a long week of accusations, slander and harassment I have decided it is now time to address the situation that has unfolded'. Earlier this month, it was alleged Amir contacted bridal model Sumaira online and said that he and Faryal were 'not properly together' and that their marriage was 'a bit of a business arrangement'. Amir later hit out at the claims in a chat with Geo News, claiming Sumaira had sent him raunchy pictures unsolicited. Addressing his denial, Sumaira, 25, shared a TikTok video in which she accused the boxer of lying and threatened to disclose more screenshots of their conversations, prompting his wife Faryal to address the remarks in an Instagram Story. Relationship: Her post came as Amir penned a birthday tribute for her, amid reports that the couple are living apart after he was caught sexting another woman Gushing: He then reiterated the birthday message on his Story as he added another photo of his wife and wrote: Since its 12am in Dubai, I want to wish Faryal a happy birthday' Faryal, who shares three children with boxer Amir, described Sumaira's actions as a 'hate campaign' and has denied that she is 'responsible for Sumaria's current mental state'. Implying that she was standing by Amir, Faryal said 'the whole world is aware of his track record' and insisted that Sumaira must have been aware he was married when she sent him revealing photos. 'Over the duration of the last 7 days, I had had private conversations of mine dissected and torn apart by an alleged 'legal representative' acting on behalf of Sumaira, who has taken to social media with what I can only describe as a hate campaign,' Faryal wrote. 'My name has been used in almost every single story she has posted in a bid to tarnish my reputation and name label me as not only a woman who has no 'self respect' but Amir's supporter and enabler in these circumstances, all because I refuse to publicise the private dealings I have with my husband.' 'How I deal with my marriage and my husband is not the concern of anyone else. I refuse to play out my marriage publicly, the situation has been humiliating enough for me and I will not further play in the spectacle created by others in order to satisfy their desires. 'I will stand strong in my stance that I did not owe Sumaira anything more than a civil conversation.' Faryal then addressed Sumaria's claims that she was unaware Amir was married, writing: 'This woman was not under the impression that Amir was a single bachelor, yet she continued on speaking to him whilst gathering her evidence to take to social media.' Revealing what she said to Sumaria in a 'civil conversation' Fayral wrote that 'I knew what the outcome of this situation would be and I forewarned her not to take this to social media.' 'I explained that the situation would cause immense embarrassment not only for her but for my family also and that in the end no one wins.' 'I am a woman who receives abuse on a daily basis simply for existing and I knew she would also receive the same for even entertaining a married man, no matter what spin she put on the story.' 'I'm now being made responsible for Sumaria's current mental state. Her 'legal representaive has claimed that Sumaria suffering with her mental health as a result of her social media presence and exposures in her exchanges with my husband Amir and this has somehow become my fault too.' 'I was the one who was disrespected, lied to and embroiled in scandal and once again, it has become my fault.' Difficulties: It comes after MailOnline exclusively revealed that Amir and Faryal, who share three kids, have separated and are living apart after he was caught sexting another woman 'Amir and Sumera are both adults who engaged in consented communication. They did not consult me when exchanging messages nor did they consider or respect me when building a "bond."' 'I will not be dragged through the mud now for not "supporting another woman". This woman had no respect or regard for me as a woman and as Amir's wife. There was also no consideration of my mental health.' 'I am not in control of Amir's actions not those of Sumaira. I had a civil conversation with her which is more than most women in my position would be willing to do.' Faryal finished her statement by addressing Amir's previous 'scandals,' explaining: 'I am being criticised for being Amir's wife, for still staying with him knowing his "track record". 'This is the man I am married too and have three young children with. The whole world is aware of his track record, his reputation precedes him, why would you as a single woman want to engage in a conversation with him at all?' 'My focus is my children and shielding them from all that is happening.' Amanda Bynes has left outpatient care for inpatient treatment at a new mental health facility. According to TMZ, the 37-year-old former child star 'checked herself into an intensive inpatient mental health treatment center in Orange County at the beginning of July.' It came days after Bynes checked out of a Los Angeles-area outpatient program. The outlet reported that Amanda no longer wanted to live alone and sought a more therapeutic environment. It was also noted that the actress required more assistance than the former treatment was providing. Update: Amanda Bynes has left outpatient care for inpatient treatment at a new mental health facility Seeking care: According to TMZ, the 37-year-old former child star 'checked herself into an intensive inpatient mental health treatment center in Orange County at the beginning of July' Insiders told the publication that Amanda, who rose to fame while starring on Nickelodeon in the late 90s, was introduced to the new center through her previous one. Amanda likes being around a medical team, therapists, and other patients, because she's able to have more social interaction. At the new treatment center, the star is receiving around-the-clock care and regular therapy. There are also activities to help Bynes hone skills to use when she checks out of the facility. Sources told TMZ it was Amanda who decided to switch up her care. Last month the All That alum was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold, two months after she was released from a mental health facility following a three-week stay. Several days later, TMZ reported her psychiatric hold had been extended by at least one week as doctors attempted to stabilize her medication and therapy. At the time, the site reported that Amanda functions well when she takes her medication but stops once feeling better, leading to a downward spiral. When the star was previously under conservatorship, before ending in March 2022, her mother Lynn was responsible for making sure she took her prescribed medication. Family: When the star was previously under conservatorship, before ending in March 2022, her mother Lynn was responsible for making sure she took her prescribed medication; Amanda pictured with parents Lynn and Rick in 2004 Career: Amanda is known for starring on The Amanda Show from 1999 to 2002, and also appearing in films She's The Man (2006) and Easy A (2010) The actress had been deemed 'a danger to herself and others' following a mental health evaluation, authorities with the Los Angeles Police Department told TMZ, noting it was Bynes herself who called the police. She initially contacted the LAPD to report that a woman was in distress, sources told the outlet. The former movie star had been released from a mental health facility in April after being placed on psychiatric hold for three weeks due to roaming the streets of LA naked and appearing to be in a manic state. Sources said, 'She was taken to a police station where a professional medical unit was standing by to check her out and determine if she needed further treatment.' Eyewitnesses who had seen the incident unfold told the publication that Amanda was 'calm during the interaction' with LAPD officers, but 'looked defeated as they dealt with her.' Bynes was then placed in the back of one of the police cruisers that had arrived to the scene. 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.' Kourtney Kardashain was joined by her mini-me daughter Penelope on Sunday as they filmed a make-up tutorial on TikTok. The pregnant reality star, 44, showed off her natural beauty while filming with her 11-year-old daughter in her mega mansion in Los Angeles. The mother and daughter held up a peace sign and pouted to the camera to kick off the video. Kourtney cut a casual figure in an oversized black T-shirt and pulled her short dark tresses up in a messy high ponytail. Meanwhile Penelope rocked a white T-shirt and kept her long brunette tresses out of her face with a black headband as she applied a variety of creams. Radiant: Kourtney Kardashain was joined by her mini-me daughter Penelope on Sunday as they filmed a make-up tutorial on TikTok Posing up a storm: The pregnant reality star, 44, showed off her natural beauty while filming with her 11-year-old daughter in her mega mansion in Los Angeles The TV personality kept her routine simple by only using an eyebrow brush while her daughter went through a number of products. The final moments of the video featured Penelope and Kourtney's 'after' look as they collapsed on the floor pouting at the camera. Kourtney shares Penelope and sons Mason, 13, and Reign, eight, with ex-boyfriend Scott Disick, 40. She is currently expecting a baby boy with husband Travis Barker, 47. Blink-182 drummer Travis shares son Landon, 19, and daughter Alabama, 17, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler and is also a father figure to Shanna's daughter Atiana De La Hoya, 24, who she shares with her ex-husband Oscar De La Hoya. The video comes after Kourtney proudly showed off her growing baby bump in a leopard print bikini on Poosh's Instagram account. The suit paired a classic triangle top with boy short-style bottoms. She wore a men's white button-down dress shirt open over the swimsuit. Having fun: The mother and daughter held up a peace sign and pouted to the camera to kick off the video TikTok: Kourtney cut a casual figure in an oversized black T-shirt and pulled her short dark tresses up in a messy high ponytail Stunning: Meanwhile Penelope rocked a white T-shirt and kept her long brunette tresses out of her face with a black headband as she applied a variety of creams Looking good: Penelope applied lip blam as she got ready in a lavish bathroom Kourtney - who wore pink jorts and a pink motorcycle jacket to see Barbie - had her hair slicked back and round sunglasses adorned her face. The post was captioned: 'Pregnancy is a wild ride, and the cravings are real. So, what's Kourt been snacking on? Poosh the link in our bio to find out her current favorites.' The Kardashians star commented on the post: 'Send snack ideas lol.' And if Kourtney's comment is any indication, the expecting mother is looking for new snack ideas. According to the Poosh website, she's been craving Trader Joe's Organic Mango Fruit Bars, which she calls 'an easy thing to grab on the go,' and she likes them because the only ingredient is organic mango. She is also enjoying Kalona SuperNatural Organic Whole Milk Cottage Cheese, saying: 'This is kind of a weird snack. Since the cottage cheese explosion on the internet, Ive been having cottage cheese and dipping these White Cheddar Popcorners into it. Its so good.' She pairs Gimme Roasted Seaweed Snacks with 'avocado toast that I make on fresh, thinly sliced sourdough bread with quail eggs and a sliced peach or plum for lunch.' Her final pregnancy snack is Organic Pineapple Rings with Chili and Salt. Twinning: Kourtney shares Penelope and sons Mason, 13, and Reign, eight, with ex-boyfriend Scott Disick, 40 Advertisement Teresa Giudice showed off her fit form as she frolicked on the beach Sunday. The Real Housewives of New Jersey, who recently celebrated her third anniversary with husband Luis 'Louie' Ruelas, looked like a sea goddess in a green bikini. The reality star, 51, showcased her toned and taut tummy and legs as she cooled off at the Nammos Beach Bar in Mykonos. The Namaste B**ches podcast host wore her long, dark hair in loose curls. Teresa appeared to be wearing some makeup in the bright sun and protected her eyes with pink framed sunglasses. She accessorized with several bracelets on each arm and wore her large diamond engagement and wedding rings. Frolic: Teresa Giudice, 51, frolicked on the beach in Mykonos Sunday during a family trip to the ancient Greek island Teresa's fans prefer it when she show cases her natural good looks. She was chastised online after posting a Barbie related post in which she had used filters to soften her appearance. Joining the cookbook author on the sand were her daughters Gia, 22, Gabriella, 19, Milania, 17, and Audriana, 13. Teresa shares her children with ex-husband Joe Giudice, who was deported to Italy after his release from prison after serving time for fraud. Teresa served 11 months behind bars for her part in the scheme. She profited from the lesson she learned, detailing it in her 2016 book, Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again. Audriana looked sweet in a blue monokini with a triangle top, high cut bottom and a gold belt. Gabriella looked vacation ready in a light gray bikini with a triangle top and string bottom with high cut legs. The college student wore her dark hair straight layers and appeared to be wearing little makeup. Taut: The reality star, 51, showcased her toned and taut tummy and legs as she cooled off at the Nammos Beach Bar in Mykonos. The Namaste B**ches podcast host wore her long, dark hair in loose curls Accessories: Teresa appeared to be wearing some makeup in the bright sun and protected her eyes with pink framed sunglasses. She accessorized with several bracelets on each arm and wore her large diamond engagement and wedding rings Natural: Teresa's fans prefer it when she show cases her natural good looks. She was chastised online after posting a Barbie related post in which she had used filters to soften her appearance Family time: The reality star, 51, was seen enjoying time with her husband, Louie Ruelas and their blended family Sweet: Audriana, 13, looked sweet in a blue monokini with a triangle top, high cut bottom and a gold belt String bikini: Gabriella, 19, showed off her curves in a light gray bikini with a triangle top and string bottom with high cut legs. The college student wore her dark hair straight layers and appeared to be wearing little makeup Mom of four: The mom of four shares her children Gia, 22, Gabriella, 19, Milania, 17, and Audriana, 13, with her ex-husband Joe Giudice Comfortable: Louie, 49, looked comfortable in a blue and red pair of Balmain swim trunks Father and son: Louie was joined by his son, Louie, Jr. The 19-year-old looked muscular in a white and black Balmain bathing suit Louie, 49, looked comfortable in a blue and red pair of Balmain swim trunks. He accessorized with a saint's medallion. Louie's son, Louie, Jr, was also part of the family trip to the popular island in the Aegean Sea. The 19-year-old looked muscular in a pair of white and black Balmain swim trunks and wore dark sunglasses. The marketing and sales expert shared Louie and older son Nicholas, 21, with his ex-wife Marissa Dimartino. Scandal: Teresa shares her children with ex-husband Joe Giudice, who was deported to Italy after his release from prison after serving time for fraud. Teresa served 11 months behind bars for her part in the scheme Profit: She profited from the lessons she learned behind bars, detailing the experience in her 2016 book, Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again The Mykonos trip also served as a sort of anniversary celebration for the passionate couple. In an Instagram post Friday, Teresa shared a heart felt message to her guy. '3 years ago today I met the love of my life!!' she wrote. 'Everything in our life happened for a reason, for us to find each other,' the devoted wife claimed. 'I love you endlessly and am forever grateful you came into my life. Your soul is so rare. We have such a beautiful family and I will forever cherish our love.' Cover up: Teresa donned a braided mauve cover up Dinner: Teresa, who loves to cook and to eat, shared some tantalizing photos from their Sunday dinner. The family dined on pasta and shell fish Shots: Louie seemed to enjoy some tequila shots Dancing: She changed into a peach and white halter dress for the meal. The couple, who can't seem to keep their hands off each other, cuddled and kissed for some video selfies as they danced in the beach side bar Louie answered the missive with his own, 'You take my breath away babe everyday in every way!! LOVE YOU ' Teresa, who loves to cook and to eat, shared some tantalizing photos from their Sunday dinner. She changed into a peach and white halter dress for the meal. The family appeared to feast on pasta and shell fish. Louie also seemed to enjoy some tequila shots. The couple, who can't seem to keep their hands off each other, cuddled and kissed for some video selfies as they danced in the beach side bar. The success of The Traitors has seen a number of quiz and reality shows created with the contestants betraying each other in a bid to win. Netflix enlisted Danny Dyer to present Cheat while Channel 4 aired Rise and Fall fronted by Greg James. Bosses at ITV are also said to be developing a quiz programme hosted by Rob Rinder called The Imposter. It has now been reported Channel 4 are also working on a project which see people go to battle in the kitchen. Cutthroat Kitchen will see hopefuls attempt to come up with the best dish while also trying to sabotage those of their fellow contenders. Brutal: Channel 4 is reportedly planning a savage cooking show which see people battle in the kitchen and try and sabotage each other as they draw on the betrayal element of The Traitors (Claudia Winkleman pictured as the host of The Traitors) Merciless: Cutthroat Kitchen will see hopefuls attempt to come up with the best dish while also trying to sabotage those of their fellow contenders (television presenter Alton Brown pictured for the US version of Cutthroat Kitchen) A TV insider told The Sun: 'After watching The Traitors (hosted by Claudia Winkleman) viewers were captivated by the skullduggery, so that was a natural go-to for telly execs looking for the next big thing. 'Of course, they cant just repeat the formula, so now theyre looking at different ways they can use that thirst for back-stabbing into different genres. 'Cookery shows have already evolved from Delia Smiths twee afternoon tutorials to Hells Kitchen-style competitions thanks to the likes of Gordon Ramsey. 'So though it sounds like a bizarre combination, this would just be taking the genre to the next level.' Cutthroat Kitchen is already a series in America but channel executives are said to be looking at how it could work for a UK audience, with a series possibly airing next year. MailOnline has contacted Channel 4 for comment. The US version sees four talented chefs given a sum of money before they have to compete against each other in the kitchen. They are tasked with cooking up three different dishes but with each course they are given the chance to spend some money on trying to destroy the other contestants' chances. Brit debut? Cutthroat Kitchen is already a series in America but channel executives are said to be looking at how it could work for a UK audience (television presenter Alton Brown pictured for the US version of Cutthroat Kitchen) This may involve inserting rogue ingredients into the meals or messing with their kitchen utensils. The person who manages to not run out of cash while still producing the best food is crowned the winner. It comes after it emerged the BBC could lose its hit show The Traitors to rival channel ITV. The commercial broadcaster is close to securing a deal to buy the company that makes the Bafta-winning programme and if they do, they will be able to decide which network airs it. Bosses would be happy to deny the BBC one of its biggest ratings hits if they can pull off the deal to acquire All3Media for 1 billion. When it launched last year, The Traitors which is hosted by Claudia Winkleman instantly became one of the jewels in the BBC's crown. Trouble afoot? It comes after it emerged the BBC could lose its hit show The Traitors to rival channel ITV Its first series, made by All3Media subsidiary Studio Lambert, attracted an average audience of 5.4 million and encouraged more young viewers to sign up for iPlayer than any other show. An industry insider told The Mail on Sunday earlier this month: 'The Traitors has been one of the biggest television success stories in recent years. It is also something that ITV bosses think would fit in so well on their own channel. 'Because they would own the company that makes it, they could do whatever they wanted with it. 'ITV know just what damage it would do to the BBC, but they have a business to run and they want to get the viewers watching their channel.' He welcomed a baby girl with his wife Janette Manrara less than 24 hours ago. And Aljaz Skorjanec was every inch the doting father as he took to Instagram and shared a sweet photo with his day old daughter on Sunday. The former Strictly pro, 33, stared lovingly into the cute youngster's crib as he showed just a flash of her face. Across the photo he penned: 'Love at every sight. I haven't moved today'. Doting dad: Former Strictly professional dancer Aljaz Skorjanec took to Instagram on Sunday and shared a sweet photo with his day old daughter On Saturday, Janette shared a sweet black-and-white photograph of herself lying in hospital and cradling her new-born daughter, while Aljaz, 33, stood over her and smiled. In an accompanying caption, Janette revealed her daughter's adorable name as she celebrated their new arrival. She simply penned: 'Lyra Rose Skorjanec. July 28, 2023,' along with an emoji of a red rose. Her celebrity friends were quick to take to the comments section to gush over Janette and Aljaz's jovial baby news. Ashley Roberts wrote: 'Lyra Rose is here!!!' before adding in another post: 'So beautiful!!! Love you!!!' While former Strictly dancer James Jordan added: 'So happy for you both. Sending love from the Jordans.' Gemma Atkinson said: 'Just wonderful', with Gorka Marquez adding: 'So gorgeous.' Congratulations! Janette Manrara announced this weekend that she had welcomed her first child with her husband Aljaz Gushing: The couple's celebrity friends were quick to take to the comments section to gush over Janette and Aljaz's jovial baby news So sweet: Earlier in the month Aljaz praised his Cuban-American wife on their sixth wedding anniversary revealing the sweet nickname that he has for her Sophie Ellis-Bextor commented: 'Yay! Welcome to the world Lyra. Congratulations! xx' while Jake Wood said: 'Welcome to the world Lyra1!!! You have chosen amazing parents.' Earlier this month, Aljaz praised his Cuban-American wife on their wedding anniversary revealing the sweet nickname that he has for her. He captioned the post: 'Happy sixth (I think) wedding anniversary Bucka. You are definitely in my top three favourite people (right now)' Janette announced that she and Aljaz were expecting their first child together in . The couple, who have been together for 13 years, announced their pregnancy news in February, after struggling to conceive for more than two years. Beyonce left the crowd absolutely mesmerized while performing at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Saturday night. In a series of stunning Instagram photos and videos, uploaded to her Instagram on Sunday, the 41-year-old superstar can be seen smiling on stage as she held onto her microphone in front of a sparky silver backdrop. For her concert, the mother-of-three rocked a black and white striped gown with a racy thigh-high slit, statement earrings and coordinating elbow-length gloves. Her long golden tresses cascaded past her shoulders in bouncy curls as a wind machine gently blew her hair back. The 32-time Grammy winner also uploaded multiple behind-the-scenes shots from her Renaissance world tour stop, including one of her looking a childhood photo. Wow: Beyonce left the crowd absolutely mesmerized while performing at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Saturday night Singing away: In a series of stunning Instagram photos and videos, uploaded to her Instagram on Sunday, the 41-year-old superstar can be seen smiling on stage as she held onto her microphone in front of a sparky silver backdrop The Halo hitmaker's post received 1,094,006 likes in just 12 hours and nearly 8,000 comments from her 315 million followers. One fan referenced her song lyrics from her 2022 track, PURE/HONEY, in the comment section as they wrote: 'It should cost a billion to look that good.' Another wrote: 'The most beautiful woman on the planet.' Her performance came on the same day that she shocked fans by appearing on a song from Travis Scott's highly-anticipated new album Utopia. The musician joined her fellow Houston, Texas native, 32, on track number nine, Delresto (Echoes). With its synthesizer-driven effects, the sound piggybacks off the performer's latest disco-themed album Renaissance, released in July 2022. As the songstress vocalizes lyrics 'it's the echoes that I wait for...' Travis chimes in with a chant-like, spoken delivery of his parts. Utopia is the fourth studio album from the influential music artist, trailing five years behind his 2018 Astroworld LP. Gorgeous: For her concert, the mother-of-three rocked a black and white striped gown with a racy thigh-high slit, statement earrings and coordinating elbow-length gloves Fashion icon: Her long golden tresses cascaded past her shoulders in bouncy curls as a wind machine gently blew her hair back Grateful: The 32-time Grammy winner also uploaded multiple behind-the-scenes shots from her Renaissance world tour stop, including one of her looking a childhood photo Utopia is full of star-studded appearances from other artists like SZA, Bon Iver, Drake, Sampha, and Young Thug, among others. The album comes after disappointing news that the rap star's Pyramids of Giza performance - originally scheduled for Friday, July 27 - was cancelled. The concert was axed on Wednesday, July 26, just two days before the planned show date, due to 'complex production issues.' Live Nation Middle East announced the update via a statement shared on Twitter. The company had previously denied the gig was cancelled after the Egyptian Syndicate of Musical Professions said it would not allow Scott's planned concert. Behind-the-scenes: The Halo hitmaker's post received 1,094,006 likes in just 12 hours and nearly 8,000 comments from her 315 million followers Plenty of praise: One fan referenced her song lyrics from her 2022 track, PURE/HONEY, in the comment section as they wrote: 'It should cost a billion to look that good' Beloved: Another wrote: 'The most beautiful woman on the planet' Unexpected: Her performance came on the same day that she shocked fans by appearing on a song from Travis Scott's highly-anticipated new album Utopia The statement from Live Nation read: 'We regret to inform you that the Utopia show, originally scheduled for July 28th at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt is cancelled. 'Unfortunately, despite highest efforts, complex production issues meant that the show could not be constructed in the desert. 'We understand that this news is disappointing and not the outcome any of us desired.' The message continued, 'Refunds will be issued to all ticket holders at their point of purchase. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this cancellation may have caused and appreciate your understanding. 'We remain committed to bringing exceptional live performances to fans and hope to have the opportunity to do so in the future.' EastEnders' Lucy Benjamin has revealed she has banned her daughters from watching Love Island because of its unrealistic body image messages. The actress, 53, who recently made a return to EastEnders as Lisa Fowler, shares Rosie and Bessie Jo with husband Richard Taggart. Lucy believes the ITV2 dating show, which ends on Monday evening, 'doesn't put out the right message'. She told the Mirror: 'I've got two daughters, a 12-year-old and a 16-year-old. So Love Island isn't on in our house. It doesn't sit comfortably with me. It's kids making out on TV and there's kind of this beautiful body image persona. Everyone looks like film stars. I don't think it puts out the right message.' 'I think we have to be careful with reality TV to look after those taking part. It's picking people out of obscurity and throwing them into the limelight.' Family life: EastEnders' Lucy Benjamin has revealed she has banned her daughters from watching Love Island because of its unrealistic body image messages Body image: Lucy believes the ITV2 dating show, which ends on Monday evening, 'doesn't put out the right message' Lucy added: 'I don't even particularly want my girls being actors. It's such a hard profession. I'd be careful about them going into acting or reality TV. It might leave a knot in my stomach. 'It has to be about having sustainability, you have to have a career behind you. And it's really important to me to not have these quick fixes whereby you get famous quick and then go from this big high to a big low.' After Lucy returned as Lisa Fowler last week, EastEnders viewers were left speculating on the real reason for the character being in Walford again. Lisa was seen with her four-year-old granddaughter Peggy Taylor, much to the shock of the little one's father Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). Lisa's daughter Louise Mitchell (previously portrayed by Tilly Keeper) gave birth to Peggy at the time Keanu was having an affair with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), the mother of his son Albie. Following the birth of Peggy, Louise started to struggle with her mental health, and she was under the impression she played a part in Keanu's apparent death, although he is still alive and as things got worse for Louise, she nearly killed her daughter Peggy by smothering the baby with a pillow. After Lisa made her E20 comeback last week, fans were left wondering if Lisa was back in London to seek revenge against Keanu, or if there was an even more sinister reason for her presence. According to the Metro, soap star Lucy said: 'She's full of bitterness and anger and hate towards them because of what they [Keanu and Sharon] did to her daughter. She's absolutely consumed by that. 'I think that's another reason why she feels justified in being all guns blazing and coming hammer and tongs for Keanu. 'And she's angry that they seem to be having a great life together when Louise is in bits back in Portugal. She's full of resentment towards them.' After returning to Walford, Lisa bumped into Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) who invited her in for a coffee. Family: The actress, 53, who recently made a return to EastEnders as Lisa Fowler, shares Rosie and Bessie Jo with husband Richard Taggart Lisa told Sonia things haven't been going well for them in Portugal, telling her Louise is struggling. Lucy explained: 'She's saying that she turned to drink and to drugs and that she would just go missing for weeks on end, so Lisa basically had the responsibility of looking after Peggy. 'When they moved away, through what had gone on with Sharon and Keanu, Louise went to pot really, and everything came crumbling down around her. And so, Lisa had to step up and take responsibility of Peggy.' After an awkward conversation with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), Lisa decided to keep her head down before confronting Keanu. But Reiss Clowell (Jonny Freeman) mistakenly revealed Lisa and Peggy were in Walford, prompting Keanu to seek out Lisa and set things straight so he could see Peggy. But, after Lisa places financial demands on Keanu, he pulled back as he decided he's not willing to give in. It was announced in May that Lucy would be returning to EastEnders as Lisa. She told the Daily Mirror at the time: 'I can't wait to return as Lisa after leaving for Portugal with Louise and Peggy in 2019. 'No doubt, in true Lisa fashion, she will bring plenty of drama for many of the characters, which is why playing her is such a delight.' Lisa was last in Walford in 2019 when she helped Louise flee to Portugal. The pair thought Louise's ex Keanu had been murdered by Martin Fowler (James Bye), but he faked Keanu's death. Back again: EastEnders viewers were left speculating on the real reason for Lisa Fowler's return to Walford during last Monday's episode EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw said: 'We couldn't be more thrilled to have Lisa back for a short while as she and Peggy cause trouble between the happy couple, Sharon and Keanu.' In January 2020, Lucy - who first played Lisa from 1998 to 2003 and then in brief stints in 2010 and 2017 - refused to rule out another return to Albert Square. She said on ITV's This Morning: 'I don't even know if I can talk about it! I knew I was going back for a stint, and I've completed that stint.' Asked about another run in Albert Square, she added: 'Well, possibly. Yeah, I mean, it's so difficult ... Lisa never seems to go away.' Dufry AG (OTCMKTS:DUFRY Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 19,100 shares, a drop of 58.4% from the June 30th total of 45,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 126,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth DUFRY has been the topic of several research reports. Credit Suisse Group initiated coverage on shares of Dufry in a research note on Friday, June 9th. They issued an outperform rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Dufry from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $40.00. Get Dufry alerts: Dufry Price Performance Dufry stock traded up $0.12 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $5.01. 45,346 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 58,486. Dufry has a fifty-two week low of $2.91 and a fifty-two week high of $5.10. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $4.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.57, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.55. Dufry Company Profile Dufry AG operates as a travel retailer. The company's retail brands include general travel retail shops under the Dufry, World Duty Free, Nuance, Hellenic Duty Free, Colombian Emeralds, Duty Free Uruguay, Hudson, Duty Free Shop Argentina, RegStaer, Autogrill, Hellenic Duty Free, HMSHost, and World Duty Free brands; Dufry shopping stores; brand boutiques; convenience stores primarily under the Hudson brand; and specialized shops and theme stores. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Dufry Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dufry and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima (NYSE:LOMA Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 409,000 shares, a growth of 19.6% from the June 30th total of 342,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 298,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.4 days. Institutional Trading of Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. UBS Group AG lifted its position in Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima by 103.2% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 5,632 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 2,860 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima during the third quarter valued at $69,000. Two Sigma Investments LP purchased a new position in Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima during the third quarter valued at $73,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima during the first quarter valued at $83,000. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP purchased a new position in Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima during the first quarter valued at $86,000. Institutional investors own 19.07% of the companys stock. Get Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima alerts: Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima Stock Performance Shares of LOMA traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $6.65. The stock had a trading volume of 129,108 shares, compared to its average volume of 346,356. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima has a 12 month low of $5.58 and a 12 month high of $7.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $778.58 million, a PE ratio of 133.00, a PEG ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 1.29. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $6.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.74. Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima Announces Dividend Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima ( NYSE:LOMA Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 5th. The company reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter. Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima had a return on equity of 0.50% and a net margin of 0.44%. The company had revenue of $211.80 million during the quarter. Analysts anticipate that Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima will post 1.15 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a Variable dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 12th. Investors of record on Monday, July 3rd were issued a $0.4648 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 30th. Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonimas payout ratio is currently 1,100.00%. About Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima (Get Free Report) Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells cement and its derivatives in Argentina. The company operates through Cement, Masonry Cement and Lime; Concrete; Railroad; Aggregates; and Others segments. It offers masonry cement, aggregates, ready-mix concrete, concrete, and lime to wholesale distributors, concrete producers, industrial customers, and others for use in the construction. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Loma Negra Compania Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anonima and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE:MAX Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 785,000 shares, a decrease of 25.2% from the June 30th total of 1,050,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 381,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.1 days. Currently, 4.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. MediaAlpha Trading Up 1.9 % Shares of MAX stock traded up $0.19 on Friday, hitting $9.97. The stock had a trading volume of 109,738 shares, compared to its average volume of 249,448. MediaAlpha has a twelve month low of $5.08 and a twelve month high of $17.01. The firm has a market cap of $633.35 million, a P/E ratio of -7.02 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $9.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.13. Get MediaAlpha alerts: MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($0.23) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of ($0.23). The firm had revenue of $111.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.82 million. On average, analysts expect that MediaAlpha will post -1.1 earnings per share for the current year. Analysts Set New Price Targets Insiders Place Their Bets Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MediaAlpha in a research report on Friday, July 21st. They issued an overweight rating for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $16.75. In other news, Director Mountains Insurance Grou White bought 5,916,816 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 30th. The stock was bought at an average price of $10.00 per share, for a total transaction of $59,168,160.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 22,856,814 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $228,568,140. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 9.64% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On MediaAlpha Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in MediaAlpha by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,202,765 shares of the companys stock valued at $19,274,000 after acquiring an additional 133,920 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in MediaAlpha in the 4th quarter valued at $15,920,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in MediaAlpha by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,534,632 shares of the companys stock valued at $22,989,000 after acquiring an additional 26,908 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in MediaAlpha by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 446,008 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,681,000 after acquiring an additional 21,269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its position in MediaAlpha by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 444,753 shares of the companys stock worth $6,662,000 after buying an additional 19,477 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.57% of the companys stock. About MediaAlpha (Get Free Report) MediaAlpha, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates an insurance customer acquisition platform in the United States. It optimizes customer acquisition in various verticals of property and casualty insurance, health insurance, and life insurance. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for MediaAlpha Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MediaAlpha and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nuveen Global High Income Fund (NYSE:JGH Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,600 shares, a growth of 117.1% from the June 30th total of 3,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 44,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Nuveen Global High Income Fund Stock Performance Shares of JGH stock traded up $0.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $11.63. The companys stock had a trading volume of 72,258 shares, compared to its average volume of 47,070. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $11.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.36. Nuveen Global High Income Fund has a 52 week low of $10.44 and a 52 week high of $13.10. Get Nuveen Global High Income Fund alerts: Nuveen Global High Income Fund Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 14th will be given a $0.1035 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.68%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 13th. Institutional Inflows and Outflows About Nuveen Global High Income Fund Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in JGH. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of Nuveen Global High Income Fund in the 1st quarter worth about $159,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Nuveen Global High Income Fund by 11.2% in the 1st quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 326,893 shares of the companys stock worth $4,655,000 after acquiring an additional 32,927 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of Nuveen Global High Income Fund by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 33,932 shares of the companys stock worth $483,000 after acquiring an additional 1,047 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG raised its position in shares of Nuveen Global High Income Fund by 7.7% in the 2nd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 46,786 shares of the companys stock worth $542,000 after acquiring an additional 3,332 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of Nuveen Global High Income Fund by 48.3% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 321,435 shares of the companys stock worth $3,616,000 after acquiring an additional 104,618 shares in the last quarter. (Get Free Report) Nuveen Global High Income Fund is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in fixed income markets across the globe. The fund primarily invests in U.S. high-yield bonds, non-U.S. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen Global High Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen Global High Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY24 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $6.25-$6.43 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $6.37. The company issued revenue guidance of $84.4-$85.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $85.28 billion. Procter & Gamble Stock Up 2.8 % Shares of PG traded up $4.30 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $156.41. 9,397,878 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,190,229. Procter & Gamble has a 1-year low of $122.18 and a 1-year high of $158.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The company has a market capitalization of $368.65 billion, a PE ratio of 27.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.42. The business has a 50 day moving average of $148.77 and a 200 day moving average of $147.26. Get Procter & Gamble alerts: Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 28th. The company reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 $20.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.21 EPS. Procter & Gambles quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Procter & Gamble will post 5.86 EPS for the current year. Procter & Gamble Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 21st will be issued a $0.9407 dividend. This represents a $3.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 20th. Procter & Gambles payout ratio is currently 65.51%. A number of research firms have weighed in on PG. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Sunday, April 23rd. Truist Financial cut shares of Procter & Gamble from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $165.00 to $155.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. Royal Bank of Canada increased 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 report on Monday, April 24th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, April 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $174.00 target price on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Tuesday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $162.13. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, COO Shailesh Jejurikar sold 31,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.03, for a total value of $4,836,930.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 10,014 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,562,484.42. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Procter & Gamble Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Centaurus Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 13.0% during the 1st quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 11,039 shares of the companys stock worth $1,641,000 after acquiring an additional 1,271 shares in the last quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 11,304.4% during the 1st quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 599,072 shares of the companys stock worth $4,029,000 after acquiring an additional 593,819 shares in the last quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 163,025 shares of the companys stock worth $24,240,000 after acquiring an additional 6,405 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 333,448 shares of the companys stock worth $49,580,000 after acquiring an additional 1,278 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EWA LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 1st quarter worth approximately $233,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.65% of the companys stock. Procter & Gamble Company Profile (Get 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. Featured Stories 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. Ovintiv Inc. (TSE:OVV Free Report) Equities researchers at Zacks Research cut their Q3 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Ovintiv in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, July 26th. Zacks Research analyst T. Saha now forecasts that the company will earn $2.10 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $2.43. The consensus estimate for Ovintivs current full-year earnings is $7.83 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Ovintivs Q4 2023 earnings at $2.39 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $8.16 EPS, Q1 2024 earnings at $2.22 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $1.95 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $2.18 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $7.97 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $8.10 EPS. Get Ovintiv alerts: Separately, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Ovintiv from C$57.00 to C$55.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Ovintiv Trading Up 5.1 % Shares of Ovintiv stock opened at C$59.74 on Friday. Ovintiv has a 1 year low of C$43.23 and a 1 year high of C$78.44. The firm has a market cap of C$16.51 billion, a PE ratio of 2.66, a P/E/G ratio of 0.05 and a beta of 3.54. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of C$50.22 and a 200-day moving average price of C$53.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 59.26, a current ratio of 0.53 and a quick ratio of 0.51. Ovintiv (TSE:OVV Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported C$2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$2.47 by C($0.01). Ovintiv had a return on equity of 69.41% and a net margin of 32.46%. The firm had revenue of C$3.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$3.16 billion. Ovintiv Cuts Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.397 per share. This represents a $1.59 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 14th. Ovintivs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.09%. About Ovintiv (Get Free Report) Ovintiv Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores, develops, produces, and markets natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids in the United States and Canada. It operates through USA Operations, Canadian Operations, and Market Optimization segments. The company's principal assets include Permian in west Texas and Anadarko in west-central Oklahoma; and Montney in northeast British Columbia and northwest Alberta. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Ovintiv Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ovintiv and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Iberdrola, S.A. (OTCMKTS:IBDRY Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 22,000 shares, a growth of 18.9% from the June 30th total of 18,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 95,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have recently commented on IBDRY. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Iberdrola from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, July 6th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Iberdrola from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Iberdrola currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $12.13. Get Iberdrola alerts: Iberdrola Trading Down 0.4 % Iberdrola stock traded down $0.19 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $50.32. The stock had a trading volume of 48,301 shares, compared to its average volume of 51,287. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $50.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $49.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.50 billion, a PE ratio of 16.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.65. Iberdrola has a twelve month low of $35.15 and a twelve month high of $53.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.82. Iberdrola Increases Dividend Iberdrola ( OTCMKTS:IBDRY Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The utilities provider reported $0.96 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $16.59 billion for the quarter. Iberdrola had a return on equity of 8.02% and a net margin of 8.61%. Analysts expect that Iberdrola will post 3 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.053 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 7th. This is a boost from Iberdrolas previous dividend of $0.58. Iberdrolas payout ratio is currently 20.27%. Iberdrola Company Profile (Get Free Report) Iberdrola, SA engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity in Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, and Australia. It generates and markets electrical power using renewable sources, such as onshore and offshore wind, hydro, photovoltaic, combined cycle gas, and nuclear, as well as through batteries. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Iberdrola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Iberdrola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI Get Free Report) updated its third quarter 2023 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $2.49-$2.56 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.60. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Sun Communities also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $7.09-$7.23 EPS. Sun Communities Stock Performance NYSE:SUI traded down $0.73 on Friday, hitting $131.50. The stock had a trading volume of 1,089,135 shares, compared to its average volume of 664,304. The stock has a market cap of $16.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 71.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a quick ratio of 2.63, a current ratio of 2.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $132.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $139.21. Sun Communities has a 52-week low of $117.63 and a 52-week high of $172.67. Get Sun Communities alerts: Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($1.23). The firm had revenue of $863.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $834.99 million. Sun Communities had a return on equity of 2.80% and a net margin of 7.27%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.02 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Sun Communities will post 7.16 earnings per share for the current year. Sun Communities Dividend Announcement Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th were given a $0.93 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $3.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.83%. Sun Communitiess payout ratio is 202.17%. Several research analysts have issued reports on SUI shares. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Sun Communities in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Sun Communities from $160.00 to $168.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Sun Communities from $163.00 to $157.00 in a research note on Friday, June 9th. Wolfe Research raised Sun Communities from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $155.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 11th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on Sun Communities from $168.00 to $158.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Sun Communities currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $157.25. Insider Activity at Sun Communities In other Sun Communities news, CEO Baxter Underwood bought 400 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 25th. The shares were bought at an average price of $126.18 per share, with a total value of $50,472.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 73,083 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,221,612.94. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Sun Communities Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in Sun Communities by 17.5% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,317,268 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $889,975,000 after acquiring an additional 939,057 shares during the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Sun Communities by 14.8% in the 1st quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,725 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $245,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Sun Communities by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 104,885 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $14,858,000 after acquiring an additional 3,165 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake in Sun Communities by 19.6% in the 1st quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 4,096 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $577,000 after acquiring an additional 670 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Colony Group LLC bought a new stake in Sun Communities in the 1st quarter worth approximately $231,000. Institutional investors own 96.23% of the companys stock. Sun Communities Company Profile (Get Free Report) Established in 1975, Sun Communities, Inc became a publicly owned corporation in December 1993. The Company is a fully integrated REIT listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol: SUI. As of March 31, 2023, the Company owned, operated, or had an interest in a portfolio of 671 developed MH, RV and Marina properties comprising approximately 179,700 developed sites and approximately 47,990 wet slips and dry storage spaces in the U.S., the UK and Canada. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Sun Communities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sun Communities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE Free Report) had its price target lowered by JMP Securities from $180.00 to $160.00 in a research note released on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a market outperform rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on ARE. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. They set a buy rating and a $142.00 target price for the company. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $141.00 to $137.00 in a research note on Monday, July 3rd. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $180.00 to $145.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $198.00 to $166.00 in a report on Thursday, May 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $160.88. Get Alexandria Real Estate Equities alerts: Alexandria Real Estate Equities Price Performance ARE stock opened at $126.51 on Wednesday. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has a 1 year low of $108.81 and a 1 year high of $172.65. The company has a market cap of $21.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.54, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $117.36 and a 200 day moving average of $130.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Alexandria Real Estate Equities Increases Dividend Alexandria Real Estate Equities ( NYSE:ARE Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.20 by ($1.69). Alexandria Real Estate Equities had a net margin of 20.65% and a return on equity of 2.54%. The business had revenue of $713.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $700.22 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.10 EPS. Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess revenue for the quarter was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Alexandria Real Estate Equities will post 8.95 EPS for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $1.24 per share. This is a boost from Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess previous quarterly dividend of $1.21. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.92%. Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess dividend payout ratio is presently 147.18%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Chairman Joel S. Marcus sold 7,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.20, for a total value of $916,500.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 351,354 shares in the company, valued at $42,935,458.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alexandria Real Estate Equities Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Spire Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 115.8% during the 1st quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 246 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 107.4% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 253 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities during the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Clear Street Markets LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 104.6% during the 1st quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 309 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Addison Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 94.8% during the 4th quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 298 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.60% of the companys stock. About Alexandria Real Estate Equities (Get Free Report) Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500 company, is a best-in-class, mission-driven life science REIT making a positive and lasting impact on the world. As the pioneer of the life science real estate niche since its founding in 1994, Alexandria is the preeminent and longest-tenured owner, operator, and developer of collaborative life science, agtech, and advanced technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, including Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Alexandria Real Estate Equities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alexandria Real Estate Equities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aurora Investment Counsel lessened its stake in Brunswick Co. (NYSE:BC Free Report) by 94.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,414 shares of the companys stock after selling 22,883 shares during the period. Aurora Investment Counsels holdings in Brunswick were worth $1,414,172,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Brunswick in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in Brunswick by 104.7% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 520 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares during the period. Fred Alger Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Brunswick during the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Brunswick during the 2nd quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Brunswick during the first quarter worth approximately $52,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.12% of the companys stock. Get Brunswick alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth BC has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup decreased their price target on Brunswick from $106.00 to $100.00 in a research note on Monday, June 26th. B. Riley dropped their price target on Brunswick from $108.00 to $106.00 in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Brunswick from $122.00 to $105.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday. KeyCorp started coverage on Brunswick in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. They set an overweight rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price target on Brunswick from $105.00 to $100.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $99.92. Brunswick Trading Down 0.0 % NYSE:BC traded down $0.01 on Friday, reaching $85.54. The companys stock had a trading volume of 586,016 shares, compared to its average volume of 600,573. Brunswick Co. has a 1-year low of $64.55 and a 1-year high of $93.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.92. The firm has a market cap of $6.05 billion, a PE ratio of 11.24 and a beta of 1.54. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $83.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $82.97. Brunswick (NYSE:BC Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The company reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.32 by $0.03. Brunswick had a return on equity of 33.86% and a net margin of 8.21%. The business had revenue of $1.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.82 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Brunswick Co. will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Brunswick Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 22nd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.87%. Brunswicks dividend payout ratio is currently 21.02%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Nancy E. Cooper sold 327 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.23, for a total value of $28,197.21. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,499 shares in the company, valued at $1,767,628.77. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Brunswick news, Director Nancy E. Cooper sold 327 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.23, for a total transaction of $28,197.21. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 20,499 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,767,628.77. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Brenna Preisser sold 1,309 shares of Brunswick stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.21, for a total transaction of $99,758.89. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 52,174 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,976,180.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 14,636 shares of company stock valued at $1,186,156. 0.58% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Brunswick Profile (Free Report) Brunswick Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets recreation products worldwide. It operates through three segments: Propulsion, Parts & Accessories, and Boat. The Propulsion segment provides outboard, sterndrive, and inboard engines for independent boat builders and governments through marine dealers and distributors, specialty marine retailers, and marine service centers; and propulsion-related controls, rigging, and propellers to original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket retailers, distributors, and distribution businesses. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Brunswick Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brunswick and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO Get Free Report) (TSE:BMO) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 8,030,000 shares, an increase of 14.9% from the June 30th total of 6,990,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 561,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 14.3 days. Currently, 1.1% of the companys stock are short sold. Bank of Montreal Stock Performance BMO stock traded up $0.13 on Friday, hitting $91.99. The company had a trading volume of 317,132 shares, compared to its average volume of 676,269. Bank of Montreal has a 12-month low of $81.57 and a 12-month high of $105.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $89.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $91.61. The stock has a market cap of $65.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.15. Get Bank of Montreal alerts: Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO Get Free Report) (TSE:BMO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 24th. The bank reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.35 by ($0.19). Bank of Montreal had a return on equity of 13.14% and a net margin of 12.83%. The company had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Bank of Montreal will post 9.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Bank of Montreal Increases Dividend Institutional Inflows and Outflows The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 28th will be given a $1.085 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 27th. This is an increase from Bank of Montreals previous quarterly dividend of $1.08. This represents a $4.34 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.72%. Bank of Montreals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 58.50%. Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BMO. National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in shares of Bank of Montreal by 388.4% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 10,585,573 shares of the banks stock valued at $958,631,000 after purchasing an additional 8,418,353 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Bank of Montreal in the 4th quarter valued at $561,431,000. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec increased its holdings in Bank of Montreal by 64.3% in the 4th quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 5,386,576 shares of the banks stock valued at $487,632,000 after acquiring an additional 2,107,925 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its holdings in Bank of Montreal by 20.6% in the 1st quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 12,305,752 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,097,768,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100,110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Bank of Montreal by 6.1% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,478,058 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,651,736,000 after acquiring an additional 1,293,280 shares during the last quarter. 40.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Bank of Montreal from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $149.50. About Bank of Montreal (Get Free Report) Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Montreal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Montreal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cahaba Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 2,541 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $247,000. Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Red Tortoise LLC acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Optiver Holding B.V. acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Philip Morris International by 200.0% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 294 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the period. Finally, Stone House Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the first quarter worth $29,000. 77.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Philip Morris International Price Performance NYSE:PM traded up $1.28 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $99.86. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,889,031 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,248,114. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $82.85 and a one year high of $105.62. The businesss 50-day moving average is $95.43 and its 200-day moving average is $97.54. The company has a market cap of $155.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.70. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 20th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.10. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 11.63% and a negative return on equity of 127.84%. The company had revenue of $8.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.76 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.48 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 14.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.2 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 23rd were issued a dividend of $1.27 per share. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 98.26%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms have recently weighed in on PM. 22nd Century Group reaffirmed a reiterates rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Tuesday, June 27th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $114.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the stock from $109.00 to $117.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 20th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $111.40. Philip Morris International 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 primarily under the IQOS and ZYN brands; and consumer accessories, such as lighters and matches. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report). 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. CBIZ (NYSE:CBZ Get Free Report) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $2.36-2.41 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.37. The company issued revenue guidance of +10-12% yr/yr to ~$1.55-1.58 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.55 billion. CBIZ also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $2.36-$2.41 EPS. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of CBIZ in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Get CBIZ alerts: CBIZ Stock Up 1.7 % Shares of CBZ stock traded up $0.88 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $52.33. The company had a trading volume of 339,492 shares, compared to its average volume of 214,816. CBIZ has a 12 month low of $42.23 and a 12 month high of $55.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $52.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $50.50. The company has a market cap of $2.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.05 and a beta of 0.75. Insider Activity CBIZ ( NYSE:CBZ Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The business services provider reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $398.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $392.37 million. CBIZ had a net margin of 7.67% and a return on equity of 15.64%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.63 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that CBIZ will post 2.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In other news, insider Ware H. Grove sold 1,515 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.85, for a total value of $80,067.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 274,524 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,508,593.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Joseph S. Dimartino sold 5,000 shares of CBIZ stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.28, for a total value of $251,400.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 25,872 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,300,844.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Ware H. Grove sold 1,515 shares of CBIZ stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.85, for a total transaction of $80,067.75. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 274,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,508,593.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 26,388 shares of company stock valued at $1,336,968 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 5.40% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its holdings in CBIZ by 56.4% during the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 1,117 shares of the business services providers stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 403 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in CBIZ by 127.1% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 1,206 shares of the business services providers stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 675 shares during the period. Money Concepts Capital Corp bought a new stake in CBIZ during the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000. Macquarie Group Ltd. increased its holdings in CBIZ by 113.6% during the 2nd quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 1,566 shares of the business services providers stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 833 shares during the period. Finally, Systematic Financial Management LP bought a new stake in CBIZ during the 1st quarter worth approximately $143,000. 88.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. CBIZ Company Profile (Get Free Report) CBIZ, Inc provides financial, insurance, and advisory services in the United States and Canada. It operates through three segments: Financial Services, Benefits and Insurance Services, and National Practices. The Financial Services segment offers accounting and tax, financial advisory, valuation, risk and advisory, and government healthcare consulting services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for CBIZ Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CBIZ and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chase Investment Counsel Corp cut its stake in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 58.4% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 6,006 shares of the payment services companys stock after selling 8,428 shares during the period. Chase Investment Counsel Corps holdings in American Express were worth $990,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in American Express by 118,198.3% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,732,068 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $2,028,913,000 after acquiring an additional 13,720,460 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in American Express by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,503,902 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $1,847,452,000 after acquiring an additional 35,760 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in American Express by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,458,404 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $1,541,863,000 after acquiring an additional 177,635 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $911,554,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its position in American Express by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 5,802,341 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $857,293,000 after acquiring an additional 405,975 shares in the last quarter. 82.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get American Express alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets AXP has been the topic of several analyst reports. Redburn Partners downgraded American Express from a neutral rating to a sell rating and set a $125.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Thursday, May 25th. 51job restated a reiterates rating on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, June 30th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a $197.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, July 24th. 22nd Century Group restated a reiterates rating on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, June 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating and set a $188.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, July 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $172.88. American Express Stock Performance AXP stock traded up $1.83 during trading on Friday, reaching $165.43. 2,925,999 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,920,659. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. American Express has a 1-year low of $130.65 and a 1-year high of $182.15. The companys fifty day moving average price is $168.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $165.44. The firm has a market cap of $121.83 billion, a PE ratio of 16.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.19. American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 21st. The payment services company reported $2.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.08. American Express had a return on equity of 29.26% and a net margin of 12.99%. The company had revenue of $15.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.57 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that American Express will post 11.15 EPS for the current fiscal year. American Express Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.45%. American Expresss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.42%. 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. Featured Stories 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. Chase Investment Counsel Corp lessened its stake in shares of Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE:PWR Free Report) by 1.1% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 21,033 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 233 shares during the quarter. Quanta Services comprises about 1.9% of Chase Investment Counsel Corps portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Chase Investment Counsel Corps holdings in Quanta Services were worth $3,504,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of PWR. Greenwich Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Quanta Services by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Greenwich Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,415 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,736,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Quanta Services by 33.1% in the 1st quarter. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 241 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC increased its stake in shares of Quanta Services by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC now owns 6,164 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,027,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the period. Highview Capital Management LLC DE increased its stake in shares of Quanta Services by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 6,548 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,091,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, Texas Permanent School Fund increased its stake in shares of Quanta Services by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund now owns 20,303 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,893,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.80% of the companys stock. Get Quanta Services alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Quanta Services news, VP Dorothy Upperman sold 4,074 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.87, for a total transaction of $749,086.38. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 13,078 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,404,651.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, EVP Derrick A. Jensen sold 100,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.36, for a total value of $16,936,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 282,225 shares of the companys stock, valued at $47,797,626. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Dorothy Upperman sold 4,074 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.87, for a total value of $749,086.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 13,078 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,404,651.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 247,074 shares of company stock worth $42,242,506. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the companys stock. Quanta Services Stock Down 0.6 % Shares of Quanta Services stock traded down $1.15 during trading on Friday, reaching $200.48. The stock had a trading volume of 1,089,380 shares, compared to its average volume of 632,066. The company has a market capitalization of $29.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 59.14 and a beta of 1.07. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $189.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $170.12. Quanta Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $123.25 and a 52 week high of $206.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. Quanta Services (NYSE:PWR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The construction company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $4.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.08 billion. Quanta Services had a return on equity of 15.72% and a net margin of 2.86%. Sell-side analysts predict that Quanta Services, Inc. will post 6.42 EPS for the current fiscal year. Quanta Services Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 14th. Investors of record on Monday, July 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 30th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.16%. Quanta Servicess payout ratio is presently 9.44%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Quanta Services from $174.00 to $190.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Quanta Services from $150.00 to $171.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Quanta Services from $173.00 to $186.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on Quanta Services from $160.00 to $170.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 9th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Quanta Services in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Quanta Services currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $188.55. Quanta Services Profile (Free Report) Quanta Services, Inc provides infrastructure solutions for the electric and gas utility, renewable energy, communications, and pipeline and energy industries worldwide. The company's Electric Power Infrastructure Solutions segment engages in the design, procurement, construction, upgrade, repair, and maintenance of electric power transmission and distribution infrastructure and substation facilities; installation, maintenance, and upgrade of electric power infrastructure projects; installation of smart grid technologies on electric power networks; and design, installation, maintenance, and repair of commercial and industrial wirings. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PWR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE:PWR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Quanta Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quanta Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (BATS:IEFA Free Report) by 8.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 94,279 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 7,081 shares during the period. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF makes up 1.1% of Cornerstone Advisory LLCs holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position. Cornerstone Advisory LLCs holdings in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF were worth $6,303,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 114,199.2% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 954,128,634 shares of the companys stock valued at $58,812,489,000 after buying an additional 953,293,870 shares in the last quarter. Cowa LLC increased its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 7,482.8% in the 1st quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 7,950,414 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,200,000 after buying an additional 7,845,566 shares in the last quarter. Grimes & Company Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 1,053.2% in the 1st quarter. Grimes & Company Inc. now owns 3,754,552 shares of the companys stock valued at $250,992,000 after buying an additional 3,428,965 shares in the last quarter. Betterment LLC increased its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 33.6% in the 4th quarter. Betterment LLC now owns 12,301,643 shares of the companys stock valued at $758,273,000 after buying an additional 3,092,198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 67.3% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 7,268,435 shares of the companys stock valued at $448,971,000 after buying an additional 2,924,692 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF alerts: iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Stock Up 0.7 % Shares of IEFA traded up $0.46 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $69.58. The stock had a trading volume of 4,736,315 shares. The company has a market cap of $100.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.29 and a beta of 0.87. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF has a 52 week low of $56.55 and a 52 week high of $70.84. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $67.69 and a 200 day moving average of $67.07. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Company Profile The iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI EAFE IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of developed-market stocks in Europe, Australasia and the Far East, and excludes North America IEFA was launched on Oct 18, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IEFA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (BATS:IEFA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust increased its holdings in shares of Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC Free Report) by 1.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 243,674 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 3,930 shares during the quarter. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust owned approximately 0.47% of Ameresco worth $11,994,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMRC. Inspire Investing LLC grew its holdings in Ameresco by 34.2% during the first quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 5,559 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $274,000 after acquiring an additional 1,417 shares during the period. Otter Creek Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ameresco by 989.6% in the 4th quarter. Otter Creek Advisors LLC now owns 59,808 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,417,000 after purchasing an additional 54,319 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ameresco during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,516,000. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Ameresco by 17.7% during the 1st quarter. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP now owns 175,690 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $8,647,000 after buying an additional 26,445 shares during the period. Finally, Granahan Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Ameresco by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Granahan Investment Management LLC now owns 297,278 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $16,986,000 after purchasing an additional 12,806 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.94% of the companys stock. Get Ameresco alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Ameresco In related news, CFO Spencer Doran Hole sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.24, for a total transaction of $231,200.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 41.75% of the companys stock. Ameresco Price Performance Shares of AMRC stock traded up $0.83 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $57.42. The company had a trading volume of 243,285 shares, compared to its average volume of 362,197. Ameresco, Inc. has a 12 month low of $39.62 and a 12 month high of $76.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.80, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.28. The firms fifty day moving average is $49.59 and its 200 day moving average is $49.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.25. Ameresco (NYSE:AMRC Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The utilities provider reported $0.03 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.04 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $271.04 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $231.61 million. Ameresco had a return on equity of 9.74% and a net margin of 4.85%. The firms revenue was down 42.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.36 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Ameresco, Inc. will post 1.8 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have recently commented on AMRC. VNET Group reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Ameresco in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. Raymond James cut their target price on Ameresco from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Ameresco from $59.00 to $53.00 in a report on Thursday, May 18th. B. Riley lowered their target price on Ameresco from $63.00 to $62.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, June 30th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on Ameresco in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. They set a buy rating and a $60.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $63.31. Ameresco Profile (Free Report) Ameresco, Inc, a clean technology integrator, provides a portfolio of energy efficiency and renewable energy supply solutions in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company operates through U.S. Regions, U.S. Federal, Canada, and Alternative Fuels segments. It offers energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, energy security and resilience, asset sustainability, and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMRC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Ameresco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ameresco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,960,000 shares, an increase of 15.0% from the June 30th total of 6,920,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,330,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.4 days. Currently, 1.4% of the companys shares are short sold. Insider Activity at EOG Resources In other EOG Resources news, EVP Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 2,031 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction on Friday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.26, for a total value of $238,155.06. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 37,607 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,409,796.82. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, COO Lloyd W. Helms, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the businesss 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 completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 149,689 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,344,464.43. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 2,031 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.26, for a total transaction of $238,155.06. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 37,607 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,409,796.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Get EOG Resources alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On EOG Resources Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Chase Investment Counsel Corp increased its position in shares of EOG Resources by 1.4% in the second quarter. Chase Investment Counsel Corp now owns 14,820 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,696,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC increased its position in shares of EOG Resources by 13.9% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 28,121 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $3,218,000 after acquiring an additional 3,432 shares during the period. Unison Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Unison Advisors LLC now owns 27,674 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $3,167,000 after purchasing an additional 407 shares in the last quarter. Northeast Investment Management boosted its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. Northeast Investment Management now owns 2,090 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $239,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Welch & Forbes LLC boosted its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 8.8% during the 2nd quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC now owns 22,363 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $2,559,000 after purchasing an additional 1,806 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.58% of the companys stock. EOG Resources Price Performance Shares of NYSE:EOG traded up $1.94 during trading on Friday, reaching $130.70. The company had a trading volume of 3,131,904 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,768,474. The company has a fifty day moving average of $115.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $117.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.53. EOG Resources has a 12 month low of $97.39 and a 12 month high of $150.88. The company has a current ratio of 2.17, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The energy exploration company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.27. EOG Resources had a net margin of 33.83% and a return on equity of 30.34%. The company had revenue of $6.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.28 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.00 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 51.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that EOG Resources will post 10.49 earnings per share for the current year. EOG Resources Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.825 per share. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.52%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 20.64%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently commented on EOG. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $141.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Mizuho raised shares of EOG Resources from a neutral rating to a buy rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $150.00 to $146.00 in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Scotiabank raised shares of EOG Resources from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $150.00 to $145.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on shares of EOG Resources from $150.00 to $140.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of EOG Resources in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $145.32. About EOG Resources (Get 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. Featured Stories 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. First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown reduced its position in The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Free Report) by 4.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,283 shares of the banks stock after selling 300 shares during the quarter. First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtowns holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $331,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 209.1% in the 1st quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 225,717 shares of the banks stock valued at $10,257,000 after purchasing an additional 152,703 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 648.3% during the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 463,640 shares of the banks stock valued at $21,068,000 after acquiring an additional 401,685 shares during the last quarter. CORDA Investment Management LLC. increased its stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. CORDA Investment Management LLC. now owns 778,203 shares of the banks stock valued at $35,362,000 after acquiring an additional 8,568 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 171.9% during the 1st quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 2,081,573 shares of the banks stock valued at $94,587,000 after acquiring an additional 1,316,128 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 199,075 shares of the banks stock valued at $9,046,000 after acquiring an additional 7,152 shares during the last quarter. 81.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades BK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $58.00 to $55.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $43.00 to $44.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $64.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $52.90. Insider Activity at Bank of New York Mellon Bank of New York Mellon Stock Performance In other news, EVP J Kevin Mccarthy sold 35,000 shares of Bank of New York Mellon stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.33, for a total transaction of $1,621,550.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 98,102 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,545,065.66. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Bank of New York Mellon stock traded down $0.16 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $44.98. 2,715,128 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,081,907. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $43.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $45.51. 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 stock has a market cap of $35.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.69. Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 18th. The bank reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.22 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $4.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.37 billion. Bank of New York Mellon had a return on equity of 11.88% and a net margin of 10.95%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.15 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 4.86 EPS for the current fiscal year. Bank of New York Mellon Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 10th. Investors of record on Friday, July 28th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 27th. This is a positive change from Bank of New York Mellons previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.73%. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.98%. 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. Further Reading 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. FTI Consulting (NYSE:FCN Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The business services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.19, reports. The business had revenue of $864.59 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $821.85 million. FTI Consulting had a return on equity of 14.12% and a net margin of 7.29%. FTI Consulting updated its FY23 guidance to $6.50-7.20 EPS and its FY 2023 guidance to $6.50-$7.20 EPS. FTI Consulting Price Performance Shares of FTI Consulting stock traded up $0.46 on Friday, hitting $176.76. The companys stock had a trading volume of 515,588 shares, compared to its average volume of 323,948. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 2.51 and a current ratio of 2.30. FTI Consulting has a 1 year low of $140.09 and a 1 year high of $205.63. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $191.26 and a 200-day moving average price of $184.09. The company has a market capitalization of $6.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.90 and a beta of 0.27. Get FTI Consulting alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on FTI Consulting in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Hedge Funds Weigh In On FTI Consulting About FTI Consulting Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FCN. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in shares of FTI Consulting by 270.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 13,865 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $2,195,000 after purchasing an additional 10,122 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of FTI Consulting by 33.4% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 22,159 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $3,484,000 after purchasing an additional 5,542 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its stake in shares of FTI Consulting by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 12,566 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,976,000 after purchasing an additional 1,198 shares in the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can increased its stake in FTI Consulting by 8.3% during the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 19,575 shares of the business services providers stock worth $3,168,000 after buying an additional 1,505 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC increased its stake in FTI Consulting by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 19,080 shares of the business services providers stock worth $3,000,000 after buying an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. (Get Free Report) FTI Consulting, Inc provides business advisory services to manage change, mitigate risk, and resolve disputes worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Corporate Finance & Restructuring, Forensic and Litigation Consulting, Economic Consulting, Technology, and Strategic Communications. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for FTI Consulting Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FTI Consulting and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chase Investment Counsel Corp increased its holdings in Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE:GPK Free Report) by 29.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 172,819 shares of the industrial products companys stock after buying an additional 39,120 shares during the quarter. Graphic Packaging comprises approximately 2.4% of Chase Investment Counsel Corps portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Chase Investment Counsel Corp owned about 0.06% of Graphic Packaging worth $4,405,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 177.3% during the first quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,109 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 709 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Graphic Packaging during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Graphic Packaging in the 4th quarter worth approximately $45,000. Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 22.3% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 2,810 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 513 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Graphic Packaging by 39.2% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,282 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 924 shares during the period. 92.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Graphic Packaging alerts: Graphic Packaging Stock Performance NYSE:GPK traded up $0.28 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $24.32. 3,103,069 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,163,980. Graphic Packaging Holding has a 1-year low of $19.46 and a 1-year high of $27.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.16, a P/E/G ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The company has a 50-day moving average of $24.65 and a 200 day moving average of $24.36. Graphic Packaging Announces Dividend Graphic Packaging ( NYSE:GPK Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.48 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Graphic Packaging Holding will post 2.98 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th were issued a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.64%. Graphic Packagings dividend payout ratio is presently 20.00%. Analysts Set New Price Targets GPK has been the subject of several analyst reports. Seaport Res Ptn reiterated a buy rating on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Graphic Packaging from $30.00 to $28.00 in a research note on Monday, July 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Graphic Packaging from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price objective for the company from $30.00 to $26.00 in a report on Thursday, June 29th. Finally, 888 reiterated a downgrade rating on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Graphic Packaging currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $29.56. Insider Activity at Graphic Packaging In related news, CFO Stephen R. Scherger sold 160,492 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.81, for a total value of $4,142,298.52. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 427,548 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,035,013.88. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. 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. Featured Articles 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. Butterfly Network (NYSE:BFLY Get Free Report) and Ossur hf. (OTCMKTS:OSSFF Get Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, earnings and dividends. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Butterfly Network and Ossur hf.s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Butterfly Network alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Butterfly Network $73.29 million 6.65 -$168.72 million ($0.79) -3.03 Ossur hf. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Ossur hf. has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Butterfly Network. Analyst Ratings Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Butterfly Network 0 1 2 0 2.67 Ossur hf. 0 0 1 0 3.00 This is a breakdown of current ratings for Butterfly Network and Ossur hf., as reported by MarketBeat.com. Butterfly Network currently has a consensus price target of $5.42, indicating a potential upside of 126.64%. Given Butterfly Networks higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Butterfly Network is more favorable than Ossur hf.. Profitability This table compares Butterfly Network and Ossur hf.s net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Butterfly Network -215.28% -46.69% -36.29% Ossur hf. N/A N/A N/A Institutional & Insider Ownership 37.3% of Butterfly Network shares are owned by institutional investors. 27.2% of Butterfly Network shares are owned 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. Summary Butterfly Network beats Ossur hf. on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Butterfly Network (Get Free Report) Butterfly Network, Inc. develops, manufactures, and commercializes ultrasound imaging solutions in the United States and internationally. It offers Butterfly iQ, a handheld and single-probe whole body ultrasound system; Butterfly iQ+, a point-of-care ultrasound imaging device that connects with a smartphone, tablet, and hospital computer system; and Butterfly Blueprint, a system-wide ultrasound platform with Compass software that integrates into a healthcare system's clinical and administrative infrastructure. The company also provides Butterfly system, which includes probes, and related accessories and software subscriptions to healthcare systems, physicians, and healthcare providers through a direct sales force, distributors, and eCommerce channel. In addition, it offers cloud-based software solutions to healthcare systems, teleguidance, in-app educational tutorials, and formal education programs through its Butterfly Academy software, as well as clinical support and services. Butterfly Network, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. About Ossur hf. (Get Free Report) Ossur hf., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, production, and sale of non-invasive orthopedic products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific. The company operates through two segments: Prosthetics and Bracing & Supports. The Prosthetics segment offers mechanical products, such as lower limb prosthetics and finger prostheses; and bionic products microprocessor-controlled feet, knees, hands, liners, fingers, and other components integrated with sensors, computing power, internal intelligence, and actuators for amputees. The Bracing & Supports segment provides bracing and supports products, such as supporting devices for spinal, knee, hip, foot, ankle, and hands that are primarily used to support joints and other body parts for therapeutic and preventative purposes; and injury solutions to enhance the healing process of fractures and ligament injuries. It serves specialized healthcare providers, including orthopedic and prosthetic clinics, hospitals, and surgery centers. The company sells its products through its direct sales networks and distributors. Ossur hf. was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland. Ossur hf. is a subsidiary of William Demant Invest A/S. Receive News & Ratings for Butterfly Network Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Butterfly Network and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE:HT Free Report) had its target price cut by Barclays from $9.00 to $8.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. They currently have an underweight rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. A number of other research firms also recently commented on HT. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating for the company. Oppenheimer downgraded shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $10.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust from $6.50 to $7.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 12th. Finally, B. Riley raised shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust from a neutral rating to a buy rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $10.00 to $9.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $8.80. Get Hersha Hospitality Trust alerts: Hersha Hospitality Trust Trading Up 3.0 % NYSE HT opened at $6.25 on Thursday. Hersha Hospitality Trust has a 12 month low of $5.64 and a 12 month high of $12.10. The company has a 50-day moving average of $6.10 and a 200-day moving average of $6.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 2.15. The company has a market cap of $249.25 million, a P/E ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.99. Hersha Hospitality Trust Announces Dividend Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hersha Hospitality Trust The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th were issued a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 29th. Hersha Hospitality Trusts dividend payout ratio is presently 6.43%. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Sterneck Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sterneck Capital Management LLC now owns 46,135 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $281,000 after acquiring an additional 1,948 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust by 58.7% during the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 36,309 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $221,000 after acquiring an additional 13,424 shares in the last quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hersha Hospitality Trust in the second quarter worth $66,000. Putnam Investments LLC increased its position in Hersha Hospitality Trust by 30.8% in the first quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 55,420 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $372,000 after buying an additional 13,037 shares during the period. Finally, New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its position in Hersha Hospitality Trust by 140.3% in the first quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 52,538 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $353,000 after buying an additional 30,671 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.56% of the companys stock. Hersha Hospitality Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Hersha Hospitality Trust (HT) is a self-advised real estate investment trust in the hospitality sector, which owns and operates luxury and lifestyle hotels in coastal gateway and resort markets. The Company's 25 hotels totaling 3,811 rooms are located in New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Philadelphia, South Florida, and California. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Hersha Hospitality Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hersha Hospitality Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Howard Hughes (NYSE:HHC Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the financial services providers stock. Separately, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Howard Hughes from $100.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. Get Howard Hughes alerts: Howard Hughes Stock Performance Howard Hughes stock opened at $83.87 on Wednesday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $78.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $79.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 1.64. The stock has a market cap of $4.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.05 and a beta of 1.46. Howard Hughes has a fifty-two week low of $50.90 and a fifty-two week high of $89.58. Insiders Place Their Bets Howard Hughes ( NYSE:HHC Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The financial services provider reported ($0.46) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.47) by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $196.29 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $199.10 million. Howard Hughes had a net margin of 10.01% and a return on equity of 4.50%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.04 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Howard Hughes will post -1.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In other Howard Hughes news, EVP David Michael Striph sold 1,902 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.83, for a total value of $142,326.66. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 8,094 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $605,674.02. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Pershing Square Capital Manage bought 666 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 26th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $74.90 per share, with a total value of $49,883.40. Following the purchase, the director now owns 16,569,728 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,241,072,627.20. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Michael Striph sold 1,902 shares of Howard Hughes stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.83, for a total transaction of $142,326.66. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 8,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $605,674.02. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have bought a total of 263,991 shares of company stock valued at $19,647,281 in the last quarter. Insiders own 33.00% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Howard Hughes A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of HHC. Pershing Square Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Howard Hughes by 16.7% during the 4th quarter. Pershing Square Capital Management L.P. now owns 15,895,135 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,214,706,000 after purchasing an additional 2,274,971 shares in the last quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC lifted its position in Howard Hughes by 29.9% during the 1st quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 2,248,961 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $179,917,000 after acquiring an additional 517,889 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Howard Hughes during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,698,000. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its position in Howard Hughes by 71.8% during the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 498,440 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $38,091,000 after acquiring an additional 208,330 shares during the period. Finally, Natixis purchased a new position in Howard Hughes during the 4th quarter valued at about $14,153,000. Institutional investors own 95.27% of the companys stock. About Howard Hughes (Get Free Report) The Howard Hughes Corporation owns, manages, and develops commercial, residential, and mixed-use properties in the United States. It operates through four segments: Operating Assets; Master Planned Communities (MPCs); Seaport; and Strategic Developments. The Operating Assets segment owns retail, office, multi-family, hospitality, and other operating properties and investments primarily located in Houston, Texas; Columbia, Maryland; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Honolulu, Hawaii. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Howard Hughes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Howard Hughes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Intellectus Partners LLC trimmed its position in Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET Free Report) by 3.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 98,646 shares of the pipeline companys stock after selling 3,476 shares during the quarter. Intellectus Partners LLCs holdings in Energy Transfer were worth $1,230,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ET. Atticus Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Energy Transfer during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in Energy Transfer during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Motco acquired a new position in Energy Transfer during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Kozak & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Energy Transfer during the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Energy Transfer during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. 34.47% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Energy Transfer alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes ET has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays increased their price objective on Energy Transfer from $15.00 to $16.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Mizuho increased their price objective on Energy Transfer from $17.00 to $18.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $17.00 target price on shares of Energy Transfer in a report on Thursday, July 20th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $16.57. Insider Activity at Energy Transfer Energy Transfer Price Performance In other Energy Transfer news, Chairman Kelcy L. Warren bought 1,000,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The stock was bought at an average price of $12.49 per share, with a total value of $12,490,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chairman now directly owns 60,078,477 shares in the company, valued at $750,380,177.73. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . In other news, Chairman Kelcy L. Warren acquired 1,000,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $12.49 per share, with a total value of $12,490,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chairman now owns 60,078,477 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $750,380,177.73. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, Chairman Kelcy L. Warren acquired 500,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $12.27 per share, with a total value of $6,135,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chairman now directly owns 59,078,477 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $724,892,912.79. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Over the last 90 days, insiders purchased 1,510,000 shares of company stock valued at $18,749,300. 3.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. ET stock traded up $0.11 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $13.25. 8,160,519 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,939,406. The company has a market cap of $41.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.89 and a beta of 1.70. The stocks 50 day moving average is $12.84 and its 200 day moving average is $12.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 0.92. Energy Transfer LP has a 12-month low of $10.02 and a 12-month high of $13.67. Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The pipeline company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $21.49 billion. Energy Transfer had a net margin of 5.08% and a return on equity of 13.06%. The businesss revenue was down 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.37 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Energy Transfer LP will post 1.3 EPS for the current year. Energy Transfer Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 21st. Investors of record on Monday, August 14th will be issued a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 11th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.36%. Energy Transfers dividend payout ratio is presently 91.79%. Energy Transfer Profile (Free Report) Energy Transfer LP provides energy-related services. The company owns and operates approximately 11,600 miles of natural gas transportation pipeline, and three natural gas storage facilities in Texas and two natural gas storage facilities located in the state of Texas and Oklahoma; and 19,945 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ET? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Energy Transfer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Energy Transfer 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 published on Wednesday. The firm issued a sell rating on the mining companys stock. International Tower Hill Mines Stock Performance THM opened at $0.41 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $80.85 million, a PE ratio of -20.74 and a beta of 0.70. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $0.45 and a 200-day moving average of $0.52. International Tower Hill Mines has a 52-week low of $0.37 and a 52-week high of $0.75. 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. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:THM Free Report) (TSE:ITH) by 187.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 215,462 shares of the mining companys stock after purchasing an additional 140,462 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned about 0.11% of International Tower Hill Mines worth $211,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Institutional investors own 55.34% of the companys stock. About International Tower Hill Mines 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. Read More 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. WASHINGTON TRUST Co cut its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM Free Report) by 99.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 353 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 352,349 shares during the quarter. iShares Russell 2000 ETF comprises approximately 2.9% of WASHINGTON TRUST Cos investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. WASHINGTON TRUST Cos holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF were worth $63,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of IWM. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Annapolis Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 94.7% during the 1st quarter. Annapolis Financial Services LLC now owns 148 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP boosted its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 450.0% during the 1st quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP now owns 154 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the period. Tandem Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in iShares Russell 2000 ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 78.6% during the 4th quarter. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 184 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the period. 97.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get iShares Russell 2000 ETF alerts: iShares Russell 2000 ETF Stock Performance iShares Russell 2000 ETF stock traded up $2.51 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $196.43. 21,612,218 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 25,512,098. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $185.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $182.96. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a 12-month low of $162.50 and a 12-month high of $201.99. iShares Russell 2000 ETF Profile iShares Russell 2000 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 2,000 smallest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hill Island Financial LLC lifted its position in John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:JHMM Free Report) by 4.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,045,669 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 45,733 shares during the quarter. John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF comprises approximately 19.7% of Hill Island Financial LLCs holdings, making the stock its largest position. Hill Island Financial LLC owned 1.71% of John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF worth $48,937,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of JHMM. ZRC Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF during the first quarter worth $891,000. SigFig Wealth Management LLC increased its position in John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF by 22.0% during the first quarter. SigFig Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,023 shares of the companys stock worth $336,000 after acquiring an additional 1,268 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC increased its position in John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF by 35.1% during the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 156,378 shares of the companys stock worth $7,487,000 after acquiring an additional 40,659 shares during the period. Flynn Zito Capital Management LLC increased its position in John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF by 8.3% during the first quarter. Flynn Zito Capital Management LLC now owns 217,361 shares of the companys stock worth $10,407,000 after acquiring an additional 16,701 shares during the period. Finally, Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. increased its position in John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF by 674.5% during the first quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 80,780 shares of the companys stock worth $3,868,000 after acquiring an additional 70,350 shares during the period. Get John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF alerts: John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF Stock Up 0.6 % John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF stock traded up $0.32 on Friday, hitting $51.23. The companys stock had a trading volume of 147,274 shares, compared to its average volume of 229,352. The firm has a market cap of $3.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.93 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $49.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $48.46. John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF has a one year low of $41.96 and a one year high of $51.96. John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF Announces Dividend John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF Profile The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 28th were issued a $0.2466 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 27th. (Free Report) The John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF (JHMM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the John Hancock Dimensional Mid Cap index. The fund tracks an index of US firms ranked 200-950 by size, weighted by multiple factors relative to their sector peers. JHMM was launched on Sep 28, 2015 and is managed by John Hancock. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JHMM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:JHMM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lennox International (NYSE:LII Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The construction company reported $6.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $5.21 by $0.94, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $1.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. Lennox International had a negative return on equity of 390.97% and a net margin of 11.49%. The firms revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $5.00 EPS. Lennox International updated its FY23 guidance to $15.50-16.00 EPS and its FY 2023 guidance to $15.50-$16.00 EPS. Lennox International Trading Up 1.9 % Shares of LII traded up $6.90 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $363.36. The company had a trading volume of 531,128 shares, compared to its average volume of 261,964. The firm has a market cap of $12.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.46, a P/E/G ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.96. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $313.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $277.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.06. Lennox International has a 52-week low of $202.97 and a 52-week high of $370.28. Get Lennox International alerts: Lennox International Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be issued a $1.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 30th. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.21%. Lennox Internationals dividend payout ratio is currently 28.41%. Insider Activity at Lennox International Institutional Trading of Lennox International In other Lennox International news, Director Sherry Buck purchased 350 shares of Lennox International stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $285.02 per share, for a total transaction of $99,757.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,388 shares in the company, valued at $680,627.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . In other Lennox International news, EVP Daniel M. Sessa sold 2,419 shares of Lennox International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.09, for a total transaction of $696,889.71. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,256 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,749,711.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, Director Sherry Buck acquired 350 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $285.02 per share, for a total transaction of $99,757.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,388 shares in the company, valued at approximately $680,627.76. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 5,527 shares of company stock worth $1,574,120 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 2.80% of the companys stock. A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Lennox International by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 490,179 shares of the construction companys stock worth $123,003,000 after purchasing an additional 14,062 shares in the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec boosted its position in shares of Lennox International by 204.5% in the 1st quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 13,104 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,293,000 after purchasing an additional 8,800 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC boosted its position in shares of Lennox International by 151.5% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 27,644 shares of the construction companys stock worth $6,946,000 after purchasing an additional 16,653 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its position in shares of Lennox International by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 17,310 shares of the construction companys stock worth $4,141,000 after purchasing an additional 399 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its position in shares of Lennox International by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,278 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,023,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. 68.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades LII has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Lennox International from $279.00 to $272.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. KeyCorp upped their price objective on Lennox International from $355.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Lennox International from $314.00 to $355.00 in a research note on Monday, July 10th. Mizuho upped their price objective on Lennox International from $260.00 to $340.00 in a research note on Friday. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Lennox International from $280.00 to $350.00 in a research report on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $304.45. About Lennox International (Get Free Report) Lennox International Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets a range of products for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration markets in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Residential Heating & Cooling, Commercial Heating & Cooling, and Refrigeration. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Lennox International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lennox International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lennox International (NYSE:LII Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The construction company reported $6.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.21 by $0.94, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $1.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.38 billion. Lennox International had a net margin of 11.49% and a negative return on equity of 390.97%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $5.00 earnings per share. Lennox International updated its FY23 guidance to $15.50-16.00 EPS and its FY 2023 guidance to $15.50-$16.00 EPS. Lennox International Price Performance Shares of NYSE LII traded up $6.90 during trading on Friday, hitting $363.36. The company had a trading volume of 531,128 shares, compared to its average volume of 261,964. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $313.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $277.87. Lennox International has a fifty-two week low of $202.97 and a fifty-two week high of $370.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.06. Get Lennox International alerts: Lennox International Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be given a $1.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.21%. Lennox Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.41%. Insider Activity Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lennox International In other Lennox International news, Director Sherry Buck purchased 350 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $285.02 per share, for a total transaction of $99,757.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,388 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $680,627.76. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . In other Lennox International news, Director Sherry Buck purchased 350 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $285.02 per share, for a total transaction of $99,757.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,388 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $680,627.76. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Also, CAO Chris Kosel sold 300 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $282.99, for a total transaction of $84,897.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,146 shares in the company, valued at $607,296.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 5,527 shares of company stock worth $1,574,120 over the last 90 days. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Lennox International by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 490,179 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $123,003,000 after purchasing an additional 14,062 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in Lennox International by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 404,068 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $89,973,000 after purchasing an additional 10,227 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC boosted its holdings in Lennox International by 151.5% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 27,644 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $6,946,000 after purchasing an additional 16,653 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its holdings in Lennox International by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 17,310 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $4,141,000 after purchasing an additional 399 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec boosted its holdings in Lennox International by 204.5% in the 1st quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 13,104 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $3,293,000 after purchasing an additional 8,800 shares during the last quarter. 68.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have issued reports on LII. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Lennox International from $375.00 to $400.00 in a report on Friday. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Lennox International from $260.00 to $340.00 in a report on Friday. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Lennox International from $355.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Lennox International from $279.00 to $272.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Lennox International from a c rating to a b rating in a report on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $304.45. About Lennox International (Get Free Report) Lennox International Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets a range of products for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration markets in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Residential Heating & Cooling, Commercial Heating & Cooling, and Refrigeration. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Lennox International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lennox International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its stake in The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV Free Report) by 29.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 203,278 shares of the insurance providers stock after purchasing an additional 46,245 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLCs holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $34,844,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Travelers Companies by 11.9% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,820,386 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,466,244,000 after buying an additional 829,918 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Travelers Companies by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,409,763 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $825,601,000 after buying an additional 19,767 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in shares of Travelers Companies by 19.6% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,284,693 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $615,847,000 after buying an additional 539,294 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Travelers Companies by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,411,106 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $257,853,000 after buying an additional 31,165 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $239,875,000. 81.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Travelers Companies alerts: Travelers Companies Price Performance TRV traded down $1.61 during trading on Friday, reaching $173.26. 1,352,879 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,378,435. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $149.65 and a 1 year high of $194.51. The company has a market capitalization of $39.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.60. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $173.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $177.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.33. Travelers Companies Dividend Announcement Travelers Companies ( NYSE:TRV Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 20th. The insurance provider reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($1.99). The business had revenue of $10.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.97 billion. Travelers Companies had a net margin of 5.77% and a return on equity of 10.75%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.57 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 12.16 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Friday, September 8th will be paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 7th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.31%. Travelers Companiess payout ratio is currently 42.60%. Travelers Companies declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, April 19th that authorizes the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the insurance provider to repurchase up to 12.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms recently commented on TRV. Barclays increased their price objective on Travelers Companies from $179.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on Travelers Companies from $208.00 to $176.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 6th. StockNews.com downgraded Travelers Companies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, June 19th. Roth Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Travelers Companies in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on Travelers Companies from $188.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $196.08. Insider Activity at Travelers Companies In related news, EVP Michael Frederick Klein sold 10,246 shares of the companys 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,080 shares in the company, valued at $2,574,528. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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. Recommended Stories 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. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Globe Life Inc. (NYSE:GL Free Report) by 39.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 288,176 shares of the companys stock after selling 191,016 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC owned about 0.30% of Globe Life worth $31,705,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Mendota Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Globe Life in the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its holdings in Globe Life by 56.0% in the 1st quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 273 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Globe Life by 72.6% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 409 shares of the companys stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. ZRC Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Globe Life in the 1st quarter worth about $55,000. Finally, Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Globe Life in the 1st quarter worth about $59,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.99% of the companys stock. Get Globe Life alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have commented on GL. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Globe Life in a research report on Tuesday, April 25th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Globe Life from $133.00 to $129.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Globe Life from $130.00 to $131.00 in a research report on Friday. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Globe Life in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Globe Life has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $129.86. Globe Life Trading Up 1.0 % Shares of NYSE:GL traded up $1.06 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $112.19. The company had a trading volume of 494,252 shares, compared to its average volume of 432,887. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $108.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $112.03. The company has a market capitalization of $10.72 billion, a PE ratio of 13.11 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.06 and a quick ratio of 0.06. Globe Life Inc. has a one year low of $96.23 and a one year high of $123.85. Globe Life (NYSE:GL Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The company reported $2.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.57 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.37 billion. Globe Life had a net margin of 15.91% and a return on equity of 21.33%. Globe Lifes revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.07 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Globe Life Inc. will post 10.49 EPS for the current year. Globe Life Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.225 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 3rd. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. Globe Lifes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.51%. Insider Buying and Selling at Globe Life In other Globe Life news, Director Cheryl Alston sold 16,691 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.81, for a total transaction of $1,816,147.71. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 6,238 shares in the company, valued at approximately $678,756.78. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 4.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. About Globe Life (Free Report) Globe Life Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various life and supplemental health insurance products, and annuities to lower middle to middle income households in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Life Insurance, Supplemental Health Insurance, Annuities, and Investments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Globe Life Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Globe Life and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Centene Co. (NYSE:CNC Free Report) by 102.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 724,363 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 365,947 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC owned 0.13% of Centene worth $45,787,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Achmea Investment Management B.V. increased its holdings in shares of Centene by 23.2% in the first quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 96,098 shares of the companys stock worth $6,074,000 after buying an additional 18,107 shares during the period. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in shares of Centene by 832.3% in the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 409,759 shares of the companys stock worth $25,901,000 after buying an additional 365,807 shares during the period. Tilt Investment Management Holdings PBC increased its holdings in shares of Centene by 2.2% in the first quarter. Tilt Investment Management Holdings PBC now owns 17,472 shares of the companys stock worth $1,131,000 after buying an additional 383 shares during the period. Cypress Capital Group grew its stake in shares of Centene by 227.5% in the first quarter. Cypress Capital Group now owns 14,310 shares of the companys stock worth $905,000 after purchasing an additional 9,941 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its stake in shares of Centene by 3.4% in the first quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 495,299 shares of the companys stock worth $31,308,000 after purchasing an additional 16,200 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.11% of the companys stock. Get Centene alerts: Centene Stock Performance Shares of CNC traded down $3.77 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $66.18. The stock had a trading volume of 7,129,098 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,192,627. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.07. Centene Co. has a 12 month low of $61.34 and a 12 month high of $98.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.32 billion, a PE ratio of 13.65, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.58. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $66.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.28. Analysts Set New Price Targets Centene ( NYSE:CNC Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 28th. The company reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.05 by $0.05. Centene had a net margin of 1.01% and a return on equity of 13.61%. The firm had revenue of $37.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.56 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.77 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Centene Co. will post 6.43 EPS for the current year. Several analysts recently weighed in on CNC shares. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on shares of Centene in a report on Thursday, April 20th. They issued an overweight rating and a $80.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Centene from $88.00 to $83.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 20th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Centene in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $94.00 price target on shares of Centene in a research note on Friday, July 14th. Finally, Stephens decreased their price target on shares of Centene from $95.00 to $87.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Centene presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $84.88. Centene Profile (Free Report) Centene Corporation operates as a healthcare enterprise that provides programs and services to under-insured and uninsured families, commercial organizations, and military families in the United States. It operates in two segments, Managed Care and Specialty Services. The Managed Care segment offers health plan coverage to individuals through government subsidized programs, including Medicaid, the State children's health insurance program, long-term services and support, foster care, and medicare-medicaid plans, which cover dually eligible individuals, as well as aged, blind, or disabled programs. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CNC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Centene Co. (NYSE:CNC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Centene Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Centene and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Owens Corning (NYSE:OC Free Report) had its price objective lifted by Barclays from $161.00 to $185.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the construction companys stock. Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Owens Corning from $105.00 to $135.00 in a report on Thursday, July 6th. Loop Capital lifted their price objective on shares of Owens Corning from $125.00 to $138.00 in a report on Friday, June 9th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Owens Corning in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Owens Corning from $127.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Friday, July 14th. Finally, Benchmark cut Owens Corning from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $139.75. Get Owens Corning alerts: Owens Corning Price Performance NYSE OC opened at $140.07 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $12.62 billion, a PE ratio of 9.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.46. Owens Corning has a 52-week low of $74.22 and a 52-week high of $143.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 2.07. The firms 50 day moving average price is $124.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $106.87. Owens Corning Announces Dividend Owens Corning ( NYSE:OC Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The construction company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.25 by $0.97. The company had revenue of $2.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.54 billion. Owens Corning had a net margin of 13.62% and a return on equity of 25.59%. Owens Cornings revenue was down 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.83 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Owens Corning will post 12.72 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 14th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.48%. Owens Cornings dividend payout ratio is 14.74%. Insider Activity at Owens Corning In related news, insider Gunner Smith sold 6,900 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.01, for a total transaction of $793,569.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 31,153 shares in the company, valued at $3,582,906.53. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Daniel T. Smith sold 3,670 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.11, for a total value of $389,423.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 46,811 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,967,115.21. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Gunner Smith sold 6,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.01, for a total value of $793,569.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 31,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,582,906.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.89% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Owens Corning A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Owens Corning by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,301,672 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $338,154,000 after acquiring an additional 155,155 shares in the last quarter. Davis Selected Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Owens Corning by 7.0% in the 4th quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 3,608,040 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $307,766,000 after acquiring an additional 234,900 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Owens Corning by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,345,967 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $291,106,000 after acquiring an additional 210,192 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Owens Corning by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,406,960 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $230,575,000 after acquiring an additional 37,793 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Owens Corning by 25.1% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,233,829 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $209,578,000 after acquiring an additional 448,175 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.43% of the companys stock. Owens Corning Company Profile (Get Free Report) Owens Corning engages in manufacture and sale of insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composite materials in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Composites, Insulation, and Roofing. The Composites segment manufactures, fabricates, and sells glass reinforcements in the form of fiber; and glass fiber products in the form of fabrics, non-wovens, and other specialized products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Owens Corning Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Owens Corning and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Relative Value Partners Group LLC reduced its stake in iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (BATS:GOVT Free Report) by 3.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,813,100 shares of the companys stock after selling 72,977 shares during the quarter. iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF comprises 2.9% of Relative Value Partners Group LLCs holdings, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Relative Value Partners Group LLCs holdings in iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF were worth $42,390,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in GOVT. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its stake in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 8.2% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 24,695 shares of the companys stock worth $642,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the period. Prudential PLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,071,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 3.2% during the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 338,812 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,440,000 after acquiring an additional 10,375 shares in the last quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 10.4% during the first quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 406,752 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,132,000 after acquiring an additional 38,476 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 34.3% during the first quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 558,798 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,920,000 after acquiring an additional 142,658 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF alerts: iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Trading Up 0.3 % iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF stock traded up $0.07 during trading on Friday, hitting $22.76. 4,903,286 shares of the company were exchanged. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $22.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $23.10. iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Dividend Announcement iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Company Profile The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th were given a dividend of $0.0506 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 3rd. (Free Report) The iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond index. The fund tracks a market-weighted index of fixed-rate nonconvertible U.S. Treasury securities with a remaining maturity of one year or more. GOVT was launched on Feb 14, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GOVT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (BATS:GOVT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI Free Report) (TSE:CNR) had its target price trimmed by Royal Bank of Canada from C$174.00 to C$172.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, FlyOnTheWall reports. CNI has been the topic of several other research reports. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$169.00 to C$172.00 in a report on Thursday, May 4th. Argus cut their price target on Canadian National Railway from $155.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Morgan Stanley raised Canadian National Railway from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Barclays cut their price target on Canadian National Railway from $122.00 to $119.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on Canadian National Railway from $125.00 to $122.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $145.71. Get Canadian National Railway alerts: Canadian National Railway Price Performance Shares of NYSE:CNI opened at $120.80 on Wednesday. Canadian National Railway has a twelve month low of $103.79 and a twelve month high of $129.89. The companys 50 day moving average is $117.31 and its 200 day moving average is $118.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The company has a market cap of $79.60 billion, a PE ratio of 20.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.91. Canadian National Railway Increases Dividend Institutional Trading of Canadian National Railway The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 8th will be paid a $0.5996 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 7th. This is a positive change from Canadian National Railways previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.99%. Canadian National Railways payout ratio is currently 40.58%. A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CNI. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in Canadian National Railway by 0.9% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 20,375,062 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $2,400,975,000 after acquiring an additional 188,460 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Canadian National Railway by 2.8% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,007,681 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $2,683,831,000 after acquiring an additional 554,280 shares during the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec boosted its position in Canadian National Railway by 5.3% during the first quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 12,333,700 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,655,948,000 after acquiring an additional 625,000 shares during the last quarter. Jarislowsky Fraser Ltd boosted its position in Canadian National Railway by 0.7% during the first quarter. Jarislowsky Fraser Ltd now owns 9,556,511 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,126,080,000 after acquiring an additional 70,386 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 1832 Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in Canadian National Railway by 0.9% during the first quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 8,513,991 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,004,396,000 after buying an additional 75,087 shares during the last quarter. 64.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Canadian National Railway (Get Free Report) Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in rail and related transportation business. The company offers rail services, which include equipment, custom brokage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services including temperature controlled cargo, port partnership, transloading and distribution, logistic parks, customs brokerage, trucking, and moving grains in containers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Canadian National Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL Get Free Report) updated its third quarter earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $3.38-3.48 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.87. Royal Caribbean Cruises also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $6.00-$6.20 EPS. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have recently issued reports on RCL. Tigress Financial boosted their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $80.00 to $102.00 in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $82.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Monday, June 12th. William Blair reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Thursday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $109.00 to $127.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $100.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday, June 23rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Royal Caribbean Cruises has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $104.00. Get Royal Caribbean Cruises alerts: Royal Caribbean Cruises Trading Down 1.0 % NYSE RCL opened at $108.57 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -339.27 and a beta of 2.47. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $95.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $77.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.28, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.20. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a 52 week low of $34.51 and a 52 week high of $112.95. Insider Buying and Selling Royal Caribbean Cruises ( NYSE:RCL Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $3.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.41 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a positive return on equity of 6.76% and a negative net margin of 0.47%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 61.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($2.08) EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 6.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In related news, Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 375,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.74, for a total transaction of $30,277,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,689,632 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,670,480,887.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Royal Caribbean Cruises news, CEO Jason T. Liberty sold 36,536 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total value of $2,922,880.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 147,078 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,766,240. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 375,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.74, for a total value of $30,277,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,689,632 shares in the company, valued at $1,670,480,887.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 729,861 shares of company stock valued at $58,020,180. 8.70% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Royal Caribbean Cruises Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Apollon Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 1st quarter valued at $224,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,527 shares of the companys stock valued at $224,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares during the period. Silverlake Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter worth $221,000. Veritable L.P. acquired a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the first quarter valued at about $217,000. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the first quarter valued at about $200,000. 71.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Royal Caribbean Cruises (Get Free Report) Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. operates as a cruise company worldwide. The company operates cruises under the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises brands, which comprise a range of itineraries. As of February 13, 2023, it operated 64 ships. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Santander Bank Polska S.A. (OTCMKTS:BKZHF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 13,100 shares, a decrease of 13.2% from the June 30th total of 15,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently days. Santander Bank Polska Stock Performance Santander Bank Polska stock remained flat at 45.48 during mid-day trading on Friday. Santander Bank Polska has a 1-year low of 45.48 and a 1-year high of 48.04. The company has a fifty day moving average price of 45.48 and a 200 day moving average price of 45.48. Get Santander Bank Polska alerts: About Santander Bank Polska (Get Free Report) Recommended Stories Santander Bank Polska SA provides various banking products and services for individuals, small or medium-sized enterprises, corporate clients, and public sector institutions. It offers personal account, deposits and currencies, internet and mobile banking, and mobile contactless payments, and credit solutions. Receive News & Ratings for Santander Bank Polska Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Santander Bank Polska and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,010,000 shares, a decline of 38.4% from the June 30th total of 4,890,000 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 4,360,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.7 days. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have commented on BTI. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on British American Tobacco from GBX 3,500 ($44.88) to GBX 3,300 ($42.31) in a research note on Friday, July 14th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on British American Tobacco in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Get British American Tobacco alerts: British American Tobacco Trading Up 0.2 % Shares of BTI traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $33.96. 2,364,598 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,458,733. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.93. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $33.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.41. British American Tobacco has a one year low of $31.64 and a one year high of $42.36. Hedge Funds Weigh In On British American Tobacco British American Tobacco Company Profile A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BTI. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. bought a new stake in shares of British American Tobacco during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in British American Tobacco in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of British American Tobacco during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Motco boosted its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 1,025.4% during the 4th quarter. Motco now owns 754 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 687 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ahrens Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of British American Tobacco during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. 7.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. (Get Free Report) British American Tobacco p.l.c. engages in the provision of tobacco and nicotine products to consumers worldwide. It offers vapour, tobacco heating, and modern oral nicotine products; combustible cigarettes; and traditional oral products, such as snus and moist snuff. The company offers its products under the Vuse, glo, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Camel, Natural American Spirit, Newport, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Peter Stuyvesant, Craven A, State Express 555 and Shuang Xi brands. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for British American Tobacco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British American Tobacco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of American Shared Hospital Services (NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Free Report) in a report released on Thursday. The firm 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 report on Monday, May 1st. Get American Shared Hospital Services alerts: American Shared Hospital Services Price Performance NYSEAMERICAN:AMS opened at $2.60 on Thursday. American Shared Hospital Services has a 52 week low of $2.27 and a 52 week high of $3.75. The company has a quick ratio of 3.72, a current ratio of 3.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The company has a market capitalization of $16.15 million, a P/E ratio of 13.00 and a beta of 0.71. The stocks fifty day moving average is $2.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.88. Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Shared Hospital Services American Shared Hospital Services ( NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 12th. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. American Shared Hospital Services had a return on equity of 4.88% and a net margin of 6.29%. The firm had revenue of $4.93 million for the quarter. A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. CI Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Shared Hospital Services in the 4th quarter valued at $470,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 166,056 shares of the companys stock valued at $467,000 after acquiring an additional 7,375 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 73.8% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 45,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $127,000 after acquiring an additional 19,200 shares during the period. Finally, Canton Hathaway LLC increased its stake in American Shared Hospital Services by 50.0% during the 1st quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC now owns 30,000 shares of the companys stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 17.70% of the companys stock. American Shared Hospital Services Company Profile (Get 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. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Par Pacific (NYSE:PARR Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Wednesday. A number of other analysts have also commented on the company. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Par Pacific from $32.00 to $28.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 5th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Par Pacific from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Par Pacific from $29.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a 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 $30.71. Get Par Pacific alerts: Par Pacific Stock Up 1.7 % Shares of NYSE:PARR opened at $31.07 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 2.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The businesss 50-day moving average is $25.31 and its 200-day moving average is $25.70. Par Pacific has a 1 year low of $14.42 and a 1 year high of $31.11. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Par Pacific Par Pacific ( NYSE:PARR Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.91 by $0.34. Par Pacific had a return on equity of 108.48% and a net margin of 9.65%. The business had revenue of $1.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.54 billion. Equities research analysts predict that Par Pacific will post 4.78 earnings per share for the current year. Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PARR. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of Par Pacific by 3.6% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 7,804,462 shares of the companys stock worth $128,070,000 after acquiring an additional 273,924 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Par Pacific by 14.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,080,201 shares of the companys stock worth $66,956,000 after acquiring an additional 508,925 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Par Pacific by 19.1% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,266,246 shares of the companys stock worth $53,599,000 after acquiring an additional 524,413 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Par Pacific by 103.3% during the second quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 2,035,157 shares of the companys stock worth $54,156,000 after acquiring an additional 1,034,006 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Par Pacific by 19.9% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,619,198 shares of the companys stock worth $47,281,000 after acquiring an additional 268,649 shares in the last quarter. 93.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Par Pacific (Get Free Report) Par Pacific Holdings, Inc owns and operates energy and infrastructure businesses. The company operates through three segments: Refining, Retail, and Logistics. The Refining segment owns and operates three refineries that produces ultra-low sulfur diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, marine fuel, distillate, asphalt, low sulfur fuel oil, and other associated refined products primarily for consumption in Hawaii, Pacific Northwest, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Par Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Par Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK Free Report) by 9.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,733 shares of the industrial products companys stock after acquiring an additional 147 shares during the period. Rockwell Automation makes up 1.0% of Strengthening Families & Communities LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Strengthening Families & Communities LLCs holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $51,517,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROK. New Hampshire Trust purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Clear Street Markets LLC purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Delta Asset Management LLC TN purchased a new stake in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, First Manhattan Co. raised its stake in Rockwell Automation by 150.0% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 125 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. 79.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Rockwell Automation alerts: Rockwell Automation Price Performance NYSE:ROK traded up $2.99 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $333.30. 719,073 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 551,097. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $209.27 and a 1-year high of $348.52. The firms 50-day moving average is $315.91 and its 200-day moving average is $294.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The stock has a market cap of $38.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.45. Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement Rockwell Automation ( NYSE:ROK Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The industrial products company reported $3.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.41. Rockwell Automation had a return on equity of 42.15% and a net margin of 15.82%. The business had revenue of $2.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.66 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 25.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.18 per share. This represents a $4.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.42%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 11th. Rockwell Automations dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.55%. Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation In related news, SVP Frank C. Kulaszewicz sold 7,729 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total value of $2,395,990.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 13,660 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,234,600. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Rockwell Automation news, SVP Frank C. Kulaszewicz sold 7,729 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total transaction of $2,395,990.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 13,660 shares in the company, valued at $4,234,600. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Blake D. Moret sold 4,855 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total value of $1,529,325.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 64,425 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,293,875. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,217 shares of company stock worth $4,687,705 over the last quarter. 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America increased their target price on Rockwell Automation from $335.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Friday, July 14th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $290.00 in a research note on Monday, July 10th. Barclays increased their target price on Rockwell Automation from $262.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Monday, July 10th. StockNews.com raised Rockwell Automation from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, July 15th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price target on Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $270.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $290.00. Rockwell Automation Profile (Free Report) Rockwell Automation, Inc provides industrial automation and digital transformation solutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company operates through three segments, Intelligent Devices, Software & Control, and Lifecycle Services. Its solutions include hardware and software products and services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Rockwell Automation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rockwell Automation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC lowered its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report) by 0.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,667 shares of the companys stock after selling 112 shares during the period. Summit Trail Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $7,262,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in IVV. Studio Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Core Alternative Capital purchased a new position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. ZRC Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $43,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, Laffer Tengler Investments purchased a new position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $55,000. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Performance Shares of NYSEARCA IVV traded up $4.30 during trading on Friday, hitting $459.22. 4,258,847 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,142,852. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a 12-month low of $349.53 and a 12-month high of $461.88. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $439.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $417.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $342.74 billion, a PE ratio of 18.43 and a beta of 1.00. About iShares Core S&P 500 ETF iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC lessened its position in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IJK Free Report) by 0.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 19,591 shares of the companys stock after selling 187 shares during the quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF were worth $1,401,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in IJK. Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 18,914 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,461,000 after buying an additional 419 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers bought a new stake in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF during the 1st quarter valued at about $216,000. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF by 15.9% during the 1st quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,740 shares of the companys stock valued at $289,000 after buying an additional 513 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 144,182 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,141,000 after buying an additional 2,410 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 5,445 shares of the companys stock valued at $421,000 after buying an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF alerts: iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF Stock Up 0.9 % IJK traded up $0.69 on Friday, reaching $77.64. 261,649 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 326,810. iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF has a one year low of $62.01 and a one year high of $78.28. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $73.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $72.25. The company has a market cap of $8.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.91 and a beta of 1.08. About iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF, formerly iShares S&P MidCap 400 Growth Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization growth sector of the United States equity market and consists of those stocks in the S&P MidCap 400 Index exhibiting the strongest growth characteristics. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IJK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IJK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Capital Wealth Planning LLC lifted its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report) by 17.4% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,162,003 shares of the investment management companys stock after purchasing an additional 172,033 shares during the quarter. The Goldman Sachs Group accounts for 4.4% of Capital Wealth Planning LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. Capital Wealth Planning LLCs holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $325,653,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tower View Investment Management & Research LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 224.0% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 81 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Elequin Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. NewSquare Capital LLC increased its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 3,433.3% during the 1st quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 106 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. 76.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have weighed in on GS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $415.00 to $398.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $339.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an equal weight rating and set a $347.00 price target (up from $337.00) on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a report on Friday, July 21st. Evercore ISI increased their price target 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, Citigroup lowered shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating and raised their price objective for the company from $370.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $393.34. The Goldman Sachs Group Trading Down 0.4 % GS stock traded down $1.28 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $353.23. The stock had a trading volume of 1,827,589 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,627,221. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $330.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $337.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. The firm has a market cap of $117.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.07, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.38. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $287.75 and a twelve month high of $389.58. The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 19th. The investment management company reported $3.08 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.25 by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $10.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.61 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 8.08% and a net margin of 9.74%. The Goldman Sachs Groups revenue for the quarter was down 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $7.73 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 25.92 EPS for the current fiscal year. The Goldman Sachs Group Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be given a dividend of $2.75 per share. This is a positive change from The Goldman Sachs Groups previous quarterly dividend of $2.50. This represents a $11.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th. The Goldman Sachs Groups payout ratio is presently 42.66%. Insider Transactions at The Goldman Sachs Group In related news, CEO David M. Solomon sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $345.71, for a total value of $3,457,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 128,982 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,590,367.22. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CEO David M. Solomon sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $345.71, for a total value of $3,457,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 128,982 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,590,367.22. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,000 shares of the businesss 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 15,052 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,082,458.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 34,977,959 shares of company stock worth $659,825,442. 0.54% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. 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. Featured 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. Tilt Investment Management Holdings PBC raised its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report) by 14.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,338 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after buying an additional 1,441 shares during the period. Tilt Investment Management Holdings PBCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $772,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 18.7% during the 1st quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 10,302 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $714,000 after purchasing an additional 1,623 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 4,142,206 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $287,096,000 after purchasing an additional 150,126 shares in the last quarter. Private Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Private Wealth Partners LLC now owns 14,124 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $979,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 1st quarter valued at $460,000. Finally, Westpac Banking Corp raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 433,598 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $30,053,000 after purchasing an additional 8,293 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.57% of the companys stock. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Bristol-Myers Squibb In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 47,751 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,202,182.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Bristol-Myers Squibb Price Performance Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday. Daiwa Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Wednesday, June 28th. They issued an outperform rating and a $70.00 target price on the stock. Credit Suisse Group dropped their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $72.00 to $66.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 12th. HSBC started coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, July 14th. They issued a reduce rating and a $56.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an underweight rating and set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $71.14. NYSE:BMY opened at $61.41 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $129.01 billion, a PE ratio of 16.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.43. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 12 month low of $60.05 and a 12 month high of $81.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The companys 50-day moving average price is $64.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.85. Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.99 by ($0.24). The firm had revenue of $11.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.81 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 17.62% and a return on equity of 50.56%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs quarterly revenue was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.93 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 7.51 EPS for the current fiscal year. Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.71%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.64%. Bristol-Myers Squibb 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 Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report). 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. TrinityPoint Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in iShares National Muni Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:MUB Free Report) by 6.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,009 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 236 shares during the quarter. TrinityPoint Wealth LLCs holdings in iShares National Muni Bond ETF were worth $432,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Providence Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. First Manhattan Co. bought a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. EPG Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC bought a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Get iShares National Muni Bond ETF alerts: iShares National Muni Bond ETF Trading Down 0.1 % MUB stock traded down $0.06 during trading on Friday, hitting $106.66. 2,022,263 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,464,577. iShares National Muni Bond ETF has a one year low of $101.35 and a one year high of $108.82. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $106.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $106.87. 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). Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MUB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares National Muni Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:MUB Free Report). 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. W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $35.00 $36.75 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $35.91. The company issued revenue guidance of $16.4 $16.8 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $16.58 billion. W.W. Grainger also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $35.00-$36.75 EPS. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $795.00 to $790.00 in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $647.00 to $653.00 in a report on Friday. UBS Group cut W.W. Grainger from a buy rating to a neutral rating and raised their target price for the company from $815.00 to $820.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 12th. Finally, Loop Capital boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $750.00 to $800.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $721.50. Get W.W. Grainger alerts: W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.9 % Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $731.37 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $733.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $682.33. W.W. Grainger has a fifty-two week low of $483.19 and a fifty-two week high of $811.60. The firm has a market cap of $36.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 2.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement W.W. Grainger ( NYSE:GWW Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The industrial products company reported $9.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $8.96 by $0.32. The company had revenue of $4.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.04% and a return on equity of 60.40%. W.W. Graingers revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $7.19 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger will post 35.99 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 14th will be given a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 11th. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. W.W. Graingers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.44%. Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 476 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $683.74, for a total value of $325,460.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,731 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,183,553.94. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 9.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of W.W. Grainger Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 2.2% in the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,067 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $550,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 67.9% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 789 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $407,000 after acquiring an additional 319 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 33.6% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 26,661 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $13,947,000 after purchasing an additional 6,705 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 212.9% during the 1st quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 25,798 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $13,306,000 after purchasing an additional 17,553 shares in the last quarter. 72.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About W.W. Grainger (Get 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 Stories 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. Wharton Business Group LLC lifted its stake in FedEx Co. (NYSE:FDX Free Report) by 1.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,266 shares of the shipping service providers stock after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the period. Wharton Business Group LLCs holdings in FedEx were worth $1,431,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in FedEx by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 5,236 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $1,196,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of FedEx by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,098 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $936,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted 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 worth $252,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of FedEx by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 16,651 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $2,903,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Laraway Financial Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of FedEx by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Laraway Financial Advisors Inc now owns 2,490 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $575,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. 73.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get FedEx alerts: FedEx Stock Performance FDX traded up $3.48 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $268.85. 1,058,566 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,951,128. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The companys fifty day moving average price is $240.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $223.16. FedEx Co. has a 52-week low of $141.92 and a 52-week high of $270.27. Analysts Set New Price Targets FedEx ( NYSE:FDX Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 20th. The shipping service provider reported $4.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $4.85 by $0.09. FedEx had a net margin of 4.41% and a return on equity of 15.32%. The firm had revenue of $21.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.55 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $6.87 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that FedEx Co. will post 17.3 EPS for the current year. Several equities analysts recently commented on FDX shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on FedEx from $240.00 to $282.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $290.00 price objective on shares of FedEx in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Argus increased their target price on FedEx from $240.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Monday, June 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on FedEx from $250.00 to $258.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their target price on FedEx from $250.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $246.14. Insider Activity In related news, EVP Michael C. Lenz sold 5,745 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.88, for a total value of $1,504,500.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 22,478 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,886,538.64. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other FedEx news, EVP Michael C. Lenz sold 5,745 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.88, for a total transaction of $1,504,500.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 22,478 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,886,538.64. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert B. Carter sold 19,270 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.00, for a total transaction of $4,740,420.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 58,875 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,483,250. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 35,816 shares of company stock valued at $8,822,147 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 8.62% of the companys stock. FedEx Profile (Free Report) FedEx Corporation provides transportation, e-commerce, and business services in the United States and internationally. It operates through FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Services segments. The FedEx Express segment offers express transportation, small-package ground delivery, and freight transportation services; and time-critical transportation services. Recommended Stories 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. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of WidePoint (NYSEAMERICAN:WYY Free Report) in a research note published on Wednesday. The firm issued a sell rating on the technology companys stock. WidePoint Trading Up 2.6 % Shares of WidePoint stock opened at $1.95 on Wednesday. WidePoint has a 12-month low of $1.70 and a 12-month high of $3.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.03 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.12 and a beta of 1.04. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $1.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1.93. Get WidePoint alerts: WidePoint (NYSEAMERICAN:WYY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 15th. The technology company reported ($0.11) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $25.27 million for the quarter. WidePoint had a positive return on equity of 2.98% and a negative net margin of 16.03%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On WidePoint About WidePoint A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in WidePoint by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 390,757 shares of the technology companys stock worth $833,000 after acquiring an additional 34,072 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of WidePoint by 27.5% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 43,483 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 9,377 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of WidePoint in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. UBS Group AG acquired a new position in shares of WidePoint in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Citadel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of WidePoint by 121.1% in the 3rd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 13,577 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 7,437 shares in the last quarter. 11.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. (Get 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. Ziegler Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report) by 31.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 111,341 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after buying an additional 26,839 shares during the period. Ziegler Capital Management LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $12,807,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. increased its stake in EOG Resources by 4.2% in the first quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 2,262 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Pictet North America Advisors SA increased its stake in EOG Resources by 33.1% in the first quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA now owns 42,271 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $4,846,000 after acquiring an additional 10,517 shares during the period. Private Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in EOG Resources in the first quarter valued at about $264,000. Jump Financial LLC bought a new stake in EOG Resources in the first quarter valued at about $499,000. Finally, Mainstay Capital Management LLC ADV bought a new stake in EOG Resources in the first quarter valued at about $1,494,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.58% of the companys stock. Get EOG Resources alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts recently weighed in on EOG shares. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $147.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Monday, May 15th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of EOG Resources from $149.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, July 21st. Raymond James decreased their price objective on shares of EOG Resources from $150.00 to $140.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 24th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of EOG Resources in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. They set a buy rating and a $152.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of EOG Resources in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $145.32. Insiders Place Their Bets EOG Resources Stock Performance In other EOG Resources news, EVP Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 2,031 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.26, for a total value of $238,155.06. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 37,607 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,409,796.82. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . In other EOG Resources news, EVP Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 2,031 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.26, for a total value of $238,155.06. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 37,607 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,409,796.82. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Also, COO Lloyd W. Helms, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction dated 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 approximately $17,344,464.43. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the companys stock. Shares of EOG opened at $130.70 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $115.52 and a 200-day moving average of $117.88. EOG Resources, Inc. has a one year low of $97.39 and a one year high of $150.88. The company has a market cap of $76.44 billion, a PE ratio of 8.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 2.17 and a quick ratio of 1.90. EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Get Free Report) last posted 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 company had revenue of $6.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.28 billion. EOG Resources had a net margin of 33.83% and a return on equity of 30.34%. EOG Resourcess quarterly revenue was up 51.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.00 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 10.49 earnings per share for the current year. EOG Resources Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.825 per share. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.52%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio is presently 20.64%. EOG Resources Company 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. Read More 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. ZRC Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 346 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $62,000. Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Annapolis Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 94.7% in the 1st quarter. Annapolis Financial Services LLC now owns 148 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP grew its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 450.0% in the 1st quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP now owns 154 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. Tandem Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 78.6% during the 4th quarter. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 184 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.87% of the companys stock. Get iShares Russell 2000 ETF alerts: iShares Russell 2000 ETF Price Performance Shares of NYSEARCA:IWM traded up $2.51 during trading on Friday, hitting $196.43. 21,612,218 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 25,512,098. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a 1-year low of $162.50 and a 1-year high of $201.99. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $185.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $182.96. About iShares Russell 2000 ETF iShares Russell 2000 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 2,000 smallest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Ghanaian government has unveiled its ambitious plan to tackle the nation's housing deficit by launching the Revised National Housing Programme. The program aims to construct 8,000 new affordable housing units in a bid to address the estimated 2 million housing deficit in the country. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is set to officiate the ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday, signaling the commencement of the project. Works and Housing Minister, Francis Asenso-Boakye, revealed at the 2nd Green Building and Research Conference in Accra that the housing initiative would be executed through a public-private partnership. The project is expected to focus on the Pokuase area within the Ga West Municipality. Minister Asenso-Boakye emphasized that this housing program would learn from the setbacks experienced in previous attempts and employ more sustainable and eco-friendly building materials. "We have taken the trouble to look at all the setbacks associated with the previous programs. It will be a public-private partnership, and the government is giving free land and infrastructure, so it will reduce the construction cost by 40%. The good news is that we are making sure that all the materials are environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly," he stated. Ghana's previous attempts to address the housing deficit, such as the Government of Ghana Affordable Housing Programme and the Saglemi Housing, were halted by changes in political leadership. The current initiative seeks to learn from past experiences and create a lasting solution to the housing crisis. Although the Minister did not disclose the total cost of the project, he assured the public of the government's commitment to its successful completion. The 2nd Annual Green Building Conference, where the announcement was made, aimed to advance an African green building and development agenda. The event highlighted the need for eco-friendly building materials to combat climate change and urged policy measures to include them in all new public structures. As Ghana forges ahead with this ambitious housing project, many are hopeful that the Revised National Housing Programme will provide much-needed relief to those struggling with housing accessibility in the country. Osmania General Hospital Hyderabad: Telangana government's decision to demolish the building of Osmania General Hospital has triggered widespread criticism. Historians and heritage lovers have voiced concerns over the government's move to raze down the heritage structure. William Dalrymple, Scottish historian and Jaipur Literature Festival co-director has termed the government's decision as "Barbarous philistinism". Writer and columnist Sanjaya Baru has also lashed at the government for razing down the grand old heritage building. The decision to raze down the structure was taken in a meeting attended by ministers Mahmood Ali and Talsani Srinivas, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, and officials from various government departments. On July 27, the state government filed an affidavit before the Telangana High Court in which it stated its intention to demolish the existing structure due to its unsuitability as a hospital. The affidavit stated that a new building would be constructed in the 35.76 lakh square feet area. it was a consensus decision that was arrived at during a meeting of ministers Mahmood Ali and Talsani Srinivas, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, and officials from the health department, GHMC, MA&UD, R&B and OGH representatives. It was found that the existing building had become structurally unsafe for patients, which was why all patients were vacated in 2020, thereby decreasing the bed strength from 1,385 to 1,100. The overcrowding in wards and posed challenges like sanitation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PTI File Photo) NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the launch of the "Meri Mati Mera Desh" campaign in the run-up to Independence Day to honour the martyred bravehearts of the country, with special inscriptions to be installed in panchayats in their memory. In his monthly radio address "Mann Ki Baat", the Prime Minister said that "Amrit Kalash Yatra" will be organised under the campaign and 7,500 pots carrying soil from different corners of the country will be brought to the national capital along with saplings. "The Meri Mati Mera Desh campaign will be launched to honour our martyred brave men and women. Under this, many programmes will be organised across the country in the memory of our immortal martyrs. In the memory of these luminaries, special inscriptions will also be installed in lakhs of village panchayats throughout the country," the Prime Minister said. Mr Modi said that under this campaign, the Amrit Kalash Yatra will also be organised across the country. "This yatra will also carry with it saplings from different parts of the country. 'Amrit Vatika' will be built near the National War Memorial by fusing the soil and saplings that will arrive in 7,500 urns. This Amrit Vatika will also become a grand symbol of 'Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat'," he said. Noting that the whole country came together for the "Har Ghar Tiranga" campaign last year, the Prime Minister urged people to continue with the tradition of hoisting the tricolour at their houses this time too. "With these efforts, we will realise our duties... We will realise the innumerable sacrifices made for the freedom of the country; we will realise the value of freedom. Hence, every countryman must join in these efforts," the Prime Minister said. In his monthly radio address, Mr Modi mentioned that over 4,000 Muslim women performed Haj this year without "mehram". "This journey of theirs is special in many ways. These are the women who have performed Haj without any male companion or mehram and the number is not 50 or 100, but more than 4,000. This is a huge transformation," he said, adding that he has received a large number of letters this time from the Muslim women who have recently returned from the Haj pilgrimage. "Earlier, Muslim women were not allowed to perform Haj without mehram. Through Mann Ki Baat, I also express my heartfelt gratitude to the government of Saudi Arabia. Women coordinators were specially appointed for women going on Haj without mehram." The Prime Minister also spoke about the rising numbers of pilgrims to different holy places and said this is the result of "our collective cultural awakening". "Now more than 10-crore tourists are reaching Kashi every year. The number of devotees visiting pilgrimage sites in Ayodhya, Mathura and Ujjain is also increasing rapidly. Due to this, lakhs of poor people are getting employment," he said. Noting that the US recently returned hundreds of rare and ancient artefacts to India, he said that it sparked a lot of debate on social media and the youth displayed a sense of pride about their heritage. "These artefacts returned to India are 250 to 2,500 years old and are related to different regions of the country. These have been made using terracotta, stone, metal and wood," Mr Modi said. He shared details of some of the items and noted that many artefacts were returned to the country following his earlier visits to the US in 2016 and 2021 as well. "These efforts will increase awareness to stop the theft of our cultural heritage and will further deepen the attachment of our countrymen to our rich heritage," the Prime Minister said. Referring to the floods, landslides and other natural calamities hitting different parts of the country during the monsoon season, he said people suffered in many places. "Amid natural calamities, the people of the country also again brought to the fore the power of collective effort," the Prime Minister said. Mr Modi further pointed out that it was encouraging to see people make novel efforts for water conservation at many places and cited the record plantation of 30-crore saplings in a day in Uttar Pradesh, calling it an example of public participation and awareness. The Prime Minister also talked about "Amrit Sarovars" in his monthly address. "More than 60,000 Amrit Sarovars built during the Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav are increasingly radiating their glow. Presently, the work of building more than 50,000 Amrit Sarovars is going on," he said. Lauding efforts against the use of drugs, he said the increasing participation of youth in such campaigns is encouraging. "If we want to save the future generations of the country, we have to keep them away from drugs," he said, noting that the "Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan" was launched on August 15, 2020, with this idea. "More than 11-crore people have connected with this campaign. India has created a unique record of destroying 10-lakh kg of drugs worth over `12,000 crores," he added. On average, approximately 8.32 girls and women go missing in a minute during the three-year period from 2019 to 2021.(Representational image: DC) NEW DELHI, HYDERABAD: Over 13.13 lakh girls and women went missing in the country in three years between 2019 and 2021 with Madhya Pradesh accounting for the highest at nearly two lakh, closely followed by West Bengal. According to data tabled by the Union home ministry in Parliament last week, 10,61,648 women above 18 years and 2,51,430 girls below 18 years of age went missing between 2019 and 2021. The data, compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), stated that 1,60,180 women and 38,234 girls went missing in the three years in Madhya Pradesh, 1,56,905 women and 36,606 girls in West Bengal and in Maharashtra, 1,78,400 women and 13,033 girls. The Telangana state police stated that 87 per cent of missing girls and women had been traced in the state. It was found that cases of missing of girls and women in the state were not linked to any serious criminal activities such as trafficking for sexual exploitation, child labour, bonded labour, begging and child marriage, among others. The recovery figures in Telangana state are greater than the national average of 62 per cent. "The police department has been registering all cases of missing persons and taking up investigations immediately. Telangana is among the top states as far as tracing missing persons is concerned," a Telangana police official claimed. The government also informed Parliament that it had taken a number of initiatives for the safety of women across the country, including the enactment of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act to allow even more stringent penal provisions, including death penalty, for the rape of girls below the age of 12 years. It mandated completion of investigation and filing of charge sheets in rape cases within two months and trials to be completed in another two months. Chief Minister K chandrashekar Rao. (Photo: Tiwtter) HYDERABAD: All eyes are on the state Cabinet meeting slated for Monday which is expected to firm up decisions to dole out sops to various sections ahead of the Assembly elections. It is expected to take a decision on the pending crop loan waiver scheme; constituting a pay revision commission (PRC) to hike salaries and pensions; employees health scheme; pay hike for TSRTC staff; funds for Dalit Bandhu, Gruha Laxmi and other such welfare besides compensation for farmers affected by recent heavy rains. The Cabinet is likely to approve a crop insurance policy to protect farmers from losses on account of natural calamities that have become an annual feature. The crop loan waiver scheme was a promise made by BRS during 2018 Assembly polls. It promised to waive crop loans up to `one lakh if it is voted to power again. However, the BRS government failed to fulfill the promise even after nearly five years due to which the banks had declared over 20 lakh farmers as 'defaulters'. Over 36.8 lakh farmers were found to be eligible for this waiver and for which nearly Rs 25,000 crore was required. But the government waived crop loans to the tune of Rs 1,207 crore covering 5,42,635 farmers, who owed loans up to Rs 35,0000 each. In order to cater to farmers suffering huge losses due to natural calamities, the state government opted out of Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) from kharif 2020. Effectively, there is no crop insurance scheme in TS from 2018 with the state government refusing to release its share of the premium for PMFBY. The term of the present PRC ended on June 30 and the cabinet is likely to take a decision on constituting a new PRC. Employees and pensioners have been demanding an effective EHS (employees health scheme) for long and they offered to contribute up to two per cent of their basic pay for the purpose arguing that the existing free unlimited cashless EHS launched in November 2014 with the total funding of state government failed to serve the purpose due to fund crunch. The government is not able to release funds in time due to which arrears have accumulated. Private and corporate hospitals are refusing to admit patients having EHS cards citing arrears by the state government. The recent heavy rains and floods over the past week caused huge damage to crops in an extent of nearly 16 lakh acres and thousands of houses. The Cabinet is expected to take a decision on payment of compensation to victims. Lalu Yadav joined a one-day RJD student wing meeting organised by Bihar Minister Tej Partap Yadav at his residence on Sunday. Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday took a swipe at the BJP-led Central government and said that the party will be "wiped out" in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024. "Parties believing in the ideology of Baba Saheb Ambedkar are coming together...BJP will be wiped out. In the coming time, we (I.N.D.I.A alliance) are going to meet in Maharashtra where we will finalise the strategy ahead..." former Bihar Chief Minister said. Lalu Yadav joined a one-day RJD student wing meeting organised by Bihar Minister Tej Partap Yadav at his residence on Sunday. "BJP and Narendra Modi are trying to destroy the Constitution. I am requesting all of you that leave everything and fight for the country," Lalu Yadav said. I.N.D.I.A or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance is a group of 26 opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The first meeting of the Opposition parties was concluded in Bihars Patna on June 23 under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while the second such meeting was convened in Karnatakas Bengaluru and held by Congress on July 17 and 18. The next meeting will be held in Maharashtras Mumbai. "I'm hoping that my friends will come out massively to vote. What I really want is stability for the country to progress," said Laurent Ngombe, a teacher and one of the first people to vote. "We have asked him to apologise, withdraw his allegations and pay damages, which we will donate to charity. If he does not do so, we will sue him," the Channel quoted the minister as saying. "I was sitting here like this," she said, gesticulating as she recalled the moment of the impact. "It was just so unexpected," she said. "All the glass went flying." Emphasising on the early completion of these projects sanctioned by the Union Rural Development Ministry, he said this development work would improve rural connectivity in 500 habitations in various districts such as Changlang, Dibang Valley, East Kameng, East Siang, Kamle, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lepa Rada, Lohit, Longding and Lower Dibang Valley. In the show-cause notice to Sow, the university had said that his Facebook post in support of the renowned economist was full of false/misleading information, contrary to official records and official position of Visva-Bharati, aimed at denigrating, defaming and derogating Visva-Bharati as an institution and also its functionaries/officials and staff. In May 2017, Lieutenant Umar Fayaz, who had gone home in Shopian to attend the marriage ceremony of his relative, was first abducted and then killed by the militants. The same year, BSF constable Mohammad Ramzan Parray was dragged out of his house in north Kashmirs Hajin town and killed. "BJP says it has nothing to do with Bhide but at the same time its party workers, along with Bhide's supporters, demand that cases be filed against Congress leader Yashomati Thakur. The ATS official further said, "We have found a drone camera from the house of the two terror suspects, and also recovered an electronic circuit which is used in making an explosive." "What exactly they were planning to do is not clear yet. We have recovered nearly 500 GB data from their devices. This data has been sent to the forensic department," he said. The terror suspects used the drone for shooting (videos/images), but it is not yet clear which location they captured using it, he said. Two killed as truck rams into police van on highway in Maharashtra's Yavatmal The accident took place at around 11.30 pm on July 30 on Nagpur-Tuljapur highway, police said. Fadnavis, however, made it clear that Bhide is not linked to BJP and the latter runs his own organisation. I condemn whatever has been said by Bhide Guruji. Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of the Nation. He seen as a mahanayak by crores of people. Bhide's statements have pained people, he said. Cullen/Frost Bankers (NYSE:CFR Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by equities researchers at Royal Bank of Canada from $127.00 to $122.00 in a report issued on Friday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Royal Bank of Canadas price objective suggests a potential upside of 14.81% from the stocks current price. Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers to a sell rating in a research report on Saturday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $121.00 to $116.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th. Wedbush lowered their price target on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $120.00 to $112.00 in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Cullen/Frost Bankers from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price target on Cullen/Frost Bankers from $114.00 to $113.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $129.64. Get Cullen/Frost Bankers alerts: Cullen/Frost Bankers Price Performance CFR opened at $106.26 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.05. Cullen/Frost Bankers has a 12 month low of $92.55 and a 12 month high of $160.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $108.58 and a 200 day simple moving average of $113.38. Insiders Place Their Bets Cullen/Frost Bankers ( NYSE:CFR Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The bank reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.07. Cullen/Frost Bankers had a return on equity of 23.41% and a net margin of 37.63%. The business had revenue of $512.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $496.85 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.81 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Cullen/Frost Bankers will post 9.64 EPS for the current year. In related news, insider Patrick B. Frost sold 6,617 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.09, for a total value of $668,912.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 210,946 shares of the companys stock, valued at $21,324,531.14. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Howard Willome John acquired 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The shares were bought at an average price of $98.66 per share, with a total value of $197,320.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 9,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $887,940. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Patrick B. Frost sold 6,617 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.09, for a total value of $668,912.53. Following the sale, the insider now owns 210,946 shares in the company, valued at $21,324,531.14. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have purchased a total of 8,501 shares of company stock worth $819,054 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 2.89% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cullen/Frost Bankers Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. KBC Group NV bought a new position in Cullen/Frost Bankers during the second quarter worth $209,000. Jackson Square Capital LLC bought a new stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers during the second quarter worth $978,000. First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its holdings in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 41.5% during the second quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 7,311 shares of the banks stock worth $786,000 after purchasing an additional 2,145 shares during the last quarter. Keene & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers by 17.2% in the second quarter. Keene & Associates Inc. now owns 4,658 shares of the banks stock valued at $501,000 after acquiring an additional 682 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 1,292.7% during the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 3,245 shares of the banks stock worth $350,000 after buying an additional 3,012 shares during the last quarter. 80.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Cullen/Frost Bankers (Get Free Report) Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Frost Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking services in Texas. It operates in two segments, Banking and Frost Wealth Advisors. The company offers commercial banking services to corporations and other business clients, including financing for industrial and commercial properties, interim construction related to industrial and commercial properties, equipment, inventories and accounts receivables, and acquisitions; and treasury management services, as well as originates commercial leasing services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Cullen/Frost Bankers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cullen/Frost Bankers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fortune Brands Innovations (NYSE:FBIN Get Free Report) had its target price increased by investment analysts at Truist Financial from $75.00 to $90.00 in a report issued on Friday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Truist Financials price objective would indicate a potential upside of 25.47% from the stocks previous close. A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on FBIN. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Fortune Brands Innovations from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Fortune Brands Innovations in a research report on Friday, June 23rd. They set a neutral rating and a $70.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Fortune Brands Innovations from $64.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 20th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Fortune Brands Innovations from $70.00 to $74.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Fortune Brands Innovations from $67.00 to $72.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $72.18. Get Fortune Brands Innovations alerts: Fortune Brands Innovations Price Performance Shares of NYSE FBIN opened at $71.73 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $68.46 and a 200 day moving average of $63.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. Fortune Brands Innovations has a twelve month low of $49.51 and a twelve month high of $77.14. The firm has a market cap of $9.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.49, a PEG ratio of 6.67 and a beta of 1.54. Insiders Place Their Bets Fortune Brands Innovations ( NYSE:FBIN Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. Fortune Brands Innovations had a return on equity of 24.84% and a net margin of 9.29%. Fortune Brands Innovationss revenue for the quarter was down 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.67 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Fortune Brands Innovations will post 3.82 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other Fortune Brands Innovations news, Director Ann F. Hackett sold 4,835 shares of Fortune Brands Innovations stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.78, for a total value of $318,046.30. Following the sale, the director now owns 34,815 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,290,130.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Fortune Brands Innovations Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Nordea Investment Management AB bought a new position in Fortune Brands Innovations during the second quarter valued at $64,757,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH purchased a new stake in shares of Fortune Brands Innovations during the second quarter valued at $61,179,000. Fenimore Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Fortune Brands Innovations in the second quarter worth about $45,933,000. Professional Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Fortune Brands Innovations in the 2nd quarter worth about $19,442,000. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System bought a new stake in Fortune Brands Innovations during the 2nd quarter valued at about $10,533,000. 86.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Fortune Brands Innovations (Get Free Report) Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc provides home and security products for residential home repair, remodeling, new construction, and security applications in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments: Water Innovations; and Outdoors & Security. The Water Innovations segment manufactures or assembles, and sells faucets, accessories, kitchen sinks, and waste disposals under the Moen, ROHL, Riobel, Victoria+Albert, Perrin & Rowe, Aqualisa, and Shaws brands. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Fortune Brands Innovations Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fortune Brands Innovations and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AGF Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (NYSE:LEG Free Report) by 2.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 100,236 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,289 shares during the quarter. AGF Management Ltd. owned about 0.08% of Leggett & Platt worth $3,196,000 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 LEG. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board raised its position in Leggett & Platt by 14.3% in the first quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 24,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $765,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the period. Financial Counselors Inc. increased its holdings in Leggett & Platt by 4.7% in the first quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. now owns 333,535 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,633,000 after buying an additional 15,102 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Leggett & Platt by 21.0% in the first quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 140,069 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,465,000 after buying an additional 24,352 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Leggett & Platt by 17.0% in the first quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 25,430 shares of the companys stock valued at $811,000 after buying an additional 3,700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in Leggett & Platt in the first quarter valued at about $220,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.95% of the companys stock. Get Leggett & Platt alerts: Insider Activity In related news, Director Phoebe A. Wood sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.61, for a total value of $195,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 53,109 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,731,884.49. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.57% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Leggett & Platt Trading Down 0.2 % Shares of NYSE:LEG opened at $29.54 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.93 billion, a PE ratio of 14.77 and a beta of 1.28. Leggett & Platt, Incorporated has a 1 year low of $28.26 and a 1 year high of $41.94. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $30.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.11. The company has a current ratio of 2.08, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. Leggett & Platt (NYSE:LEG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The company reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.26 by $0.13. Leggett & Platt had a net margin of 5.42% and a return on equity of 16.83%. The company had revenue of $1.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Leggett & Platt, Incorporated will post 1.61 EPS for the current fiscal year. Leggett & Platt Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.23%. This is a positive change from Leggett & Platts previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Leggett & Platts dividend payout ratio is currently 92.00%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have recently issued reports on LEG. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Leggett & Platt from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $39.00 to $34.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. StockNews.com began coverage on Leggett & Platt in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Leggett & Platt Profile (Free Report) Leggett & Platt, Incorporated designs, manufactures, and markets engineered components and products worldwide. It operates through three segments: Bedding Products; Specialized Products; and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products. The company offers steel rods, drawn wires, foam chemicals and additives, innersprings, private label finished mattresses, wire forms for mattress foundations, adjustable beds, industrial sewing and quilting machines, and mattress packaging and glue drying equipment, as well as machines to produce innersprings for industrial users of steel rods and wires, manufacturers of finished bedding, big box and e-commerce retailers, bedding brands and mattress retailers, department stores, and home improvement centers. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LEG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (NYSE:LEG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Leggett & Platt Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Leggett & Platt and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Savant Capital LLC bought a new stake in NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 10,402 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $291,000. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its holdings in shares of NiSource by 67.7% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 1,075 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 434 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in shares of NiSource by 161.0% in the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,099 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 678 shares during the period. Achmea Investment Management B.V. bought a new position in NiSource in the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. US Asset Management LLC bought a new position in NiSource in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Delta Asset Management LLC TN bought a new position in NiSource in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. 93.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get NiSource alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, SVP Kimberly S. Cuccia sold 11,157 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.54, for a total transaction of $318,420.78. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 20,329 shares in the company, valued at approximately $580,189.66. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. NiSource Stock Up 0.1 % Shares of NI opened at $27.75 on Friday. NiSource Inc. has a 12 month low of $23.78 and a 12 month high of $31.87. The firms 50 day moving average is $27.39 and its 200-day moving average is $27.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.46 billion, a PE ratio of 18.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59. NiSource (NYSE:NI Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.77. The business had revenue of $1.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.94 billion. NiSource had a net margin of 11.72% and a return on equity of 11.14%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.75 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that NiSource Inc. will post 1.59 EPS for the current year. NiSource Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 18th. Investors of record on Monday, July 31st will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 28th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.60%. NiSources dividend payout ratio is 68.03%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have weighed in on NI. Guggenheim lowered their price target on shares of NiSource from $31.00 to $30.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of NiSource from $31.00 to $30.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 21st. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of NiSource from $32.00 to $31.00 in a report on Thursday, June 22nd. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on shares of NiSource from $31.00 to $30.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 21st. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of NiSource in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $30.00. About NiSource (Free Report) NiSource Inc, an energy holding company, operates as a regulated natural gas and electric utility company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Gas Distribution Operations and Electric Operations. The company distributes natural gas to approximately 859,000 customers in northern Indiana, as well as approximately 2.4 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for NiSource Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NiSource and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp raised its stake in Douglas Emmett, Inc. (NYSE:DEI Free Report) by 33.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 157,300 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 39,251 shares during the period. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp owned 0.09% of Douglas Emmett worth $1,940,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of DEI. HighTower Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Douglas Emmett in the first quarter valued at $210,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Douglas Emmett by 16.9% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,420 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $248,000 after purchasing an additional 1,071 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Douglas Emmett in the first quarter valued at $371,000. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its holdings in shares of Douglas Emmett by 10.5% in the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 64,314 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,149,000 after purchasing an additional 6,132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, APG Asset Management N.V. acquired a new position in shares of Douglas Emmett in the first quarter valued at $448,000. 97.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Douglas Emmett alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms recently commented on DEI. TheStreet downgraded shares of Douglas Emmett from a c rating to a d+ rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Douglas Emmett from $20.00 to $15.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Douglas Emmett from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and upped their price target for the company from $13.00 to $15.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Douglas Emmett from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Thursday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $15.78. Douglas Emmett Trading Up 3.1 % Douglas Emmett Dividend Announcement Shares of Douglas Emmett stock opened at $14.39 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.22 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 2.54, a current ratio of 2.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. Douglas Emmett, Inc. has a 12-month low of $10.09 and a 12-month high of $23.85. The firms 50-day moving average price is $12.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.28. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.28%. Douglas Emmetts payout ratio is 149.02%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director William E. Simon, Jr. bought 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 8th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $12.42 per share, with a total value of $124,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 91,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,130,220. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 14.00% of the companys stock. About Douglas Emmett (Free Report) Douglas Emmett, Inc (DEI) is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), and one of the largest owners and operators of high-quality office and multifamily properties located in the premier coastal submarkets of Los Angeles and Honolulu. Douglas Emmett focuses on owning and acquiring a substantial share of top-tier office properties and premier multifamily communities in neighborhoods that possess significant supply constraints, high-end executive housing and key lifestyle amenities. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Douglas Emmett Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Douglas Emmett and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Donegal County Council has been encouraged to buy ODohertys Keep when it is auctioned in September. Also known as ODohertys Castle, the property - which sits by the Crana river in Swan Park - has been put on the market by its owner. The three-storey rectangular keep dates back to the 14th century when it was built by the O'Dohertys. It is seen as the ancestral home of the clan. Local councillor Jack Murray said the sale would be an opportunity for Donegal County Council to take the building into public ownership. He told the July meeting of Donegal County Council that the preservation of the property, which was bought by local Buncrana resident Ronald HCO Doherty, in 1969, would complete the tourist offering of Buncrana, he said. Its a community amenity that people are very proud of," Cllr Murray told Monday's meeting of the council. In 2017 a local group announced plans to restore the keep and build a visitor and heritage centre at the site. The sale of the keep is to be accompanied by the findings, reports, and plans submitted by the group to various agencies . The property goes to a public online auction on September 7 by Dara Furey Auctioneers in Sean Furey Auctioneers. The minimum value has been set at 175,000. The listing by the auctioneers says the current owner has decided to pass the property, the founding site of Buncrana town, on to a new generation of guardians. The history of the keep includes it The keep was burned in 1608 by Crown forces in reprisal for the rebellion of Sir Cahir O' Doherty who sacked and raised the city of Derry. In October 1798 Wolfe Tone, one of the founders of the united Irishmen, was arrested and held in the vicinity of the keep before being tried and convicted of treason in Dublin. The keep is unique and has authentic and tangible links to an historic story spanning hundreds of years and many countries, the listing says. It is a monument of identity for many who were forced to leave Ulster over several hundred years. It is a symbol of identity for the diaspora who left Ulster, for those who returned home and for those who live and work in Buncrana and Inishowen. PICTURED ABOVE: Group pictured at the Churches Trust 'Celebrating Commonalities' finale event at the Waterfoot Hotel, Derry last week. Included second from left at front is Fiona Fagan, Chief Executive Officer, Churches Trust. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography) The Churches Trusts Celebrating Commonality project held their final event of 2023 at the Waterfoot Hotel, Derry last week and those in attendance heard how the Trust were delighted to provide opportunities to explore and learn from all faiths and cultural backgrounds. Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the project facilitated participants in exploring the many commonalities shared across the three dominant faiths found in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties. Throughout the year, the group took part in lectures, workshops, and day trips that provided opportunities to explore Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It was important to outline the aim of this project was rooted in community education and the content explored was delivered by key stakeholders from each faith who could speak directly about their lived experiences within our communities. Sharing such rich and diverse experiences facilitated a profound level of understanding and learning that faith is something that is shared and cherished by so many, and a shared commonality is that of compassion for all, peace, and love. The finale culminated with the Trusts Support Worker Niamh Fox and Youth Development Manager Wendy McCloskey hosting a quiz on the three faiths which was enjoyed by all. Speaking at the event, Fiona Fagan, CEO outlined on behalf of the Trust That we were delighted to provide opportunities to explore and learn from all faiths and cultural backgrounds. Group pictured at the Churches Trust 'Celebrating Commonalities' finale event at the Waterfoot Hotel, Derry last week. Included second from left is Robert Hegarty, Eileen Parkhill, Tom Pickles, Ruby Finlay and Mervyn Finlay (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography) She also described how the Trust now has friends across many faiths and all share a common vision for a shared society that is founded on the commonalities celebrated at the finale event. Fiona also commended the work carried out by the team, particularly Niamh Fox and Wendy McCloskey for their collaborative approaches to ensure the annual project was a huge success. 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. Lack of funding is not the reason Ireland is experiencing huge deficits in how vulnerable children are cared for, the Taoiseach has said. Leo Varadkar was commenting on issues facing the under-pressure child and family agency Tusla. Earlier this month a judge said Tusla is at crisis point due to a shortage of suitable placements and qualified staff. District Judge Dermot Simms wrote to Government ministers and state agencies to express his utmost concern for minors in the care of the state and said Ireland is likely to face future claims for failing to comply with its duty to those children. Last week the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) published a critical report into the Separated Children Seeking International Protection service, which is provided by Tusla. The inspection focused on governance, childrens rights, the quality and safety of child protection and welfare services that unaccompanied children received and found it was not compliant across all 10 standards assessed. Due to staffing challenges last year, there was a crisis response focusing on unaccompanied childrens basic care needs and accommodation rather than on their wider protection and welfare needs, it said. Mr Varadkar acknowledged the pressure Tusla is under but said the problems cannot be readily resolved just by diverting more money to the agency or passing new laws. There are lots of very good things about being a child in Ireland, he said. We have one of the best education systems in the developed world and some of the best outcomes for children when it comes to things like literacy. Even if you look at areas like paediatric healthcare, there are very good outcomes and very low levels of infant mortality in Ireland, for example. So there are lots of very good things about being a child in Ireland. But there are also huge deficits as well. No politician is unaware or unaffected by the fact that so many people, so many parents, cant get the therapies that their children need. Mr Varadkar said the Government will publish its Disability Action Plan in the coming weeks and additional placements are being created in the healthcare professions to train more people. He added: Tusla is under a lot of pressure. There are just more children than in the past whose parents arent able to look after them anymore and the increasing issue of migrant children and unaccompanied children arriving into the state that need our help. That is a real challenge. It is something that we are very much across. Like a lot of things, if it was about signing a cheque or a statutory instrument, we would do it in the morning. But its not. It is about finding appropriately skilled people, setting them up properly and then making sure that policies are implemented and standards are upheld. That is often the trickiest part but it is something we take very, very seriously. CORK politicians have welcomed a government commitment to fund the bespoke, fit-for-purpose Beara to Bantry bus service which meets the needs of the young people who use the route for a further three years at a cost of 60,000 per annum. A meeting was in recent weeks which featured key stakeholders including Fianna Fail TD Christopher O'Sullivan, the Minister for Disabilities Anne Rabbitte, representatives from the Health Service Executive (HSE), and parents of young adults who rely on the bus service. Fianna Fail TD for Cork South West Christopher OSullivan welcomed the positive outcome of the meeting. "It was a crucial meeting and Im glad the Minister listened to the parents of young adults who avail of the vital service. The bus service plays a vital role in ferrying students across the picturesque Beara Peninsula, connecting them with essential services like CoAction and the National Learning Network in Bantry, he said. Deputy OSullivan continued: Funding it for a further three years was the only solution that would maintain this bespoke route, which is tailored to suit the needs of the young adults who travel to Bantry. The unique nature of this route has been specifically designed to cater to the individual requirements of these young individuals, providing them with a reliable and essential mode of transport. Independent TD for Cork South West Michael Collins said the commitment to fund the project marks a significant victory for the community. After months of tireless efforts from parents and users, a dedicated bus service has been established. The introduction of this stand-alone bus service marks a significant victory for the community, fulfilling a long-sought dream that parents have been advocating for tirelessly. Until now, parents had to co-fund existing services, causing additional financial burden and stress, he said. Deputy Collins added: The stand-alone bus service will not only provide seamless access to vital services in CoAction, St Gobans Bantry, and Coomhola but also foster a sense of independence and empowerment for the individuals with intellectual disabilities. I firmly believe in the importance of accessibility and inclusivity. We are proud to see this vision coming to fruition for the Beara Peninsula community. Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard said: Im delighted there has been a solution to the long running saga of providing transportation for nine young adults from the Beara Peninsula to Bantry for services in the National Learning Network, Rehab Care and CoAction. A CORK teenager has opened up about The Echo article that led to her adoption 19 years ago as part of an emotional reunion with the charity founder who made it all possible. The bitter-sweet occasion comes more than a year after Kinsale college of Further Education student Aimee Kenneally lost her adopted mother Margaret. Aimees father Jack spoke about how Margaret had known she wanted to adopt from the age of 12-years-old. However, it was an Echo article published on March 25, 2003 featuring Fiona Corcoran from the Greater Chernobyl Cause that set the process in motion. Margaret was so moved by the piece, which highlighted Aimees home of Semipalatinsk Kazakhstan, she immediately wanted to help. The area had been the site of Russian nuclear weapon testing for 40 years and was one few locations where the death rate far exceeded the birth rate. The first thing Margaret did after reading the piece was pack a bag with clothes and dolls for children in the orphanage. She somehow felt connected to the babies and decided it was the right time to adopt. Her husband Jack said it was an option they had been discussing for decades. However, the couple already had four children - Shane, Andrew, Colm and Niamh - to provide for. Aimee and Jack Kenneally at home in Kinsale, Co. Cork. - Picture: David Creedon That desire to rescue a child only strengthened with age. Margaret (51) and Jack (55) were already grandparents to Morgane, who was six at the time and three-year-old Mael before adopting. However, nothing was going to deter them from their goal. When the children were small we had our hands full and knew that it would be difficult financially to adopt, Jack explained. We decided it was something we would do when they were older. We thought that might be six years later but 23 years passed. Every so often something would trigger a conversation about adoption. Margaret spotted the article in The Echo. She said she wanted to do something to help and I knew exactly what she meant. Fiona described her first encounter with Margaret who recently passed away years after a heart transplant. FIRST ENCOUNTER I was told that a woman had called to the office, Fiona said. When I asked for a description of the woman all they could tell me was that she was carrying a handbag. I remember really hoping that she would call again because I sensed this was something important. However, there was no way I was going to be able to narrow it down just from the woman with the handbag. Luckily, she returned an hour later. She told me that she wanted to adopt a child and had already discussed it with her husband. Not long after that the director of the Semipalatinsk baby home presented Fiona with a four-month-old baby asking if she could get her out of there. Aimee Kenneally at home in Kinsale, Co. Cork with the article that triggered her adoption from Kazakhatan by the Kenneally family in February 2004. - Picture: David Creedon His fear was that her medical situation would scupper her chances of survival in the system. Babies at the facility, which was supported by the Greater Chernobyl Cause, faced a transition as children to Ayaga Orphanage. The building was referred to in those days as a living hell with outdoor toilet facilities and temperatures plummeting to below minus 40 degrees due to an inadequate heating system. Aimee - who was then known as Aiman Kopkeava - also required medical treatment which would have been impossible under these conditions. Fiona, who joined Jack and Aimee to speak to The Echo, said she will never forget meeting Aimee for the first time. They handed me this infant and told me she was very special. The director of the orphanage saw the bright spark in her. He knew she would be okay if she only had a chance in life. He asked me if I could find a family for her but I knew that I already had. Aimee was born just a month after Jack and Margaret read that Echo article. There were so many things that happened that year that were very unusual and can only be put down to fate. Fiona contacted the couple, explaining that Aimee had Spina Bifida meaning she would grow up with complex needs. Jack remembers the moment like it was yesterday. Margaret and I only had to talk about it for two minutes, he said. 'WE KNEW STRAIGHT AWAY' We knew straight away this was what we wanted and asked ourselves why not?. Margaret was keen to ring Fiona back straight away before someone else beat her to it. The pair fell in love with Aimee before they had even met. Fiona gave us a picture of Aimee and we put it up on our bedroom mirror. When I looked at the picture it was almost like she was locking eyes with me. "It was the first thing we looked at when we woke up in the morning and the last thing we looked at before we went to sleep at night. Months passed by and Fiona was trying to get permission from the Kazakhstan authorities to take a child from their jurisdiction. At that point I was looking at the photograph so much I could almost hear Aimee talking to me asking whats taking you so long?' Both Margaret and Jack kept the adoption a secret for some time. Aimee and Jack Keneally at home in Kinsale. Co. Cork with the article that triggered her adoption from Kazakhatan in February 2004. Picture: David Creedon We never told anyone we were adopting because the last thing we wanted to was jinx it. At the same time I didnt want my friends to see me with a buggy a week later and wonder what the hell was going on. There was silence when I told them. Im not sure they knew what to think. Aimees arrival at the airport was the start of a new and exciting chapter for the Kenneally family. When we arrived at the airport I felt it was unusually busy for a Friday morning, Jack recalled. When Fiona came through arrivals they were clapping and cheering. Cameras were flashing. They were all there to see Aimee. Fiona brought the baby out and put her in my arms. "It was the most surreal moment I had ever experienced. I had been looking at this baby in the picture for so long. All of a sudden, she was in my arms looking up at me as if to say whats all the fuss about?. "Once Aimee was placed into Margarets arms she lit up like a beacon. She was overcome with happiness and immediately forgot about everything that was going on around her. The couple were so grateful to Fiona for bringing them all together they decided to make her Aimees godmother. The evening we brought Aimee home we put her cot in our bedroom. We wanted to be the first people she saw when she woke up the morning and the last when she fell asleep. That way she could realise the situation was permanent. Jack described how wonderful Margaret was both as a mother and a wife. She was an amazing person. Everyone could see that but Margaret never saw it in herself. No matter how many people told her she never realised she was special Jack said they miss her every day. The words of the poet Donna Ashford were so true when she said that you dont just lose someone once. You lose them over and over, sometimes many times a day, he said. That sadness is there all the time even when youre good. Every so often something creeps up on you and hits you out of the blue. You just have to learn to live with it and accept it when it hits you. Aimee, who previously trained as a nail technician in the Cork College of Commerce, said she is grateful for her life in Ireland. My dad was always honest with me. I was always knew that I was adopted but when I was 10-years-old he told me the story of how I arrived in Ireland. Now I know very little about Kazakhstan but I am very grateful for the life I have in Ireland. Ireland has always been my home. To find out more about the Chernobyl Cause or donate visit http://www.greaterchernobylcause.ie/. The managing director of a construction company allegedly threw a fellow director's phone out the window of his office shortly after being told the meeting was being recorded, it has been claimed in Commercial Court proceedings. Cormac Smith, a member and director of MMD Construction (Cork) Ltd, Cork Airport Business Park, claims Tomas O'Donovan grabbed his (Smith's) phone off a desk and threw it out the first floor window despite Mr Smiths protests. He claims Mr O'Donovan then grabbed his shirt and pushed him against the door of the office and yelled threats at him before another director, Kevin O'Leary, intervened to make him let go. He said Mr O'Donovan then physically assaulted him and threw him out of his office before following him downstairs and picking up his phone outside and smashing it off the ground.. Mr Smith, Braca House, Kilmore, Kinsale, Co Cork, gave details of the meeting in Mr O'Donovan's office on August 4 last year in an affidavit as part of company oppression proceedings he and his wife have brought. The case is against Mr O'Donovan, Kevin O'Leary, who is also a director/shareholder, Mr O'Donovan's wife Patricia Harrington who holds a 17pc shareholding,. The company itself is a notice party. The claims are denied. Mr Smith is Mr O'Donovan's brother in law and along with his wife Mari Smith, he says they hold a combined shareholding of one-third in the firm. However, Mr Smith claims, Mr O'Donovan has told him repeatedly that the Smiths only have 16pc of the shares and that they are only worth 500,000. Affidavit In an affidavit seeking entry of the proceedings to the Commercial Court, Mr Smith said he was also employed as a contracts manager by the company and is also a director with a one-third shareholding held in trust for his family of a related plant hire firm, MMD Construction Ltd. Mr Smith said while there have been occasional tensions in his relationship with Mr ODonovan, including over the use of company personnel to do up his (ODonovans) home in 2015, it was not until around February 2022 that there was a significant deterioration in that relationship. A dispute over the estate of the father of Mr O'Donovan and Mrs Smith intensified at which point Mr O'Donovan started to dispute his (Smith's) level of shareholding in the company. He said that in an apparent attempt to exert pressure on his sister, the Smiths were told they could no longer fill their vehicles with diesel from the company yard. Later, another privilege of home heating oil, worth 1.200-1,500 a month to the Smiths, was stopped, he said. Mr Smith said he also learned that some 3.1m had been contributed to the pensions of Mr O'Donovan and his wife without his (Smith's) knowledge. In April last year, Mr Smith said he was threatened with dismissal when he refused to support Mr ODonovans proposal for the sale of the late ODonovan fathers home in Summerstown, Cork. 'Exit Strategy' Meetings were held to discuss an exit strategy for Mr Smith and when asked how much he wanted, Mr Smith said that as the two related MMD companies were worth 15m, then he wanted 5m. Mr ODonovan offered him 500,000 plus a share in the Summerstown house. There were further meetings, email exchanges and phone calls culminating in the August 4 meeting in which he said he was physically thrown out of Mr O'Donovan's office. Mr Smith went on a planned family holiday and when he returned on August 22, he was told he had been suspended following a complaint of gross misconduct against him for the August 4 incident and for a previous incident which he said had not merited investigation before then. He was dismissed in November, over which there are separate proceedings, and he was also notified of egm proposals to remove him as a director of both companies. The case was entered into the Commercial Court list on Monday by Mr Justice Denis McDonald on consent between the parties. The judge expressed concern that the complaints were "historic at this stage" but said given the reluctance of the parties to seek court intervention because of the familial relationships he was prepared to admit the cast to the fast track commercial list. After being told efforts at mediation were continuing, the judge said there was no doubt that this was something the parties should be undertaking. He adjourned the matter to October. The issue of trucks turning onto Blarney Street has come up once again after a truck driver saw his vehicle become stuck at Friar's Avenue at the end of Gurranabraher Road, just before the turn off onto Blarney Street. Cllr Mick Nugent has again called for action to be taken to put a stop to the issue, as the latest incident on July 25 saw the truck stuck for several hours. It's the second incident in a number of weeks, where there's been a truck caught turning onto Blarney Street, he said. It seems like it wasn't the satnav let the driver down there, it may have just been directions he got, because of roads being closed off. I think it still illustrates what Kenneth Collins and I have said for some period of time. We need proper electronic signage on Gurranabraher Road just to advise HGVs that the road isnt suitable. "There is some regular road signage, but we're saying it should be electronic. The issue was previously raised by Tom Coleman, Chairman of Blarney Street and surrounding areas community association, with the Cork City Council agreeing to trial new traffic flow arrangements at a public meeting in 2019, though it proved to be fruitless. Cllrs Collins and Nugent made a similar appeal again in March, claiming the road signs directed at HGVs are simply not big enough and without large electronic signage, many drivers are at risk of getting their vehicle stuck. The issue also came up as well last week at the Northwest Community Safety Forum where a number of residents in the area were concerned about this issue occurring every so often, Cllr Nugent said. Now, Cork City Council has committed to publishing an HGV strategy by the end of the year. That might address this issue, because they know theres issues in other parts of the city as well. But for myself and Kenneth, we're repeating the call now for electronic signage, even on a temporary basis. IT was truly gruesome. Truly gruesome, in that it was both gruesome and true. Earlier in the day, Id jokingly referred to a boring chore as a death by a thousand cuts. But in one of those sinister synchronicities that happen, and which one should, perhaps, not ignore, the phrase showed up shortly afterwards on my phone on a history facts site that I occasionally look at. What I didnt know was that Death by a Thousand Cuts was a real thing back in the day. The phrase is believed to have originated in China as a torture method known as Ling chi. Im not going to go into fine details about this horrific thing, apart from saying that it was a desperately cruel and prolonged torture in which a sharp knife was used to slice the flesh and methodically remove parts of the body from a living person. The process could take up to four days, involving more than 3,000 cuts, and was used to punish crimes such as treason, mass murder or patricide. (Though not matricide, I notice.) Ling chi was used for the best part of 1,000 years - from the 10th century onwards after some bright spark psychopath came up with the idea. It was only banned in 1905 after an unfortunate man called Fou Tchou-Li suffered Death by a Thousand Cuts for the murder of a Mongolian prince. The website went on to detail more ancient torture methods, revealing how, from as far back as the Persian Empire in 500 BC and earlier, people devised the most horrific, macabre and unbelievably imaginative ways of hurting and killing each other, usually as slowly as possible. Im not going there, but it gave me an idea and I started searching for the origins of other phrases that we use so casually, often without knowing the least thing about them. Keeping the Wolf from the Door is believed to have been in use since the 1500s or earlier - in fact, it originated as keep the wolf from the gate and refers to the arrival of ravenous wolves which would come and sniff around the doors of houses for food. If parents could provide their family with enough food and leave some form of sustenance out for the wolves to eat, things would be OK, but if not, starving wolves could attack your home to try to get at the human beings inside. So, you had to work hard and be as prosperous as possible in order to keep the wolf from the door and protect your family. The saying Raining Cats and Dogs has attracted quite a bit of speculation. There are a few interesting theories. It may be a version of the Old English word for waterfall, which is catadupe, so the phrase raining cats and dogs could actually mean raining so hard its like a waterfall from the sky. Another, less salubrious interpretation is that the phrase referred to dead animals in the streets which were picked up and flung about by storm waters. Some sources link the phrase to Norse mythology, apparently because Odin, the Norse God of War and Death was often pictured with wolves. (Interesting as that last one may be, I dont quite get the connection). Showing Your True Colours originated in naval battles, where ships lowered their colours to conceal their nations flag - or hoisted them to reveal their true colours. Bury the Hatchet comes from the Native American culture - when two tribes decided to stop fighting, each chief would bury a war hatchet in the ground to seal the agreement. Describing somebody as so incompetent that they couldnt Hold A Candle To You dates back to the 17th century, when irritated master tradesmen complained about apprentices who werent even able to hold a candle steady enough to enable their bosses to continue with the work at hand. Believe it or not, the concept of Waking up on the Wrong Side of the Bed goes back to Roman times, when it was believed that positive forces were situated on the right side of the bed. If you got out of the bed on the left-hand side, you were immediately hit by negative energy. Being Caught Red-handed is an echo from 15th century Scotland where it meant very simply being caught with blood on your hands after committing a crime. When you Read the Riot Act to somebody, it means youre giving them a serious warning. This phrase originates from a British law passed in 1714 to quite literally prevent riots. If too many people got together and started looking for trouble, they would be read the Riot Act as a warning that if they didnt disperse ASAP theyd face severe punishment. Another popular phrase, Bobs Your Uncle, also reportedly originated in Britain when, in 1887, the then Prime Minister, one Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, in a demonstration of the most brass-necked nepotism imaginable, appointed his nephew, Arthur James Balfour as the Minister for Ireland. The phrase came about when the delighted Arthur referred to the Prime Minister as Uncle Bob. Last, but not least, are the origins of two expressions, Youve Got Your Work Cut Out for You and being advised to Bite the Bullet. The first comes from the traditional tailoring industry, when all the pieces of fabric have been cut out and are waiting to be sewn together to create a garment. Big, big job. The second phrase is said to date from some time between the 18th and 19th centuries prior to the invention of anaesthetics. Doctors would advise wounded soldiers to bite down on a real bullet to distract themselves while they were being operated on, fully conscious... Did you ever think etymology - the study of the origin and history of words - could be so absolutely fascinating? Or is it just me? David Young, PA The rededication of a memorial to the National Army soldiers killed in the Civil War enables their memory to be rehabilitated, a ceremony in Dublin has heard. Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sean Clancy paid tribute to the some 810 soldiers killed serving on the Free State side in the 1922-2023 conflict as he addressed the event at Glasnevin Cemetery on Sunday. Descendants of some of those who died, representative of all four provinces, were invited guests at the ceremony, among them relatives of Michael Collins, the commander in chief of the National Army who was killed in 1922. Tanaiste Micheal Martin, Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during the rededication (Brian Lawless/PA) Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin, the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, the two main parties forged from the divisions of the Civil War, also attended the rededication of the National Army Monument. Sinn Fein TD Matt Carthy also attended the military commemoration, as did Dublin Lord Mayor Daithi de Roiste. Prior to the ceremony, there was no monument in the country specifically dedicated to the soldiers of the National Army who fought against the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War. Weeks after the war ended, on August 3rd, 1923, the Oireachtas passed legislation that led to the creation of the modern-day Defence Forces, Oglaigh na hEireann. The rededication event for the forgotten fallen of the National Army, which had already adopted the name Oglaigh na hEireann during the Civil War, took place on the Sunday prior to the centenary of that date. It is appropriate then, in the spirit of real inclusiveness, of ethical remembering, and with a full desire to deal with some of the more uncomfortable aspects of our shared history, that we remember some of 810 uniformed members of Oglaigh na hEireann who gave their lives in the service of the State during the tragic and critical period at the foundation of our democracy, Lt Gen Clancy told the ceremony. For far too long there has been no memorial of any kind, nor any complete listing of the National Army war dead. Indeed, this year represents perhaps the last real opportunity to rectify that. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin unveil the National Army Monument (Brian Lawless/PA) The remains of some 180 of the 810 soldiers who died serving in the National Army are buried at the plot in Glasnevin Cemetery. Sources at the archives show that the average soldier buried here was in his early 20s, was unmarried and from a working-class background, said Lt Gen Clancy. Many had previously served in the IRA during the War of Independence, some even in the 1916 rising, many others had served in the British Army, underlying yet again how complex is the weave of Irish history. The chief of staff highlighted the poignant example of two young Belfast-born Dublin-raised brothers Frederick (18) and Gerald McKenna (16) who were buried in Glasnevin after being killed together in action in Cork in August 1922 only a month after joining the National Army. Whatever the often very legitimate reasons our forebears may have had for forgetting in the intervening 100 years, I think its appropriate now that I as the 32nd Chief of Staff of Oglaigh na h Eireann should finally take this opportunity to rehabilitate their memory, said Lt Gen Clancy. FUEL and food rationing, disrupted travel, air raid precautions, censorship, compulsory tillage-growing, and the constant fear of invasion. Just some of the challenges Cork faced during The Emergency from 1939 to 1945. Its people responded with resilience and a self-sufficiency born out of adversity and need. Mothers cut the toes from shoes when their children outgrew them and called them sandals. If heels were worn - they sent them to the cobbler. They made blouses for their daughters from pillowcases and turned flour bags into tablecloths. Men sharpened razor blades with edging stones. They substituted bread soda for toothpaste, polished shoes with black soot from the fireplace, and met a craving for cigarettes by rolling dried tea leaves and brown paper. Women used beetroot juice for lipstick and drew fake seams with eyebrow pencils on the backs of their legs, which they had painted with a coloured liquid to create the impression they were wearing nylon stockings. PRECIOUS CARGO: Civil Defence personnel unloading gas masks at Fitzgeralds Park, Cork city, on December 7, 1940 Farmers were required to plant more acres with food-producing crops. Families grew their own potatoes and other vegetables. The grounds of Aras an Uachtarain were ploughed, and local authorities allocated townspeople free allotments to stave off food shortages. Hens were popular in households, while salty butter was churned in rural homes. Clothing was passed down from child to child. Nothing was wasted. Patches were sewn on the worn knees of trousers, socks were darned, sewing machines hummed in kitchens. Some mothers even converted horse collars into comfortable cradles for their infants. A timber tea chest acquired from a friendly shopkeeper was turned into a play pen with a worn rubber bicycle tyre tacked to the rim to protect small children from rough edges. At least 100,000 people from this island served with the Allied forces - over 3,600 from the south and nearly 4,000 from the north were killed. Thousands more emigrated to Britain out of economic necessity. The Irish state did not escape some of the horrors. More than 400 people lost their lives here, mainly in Axis and Allied plane crashes, German bombings, and incidents at sea. When it all started, the nightly black-out was a curiosity. Families brought their children out to see the darkness in Cork and other cities. Hurricane lamps with red globes were placed on kerbsides in suburbs as a guide to drivers. All window, skylight, glass door or exterior openings in buildings had to be covered. Householders used blankets, brown paper, rugs, and newspapers to comply. Drapers sold dark cloth at 1/- to 2/- a yard. Window blinds were made to order. Are we invaded yet? became a conversation opener by people stopped at Garda/Army checkpoints, and a satirical song thanked de Valera and Sean MacEntee for giving us black flour and a half-ounce of tea. In a bid to keep essential transport supplied with tyres, Dunlop set up coastal teams to salvage bales of crude rubber swept from ships wrecked at sea. Unemployed men tending vegetable plots at Assumption Road, Cork, in July, 1941 The Defence Forces were expanded to almost 41,000 members. Garda Sergeants drilled the Local Security Force on country roads and in village halls, shouting commands repeated later by children using hurleys and brush handles as mock weapons. Newly commissioned Army officers who lived in barracks earned eight shillings a day, with ten pence a week deducted for haircuts and laundry. Corner Boys kept a look out for strangers in towns, and the tumble of every porpoise along the coast was taken by watchers to be that of a submarine periscope. Cocks of hay swept down the side of Caherbarnagh Mountain on a windy day in Kerry were mistaken for parachutes. Smoke rising from high ground beyond Castlebar on the day the war broke out led to a security alert. Gardai didnt find enemy agents hiding in the bushes, but returned to their station with a five-gallon drum of poteen and a still. Fishermen occasionally came face to face outside Irish territorial waters with German submarine crews seeking to buy fresh fish. Weather forecasts were banned, road direction signs and name places were removed. After a report German forces had landed near Dingle, an LDF member was sent out on a bicycle in the middle of the night to summon volunteers to defend a bridge on the Cork-Kerry border. A farmer, roused from his sleep, answered the call to duty, but with a revealing caveat: Tell the Captain, Ill be down first thing in the morning - after the creamery. Passport fees to increase from October The cost of an Isle of Man Variant British Passport will increase from October 20, 2023. The price changes will apply to all new applications, renewals and replacement passports. According to the Isle of Man Government, the fee increase for an Isle of Man Variant British Passport is necessary to align to the fees set by HM Passport Office. From October 20, 2023 the fee for an adult standard renewal application will increase from 85 to 93. An adult Express Service application will increase from 142 to 165.50. The new figures show that an adult emergency passport will increase 27 to 204, and a childs emergency passport will increase by 24 to 175. The full table of passport fees can be found below: Current Fee New Fee Adult - Standard 85.00 93.00 Adult - Express 142.00 165.50 Adult - Emergency 177.00 204.00 Child - Standard 58.50 64.00 Child - Express 122.00 136.50 Child - Emergency 151.00 175.00 Born before 2 September 1929 - Standard Nil Nil Born before 2 September 1929 - Express 42.50 72.50 Born before 2 September 1929 - Emergency 77.50 111.00 For more information, visit the Passports webpage, or contact on 685208 or email passports@gov.im. The Passport Office Public counters are open Monday to Friday: 11:00am to 2:00pm in the Isle of Man Passport Office, Ground Floor, Government Office, Bucks Road, Douglas. UCM students' work to be on show in London Exhibition The University College Isle of Man (UCM) have had four students work selected from the Art, Design, Media and Music department to be on show at the University of the Arts Londons (UAL) Origins Creatives exhibition. Kerrigan Fairbairn, Chloe Newton, Clogagh Neilan and Tyler Horne have had their work selected from over 400 submissions across UAL centres around the world. Fairbairns piece is around chronic illness is entitled Despite Poor Health and is inspired by Abstract Expressionism for its ability to capture an audience and provoke reflection. "Every challenge faced by a person is made more difficult when chronic illness is added to the mix, yet an overwhelming majority of chronically ill people continue to work, live and find enjoyment in their life. This is made possible by keeping positive outlooks, the support of family, friends and healthcare, and being able to acknowledge and appreciate their successes and their limits," Fairbairn said. Newtons submission, titled Dwellings, creates awareness around abandoned houses. The 3D sculptural mini buildings are stacked to symbolise this rising issue, which is paralleled with homelessness. Neilans installation Trametes Versicolor explores the underground mycelium system, which can cover hundreds of miles in just one small area. Musician, Tyler Horne has been selected for his debut EP titled Something Morbid, which explores the creative process through the lens of mood swings. Origins Creatives is organised by UAL Awarding Body and provides art lovers, critics, and industry professionals from the creative sector the chance to discover original creative talent from across the UK and celebrate students creativity and hard work. Head of Faculty for the Creative and Leisure Industries, Melanie Clague, said: Its great to see the work of UCM students being celebrated at an event like this, which carries so much prestige. Were really proud of the hard work of all our students, and being recognised off-Island for their achievements goes to show the quality of our students work. Fairfield, MT (59436) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 55F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. UPDATE, AUG. 9: Containment on the Colt Fire has grown to 45%, with the majority of added containment being on the southern edge, the Northern Rockies Team 5 reported. As crews continue to mop-up the southern and northern edges, they work east to west to increase containment in the coming days. More showers are expected over the fire area Wednesday evening with warm, dry weather anticipated for Thursday. UPDATE, AUG. 8: Containment on the Colt Fire has increased to 39% as crews were able to take advantage of quieted fire behavior from the moisture and mop-up on residual heat on the northeast and eastern edges. The current size of the fire is 7,179 acres with 506 total personnel working to fight the fire. Air operations will be using two unmanned aerial systems (UAS drones) over the coming days to map out areas of heat within the fire area. The UAS aircraft is best able to pick up areas of heat within the fire late at night and early in the morning due to lower air temperatures at these times. For this reason, the temporary flight restriction (TFR) for the fire area (FDC 3/7867) has been extended from 8am-10am to a full 24-hour restriction. Today, crews will continue to mop-up remaining residual heat along the fire's northern and eastern edges between Colt Lake and Beaver Lake. They will also continue to construct lines west to Sunset Ridge on the south flank and heavy equipment will assist crews with additional line construction on the northwest corner of the fire. UPDATE, AUG 7: The Colt Fire remains at 25% contained as of Monday morning at 9:22am. Northern Rockies Team 5 sent out a press release saying while rainfall in the area decreased fire activity, it also limited firefighters' ability to access roads in certain areas of the fire. Crews were able to mop-up some residual heat from much of the fire's northern and eastern edges. Right now, crews are continuing to mop-up residual heat. Heavy equipment will search for opportunities to construct line further along the fires southwest edge near Sunset Ridge. Hand crews will again be in the area, searching for a path to continue the line beyond the ridge. Along the southern edge of the fire crews will continue to construct handline above West Fork Clearwater River. Aircrafts will be available to assist firefighters as needed as long as conditions allow. The release says showers and thunderstorms may return this afternoon, bringing with them a risk of heavy downpours, lightning, and gusty outflow winds. While the rain has lessened fire activity for the time being, fire activity is expected to increase later in the week as temperatures rise and relative humidity's decrease. This incoming warm weather with possible gusty winds will increase the chances of larger fuels burning, as the dryness of these fuels is still near record lows. UPDATE, AUG. 6: The Colt Fire is now 25% contained as of Sunday morning. Crews are working to mop-up residual heat along the fires north perimeter from Beaver Lake to Colt Lake. On the east side of the fire, heavy equipment will begin constructing line from Sunset Ridge east, continuing the progress of the line constructed by hand crews. Firefighters will continue constructing handline along the south edge of the fire Sunday, as weather permits. The fires forward progression has been slowed by recent rain, with growth mainly contained to the southwestern portion of the fire. While the fire will likely exhibit creeping and smoldering behavior in the coming days, single tree torching is possible if the fire burns into large areas of unburned ground fuels, the Northern Rockies Team 5 reported. As the weather warms towards the middle of the week, with less precipitation anticipated, an increase of fire activity is expected. UPDATE, AUG. 5: The Northern Rockies Team 1 transitioned command of the Colt Fire to the Northern Rockies Team 5 Saturday. Monsoonal moisture in the upper atmosphere and cloud cover of the fire area subdued fire activity Friday, however, persistent dry conditions at the surface keep the potential for fire spread high. Cooler temperatures and higher humidity with a chance of rain are being forecasted for the weekend. Acreage was reportedly added to the fire Friday, however, there was no overnight infrared mapping flight to verify the increase. The following are the planned actions Saturday: In the southwest corner of the fire heavy equipment and crews will continue to construct indirect control lines. Along the west side, crews will prepare roads and handlines and use hose lays to secure and mop up the fire edge. On the north and east sides of the fire, personnel will patrol, hold, and mop up where needed. Crews that have been working from east to west on the south side of the fire north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River will continue handline construction. The crews are working in steep terrain and the handline construction is slow and steady. Helicopters will be used to cool hot spots and slow fire spread. Operations personnel from both teams will work together on all sides of the fire to transfer knowledge and situational awareness to provide for a safe and efficient team transition. The Missoula County Sheriffs Office has issued the following evacuations and closures: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. UPDATE, AUG. 4: The Colt Fire is burning an estimated 7,179 acres and is 23% contained as of Friday morning. Fire activity was the highest in the southwestern corner due to persistent dry conditions over the area, the Northern Rockies Team 1 reports. Cooler temperatures, higher humidity and a chance of rain are forecasted for the area in the coming days. Crews on the southwest corner of the fire are working to keep the fire north of Sunset Ridge. Engines are patrolling, holding and mopping up along the north and east side of the fire. Helicopters are being used to cool hot spots and slow fire spread. The Structure Protection Group will continue structure protection assessment work in the Lindbergh Lake area and will be patrolling the Highway 83 corridor and other identified structure zones. The following evacuation and closures are in pace according to the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order UPDATE, AUG 3: The Colt Fire is now 6,860 acres large and 19% contained as of Thursday morning. The Northern Rockies Team 1 says fire personnel in the southwest corner will be re-evaluating the locations planned for indirect control line construction and adjusting those actions based on where the spot fire moved. On the forest road systems west of the fire, heavy equipment and crews will work on linking roads and control lines together forming indirect control lines. Along the north side, east side (Forest Road 646), and southeast corner firefighters will continue to hold and mop up along the line. On the south side, and north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River, four crews will continue to build fire control line moving from east to west. These crews may camp closer to the line to decrease travel time. Helicopters and airplanes will continue to be used to keep the fire checked up on the west side and southwest corner. The Lindbergh Group will continue structure assessments as well as look for indirect control line opportunities that would have the highest opportunity for success ahead of the fire. A night shift of engines will patrol and monitor fire conditions. The following evacuation and closures are in pace according to the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order UPDATE, AUG. 2 AT 11:14 A.M.: The evacuation orders in the areas of Rovero Flats East and Rovero Flats West have been lifted Wednesday, the Missoula County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook. Those areas are now under evacuation warning. MCSO said residents may notice law enforcement taking down the red order cards and replacing them with yellow warning cards. MCSO shared a map reflecting evacuation status in the identified zones: Red means the zone is under evacuation order, yellow means warning and green means pre-identified zones in the event the fire approaches those areas. Currently, there are more zones that have been pre-identified and are in green: Fawn, 83 N, 83 S, Boy Scout N, and Boy Scout S. For the more updated information on wildfires in Montana, visit mtfireinfo.org. UPDATE, AUG 2: The Colt Fire is burning 6,860 acres with containment at 19% Wednesday morning. The Northern Rockies Team 1 reports a high-pressure ridge weather system is keeping smoke from nearby and far away wildfires in the area. In addition, the ream is reporting warm, dry weather could lead to active fire behavior, Wednesday. The following actions are planned for the day: On the southeast corner and east side along Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road) firefighters will continue to hold and mop up along the line. Patrol and mop up will also continue in areas on the north side of the fire. In the northwest corner crews will continue to construct indirect line working to connect between Colt and Beaver Lakes. Along the west side crews and equipment will access the area and start working to prepare Forest Road 9570 as an indirect control line. Access routes have been found and an attempt will be made to bring equipment into the southwest corner if fire activity safely allows. Helicopters will continue to be used to keep the fire checked up on the west side and southwest corner. On the south side, and north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River, crews will move from east to west working on fire control line construction. These crews will start to spike camp closer to the line to decrease travel time. The night shift of engines will patrol and monitor fire conditions. Evacuation warnings and orders: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. The list of current closures includes: Forest Road 906 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground access road 4357 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground Alva Lake Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Alva Lake Campground Lakeside Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Lakeside Campground Lake Inez Campground Forest Road 646 (closed at the junction of FSR 552; FSR 4354; Forest Road 552 (beyond the turn off to west side Lake Inez access Forest Road 5407 and 463 closed beyond the West Side snowmobile trailhead (these roads access the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Marshall Wildlife Management Area and Lake Marshall) Temporarily closing the Forest System Road loops of the Clearwater (FSR 4370 and 4353) and Richmond (FSR 667 and 720) For the more updated information on wildfires in Montana, visit mtfireinfo.org. UPDATE, AUG. 1: The Colt Fire grew an additional 527 acres, burning 6,704 acres total with containment increased to 8%. According to Inciweb, fire activity continued Monday due to increasing temperatures and decreasing relative humidity. Fire crews continued holding efforts on all sides of the fire. Crews held the fire line and looked out for hot spots on the southeast corner, helicopters cooled hot spots where necessary. On the east side, personnel mopped up and put effort into raising containment along Forest Road 646, Colt/Uhler Road. Firefighters will resume holding, securing and mopping up Forest Road 646, Colt/Uhler Road. Crews on the north side, crews and equipment worked to hold along the existing fire lines and resumed building control lines. Crews will work a mix of indirect line preparation along Forest Road 906, holding the existing lines and looking out for fire spots. Crews on the west side took the chance on working on a direct fire line upslope from Colt Lake. Aircraft dropped fire retardant to slow fire spread on the southwest corner, and will continue to be used in this area if necessary. On the west side of the fire, there is a plan in place for access and indirect control line building on the west side of the fire, and according to Inciweb, "These plans will start to be implemented as crews can be shifted from other parts of the fire area." On the south side, crews will be working on direct control line moving east to west while north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River. A group will resume evaluating structure protection. Evacuations and closures: The Missoula County Sheriffs Office Evacuation Warning and Order summary: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. If conditions rapidly change an Evacuation Order may be issued with no prior notice or warning. Home and property owners in the surrounding area should remain vigilant and prepared. Have an evacuation plan for family, pets, and livestock; sign up for emergency alerts at Smart911.com; and be familiar with the Missoula County evacuation process and what an order and warning means by clicking on the following link: https://www.missoulacounty.us/government/publicsafety/officeofemergencymanagement/evacuationinformation. For evolving Evacuations and Warnings please visit the Missoula County Sheriffs Office Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MissoulaCountySheriffsOffice . The Lolo and Flathead National Forests have closed several forest roads, areas, and campgrounds near the fire area for public safety. The list of current closures includes: Forest Road 906 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground access road 4357 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground Alva Lake Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Alva Lake Campground Lakeside Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Lakeside Campground Lake Inez Campground Forest Road 646 (closed at the junction of FSR 552; FSR 4354; Forest Road 552 (beyond the turn off to west side Lake Inez access Forest Road 5407 and 463 closed beyond the West Side snowmobile trailhead (these roads access the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Marshall Wildlife Management Area and Lake Marshall) Temporarily closing the Forest System Road loops of the Clearwater (FSR 4370 and 4353) and Richmond (FSR 667 and 720) UPDATE, JULY 30: Containment on the Colt Fire grew to 6% by Sunday morning. Fire growth was reported, however, the exact figure is unavailable. Moderate growth is expected Sunday with the fire moving through the heavy dead and down surface vegetation. The following are the planned actions for Sunday, according to the Northern Rockies Team 1 update: On the southeast corner of the fire personnel will continue firing operations and secure the line north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River and tie in with Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road). Crews will continue to hold and mop up along the eastern control lines along Forest Road 646. On the north side, crews will hold and secure the fire along Forest Road 4356 and look for opportunities for fire control line from Colt Lake to Beaver Lake. North and South Structure Protection will assist with burning operations and holding operations on the east and southeast sides of the fire. Structure Group remains ready to respond for structure protection as needed. A night shift of engines and personnel will patrol and monitor fire conditions. Helicopters and airplanes will be used to drop water and retardant on the fire as needed. The Missoula County Sheriffs Office has the following evacuations and closure orders in place: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. UPDATE, JULY 29: The Colt Fire is 5,475 acres large and 3% contained as of Saturday morning. Fire behavior is expected to be moderate with the active fire edge moving through the heavy dead and down surface vegetation. On Saturday, crews will hold and secure the eastern control lines along Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road) as well as on the north side of the fire where burning operations have taken place, according to the Northern Rockies Team 1. On the southeast corner, crews will continue burning operations and work on securing that area and tying in with Road 646. On the south side, crews will look for potential control features north of the West Fork of the Clearwater River. To the north, the Heavy Equipment Task Force will continue working on control line preparation along the Beaver Creek Road. South Structure Protection will conduct structure assessments and protection work at Lake Inez. A night shift of engines and personnel will patrol and monitor fire conditions. Helicopters and airplanes will be used to drop water and retardant on the fire as needed. The following evacuation and closures are in place by the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order UPDATE, JULY 28: Pilots are being reminded of a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in the area of the Colt Fire. The closure is for firefighting aircraft to safely work the fire. In addition, the Condon air strip has been closed for general aviation as it is being used as a firefighting helicopter base. Overnight, the Colt Fire was estimated to have grown to 5,252 acres, according to an update from the Northern Rockies Team 1. Fire behavior Friday is expected to be low to moderate with the active fire edge moving through the heavy dead and down surface vegetation. Torching and spotting are possible in the subalpine fir and lodgepole pine. Fridays planned actions include: Crews will continue burning operations along Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road) to secure the north and east flanks of the fire. On the south side, crews will continue to secure the spot fires, construct direct hand line towards the west, and assess road systems for potential control features near the West Fork of the Clearwater River. A Heavy Equipment Task Force and crews will continue working on vegetation removal and control line preparation along the Beaver Creek Road on the north side of the fire. South Structure Protection will continue structure assessments and protection work at Lake Inez. A night shift of engines and personnel will patrol and monitor fire conditions. Helicopters will be used to drop water on the fire as needed and where they can be most effective The following are current evacuations and closures from the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. UPDATE, JULY 27 AT 9:56 AM: The Colt Fire has grown more than 500 acres since Tuesday, for a total of 4,937 acres burned. Fire containment is at 0% Thursday. An update from the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1 says fire activity remained moderate on Wednesday even as temperatures started trending a few degrees warmer and relative humidity levels started dropping a few points lower. Temperatures in the area of the fire are expected to range from mid60s to high70s Thursday depending on the location of the fire, with relative humidity levels as low as 20%. Fire behavior is expected to be moderate. Crews will be doing the following planned actions Thursday, according to the update: Crews will continue to secure the spot fires on the east flank of the fire and continue to burn ground vegetation in select locations between the fires edge and Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road). On the south side, crews will work to hold fire spread by constructing direct hand line where appropriate and continue to assess road systems as potential control features near the West Fork of the Clearwater River. On the north side of the fire a Heavy Equipment Task Force and crews will continue working on vegetation removal and control line preparation along the Beaver Creek Road. The north and south Structure Protection Groups will conduct structure assessments, remove fuels, and install water handling equipment where needed. Helicopters will be used to drop water on the fire and have been very effective when needed. As fire suppression work continues, firefighter and public safety remain the number one priority. The following evacuations and closures are in place by the Missoula County Sheriffs Office: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. UPDATE, JULY 26 AT 9:55 AM: A dry cold front along with cooler temperatures and lighter winds provided for moderate fire activity in the area of the Colt Fire the last couple of days. An update on the size of the fire was not provided Wednesday morning as cloud cover prevented an overnight infrared mapping flight from gathering information. Fire behavior is expected to be moderate Wednesday as personnel continue working on securing spot fires on the east flank and begin to burn ground vegetation in select locations between the fires edge and Forest Road 646 (Colt/Uhler Road), an update from the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1 said. At this time, the following forest roads, areas and campgrounds near the fire area have been closed: Forest Road 906 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground access road 4357 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground Alva Lake Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Alva Lake Campground Lakeside Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Lakeside Campground Lake Inez Campground Forest Road 646 (closed at the junction of FSR 552; FSR 4354; Forest Road 552 (beyond the turn off to west side Lake Inez access Forest Road 5407 and 463 closed beyond the West Side snowmobile trailhead (these roads access the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Marshall Wildlife Management Area and Lake Marshall) Temporarily closing the Forest System Road loops of the Clearwater (FSR 4370 and 4353) and Richmond (FSR 667 and 720) The Missoula County Sheriffs Office has issued the following evacuation warnings and orders: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. UPDATE: Tuesday, July 25 at 2:19 p.m. The Colt Fire is burning an 4,390 acres as of Tuesday and remains 0% contained. Fire personnel will be leading a public meeting Tuesday from 78 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Elementary School gym. The meeting will be streaming online via the Colt Fire Facebook page. UPDATE: Monday, July 24 at 11:08 a.m. The Colt Fire has nearly doubled in size Monday, now burning nearly 3,000 acres. According to Inciweb, the Colt Fire is 2,927 acres big and is still zeropercent contained as of Monday morningthe size of the fire grew by 1,352 acres within two days. The fire is lightningcaused. Sunday fire activity was moderate with faint winds and stable air in the area, according to Inciweb. More fire crews and equipment are responding to the fire. Crews resumed placing an indirect fire line along Forest Road 646, northeast area of the fire, by clearing out brush and ground vegetation. In the south, west and north areas, personnel were scoping out road systems for access and opportunities to build direct or indirect fire lines. The Structure Protection team were doing assessments and preparations for sturcture protection along Highway 83 and near the lakes south and east of the fire. Air crews were scooping water on areas of the fire. The National Weather Service put out a Red Flag warning in place from 2 p.m. to midnight Mondaypilots and public boaters on Seeley Lake and Lindbuergh Lake are asked to keep away from firefighter aircrafts when they are scooping water from lakes. Inciweb said crews finished clearing brush ground vegetation and improved access along Forest Road 646. Crews will be working on the north and south parts of the fire to open existing roads and start building fire lines in places with high chances of containing the fire. According to Inciweb, north side of the fire is demonstrating more difficulties for access the Structure Protection team is continuing structure assessments and preparations. Aircraft will keep scooping water depending on if the flying conditions are still safe. With the Red Flag warning in place, fire personnel will be assessing escape routes and safety zones with an increased awareness of fluctuating weather and fire activity. Weather conditions are forecasted with low humidity levels at 30 percent and strong winds of 20 milesperhour with 30 mileperhour wind gusts blowing over the fire area. The following evacuations are in place, according to Inciweb: Residents on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning. Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under an Evacuation Order. Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under an Evacuation Warning. Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order. The following closures are in place: Forest Road 906 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground access road 4357 (closed at Highway 83) Rainy Lake Campground Alva Lake Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Alva Lake Campground Lakeside Campground access road (closed by gate at Highway 83) Lakeside Campground Forest Road 646 (closed at the junction of FSR 552; FSR 4354; Forest Road 552 (beyond the turn off to west side Lake Inez access Forest Road 5507 and 463 closed beyond the West Side snowmobile trailhead (these roads access the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Marshall Wildlife Management Area and Lake Marshall) Temporarily closing the Forest System Road loops of the Clearwater (FSR 4370 and 4353) and Richmond (FSR 667 and 720) UPDATE: Monday, July 24 at 9:29 a.m. Smoke was moving through several valleys Sunday night and into Monday morning due to the Colt Fire burning northwest of Seeley Lake. Air quality is at unhealthy conditions from Lake Inez through Condon Monday morning. Missoula CityCounty Air Quality Specialist Sarah Coefield said in a release air quality in Seely Lake is overall moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups. The smoke drifted all the way down to the Potomac Valley where air quality is at unhealthy for sensitive groups, and reached the Mission Valley where air quality sits at unhealthy for sensitive groups. "Due to overhead smoke mixing down to the valley floors, air quality for those near the Colt Fire may get a bit worse this morning before it gets better," Coefield said in the release. However, Coefield said the air quality is expected to get better by Monday afternoon. "The high pressure ridge that caused our hot temperatures these last several days is breaking down and that will create a turbulent atmosphere, which means air will be more capable of moving up and down and shaking it all around. For the short term, this is good, because it means smoke should easily lift out of the valleys by this afternoon and folks should see decent air quality." But, Cofield said there will be heavy winds a significant portion of Monday afternoon and a lot of Tuesday. A red flag warning is in place over the Colt Fire, with winds picking up over the course of Monday from the south, southwest and west. Coefield said fire activity and a big column of smoke is expectedfast winds may be heading towards the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Smoke is expected to impact the Highway 83 corridor, and northwest breezes are expected to push smoke to Seeley and Salmon lakes. Southerly winds are likely to spread the fire north bringing more overnight smoke into the Swan Valley, Coefield said. In Missoula, Frenchtown, Lolo, air quality improving is based on how the weather affects the fires in Idaho. "One of the smoke models thinks the Little Bear Fire is going to get feisty and send smoke to Lolo. The Little Bear Fire has been slowly fiddling around in a previously burned over area, but based on heat detections, it has started picking up acreage. It may see enough wind and activity today to send smoke our way, so keep an eye out," Coefield said. The Little Bear Fire has been increasing acreage, and there may be enough wind to push smoke towards the Missoula area. Coefield said the general haze throughout Missoula County is due to fires burning in the region and is fluctuating air quality from good to moderate Monday morning; but, Coefield said the air quality should not be a huge worry by Monday afternoon. UPDATE, JULY 23: Another 500 acres have been burned by the Colt Fire overnight Saturday, making the fire a total of 1,575 acres in size. As of Sunday afternoon, containment on the fire is still at 0% and the fire is active on all sides. Brent Olsons Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1 assumed command of the fire Sunday morning and additional fire personnel and equipment have been arriving and are being integrated into fire operations. The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Monday, July 24. The Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1 warns that hot, dry, and windy conditions may lead to critical fire weather conditions on existing or new fires. The Missoula County Sheriffs Office have issued the following evacuation warnings and evacuation orders: Residences on Beaver Creek Road (near the summit) are under an Evacuation Warning Mile marker 31 (Beaver Creek Road at the intersection of Hwy 83) south towards Seeley Lake to mile marker 27, and including residences in Rovero Flats, are under Evacuation Order Residences beginning at mile marker 27, south end of Rovero Flats, to mile marker 25.5 (the intersection of the West Fork of the Clearwater Road and Hwy 83) are under Evacuation Warning. USFS has issued emergency closures of Rainy Lake Campground and the main Lake Alva Campground and Lakeside at Alva Residences on the north and south ends of Lake Inez are under an Evacuation Warning. The east side of Lake Inez, along Hwy 83, is not under any Warning or Order The Red Cross shelter at the Ovando church is going on standby. If you are evacuated due to the Colt Fire and need shelter, you can call the Red Cross at (406) 2151514. The following are the planned actions for Sunday according to the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1: Crews will work on clearing vegetation along the Colt and Beaver Creek Roads to improve fuel break areas. On the south and east areas of the fire, personnel and crews will be looking for direct and indirect opportunities to prepare containment lines and fuel breaks. Direct and indirect fire suppression tactics will be assessed and prepared to be implemented as fire conditions allow. Structure protection assessments and preparations will continue. As new crews arrive, they will be safely orientated to the fire area and begin working where safe to do so. Firefighter and public safety are the number one priority as this fire response transitions into longer duration suppression work. Air resources will be used as needed to slow fire spread and cool down areas of heat. UPDATE, JULY 22 AT 5:00 PM: An evacuation warning has been issued for residents on the east side of Lake Inez, specifically those residences on Beargrass Ln. and West Lake Way. Residents are being warned that due to the possibility of rapidly changing conditions, an evacuation order may be issued with no prior warning. The Missoula County Sheriffs Office is asking people to not stop along Highway 83 for the safety of firefighters and first responders. Missoula County 911 reports that the Red Cross shelter at the Ovando church is on standby due to lack of demand. If you are evacuated due to the Colt Fire and need shelter, you can call the Red Cross at (406) 2151514. UPDATE, JULY 22 AT 10:38 AM: Overnight, the Colt Fire has grown to about 1,000 acres as active fire behavior continues on all sides. Predicted burning conditions anticipate the fire to continue to grow, the Montana DNRC reported. Ground crews are continuing to perform structure protection northeast of the fire while aviation resources continue suppression efforts by cooling hotspots and slowing the fires rate of spread. An Evacuation Order is still in place for residents along Highway 83, between mile marker 27 and 31(Rainy Lake to Summit Lake). An evacuation warning has also been issued for residents along Highway 83, between mile marker 15.5 and 27. Those evacuated due to the fire can go to a Red Cross shelter that has been set up at the Blackfoot Community Bible Church in Ovando at 209 Birch St.. A Complex Incident Management Team will be inbriefed Saturday to assume command of the fire Sunday. Multiple aviation resources including four CL415 super scoopers,one very large air tanker, and multiple large air tankers. Fire managers are using all available tools to suppress the, for lives, homes, property. People are being reminded to not fly drones while crews are working on a fire after a drone incursion happened in the area Friday. It is a criminal misdemeanor in Montana to fly drones that interfere with fire suppression efforts, with a fine of up to $1,500 and the potential of being charged with firefighting costs. According to the Montana DNRC, the following are the planned actions for Saturday: Crews will continue working along Colt Road, clearing vegetation, and creating a stronger fuel break. Engine crews will continue structure assessment in the Summit Lake housing area. Incoming resources will start clearing vegetation along the Beaver Creek Rd. Aviation resources will continue suppression efforts by cooling hotspots and slowing the fires rate of spread. The Missoula CityCounty Health Department is donating air purifiers to daycare, nursing homes and community businesses as the fire season begins. UPDATE, JULY 21 AT 6:00 PM: Red Cross has been contacted and is working to secure a location for those evacuated by the Colt Fire, according to the Missoula County Sheriff's Office. If you have questions, you may contact them at 1800REDCROSS or, in Montana, at 4062151514. UPDATE, JULY 21 AT 3:45 PM: Residents along Highway 83, between mile marker 27 and mile marker 31 (Rainy Lake to Summit Lake) have been ordered to immediately leave the area. The Missoula County Sheriff's Office is reporting incident conditions present an immediate threat to people in the area. For evacuation information, you can call 2584636. UPDATE, JULY 21: An evacuation warning has been issued for residents along Highway 83, between mile marker 27 and mile marker 31 (Rainy Lake to Summit Lake) due to the Colt Fire. The Missoula County Sheriff's Office is warning the conditions can change quickly and that if fire activity increases, emergency personnel may not be able to make personal notifications. InciWeb is reporting the Colt Fire grew to about 200 acres Friday due to late afternoon fire conditions. Crews reengaged the fire Friday morning after having to back off due to the increased activity. A Complex Incident Management Team has been ordered to manage the fire and will be debriefed Saturday and take formal control of the fire Sunday. As of Friday afternoon, the fire is not contained and is active. SEELEY LAKE, Mont. - A 15 acre fire is burning in dense timber northwest of Seeley Lake. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation reports the Colt Fire was detected July 18 and is burning about 15 miles northwest of Seeley Lake. It was reportedly started by lightning. At this time, the fire is on land managed by the Lolo National Forest but under Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation fire protection and is currently 0% contained. Firefighters are working the perimeter of the fire with chainsaws to create a break in fuels (saw line)and finding success with aerial resources committed to the fire. No structures are threatened and no evacuations are in place, however, the public is being told to avoid the Beaver Lake and Colt Lake areas where crews are actively working. A man has died following an incident involving a vehicle on a farm in Worcestershire, police have confirmed. West Mercia Police were called to a report of an on-farm incident off the B4220 near Cradley, on Friday 28 July. The man was found trapped between vehicles, according to a spokesperson. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "Police were called around 10.45am this morning (Friday 28 July) after reports of an industrial accident on Woodend Farm in Cradley, Herefordshire. "Police attended, and unfortunately the man was pronounced dead at the scene. "There are not believed to be suspicious circumstances, and a report will be prepared by the coroner." Farming has the poorest safety record of any occupation, with 26 people losing their lives on British farms over the past year. Of those killed in England, Scotland and Wales, 21 were farm workers and 6 were members of the public, including a child, according to figures by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSEs chief executive Sarah Albon said: Any loss of life in the workplace is a tragedy. While these figures show Great Britain is one of the safest countries in the world to work, safety must continue to be at the top of everyones agenda. Our mission is to protect people and places and we remain committed to maintaining safe workplaces and holding employers to account for their actions. Queen Elizabeth has been immortalised along with her beloved corgis in the first official memorial statue unveiled since her death. Queen Elizabeth's younger years have been captured in the statue The British monarch passed away in September last year aged 96, and British sculptor Hywel Bran Pratley has been working on a permanent tribute to the late queen, which will be erected outside the library in Oakham, Rutland. Hywel told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper: This as I understand it is the first commissioned as a memorial to the Queen. There were others which were being worked on before her death, some finished and completed, some finished and still not yet unveiled." The statue was commissioned by Dr. Sarah Furness, Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, after she was "inundated" with letters from residents in the country following the queen's death, with many saying it felt like they had experienced a "personal bereavement". She said: I wanted something that reflected Her Majesty as a Queen rather than as a person for posterity. But we wanted to do something that reflected her warmth and humanity too. The artist has used 800 kilos of clay for the 7ft tall tribute, which captures the queen in around the 1950s or 60s, wearing state robes and currently depicts one dog at her heels, but two other corgis will be added before it is finished. Hywel said: Dr Furness had a vision for a larger than life sized statue. My only criteria set by the statue committee were that they would like a young queen and they would like her to be dressed in state robes. He began preparing maquettes of a standing figure of the queen in January, and unveiled one in March, which helped secure the 125,000 public funding for the statue. The 51-year-old former teacher covered his studio in pictures of Elizabeth in her youth. He said: Ive got my inspiration wall and theyre all pictures of the beautiful young Queen Elizabeth. Selecting this view of a cheekbone and that view of an eyebrow has been great for me, Ive enjoyed that very much... A very important phase in her life was when her children were young and she was such a powerful force in the Commonwealth; so vibrant and beautiful and going around the world. Her reign was a period of British history, during which she represented something so hopeful - and thats what people would like to be looking at as they gaze upon their statute. Sarah wanted the statue to mark the monarch in "the prime of her life" in order to reflect "the fact that shes got a long future, a long life. Hywel added: She was so indomitable right until the end. I hope what Im achieving with the design is a sense of purpose and stability. The base of the plinth will also include a raised stone bench for passersby to sit. The artist said: I very quickly thought that I would like to have a corgi nestling in her robes by her feet because what a great symbol it is, artistically, of her being mother of a nation The dogs and us able to shelter under Her Majesty. Shes always had corgis around, so I think to miss the opportunity to include them in the composition was a waste. The inscription on the statues pedestal will read: Erected as a tribute to Her late Majesty through public subscription by people in Rutland for future generations. Buckingham Palace are aware of the tribute and the artist hopes King Charles will personally unveil it once it is completed. Hywel said: We havent heard the fateful word no yet. Its still very much hoped that he will. Seann William Scott was paid just $8,000 for his role in 'American Pie'. Seann William Scott revealed his low fee for American Pie The 46-year-old actor's role as Steve Stifler in the 1999 movie was his first feature-length film but despite the global success of the film, he had to get a job as a "churro guy" at a local zoo to make ends meet after splurging most of his pay cheque on a second-hand car. Appearing on 'The Rick Eisen Show', Seann was asked if it was true he was only paid the four-figure sum for his movie debut and he said: I think so, yeah, because I remember afterwards I bought a used Thunderbird for like $5,000 or maybe $6,000, Im like, Oh yeah, baby. I dont know what happened to the other $2,000 because I ended up having to work at the LA Zoo as a churro guy, so maybe it was even less than $8,000. The 'Dude Where's My Car' actor explained he had one other job "while waiting for the movie to come out" before spending "two days" working at the zoo. His comments come after Tommy Dorfman recently revealed she earned less than $30,000 for the first season of 13 Reasons Why, on which she played Ryan Shaver. The 31-year-old star who had a starring role in the first two seasons before being shifted to a guest in seasons three and four broke down her pay details to highlight one of the reasons why she is striking as a member of acting union SAG-AFTRA. She wrote on Threads: "my earnings for the entire first season of 13 reasons why were $29,953.24 prior to agency and manager fees (20%) and taxes. 8 episodes over six months. "i did all of the promo and had KEY ART for this show, flew round trip from NYC to SF to shoot for every episode, was kept for days without pay/working. i barely qualified for insurance. within the first 28 days of release, the shows season 1 garnered a total of 476 million view hours. this is why we strike. @sagaftra (sic) And Mandy Moore revealed she had earned around 81 cents from streaming residuals since Hulu bought the rights to This Is Us from NBC in 2017. She told The Hollywood Reporter: The residual issue is a huge issue. Were in incredibly fortunate positions as working actors having been on shows that found tremendous success in one way or another but many actors in our position for years before us were able to live off of residuals or at least pay their bills. I was talking with my business manager who said hes received a residual for a penny and two pennies." The Screen Actors Guild union ordered a strike across TV, theatrical, and streaming productions earlier this month amid concerns over wages for actors and creators in the industry, AI technology, and how the profits of digital streaming on services such as Netflix and Disney+ can be divided. Sofia Vergara has been branded the rudest woman by Teresa Giudice. Sofia Vergara has been branded the rudest woman by Teresa Giudice The 51-year-old Modern Family actress was blasted by Real Housewives of New Jersey regular Teresa, 51, while she recalled meeting her in 2017. Teresa blasted on the latest episode of her Namaste B$tches podcast while chatting with its co-host Melissa Pfeister about Sofia being reluctant to take a snap with her backstage at a talk show: Sofia Vergaras PR person and my PR person spoke together, and I guess the two of them said, Lets get a picture of Teresa and Sofia together. I didnt want a picture with her. Ive never asked to take a picture with anybody. (Shes) the rudest woman Ive ever met. I saw her whole demeanour, and then I heard her say to her PR person, Why are you making me take a picture with that lady? I was like, Excuse me? I did not want to take a picture with you! I never asked to take a picture with you. I was like, How rude. Youre so not a humble person. You forgot where you came from. The reality star mocked Sofias accent, and referenced the actress humble beginnings in Barranquilla, Colombia, by saying: Its not like she started out like being on the top. She forgot where she came from. Shes so not a down-to-earth person. Im so not a fan of her. Teresa previously told TMZ about Sofia: Ugh, I cant stand her, sorry. I hate to say that because Im Italian, shes Colombian, she has an accent she has more of an accent than me. You would think she would be nice, like, shes an immigrant no, Im just saying, she should be nice! Fans blasted Teresa at the time over her comments about Sofias roots. The actress, who is yet to publicly address Teresas latest outburst, aced her US citizenship test in 2014. Teresas former husband Joe Giudice was deported to his native Italy in 2019 after serving a 41-month federal prison sentence for bankruptcy fraud and failing to file taxes. He has been splitting his time between Italy and the Bahamas to make seeing the four daughters he shares with Teresa Gia, 22, Gabriella, 19, Milania, 17, and Audriana, 13 more cost-efficient. Teresa has since moved on with entrepreneur Luis Louie Ruelas, marrying him last year. Kevin Costner's estranged wife has moved into "staff quarters" on the actor's estate. Christine Baumgartner has moved out of her and Kevin Costner's marital home Christine Baumgartner was ordered to move out of the ocean-front home she shared with the 'Yellowstone' star, and after moving trucks were seen leaving the $145 million compound on Friday (28.07.23), it has now emerged she has found a "temporary solution" to ensure she was out of the abode in accordance with the 31 July deadline set by the court and is still house-hunting. A source told People magazine: Christine is following the legal advice per the pre-nup and is vacating the family house. She will stay at a smaller house on the property thats been used as a staff quarter. "This is a temporary solution. She is still looking for another house. She is staying in the area to not disrupt the kids lives. They will be back at school in the fall with their friends. "Christine is trying to keep everything as normal as possible. Her sole focus is the kids." Christine was ordered to vacate the California mansion by the end of the month after a judge reinforced the premarital agreement they both signed in 2004. The former couple - who have Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13, together - split in May after 18 years of marriage. The divorce has been messy, with the 68-year-old actor previously accusing Christine of taking his property without knowledge or consent. Documents obtained by Page Six show the 'Dances With Wolves' actor claimed his ex bought personal items and took out cash with credit cards from the staff that runs the family house, and that he believed she devised this plan before she filed for divorce in May. He said in the papers Christine had allegedly shown a disturbing propensity in the last several months, both before and after separation, to take property without his knowledge or consent, especially since this case was filed." The documents, filed on 13 July also alleged Christine paid a Los Angeles lawyer $25,000 from her husbands property funds without his knowledge. They added she paid her divorce lawyer Susan Wiesner on the credit card of an employee which is traditionally used for Costner family house charges and paid by (Costner)." The United Kingdom lost 6,000 storefronts in five years, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which recently urged local councils to come up with a cohesive plan to enliven shopping areas as the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and crippling business rates are causing businesses to desert retail spaces. The overall vacancy rate increased to 13.9 per cent across Britain in the second quarter this yeara 0.1 percentage point drop on the first quarter, but 0.1 points up year on year (YoY), BRCs Local Data Company (LDC) vacancy monitor found. The UK lost 6,000 storefronts in five years, the British Retail Consortium recently said. It urged local councils to come up with a 'cohesive plan' to enliven shopping areas as businesses desert retail spaces. The vacancy rate rose to 13.9 per cent in the second quarter this year. It was 17.8 per cent for shopping centres and 13.9 per cent for high street. Shopping centre vacancies remain unchanged from the first quarter at 17.8 per cent, but high street vacancies increased by 0.1 per cent to 13.9 per cent. To inject more vibrancy into high streets and town centres, and prevent further store closures, [the] government should review the broken business rates system, said BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson. Currently, theres an additional 400 million going on retailers bills next April, which will put a brake on the vital investment that our towns and cities so desperately need, she said in a release. The government announcement earlier in the week about making changes of use to vacant units easier is welcome, but its important local councils have a cohesive plan, and dont leave gap-toothed high streets that are no longer a customer destination and risk becoming inviable. Government should go one step further and freeze rates bills next year, she added. Greater London, the south-east and the east of England maintained the lowest vacancy rates, with London improving over the last quarter, thanks to the opening of new flagship stores, more office workers, and tourists visiting the capital. The highest vacancy rates were in the north-east and the Midlands, followed by Wales and Scotland. Across all location types, vacancy has reached critical levels, highlighting an ever-increasing need to redevelop units to breathe life back into retail destinations. LDC director Lucy Stainton said. With the continuing trend in mind, we do not foresee any improvements to vacancy rates in future. However, given that the latest rises in vacancy have not been particularly significant, we anticipate that any increases in the near future will be gradual, she added. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Bollywood icon Anil Kapoor and Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise shared the screen in the blockbuster Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol. Anil Kapoor expressed his excitement about Tom's films, stating that he always looks forward to them. He further revealed that some of his Bollywood peers, who once had reservations about Tom, have now transformed into ardent fans of the acclaimed American actor.Recently, in an interview with a leading news portal, "Im looking forward to Christopher Nolans (Oppenheimer) I always look forward to all his films. I look forward to Tom Cruises films, the kind of action hes done. These are the people whom I really look up to."He added, "I was very fortunate when I did (Ghost Protocol), and when I spoke to my then colleagues, they said Nahi nahi yaar, woh baat nahi hai. I said, Pata chalega aapko. Now everybodys a fan after Top Gun: Maverick."Anil Kapoor mentioned that he had encouraged his Bollywood friends to explore international projects, but they declined, expressing contentment with working in India. He recalled saying, "International kaam bhi karo," but they responded, "Nahi hum India main theek hai." However, he later discovered that many of them had secretly pursued opportunities in Los Angeles, seeking projects with streaming giants.In Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, Anil Kapoor portrayed the character of Brij Nath. The film proved to be one of the highest-grossing Hollywood movies in India in 2011. Khatron Ke Khiladi, which premiered early this month, has been winning hearts with its new twists and breathtaking stunts. As the show has come up with an interesting ensemble of contestants, the adventure based reality show is also making headlines for the ongoing ugly cat fight between two of its contestants. We are talking about Daisy Shah and Archana Gautam who have been locking horns of late post their return from South Africa. It all started after Daisy, in an interview, stated that she finds Archana irritating. Later, Archana warned the Race 3 actress about saying anything against her. She even shared a video and said, "Dekho, Ungli nahi karna mujhe varna main hath kar deti hu, phir kuch jada hi sach bol deti main". Archana Gautam Warns Daisy Shah As They Get Into An Ugly Fight Post An Interview: Ungli Nahi Karna Mujhe Varna This cat fight has left everyone wondering what exactly went wrong between Archana and Daisy. And now, Daisy has finally spilled the beans about it during an interaction with TV Times and made yet another strong and shocking statement about the former Bigg Boss 16 contestant. Talking about the rivalry, Daisy stated, "Maine comment kiya tha kisi ke nature ke baare me jo ki disrespectful tha 1-2 contestants ki taraf jab hum South Africa me the jo mujhe nahi acha laga personally. Wahan jitne bhi contestants aaye the perform karne aaye the toh agar aapko kisi ka performance nahi acha lag raha hai toh keep quiet and do not disrespect that person. 1-2 baar aisa scenario hua fir mere saath bhi kuch tu-tu main-main hui wahan par where she came and told me 'I would have done this stunt this way or that way'. So I didn't like that. If you are so good at doing things, might as well you only go and do it for jitne bhi hum contestants hain because you think so great of yourself. When I said something about her, it is my point of view and that should be respected. But that is not the case". KKK 13: Daisy Shah Dazzles In Cape Town: Bollywood Beauty Sets The Style Bar High In Khatron Ke Khiladi 13 Furthermore, Daisy took a jibe at Archana and said that the latter feeds on real life drama. "I was wrong because mere life me main onscreen drama pasand karti hu kyunki maine kaam hi vaisa kiya hai. Hum movies me drama karte hain hum real life me drama nahi karte. But I forgot that I was dealing with someone who only feeds on real life drama. So it was me on the wrong side kyunki maine aise insaan ke baare me bola jinko drama pasand hai real life drama," the actress was quoted saying. KKK13: After Archana, Arjit & Dino Hit Out At Daisy Post Her Claims Of A Tiff: Their Opinion Is Their Opinion... So does she plan to reconcile and resolve the differences with Archana Gautam? To this, Daisy stated that they both are currently busy with their respective lives. "Jab destiny me likha hoga milna hai tb milenge baat krenge. It's okay life goes on. kisi ke liye kisi ki life nahi rukti," she emphasised. Disha Vakani In TMKOC: Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, the beloved and enduring television sitcom, has achieved a remarkable milestone by completing 15 successful years since its debut in 2008. The show's immense popularity has made it the longest-running program in the television industry, earning it a special place in the hearts of millions of viewers. DISHA VAKAN CONFIRMED TO RETURN AS DAYABEN During the celebration of this momentous occasion on July 28, Asit Modi, the producer of the show, surprised fans with a thrilling announcement. He revealed that Disha Vakani, who portrays the iconic character of Dayaben, will be making a long-awaited comeback. Disha Vakani had taken a maternity leave in 2017, and her absence left fans eagerly anticipating her return. Despite several rumors about her possible comeback, it is now officially confirmed that Dayaben will soon grace Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah again, much to the delight of fans worldwide. He said, "In this journey of 15 years, a hearty congratulations to all of them. One such artist is whom we cannot forget. That artist is Daya Bhabhi aka Disha Vakani. She has entertained the fans and also made us laugh for all these years. Fans have been waiting for her to come back and I promise you all that Disha Vakani will soon be back to Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah." TAARAK MEHTA KA OOLTAH CHASHMAH COMPLETES 15 YEARS Asit Modi expressed his heartfelt congratulations to the entire team for their relentless dedication throughout the 15-year journey. He acknowledged the exceptional contribution of Disha Vakani, who has been instrumental in entertaining and bringing laughter to the show's audience. The news of her imminent return has created a buzz of excitement and anticipation among fans. The show's lead actor, Dilip Joshi, fondly known as Jethalal Champaklal Gada, also paid tribute to Asit Kumarr Modi, the visionary behind this venture. Inspired by Tarak bhai Mehta's column "Duniya na undha chashma," the show has continued to captivate audiences over the years, thanks to Asit Modi's unwavering determination and hard work. His passion for the show has inspired the entire cast to give their best performances, contributing to its enduring success. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, produced by Asit Kumar Modi under Neela Telefilms, boasts a talented ensemble cast including Dilip Joshi, Amit Bhatt, Mandar Chandwadkar, Munmun Dutta, Sonalika Joshi, and many others, all of whom have played pivotal roles in shaping the show's massive popularity. As the show looks forward to the return of Dayaben, fans are brimming with excitement and eagerness to witness the grand welcome she will undoubtedly receive. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah's legacy continues to shine bright, and its impact on the television industry remains unparalleled, ensuring that the laughter and joy it brings to its audience endure for many more years to come. Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra tops in the position with 88.9 million followers on Instagram. She is one of the richest and successful actresses in Indian cinema, who is prominent in Hindi and Tamil movie industry and has worked in Hollywood as well. Priyanka was appointed as a National Ambassador to UNICEF India for ten years before joining the global Goodwill Ambassador team in December 2016. She is also the brand ambassador for many international top product brands including Tiffany & Co., Guess, Pantene, TAG Heuer, and more. CompScience Insurance Services, a San Francisco, CA-based computer vision insurtech company, raised $10M in Series A funding. The round was led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation from Four More Capital, an early-stage investing arm of Henry Crown and Company. The company intends to use the funds will expand further into additional industry verticals, grow its technology and service offerings, and build out its staff of insurance and safety experts in several existing and additional high risk industries. Led by Josh Butler, Founder and CEO, CompScience provides an AI-powered safety analytics platform that combines visual AI with insurance incentives to analyze workplace security video with AI and data science techniques. With this data, CompScience delivers risk mitigation services to measurably reduce hazard exposure as part of a workers compensation policy or a SaaS offering. CompScience grew its insurance business over 10x and drove down its injury rates by 23% so far this year with partners such as Swiss Re, Nationwide, and 10 of the top 20 commercial insurance agencies in the United States. FinSMEs 30/07/2023 Leaf Space, SpA, a Lomazzo, Italy-based provider of ground segment services for satellite operators, completed a capital increase for a total of 20m. The round was led by CDP Venture Capital Sgr (through Fondo Evoluzione) and Neva Sgr, alongside SIMEST (through the Single Venture Capital Fund) and Digital Transition Fund part of the CDP S.p.A. group, with participation from existing shareholders RedSeed Ventures, Primo Space, and Whysol Investments. In addition, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has committed an additional 15m in venture debt. The company intends to use the funds to further expand its global network of ground stations as well as add several new locations worldwide, to support new frequencies for remote sensing satellites, to continue simplifying the user experience of its services, to hire new talent to scale up activities, and to proactively work on new segments of the market and special projects with customers and partners. Led by Jonata Puglia, CEO, and Giovanni Pandolfi Bortoletto, CSO, Leaf Space operates a fully owned, globally distributed network of ground stations, empowering satellite operators to communicate with their spacecraft in the simplest and most flexible way. Leaf Space enables TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking, and Command) and payload data transmissions via an easy-to-use interface, a proprietary autonomous scheduling software, and its networks global coverage. Founded in 2014, Leaf Space has offices in Lomazzo (Italy) and in Delaware (US), and currently supports around 80 satellites. FinSMEs 30/08/2023 Travel is back in full swing this summer, and so is bad behaviour by tourists. Popular destinations have seen an uptick in incidents involving tourists in recent years. Reports of a man defacing the Colosseum in Rome shows that behaviour has deteriorated even in places that rarely had problems in the past. Whats behind these abhorrent acts? One answer, my research shows, is social media. Instagram and TikTok have made it easy to find hidden gem restaurants and discover new destinations to add to your bucket list. But this democratisation of travel has had other consequences. Because people now see their social media connections from their home environment travelling in an exotic location, they assume (consciously or not) that behaviour they ordinarily carry out at home is also acceptable in that holiday destination. This is known as social proof, when we look to the behaviours of others to inform our own actions. People are likely to act more hedonistically while on holiday. Now, travellers also look to social media for proof of how others behave. If their peers from home are throwing caution to the wind while on holiday, this can cause a domino effect of bad behaviour. Ive identified other bad travel attitudes and habits that have emerged as a result of social media-driven tourism. For example, the identifiable victim effect, which explains how people are more likely to sympathise with victims of tragedies when they know who those victims are. Because tourists are often sheltered in hotels and resorts away from local communities, they might (wrongly) think that travelling to a place far from home is an opportunity for consequence-free bad behaviour. They underestimate or ignore the effect their actions can have on locals or the economy. The Instagram effect When people travel to a beautiful place, the temptation to post photos and videos to social media is high. But, as I have argued, this creates a cycle that contributes to more self-indulgent travel. First, tourists see their friends post photos from a place (revealed through geotags). They then want to visit the same places and take the same sorts of photos of themselves there. Eventually they post them on the same social networks where they saw the initial photos. Being able to travel to and post about visiting the same places as ones social group or online connections can be a form of social status. But it means that, in some cases, travellers will put more energy into creating content than they will to exploration, discovery or being respectful to local customs. Hotspots respond Bali is one destination with a reputation for social media-induced tourism. The photogenic island, replete with yoga retreats, is a huge draw for influencers. In response to tourist misbehaviour, Bali introduced new guidelines for visitors in June 2023. These include rules about proper behaviour in the sacred temples, around the island and with locals, and respecting the natural environment. Tourists now need a licence for motorbike rentals, and may not set foot on any mountain or volcano in Bali due to their sacred nature. Travellers must only stay in registered hotels and villas (which will impact a number of Airbnb properties). Bali has introduced a tourist task force to enforce the restrictions, through raids and investigations if necessary. One new guideline is to not act aggressively or use harsh words towards locals, government officials or other tourists both while in Bali, or, notably, online. This speaks to the role of social media as part of the problem when it comes to bad tourist behaviour. Other destinations have taken similar steps. Iceland, Hawaii, Palau, New Zealand, Costa Rica and others have adopted pledges for visitors to abide by local laws and customs. Campaigns like Switzerlands No Drama, Austrias See Vienna not #Vienna, Finlands Be more like a Finn and the Netherlands How to Amsterdam are aimed at attracting well-behaved tourists. Where such efforts arent successful, some places such as Thailands famous Maya Bay have taken it further and fully closed to tourists, at least temporarily. Travel respectfully Remember you are a guest of the host communities when you travel. Here are some ways to ensure that you will be asked back. 1. Do your research Even if youre a seasoned traveller, you may not realise the impact your actions have on local communities. But a bit of information from your own research or provided by local governments might be enough to help you act more appropriately. Before you go, look up guidelines or background information on local cultural or safety norms. Whether you agree with the customs or not is irrelevant. If it is a more conservative place than you are used to, you should be mindful of that unlike the two influencers who were arrested for explicit behaviour in a temple in Bali. 2. Put down your phone Research shows that when travelling, people can become alienated from their surroundings if they are more focused on their devices than the destination. Often the most memorable travel experiences will be when you have a meaningful connection with someone, or learn something new that youve never experienced before. That becomes harder if youre constantly looking at your phone. 3. or use your influence for good In popular Instagram v reality posts, influencers are revealing the huge crowds and queues behind the most Instagrammable locations. Showing the less-than-glamorous conditions behind those iconic shots could influence your own social media connections to rethink their personal travel motivations are they just going somewhere to get the perfect selfie? Having more evidence of these conditions circulating online could lead to a larger societal shift away from social media-induced tourism. If you have the urge to post, try to promote smaller businesses and make sure you are demonstrating proper (and legal) etiquette on your holiday. An Indian army soldier named Javed Ahmad Wani has gone missing from the Kulgam area in Kashmir. Authorities have discovered blood stains in his car, raising concerns about his whereabouts and well-being. Efforts to locate the missing soldier are currently underway, but as of now, the exact reason for his disappearance or whether he has been kidnapped remains unconfirmed. VIDEO | Security forces launch a search operation for a missing Army soldier in Jammu and Kashmirs Kulgam. pic.twitter.com/fvTyO0PhzS Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 30, 2023 Javed Wani, who was stationed in Ladakh, had returned home on leave. It was during this time that he went missing, with the last sighting of him being on Saturday when he went out for shopping in Chowalgam. In response to the situation, BJP leader Altaf Thakur expressed his belief, through a video message, that this could be a new tactic employed by militants to target innocent civilians. He assured that those responsible for kidnapping the soldier will be identified and brought to justice. VIDEO | This is a new strategy by militants to target innocent people, but we will find those responsible for kidnapping the Army soldier and they will be punished, says BJP leader Altaf Thakur as an Army soldier goes missing in J&Ks Kulgam. pic.twitter.com/MoCE4feLcc Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 30, 2023 Both the army and the police have launched a search operation, focusing on the area to gather more information and uncover the truth behind this mysterious case. The agencies are working to determine the real reason behind the soldiers disappearance. With inputs from agencies Hundreds of people gathered at a school in Kochi, Kerala, to mourn and pay their respects after a tragic incident involving the rape and strangulation of a young girl. The attendees, representing all age groups and walks of life, came together to honor the memory of the child. Later, a large crowd assembled at the public cemetery for the victims burial. Many in attendance were emotional during the last rites, shedding tears as the coffin was laid to rest. The horrifying incident took place on Friday when the girl was abducted, raped, and murdered allegedly by a migrant worker from Bihar, who resided in the same building as the victims family. The accused was arrested the same day, but due to his intoxicated state, interrogation was delayed, reported PTI. The grieving women, including mothers of the victims playmates and classmates, expressed their anguish and demanded strict punishment for the perpetrator. Some urged for a death sentence, believing that keeping him imprisoned would not be sufficient justice. Several individuals at the school and cemetery also called for more stringent laws to prevent such heinous crimes from recurring. They emphasised the need for a system to identify criminal elements among migrant workers and address concerns about drug usage among them. The incident sparked criticism of the police, with the opposition Congress alleging lapses in the investigation. However, the Kerala police chief refuted the charges and asserted that their efforts to locate the child had been exhaustive. Following the tragic incident, the Kerala police issued an apology to the victims family through their social media channels, acknowledging their unsuccessful attempts to reunite the child with her parents. With inputs from agencies Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the upcoming launch of a campaign called Meri Mati Mera Desh as a tribute to the courageous martyrs of the nation, just ahead of Independence Day. During his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address, PM Modi said that with Amrit Mohatsav resonating everywhere and 15 August near, a big campaign is being launched in the country Meri Mati Mera Desh. He said the campaign will be launched to honour the martyred bravehearts and programmes will be organised across India in memory of those who laid down their lives for the country. Special inscriptions will be installed in lakhs of village panchayats of the country in memory of these personalities, Modi said. Meri Mati, Mera Desh A campaign to honour our bravehearts. #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/SpZvi9Hlcn Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India (@TribalAffairsIn) July 30, 2023 Meri Mati Mera Desh A campaign to honour our bravehearts. #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/yMfX4OiyhF PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 30, 2023 An Amrit Kalash Yatra will also be taken out during this campaign, he said. This Amrit Kalash Yatra, carrying the soil in 7,500 kalash from villages and various corners of the country, will reach Delhi. This yatra will also carry plants from various parts of the country. From 7,500 kalash, soil and plants that will come, an Amrit Vatika will be built close to the National War Memorial, the Prime Minister said, reported PTI. In his radio address, PM Modi also hailed the changes made by the government in the Haj policy in the past few years and said now more and more people are getting an opportunity to go for the annual pilgrimage. Over 4,000 women were able to perform Haj without Mehram or a male companion which he said was a big change, the prime minister said. He said Muslim women who recently came back from Haj wrote to him. Their Haj was very special as they performed the pilgrimage without Mehram. Their number is not 50 or 100 but over 4,000. This is a big change, PM Modi said while pointing out that earlier Muslim women were not allowed to perform Haj without Mehram. Through Mann ki Baat, I would also like to thank the Saudi Government, he said. The changes made in the Haj policy in the last few years are being appreciated. Our Muslim mothers and sisters have written a lot to me. Now more and more people are getting an opportunity to go for Haj, the prime minister said. During his address, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the recent return of various artefacts from the US to India. He also expressed his concern over the challenges brought about by recent natural calamities, particularly emphasising the hardships faced by people due to swollen rivers like the Yamuna. However, amidst these difficulties, he commended the nations resilience and unity in facing such adversities. The Prime Minister also expressed admiration for the innovative water conservation initiatives undertaken by the people. Notably, he cited the remarkable feat of planting 30 crore saplings in a single day in Uttar Pradesh as a testament to the publics active involvement and environmental awareness. With inputs from agencies Opposition leaders from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) visited Manipur and met with Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan. During their interaction, they handed over a memorandum and suggested sending a multi-party delegation to address the violence-hit situation in Manipur. The delegation of I.N.D.I.A. alliance submitted a memorandum to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey today, requesting her to restore peace & harmony, taking all effective measures. pic.twitter.com/l61l10iOu1 ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2023 The 21-member delegation of the Opposition arrived in the state for a two-day visit to assess the ethnic strife and violence that has been ongoing since 4 May. After their meeting with the Governor, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, part of the delegation, stated that they shared their first-hand experiences and observations from their visit to the relief centers. The Governor expressed her concern and agreed with the suggestions put forward by the delegation. VIDEO | MPs from the INDIA alliance met the Governor of Manipur and discussed the situation there. She agreed with us. It is necessary to resolve the issue together, says Congress MP @adhirrcinc after meeting Governor of Manipur Anusuiya Uikey. pic.twitter.com/YhFDWS4i0C Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 30, 2023 Governor Uikey proposed initiating talks with leaders from all communities as a step towards finding a solution and restoring peace in the region. She emphasised the importance of an all-party delegation from both the ruling and opposition parties to address the prevailing sense of distrust among the people, reported ANI. Prior to their meeting with the Governor, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury highlighted the worsening situation in Manipur and stressed the need for restoring peace to ensure communal harmony and social justice. The Opposition delegations aim during the visit was to bring about psychological healing for the affected people. The ruling party, BJP, criticised the Oppositions visit, claiming that the Centre was ready for a discussion on Manipur in Parliament while the Opposition was avoiding it. With inputs from agencies Rural socioeconomic growth and welfare have been on the Indian governments agenda since Independence. Numerous policies and programmes have been initiated. Success is visible in many health and educational institutions as well as agriculture productivity, rural development and many citizen welfare measures. But we are also familiar with abysmal learning achievement levels in government schools, sub-standard healthcare and disappointing outcomes of development initiatives. Though much has been achieved, crippling failures have blocked a true rural renaissance. These failures are embedded in the style of grassroots governance that exists today the field administration responsible for implementation. That includes frontline organisations and personnel such as schools, police stations and patwaris, as well as district and block-level organisations that manage them. While this all provides a range of services, critical fault lines in the structure, in human resources and ways of working limit the impact. The structure of field administration constrains its capacity to respond to contextual needs and take coordinated action. With the exception of very few states, local governments or panchayats are disempowered, lacking funds and decision-making powers to identify and address contextual needs. Instead, 30 to 40 departments have separate field offices that implement their own rigid programmes and provide services, and function fairly autonomously. As the number of departmental organisations is large, each has very limited manpower. Yet, multiple skills, such as technical knowledge, planning and management, community mobilization and education, financial knowledge and at times legal expertise to implement programmes and provide service. But a large number of organizations cannot provide all these skills and the quality of service delivery suffers. Further, many grassroots organisations have very inadequate staff. For example, in Anganwadi centres, one Anganwadi worker and a helper address malnourishment and health of children under the age of six and mothers, provide preschool education, and conduct activities related to adolescent girls, domestic violence etc. Not surprisingly, studies show that preschool education is often neglected in Anganwadi centres. This problem is exacerbated by a large number of vacancies in several states. Though field-level employees are usually educationally well-qualified, their training is given little attention. For instance, police constables are trained casually, which leads to shoddy law enforcement. In addition, there is a perverse incentive structure for employees. Many frontline workers such as teachers, Anganwadi workers etc., are contractual employees with very low salaries and no promotion avenues. Such workers have formed associations to agitate and litigate for better service conditions, and at times, have succeeded. . These contractual employees make gains with skilful agitation and litigation, not hard work. For regular field employees too, there is little incentive to work hard, as promotions are slow, while good postings are gained by pleasing political patrons. Yet, politically connected people often get away with doing little work and cannot be disciplined. Moreover, officials are transferred often, sometimes for refusing to carry out illegitimate orders, which dents motivation further, while short tenures affect work adversely. The working style of employees is framed by extreme centralisation at the state level. Field officials work within the parameters of centralised programmes and directions and cannot address peoples needs when they fall outside these. Targets set centrally take priority over community needs. Sometimes the outcome is shoddy work, such as the declaration of areas as open defecation free on paper, rather than in practice. There are numerous reviews and reporting requirements from the state level that time away from meaningful activities. Further, state governments initiate many campaigns on various issues in quick succession, so that systematic work becomes difficult and long-term tasks are neglected. The capacity of field organisations to plan, strategise and solve problems is limited because of extremely hierarchical functioning, whereby junior officials cannot question their seniors. Further, generally, field officials do not take support from local NGOs and resource agencies or learn from them, because they see their role as implementing pre-decided activities and following orders. Rampant rent-seeking exacerbates these problems. Officials collude with lawbreakers and pilfer funds, going against the mandates of their organstions rather than fulfilling them. Clearly, there is a need to reform grassroots governance. Fundamentally, field administration needs to be conceptualised not as an executor of orders, but as a site for analysis and strategy formulation to address citizens needs. For this, local governments need to be empowered. The fragmented structure can be addressed by fusing the numerous departmental agencies into five or so organisations at various levels. With fewer organisations, each can be provided varied expertise needed. The recruitment of poorly paid contractual employees needs to stop, patronage-based postings of regular employees eliminated, and promotion avenues increased substantially. Guidelines should be developed for a more productive working style that includes situational analysis, consultation, weighing pros and cons, taking feedback etc. Eliminating rent-seeking is a challenge, as it is widespread across all levels of government. Stopping patronage-based postings would help, as would strengthening accountability to citizens. The transformation of grassroots governance is a prerequisite for a rural renaissance. The author is a former additional secretary in the Government of India and senior visiting fellow at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and ex-IAS officer. She is the chairperson of Transform Rural India. She will be speaking about The Citizen View: Experiencing Governance at the upcoming India Rural Colloquy in Delhi on August 8, 2023. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. 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 countrys richest legislator says his government is too broke to fund development. Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivkumars assertion that delivering on poll promises will eat up all available resources points to the Revdi culture in Indian politics, and its dire impact on states finances. The five poll guarantees made by Congress, including free power and doles, will cost an estimated Rs 40,000 crore. So, MLAs who wrote to the CM asking for development projects in their constituencies have been told theres nothing in the kitty for them. Karnataka is not the only state where a party, having come to power on the strength of extravagant promises, faces the prospect of prioritising giveaways over productive expenditure. In Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party, which specialises in wooing voters with largesse, now finds itself unable to deliver. Where is the Rs 1,000 per month promised to all adult women in the state? asked Congress leader P S Bajwa after the budget. Where is the promised hike in old age and widows pensions? Meanwhile, Punjab government employees want to know why the old pension scheme (OPS) hasnt been re-introduced as promised. Nor are they happy that salaries of various categories of state employees are delayed from time to time. AAP has delivered one of the promised freebies 300 units of free electricity to the majority of households in the state. On the other hand, it has allocated a lot less than the national average for health, education, infrastructure and development (PRS Punjab Budget Analysis 2023-24). Are citizens aware of the trade-off? Free power instead of roads and jobs? Consider the OPS lollipop, offered to state government employees by Congress and its allies. It is an unfunded pension scheme, discontinued in 2004 precisely because the pension liability of governments had reached unsustainable proportions. In fact, pensions were outstripping states revenues, leaving them less and less room for investment in developmental activities. Congress had adopted OPS when it was in power. And today, high-profile economists who served under the UPA have warned against reinstating OPS, be it Raghuram Rajan who was then RBI governor or Montek Singh Ahluwalia, then chief of the Planning Commission. Fifteenth Finance Commission chief N K Singh described Himachal Pradeshs decision to bring back OPS as a recipe for fiscal disaster. A State Bank of India research paper estimated that it might cost the state as much as 450 per cent of its own tax revenues! Why has Congress discounted sane advice? Simply because it believes that it won Himachal Pradesh last year on the back of a promise to bring back OPS. That future generations of taxpayers will have to deal with huge pension liabilities does not seem to matter. How does benefiting Sarkari pensioners impact consumers and taxpayers? Badly, going by the Himachal experience the first act of the new state government was to hike VAT on diesel by Rs 3 per litre in one stroke! This, of course, has a cascading and negative effect on Aam Aadmi. Small wonder that DMK, which had promised to bring back OPS in Tamil Nadu, has not done so. In March this year, the TN Secretariat Association asked why the commitment to re-introduce OPS, fill 3.5 lakh vacancies in government and educational institutions and hike aid to deceased employees families had not been met. What about Rajasthan, the first state to re-introduce OPS and offer a Rs 3,000-3,500 per month unemployment dole? Earlier this year, the government revealed that 18.4 lakh persons had registered for the dole, but 1.9 lakh were receiving it. Today, Rajasthan is one of the most indebted states in the country, one of the five that the RBI red-flagged as having a very high expenditure on non-merit goods. For the last five years, said RBI, the outstanding debt of these states had been growing faster than their respective Gross Domestic Product. Rajasthans debt to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) ratio is 40 per cent, Himachals 43 per cent and Punjabs a staggering 53 per cent. States invariably tend to blame the previous government for financial distress. If AAP blames the Congress in Punjab, the Congress blames the BJP in Karnataka. Legally (under Article 282 of the Constitution) a state government can spend its own revenues wherever and however it deems fit, but is the expenditure on freebies morally tenable? For the record, welfare measures like the public distribution system, employment guarantee schemes and outlays for education and health are uniformly productive and not classed as freebies. The same applies to free bicycles, phones and tablets for rural women, tools that enable them to pursue an education or a career. But power subsidies for domestic consumers, free bus travel for those who can afford tickets, doles, farm loan waivers, the OPS and other benefits to civil servants are hard to justify. Last year, the PM called out the Revdi culture with particular reference to the outstanding dues of power utilities amounting to over Rs 2.5 lakh crore thanks to massive power subsidies. The Supreme Court, while hearing a matter related to pre-poll handouts, said that taxpayers money was being given away in the form of freebies, pushing states towards imminent bankruptcy. NK Singh said the votes-for-freebies culture raised the question of whether the concept of sub-national bankruptcies should be adopted in India. Given the poor fiscal health of our states, the ethics of offering inducements to voters without stating the impacts needs to be debated. Voters must be told just how expensive freebies can be. The author is a freelance writer and author of Gurus: Stories of Indias Leading Babas and Just Transferred: The Untold Story of Ashok Khemka. A journalist since 1986, she has written extensively on national politics. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Secularism was born out of the need to separate religion and state. But what happens when a said religion itself becomes a threat to the state? Till when, Europe and the West, can afford to just be racist and blame immigrants, overlooking the crucial driving factors like their religion, and ideology and the underlying theocracy? Such modern-day issues make questions, Is secularism still relevant? Should Europe finally bid farewell to secularism? Or, is it time for states to acknowledge the primacy of religion and certain ideologies and not just bring in relevant stringent laws but enforce them too? Does religious loyalty supersede the sovereignty of the state? Failings of European secularism and God Gap The European idea of secularism fails to fill the God Gap. First, it fails philosophically. It doesnt provide us with a rational interpretation of life. Second, it fails religiously and spiritually. Third, it fails in the realm of social/moral values. To understand Islamic extremism, one must study in what ways it fills this God Gap. So for any secular nation-state, it is impossible to tackle religious extremism, until and unless they reclaim their own religious identity, be in Christianity, Judaism or even Hinduism for that matter. When it comes to Europe, take France for instance, knowingly or unknowingly made a grave mistake of not collating data on racial, religious, or gendered basis at all, which ended up giving the immigrants and anti-social elements a blind spot to thrive. On the other hand, the European countries that did collect, understand the brevity of the situation. Demographic shift in Europe A research report by Alex Schmid, which looked into the links between migration and terrorism, says, Some children of immigrants to Western diasporas, insufficiently integrated into the host society and being caught between two cultures, have in a search for identity and meaning, looked at Jihadists as role models and thousands of them migrated to Syria to become foreign fightersMigrants can be terrorists and terrorists can be migrants in many ways. The arrival of large refugee populations when not properly handled, increases the risk of attacks in the recipient country by both domestic and transnational terrorists. (Schmid, 2016, 2) One would also like to believe that refugee camps are secure locations where people who have fled persecution or the prospect of violence can heal, wait for the conclusion of hostilities, and make plans for how to resume their lives after returning. Sadly, this is often not the case; because they are typically weakly policed, refugee camps tend to be deadly locations. Refugee camps are frequently associated with suffering and an absence of perspective for those forced to wait there for better times. They serve as a breeding ground for terrorism, much like jails. A little over half of all refugees worldwide are under the age of 18. Younger people are more likely than older persons to join terrorist organisations. Open-ended residence in such camps offers recruitment opportunities for terrorists and guerilla fighters. (Schmid, 2016, 33) Another report by CSIS depicts the extent of terrorist attacks. In the five years (2013-2017), Islamic extremists have focused on targeting places like airports, private citizens, businesses, the military and police-often symbols of the infidel government, its citizens, and Western civilization. (Jones et al., 2018, 13) If one looks at the data provided by the European Unions website, in 2023 alone, 69,178 irregular arrivals were registered. The breakdown per migratory route is as follows: Central route: 50,318 arrivals, Eastern route: 10,285 arrivals, Western routes: 8,575 arrivals. These are the top nationalities which accounted for irregular inroads into the EU. All others (2,041) on the Central route, Syria (825) on the Eastern route, and Morocco (475) on the Western route. While it is, in concrete situations, difficult to isolate specific factors as being responsible for migration, a major driver of forced migration is severe state repression involving attacks on civilian populations that in cases of (civil) war, often also amount to war crimes or war-time terrorism. Data from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and to a lesser extent Pakistan show that the number of first-time asylum seekers in Europe is correlated to the number of deaths from terrorism in the countries of origin. The EU has estimated the number of illegal border crossings, which were at an all-time high during the year 2014 to 2016 and now again the numbers have been going up since 2021-22. This is what the Pew Research report has to say, The greatest increases driven primarily by continued migration are likely to occur in Western and Northern Europe, where Muslims will be approaching double-digit percentages of the population in several countries. In the United Kingdom, for example, Muslims are expected to comprise 8.2% of the population in 2030, up from an estimated 4.6% today. In Austria, Muslims are projected to reach 9.3% of the population in 2030, up from 5.7% today; in Sweden, 9.9% (up from 4.9% today); in Belgium, 10.2% (up from 6% today); and in France, 10.3% (up from 7.5% today). (The Future of the Global Muslim Population, 2011) Challenges of tackling religious extremism within secular frameworks Secular governments will never be able to tackle the Islamic extremism and violence issue if they continue to look at it from a secular, purely-political lens. The problem demands to be looked at from a theoretical perspective, put Islam and its followers under scrutiny, and critically deal with the ideology and its motive. To begin with, let us address how secularism is viewed in the theocratic Islamic world, if and how it leads to violence. It might be a hard pill to swallow for many, but the Islamists have understood the perils of secularism to their religion. There is one thing that Islamic resurgence agrees on, is the condemnation of secularism. Sayyid Qutb roots for an Islamic government (more or less equivalent to Sharia laws) is a rebellion against purely humanistic laws. For a moderate like Fazlur Rehman, Secularism destroys the sanctity and universality of all moral values (Sonn, 1987, 284). Moreover, in Abrahamic empires like Islam and Christianity, for example, God is seen as the foundation of all morality, and expanding their boundaries is not only seen as legal but an ethical compulsion. Theoretically, at least, there is no natural limit to the empires fated domain. (Sonn, 1987, 286) From here, these two religions came up with two different solutions. In the Christian world, in the 16th and 17th centuries, Europe produced the ideological basis for political legitimacy independent of religious institutions. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke came up with leadership theories independent of the Church for the commonwealths greater good. On the other hand, Islam intertwined religion and political power/legitimacy even more intricately. One way in which these Islamic extremists are increasing or, say, pushing their empires boundaries, is by taking refuge in Dar-Al Harb (non-Islamic countries) zones. Here, Pew Researchs data comes in handy to understand how they Islamify those countries. Beginning with, Recent flows of asylum seekers have been dominated by young men (roughly 70% to 75% of asylum seekers have been male). Under certain conditions, refugees who obtain humanitarian protection status are entitled to family reunification. If current refugees can bring family members to Europe, this could increase the female share of future refugee flows as spouses, children and other relatives join existing refugees. (Methodology: Europes Growing Muslim Population, 2017) Gradually, the countries show signs of a significant Muslim population. In 2030, Muslims are projected to make up more than 10% of the total population in 10 European countries: Kosovo (93.5%), Albania (83.2%), Bosnia-Herzegovina (42.7%), Republic of Macedonia (40.3%), Montenegro (21.5%), Bulgaria (15.7%), Russia (14.4%), Georgia (11.5%), France (10.3%) and Belgium (10.2%) (The Future of the Global Muslim Population, 2011) The data from 2011 itself showed significant demographic change, so one can only imagine what the numbers would look like now. Balancing civil rights and national security There are certain inherent challenges Secularism is facing in countering religious extremism. When the Western political society feels the need to justify and secularise the motivation behind terrorist attacks. Society fails when it believes that by addressing the political aspect, the phenomenon would pass. But expecting political gestures to change radicals hearts to work, when the roots are not political, is not wise. Any attempt to address the terrorist threat in a way that ignores its intellectual, cultural, and religious roots will fail. To create an actionable strategy to deal with the challenges, efforts should start by denouncing theocracy of radical Islamic doctrine. But the secular front is already at a disadvantage. Western notions of civil rights, along with legal, political, and cultural restraints that forbid government meddling in the internal affairs of religions like Islam, make it challenging to ban or punish fiery sermons by imams in mosques or punish clerics for issuing Fatwas defending terrorism. (Bar, 2004, 35) The legacy of colonialism also prevents Western governments from taking actions that can be seen as anti-Muslim or Islamophobic. This reveals how ineffective secular governments are at tackling the root causes of the terror threat. In actuality, the majority of new and stringent anti-terrorism laws passed in various nations rely primarily on administrative and investigative capabilities and do not address the criminalisation of ideological crimes motivated by religion. (Bar, 2004, 36) Future of secularism in Europe and beyond The above argument explains how secularisms focus on the separation of religion and state neglects the influence of religious ideology or the aforementioned God Gap in the radicalisation process. To end with, Europe at least attempts to provide better living conditions, and freedom, freeing them from terror, and theocracy, but at the cost of their national security. The immigrants have a moral duty towards their host nation to adhere to their culture, lifestyle, most importantly, the law of the land. However, Muslim refugees seem to have made a choice; their loyalty continues to tilt towards their ideology than the host states. The very same ideology ended up making them refugees elsewhere. The writer is Research Assistant in Chanakya University. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. 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 second Russia Africa summit took place on 27-28 July in St. Petersburg. It was called the Russia Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum. For Russia, it was a courageous act to try and pull off a continental summit in the midst of its ongoing Ukraine crisis, which has destabilised the international order. African countries as part of the Global South, are deeply impacted by this. The prices of food, fuel and fertilizer and the disruption of their supply chains are of deep concern to African countries. A few days before the summit, Russia ended the grain deal with Ukraine which threatened the relief from food insecurity in Africa and became the focal point of the Summit. Kenya and Egypt were among those who criticised the Russian decision and it was up to Russia to announce the need to provide energy and foodgrain to Africa through reliable supply chains and controlled prices. Putin criticised the grain deal, which was shamelessly used exclusively to enrich large American and European businesses that exported and resold grain from Ukraine. The major thing that Africa sought was consistent foodgrain supplies. This is not an economic opportunity but crisis management the crisis created by the Russia-Ukraine war. There is discomfiture in Africa that they have to now take sides between the big powers again. The tectonic strategic shift in the world requires deft diplomacy. Post-pandemic Africa finds it an unnecessary distraction. Instead of trade, investment and assistance from all, it is now forced to choose sides depending on which may obtain the required economic support. The presence of the Wagner group in several African countries is an issue. Undoubtedly, Wagner is present with the concurrence of the hosts. However, countries like Ghana see Wagner as a threat. There is no unanimity around Wagner in Africa; what Africa expected to hear from Putin also is unclear. Prigozhin, the exiled Wagner head, was there at the Summit with his friends from the Central African Republic where Wagner is deployed. In the 2019 Summit, 92 agreements were signed for about $11 billion. A few countries like Nigeria obtained benefits in energy and education. Most agreements remain unfulfilled. Given the current economic state of Russia any substantial growth in Russia-Africa economic relations is unlikely. Russias economic progress is now seen as diminished by Africa. Trade between them in 2022 was $18 billion. 35000 African students are in Russia, 6000 on scholarship. The Ukraine crisis divided Africa between 28 supporting the West, 17 who abstained and 8 who were absent in the vote in March 2022.How they deal with Russia in a common manner is a challenge. The fragmented approach that African countries have in summit negotiations often shows that individual interests of countries dominate Africas collective interests, which reduces their ability to negotiate. Africa needs to unify for specific common demands which Russia could realistically provide. In exchange Africa may suggest their neutrality. A redefined Africa- Russia relationship is important for both but also, for the emerging global order. The South Africa led African peace initiative which visited Moscow and Kyiv in June needs a follow up. It was courageous enough and the Russia Africa summit was the right place for African leaders to nudge Russia to provide avenues for a ceasefire and return to negotiations without which the destabilisation that has occurred due to the Ukraine crisis will not stop challenging Africa. Four conclusions of this event are evident. First, Russia has disrupted Ukrainian grain supplies and wants to fill that breach but is doing little which is not commercially feasible. It has announced up to 50000 MT grain donations to six counties Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and Central African Republic soon. Eritrea and Mali voted with Russia in the UN, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, CAR abstained or were absent while Somalia was the only one among these who voted against Russia. Secondly, Russian producers of mineral fertilizers are prepared to double their exports to Africa by 2029. Here, Russia has 10 per cent of the African market. Since 2018, Russia has already doubled its fertilizers exports to Africa to 1.6 MT. Russian fertilizers are used in 25 African countries mainly South Africa, Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, and Cote dIvoire. Most of these were represented by Presidents or PMs at the Summit. Thirdly, the summit, enmeshed in Big Power rivalry, was a truncated one, compared to the first edition in 2019. Instead of four days, it was held over two days. Of the expected 40 countries, 17 turned up at a head of state level. Yet this was the largest group of Heads of State to visit Russia after the start of the Ukraine crisis so the impact of that is not lost as Russia seeks the formation of a fair and democratic multipolar world order. The African Union held the Summit as a full partner with Comoros co-chairing and the AUC Chairman Faki Mohammed present. The co-chair from 2019, President Sisi of Egypt, President of Senegal Macky Sall and last AU chair and South African president Ramaphosa who led an African peace initiative in June were all present. Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Mali, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya, Algeria, Burundi, both Congos, CAR all came at high levels.The Nigerian Vice President, Tunisias, Seychelless, and Rwandas Foreign Ministers were there, but Kenya skipped it. Fourthly, Russia has an opportunity to be responsive to Africa as the battle for the Global South heats up. Putin said he expected the AU to be admitted to the G20 which India has initiated. His support is clear. However, in two decades of helming Russia, Putin has visited Africa only once. A possible participation in the BRICS Summit in South Africa in August is scuttled due to a notice by the ICC of which South Africa is a member. Russian ambivalence on UN and Security Council reform also keeps Africa out of global high tables. What can Russia do to engage Africa more effectively ahead? Russia provides arms to devil African counters and while it does not interfere in their value systems, it helps Wagner group to participate in local conflicts on request. Finally, the African Peace Initiative which visited Kiev and Moscow last month. Russia cannot agree with more than the good intentions of the initiative. African leaders pressed Russia collectively to relent and Putin was forced to make a special statement on this. Africa has nudged itself into being a voice for peace outside its own Continent. Through this summit Putin wanted to energise Russia-Africa partnership, and get its support against US hegemony and Western neo-colonialism. Several African leaders thanked Russia for its support in their liberation struggles, and the Declaration promised Russias assistance to obtain compensation for colonialism. Beyond that it was a saving grace for Russia, some gains for Africa but no major breakthroughs were expected nor obtained. The writer is a former ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia ASEAN and the African Union. He tweets @AmbGurjitSingh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Due to what he described as sticking points in the current negotiations being held between Riyadh and U.S. mediators, a prominent Israeli lawmaker stated on Sunday that it did not look that Saudi Arabia and Israel would be establishing relations any time soon. U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Friday that theres a rapprochement maybe under way after sending his national security adviser to Saudi Arabia to explore a potential normalisation agreement with Israel, which he considers a policy priority. The proposal has been under consideration ever since Saudi Arabia quietly approved of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020. Riyadh, however, has not done so, contending that Palestinian demands must be satisfied first. I think its too early to talk about a deal being in the works, Yuli Edelstein, head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee and a senior member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus Likud party, told Israels Army Radio. He dismissed the idea that the fundamental barrier was the standoff between Netanyahus hard-right administration and the aspirations of the politically split Palestinians for statehood. How shall I put this delicately? There are clauses that are far more important or problematic than such-and-such declarations in the Palestinian realm, he said. Most of the Saudi discourse is with the Americans, and not with us, he added, saying that when it came to Riyadhs demands of Washington, there are some things we can live with better, and some things we can live with less well. Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, asked by reporters as he entered the weekly cabinet meeting whether there would be progress in the Saudi talks, said: I hope so. In order to construct a civilian nuclear project on its grounds, Saudi Arabia wants assistance from the United States. Saudi initiatives to improve American defence imports have been mentioned in Israeli and American media. Israel will construct a 100 billion shekel ($27 billion) train expansion, according to Netanyahu, which will link its rural districts to metropolitan Tel Aviv and, in the future, might offer overland connections to Saudi Arabia. (With agency inputs) Italy made a improvised and atrocious decision when it joined Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) four years ago as it did little to boost exports, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview published on Sunday. Italy signed up to the BRI under a previous government, becoming the only major Western country to have taken such a step. Crosetto is part of an administration that is considering how to break free of the agreement. The BRI scheme envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with large infrastructure spending. Critics see it as a tool for China to spread its geopolitical and economic influence.The decision to join the (new) Silk Road was an improvised and atrocious act that multiplied Chinas exports to Italy but did not have the same effect on Italian exports to China, Crosetto told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. The issue today is: how to walk back (from the BRI) without damaging relations (with Beijing). Because it is true that China is a competitor, but it is also a partner, the defence minister added. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated on Thursday that her country had until December to decide on the BRI after meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House. She also indicated that she will shortly be leaving for Beijing. Even though Italy is a part of the BRI, Meloni called it a paradox that it is not the G7 nation with the strongest trade ties to China in an interview with the Italian news programme TG5 on Saturday. This shows that you can have good relations and trading partnerships even outside of the BRI, she added. (With agency inputs) According to local officials quoted by Geo News, an explosion at a political rally in Pakistans northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region on Sunday claimed at least 40 lives. The incident occurred during a gathering of the conservative Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, renowned for its ties to hardline political Islam, in the formerly tribal region of Bajaur, although the report made no mention of a potential reason. According to initial estimates, 17 people were murdered; however, there have been over 70 injuries, and the number could go up, according to Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for Rescue 1122, a first-responder agency in the province. Since last year, when a truce between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad was broken, attacks by Islamist militants have increased in Pakistan. The TTP owes allegiance to the Taliban in Afghanistan but is not a part of the Afghan Taliban. (With agency inputs) In his hometown of St. Petersburg on Sunday, President Vladimir Putin reviewed a parade of warships and nuclear submarines and declared that the Russian Navy will be receiving 30 new ships this year. During Russias annual Navy Day celebration, which takes place in the Gulf of Finland and on the River Neva in St. Petersburg, 45 ships, submarines, and other vessels participated. The Kremlin reported that 3,000 members of the navy also took part in a march on land. Before speaking, Putin examined a few of the ships from a launch boat on the Neva while being joined by the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and the commander of the Navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov. Today, Russia is confidently implementing the large-scale tasks of our national maritime policy and is consistently building up the strength of our Navy, said Putin. This year alone, 30 ships of different classes are being added to the fleet, he said. Regarding what Russia refers to as its special military operation in Ukraine, he said nothing significant. According to the Kremlin, officials from five additional African nations and four African heads of state attended the ceremony on Sunday. They were called following a summit between Russia and Africa in St. Petersburg that ended on Friday and during which participants talked about food supply and prospective peace negotiations with Ukraine. (With agency inputs) On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that an African plan may serve as a foundation for peace in Ukraine, but that Ukrainian aggression made it difficult to implement. He was addressing at a news conference after meeting with African leaders in St. Petersburg on Friday and hearing their requests for Moscow to proceed with their plan. There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented, he said. But there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement. Reuters reported in June that African mediation in the conflict could begin with confidence-building measures followed by a cessation of hostilities agreement accompanied by negotiations between Russia and the West. Putin said that one of the points in the initiative was a ceasefire. But the Ukrainian army is on the offensive, they are attacking, they are implementing a large-scale strategic offensive operation We cannot cease fire when we are under attack. On the question of starting peace talks, he said, We did not reject them In order for this process to begin, there needs to be agreement on both sides. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the idea of a ceasefire now that would leave Russia in control of nearly a fifth of his country and give its forces time to regroup after 17 grinding months of war. According to sources, Saudi Arabia aims to host discussions next weekend to discuss a way to peace in Ukraine, bringing together representatives from Kyiv, Western powers, and developing nations. Russia will not attend the summit in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah, as it did not attend a similar event last month in Copenhagen, according to three Gulf officials briefed on the arrangements. A complete list of attendees was not available, but authorities claimed that countries such as the United Kingdom and Japan were anticipated to participate. The Saudi-hosted discussions were initially reported by the Wall Street Journal, which stated that emerging nations such as Brazil, who attended the Copenhagen summit, were also anticipated in Jeddah. The move represents the latest effort by Saudi Arabia to assert itself in diplomacy related to the Ukraine war. In May, the kingdom hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at an Arab League summit in Jeddah, where he accused some Arab leaders of turning a blind eye to the horrors of Russias invasion. Riyadh has backed UN Security Council resolutions denouncing Russias invasion as well as Russias declared annexation of territory in eastern Ukraine. At the same time, it has continued to coordinate closely with Russia on energy policy, including oil production cuts approved last October that Washington said at the time amounted to aligning with Russia in the war. Last September, Riyadh played an unexpected role in brokering the release of foreign fighters detained in Ukraine, including two from the United States and five from Britain. Earlier this year, a Saudi official told journalists that Riyadh remained open to contributing to mediation to end the conflict, especially on important minor issues that may help cumulatively in the end to have a political solution of the whole issue. As of February, Saudi Arabia had pledged $400 million in relief to Ukraine, about two-thirds in oil products and one-third in other humanitarian aid, including allocations for Ukrainian refugees who fled to neighbouring countries. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday about the upcoming talks in Jeddah. South Africas extreme leftist opposition party encouraged the leaders of China, India, and Brazil on Saturday to skip the BRICS conference next month in solidarity with Russias Vladimir Putin, who will not be present. Putins anticipated visit had presented a diplomatic and legal quandary for South Africa, given he is wanted by the International Criminal Court, but it was announced earlier this month that he will not attend in person. Leader Julius Malema of South Africas third-largest party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), called on the remaining BRICS leaders to skip the August 22-24 conference in solidarity with Putin. We call on the president of the Peoples Republic of China, India and Brazil not to come to (the) BRICS summit in solidarity with President Putin, Malema said. Malema also denounced the United States for threatening South Africa by demanding it turn against the Russian leader in exchange for remaining part of the landmark African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants duty-free access for most exports. They can take away AGOA and leave us with our sovereignty, the 42-year-old said, addressing a packed stadium of over 90,000 supporters donning the party colour red. The EFF, which draws inspiration from Marxism-Leninism, was celebrating its 10th anniversary. The flags of the African Union and Cuba hang from the stage. Malema condemned the corruption of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), which has governed the country since the advent of democracy in 1994 promising to oust them in the next election. In March, the EFF organised a national protest in a bid to force President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down over his handling of the countrys sickly economy and crippling energy crisis. Malusi Khwane, an unemployed 46-year-old father wearing an EFF jacket and beret told AFP he was fed up of the ANC government. With EFF things are going to change. Next year they can even have a better chance to win the election with our support, said Khwane. On the morning of July 28, 2023, President Xi Jinping met in Chengdu with Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali who is in China to attend the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games and pay a visit to the country. Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Guyana, though far apart, have enjoyed a time-honored friendship. Guyana was the earliest country in the Caribbean region to recognize the one-China principle and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Last year, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Guyana was celebrated. In recent years, Guyana has witnessed rapid economic and national development, and China is advancing Chinese modernization on all fronts through high-quality development. China and Guyana should be good friends who trust and count on each other, and both countries should share opportunities, meet challenges, seek cooperation and advance development together, so as to promote the building of a more close-knit China-Guyana community with a shared future. Xi Jinping stressed that China and Guyana, both developing countries, should strengthen communication and cooperation, firmly support each other, and promote the steady and sustained development of bilateral relations for the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples. China is ready to enhance synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Guyana's Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, and elevate the level of high-quality BRI cooperation between the two countries. China welcomes Guyana's participation in the China International Import Expo to introduce more of Guyana's distinctive and quality products into the Chinese market. China encourages its companies to invest in Guyana, expand mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as energy, mining, finance, agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure construction, and foster new sources of growth such as new energy and green development. Both sides need to strengthen people-to-people exchanges, facilitate the flow of people, and consolidate the foundation of public support for friendship between the two countries. China and Guyana have broad common interests and similar positions in international and regional affairs. Xi Jinping congratulated Guyana on being elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2024-2025 term. China supports Guyana in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, and is ready to work with Guyana to practice true multilateralism, safeguard the common interests of numerous developing countries, jointly tackle global challenges including climate change, food security and energy security, and build a human community with a shared future together. Xi Jinping pointed out that during his first visit to the Caribbean region in 2013, he joined leaders of nine Caribbean countries having established diplomatic relations with China in establishing a comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and the Caribbean countries. China has always supported the Caribbean countries in seeking strength through unity, and pursuing development and prosperity, and is ready to work with the Caribbean countries to build an even closer community with a shared future between China and the Caribbean countries. Xi Jinping expressed the hope that Guyana will continue to play an active role in promoting the development of relations between China and the Caribbean countries. Noting the sound growth of Guyana-China relations and solid political mutual trust, Ali said the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Guyana and China have been years of friendship, cooperation, and mutual support. Guyana firmly abides by the one-China principle, highly admires President Xi Jinping's outstanding leadership, and highly values China's international influence. China has played an important role in the economic and social development of Guyana and the Caribbean region, not only by sharing its experience but also providing valuable assistance for Guyana and other regional countries in developing infrastructure, connectivity, medicine and health, among others. Guyana regards China as a highly reliable cooperative partner and welcomes Chinese companies to invest and do business in Guyana. Guyana hopes to carry out close cooperation with China to better address global challenges such as energy, climate change and food security. Guyana supports a series of major initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping and actively participates in BRI cooperation. Guyana is ready to maintain close communication and cooperation with China to promote the building of a human community with a shared future and the establishment of a more just and equitable international order. Guyana will continue to actively promote the development of the Caribbean Community's relations with China. Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi, and Shen Yiqin, among others, attended the meeting. Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts 1. French bulldog The origin of "Frenchies" goes back to the mid 1800s and, oddly enough, the side effects of the Industrial Revolution. With the ban on bull-baiting at the beginning of the century, miniature breeds of bulldog began to be developed in England, and then, when the the Industrial Revolution began displacing workers, these toy bulldogs were among the many dogs that migrated across the Channel to France. This offshoot of the English bulldog breed became very popular in France, and over time was also cross-bred with terriers, giving them their distinctive, perky ears. In 1885, the breed made its way over to America, and soon after the 'French Bull Dog Club of America' was formed, which defined the breed standard moving forward. 2. Labrador retriever Labrador retrievers, as the name implies, trace their origins to a dog breed called the "St. John's water dog." These dogs had been developed by settlers in Newfoundland to retrieve waterfowl and, in the 1830s, some of them were brought to England, where they were bred with British hunting dogs. The breed description was first published in 1846, and by the 1870s, the Labrador retriever was quite commonly known throughout the U.K., albeit with a different colouring than depicted here. The first yellow Labrador was born in 1899. The American Kennel Club registered the Labrador retriever in the U.S. in 1917. 3. Golden retriever The golden retriever was bred in Scotland by Sir Dudley Marjoribanks in the late 1800s. He began with crossing a flat-coated retriever with a Tweed water spaniel (species now extinct), and later incorporated red setter, Labrador retriever and bloodhound into the stock. A mated pair (with bloodlines recorded) named Nous II and Queenie became the foundation from which all golden retrievers are descended. Originally called a flat-coated retriever, yellow, the breed was registered in 1913 with the Kennel Club, and by 1920, was just called a golden retriever. The golden retriever was bred in Scotland by Sir Dudley Marjoribanks in the late 1800s. He began with crossing a flat-coated retriever with a Tweed water spaniel (species now extinct), and later incorporated red setter, Labrador retriever and bloodhound into the stock. A mated pair (with bloodlines recorded) named Nous II and Queenie became the foundation from which all golden retrievers are descended.Originally called a flat-coated retriever, yellow, the breed was registered in 1913 with the Kennel Club, and by 1920, was just called a golden retriever. 4. German shepherd In the late 19th century, efforts were made to define the best German breed of working dog, but differences of opinion on what constituted the best characteristics of such a dog derailed those efforts. In 1899, Max von Stephanitz discovered a beautiful and intelligent dog that he felt defined all of those desired characteristics, and he immediately created the Society for German Shepherd Dogs. The society worked diligently to solidify the desired traits in a focused breeding program, and the German shepherd dog that has become extremely popular over the past century was strongly defined by the mid-1920s, albeit by a different name for a time. With the post-World War anti-German sentiment, the German shepherd dog was called the Alsatian wolf dog for half a century before reverting to its original name. 5. Poodle While their origins are a little bit in dispute, most experts in the field believe that the poodle originated in Germany during the Middle Ages as a water dog, retrieving shot waterfowl and arrows and bolts that missed their marks. Over time, four different size variants were developed, including Standard, Medium, Miniature, and Toy Poodles. The poodle was first recognized by the UK's Kennel Club in 1874, and by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1886, both shortly after the respective clubs were first formed. 6. Bulldog The bulldog name originated through the practice of bull-baiting, in which tethered bulls were set upon by the dogs until one managed to grab the bull by the nose and pin it to the ground. Many dogs would be maimed or killed in the process, which eventually led to the practice being banned. The original 'old English bulldogs' (dating from back to the 17th century) were larger than modern bulldogs, which have been bred as companion dogs since the 1835 Cruelty to Animals Act was put into force. The bulldog was among the first inclusion of breeds when the Kennel Club (UK) originated in 1873, and was registered with the American Kennel Club in 1886. 7. Rottweiler The Rottweiler is considered one of the oldest dog breeds, dating back to the time of the Romans. The name came from the town Rottweil, located in southwest Germany in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. It was actually a free imperial city for approximately 600 years! While the breed was present with the Romans, it came to be known for the Rottweil region as it was a natural crossing for Roman soldiers traveling through the Alps, and many of the dogs mixed with the locals, basically creating a population base. Rottweilers were popular working dogs, used for herding and driving, as well as pulling carts (pre-industrialization) for butchers. Hence the name 'Rottweiler Metzgerhund,' or 'Rottweil butchers' dog.' Today, their usual duties also include search and rescue, guarding and policing. 8. Beagle The name 'beagle' comes from the type of activities that beagles were bred for - hunting hares and rabbits - which is known as 'beagling.' The origins of the breed are a little muddled, as types of beagle and harrier scent hounds were in the UK for centuries before the modern breed developed. The credit for the development of today's beagle largely sits with Reverend Phillip Honeywood of Essex, who established a beagle pack in the 1830s. From this pack two strains were developed - rough-coated and smooth-coated, but the former eventually became extinct in the late 20th century. Since its export to North America, this intelligent and friendly breed has become more popular in the New World than its original UK home. The name 'beagle' comes from the type of activities that beagles were bred for - hunting hares and rabbits - which is known as 'beagling.' The origins of the breed are a little muddled, as types of beagle and harrier scent hounds were in the UK for centuries before the modern breed developed.The credit for the development of today's beagle largely sits with Reverend Phillip Honeywood of Essex, who established a beagle pack in the 1830s. From this pack two strains were developed - rough-coated and smooth-coated, but the former eventually became extinct in the late 20th century.Since its export to North America, this intelligent and friendly breed has become more popular in the New World than its original UK home. 9. Dachshund Translating from German as 'badger dog,' the dachshund has also been called the 'wiener dog,' 'doxie,' and 'sausage dog,' for its short-legged, long-bodied profile. As the 'badger dog' name implies, it was bred to sniff out and hunt badgers (along with other burrowing creatures). Dachshunds come in three main sizes - standard, miniature, and 'kaninchen,' while also having three varieties of coat - smooth-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired. Colouring also can vary. And while they can be difficult to train, dachshunds are known for their loyalty and devotion to their owners, making them popular pets. 10. German shorthaired pointer German shorthaired pointers were developed in the 19th century in (you guessed it) Germany, and were considered prized sporting dogs, always excelling at hunting competitions. It is an energetic dog, and is today also often found in the role of companion dog, albeit one that needs a lot of attention and exercise. Their intelligence, endurance, and versatility in many sporting roles also make them a popular choice as law enforcement dogs. Unfortunately, since the first studbook was not created until 1870, it is unknown what dogs went into creating this breed. The breed was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1930. Source: Author reedy This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system. 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. 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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 US, Australia Agree to Create Joint Intelligence Center by 2024 Sputnik News 20230729 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The governments of the United States and Australia said on Saturday they had agreed to create a joint intelligence center by 2024 to enhance defense cooperation between the two nations. "The principals agreed to establish Combined Intelligence Centre - Australia within Australia's Defence Intelligence Organisation by 2024. The Centre would further enhance the long-standing intelligence cooperation between the Australian Defence Intelligence Organisation and the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, focused on analysing issues of shared strategic concern in the Indo-Pacific," the authorities said in a joint statement issued after the 33rd Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN). The US and Australia will also seek opportunities to further deepen cooperation with India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea, the statement read. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said earlier in the day that Canberra expected US assistance in the manufacturing of missiles, as well as the enhanced presence of US nuclear powered submarines in Australian waters. The AUSMIN took place as part of the two countries' efforts to enhance the AUKUS trilateral alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The AUKUS pact is aimed at boosting security cooperation between the three nations, including through the delivery of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Blinken's Calls with Nigerien President Bazoum and Former President Issoufou US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson July 28, 2023 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum and former president Mahamadou Issoufou. The Secretary reiterated to President Bazoum the United States' unflagging support and emphasized the importance of his continuing leadership in Niamey. He praised Bazoum's role in promoting security not only in Niger but the wider West Africa region. Secretary Blinken underscored that the United States will continue to work to ensure the full restoration of constitutional order and democratic rule in Niger. The Secretary expressed his grave concern to former President Issoufou that democratically elected President Bazoum remains in detention and that negotiations to ensure constitutional order in Niger were at an impasse. The Secretary regretted that those detaining Bazoum were threatening years of successful cooperation and hundreds of millions of dollars of assistance that support the Nigerien people. He asked former President Issoufou to continue efforts to resolve the situation in favor of the civilian-led democratically elected government. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU, UN , African Union mount pressure on Niger coup leaders Iran Press TV Saturday, 29 July 2023 5:23 PM The European Union and the United Nations Security Council have mounted pressure on Niger coup leaders, while the African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the military to return to the barracks. Members of Niger's presidential guard removed elected President Mohammed Bazoum from power and took him into custody on Wednesday. Two days later, the head of the Presidential Guard Abdourahamane Tiani named himself the country's new leader. Condemnations swelled from African Union and international organizations, as well as Niamey's Western allies, the European Union, and the United States. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borell announced the suspension of security cooperation with Niger coup leader on Saturday, saying that the bloc would not recognize "the authorities from the putsch in Niger." "All cooperation in the security field is suspended indefinitely with immediate effect" in addition to the end to budgetary aid, he said. "President Bazoum was democratically elected; he is and remains the only legitimate President of Niger. He must be released unconditionally and without delay." Borrell said the EU was ready to support future decisions taken by West Africa's regional bloc, "including the adoption of sanctions." "This unacceptable attack on the integrity of Niger's republican institutions will not remain without consequences for the partnership and cooperation between the European Union and Niger, in all its various aspects," Borell said. The United Nations Security Council also joined the chorus of international condemnation of the power grab, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Bazoum. The 15-member council stressed the need to protect Bazoum, his family, and members of his government. It also "expressed concern over the negative impact of unconstitutional changes of government in the region, increase in terrorist activities and the dire socio-economic situation." The African Union on Saturday issued a 15-day ultimatum to Niger coup leaders calling on them to "return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority." The regional bloc's Peace and Security Council "condemns in the strongest terms possible" the overthrow of the elected government and President Bazoum, and expressed deep concern over the "alarming resurgence" of military coups in Africa. Meanwhile, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said he will host leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to discuss the coup on Sunday. French President Emmanuel Macron was also due to chair a meeting of his Defense and National Security Council on the coup on Saturday afternoon, the presidency said. Macron described the coup as "dangerous" for the region earlier on Friday. France, Niger's former colonial power, has 1,500 soldiers in the country, while the United States has around 1,000 troops on the ground. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Officials To Hold Direct Talks With Afghan Taliban Representatives In Doha By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi July 29, 2023 United States officials will hold rare direct talks with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Doha to discuss economic issues, security, and women's rights, the U.S. State Department said. Thomas West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, and Rina Amiri, the U.S. special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights will meet a Taliban delegation led by the militant group's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in a two-day meeting that is expected to begin on July 30. "Priority issues will include humanitarian support for the people of Afghanistan, economic stabilization, fair and dignified treatment of all Afghans, including women and girls, security issues, and efforts to counter narcotics production and trafficking," the State Department said in a statement earlier this week. Suhail Shaheen, the designated Taliban representative to the United Nations, who is based in Doha, told RFE/RL that the issue of Afghanistan central bank funds frozen in the United States will also be on the agenda of the meeting. The funds were frozen in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in August 2021, after the hard-line Taliban group returned to power in Afghanistan as the last foreign forces withdrew following two decades of war. No country has officially recognized the Taliban-led government, which has been widely criticized for human rights abuses, severe restrictions of women's rights, and discrimination of ethnic minorities. Ahead of the talks in Doha, the State Department pointed out that the upcoming meeting "does not indicate any change in the policy of the United States." The meeting doesn't mean "any kind of indication of recognition or any kind of indication of normalization or legitimacy of the Taliban," a deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, said. Patel reiterated Washington's concerns about the Taliban's marginalization of women and girls, and other human rights abuses. The Taliban-led government has banned women from attending universities, and prohibited girls from getting education beyond primary schools. Women have also been excluded from many workplaces. In December, it banned women from working for nongovernmental organizations, including international aid agencies. Most recently, the Taliban ordered the closure of beauty salons in a move that will lead to the loss of an estimated 60,000 jobs. West and Amiri will arrive in Doha from Kazakhstan after meeting officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to discuss Afghanistan and other regional issues. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-us- talks-doha/32525610.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 Armenian Aid Truck Convoy Blocked At Azerbaijani Checkpoint For Third Day July 29, 2023 A convoy of 19 Armenian trucks carrying emergency food aid to Nagorno-Karabakh remains blocked at an Azerbaijan checkpoint, where it has been waiting for approval to access the Lachin Corridor for three days. The corridor is the only route linking Armenia with the breakaway region, and has been blocked by Baku for more than seven months. Armenia on July 28 vowed not to turn back the convoy, with Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanian saying that although "there are no positive developments at the moment," the vehicles will continue to stay there "as long as necessary." The Armenian government said on July 25 that it would try to send 360 tons of flour, cooking oil, sugar, and other basic foodstuffs to Nagorno-Karabakh to alleviate severe food shortages there caused by the blockade. The trucks reached the entrance to the Lachin Corridor late on July 26 but remained stranded there in the following hours, with Baku refusing to let them though an Azerbaijani checkpoint set up there in April. "We will try to ensure the opening of the Lachin Corridor through all the political means available to us. The trucks will continue to stay here at the moment," Kostanian told the media in front of the convoy. He was accompanied by representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations accredited in Armenia. Armenian officials had expressed hope that Russian peacekeepers would escort the relief supplies. But Vardan Sargsian, a representative of the Nagorno-Karabakh separatists, told the media late on July 27 that no progress has been made and that the Russian side has not responded yet to the request. In a statement on July 26, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry condemned the aid convoy as a "provocation" and said it was an attack on Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian defended the attempted delivery of the humanitarian aid. "We cannot turn a blind eye to the situation that Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are currently facing," Pashinian wrote on Twitter. "The 360 tons of vitally important foodstuff sent to Nagorno-Karabakh is exclusively for humanitarian purposes." Tensions have been high over the situation on the Lachin Corridor. Azerbaijan earlier this month suspended traffic through a checkpoint on the corridor pending an investigation after it said "various types of contraband" had been discovered in the Red Cross vehicles coming from Armenia. The suspension of traffic heightened concerns over a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. Both Armenia and separatist authorities in the enclave have said that Azerbaijan has blockaded the territory since December, resulting in shortages of food, medicines, and energy. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian-populated mountainous enclave that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. The most recent war lasted six weeks in late 2020 and left 7,000 soldiers dead on both sides. As a result of the war, Azerbaijan regained control over a part of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts. The war ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire under which Moscow deployed about 2,000 troops to serve as peacekeepers. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/karabakh-armenian-trucks- azerbaijani-blockade-third-day/32525535.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 Stingers, Maverick Missiles Among Ammunition Destroyed in Greece's Explosion - Reports Sputnik News 20230729 ATHENS (Sputnik) - Among the munitions exploded in Thursday's blast in Greece were AGM Maverick missiles, Stinger anti-aircraft systems, and some shells, the local newspaper reported on Saturday. On Thursday, an ammunition depot, which belongs to the Greek air forces, caught fire near the town of Nea Anchialos in central Greece, local media reported, adding that the fire spread to the ammunition depot due to the strong wind from a wildfire raging nearby. At the same time, The explosion did not affect the most advanced and expensive weapons, such as High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) and Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), the news outlet reported. The Greek defense ministry has not confirmed the information concerning the types of munitions destroyed. Severe wildfires are raging across Greece, with particularly dangerous ones in West Attica near the seaside resort of Loutraki on the Gulf of Corinth and on the island of Rhodes, where the situation is still out of control. Many houses have burned down. The island authorities have already evacuated about 19,000 people from high-risk areas, as the wildfire keeps spreading due to strong winds, with flames over 5 meters (16 feet) high in some places. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moral, Personal Stances for Laos and Cambodia Over Cluster Bombs By Tommy Walker July 29, 2023 Southeast Asian countries are warning about the long-term dangers of cluster bombs in Ukraine after the United States sent the explosives to Kyiv earlier this month for use in their drive to recapture territory seized during Russia's invasion. Russia has been documented using cluster bombs against Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion. Ukraine asked Washington for the munitions, which break apart in midair and scatter smaller explosives, to target Russian troops on its territory. But Cambodia and Laos experts say cluster munitions should never be used because some of the small bomblets fail to explode and remain deadly for decades. From 1964 and 1973, the height of the Vietnam War, Laos was the victim of intense U.S. bombing campaigns, becoming the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita. The raids included an estimated 250 million cluster munitions, about 30% of which failed to detonate upon impact, leaving many of them strewn across broad swaths of territory with the latent potential to explode unexpectedly. Titus Peachey, a member of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines Steering Committee, spent over five years in Laos between 1981 and 1994. "These weapons cover a wide area and are difficult to target precisely," he told VOA. "Many fail to detonate on impact but can still remain lethal ... for decades," he said. "Unexploded ordnance makes everyday activity risky. Farmers in Ukraine will have to farm at their own peril until the bombs can be found and destroyed. Clearance work is expensive, painstaking, and tedious." In a rare statement earlier this month, the Laotian Foreign Affairs Ministry urged any state to refrain from use of any cluster munitions. "As the world's largest victim of cluster munitions and a state party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the Lao People's Democratic Republic expresses its profound concern over the announcement and the possible use of cluster munitions," the statement said. The Convention on Cluster Munitions is an international treaty of more than 100 international state parties, including Laos, that came into force in 2010 to prohibit all use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions. Russia, Ukraine and the United States did not sign the treaty. "The position of the Lao government takes a moral stand, in that it not only wants to prevent the transfer of munitions to Ukraine, but to encourage other state actors to prevent the production and the stockpiling of these weapons," said Mark S. Cogan, associate professor of peace and conflict studies at Kansai Gaidai University. "In the case of Laos, there is credibility in its early adoption of the convention, ratifying it very early, back in 2008," he told VOA. "I attribute that to intergenerational trauma, where the lasting consequences of these munitions not only affect those born during and immediately after the war, but the psycho-social effects linger." Although there is no war in Laos today, the country's 7 million population still lives in fear of more casualties. According to demining group Mines Advisory Group, more than 50,000 people have been killed by unexploded bombs in Laos, 20,000 of those since the Vietnam War ended in 1975. Shui Meng, wife of renowned Lao activist Sombath Somphone, who disappeared in 2012, has lived in Laos for over three decades. She believes the small munitions will remain a threat for decades to come. "I don't think Laos will ever be cleared," she told VOA. "The bombing has been so widespread, and I think the country would have to live with this for a long time and maybe forever." Cambodia After almost three decades of civil war ended in 1998, the Cambodian countryside was left littered with an estimated 4 million to 6 million pieces of unexploded ordnance, according to demining advocacy groups. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who recently won Cambodia's 2023 general elections, called for the cluster bombs not to be used. He spoke of "Cambodia's painful experience" and said cluster bombs represent "the greatest danger for Ukrainians." Cogan found that stance surprising. Despite being one of the most land-mined countries in the world today, Cambodia has still not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. "While Cambodia doesn't have the same record of activism against cluster munitions as Laos, it is no less of a victim, which also traces back to its bloody conflict between the Khmer Rouge and the government of Cambodia," Cogan said. "I find it odd that Cambodia has urged countries to avoid the use of cluster munitions, but has long delayed joining the convention, even though it is a party to both the land mine treaty and the Convention on Conventional Weapons." Cambodia has cited security related reasons for its decision not to join the convention. From 1979 to 2022, more than 65,000 people were injured or killed by unexploded bombs in Cambodia, according to the Cambodian Mine Action and Assistance Authority as reported in the Phnom Penh Post. Chhengpor Aun, a visiting fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies who focuses on Cambodian politics, said Hun Sen has been personally affected by the munitions. "Mr. Hun Sen himself was a former anti-West fighter in Cambodian civil war, a survivor of American bombing of Cambodia, unlike many who could not make it, and later a leader of one of the world's most mined and bombed countries," he told VOA. "To him, this is personal." Meas Nee, a Cambodian political commentator and critic of Hun Sen, agrees with the prime minister. "We are from a country where we suffer from the war and particularly the eyewitness of the danger of the cluster bomb," he told VOA. "We don't want to see this used elsewhere." Biden administration national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN earlier this month that the White House decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions is a stopgap measure to alleviate a shortage of 155 mm artillery shells. President Joe Biden said he based his decision on the "recommendation of the Defense Department to, not permanently, but to allow for this transition period, while we get more 155 weapons, these shells, for the Ukrainians." The U.S. decision to use the controversial ordnance drew immediate criticism from domestic and international human rights groups, along with some congressional lawmakers. Supporters of the decision, however, have said cluster munitions are already being used in Ukraine, primarily by Moscow but also by Kyiv. Ukrainian forces have pledged to confine their deployment to non-civilian areas and track their use for postwar cleanup operations. White House national security coordinator John Kirby told reporters that Ukraine is already using the cluster munitions "effectively." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Somali Officials Confirm Arrests Linked to Military Camp Suicide Bombing By Mohamed Abdurahman, Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulle July 29, 2023 Somali authorities have confirmed Saturday the arrest of 14 people, including officers and soldiers, in connection with a suicide bombing Monday that targeted the Jalle Siyad military academy in Mogadishu. The attack killed 30 soldiers and injured 70 others. Deputy Defense Minister Abdifitah Qasim made the announcement during a session of Somalia's Lower House of Parliament. He reported that security agencies, including the National Security Agency and the police and military command, are actively investigating the attack on the Jalle Siyad military camp. Among those arrested was the camp commander. Qasim underscored the government's commitment to a thorough investigation, expressing the sentiment that the fallen soldiers are like "our own children," and that those responsible for facilitating the attack will be held accountable. The al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the attack the day after in a statement on Telegram, stating one of its suicide bombers carried out the strike. The bomber detonated a suicide vest as the soldiers lined up after breakfast. The soldiers had been recently deployed to Mogadishu for additional training and re-equipping, officials confirmed. Concerns have arisen about potential ties between senior members of the security forces and al-Shabab, which has been orchestrating various assaults. This incident marks the largest number of officers and soldiers arrested in connection with an al-Shabab attack on a heavily guarded military facility. On a separate note, Somalia's Deputy Minister of Information, Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adala, informed the media Saturday of a joint operation involving Somali government forces and friendly countries. The operation targeted an area between the Middle Shabelle and Galgaduud regions, killing 100 al-Shabab militants, he said. The identities of the foreign forces involved in this operation were not disclosed. During the past several months, Somali forces have been actively combating al-Shabab in a series of military operations, focusing on central regions where the group has held control over certain areas for many years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Threatens to Pull All Aid for Niger By Jeff Seldin July 29, 2023 The United States is warning mutineers who have seized control of Niger that U.S. support for the Western African nation will dry up unless President Mohamed Bazoum is released and returned to power. The threat Saturday by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to pull hundreds of millions of dollars in aid followed Friday's announcement by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the head of the presidential guard, that he is Niger's new leader. "Let me be very, very clear," Blinken said at a news conference in Brisbane, Australia, following consultations with his Australian counterpart. "That support is in clear jeopardy." "Our economic and security partnership with Niger, which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars, depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted," he said. Just this past March, during a visit to Niger, Blinken announced the country would get part of a $150 million humanitarian aid package. Niger has also benefited from hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of U.S. military aid and counterterrorism training and has been hosting about 1,100 U.S. troops. White House National Security Council coordinator John Kirby said Friday the military takeover in Niger "may cause the United States to cease security and other cooperation with the government of Niger." Kirby said, though, that while the U.S. is "deeply concerned," it was still holding out hope for a peaceful resolution. "We believe that there is still a space for diplomacy here, and that that diplomacy is actively being pursued not just by the United States, but by our allies and partners and our African partners as well," he said. Funding cuts, ultimatums The European Union and France have both cut off funding to Niger, they said in separate announcements Saturday. The EU had budgeted $554 million for Niger from 2021 to 2024, according to the EU website. The African Union issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger after its African Union Peace and Security Council met Friday. It asked the soldiers to "return immediately and unconditionally to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum of fifteen (15) days." It said failure to release Bazoum would prompt "necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators" by the bloc. It did not say what those specific actions would be. In Niger The mutineers have declared the government dissolved and suspended the country's constitution. Their leader, Tchiani, said they acted to oust the president because of deteriorating security in the West African country, which is fighting an Islamist militant insurgency. They have also closed the country's borders and airspace and imposed a nationwide curfew. Leaders of the country's army declared their support for Wednesday's overthrow of Bazoum, who was democratically elected two years ago. In a statement on social media, the army said is backing the coup to prevent "a deadly confrontation" that could lead to a "bloodbath" in Niger. Brigadier General Mohamed Toumba, who is among Tchiani's soldiers, told state television the junta had met with civil servants on Friday and asked them to continue their work as usual. "Everything that must be done will be done," he said. On the streets of the Nigerien capital Saturday, things appeared to be normal as locals wait to see what happens. Many say they still support Bazoum. "I'm with him, he does a good work. (But) what can we do?" Mohamed Cisse, a street seller, told The Associated Press. "This is (the new leader's) time, Bazoum's time is over," he said. Where is Bazoum? Bazoum's current whereabouts remain unknown. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to him Friday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told Agence France-Presse. According to Colonna, Macron said Bazoum is "reachable" and "in good health." U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield also spoke with Bazoum and expressed Washington's strong condemnation of any effort to seize power by force. In a message posted Thursday to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Bazoum said democracy would prevail in his country. "The hard-won gains will be safeguarded," he said. "All Nigeriens who love democracy and freedom would want this." Diplomatic response In Paris, the French presidency said Macron will chair a defense meeting Saturday on the situation. France, the former colonial power in Niger, has about 1,500 troops in the country. The West African regional bloc ECOWAS will hold a summit Sunday in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on the situation. The regional bloc has condemned the events in Niger and called on what it described as coup plotters to free the president "immediately and without any condition." Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council met Friday behind closed doors to discuss the evolving situation. The U.N. representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simao, briefed the council from Dakkar. "All council members expressed their concern about the situation," said British Deputy U.N. Ambassador James Kariuki after the meeting. His government holds the council's rotating presidency this month. "All council members expressed the need to restore the constitutional democracy. All council members condemned the action. So we have a very strong sense that the council is united in seeking to condemn and act." The council is discussing a draft statement put forward by its three African members Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique that strongly condemns the unconstitutional change of government and expresses support for the efforts of ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations. There are 4.3 million people who need humanitarian assistance in Niger. The U.N. said aid flights have been temporarily suspended because of the closure of the country's airspace, but humanitarian assistance continues to be delivered. Bazoum's government is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist insurgents in Africa's Sahel. Germany, Italy, France and the United States have troops in Niger on military training and counterinsurgency missions. Russia has established a foothold in Niger's neighbors through its Wagner mercenary group. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who recently challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin, welcomed the military's attempted takeover. In a voice message believed to be Prigozhin on the Telegram app, he hailed the coup attempt and offered the services of his mercenaries to help bring order. Niger is one of the region's most unstable countries. Wednesday's coup marks the fifth military takeover since the country won independence from France in 1960. VOA's Carol Van Dam Falk, Margaret Besheer and French to Africa Service contributed to this report. Some information came from Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 29 July 2023 - Day 521 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 over the last 48 hours there has been an uptick of fighting in two sectors in southern Ukraine. South of Orikhiv, fighting is focused near the village of Robotyne, in the area of responsibility for Russia's 58th Combined Arms Army. Eighty kilometres to the east, Ukrainian forces defeated elements of Russian airborne forces' (VDV) 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment to capture the village of Staromaiorske. Meanwhile, in the north, other VDV units continue offensive operations in the Serebriansk Forest west of Kremina but have achieved little ground. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day July 29, Russian forces launched 5x missile strikes, 19x airstrikes and launched 30x MLRS attacks on Ukrainian cities and Ukrainian Armed Forces. Unfortunately, there are victims among the civilians, and some houses were destroyed. The threat of missile and air strikes remains high across Ukraine. 24x combat clashes took place throughout the day. Volyn' and Polissya axes: no significant changes detected. There are no signs of the offensive groupings formation. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russian forces shelled with mortar and artillery fire more than 15x settlements. Among them Mykolaivka, Chernihiv Oblast; Stara Huta, Hrabovske, Volfine, Sumy Oblast; Udy, Okhrimivka, Ohirtseve and Tykh of Kharkiv Oblast. Kup'yans'k axis: Dvorichna, Zapadne, Kindrasivka and Kup'yans'ke of the Kharkiv Oblast got under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Lyman axis: Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives near Novoyehorivka and Bilogorivka of the Luhansk Oblast. Nevs'ke, Bilogorivka of the Luhansk Oblast and Verkhn'yokam'ians'ke, Spirne, Rozdolivka of the Donetsk Oblast were shelled by artillery. Bakhmut axis: more than 10x settlements were shelled by Russian artillery, among them Bohdanivka, Chasiv Yar, Ivanovs'ke, and Bila Hora. Avdiivka axis: despite heavy fire from Russian aircraft and artillery, Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled attacks by eussian troops in the vicinities of Avdiivka. More than 10x settlements, including Avdiivka, Pervomais'ke, Karlivka, and Novokalynove of the Donetsk Oblast, were shelled by artillery. Mar'inka axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the advance of Russian troops in the vicinities of Mar'inka. Russian forces shelled more than 10x settlements, among them Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Novomykhailivka, Georgiivka of the Donetsk Oblast. Shakhtars'k axis: Russian forces carried out airstrikes at Makarivka and Staromayorske and shelled Odradne, Blagodatne, Makarivka, Rivnopil' and Staromayorske in the Donetsk Oblast. Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russia is concentrating its main efforts on preventing the further advance of Ukrainian troops. Russian forces carried out airstrikes at Orikhov in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Antonivka in the Kherson Oblast. More than 25x settlements, including Novodarivka, Mala Tokmachka, Biloghirya, Kam'ians'ke of the Zaporizhia Oblast, were shelled by artillery; Zolota Balka, Tokarivka, Antonivka, Mykhailivka, Kherson Oblast. Defense Forces of Ukraine continue offensive operations on the Melitopol' and Berdyans'k axes, and are equipping captured positions. Ukrainian Air Force conducted 5x strikes on Russian manpower, weapons and military equipment concentrations. Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed 1x operational-tactical reconnaissance UAV. Ukrainian missile and artillery units hit 1x artillery unit at a firing position, 1x radio-electronic warfare station, as well as one Russian manpower concentration. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that on the evening of 28 July, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a precision-guided weapons strike on an AFU control point in Dnepropetrovsk. The assigned target has been neutralised. The goal of the attack has been reached. The AFU continued unsuccessful attempts at offensive actions in South Donetsk, Krasny Liman and Donetsk directions. In Donetsk direction, as a result of coordinated actions of the defending units in close cooperation with artillery of the Yug Group of Forces, five enemy attacks have been successfully repelled close to Belogorovka, Avdeevka, Pervomayskoye and Krasnogorovka (Donetsk People's Republic). AFU manpower and hardware have been hit close to Vesyoloye, Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka, Dyleevka, and Novgorodskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to120 Ukrainian servicemen, three armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, as well as one Msta-B howitzer. In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, as a result of active actions by artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces, enemy manpower and hardware concentration areas have been hit close to Zolotaya Niva and Makarovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Novoandreevka, Shcherbaki and Kamenskoye (Zaporozhye region). The units of the 36th Combined-Arms Army and Airborne Troops successfully repelled two enemy attacks near Staromayorskoye and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic). During the fighting, the enemy lost up to 70 Ukrainian servicemen, one tank, one infantry fighting vehicle, and two pickup trucks. In addition, one ammunition depot of the enemy 44th Artillery Brigade has been destroyed near Maryanovka (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses were up to 135 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, three armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one D-20 howitzer. In Krasny Liman direction, as a result of the advance of assault detachments of the 42nd and 43rd mechanised brigades of the AFU, which was revealed by the reconnaissance of the Tsentr Group of Forces, the AFU troops were preemptively hit. Two enemy attacks have been repelled near Raigorodka (Lugansk People's Republic) and Serebryansky forestry. In addition, eight AFU manpower and hardware concentration areas have been hit close to Novogorovka, Nevskoye and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), Torskoye, and Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 170 Ukrainian servicemen, three armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one D-20 howitzer. In Kupyansk direction, the assault detachments of the Zapad Group of Forces continued offensive operations close to Kuzyomovka (Lugansk People's Republic) and took more favourable positions. As a result of actions by Army Aviation and artillery, AFU units have been hit close to Sinkovka, Timkovka, Berestovoye (Kharkov region), Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles and one D-20 howitzer. In addition, one ammunition depot of the AFU 43rd Mechanised Brigade has been destroyed near Druzhelyubovka (Kharkov region). In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised 97 AFU artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and hardware in 103 areas. In addition, a fuel depot of the Ukrainian grouping of troops 'Zaporozhye' has been destroyed close to Zaporozhye. One command post of the AFU 47th Mechanised Brigade has been hit near Orekhov (Zaporozhye region). Air defence facilities have intercepted two S-200 surface-to-air missiles upgraded to attack ground targets, seven Storm Shadow cruise missiles and two HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system projectiles. In addition, 6 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been destroyed close to Verkhnekamenka (Lugansk People's Republic), Spornoye, Pervomayskoye, and Maryinka (Donetsk People's Republic), as well as Marfopol (Zaporozhye region). In total, 457 airplanes, 244 helicopters, 5,314 unmanned aerial vehicles, 427 air defence missile systems, 11,021 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,140 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 5,652 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 11,951 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address July 29, 2023 Transcript Australia-US Joint Press Conference Following the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles; Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken; Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong DEFENCE MINISTER RICHARD MARLES: Well, welcome everyone this afternoon. The 2023 AUSMIN has been conducted with heavy hearts given the news that we woke up to this morning. I know I speak on behalf of all four of us when I say that our thoughts and prayers are very much with the missing aircrew and their families. As we've been meeting today and as we speak to you in this moment, Australian and U.S. defense force personnel are working closely together in the search and rescue. Exercise Talisman Sabre involves a number of countries, but it is fundamentally a bilateral exercise between Australia and the United States. It's jointly planned by our two countries and jointly run by our two countries. It is so important for both of our defense forces, it's serious, it is dangerous, and it does carry risk. And as we have contemplated that during the course of our deliberations today, we are reminded that as our defense force personnel have been side by side today, they have, in fact, been side by side with each other for more than a century. During which Australians and Americans have fought together in every conflict during that time. The alliance is built upon that. It's built upon the shared values which underpin that. And all four of us, in our conversations today, feel the legacy of that history. When we met in Washington last December, we agreed on a number of initiatives and measures and the very first observation that we all made today was that what we agreed last December, since then we have done. We have put into practice. And today, we have had a very fruitful and rich conversation about the state of the alliance, about the state of the world in which we are both operating, its complexity, its volatility, its threat. And as we engage in that world together, all of us have felt that the alliance has never been in better shape than it is right now. We've made important steps forward in respect of American force posture initiatives in Australia, building on what currently exists. There is a commitment to increase American force posture in respect of our northern bases, in respect of our maritime patrols and our reconnaissance aircraft. Further force posture initiatives involving U.S. -- U.S. Army watercraft. And in respect of logistics and stores, which have been very central to Exercise Talisman Sabre. We spoke about the optimal pathway by which Australia will acquire a nuclear-powered submarine capability, which we announced in March of this year. And this is our first meeting since then. And that continues apace and continues as well in terms of the force of America within Australia. We will be seeing an increased tempo of visits from American nuclear-powered submarines to our waters as we look towards the establishment of a U.S. submarine rotation at HMAS Sterling later in this decade. And importantly, in terms of force posture initiatives, we agreed that space cooperation would now form a key part of what we do in our military and defense cooperation, and this is a critical step forward. We are really pleased with the steps that we are taking in respect of establishing a guided weapons and explosive ordnance enterprise in this country. In doing so in a way we hope to see manufacturing of missiles commence in Australia in two years' time as part of a collective industrial base between our two countries. And this represents a very, very significant step forward in our relationship and in the relationship of our defense industry. We are very grateful to the efforts which have been undertaken by the Biden administration in respect of export -- defense export control legislation and creating a more seamless defense industrial base between our countries. We are enormously grateful of the presence of Lloyd and Tony in Australia today. I think Penny and I both feel as we do these meetings with countries across the world, we can stand here hand on heart and say that Australia at this moment has no better friend than America, and that the relationship between the four of us is one of friendship and trust which embodies the relationship between our two countries and gives us an enormous sense of purpose about how we take forward the alliance in a very complex world. Penny? FOREIGN MINISTER PENNY WONG: Thank you, Deputy Prime Minister. And I also wish to start by saying my thoughts today are with the families and the search and rescue crews searching for those onboard the helicopter that ditched during the Talisman Sabre exercises. We are reminded that those who serve our country do so recognizing the risk that that service entails and demonstrating every day the courage to take on that risk on our -- on our behalf. And we thank them for it. It's -- it certainly has meant we -- we met -- we've met with heavy hearts today. This is our second AUSMIN. And it's good to be here in Brisbane. We've had not only productive discussions, but deep, warm, engaged, open, honest and transparent discussions. The U.S. is our vital ally. It is our closest global partner, our closest strategic partner. And we talk about our history. I would also speak about our future because the work that we are engaged in in these discussions today is about operationalizing our alliance, our partnership for these times -- these times with many challenges. And it is about operationalizing the alliance in order to ensure peace, stability, an order in which prosperity can be attained and built upon, and a region and a world which respects sovereignty. And we know how important the United States is to that shared endeavor. Richard spoke about the fact that, you know, much of what we have spoken about on the last occasion in Washington has, in fact, been operationalized. We've seen action on it and we acknowledge the work that our friends, the United States, have undertaken to ensure those outcomes have been delivered. And we thank Australian officials also for their work. In addition to the legislative matters and policy matters that Richard's averted to in defense, I will just make this point that we will be signing an MOU that sees USAID and DFAT work together to preposition humanitarian supplies both here in Brisbane and also in Papua New Guinea to enable more effective humanitarian responses in the region. That was actually announced by the leaders today, and we're already signing legal documents to make that happen. We are committed to making sure we not only announce, but we work on the ground to ensure we deliver. We're also pleased that there will be consideration of what more the U.S. Coast Guard can do in the region that we know how important to our region illegal fishing and maritime security is. On climate, you will recall that the prime minister and the president announced at Hiroshima the third pillar of the alliance, a focus on climate and clean energy. We spoke about that again today. We are focused on ensuring we work together both globally, but also on the transition to renewable energy in our two countries and in our region. U.S. engagement on this issue is so critically important. We look forward to the next milestone in the history of the alliance which, of course, is the prime minister's state visit to Washington. And I close by reiterating again, we do live in a -- a world of many challenges. And we are very clear that the region we want, the interests we have, the values we share require and call for our two nations to work together, and that is what we are doing. We -- we thank you so much for your work with us today and for coming here to Queensland for -- for the AUSMIN talks. Thank you. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN: OK. Thank you, Richard. First for Lloyd, for me, being here with the both of you with not just the important professional relationship that we have, but as you both said, the -- the genuine friendship makes all the difference in the world. Penny, to your point that we're living in incredibly challenging times, that only underscores how vitally important it is for the United States to have this remarkable alliance, this remarkable friendship with Australia. We have no greater or more valuable ally. I think that's only been reconfirmed by the -- talks we've had over the last -- the last couple of days. Like my colleagues, I also have to start by saying that our hearts are full -- full of concern for the four Australian servicemen whose helicopter crashed last night. And our hearts are full, too, because they were performing their duties alongside American servicemen and women to further strengthen our alliance, our partnership, and the work we're doing together around the world. They have been on our minds throughout today. They remain very much on our minds right now. I'd also like to say, for me, as a point of almost personal privilege, returning here to Australia has real significance. My late stepfather Samuel Pisar went to secondary school in Australia and received his undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne. His time here profoundly shaped him. He was literally saved, rescued by Australia after the Holocaust, having survived concentration camps. And so, this country will always hold a very special place for me and for my family. It also holds a special place in the hearts of so many Americans. Indeed, in Australia, Americans know they have one of their dearest friends, one of their staunchest allies, one of their closest partners. For over seven decades now, we have worked so closely together as allies. And indeed, this is our 33rd such consultation. And I agree very much with what Richard and Penny have both said. Our relationship has never been stronger or more important for us, and I would argue for the world. Chief among our discussions today was the shared commitment that we have to advance a free, open, secure, prosperous, resilient and connected Indo-Pacific. But what do we actually mean by that? We mean a region where countries are free to chart their own path and to choose their own partners, where issues are dealt with openly, transparently. Rules are decided together. They're applied fairly. Goods, ideas, people can flow lawfully and freely. The joint statement that we put out makes clear that both the United States and Australia are committed to that goal, to that vision, and to realizing it through the work that we're doing together bilaterally, as well as through revitalized and, in some cases, new coalitions and partnerships that we've established throughout the region. We're deepening our collaboration through the Quad where, alongside India and Japan, we're actually delivering concrete results for our people on priorities like promoting health security, shaping the future of critical and emerging technologies in a way that aligns with our values and our interests, enhancing maritime domain awareness, the capacity of countries to actually understand what's happening in the waters around them, and connecting more people to the Internet and to telecommunications infrastructure. One of the ways I dealt that we're doing that is through the Quad partnership for cable connectivity resilience, where Australia's leadership is helping to connect more people to trusted and secure underseas cable systems. This is really the world's information superhighway, and it's critical to growth and prosperity. We're elevating our engagement with the Pacific Islands Forum, where we're partnering on shared priorities like promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth, and making our communities more resilient to climate change. The United States is committed to broader and deeper cooperation with Pacific Island countries, which is why Secretary Austin, Second Gentleman Emhoff, Secretary Haaland and I have each visited different Pacific Island countries just in the past week alone. On AUKUS, we are building on the momentum from President Biden, Prime Minister Albanese, and Prime Minister Sunak's meeting in San Diego in March. Earlier this month, the first group of Royal Australian Navy officers graduated from the United States Navy's Nuclear Power School, where they've been trained to safely operate conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines. At the same time, our two countries are defending the international rules-based order, which has underwritten peace and security for decades and which ensures that each country can make its own sovereign decisions free from any coercion. We're doing that in part by engaging China, but also as necessary opposing its efforts to disrupt freedom of navigation overflight in the South and East China Seas, to upend the status quo that's preserved peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, to pressure countries through economic coercion or threats to their citizens. We're also united in supporting Ukraine against Russia's brutal war of aggression. Australia's assistance continues to be critical to the fight for Ukraine's sovereignty, for its territorial integrity, for its future. Today, we discussed and condemned Russia's weaponization of food, including its recent decision to end participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative and its continued bombardment of Ukrainian's export infrastructure. I just note that over 35 million tons of food products have been exported through the Black Sea Grain Initiative. That's the equivalent of 18 billion loaves of bread with nearly two-thirds going to the developing world. The decision made by Russia to tear up this agreement is hurting millions who depend on Ukraine's grain and wheat, as well as those even if not directly receiving that grain and wheat who benefit from the fact that with that wheat and grain on markets, prices are kept in check, kept lower. Finally, a major focus of our discussion today was on combating the climate crisis and accelerating the transformation and transition to clean energy. And this is where the Prime Minister and President Biden have together built the third pillar of the U.S.-Australia alliance alongside our defense and economic cooperation. Just last week, Australia joined the First Movers Coalition. This is a group of now 13 countries and 85 companies driving clean energy solutions across historically emissions-intensive sectors, shipping, trucking, aviation. We're looking forward to Australia, home to growing hydro, solar and wind energy sectors, bringing its resources and innovation to bear. As President Biden has said, the United States has no closer or more reliable ally than Australia. Today, AUSMIN builds on our successful paths, and guys are worked together to build a stronger, more secure and more peaceful world for everyone. Penny, Richard, again to you, thank you for the partnership. Thank you for the friendship. I'm also gratified that we benefit here in Australia from a remarkable ambassador, Caroline Kennedy. I'm glad to be with her. And, of course, a not bad Australian ambassador in Washington either. It's wonderful to be with you as well. So, thank you again for a very productive ministerial. MIN. MARLES: Thanks, Tony. SEC. BLINKEN: (Inaudible), Lloyd. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Thanks, Tony. Deputy Prime Minister Marles and Foreign Minister Wong, thanks for the incredible hospitality. It's great to be back in Brisbane. It's great to be back in Australia, especially at this historic moment in the progress of our relationship here. It's a relationship that's a -- that's really, really strong between two strong democracies. Let me add my voice to all of my colleagues here in saying that our thoughts and prayers are with the Australian Defense Force and the four Australian servicemembers who were involved in the helicopter crash earlier today while supporting Exercise Talisman Sabre. The United States is assisting with search and rescue efforts, and we will continue to help in any way that we can. And I've told the -- the Deputy Prime Minister that whatever he needs, we stand ready to provide assistance. Our meetings today reaffirmed the strength of our unbreakable alliance, and the strategic alignment between our countries has never been greater. We share a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. And we're committed to investing further in our alliance to uphold this vision. The results of today's discussions represent yet another major step for our alliance as we work together to enhance stability and deterrence in the region. (Inaudible) cooperation with Australia, upgrading critical air bases in the Northern Territory and pursuing important infrastructure projects at new locations. And taken together, these initiatives will strengthen our ability to respond to crisis in the region while enhancing our interoperability. And we continue to increase the rotational presence of U.S. forces in Australia. This includes maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, which will enhance our maritime domain awareness in the region. We're also introducing new rotations of U.S. Army watercraft and expeditionary submarine visits to Australia. These efforts will bolster deterrence by strengthening our interoperability and enhancing our sustainment and logistics capabilities for critical missions. Meanwhile, we're establishing an enduring logistics support area to further strengthen our logistics and sustainment cooperation. And we also advance our defense ties with other regional partners. We endorse plans for enhanced trilateral cooperation with Japan and Australia, which will include F-35 training and cooperation. We further agree to expand our cooperation in space (inaudible) coordinate more deeply with Australia in this new domain and an important domain. Yet success in all these areas will require that we sharpen our technological edge in (inaudible) industrial bases. And that's why we're pursuing several mutually beneficial initiatives with (inaudible). And these include a commitment to Australia's Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, or GMLRS, by 2025. And we're racing to accelerate Australia's access to priority munitions through a streamlined acquisition process. We're also thrilled to announce that we're taking steps to enable Australia to maintain, repair, and overhaul critical U.S. -- U.S.-sourced munitions. Now, that's an exceptional sort -- set of achievements, and it reflects the strength and the ambition of our alliance. So again, Deputy Prime Minister Marles and Foreign Minister Wong, thanks for your tremendous hospitality and for your unwavering support for our great alliance. And thanks for hosting this year's AUSMIN. And Tony and I have agreed that the next five meetings will be hosted here as well. (LAUGHTER) SEC. BLINKEN: (Inaudible). MIN. WONG: We're up for that. STAFF: Thank you, Lloyd. So now we are taking questions. Vivian Salama of the Wall Street Journal. Q: Great, thank you. Thank you so much for having us, for hosting us, and Secretary Blinken for bringing us along for the ride. Secretary Blinken, I'm going to start with you. On Wednesday -- oh, sorry, in Niger, (inaudible) ... STAFF: Yeah, (inaudible). Q: OK. Technical issue. STAFF: (Inaudible). Q: OK, all right. I will start again. In Niger, General Abdourahamane Tchiani has declared himself the country's new leader and said the constitution is suspended. You spoke with President Bazoum today, and you declared the ongoing U.S. support. However, the U.S. provides millions in assistance to Niger, and right now, we don't really know who's running things, I mean, considering that the U.S. is still supporting the detained leader. And so, is the U.S. planning to designate this as a coup and cut off aid to Niger or at least announce any kind of review of that aid? And also, if you can update us on the status of the embassy there. And really quickly please, if you can also just tell us with regard to Haiti, evacuation of non-government personnel, non-emergency personnel, and family members from Haiti. You have talked about the importance of a U.N. -- a U.N.-backed military, a multinational force to Haiti. What is the status of that effort and particularly, in light of the department's recent announcement? SEC. BLINKEN: Right. Q: Secretary Austin, on to you. On Wednesday, Russian fighters used flares to damage the wing of a U.S. drone that was flying over Syria. It was the second time that a U.S. drone has -- has been damaged by Russia just this week alone, but the Pentagon hasn't acknowledged the drone that damaged on Wednesday or has not released any kind of footage about that confrontation. So are you going to release any video of that? And do you plan to continue drone flights in northwest Syria? And if so, what is the longer-term plan to deter any kind of Russian attacks on U.S. drones over there? Minister Marles ... MIN. WONG:Is this one question? (LAUGHTER) Is this one question? I just want the Australian journalists to know we're not adopting this as a modus of operandi. (LAUGHTER) Q: (Inaudible) one extended question. MIN. WONG: Oh, yes, multi -- lots of ... MIN. MARLES: We're impressed. MIN. WONG: ... paragraphs. We're impressed. MIN. MARLES: Yes. Q: Thank you very much. I think Secretary Blinken is quite used to it, at least. SEC. BLINKEN: I'll -- I'll tell you about it later. MIN. WONG: OK. (LAUGHTER) (Inaudible) You should. I think this is ... SEC. BLINKEN: Yes. Q: I just wanted to ask you about some of the -- the pushback in Congress at the moment with regard to -- particularly with regard to export controls. Do you feel confident that you've at least secured enough short-term commitments and deliveries from the U.S. to offset any potential delays that might come about because of -- as this makes its way through Congress? And, Minister Wong, are you concerned that U.S. politics is getting in the way of your national security? And what assurances have you received today that this deal will proceed, particularly given the current political divisions in our chambers of Congress? And (inaudible). Thank you, I'm done. MIN. WONG: Yes, congratulations. (LAUGHTER) SEC. BLINKEN: So let's see. Starting from the beginning, I think it -- I think it started with me. Thank you, Vivian. First, with regard to Niger, I spoke again this morning here with President Bazoum. I have spoken as well with former President Issoufou, spoken with other colleagues, including our French colleagues. Our team has been deeply engaged with multiple countries in the region, as well as critical organizations like ECOWAS, like the African Union. And we are united in condemning the actions that have taken place in Niger, calling for the immediate release of President Bazoum, calling for the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. And let me be very, very clear about this, as I have been in my phone conversations. Our economic and security partnership with Niger, which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars, depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last -- in the last few days. So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed. We very much support the efforts of ECOWAS, the African Union, other governments in the region to mediate this crisis, and again, to make sure that the democratic order is restored. That's our focus. I -- I can't get into the specifics about what might be assessed as a -- as a legal matter, but regardless of what we call this, the fact remains that the very significant assistance that we have in place and is making material difference in the lives of the people of Niger is clearly in jeopardy. And we've communicated that as clearly as we possibly can to those responsible for disrupting the constitutional order in Niger's democracy. With regard to our embassy, of course, (inaudible) with the security of our embassy, of our personnel. We released a security alert that advises U.S. citizens to limit any unnecessary movements to avoid the affected area until further notice as this situation develops. The embassy itself immediately conducted an accountability check to make sure that all official members of our community, family members were accounted for. They are, and we're taking, as we always do, every necessary precaution to make sure that everyone is safe and secure. With regard to Haiti, we have very deep concern for the situation there, particularly with regard to violence and the activities of -- of the gangs. We are, as I think you know, the largest humanitarian donor to Haiti, but we are also very focused on working together with partners to try to help the Haitians restore security, restore stability. That really is the necessary foundation for being able to make progress on a political way forward, as well as making sure that humanitarian assistance can actually get to those in need. So we've been very focused on trying to put in place what's necessary for a multinational force, including finding a lead nation to take this on. And my expectation is that we will have some progress to report on that very soon. SEC. AUSTIN: On the -- regarding the irresponsible and dangerous behavior on the part of the Russians, we call upon the Russian leadership to make sure that they issue guidance to their -- their -- their troops, to abide by the -- the laws of the sky and make sure that they cease this -- this irresponsible behavior. We'll continue to engage using the established channels to convey our concern, and -- and we'll continue to engage senior leadership as appropriate. But again, we will continue to operate as we have always operated in the -- in the air spaces, and we will protect our interests and our -- and our resources. MIN. MARLES: Well, perhaps the starting point is that in addition to our roles as ministers, Penny and I are both legislators, and so we very much understand the heat and light that comes with the passage of legislation through parliaments. And we are completely sanguine about what we are seeing in America and understand that that is just part of the process. We are absolutely assured by Tony and Lloyd, but -- but also, in fact, by the efforts that we've undertaken ourselves in speaking with those on the Hill, that there is a bipartisan commitment to Australia acquiring the capability to operate nuclear-powered submarines because what that -- because of what that will mean and in terms of advancing the American strategic interest, but obviously the joint strategic interest between our two countries. And we couldn't be happier with the progress in which the -- the optimal pathway is being walked. We are going to see in the very near future increased visits, and we already have seen, but we will see more visits of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, which is really the -- the first steps in walking the path of Australia, developing the capability to operate nuclear-powered submarines ourselves. We are working closely with the U.S. in relation to training, as Lloyd referred to earlier and -- and in terms of developing our own infrastructure and industrial base. So we're really confident about the progress of this. The way in which Congress operates is the way in which Congress operates, but, in fact, we're actually encouraged by the progress of this legislation through the Congress. SEC. BLINKEN: Can I just reaffirm that confidence, because I think it is important to note this is a process? Congress has a vital role to play in that -- in that process, and we're working through the details. But there is robust bipartisan support and a commitment to move forward. MIN. WONG: Well, I think the -- the question to me has been answered. I'd simply again reiterate we are confident in and gratified by the clear bipartisan support, which has been articulated in respect of AUKUS, including from Sydney Congressional Leadership. And the second point I'd make is the point that we've all been engaged with, which is this is in both our country's interests. And so, we understand. As Richard said, we're both legislators. There's always, you know, some -- some attention paid to discussions during negotiations, but ultimately, what is before us is a shared endeavor that is in both nations' interests. STAFF: Matthew Knott? Q: Thank you very much (inaudible). Following on from that topic, but really to you, Secretary Austin, to the substance of Republican senators that they raised in the letter, you know, they say that there simply isn't enough domestic capacity for shipbuilding of submarines in America. Is the administration willing to provide, you know, potentially billions of dollars in more funding for domestic capacity to ensure that the support for AUKUS and the submarine transfer to Australia is genuinely bipartisan? And second to -- to Minister Wong and Secretary Blinken about Julian -- Julian Assange case, did you raise this with your counterparts, Minister Wong? And is Australia becoming frustrated from publicly what we see as a lack of progress on this issue? And from Secretary Blinken, I think Australians will be very interested in the American perspective on this issue. We've heard our prime minister say that he thinks it's time for this matter to be brought to a close. This involved sensitive diplomatic and military information. But many Australians, I believe, think that it's frankly unfair that the American military officer who leaked the information is free while an Australian is still being persecuted through the justice system. SEC. AUSTIN: Regarding AUKUS, I -- I am confident that there will continue to be strong bipartisan support for this initiative. This initiative, as you know, creates a generational capability. And -- and again, it helps us to realize our shared vision of a free and Indo -- free and open Indo-Pacific. And so, I think it's -- it's recognized across the board that this is a capability that will add value to -- to all of our efforts. In terms of our investment in the -- in our industrial base, as we embarked upon this endeavor, we're confident that we're placing the -- the right amount of investment into the industrial base. But again, we will continue to make sure that all the pieces are in place as we proceed. And I have great confidence that -- that we have the ability to create the capability that we're going after. MIN. WONG: The question in relation to Mr. Assange, I have answered this question, I think, probably also from you, Matthew, on a number of occasions. And I would make three points. The first is, we have made clear of you that Mr. Assange's case has dragged on for too long and our desire that it be brought to a conclusion. And we've said that publicly, and you would anticipate that that reflects also the position we articulate in private. I've also said that, obviously, that we -- we do what we can government-to-government, but there are limits until Mr. Assange's legal processes have concluded. And as a footnote, I would make this point that the case you referenced had a -- had got to a different point in terms of legal proceedings. And my final point is that I understand Mr. Assange has filed a renewal of appeal application in the U.K. The Australian government is not party to these legal proceedings and nor can we intervene with them. Having said that, we will continue to offer him consular assistance and to convey our expectations about his treatment. SEC. BLINKEN: Look, as a general matter of policy, we don't really comment on extradition matters, extradition proceedings. And so, I really would refer you to our Department of Justice for -- for any questions about the status of the criminal case, so with (inaudible) Assange or the -- the other person in question. And I -- I -- I really do understand and can certainly confirm what Penny said about the fact that this matter was raised with us as it has been in the past. And I understand the -- the sensitivities. I understand the concerns and views of -- of Australians. I think it's very important that our friends here understand our concerns about this matter. And what our Department of Justice has already said repeatedly, publicly, is this, Mr. Assange was charged with very serious criminal conduct in the United States in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of our country. The actions that he is alleged to have committed risked very serious harm to our national security, to the benefit of our adversaries, and put named human sources at grave risk -- grave risk of physical harm, grave risk of detention. So I say that only because just as we understand sensitivities here, it's important that our friends understand sensitivities in the United States. STAFF: Liz Friden of Fox News. Q: Thank you so much for doing this. My first question, I -- and I have a question for all four of you. My first question is for Deputy Prime Minister Marles. Do you believe China will invade Taiwan in 2027? And is the point of these Talisman Sabre wargames to train to act on a potential invasion? My second question is for Foreign Minister Wong. Are you concerned about the timeline of the AUKUS agreement since Australia won't get the nuclear-powered subs until 2027? Will these nuclear-powered subs still help deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan? It kind of bounces off the first question. For Secretary Blinken, is the Russian Defense Minister in North Korea to buy weapons for Ukraine -- for Russia to use in Ukraine, that is? And have you seen any signs that China is providing weapons to Russia? An ODNI report that came out recently said that China has sent millions of dollars' worth of drones and drone parts to Russia to use in its war. Where do you draw the line between sending these drone parts and drones and sending actual weapons? My last question is for Secretary Austin. The first presidential drawdown for Taiwan was announced earlier today. Do you have any concerns transferring air defense systems to Taiwan could impact weapons supplies for Ukraine? MIN. MARLES: Well, thank you, Liz. Firstly, I'm not going to speculate about the future in the way that you have asked. Exercise Talisman Sabre has been around for a long time. You can't have a capable defense force without it being match fit, and it can't be match fit unless it engages in training and exercises. And Exercise Talisman Sabre is the most important exercise that the Australian Defense Force engages in on a biennial basis. It began its life many years ago as a bilateral exercise between the United States and Australia, and as I mentioned earlier remains as such albeit that it now involves a number of other countries. Fundamentally, Talisman Sabre is about us. I mean, it's about the Australian Defense Force and the U.S. Defense Forces, about making sure that we are capable (inaudible) skills and capacities that our defense forces have. But importantly, that we are capable in terms of the way in which we operate together, and that our interoperability is at the highest level. We greatly value Exercise Talisman Sabre. We greatly value the opportunity to work with the United States Defense Forces through it and the commitment that they make to it. And at the end of the day, what it is about is making sure that Australia and, obviously, America has the most capable defense force that we can possibly have. MIN. WONG: I'll pick up that last point, the most capable defense force we can possibly have because it really goes to your question. So the work that we do, the work that we have done today, the work we do every day for individuals here and the very many wonderful individuals who are officials in the departments in the nations we represent, we work to ensure peace and stability in our region. We work to ensure that our region enables prosperity. We work to ensure a region, I think, we use the phrase in which sovereignty is respected. Tony talked about nation's being free to choose, but that is the logic. And so, whether it's the development -- the acquisition of the AUKUS submarine capability or all of the other capabilities in which we are engaged both in Richard and Lloyd's portfolios or the work that we do in the diplomatic area, we are focused on that objective. So I'm not going to like Richard get into the sort of scenarios that you've plotted out, but what I'd say to you is we -- we see this as increasing the capability of our nations across many domains of which one -- a critically important one is submarines, but it is not the only. SEC. BLINKEN: Let me just say before responding to the question you addressed to me, I think what you've just heard and the question you've raised with my colleagues just underscores the absolute imperative of working to maintain the status quo when it comes to Taiwan and making sure that no one engages in actions unilaterally that could disrupt that -- that status quo. That's what all of us are -- are focused on. With regard to reports of the Russian defense minister in North Korea, I strongly doubt he's there on holiday. So what are we seeing? We're seeing Russia desperately looking for support for weapons, wherever it can find them to continue to prosecute its aggression against Ukraine. And we see that in North Korea. We see that as well with Iran, which has provided many drones to Russia that it's using to destroy civilian infrastructure and kill civilians in Ukraine. China has assured us repeatedly and not just us, many other countries, that it is not providing material lethal assistance to Russia for use in Ukraine. And we take those assurances very seriously. We do have concerns about individual entities providing technology -- dual-use technology that can be used among other things for drones and other kinds of weapons to be used in -- in Ukraine. It's a concern that we've -- we've shared with Beijing and looked to them to do whatever they can to make sure that that doesn't happen. SEC. AUSTIN: So, Liz, your question was whether or not the air defense capability that we look to provide to Taiwan puts at risk our efforts to support Ukraine. A short answer is no. You'll recall that the work that we're doing in support of Ukraine is an international effort. Every month, as you know, we gather some 50 or so countries together to really drill down on what Ukraine's needs are and generate support -- security assistance as quickly as we can, and that support is focused on what their pressing needs are. With respect to Taiwan, you know, the capability that we're providing them is defensive capability. As you know, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act, we are committed to helping them get the capability they need to -- to defend themselves. And so, this is no change from -- from what we've done in the past. So again, defensive capabilities. And -- and it doesn't put at risk anything that we're doing in support of Ukraine. Q: (Inaudible) to follow-up (inaudible). Why not (inaudible) the weapons in Taiwan (inaudible) declaration? Why -- why not (inaudible)? SEC. AUSTIN: To Taiwan, it -- I think it's important to use every instrument that we have available, every mechanism that we have available, FMS, other things in -- in addition to PDA. So it's -- it's really using every tool that we have in the inventory. STAFF: Steven Dziedzic of the ABC. Q: Thank you very much, all of you, for your time. Secretary Austin, could I perhaps just ask you. You referenced yesterday what -- what you called China's coercive behavior in the South Pacific, amongst other places. Are you concerned by Beijing's growing police cooperation agreement with Solomon Islands? And can I ask, does the administration also support this government's, the Australian government's declaration, that it would be willing to support Solomon Islands to establish its own military forces if Solomon Islands chooses to go down that path? And, Minister -- Deputy Prime Minister Marles, you -- you flagged deepening space cooperation in this statement. Can I ask, will you work together on offensive capabilities or are you largely focused on domain awareness? And, Secretary Austin, if you would care to speak at all about what role you see Australia playing in this area, that would be welcome, too. Thank you. SEC. AUSTIN: Okay, let me just re-attack on your first question there. What -- what was the first part of that? Q: On Solomon Islands. SEC. AUSTIN: Yeah, so I think it's important to -- to note that we don't ask countries to choose between us and other countries. So because you have a relationship with us, it doesn't prohibit you from having relationships with other countries. And we -- we clearly recognize that that's going to occur. That's -- that's not a condition that we place on any country that -- that we have a relation -- relationship with. Our relationships are based on mutual respect. And in terms of whether or not we would -- we support our allies' effort to provide assistance to, you know, partners in the region, absolutely. We -- we see things alike. We have a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. And again, there -- there are a number of things that we're going to continue to work together on and build greater capacity and capability for our partners and -- and allies in the region. And I look forward to working with Australia on that soon. MIN. MARLES: Well, I suppose can I firstly start by expressing my concern about the evolution of cluster questions from the Australian media? We have a deep working relationship where we share much between each other as governments. We'd prefer there was less sharing going on down here. Look, in -- in respect of space, space domain awareness will form part of the cooperation that we engage in between our two countries in terms of force posture arrangements in this area. That'll probably be the extent of what any of us will ever say about what else we do in respect of cooperation involving space. We obviously do have a long history of working with the United States in relation to space. So it's actually pretty natural that as space evolves as a domain of human contest that it becomes one of the key areas of force posture initiatives of America within Australia. And we think that obviously the opportunities that arise -- it gives rise to in terms of our own national security are very exciting. But the opportunities that it's going to give rise to in terms of developing technology in this country is also really exciting as well. With that, Tony and Lloyd, thank you very much for being with us. It's been an honor on behalf of Penny and I to have you here. And ladies and gentlemen, thank you for this afternoon. SEC. AUSTIN: Thank you all. (APPLAUSE) https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3476106/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address July 29, 2023 Transcript Opening Remarks at the Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles; Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken; Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RICHARD MARLES: Tony and Lloyd, welcome. On behalf of Penny and I, it is fantastic to have you here at this meeting of AUSMIN following up on our last meeting together in December in Washington. We obviously do meet this morning with heavy hearts with the news of the accident of the Australian Army helicopter, the MRH90 overnight, with four air crew on board. Firstly, I really want to thank the assistance of the United States in the efforts in respect of the search and rescue. Right now there are American personnel who are playing a critical role in the search and rescue effort, and it says something about the relationship of our country that at this moment in time we are working so closely together. And Penny and I both reflected that, particularly for you, Lloyd, this is an experience that you've had to deal with on many occasions. For us, this is something which is newer. But we really are reminded as our two countries are exercising together in Talisman Sabre that this is serious work, it is risky work, but it's work between two countries which have been side by side for more than a century in engaging in conflict and in our defense forces working together. And in that sense, we have no better friend than the United States. And the gravity of all of that seems to sit above this meeting today as we consider issues in a world which is more complex, more volatile, in many ways more threatening, and I think this highlights just how significant are our conversations today around how we meet that world together. I think in moments like this, the instinct is to be - or want to be - with friends and family. I think for Penny and I, we definitely feel like that is where we're at sitting around this table today. And so we are really grateful to be able to meet with you today and to follow up the initiatives that we started talking about last December, but to do so knowing that ours is an unbreakable bond. Tony. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN: Richard, Penny, Lloyd, friends: We, like you, are thinking of your four servicemembers. We're thinking of them and we're thinking of their family, their friends, their comrades. We are so grateful to them for their dedication, for their service, for everything that they have been doing to stand up for the freedom that we share, and that is what unites us more than anything else. And to the extent we can continue to be of assistance, of course we will be, but mostly our thoughts are with them, our thoughts are with you. And we are - it only underscores, I think, the gratitude that we have for the fact that we stand together here and around the world in support of freedom, of openness, of progress for our people and for people around the world. We have work to do with AUSMIN. I have to say that our own alliance, our own partnership, is stronger than it's ever been, and for that as well the United States has tremendous gratitude. Thank you. FOREIGN MINISTER PENNY WONG: Thank you, Tony, Lloyd. Welcome to Queensland. Thank you for being here. As Richard said, we do meet with heavy hearts today. And while I wanted to - what I was reminded of this morning was it's - it is this stark reminder of the risk that the men and women who serve us take and the courage that they show every day in the service of their country. And our thoughts are with the personnel and with their families and with all of our men and women who serve in the ADF. And again, thank you for your assistance. The alliance, our partnership, is a part of our history. It's a part of who we are. It's a demonstration of our friendship, our shared interests, our shared values. And in today's world it is more important than ever, and not as an historic institution but as a living, breathing articulation of how we together shape our region, our destinies, and the sort of world we want to live in. That's how we see it. And we've been in government now just over a year, and can I say I think this is the second time we've met in eight months. Antony, you and I seem to meet often in different parts of the world, and we are as active as we can be. Diplomatically and militarily we are - and strategically we are closely aligned, and we are working together to ensure that these - in these times of great challenges we can do all we can together to ensure the stable, prosperous, and peaceful region that both our nations seek. Thank you for being here and thank you for the work we do together every day. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN: Deputy Prime Minister Marles, Foreign Minister, it's a real pleasure to be here with you today. I want to thank you for the warm welcome that you've provided us throughout and the great work that we've done together. Our teams are, in fact, inseparable. They continue to communicate in ways that strengthen our relationship. We - you and I, I think, DPM, have met some nine times now in the period that you've been in office, which speaks to the strength of our relationship. I offer my words of support as well. These are - it's always tough when you have - when you have accidents in training. But to Penny's point, the reason that we train to such high standards is so that we can be successful and we can protect lives when we are called to answer any kind of crisis. Our guys tend to make this look easy, and they make it look easy because they are so well exercised and rehearsed and trained, and this is unfortunately part of that with what it takes to get them to where we need to be. This is about - in terms of our relationship, this is about values. We share common values. We share a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and that vision continues to bring us closer and closer together. We're working on some important things that I think will create opportunities for us for the foreseeable future, for generations. And I want to thank you and the foreign minister for your incredible professionalism and, again, the warm welcome that you've shown us since we've been here. This is a special place, and thanks for sharing it with us. DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MARLES: Thank you. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3476071/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address July 29, 2023 Release Fact Sheet: 2023 Australia - U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) On July 29, 2023, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and their Australian counterparts, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Penny Wong, met in Brisbane, Australia for the 33rd Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN). The principals determined that the Unbreakable Alliance between the United States and Australia has never been stronger - and that the Alliance remains a partnership of strategic interest rooted in common values and a common determination to preserve stability, prosperity, and peace. Against the backdrop of historic momentum for the Alliance, the United States and Australia committed to advance a number of key lines of shared effort, including: ENHANCED FORCE POSTURE COOPERATION Reaffirming their respect for each other's sovereignty and their commitment to operationalize the Alliance, the United States and Australia advanced key priorities across an ambitious range of force posture cooperation efforts, including: Continuing to progress upgrades at key Australian bases in the north, including RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal. Scoping additional upgrades at new locations, RAAF Bases Scherger and RAAF Curtin. Conducting more regular and longer expeditionary visits of U.S. submarines to Australia starting this year, with a focus on HMAS Stirling, as Australia prepares for Submarine Rotational Force-West, an important milestone for the AUKUS Optimal Pathway. Enabling a regular rotation of U.S. Army Watercraft in Australia, starting with participation in Exercise TALISMAN SABRE. Reaffirming their commitment to deliver the ambitious trajectory of Enhanced Force Posture Cooperation across land, maritime, and air domains, as well as the Combined Logistics, Sustainment, and Maintenance Enterprise. Through Enhanced Air Cooperation, rotating U.S. Navy Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft to Australia to enhance regional maritime domain awareness, with a goal of inviting likeminded partners to participate. Establishing an interim location at Albury-Wodonga (Bandiana) for the Combined Logistics, Sustainment, and Maintenance Enterprise as a precursor to an enduring Logistics Support Area in Queensland. Stating their intent to declare Enhanced Space Cooperation as a new Force Posture Initiative, which would enable increased space integration and cooperation under the U.S.-Australia Force Posture Agreement, as well as stating their intent to increase space integration and cooperation in existing operations and exercises. CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE COOPERATION Reaffirming the importance of maximizing the strategic and technological advantage of the Alliance in an age of heightened strategic competition, the United States and Australia advanced a number of key priorities to strengthen their advanced capabilities and the health of their defense industrial bases, including: Committing to collaborate on critical technologies and innovation to ensure the Alliance's asymmetrical capability edge and to explore opportunities for regional co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment aligned to agreed capability priorities. Agreeing to advance cooperation on Australia's Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise by entering into an arrangement to collaborate on a flexible guided weapons production and maintenance capability in Australia, with an initial focus on the co-production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems by 2025. The United States also announced its intent to pursue reforms to the regulations governing the transfer of guided weapons to Australia with the aim of accelerating delivery, to transfer technical data for the M795 155mm artillery shell in support of future production in Australia, and to identify opportunities for Australian industry to address constraints in the U.S. industrial base. The principals reaffirmed their commitment to progress the maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade of priority munitions in Australia, with an initial focus on MK-48 heavyweight torpedoes and SM-2 missiles. Welcoming progress under the AUKUS partnership toward Australia's acquisition of a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability and the development of advanced capabilities to safeguard stability and security in the Indo-Pacific. They reaffirmed their commitment to transparency and urged others to take a similar approach to their capability development. REGIONAL SECURITY INTEGRATION Committing to uphold a global order based on international law, including the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, the United States and Australia advanced a number of key priorities to strengthen their mutual alliances, partnerships, and trilateral and multilateral security arrangements, including: Announcing their intent to develop concrete proposals with Japan for trilateral cooperation that will increasingly invite Japanese participation in exercises and training-related activities in Australia, including F-35 cooperation. Agreeing to enhance trilateral integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) cooperation with Japan. Exploring opportunities to opportunities to further deepen cooperation with partners, including Japan, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea, noting the dividend for security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Committing to leverage - in consultation with Pacific Island countries - the planned deployment of a USCG Cutter to the Pacific in early 2024 to further maritime domain awareness and training in the region to address maritime security priorities including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Reaffirming their commitment to enhance interoperability with the militaries of the Pacific through a range of exercises. The principals also welcomed Fiji, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga's participation in Exercise TALISMAN SABRE 2023 for the first time, as well as India, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines as inaugural observers. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3476036/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address July 29, 2023 By Jim Garamone , DOD News Australian, U.S. Leaders Say Alliance Is More Relevant Than Ever The main message of the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations in Brisbane, Australia, is that the alliance is stronger today than it ever has been. The consultations - commonly called AUSMIN - featured Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, who also serves as deputy prime minister; Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken; and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. Those involved commented on the strength of what is commonly called "the unbreakable alliance." The meeting follows the AUSMIN held in December in Washington; the defense leaders furthered their work on force posture cooperation, capability development, and effort on outreach to allies and partners in the region. "It all points in the direction of an alliance that's doing more than ever for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific," said a senior DOD official. "Today, we have had a very fruitful and rich conversation about the state of the alliance a about the state of the world in which we are both operating, its complexity, its volatility, its threat," Marles said at the conclusion of the meeting. "And as we engage in that world together, all of us have felt that the alliance has never been in better shape than it is right now." The meeting was held under the cloud of the crash of an Australian helicopter involved in Exercise Talisman Sabre, a biennial exercise designed to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific. Four Australian service members are missing, and search and rescue efforts continue. Austin told his Australian friends that U.S. forces in the exercise stand ready to help in any way. Austin said the strategic alignment between the United States and Australia has never been greater. "We share a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and we're committed to investing further in our alliance to uphold this vision," he said. One concrete example of this cooperation is that the U.S. will "deepen" force posture cooperation with Australia, the secretary said. This also includes upgrading critical air bases in the Northern Territory and pursuing important infrastructure project projects at new locations. "Taken together, these initiatives will strengthen our ability to respond to crisis in the region while enhancing our interoperability," he said. The U.S. military will increase the rotational presence of U.S. forces in Australia. This includes Navy maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft to enhance maritime domain awareness in the region. "We're also introducing new rotations of U.S. Army watercraft and expeditionary submarine visits to Australia," Austin said. "These efforts will bolster deterrence by strengthening our interoperability and enhancing our sustainment and logistics capabilities for critical missions." Regular rotations of Army watercraft will enable the United States to determine logistics-related requirements and to facilitate rotations, officials said. "This is fundamentally about building out our combined logistics and lift capability," the senior defense official said. The U.S. military will also establish an enduring logistics support area to further expand logistics and sustainment cooperation, Austin said at the AUSMIN press conference. "We further agreed to expand our cooperation in space, which will improve our ability to coordinate more deeply with Australia in this new and important domain," the secretary said. Marles also highlighted efforts in the crucial domain. "In terms of force posture initiatives, we agreed that space cooperation would now form a key part of what we do in our military and defense cooperation, and this is a critical step forward," he said. The four leaders called for advancing ties with other regional partners. "We endorsed plans for enhanced, trilateral cooperation with Japan and Australia, which will include F-35 training and cooperation," the defense secretary said. The AUSMIN joint statement called enhancing trilateral interoperability "an important investment in credible, effective deterrence." The example of the U.S.-Australian ties - and the security benefits realized - is seen throughout the Indo-Pacific, senior defense officials said. Nations of the region see the benefits of a free and open Indo-Pacific where goods, ideas and people can flow freely. The United States works closely with many nations in the region including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and the islands of the Pacific, and those nations see the benefits of working together. Increasingly, the nations of the region - including U.S. treaty allies like Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand a are working with other like-minded nations on new ways to support the rules-based international order. These are initial steps that may - over time - thicken the relationships among the nations of the region. "It's a really important moment," the senior defense official said. In 10 years "when the [rules-based] order is strong and has been sustained and maintained and built, I think folks are going to look back on this period and ... identify some of these initiatives as the, as really the key building blocks." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US set to help Australia manufacture guided missiles by 2025 Iran Press TV Saturday, 29 July 2023 1:59 PM The United States will expand its military footprint in Australia by helping Canberra manufacture guided missiles and rockets for both countries within two years. During talks with their counterparts, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed to cooperate on Australia producing Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems by 2025. They were in Queensland state on Saturday for the annual Australia-US Ministerial (AUSMIN) dialogue with their Australian counterparts Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong. They also agreed on more frequent and longer visits of US submarines to Australia. Austin said the move on missiles would strengthen the two allies' defense industrial base and technological edge. Washington is also accelerating Australia's access to priority munitions through a streamlined acquisition process, according to the defense secretary. "We're racing to accelerate Australia's priority access to munitions through a streamlined acquisition process," Austin said. Australia's Marles welcomed US support to achieve Australian missile production. "We are really pleased with the steps that we are taking in respect of establishing a guided weapons and explosive ordnance enterprise in this country." He also said there would be an "increased tempo of visits from American nuclear-powered submarines to our waters" as part of the bilateral engagement. Australia is currently pivoting towards long-range strike capabilities to keep potential adversaries like China at arm's length. It has recently purchased the US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Washington and Canberra also rehearsed precision missile strikes during war games earlier this month. Australia has in recent years revealed where it stands in the world, by taking the side of the US over China, which has begun to challenge US dominance in the Asia-Pacific region. China has repeatedly warned about the establishment of an "Asia-Pacific version of NATO" and made clear its opposition to any foreign military involvement in the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australian military copter crash halts US-led war games, leaves 4 missing Iran Press TV Saturday, 29 July 2023 7:17 AM The crash of an Australian military helicopter during joint war games with US forces in the Pacific has left all Aussie crew members missing and feared dead while halting the military maneuver. The MRH-90 Taipan went down late Friday night in sub-tropical waters near Hamilton Island, Queensland, Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles declared on Saturday "As we speak to you now, the four aircrew are yet to be found," Marles said following an overnight search and rescue effort amid growing fears that they will not be found alive. The failed helicopter mission that led to the crash was a part of large-scale US-led war games, known as Talisman Sabre, featuring more than 30,000 troops and participants from 11 other countries, including Japan, France, Germany, and South Korea. The military maneuvers are meant to serve as a show of force against China. Officials have not yet confirmed what was the cause of the helicopter's crash as the war games entered its second week. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin is in Australia along with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for meetings with the Australian counterparts and other top officials that coincided with the ongoing war games. Austin said Saturday the US will help Australia produce guided multiple-launch rocket systems by 2025. "We are pursuing several mutually beneficial initiatives with Australia's defense industry, and these include a commitment to help Australia produce guided multiple launch rocket systems... by 2025," Austin told a press conference. The US is also accelerating Australia's access to priority munitions through a streamlined acquisition process, he said. It is the first time Australia has hosted the high-level meeting since 2019 due to the COVID-19 disruption. Australia's Labor government has been bolstering military ties with the US, a long-standing ally. "We are really pleased with the steps that we are taking in respect of establishing a guided weapons and explosive ordnance enterprise in this country," Marles said. He expressed hope that missile manufacturing could begin in Australia in two years, as part of a collective industrial base between the two countries. Marles said there would be an "increased tempo of visits from American nuclear-powered submarines to our waters" as part of the bilateral engagement. The United States commissioned a warship in Sydney last week. It marked the first time a US Navy vessel has joined active service at a foreign port. China has repeatedly warned against US-led "expanding military alliances," including the widening of the NATO military alliance, amid growing concerns about its regional security. The US and Australia are also part of an alliance called AUKUS which commits to supply Canberra with nuclear-powered submarines. China has also criticized the AUKUS countries, saying their cooperation "constituted serious nuclear proliferation risks," exacerbated the arms race, and undermined stability in the Asia-Pacific region. The International Atomic Energy Agency has warned the AUKUS security pact could trigger a race for nuclear submarines. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australia Expects US Assistance in Manufacturing Missiles Sputnik News 20230729 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States plans to help Australia start manufacturing missiles in the coming years, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday. Speaking at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin following annual US-Australia ministerial talks, Marles said that visits of US nuclear powered submarines to Australian waters were expected to become more frequent. Marles also said that Australia expected "manufacturing of missiles commenced in Australia in two years' time as part of a collective industrial base between our two countries." Speaking at the same press conference, Austin said that the United States was also set on helping Australia produce guided multiple launch rocket systems by 2025. The US is also planning to facilitate the weapons purchases for Australia and enhance cooperation, Austin added. "We are racing to accelerate Australia's access to priority munitions through a streamlined acquisition process. We are also thrilled to announce that we are taking steps to enable Australia to maintain, repair and overhaul critical US-source munitions," he told the press conference. Blinken and Austin participated in the 33rd annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) as part of their separate trips to the Indo-Pacific region. Austin's tour also includes a stop in Papua New Guinea, while Blinken is set to visit Tonga and New Zealand. The AUSMIN took place as part of the two countries' efforts to enhance the AUKUS trilateral alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The AUKUS pact is aimed at boosting security cooperation between the three nations, including through the delivery of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Australian Defense Cooperation Going Big By Jeff Seldin July 29, 2023 Australia will be seeing more U.S. troops, more U.S. planes, more U.S. ships and more U.S weapons as the two allies take what officials describe as a "major step" in strengthening and expanding their military alliance. The United States and Australia unveiled the agreements to increase the rotational presence of American forces and capabilities, and to help integrate Australia into key U.S. defense production capabilities Saturday, following hours of talks by the top U.S. and Australian defense and diplomatic officials. "Australia at this moment has no better friend than America," Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told reporters following the conclusion of the 33rd annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations in Brisbane, Australia. Marles said the agreements include a larger U.S. rotational presence at Australia's northern military bases, additional visits by U.S. vessels and maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and "an increased tempo of visits from U.S. nuclear-powered submarines" until Australia is able to acquire its own with U.S. help. Just as importantly, according to U.S. and Australian officials, the new agreements will pave the way for Australia to join the United States in the production of missiles and ammunition at a time when the war in Ukraine, and Western support, has eroded key stocks. "We hope to see manufacturing of missiles commenced in Australia in two years' time," Marles said. The initial focus will be on Australian production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, also known as GMLRS. However, U.S. officials said Washington also intends to support Australian production of 155 mm artillery shells, which have been in high demand in Ukraine. "These initiatives will strengthen our ability to respond to crises in the region while enhancing our interoperability," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, describing the efforts as a "major step" for the U.S. and Australian defense industrial base. 'Significant step forward' Other U.S. officials agreed, suggesting Australia could eventually help with the production and maintenance of other weapons and systems. "I think what we have seen very clearly is the value across the board on strengthening the defense industrial base, not just of the United States, but of our allies and partners," a senior U.S. defense official told reporters, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "We see this as a significant step forward." Marles and Austin, along with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, also expressed confidence that despite the opposition of some U.S. lawmakers, an agreement to provide Australia with three nuclear-powered submarines will go through. "This is in both our countries' interest," Wong said, speaking alongside the others outside the Queensland Government House in Brisbane. "Whether it's the acquisition of the AUKUS submarine capability or all of the other capabilities in which we are engaged ... we see this as increasing the capability of our nations across many domains," she said. The agreements also include provisions for greater cooperation in space and for investments in Australia's military infrastructure. Blinken said such cooperation is critical if the United States and Australia are to be able to push back against China and maintain "a region where countries are free to chart their own path and choose their own partners." "We're doing that in part by engaging China but also as necessary opposing its efforts to disrupt freedom of navigation and overflight in the South and East China seas, to upend the status quo that has preserved peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, to pressure countries through economic coercion or threats to their citizens," he said. Regional cooperation U.S. officials, speaking on the sidelines of the ministerial, also said the two countries are looking to increase cooperation with other countries in the region. One example is a proposal for trilateral cooperation with Japan for exercises and training on the F-35 stealth fighter in Australia. They also pointed to the current Talisman Sabre exercise, which this year has seen participation from India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, as well as Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tonga. The officials also noted other agreements, such as the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Papua New Guinea and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the Philippines. "It is evolutionary," said a second senior U.S. defense official, like the first briefing on the condition of anonymity. "There's a number of mini lateral and multilateral arrangements that are complementary ... each of them is providing, in some ways, overlapping but unique provisions of security," the official said. "It is, again, a profound trend in the region." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on Vice Premier He Lifeng Attending the Decade of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Celebration Event in Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China 2023-07-29 15:11 Q: China just announced that Special Representative of President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng will attend the Decade of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor celebration event in Pakistan. Can you share with us China's expectation for Vice Premier He Lifeng's visit? A: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by President Xi Jinping, and also the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Over the past decade, as an important pioneering project of the BRI, CPEC has achieved fruitful results and become a new benchmark for the friendship between China and Pakistan. To mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of CPEC, the Pakistani government will hold a grand celebration event in the country's capital Islamabad. Special Representative of President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng will travel to Pakistan to attend the event and meet with the leaders of Pakistan. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad friends. The friendship is time-honored. China hopes that this visit will be an opportunity for both sides to jointly implement the important consensus between leaders of the two countries, renew the traditional friendship, build on past achievements and upgrade the development of CPEC, consolidate and deepen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, advance the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era and contribute to the development and prosperity of the region and beyond.a NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bolivia Joins De-Dollarization Trend by Using Chinese Yuan in Foreign Trade Sputnik News 20230729 Bolivia has recently joined the ranks of countries that use currencies other than the US dollar in foreign trade. Bolivian Economy Minister Marcelo Montenegro said at a press conference this week that his country follows "a pattern at the level of international trade, that is generating a progressive increase in the use of the yuan in foreign trade," according to media reports. "Banana, zinc, and wood manufacturing exporters are conducting transactions in yuan, as well as importers of vehicles and capital goods," he said. According to the minister, financial transactions worth about 278 million yuan were conducted by Bolivia from May through July, which amounts to about 10 percent of transactions in Bolivia's foreign trade during that period. One Chinese newspaper also points out that Bolivia is not the first country in Latin America to start using yuan in foreign trade. Back in February, Brazil signed a memorandum with China in order to establish "yuan clearing arrangements," the media outlet notes, adding that Argentina announced in April its plans to use yuan to pay for Chinese goods. The economic war waged by the United States against Russia since February 2022, which involved the seizure of Russian foreign exchange reserves denominated in US dollars, has dealt a serious blow to the reputation of the US dollar as world's premiere reserve currency. Over the past several months, many countries across the world started seeking to steer clear of US dollar in foreign trade, sparking talks about the prospects of de-dollarization in the not-so-distant future. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kim Jong-un Pledges to Develop Cooperation With China to 'New High' Sputnik News 20230729 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosted a reception for the Chinese delegation on Friday, during which the parties agreed to further develop cooperation and respond to the complicated international situation, the North's state-run news agency reported on Saturday. This week, the Chinese delegation, led by Chinese Communist Party politburo member Li Hongzhong, traveled to North Korea to take part in the celebrations of the anniversary of the end of the Korean War. It is the first visit of foreign officials to the country since the COVID-19 outbreak, media reported. During the reception, North Korea and China reaffirmed their stand to steadily develop the cooperation onto a new high stage through close strategic and tactical collaboration, as well as to cope with the complicated international situation on their own initiative, the news outlet reported. Kim Jong Un also reportedly expressed gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping for having dispatched a delegation to the celebrations, as well as for sending personal letter with best wishes. On July 27, North Korea marked the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War of 1950-1953. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese Party and Government Delegation Leaves Pyongyang Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, July 30 (KCNA) -- The party and government delegation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) headed by Li Hongzhong, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the PRC, left Pyongyang on Saturday after attending the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War. Present at Pyongyang International Airport to see off the delegation were Kim Song Nam, department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), Kang Yun Sok, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, Mun Song Hyok, vice department director of the C.C., WPK, Pak Myong Ho, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Pak Kyong Il, vice-chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who is chairman of the DPRK-China Friendship Association, and Wang Yajun, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, and staff members of his embassy. The plane carrying the goodwill mission of the Chinese people took off amid the warm send-off by citizens in the capital city of Pyongyang with flags of the two countries and bouquets in their hands. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese Party and Government Delegation Visits Mangyongdae Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, July 30 (KCNA) -- The party and government delegation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) headed by Li Hongzhong, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the PRC, visited time-honored Mangyongdae, the birthplace of President Kim Il Sung , on Saturday. The delegation was accompanied by Mun Song Hyok, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and Wang Yajun, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK. At the old home of President Kim Il Sung in Mangyongdae, the visitors looked round historic relics with deep interest, being briefed on the glorious revolutionary career of the President, who devoted his whole life to prosperity of the country and happiness of the people and made immortal contributions to the development of the DPRK-China friendship and the accomplishment of the human cause of independence against imperialism, and on his revolutionary family. Li Hongzhong had a photo taken in commemoration of the visit to the old home. He wrote in the visitor's book: "We miss President Kim Il Sung , the great leader of the Korean people and a close friend of the Chinese people." The members of the delegation went round the revolutionary sites on Mangyong Hill. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 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.. Iran's Navy Commander arrives in St. Petersburg ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sat / 29 July 2023 / 17:11 Tehran (ISNA) - Iranian Army's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani arrived in St. Petersburg to attend the annual Russian naval parade, during which two Iranian warships will also participate. "One of the missions of naval forces of all countries, including Iran, is maritime and military diplomacy. Today, I participated in this ceremony in response to the invitation of the commander of the Russian Navy because the navy is an international force and we will definitely have an active presence in international area and we will raise our country's flag in all international arenas," Admiral Irani said. Stating that bilateral meetings with the commanders of the navies of other countries and the commander of the Russian Navy will be held during this trip, he added, "We will hold an annual joint exercise with China and Russia in Chabahar, Makran coasts, and the northern Indian Ocean, and during this trip, we will negotiate with the commanders of the navies of these countries in this regard". Two bow-class missile frigates of the Iranian army navy from the northern fleet of the force in the Caspian Sea have already left for Russia to participate in the Russian naval parade. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran to spare no efforts to have funds in South Korea released: Official Iran Press TV Saturday, 29 July 2023 7:29 PM Iranian deputy president for legal affairs says the country will spare no legal efforts to force South Korea to release nearly $7 billion worth of Iranian funds that have remained blocked in the country for the past five years because of Seoul's compliance with US sanctions on Tehran. "With the consideration of the mutual agreement for promotion and protection of investment between the two countries, the legal office of the Presidency will spare no legal efforts to return the nation's properties," Mohammad Dehghan said in a post on domestic social media platform Virasty on Saturday. The post came hours after Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi submitted a bill to the Iranian parliament that asked for the approval of the legislature to refer the dispute over the funds with South Korea to the international arbitration. The move comes after Iran repeatedly asked South Korea to stop complying with Washington's unilateral regime of sanctions on Iran and repatriate the funds. Economic and political authorities of the two countries have held rounds of negotiations in the past three years to work out a solution on the issue. Dehghan said, however, that despite the legal measure initiated by Iran, the path will still be open to secure the release of the funds in South Korea through political channels. Dehghan said the bill submitted to the parliament on Saturday is based on the Article 139 of the Iranian Constitution which requires the administration to secure the approval of the country's parliament before going to arbitration on cases related to public or governmental assets. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian Navy seeking 'effective presence' in international arena: Navy cmdr. Iran Press TV Saturday, 29 July 2023 2:03 PM Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani says his forces were committed to achieving an effective and successful presence in the international arena and raising the Iranian flag. Admiral Irani made the remarks on Saturday, as he arrived at the Pulkovo International Airport in St. Petersburg to attend the parade celebrating the Day of the Russian Navy. The Navy chief highlighted naval diplomacy as a key mission pursued by navies worldwide, including the Iranian Navy. He stressed that annual joint exercises conducted with the navies of Russia and China in Chabahar, the Makran coast, and the Indian Ocean were part of their naval diplomacy efforts. Admiral Irani further noted that he has traveled to St. Petersburg upon the official invitation of the Commander of the Russian Navy, adding that Iranian ships will also take part in the parade. The Navy chief is also scheduled to hold meetings with a number of his foreign counterparts on the sidelines of the event. Russia's naval event will be held on Sunday with the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and high-ranking defense officials from 21 countries. The Iranian Navy has deployed three vessels to Russia to take part in the parade north of the Caspian Sea. In July 2021, Iranian Navy destroyer Sahand and its accompanying support vessel Makran participated in the naval parade on the occasion of Russian Navy Day in St. Petersburg. The latest development comes as Iranian naval forces, together with their Russian counterparts, have held several joint war games in recent years with the purpose of improving the security of international maritime trade, countering piracy and maritime terrorism, exchange of information in naval rescue and relief operations, and exchange of operational and tactical experiences. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Now in their 30th week, thousands-strong protests rage on against Israeli cabinet's policies Iran Press TV Saturday, 29 July 2023 10:18 PM Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets across the occupied territories for the 30th straight week against hugely unpopular policies spearheaded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right cabinet. While the regime's authorities did not give an official figure on the number of protesters, the regime's Channel 13 estimated that more than 170,000 demonstrators turned out in Saturday's protests in the coastal city of Tel Aviv alone. Protests were reported in other locations from the city of Haifa in the northern part of the occupied territories to Eilat on the Red Sea coast, with protesters beating drums and blaring horns. Public outrage against the regime's policies has grown since Monday, when Israel's Knesset passed the first bill of Netanyahu's controversial judicial overhaul plan after opposition lawmakers left the session. The bill scraps the "reasonableness" law, through which the regime's Supreme Court can overturn decisions made by Israeli cabinet such as ministerial appointments. Political groups have appealed to the court to strike down the new law, with the court responding that it would hear arguments in September, setting the scene for a new political showdown. If the plan is passed in its entirety, it will hand Israeli cabinet a greater say in the appointment of the court's judges, while downgrading the status of the legal advisers who are attached to ministers. The cabinet's determination to railroad the Knesset into approving the scheme has sent ripples throughout the Israeli society. Israeli medics have responded with a walkout and trade unions, which have already staged several strikes in protest against the plan, are mulling further industrial action. Meanwhile, an increasing number of army reservists have also been threatening not to report for duty, and scores of military veterans have vowed to end their volunteer duties, sparking concerns about the occupying regime's war-readiness. The premier alleges that the scheme is needed to redraw the balance of power between the politicians and the judiciary. Opponents accuse Netanyahu of trying his hand at a power grab. They say the prime minister, who is on trial on several counts of corruption charges, is also attempting to use the scheme to quash possible judgments against him. "I'm very scared of what's happening in Israel now and I'm very worried about the future...," said a demonstrator in Tel Aviv. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meeting with President of Cameroon Paul Biya Continuing his series of bilateral meetings with African leaders, Vladimir Putin held talks with President of the Republic of Cameroon Paul Biya. July 28, 2023 21:50 St Petersburg President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends, We appreciate that you decided to personally lead the Cameroonian delegation at the Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg. This is your first visit to Russia, although we have kept in touch regularly over the telephone. Thank you for making the decision to come personally. The ties between Russia and Cameroon are built on mutual respect and partnership. Next year we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations. We hope that our meeting will serve as an additional impetus to strengthening interaction between our two countries. We are in favour of invigorating our political dialogue and expanding contacts at all levels. Unfortunately, bilateral trade decreased slightly last year. Despite a decline in Russian exports, imports from Cameroon to Russia grew more than 17-fold. The main thing is to ensure the stability of our trade indicators. We will continue to render assistance to Cameroonians who wish to study at Russian higher educational institutions; a total of 2,000 specialists have undergone training in our country. Currently, 814 Cameroonian citizens are studying in Russia, with 47 of them receiving state scholarships. We doubled the quota for Cameroonian citizens to 100 scholarships for the upcoming academic year. We have noted that Cameroonians are interested in studying the Russian language. A centre of open education in Russian, which has over 150 school and university students, opened in Duale in April. Russia and Cameroon have similar approaches to international issues. We stand for a polycentric world order, the principle of the rule of law, and rejection of dictate and double standards in international affairs. We appreciate your support for a number of Russian initiatives at the UN platform. Overall, I believe that we have been working quite energetically and have achieved success on key tracks. Welcome once again, Mr President. President of Cameroon Paul Biya (retranslated): Mr President of the Russian Federation, First and foremost, I would like to thank you for the invitation to this important summit between the Russian Federation and Africa. I would also like to thank you for the wonderful welcome. We enjoyed a very warm reception. We are grateful to you for the excellent organisation of our work. We came here because diplomatic ties between our countries go back decades. You mentioned the successes in our relations, and we will discuss this further as well. We came here in the belief that the summit will be an opportunity to strengthen friendly ties between the Russian Federation and Cameroon even further. <...> NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meeting with President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo Vladimir Putin held talks with President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo. July 29, 2023 15:40 St Petersburg President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends, I am very glad to see you again. I believe we had a good day of work yesterday. I would like to thank you for staying with us during these days. Our work continues. I believe the summit has been a success, not least thanks to you, Mr President, friends. I am grateful that you participated personally. I am confident that this will give an additional boost to the development of our relations with Africa in general and, of course, with Guinea-Bissau in particular. Relations between our countries are traditionally friendly. We have supported you both during the struggle against colonialism and after your country gained independence. This October will mark the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. I believe this is a good and important event. During our talks in Moscow last October, we discussed a wide range of issues on the regional agenda and prospects of bilateral cooperation. Today we have a chance to outline further steps to develop our relations. We have established regular political dialogue. Last year you had the opportunity to meet with Russia's Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly. Thank you for this. Your Parliament Speaker took part in the second Russia-Africa International Parliamentary Conference in Moscow in March. An agreement has been reached to establish a friendship group. Bilateral trade, economic and investment ties have great potential, which has not yet been tapped. Let us talk about possible measures to improve our trade indicators. We can see prospects in such areas as geological exploration, development of the mineral resource base, infrastructure development, energy, agriculture and fisheries. Our countries enjoy regular cooperation in education. Let us remember once again that more than 5,000 students from Guinea-Bissau have been trained in Soviet and Russian universities. Over the past five years, the allocated quota of state scholarships has more than doubled. By the way, in response to your request, Mr President, we have made the decision to increase the number of places for your students to 75. The Republic of Guinea-Bissau takes an active position in solving urgent international and regional problems. This is largely due to your personal efforts, my friend. The approaches of Russia and Guinea-Bissau to forming a multipolar world order and international security, fighting terrorism, complying with international law, maintaining the central and coordinating role of the UN are among the issues on which our positions are very close to yours. We can note that Guinea-Bissau has traditionally supported foreign policy initiatives that are important for Russia and we are grateful for your consistent support of our candidates to the elected bodies of the UN and other international organisations. I am very glad that we have met again. President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo (retranslated): I see the translation was into French, so I will speak French. Thank you very much for organising this wonderful summit. We have taken part in different summits but this one was very well organised indeed. And, of course, President Putin has so much energy. I am younger than he is but even I do not know if I had enough energy to first hold the summit and conduct so many bilateral meetings afterwards. By tradition, we have good relations with Russia. This year, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of our cooperation, so we could not have missed it. We took part in the Russia-Africa summit to pay our respects and note the level of relations we have with the Russian Federation. We have people on our team who studied here in Leningrad, in St Petersburg. One of my colleagues was in Baku and another one also studied in the Soviet Union. As you see, we have links with Russia. I would like to tell President Vladimir Putin that you can rely on Guinea-Bissau as a trusted partner. We are not just friends. We are brothers. We will never forget the support that the fraternal Soviet people rendered to us during our struggle for independence. Today, we have arrived here and are representing an independent nation. We have become independent owing to you. We cannot forget this. We arrived here after a long flight. We were not afraid that the flight was going to be a long one; in fact, it took 22 hours. We stopped in Spain and Turkiye, we went on a big trip but we still came here. We realise that we are back to the Cold War period now but we managed to come, nonetheless. Mr President, I am grateful to you for your attention and to the Russian Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau for his help. We have already received replies to the questions we asked at our meeting last year. That said, I would like to repeat that we want to be Russia's door to the West African market. Now we have established ECOWAS [the Economic Community of West African States] that is called a Troika. I chaired it. It also includes Nigeria and Benin. Nigeria chairs it now - after our big summit in Bissau, attended by all heads of state, and I am going to go to Nigeria from Russia, because tomorrow we will have a large summit there on the state coup in Niger. We hope for Russia's support because it has always been with us and we know it is a good partner. There are countries that stage anti-constitutional, undemocratic coups. President Putin is an elected President. We hope coups will end in our region. Our country is rich in mineral resources and we can use this potential. I believe we could develop cooperation in the education of personnel. I remember myself that when I was a student, we had Soviet teachers in geography, physics and chemistry. At that time, the level of education was very high owing to those teachers. Now it has declined a bit but we hope to restore the former level with the help of our partnership. Mr President, I believe Russia is a partner we can really trust and you, in turn, can rely on us. There is a Russian company, the LUKOIL energy consortium that is an expert on oil. It is involved in geological prospecting in our country. We would like the Russian Government to encourage your businesses to step up their involvement in oil production in our country. You have vast experience and we are ready and open to such cooperation with your oil businesses. <...> NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meeting with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa Vladimir Putin met with President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa at the Constantine Palace. July 29, 2023 13:30 St Petersburg President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, Mr President, friends, Our meeting yesterday concluded rather late, at about 1.30-2 am Moscow time. But I think we worked hard and our efforts were very productive. It benefited both our bilateral relations and Russia's relations with the African continent in general - and not least due to your efforts, Mr President, as you were actively involved in the preparations for this meeting. Today, after the official events have concluded, we have a good opportunity to take our time and discuss our bilateral relations. But, of course, I would like to once again express my appreciation of your active involvement in preparations for the Russia-Africa summit. Russia-South Africa relations are based on the principles of strategic partnership, with interaction between our countries becoming more diverse and varied. We have established a multi-level political dialogue, and our trade and economic ties and cooperation are making progress. In 2022, our mutual trade posted growth of 16.4 percent, which is a solid indicator. I think absolute figures could also be higher, but 1.3 billion US dollars is actually a good figure. Our intergovernmental commission is working actively. As we have repeatedly noted, promising areas of cooperation include energy, industry, agriculture, science, and innovation. We have a strong focus on expanding ties in education. For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have nearly tripled the scholarship quota for South African students, with additional 400 people to study at Russian universities. Our countries coordinate their actions at the United Nations, the G20 and other multi-format organisations. This year South Africa holds the chairmanship of BRICS. We are interacting closely and efficiently within the association, aiming to boost the strategic partnership of its five member countries. I am confident that the summit you are preparing to host will be very effective. I have no doubt about it. We will make every effort to provide assistance and support to you. This is what I wanted to say at the beginning. Thank you for your attention. President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa: Thank you very much, President Putin, for welcoming us. Yes, we finished quite late. I did say that you are a very hard worker, you drive things right into very early hours of the morning. It is wonderful to be working with a partner like you, because I am a hard worker, too, so that is very good. Thank you very much for hosting the Russia-Africa summit. We believe that it was most successful. It was well organised. The outcome is very good, the declaration was well-negotiated and well-crafted, and it represents the views that various countries here put forward, together with your views. I believe that we have got a declaration that can take our relationship between Africa and Russia forward. What is particularly pleasing is that Russia conducts its relationship with Africa at a strategic level, and it conducts it with a great deal of respect and recognition of the sovereignty of African states. Russia has continued to be supportive of Africa as it did in the past, even during the days of the Soviet Union. So we are very pleased that the spirit of cooperation continues, and we appreciate very much your own disposition towards it. When it comes to South Africa, we enjoy very good relations with Russia, at a strategic level, touching on a number of areas, and it is a multilevel relationship, as you have correctly said. At the investment level, there is quite a number of Russian companies that have invested in the South African market, as there are companies from South Africa that are also investing in the Russian market. At the trade level, obviously, we would like to see more growth in exchanges of trade. Cooperation should now be much broader in the energy sector. Currently, South Africa is going through an energy crisis, and we could learn a lot and do a lot together with Russia on the energy side. On the science and technology side, there is a great deal that we can learn from each other. In fact, we can learn a lot from you. We want to look at areas like space. We have a space institute in South Africa. You have advanced a great deal in space, and that is one area that we could cooperate where there can be sharing of skills. We very much appreciate support that we received from Russia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your own innovation, which killed COVID-19, helped to inspire our own scientists. I remember you and me having a conversation after our scientists discovered Omicron. We spoke on the phone and you sent Russian scientists to South Africa so that we could exchange views, and I do believe that it was really impactful. So, we thank you for that. On the education side, we continue to be grateful for the support that we get from Russia on education, and we would like more and more students to come to Russia, to come and learn across a number of disciplines. So, the support that you have given to many South Africans who have been educated in Russia is quite extensive, and we value that. So, we want to see that continuing by manyfold; not only threefold, but tenfold and twentyfold. Yes, you are right, we continue to cooperate at the UN level. We discuss issues and we are able to arrive at common positions. And we appreciate your position on the issue of the representation of Africa at the UN level. We continue to be a continent that is not represented in the key structures of the UN, and we thank you for being supportive in that regard. Our cooperation also extends to the G20, where we are able to work together on a number of issues, and, of course, at the BRICS level. We are delighted to have your support, as we are going to host a BRICS summit in a few weeks. We agree with you: yes, BRICS should be held at the appropriate level. We are in the process of preparing for BRICS, and we thank you for the support that you are giving and are willing to give as a number of Russian officials and ministers have been to South Africa now to attend various preparatory meetings that are taking place for BRICS. We are hoping that the participation of all the BRICS countries would lead to a very good outcome. We are looking forward to a very successful BRICS summit, and thank you very much for your continued support in this regard. So, thank you very much for having us in St Petersburg, and let me also end by thanking you for the opening dinner that we had and the performances. The performances that displayed the culture of St Petersburg were outstanding. But, once again, I want to thank you for the last performance, because that last performance was African. It was fantastic. I saw many people in my delegation beginning to dance, so that was good. Thank you. <...> NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US sends truckloads of military, logistic reinforcements to Syria's Hasakah Iran Press TV Saturday, 29 July 2023 4:23 PM The United States has dispatched a large convoy of trucks carrying arms and logistic supplies to Syria's oil-rich northeastern province of Hasakah from northern Iraq, as Washington steps up attempts to further plunder oil reserves and natural resources in the Arab nation. Syria's official news agency SANA, citing local sources, reported that a US military convoy of 30 trucks and tankers, loaded with weapons, ammunition, and logistic materials, entered al-Shaddadi town on Saturday. The sources added that the convoy was escorted by US-sponsored and Kurdish-led militants affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). They noted that the military vehicles headed towards the provincial capital city of Hasakah after offloading their cargo, which included medium caliber weapon systems, anti-armor missiles, modern communication and jamming systems as well as munitions intended for SDF militants. The US military has stationed forces and equipment in northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming the deployment is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists. Damascus, however, maintains that the unauthorized US deployment is aimed at plundering the country's rich mineral resources. Back on July 18, Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian president's special representative for the Middle East and Africa, sternly criticized the persisting illegal presence of US military forces in Syria, demanding that the Pentagon end its illegitimate occupation of the Arab nation's energy- and mineral-rich regions. "Washington uses the pretext of combating terrorism to be present east of the Euphrates in economically important areas, where crude oil and strategic natural reserves are abundant," he said at the time. He underscored that the presence of US troops at the al-Tanf area in southern Syria, which marks a flagrant violation of the country's sovereignty and its territorial integrity. Bogdanov also censured US support in the terror-ravaged country for the anti-Damascus SDF militants in northern Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US-Led Coalition Makes 23 Close Encounters With Russian Aircraft in Syria in 2023 - Moscow Sputnik News 20230729 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The coalition led by the United States made 23 close encounters with the Russian aerospace forces in Syria in 2023, Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov, the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, said on Saturday. "During 2023, the coalition's aircraft made 23 dangerous close encounters with the aircraft of the Russian aerospace forces, during 11 of which the crews recorded the exposure of Russian aircraft to weapons guidance systems, which led to the automatic operation of on-board defense systems and the shooting of false thermal targets," Gurinov told a briefing. Two such cases occurred in April, one in May, four in June and five in July, Gurinov said, noting that this indicates a steady increase in the number of dangerous encounters by the US-led coalition in Syria. He also said that the coalition's failure to follow deconfliction rules and violation of the Syrian border threatens the fragile balance of power in the region. "The non-compliance of the US-led coalition with the deconfliction rules and the violation of the Syrian state border threatens the fragile balance of power in the region, achieved thanks to Russia's efforts, has a destructive effect on the development of the situation, and also aggravates the situation in Syria's airspace," Gurinov added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US to Continue Contacts With Russia on Operations in Syrian Airspace Sputnik News 20230729 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States will continue to engage with Russia on operations in Syrian airspace, including in the context of the recent incidents with US drones, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Saturday. "We will continue to engage, using the established channels to convey our concern, and we will continue to engage senior leadership as appropriate. But again, we will continue to operate as we have always operated in the air spaces, and we will protect our interest and our resources," Austin told a press conference, following the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations. On Wednesday, Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov, the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, said that an MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle of the US-led coalition in Syria had come into dangerous proximity to Su-35 and Su-34 aircraft of the Russian airspace forces. Gurinov called the actions of the US-led coalition "extremely provocative," but noted that thanks to "high professionalism" of Russian pilots, a possible collision had been prevented. The similar incident occurred on Friday, Russian officials said. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan thanks U.S. for US$345 million in military aid ROC Central News Agency 07/29/2023 12:18 PM Taipei, July 29 (CNA) Taiwan's government on Saturday thanked Washington for providing Taiwan with US$345 worth of military aid through a Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), but was tight-lipped about the contents of the package. The White House announced the PDA on Friday and said the package will include "defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training." It did not specify what weapons systems or services will be provided. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) thanked the U.S. for the PDA and its "firm commitment" to Taiwan's security. "The PDA is an important tool to shore up Taiwan's self-defense capabilities besides arms sales," MND spokesman Major General Sun Li-fang (ac) said in a statement. "Taiwan and the U.S. will continue working closely on security issues to maintain peace, stability and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait," Sun said. Based on a long-standing agreement between Taiwan and the U.S., however, the MND will not discuss details of the aid, Sun said. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) thanked the U.S. for honoring its pledges to uphold Taiwan's security under the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, with the PDA. It said that similar to arms sales, the PDA is crucial to bolstering Taiwan's self-defense. "Taiwan and the U.S. will continue deepening their close partnership and work together to defend the rule-based international order and promote peace, stability and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region," MOFA said in a statement. "MOFA will not discuss details of the PDA," it said. (By Sean Lin) Enditem/cs NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US announces $345 million weapons package for Chinese Taipei Iran Press TV Saturday, 29 July 2023 5:04 PM The United States has announced a fresh $345 million package of weapons for Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) despite repeated warnings from Beijing against sending arms to the self-governed island, turning it into a "powder keg". Washington announced the new weapons package for Chinese Taipei on Friday, at a time when the US has been attempting to ameliorate its deteriorated relationship with Beijing. For this package, Washington has for the first time used what is known as Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), allowing the US to pull the weapons and other stocks directly from the inventories of the US Department of Defense (DoD). Prior to this, PDA, which accelerates the process of weapons transfers, was used only for weapons deliveries to Ukraine. "This is the first time we have done a Taiwan PDA," a senior official for the Biden administration said earlier this month as quoted by CNN, "and it has taken a bit longer than we would normally expect." DoD spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners said the package "includes self-defense capabilities that Taiwan will be able to use to build ... to bolster deterrence now and in the future." He added that the systems include "critical defensive stockpiles, multi-domain awareness, anti-armor, and air defense capabilities." The Pentagon spokesperson added that the administration will continue to review the kind of equipment Chinese Taipei will need to purchase from the United States. Meiners claimed that the US government remained "committed to the One-China policy." However, the internationally accepted One-China policy forbids world countries from selling weapons, expanding ties, and establishing diplomatic relations with Taipei. Also, Taipei's earlier purchase of weapons from the United States had included $332.2 million of 30mm ammunition and related equipment, as well as $108 million worth of logistical military material. Taipei's minister of war Chiu Kuo-Cheng, in early May, announced that the island was in talks with Washington for a fast-tracked $500 million weapons package. He said at the time that the sped-up delivery of the weapons would make up for delays in the delivery of other weapons, some of which had been diverted by Ukrainian forces fighting against Russia. In late May, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers that a "significant" package of weapons, munitions, and equipment would be coming "soon" for Taiwan, part of the $1 billion worth of weapons the US Congress had authorized in PDA for Taipei. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has been making repeated failed attempts to re-establish diplomatic ties with Beijing, trying to reopen frozen lines of communication and restart broken dialog between the two countries. In this regard, following abortive overtures by US military officials, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and John Kerry, the US President Joe Biden's special climate envoy, made separate visits to Beijing to mend ties. Meanwhile, the state-run China Daily newspaper wrote in an editorial on Saturday that Washington is fanning the flames of war with arms sales to Taiwan. The freshly announced weapons package shows Washington is apparently attempting to export war to the Asia-Pacific as part of its containment strategy toward China, it said. It said the sales of weapons to Taipei betrays the recent promises from senior US officials not to take any anti-Beijing stances and show support for the secessionist movement on the island. The $345 million package includes "man-portable air defense systems, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles" which will be used in targeting the Chinese mainland. It also includes "education and training" for the locals, an extremely detrimental move aimed at planting the seed of secessionism in the minds of the young so as to turn them into cannon fodder of the secessionists in power. Beijing describes the issue of Chinese Taipei as the most sensitive and important matter in its relations with the US, and the topic remains a constant source of friction between the two world powers. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Jul.29, 2023 ROC Central News Agency 2023/07/29 1.Dateis 6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Friday to Saturday, Jul. 28-29 2.PLA activitiesis 2 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities. 3.Illustration of flight paths is not provided due to no trace of PLA aircraft crossing the middle line of the Taiwan Strait or entering Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ during the time frame. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Update 176 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine International Atomic Energy Agency 76/2023 Vienna, Austria 29 Jul 2023 Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has completed the planned transition of its reactor unit 5 to cold shutdown while moving reactor unit 4 to hot shutdown, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today. The ZNPP conducted this change in reactor status in order to carry out maintenance activities at unit 5 that are only possible in cold shutdown. Unit 5 was transitioned into cold shutdown yesterday morning, three days after unit 4 shifted to hot shutdown, its steam now being used to treat wastewater at the ZNPP. The other units remain in cold shutdown. The IAEA experts at the site have been encouraging the ZNPP to investigate all possible options to install an external boiler instead to generate the steam required, which would enable the site to bring all units into a cold shutdown state. As reported previously, the Ukraine national regulator - SNRIU - had issued regulatory orders to limit the operation of all six units to a cold shutdown state. Yesterday, the IAEA team visited reactor unit 5 where they observed the reactor vessel, spent fuel pool and the steam generator. The team noted that all equipment seemed to be in normal condition. There were no restrictions during the visit and the team did not observe any mines or explosives. However, during a walkdown within the site's perimeter on Thursday, the team confirmed that the mines that they observed on 23 July were still in place. The IAEA is also continuing to request access to the roofs of the ZNPP's reactors and their turbine halls. Over the last few days the IAEA team has heard occasional detonations; some at a distance away from the plant, and some apparently closer. Director General Grossi again stressed the paramount importance of adhering to the five basic principles for the protection of the ZNPP that he established on 30 May at the United Nations Security Council, stating that there should be no attack from or against the plant and that it should not be used as storage or a base for heavy weapons - multiple rocket launchers, artillery systems and munitions, and tanks. "An increased risk of military activities near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant could potentially endanger nuclear safety and security at this major facility. I call on all sides to refrain from any action that could lead to a nuclear accident with potential consequences for public health and the environment," Director General Grossi said. "Now more than ever, these five basic principles designed to ensure the protection of Europe's largest nuclear power plant must be strictly observed. It should be in everybody's interest to help prevent a nuclear accident," he said. The IAEA experts at the ZNPP are continuing to closely monitor the situation regarding the availability of water for cooling the ZNPP's six reactors and other essential nuclear safety and security functions, following the destruction of the downstream Kakhovka dam in early June and the subsequent depletion of the huge reservoir near the plant. The IAEA team reported that the available water supply remains relatively stable, with the water level in the site's large cooling pond decreasing by around 1 centimetre per day due to usage and evaporation. Submersible pumps have been periodically used to pump water from the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP) inlet channel to the ZTPP discharge channel. The combination of the pumping and heavy rain experienced during the week has seen the height of the ZTPP discharge channel increase by around 25 centimetres. The site continues to have sufficient water for some months. On 27 July, the IAEA team conducted a walkdown of the cooling pond area, visiting a pilot well that has been built near the port. Testing of the quality of the water and the flow rate which will determine if the location meets the site's requirements for the well are ongoing, the team reported. The IAEA experts also went to the cooling tower area, and the isolation gate of the discharge channel of the nearby ZTPP. During the walkdown, the team did not see any mines or explosives. However, the team could not go to the cooling pond retention gate to see progress of the construction of an additional barrier being put in place. The team was informed that the construction was completed but access was not authorised. One of the off-site radiation monitoring stations, which had been damaged by military activity in the past, was restored earlier this week and put back into operation. However, the online data transmission to the SNRIU is still not working. As an interim measure, the data from the off-site radiation monitoring stations is manually provided to the IAEA team, which also regularly conducts independent radiation monitoring at the site. The off-site data and the team's own measurements are uploaded by the IAEA to the IAEA's International Radiation Monitoring Information System (IRMIS). The IAEA teams at the Chornobyl, Rivne, Khmelnitsky and South Ukraine NPPs did not report any issues related to nuclear safety or security over the past week and have observed nothing unusual at the sites. Rotations of IAEA teams were completed this week at the Rivne, Khmelnitsky and South Ukraine NPPs. As previously reported, the IAEA conducted a Support and Assistance Mission on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources in Ukraine over the past week. The fact-finding mission collected information that will provide the basis for identifying future needs and priorities in this area. A strategy for technical support and assistance in the area of nuclear safety and security of radioactive sources will also be developed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address German arms giant to repair damaged tanks in Ukraine Iran Press TV Saturday, 29 July 2023 1:56 PM German arms giant Rheinmetall has planned to repair Kiev's tanks damaged and lost in the war against Russia in Ukraine. Earlier reports had said Rheinmetall was in talks to invest some $212 million in building a tank factory in Ukraine. In March, the German arms manufacturer said it had plans to build a factory on the ex-Soviet country's territory where it would build the company's latest Panther battle tanks models. "A Rheinmetall plant can be set up in Ukraine for around 200 million euros ($212.64 million), which can produce up to 400 Panthers a year," the Rheinische Post reported, quoting Rheinmetall's CEO Armin Papperger. "Talks with the Ukrainian government are promising and I hope for a decision in the next two months," Papperger added. In addition to Panther tanks, Rheinmetall manufactures ammunition, military equipment, and also the Leopard tanks that Germany decided to send to Ukraine, which the company produces jointly with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. The Ukrainians currently do not have enough equipment to fully retake their territory, Papperger stressed. Back in early March, Papperger said Ukraine needed 600 to 800 tanks and the construction of new tanks must start quickly to achieve that number. However, he told Der Spiegel magazine on Friday there were security concerns associated with the project and instead Rheinmetall will undertake the repairs of the Leopard tanks that Germany has already sent to Ukraine. He said the German company is "already training Ukrainians in Germany for this job," adding that "We want to start operations after the summer break." The German businessman refrained to say where in Ukraine the facility will be located. Presently, German Leopard 2 battle tanks can only be repaired outside Ukraine, and the proposed center will reduce the distance that damaged tanks have to be transported, the report said. In the meantime, Russian officials have warned Germany against such a move. Ex-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who now serves as deputy head of the country's Security Council, wrote on social media in March, "If [the] Krauts still go on with it for real, they're very welcome." "The decision should be greeted with fireworks by Kalibrs and other Russian pyrotechnic devices." Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said earlier this month, that "such a plant, if it is built, will be a legitimate target for the Russian forces on par with any other object of the Ukrainian defense industry." EU countries, alongside the United States, have supplied Kiev with tens of billions of dollars of weapons, munitions, and other military equipment, including dozens of Leopard 2 main battle tanks. In the run-up to Ukraine's much-hyped counteroffensive, which started in early June, Kiev filled its caches with all sorts of military equipment. However, it lost a large portion of the Western-supplied arms munitions, and a number of German tanks were also destroyed in the war against Russian forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Ukraine had lost 15 Leopard 2s along with other Western hardware in a single day in a failed attempt to advance. In late June, Die Welt revealed that Rheinmetall had made huge profits amid the conflict in Ukraine. The news outlet said the Dusseldorf-based arms manufacturer received 18 percent more orders in 2022, compared to 2021. Rheinmetall is now planning to increase production significantly while expecting double-digit sales growth in the coming years, it reported. Russia has warned the West against arming Kiev, saying it would only add to the losses. In February 2022, Moscow launched its military campaign in eastern Ukraine to aid the persecuted Russian-speaking population there and stop NATO's eastward encroachment towards its borders. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskiy Visits Eastern Front Line In Ukraine As Surge Of Fighting Reported In South By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 29, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has visited the front line near the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut as heavy fighting continued in the country's south. Zelenskiy posted images on social media on July 29 showing him meeting with Ukrainian troops near Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region that has been the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the 17-month war and which Russia seized in May. "The performance of tasks for the sake of Ukraine by you, guys, is truly heroic," Zelenskiy wrote, praising Ukraine's special forces troops on the occasion of Special Operation Forces Day. Two people were killed, and another was wounded in the city of Zaporizhzhya on July 29, where a "missile hit an open area," a local official said. "The shock wave shattered the windows of a very tall building, and damaged an education center and a supermarket," city council official Anatoliy Kurtev wrote on social media. Ukrainian media outlets published images of what they described as the aftermath of the attack, including the destroyed frontage of a supermarket with empty shelves that had been plunged into darkness by the explosion. The Ukrainian military said that Russian forces had launched "five missiles and carried out 19 air strikes" during the day. They had fired "multiple rocket launchers 30 times" on Ukrainian positions and inhabited areas, the military added. Fighting has reportedly intensified in recent days after months of slow progress, with Ukrainian military officials saying that Kyiv was ramping up its counteroffensive with operations in Zaporizhzhya Province. British intelligence said in an assessment issued on July 29 that over the past 48 hours it had recorded an "uptick of fighting in two sectors of southern Ukraine": Orikhiv, in the Zaporizhzhya region, and 80 kilometers to the east in the Staromayorske area of the Donetsk region. On July 29, the Ukrainian military said that there were 27 clashes the previous day between Ukrainian forces and Russian troops, with Russian forces carrying out attacks in the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The Ukrainian military also said it was continuing to stave off a Russian offensive near Maryinka, in the Donetsk region, and that Russia was concentrating its troops in the Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions in the country's south. Peace Efforts Saudi Arabia is set to host Ukraine peace talks next month, inviting Western countries, Ukraine, and major developing nations, including India and Brazil, The Wall Street Journal reported on July 29, citing diplomats involved in the discussions. Senior officials from up to 30 countries, including Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Chile, and Zambia have been invited to the meeting in Jeddah on August 5-6, the report said. It is not clear how many of them will attend. Britain, South Africa, Poland, and the European Union are among those who have confirmed attendance and the U.S. national-security adviser, Jake Sullivan, is expected to attend, the WSJ said. The talks exclude Russia. The report said, Ukraine and Western officials hope that the talks can lead to international backing for peace terms favoring Ukraine. Kyiv says negotiations with Russia would only be possible after Moscow withdraws its troops. Russia -- which claims to have annexed around a sixth of Ukraine -- has said it is open to peace talks with Ukraine but that they must take account of these "new realities" on the ground. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-dnipro- russian-missile-strike-sbu/32525289.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 Occupation Authorities In Eastern Ukraine On The Prowl For Supposed Ukrainian Military 'Spotters' By Olha Modina July 29, 2023 Lyudmyla, who retired from law enforcement in the city of Luhansk in 2014, received an unexpected phone call from her former colleagues earlier this month. The caller asked if she was receiving her pension and if she needed any assistance. He also asked, as if in passing, whether she had accepted a Russian passport. "At first I thought an election must be coming up and suddenly everyone is paying attention to their constituents," she told RFE/RL. The names of all those interviewed for this story who are living in Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation have been changed for their safety. But later, in private conversations with other former colleagues, Lyudmyla learned that the occupation authorities in the Russian-held parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions had launched an active campaign to ferret out civilians who might be helping the Ukrainian military to locate targets behind the front lines. The phone call to Lyudmyla came the day after Ukrainian shelling hit the Luhanskteplovod locomotive factory, which has been used as a military base since 2014. Locals from Luhansk, Donetsk, Sorokyne, and elsewhere confirmed to RFE/RL's Donbas.Realities that such searches have begun, with one person calling them "witch hunts." The campaign comes as Ukraine accelerates the crucial counteroffensive it launched in early June. Mykola, a retired military veteran living under the Russian occupation, said the searches have targeted specific categories of people, including military retirees like himself and disabled veterans. Others in the crosshairs include people whose children live in government-held parts of Ukraine, particularly if they have not accepted Russian citizenship, and people working for the occupation administration but who they feel have not demonstrated sufficient loyalty on social media. In addition, former law enforcement employees like Lyudmyla, particularly veterans of the Berkut riot police, are under the microscope. "After all," Mykola said, "they think if these people betrayed Ukraine, they might betray them too." Sowing Fear Media controlled by the occupation authorities have reported Ukrainian strikes targeting the Luhansk mine and the Luhansktsentrokuz ironworks this month. Explosions were also reported on July 25 in the center of Donetsk near a factory that has been used as a Russian staging area. Mykola said the "witch hunt" is a sign that the occupation authorities are concerned about the counteroffensive, in which Ukraine has reported small territorial gains both in eastern Ukraine, which includes the Donbas, and in the south. The progress is making them "nervous," Mykola said. The authorities routinely blame Ukrainian rocket strikes on so-called "waiters," or civilians who are waiting for Kyiv to restore control over its territories. Yelena, a woman from Luhansk, noted that after each successful strike the occupation authorities report the arrest of a supposed "spotter." "But the attacks continue," Yelena said. "As if in occupied Luhansk there is some sort of factory stamping out one spotter after another. Of course, everyone understands they merely arrested some random person." Mykola said the arrests are an attempt by the occupation authorities to prove to Moscow that they are vigilant and have control over their regions. In addition, the high-profile well-publicized arrests sow fear among locals who might be quietly cheering on the Ukrainian counteroffensive. In addition, he said, the detainees become an additional bargaining tool in exchange negotiations with Kyiv. Other locals who spoke with RFE/RL said it is easy to get arrested in the occupied territories, even if one has never expressed pro-Ukrainian sentiments. Sometimes all it takes is a house or car or business that attracts the attention of some de facto official or militia figure. Denunciations also play a role. "If you have a conflict with a neighbor and he has a contact in the [de facto police], you might find yourself locked in a basement," Yelena said. "An estranged wife or husband might decide to take revenge.... If you argue with the babushka next door about the state of the fence, she might write a denunciation that she heard you speaking Ukrainian." People arrested in such cases can easily be portrayed as "spotters," she added. Such arbitrary arrests might be counterproductive for the authorities, said Artem, a former resident of the Luhansk region who did provide intelligence assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces before he left for Kyiv-controlled territory. Now, as an army volunteer, he coordinates information coming from various sources in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine. It is difficult to intimidate people with possible arrest when they know they might end up "in a basement" without actually doing anything, Artem said. Written by RFE/RL's Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RL Donbas.Realities correspondent Olha Modina. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-occupied-donbas- military-spotters/32525347.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 Forces Seize Swedish CV90 IFV in Special Op Zone for the First Time Sputnik News 20230729 The Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) is a family of combat vehicles that have been in service in the Swedish army since 1993. These vehicles are equipped with a Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/70 and their armor protects against 30 mm APFSDS. Russian servicemen captured a Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) during a battle with the Ukrainian military outside Krasny Liman; this is the first vehicle to have been taken as a trophy by the Russian military in the special military operation zone, a Sputnik correspondent reports. More than 500 of these IFVs are in service in Sweden. Sweden announced in February that it would deliver 50 of these vehicles to Ukraine. On July 7, the head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov said that the CV90 infantry fighting vehicles had arrived in Ukraine and were ready for battle. "Two IFVs (CV90) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine appeared before our stronghold and started to shell it. One vehicle was hit by an RPG grenade (hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher) when approaching our positions. The commander of the vehicle was killed [...], the rest of the crew ran away. There was no assault forces inside the vehicle. The second IFV left," a serviceman told the Sputnik correspondent. According to him, this is the first such trophy obtained by the Russian military in the special operation area. The abandoned vehicle was subsequently dragged to the rear. The soldier noted that judging by the number, the CV90 was manufactured in 2018. The soldier highlighted that inside the vehicle some of the Swedish inscriptions are duplicated in Russian. Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned the NATO countries that they are "playing with fire" by supplying weapons to Ukraine. The Kremlin noted that pumping Ukraine with weapons from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also stated that the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, "including not only the supply of weapons, but also the training of personnel... in the UK, Germany, Italy and other countries." A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Says Had Frank, Useful Discussion on Ukraine With African Countries Sputnik News 20230729 ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the Russia-Africa summit went well and with good results. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that a frank and useful discussion on Ukraine had been held with African countries the day before. "A little over a month ago, here in St. Petersburg, we discussed with the leaders and heads of multiple African delegations, including your representative, possible ways of resolving the situation around Ukraine. Yesterday we also had an opportunity to continue the exchange of views with your active participation, Mr. President. In my opinion, we had a very frank and useful discussion," Putin said during a meeting with Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso. Russia and the Republic of the Congo have a fruitful cooperation with each other at the United Nations and other international platforms, Putin noted. "The Republic of the Congo supports most of the Russian draft resolutions, including those on combating the glorification of Nazism, on not being the first to deploy weapons in space, on information security and so on," Putin said. The Russian leader added that he would be happy to see the Congolese president at the main naval parade that will take place on Sunday. "It seems to me that it [Russia-Africa summit] was held at a very good level and with good results," Putin said at a meeting with Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso. Putin also thanked Sassou Nguesso for the decision to visit the Russian city of St. Petersburg. The second Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum took place in St. Petersburg from July 27-28. Sputnik is an official media partner of the event. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Forces Target Ukrainian Saboteurs in Kherson Region Sputnik News 20230729 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian artillery has covered groups of Ukrainian saboteurs with heavy fire near the village of Sadovoe in the Kherson region, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik. "The reconnaissance means of the group [of Russian forces] revealed the places of concentration of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the area of aaaathe village of Sadovoye. A command and observation post of saboteurs was destroyed during a fire raid," the spokesperson said. In the Kherson direction, Russian troops inflicted fire damage on enemy manpower accumulations around aaaathe villages of Antonovka, Shirokaya Balka and Pridneprovskoe, the spokesperson added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin: Ball Now on Ukraine's Side With Regard to Talks Sputnik News 20230729 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine abandoned the agreements reached after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kiev area and Moscow does not understand why Western countries are dragging Ukraine into NATO, creating a security threat, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "Not everyone knows this, but we know it well, that Kiev received its sovereignty and independence during the collapse of the Soviet Union on the basis of a declaration of independence, and in this declaration it was written in black and white that Ukraine is a neutral state. And for us, it is of fundamental importance," Putin said at a Friday meeting in St. Petersburg with the heads of African delegations. "Why the West began to draw Ukraine into NATO is not very clear to us." The Russian leader added that Moscow has repeatedly publicly voiced its readiness for talks with Kiev. "But after the withdrawal of our troops from near Kiev - and we were asked to do this in order to create conditions for the conclusion of a final agreement - the Kiev authorities abandoned all previous agreements," Putin said, adding that now, "the ball is completely on their side." He further underscored that despite the West's failure to comply with the UN Charter, Russia is in fact ready to seek a peaceful settlement to the Ukraine Conflict. "They do not care for the UN Charter, they refer to the international law only when they believe that these tools can be used against someone, in this case against Russia. They will not succeed, it is too primitive," he stated. "If they really want someone to comply with the UN Charter and other documents of international law, they have to comply with the same norms themselves. But this, nevertheless, does not mean that we do not want and do not seek a peaceful resolution of the conflict." Doubling down, Putin noted that Russia has not in any regards violated the UN Charter and acts in full accordance with it, adding that its principles should be respected by all. "There should not be any double standards, unilateral sanctions and attempts to ensure their own security at the expense of others," he said. Moscow Values African Countries' Approach in Finding Ukraine Solution The Russian president went on to state during the Friday meeting that Russia has carefully analyzed the thoughts and considerations of African countries on Ukraine, and appreciates their determination to find a just and fair solution to the Ukraine crisis. During the meeting dedicated to the topic of Ukraine, the Russian leader expressed the hope that African colleagues understand the nature and origins of the Ukraine crisis. "We tried to convey our vision of this problem. We believe that the problem did not arise yesterday, and was provoked by some forces in the West, who had been preparing for a hybrid war with our country for many years, doing everything to turn Ukraine into a tool to undermine the foundations of Russia's security, to damage Russian positions in the world, and to undermine our statehood," Putin said. The Russian president emphasized that it was the coup in Ukraine in 2014, which Western countries actively supported, that led to the current crisis. Putin also thanked African leaders for their approach in seeking a just and fair solution to the Ukraine crisis. "I know that you are sincerely striving to render possible assistance in achieving a just and sustainable solution to the conflict, and we, of course, greatly appreciate your balanced approach, as well as the fact that you did not support and do not support the anti-Russian rhetoric, anti-Russian campaign," Putin said. Putin's comments came amid the Russia-Africa Summit 2023 and Economic and Humanitarian Forum, which was held July 27-28. The event has called on delegates from nearly 50 African nations to discuss all matters food security and bolstering ties between Russian and African states. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Special Operations Forces mean heroism, about which impossible to tell details, they inflict particularly tangible blows on Russian terrorists - address of President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 29 July 2023 - 15:58 Dear Ukrainians, I wish you good health! Today - in Donetsk region. Chasiv Yar, Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka. With our warriors, our heroes. I congratulated and had the honor to personally congratulate, shake hands, and award warriors of the Special Operations Forces on the occasion of their professional day. They are always at the hottest areas of the front, on the most responsible, special tasks. And now is the same - near Bakhmut, I came to them. I thanked the guys for their strength and heroism, for their professionalism, and their extremely professional defense of Ukraine. Special Operations Forces mean such heroism about which impossible to tell the details. Only years later - such specifics of operations. The guys inflict particularly tangible blows on Russian terrorists. What we can talk about now, of course, is participation in key combat operations. Bakhmut in particular, Avdiyivka, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka. Soledar. Together with everyone, they defended Kyiv and Hostomel, and Bucha, and Irpin, and Moschun, and Makariv. Snake Island - also SOF together with intelligence, together with the Alpha group and the Navy. Kinburn Spit. Kherson. Now - the liberation of Staromayorske, this is also a result, in particular, of the SOF. During the war, 17 warriors of the Special Operations Forces were awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. Thirteen of them, unfortunately, posthumously. In total, 2,520 SOF warriors were awarded state awards. Thank you, warriors, for your results for Ukraine, for all our people! Thanks for the chevron, it's a real honor! And once again I wish you the most important thing - victory! Victory over Russian evil. Dnipro. The work at the site of yesterday's missile strike was completed already in the morning. Nine people were injured, including two children and teenagers. Everyone was given the necessary help. For every such blow, for all Russian terror, the enemy will surely feel the force of justice. We will not forget or forgive anything and none of them. Today is the anniversary of Olenivka, one of the most vile and cruel crimes of Russia. The deliberate, pre-planned killing of captured Azov warriors. Let every loss of Russia be retribution for its evil, and let every occupier, every Russian murderer, all those responsible for this terror against Ukraine and Ukrainians know - while they are still alive - that justice wins. Ukraine will win! Thanks to everyone who brings our victory closer! Eternal memory to everyone who gave his life for the sake of Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits informational and psychological operations units and Resistance Movement of SOF in Donetsk region President of Ukraine 29 July 2023 - 15:50 During a working trip to Donetsk region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the informational and psychological operations units and the Resistance Movement of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Commanders of tactical groups of the informational and psychological operations units spoke about their activities using advanced information technologies, successful informational and psychological campaigns and actions. The Head of State was shown the capabilities of intelligence, interception equipment, and special acoustic means to mislead the enemy. The head of the Resistance Movement group informed the President about the actions of intelligence networks in the occupied territories, the performance of special activities to damage logistics, and the detection of clusters of enemy manpower and equipment. Zelenskyy congratulated the servicemen of the Special Operations Forces on their professional holiday and presented state awards. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Head of State takes part in solemn events on Day of Special Operations Forces of Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donetsk region President of Ukraine 29 July 2023 - 14:31 During a working visit to Donetsk region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the position of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) unit of the Armed Forces, where he took part in solemn events on the occasion of the Day of Special Operations Forces. The Head of State congratulated the warriors and thanked them for their courage and resistance. "It is very important to congratulate in person, that's why I wanted to be here, shake your strong hands, thank you for not letting our state be occupied, Ukraine and everything we have: our identity, our life be destroyed. Thank you for the fact that even after 520 days of the very difficult full-scale war for our freedom and the lives of all of us, our children, the present and the future of our state, you are still strong," Zelenskyy said, addressing the SOF warriors. Those present observed a moment of silence in memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of our country. The President together with a military chaplain took part in a prayer for Ukraine's victory. He also presented state awards. In particular, Zelenskyy handed over the Golden Star order to the father of Captain Oleksiy Khyzhniak, who was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. In September 2022, Khyzhniak's group captured an enemy checkpoint and stopped the enemy column, destroying equipment and personnel. During the battle, the captain was mortally wounded. Oleksiy Khyzhniak's father heads one of the special forces units of the SOF. Commander of the Special Operations Forces, Brigadier General Viktor Khorenko, reported to the President about the actions of the SOF warriors. According to him, the Special Operations Forces are engaged in all areas of the front and destroy the enemy in the most difficult conditions. Khorenko said that SOF units work 24/7 and often beyond their capacity. "This is the work of the SOF: difficult, but necessary for victory," he said. The flag and chevrons of the Special Operations Forces were also handed over to the President. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President visits Special Operations Forces' positions near Bakhmut, presents state awards on Special Operations Forces Day President of Ukraine 29 July 2023 - 13:42 On the Day of Special Operations Forces (SOF), President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the advanced positions of Special Operations Forces near Bakhmut in Donetsk region. Zelenskyy visited the command post of SOF tactical groups in Chasiv Yar. The Head of State listened to a commander's report on the operational situation in the area of responsibility, the performance of special tasks, and the units' needs for weapons, and equipment. The President of Ukraine talked with the servicemen of the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, congratulated them on the holiday, and presented them with state awards. Zelenskyy noted the heroism and high professionalism of the SOF fighters. "Congratulations on SOF Day. An important day for Ukraine, for the Armed Forces. It is a pleasure to congratulate you. It is clear that the situation is not easy, but you are powerful people. I wish you strength, health and victory. Probably, the people of Ukraine do not hear much about SOF, because you are always in the hottest spots. But I want to say that everyone knows what kind of guys are in SOF. They know that all of you are very heroic, a lot depends on you, because you are always at the first battle line," he said. The Head of State, in particular, awarded the warriors with the Cross of Combat Merit of the President of Ukraine, orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the first degree, and presented valuable gifts. "Thank you for everything. Thank you for your service, for what you do, for defending us all. I wish you good health, come back victorious," Zelenskyy said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andriy Yermak had a phone call with Chief Advisor to President of Brazil President of Ukraine 29 July 2023 - 10:31 On the instructions of the Head of State, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had a phone call with Chief Advisor to the President of the Federal Republic of Brazil Celso Amorim. Yermak told the interlocutor about the preparation of another meeting of national security advisors to state leaders regarding the implementation of Ukraine's initiatives to restore sustainable and just peace based on respect for the UN Charter and international law. He said the Ukrainian side is actively working to attract the widest possible range of participants to these meetings. The Head of the Office of the President said that Ukraine continues active work on the implementation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Peace Formula and the preparation of the Global Peace Summit. Yermak said that our country is ready to discuss relevant issues with all states that actually respect international law and the UN Charter, the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and the chief advisor to the President of Brazil agreed to continue constructive dialogue. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andriy Yermak holds meeting of Presidium of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under President of Ukraine devoted to preparations for next Congress session President of Ukraine 29 July 2023 - 09:49 Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a meeting of the Presidium of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, at which preparations for the next meeting of the Congress were discussed and its agenda was approved. "Topics of the agenda of the next meeting of the Congress are proposed. The first: the heating season of 2023-2024, namely, the operation of the life support systems of our communities and critical energy infrastructure facilities in the autumn-winter period," Yermak said. He said that the coming winter may be more difficult than the previous one, because the challenges - both security and infrastructural - persist. "Energy generation must be stable, critical infrastructure facilities must be protected from being damaged from the sky, centralized heat, electricity, water and gas supply must be provided for all citizens. Therefore, it is important for us to compare notes of the central and local authorities and coordinate efforts to ensure a stable passage of the cold season," the head of the Office of the President said. The second item on the agenda of the upcoming meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine will concern the international policy of our state. "In particular, it is progress in implementing the recommendations of the European Commission for the start of negotiations on joining the EU, international security guarantees for Ukraine and the role of local self-government in promoting the narrative of Ukrainian victory in the world," Yermak said. According to him, all members of the Congress should understand the importance of shaping a unified Ukrainian position in communication with the outside world. "The more unity we demonstrate to the outside, the more integral we will be perceived abroad, the more extensive and decisive the support for Ukraine in the world will be," the head of the President's Office said. He said that at the Congress meeting, all its members will be informed about Ukraine's current steps at the international level and on the way to European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Separate attention will be paid to the results of the Vilnius NATO Summit and the beginning of the active work of the Ukraine-NATO Council. The third item on the agenda of the next meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is implementation of state and local budgets. "The public discussion that has developed recently requires attention to this issue at the highest level. We must clearly outline priorities and establish a position on the reasonable, effective and motivated use of budget funds in response to the challenges of the martial law. Our Congress has already proven that it is an effective platform for frank, open communication between representatives of the central and local authorities," Yermak said. Deputy Head of the Office of the President Andriy Sybiha said that representatives of several international organizations, including the Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Geoffrey Payette, ambassadors of the G7 states and others will also join the next meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President. The agenda of the next meeting of the Congress, which should take place in the near future, was approved by the decision of the presidium members of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine. Presidium members also heard information about the implementation of the decisions of the previous meeting of the Congress, which took place in Lviv at the beginning of March. Deputy Head of the Office of the President Oleksiy Kuleba said that a wide range of issues were discussed and several tasks aimed at strengthening the resilience of our state were defined. In particular, it was about supporting communities and ensuring the ability of local authorities to perform their functions. "Eleven key tasks were identified, and almost all of them have been completed. There are three tasks at work," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. "There are many problems and challenges, and I am convinced that at the next session of the Congress, a whole layer of problems that local authorities have today will be raised - we will overcome them together," the head of government added. At the end, Yermak spoke in favor of strengthening the work of the office of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President, so that Ukrainian citizens could receive daily information about the activities of the Congress. "Of course, we have a war today, there are security issues, but still, as far as possible, the central and local authorities should become close and understandable to people. Because everything we do, we do for the people and for the sake of the country," the head of the President's Office said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Head of President's Office discusses implementation of Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Peace Formula with representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Ukraine President of Ukraine 29 July 2023 - 09:15 On the instructions of the Head of State, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a meeting with ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in our country. The meeting, which took place on the Day of Ukrainian Statehood in the premises of the Verkhovna Rada, was dedicated to the implementation of the Peace Formula of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in particular the clause regarding respect for the UN Charter, the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity and the world order. Representatives of the embassies of the G7 states, ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions of the European Union, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Republic of South Africa, Estonia, TArkiye, Lithuania, Egypt, Brazil, the Republic of Korea, India, Romania, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Latvia, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the Apostolic Nunciature, as well as the Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the UN resident coordinator in Ukraine took part in the event. Representatives of diplomatic institutions of Germany, Chile, Australia, Kuwait, Argentina, Cook Islands, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia joined the meeting via a video link. Yermak expressed gratitude for the meeting and welcomed the representatives of the diplomatic missions of those countries that took part in it for the first time. "I think we all share the same approach in the matters of respect for international law and the UN Charter. So I would like to express my sincere thanks to you for the fact that we are meeting in this format for the fourth time and will continue. I hope that your active participation is evidence that you share our principles," the head of the Office of the President said. He said that proposals to the philosophy of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Peace Formula expressed by diplomats will help in its implementation. Yermak said that in the process of implementing the Formula, a structure of three levels for its coordination and implementation was created: the first - ambassadors of countries, the second - national security advisors, and the third and highest - leaders of states. Such a structure makes it possible to work effectively on the provisions of the Peace Formula and ways of its implementation. "We believe the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis. The logic is very simple: the war, unfortunately, is taking place on our territory. For us, for Ukrainians, and, I am sure, for everyone who is here today, all our colleagues, partners, and friends, the most important thing is to end this war. And end it so that Ukraine can return all its territories, restore its territorial integrity, its sovereignty," he said. The head of the President's Office said that the Ukrainian peace plan is built exclusively on the principles of international law, the UN Charter, and justice. "For us, the opinion of everyone who respects our sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence is important. We are ready to hear everyone, ready to talk with everyone. I hope that, with your help, we will be able to develop as clear and concise wording as possible, allowing for the possibility of different interpretations of the points of the Formula. No matter what the correction is, the fundamental principle of the Formula - full compliance with the norms of international law - will remain inviolable," Yermak added. The head of the President's Office recalled that in the walls of the Verkhovna Rada, where this meeting is held, in 1991, the restoration of Ukrainian statehood was proclaimed. He said that at that time the vast majority of the population of the Ukrainian SSR voted for a free, democratic and unified state, and the world community unconditionally accepted this choice. "And now we demand respect for this choice. Ukraine considers full restoration of sovereignty and returning to the borders of 1991 as one of the fundamental conditions for the end of the war. The inviolability of borders and the right of nations to self-determination are the basic principles on which the entire system of international relations rests," he said. Yermak said that the issue of Ukraine's territorial integrity is of great importance for the restoration of the world order, which is based on the power of law, not on the power of force. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk welcomed representatives of diplomatic missions in the parliament. According to him, it is extremely significant that on the Day of Ukrainian Statehood, the Verkhovna Rada became a platform for discussions of the point of the Ukrainian Peace Formula regarding respect for the UN Charter and the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity with representatives of the diplomatic corps. "The restoration of world order and general respect for the UN Charter is possible only by restoring the territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state within its internationally recognized borders," Stefanchuk said. The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada said that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Ukrainian Peace Formula opens a universal path to peace through the restoration and further observance of the fundamental principles of international cooperation. "President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's formula is a formula of justice. Because justice is the cornerstone of international law. And this is the formula for how to live side by side, how to respect each other, how to interact and not kill. President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula is Ukrainian statehood. This is the statehood of each of your countries," Stefanchuk added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Latest in Ukraine: Putin Offers to Share Russia's Rising Grain Profits By VOA News July 29, 2023 LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Saudi Arabia is to host talks in Jeddah on August 5-6 about Ukraine. The meeting would include Western officials and representatives from up to 30 countries, including India, Brazil, Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Chile and Zambia. Ukraine and Western officials hope that the talks, which exclude Russia, can lead to international backing for peace terms favoring Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reports. About 100 soldiers from the Russian Wagner group have moved closer to the Polish border, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Saturday. Poland, a NATO member, is worried that any skirmishes on its border could lead to a spillover of war on its territory. Ukrainian soldiers have used North Korean rockets they claim were seized by a "friendly" country before being delivered to Ukraine, the Financial Times reported Saturday. Ukraine's defense ministry suggested the arms were captured from the Russians. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that higher grain prices, which have risen since Russia's exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, will benefit Russian companies as well as the world's poorest countries. In his effort to woo African leaders, Putin said during a news conference Saturday in St. Petersburg that Russia will share its profits from spiking grain prices with Africa and other poor countries. Russia, like Ukraine, is a major grain exporter. He also said that Russia did not oppose peace talks based on the African or Chinese peace initiatives. His comments came a day after several African leaders, who came to St. Petersburg for a summit, urged him to end the war on Ukraine and renew the United Nations-brokered grain deal. "We feel that we have a right to call for peace," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told Putin, because "the ongoing conflict also negatively affects us." Ukraine's grain is vital to Africa despite Putin's promises Thursday that Moscow can replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa, and he would give tens of thousands of tons of grain to six countries within months. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday that a "handful of donations" won't correct the adverse consequences of the canceled Black Sea grain deal. Under the Black Sea agreement, the World Food Program purchased and shipped 725,000 metric tons of grain to Afghanistan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen over the past year. The pact has allowed the WFP so far to procure 80% of its wheat purchases this year from Ukraine a up from 50% in 2021 and 2022. Overall, nearly 33 million metric tons of grain were exported by Ukraine under the deal, which aimed to combat a global hunger exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Global wheat prices have risen about 9% since Russia exited the agreement on July 17 and began pounding Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube River. Ukrainian counteroffensive The Ukrainian counteroffensive, which began June 5, appears to be gaining momentum. On Wednesday, Ukraine started throwing its reserves onto a large-scale attack south of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where Russian defensive lines are at their strongest. On Thursday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video in which Ukrainian soldiers said they had taken Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region. That's the fifth in a string of villages along the Mokri Yaly River in western Donetsk Oblast, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) east of the battles near Orikhiv. Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers said artillery fire at the Ukrainian troops had effectively razed Staromaiorske, and they reported more barrages Friday. Recent fighting has taken place at multiple places along the more than 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) front, where Ukraine deployed its recently acquired Western weapons to push out the Kremlin's forces. It is attacking without vital air support, however, and Russia is deeply dug in. Russia is trying to hold on to the territory it controls in the four provinces it illegally annexed in September a Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kherson and Luhansk. In his news conference Saturday, Putin said there were no serious changes and no intensification of actions on the Ukrainian front for now. Russian attacks At least two people died, and buildings were damaged in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia after a Russian missile attack Saturday, Anatoliy Kurtiev, secretary of the city council, said on Telegram. "Unfortunately, a man and a woman died. Another woman was injured," he noted. Rescue crews were seen carrying the victims away in body bags while investigators were examining pieces of shrapnel next to a crater on the ground several meters wide caused by the attack. "The blast wave knocked out windows in high-rise buildings and damaged the building of an educational institution and a supermarket," Kurtiev said. Another Russian rocket attack killed one civilian and injured five more in the northeastern city of Sumy late Saturday, Ukraine's interior ministry said. Russian forces crossed into the Sumy region shortly after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022 last year, but Ukrainian forces took back control of the region a few weeks later. Reuters could not verify the details of the report. Some information in this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Latest in Ukraine: Putin Woos African Nations With Humanitarian Aid, Grain By VOA News July 29, 2023 LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: About 100 soldiers from the Russian Wagner group have moved closer to the Polish border, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Saturday. Poland, a NATO member, is worried that any skirmishes on its border could lead to a spillover of war on its territory. Ukrainian soldiers have used North Korean rockets they claim were seized by a "friendly" country before being delivered to Ukraine, the Financial Times reported Saturday. Ukraine's defense ministry suggested the arms were captured from the Russians. A 9-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother have been summoned to testify in a criminal case against their mother, Lidia Prudovskaya, who is accused of repeatedly "discrediting" the Russian army by posting anti-war messages on social media, a criminal offense in Russia. Four African heads of state will attend Russia's annual Navy Day Parade in St. Petersburg on Sunday, while five other African countries are sending other representation, the Kremlin said Saturday. African leaders Friday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war on Ukraine and to renew the United Nations-brokered Black Sea grain deal that allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grain vital to Africa. Putin told African leaders at a summit in St. Petersburg on Thursday that Moscow can replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa, and he would give tens of thousands of tons of grain to six countries within months. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday that a "handful of donations" won't correct the adverse consequences of the canceled Black Sea grain deal. Under the Black Sea agreement, the World Food Program purchased and shipped 725,000 metric tons of grain to Afghanistan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen over the past year. The pact has allowed the WFP so far to procure 80% of its wheat purchases this year from Ukraine a up from 50% in 2021 and 2022. Overall, nearly 33 million metric tons of grain were exported by Ukraine under the deal, which aimed to combat a global hunger exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Global wheat prices have risen about 9% since Russia exited the agreement on July 17 and began pounding Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube River. Ukrainian counteroffensive The Ukrainian counteroffensive, which began June 5, appears to be gaining momentum. Reports of a new push first came on Wednesday when Ukraine started throwing its reserves onto a large-scale attack south of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where Russian defensive lines are at their strongest. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video Thursday night in which Ukrainian soldiers said they had taken Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region. That's the fifth in a string of villages along the Mokri Yaly River in western Donetsk Oblast, about 75 kilometers east of the battles near Orikhiv. Russian military bloggers said artillery fire at the Ukrainian troops had effectively razed Staromaiorske, and they reported more barrages Friday. Meanwhile, the commander of Ukraine's armed forces, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said his troops were advancing in parts of eastern Ukraine occupied by Russia and meeting stiff resistance as the war enters its 18th month. "The enemy fiercely clings to every centimeter, conducting intense artillery and mortar fire," Syrskyi said in a statement. Recent fighting has taken place at multiple places along the more than 1,000-kilometer front, where Ukraine deployed its recently acquired Western weapons to push out the Kremlin's forces. It is attacking without vital air support, however, and Russia is deeply dug in. Russia is trying to hold on to the territory it controls in the four provinces it illegally annexed in September a Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kherson and Luhansk. It was not possible to independently verify either side's claims about what is happening in the war zone. Dnipro attack Russian forces on Friday struck the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro and pounded a key village in the southeast that Ukraine said it recaptured, while Moscow accused Kyiv of firing two missiles at southern Russia and wounding 20 people. "Russian missile terror again," Zelenskyy wrote on social media. Video shows a 12-story apartment building with its upper floors ruined, smoke billowing from them, and flames raging on the ground level. Shattered concrete and glass littered a courtyard. Russia has often struck apartment buildings during the conflict, while denying it intentionally targets civilians. Some information in this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Public employers are confronted by four interrelated workforce problems. Budgets are under severe stress. There is pressure to raise performance levels. The workforces are aging and losing talent though heavy retirements. And labor markets are tight: Qualified employees in a growing number of job families are scarce, and that is driving up pay levels.Less immediately pressing but endemic to government's reality is the prevalence of civil-service laws enacted long ago; a history of stable organizations that have experienced comparatively little change; disconnected pay and performance systems; human-resources policies and systems that are not responsive to labor-market trends or organizational problems; and resistance to change from unions, employee associations and some elected officials. In many jurisdictions elected leaders as well as appointees have little, if any, meaningful experience addressing workforce problems.In the traditional government work environment, the HR or personnel office has had a limited role, focused narrowly on administering and enforcing civil-service rules and programs. HR specialists often side with employees and frustrate managers. They are often seen as an impediment to change.The HR operation could be so much more than it is. Particularly in government, it should be central to the mission of improving organizational performance. To date, initiatives to improve performance have largely ignored the workforce itself and relied on technology and metrics. The results have been disappointing. A 2010 report by the National Performance Management Advisory Commission concluded that "simply superimposing a performance management process onto a traditionally managed organization ... is not likely to make any difference" in day-to-day management. The message was that government had ignored the reality of organizations and the role social psychology plays in the work experience.The missing element in these initiatives at all levels of government is the failure to recognize that employees are integral to high performance. Virtually everything accomplished in government is attributable to employees at some level. After decades of disappointing investments in technology, it's time to develop a strategy to engage employees and tap their capabilities more fully. The potential for improved performance is significant, and the logical home for the expertise that's missing is the HR function.There's no question that new thinking in the organization and management of work can trigger significantly higher performance. The largest gains combine leading-edge HR policies and systems with effective "people management" -- the organization of work and the day-to-day effectiveness of managers and supervisors. The HR function is responsible for preparing employees for their role as supervisors, and managers have more impact on an organization's performance than any other factor.Perhaps the strongest sign of this new thinking at work is the increasing prevalence of chief human resources officers in both public- and private-sector organizations. As leadership adviser Mike Myatt put it recently in Forbes , there's a strong case to be made for the CHRO as "the real game changer." CEOs, Myatt wrote, "have grown to understand that regardless of the business they are in, they are always in the people business."If compensation is a measure of perceived importance, in many larger companies today the CHRO is paid only slightly less than the chief financial officer and more than other senior executives including the CIO. That amounts to a growing recognition that the kind of change needed to improve workforce performance needs someone to be the catalyst, and the obvious choice is the CHRO.CHRO or no CHRO, however, there will be plenty of change to manage. HR's administrative work will continue to be automated, outsourced or shifted to shared-service arrangements. Budget crises have prompted calls to consolidate HR as a central office -- or eliminate it completely. But workforce issues should not be ignored.Every organization has HR horror stories. It may be difficult to convince elected officials that HR can play an important role in improving government. But it can, and it should. Here are some steps that will set the stage to create an HR office ready to work with managers to improve performance: Take a listening tour. Arrange to meet with groups of employees to discuss what's working and what's not, and to identify changes that promise to improve the work experience. Invite a senior leader to participate so everyone understands the importance of change. In Tennessee, the lieutenant governor joined with the CHRO. Review civil-service laws and regulations to identify those that inhibit people management. Where state or local governments have done away with civil-service laws or significantly amended them, it opened the door to a better work experience. Colorado changed its state constitution to make reform possible. Regularly review HR practices for their impact on performance. A key is maintaining a work environment where managers and employees can perform at their best. Executives and managers should be asked if HR policies and systems contribute to their effectiveness. Adopt goal-based management. Gallup recently released a research-based report that advocates relying on individual goals or expected results and involving employees in the planning for how to achieve them. Every employee should be able to state what she or he expects to accomplish.Initiatives to improve performance cannot succeed in a static work environment. That's confirmed by the disappointing returns from IT investments. The prospects are far better when employers invest in developing employee capabilities and empower them to tackle problems. Leaders should be able to look to the HR community for guidance to get everyone on the same page. Leclerc plays down risk of Ferrari exit Charles Leclerc has played down fears he might not stay with Ferrari beyond his 2024 contract. Charles Leclerc, Belgian GP 2023 Ferrari Frederic Vasseur has delayed contract talks for now, but Leclerc said at Spa-Francorchamps that he is at least happy with the team's new boss. I have complete confidence in Fred Vasseur, Leclerc told the Belgian broadcaster RTBF. "He knows exactly where he wants to go and what he is going to do to get there. We discuss a lot together to achieve the objectives. It gives me confidence. But Leclerc, who like Max Verstappen is 25, admits that the 2023 season has been difficult . But it's like that for everyone apart from Red Bull, he smiled. "It's up to us to do a better job. We will focus on these last races, knowing that the car does not allow us to do the results of last year. We have to succeed in maximising the potential of the car, the current package, and not make small mistakes with the strategy, traffic management, things like that, Leclerc added. He played down rumours that he is looking for the exit door at Maranello. I've always been a driver and a person who works with the heart rather than reason, said Leclerc. I love Ferrari. My career goal is to be world champion with this team and bring them back to the top of the top. Having said that, he is happy to now be entering F1's August shutdown and break. You can disconnect during a break, said Leclerc. "But after four or five days without driving, I already start to miss it. Szafnauer doubts Sunday will be last time in F1 Otmar Szafnauer thinks he will be back in the Formula 1 paddock eventually. Otmar Szafnauer Aston Martin Racing The Alpine team boss, who was poached from Aston Martin for 2022, has been ousted by the chaos-ridden Alpine team - along with Alan Permane and Pat Fry. James Vowles, who has snapped up Fry to be Williams' technical boss, says Fry is actually not really part of the current upheavals at Renault-owned Alpine. It's clear they're in a lot of pain, Williams boss Vowles says. "They're having problems and going through a transition phase. The only thing I can add is that Pat is not involved in the change they are going through now. Pat's decision was made many months ago. However, Alpine's management and shareholding upheavals have been underway for some time - even though Szafnauer and Permane's sackings were made public on Friday. It's unusual, Szafnauer said of Alpine's decision to make the new public just as his final weekend with the team began. "But I'll do my best. There's good and bad news. The good news is that we have another race here. The bad news is that it will be a while before I can do it again. Part of his severance deal appears to be a non-competition clause for at least a year. Probably not next year with another team, no, Szafnauer confirmed. But I don't think it's the last time we'll talk to one another either. He confirmed interim boss Bruno Famin's suggestion on Friday that upper management, Szafnauer and Permane appeared to disagree about how long it would take Alpine to get into a winning position. I think it takes years, but some top executives thought it could be faster, he told Viaplay. But when you're not on the same wavelength in terms of timelines, it's better to split up. Nonetheless, he says changes he has made will now be felt by the team over the coming years. I signed some good people from other teams, but they are still stuck in their contracts and won't come until 2024 or 2025. You can't really push development if the people aren't there, said Szafnauer. It takes time for people to come and it takes time for those people to then work together correctly. I always say 'You can't get nine women pregnant and hope to have a baby in a month'. French F1 legend Alain Prost, who was ousted by Renault just as Szafnauer joined early last year, pins the blame for the chaos on Laurent Rossi - who has also now been shuffled aside from the CEO role. He is a perfect example of the Dunning-Kruger effect, Prost told L'Equipe. "An incapable leader who thinks he can hide behind arrogance and a lack of humanity towards his team. Help clamp down on pirated content Ivan Quashigah to stakeholders Edith Mensah Showbiz News Jul - 29 - 2023 , 09:35 A MOVIE producer and director, Ivan Quashigah, has expressed concern about the surge in online movie piracy on illegal platforms, stressing the issue poses a risk with a likelihood of collapsing the movie industry. The renowned producer also mentioned that there was a growing desire for investment in Ghana's film industry but that had been impeded by issues with content piracy. Mr Quashigah was speaking in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the third Graphic Showbiz Forum on the theme, Future of Ghana Movie Industry: Bright or Bleak, which came off at the Multichoice Ghana head office on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. He said it was time the relevant stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, made concerted efforts to give film industry stakeholders the extra teeth in tackling individuals who manipulated intellectual properties of creative professionals, a move he hoped could further bolster investor confidence and protect jobs in the film industry. People have found a way to load our content on these platforms for free. Some of the contents we have on farmhouse movies, DStv, among others, where people were supposed to pay and watch are being downloaded and shown for free. Piracy of our content has a negative impact on our economy and our creative professionals' ability to make meaningful earnings. If investors perceive us as a country that has no regard for the protection of intellectual property, they may not have that confidence to come in to invest. According to him, one key measure that could be taken to crack down piracy was to take legal action against offenders, while he also requested production houses and big broadcasting companies to join forces and pursue legal action against content pirates in the country. A giant like DStv should lead us the smaller production companies that are suffering from this piracy to take legal action. What we have to do now is to sue these platforms. When we start, maybe Nigeria could also join us because it is happening all over Africa. When they realise that this action will cost them a lot of money, they will begin to operate like the way YouTube does where you copyright your content and upload it on their site and when someone infringes, they take it down. People have made it a routine to load our content on these unpaid platforms. Even when they are unable to get them, they even use their phones to record it against the screen and upload it just for bragging rights and followership on these illegal platforms. I have an app, famhouse movies, where I produce content for people to pay and watch. I spend a lot of money to put this together and others put it out there for people to watch for free, you are collapsing the market and then they will come back and tell us the movie industry is dead, he said. KK Fosu congratulates Samini, Kokoveli after GIMPA graduation GNA Showbiz News Jul - 30 - 2023 , 20:06 Ghanaian Highlife musician KK Fosu has congratulated his colleagues Samini and Kokoveli after successfully completing their studies at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). The trio, who formed the defunct music group Trinity, made a tremendous impact on the music scene, dropping back-to-back hits in the 2000s. KK Fosu, who is very active in the music space, praised his colleagues for embarking on a journey of academic excellence as they look to impact the music space with their knowledge. I thank God for guiding my brothers through this educational journey. I am delighted about the academic excellence, and I hope they come and impact the world, especially the Ghanaian music industry, with their knowledge, he said in an interview. From left, Samini, Kokoveli and KK Fousu formed the Trinity group KK Fosu added that the trio still shares strong ties and would soon collaborate on various musical projects in the near future. Emmanuel Andrews Samini and Nathaniel Totimeh (Kokoveli), as they are known in real life, earned a 2nd Class Upper Honours in BSc. Project Management after their completion from GIMPA. Social media users have congratulated the duo for the academic milestone and urged other musicians to follow their trajectory. Related article: Its official! Samini graduates from GIMPA Ghana Military Academy Intake 15 @50! Brig. Gen. Dan Frimpong Opinion Jul - 30 - 2023 , 14:07 In further obedience to Nanas edict that, I educate Ghanaians about the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the searchlight today will be on Ghana Military Academy (GMA) Intake 15 and their Short Service Commission/Special Duties counterparts. What does that mean? Following Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumahs Ghanaianisation policy after independence in 1957, Ghana started training and commissioning her own officers with Canadian assistance from March 1960. The first batch, Intake 1 was commissioned eighteen months later in September 1961. Hitherto, after an initial period of ab initio training in Ghana, Ghanaian cadets and their West African counterparts from Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Gambia were sent to the United Kingdom to continue their training. On Sunday, July 23, 2023, the 15th intake of officers to be commissioned into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their commission which took place on July 21, 1973. Background GSTS Intake 15 started in September/October 1970 as the Regular-Officers-Training-Scheme (ROTS). The brainchild of the CDS at the time Air Marshal MA Otu, the Scheme was intended to be modelled on Gordonstoun School in Scotland, UK which royals like the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip and his son King Charles III attended. Academics aside, students of Gordonstoun were imbued with discipline and tough military training like mountaineering and seafaring. To this end, 39 boys from schools all over Ghana who had just successfully passed their GCE O Level were selected and sponsored by the GAF to do a two-year Sixth form course for their Advance Level at the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS), Takoradi from 1970 1972. Air-Marshal Otus grand plan was to convert GSTS into a military school, which among others, would feed the GAF with disciplined future officers. The sponsorship was to continue to university level. Unfortunately, the 1972 coup marked the end of the scheme. Intake 15 was thus the only intake which benefitted from the Regular Officers Training Scheme. Officially, it was the first batch of A Level cadets that entered GMA, an upgrade of the previous entry requirement of O Level. Appointments Commissioned on July 21, 1973, Intake 15 was the first intake to produce seven Brigadier-Generals in one day in 2003, thirty years after commission. It has produced a CDS, Service Chiefs/Commanders and Commandants. It also produced the first PhD holder in the GAF in 1977, as well a Director, Ghana Law School and a Deputy DG, National-Communication-Authority. Other high-profile appointments members of Intake 15 have held include a National Security Adviser, an Ambassador/High Commissioner, a Military Adviser to a former President of Ghana, a UN Presidential Senior-Military-Adviser, as well as Ghanas first Military Adviser (MILAD) at the Permanent Mission of Ghana to the UN, New York. Others have held Senior Staff appointments at the UN and AU. It has also produced Deputy UN Force Commanders, Deputy Commandants for the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). Additionally, it has produced Defence Attaches/Advisers. It has also produced authors/writers. In retirement, Intake 15 continues to make invaluable contributions to national development and play the role of role models for the younger generation of GAF. Ceremony On Sunday, July 23, 2023, officers of Intake 15 and their Short Service Commission counterparts and spouses attended a Thanksgiving Service at their alma mater, the Ghana Military Academy. The sermon, 50 years of Dedicated Service to God and Country was delivered by Col (Rev) JK Otoo (Rtd), a former Chaplain-General/Director-General, Religious Affairs of the GAF. During the Service, Intake 15 presented GH50,000 as seed money, and books authored by the two Intake authors, Brig. Gen. Dan Frimpong (Rtd), former Commandant of the GMA, and Major George Sarpong (Rtd), former Director Ghana Law School, as seed books for the stocking of GMAs new library. In his address, the guest of honour, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Vice-Admiral Seth Amoama narrated how he had the privilege of learning from individual members of Intake 15 throughout his career starting from his days as a cadet in 1981. He added that the solid foundation given him by his instructors of Intake 15 contributed immensely to his subsequent performances on courses overseas, and what he has ultimately become. He congratulated and thanked the Intake for their outstanding leadership and dedicated service to Ghana and the world. The CDS also approved of the new library for the Academy being named Intake 15 Library. The service was followed by interaction with the cadets and then lunch with Staff and cadets of the Academy. Summary Sunday, July 23, 2023 was a joyous day as Ghanas 15th Intake of commissioned officers joined staff and cadets of GMA to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of their commission, with the CDS as the guest of honour. The cadets were reminded by the president of Intake 15, Brig. Gen. George Adjei (Rtd) to always remember the qualities of loyalty to Ghana, and courage to lead their men. He emphasised the need for them to be physically fit as officers. He also advised them to read voraciously to acquire more knowledge. Underpinning all this, he reminded the cadets of the quality of Integrity, without which one cannot be a good officer/leader! In his vote of thanks, the Commandant of GMA, Maj-Gen Charles Awity, stated that, like the CDS, he owes his success to members of Intake 15 he had as instructors when he entered GMA in 1984. He thanked Intake 15 immensely for their decision to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary with cadets to share their vast experience, and also for providing seed money and books by Intake authors for GMAs new library in their new buildings. Leadership, lead! Fellow Ghanaians, wake up! The writer is former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Kenya & Council Chairman, Family Health University College, Ghana. Niger coup: General Tchiani declared new leader International News Jul - 29 - 2023 , 13:37 General Abdourahmane Tchiani, who often goes by "Omar," appeared on state television as the leader of the soldiers who staged the coup that began on Wednesday. US' Blinken calls Bazoum again to offer 'unflagging' support The US State Department said that Antony Blinken had called Niger's ousted President Mohamed Barzoum for the second time in as many days. Blinken offered Bazoum Washington's "unflagging support," department spokesman Matt Miller said in a statement, while warning those detaining him that "hundreds of millions of dollars of assistance" was at risk. The US secretary of state made the call while wrapping up a Pacific tour spanning several countries. Blinken also "praised Bazoum's role in promoting security not only in Niger but the wider West Africa region," and said Washington would keep working to "ensure the full restoration of constitutional order and democratic rule in Niger." He also discussed the developing situation in Niger with former Nigerien leader Mahmadou Issoufou, expressing concern over Bazoum's continued detention, and with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. France and the US are both heavily involved in Niger, supporting its fight against jihadist insurgents. Niamey's importance had increased since coups in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, struggling to contain the same militants in the tri-border area, led to the exit of Western forces and the entry of mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group in recent years. UN Security Council members express 'concern' after coup The United Nations Security Council issued a statement on Friday strongly condemning "the efforts to unconstitutionally change the legitimate government" of Niger. The 15 members, in a statement agreed by consensus, called for the immediate and unconditional release of President Mohamed Bazoum. The council also stressed the need to protect Bazoum, his family and members of his government. "The members of the Security Council expressed concern over the negative impact of unconstitutional changes of government in the region, increase in terrorist activities and the dire socio-economic situation," the statement read. From Africa, Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique are currently among the 10 rotating non-permanent members of the Council. It was a relatively rare Security Council session, by recent standards, where consensus agreement was possible. Russia's permanent membership and effective veto power has paralyzed the body on most matters pertaining to the conflict in Ukraine. Be true apostles of Christ, Church Archbishop Kwofie Albert K. Salia Jul - 29 - 2023 , 13:28 The Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp, has urged Catholics to be dedicated apostles of Christ wherever they find themselves in life. He said being true apostles of Christ required a lot of sacrifices and resilience in todays world where a lot of vices were craving for space in the life of a Christian, most importantly Catholics. Anniversary He said this when he delivered a sermon to the congregation of the St Sylvanus Catholic Church, Pokuase, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the church. The Mass was concelebrated by the Parish Priest of St Sylvanus Catholic Church, Very Rev. Fr Michael Owusu-Ofori; the Archbishops Secretary, Rev. Fr Derrick Dowuona-Hammond; Rev. Fr Delight Cabonu, Rev. Fr Courage Dogbe, Rev. Fr Alex Salakpi and Rev. Fr Emmanuel Boateng. Commending the faithful for their tenacity, evangelism and sacrifices over the period, Most Rev. Kwofie said 75 years in the life of a church meant a lot of sacrifices. The Archbishop, who was coincidentally celebrating his 35th anniversary as a priest, urged the faithful to rally behind the Parish Priest of the church and his team to move the church to the next level. He thanked God for his own ministry and called for the support of Catholics to help promote Gods Kingdom in the archdiocese and beyond. Sacrament The celebration also coincided with 135 candidates receiving the sacrament of confirmation administered by the Archbishop who asked the confirmands to remain in the faith. Most Rev. Kwofie urged them to resist any form of temptation and tendency to abandon the Catholic faith. For his part, Very Rev. Fr Owusu-Ofori urged Catholics to live exemplary lives to win more souls for Christ and to also increase the Catholic population. He said the records of the Ghana Statistical Services indicated that the Catholic population had decreased by seven per cent as compared to the population 30 years ago, a trend he deemed worrying. He, therefore, charged priests, parish pastoral council members, catechists and leaders within various Catholic churches to wake up and work to achieve the goal of winning souls for Christ through the Catholic faith. Sony has put a lot of effort into making pro-grade content-creation apps for its flagship Xperia phones. The latest Xperia 1 V has a trio of those - Photo Pro, Video Pro, and Cinema Pro - that unlock the potential of the phone's imaging system. You can access tech straight out of Sony's dedicated camera division like the advanced burst shooting with subject tracking and advanced autofocus. In video, you can choose Sony's flatter Cinetone profile, which can be tuned to your specific style. We delve deep into all three apps and what's possible with them and the Xperia 1 V combination. Check out the full video. Weekly deals: the best smartphone deals from the US, the UK, Germany and India Samsung unveiled its 5th generation foldable phones this week and they went on pre-order. There are some great deals in some regions and not-so-great deals in other regions. We also look at possible alternatives to the Galaxy Z foldables. USA Samsung US is offering some killer trade-in deals. For example, if you send in your old Galaxy Z Flip4, you can get the new Z Flip5 for just $100 (assuming its in a good condition, if your old Flip has screen damage you will have to pay $300 instead). $100 to get the new hinge and cover display, plus an updated chipset seems like a no-brainer. But what if you dont have a Z Flip4 to trade? A two-year old Galaxy S21 will fetch $400 trade-in credit, so you have to pay $600. Not a bad deal, but its not as good as the Z Flip swap. If you dont want to trade in an old device at all, check out the deals from Amazon and Best Buy. They give you a free storage upgrade (i.e. the 512GB version costs the same as the 256GB one). Note that Samsung US also offers a free storage upgrade. Moving on to the Galaxy Tab S9 slates, they also come with a free storage upgrade from the base tier. Amazon also offers 50% off a matching Book Cover Keyboard Slim. As the name suggests, this adds a full QWERTY (note: no trackpad, though). Finally, the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 pair. These dont have exciting offers from either Amazon or Best Buy, the most you can score is a free wrist strap. Now lets have a look at alternatives. The Google Pixel Fold is now available and comes with a similar internal display and a more normal cover display (5.8 17.4:9 vs. a slender 6.2 23:9 on the Z Fold5). This one is equipped with a 5X periscope (vs. 3x lens) and despite being thinner (12.1mm vs. 13.4mm), it has a larger 4,821mAh battery (vs. 4,400mAh). Note that the Pixel is heavier (283g vs. 253g). Both phones have IPX8 water resistance. The Motorola Razr+ boasts a slightly larger cover display and the two cameras (and LED flash) are in punch holes, rather than having the display shy away from them as it does on the Z Flip5. The inner display is a larger 6.9 144Hz panel (vs. 6.7, same aspect ratio). The Moto uses the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and doesnt have an advantage in the camera department like the Pixel Fold does (expect maybe for the 32MP selfie), the battery situation is only slightly better too (3,800mAh with 30W wired and 5W wireless charging vs. 3,700mAh 25/15W). If youre not into the whole foldable thing, the Motorola Edge+ packs a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a 6.67 165Hz display (FHD+), along with a 50MP main, 12MP portrait (2x) and 50MP ultra wide cameras, plus a 5,100mAh battery with 68W wired and 15W wireless charging. Its a lot of hardware for Galaxy S23 money. Moving on to regular mid-rangers. The Moto Edge from last year has a 6.6 144Hz OLED display, compared to 6.4 120Hz on a Galaxy A54 (both FHD+). The Dimensity 1050 is about on par with the Exynos 1380 (but the Samsung has a microSD slot), the 50+13MP and 50+12MP cameras are comparable too. Both phones have 5,000mAh batteries, but the Motorola has 30W wired charging (vs. 25W) and 15W wireless (vs. none). The Samsung has better resistance against the elements with an IP67 rating and a better software update story. Since we looked at Galaxy tablets, lets have a quick peek at Apple slates too. The 2022 iPad Pro is powered by the mighty Apple M2 chip and have Stage Manager, which gives them multitasking capabilities similar to DeX (with USB-C ports they support external monitors too). The iPad Air and vanilla iPad from 2022 both have 10.9 60Hz IPS displays (vs. 120Hz on the Pros) and use the Apple M1 and A14 chipsets, respectively. The Air does have Stage Manager too. Finally, the iPad Mini fills a gap that Samsung barely bothers with anymore small tablets. The Mini has an 8.3 60Hz LCD and uses the Apple A15 chipset, making it slightly more powerful than the vanilla iPad. UK The trade-in deals in the UK are not nearly as good as in the US. A 256GB Galaxy Z Flip4 will only fetch 430, which means that you still need to pay 620 for a new Z Flip5. Instead check out the Amazon deals. The Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 are both 100 cheaper than on Samsung.com, thanks to a voucher you can collect with a single click. Amazon is giving you a free storage upgrade to 512GB, just like Samsung. So, if you want to trade-in an old device, head over to Samsung.com. If not, Amazon may have the better deal for you. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series also has 100 vouchers that you can collect for any of the three models (both Wi-Fi and 5G versions are available). They come with a free storage upgrade, but since these have microSD slots you can forgo the extra storage in favor of a free Slim Book Cover Keyboard (full QWERTY, no trackpad). The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 pair comes with a gift card code for Google Play (50 for the vanilla watch and 75 for the Classic), plus a free sport band. Note that weve linked the Bluetooth versions below, if you want 4G, that will be 50/60 more on top of the size option youve picked. Now lets have a look at alternatives. The Google Pixel Fold is currently on pre-order. It comes with a similar internal display and a more normal cover display (5.8 17.4:9 vs. a slender 6.2 23:9 on the Z Fold5). This one is equipped with a 5X periscope (vs. 3x lens) and despite being thinner (12.1mm vs. 13.4mm), it has a larger 4,821mAh battery (vs. 4,400mAh). Note that the Pixel is heavier (283g vs. 253g). Both phones have IPX8 water resistance. Note that for a limited time you can score a free Pixel Watch to go with the Fold. The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra boasts a slightly larger cover display and the two cameras (and LED flash) are in punch holes, rather than having the display shy away from them as it does on the Z Flip5. The inner display is a larger 6.9 144Hz panel (vs. 6.7, same aspect ratio). The Moto uses the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and doesnt have an advantage in the camera department like the Pixel Fold does (expect maybe for the 32MP selfie), the battery situation is only slightly better too (3,800mAh with 30W wired and 5W wireless charging vs. 3,700mAh 25/15W). If you dont want a foldable, how about an Honor Magic5 Pro? This is a proper camera flagship with three 50MP sensors the one in the main measures 1/1.12 (1.4m pixels), the one in the telephoto cam sits behind a 3.5x lens, finally the one in the ultra wide is behind a 122 lens. The phone runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and a 5,100mAh battery (66W wired, 50W wireless charging). It has a huge 6.81 120Hz LTPO display (1,312 x 2,848px resolution, so not quite QHD+). The Realme GT2 Pro price has been declining steadily and is now under 500. This buys you a 6.7 QHD+ LTPO display, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, a 5,000mAh battery with 65W charging and a 50+50MP camera with an impressive 150 UW lens. However, for a bit less cash you could grab the Poco F5 Pro instead. This one has a 12-bit 6.67 120Hz display (not LTPO, though) and the improved Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. The battery is bigger at 5,160mAh capacity and supports both 67W wired and 30W wireless charging. The 64MP camera with a small 1/2 sensor has OIS, but neither it nor the 8MP ultra wide (120) are particularly impressive. Finally, some PlayStation 5 offers. The disc version of the console is available with a small discount and is now just over 400. You can also pick up an additional DualSense controller for some local multiplayer or grab the Media Remote if you want to use the PS5 as a streaming machine. Germany A 256GB Galaxy Z Flip4 is valued at only 400 for trade-in purposes, so you will need 800 on top of that to grab a new Z Flip5, which has an MSRP of 1,200. You can pick it up for 100 less than that thanks to a coupon on Amazon. Like Samsung, Amazon offers a free storage upgrade to 512GB. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 also has a coupon available, worth 150 this time, so if youre not going to be trading in an old device (e.g. a 256GB Z Fold4 is valued at 600), you may be better off going through Amazon than Samsung. The three Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 slates are available in both Wi-Fi and 5G configurations. There is a free storage upgrade in it for you, but unlike in the UK, giving up the extra storage doesnt net you a free keyboard cover. The two Samsung Galaxy Watch6 models get a small perk, a nylon wrist strap. Note that weve linked the Bluetooth versions below, the 4G versions are 50 on top. Now lets have a look at alternatives. The Google Pixel Fold is currently on pre-order (its coming next month). It comes with a similar internal display and a more normal cover display (5.8 17.4:9 vs. a slender 6.2 23:9 on the Z Fold5). This one is equipped with a 5X periscope (vs. 3x lens) and despite being thinner (12.1mm vs. 13.4mm), it has a larger 4,821mAh battery (vs. 4,400mAh). Note that the Pixel is heavier (283g vs. 253g). Both phones have IPX8 water resistance. Note that for a limited time you can score a free Pixel Watch to go with the Fold. The Huawei Mate X3 has a 5x periscope too and a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, rather than that Tensor G2 on the Google foldable. The phone is rated IPX8 and closes down to just 11.8mm, thinner than even the Pixel. Still, the price right now is too high for the X3 to compete. The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra boasts a slightly larger cover display and the two cameras (and LED flash) are in punch holes, rather than having the display shy away from them as it does on the Z Flip5. The inner display is a larger 6.9 144Hz panel (vs. 6.7, same aspect ratio). The Moto uses the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and doesnt have an advantage in the camera department like the Pixel Fold does (expect maybe for the 32MP selfie), the battery situation is only slightly better too (3,800mAh with 30W wired and 5W wireless charging vs. 3,700mAh 25/15W). The Motorola Razr 40 is 300 less than the Ultra and the Z Flip5. It cuts costs by switching to a 1.5 line display on the outside, but the internal 6.9 display is almost the same the only difference is that it runs at 144Hz. This may be a limitation of the chipset, which is a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. This one has a 64MP camera instead of 12MP (still with OIS) and a larger 4,200mAh battery (500mAh more than the Z Flip5) with 30W wired and 5W wireless charging. India Unlike in the US and Europe, Samsung isnt offering a free storage upgrade in India you get what you pay for. You can trade in an old device to lower the final price of the new Galaxy gadgets, but that's about it. Amazon doesnt have particularly interesting deals on the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5, they cost the same as they do on Samsung.com. Well move past these offers quickly to get to the alternatives. Same with the Galaxy Tab S9 tablets, not much to look at. The Tab S9 Ultra comes in Wi-Fi and 5G flavors, the Tab S9 is available only in Wi-Fi form for now. For around half the price of a Galaxy Z Fold5, you can pick up a Tecno Phantom V Fold. This one features a larger 7.85 120Hz LTPO inner display and a 6.42 120Hz LTPO cover display (with a normal-ish 21.25:9 aspect ratio). The Dimensity 9000+ isnt on par with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (especially the for Galaxy flavor), but in addition to a 50MP main cam with larger pixels (1.2m vs. 1.0m), you get a 50MP sensor behind a 2x lens (vs. 10MP 3x). And the 5,000mAh battery is bigger and faster to charge (40% in 15 minutes at 45W). The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is 10,000 less than the Z Flip5 and there is a 7,000 discount from select banks. The boasts a slightly larger cover display and the two cameras (and LED flash) are in punch holes, rather than having the display shy away from them as it does on the Z Flip5. The inner display is a larger 6.9 144Hz panel (vs. 6.7, same aspect ratio). The Moto uses the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and doesnt have an advantage in the camera department like the Pixel Fold does (expect maybe for the 32MP selfie), the battery situation is only slightly better too (3,800mAh with 30W wired and 5W wireless charging vs. 3,700mAh 25/15W). The Motorola Razr 40 is 40,000 less than the Z Flip5 and there is a 5,000 bank discount to boot. It cuts costs by switching to a 1.5 line display on the outside, but the internal 6.9 display is almost the same the only difference is that it runs at 144Hz. This may be a limitation of the chipset, which is a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. This one has a 64MP camera instead of 12MP (still with IOS) and a larger 4,200mAh battery (500mAh more than the Z Flip5) with 30W wired and 5W wireless charging. Moving on to regular phones, the Motorola Edge 40 combines a 6.55 144Hz OLED display (FHD+) with a Dimensity 8020. The phone has a 50MP main camera (1/1.55, OIS) and 13MP ultra wide (120), plus a fast charging 4,400mAh battery (68W wired, 15W wireless). The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is 33% cheaper than the Moto and has an expansive 6.72" 120Hz IPS LCD, this time paired with a Snapdragon 695 chip. The main camera has a 108MP sensor (1/1.67, no OIS), but it is capped at 1080p/30fps video capture due to the chipset and there is no ultra wide module. The 5,000mAh battery supports 67W wired-only charging. These last tow are similar in price, but the Samsung Galaxy M14 is a 5G phone (Exynos 1330), while the Redmi Note 12 is a 4G phone (Snapdragon 685). The Samsung has a 6.6 90Hz LCD, while the Redmi offers a 6.67 120Hz AMOLED (both FHD+, 20:9). Both have 50MP main cameras and 13MP selfies, but only the Redmi has an ultra wide (8MP). The Samsung has a bigger battery at 6,000mAh capacity (vs. 5,000mAh) with similar charging speed (25W vs. 33W). We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Samsung's next generation foldables are almost here - they are already on pre-order and will start shipping in a couple of weeks time. But the market they enter is more heavily contested than ever. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is no longer the only horizontal foldable in North America, following the launch of the Google Pixel Fold. The Fold may not have the best chipset in the world, but it has a very similar inner display, an IPX8 water resistance rating and, perhaps, better cameras. You can check out the photos we took with the Z Fold5 in Seoul - it's too early to discuss quality (that will have to wait for the review), but we can tell you right now that the 5x periscope on the Google foldable will be hard to match. Also, the Pixel Fold is thinner (5.8/12.1mm when opened/closed vs. 6.1/13.4mm), despite having a larger battery (4,821mAh vs. 4,400mAh). There is also - or rather there will be - the OnePlus Open, which might arrive in the US, just like its non-folding siblings. The Open is probably based on the Oppo Find N2, which measures 132.x 72.6 x 14.6mm, so it's similar enough to a regular phone when closed. This one doesn't have a periscope, but at least it puts a 32MP sensor behind its 2x lens and it has a 48MP ultra wide module (all cameras are touched up by Hasselblad). This smaller phone also has a bigger battery (4,520mAh) with a much faster charging (67W, but it's wired only). Google Pixel Fold Oppo Find N2 While it probably won't launch in North America, the Honor Magic V2 will be available in Europe (Honor is working on bringing it over as quickly as possible). This phone boasts a larger 7.92" internal display (which is sharper to boot) and has a 5,000mAh battery with 66W charging (again, wired only). The camera setup is 50+20+50MP with the middle module having a 2.5x lens. Where this phone really shines, though, is that it measures less than 10mm when closed (at least the vegan leather variant does). The Huawei Mate X3 is already available in Europe, though the lack of Google Play Services limits its appeal for some. A lot of things are no longer showstoppers, however, e.g. most banks now have their apps on the Huawei App Gallery. Anyway, this phone has a 4,800mAh battery with both 66W wired and 50W wireless charging, a roomy 7.85" internal display, IPX8 water resistance, a 12MP 125mm (5x) periscope in addition to the 50MP main camera. Honor Magic V2 Huawei Mate X3 The Tecno Phantom V Fold is available in India and boasts a 7.85" internal display and while it's not the thinnest (14.2-14.5mm when closed), it does have a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging. And a 50MP camera with a 2x lens on top of the 50MP main cam. The vivo X Fold2 is not widely available yet, but it's worth keeping an eye on. This one goes even bigger with an 8.03" internal display and the 4,800mAh battery goes all out with 120W wired and 50W wireless charging. The 50+12+12MP camera includes a 47mm (2x) portrait cam and Zeiss tuning. Tecno Phantom V Fold vivo X Fold2 Samsung may have been among the first to launch a horizontal foldable, especially in the West, but it no longer has the luxury of having the market all to itself. And the competition is looking fierce. Will you get a Galaxy Z Fold5 or would you rather wait and see? Check out our hands-on review to help you make up your mind. As a reminder, Samsung is offering free storage upgrades, better trade-in deals and more during the pre-order period. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is no longer alone too - for a while its predecessor was uncontested, with the Moto Razr 2022 not even launching in North America. But the Razr 40 Ultra (aka Razr+) did and it's in Europe, Central and South America too. The Ultra has an even bigger and sharper cover display (3.6" 413ppi vs. 3.4" 306ppi) that doesn't shy away from the cameras. And, you guessed it, it has a bigger and faster charging battery too, though only by a bit (3,800mAh 30W wired and 5W wireless vs. 3,700mAh 25/15W). The cameras are nothing to write home about, though. There is also the cheaper Motorola Razr 40 - the MSRP is 800/60,000, compared to 1,200/100,000 for the Z Flip. True, this one cuts costs by having a tiny cover display and by using the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 instead of a flagship-grade chip. Still, it offers meaningful savings at a time when the greatest hindrance to adoption of foldables may be the prohibitive cost. Motorola Razr 40 Ultra Motorola Razr 40 The vivo X Flip is another phone from the company that is yet to reach a wide audience. It's chunkier at 16.6mm when closed and weighing 198g (vs. 15.1mm and 187g), but it does have a 50MP main camera and a 4,400mAh battery with 44W wired only charging. The cover display is smaller but it is a straight 3" rectangle (14.5:9) and can't run full-blown apps (like the Razr 40 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip5 can). vivo X Flip What do you think? Is the redesigned hinge and bigger cover display enough to push you over the edge and pick up a Galaxy Z Flip5 or do you think that Samsung dropped the ball? While you think on that, don't miss our hands-on review. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Haiti - FLASH : Kenya agrees to deploy 1,000 police officers in Haiti Saturday, July 29, 2023, while Haiti is plunged into an extremely violent crisis, Alfred Mutua, the Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs declared "[...] Kenya has accepted to positively consider leading a Multi-National Force to Haiti. Kenya's commitment is to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations." The statement explained "Kenya stands with persons of African descent across the world, including those in the Caribbean, and aligns with the African Union's diaspora policy and our own commitment to Pan Africanism [...]" Note that the day before this statement, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by telephone with Kenyan President William Ruto. However, Mutua clarified that "Kenya's proposed deployment will crystalize once a mandate from the UN Security Council is obtained and other Kenyan constitutional processes are undertaken." Minister Mutua also indicated that an Assessment Mission by a Task Team of the Kenya Police is scheduled within the next few weeks. This assessment will inform and guide the mandate and operational requirements of the Mission. SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Insecurity : An American and her child kidnapped near Port-au-Prince Saturday July 29, 2023 in a press release, the Christian humanitarian organization El Roi Haiti confirmed the kidnapping on its campus near Port-au-Prince, of the American nurse Alix Dorsainvil (31 years old, native of New Hampshire) and living in Haiti "We can confirm that Alix Dorsainvil, the wife of our Director Sandro Dorsainvil, and their child, were kidnapped on Thursday, July 27 in the morning at the NGO site near Port-au-Prince." According to Jason Brown, President of El Roi Haiti "[...] Alix Dorsainvi, school and community nurse is known for her unwavering devotion to the suffering people, working tirelessly to relieve sick people in the name of Jesus [...] is a deeply loving and compassionate person who considers Haiti as her home and the Haitian people her family and friends [...]" Asked by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the US State Department said it was "aware of the kidnapping of two American nationals in Haiti [...] We are in regular contact with the Haitian authorities and we continue to collaborate with them." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40119-haiti-flash-the-department-of-state-urges-american-citizens-to-leave-haiti-as-soon-as-possible.html S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : Colombia opens its Consulate in Haiti after 20 years of diplomatic absence... The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appointed Vilma Velasquez Uribe as consul in Haiti. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs proceeded to the installation ceremony of Vilma Rocio Velasquez Uribe as Consul in Haiti, an appointment which aims to strengthen the ties between Colombia and the Caribbean, restoring in particular a diplomatic representation absent in Haiti for almost 20 years. The reopening of the consulate in Port-au-Prince had already been announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Alvaro Leyva during the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) after having held a meeting with his Haitian counterpart from Foreign Affairs, Jean Victor Geneus. One of Velasquez's responsibilities will be to monitor the status of Colombians incarcerated in Haiti, with the aim of protecting and defending their rights, including with respect to due process guarantees, in accordance with international instruments. Learn more about Vilma Rocio Velasquez Uribe : Vilma Rocio Velasquez Uribe, originally from Bogota, holds a master's degree in applied fine arts from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. In addition to her mother tongue, Spanish, she is fluent in English, Swedish and Creole. Throughout her career, she has been involved with human rights organizations, including the Association of Relatives of Disappeared Detainees and the Association of Relatives of Political Prisoners, after the failure of the first peace process in 1985. Likewise, she has collaborated with different cooperatives of indigenous communities and women's groups in projects related to handicrafts. In 1991, she left her native country and settled in Sweden, where she joined the organization "Peace Brigades International" becoming a legal representative and responsible for the training of volunteers sent to Colombia, Mexico and Sri Lanka. SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Arrest of the alleged Bizoton gang leader The National Police this week arrested the alleged Bizoton gang leader, Innocent Mackenley at Toussaint Louverture airport. According to the PNH, Bizoton Innocent, an influential member affiliated with the "Ti Bwa" gang was going to the United States as part of the Biden Conditional Stay Program... Cap-Haitien celebrates 75 years of the Orchester Septentrional Friday, July 28, 2023, Municipal Commission of Cap-Haitien organized an exceptional ceremony in honor of the Orchester Septentrional, dean of Haitian music, the international fireball, cultural heritage of the country, which this year celebrates its 75 years of existence https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-40139-icihaiti-75th-anniversary-the-septentrional-orchestra-honored.html Brian Nichols : Intervention in Haiti Thursday July 27, 2023 in Washington DC, Brian Nichols, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs said during the meeting of the American senators who make up the Western Hemisphere subcommittee "The establishment of a multinational force is the urgent solution to solve the problem of gangs in Haiti."See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40134-haiti-flash-kenya-agrees-to-deploy-1-000-police-officers-in-haiti.html False consul hearded at the Port-au-Prince prosecutor's office Esther Dacius, arrested in the Dominican Republic in early July 2023, after several months on the run, accused of fraud, forgery, breach of trust and criminal association, posed as a consul at the Canadian Embassy to defraud her victims. Friday, July 28, she was heard at the Port-au-Prince Prosecutor's Office, following the complaints filed during the years 2022 and 2023 against her and her accomplice husband Marckenshy Honore (still actively sought). Teakwondo : Aliyah Shipman, bronze medal at the Senegal Open Haitian taekwondo nugget Aliyah Shipman, after her performance at the Central American and Caribbean Games https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39956-icihaiti-taekwondo-two-medals-for-haiti-at-the-2023-central-american-games.html , won a bronze medal at the Senegal Open this week as part of her preparation for the upcoming Pan American Games. Death of former Deputy Louitz Amyot Francois Death Thursday, July 27, 2023 in the Dominican Republic of the former deputy of Port-de-Paix of the 49th legislature, Louitz Amyot Francoi (57 years old), during a surgical intervention. HL/ HaitiLibre Korean Drama | 2010 Drama Directed by Kim Hyeong-il () Written by Jeong Hyeon-min () Son Ji-hye () Son Yeong-mok () TV Channel/Platform: KBS (KBS) Airing dates: 2010/12/15~2011/02/24 24 episodes - Wed, Thu 21:55 The drama follows the presidential election process to shed light on the right way of politics, the qualifications of a future Korean president, and also the personal tribulations and ambitions of politicians hidden behind the power struggles. Korean politics went through volatile changes over the past decades since Korean independence from colonial Japan. Experiencing the Korean War and numerous political uprisings and events, Korea achieved democratization at the fastest speed in the world. However, in the modern day, Korea is mired in serious political distrust and even hatred. The public loves to bash politicans, which from another viewpoint implies a keen interest in politics more so than anywhere else in the world. Particularly during the presidential campaign period, the whole nation turns into a political furnace as everyone from taxi drivers, the elderly, mothers and even the homeless have their say about the candidates. The presidential election is more dramatic that fictional TV dramas and is an exciting game unfolding in real life. Regions, generations and ideologies clash during campaigns and people are frantic and enraged by the outcomes. Some shed tears of joy and others of sorrow. This is a political drama and the first of its kind to squarely focus on the presidential election, where emotions and energy run high. The nation has had ten presidents over the past half century and the political history has been more than tumultuous. People may have different assessments for each president but most of the leaders had an unhappy ending to their lives. One president was impeached by public protest and another president who is regarded to have conquered the nation's 5,000 year-long history of poverty was assassinated by a close aide and is remembered as a dictator. Two other presidents who waged military coups eventually went to prison and two others, who were for many years opposition leaders before becoming president, also were far from adored because of the financial crisis in the late 1990s and their sons' corruption. And the president who was revered by youths and netizens threw himself from a rocky mountain and took his own life. The president is not a god, so he cannot make all public wishes come true, yet the public still expects such omnipotence from him. This is because the reality we live in so tough and rough. We the people long for a leader who speaks of future hope. This drama came about due to this desire and longing. Such a god-like president may not exist in the real world, but he or she can be portrayed in a drama to give viewers dreams and hope. The drama will unveil all the dirty slander occurring on the presidential battleground and feature a true patriot who maintains the right way and faith toward victory. Source Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Subscribe to our daily NewsLetter Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password or receive our NewsLetter. Stay logged in Lost password Contact Navigating the complexities of a multicultural society can be both enriching and challenging for teenagers. A study conducted by the University of California, Davis, surveyed over 700 teens attending public schools in the Southwestern United States, uncovering a crucial factor that significantly impacts their academic performance and overall well-being. The findings revealed that while these young individuals attended ethnically diverse schools and were exposed to multiple cultures in the classroom, the messages they received from their families and peers were not always congruent. This incongruity had profound effects on their academic engagement, interest in school, and aspirations for higher education. Lead author of the study, Maciel M. Hernandez, an assistant professor of human ecology, emphasized the emotional toll that inconsistent messaging can take on adolescents. When teens receive mixed signals about cultures other than their own, it can negatively influence their academic achievement. Hernandez stressed the importance of fostering successful interactions and social connections with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Being a full participant in a diverse society entails appreciating and understanding cultural traditions beyond one's own. The co-lead author, M. Dalal Safa, from the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, also contributed to the study, underscoring the interdisciplinary nature of this groundbreaking research. The researchers assessed the level of consistent multicultural messaging and affirmation the teens received in their classroom, peer, and family environments. Astonishingly, only 4% of those surveyed reported receiving high levels of consistent positive messaging about diverse cultures. The questions asked covered various aspects, from the students' knowledge about different cultures to how much their friends and families encouraged their learning and appreciation of cultural diversity. For instance, regarding family interaction, the survey inquired about how often parents and caregivers encouraged their teens to read books about other racial/ethnic groups, discussed significant events and figures from different cultural histories, and expressed the belief in equality regardless of race or ethnicity. Similar questions were posed about peer interactions. The results indicated that students who enjoyed school and felt engaged in their education demonstrated higher academic goals, which is not surprising. However, it also highlighted the importance of ensuring that youth actively enjoy their experiences in a culturally diverse world, as this aspect significantly impacts various facets of their lives and future success. Interestingly, the study found that youth with at least one immigrant parent experienced higher degrees of multicultural socialization. It is possible that these parents actively worked towards integrating into diverse communities and passed on these aspirations to their children, fostering a more inclusive mindset. Latinx and multiethnic students comprised the majority of respondents in the study, demonstrating the relevance of this research in diverse and inclusive societies. However, the study emphasized that there is much room for improvement, given that only a mere 4% of students reported receiving consistent positive messages about diverse cultures. Hernandez emphasized the promise of promoting multicultural socialization across schools, peer groups, and families to enhance adolescents' academic functioning. By bridging the gap in consistent messaging, we can foster an environment that empowers teenagers to thrive academically and personally, equipping them to embrace the richness of cultural diversity and contribute positively to society. In conclusion, the research underscores the importance of providing teenagers with consistent and positive messages about cultures beyond their own in multicultural environments. By nurturing an inclusive and supportive atmosphere that celebrates diversity, we can empower the next generation to excel academically and become socially conscious global citizens. HT #AgendaPresidencial | Actividades oficiales por la conmemoracion de los 202 anos de independencia del pais. ?? ???? #28dejulio #ConPunchePeru ???? ? pic.twitter.com/ty6xB1toN6 While the war in Ukraine is raging on, many young men from both countries who see this war as a senseless geopolitical struggle have no other way of avoiding it, except by moving abroad and out of reach of draft officials. Ukraine is currently under martial law and departure of men of conscription age, which Ukrainian government has set as between 18 60 years old is restricted. Finland and other Western countries have virtually made it impossible for Russian men who want to avoid going to war to enter these countries, but there have been no restrictions for Ukrainians. On the contrary, laws have been changed and restrictions eased to facilitate the migration of Ukrainians, regardless of age or gender to relocate to the EU area. Finland even went as far as encouraging and transferring Ukrainians to move form Estonia to Finland. An act unprecedented regarding any other nationals in need of humanitarian protection. Displaced Ukrainians in Finland As of June 26, 2023, a total of 58,282 applications for temporary protection have been filed to Migri. Most of these applications, 57,166 to be precise, have been submitted by Ukrainian citizens, while citizens of other countries have filed 1,116 applications. The Finnish Immigration Service has, as of the same date, granted approval to 55,629 applications for temporary protection. Currently, the estimated processing time for an application for temporary protection is one week. This is extremely fast for Migri, as some work-related immigrants on the other hand have had to wait for months for their applications to be processed. In this age and gender distribution stats from March given to Helsinki Times by Migri, while more than half of the Ukrainians in Finland are female, a considerable group (9270) are males aged between 18 59, which are considered as conscription age men by the Ukrainian government. However, there is no additional information about the health or family conditions of these men or their reasons for not participating in defending Ukraine. Ukraines martial law exempts several categories of men from restrictions making them eligible to travel abroad, including those based on their state of health, presence of minor children, other family circumstances, and work-related purposes. Kela benefits The over 57,000 Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine who have arrived in Finland since March 2022 are entitled to Kela benefits on the conditions set down in the Finnish legislation in force. They can apply for benefits even if they have not decided to stay in Finland permanently. This spring, Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) introduced a new form to simplify application process for those fleeing the war in Ukraine making it possible to apply for a Kela card and child benefit at the same time. This new combined application which is available in both Ukrainian and Russian was introduced for the first time only for Ukrainians. Many other key Kela forms are also translated into these languages. Majority of displaced Ukrainians have now lived in Finland for more than a year and are thus eligible for benefits from Kela. Based on 12 months of residence or long-term employment, Ukrainians can apply for child benefit, housing allowance and other benefits. They also qualify for a Kela card, which allows them to get reimbursements for prescription medicine expenses. This level of facilitation is unprecedented and has never been done for any other refugee group fleeing other conflicts. In an example calculation released by Kela, a single-parent Ukrainian family with two kids and no other income or assets can get about EUR 2,380 a month in social assistance, general housing allowance and child benefits. Kela does not release the total cost of benefits paid, but in case all of this group would apply for benefits, a rough calculation based on the population, age and gender distribution (assuming the group would form over 4000 families) would set the monthly bill at 9 10 million for Finnish taxpayers. According to the latest statistics Kela has sent to Helsinki Times; Kela has made a total of 13,506 benefit determinations for Ukrainians between January 1 and June 30, 2023. In this time frame, 4,640 basic social assistance determinations have been made. However, more than one decision may have been given to one customer, so that number does not indicate the number of people who have received basic social assistance. The benefits most commonly received by Ukrainians are housing allowance, basic social assistance and child benefit. In June 2023, altogether 2,649 Ukrainians received housing allowance and 1,901 Ukrainians received basic social assistance. These numbers include not only the person applying for the benefit but also people living in the same household, for example the applicants children. When a person becomes entitled to social security coverage in Finland it means theyre eligible for the same Kela benefits as all other permanent residents. Kelas operations and the amounts of the benefits are defined in Finnish law. The same laws apply for Ukrainians as any other people applying for Kela benefits. Migri officials told Helsinki Times that most people fleeing the war in Ukraine are actually not in Finland as asylum seekers, Instead, they have been granted a residence permit based on the need for temporary protection. The temporary protection directive is an EU-wide measure which was triggered for the first time specifically and only for Ukrainians fleeing the war. This basically has given an express rout to benefits to Ukrainians only, as Kela usually does not pay benefits to asylum seekers while the application for asylum is being processed. A persons entitlement for Kela benefits depends on the quality of residence permit and permanent residence in Finland. If a person is granted a residence permit in Finland, they are eligible for the same Kela benefits and other social security services as all other permanent residents. Temporary protection can only be granted to Ukrainian citizens unable to return to Ukraine due to the ongoing war, including citizens of countries outside the European Union, citizens of countries not party to the Schengen Agreement, and stateless persons who had resided in Ukraine legally and whose return to the relevant country of origin safely and permanently is not possible. This category includes African students who were studying in Ukraine when the war broke out. Also eligible are the family members of Ukrainian citizens and of those granted international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine, if the family ties were established in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 and the family member is not a citizen of a European Union Member State, a Nordic country, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland. Family members do not need to apply at the same time. They can, for example, come to Finland later and apply for temporary protection then. If the family member is a citizen of a European Union Member State, or a citizen of Liechtenstein or Switzerland, he or she can apply for EU registration. According to Migri, The highest amount of applications from Ukrainians came in March of 2022 (14,409 applications) and the amount has been slowly declining since then. The first four months of 2023, the amount of applications has been around 2,000 applications per month. 48% of Ukrainians in Finland currently are living in a reception centers, 36% in private accommodation and 15% are living in accommodation provided by a municipality. HT Masters of old-time music join young fiddlers, pickers for benefit concert Junior Appalachian Musicians will join masters of old-time music for a concert and fundraiser at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, at Oklawaha Brewing Co., 147 First Ave E. A fundraiser for JAM kids, the concert features Roger Howell on fiddle and guitar and George Gibson on banjo. JAM kids play at 6:15, Howell at 7 and Gibson at 7:45. Tickets $10 regular, $20 for seated and $25 for VIP $25 are available online and at the door. George GibsonA legendary banjo artist, George R. Gibson is a master musician, collector, historian and nationally known authority on banjo history in the Upland South. Born in Knott County, Kentucky, he learned to play and sing songs (in the old tunings) from his father and neighbors. With multiple recordings on Appalshops prestigious June Appal label, Gibson said of his recording Last Possum Up the Tree, I believe that continuing to play banjo was my way of holding on to a past that I glimpsed only briefly. That past is part of a world and time in Knott County that has vanished forever. As far as I know, I am the last person left playing the old Burgeys Creek banjo music. I am the last possum up the tree. His performances and playing reflect his powerful skill and thoughtfully charming demeanor. Now a resident of Henderson County, Gibson brings his many years of knowledge to the community. He has performed for the JAM kids in their classroom and graciously donates this rare performance for their benefit. Roger Howell grew up and still lives on Banjo Branch, on Bailey Mountain, near Mars Hill in Madison County. Roger HowellNeighbors played string band music and his dad bought him a Kay electric guitar. He quickly mastered Travis-style picking and about the same time picked up the banjo. In later years he learned fiddle from regional fiddlers Tommy Hunter and Woodrow Boone. In 1967, he met the famed minstrel of the mountains Bascom Lamar Lunsford, who encouraged his playing. Across the years Howell became friends with and played with legendary fiddlers like Fletcher Bright, John Hartford and Charlie Acuff. Awards line the walls of his luthiers shop, including first place fiddle (many times) at festivals like Fiddlers Grove, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, the North Carolina Mountain State Fair and first place in banjo at the Georgia Mountain Fair. He appears on more than 30 recordings, including his solo CD Hills & Heroes (JAM kids director Carol Rifkin appears on guitar and vocals) Fiddler for the Carroll Best String Band, the Carolina Old-Timers and the Bailey Mountain Ramblers. He has also played weekly with fiddler Bobby Hicks for many years. In 2015, the North Carolina Folklore Society honored Roger Howell with the prestigious Brown-Hudson Folklore Award for his work in preserving and celebrating regional music traditions. JAM kids are ever grateful for the his generous donation of craftsmanship to restore or repair instruments at his Bailey Mountain fiddle shop on Banjo Branch and they eagerly look forward to his performance. Operated by French Broad Valley Music Association, the Henderson County Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM kids) is an after-school program that teaches children ages 8-17 regional mountain music and dance. JAM kids learn music through small group instruction on instruments common to the Appalachian region, such as the fiddle, banjo and guitar. Students learn songs, participate in group all-play and string band classes, learning regional music and making friends along the way. Classes currently meet 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Henderson County Parks and Recreation Center, 708 South Grove Street. Nationally known artist Carol Rifkin is executive director of FBVMA and JAM kids. Charitable donations may be made at French Broad Valley Music Association or by mail to FBVMA, P.O. Box 914, Horse Shoe, NC 28742. Mark and Kiri Toki and their daughter Mahina who died after falling off their boat in Fiji (Givealittle.co.nz) Thousands of pounds has been raised to help the family of a 13-month-old baby who died after falling off their boat in Fiji. Mahini Toki has been tethered to the boat but worked free and found the water. A fellow sailor Grace Palos, who is fundraising for the family, said: By the time we could find her, it was too late. She said: Mahina was a beautiful, happy, smiling child who loved the water and life on the boat. Her mother, Kiri said she had eyes that looked into your soul from the day she was born. More than 10,000 has been raised so far for her parents Mark and Kiri who are in the process of picking up their lives and traveling back to their home of Great Barrier Island, New Zealand. It will help cover their flights home and funeral expenses. Fijian authorities in Fiji are investigating the incident and a spokesman for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was aware of the tragedy and was providing consular assistance. The resort manager of Musket Cove, Joe Mar, said locals and fellow cruisers raced to help the family as they found MAhinas lifeless body. An off-duty paramedic, doctor, two nurses and a midwife are reported to have tried to revive the baby girl. The standard refrain of Chinese leadership to Indian leadership raising the border issue is that boundary differences should be put in a proper place and that the two countries should work together towards normalization of the bilateral relations in other areas. This is also diplomatic jargon for saying that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not raise the boundary clarification every time he meets Chairman Xi Jinping but talk positively with the paramount leader. Simply put, the India-China boundary issue should not be raised with Emperor Xi as he has bigger global issues on his mind. President Xi Jinping is head of PLA as Chairman of the Central Military Commission. That President Xi has little time sorting out boundaries or other serious irritants in the bilateral relations such as the upstream building of dams on Brahmaputra by China in the great bend region of Tibet was realized by even then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he met the paramount leader for the first time as President on the sidelines of the BRICS Durban summit in March 2013. It is understood that in his first meeting as President with the Indian PM, XI was rather cold and distant and had no time for Indian concerns. Sure enough, the PLA had a stand-off with Indian Army in the Depsang Bulge area, south of Daulet Beg Oldi, in East Ladakh the very next month and blocked the rights of Indian troopers to patrol 1976 designated points within the Bulge area or from patrolling points 10 to 13. The patrolling rights to the Depsang area were restored in 2014-2015 but the PLA again blocked the patrolling route in May 2020 as the Chinese Army went belligerent transgression in Galwan, Khugrang nullah, Gogra-Hot Springs and Pangong Tso area of East Ladakh. Even today, the Indian Armys patrolling rights issue in Depsang is still to be resolved as the PLA says that it is a legacy issue of 2013. The same holds true for the Charding Nilung Nullah (CNN) junction area of Demchok. When paramount leader Xi was given the red carpet treatment by PM Modi in his home state Gujarat in September 2014, the PLA transgressed in Demchok and Chumar area, resulting in a huge stand-off with the Indian Army. While Indian Army commanders who served in that area say that PLA had blocked Indian Armys patrolling rights once in 2005-2007, the position of the Chinese Army hardened in September 2014 on CNN junction. Till today, the rights of the Indian Army to patrol CNN junction have not been restored and are contested by PLA commanders. In this context, one must remember that all the 65 patrolling points, earmarked by the Indian Cabinet Secretary in 1976, are well within the Indian perception of the LAC in East Ladakh and in no way impinge on Chinese claims on the same LAC. Despite the PLA amassing some 50,000 troops in East Ladakh with rockets, artillery guns and tanks in the western sector in East Ladakh and inducting some six extra combined armed brigades in the eastern sector, the Chinese take on border resolution is totally facile and disingenuous. PM Modi realizes the seriousness of the issue and thus insists on clarification of the LAC every time he meets the paramount leader, who perhaps thinks that it is not worth his while to attend to this pressing issue and wants to keep the boundary pot boiling. While China says that India should not make bilateral ties hostage to boundary issues, facts are quite to the contrary as it is Beijing that has adopted an adversarial role against India on virtually all fronts barring some issues facing emerging developing economies. Consider this: > China blocked India from entering the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in 2016 as it wanted its client state and known nuclear proliferator Pakistan to get the same status as India. One must remember that it was China that supplied nuclear missile technology and platforms to Pakistan in the 1990s via the North Korea route. > China has repeatedly blocked India and its allies from getting most dreaded global terrorists based in Pakistan listed under 1267 UNSC committee. Names like Masood Azhar, Rauf Asghar of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Sajjid Mir of Lashkar-e-Toiba are part of the jihadi royalty and they have blood of thousands of innocents on their heads. But this is not all. The Chinese also sponsored moves of the Pakistani deep state to get innocent Indian engineers working in pre-Taliban Afghanistan listed as global terrorists. Thanks to Indias close allies US and France that these moves were blocked at the UNSC. > China tried hard to push a resolution in the UNSC against the Indian move to remove article 370 and 35 A from Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. They opposed the new map showing the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and called the region disputed. It is another matter that the Chinese insist with all and sundry to abide by the one China policy which includes an independent Taiwan Republic. > In 2017, the PLA under instructions from President Xi, transgressed on Doklam Plateau on the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction, in a move that would have totally compromised the Indian security of the Siliguri corridor or Chicken neck area. Had it not been for the swift decision-making of PM Modi and rapid deployment under then Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat, the PLA would have reached Jampheri Ridge and dominated the entire Siliguri corridor. Despite the stand-off being resolved, this PLA move is still in progress with the Chinese advancing through Amu Chu in Bhutanese territory with Thimpu still oblivious to the threat and celebrating its Happiness Index. The fact is that China has tried to push India to the wall in every opportunity it gets be it the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which runs through Occupied Kashmir and Northern Areas, surveillance radars to monitor Indian missile testing on Myanmars Coco Islands in Bay of Bengal, ballistic missile tracking ships and submarines at Sri Lankan ports and compromising the polity through serious money power or what is called suitcase diplomacy in Nepal and Bangladesh. In short, China has decided that it will block any move that helps India take its rightful place on the global high table with the boundary issue as a permanent lever to destabilize India. The Chinese supporters within India act as Beijings force multipliers as the returns are quite significant for raising the point of view of the Communist Party of China. One must remember former NDA defence minister George Fernandes was nearly hanged by Indian media for raising the Chinese presence in Coco Islands and potential threat to India nearly two decades ago. Then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was pilloried by the Left parties and Leftist media for naming China in a letter to UNSC as the real reason for the Pokhran II Shakti Series of nuclear tests in 1998. What the Chinese leadership says and what it does on the ground are always diametrically opposite and PM Modi is well aware of the dichotomy. Under the circumstances, the only option left with India is to multiply its military capacities and capabilities and be ready with a counter. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Daily Horoscope Prediction says to love the people around Sagittarius Daily Horoscope, July 31, 2023: Be diplomatic to handle romantic issues. Check the accurate daily horoscope to know love life is good while professionally you will get opportunities to grow. Your financial status is not good. Be diplomatic to handle romantic issues in the personal life. Handle professional challenges today while financially you are not good today. However, your health will be in good condition. Sagittarius Love Horoscope Today Your relationship will go strong today. No major problems will exist in the love life. However, avoid arguments and debates today that may annoy your lover. Be patient and romantic in your relationship and you should always wear a charming smile. Some married Sagittarius natives will show signs of pregnancy today. Married Sagittarius natives need to stay away from extramarital relationships as the chance of them getting exposed is high. Also Read: Weekly Love Horoscope for 31 July - 6 August 2023 Sagittarius Career Horoscope Today Professional challenges will be there but your success is in how efficiently you tackle them. Some talks will need team work and maintaining a good rapport with co-workers today. Talk to clients whenever needed and communication is the key factor of success, especially when you are into client handling or marketing. Your negotiation skills in work while handling marketing or sales profile. Some entrepreneurs will be lucky to reap good profits today while discussing new ventures with partners. Also Read: Weekly Career Horoscope for 31 July - 6 August 2023 Sagittarius Money Horoscope Today Financially you are not good today. Handle wealth with care. Do not spend a high amount on luxury items. Cut down the expenses, especially the purchase of items that are not crucial in life. However, some Sagittarius natives will receive funds from promoters and businessmen will be lucky to handle the business as usual. Today is also not good to donate or charity or to lend a big amount to someone. Also Read: Horoscope Today, July 31, 2023 Sagittarius Health Horoscope Today You are good in terms of health. Despite minor ailments, general health will be good. Some allergies may be common among Sagittarius natives today. Children may have cuts while playing but do not worry about it much. The seniors at home need proper attention and visit a doctor whenever needed. Sagittarius Sign Attributes Strength: Wise, Practical, Audacious, Beautiful, Lively, Energetic, Lovely, Optimistic Weakness: Forgetful, Careless, Irritating Symbol: Archer Element: Fire Body Part: Thighs & Liver Sign Ruler: Jupiter Lucky Day: Thursday Lucky Color: Light Blue Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Stone: Yellow Sapphire Sagittarius Sign Compatibility Chart Natural affinity: Aries, Leo, Libra, Aquarius Good compatibility: Gemini, Sagittarius Fair compatibility: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn Less compatibility: Virgo, Pisces By: Dr. J. N. Pandey Vedic Astrology & Vastu Expert Website: https://www.cyberastro.com E-mail: caresponse@cyberastro.com Phone: 9717199568, 9958780857 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday that India will soon launch its own Indian size of footwear, reducing dependency on foreign sizing trends. While addressing the India International Footwear Fair 2023 (IIFF) in New Delhi as the chief guest, Goyal emphasised that India has the potential to become the world's largest and highest-quality footwear manufacturer. Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal Also Read | Stalin urges Goyal to allot 10k MT of wheat, tur dal to state According to a statement from the ministry, Goyal also said that the Indian footwear and leather industry is not only a major foreign exchange earner but also provides employment to approximately 4.5 million people, 40 percent of whom are women, and it represents a labor-intensive sector. Goyal on India's place in the leather based industries The Union minister said, India is the second-largest exporter of leather garments, the third-largest exporter of Saddlery & Harness, and the fourth-largest exporter of Leather Goods in the world. Goyal further highlighted that more than 95% of the production units in this sector are Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) units. Speaking about the local raw material, the minister praised the Kolhapuri Footwear of Maharashtra and Mojari Footwear of Rajasthan, saying that these should be areas of attraction for international buyers, calling them a rich diverse history. What steps did Goyal mention on enhancing the industry? -Testing facilities will be established by the Government as part of Indias Footwear and Leather Development Programme, the Union minister said, highlighting the steps undertaken by the government for ease of doing business, such as decriminalisation of corporate offenses, reducing compliance burdens, creating a national single window for all approvals, World Class Infrastructure, and more. -Goyal urged the stakeholders to expand the business while keeping the focus on quality and sustainability, eco-friendly processes, waste management, and exploring renewable sources for electricity. -The minister also talked about embracing competitiveness in the form of innovative designs for bigger and better growth, saying the products should be developed by the exporters in an innovative and sustainable way. -Speaking about the design capabilities to move up the value chain, Goyal said the focus should also be on investments and technology to scale up the production and produce innovative products. He further said that institutions like Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI), Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will be collaborating with the industry to develop new products and technologies in tune with the changing trends and requirements of the market. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON At least 15 people suffered multiple injuries after five cars collided on the Bathinda-Patiala national highway near Bhucho town on Sunday evening. Soon after the accident, teams of the army from Bathinda military station rushed to the spot for rescue operation. Traffic on both lanes was hit after the mishap in which all cars were badly damaged. Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gulneet Khurana said a car driver, who was on his way from Bathinda towards Patiala, lost control over the vehicle and jumped the divider before crashing into cars coming from the opposite direction. The injured were rushed to a private hospital in Bhucho. There was no fatality and our teams are trying to clear the highway, he added. Soon after the accident, teams of the army from Bathinda military station rushed to the spot for rescue operation. Jawans assisted the police personnel to regulate traffic after removing the mangled vehicles. 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 Chandigarh : Rajya Sabha member from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Sunday said that 17 Indian youths stranded in Lybia for the last six months have been released from jail in Tripoli. Rajya Sabha member from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Sunday said that 17 Indian youths stranded in Lybia for the last six months have been released from jail in Tripoli In a statement, Sahney, who was making efforts for their rescue, said that most of them were from Punjab and Haryana and duped by some unscrupulous travel agents from Punjab and Delhi of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of sending them to Italy for lucrative jobs. He said the amount varied from person to person. All of them left India for Italy in February 2023 via Dubai and Egypt. After a few days, they landed in Libya and kept in Zuwara City, where they were being deprived of basic amenities like food and water and faced physical assault, he said. Sahney said when he got to know about these youths in May this year, he contacted the Indian embassy in Tunisia and initiated the legal process for their rescue. My office was in constant touch with these boys and their families. Initially, our major concern was to take them out from the captivity of the local mafia, he added. The Rajya Sabha member said that he will be sponsoring all the legal expenses and flight tickets of these youths for the journey back home and then offer them free of cost skill training. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Punjabs own Amrita Pritam took Punjabi, the language she wrote in, to new places with ease and finesse. A poets poet, she published her first collection of poems at the age of 13 and went on to pen some 100 books in poetry and prose. When Punjab was torn into two in 1947, she was the first to write a dirge to Partition invoking the Sufi poet Waris Shah, who had written the qissa of Heer, to rise from the grave and address the cries of a million daughters who had suffered the wrath of the great divide on their bodies and souls. A painting of Amrita Pritam and the silhouette of painter Imroz in the background: An image from the film Imroz by Harjit Singh (HT Photo) She was the first woman writer, across all Indian languages, to win the coveted Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956. She was also the first to bring the prestigious Bhartiya Jnanpith Award to Punjabi in 1981. A subject of admiration and envy alike as well as misogyny from the macho Punjabi contemporaries, she moved on with a pen in hand and a song of love in her heart to pass from life to legend. A poet, a storyteller, as well as a radio and television anchor and an editor who groomed two generations of Punjabi writers: such was the sweep of her talent. It gives one joy to hold in hand a mint-fresh book in the international Routledge series on Indian writers in which her writings are evaluated afresh largely by women writers and academics, but with some tributes from her male readers too. The book, edited by eminent academics, Hina Nandrajog and late Prem Kumari Srivastava, who sadly passed away before the volume came out in print, the book is titled Amrita Pritam: The Writer Provocateur. Now that you dont have to run to the dictionary like I did, a writer provocateur is someone who raises issues which lead to discussions, debates and controversies and makes people uncomfortable and provokes them to rethink. Well that is what our free-spirited Amrita was all about in challenging falsehood, discrimination and bigotry. A tapestry of radiance Introducing the writings of Amrita to a larger audience, the editors talk about the journey of this daughter of words who was an enigma in the feudal, patriarchal Punjab of undivided India. This girl, with poetry deeply embedded in her soul, did not learn to stitch and sew: She rather chose to stitch words together to create what she called a chaanan di phulkaria tapestry of radiance a metaphor for a borderless, equal and just world that she envisioned through her formidable literary oeuvre created over a period of seven decades of writing. They also go on to pertinently point out that she lived and celebrated on her own terms and her literature is a creative expression of her provocative iconoclasm, which receives the stubbornly frozen gaze of her own generation, especially male writers and critics. So true and this is interestingly to willy-nilly creep, perhaps subconsciously, in the articles included in this book by the first sex. The exception is a fine appraisal by her contemporary fiction writer Mohan Bhandari who concedes without any malice: Amrita is an unparalleled achievement of Punjabi literature. Writing about myths she has herself become one. Paul Kaur, a Punjabi poet and a serious connoisseur of the writings of Amrita, says, Amrita had a long and difficult journey as a woman and a writer and the torment meted out by society on both accounts was embedded deep inside her. She often felt that her writings had not been understood adequately, as though they were buried under snow. But she did not despair and had hope from the next generation. Her work across genres is neatly divided in the book into different sections and beginning of course with her select poems as should be for it was her poetic self that came to play even in the prose she touched. The first poem that meets the eye is her iconic Call to Waris Shah, which touched all hearts in the brutally-divided Punjab. As an aside, Khushwant Singh remarked, this girl wrote fourteen lines that made her immortal. The poem was first published here and then in Lahore. Faiz Ahmad Faiz, the famed poet activist, recalled that he read it in prison and when he came out he found that people kept the poem in their pockets and wept as they read it. The last poem in this section is the famous yet I Will Meet You Yet Again, her swansong dedicated to her partner Imroz. The romance with the famous Urdu poet and lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi finds mention in an article by Punjabi writer Jang Bahadur Goel in which he recounts their first meeting with Sahir at a mushaira in Preet Nagar near Amritsar, after which began a string of meetings of one poet with another. The mutual interaction between Amrita and Sahir did not turn into a commitment and was to inspire her to write poetry of love with intensity. Yet the goodwill and friendship remained till the end even when she had found a partner in Imroz. One recalls Amrita reminiscing about a check-up with an ayurvedic healer, with Sahir recounting his heart condition and Amrita seeking a remedy for the pain in her knees. Laughing to herself, she mused what beauty and love come to in the late years. There is a section on the select fiction by the author including excerpts from her novel Pinjar, translated as Skeleton by Khushwant Singh, as Chak No:36 (Village No:36) set in the village of her partner Imroz, Urmi and Shah di Kanjari translated as The Shahs Harlot. Besides, there are articles by scholars which delve deep into studying the works of Amrita in the context of self, desire, love, spirituality, gender and society. There is a lively conversation with actor Deepti Naval with Sukrita Paul Kaur and Rekha Sethi. She recalls how she played the role of the writer in a play called Ek Mulaqat. Deepti says ever since her first meeting with Amrita she knew that she would play Amrita one day and she adds, Her personality was such that one felt drawn to her and her ways. This volume deserves bouquets all round and the surprise contribution is by Amritas grandson Aman Kwatra titled Tea with Ammaji. He fondly recalls having early morning tea and biscuits with her at dawn in their K-25 Hauz Khas home, after which would follow a walk in the nearby park with Ammaji, Babaji Imroz, little sister and pet dogs in tow: Those were days to remember. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday said he would soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shaha to seek special financial aid for hill-state hit by natural calamities. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during his visit to Chamba on Sunday. (HT photo) Sukhu said the Centre had sent a team to assess the damages caused by natural calamities which is likely to submit its report soon. State has suffered substantial losses worth about 8,000 crore due to the calamity, he said during his maiden visit to Chamba town where he presided over the concluding ceremony of International Minjar Fair. He was also to visit flood-hit area in Holi Tehsil of tribal Bharmour sub-division but his flight was grounded by bad weather. The chief minister lauded resilient people of Himachal Pradesh who stood bravely in the face of catastrophe. The chief minister said he personally supervised the relief and rescue operations, ensuring the swift temporary restoration of electricity and water supply to affected areas within 48 hours of the calamity. He said the restoration efforts were ongoing, but it would require significant time and financial resources to complete. Sukhu said due to bad weather, he could not visit Holi in Chamba district. However, he assured that he would plan another visit to the area shortly. He said the deputy commissioner of Chamba has been instructed to ensure prompt compensation to all affected families and emphasised the importance of providing relief to all those in need. The state government had increased the compensation amount by 10 fold, reflecting a compassionate approach to aid those affected, he said. Earlier, the NPS Employees Union also felicitated the chief minister for reinstating the Old Pension Scheme. He said despite the states legacy indebtedness of 75,000 crore, the government restored the Old Pension Scheme to its employees, aiming to ensure their dignified living and acknowledging their significant role in the states development. He said the Congress party had guaranteed the restoration of OPS in its Pratigya Patra, and this promise has been fulfilled. He also asked the Opposition to support the state government in getting 10,000 crore NPS share refunded, which is deposited with the Centre. He also extended his greetings to people of Chamba and the state on the International Minjar Fair. He said fairs are a symbol of Himachal Pradeshs heritage and rich culture. He said such fairs provide us an opportunity to connect with the past and play an important role in preserving our traditions. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON : Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday chaired a joint meeting of officials from Haryana and Rajasthan at Dharuhera in Rewari to resolve the issue of contaminated water coming from the industrial units of the neighbouring state. Khattar chairs meeting of Haryana, Rajasthan officials over contaminated industrial water Chief minister Khattar said that the problem of water contaminated with chemicals coming from industrial units in Bhiwadi in Rajasthan to Dharuhera will be resolved at any cost. To tackle this issue, a joint inspection team of Haryana and Rajasthan officers will be formed within 24 hours. This team will work considering all the points for finding a permanent solution to the problem. The people of Dharuhera are facing several health and other problems due to the contaminated water coming from Bhiwadi, the CM said in the meeting. Khattar said that three combined meters would be installed to check the flow of water. Apart from this, three OMCs will be set up to check the quality of water and for real-time data, which will work under the Central Pollution Control Board. By August 31 next month, a closed conductor will be made in Bhiwadi which will take industrial waste to CETP. After this, the dirty water will be treated and used further. The natural flow of water between Bhiwadi and Dharuhera is not a problem, but contaminated water has become a major issue of concern, he added. According to government officials, the CM also warned the Rajasthan officials of strict action, if no solution was found to tackle the contaminated water issue. EPF offices to be opened in every district Chief minister Khattar said the government has decided to open Employees Provident Fund Scheme (EPF) offices in all the districts of the state for the convenience of the employees working in private companies. Till now, two offices are running at Gurugram district headquarters only. During Udyam Samvad programme in Rewari, the CM was felicitated by the representatives of industrial organisations and officers of the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited. The chief minister said that a plan will be made in the future and EPF offices will be opened in all the districts of the state with proper staff. During the Udyam Samvad, Khattar was apprised about collecting garbage tax through the Shajri Nikaye without picking up the garbage. He also directed Rewari municipal commissioner Uday Singh to install Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) machines at the entrance of industrial units of the Dharuhera area to ensure the presence of garbage lifting by civic employees so that it can be ascertained that whether the sweepers are continuously reaching to pick up the garbage or not. In the meeting, the chief minister said that Haryana is becoming a leader in the field of development and industrial investment opening new avenues of growth. BATHINDA A view of OPD building of Bathinda AIIMS. (HT File) In the absence of definitive rules in Punjab, pathological labs being run by unqualified persons have sprung up outside All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Bathinda. A cross-section of medical experts at AIIMS raise concerns over unchecked activities of the unscrupulous private diagnostic centres. According to the Supreme Courts 2017 ruling, only an MD pathologist or MD microbiologist doctor can examine, authorise and sign pathology laboratory reports. There are seven laboratories located outside the AIIMS campus and housed in private pharmacy shops. Bathinda civil surgeon TS Dhillon said the prevalent rules do not bind a person to register himself before starting a pathological laboratory. It is the domain of the state government to empower the health department to regulate medical institutes for greater transparency and ensuring fair practice, he added. Officials in the state health department say their hands are tied as in the absence of rules in Punjab, diagnostic laboratories remain unregulated even as patients end up getting wrong analysis of samples, thus hampering diagnosis. A senior faculty member of the central institute shared a report of HPCL (high-performance liquid chromatography), a technique for the accurate diagnosis of the blood sample, of a 56-year-old patient. He said only AIIMS conducts the sensitive test in Bathinda but a private laboratory which runs like a sample collection centre, issued a report. Instead of going to the in-house laboratory, the patient somehow went to one of these labs outside the campus. His test report was a complete contrast to the detailed clinical examination. The owner of the pharmacy claimed complete accuracy of the blood sample. When I insisted for the contact number of the pathologist, who had signed the report for a detailed discussion of the patient, he stopped taking my phone calls, said the doctor. Sharing a similar experience, another doctor said some of these laboratories are issuing reports in violation of protocols where the name and medical registration number of the expert with the Punjab Medical Council (PMC) are mandatory on the reports. Thyroid function test report of one of my patients was issued without any signature of the pathologist. In another case, the laboratory manager claimed the correct analysis of the samples by a pathologist based in Amritsar and Noida. It is a highly suspected practice if experts from distant places visit Bathinda for supervision and analysis, said another senior faculty member at AIIMS on the condition of anonymity. Doctors said the patients prefer visiting private laboratories to avoid rush at AIIMS or whenever the test facility is not available at the institute. Patients are asked strictly to get their tests done at the AIIMS. But at times, they end up landing at the pharmacy where they get lured by the agents for conducting medical tests by offering prices lower than the market rates and speedy reports. We discourage such reports due to the doubtful functioning of the labs, said an assistant professor. A senior department functionary said it is well known that people who do not have any academic background of the medical field are owning and managing pathological labs. But in the want of rules and specific complaint, it is impossible to take action, he added. President of the Bathinda chapter of the Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists Anita Mitttal said the state government should focus on the burning issue of path labs being run by unauthorised persons. Our association has 25 active members from the public and private sector in the district whereas there are about 500 labs engaged in medical testing. Correct analysis of samples is the key to right treatment and involvement of unscrupulous elements is a cause of concern, she added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Jammu and Kashmir Police constable died on Sunday after he allegedly shot himself with his service rifle here, said officials. Mir allegedly shot himself at around 7.45 pm. He was taken to a hospital but succumbed to injuries, said the police. Abdul Hamid Mir was deployed at a hotel in Rajbagh area. The reason behind the policeman taking the extreme step was not immediately known, they said. Mir allegedly shot himself at around 7.45 pm. He was taken to a hospital but succumbed to injuries, they said. A state appeals court has upheld the convictions of two men previously found to be in possession of narcotics and illegally obtained weapons in separate cases. The Cayuga County District Attorney's Office announced in a news release Friday that Floyd Chavis' convictions on drug-related crimes were affirmed by the Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department, in Rochester. Chavis was arrested in February 2019 after members of the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force and multiple other law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at 51 Orchard St. following an investigation on illegal narcotics sales, the Auburn Police Department said at the time. Authorities found heroin, glassine bags, cash and a stolen AR-15 assault rifle in his apartment. Forensic testimony at trial confirmed his DNA was on the rifle, the release added. In January 2020, a Cayuga County jury found Chavis guilty of third-degree criminal possession of a narcotic drug, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, all felonies. He was also convicted of two counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, which are misdemeanors. He was sentenced to 12 years in state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision for the controlled substance conviction, in addition to concurrent sentences on the other charges. The news release noted the Appellate Division also affirmed the convictions for Arthur Janes. The charges stem from when Janes sold cocaine in Auburn on May 2021 and police stopped his vehicle that June and found 30 grams of cocaine, 16 grams of methamphetamine, three digital scales, microbaggies for narcotics and two long guns. That November, he pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and three-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Janes was sentenced in January 2022 to four years in prison followed by two years of post-release supervision on each count, to run concurrently. : A special fast track court in Palwal sentenced a 26-year-old man to death for raping and brutally murdering a six-year-old girl in 2021. Palwal: 26-yr-old MP man gets death sentence for raping, killing 6-yr-old girl The accused, Anand Singh, is a migrant labourer from Damoh in Madhya Pradesh and was living at Marroli village in Palwal when he committed the heinous crime. He shall be hanged by neck till he is dead, subject to confirmation of the sentence by the Punjab and Haryana high court at Chandigarh. The convict has been informed that he can file an appeal before the high court within 30 days. The convict be confined in safe custody in district jail, Faridabad under warrants of conviction till the confirmation of the death sentence or further orders from high court. On the warrants, a note be mentioned that he shall be hanged by neck, till he is dead, only after confirmation by the high court, reads the July 29 sentencing order of the special fast track court headed by additional sessions judge (ASJ), Prashant Rana. ASJ Rana said the name, parentage and village etc. identification particulars of the victim, are not to be disclosed, reported or published, or made public in any manner, considering the dignity of the deceased victim, and also as mandated by law. The victim was around seven and was subjected to aggravated penetrative sexual assault and was murdered. Untold pain and suffering and mental trauma have been caused to the victim as well as her family members. The legal heirs of the victim deserve to be granted maximum compensation, as per the Victim Compensation Scheme, 2020. The victim is survived by her parents and three siblings, the court said, granting 30 lakh to the dependents of the victim as final compensation. Purpose of fast-track courts are lost if there is delay in DNA testing Emphasising on a sense of urgency in making DNA testing kits available for expeditious disposal of such cases, ASJ Rana said that the reports in around 1,500 pending cases pertaining to offences of rape and murder of women and child victims in Haryana are still awaited even after the purchase of the DNA PCR kits. Even after purchase of kits, the reports would be submitted in coming months. There is a 23-year delay (in cases of rape or murder of child victims) in receiving of the DNA reports. The average time to prepare a DNA report is 10-15 days but if the reports are delayed, a number of witnesses including the investigating officer, doctors and the FSL experts cannot be examined since the case properties are sent along with the DNA blood samples. Such delay is obstructing the justice delivery system and the purpose of setting up of fast track courts seems to be lost on account of this delay, the judge said in his order. Need to put in place safety measures for migrant children The ASJ said that another peculiar aspect which surfaced in the present case is that the parents of the victim were inter-state migrant labourers working at a brick-kiln. As per the e-Shram database, there are 28.83 crore workers in the unorganised sector. Out of the same 13.62 crore workers are males, whereas 15.21 crore workers are females. It can be safely presumed that there are crores of children, whose both the parents work as labourers. When the parents go out for labour work, these children are left alone at the temporary labour colony, primarily huts or temporary structures without any safe boundary walls and caretakers. These children are most vulnerable to the sexual offences, as happened in the present case, the court said. The court said that the concerned authorities must work out some modalities to ensure that there is a record of such children. There must be some registration of their mothers, along with the number of children left without any care, at the time of work. There must be some creche or playroom or any other safety arrangements for such children. The arrangements may be done by the government departments or the employers, the court said. The ASJ also asked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to seek data from various FSLs with regard to the pendency of DNA reports in POCSO cases, and prepare a database. It should also ensure that DNA kits are sufficiently available in all FSLs across the nation. The NCPCR needs to seek data from labour department with regard to the number of vulnerable children of labourers and prepare a database of the same, the court said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Hitender Rao Hitender Rao is Senior Associate Editor covering the state of Haryana. A journalist with over two decades of experience, he writes on politics, economy, migration and legal affairs with a focus on investigative journalism. ...view detail The Red Sand boa, a non-venomous and rare snake of the tricity region, invariably befools the lay person. Its tail mimics the head and mouth and the species is bestowed the colloquial title of Do Mohiya, or the resonant codename of double engine in the grey market. A variant to this deception surfaced on Wednesday when tent house employees ahead of Dhakoli glimpsed two big snakes and a dozen small ones hiding under a pile of cloth. Tenthouse workers search cloth piles for boa family; rescued mother and snakelets. (PHOTOS: SALIM KHAN) The floods had ravaged the area and the outlet was awash with deep water. The employees had stacked the cloth in a dry corner. There was, actually, only one adult boa, not two as seen by employees. The boas similar-looking tail and head had peeped out from underneath the pile and were promptly mistaken as two snakes. What reinforced the error was the belief that if they were young ones there had to be a proverbial joda. However, fact is that a male snake divorces the female on coupling, leaving her to find a quiet, humid spot to deliver the young. The female does not bring up the offspring like birds do as snakelets are hard-wired to hunt on their own. The single boa, a female, was swept in by the flood waters and had sought refuge under the pile where she delivered snakelets. All of them were rescued by the duo of veteran snake-rescue expert Salim Khan and Jitender Singh, the latter employed on contract with the Punjab forest and wildlife department, and released at a check dam in the foothills. New Age superstitions drive criminals to extract boas from the wilderness and sell them at astronomical prices. Regional TV channels fuel the hysteria by marketing the boa as a divine and unique Do Mohiya. Gullible devotees are directed to illegally purchase a boa of minimum 3.5 kg (poachers force iron nuggetsdown a boas gullet to increase natural weight). Mythical benefits are assured upon a boas possession: iridium deposits, untold wealth and sexual resurrection. At Tokyo cafe: Aashray with owl; Barred eagle owl nicknamed Mr President. (PHOTOS: PANKAJ & AASHRAY MALIK) Owls on a Tokyo menu Owl eyes evoke a primaeval response in humans. They are domes of many-coloured glass, be they in globes of orange, gold, deep blue or white. Some owls have eyes so dark, deep and opaque that it seems one has, in a flash, acquired escape velocity from earths pull and is left gazing into a cosmic black hole. In India, very few have the opportunity to gaze deep into owl eyes because they cannot be kept as pets and they are restricted by zoo cages. However, if one were to visit Japan, the restricting laws in India are turned on their heads. The Japanese government permits wild species cafes. So, unlike its namesake in Sector 7, Chandigarh, there is a real hedgehog cafe in Tokyo that offers these nocturnal creatures for petting and indulgence in exultations of awsum, sooo cute [sic]. Aashray Malik, an alumnus of Strawberry Fields High School and now headed for Ashoka University, toured Japan this month with family. The Maliks visited the world-famous Akiba Fukurou Owl Cafe in Tokyo after reservation charges of 2,000 Yen per head. Delving on the contradictory nature of his experience at the owl cafe, Malik told this writer: We were required to maintain silence. Each one of us was allotted two owls for 45 minutes. All 40 owls had a nickname. They would perch on our shoulders or even the head. This was the first time I had seen owls so close and their beauty was pristine. They carried an aura of raw power. We were not allowed to feed them. Neither did the cafe offer food or beverages to customers. It was just quality time spent with the most bewitching birds of nature and getting a feel of the mystique that cloaks these phantoms of the night. Though entranced, Malik was also saddened by the owls plight. Were owls comfortable? Happy? These cafes face implacable criticism. Malik cited a published expose by a former employee of one of Japans owl cafes. The birds were leashed, crammed, deprived of water to reduce wastes and kept awake to satisfy customers. Poor vet care caused high mortality. Dead performers were delivered unceremoniously to secretive burials in backyards. More were bought and the show went on. Police arrested two accused on Sunday for gangraping the Delhi-based minor girl, who had run away from home. The accused had raped the girl in a hotel for at least eight days. Police have arrested two Ludhiana residents for raping a Delhi-based minor. (HT File) The accused told police that the girl and her friend had met them in the Field Ganj area while looking for a place to stay in the city. They took the duo to a hotel and raped one of them. The arrested accused have been identified as Nishant Singh alias Gaurav, 21, and Manish, 20, both residents of Islamganj. Police traced the accused from the documents that they deposited at the hotel reception while booking the room. Sharing further details, Division number 2 station house officer (SHO) sub-inspector Amritpal Sharma said a hunt is on to arrest the third accused. The girl said that she returned to Delhi on July 22 after she came to know about the ill health of her mother and shared the whole incident with her parents, who took her to the police to lodge a complaint. It is not yet clear how the girl escaped from the custody of the accused. Police have now asked the minor to come to Ludhiana to provide more details to help speed up the investigation. According to the inspector the accused told police that they were roaming around Field ganj when two minor girls met them seeking help in finding an accommodation on July 11. They found the girls as a soft target and took them to a hotel near Subhani Building chowk. They booked two rooms and raped one of the girls. The accused told police that they visited Himachal Pradesh with the girls with their consent and stayed here till July 22. The 17-year-old girl, who is a resident of Amritpuri Garhi in New Delhi, had alleged that the accused had recorded lewd videos of her and threatened her to not speak of her ordeal. The Delhi police had lodged a zero first information report (FIR) against the accused on July 26 and sent it to Ludhiana police for further action. Following that, Ludhiana police had registered an FIR against three accused under sections 354C (voyeurism), 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the accused on July 28 and initiated investigation. The victim, in her complaint, said that she ran away from home in a fit of rage after her parents scolded her over some issue. She said that she came to Ludhiana by train with her friend on July 9. A Delhi Police official died on Sunday after being hit by a truck on Rohtak Road near Madipur Metro Station in the national capital. The incident occurred when inspector Jagbir Singh was standing outside his car after it stopped due to some mechanical issue, reported ANI quoting Delhi Police. The truck driver abandoned the truck and fled from the scene, according to the report. The truck hit the car from behind near Madipur Metro Station.(ANI) Singh was posted in the security unit of the Delhi Police. A Delhi Police inspector died after his car was hit by a truck from behind on Rohtak Road, near Madipur metro station. The car had stopped due to some mechanical problem and the deceased was standing outside when his car was hit by the truck, ANI quoted Delhi Police as saying. The deceased has been identified as Inspector Jagbir Singh of Delhi Police, presently posted in the Security Unit. The truck driver left the truck and fled from the spot, it added. Legal action is being taken and efforts are being made to trace him, Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) Vichitra Veer said. Police further stated that the other facts related to the incident are being checked, they said. (With ANI inputs) 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 As a 15-year-old girl, she survived the Partition in which two millions perished. Like many others lucky enough to live through that cataclysm, she went on to survive a migration, a new beginning, and decades of struggles. She also endured with fortitude the passing of her husband with whom she had shared 61 years. During her late 80s, she even survived the Covid-19 infection, twice. This Saturday afternoon, she died at her home in Safdarjung Enclave, surrounded by people she loved. Bhag Bahri Malhotra was 91. Her principal legacy being the flagship store of Bahrisons Booksellers in Khan Market, one of the very few original landmarks left standing in Indias most premium shopping address. Delhiwale: A bookstore icon Those with insights into the countrys independent bookshops might remember Balraj Bahri who started his in 1953. Lesser known is his wife whose career helped finance its early years. Bhag first met him soon after the India-Pakistan batwara in Kingsway Camp, Delhis biggest camp for partition refugees. As volunteers there, both were refugees. She was born in a landlords family in Dera Ismail Khan in 1932. He was born to a bank manager in Malakwal in 1928. In their years together, he would call her Madam-ji, she would call him Balraj-ji. Following their wedding, Bhags salaried status as a junior clerk in the Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation not only landed her a government-allocated flat in Netaji Nagar, but also took care of the household expenses. It gave her husband the independence to routinely invest the bookstores entire earnings back into it. While Bhag worked through three jobs daily at the office, at her home, and at the bookstore. Each afternoon, as her husband would head to Connaught Place to understand the book curating in the more established shops, she would walk to Khan Market from her office in nearby Jaisalmer House, and administer the shop until his return. After losing Balraj seven years ago, Bhag would only occasionally visit the bookstore managed by son, Anuj, and daughter-in-law, Rajni. The couple have enlarged the inheritance by opening outlets not only at other places in Delhi, but also in Gurugram, Chandigarh and Kolkata. During those sightings, Bhag would sit silently on a chair with a cup of chai, barely noticed by the browsers. With the onset of the pandemic, she severely curtailed her outdoor excursions. Though, she resumed the morning walks at Nehru Park, a habit she had picked up with her husband. Accompanied by longtime attendant, Ravi Prakash, the stroll would be invigorating, but she would feel the absence of the parks purane log (old timers). Bhag leaves behind three children, and eight grandchildren including author Aanchal Malhotra, whose first bookRemnants of a Separationhad Bhag on the cover. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mayank Austen Soofi Mayank Austen Soofi is a writer-snapper trying to capture Delhi by heart. ...view detail The dengue tally in Delhi reached a five-year high this year after a total of 187 cases were reported till July 22 the highest for the period since 2018. In view of the situation, health minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said on Sunday the Delhi government has instructed officials to run campaigns regarding dengue in schools and among the common man to put a check on the spread of the virus. Dengue is caused by the dengue virus (DENV), transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes,(HT_PRINT) Hospitals will be made ready for dengue cases. I also had a discussion with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner regarding the same today, Bharadwaj said. As per the MCDs weekly bulletin released last Monday, about 65 dengue cases were reported in the first three weeks of July; 40 in June and 23 in May. The fear of a dengue outbreak followed the unprecedented flood-like situation in the national capital, which remained for days due to the overflowing of the Yamuna river amid incessant monsoon rain in hilly states. The viral infection is caused by the dengue virus (DENV), transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Experts say there are four dengue virus serotypes -- DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4. The Delhi government said that upon the genome sequencing of 20 positive samples, it was found that 19 of these had strain type-2. Government takes steps to check the spread 1)Type-2 is a severe strain, from which there is risk to patients. In view of the situation, the government also increased fines for mosquito breeding - 1000 for households and 5000 for commercial establishments. 2) In a meeting held last week, it was decided to check the breeding of mosquito larvae in households through breedings checkers. The 1031 helpline, in addition to Covid-19 cases, has been designated to cater to dengue cases as well. Bharadwaj also said a 24x7 control room will be set up soon. 3)Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also asked the director of education to ensure the strict implementation of wearing full-sleeve clothes and full pants in schools as preventive measures. School students have been roped in to participate in the campaign to check spread. Children will be made responsible for spreading awareness and for checking their homes for stagnant water. A Dengue Homework Cards' has been asked to provide to the students to help monitor their homes. This report card to be made by the students has been made mandatory for all the schools in Delhi, the minister further said. 4)ASHA workers, the Delhi Metro rail network and police have also been asked to join the campaign against dengue. Delhi Metro has started making announcements at its stations to raise awareness. 5)The government also urged people to avoid self-medication or buy over-the-counter drugs in case of a fever. "Aspirin, disprin, ibuprofen, which further thin the blood, should not be taken by a dengue patient. A doctor should be consulted in case of fever," the minister cautioned. What to do in case of dengue infection? Doctors said dengue is accompanied by high-grade fever and patients should keep themselves hydrated. "If a patient is feeling very weak and severely dehydrated due to bouts of vomiting and dizziness in the head, then it's a sign that the person should be hospitalised, Richa Sareen, senior consultant, pulmonology, Fortis Hospital said. After witnessing symptoms, the patients should also go through an NS1 antigen test, done to diagnose dengue infection. A normal platelet count is between 1,50,000 and 4,00,000 per microliter of blood, and therefore this count should be properly monitored, the doctor added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A fire broke out in a footwear factory in outer Delhi's Udyog Nagar on Sunday morning, said the fire department. Fire breaks out in a footwear godown in Delhi's Uttam Nagar.(screengrab / PTI video) The blaze forced the fire department to send out four fire tenders at the beginning, and more as the fire continued to flare, releasing dense fumes into the sky. A fire official said that there were no reports of casualties in the blaze, but there would be more clarity once the flames were controlled and a search was launched on the premises. The official said that the fire was in a shoe manufacturing unit in the area that has several factories operating out of it. The dense black fumes emanating from the blaze site were likely due to large amounts of inflammable materials stocked in these factories, the official said. While the trigger for the blaze couldn't immediately be ascertained, the fire officials said it was likely due to a short circuit. Teams from the fire department and the police, as well as ambulances from CATS, camped around the blaze site as firefighting operations continued. A massive fire broke out at a footwear factory in west Delhis Udyog Nagar on Sunday morning, the fire department said. An operation is underway to douse the fire (Twitter Photo) Initially, four fire tenders were rushed to the site and an operation is underway to douse the fire, said the department officials, adding that more fire tenders are arriving as the fire continued to flare, releasing dense fumes into the sky. There have been no reports of casualties, but it would be more clear once the flames are controlled, said the officials. A fire department official said the fire was in a shoe manufacturing unit in the area which also has several other factories operating out of it. The dense black fumes emanating from the blaze site were likely due to large amounts of inflammable materials stocked in these factories, said the official. While the trigger for the blaze couldnt immediately be ascertained, the fire officials said it was likely due to a short circuit. Teams from the fire department and the police, as well as ambulances, are camped around the blaze site as firefighting operations continued. Exactly a year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi signalled the BJPs growing focus on Pasmanda (backward) Muslims at the partys Hyderabad meet in July 2022, former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) vice chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor, a Pasmanda himself, entered the BJPs main body as national vice- president on Saturday. U.P. gets lions share in BJP national team (Pic for representation) The BJPs new team has eight members from Uttar Pradesh in the main body, two more than the last team declared on September 26, 2020, showcasing the partys focus on the state ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which are less then a year away. Mansoor, 66, a general surgeon from AMU, is among the eight leaders from Uttar Pradesh who have found a place in BJP chief JP Naddas 38-member team. The domination of U.P. in the national body with 21% representation reflects a mix of leaders with either caste appeal or organisational expertise or both, party leaders said. Four leaders have been retained. They are: Arun Singh (upper caste Thakur and Rajya Sabha MP from U.P, national general secretary), Rekha Verma (Lok Sabha MP, Kurmi, OBC, vice-president), Shiv Prakash, named joint general secretary (organisation) from Lucknow and Rajesh Agarwal (representing trader community, treasurer). Former state BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai, elected a Rajya Sabha MP in May 2022 is the new Brahmin face from U.P. as another national vice- president. Bajpai is from west U.P. The previous BJP committee had Harish Dwivedi, a Brahmin MP from east UP. Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, a Rajya Sabha MP from east UP and a popular doctor-politician, is the second general secretary from Uttar Pradesh. The previous BJP body had one general secretary from the state. Radha Mohan Das Agarwal had vacated his traditional Gorakhpur (city) seat for chief minister Yogi Adityanath, a five-term Lok Sabha MP, to enable him to contest his first assembly poll in 2022 and ever since his graph within the party has gone up. Surendra Nagar, a Rajya Sabha MP and a Gurjar OBC from west UP, previously with the Samajwadi Party, is a new entrant into the BJP national team. Along with Jats, Gurjars are a key OBC caste in west UP. The BJP is also set to name district party chiefs across the state, with many likely to be replaced. Very soon some key joinings from other parties are likely to happen and then there is this expected rejig/expansion of the Yogi (ministry) 2.0 ahead of the Monsoon session of the state assembly from August 7. All these strategic developments will now start unfolding, a BJP leader explained. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh BJP general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh was in Rae Bareli to attend a meeting of party vistaraks (people tasked with spreading the reach of party and its policies). Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is among the 14 parliamentary seats that the BJP, despite wresting the adjacent Amethi, had failed to win in U.P. in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. We intend to win all 80 Lok Sabha seats in U.P. so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets to lead the country again for a record third consecutive stint and the new team reveals this focus, UP BJP vice-president Vijay Bahadur Pathak said. RMD Agarwal welcomes new responsibility GORAKHPUR Rajya Sabha member Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, who was nominated among the new national general secretaries of the BJP, on Saturday said he felt happy at being given the new responsibility. He thanked BJP national president JP Nadda and other leaders for reposing confidence in him. Hundreds of his supporters gathered at his residence in Gorakhpur to congratulate him. Talking to reporters, Agarwal termed himself a party worker and said the new responsibility was part of expansion of his duties. The four-time former MLA is currently the party in- charge for Lakshwadeep and co-incharge for Karnataka. He said the BJP was determined to win 350 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Agra Uttar Pradesh energyminister of Uttar Pradesh AK Sharma has instructed electricity department officials to improve power supply in these humid days. He has also stressed on complete billing and delivery to the consumer in time. The department should not hesitate in ensuring tough measures to check power theft and the big players should be marked and tackled, the minister said. (Pic for representation) Sharma held a meeting with power department officials in Lucknow on Saturday and laid stress on improving work culture in electricity department. The meet was attended by managing director of Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (DVVNL) from Agra. Employees of the power department need to have better approach to work and better behaviour towards the consumers while ensuring dedication to work. The need of the hour is decentralized system of working for required improvement in services provided by the electricity department, said the minister.. We are here to provide smooth power supply to the consumer and need to understand their feelings and issues faced by them. We need to be tough in realization of revenue but before going for disconnection, proper intimation to the defaulter should be ensured, said Sharma. Officials should focus on recovery from major defaulters for which public announcements be made besides calling them at night to remind about amount pending. Further, campaigns should be launched to prevent power theft, he said, directing director general (vigilance) for action against those not paying electricity bills. The department should not hesitate in ensuring tough measures to check power theft and the big players should be marked and tackled. For proper realization of electricity dues, timely delivery of bills is essential, he said. The energy minister asked the billing agencies to speed up the process in light of recent complaint by district magistrate of Siddharth Nagar about low billing. He also favoured provision of payment of bill on the basis of photo electricity meter taken to payment centre by consumers in case they did not receive bill. We need to ensure efficiency and strict compliance with norms while having shut down, disconnection and restoration of electricity lines to rule out any loss of life. Proper alarm system should be in place and it would be better if a specific time interval is assigned for shut down and restoration for maintenance so that minimum hardship is caused to consumers, said. We need to have quality methods to address complaints made by power consumer so that they get timely redressal, added the minister. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Following an Auburn man's murder conviction getting overturned, another defendant sentenced for the same crime is seeking to have his conviction tossed by a state appeals court. Other cases with a connection to the successful appeal may also be challenged. Ben Susman, an attorney for Lucciano Spagnola, told The Citizen Friday that he filed a motion in June to overturn Spagnola's conviction for his role in the shooting death of Joshua Poole at 8 Delevan St. in November 2019. The motion was filed after another defendant in the case, Gage Ashley, had his conviction overturned by the state Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department. The court determined that a flawed grand jury selection process was used prior to Ashley's conviction. The Cayuga County District Attorney's Office is retrying the case against Ashley, who was arraigned on murder, gun and attempted robbery charges in June. The DA's office appealed the decision to overturn Ashley's conviction, but the state Appeals Court, New York's highest court, denied the request. With the mid-level appeals court's ruling in Ashley's case, Susman said he sees no reason why his motion for Spagnola wouldn't be granted. "(Spagnola) decided that he wanted to challenge the indictment as well, based on the issue that was decided by the fourth department," Susman said. Attorney David Elkovitch, who handled Ashley's appeal, said that with the state Court of Appeals denying a chance to appeal the Fourth Department's decision, he feels the DA's office has an "ethical obligation" to contact each of the defendants who were indicted by that same grand jury, since grand juries can be empaneled for months. However, Christopher Valdina, chief assistant district attorney for the DA's office, said that as far as he is aware, the office doesn't have any such obligation. Valdina said the office doesn't need to review the cases of the defendants indicted by that grand jury, and each of those defendants can make their own judgements on whether they want their cases reopened. There are approximately 30 other indictments that were voted on by the same grand jury. "Those individual defendants would have to make a decision on what they do or don't want to do," he said. If a case is reopened, Valdina continued, "it goes back to the starting point" and that defendant risks potentially getting a higher sentence. After a video of two security officials physically assaulting a disabled man on a tricycle in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria went viral on Sunday, the city police took cognisance of the incident and suspended the accused duo. Deoria Police informed that the two Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) jawans have been terminated from duty with the police department and action is being taken based on further investigation while a complaint has already been filed under suitable sections. Screengrab of the video capturing two PRD jawans beating a disabled man in Deoria. The viral clip shows the two officials beating the physically challenged person while the latter shouts and replies that he did not abuse them. The three can be seen involved in an altercation wherein the officials also threaten the disabled person of taking him to the police station. The incident reportedly took place late Saturday night. Reacting to the video, the police issued a statement in Hindi which read, In connection with the viral video related to two PRD personnel beating up a disabled person, by terminating the duty of the PRD personnel from the Police Department, based on the application received against them, the action was taken by registering charges in Police Station Rudrapur. The disturbing clip also triggered political responses, including that from the Samajwadi Party- the main opposition party in UP- which targeted chief minister Yogi Adityanath for the shameful police system. This is the exploits of the barbaric, unbridled police in Yogiraj, some incidents come to light but many such things are happening which are not even known, this barbaric shameful system is going on in Yogiraj, tweeted the party's media cell in Hindi while sharing the video. As per reports, the incident occurred when the victim, identified as 26-year-old Sachin Singh, asked the two officials for water. He works as a SIM seller and delivery boy at a restaurant. He reportedly lost both his legs during a train accident in Mumbai in 2016. The double promotion of former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) vice chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor, among the three doctors in the BJP national team from Uttar Pradesh, in a space of three months isnt without reason. He was nominated as a member of the Uttar Pradesh legislative council (MLC) in April. Former AMU VC Prof Tariq Mansoor has been appointed as BJP national vice-president on Saturday. (HT File photo) And his appointment as BJP national vice-president on Saturday came just a day after the extended law commission deadline for submitting suggestions on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) expired on Friday. The commission has got about 75 lakh (7.5 million) responses on UCC, say officials. As the party gets ready for a series of discussions to forge a consensus on the contentious code, educated Muslims like Mansoor are going to come in handy in aiding the process of consultations among the community, BJP leaders said. More important, the outreach through educated community members could also help in thwarting opposition bid to incite the masses against the BJP by making selective disclosures, a BJP leader said. The BJP leaders said that through Mansoor, the party plans to increase engagement with educated Muslims, Pasmandas (backward class Muslims) in particular, to woo the influential minority vote bank. Since the 2022 U.P. assembly poll win, the BJP has been working on elevating Pasmanda Muslims to key posts. That is the reason why Danish Azad Ansari, a Pasmanda, was made the minister of state for minority welfare and waqf department, the only Muslim face in the Yogi 2.0 ministry. Other key positions were also bagged by Pasmanda Muslims. For instance, Ashfaq Saifi became chairman of the UP Minority Commission. Iftikhar Javed was made chairman of the UP Board of Madrasa Education. The BJP fielded several Muslims, mostly Pasmandas, in the Uttar Pradesh urban local body polls held in May this year. Nearly 100 of them won from different wards of the state. All of this has helped raise the voice and visibility of the poorest of the poor, the most backward among Muslims who comprise nearly 85% of the community and yet have so far watched the Ashraafs or elite, upper caste among Muslims, set the public political narrative. This needed to change and thats what is now happening, said Javed Malik, a BJP leader who heads the Akhil Bhartiya Pasmanda Muslim Manch. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Pasmanda outreach is also aimed in a big way to stop the Muslim vote from consolidating behind the opposition alliance, BJP leaders said. Dont be surprised if more Muslims join the BJP in the run-up to 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a BJP leader said. There is a view that being an educated Muslim, professor Mansoor could be helpful in connecting with the community, explaining sensitive topics like UCC and in demolishing myth of BJP not caring about the minorities, a party leader said. Some are dismissive of the BJPs plan to woo Muslims. Anees Mansoori, a former UP minister who heads an organisation called Pasmanda Muslim Samaj, said most Muslims in the BJP were sarkari Musalmaan, a term meant to indicate Muslims who lack credibility among the community. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday said Uttar Pradesh has the potential to become Indias growth engine. He also said U.P. can stand among the countrys leading states by combining effort with hard work. Adityanath was speaking at the inauguration of the Chief Ministers Command Centre and CM Dashboard at Lal Bahadur Shastri Bhavan here. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the launch of Chief Ministers Command Centre and CM Dashboard in Lucknow. (HT photo) Each and every data of the field should be fair and correct. The officers should avoid manipulation of data to promote healthy competition. The data uploaded from the field will undergo verification. We will periodically check and ensure that it is not just a paper-based formality. All the data that is sent should be delivered in an organised manner and completed timely, he added. The purpose is to collect data as well as to accelerate the economy of Uttar Pradesh. Its main objective is to solve the problems of the general public in a time-bound manner. Addressing the grievances of the public should be our priority. When riots occurred in different states during festivals, there was peace in Uttar Pradesh. Those who do not like peace and harmony try to spoil the atmosphere by creating tension over trifle issues. Police officers should make extra efforts to ensure any event planned within the state abides by law. No event should be organised that puts public safety at risk, Yogi added. Officers and other government employees should reside in the district in which they are posted. The state government will not tolerate that the officers are residing in a district in which they are not posted. If government accommodation is not available, the officers should stay in rented houses and reach their offices on time, he said. The work of all government personnel should be reviewed. Working of the police stations should be reviewed by respective police chiefs, district level departments by district magistrates and working in the divisional level departments should be reviewed by divisional commissioner, the CM said. Emphasising on the use of technology, he said, We have to create such mechanism at the district level to address the grievances of the people as soon as possible. If we can monitor the movement of ambulances across the state from the state capital, all activities of the district departments can also be monitored by use of technology which has been upgraded. Negligence on the part of government officers and employees will not be tolerated. District officials should ensure disposal of grievances of the people at the district level. People should not have to wander from one office to another to get their work done, he said. Uttar Pradesh has the potential to become the growth engine of the country. By combining efforts with hard work, U.P. can be among the leading states, the CM said. Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, finance and parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, Jal Shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh and urban development minister AK Sharma were present in the programme. Officers work evaluation via monthly grading Under the supervision of the chief ministers office, the chief ministers command centre and CM dashboard will play a crucial role in effective implementation, monitoring and performance grading of flagship projects and schemes of the state government. The state government will also get feedback of the projects. The performance of officers in various departments, district administration, police administration, municipal corporations, development authorities, universities and progress of the various government schemes will be evaluated through monthly rankings and grading. The CM dashboard will display top and bottom performers among departments and districts. Departments and districts with low performance will undergo necessary actions for improvement, said a state government spokesperson. For ranking and grading of the divisional commissioners and DMs, the state government has identified 106 flagship projects. The ranking of police commissioners, SSPs, SPs, municipal corporations, development authorities and universities based on performance will also be done on a monthly basis. The state government has deputed teams of specialists for data analysis and monitoring, keeping a close eye on the performance of each department and district. An endeavour of the state government to provide good governance, the chief ministers command centre and CM dashboard will prove to be an effective mechanism in providing timely solutions to the problems of the common people and ensuring better implementation of government schemes, the spokesperson said. The Digital India campaign has connected the general public with digital technology by ensuring timely and effective monitoring of public welfare schemes. For the first time, all government schemes are being implemented based on technology-driven good governance, which is resulting in beneficiaries receiving the full benefits of these schemes, he said. In line with the CMs vision, the chief ministers command centre is equipped with an integrated dashboard, video wall, videoconferencing facility, call centre, discussion, training and technical rooms with world-class amenities. The CM dashboard will be operated here, ensuring monitoring of departmental services, schemes and programmes at various levels, he said. Currently, 588 schemes of 53 departments are registered. A performance index has been developed based on the information received from departments on the CM dashboard and accordingly, monthly state-level grading will be issued. A Data Quality Index has been developed to ensure the quality of departmental data, and its monthly evaluation will also be displayed, he said. Strap: Poor traffic management, lack of enforcement of traffic rules, bad roads lead to increase in crash-related deaths HT Image MUMBAI: After battling for her life for two months following a road accident, Snehal Pareira, a 32-year-old nurse from Tehriwadi, Vasai West, succumbed to her injuries on July 24. A mother of two, Snehal was riding her scooter to reach Janseva Hospital, where she worked, when a speeding tempo hit her near D-Mart at Babhola Naka in Vasai West. According to Onil Almeida, Snehals neighbour and the director of Bassein Catholic Bank, while Snehal was not wearing a helmet, the tempo driver was speeding, which led to the accident. On July 10, after filling petrol in their two-wheeler at Fatherwadi in Vasai East, two brothers were making their way to the highway when a speeding car hit them and flung them in the air, and they landed several feet away. The brothers suffered severe injuries, but the car driver fled the spot without bothering to check on them. One of the injured, Prasad Prajapati, 28, succumbed to his injuries at Platinum Hospital last Saturday. The Waliv police said that the car driver, identified as Arun Shrivastav, 32, had been drinking with a friend at a dhaaba on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway till early morning and was heading to his house in Vasai West when the knocked down the two-wheeler. These are not isolated incidents. Speeding and drunk driving are two of the many reasons behind an increase in the number road accidents in Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) region this year. The fatalities so far in 2023 already see a four-fold increase compared to the previous year. This year so far, 98 people have been killed in road accidents in the MBVV region as compared to 22 deaths reported in the whole of 2022. Helmets no compulsion Almeida is fighting to get compensation for Snehals children, a three-year-old and a five-year-old. Many residents of the area blame the poor traffic management in the MBVV and bad condition of roads for the increase in the number of accidents. Shivpratap Somvanshi, from Parivatan, an NGO, said, Its the responsibility of the traffic police to impose the mandatory requirement of helmets while riding two wheelers. This, however, does not happen anywhere in MBVV, said Somvanshi. His NGO had last year distributed 550 helmets to bikers in Nalasopara, but has subsequently observed that none of those people who were given helmets have used them. Somvanshi said that last week they had organised an eye checkup camp at the Chinchoti police chowkie along the highway for the police officers and drivers. Out of the 64 checkups we found that at least 10 had cataract but were still driving trucks and autos which can be dangerous, he added. Vilas Barve, senior police inspector of Waliv police station, says that a helmet can be the difference between life and death in road accidents. He said had Prajapati brothers been wearing helmets, the victim could have been saved. Unlike everywhere else, there is no compulsion to wear a helmet in MBVV as the rules are not enforced. As the riders are not penalised by the traffic police, they dont feel the need to wear helmets and more lives are lost, said another police officer from Waliv police station. Prakash Gaikwad, deputy commissioner of police (administration and traffic) of MBVV police, said that realising that the number of accidents has gone up, they have installed high-definition CCTV cameras across the region two weeks ago and have started sending e-challans to traffic offenders. This will help in curbing accidents as we will be able to penalise violators for speeding, drunk driving, helmetless riding, wrong side driving which are major causes of fatal accidents, said Gaikwad. Poor condition of the roads is equally responsible for several accidents in MBVV region for which we have written to the municipal corporation to repair the roads as soon as possible, added Gaikwad. Ramesh Manale, additional commissioner of Vasai-Virar municipal Corporation said, Due to heavy rains and flooding, repair of the roads can be done only after the monsoon season. Lack of CCTV cameras Earlier, fewer CCTV cameras and the non-functioning of many of those installed had made it difficult for the police to nab, hit and run accused. After 21-year-old Rohit Yadav was beaten to death by three men in a road rage case on Nalasopara bridge, the Tulinj police took at least 24 hours to trace the accused as the CCTV cameras installed on the bridge were not working. We have to depend on private shops and buildings for recordings in solving crimes, if the cameras are not installed by the civic administration to cover an entire road or stretch. It also increases our workload, said an officer from Vasai crime branch. At times, we must go through footage of scores of private cameras instead of one government installed camera, which is strategically placed to cover an entire road, to track the offenders, added the officer. Many of the cameras which were installed by private citizens on major junctions of MBVV were removed by the municipal corporation for beautification. There were 4,024 CCTV cameras in the region which were installed by private citizens and only 170 cameras were installed by the civic administration and at least 50% of those are not working at any given point of time, said the officer. Now we have written to the District Planning Development Committee (DPDC) and asked for cameras to be installed on 1,632 important junctions and highway points and have also submitted a proposal for cameras at 251 additional points, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Navi Mumbai HT Image Two years after a 35-year-old man was arrested for raping a 13-year-old school going girl by convincing her that she was his wife by making her wear a mangalsutra, a local court has convicted the accused and sentenced him for 20 years rigorous imprisonment. The accused identified as Dyaneshwar Dhavji Thakur, a high school passout employed as a workman in a company at Nagothane in Raigad district, had reportedly raped the minor girl twice. According to police, the girl had a troubled childhood and was neglected by her mother. After losing her father as a child, her mother had abandoned her and remarried. During the course of the case, the mother had never come in touch with the investigating agency. She was taken care of by her paternal uncle and aunty. The victim, who stayed in the same area as that of the accused, was in his custody from April 21 to May 6 of the year 2021. The aunty of the victim had registered a case of kidnapping with Nagothane police after the girl went missing. The wife of the accused had herself told us that he had kidnapped the girl and we finally traced him in a Pen. The girl was in his custody and we rescued her. The accused had put a mangalsutra in her neck and made her believe that they got married and raped her, a police officer from Raigad police said. There were a total of eight eyewitnesses in the case. The statement of the victim herself along with that of the medical officer and the eye witness who saw the girl being rescued from the custody of the accused, played the most crucial part in the evidence that lead to the conviction, Public prosecutor Smita Dhumal Patil, said. The accused was convicted by Raigad Special session court under POCSO Act on Monday. The accused was found guilty under the sections of 363 (kidnapping) and 376 (rape) of the IPC and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mumbai: Three women were detained on Sunday at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for allegedly presenting fake No Objection Certificates from the Nepal Embassy in order to travel to Kuwait to obtain jobs. HT Image Immigration officer Milind Palande, who was on duty at the immigration counter, said, at 12am, three women identified as Pooja Magar, Sangeeta Vishwakarma and Ritu Sherpa arrived at his counter for checking in. The three women were supposed to board a Kuwait-bound flight at 2.30am. The women came to his counter one by one and presented their Nepal Passports with Kuwait visas, air tickets, COVID vaccine certificates and NOC from the Nepal Embassy. While verifying the NOCs, Palande suspected foul play and frisked the three accused after which immigration wing in-charge Kailash Paikara questioned the women and learnt that each one had paid 15,000 to an agent in Delhi named Vishnu Sharma for the visas and the NOCs. Paikara then contacted the Nepal Embassy and found out that the NOCs were fake. The women were then taken to the Sahar police station where they were booked for cheating the Indian authorities by presenting a fake document during immigration under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code. We are now verifying the source from where the women got the NOCs. We are also tracing the Delhi-based agent to find out whether the women were cheated by him, said a police officer from the Sahar police station. A total of 2,131 people were arrested under the cases related to Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) in three years in Tripura, chief minister Dr Manik Saha said on Saturday during a seminar on Cross Border Organized Crimes. (Twitter/@DrManikSaha2) Moreover, 1,509 cases of NDPS were registered across the state between 2020 and June 2023, he said, adding that the state police has filed 1,143 charge sheets while another 331 cases are under investigation. Since our government came to power in 2018, we declared zero tolerance to drug trafficking to make a drug-free state, Saha said. The chief minister was addressing a seminar on Cross Border Organized Crimes (NDPS Human Trafficking & Terror Funding etc.) Impact Assessment & Legal Solutions organised by Tripura judicial academy under the aegis of the high court of Tripura. The seminar is the first of its kind in the state. Citing a Narcotics Control Bureau report, Saha said that Tripura ranked among the highest states in India in the seizure of narcotic items. In these three years, police seized 1620.21 quintals of cannabis, 82,088 bottles of cough syrup and sphenoidal, over 2.37 million Yaba tablets and 27.613 kilograms of heroin, the chief minister informed. The chief minister expressed that the conviction rate is not up to the mark in the state and urged all the stakeholders to share a collective responsibility to combat drug trafficking. Even as NDPS cases are lodged and investigation is done, the problem may not be uprooted from its roots unless a strict view regarding bail is taken and the conviction rate is increased. The judiciary has a role in this regard and I urge them to take a strict view in bail issue keeping in mind the stringent provisions of NDPS Act, Saha said. He added that the drug traffickers use Tripura as their corridor for smuggling as the state is surrounded by the Bangladesh border. Our state is surrounded by the Bangladesh international border and the drug traffickers use this as a corridor. Drug trafficking is a serious concern as it poses challenges to health and ruins the future of the younger generation, the Tripura chief minister said and added that it is one of the biggest sources of income for the terrorists and anti-national elements. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, 79, who was rushed to a private hospital in south Kolkata on Saturday afternoon, was put on ventilation at night, doctors said. Former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (ANI Photo) Bhattacharjee was electively intubated and ventilated last night due to altered sensorium and poor work of breathing, a statement issued by Dr Rupali Basu, CEO and managing director of the hospital, said on Sunday afternoon. Bhattacharjee is suffering from lower respiratory tract infection and Type II respiratory failure, according to the hospital. He is haemodynamically stable. A CT thorax is planned, the statement said, adding that the veteran CPI(M) leader was admitted with lower respiratory tract infection and Type-II respiratory failure. Dr Kaushik Chakraborty, a doctor from the nine-member panel of specialists attending on the former CM, told the media on Saturday that they would wait for at least two days for Bhattacharjee to respond to the antibiotics administered to counter the respiratory tract infection. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, who lives in a small two-room government apartment in south Kolkatas Ballygunge area, is a patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). He has rarely left home in the last few years. Bhattacharjee was admitted to the same hospital in May 2021 with a Covid-19 infection. He was released after seven days when his condition improved. Bhattacharjee was in the same hospital for six days in October 2020 as well. He was admitted in critical condition with symptoms such as breathlessness and low oxygen count in his blood. However, he responded to intermittent BiPAP support, doctors at the hospital said. Governor C V Ananda Bose and leaders from several parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, visited the hospital on Saturday and Sunday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON LUCKNOW The Special Task Force (STF) of U.P. Police on Sunday arrested an international drug smuggler from Ambedkar Nagar district and recovered a huge cache of contraband drug (charas) from his possession. The accused is the member of an international drug smuggling racket. (HT Photo) Sharing a press noted with media persons, senior STF officials said one Sunil Patel, a native of Madhya Pradesh, was arrested. The STF recovered 65.4 kg of illegal contraband estimated to be worth 3.25 crore, a car, a mobile phone, and some cash were recovered from him. According to the STF, the accused is the member of an international drug smuggling racket that smuggles contraband via the Indo-Nepal border and sells it in several parts of the state. Police have lodged an FIR against the accused at Aliganj police station of Ambedkar Nagar. Police are investigating the matter further. Slain mafioso-turned-politician Atiq Ahmads lawyer Vijay Mishra, who was reportedly picked up from Lucknow and then handed over to Prayagraj police, met a woman associated with Atiqs family at a Lucknow-based hotel on Saturday, said people aware of the development. Slain mafioso-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad The lawyer has been arrested in connection with the daylight murder of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police guards in Prayagraj on February 24. Mishra is accused of sharing Umesh Pals location to six assailants -- led by Atiq Ahmads aide Guddu Muslim -- from the court. A senior police official associated with the investigation has said that there was information about the presence of a woman along with the lawyer. He also stated that the woman was linked to the case and Atiq Ahmads family. Another person privy to the development said as per the input, Vijay Mishra had reached the Lucknow hotel, which is located barely 500 metres from U.P. Special Task Force (STF) headquarters under Vibhuti Khand police station limits, to meet this mystery woman. He said the meeting was scheduled to sell a Benami property, a term used for illegal transactions where the real owner or buyer remains anonymous and the real owner is replaced by a substitute who merely lends his name to generate some funds. The property was allegedly being sold for the benefit of absconding family members of Atiq Ahmad and his younger brother Khalid Azeem (alias Ashraf). Earlier, on April 15, the two brothers -- Atiq and Ashraf -- were shot dead by three youths with petty criminal background. The incident took place outside a Prayagraj-based hospital when the mafia brothers were in police custody. Several media persons and others were also present on the spot. The official said that several speculations are being made about the mystery woman present with the lawyer. If we think of women linked to the case and Atiq Ahmads family, then five names pop up -- Atiqs wife Shaishta Parveen, Ashrafs wife Zainab, Atiqs sister Ayesha Noorie, and Ayeshas two daughters. All five women disappeared as their role started surfacing into different criminal conspiracies, he added. Significantly, Atiqs wife was accused of being part of Umesh Pals murder conspiracy and she even carries a reward of 50,000 on her head while Ayesha Noori and Zainab have also been made an accused for helping and sheltering six assailants, who eliminated Umesh Pal, however, no cash reward has been declared on their arrests so far. The police have even declared a reward of 5 lakh each on three assailants -- including Guddu Muslim, Sabir and Arman -- who were allegedly involved in Umesh Pals killing. They are still out of the police net. The trio was among the six assailants who are visible in CCTV footages that had gone viral on social media after Umesh Pals sensational murder. Four more accused -- including Atiqs third eldest son Asad, Atiq close aides Ghulam Hasan, Vijay Choudhary (aka Usman), and one Arbaaz -- were killed in police encounters following the sensational Umesh Pal murder. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports There have been many questions about how Pat McAfee will fit in at ESPN. Whether hell continue to receive the same freedom he enjoys as an independent podcaster remains to be seen. McAfee, however, has pushed back on those criticizing his decision to join ESPN. He said he believes hes earned trust, especially as he has moved the show from several platforms recently. ESPN showed that trust in McAfee by giving him a significant contract figure. And while we know what the network has allowed Stephen A. Smith to get away with, itll be curious if the same rules apply to McAfee. Because already, McAfees commentary has drawn attention for the wrong reason. On Sunday, McAfee tweeted something tasteless and reprehensible and one that was still up at the writing of this article. McAfee responded to a tweet about Michigan States new uniforms. He was responding to a tweet to a person by the name of Evan Fox, whose bio on Twitter says that he does all things video for The Pat McAfee Show. I think Nassar was in on the design team actually Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 30, 2023 McAfees appalling response can be seen above. Weve included a screenshot in case the tweet was to get deleted, but again, it has been up since 12:46 p.m. ET. I think [Larry] Nassar was in on the design team actually, McAfee wrote. McAfee, of course, is referring to the Larry Nassar scandal, which saw the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State doctor eventually sentenced to 140-360 years in prison on a variety of sexual assault and child pornography charges. Nassar was recently in the news because he was stabbed by another inmate who was upset by a lewd comment Nassar made about girls, while they were watching Wimbledon on TV. We arent going to speculate on McAfees decision to invoke Nassars name here, but quantifying Michigan States jerseys as being so bad that the disgraced former doctor, who pervasively abused young women, mustve come up with it is a gross use of his platform. McAfee received a ton of backlash for invoking a serial predator in the name of an offensive joke. If this joke made any sense it would still be bad Jason Kirk (jasonkirk.fyi on bluesky) (@thejasonkirk) July 30, 2023 This is disgusting Pat. I would take the L and run this one back. This is offensive to so many that tried to right a wrong and to the women that were hurt. This is not funny. Brian Mosallam (@Bmosallam63) July 30, 2023 ESPN fired people to clear money for this guy https://t.co/2BaL5fktCl Ishmael Johnson (@IshmaelRJohnson) July 30, 2023 Just insane that this tweet hasnt been deleted yet https://t.co/W0EwReaHOP Greg Waddell (@gwizzy12) July 30, 2023 Whats the thought process here.. https://t.co/IplTHOHKtz T IGT (@itsAntWright) July 30, 2023 this comment is weird af Justin Thind (@JustinThind) July 30, 2023 McAfee, clearly not understanding the seriousness of the matter, doubled down on his tweet when someone implied he should delete it, he replied with a GIF of Stephen A. Smith saying: For What? And in case that wasnt bad enough, he retweeted the tweet a mere couple of hours later. It remains to be seen if McAfee is actually remorseful for his comments and if he is later forced to issue an apology. Judging by his reaction, its pretty clear he doesnt understand the magnitude of his words here and how using Nassars name, even if it was a joke, is just an inappropriate use of his platform. [Pat McAfee on Twitter] Odisha will hold its own census of tigers and elephants in October this year and in May 2024 after the latest All India Tiger Estimation report revealed that the tiger numbers have dropped from 28 to 20 in 2022 in the state. Tiger numbers have dropped from 28 to 20 in 2022 in Odisha (Representative Photo) Chief wildlife warden SK Popli said while the tiger census exercise will begin in October this year and will continue for one and a half months, the elephant census will be conducted in May next year. The department will adopt two methods for the tiger census; one is the line-transact and the other one is the camera trap. The elephant census will be conducted in May next year, said Popli. The state now has around 800 cameras and efforts are on to procure more. Also Read: Indias tiger count tops 3,600, Madhya Pradesh leads at 785 The numbers have come as a shocker for Odisha with the tiger population steadily down from 45 in 2006 to 20 in 2022, according to the latest survey report. The Satkosia Tiger Reserve, where the countrys first inter-state tiger translocation exercise was attempted in June 2018 with the transfer of a tiger and tigress from Madhya Pradesh that ended in a massive failure, reported no presence of tigers in the latest all-India tiger estimation. The decline in tiger numbers is a shocker if taken into account the 2004 census conducted by the Odisha government, which found 192 tigers in the state. The 2022 tiger estimation however had a silver lining for Odisha as Similipal, where largescale poaching has been the order of the day with poachers killing two forest personnel in the last two months, reported an increase in tiger numbers from 8 to 16. The genetically unique and small population of tigers in Similipal is also of high conservation priority in the landscape, the report said, adding that mitigation measures should be carried out on priority to lower mining impact as the region was dotted with mines in tiger landscape. Prey augmentation, habitat restoration and protection can help in the recovery of tiger population in these states which have potential, it said. Also Read: After 24% surge, India is now home to 75% of tigers in the world Wildlife conservationist Biswajit Mohanty said the fall in tiger numbers was no surprise as poachers continue to operate freely, including in highly protected areas like Simlipal and Satkosia. Odisha is the only state that reported constant figures revealing the failure of tiger protection. Tigers are good breeders provided there is a sufficient prey base and protection from poaching. We should have added at least 12-15 tigers between 2014 and 2022. The forest department has miserably failed to control poaching in the wild even in tiger reserves like Similipal. The Satkosia reserve has lost its last remaining tiger. When the ill-conceived Satkosia tiger relocation project with a budget of Rs.25 crore was launched in 2018 in a human-dominated area, we had warned that is going to be a disaster. But our warnings were ignored as the department had fallen in love with big-ticket multi-crore projects, said Mohanty. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The plantation of over 30 crore (300 million) saplings undertaken in Uttar Pradesh on July 22 earned praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made a specific mention of the achievement during his monthly radio show Mann ki Baat on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (HT FILE ) Modi highlighted it as an example of public participation and awareness. He also spoke about the increasing pilgrim footfalls in Uttar Pradesh, particularly his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi where 10 crore people are now visiting Kashi Vishwanath temple every year. The plantation drive was launched by chief minister Yogi Adityanath from Bijnor while all the ministers and party functionaries joined the mega plantation campaign named Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan at various places across the state. Yogi Adityanath heard Mann ki Baat at his official residence here even as senior BJP leaders and ministers, along with party cadres, tuned into the programme at various places across the state, including at all the booths. Modi said, The U.P. governments campaign was accomplished with the active participation of the people. Peoples participation is a must for initiatives like plantation and water conservation campaigns. The PM also spoke of how pilgrim footfalls have increased significantly in Mathura and Ayodhya. This surge in tourism has created new employment opportunities for thousands of underprivileged individuals, he said. Mentioning the pious month of Shravan, Modi said our festivals and traditions make us dynamic. A large number of devotees took out Kanwar Yatra to worship Lord Shiva and many devotees are also reaching 12 Jyotirlingas in Shravan, he said. The number of tourists in Banaras is also breaking records. Now more than 10 crore tourists are reaching Kashi every year. The number of tourists is also increasing in Ayodhya, Mathura and Ujjain, he said. Shravan is associated with greenery and prosperity along with the worship of Mahadev. It has been of great importance, he added. YOGI THANKS PM After the PMs radio show, Adityanath expressed his gratitude to Modi. He tweeted that inspired by the PM, the plantation drive has taken the form of a jan andolan (peoples movement) in U.P. He said that his government has been making dedicated efforts for the development of a green Uttar Pradesh. He added that on the occasion of Independence Day, the government has decided to ensure plantation of five crore (50 million) saplings. In the last six years, officials said 136 crore saplings have been planted in the state, making a significant impact on environmental protection. Over the next five years, the government intends to plant 175 crore saplings. This years target is 35 crore sapling plantation, of which 30.21 crore were planted on July 22. Five crore more saplings are to be planted on August 15. According to a press statement, approximately 5 crore saplings have been planted in the seven dry regions of Bundelkhand, thus boosting the environmental condition of these areas. STATE BJP LEADERS TUNE IN The BJP leaders heard the Mann ki Baat programme at various places. While deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak heard it at different places in Lucknow, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary and state general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh, ministers, all 17 BJP mayors, corporators, zila panchayat chiefs also tuned into it. The party has made it mandatory for cadres and leaders to also ensure that the radio show is heard amid booth level cadres. Thus across all booths, too, the radio show was heard, party leaders confirmed. Uttar Pradeshs Prayagraj police on Sunday arrested Vijay Mishra, the lawyer who represented slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, in connection with the Pal murder case, officials familiar with the matter said. Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed (in photo) was shot and killed while being taken for a routine medical examination in Uttar Pradeshs Prayagraj on April 15 (File Photo) Officials said Mishra was detained from outside a hotel by a police team in Lucknow around midnight on Saturday. Officials in Lucknow said Mishras custody was handed over to Prayagraj police on Sunday. Pal, the main witness in the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal, and his two gunners were shot dead in the citys Dhoomanganj area on February 24. Mishra was accused of sharing Pals location from Prayagraj court before Pal. Mishra was arrested after confirming that he was involved in the murder conspiracy of Pal, police said. Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (City) Deepak Bhukar in a statement on Sunday said Mishra has been taken to Naini central jail. Legal proceedings against Vijay Mishra are now on, he added. The DCP said that the arrest was made based on questioning from an accused in the case arrested earlier. Police also collected evidence against Mishra following investigations, he said. In a press communique on Sunday, Prayagraj police said a resident of Kakra village of the trans-Ganga area of Prayagraj, Mishra was wanted in the Pal murder case. Police said that they have lodged a first information report (FIR) against Mishra under sections 147/148/149 (rioting with deadly weapon and unlawful assembly)/302 (murder)/307 (attempt to murder)/506 (criminal intimidation)/34 (common intention for criminal activity)/120 B of the Indian Penal Code besides under the Explosives Act, 7 CLA Act and 3(2)V of the SC/ST Act. Police said Mishras name was included in the case following questioning of Atiqs other lawyer Khan Saulat Hanif, who is currently in jail, during his custody remand. Saulat had informed that Mishra shared the location of Pal when he left the Prayagraj district court on February 24 and sent his photographs to Atiqs son Asad, police said. In May this year, a plywood trader had also lodged an FIR at Attarsuiya police station against Mishra for allegedly demanding extortion of Rs.3 crore. In his complaint, trader Mohd Saeed claimed that Mishra purchased goods from his shop. However, Mishra issued threats and demanded extortion from him in Atiqs name when he called him for payment. An audio had also gone viral on social media in which Mishra purportedly asked the trader to settle Rs.3 crore which he had taken from Atiq. Police claimed that Mishra had seven criminal cases, including Gangster Act registered against him at other police stations as well. Dhumanganj police have till now filed two charge sheets in the Pal murder case. The first charge sheet mentions the name of Sadaqat Khan while in the second charge sheet submitted to the SC/ST court on June 17, the police included the names of accused Akhlaq Ahmad, Khan Saulat Hanif, Shahrukh, Niaz Ahmad, Qais Ahmad, Mohd Sajar, Rakesh Kumar and Arshad Khan aka Arshad Katra. Atiqs wife Shaista Parveen, his brother Ashrafs wife Zainab, their sister Ayesha Noori and her two daughters besides, assailants Guddu Muslim, Sabir and Armaan are still at large in the Pal murder case. Four assailants who were seen in CCTV footage of the assault on Pal including Atiqs son Asad, Ghulam Hasan, Vijay Chaudhary aka Usman and driver Arbaaz were later killed in a gunfight with the police and special task force teams in April this year. Atiqs lawyer Mishra was present when Atiq and his brother Ashraf were gunned down by three assailants at Motilal Nehru (Colvin) Divisional Hospital on April 15 this year. Despite notices issued by the judicial commission and special investigation team constituted for enquiry into the murders, Mishra did not appear to record his statement, police said. Recently, Mishra had filed an application before the lower court on behalf of Atiqs elder sister Shaheen for taking custody of Atiqs two minor sons lodged at a child shelter home in Rajruppur in Prayagraj. However, Shaheen and her husband Mohd Ahmad along with five others were made accused in an extortion case lodged by one Mohd Sabir at Puramufti police station. On Saturday, Mohd Ahmad was arrested while Shaheen and others are still at large. At least 18 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents due to the downpour that lashed Telangana during the past week, officials said. Warning issued as Godavari river flows above the danger mark in Bhadrachalam, Telangana on Saturday. (ANI Photo) Relief work gained momentum on Saturday as rainfall came to a halt in many parts of the state. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao supervised the relief operations during the day speaking to ministers and Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari, an official release said Saturday night. A senior official told PTI that 16 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents, while bodies of two villagers who were washed away in floods in a stream in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district two days ago were found on Saturday, police said. Search operation was on to locate two other villagers who were also feared washed away in the floods, they said. Waterlogging continued in parts of Warangal despite rainfall subsiding since Friday. The state government has set up relief camps and ramped up rescue and rehabilitation work in rain-affected areas. The Bhadrakali tank in Warangal suffered a breach and officials carried out repairs, official sources said. Those who returned to their homes in the town on Saturday after taking shelter in safer places during the last few days due to flooding were anguished over the damage to household items and the presence of sludge inside the houses. State Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao, who held a meeting in Warangal with public representatives and officials, said the flood damage in Warangal town, Warangal district and Hanumakonda district was 414 crore as per preliminary estimates. As per the directives of CM KCR, Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao held teleconference with officials and gave instructions on provision of safe drinking water, sanitation management and others, the official release said. Rao spoke to Health Minister T Harish Rao who informed the CM about the medical services in relief camps and others. State Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, who undertook an aerial survey in the temple town of Bhadrachalam region, told the CM that about 12,000 people have been provided shelter in relief camps. The water level in Godavari river in the temple town of Bhadrachalam stood at 56 ft at 10 PM on Saturday and the third and final warning was in force (third warning level is 53 ft). The Meteorological Centre of IMD here, in its Daily Weather Report of Telangana State (at 8.30 am on July 29), said the southwest monsoon has been weak over Telangana with the state experiencing isolated rains. Bhainsa in Nirmal district received the highest rainfall of 3 cm, it said. In a press release, the Met Centre said heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Jagityal, Rajanna Sirsilla, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem of Telangana on August 1. In its forecast and farmers weather bulletin, it said light to moderate rain or thundershowers is very likely to occur at isolated places over Telangana on July 29 and 30. The heavy rains during the past one week led to inundation of low-lying areas and damage to agricultural fields at several places in the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra has extended the registration deadline for the Maharashtra NEET UG 2023 Counselling. Now the candidates have till July 31 to submit the registration form. Candidates who have not applied yet for MBBS/BDS course can do it through the official website of State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra at cetcell.net.in. Maharashtra NEET UG 2023 counselling registration deadline extended to July 31 Previously the last date to register for the Maharashtra NEET UG 2023 was July 29. NEET UG 2023 Registration and Form Filling has been Extended up to 31/07/2023, reads the official website. The provisional merit list for the registered candidates for MBBS and BDS courses will be released on August 1. Candidates will be able to fill out preference Form Group A - MBBS/BDS till August 3. The CAP Round - 1 Selection List Group A - MBBS/BDS will be released on August 4. Maharashtra NEET UG 2023 Counselling: How to apply Visit the official website of the State Common Entrance Test Cell at Maharashtra at cetcell.net.in. On the homepage, click on Maharashtra NEET UG 2023 Counselling link Enter the registration details and click on submit. Login to the account and fill in the application form. Pay the applictaion fee Download and keep a hard copy of the same for further need. SNAMUN '23, the three-day conference at The Lawrence School, Sanawar concluded on Saturday, July 29. SNAMUN '23 conference concludes at The Lawrence School, Sanawar Over the course of three days, the conference brought together students from leading schools across the country who engaged in insightful discussions and collaborative efforts aimed at building a safer, more inclusive world, the institute said in a press statement. The theme of the conference was: Peace, Justice and Sustainability. The conference ended with distribution of awards to individuals and schools for their exemplary performance. Himmat Singh Kular of Saint Kabir School, Chandigarh won the Secretary General's Best Delegate award for his outstanding diplomatic skills, critical thinking, and impressive contributions to committee sessions, the institute has informed. The Best School Delegation award was conferred to Modern School, Barakhambha, New Delhi. The delegation showcased unparalleled teamwork, effective communication, and a commitment to driving positive change on a global scale, it added. Viraj Gupta of The Lawrence School, Sanawar was awarded with the Best Delegate Award in the committee on the United Nations Security Council for his exceptional prowess in diplomacy, negotiation, and strategic thinking. Vinod Sultanpuri, Member Legislative Assembly, Himachal Pradesh and an alumnus of the school, said, Being invited to the event was a true honor. In a world often constrained by rigidity, SNAMUN23 has paved the way for progressive social movement. Change is made one day at a time, and everyone needs to do their bit in order to slowly make a change. Fearlessness and truthfulness in our thoughts are key factors, as our thought processes need to be original. Celina Jaitly, who had responded to a Twitter user accusing her of "sleeping" with actor Fardeen Khan and his father, Feroz Khan, has now revealed that the Ministry for External Affairs has raised the issue with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and sought an immediate investigation and action. Celina took to Twitter to share the news in a long note and also posted a picture of the letter that the MEA sent to the National Commission for Women (NCW). (Also read: Celina Jaitly reveals why she got pregnant with twins twice) Celina Jaitly has shared a development regarding her case against a Pakistani national. The case Earlier this year, Pakistani film critic and journalist Umair Sandhu wrote in a tweet, Celina Jaitley is the only actress in Bollywood who slept with both father ( Feroz Khan ) and son ( Fardeen Khan ) many times. Celina responded to the tweet and received the support of many. Late actor-filmmaker Feroz Khan gave Celina her big break alongside his own son, Fardeen, in their home production Janasheen, which released in 2003. Celina recalls being accused of sleeping with Fardeen Khan, Feroz Khan Celina wrote on Sunday, A few months ago, a self-proclaimed Hindi film critic and journalist from Pakistan named Umair Sandu took to Twitter to make viral untrue horrific claims about me which included bizarre allegations like my relations with both my mentor Feroz Khan and his son Fardeen, in addition he made claims targeting me and my familys safety and security even in Austria. My response to his harassment and fake claims from Pakistan went viral and garnered support from millions of Twitterati including Pakistani nationals who were appalled at his behaviour. Celina further wrote that though Umair changed his locations online, he was hiding in Pakistan. She then decided to take the matter to the National Commission for Women (NCW) and it took cognizance of her complaint and sent a letter to the Joint Secretary at Ministry of External Affairs. The Commission has received a positive response from the MEA communicated via letter. The Ministry views the incident with utmost seriousness and has raised the matter with Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi seeking an immediate investigation and action on the incident. Celina's fight against Umair The actor also shared that her fight against Umair is not just one against assault on her own character, but also an assault on my integrity, my motherhood, my family and above all my God father and my beloved mentor Mr Feroz khan who is no longer in this world here to defend himself. He was my mentor, my friend my guide and I am eternally grateful for the love, respect and career he gave me. I am an Indian army war heros daughter and I was going to fight it till my last breath even if it meant going to Pakistan to teach this person a lesson. She then took the opportunity to thank NCW, especially NCW chief Rekha Sharma and Kushbu Sundar. She also thanked the minister as well as the Indian government because they upheld the pride of every Indian woman by initiating action. I feel proud to be an Indian woman today. Four generations of my family including my father gave their blood to our nation and today when they are no longer in this world I feel glad to be treated as a daughter of my nation where in the Government is my protector and guardian. Thank you to all my friends, Indian army colleagues of my late father, amazing twitterati, the Indian media, press who showed unwavering support in my ordeal. Proud to be an Indian woman. Jai Hind, she concluded. NCW responds to Celina The NCW chief responded to Celina's tweet and urged her to take care. Celina then wrote to her, "Thank you Rekha maam, you are doing a wonderful job at @NCWIndia Truly grateful to you and Ms @khushsundar your endeavours in womens issues on such a massive scale are unparalleled.." 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 Actor Sonu Sood turned a year older on Sunday. A sea of fans gathered outside his house in Mumbai on the special day with gifts and flowers. Despite the rain, the actor stepped out and thanked his fans for their generosity and warm gestures. Also read: Sonu Sood's fan calls him God, actor refuses to take credit and says 'I am just a common man' Sonu Sood celebrates 50th birthday with fans. (Photo: Viral Bhayani)(Viral Bhayani) Sonu Sood turns 50 Videos of Sonu Sood greeting his fans outside his house have surfaced. In them, he is seen waving at them from his car. He received gifts, roses and even cut a cake with those waiting for him since morning. Fans showered flowers upon him as he continued to mark his presence amid the rain. The actor also posed for photos with many fans. Several of them held placards, bouquets and banners dedicated to Sonu. All of them captured the moment on their mobile phones. Internet reacts to Sonu Sood's birthday celebration Reacting to the footage, a fan wrote in the comment section of a paparazzi post, "Ye hai asli hero.Garibon ka Masiha (He is the real hero. Messiah for commoners)". He does a bad villain role in movies but the reality is he does for the people which he can help. Mashallah, added another. One also mentioned, He should actually live a thousand years. Sonu Sood helping people Sonu is one of the most popular actors in Bollywood. Besides his films, he is known to help thousands of migrant workers reach their homes during the Covid time. He booked chartered flights and busses for the stuck migrant workers, stranded students and others when the lockdown was announced in 2020. Since then he has been regularly helping people in need. Several people from different parts of the country are seen reaching out to him on social media for help. Many of them also gather outside his house as the actor attends to them all. Sonu Sood will make his writing debut with his upcoming film Fateh. It also features Jacqueline Fernandez. Directed by Vaibhav Mishra, Fateh also features Shivjyoti Rajput and Vijay Raaz in key roles. He is currently back on Roadies 19, Karm ya Kand. 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 Netflix released the official trailer for its highly-anticipated documentary titled "LADIES FIRST: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop," in celebration of hip-hop's momentous 50th anniversary. Netflix celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with "Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop." The docuseries highlights the rise of women Hip-Hop artists. According to a description of the series it recontextualizes the role the irrepressible women of hip-hop played throughout the revolutionary genres 50 years by reinserting them into the canon where they belong: at the center, from day one to present day;Ladies First will debut on Netflix on August 9. We have come through a lot, says actress/rapper/entrepreneur Latifah in the trailer of the show that borrows its name from the feminist anthem that appeared on the hip-hop legends 1989 debut album,All Hail the Queen. We have stood back up and will always keep standing up. "Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop" Release Date All four parts of the docuseries will be released on Netflix on Aug. 9. Women stand as central figures in the world of hip-hop. The new documentary series aims to show how important women have been in hip-hop since the beginning. It will focus on their significant contributions and influence on the genre's culture throughout its history until today. The series wants to give them the recognition they deserve as central figures in hip-hop. The series includes a fantastic lineup of both legendary and modern female rappers. You can expect to see trailblazers like Queen Latifah, Sha Rock, Remy Ma, Yo-Yo, Roxanne Shante, MC Lyte, Da Brat, Monie Love, Bahamadia, and Rah Digga. And alongside them, there will be some of the current generation artists like Latto, Saweetie, Coi Leray, Chika, Rapsody, Kash Doll, and Tierra Whack. The documentary will also feature insights from journalists, record label executives, and stylists, which will make the story even more interesting. What else does the trailer reveal? The trailer of "Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop" shares the struggles and triumphs of female artists in the male-dominated hip-hop world. Queen Latifah, the well-known actress, rapper, and entrepreneur, beautifully shows how strong and determined women in the industry can be. They overcome challenges and achieve great things. The project is led by a team of executive producers, including dream hampton, Troy Carter, Raeshem Nijhon, Carri Twigg, MC Lyte, Nicole Galovski, Justin Simien, and Jennifer Ryan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Salman Khan, who currently hosts the reality show Bigg Boss OTT 2, has taunted contestant Bebika Dhurve. Taking to Instagram on Saturday night, Voot shared a promo clip in which Salman praised Bebika for being 'fantastic all this week'. In the upcoming Weekend Ka Vaar episode, he also said that she will even win the next few seasons of the show. (Also Read | Salman Khan confirms not quitting Bigg Boss OTT 2, reveals what keeps him going) Bebika Dhurve was schooled by Salman Khan on Bigg Boss OTT 2. Salman schools Bebika The brief clip started with Salman Khan telling Bebika, "Bebika, aap bohut sahi ho, baaki sab bewakoof hai (Only you are right. Everyone else is a fool)." She replied, "No, sir." Salman continued, "So, Bebika has been fantastic all this week. Everyone loves Bebika's personality. Bebika is going to win this season, next season, the next season after this. Beautiful, Bebika. Bebika k liye taaliyan (Clap for Bebika)." He then clapped even though he had a serious expression on his face. The clip was shared with the caption, "Bebika pe hua Salman Khan ke sarcasm ka vaar (There was an attack on Bebika by Salam Khan's sarcasm)! Watch the episode of #WeekendKaVaar with Salman Khan tonight at 9 pm. Streaming free on #JioCinema." Bebika's behaviour in the last week Last week, on the show, Bebika expressed her unhappiness towards Aashika Bhatia for not cleaning the house well and not doing her duty properly. "I am unwell, yet working. You still haven't cleaned the washroom well, nor have you cleaned the dustbin, she had said. During the Angel VS Devil task, Bebika also got into a fight with Manisha and even pushed her several times. During the ticket to finale task, Abhishek Malhan supported Elvish Yadav and stole from Bebika and Jiya Shankars shops. However, Bebika took it personally and got angry. Bebika also told Abhishek main tera muh tod dungi (Ill break your face)' and tu bahar miliyo (you meet me outside)' when he and Avinash Sachdev fought over a disagreement in the task. Salman on being part of Bigg Boss Recently, Salman said that his fans are his biggest strength and they keep motivating him to come back on Weekend Ka Vaar. As quoted by news agency ANI, he said, "My fans are my biggest achievement and pride! I am what I am because of them. Yes, I lose my cool on the show and sometimes even walk out but I always come back only and only for my fans who patiently wait for my Weekend ka Vaar." SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Former DC radio host Don Geronimo, screenshot via WUSA YouTube. Don Geronimo, a host for WBIG (Big 100), an iHeartMedia affiliate and a radio partner of the Washington Commanders, has been fired for comments he made on his show about a female reporter. Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported the firing of Geronimo, whose actual name is Michael Sorce. WBIG-FM, the Washington Commanders radio partner, fired host Don Geronimo for disparaging remarks he made about a female TV anchor during a Thursday morning broadcast from the teams training camp in Ashburn, the report said. The comments in question were directed at Sharla McBride, a reporter for WUSA-TV. Hey look, Barbies here. Hi, Barbie girl, Geronimo said, per WUSAs Adam Longo. Im guessing shes a cheerleader. Longo also detailed an exchange that Geronimo and cohost Crash Young had later in their show as McBride was conducting interviews. Oh hey. Theres that chick that you thought .. said tight, said Geronimo. Yah. I screamed tight when she was .. Young replied. I think. I think shes a sportscaster at Channel 9. Or Channel 7, said Geronimo. Yeah, Shes familiar, replied Crash. I thought she was a cheerleader, said Geronimo. The Commanders initial response was to bar the station from training camp on Friday. iHeart and the individual were not permitted to broadcast from Training Camp today, and we will continue to work collaboratively with iHeart to address the issue and trust that iHeart will take appropriate action as it works through an internal investigation, a team spokesman said, per Longo. Aaron Hyland, iHeartMedias D.C. regional president, detailed the firing to The Washington Post. After an internal review, Don Geronimo is no longer an employee of WBIG, Hyland said, per Jhabvala. We take matters of this nature very seriously and this behavior does not align with our core values. iHearts response seemed sufficient to the Commanders, as Jhabvala cited a team spokesman saying, We were confident that iHeart would address this swiftly and are pleased that they did. During Daniel Snyders ownership tenure, multiple sexual harassment issues came to light. That included one that resulted in a $60 million fine for Snyder as his sale to the Josh-Harris-led group became official. [WUSA9.com, WashingtonPost.com] Anju, a 34-year-old Indian mother of two, who reportedly tied the knot with her 29-year-old Pakistani Facebook friend Nasrullah, called her marriage news "rumors" during a video call with his father, Gaya Prasad Thomas. In the call, Gaya expressed his disappointment and questioned why she went to Pakistan and got married without informing her family. However, Anju denied the rumors of her marriage, referring to them as baseless speculations, Live Hindustan reported. Anju and Nasrullah in the alleged pre-weeding video.(Twitter/@AsefMehmood) Watch | Couple's pre-wedding video viral Following the call, Anju sent a message to her father, stating that she was "dead" to him and asked him not to contact her again. This emotional plea came days after her father had vehemently opposed her actions and declared her "dead" to the family, expressing dismay over the way she allegedly left her children and husband behind. Villagers react: The incident has caused a stir in the local village, with residents expressing dismay over Anju's alleged actions. The villagers, feeling that her behaviour has brought disrepute not only to the village but also to the entire country, have decided to ban her from returning to the village. Moreover, there are calls for the expulsion of Anju's family members if they are found to be involved in the incident. READ: Anju will return to India on August 20: Pak friend denies reports of love angle Amidst the turmoil, Anju's father continues to assert that he had no knowledge of her supposed marriage in Pakistan and maintains that the rumours were baseless. Authorities are currently investigating the matter to ascertain the truth behind the alleged marriage and the circumstances surrounding the rumours. How did the story unfold? Anju and Nasrullah's connection began in 2019 when they became friends on Facebook. Their friendship developed over time, and Anju eventually travelled legally to Pakistan, where she stayed at Nasrullah's home. After converting to Islam, the couple allegedly got married on Tuesday in the presence of a district and sessions judge at a local court. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kanishka Singharia Kanishka is a journalist at Hindustan Times news desk. When not in newsroom, you will find her on streets of Delhi exploring food cafes or capturing world through her lens. ...view detail Reacting to union minister Ramdas Athawale extending an invitation to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to rejoin the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sushil Modi said his party is not in favour of it. Calling the JD(U) leader a burden, Modi said that Athawale was not the spokesperson of NDA and his statements were his personal opinion. He further said that Kumar had lost the ability to convert votes. BJP MP Sushil Modi also called Bihar CM Nitish Kumar (R) a burden. (File) Speaking to news agency ANI, Modi said, Even if he wants to come, BJP is not ready for it. Ramdas Athawale is neither a BJP spokesperson nor an NDA spokesperson. He is the leader of a party and a Union Minister so this must be his personal opinion. But BJP has shut all its doorsI doubt if RJD will be able to bear it for long. His capability to transfer votes has ended. In the last Vidhan Sabha election it was seen that had Narendra Modi not come, he (Nitish Kumar) would not have won 44 seats. In politics, you are important if you have the power of votes. Otherwise, you hold no importance... Athawale on Saturday announced that Kumar, who snapped ties with the saffron party in 2022, can return to the BJP-led NDA anytime. The union minister also appreciated the CM for his good work in Bihar and requested Kumar not to attend the next joint opposition meet in mumbai. Nitishji is with us and he can return to the NDA anytimeI am not happy that Nitishji has left us again, Athawale said. With the support of the Mahagathbandhan' (Grand Alliance) Kumar walked out of NDA and joined hands with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to form a new government. He is one of the most prominent faces of the opposition parties' alliance - India. Athawale, whose Republican Party of India (Athawale) is part of the ruling NDA, also attacked the INDIA alliance, alleging that its sole agenda was to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON With the crucial assembly elections in Rajasthan fast approaching, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to organise at least one public meeting of its top national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda, every two weeks in the western state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi seen with Amit Shah at BJP headquarters, in New Delhi.(Photo by Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times) Also read: Return of artefacts will curb heritage theft: PM Modi Elections to the 200-member Rajasthan legislative assembly are scheduled for later this year, along with Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram. At the BJP core-committee meeting chaired by Nadda on Saturday, discussions were held on several issues and it was decided that every two weeks till the elections are announced in the state, a senior national leader will hold a big meeting or rally in Rajasthan, a senior party functionary said. PM Modi and Shahs meeting will be planned in regions that have not been touched till date. These meetings will be political, whereas those by Nadda would focus on strengthening the organisation, the functionary said, requesting anonymity. In the meeting, Nadda advised party leaders to present a united front under the leadership of PM Modi, terming it a winning formula, while asking them to keep their differences aside. He also asked the leaders to hold core-committee meeting every week. Modi and Shahs meeting could be planned along with inauguration of any project or scheme. In the last nine months, the PM has made eight visits to Rajasthan [Bhilwara, Banswara, twice in Sirohi, Ajmer, Sikar, Bikaner and Dausa]. The next visit of the PM will continue region-wise, such as Nagaur, Hanumangarh, Jodhpur and Kota, the functionary added. Also read: PM Modi meets Foxconn chief days after Taiwanese firm breaks from $20 bn JV with Vedanta Senior Congress leader and chief minister Ashok Gehlot had recently taken a dig at the BJP, citing frequent visits of Modi, saying the party was terrified looking at the successful development model and schemes for people being implemented by the state government. Nadda also held one-to-one meetings with former CM Vasundhara Raje, leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, senior party leader Satish Poonia and Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. In Rajasthan, the political situation isnt the same as it had been in last many elections as this time there isnt much buzz of change of government, said political analyst Manish Godha. The people are largely silent and anti-incumbency is only visible against some MLAs and not the government. The frequent visit of Modi to the state supports that alls not well for the BJP. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress MLA and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Satish Jarkiholi on July 28 said that he would contest for the chief ministers post in the next term of the government. Congress leader Satish Jarkiholi says he would contest for the chief ministers post in the next term of the government. (PTI) He has the support of about 40 legislators in north Karnataka and of about half-a-dozen legislators who lost the last election, party leaders said. Representing Yamakanamaradi constituency in Belagavi district for the third consecutive term, Jarkiholi, who is known as the mastermind in politics, had said five years back that he would be the chief ministerial candidate after ten years. Im aiming the CMs post in the next term for which preparations are underway, Jarkiholi said again on Friday. Known for his tactical skills, Satish was instrumental in helping former chief minister Siddaramaiah win from Badami in Bagalkote district in 2018, local leaders requesting anonymity said. Jarkiholi also on good terms with his counterparts in other parties. If he gets such an opportunity, we will definitely support him as he is not only a good worker, non-corrupt, but he is also a man with simple life, a few BJP legislatures from north Karnataka region told HT on condition of anonymity. Confirming the BJP legislators stand, sources close to Jarkiholi told HT that many legislators from other parties have promised him of backing his candidature and assured of responding positively at a suitable time. However, political expert Ashok Chandaragi told HT that Congress never considers the support of the number of legislators for a leader but focused on secularism, social justice and mainly on the internal opinion of the legislators to choose the chief of the government. If considered the support of legislators, Bangarappa, Veerappa Moily, Devraj Urs, Dharam Singh would never have become the chief ministers, whose castes were not more than 2% in the state, he said. Chandaragi who is also a senior political journalist said, if paraded 70-80 legislators before the high command to claim for the chief of the government post it would not be considered in Congress and added that he would welcome if Jarkiholi becomes the chief minister of the state. Neighbouring Dharwad district produced a few chief ministers but Belagavi the biggest district with 18-constituencies has not yet seen a person in that post, he said. Identified in the close circle of chief minister Siddaramaiah, Jarkiholis claim for his proposed post getting weight as his political guru Siddaramaiah, before last election had announced that it would be his last election who is also expected to support the latter in the next term government. Since he is known for his organisational skills gathering the votes of masses, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, two years ago had issued 40-seat winning target to Jarkiholi in northen part of the state, which he successfully delivered. Commenced his with 50-seat target including Mission Dozen target in his hometown Belagavi, he won 11 in the district. The Congress, when his elder brother, Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi was the in-charge minister in the JD(S)-Congress coalition government led by Kumaraswamy was also targeted 12-seats in the district, however finished with 8-seats. The political development brought down the government were three Congress legislators Mahesh Kumatolli, Shrimanth Patil and Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned from the legislative membership, joined BJP, and won from that party. Working just with five seats in 18-constituencies in the district, Satish Jarkiholis work was remarkable for bringing back the past glory to the grand-old party in the district. If Satish brother Ramesh Jarkiholi can bring down the JD(S)-Congress coalition government and establish BJP government just with 17-legislators, much more can be done with 40-legislators, former Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) member Annasaheb Hanchinmani, a political expert from Congress said. The number that Congress has won in the leadership of Satish Jarkiholi in our zone may go up as the Jarkiholi family has relatives also in Kalyan Karnataka which has more population of SC and ST communities, he said. Having political hold in the northern part of the state including Kalyana Karnataka, the four among the five-brotherJarkiholi family has elected representatives in all the major parties and one among them will be in ruling party with a berth in the cabinet. Jarkiholi family ensures one among them in the ministerial berth since 20-years for which Satish is the mastermind, said KPCC SC unit state convenor Gaju Dharnaik. In yet another cross-border love story, a Sri Lankan woman travelled to India to marry her six-year-old Facebook friend, who hails from Andhra Pradesh. According to Hindustan Times's sister publication, Live Hindustan, Shivakumari Vigneshwari, a 25-year-old woman from Sri Lanka, tied the knot with her Facebook friend, Laxman, 28, at a temple in V Kota on July 20. The couple's journey to matrimony began when they first connected on Facebook back in 2017. The couple's journey to matrimony began when they first connected on Facebook back in 2017. After years of online friendship, Vigneshwari, who arrived in India on a tourist visa, decided to travel to Andhra Pradesh on July 8 to meet Laxman in person. Also read | Who is Seema Haider: Cross-border lover or Pakistani spy? Overwhelmed with joy, Laxman received her in Chennai and later brought her to his home. With the blessings of Laxman's family, the couple solemnized their love in a beautiful ceremony. The news of their marriage quickly went viral on social media, prompting authorities to take legal action against the couple. Acting in accordance with immigration regulations, the Chittoor district police issued a notice to Vigneshwari, instructing her to either leave the country before the visa's expiration or apply for an extension. Vigneshwari's tourist visa is set to expire on August 15. Read | How PubG encounter sparked cross-border prem katha Undeterred by the hurdles before her, Vigneshwari expressed her desire to remain in India permanently and live with her husband. Seeking Indian citizenship, she appealed to the Indian government for assistance in making her wish come true. The district superintendent of police, Y Rishanth Reddy, shared that Vigneshwari had been informed about the procedure and criteria for obtaining Indian citizenship. He stated that she is likely to receive an extension on her visa based on her marriage to an Indian citizen. In light of potential legal complexities that might arise in the future, the police offered some advice to the couple. They encouraged Shivakumari Vigneshwari and Laxman to formally register their marriage. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kanishka Singharia Kanishka is a journalist at Hindustan Times news desk. When not in newsroom, you will find her on streets of Delhi exploring food cafes or capturing world through her lens. ...view detail Anju who married Pakistani FB friend dials her father, says nikah news rumour Anju, a 34-year-old Indian mother of two, who reportedly tied the knot with her 29-year-old Pakistani Facebook friend Nasrullah, called her marriage news "rumors" during a video call with his father, Gaya Prasad Thomas. Read more Anju, a married Indian woman who travelled legally to Pakistan, during a sightseeing trip with her Facebook friend Nasrullah, in Upper Dir district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.(PTI) Twitter handle apologises for defaming Phule: 'Don't deserve to be lynched' Amid a major controversy over Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's statement in Assembly that those who defame Savitribhai Phule 'should be hanged', a Twitter account which was accused of defaming Phule apologised and prayed for clemency. Read more OceanGate co-founder envisions sending 1,000 humans to a floating colony on Venus by 2050 OceanGate Expeditions co-founder Guillermo Sohnlein announced his aspiration to send 1,000 humans to Venus, often referred to as Earth's sister planet, by the year 2050. Read more 'Despite money and power, we celebrate mediocrity': Venkatesh Prasad launches all-out attack on 'ordinary' Team Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad has launched a scathing attack on Team India after the Rohit Sharma-less side was outplayed by the West Indies in the second One Day International (ODI) of the three-match series on Saturday. Read more Celina Jaitly escalates the case against Pakistani journalist who claimed she slept with Fardeen Khan and Feroz Khan Celina Jaitly, who had responded to a Twitter user accusing her of "sleeping" with actor Fardeen Khan and his father, Feroz Khan, has now revealed that the Ministry for External Affairs has raised the issue with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and sought an immediate investigation and action. Read more 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 Mysuru Villagers stop an anganwadi teacher from entering school. (HT PHOTO) An Anganwadi teacher, Anandamma, in Melekote village in Doddaballapur taluk of Bangalore rural district, Karnataka has alleged that she is being discriminated by upper class people for being a Dalit. Anandamma was appointed as an Anganwadi teacher at Melekote Anganwadi center last week. When she went to the Anganwadi to take classes, a few villagers prevented her from entering the school and stopped her from performing her duty. She alleged that she faced resistance from upper caste villagers and obstructed her to perform duty because she is from the Dalit community. A heated argument ensued in front of the center, as Anandamma demanded justice. Some women from the village have stated that they want a local woman to be appointed as the Anganwadi teacher, claiming that someone from another village would not be able to arrive on time. They have threatened to send their children to another Anganwadi if Anandamma remains as the teacher. Officials from the Women and Children Welfare(WCW) department have stated that they will hold a meeting with the teacher and villagers on Monday to resolve the issue. Anandamma was working at another anganwadi for the last 15 years and as per department norms we have promoted her as anganwadi teacher and transferred to Melekote anganwadi center, AnithaLakshmi , district programme officer of WCW department told HT on Sunday. She said as per norms anganwadi teachers must reside below three kilometers of distance from the centre. As Anandamma resides in Rajghatta village which is two kilometres from Melekote we appointed her, she said. We dont know the exact reason for resistance from the villagers, she said, adding that on Monday a meeting of villagers and WCW officials and Taluk panchayat executive officer would be held to sort out the issue. No villager discriminated the Anganwadi teacher just because she is Dalit, Melekote gram panchayat vice president K Muniraju told HT. He said a section of villagers are demanding the department to appoint a local candidate as the teacher resides more than five kilometers away from the Anganwadi and there is no proper bus facility to reach on time. We will solve the problem in tomorrows meeting, he added . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amid a major controversy over Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's statement in Assembly that those who defame Savitribhai Phule 'should be hanged', a Twitter account which was accused of defaming Phule apologised and prayed for clemency. It said disrespecting Maharashtra icon, educator Savitribhai Phule was not its stant. "I hope people see that I don't deserve to be lynched for a misunderstanding," the note posted on Twitter tagging Fadnavis and PM Modi said. Maharashtra deputy CM said those who insulted Savitribai Phule will be arrested(ANI) Row over 'Why Hindu female teachers before Savitribai Phule are not recognised' Website Indic Tales posted an article: Why Hindu female teachers before Savitribai Phule are not recognised in which it was said that Savitribai Phule's school was sponsored by British Missionaries and the British used to exploit Indian women through Phule's school. As the article created an uproar, a case was filed against the site and Twitter handle 'Bhardwajspeaks'. In the Assembly, Fadnavissaid the government has written three letters to Twitter for the details of the handle. As a Congress leader demanded that the person behind the Twitter handle should be tied up and paraded publicly, Fadnavis said he wants to hang the accused publicly, but one has to follow the laws of the land. Fadnavis attacked online, called 'anti-Hindu'; BJP leaders responded After the 'hang' part of Fadnavis's statement went viral, he was attacked and called anti-Hindu on Twitter as the Twitter handle in question is also a pro-right-winger one. In support of Fadnavis, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla wrote Fadnavis went to jail for karseva during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and his commitment to Hindutva is unquestionable. "Ujjwal Nikamji thanked Devendrabhau for his contribution in 26/11 Mumbai attack case. Nupur Sharma has spoken about how Devendrabhau personally called her when the STSJ mobs were baying for her blood," Poonawalla wrote. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A female doctor was allegedly molested and thrashed by a group of men and one woman in Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain. The incident, which reportedly happened in the Gola Mandi area on Friday, involved four men and a woman who assaulted a physiotherapist. Zareens cousin Taufeeq Khan, who intervened in the scuffle, was also thrashed by the accused and his group of friends. (Twitter/screengrab) The victim, identified as Zareen, was driving back home through Kharakua on her two-wheeler when Hitesh Badwaya, waylaid her and took out the keys, India Today reported. The accused allegedly misbehaved with the doctor and hit her when she objected. Zareens cousin Taufeeq Khan, who intervened in the scuffle, was also thrashed by the accused and his group of friends. Following the incident, locals in the area, along with Congress leaders, Noori Khan and Ravi Bhadauria, protested at the Kharakua police station demanding strict action against the accused. The protestors also called for bulldozer action on the houses of the accused, the report added. Madhya Pradesh Congress official Twitter account wrote on Saturday, Physiotherapist returning home in Ujjain was molested and beaten up by goons. Congress leader Noori Khan gheraoed the SP office for arresting the criminals and demanding justice. Shivraj ji, When will daughters be safe in MP? Police superintendent Sachin Sharma assured the crowd that the guilty will be brought to book and an FIR was registered. On Tuesday, a 21-year-old patient at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhis New Rajinder Nagar attacked a senior neurosurgeon with a small kitchen knife, police said. The surgeon, Dr Satnam Singh Chhabra, sustained injuries on his thumb. The suspect was immediately restrained by hospital staffers and prevented any serious injury. The suspect, who was being treated by the doctor since 2021, was handed over to the police. Last week, a doctor and his three family members were allegedly assaulted following an argument over removing their broken down car from the entrance of a condominium in Gurugrams Sector 51. More than a dozen suspects have been booked for attacking Dr Jitendra Singh, his father Suresh Chand, his brother Deepak Singh and maternal cousin Priyanshu Singh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A massive fire broke out at a hospital in Ahmedabad on Sunday, prompting authorities to evacuate about 100 patients as a precautionary measure. Fire tenders were rushed to the site after the fire broke out in the basement of Rajasthan Hospitals in Ahmedabad's Shahibaug. Firefighting operations are currently underway and no injuries have been reported so far. A fire broke out in the basement of Rajasthan Hospitals in Ahmedabad.(Twitter / @ishaniparikh) "Fire fighting teams are working to control the blaze. Smoke continues to emerge from the basement of the hospital where the fire broke out," police inspector MD Champavat said. "Nearly 125 patients have been evacuated from the multi-storey building as a precautionary measure," he added. Due to the renovation work underway at the hospital, several items stored in the basement caught fire and caused massive smoke, reported PTI quoting a fire official. The hospital is run by a charitable trust. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 100 years ago 1923: Warren G. Harding, president of the United States, died at the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, last night at 7:35 oclock, of apoplexy, following an attack of ptomaine poisoning. The sad news of this untimely death in the prime of life of our beloved national leader comes with stunning force to a mourning nation. President Harding was making an extended tour of the United States and Alaska. Last Friday night he had an attack of ptomaine poisoning. His vitality was not high. He was very tired from excessively hard work for weeks prior to leaving Washington and since leaving the capitol had been pursued by matters of much importance which had to be attended to in spite of the strenuous features of the trip. The daily programs and the preparation of speeches for cities and towns, the meeting of countless thousands of men and women, and the necessary advance preparations for cities to still be visited taxed even rugged Warren B. Harding to the utmost. And behind all that, the severe attack of influenza he suffered last winter in Washington had reduced his vitality, probably far beyond his realization or that of his physicians and family. 75 years ago 1948: The Sedona school house and gymnasium-auditorium, center of the civic and social life of the Oak Creek community, was completely destroyed by fire between 3 and 4 oclock Monday afternoon after being struck by lightning. Tuesday Sturgeon Cromer, superintendent of schools of Flagstaff school district, and members of the school board went to Sedona to survey the situation and make plans for rebuilding or make other arrangements for the school year beginning in September. The new building under construction near the old structure was not damaged. It was to provide additional accommodations for the growing school. Final Week! Little Miss America and All-American Boy Contest. If you have not already had your childrens pictures taken, do it now! It will be too late soon. Yes, you will be the judge to decide who the cutest kids in Flagstaff are. Ballots and pictures of all the entrants in the contest will be at Fronske Studio. Voting in the studio will begin July 30th and close Thursday, August 5th. There will be four final winners from Flagstaff: Girls from zero to three years old, tiny tot. Girls from three to seventeen year old, Little Miss America. Boy from zero to three years old, tiny tot. Boy from three to seventeen years old, All-American Boy. (ad) 50 years ago 1973: A 12-year-old Flagstaff-area girl was killed, four people were seriously injured and 32 people were checked for injuries at Flagstaff Community Hospital as the result of a diesel tractor-bus crash on Highway 89 North early today. The dead: Connie Dunmire, 12, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rusty Dunmire of Doney Park, who was a passenger in the cab of the diesel tractor. The crash, which occurred shortly after midnight, put Community Hospital on an emergency disaster status and before the ordeal was over, 32 people were checked for various injuries. City police reported the bus was apparently attempting a U-turn in the highway to get in the southbound lane when its gear box went out and it stalled between two traffic medians. The southbound diesel tractor slammed into the side of the big vehicle, driven by Pastor Davis Harrell, knocked it 15 feet down the road and ripped it open at the seams. Things are looking bad for several meat distributors in Flagstaff, but worse for butchers in rural parts of northern Arizona. Vaughns General Store in the Verde Valley has been hit hardest by a shortage of beef in connection with President Nixons Phase 4 Plan. I cant get carcass beef, said Lee Vaughn. I was getting between three and five head a week, but now weve had to ration our customers. Vaughn said his customer reaction to the rationing was rather philosophical. Most of them are older people and theyve gone through this once before. They are mostly retired people so they understand. Its the young people who will scream. Theyre philosophical. Im not. If they had never started those stupid freezes and price ceilings, this would never have happened. The law of supply and demand would have taken over it always has. 25 years ago 1998: The new frontier in human genetics being explored by todays scientists is worrisome to American Indians because it abruptly conflicts with their spirituality and world view, says Frank Dukepoo, a Hopi Indian who is a professor of genetics at Northern Arizona University and one of only two American Indian geneticists in the nation. Dukepoo is particularly concerned about the Human Genome Diversity Project, which is defined as a comprehensive study of genetic diversity, including the study of Indigenous people such as U.S. and Canadian Indians. The project, headed by Luca Cavalli-Sforza of Stanford University, has been under discussion for seven years by genetic researchers. The idea behind the project is to gather blood and other samples from tribes and ethnic groups around the world, some of them so small that their survival may be in doubt. While that might seem a positive goal, the sensitive aspect of the project is that its collection of genetic material from people in the study could then be used for a variety of biomedical or anthropological studies and possibly lead to commercialization of genetic products, Dukepoo said. American Indians take a holistic view of Mother Earth and her natural order, a profound belief in the sanctity of life and oppose any attempt to manipulate living organisms for purposes of profit, power and control. They also vehemently oppose the patenting of genetic information because they believe a person (or even part of a person) cannot be owned, he said. Five people, including three transgender people, were apprehended on Saturday after they allegedly shaved a mans head and forced him to drink their urine in Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh, news agency PTI reported. A purported video of the incident has been widely circulated online. (Twitter) A purported video of the incident, which occurred on Wednesday in the Sahavar police station limits, has been widely circulated online. The report, quoting SHO Anil Kumar, added that action was initiated after the victim, identified as Rafiqul, filed a complaint. Rafiqul was reportedly employed as a cook at one of the transgender persons house. However, following some disputes with the transgender people and two of their assistants, Rafiqul had to face the inhuman abuse. The accused also allegedly thrashed the man and stole 10,000 in cash from him. A case was registered under various sections of the IPC on Friday, police said, adding that the accused were arrested soon after. Earlier this month, authorities in Madhya Pradeshs Sidhi district demolished a portion of a house belonging to Pravesh Shukla for allegedly urinating on a tribal man. Shukla was arrested and booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). In the viral video which dates back to 2020, the 30-year-old was seen smoking a cigarette while urinating on Dashmat Rawat, a Kol tribal from Sidhi, who was sitting on the ground. The incident sparked a political row, with the opposition Congress claiming the accused had a link with the BJP, a claim rejected by the ruling party and its Sidhi legislator Kedarnath Shukla. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan later apologised to and washed the feet of the labourer who was urinated upon. A week later amid uproar over the Sidhi urination incident, two persons were arrested after a video surfaced showing a man being forced to lick the soles of another person's feet in a moving vehicle in Gwalior. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Governor of Telangana and Puducherry, Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday questioned why the NLC (Neyveli Lignite Corporation) India Limited began work only last week after acquiring lands a decade ago and putting farmers at difficulty now even as the state police refused permission for protests, people familiar with the matter said. Governor of Telangana questions the reason for gaps between the state and the management over NLC issue. (ANI) She was speaking in the aftermath of violent protests aimed at stalling the NLC India Limited, a central public sector enterprises work in Tamil Nadus Cuddalore district. We need to see where the gap has been in terms of administration between the state government, management of NLC and the farmers (who have cultivated in this land over the past decade), Soundararajan, former BJP state president of Tamil Nadu told reporters in Cuddalore. Neyveli (NLC) management is saying they have already acquired these lands. Government is saying there were instructions not to cultivate here. So where was the gap here? Now that crops have grown, let them wait (for farmers to harvest) instead of destroying them. Last Wednesday, the work towards taking possession of the lands which the agency had acquired for mine expansion long back, began to lead to protests by farmers whose fertile lands were being mowed down. The farmers are backed by all the opposition parties in Tamil Nadu including the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On being denied permission to go on a hunger strike on Sunday, AIADMK MLA from Cuddalore district, A Arunmozhithevan said that the government is going against farmers and siding with NLC. There is an 100% probability that the state is against farmers, said Arunmozhithevan . The police have given a written instruction denying us permission. They may have stopped us today but Tamil people will gather at the right time and teach them a lesson. Cadres of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) turned the protests violent on Friday. A few police officer and bystanders sustained injuries and police fired shots in the air, used water cannons to bring the situation under control last Friday. A day ago, the Tamil Nadu police arrested 28 people and registered cases against 98 people. On Friday, the police had briefly detained PMK founder and former union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss and released him later. The government should stop acquiring land for NLC, Ramadoss said on Saturday. The state has so far said that the opposition particularly, the PMK, is using the farmers for political mileage. NLC caters to the power demand of Tamil Nadu. Any setback to NLC would lead to a critical situation as power generation will be hit, said finance minister Thangam Thennarasu who is also handling the portfolio of electricity. We will not get uninterrupted power supply if the generation at NLC is affected, he said, adding that farmers have been assured of enhanced compensation. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress MP Manish Tewari in an interview with PTI on Sunday said the united Opposition had no other option than to bring the no-confidence motion in the Loksabha as PM Modi made a 'cursory' remark on Manipur just before the commencement of the Monsoon Session. If PM Modi does not respond to Manipur in Parliament, it would be a travesty, Manish Tewari said. The Congress already clarified that the no-confidence motion is not about the numbers which are in favour of the NDA -- but to compel PM Modi to issue a statement on the Manipur situation in Parliament. This is also not the first time the opposition brought a no-confidence motion against PM Modi government. In 2018, a year before the Lok Sabha election, the opposition moved a no-confidence against the NDA which NDA won and also won the Lok Sabha election the next year. A no-confidence motion against the Modi government was accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla this week. On a question of the BJP saying what happened in 2018-19 will happen in 2023-24, Manish Tewari said, "If history repeats itself once, it is a tragedy and if it does so twice, it is a farce." No-confidence motion should be taken up first and then other business The Congress MP said when a no-confidence motion is accepted, it should be taken up first and all bills passed after the no-confidence motion's admission in the Lok Sabha are "constitutionally suspect". "What has happened in Manipur and what is continuing to happen there is absolutely reprehensible. There is a BJP government in the state, there is a BJP government at the Centre. Therefore, somebody needs to take responsibility," Tewari said. 'If PM Modi does not respond to Manipur in Parliament...' If PM Modi chooses not to respond to Manipur, it would be a travesty, Manish Tewari said. "The motion states: 'this house expresses want of confidence in the council of ministers' and the reason for this has been publicly articulated ad nauseam for the past one week. So under those circumstances, if the prime minister chooses not to respond to Manipur it would be a travesty," Tewari said. The government could have accepted the adjournment motions which the opposition tabled every day and a minister can reply to those. "But the government chose not to accept them. Under these circumstances, if the prime minister could speak outside Parliament and say that the developments in Manipur have made our heads hang in collective shame then what was the hesitation and diffidence in coming and addressing Parliament on the same issue." the Congress MP said. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail As India makes progress in quantum technology, a premier Russian scientific institution has shown interest in collaborating with Indian research institutes to build quantum applications and hardware for public services. Russian institutes are already in talks with individual research centres in India to collaborate on developing various aspects of quantum technologies The non-profit Russian Quantum Center said that a formal proposal will be presented to form such a partnership with India at the next meeting of the BRICS grouping of nations that comprise Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa scheduled for next year. Also read: Zelensky says 'war' coming to Russia after Moscow drone attack Russian institutes are already in talks with individual research centres in India to collaborate on developing various aspects of quantum technologies, said Ruslan Yunusov, co-founder of the Russian Quantum Center. However, an official proposal is expected to be presented before India to explore possible collaborations in the upcoming BRICS meeting to be hosted by Russia. There are no signed contracts yet, but India has done a lot of work around quantum technology. We are already in talks with some research institutes in India to explore areas where we can use their expertise and also share our knowledge and work in the field, said Yunusov. Since India announced its National Quantum Mission in April, several rounds of talks with Russian delegations have been undertaken for collaborations, but currently these discussions are limited to individual institute level, an official of the department of science and technology said. No decision on partnerships has been taken by the government to share knowledge or technology with the Russian government. It is common for institutes to express interest in knowledge and technology sharing, but nothing concrete has come from it yet, the official said, requesting anonymity. Currently, all talks and meetings around quantum technology partnerships are happening between individual institutes and not as a part of Indias quantum mission, said Venugopal Achanta, director of the National Physical Laboratory. Russia has done a lot of work around quantum technology and there is scope for partnership, but at present these are limited to individual level, Achanta said. In April, Indias cabinet approved the quantum mission with an estimated allocation of 6,003 crore in the next eight years, with an aim to scale up scientific and industrial research, and development for quantum technologies. This mission will add India in the list of six countries to have developed quantum computers and have invested in R&D around quantum technologies. Also read: Russia looking for weapons in North Korea: US Quantum technology is based on the principles of quantum mechanics developed in the early 20th century to describe nature at the scale of atoms and elementary particles. Using quantum superposition, a set of unbreakable codes or super speedy information processing quantum computers are able to mimic several classical computers working in parallel. Quantum technology is manifested through applications in secure communication, disaster management through better prediction, computing, simulation, chemistry, health care, cryptography and imaging, among others. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Indian Air Force has moved its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas to Jammu and Kashmir for the fleet to gain experience in flying in the valleys of the union territory situated along the border with Pakistan. A still from Tejas. The LCA fleet has been moved to forward bases for gaining experience in flying in the valleys and other operations. The pilots of the fleet are carrying out extensive flying there, defence officials said. The Indian Air Force has multiple bases in the Union Territory which are critical for operations on both fronts including China and Pakistan. The Indian Air Force keeps moving its aircraft in both the union territories in the Northern sector including Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to give them the experience of flying there in their unique terrain. The IAF is strongly supporting the indigenous LCA Tejas fighter aircraft programme by adding more and more capabilities to the aircraft. The IAF has already operationalised two of its squadrons in the initial operational clearance and final operational clearance versions while a contract has been signed for the 83 Mark1As set to be delivered a couple of years from now. The Force has also its eyes set on the LCA Mark 2 and the AMCA being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The Indian plane is already considered to be far more capable than the Pakistani and Chinese joint venture JF-17 fighter jet and with additions like the HAMMER, the Indian plane would be in a much higher category than them. An Indian Army soldier reportedly went missing from Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, police officials said on Sunday. Javed Ahmad Wani, 25, a resident of Achathal area of Kulgam district, had gone missing on Saturday evening, the officials said. Javed Ahmad Wani, 25, a resident of Achathal area of Kulgam district Wani, posted in Ladakh region, was on leave. His car was found in Paranhall later around 8pm, they said. Security forces have launched a massive hunt to track down the missing soldier. Some reports, citing his family, claimed that Wani was kidnapped from his vehicle in Kulgam district. The police, however, was yet to confirm the abduction claims. Reports claimed Wani had gone to Chowalgam to purchase grocery items but When he didn't return home, his family began searching for him in nearby areas and in surrounding villages. A report claimed that during the search, a pair of his slippers and blood stains were found in his car in Paranhal village. Soldier Sameer Ahmad Malla abducted and killed Last year, the banned Lashker-e-Taiba terror outfit abducted and killed army soldier Sameer Ahmad Malla, whose body was found in an orchard in Jammu and Kashmirs Budgam district, police said. The last call made by Malla, a territorial army jawan attached with the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, to his mother was also done when he was being held in captivity by the Lashker-e-Taiba led by Yusuf Kantoo. Kantoo, one of the oldest surviving terrorists, was described by Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Vijay Kumar as the mastermind behind the killing of the army jawan. According to police, the probe narrowed on a local villager Ather Illahi Sheikh who had called Malla for a meeting. It turned out that Sheikh was working for the banned terror outfit. Malla upon reaching the meeting point with Sheikh saw three other terrorists including Kantoo. During questioning, he (Sheikh) confessed that on March 6, three terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT came to his house and stayed there for the night. The next day pursuant to a well-knit conspiracy army jawan Sameer Ahmad Malla was called by the said terrorist associate Ather Illahi to his residence where from he was kidnapped by all the four and thereafter, taken to the spot where from the dead body was ultimately retrieved, police said in a statement. After killing Malla, Sheikh got a shovel from his house which was used to bury the body. The shovel was also recovered by the investigating team. (With inputs from PTI) 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 Bollywood actor and producer Kangana Ranaut on Sunday said she became the target of political malice in Maharashtra and the 'nationalists' could make a government in Maharashtra 'at her expense' -- replying to a Twitter exchange that questioned her high-security cover. The actor justified her additional security cover and said she is not just a Bollywood star, but a writer, and producer and has an 'evident threat' to her life. "I also spoke about tukde tukde gang and strongly condemned Khalistani groups," Kangana Ranaut said adding that her next production Emergency involves Operation Bluestar. Kangana Ranaut said her additional security cover is justified as there is 'evident threat' to her life. Kangana Ranaut said she has evident threat to her life as she is not just a Bollywood star but also a vocal and concerned citizen. In 2020, the Centre sanctioned Y+ security cover to be provided by the CRPF to the actor. The decision came from the Union home ministry based on threat perception. In this category of security, two CRPF commandoes, armed with automatic weapons, protect an individual all the time while one CRPF personnel is deployed at the residence of the individual. The addition of the three CRPF personnel took the number of CRPF personnel in Kangana's security to 11. In 2020, Kangana had a face-off with the then Uddhav Thackeray government in several phases beginning with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation demolishing parts of her office calling it an illegal structure. The Bombay high court later ruled that the demolition was wrong. When Kangana said Mumbai feels like Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir In 2020, Kangana and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut engaged in a spat and Sanjay Raut threatened Kangana to not come to Mumbai after Kangana criticised Mumbai Police accusing Mumbai police of encouraging crime and drug mafia. After Sanjay Raut's open threat, Kangana said Mumbai started to feel like Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. As the actor continued to ruffle a few feathers at that time on social media, her Twitter account was banned on May 2021 following controversial content about West Bengal's post-election violence. In January 2023, her Twitter account was restored. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail A day after the body of a 5-year-old girl was found brutalised and dumped near heaps of waste in Keralas Ernakulam district, the state police have arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly raping and strangling the child to death, with a local court sending him to 14 days in judicial custody on Sunday. Police officers said that Asafak Alam, who is originally from Bihar and was a migrant labourer like the parents of the child he allegedly assaulted and killed, had likely committed the crime on his own. On Sunday, there was an outpouring of grief at Keezhmadu where hundreds, including politicians, activists and locals gathered at a school where the victims body was kept on Sunday before the last rites, demanding stringent punishment. Police officers said that Asafak Alam, who is originally from Bihar and was a migrant labourer like the parents of the child he allegedly assaulted and killed, had likely committed the crime on his own (File photo) Senior police officers said that Alam was taken into custody late on Friday night, hours after the parents of the five year old had reported her missing in the afternoon. An FIR was lodged at 7 pm and Alam was tracked down to Thottakattukara and taken into custody. At 11 am on Saturday morning, the victims body was found in a waste dump near Aluva market, officers said. A Srinivas, deputy inspector general of police(Central range) said that Alam was arrested after CCTV visuals from the area and eyewitness statements showed that he was in the area in Aluva market, and was spotted crossing the national highway holding the girls hand. Alam has been charged with several counts of aggravated sexual assault under the Pocso Act, kidnapping, destruction of evidence, and murder. We believe the victim was physically and sexually assaulted before her murder. The accused has been remanded to 14-day judicial custody, but we are planning to conduct a test identification parade and seek his custody for questioning, said Srinivas. Police said the investigation has not yet shown the involvement of other people in the crime. But still, we are keeping all options open. Once we get the accused in custody, we will question him thoroughly. There are witnesses who have seen him with the child even an hour before her murder. Based on the evidence we have collected, we have booked him under those charges. Theres more evidence to be collected which we will do in subsequent days, Srinivas added. The Kerala police have been in touch with their counterparts in Bihar to find out if Alam has a criminal background, officers said. Additional Public Prosecutor Unnikrishnan said the accused, as per the remand report, has been charged under sections 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder), 367 (kidnapping or abduction to cause grievous hurt), 376A (causing death), 376AB (rape on woman under 12 years), 377 (unnatural offences), 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. There are strong charges against him and the remand report substantiates them. The investigation is going on, he said. Meanwhile, the body of the victim was laid to rest amid a large public outpouring of grief at the Keezhmadu cemetery on Sunday afternoon. A large number of people from surrounding panchayats, along with MLAs, MPs and political leaders, from various parties attended the funeral. Local Congress MLA Anwar Sadath, who attended the last rites, told reporters, I also have two daughters and we are all concerned about the safety of our children. When I saw her face, I was reminded of my younger daughter. We are all in deep pain. He demanded that the police build a strong case against the accused without any loopholes and ask for the strictest punishment against him. Raji Santosh, president of Choornikkara panchayat, said the victim was the second of the couples four children and a class 1 student. The couple are daily-wage workers and have been living in this panchayat for the past three years. From what I learned, on Friday, the father was away at work and the mother was putting clothes to dry when the child was abducted. Three of their kids were watching TV at home and the victim went missing. Initially, the mother thought she was at the neighbours home as she often goes there. When she wasnt found there, they eventually went to the police, said Santosh. Amid outrage over the incident, Congress MP K Muraleedharan lashed out at the state government. It was a heart wrenching incident and an insult to our state. What is the difference now between Kerala and a state like Uttar Pradesh? Is there any security here? The CM needs to take stringent measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents, he said. The BJP, too, spoke along similar lines, with Union minister of State for external affairs V Muraleedharan lashing out at the police and the state government for tooting its horn by announcing the arrest of the accused. Why could the police not prevent the incident which took place during the daytime? Moreover, the culprit was able to mislead the police during questioning, he said. General education minister V Sivankutty said steps will be taken to get accurate data about interstate workers, their locations and their backgrounds. Kerala gives a lot of consideration to migrant workers and their families in ways that other states dont. But they should not consider that as our weakness. We need to be more strict about this. Wherever they stay, they need a clearance certificate from the local police. Whoever brings these workers into the state must possess a license from the labour department and he must be responsible for them. We are considering framing a labour law in the state for migrant workers without interfering with the central laws, the minister told a local TV channel. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Grappling to restore normalcy and put an end to incidents of violence in the ethnic strife-torn state, the Manipur police have started filing cases against those circulating rumours and fake news on social media platforms, officers familiar with the development said. Police officers, requesting anonymity, said the top brass of the force held a meeting last week in which it was decided to tackle the rumours in two ways (ANI) In their latest first information report (FIR) on Saturday, the Manipur police booked the spokesperson and leaders of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), an umbrella group of Kuki organisations in Churachandpur, for allegedly circulating a fake news about arms and ammunition being brought into the state by the recently started goods train service. Also read: BJP MLA & Kuki leader Haokip advocates creation of new Union territories in Manipur The development comes in the backdrop of state chief secretary Vineet Joshis letter to the chief minister N Biren Singhs office last week alleging that some civil society organisations (CSOs) and non-government organisations (NGOs) were releasing false and unverified information related to the ethnic clashes in Manipur. The letter, seen by HT, said such rumours and fake reports were impeding the peace restoration process. Police officers, requesting anonymity, said the top brass of the force held a meeting last week in which it was decided to tackle the rumours in two ways. The first is by actively countering the rumours on social media and the second by registering FIRs if people are deliberately circulating rumours to disrupt peace, a mid-level police officer said. More people are sharing unverified videos and making false claims, now that the broadband internet is restored in the state. The cyber cell has been asked to actively track social media platforms. On Friday evening, a Manipur legislator wrote on Twitter that a convoy of 11 bullet-proof vehicles of Manipur state commando, including Arambai Tenggol a radical Meitei organisation , tried to forcibly enter and attack a Kuki town in Moreh, but were halted by women protesters. Within hours, the Manipur police deemed the information misleading, clarifying that the police have planned to move one company of India Reserve Battalion but this was halted by women protesters. Police have also filed a case against one Twitter user for impersonating the official handle of Manipur police (using the same profile photo) and releasing information on social media. We had anticipated this problem once internet services were partially restored. Action will be taken against all those who circulate fake news and reports deliberately to cause friction between the communities, the officer cited above said. More police personnel are being posted to the cyber cell police station so that there is effective monitoring. The state government had on July 25 ordered to conditionally lift the internet ban which has been in place since May 3, the day ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state between numerically dominant Meitei community which forms 53% of the state population and mostly inhabit Imphal Valley and tribal Kukis, who live primarily in the hill districts. However, only broadband internet has been allowed, albeit with a clutch of restrictions, while mobile internet services remain suspended. On Saturday, police filed an FIR under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, etc) among others of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the spokesperson and leaders of ITLF for allegedly circulating fake rumours of arms and ammunition being brought into the state by a recently started goods train service. The FIR was based on a complaint lodged by traders of Khongsang area in Tamenglong district, who alleged that the ITLF circulated false rumours by alleging that the train brought arms and ammunition. The traders also said that the train had in fact brought goods for their shops. By filing an FIR, it is another way of suppressing the voice of the tribals of Manipur, ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong said. ITLF spoke about the threat which may result from the arm ferry from Khangsang train. If the allegations are not true, they just have to clarify. There is no need for FIR... Also read: Oppn team begins visit to Manipur, targets govt On July 24, the first goods train carrying essential items from Guwahati reached the Khongsang railway station. To be sure, the start of the goods service was hailed important because the delivery of essential items via train makes the multiple road blockades on the state highway by women from both communities irrelevant. Last week, the state police also filed two FIRs against unidentified individuals for allegedly morphing videos of women being assaulted by men in uniform from Myanmar and showing it to be from Manipur, and another for morphing photos of a state BJP leader with a caption that he was involved in the May 4 viral video case of Nongpok Sekmai, where three women were stripped, one of them gang-raped and their two male relatives murdered. At least 150 people have been killed and nearly 50,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3, when violent clashes broke out after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill district of Churachandpur to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Opposition MPs from Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or I.N.D.I.A bloc met Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan in Imphal Sunday on the second day of their two-day visit to the ethnic violence-hit northeastern state. A day after visiting relief camps and meeting victims, the delegation of 21 MPs presented a memorandum to the governor and appealed to restore peace in the state, engulfed in ethnic clashes since May 3. JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh, JMM MP Mahua Maji, AAP MP Sushil Gupta, former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and other leaders of the INDIA alliance parties meet people affected by the ethnic violence in Manipur, at a relief camp in Imphal east district on Saturday, (PTI) Addressing the media after the meeting, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the governor listened to their appeal and suggested an all-party delegation's visit to Manipur to meet the leaders of all communities in order to resolve the crisis. .she herself expressed her pain and griefwhatever we witnessed and experienced - she agreed with usand suggested that together we hold talks with the leaders of all communities and find a solution. (Opposition's Manipur visit LIVE updates) 'Situation is worsening' We appeal to the central government to accept our no confidence motion and hold a discussionThe situation is worsening and it is raising national security concerns, he added. Ahead of meeting the governor, Chowdhury had slammed the Centre for overlooking Manipur, which he blamed as the reason for the crisis in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state. The Congress leader said As it was overlooked by the state government and the Centre, the situation is worsening. Peace should be restored at the earliest, it is essential to maintain harmony and justice" Trinamool Congress party MP Sushmita Dev and Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha also echoed the sentiments of their colleague. We will ask the governor to inform about the situation in the state to PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, the TMC leader said. Relief camp arrangements substandard Meanwhile, Congress MP Phulodevi Netam alleged substandard arrangements made in the relief camps for the violence-affected people. ...400-500 people are staying in one hall. The state government is providing them only daal-chawal, children are not getting anything else to eat the entire day. There is no toilet or bathroom facility. The manner in which people are living in camps is very heart-rending, Netam claimed. The delegation had visited Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur relief camps on Saturday. A day earlier, the delegation said they were not trying to politicise the issue. We want to understand the expectations of the people and we will reflect that in Parliament Chowdhury said at the press conference. BJP alleges political tourism However, the BJP has labelled the visit as a mere show off and "political tourism". Union minister Anurag Thakur criticised the visit and said When Manipur used to remain shut for months (under the previous governments), they had not spoken a word. The Manipur situation has resulted in a logjam in the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament. Both the Houses witnessed disruption of operations amid intensified demands by the Opposition bloc that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make an elaborate statement on the issue. Last Wednesday, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi moved a no-confidence motion against the government, in a bid to force Modi to address the issue. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nisha Anand Trainee Content Producer for Hindustan Times Digital Streams. I read about feminism, late modern history, and globalisation of Korean music. ...view detail Xem them ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load A delegation of Opposition INDIA bloc alliance MPs, who called on Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan, claimed in their memorandum that the condition of relief camps is pathetic - to say the least, and special care needs to be taken for the children staying on a priority basis. Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and other members of a delegation of opposition INDIA alliance MPs meet Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan in Imphal on Sunday, (PTI) They submitted the memorandum to the governor on their observations after visiting the ethnic violence-hit state. The failure of both the Central and state government to protect the lives and properties of the people of the two communities is apparent from the figures of more than 140 deaths, more than 500 injuries, burning of more than 5,000 houses and internal displacement of more than 60,000 people, the delegation said in the memorandum. From the reports of incessant firing and arson of houses in the last few days, it is established beyond doubt that the state machinery has completely failed to control the situation for the last almost three months, they claimed. The Opposition delegation of 21 MPs arrived in Manipur on Saturday to assess the ground situation and meet victims of the three-month ethnic riots in the state. On the first day of their two-day whirlwind tour, they visited several relief camps in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur and met victims of ethnic clashes. Silence of Hon'ble Prime Minister shows his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur, the memorandum reads. 'If Manipur conflict is not resolved soon': Adhir Ranjan Addressing reporters outside Raj Bhavan after the meeting, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asserted that if the Manipur ethnic conflict is not resolved soon, it may create security problems for the country. The Congress leader said, "The governor heard our observations and agreed to those. She expressed sorrow over the incidents of violence and suggested that an all-party delegation should visit Manipur to talk to people to remove mistrust among communities." Chowdhury said that the visiting MPs will present their observations on Manipur in Parliament. "We have requested a discussion on Manipur in Parliament as the situation is deteriorating every day," he said. Sharing the memorandum on Twitter, senior Congress leader said, The anger, anxiety, anguish, pain and sorrow of the people of Manipur seem to make absolutely no difference to the Prime Minister. While he is busy listening to his own voice and forcing down his Mann ki Baat on crores of Indians, the 21 MP delegation of Team INDIA is talking about Manipur ki Baat with the Governor of Manipur. Heres their memorandum to the Governor. Besides Chowdhury and Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation includes TMC's Sushmita Dev, JMM's Mahua Maji, DMK's Kanimozhi, Jayant Chaudhary of RLD, Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD, N K Premachandran of RSP, JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, Aneel Prasad Hegde (JD-U), CPI's P Sandosh Kumar and CPI(M)'s A A Rahim among others. Violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring hundreds. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mann Ki Baat Highlights: At 11am on Sunday, prime minister Narendra Modi addressed the 103rd edition of Mann Ki Baat. The monthly radio programme is aired on the last Sunday of each month; the 102nd episode, however, was broadcast on June 18 (Sunday) as PM Modi was scheduled to undertake a foreign visit (to the United States) later that month. PM Modi (Twitter photo) In this latest episode of Mann Ki Baat, the PM did not speak on Manipur, which has been witnessing ethnic clashes since May 3. Modi has been criticised for keeping silent on the issue. The first broadcast of the radio programme, meanwhile, took place on October 3, 2014. The show completed 100 episodes earlier this year, reaching the landmark on April 30. The National Education Policy 2020 will lay a stronger foundation for India, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday at the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam 2023, where he presided over the signing of 106 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with various organisations and institutions. Union Minister for education, skill development and entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan addresses the valedictory function of the 2nd Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam, in New Delhi (PTI) The event celebrated the third anniversary of the policy. The MoUs involve partnership with both public and private entities to promote innovation and R&D in a range of areas, which would usher in a new era of collaboration in academia and industry- academia relations, Pradhan said, who also holds the skill development and entrepreneurship portfolio. New Education Policy is making its way to every part of the county. The NEP aims to make India the torchbearer of providing and receiving quality education in the world in the 21st century. To be future ready, one has to think about skilling in Indian language, Pradhan said while addressing the valedictory session of the education meet. Junior education ministers Subhash Sarkar, Annapurna Devi and Rajkumar Ranjan Singh were also present at the signing. Under the Central Board of Secondary Education, 15 MoUs were signed with institutes and skill providers to focus on skill development and education, promoting skill assessment and capacity building. The partners include Atal Innovation Mission, IBM, Intel, Microsoft and various sectoral skill councils, according to an official statement. Under the governments eVidya initiative, the National Council of Educational Research and Training signed 20 MoUs with departments of school education from various states. Additionally, an MoU was signed between Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti and IBM to accelerate activities conducted for effective implementation of Vigyan Jyoti programme in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, the statement said. Vigyan Jyoti aims to encourage girls to study science and foster gender parity in science education. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Samagam at the Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. He also delivered the inaugural address at the event and released the first instalment of funds under the PM SHRI scheme. PM Shri, or PM Schools for Rising India, will showcase the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020. The schools under this scheme would nurture students in a way that they become engaged, productive and contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive and plural society, the statement said. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has prepared a draft charge sheet in the case of 2,500 kg of methamphetamine seized from a ship in the Indian Ocean, in which they have detailed how a cartel in Pakistan is sending drugs into India through the seas, officials aware of the matter said. Officials had seized 2,500 kg of methamphetamine from a ship in the Indian Ocean. (HT Photo) Identifying Pakistan based fugitive Haji Salim as the main culprit, the bureau has attached the statement of Pakistan national Zubair Derakshshandeh, who was arrested along with the drugs consignment. Also read: India's Anju gets land, gifts from Pak businessman for converting to Islam, video surfaces In the charge sheet, officials have said that Salim runs a drug cartel and has hundreds of people working under him, who work at the Makran coast near the Iran-Pakistan border. Some work as carriers and are paid between 3-5 lakhs, depending on the number of days they have to be in the ocean. Each trip from the point of origin to the handing over of drugs to smaller ships last between 10-21 days, officials said, declining to be named. Derakshshandeh, a resident of Balochistan in Pakistan, was promised around 3 lakh. The probe revealed that the couriers such as Zubair stayed in the mother ship at a prespecified location in the ocean for days and handed over the consignment to different boats. The couriers are paid to hand over the drugs from mother ship to smaller ships, which further take it to different countries, an official said. In this case, the drugs were meant for India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Our probe revealed that another courier was told to bring the drugs back to India from Sri Lanka. They were doing this to avoid carrying the drug in bulk. But they were unlucky because we busted the mother ship before the transfer could happen, the official added. All this has been mentioned in the charge sheet. The probe also found out that two earlier cases busted by the agency off the Gujarat coast in February 2022 and another on in October 2022 off the Kerala coast were sent by Salim using the same cartel and by the same modus operandi. There are many people like Zubair who have been working for Haji Salim. It is a large network. Zubair was with him for over four years. On May 13, the NCB in a joint operation with Indian Navy made the largest seizure of methamphetamine (2,500 kg) from a mother ship in the Indian Ocean near the Kerala coast. A mother ship is a large vessel carrying huge quantities of narcotics for distribution to smaller boats along its route. In this case, too, we noticed that the Salim cartel uses the jute bags of a rice company based in Pakistan, the official said. There is a common link that connects all the three cases. In January 2022, the NCB launched Operation Samundragupt, under which they intercept contraband brought into India through the maritime route. As part of the operation, the agency has been working with the intelligence wing of the Indian Navy, department of revenue intelligence, and police forces of coastal states to intercept the illicit drugs. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The first test flight from the Noida international airport will likely take off as early as March next year, months before its scheduled opening by the end of 2024, officials aware of developments have said, adding that work is continuing on schedule. The construction of the Jewar airport. (HT Photo) Officials of the Union home and civil aviation ministries held meetings with the Uttar Pradesh government last week to discuss the road map of the new airport, which is expected to decongest the national Capitals airport and provide new connectivity options for parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the officials cited above said. Also read: Air Asia orders probe after flight takes off without Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot on board The airport is currently undergoing runway layering work and will begin installation of air navigation services from December, one of the officials said, asking not to be named. The airside of the airport would be ready in March, post which a test flight can be operated. The meeting was held to discuss the immigration and security related developments. Even though a formal order is yet to be issued, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will be guarding the airport, a second officer at the Union home ministry said on the condition of anonymity, citing the discussions on July 21. The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority has approved 55,000 sq m of land along the Yamuna expressway to house the CISF personnel. CISF, which is under the government of India, is responsible for security at all major airports in the country. CISF will also look after the security at the Jewar Airport, the expressway authority had said in an earlier statement in February. The airport is being built at Jewar in Gautam Budh Nagar district. The airport operator has said the airport will become fully operational by the end of 2024, with one terminal building and one runway and a passenger handling capacity of 12 million per year. The airport will be developed in four phases and is expected to see a footfall of 70 million passengers per year in its fourth phase, which is expected to be completed by 2040. This will also add to the efficiency of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, which is Indias largest and handles 70 million passengers per year at present. A test flight involves the landing and departure of a commercial plane, usually carrying officials and experts. Several aspects are scrutinised during such a real-world trial. For instance, in September, the test flight for Goas new airport at Mopa was done by an IndiGo aircraft, and officials later said it helped complete what is known as the Required Navigation Performance Procedure, which checks if instruments at the airport and processes meet the strict precision requirements for operations. The authorities said they are looking at being ready for full-fledged operations by September 30 next year. The airport, as per the legalities with the Uttar Pradesh government, should commence normal flight operations from September 30. However, the contract also allows a grace period of 90 days for the airport operator to commence flight operations, the first official said. The development of the Noida airport project is being done by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of the Zurich International Airport AG, whose concession period is for 40 years. Among the aspects that need to be worked out, officials said, was how they will segregate routes in the sky for traffic headed to the Noida airport and the Delhi airport. The two airports are roughly 65km apart in terms of aerial distance and roughly 75km by road the separation is well within the radius in which flights to either of the airports would be descending from their cruising altitudes. Also read: Pak girl held at Jaipur Airport trying to book returning ticket without passport The second officer said the state-run Airports Authority of India has roped in Boeing to work on the separation of air routes. AAI has sought help from Boeing to help them plan the separation of airspace between the Noida and Delhi international airports as well as between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai international airports, he said. This will ensure that no air space congestion related issues are faced in the future. The Navi Mumbai airport, which is expected to become operational in 2024 as well, is less than 25km away from the Mumbai airport in aerial distance. Noida International Airport is aimed to become Indias leading airport in terms of customer service, efficiency, digital services, and commitment to minimal environmental impact, according to the airport operators latest newsletter on July 24. The passenger terminal is now up to the first floor. We are working on the fourth floor of the ATC (air traffic control) tower, and the runway work is across the entire length. There are around 5,000 workers who are fully mobilized at the site. In the next few months, more than 25 buildings will come up at the site, including the passenger terminal, air traffic control tower. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Neha LM Tripathi I am a principal correspondent with the national political bureau of the Hindustan Times. I track the aviation and railways ministry. I also write on travel trends. I cover the beats at the national level for the newspaper. Before being in Delhi, I have worked as a journalist in Mumbai as well. My hobbies include trekking and travelling. ...view detail A delegation of 21 MPs from the opposition alliance Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is on a two-day visit to violence-hit Manipur beginning Saturday to assess the ground situation. On day one, the MPs met victims of the clashes in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur relief camps. On Sunday, the delegation is scheduled to meet the state governor Anusuiya Uikey. Churachandpur: DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi during a visit to a relief camp for people affected by the ethnic violence in Manipur, in Churachandpur district, Saturday.(PTI) At a press conference, the Opposition slammed the Centre over the crisis, which has engulfed the state since May 3 and said, We have come to Manipur to understand the expectations of the people and we will reflect that in Parliament. The Opposition bloc called for a peaceful solution however, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party termed the visit drama. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "We have always said that if the Prime Minister wants to lead an all-party delegation, we would be happy to be a part of it. In the end, we want peace to be established. His colleague Adhir Chowdhury reiterated that the Opposition was not trying to do any politics over the issue." However, Union minister Anurag Thakur alleged the visit a "mere show-off". The senior BJP leader alleged that when Manipur used to burn under previous governments, the Opposition did not care about the northeastern state then. "When Manipur used to remain shut for months, they had not spoken a word," he said. Twenty-one members of Parliament from the Opposition alliance Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA, told Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey that their findings in the state had established beyond doubt that the state machinery failed to control the situation for close to three months, according to leaders from the delegation that concluded its two-day visit on Sunday. Opposition MPs with governor Anusuiya Uikey on Sunday. (PTI) The MPs representing 16 political parties submitted a memorandum to the governor in which they reported the condition on the ground, made suggestions for peace efforts, and rued the silence of the Prime Minister over the issue, the leaders added. The governor welcomed the MPs, and told them that the state and central government were making relentless efforts to restore peace and normalcy, officials in Raj Bhavan said. Since May 3, Manipur has been in the throes of ethnic violence between the Meiteis, the dominant community in the state with 53% of the population that lives largely in the plains, and tribal communities, particularly Kukis who live largely in the hilly areas, that has left at least 150 dead, over 500 injured, and 50,000 displaced. The meeting with the governor came after the delegation of MPs visited relief camps in Churachandpur and Bishnupur. From the reports of incessant firing and arson of houses in the last few days, it is established beyond doubt that the state machinery has completely failed to control the situation for the last almost three months, they wrote in a memorandum submitted to Uikey. A continued ban on mobile internet, and broadband internet allowed with riders only last week, they said, aided unsubstantiated rumours and fuelled existing mistrust between communities. Also read: Manipur cops crack down on fake news The silence of Honble Prime Minister shows his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur, they added in their memorandum. To be sure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke briefly about the situation in Manipur outside Parliament on July 20, condemning a horrific May 4 incident in which three women were stripped and paraded, and one of them was also allegedly gang-raped and her brother murdered a day after a video of the incident emerged. The Manipur issue has roiled the ongoing session of Parliament with the Opposition asking for a detailed speech from the Prime Minister, and even pushing a no-confidence motion that they have little chance of numerically winning. The BJP, meanwhile, has accused the Opposition of using the Manipur issue to stall business in Parliament, and for ignoring crimes against women in Opposition-led states. We earnestly request you to restore peace and harmony taking all effective measures, where justice should be the cornerstone. In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent, the MPs told the governor. The memorandum to the governor, signed by all 21 MPs said, You are also requested to apprise the Union government of the complete breakdown of law and order in Manipur for the last 89 days so as to enable them to intervene in the precarious situation in Manipur to restore peace and normalcy. Officials at Manipurs Raj Bhavan said that Uikey told them that the Centre and the state were making relentless efforts to normalise the situation. The mistrust between the two communities and the hatred among the communities has to be removed and therefore all stakeholders should work in this direction peacefully, officials said the governor conveyed to the parliamentarians. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Choudhury said: The situation in Manipur was overlooked. It is because the state and the central governments turned a deaf ear to the plight of the people here that the situation in the state is worsening. Peace should be restored at the earliest, as it is the key to ensuring communal harmony and social justice. On the question of an all-party meeting over the issue, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said that they were open to being part of a delegation led by the Prime Minister. We have always said that if the Prime Minister wants to lead an all-party delegation here, we would be happy to be a part of it. After all, we all want peace to return to Manipur at the earliest, he said. The opposition has been asking for an all-party meeting since June, around the time Union home minister Amit Shah had first visited the state. This demand was renewed on Saturday, with Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi asking for the PM to lead an all-party delegation to Manipur. RJD MP Manoj Jha said, We want peace to be restored in Manipur. Peace with justice. Our only demand is that both communities should live in harmony. The situation in Manipur is dangerous. The BJP, meanwhile, attacked the Opposition for being selective in its outrage. West Bengal state president Sukanta Majumdar said, This is nothing but a political tour. They should visit West Bengal and meet the victims from Malda and Cooch Behar. The incident that took place in Manipur is above politics. Opposition should sit and discuss this issue in the Parliament. Union minister Anurag Thakur said, We have been ready to discuss the Manipur issue since day one. Home minister Amit Shah also invited a discussion over the same. My first question is why the Opposition is running away from this. Second, I want to ask the opposition to share the experiences of their two-day visit to Manipur and take part in the discussion. Parliament is set for another rocky session this week, with the Centre likely to introduce the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which, if passed, will replace an ordinance that gives the Union government control of the national capitals bureaucratic set-up. Parliament is set for another rocky session this week The House is also likely to take up a debate on a no-confidence motion moved by the Oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) grouping, which will try to corner the government on the violence in Manipur. A senior Lok Sabha official said the Delhi services bill may be introduced in Lok Sabha before being taken to the Rajya Sabha, where the Opposition is better-placed to contest the proposed law. The nodal ministry has informed us that it wants to bring the bill to replace the Delhi ordinance in the Lok Sabha. We are waiting for the parliamentary affairs ministrys notice to list the new bill in the agenda of the House, said the official. A review of the text of the bill, seen by HT, suggested that the document has at least three crucial changes, including dropping a contentious provision apparently meant to undo the effect of a May 11 Supreme Court ruling that rested control of Delhis administration with the citys elected government. It also proposes to change the manner in which tribunal heads are to be appointed in the national capital, assigning some prerogatives to the lieutenant governor now, as opposed to the Ordinances approach of the final signatory being the President of India. Though the legislative agenda for Monday doesnt mention the Delhi services bill, the Union government can bring the bill in at any point even Monday without prior information in the House, through a supplementary agenda. The government used this route to bring in its resolution to scrap Article 370 and bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories on August 6, 2019, in the Rajya Sabha. Opposition leaders, however, said they are prepared for such a move this time. Congress leader Manickam Tagore said, We are preparing ourselves to the possibility of the government bringing in the Delhi bill on Monday. The leaders will discuss such a possibility at the meeting of the Congress MPs and the INDIA allies. The legislation will replace the ordinance promulgated by the President on May 19 to allow the Centre retain control over the bureaucracy in Delhi and effectively rolled back the May 11 Constitution bench judgment, which handed charge of the Capitals bureaucracy to the elected government, excluding departments connected to police, public order and land. Since it began on July 20, the Monsoon session of Parliament has been rocked by a pitched tussle between the Centre and the INDIA grouping over the situation in violence-torn Manipur. The Opposition alliance has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement on the violence inside Parliament, even as Union home minister Amit Shah has agreed to address the matter on the floor of the House. Congress lawmaker Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday moved a no-confidence motion, which was admitted by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla. The one-line motion which says the House has lost its confidence in the Union council of ministers poses no threat to the Modi administration, which holds a brute majority in the Lower House. The Delhi services bill is likely to compound the crisis. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi has called the ordinance illegal, unconstitutional and a black law. Indeed, senior AAP leaders, including party chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, crisscrossed the country to rally support against the ordinance. The party also hinged its entry into the INDIA grouping on the Congress taking a stand on the ordinance. The Union government has said, The bill is being brought as a result of the pronouncement of the order of the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in which the legislative and executive power over services shall vest with the GNCTD. The conclusions drawn in Constitution Bench pronouncement pose certain challenges to the smooth administration of GNCTD which need to be addressed through appropriate legal interventions, when it announced the bill will come in the monsoon session. A National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally said the government is confident of the numbers in both Houses, pointing out that no bill was caught up in the Rajya Sabha in the Modi governments second term. The BJP-led NDA, however, will need either the backing of the YSR Congress Party or the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to pass the Delhi legislation in the Upper House. A senior Opposition member told HT We have been indicated by the government that the Delhi bill will be tabled in Lok Sabha this week and it will be brought in the Upper House in the last week of the session. The monsoon session will end on August 11. To be sure, the government can legally bypass the parliamentary test and promulgate another ordinance after the current one completes its shelf life of six months. Also read: Mere samajh se pare': Harbhajan Singh wonders about logjam in Parliament amid ruckus During the 10-year United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the Centre promulgated 61 ordinances, some of which were re-promulgated a number of times. According to PRS Legislative Research, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have utilised just 15% and 30% of their time so far, respectively. The government has introduced 12 bills and the Lok Sabha has passed eight pieces of legislation. The Rajya Sabha has cleared 3 bills. On Monday, the Lok Sabha is scheduled to take up the amendments to the cinematograph bill and the amendments to the Registration of Birth and Date law. The Rajya Sabha has listed five bills including the amendments to the biodiversity and the forest conservation laws. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amid the ongoing annual Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir, a remarkable testament to the boundless nature of spirituality had unfolded recently, with the participation of two foreign nationals from California, United States. In a pilgrimage inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, these individuals have embarked on a journey to the holy cave, fulfilling a long-held dream they have nurtured for over four decades. They said it is impossible to describe how they feel and felt gratitude for coming to Amarnath. Now, their sacred journey found mention on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly Mann ki Baat show on Sunday. During the 103rd episode of Mann ki Baat, Modi said, "People from all over the world are coming to our pilgrimages. I came to know about two such American friends who came from California for Amarnath Yatra." The sheer joy and elation experienced by these pilgrims from California are difficult to express in words. As they stand in awe before the ice lingam of Lord Shiva, their hearts overflow with gratitude for the opportunity to be present in this hallowed place. "It seemed impossible and was a dream to come here. But by Bholenath's grace, everything came together, and here we are. We can't explain how we feel," shares one of the pilgrims from the United States. News agency ANI had earlier this month posted a video of the two men. One of the men, wearing saffron robes, is heard saying, We have dreamt from many years to come on this yatra. We stay at a temple and ashram in California, America. For many years, we dreamt of coming here and we watched the YouTube Aarti videos almost every day. They said it is impossible to describe how they feel and felt gratitude for coming to Amarnath. They said they are devotees of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda came to Kashmir and visited Amarnath and he had a unique experience here, one of the men said. For them, this pilgrimage is nothing short of a dream come true. "With the blessings of Bhole Baba, this time we managed to visit, and we are feeling completely blessed," expressed another pilgrim, acknowledging the divine guidance that led them to this momentous journey. They also expressed admiration for the exceptional organization that orchestrates this yatra, ensuring its smooth functioning and the safety of all participants. The presence of these two US nationals in the Amarnath Yatra served as a powerful reminder that spirituality transcends geographical boundaries. Their journey exemplified the inclusive and universal nature of the pilgrimage, where individuals from different parts of the world can come together in devotion and seek divine blessings. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BJP's Amit Malviya on Sunday shared a video of apples being thrown into a water stream in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla and asked why the Congress government did not help the farmers in the state, while Rahul Gandhi 'sheds tears for farmers'. In the video, hundreds of apples were thrown into the river crate by crate because the apples are getting rotten. Owing to landslides and road closures, the produce could not reach the market. "This time it seems we have to throw all our apples into the water," one person said in the video. BJP's Amit Malviya shared a purported video of apple growers throwing their produce in the river. Malviya also said this is the reason why fruits and vegetables are expensive in the market. The attack comes as the prices of tomatoes and other vegetables are burning a hole in the pockets of the middle class. Tomato prices have not come down in the past four weeks. "Apple growers in Shimla are forced to drain their produce in a rivulet because Congress Govt in Himachal has failed to help farmers reach fruits to market in time. On the one hand Rahul Gandhi sheds tears for farmers, on the other, Congress state Govts are a disaster, when it comes to assisting farmers. This is why fruits and vegetables are expensive in market," Malviya said. 'Country is being divided into two' Rahul Gandhi recently reacted to a viral video of a vegetable seller at Azadpur Mandhi who choked during an interview as he narrated how he was impacted by the price rise of the vegetables. "The country is being divided into two classes! On one hand, there are powerful people who have protected power, on whose instructions the policies of the country are being made. And on the other side is the common Indian, from whose reach even basic things like vegetables are going away. We have to fill this widening gap between the rich and the poor and wipe these tears," Rahul Gandhi said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Theres something that comes over you when you see a herd of bison running through a sagebrush prairie. It takes you back thousands of years, stripping away centuries of colonialism and exploitation. It feels, simply, right. Thats the idea behind North Bridger Bison, a ranch in the Shields Valley near Wilsall thats run by Matt and Sarah Skoglund. On their land, between the Bridger Mountains to the west and Crazy Mountains to the east, they raise the animals on a landscape bison have tread on for well over a millennia. Matt harvests all the bison himself, with a rifle shot to the head from 10 yards out. The purpose, he explained, is twofold: One is to keep the animal from stressing, which negatively impacts the meat. The other is out of reverence to the animal, so it dies an honorable, respectful, instant death. Skoglund explained this intimate process while there were about 200 people in his yard. They were attendees of a dining event held by Outstanding in the Field, put together on Saturday, July 15. The organization was established by Jim Denevan, a noted land artist whose specialty is creating massive, temporary works in natural settings, and letting them be slowly reclaimed by the earth. The decay is all part of the art. Hes a fitting founder, because the land is also central to Outstanding in the Field (OITF). Diners are treated to a multi-course meal prepared by a local chef with local ingredients. Theyre served, quite literally, in a field, on a collection of tables that curve like a half moon. Food is dished up family style, one heaping platter for every eight patrons. Denevan started OITF in 1999. Since then, its taken off. He estimates that theyre up to about 115 events a year. Theyve been to all 50 states and at least 16 other countries. This was the second OITF event in Montana, after a dinner in Missoula about a decade ago. It sold out second fastest of their summer events, at a not insignificant price of $375 per person. The founder himself was at the North Bridger Bison event. Denevan goes to about 70% of the OITF dinners, which is enough that hes picked up some tips over the years. He calls them intangibles. One is that mosquitos cant find you, he contends, if the wind eclipses 11 miles per hour. And his background in land art has taught him that the best way to place the tables is so that it stretches towards the setting sun, while the kitchen should be in the east, away from the fading light. Theres all kinds of behind the scenes stuff, he explained. You want people to be comfortable, and having an adventure. An OITF dinner starts with appetizers, usually served a distance away from the tables. The North Bridger Bison meal was the same, beginning in the field that stands in for the Skoglunds front yard. Its gorgeous and unkempt, dogholed and uneven. At one point a prairie dog popped his little head up, as if he were miffed at the guests for taking over his spot. A tiny moment in a loud, expansive evening. Against the old out-buildings sat a sort of open-faced teepee, filled with cushy chairs and leather couches. Next to an old barn, there was a trailer fitted with portable bathrooms. Inside they were lit up, with flushable toilets and running water. A bundle of sage hung over the john. Behind them a generator whirred, providing power for the porta-potties' air conditioning. Guests wore a mixture of pleated linen pants and blue jeans, graphic tees and pearl snapped button downs. At the bar they were serving up beer from Bridger Brewing, wine from Mosier, Oregons Analemma Wines, and for the nonalcoholic folks, cold and crushable glasses of a Peruvian drink called chica morada, made from various spices and purple corn, which gives the drink its signature color. The napkins at the bar were held down with seashells, and there was bug repellant and sunscreen where a barkeep might keep maraschino cherries. The first four of the meals nine courses were served as appetizers, including a boutonniere made of North Bridger Bison bresaola, a sort of air dried, salted meat, a soup made with Montana carp, an empanada of lamb, and, for the gastronomically brave, a tartare of bison heart and loin. The chef at the North Bridger Bison dinner was Eduardo Garcia. The Bozeman-based chef is the co-founder of Montana Mex, a company that makes Mexican inspired salsas, spices and other sauces. Garcia, who is charming and charismatic, has stepped into the culinary celebrity universe as of late. Hes been a guest on Chopped, and hes the host of the Magnolia Network show Big Sky Kitchen with Eduardo Garcia. He jumped at the opportunity to prepare the meal, because his company doesnt have a brick and mortar restaurant. His team has been pushing him to cook more. This is me saying, all right, he said. Lets get out there more. The planning process took about six months, and Matt Skoglund shared that the first phone call they had with OITF was in December, when it was 45 degrees below zero before wind-chill out on the Shields Valley plains. But that oversimplifies it. Garcia noted that the meal prep truly began when the bison whose meat was used dubbed Bison 331 was born. Matt Skoglund harvested the animal the morning of June 9, across the road from where appetizers were served. He field dressed the animal not far from where the dinner tables were set up. The menu becomes a story of food, Garcia noted. I get to do my theater. But the food is only half the story at these things. Theres community building as well, as strangers are forced to sit at the same table as people they dont know, sharing food off a communal dish. After appetizers, the Skoglunds both led awaiting diners on a short walk around their property, explaining the process of biomimicry they employ with their bison, moving the animals around a set of pastures, like they would naturally do in the wild, never depleting the grass, but stamping in seeds and fertilizing as they eat. The tables were in one of those pastures, which allowed views of the two mountain ranges you can see from the range. Dee and Renee Cooper had traveled to Wilsall from Oklahoma. Renee described attending an OITF dinner as a bucket list thing, and said she and her husband were drawn by the prospect of visiting a bison ranch. They both grew up on ranches on the plains of Oklahoma, where bison once roamed by the millions. At one table sat Carly Carmosino and Katie McGrath. Lifelong friends who have known each other since kindergarten, the pair meet up every year to attend an OITF dinner. This was Carmosinos fourth, and McGraths sixth. The former is from St. Louis, and the latter came in from near Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. They use these dinners as a chance to meet up, and as an excuse to travel. Theyd spent over a week in the area, glamping in West Yellowstone and taking in museums, zip lines, horseback rides, all the hits. Their last OITF dinner was in Ghana. That meal revolved around goat. This one, of course, was all about the bison. The beast ran through most of the courses, which started with a creamy pate made of North Bridger Bison liver. Everything else served with that dish came from a 50-mile-or-so circle around Willsall, complete with oyster mushrooms from SporeAttic (a delightfully named fungal farm out of Bozeman), plum chutney from Feral Farm (Gallatin Gateway) and goat cheese from Amaltheia Dairy (Belgrade). There was a salad with greens from Bozemans Chance Farm, and a dish of stewed watermelon radish from Whitehalls Sugar Beet Row that was served with North Bridger Bison bone broth and marrow butter. The main course was a roast made of smoked and braised North Bridger Bison tongue, cheek, hump and chuck, shredded and served alongside potatoes from Bausch Farms in Whitehall. There was also dessert, what they dubbed a pollinator affogato, with Highland Harmony Farm (Wilsall) honeycomb gelato rolled in Feral Farm dandelion root espresso. After the meal, people mingled, gathering on a nearby hillside to gaze at the bison. The quiet murmur of conversation as new friends shared skincare tips and swapped stories rang in one end of the pasture, as the low rumble of bison rose up from the other. Chef Garcia went around from table to table as the sun went down, chatting with each group, and always giving a shoutout to the cooks who joined him and made the whole thing possible. He said that he chose to make the main dish out of lesser cuts like chuck, tongue, cheek and hump to challenge himself, and to echo the burden that faces ranchers in this industry. The ribeyes and New York strips will always sell, but they might be stuck with tougher, harder to manage pieces. The more we understand this, Garcia said, while grabbing a handful of sagebrush, the sweeter our meals will be. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on Sunday shared a video clip in which a group of women farmers can be seen interacting with Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. In the clip, the women farmers from Haryana, who had travelled to New Delhi to meet the Congress leaders, are seen asking Sonia Gandhi how coped after the assassination of her husband and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Women farmers are seen interacting with Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. How did you manage in that situation after Rajiv ji's death, one of the women is heard asking. To this, Sonia Gandhi could only say that the sorrow was very deep. She could not speak further. Priyanka Gandhi is then seen saying, She (Sonia) neither ate nor drank anything for many days." Another woman is seen asking, She must have gone through many difficulties May God bless everyone." To this, Sonia Gandhi is seen nodding her head in the video clip. In the emotional tweet, Shrinate said in Hindi, At the age of 21, she came as Rajiv ji's wife and the daughter-in-law of this country - spent 55 years of her life here. Spent the most beautiful 23 years of life as Rajiv ji's wife. But more than that, without him, for 32 years, she is suffering from widowhood Seeing this (video), I kept thinking for some time, how can someone live with so much dignity, so much affection, even after suffering so much pain. How can there be neither anger nor hatred? Talking only for the good of the people of this country - how so much dedication, so much sacrifice? While thinking - just one blessing came out. This country will always be indebted to you and automatically bows before your dedication. The luncheon was hosted by Sonia Gandhi at her residence were Rahul Gandhi was also present. On July 8, Rahul Gandhi made an impromptu stop at Madina village in Sonipat. He interacted with people and spent time with farmers working in agricultural lands. He also took part in paddy sowing, drove a tractor and ate food brought by women labourers working in the fields, party leaders from the state said. Rahul Gandhi had then promised them to invite them over to Delhi for a 'Delhi Darshan' as they said they had never visited the national capital despite living so close. During his visit, Rahul Gandhi had made the farm women talk to his sister Priyanka Gandhi and they had expressed the desire that she invites them over for food to her residence. "A day to remember for Maa, Priyanka and me with some very special guests. Delhi darshan of Sonipat's farmer sisters, lunch with them at home and lots of talk. Got priceless gifts - desi ghee, sweet lassi, homemade pickles and lots of love," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi on Saturday while sharing the video of the meeting. "Rahul Gandhi had promised to take the farmer sisters of Sonipat to Delhi. Farmer sisters came to Delhi, the promise was fulfilled," the Congress said on its Twitter handle. In the video, the Gandhis are seen sharing a light moment with the rural women and offering them lunch. Rahul Gandhi is heard asking if they liked the food and enquired whether everyone has had sweets. He is also seen distributing chocolates to the visiting children and girls. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Slain gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed's lawyer Vijay Mishra was arrested from outside Hotel Hyatt Legacy in Lucknow in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case, police said. Mishra was accused of sharing Umesh Pal's location from Prayagraj court before he along with two policemen was shot dead on February 24. He has been arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Explosives Act, Criminal Law Amendment Act, and SC/ST Act. Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed (in photo) was killed while being taken for a routine medical examination in Uttar Pradeshs Prayagraj on April 15. (PTI) Umesh Pal and two policemen deployed in his security were shot dead on February 24 this year. Pal was the main witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case. Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, the main accused named in the case, were shot dead by three youths on April 15, 2023, outside a hospital while they were being taken for a medical check by police. Last month, police filed their charge sheet against eight accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. The charge sheet mentions Ahmed, Rakesh alias Nakesh alias Lala, Arshad Katra, Niyaz Ahmed, Iqbal Ahmed, Shahrukh, Akhlaq Ahmed, and Khan Shoulat Haneef as accused, he said. Mishra was also wanted in an extortion case. He was booked on May 21 for allegedly demanding 3 crore extortion money from a plywood trader in Prayagraj district. In a complaint filed at Attarsuiya Police Station in Prayagraj, the trader, Sayeed Ahmad, who hails from Dariyabad and owns a shop in the Muthiganj locality, alleged that Mishra had bought goods worth 1.20 lakh from him on credit but refused to clear his dues. On April 20, Mishra dialled Saeed and demanded 3 crore in the name of Atiq and his henchmen, according to the complainant. Meanwhile, Mishra has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and said, The FIR makes completely false allegations against me as part of a conspiracy to malign my image and harm my reputation. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Monday will consider the Union governments request to transfer the trial of the case relating to the May 4 assault of two women by a mob -- a viral video of which sparked an outcry, outside Manipur and direct for its conclusion within six months of filing of the charge sheet by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The top court had on July 20 taken a suo motu cognisance of the horrific video, terming it deeply disturbing and grossest violation of constitutional rights. (Jitender Gupta) A bunch of petitions concerning the ethnic violence in the northeastern state were to be taken up by the top court on July 28, but indisposition of Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud due to bad health on that day deferred the hearing. The bench, which also includes justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will also take up a fresh petition which is directly linked to the incident on May 4. While identities of the petitioners have been concealed (they have been mentioned as X and Y), the listing records show that the petition is in connection with first information report (FIR) numbered as (110)(6)(2023), registered at Nongpok Sekmai Police Station the jurisdiction in which B Phainom village is located. In this FIR, the village head had identified the attackers as those from Meitei groups, stating that three Kuki women were stripped, paraded naked, assaulted, one of them gang-raped, and her father and brother murdered by a mob after the family was snatched from the custody of a police team. It is the clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities that have claimed at least 150 lives in an episode that many fear to have played out much worse than what is known. The top court had on July 20 taken a suo motu cognisance of the horrific video, terming it deeply disturbing and grossest violation of constitutional rights. Fixing the next hearing on July 28, the court had sought explanations from the Union and the state governments and asked them to ensure that such incidents do not recur. Responding, the Centre, through Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla, submitted its affidavit on July 27 and informed the court that the case pertaining to the viral video of women being stripped and paraded naked has been handed over to CBI. Maintaining that it has zero-tolerance towards any crimes against women, the Centre sought a direction from the top court the trial must be time bound, and should take place outside Manipur. The power to transfer the case/trial outside any state is only with this Honble Court and therefore, the central government is making this request to this Honble Court to pass such an order with a further direction to conclude the trial within a period of six months from the date of the filing of charge sheet by CBI, pleaded the affidavit. It added that the central government considers the offences like the present one to be too heinous, which, it said, deserve to be taken not only with the seriousness it deserves but justice should be seen to be done so that it has a deterrent effect throughout the nation with respect to crimes against women. The affidavit further said that it has been made mandatory for the police station in-charge to immediately report all such cases to the director general of police (DGP) in Manipur. On July 20, the top court said that it is deeply disturbed by the video. It is simply unacceptable and it is time the government stepped in and took some concrete action. Using women as an instrument in an area of communal strife to perpetuate gender violence is unacceptable. It is the grossest of constitutional abuse, the bench told attorney general R Venkataramani and solicitor general Tushar Mehta on the day. Also read: BJP MLA & Kuki leader Haokip advocates creation of new Union territories in Manipur Seeking affidavits from the Union home secretary and the state chief secretary, the court said: This is the grossest of constitutional and human right violation. We will give you little time to take action and bring perpetrators to book...otherwise, we will step in. The video of a mob parading and assaulting three women after stripping them two months ago in Manipur surfaced on Wednesday, fanning fresh tension in the state and a nationwide outcry. According to the FIR filed in the case, one of the three women of a family was gang raped while a mob of 800-1000 men killed her brother and father on May 4. The family of five had fled to a forest to escape the armed mob that entered their village and vandalised houses. Police later rescued the family. The mob surrounded the family and took them from police custody, according to the FIR. The first killed a 56-year-old man on the spot, and then assaulted the three women, the FIR added. The Telangana governmnent handed over 50,000 crore as subsidy on electricity to 72.41 lakh consumers from household, employment and agriculture sectors, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Sunday. The electricity given by the government is a boost to the economic development of farmers and various low-income groups which lead to improve their living conditions, he added. Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Telangana is the only state which has overcome power cuts and is providing continuous electricity to all sectors within a short span since its formation, a state government statement said. According to the statement, the state's power generation capacity of 7,778 MW in 2014 increased to 18,567 MW this year. The government spent 97,321 crore to boost production and supply systems. The government said it is covering a total of 27,48,598 agricultural electricity connection, and is bearing the power costs of 35,61,809 households belonging to families below poverty line who consume 0-50 units of power a month. The government is also providing benefits to 25,00,433 scheduled caste community consumers using less than 101 units of electricity a month and 2,95,114 scheduled tribe community users. The Telangana government is also providing benefits of electricity subsidy to 6,494 poultry farm owners, 32,654 hair cutting salon owners, 65,806 laundry shop owners, and 56 Dobhi Ghats Besides these, the government is also supplying subsidized electricity to 5011 power looms and 39 spinning mills. Economy has gained momentum with the subsidized electricity given by the government, the statement by Special Commissioner, Information & Public Relations Department, 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 Two prisoners lodged in Hindalga jail in Belagavi district in Karnataka were severely injured after a fight broke out between the two on Saturday evening, officials said on Sunday. The jail has filed a complaint with Belagavi Rural police into the matter (Representational Image) Murder convict Shankarappa Bajantri, a resident of Hubballi, who has been lodged in the jail since four-and-a-half-years allegedly attacked Sayikumar, another murder convict and habitual offender from Mandya district, one of the officials quoted above added. Sayikumar was severely injured and sustained injuries in the head and ear, added the officials on anonymity. Bajantri and Sayikumar were in a physical fight and were punching each other. Bajantri later attacked Sayikumar with a nail, a jail staff familiar with the matter said. Confirming the development, jail superintendent Krishnakumar said, Both the prisoners were involved in an enmity since several months. To avoid such incidents, the jail staff had housed them in different cells. However, during their open time when the inmates can move freely in the campus both were involved in a verbal altercation. In a fit of rage , Bajantri took out a nail he had kept hidden in his cloth and attacked Sayikumar, said the superintendent. Bajantri might have pre-planned the attack as he brought a nail with him to attack Sayikumar, Krishnakumar said, adding that they were later rushed to the hospital inside the jail where they were given the first aid and medicine. They were later shifted to the government hospital in Belagavi. Krishnakumar added that Bajantri who was earlier lodged in Dharwad and Ballari jail and has a record of indulging in such incidents to drag the attention with an intention to get shifted to a better jail. According to his earlier profile, similar cases have been reported against him, either in a jail or hospital...he did such things, he said. Apart from being convicted in a murder case, he has been lodged as an under trial in two to three cases, he added. While Sayikumar, according to jailer Krishnakumar, was a habitual offender who has also been convicted under murder charges, the accused is also facing cases like dacoity, road robbery, illegal sand mining attempt to murder etc. For being involved in such activities he has been shifted to Belagavi jail from Bengaluru and Tumakuru jails, the jailer said. The jail has filed a complaint with Belagavi Rural police into the matter. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi resident Meenakshi Gupta is blind from birth. Every morning, she joins thousands of commuters on the Delhi metro and travels 90 minutes to a hospital where she starts another day of saving lives. Her job is to detect breast cancer in women. Many of her patients are sceptical about being examined by a blind person, but more than a few have called her an inspiration. People with impaired vision are taking part in a special training to learn how to detect breast cancer. (Midhat Fatimah/DW) "As a blind woman trained to help in detecting breast cancer, I am able to catch the smallest of the lumps that can be crucial in helping save a life," Gupta told DW. In the past eight months, the 31-year-old has performed more than 100 screenings as a Medical Tactile Examiner (MTE). The job is a new, specialized role for blind and visually impaired women. Studies have shown that people with blindness develop a superior sense of touch. MTE spreads across continents Medical tactile examination was originally developed by German gynecologist Frank Hoffmann. In 2011, Hoffmann started "Discovering Hands" as a social initiative, under which blind and visually impaired women are trained to become MTEs. "Earlier, I used mammography for detecting breast cancer, but now my patients can get malignance detected by the MTEs, which has no risk of radiation involved and is cost-effective," Hoffmann said. So far, more than 50 people have been trained as MTEs in Germany. The program was extended to other countries including Austria and Switzerland, but also India, Columbia and Mexico. The latter two were forced to suspend the program since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In India, the initiative was introduced by the National Association of the Blind India Centre for Blind Women and Disability Studies (NABCBW) in 2017. Located in the Indian capital of Delhi, the center has trained 18 MTEs and is currently training another eight. (Also Read | Research reveals whether turmeric helps in breast cancer treatment) "Initially, we had our doubts about how blind women can perform such a complex task but I was convinced once I saw how meticulously the blind women in Germany were examining each centimeter," Shalini Khanna, the director of NABCBW, told DW. Candidates have to complete a medical internship The NABCBW has been conducting breast cancer screening camps across different parts of India since December, and the MTEs trained at the center have screened more than 1,000 women. According to a 2019 study, clinical breast examinations done by MTEs had an accuracy level similar to that performed by physicians. The program requires the women to go through a rigorous 9-month-long training which includes a 3-month-long internship at a medical facility. During the training, they are taught English, as well as computers science, fundamentals of human anatomy and physiology focusing on breast cancer. They learn about types of breast cancers and the kinds of treatments and therapies prescribed by gynecologists and oncologists. "The education system for blind students in India is one of the biggest challenges we face in implementing this program because most of the blind children don't get to study science in high school," NABCBW chief Khanna said. In multilingual India, medical sciences are taught in English, so "the women also have to be taught English first." Is MTE an alternative to mammography? Early detection is crucial for breast cancer. When lumps are detected in early stages, chances of successful treatment could be as high as 90%, explains Mandeep Malhotra, director of Oncology at CK Birla Hospital in Delhi. Unfortunately, in India, nearly 60% of cases of breast cancer are diagnosed at stages III and IV, which is in contrast to many developed countries in the West where most breast cancer cases are diagnosed at early stages of I and II. Experts suggest that women should get themselves screened at least once per year. However, due to various factors including a lack of awareness and overburdened doctors, participation in clinical breast examinations remains poor. Breast tissue can be examined by ultrasound and mammography but those methods have certain limitations. "Mammography is not effective in younger women so it is not advisable for women aged below 45 years," Malhotra said. More precise than mammograms Additionally, the higher breast density found among Indian women when compared to the Western population also makes mammography less suitable for the Indian population. "We do not have the infrastructure or medical talent to run mass screening programs with mammograms in India as it is done in the West," said Kanchan Kaur, senior director of breast surgery at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. "The next best thing is a clinical breast examination by women who are specifically trained to do this," she added. The doctor noted that MTE is not a replacement for mammogram or ultrasound, but serves to complement those technologies. Researchers have found that MTEs were able to detect lumps with diameters as small as 6-8 mm (around of an inch). A recent study that was headed by Malhotra recorded Tactile Breast Examinations on 1,338 women and found that MTEs had a missing rate of only 1% significantly lower than the missing rate of mammograms which stands at 20%. The results have fueled hopes that this program would take off on a larger scale, help battle breast cancer all across India and the world, and provide jobs for hundreds of women like Meenakshi Gupta. Spending sleepless nights struggling to control stressful and non-stop thoughts or waking up in the middle of the night unable to get back to sleep? More often than not the lack of quality sleep is due to bad sleep hygiene from not switching off gadgets at night to eating a hearty meal too close to the bedtime. There are sleep disorders or health issues that could be ruining your sleep too but in most of the cases, we need to master the art of sleeping. We spend almost a third of our day sleeping, yet we do not pay attention to how we are going to fall in sleep at night. Doing activities that overwhelm the mind and the digestive system is the worst way of wrapping up the day. Say no to thrillers and horror show and yes to some soothing music. Go for a light dinner instead of having the biggest meal of your day. (Also read:6 simple everyday habits to improve your sleep) Dr, Meenakshi Jain, Assistant Professor, Dept of Psychiatry, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad in an interview with HT Digital talks about things we shouldn't do before going to sleep. Dr Jain also suggests the rituals that will help you sleep.(Shutterstock) Dr, Meenakshi Jain, Assistant Professor, Dept of Psychiatry, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad in an interview with HT Digital talks about things we shouldn't do before going to sleep. Dr Jain also suggests the rituals that will help you sleep. Bad habits that disrupt our sleep 1. Drinking caffeinated beverages such as tea, coffee, cold drinks According to research, caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors which, in turn, results in disrupted sleep. Regular caffeine intake at nighttime can create a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation, leading to irritability, reduced work performance, and negative effects on cognitive processing. It can also lead to increased acidity, which may result in stomach ulcers and abdominal pain. 2. Substance abuse such as drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, cannabis use, etc Substance use is known to have a negative impact on the quality of sleep. It affects the information processing domain of our cognitive processes, thus affecting productivity. In addition, it can cause psychosocial and physical health issues. 3. Eating a large meal Eating a heavy meal before bedtime can lead to increased acidity, gastroesophageal reflux, chest pain, and abdominal pain. It can also lead to poor quality of sleep and promote obesity. Thus, one should avoid big meals before bedtime, especially calorie-dense food items such as candy, ice creams, etc. 4. Strenuous exercise Experts advise against vigorous exercise right before bedtime because it can lead to frequent nighttime awakening and delayed sleep, which may result in negative physical and mental health issues. 5. Being active on social media till late Make sure not to take technology to your bed. It is not unknown that the blue light emitted from the screen of digital devices negatively impacts the melatonin production, the sleep hormone, making it difficult to fall asleep. 6. Counting negative experiences, reliving negative emotions associated with them, and negative self-talk It cannot be emphasized enough to end your day with a positive note. Negative self-talk, such as rumination, self-criticism, regrets, etc., can lead to a significant increase in stress levels, reduce confidence, and motivation. It can also result in depression and anxiety. Best ways to wrap up your day 1. Plan ahead Planning the next day with clear goals and realistic expectations reduces anxiety as well as increases productivity. It provides a structure to the next day, thus making it easier to fit in the tasks that are necessary. It enhances motivation as well as helps in managing stress. 2. Meditation Meditation enhances our focus and relieves anxiety. It helps in lowering down cortisol, famously known as the stress hormone. Meditation helps in calming the mind, thus making the transition to deep sleep easier. 3. Write your stress away Writing the negative experiences and thoughts in a journal helps clear the mind. Maintaining a journal is an incredibly powerful but underutilized tool to reduce stress levels. It not only helps in making sense of the confusing and emotionally charged experiences but also provides an objective perspective on our problems. 4. Spend time with your loved ones Enjoy some quality time with the people you love. Wrap up your day with the sense of belonging and with laughter. You may enhance the experience by going through some old photos of happy times or maybe watch a comedy with family. 5. Express gratitude Being thankful for the things life has provided to you and expressing it in clear thoughts and words is extremely soothing. 6. Deep breathing exercises Diaphragmatic breathing, pursed lip breathing reduces stress and anxiety. It helps in enhancing our cognition and improves the quality of sleep. Additionally, it improves our cardiovascular health and digestive system. Things that we overlook around our bedtime that actually affect our sleep time Sleep schedule Given the busy life and stress levels in today's world, we often overlook the importance of maintaining a strict sleeping and waking up schedule. Maintaining a schedule helps in maintaining a regular circadian rhythm and thus improves our sleep quality. Creating routines to relax Activities to relax the body as well as the mind are often missing from our daily schedule. Involving a few pre-bedtime activities such as writing in a journal, taking a shower, listening to music, etc., can enhance sleep quality significantly. Place to sleep The bedroom should be at a comfortable temperature, calm, and dark. One should avoid installing a TV in the bedroom. Food and exercise Taking a light meal for dinner and mild exercise an hour before bedtime promotes good sleep. It must also be noted that one should only utilize the bed for sleep or sexual activities. Utilizing the bed for other activities like working, reading, etc., can lead to negative conditioning resulting in sleep disturbances. Unplug from digital media Digital media such as mobile usage, etc., can lead to poor quality of sleep due to its effect on melatonin. Positive self-talk Positive self-talk, along with other activities such as appreciating your own efforts, expressing gratitude, reliving positive memories, forgiving yourself for mistakes, are often overlooked before bedtime. These activities help in reshaping our mind and have a significant impact on our mental health. How much to eat before bedtime so that sleep is sound Experts advise taking a light meal before bed. As a rule of thumb, avoid eating spicy and calorie-dense food before bedtime. One should also avoid taking caffeinated beverages and alcohol during evening hours as they negatively impact the quality of sleep. Foods rich in tryptophan and promote melatonin, such as almonds, walnuts, dairy products, especially warm milk, are good options for evening snacking. It is also recommended to eat about 2-3 hours before going to bed. Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 Pro will get big camera upgrades, a USB-C and A16 chipset. The new iPhone 15 Pro will get redesigned internally to be more repairable like the iPhone 14, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman posted on social media platform X. The iPhone 15 pro is likely to be unveiled in September, provided there are no delays. However, Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan had predicted that the latest iPhone launch could be delayed by few weeks and could be unveiled in October this year. The Apple iPhone 15 is set to be launched later this year.(Representative image/Bloomberg) Tim Lang, an analyst has claimed in his research that the iPhone 15 will be costlier than iPhone 14. The iPhone 15 Pro is expected to be $100 costlier than the iPhone 14 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro Max will be $100-$200 more expensive than iPhone 14 Pro Max which was launched in September last year. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is hoping to ensure the latest iPhone 15 shipments are ready despite turmoil in the global economy as well as a projected decline in the smartphone market. According to a Counterpoint Research report, smartphone sales witnessed an eight per cent drop in the June quarter. Apple's sales dropped two per cent in the recent quarter, although it witnessed a 17 per cent rise in market share due to continuing growth in demand for smartphones being sold at $600. Chinese Android brands Vivo and Xiaomi both suffered declines of more than 10 per cent. The Bloomberg journalist also had an updated for the upcoming Apple Watch. lineup. This years Apple Watches will be minor updates focused on faster processors. But heres what you need to know about an all new case material for the Series 9 and the potential of a black titanium option on the Ultra 2, Gurman posted on the platform X. 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 Netflix is on the lookout for an artificial intelligence (AI) manager and is offering a salary of up to $900,000 (about 7.4 crore) annually. The job posting comes amid Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike demanding fair AI practices. The company noted that it is its 'first hiring' in product management to support the ML platform.(REUTERS) The role, either based in the Los Gatos office or with remote work, aims to increase the leverage of its AI Machine Learning programme (MLP) and will look towards involving the technology in areas including content acquisition and user recommendations. "The overall market range for roles in this area of Netflix is typically $300,000 - $900,000," the company noted on its website. The company noted that it is its first hiring in product management to support the ML platform. The role requires a technical background in engineering and/or machine learning, the ability to collaborate with data scientists and build partnerships with other product managers across the organisation. Netflix also claimed that the position is different from other technology companies. Our key product management leaders - including this position - work with multiple sprint teams but do not have direct reports. Consequently, were looking for experienced product leaders who are strategic and also like rolling up their sleeves, the hiring announcement stated. The streaming giant also has an opening for an AI technical director in its Game Studio with an annual salary of $650,000 (about 5 crore). The SAG-AFTRA went on strike earlier this month, after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over streaming residuals and safeguards against AI. The union has expressed concerns about the excessive power of AI and algorithms. This marks the first time since 1960 that writers and actors have gone on strike simultaneously, bringing the industry to a standstill. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON If you are fond of smartphones, then the upcoming month of August is gonna be really exciting for you. Next month, several brands are set to launch their smartphones in India. Redmi, Motorola, Samsung and OnePlus are the mobile giants which will be unveiling their smartphones for Indian users in August 2023. Here are five top smartphones expected to be launched next month. 1. RedMi 12 5G: Chinese mobile company Xiaomi will be launching the Redmi 12 5G smartphone on August 1. The price of this smartphone has already been leaked online. According to tipster Abhishek Yadav, Redmi 12 5G could be available in two storage options of 6GB+128GB ( 9,999) and 8GB+256 GB ( 13,999). The mobile phone is said to have a 6.79-inch FHD+ display and a high refresh rate of 90 Hz. It is expected to have a 1080x2400 pixels resolution. It is said to be powered by the MediaTek Helio G88 12nm processor paired with the Mali-G52 2EEMC2 GPU. Samsung F34 5G smartphone is expected to be launched next month.(Flipkart website) 2. Moto G14: Motorola's latest Moto G14 will be launched on August 1. According to tipster Yogesh Brar, this smartphone is expected to be priced between 10,000-11,000. The smartphone has a 6.5" FHD+Display and is powered by .5000mAH battery with 20W Turbo Power charging. It has stereo Speakers with Dolby Atmos. It has UNISCO T616 Octa-Core Processor with 4GB RAM. 3. Xiaomi Mix Fold 3: The Chinese mobile giant is set to launch its Mix Fold 3 smartphone in August this year. According to website GSMArena, this device will have four Leica-tuned cameras. 4. Samsung Galaxy F34 5G: The smartphone users are eagerly waiting for this device. It is powered by a 6000 mAh battery which lasts up to two days. It has a 50 MP No shake camera. It comes with a 16.42 cms FHD+sAMOLED display. 5. OnePlus: OnePlus is set to unveil two models, i.e OnePlus Open and OnePlus Ace 2 Pro next month. Both the smartphones will be powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON If you like your credit card rewards program, you should know it might go away if the so-called Credit Card Competition Act of 2023 (CCCA) being pushed in Congress were to pass. The bills sponsors failed to gain any traction in 2022, but they have just reintroduced it again this year. This bill will directly hurt local banks, make it harder for folks to access credit, take away credit card points and cash-back rewards, and make credit cards less secure. Senators Tester and Daines, who both serve on the Senate Banking Committee, indicate they oppose the measure, but they need to hear from Montanans who dont want to lose their airline, hotel, or sporting goods credit cards that earn points. The campaign to pass the CCCA is being waged by the countrys largest retailers including box stores, online sellers and grocery chains in order to capture more interchange fees and increase profits. The bill would force card-issuing financial institutions to choose among routing networks set by the Federal Reserve, rather than choose networks that offer the best customer experience and security. Consumers who choose credit card reward programs that offer perks like airline miles or cash back may no longer have these options because card-issuing financial institutions could be forced to end these popular programs. And smaller financial institutions, like your local community bank, may no longer be able to offer credit cards at all because it could be too costly to compete. Making matters worse, passage of the CCCA could expose credit cards to data security risks. A key component of this legislation is that it will allow the government to mandate which networks can be used for routing credit cards. Rather than allow banks to choose networks based on security and soundness, they will be forced to use a network the government chooses. Banks and card companies make it a top priority to ensure the networks they use are the most secure. Using cheaper, alternative networks being pushed by mega-retailers may not have the same priority. The bottom line is that Montana consumers and smaller financial institutions would lose out if the Credit Card Competition Act were to pass. Almost everyone has experienced the pain and hassle of credit card fraud, and most of us have cherished points accrued with our favorite card. We could lose our valued points card and be left with riskier ones in our wallets if this ill-conceived bill were to pass. For now, Montanas congressional delegation seems to understand that Montana consumers would be harmed by a bill that reduces competition in the credit card market, threatens data security, chokes off credit and hurts our small banks. Join us in letting them know how we feel about the so-called Credit Card Competition Act. At least 44 people were killed and more than 150 were injured in a suicide blast at a political party's meeting in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, news agency Reuters reported citing local broadcaster Geo News. In this photo provided by Rescue 1122 Head Quarters, rescue workers carry a wounded man after a bomb explosion in the Bajur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Sunday, July 30.(AP) Visuals showed wounded people being rescued and carried to an ambulance from the scene in the chaotic aftermath of the explosion, which occurred when a suicide bomber sneaked into the venue. Who is behind the attack? While no group claimed the responsibility for the fatal attack, doubts hovered over the local chapter of the Islamic State (IS) group, which has recently carried out attacks against JUI-F. The jihadist group accuses JUI-F of hypocrisy for being an Islamic group while supporting hostile governments and the military. Victims airlifted to Peshawar As per reports, the explosion took place around 4pm at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers' convention in Bajaurs Khar where more than 400 party members were present. According to the police, the injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital. Serious wounded people were being airlifted to the provincial capital, Peshawar, for better medical care, said a government administrator. Law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area. A rescue person told earlier that five ambulances had reached the site. Who is Maulana Fazlur Rehman? Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Maulana Fazlur Rehmans party, has been killed in the blast. Other leaders like Abdur Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin was also on the stage but escaped unhurt. Party officials claimed that party supremo Rehman was not present in the rally. 70-year-old Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the ruling coalition government. Keeping in mind the next general elections in Pakistan scheduled in the coming days, political rallies are being organised to mobilise supporters. Survivors recall tragedy 45-year-old Adam Khan was hit by splinters in his leg and both hands. He told news agency AP that the explosion knocked him to the ground. There was all dust and smoke around and I was under some injured people from where I hardly (could stand) up but only to see chaos and some scattered limbs, he said. Mohammad Wali said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him. I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded throwing me away to the ground," he said. "We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying wounded people and sobbing relatives taking bodies of their loved ones. (With agency inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A drunk man on Delta Air Lines groped a 16-year-old girl and her mother as the flight attendants blatantly ignored pleas for help, court documents allege. In the lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of New York, the complainant alleges that the airline staff continued to serve liquor to the male passenger even though he was visibly drunk, reported Fox News. The airline even allowed the drunk man to exit the plane in Athens without alerting the authorities about the alleged sexual assault. The unidentified man was served at least 10 vodka drinks and a glass of wine on the nine-hour-long flight from New York to Athens.(Reuters / Representational Image) The unidentified man was served at least 10 vodka drinks and a glass of wine on the nine-hour-long flight from New York to Athens. The inebriated individual was seated next to the plaintiffs and allegedly attempted to engage in conversation with the 16-year-old. As the girl ignored him, according to the report, the man became aggressive towards her and started yelling. The complainant has claimed that the man asked for the girls personal information, including her address, and made obscene gestures. When the girl's mother intervened and informed him that her daughter was a minor still in high school, he callously disregarded her plea. He even reached over the girl and pulled on her mother's arm, reported Fox News. The man began shouting loudly at them and when the women reported the man's drunken behaviour to the flight attendants, they were met with indifference and advised to "be patient", according to the report. The man allegedly continued touching the minor again while mumbling incoherently and forcefully kicking the seats in front of them. Despite the repeated pleas from the mother-daughter duo, the head flight attendant only intervened by telling the man to cease communication with them. This angered the man who allegedly started abusing the victims. Seeking comfort, the terrified teenage girl buried her head in her mother's lap, but to their dismay, the man allegedly took advantage of the situation by sliding his fingers under the girl's shirt, attempting to grope her bra strap. The teen, petrified, and in tears, quickly jumped out of her seat and distanced herself from the man, as mentioned in the lawsuit. The man went on to place his hand on the mother's leg and allegedly moved his hand up the inside of her thigh. The woman screamed and also jumped out of her seat. The mother again demanded to change their seats but the flight attendants feigned helplessness saying there was nothing they could do. However, another male passenger volunteered to switch seats with the teen girl and sat between the intoxicated man and her mother for the rest of the flight, reported Fox News. After the landing, the flight attendants offered the woman and her daughter 5,000 free airline miles and an apology. Read the full story here SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Social media platform X reinstated account of Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, on Saturday, after it was suspended nearly eight months ago because the rapper had violated the platform's rules prohibiting incitement to violence. Kanye West (AFP) Ye's account now shows his last post from Dec. 1, a day prior to when his account was suspended on platform X, the new name owner Elon Musk has given Twitter. Ye won't be eligible to monetize his account on X, and advertisements won't appear next to his posts, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing the social media platform. Ye's account was suspended in December, just two months after it was reinstated, after one of his posts had earlier appeared to show a swastika symbol inside a Star of David. X reinstated Ye's account after receiving reassurance that he wouldn't use the platform to share antisemitic or otherwise harmful language, the report said, citing a person familiar with the matter. Ye has not posted anything new since coming back on the platform. The social media platform did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. The billionaire owner of X, who calls himself a free speech absolutist, had welcomed the return of the rapper to the platform in October, after his account was reinstated for the first time. Musk had previously reinstated former U.S. President Donald Trump's account after conducting a poll in which some 14.8 million Twitter users had voted with 51.8% voting in favor of the reinstatement. But Trump had said that he had no interest in returning to Twitter and would stick with his new platform Truth Social. After Ye went on a string of antisemitic rants in interviews and on social media he lost his partnership with Adidas and Gap for Yeezy products. The ever-evolving world of immigration policies has left Indian IT professionals in the United States searching for alternatives to the increasingly difficult H-1B visa. As a result, they are actively seeking alternative options that offer stability, flexibility, and freedom. Among these options, the EB-5 visa has emerged as a promising choice, holding the promise of a prosperous future in America. (FILES) A US government official with the State Department's Passport Services places a new blank US Passport with an embedded electronic chip into the "book printer," entering personal data and the photograph of an applicant on June 14, 2007, in Washington, DC.(AFP) The EB-5 visa advantage: Stability, freedom, and security The EB-5 visa program, formally referred to as the Employment-Based Fifth Preference Immigrant Investor Program, presents a unique opportunity for Indian IT professionals seeking stability. Unlike the H-1B visa, which comes with stringent regulations and limited allocations, the EB-5 visa offers a greater sense of freedom. EB-5 visa holders are not bound to a particular employer or location, giving them the liberty to choose where they live and work within the US. A pathway to US citizenship: The EB-5 visa program offers Indian IT professionals a promising opportunity to achieve US citizenship in the long run. For those seeking stability and growth prospects, this pathway is particularly attractive. By maintaining lawful permanent residency for five years, these professionals become eligible to apply for naturalization, granting them full citizenship rights. This means they gain the freedom to live and work in the US without any time restrictions. The prospect of securing US citizenship is undoubtedly a compelling reason for Indian IT professionals to explore the EB-5 visa program. Broadening choices and opportunities: The EB-5 visa opens doors to various opportunities, allowing Indian IT professionals to switch jobs, start a business, or retire without impacting their immigration status. It also grants access to the US educational system, providing their children with a prosperous future and the opportunity to pay reduced in-state tuition fees at colleges. Avoiding the green card backlog: Indian IT professionals facing a significant green card backlog can find respite in the EB-5 visa program, offering a faster route to obtaining a green card and achieving permanent resident status. Recent USCIS modifications enable priority processing, providing new investors with approvals in as little as 120 days. Securing future generations: The EB-5 visa allows Indian IT professionals to secure a prosperous future for their children, who can access the US educational system and pay reduced tuition fees, a significant advantage compared to international student rates. Bypassing the H-1B visa lottery: The unpredictable H-1B visa lottery system becomes a thing of the past with the EB-5 visa, offering Indian IT professionals a more predictable and reliable route to permanent residency through their investment. With the EB-5 visa offering stability, flexibility, and faster access to permanent residency, Indian IT professionals are finding hope and opportunity in this transformative immigration program. The EB-5 visa is empowering their American Dream, providing a solid foundation for a successful and prosperous future in the United States. Moscow's Vnukovo international airport was briefly closed to traffic early on Sunday, a Russian state news agency reported, after the city mayor said Ukrainian drones hit buildings in the capital. The Russian defence ministry later said three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow. The damage to the IQ-Quarter building from the Ukrainian drone attack. (Source: @sentdefender/Twitter) Two city office tower facades were insignificantly damaged, the citys mayor said in the post on Sunday. Nobody was injured. Moscows Vnukovo airport was closed with flights diverted to other airports, Tass reported. Moscow and its environs, lying about 500 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, had been rarely targeted during the conflict in Ukraine until several drone attacks this year, reported news agency AFP. The Sunday attack is the latest in a series of recent drone strikes, including on the Kremlin and Russian towns near the border with Ukraine, that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv. While one of the drones was shot down on the city's outskirts, two others were "suppressed by electronic warfare" and smashed into an office complex. No one was injured. The defence ministry called it an "attempted terrorist attack". "On the morning of July 30, the Kyiv regime's attempted terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the city of Moscow was thwarted," it said on Telegram. "One Ukrainian UAV was destroyed in the air by air defence systems over the territory of the Odintsovo district of Moscow region. "Two more drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of Moscow-City's non-residential building complex." Moscow city is a commercial development to the city's west. City mayor Sergei Sobyanin posted on Telegram that the "facades of two city office towers were slightly damaged". He added that there were "no victims or injured". Moscow airport briefly closed The TASS state news agency reported that the capital's Vnukovo airport was "closed for departures and arrivals, flights are redirected to other airports". Within less than an hour, operations appeared to have returned to normal. Earlier this month, a volley of drone attacks briefly disrupted air traffic at the same airport, to the city's southwest. The attacks on Moscow come several weeks into a Ukrainian counter-offensive to claw back territory captured by Russia since large-scale hostilities erupted in February 2022. Russia's foreign ministry has said such attacks "would not be possible without the help provided to the Kyiv regime by the US and its NATO allies". Russia had intercepted two missiles On Friday Russia said it had intercepted two missiles over its southern Rostov region bordering Ukraine, with at least 16 people wounded by debris falling on the city of Taganrog. Shortly after, it said it downed a second S-200 missile near the city of Azov, with debris falling in an unpopulated area. On the other side of the border, a Russian strike killed two people in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, authorities there said. And at least one civilian was killed in a missile attack on the northeastern city of Sumy, according to Ukrainian national police, who added that there were five injured. According to public broadcaster Suspilne, the building was destroyed in an explosion at about 8:00 pm (1700 GMT). In early July, a Russian drone attack hit an apartment building in the same city, killing three and wounding 21. Earlier this month, a volley of drone attacks briefly disrupted air traffic at the same airport, to the city's southwest. Russia said it had downed five Ukrainian drones that night. The attacks on Moscow come several weeks into a Ukrainian counter-offensive to claw back territory captured by Russia since large-scale hostilities erupted in February 2022. Russia's foreign ministry has said such attacks "would not be possible without the help provided to the Kyiv regime by the US and its NATO allies". On Friday Russia said it had intercepted two Ukrainian missiles over its southern Rostov region bordering Ukraine, with at least 16 people wounded by debris falling on the city of Taganrog. Regions bordering Ukraine have seen regular drone strikes and shelling since Moscow launched its military campaign in February last year, but have hardly ever been targeted by missiles. The ministry said the first S-200 missile was aimed at "residential infrastructure" of Taganrog, a city of around 250,000 people. Shortly after, it said it downed a second S-200 missile near the city of Azov, with debris falling in an unpopulated area. On the other side of the border, at least one civilian was killed in a Russian missile attack on the northeast Ukrainian city of Sumy, according to national police, who added that there were five injured. "On the evening of July 29, an enemy missile hit an educational institution. Law enforcement officers are working at the scene, recording the effects," the force posted on Telegram, putting the initial toll at "at least one civilian dead and five injured". According to public broadcaster Suspilne, the building was destroyed in an explosion at about 8:00 pm (1700 GMT). In early July, a Russian drone attack hit an apartment building in the same city, killing three and wounding 21. A Russian strike killed two people in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, authorities there said. (With inputs from AFP) 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 In a recent incident, a woman and her 16-year-old daughter have filed a lawsuit against Delta Air Lines, alleging negligence that allowed a male passenger to consume an excessive amount of alcohol during a flight. The lawsuit claims that the airline's flight attendants did nothing to prevent the man's behavior, which led to him sexually assaulting both women while onboard. FILE PHOTO: Delta Airlines planes and a British Airways plane (2nd L) are pictured at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Washington, U.S. March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Jason Redmond/File Photo(REUTERS) According to court documents filed in New York's Eastern District, the plaintiffs boarded a flight from JFK Airport to Athens, Greece, in late July 2022. They were seated next to an unnamed male passenger who was already intoxicated when he boarded the flight. Despite his obvious state of intoxication, the flight attendants continued to serve him drinks, reportedly at least 10 vodkas on ice. As the nearly 9-hour flight progressed, the man's behavior became increasingly disturbing. He attempted to engage the young woman seated beside him in conversation, making both her and her mother feel unsafe with his yelling, obscene gestures, and inappropriate touching. Distressed by the situation, the woman sought help from the flight attendants, but her pleas were allegedly ignored. According to the lawsuit, "The Delta flight attendant did nothing to help and just said 'be patient' before walking away." As the man's drunkenness escalated, he had to rush to the restroom to vomit. Meanwhile, the desperate mother tried to have their seats changed but was unsuccessful. When she called another flight attendant for help, her concerns were once again brushed aside as the crew member admitted to serving the already intoxicated man more wine. In the midst of this ordeal, the teenage girl suffered a panic attack, leaving her even more vulnerable to the male passenger's predatory advances. The lawsuit alleges that he reached under her shirt during the panic attack, compounding the trauma the family had to endure during the flight. Upon landing, the victims were offered 5,000 "Sky Miles" as an apology, but the employees failed to notify the authorities about the man's shocking behavior. The plaintiffs are now seeking $2 million in damages, holding Delta Air Lines accountable for their alleged negligence. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are likely to not attend the Balmoral event despite invitation from King Charles III. Several members of the royal family including Prince William, Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla are expected to be present during the traditional family trip. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry(File) According to a report, the ongoing rift between Harry-Meghan and the royal family, is the reason behind the Sussexes likely absence. "It's been a very visibly challenging year when it comes to the Sussexes," a source said as quoted by mirror.co.uk "You can read the room on that as to where things are [between them]. It's sad, but it is what is. This is a family as well as an institution," a family friend told Daily Mail. ALSO READ| We will not: Elon Musk assures X won't move headquarter out of San Francisco despite offers Notably, Harry and Meghan's ties with the British Royal Family continues to be strained. In May, the coronation ceremony of King Charles was only attended by Prince Harry who hurried back to America without taking part in the family dinner. During the ceremony, cold vibes between Harry and other family members was quite evident as the Duke of Sussex was not seen interacting with King Charles or own brother, Prince William. Reportedly, Meghan didn't attend the ceremony citing Archie's birthday which was on the same day. Meanwhile, the royal couple currently live in Montecito, California in the United States with their two children- son Archie and daughter Lilibet. Reports suggest that Meghan is trying to revive and relaunch her Hollywood career after the termination of million dollar podcast deal by Spotify. In order to be closer to Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, the couple are planning to shift to Malibu. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's departure from the royal family has captured the world's attention, but according to royal biographer Angela Levin, there's more to their exit story than meets the eye. Levin, who penned a book about Prince Harry titled "Harry: A Biography of a Prince," recently spoke out about the couple's lives since stepping down from their royal roles. FILE - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022.(AP) "Meghan is someone who always thinks she knows better" Levin believes that Meghan's strong-willed nature and her belief in her own ideas clashed with the traditions and protocols of the royal family. "She is someone who always thinks she knows better," Levin explained. Meghan's struggle to assimilate into the royal family was compounded by her reluctance to accept any responsibility for any missteps, always passing the blame onto others. While Levin got to know Prince Harry closely during her time with him, she didn't hold back her disapproval of the Netflix series "Harry & Meghan." The series, which was not nominated for a 2023 Emmy Award, showcased the couple's grievances and complaints, which Levin found repulsive. I think there is something quite repulsive about tearing a family apart. Even worse if its the royal family. Its a horrible thought to think one would dance, clap and drink champagne about that, she said. Meghan now seeks to prove herself as strong and independent Levin also shared her perspective on Meghan's individuality within the relationship. Despite once describing themselves as "salt and pepper," Levin believes that Meghan now seeks to prove herself as strong and independent, even though she once presented as a united front with Prince Harry. Harry wouldn't do anything without her telling him what to do The biographer raised questions about Meghan's involvement in Prince Harry's autobiography, "Spare." Levin claimed that Prince Harry wouldn't make any professional decisions without consulting Meghan first. "Harry wouldn't do anything without her telling him what to do. I'm told that's the sort of state he's in right now," she asserted. Despite their royal exit, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continue their work with Netflix on various projects under their lucrative $100 million contract. The couple resides in Montecito, California, with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Eight people died and another 10 were hospitalised in Russia when trees crashed into a campsite during a severe storm described as a "hurricane", authorities said on Sunday. Several hundred people camped on the shores of Lake Yalchik when the storm struck, the emergencies ministry said. (Twitter) "According to the latest information, eight people died in Mari El due to the hurricane that took place the day before," said Yevgeny Maslov, mayor of the city of Yoshkar-Ola. Mari El is a Russian region located along the northern bank of the Volga River, and Yoshkar-Ola is its largest city. The emergencies ministry said that nearly 100 rescuers were clearing debris at a campsite near Lake Yalchik, adding that overall 27 people had received injuries. "Vacationers did not take into account the weather forecast," the ministry said on messaging app Telegram. Several hundred people camped on the shores of Lake Yalchik when the storm struck, the emergencies ministry added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia's war on the country, an official said. Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman(VIA REUTERS) The kingdom and Kyiv did not immediately acknowledge the planned talks. The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, as well as Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, the official said. A high-level official from US President Joe Biden's administration also is expected to attend, the official said. Planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv and Russia is expected not to attend, the official said. Details regarding the summit, however, remain in flux and the official did not offer dates for the talks. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the summit, said the talks would take place August 5 and 6 with some 30 countries attending, citing diplomats involved in the discussion. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press, nor did Ukraine's Embassy in Riyadh. News of the summit comes after US national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited the kingdom on Thursday. The official who spoke to the AP said the summit would be the next step after talks that took place in Copenhagen in June. Saudi Arabia's hosting of the talks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May attended an Arab League summit in Jeddah to press those nations to back Kyiv. Arab nations largely have remained neutral since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022, in part over their military and economic ties to Moscow. Saudi Arabia also has maintained a close relationship with Russia as part of the OPEC group. The organization's oil production cuts, even as Moscow's war on Ukraine boosted energy prices, have angered Biden and American lawmakers. But hosting such talks also help raise the profile of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has sought to reach a detente with Iran and push for a peace in the kingdom's yearslong war in Yemen. However, ties also remain strained between Riyadh and the West over the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, which US intelligence agencies assess that Prince Mohammed ordered. Late July. Outdoors, Montanas breathless beauty makes you shiver. Indoors, the ugliness oozing from the airwaves does too. But its late July. Everywhere I look, I see Rodger. Rodger McConnell was one of the 2.7 million Americans who fought in Vietnam. In 1966, with the snap of Uncle Sams fingers, he went from that friendly neighbor with the flashy GTO to a terrified, lonely agent of destruction. Combat is such an affront to your morality and spirit, Rodger later recalled. Nothing can prepare you for it. It launches you out where youve never been before. He retreated to that quiet place in his mind and did what he needed to do to survive. A year later, he looked down from an airplane on the city lights below and thought, Its over. Im home. He was wrong on both counts. Hed left combat behind, but the things hed seen and done wouldnt go away. Angry, alienated, and increasingly alcohol-addled, he spent the next 15 years homeless and hopeless. He was that guy rolled up in a blanket on the park bench, that unkempt wanderer downtown, blinking away the brightness of the noonday sun. One day another veteran approached him outside some bar and said, I know where youve been, and I know where youre going. Dont go there. Somehow Rodger heard him. He got helpa college educationa teaching job. Then when he retired in 2003, he really got to work, pursuing his biggest passion: helping other veterans. Rodger McConnell was a leading force in creating Great Falls veterans memorial. He was the voice for veterans on public radio, interviewing vets and those who helped them in order to raise awareness about veterans struggles. He connected veterans with medical screening, counseling, clothing, shelter, and referrals for other services. He convinced a newly elected judge to establish a veterans court in Great Falls where unresolved combat-related issues were addressed through a structured counseling and accountability program mentored by other vets. Rodgers happiest moments were standing beside graduates of that program in a jam-packed courtroom as they received the accolades of their mentors and the applause of family and friends. Those moments ended in 2016. He died on July 21, the anniversary of the ambush in Vietnam that had tormented him for 49 years. Rodger had a childlike capacity for finding joy in the moment: watching co-eds at Starbucksplaying poker with friendswhooping it up at a Mini-Cooper rally. Still, there was this ineffable sadness about him, an almost ethereal quality, as if war and its aftermath had ravaged him so, all that could survive was this benevolent spirit, its sweetness too good to be true, its good works too evident not to be. Rodger learned humility in a way none of us would envy. He never sought acclaim. But the mayor who worked with him on the veterans memorial called Rodgers friendship the most affirming hed ever known. And the judge he convinced to start a veterans court hurried to Rodgers bedside to tell him he loved him before he died. Rodger lost the boy he was in Vietnam and almost lost the man he would become in its aftermath. Then a caring stranger made a passing remark that turned him around, and Rodger spent the rest of his life helping other soldiers really, truly come back home. In this incongruous time, when we call ourselves Christians but love only replicas of ourselves, when self-proclaimed patriots honor veterans one day a year, but criminalize their suffering the other 364, I miss a friendly ghost. Indian American Hirsh Vardhan Singh has thrown his hat into the ring to join the crowded Republican field for the office of the US President. Singh became the third Indian American to join the race for the Republican nomination after former governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Hirsh Vardhan Singh. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Singh posted a video and said he is a lifelong Republican and America First conservative who worked to restore a conservative wing of the New Jersey Republican Party. He slammed the "corruption" of Big Tech and pharmaceutical firms, saying they had "relentlessly attacked our freedoms." There's an all-out attack on American family values, parental rights and the marketplace of ideas and open debates. We need strong leadership to reverse the changes that have occurred in the past few years and restore American values. That is why I have decided to seek the Republican Partys nomination for the 2024 election for the office of president of the United States, he said. Singh, an engineer who, according to The Hill, has unsuccessfully run for multiple offices in New Jersey in recent years, pitched his candidacy as a pure blood Republican and projected himself as a staunch supporter of former president Donald Trump. While President Trump was undoubtedly the greatest president of my lifetime, and had my support as a MAGA Republican since Day 1, America needs more, Hirsh Vardhan Singh said. My record as a strong-willed Republican goes back to my university days when I joined the Young Americans for Liberty. In the recent past, I opposed the policies that seek to entangle us in another world war, led the fight against economic lockdowns and led huge protest rallies against compulsory vaccinations, he added. Today I am the only pure-blood candidate for president because I never gave in to the Covid vaccinations. Even New Jersey Senate president labelled me as Trump on steroids. It's time to move past outdated politicians of a bygone era. On Thursday, he formally submitted his candidature to the Federal Election Commission. Singh entered the Republican primaries for New Jersey governor in 2017 and 2021, a House seat in 2018, and the Senate in 2020, but he was unable to secure the party's nod, The Hill reported SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A doctor who claimed to have been trained in specialist massage in India for two years has been handed an 18-month prison sentence by a UK court after being found guilty of the sexual assault of a female patient. He was convicted of sexual assault at Chichester Crown Court after a four-day trial in May and sentenced last week to 18 months in prison .(Representational/ File) Simon Abraham, 34, worked at Eastbourne District General Hospital in south-east England when he contacted the woman in October 2020 after she had been treated there for severe headaches. He was convicted of sexual assault at Chichester Crown Court after a four-day trial in May and sentenced last week to 18 months in prison nine of which will be custodial behind bars and the remaining under licence parole conditions. He claimed that he had had a call from a colleague who was concerned about her condition and that he had been trained in specialist massage in India for two years, the Sussex Police said in a statement. The woman agreed to his visit, but during the massage he sexually assaulted her. He left when a visitor came to the house, but continued to phone her. She contacted the hospital who advised her that they would investigate, but she should also contact police, the statement noted. Abraham will also be placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and is subject to a five-year restraining order to protect the victim from contact by him. "Abraham took advantage of the victim's pain, fraudulently accessing her patient details even though he wasn't officially treating her, and then visiting her when he finished work, claiming that he could massage her headache away, said Sussex Police Detective Constable Jo Gledhill. "When he was arrested, he denied that it happened at all, but then asked for a further interview where he admitted going to her house, but did not sexually touch her. We will always take reports of this nature very seriously and specially trained officers will deal with your call. If you have been sexually assaulted, please contact us and we will investigate," she said. Ukraine is to start consultations with the United States this week on providing security guarantees for Kyiv pending the completion of the process of joining NATO, a senior Ukrainian official said on Sunday. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden. (File) The talks, announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, are a follow-up on pledges issued by the G7 group of advanced countries after this month's NATO summit in Lithuania to draw up and honour security guarantees. "We are starting talks with the United States (this) week," Andriy Yermak wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Security guarantees for Ukraine will be concrete, long-term obligations ensuring Ukraine's capacity to defeat and restrain Russian aggression in the future. These will be clearly drafted formats and mechanisms of support." Yermak said the guarantees "will be in effect until Ukraine secures NATO membership." The Western Alliance's Vilnius summit offered support to Ukraine in countering Russia's 17-month-old invasion and individual countries pledged new weapons, but no date for Ukrainian membership was set as long as the war continues. Members of the G7 agreed for each nation to negotiate agreements to provide security guarantees and help Ukraine bolster its military. In his comments, Yermak said more than 10 other countries had joined the G7 declaration and Ukraine was negotiating terms of future guarantees with each of them. In the lead-up to the 2024 US presidential election, Donald Trump appears to be a prominent candidate to challenge President Joe Biden. Concurrently, certain Indian-American leaders are reportedly seeking to make their mark and contribute to the vision of "making America great again." The three Indian-Americans who are looking forward to upstaging Trump in the race for the US Presidential polls 2024 include Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and Hirsh Vardhan Singh. These Republican leaders are looking forward to the meeting at Milwaukee in Wisconsin from July 15-18, 2024. It is at this meeting that the party is expected to select its next Presidential nominee. Former US president and 2024 Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump (AFP) Here's more about them: Nikki Haley The former governor of South Carolina and the first ambassador to the United Nations under Trump's administration Nikki Haley is the only woman running in the US Presidential race from the Republican side. The 51-year-old daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley announced her decision to run for the US Presidential race in February. She has cast herself as someone who never lost an election. "I'm Nikki Haley and I'm running for president It's time for a new generation of leadership -- to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border, and strengthen our country, our pride and our purpose," she said. Despite her relatively low standing in most polls, Nikki has been consistently attracting substantial donations. The super PAC backing Haley, known as Stand For America Fund Inc., accumulated $18.7 million in contributions from April through June, resulting in a total of $26 million raised overall. Haley also received backing from affluent GOP donors, including billionaires Kenneth Langone, Alice Walton, and Kenneth Fisher, each contributing $6,600 to her campaign. Vivek Ramaswamy Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur who initially entered the US Republican presidential nomination contest as an outsider in February, has rapidly climbed to the third position in the rankings. He now follows only former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the race. During a surprising moment on Fox News Thursday morning, entrepreneur and former college rapper Vivek Ramaswamy displayed his freestyle skills, introducing a unique and unexpected element to the 2024 presidential race. Ramaswamy on Sunday, also posted a clip from his interview with CNN where he was asked questions on his role as the US President if gets the opportunity to serve in the position. He captioned the post, As President I will instruct the Justice Department *not* to seek convictions for process crimes - obstruction, false statements to investigators, etc. - unless the underlying crime is proven first. Americans should not go to prison for crimes catalyzed by the federal police. Thats how they got Flynn, and now theyre trying the same playbook against Trump: pick the person first, find the crime later. Ramaswamy's parents moved to the United States from Kerala and were employed at a General Electric plant in Ohio. Hirsh Vardhan Singh Hirsh Vardhan Singh, an Indian American, has announced his candidacy to enter the competitive Republican field for the US presidency. In a video posted on Twitter on July 28, Singh said, Today I am here to announce my intention to seek the Republican nomination for President of the United States Singh also slammed the "corruption" of Big Tech and pharmaceutical firms in the US. There's an all-out attack on American family values, parental rights and the marketplace of ideas and open debates. We need strong leadership to reverse the changes that have occurred in the past few years and restore American values. That is why I have decided to seek the Republican Partys nomination for the 2024 election for the office of president of the United States, he said. According to The Hill, Hirsh Vardhan Singh, an engineer with a track record of unsuccessful bids for various offices in New Jersey, is positioning himself as a "pure blood" Republican and a staunch advocate of former President Donald Trump as he enters the race for the US presidency. (With inputs from agencies) 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 Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will not attend the BRICS nations summit in South Africa next month, said on Saturday that he did not that the visit would be more important than him staying in Russia. He added that while he will take part in the summit via video link, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will travel to South Africa. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a press conference following the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 29, 2023. (via REUTERS) On July 19, the South African authorities had informed of Putin not attending the Summit in August. "By mutual agreement, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the summit" Vincent Magwenya, a spokesman for President Cyril Ramaphosa, said in a statement. Putin likely to be arrested? According to reports, while Putin was formally invited to the BRICS summit due to take place in Johannesburg between August 22 and 24, Pretoria has been under heavy domestic and international pressure not to host him. This comes amid a controversy over an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) - which is accusing him of being responsible for the war crimes committed in Ukraine and on suspicion of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of people from the territory of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. As Putin leaves Russian soil, he could be arrested as he will be subject to the arrest warrant. Reportedly, South Africa's biggest opposition party, Democratic Alliance, has gone to court to try to force the authorities to arrest Putin. However, the country earlier has refused to arrest him. (With inputs from agencies) Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, the Polish prime minister said Saturday. Belarusian soldier of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) and a mercenary fighter from Wagner private military company attend the weeklong maneuvers(AP) Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland. Poland is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it has worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border. Those fears have grown since Wagner group mercenaries arrived in Belarus since the groups short-lived rebellion earlier this summer. The Poland-Belarus border has already been a tense place for a couple of years, ever since large numbers of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa began arriving, seeking to enter the EU by crossing into Poland, as well as Lithuania. Poland's government accuses Russia and Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize Poland and other EU countries. It calls the migration a form of hybrid warfare, and has responded by building a high wall along part of its border with Belarus. Now the situation becomes even more dangerous," Morawiecki told reporters. He added that this is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory. Morawiecki spoke during a visit to an arms factory in Gliwice, in southern Poland, where Leopard tanks used by the Ukrainian army are being repaired. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Elon Musk took to Twitter on Saturday and informed fans that he has been receiving offers to move the headquarters of his rechristened company "X" from San Francisco to elsewhere. Musk assured that the HQ will remain in San Francisco and he hailed the city as beautiful. Elon Musk (REUTERS) "Many have offered rich incentives for X (fka Twitter) to move its HQ out of San Francisco. Moreover, the city is in a doom spiral with one company after another left or leaving. Therefore, they expect X will move too. We will not," posted Musk. "You only know who your real friends are when the chips are down. San Francisco, beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friend," he added. Ever since buying Twitter, Musk has been implementing several innovative changes. ALSO READ| Argentina's Crypto millionaire Fernando Algaba received threats before being found dismembered in suitcase: Report Recently, Mark Zuckerberg launched Threads which is being seen as a rival to Twitter. In a bid to tackle the changing landscape, Musk has rebranded Twitter into a super app "X", bidding adieu to the bird logo. The new logo "X" is white in colour with a black background. And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds, Musk had announced on Twitter before the rebranding happened. Musk is actively advertising the new avatar of Twitter. Currently, his profile picture on Twitter, is the logo "X". Highlighting the expected transformation from Twitter to "X", CEO Linda Yaccarino had written on the social media platform: X is the future state of unlimited interactivity centred in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities. Powered by AI, X will connect us all in ways were just beginning to imagine. Weve already started to see X take shape over the past 8 months through our rapid feature launches, but were just getting started, she added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Sunday that "war" was coming to Russia after three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.(AFP) "Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia -- to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process," Zelensky said on a visit to the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk. "Ukraine is getting stronger," he added, warning however that the country should prepare for new attack on energy infrastructure in winter. "But we must be aware that, just as last year, Russian terrorists can still attack our energy sector and critical facilities this winter," Zelensky said, adding that preparations for "all possible scenarios" were discussed in Ivano-Frankivsk. Zelensky spoke after three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow early on Sunday, the Russian defence ministry said. The attack damaged two office towers and briefly shut an international airport. Separately, Moscow said on Sunday its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to attack Russia-annexed Crimea with 25 drones overnight. The attacks reported Sunday were the latest in a series of recent drone assaults -- including on the Kremlin and Russian towns near the border with Ukraine -- that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv. For decades after the original Haunted Mansion opened in Anaheim, California's Disneyland in 1969, rumors swirled around the legendary Hatbox Ghost that originally appeared on the ride, but then quickly was removed. Apparently the effect, a ghost whose head disappeared and then reappeared within the hatbox he was holding, didn't work in the ride's lighting. adventurelandia: Yale Gracey working on the original Hatbox Ghost in the Haunted Mansion. https://t.co/euFBbFcr2z pic.twitter.com/gMV9KI77hn Tom Simpson (@gameraboy1) September 29, 2017 So when Disneyland added a new Hatbox Ghost to its Haunted Mansion attic scene in 2015, there was great rejoicing among Haunted Mansion fans. And it was done in great taste, with a perfectly designed figure and perfectly executed effect. 10 years had gone by since our last visit to Disneyland, and in that time I learned so much about the Haunted Mansion and I fell in love with the ride. I even knew about the Hatbox Ghost and got super excited when they announced his return! (continued) pic.twitter.com/3ydFNZ5uA2 S.R. Hunt (@JudgeChaos) September 1, 2018 Naturally, the next question among Haunted Mansion fans was whether a Hatbox Ghost would then be added to the virtually identical Haunted Mansion ride in the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida's Walt Disney World. Last year, it was announced to almost universal celebration that a Hatbox Ghost would be coming to Orlando in 2023. But last week, it was announced that he would appear not in the attic scene, but rather in the endless hallway scene. Link to the article on Disney Tourist Blog here. Walt Disney World announced: Later this year at the Walt Disney World Resort, one of our most iconic specters will set up residence in the Haunted Mansion of Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom Park. The Hatbox Ghost will appear to guests as they pass the Endless Hallway, welcoming himself inside from the swinging wake in the cemetery and grinning at the Doom Buggies as they set off deeper into the mansion. Guests will soon see temporary barriers materialize as we await his apparition. His placement by the Endless Hallway instead of in the attic scene caused great consternation among Haunted Mansion enthusiasts. Walt Disney World has indicated that Hatbox Ghost will appear as guests pass the Endless Hallway. This is much earlier in the ride, where guests see a candelabra floating in a never-ending hallway (hence the name). Outside the Endless Hallway, there's an armor suit on one side and a chair on the other; our guess is that one of those is being replacedprobably the chairby Hatbox Ghost. This means Hatbox Ghost will appear before Madame Leota's Seance Circle, and the narration indicating that the "happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They're assembling for a swinging wake" The placement of Hatbox Ghost in Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom is thus bound to upset some fans. He'll be the first ghost to appear in the attraction, and come before Madame Leota has summoned them. Prior to this point in the attraction, there's the casketbut that's technically a corpse and not a ghost. Foxx Nolte, a prominent Disney theme parks scholar, and author of Boundless Realm: Deep Explorations Inside Disney's Haunted Mansion, took to her Twitter/X/Whatever @Passport2Dreams account to implore Walt Disney World to reconsider. .@WaltDisneyWorld I'm sad to see you folks choosing a location for Hatbox Ghost which contradicts the story of the ride. I wish you would reconsider. I've written an entire book on this attraction and its sad to see it being so badly disrespected. Passport to Dreams (@Passport2Dreams) July 28, 2023 And fans mocked Disney World's decision, proposing other incongruous placements for Hatbox Ghost. Other great places to put the Hatbox Ghost #2: The Hall of Presidents pic.twitter.com/PXnAwJ7reP How Bowers (@GoAwayGreen) July 29, 2023 Here is a ridethrough video of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. Hatbox Ghost appears at 8:14. Hilton San Diego Bayfront announced the appointment of Shaun Robinson to general manager of the 1,190-room bayfront hotel featuring more than 165,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and located just steps away from the San Diego Convention Center. In his new role, he will ensure that Hilton San Diego Bayfront maintains its excellent reputation in providing purposeful and passionate customer service while continuing to enhance the guest experience for leisure, business and group travelers. Robinson joins Hilton San Diego Bayfront from Hilton Anaheim where he oversaw more than 1,000 team members as general manager, a position he held since 2011. With over 40 years of extensive experience in the hospitality industry, he brings a wealth of knowledge and management expertise to the property. Throughout his tenure with Hilton, Robinson has held a number of leadership roles including general manager at several Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties including, Hilton Anaheim, Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa, Doubletree by Hilton San Diego/Del Mar and Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas. He's also held a variety of other executive leadership roles from resident manager to director of catering in hotels across San Diego, Irvine, Minneapolis and Beverly Hills. While at Hilton Anaheim, he oversaw a $100M renovation project, transforming the 1,574-room hotel into a state-of-the-art destination. Originally from Liverpool, Shaun began his career in the industry with an apprenticeship at the Edgcumbe Hotel in Cornwall, England while attending Camborne Hotel School. A travel tech debate recently went mainstream on USA Today: if AI and self-service are taking over travel, will everything become a D-I-Y experience? The impact of automation and self-service were hot topics in hospitality circles long before ChatGPT was a thing, but when it gets mainstream coverage, its evidently on travelers minds. The guest experience is a hotels lifeblood and therefore no hotel wants to misapply automation at the expense of crucial human interaction. People are wondering, What would my trip, my hotel, be like if theres no human there to help me? Will everything become a DIY experience? This is where Disney really can show us how to make dreams come true, as theyve been successfully doing this for a while. The happiest IoT on earth The Walt Disney Corporations knack for reaping profit and guest loyalty with automated solutions borders on legendary. If youve ever put on that MagicBand, then youve witnessed how a bare-bones Internet of Things (IoT) device with a near-zero user interface can streamline operations, rake in profits, and anchor the magic experience that accounts for Disneys 70% return-visitor rate. Staff that wait for you in the lobby, iPads in hand, pull-off a highly-human, mobile check-in. Alternatively, Disney guests can opt for a fully automated, cast member-free check-in experience if they choose. Pair that with the MagicBands ability to unlock doors and youre back outside and off to your adventure in no time. Disney stands as a powerful counterargument to those who assume its an either/or choice between tech and the human touch. In fact, the rising generation of travelers increasingly expect both. Anybody can ICARE Disney has an acronym for their guest experience philosophy: ICARE. It stands for Impression, Connection, Attitude, Responsiveness, Exceptionals. But theres a technology underpinning to ICARE that people often miss. Disney uses automation to enhance human caring, not replace it, and their guest loyalty speaks for itself. I want the hotel world to know that personalized, automation solutions are out there. Theyre inexpensive, you dont have to be tech-savvy to use them, they cut operating costs and improve guest experience (GX) Disney style. Impressions, Connection, Attitude, Responsiveness, and Exceptionals get optimized, and, in a world where more than 90% of guests will discover you online, tech always makes the first impression. Impression: you only get one shot You wont get a second chance to make a first impression, and Disney knows this. Disney cultivates a fun, easy, and comfortable guest-experience bubble on their properties and online. You see the bubble effect in the look and functionality of Disney websites and booking engines. Its a different world, and its easy. Any hotel can copy Disneys first-impression technique. Desolation Hotel, for example, is a high-end niche resort close to Lake Tahoe that has done this well. The resorts website is like stepping into an adventure. Its particularly cheap and simple to do if your property management system has a built-in website feature. Disney and other smart lodging businesses use their online presence to send a three-part message: First, look at our local attractions. Second, enjoy our comfort bubble. Third, book easily. Basically a this is why you want to come here call to action. Connection with an attitude Hotels who invest in building a personal connection with their guests will see the payoff in return visits, upsells, loyalty and positive reviews. Disney turns that into an art, for example bonding with kids through their iconic costumed cast members. Small hotels can tap into that formula, no costume necessary. Or, in the words of my Cloudbeds onboarding lead colleague Gabriel Fernandes Catanese: every concierge is a cast member. Here again, hotels can borrow from the Disney playbook without buying Disney-level tech. A web-based PMS can put features and integrations like self-check-in, simple pre-arrival questionnaires, centralized guest messaging and customer relations management on your dashboard. Then hotels know what an individuals needs and expectations are beforehand. Combine that with self-check-in, and staff finally get a chance to look up from the computer and make a human connection. Responsiveness and exceptionals (give a little whistle) Dont get me wrong: my family and I love interacting with Disney guest services staff. The problem can sometimes be getting in touch with one. Disney guest services have scale issues like most hotels do, and too many Disney properties dont have SMS guest comms capability. And tools like automated guest chatbots dont have to replace human connection. Rather, they make humans better at their job by giving them extra sets of automated ears so they can listen and respond attentively, accurately, and in a personalized way. Thats what Disney calls exceptionals: when staff members demonstrate empathy; when they recognize that understanding and empathizing with guests feelings is crucial to providing exceptional service. Hotels are people-centric in origin. Automation and AI give staff more bandwidth to demonstrate how exceptional they truly are. Its a small world, after all So will hospitality become a D-I-Y experience? Not for the winners. The winners will disney-fy. Theyll leverage inexpensive self-service and automation tools, cut costs, add convenience, and reap loyalty by using the extra staff time to show how much they ICARE. Smart hotels know their product is ultimately your own personal experience. They wont make that experience a check-in counter, an answering machine, or (worse yet) a double booking. Take it from a globally-distributed hospitality tech company: computers + hotels = humans from all parts of the world getting closer together. Because yeah, lets say it, Its a small world, after all ABOUT CLOUDBEDS Cloudbeds is the platform that powers hospitality, enabling tens of thousands of lodging businesses in more than 150 countries worldwide to grow and thrive. The award-winning Cloudbeds Platform brings together technology solutions to increase revenue, delight guests, and streamline operations into a single unified system, enhanced by a curated marketplace of third-party integrations. Founded in 2012, Cloudbeds was named No. 1 PMS, No. 1 Hotel Management System, and No. 1 Guest Messaging Software by Hotel Tech Report in 2023 and was recognized as a major player in the 2022 IDC Marketscape Report. For more information, visit www.cloudbeds.com. Recent Rainfall Lifts Massachusetts Out of Drought BOSTON Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper declared drought conditions return to normal following above-normal rainfall for the month of June. All seven regions are at a Level 0-Normal Conditions, including the Western and Cape Cod Regions, which were previously declared at a Level-1 Mild Drought. The declarations are the result of a recommendation issued from a recent meeting of the Drought Management Task Force, comprised of state and federal officials and other entities. "After a week of devastating floods in Western Massachusetts, it should not come as a surprise that the drought has lifted," said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "In recent months, we've seen droughts, flooding, and wildfire smoke across our region. The climate crisis is very much here. The Healey-Driscoll Administration is focused on addressing these impacts on all fronts from disaster response to water conservation efforts, to a swift transition to clean energy. We continue to monitor water levels closely as weather becomes more extreme." The month of June and the beginning of July have brought above-normal rainfall and near to below-normal temperatures across the state. State officials expect above-average precipitation and near to slightly above-average temperatures for the rest of July. Normal Conditions, as outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, recommends that overall water efficiency practices and preparedness actions such as water conservation and emergency planning efforts continue at the local level and that state and local agencies work to review, assess, and improve responses and actions implemented during the drought. With the declaration of Normal Conditions, the Drought Management Task Force will not meet again until a region in the state is experiencing drought conditions. However, state agencies will continue to monitor and assess conditions across Massachusetts. For further information on water conservation and what residents and communities can do, please visit EEA's Drought page and water conservation page. Georges Adeagbo's evolving exhibit 'Create To Free Yourselves: Abraham Lincoln and the History of Freeing Slaves in America' features his found object work amongst the pieces by Daniel Chester French. The exhibit runs through September. Adeagbo hopes to have a one-day exhibit at the feet of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. PreviousNext West African Artist Brings New Perspective to Lincoln at Chesterwood Artist Georges Adeagbo's installation will become part of the permanent collection of the National Museum of African Art in September. STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. Chesterwood is having a singular artist's exhibition on display alongside Daniel Chester French's work for the first time in the museum's history. West African artist Georges Adeagbo's evolving exhibit "Create To Free Yourselves: Abraham Lincoln and the History of Freeing Slaves in America" opened Saturday and runs through Sept. 4. The exhibit encourages people to see how they are limiting themselves because of external influences but it also about not letting these influences prevent them from doing something important, said Adeagbo. "No one can make your life work. You are the only one who can make your life work," the artist said through his translator Stephan Kohler. "When you don't feel free, that's terrible, but also at the same time, look, of course, at the circumstances around you but also their circumstances within you." Aside from the annual summer contemporary sculpture display on the nearly 200-acre property, the museum has not had visiting artists come in to exhibit their work, senior site manager Margaret Cherin said. In fact, the museum didn't have a gallery space for visiting artists. The multipurpose Morris Center, the estate's former garage, was renovated last year as an artist studio and gallery space. The renovations, including work at French's home, are part of the museum's efforts to establish an artist in residence program. The Adeagbo works inspired and influenced by Abraham Lincoln have been arranged alongside and in communication with pieces by French, who is best known for the massive sculpture of the 16th president at the Lincoln Memorial. Cherin said she knows French's work very well but seeing this exhibit has made her look at it in a whole new way and allowed her to make connections that she has never seen before. "To have someone from Africa respond in this way ... it's just been illuminating," Cherin said. "I still have a lot to take in because I've been working so hard with these guys that I haven't had a chance to really spend time with every panel and read every panel but I know once I do, the meanings will deepen for me." The Lincoln Memorial is a cultural touchstone, Cherin said. More than 4 million people visit it every year and having this contemporary response to French's work brings the studio alive. "One of the texts in the exhibition room says, 'the eyes can only perceive part of the truth,'" said Kohler. "So, you have to also perceive with your heart, the invisible so that's what he feels can be done through visual arts at a dimension of understanding." The Beninese artist researched Lincoln on a Smithsonian fellowship two years ago; the resulting found-object works were exhibited earlier this year at President Lincoln's Cottage in Washington, D.C., as a collaboration between that museum and the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art. After the successful monthlong show, Adeagbo was welcomed to Chesterwood to view the original 6-foot plaster model of the Lincoln Memorial that went to the marble cutters on May 20, 1922. Bard College at Simon's Rock graduate and international student A'ssia Rai was able to assist with the installation, seeing how he incorporates each location. She thought it important for area residents to experience the exhibit and see Lincoln from a very different perspective, noting the area is demographically very white. "So, it's just very much alive as they are and what they are seeing, which is really cool," she said. "So it's really nice to have an outside perspective and just to come across a person very willing to look at this area and talk to what we hold dear when it comes to iconography and I guess symbols of power." Adeagbo developed the installation using images gathered during his fellowship at the Smithsonian and working with Beninese artists. He continued the evolution of his work by creating new pieces using photos from Chesterwood's archives and incorporated objects from local tag sales, book stores and record stores. The objects in the exhibit include books, newspapers, handwritten notes, records and artwork. The installation is like a court where the onlookers are the jury examining the evidence to form their own opinion, Adeagbo said. The history of the objects or their context creates a story. The installation will continue its evolution at the National Museum of African Art in September, as part of its permanent collection. Adeagbo's goal is to have a one-day exhibit at the feet of the Lincoln Memorial. For him, the artistic process is a form of self-liberation. "My work and my life are the same thing. Work talks about life and makes life visible," said Adeagbo. Dalton Ladder Truck Delayed DALTON, Mass. The delivery of the Fire District's new ladder truck has been delayed again and is now expected to be delivered by August. While being refurbished at Northern Fire Equipment, it was determined that the truck's Detroit Diesel ECM, which controls the fuel injection, is "shot," interim Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski said. The replacement part costs $2,700, but will be covered by Northern Fire Equipment. Northern Fire Equipment Vice President Michael Burke has also agreed to add a USB-A/USB-C outlet to the dashboard at no charge, Czerwinski said. The bodywork is almost complete and the interior work is expected to be done by Friday, he said. The ladder truck has been completely refurbished from the ground up. Since the start of the project Northern Fire Equipment has had people leave, which set it back on a lot of their projects, the Board of Water Commissioners had been told last month. According to the prior fire chief, the Boston Fire Department has requested the return of its ladder truck but the department has not received an official notice, Czerwinski said. The Boston ladder truck is currently not being used. When the department needs a ladder truck, it will have to request mutual aid from Pittsfield, board Chair James Driscoll said. The Fire Department sidelined its 32-year old ladder truck in 2022 because of mechanical and safety concerns and had been loaned a truck from the Boston Fire Department. The town purchased its "new" 2000 ladder truck for about $100,000, including having it refurbished. A brand-new ladder truck can cost a million and a half to $2 million. The Boston Fire Department has replacement trucks that lends out to other fire companies in the state, Driscoll said. In other news: The board of the Sonsini Animal Shelter announced the shelter is closing because of lack of funds. Eleanor Sonsini Shelter Plans Closing, Manager Attempts to Save It PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter has announced its closing after housing the communitys stray animals for many years. On Saturday, the no-kill shelters board members announced the news on social media. They are looking at Aug. 31 as an official closing date. It is with a heavy heart that the Board of Directors of the Friends of Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter is announcing that we have made the decision to close the facility, the post read. Unfortunately, throughout the past few years, donations have continued to dwindle while expenses have continued to rise. Our current facility is not sustainable long term as an animal shelter. As our dedicated supporters, staff and volunteers know, we never intended our current space to be permanent. The shelter is committed to finding loving forever homes for the animals remaining in its care and upon closing, the remaining animals will be transferred to other no-kill shelters. However, the shelters manager Noelle Howland is determined to save the shelter through a GoFundMe page. Words cannot express how I feel about the Eleanor Sonsini Shelter announcing we are shutting down. Less than 24 hours before the Facebook post was made, I was told by the board members that money was getting tight and were probably closing. The board members handle all of the financial decisions for the shelter, but arent in the shelter actually working, she wrote on the fundraiser. As the shelter manager, I was told along with the staff and we were all devastated. It was a complete blindside. I knew there was talk about finding a new location, but none of us really knew this was what theyve been thinking for awhile. I told them immediately after the announcement that I am going to try to raise money and not just give up like they seem to be doing. I do understand that they are the Board and are in charge, but in seeing the lack of fundraising efforts makes me question it all. Howland reported that the conditions of the shelter are disappointing and not fair to the animals and staff though best efforts have been made to keep it a pleasant and clean environment. iciHaiti - 75th anniversary : The Septentrional orchestra honored Renan Hedouville, Protector of the Citizen honored the Orchester Septentrional du Cap-Haitien on the occasion of its 75th anniversary. This year 2023 brings back the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; in Haiti it is also the 75th anniversary since the founding of the Orchester Septentrional du Cap-Haitien. This institution, which needs no presentation in the musical world, has rocked generations of music lovers with its music and its educational texts, protests to depict the Haitian reality; Among the subjects explored we can mention: women, children, nature, politics, friendship, love of the Fatherland and above all human rights... The Office for the Protection of the Citizen (OPC) in its fight for the respect of Rights and Freedoms has always supported all the institutions, the initiatives which militate for the promotion and the protection of Human Rights. This tribute to the Grand Orchester Septentrional du Cap-Haitien is a mark of recognition to thank these talented musicians for their invaluable contribution to the cause of Rights and Freedoms. A plaque of honor was presented by the North departmental director of the OPC Me Duliane Dassas during the gala evening of the 75th anniversary of the Orchestra on July 27th. IH/ iciHaiti The Catholic Charities Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program will host three Healthy Baby Festivals this week in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week. The sessions will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in Allen Park in Jamestown, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday in Mang Park in Kenmore, and from noon to 2 p.m. Friday at the Hyde Park splash pad in Niagara Falls. Anyone interested in learning more about the importance of a healthy start for babies is welcome to attend, especially expectant mothers, families and caregivers, said Katie Constantino, breastfeeding coordinator for the Catholic Charities WIC program. In addition to breastfeeding support, WIC offers nutrition education and counseling, prenatal and postpartum support, referrals and supplemental food vouchers. Married and single parents, foster parents or other legal guardians of a child under 5 can apply for WIC services, which are free of charge. Catholic Charities administers WIC in Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties and last year served more than 81,350 people. For more information, call 716-218-1484 or visit ccwny.org/wic. A proposed $200 million state fund meant to help public schools and voluntary foster care agencies cover the costs of resolving Child Victims Act lawsuits remains stalled in the State Legislature, more than a year after the bill was introduced. Some school districts and their advocates have called for New York to set aside money to at least partially reimburse their expenses in these legal settlements. They argue students today shouldnt be penalized for purported sexual misconduct by teachers and other school employees from decades ago. Ken-Ton will apply $7.5 million in reserves toward abuse settlement The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District will use $7.5 million from its reserves instead of borrowing the cost of an agreement settling 35 Child Victims Act lawsuits against the district. Justice should have been delivered at the time, and thats the real problem here, said Assembly Member Bill Conrad, a Town of Tonawanda Democrat and longtime teacher who backs the fund. Skeptics agree with the general idea, but say setting aside a pool of state money now could take the districts insurance carriers off the hook or unduly influence the outcome of settlement negotiations. Further, they say, it is not necessarily a priority at a time when the state faces looming budget deficits. Its too early, because districts dont know their financial liability until these cases are settled. So were years away from figuring out the total cost to any individual district, said State Sen. Sean Ryan, a Buffalo Democrat. Ken-Ton taxpayers, not accused abuser, on hook for $17.5 million settlement Arthur F. Werner is the retired teacher accused of molesting 35 boys, but it is Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District taxpayers who will pay the price for his alleged crimes. Even a $200 million fund wouldnt go very far. People making claims of long-ago sexual abuse filed at least 180 lawsuits under the act against public school districts in Western New York alone, a Buffalo News analysis found. The statewide total is far greater still. Area districts have reached settlements in those cases requiring payments of $1 million or more over $17 million, in the case of several dozen lawsuits that accused just one former Ken-Ton teacher of blatant, repeated abuse of students in his classroom. Numerous districts have CVA claims still pending that are uninsured, said Julia M. Hilliker, a lawyer who represents school districts in this litigation. And school boards and their administrators are very concerned, for this year and next year, to the extent that they resolve or otherwise have to deal with the CVA lawsuits and keep their schools running on budget. Schools face many lawsuits Then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed the Child Victims Act into law in 2019. It changed the civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse from age 23 to age 55. The law also included a look-back window, allowing survivors from decades ago to sue their accused abusers or the institutions that allowed the abuse to happen. This window originally set at one year, and later extended to two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic opened in August 2019 and closed in March 2021. During the two year look-back period, lawyers filed more than 10,000 claims against various institutions. Beside the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts, schools were a common target of CVA legal filings. In the eight counties of Western New York, just over 200 CVA lawsuits were filed against public school districts, private schools and former school employees, a Buffalo News review of court filings found. About 180 of the complaints named public schools. Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda faced 48 CVA lawsuits, the most here, followed by Buffalo, with 24. Insurance firms deny coverage in Amherst school district sex abuse case Attorneys argued in court papers that the companies are under no obligation to cover the claims involving alleged abuse by Jack M. Koch because the district knew about the abuse at the time and didnt notify its insurers until 30 years later. A Buffalo schools spokesman declined to respond to detailed questions about the claims because the litigation is ongoing. It is not just large urban and suburban districts: Holland Central School District is named in nine CVA lawsuits, all alleging sexual abuse by the same former teacher, the late Carl Penziul, more than 40 years ago. Our concern, again, is not in any way, shape or form to suggest that victims shouldnt be made whole, but that this could have a really bad toll on districts, said Jay Worona, deputy executive director and general counsel for the New York State School Boards Association. And when I say a bad toll on districts, keep in mind, were talking about educational opportunities for students. Full impact unknown Most Child Victims Act lawsuits remain active. But some cases have settled for significant amounts of money. Lawsuit settlement 'bittersweet' for man who accused Ken-Ton teacher of abuse The settlement was a bittersweet moment for me, said the man, who is one of 35 former students to accuse Arthur F. Werner of abuse. I knew that getting up on the stand and telling my story to a room full of strangers would be terrible. But there also is a big part of me that wants this whole story to come out. I was fully prepared to testify. Nearly 40 men accused Ken-Ton officials of enabling decades of abuse by Arthur F. Werner, a former social studies teacher. The lawsuits claimed Werner molested fifth-grade boys at Herbert Hoover Elementary School, sometimes in full view of other students, between 1965 and the late 1980s. Werner never was criminally charged and has denied the accusations. The Ken-Ton School Board in June 2022 agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle the 35 remaining lawsuits that claimed abuse by Werner. Ken-Ton taxpayers must bear the full cost because, according to the district, a forensic investigation failed to turn up insurance policies that would cover the abuse claims. The district took $7.5 million from reserves and borrowed the rest. Ken-Ton officials said it made more sense to settle the Werner lawsuits rather than risk higher awards at trial. Amherst Schools settle sex abuse case from 1986 for $1 million The money was paid Nov. 12 to a Tennessee woman who alleged that Jack Koch abused her in 1986 when she was 16 and attending Amherst High School, where Koch was employed as a school attendance officer. The Amherst Central School District in 2021 paid a $1 million, out-of-pocket settlement to a 51-year-old woman who claimed Jack M. Koch, a school attendance officer and assistant principal, abused her in 1986 when she was 16 and attending Amherst High School. District officials determined the insurance policy in place when the abuse purportedly occurred was with a company that was liquidated in the 1990s. The older the cases are, the less likely it is that the district has documentation of who its insurance carrier was, said Hilliker, who has represented Ken-Ton and Amherst. And even if it has documentation on that, in many instances the insurance carrier is bankrupt, or out of business, and theres not a successor identified. Or, even if there is, the policy limits from back in, say, the 60s and 70s are so low that they really dont make a significant impact in current-day cases. We need some relief Niagara Falls faces 23 Child Victims Act lawsuits, and all remain active, Superintendent Mark Laurrie said. Buffalo man's testimony 18 years ago paved way for nearly 11,000 Child Victims Act lawsuits William G. Iannaccone tried in 2003 to convince state legislators that allowing child sex abuse victims to sue years after the crimes were committed would help bring justice for victims and accountability to the organizations that allowed the abuses to happen. Extensive forensic analysis found the district has at least partial insurance coverage for 21 of the 23 claims, he said, which cover abuse accusations from the 1960s to the 2010s. The districts lawyers estimate Niagara Falls faces up to $30 million in potential settlement costs above and beyond what insurance will cover, according to Laurrie. Whenever those lawsuits are settled, Niagara Falls will have to borrow much of this expense. And what are we going to use to pay the bond back? Were going to use the reserve and the the Foundation Aid money, Laurrie said, referring to a form of state education funding. So youre kind of robbing Peter to pay Paul for these cases. Laurrie and representatives of other districts say the claims raised in the lawsuits are disturbing, and that they support efforts, as the Child Victims Act intended, to compensate survivors for the suffering they endured at the hands of their abusers. But, they argue, current students and district residents shouldnt see reduced spending on vital academic services as a result. On one hand, I completely understand the victims. I feel for them, Laurrie said. On the other hand, we need some relief. Thats why they are pushing the state to set aside money for districts facing these claims. A bill introduced by Assemblywoman Jen Lunsford a Democrat from suburban Rochester in 2022 and again this year would set up a $200 million fund to reimburse some expenses for public schools and voluntary foster care agencies. To qualify, the institutions must show a good-faith effort failed to turn up insurance coverage, and the settlement would place a substantial burden on the entities finances. The bill has languished, with Conrad saying this years extended negotiations over the state budget and the Seneca gaming compact, among other issues, made it difficult to get traction. It gained a sponsor in the State Senate this year, but the bill has nowhere near the support it needs. We dont necessarily see this going in the direction that we would like to see it go in, that would properly protect all parties victims and districts, Worona said. Obstacles to passage Ryan, whose State Senate district includes Ken-Ton, has not signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill. He raises several problems. For one, he said the state shouldnt take any action allowing insurance carriers to escape responsibility for covering CVA claims. Second, he said setting up a defined pot of money for districts expenses could lead to larger settlement requests. Thats why, Ryan said, he wants any fund delayed until all such lawsuits are resolved. We also dont want to set up a system where insurance companies can continue to dodge school districts and to have the school districts just say, Well, the state will pay, he said. Another issue is that the state, previously flush with federal Covid-19 relief aid, now faces projected budget deficits in coming years. Reimbursing CVA settlements must vie with other spending priorities among lawmakers. Theres going to be some things that were going to have to have some very adult conversations about, financially, Conrad said. It is a statewide issue, officials noted, but not every school district is affected to the same degree. For example, the Clarence and Lancaster school districts face one Child Victims Act lawsuit each. Some districts have had no claims. And they dont want state aid being diverted. So theres nothing close to a uniform opinion from school districts, Ryan said. The opinion is predictable, based on your financial liability. In another sign of the bills so-far-dim prospects, Gov. Kathy Hochuls office declined to say where she stands on it. Governor Hochul will review all legislation that passes both houses of the Legislature, a spokesperson emailed The News. A few years ago, youd have struggled to find someone with a kind word to say about Britpop. Patronising, jingoistic and crass, reckoned Suedes Brett Anderson. Grave-robbing necrophilia, lamented writer Simon Reynolds. Just awful, said Blurs own Graham Coxon. You wonder how Coxon feels today as Blur follow a nostalgia-soaked two-hander at Wembley in early July by claiming their seventh No 1 this week with new album The Ballad of Darren. That Wembley triumph variously heralded as glorious and momentous coincided with the acclaimed return of Pulp, led by Britpops resident eccentric professor Jarvis Cocker. Their comeback shows have been widely praised, too. The New Statesman credited Jarvis and company with launching the second summer of Britpop. The NME described Pulps first tour in a decade as a reunion you never wanted to end. Next month, meanwhile, Liam Gallagher releases a live LP culled from the two nights he played at Knebworth last year an event that consciously referenced the peak Britpop moment of Oasis storming the same venue in 1996. For a chapter of British cultural history long shunned as naff and retrograde and blighted by a streak of mockney class tourism, Britpop has recently been showing surprising signs of life. The ois have it. Its resurgence is a feat of unprecedented musical rehabilitation. Until recently, Britpop was seen by many as having paved the way for Brexit in its celebration of British (ie English) exceptionalism and presentation of cultural frippery fishnchips, a cuppa on a Formica table, pints at the dog track as sacred expressions of a unique British (ie English) identity. Once you took back control of your pop music, how long before you tried to do likewise with your politics? 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 group of aligned opposition parties in India carried out a two-day visit to the violence-stricken state of Manipur and lashed out at prime minister Narendra Modi for his brazen indifference over the civil strife that has carried on for months. At least 130 people have been killed and 400 wounded since violence gripped the northeastern state in May. More than 60,000 have been forced from their homes as the army, paramilitary forces and police struggle to quell violence. The ongoing violence in Manipur is raising fears of a civil war as two of the states largest communities, the Kukis and Meiteis, are up in arms against each other. The multiparty delegations visit comes as a shocking video of an attack in May recently emerged, in which two Kuki women were paraded naked by Meitei men shortly after their village was razed, in the latest use of terror against women in the region. On Sunday, the delegation, comprising 21 parties, met Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey and submitted a memorandum requesting the restoration of peace and harmony in the region, with justice being the cornerstone of their appeal. In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent, the note said, according to Indian media. Lashing out at Mr Modi for his silence, the delegation said the violence that has engulfed several parts of the state showed his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur, citing figures of the destruction in the ethnic conflict that has continued for over three months now. Mr Modi broke his silence on the violence in Manipur more than two months after the conflict began, after the video of the attack on the women had emerged. He said the incident had shamed India and said the guilty will not be spared. The failure of both the Central and state government to protect the lives and properties of the people of the two communities is apparent from the figures of more than 140 deaths, more than 500 injuries, burning of more than 5,000 houses and internal displacement of more than 60,000 people, the memorandum said. Reports of incessant firing and arson of houses in the last few days establishes, beyond doubt, that the state machinery has completely failed to control the situation for the last almost three months, the oppositions memorandum alleged. The delegation visited relief camps at Churachandpur, Moirang and Imphal, and interacted with survivors and inmates in the relief camps, they 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 }} A devastating explosion at an unauthorised warehouse in Thailand has claimed 12 lives and left over 100 people injured. The incident occurred on Saturday at the Muno market in Su-ngai Kolok district, situated in the southern province of Narathiwat, which shares its border with Malaysia. Authorities had earlier said the death toll was 10, but on Sunday, it was revised at 12. There are 10 deaths plus the remains of two unidentified persons, which were sent for DNA checks, Narathiwats governor Sanan Phongaksorn said. But there should be no more deaths. He said 121 people were left injured, with two severely injured, while 111 were discharged from hospital. More than 200 houses surrounding the warehouse were damaged by the explosion, affecting 365 people. Some 19 people were still staying at a shelter as several families have moved to their relatives houses, Mr Sanan said. Many of the houses and other buildings had collapsed roofs and walls after the explosion. Thai Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel examine the site of an explosion at a firework warehouse in Narathiwat province (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Videos on social media show a huge plume of smoke over the area and many damaged structures, cars and motorbikes, as well as streets covered with debris. Police were investigating the cause of the incident, he said, with initial reports suggesting a welding error at the warehouse. The fire is under control and police will investigate the cause thoroughly again, he said. People speak on their phones in front of a house damaged by an explosion at a firework warehouse in Narathiwat province southern Thailand (AP) He told public broadcaster Thai PBS that the explosion was likely triggered by construction work taking place in the warehouse, with sparks from metal welding causing the fireworks stored inside to catch fire and explode. Seksan Taesen, an eyewitness who lives 330ft away from the market, told AFP news agency he heard a loud, thunderous noise and my whole house shook. Then I saw my roof was wide open. I looked outside and I saw house collapsing and people lying on the ground everywhere. It was chaos. Additional reporting by agencies 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 }} Local officials have sent letters to Congress in support of a federal bill that would provide aid to states affected by unprecedented heatwaves. The letters authored by the US Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities that was obtained by NBC News showed support for the Extreme Heat Emergency Act, which was introduced last month. The bill proposes to include extreme heat in the definition of the Federal Emergency Management Agencys (Fema) list of major disasters, which would provide aid for states grappling with scorching temperatures. This summer is the hottest recorded in history, with more than 170 million Americans under heat alerts in this recent week, according to the National Weather Service. By including extreme heat events in the definition of a major disaster... this legislation will empower local governments to establish cooling centers, support vulnerable populations, assist the homeless, and enhance healthcare services during extreme heat events, an excerpt from National League of Cities CEO Clarence Anthonys letter read. Climate activists have pushed for the Joe Biden administration to declare a climate emergency, but the White House has yet to do so. President Biden met on Thursday with the mayors of Phoenix, Arizona and San Antonio, Texas, two of the cities that have been affected the most by the heatwaves. Phoenix has seen at least 26 days in a row of temperatures exceeding 110F. Maricopa County, where the city is located, has reported 18 heat-associated deaths between 11 April and 15 July. Meanwhile, San Antonio saw 15 straight days of 100F temperatures. At least 13 deaths in Texas have been blamed on the extreme heat. During the meeting on Thursday, Mr Biden called the rising temperatures the number one weather-related killer and announced a series of measures to protect workers, including a hazard alert notifying employers and employees about ways to stay safe from extreme heat. A protestor stands next to a digital display of an unofficial heat reading at Furnace Creek Visitor Center in Death Valley, California (AFP via Getty Images) Even those places that are used to extreme heat have never seen it as hot as it is now for as long as its been, Mr Biden said. Even those who deny that were in the midst of a climate crisis cant deny the impact of extreme heat is having on Americans. A congressional aide told NBC that Fema has only received three requests for assistance in regard to extreme heat events throughout its 44-year history. Every request has been turned down because the states requesting assistance did not demonstrate that state and local capacity had been exceeded. However, the aide noted that there is no official way to determine when a locals government capacity has been reached. Our agency has a well-established process for assessing if there is a need for supplemental federal disaster assistance where those needs exceed the state, tribal or local capacity, a Fema spokesperson said in a statement to NBC. There is nothing specific that precludes a declaration for an extreme heat incident. 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 }} Lily James and Michael Shuman have reportedly rekindled their romance five months after splitting up. The Pam and Tommy star and the Queens of the Stone Age bassist were last spotted together backstage at Glastonbury Festival in June. It was reported in February that the pair had grown apart and decided to end their relationship after two years together. The Mirror, however, has reported that James, 34, and Shuman, 37, are spending time together again after realising how much they missed each other. Lily and Mikey have always adored each other and have lots of fun together, a source was quoted as saying. Time apart has made them realise how much they missed each other and now theyre picking up where they left off. They looked close at [Glastonbury]. Neither is putting any pressure on it theyre just seeing how it goes. The Independent has contacted James and Shumans representatives for comment. James and Shuman were first romantically linked in 2021, after they were spotted kissing in Suffolk on Valentines Day. They later made their red carpet debut at the 2022 Oscars ceremony. Following reports of their breakup, the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again star described herself as a serial relationshipper and hinted towards her single status. In an appearance on the Capital Breakfast show in February, James told hosts Roman Kemp and Sian Welby: I cringe at most things I do. Yeah, Ive been a sort of serial relationshipper, so Ive not had any crazy dating stories however, I did go on my mates Hinge [app] the other day and I just despaired. I mean, come on! (Capital Breakfast) Asked to elaborate, James said the men available on the app were rubbish, adding: Im sure some of the girls are crap too but men are worse. In 2020, James became embroiled in controversy after she was linked to her Pursuit of Love co-star Dominic West, 53, who played her characters father in the romantic drama. The pair were photographed having an al fresco meal and appearing to kiss in Rome, where they were filming. Wests marital status he is married to Catherine Fitzgerald stoked further scrutiny on the alleged romance. West and Fitzgerald, who have been married since 2010, denied there were any problems in their marriage and remain together. Last year, James appeared to address the controversy surrounding the paparazzi photographs of her and West and told Rolling Stone: Women in the public eye at some point experience some sort of difficult situation in their relationship between privacy and your life being in the tabloids... It was a lot. Its a story as old as time. Prior to the speculation around her and West, James dated The Crown star Matt Smith for five years. They made their relationship official at the premiere of Cinderella in 2015, but split up in 2019 due to hectic work schedules. They briefly got back together during the first Covid lockdown in 2020 and self-isolated together in their London home, before breaking up again in October 2020. A convicted felon faces up to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to drug and gun charges, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced. Austin Gordon, 57, of Jamestown, entered pleas before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The charges carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 50 years. He is scheduled for sentencing Nov. 7. Prosecutors said investigators executed a search warrant on Nov. 29, 2019, at Gordons home on Newland Avenue and found 32 grams of methamphetamine, illicit mushrooms, two guns and 454 rounds of ammunition, along with $1,642 in cash. Gordon previously was convicted of felonies in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. 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 }} Alex Salmond has said Margaret Ferrier was thrown to the media wolves by a disloyal SNP, though Humza Yousaf has dismissed his views as being in a minority. The Alba Party leader said that despite Ms Ferriers serious mistake in breaking coronavirus rules, there should not be a by-election in her constituency. There is currently a recall petition ongoing in her Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat after the MP was suspended from the House of Commons for more than 30 days. If 10% of the electorate choose to sign the petition some 8,113 people out of 81,124 a by-election will be triggered. Originally elected as an SNP MP, Ms Ferrier now sits as an independent after having the whip removed when her rule-breaking came to light. The First Minister was campaigning in the constituency on Saturday, saying support for the SNP there is solid. Mr Salmond, whose party has two MPs in Westminster, said Ms Ferriers censure was excessive. The Alba Party leader said: The reality is that Margaret Ferrier was thrown to the media wolves by a then first minister anxious to divert press attention from the other public health failings of her administration and sentence pronounced by those with a vested interest in a by-election. The current First Minister has carried on this disgraceful lack of compassion to a woman who has devoted her life to furthering the cause of Scottish independence. If SNP members need to understand what has gone wrong with their party they need look no further than this totally depressing display of disloyalty. Mr Salmond said Labour were like political vultures and called for pro-independence parties to put forward a single candidate under a Scotland United banner if there is a by-election. However the SNP leader said it is right that the recall petition goes ahead. Asked about Mr Salmonds comments, Mr Yousaf said: Its not just an error of judgment of course, Margaret Ferrier was guilty of a number of charges as well. Thats pretty serious. Therefore, a cross-party group in Westminster not one led by the SNP decided those significant sanctions on Margaret Ferrier and thats why we have this recall petition. Process has been followed all the way through. I think Alex Salmond, perhaps not for the first time in this regard, is in a minority in terms of how Margaret Ferrier has been treated. It will now be up to the people of Rutherlgen and Hamilton West to have their say on whether there should be a by-election. Asked about his partys chances, Mr Yousaf told the PA news agency: Dont get me wrong, the circumstances are difficult, they are challenging, theres no getting away from that. But for the many weeks that Ive been here campaigning, its very clear that theres solid support for the SNP. 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 }} Scientists may have identified a major reason why individuals age, which could lead to therapy to slow down the process as well as reduce the risk of blood cancer. High levels of toxic chemicals in the body, such as formaldehyde, which is best known as an embalming agent, have recently been found to be naturally made by cells and also to cause ageing. Leading scientists from Cornell University, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and Cancer Research UK are trying to understand what causes the body to overproduce formaldehyde. It is hoped that drugs may be able to lower levels of it in the body and reverse the ageing process. Professor Meng Wang, a haematology expert who led the study at Cambridge before moving to Cornell, told The Daily Telegraph: We believe we have pinned down one of the potential causes of natural ageing. This could potentially lead to a therapy to slow down natural age-related decline. Scientists have also recently discovered a condition caused by a genetic mutation that prevents sufferers from removing formaldehyde from their system. It affects fewer than one in a million people, and can lead to the development of blood cancers. According to Cancer Research UK, formaldehyde causes DNA damage to blood stem cells, which can accelerate their ageing and increase the likelihood of blood cancers. The research, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, identified a common link between DNA damage in blood cancer and ageing. Prof Wang added: Theres this debate in ageing. One side says that ageing is a result of slow, gradual, accumulated damage, like riding the same bicycle over the years. Slowly bits of rust and everything makes it not work as well as it used to. And then theres the other camp that says, actually, ageing is a programmed response triggered by various stressors that turns a young cell into an older one. What we found is that actually, at least in blood stem cells, it is very much a triggered response, dependent on a protein called p53. The team only looked for signs of ageing in blood, but it is suspected that ageing also occurs in the organs. The team are also investigating whether formaldehyde production is affected by food or other lifestyle factors. 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 }} HS2 has been given a rating of unachievable by an official watchdog, as the construction of the high-speed link experiences further delays. The projects first two phases London to Birmingham and then on to Crewe in Cheshire have been given a red warning by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), which reports to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. The red rating, which appears in the IPAs annual report on major projects, says: Successful delivery of the project appears to be unachievable. There are major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which at this stage do not appear to be manageable or resolvable. The project may need re-scoping and/or its overall viability reassessed. HS2s London to Birmingham phase was scheduled to be opened in 2026, but is now expected to be ready between 2026 and 2029, as infrastructure issues, cost rises and delays continue to affect the construction of the high-speed rail service. The cost of the project, which was estimated at around 33bn in 2010, is now expected to reach 71bn, with the government further delaying work on the Birmingham to Crewe leg in a bid to reduce spending. Earlier this month, HS2s chief executive, Mark Thurston, announced his resignation from the government-owned company. He is due to leave his role in September after a six-and-a-half-year tenure. Mr Thurstons resignation announcement came as construction work on the London to Birmingham phase of the project hit its peak, with major work taking place at more than 350 sites. Transport secretary Mark Harper announced in March that work at Euston would be paused for two years, as costs for the project had risen from 2.6bn to 4.8bn, with the government trying to find an affordable design for the station. The Department for Transport says it remains committed to delivering the high-speed network. A spokesperson for the department said: Spades are already in the ground on HS2, with 350 construction sites, over 20bn invested to date, and supporting over 28,500 jobs. We remain committed to delivering HS2 in the most cost-effective way for taxpayers. HS2 will bring transformational benefits for generations to come, improving connections and helping grow the economy. 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 secret proposal to give sanctuary to Pablo Escobars family in the UK has come to light. Colombian authorities told diplomats the worlds most infamous drug lord was planning to surrender on the condition that his wife and children were given asylum, with Britain named as the preferred destination, newly released documents from 1993 have revealed. Born in the slums of Medellin, Colombias second-largest city, Escobar rose to build a billion-dollar drug cartel which controlled around 80 per cent of the worlds cocaine trade and made an estimated 340m a week. Colombian Juan Pablo Escobar, son of drug lord Pablo Escobar killed in 1993 (AFP via Getty Images and Sky) The files, now in the national archives in Kew, southwest London, show Colombias attorney-general, Gustavo de Greiff, unexpectedly visited the British embassy in September 1993, with a proposal in mind. He said that Pablo Escobar was ready to surrender himself provided that his family could go abroad for a time until things quietened down, read a memo sent to London, according to The Times. Britain had been indicated as the preferred destination. De Grieff said that the family members concerned were his wife, son, daughter, two sisters, one brother and eight nephews and nieces. Colombias foreign minister, Noemi Sanin de Rubio, directly approached Britains permanent representative to the UN, David Hannay, in an attempt to cement an agreement. Sanin said it was important that the request be treated in utmost confidence, wrote Hannay. If the UK agreed to admit the family, the Colombian government would not wish it to be known that it had played any role. The proposal appears to have perturbed Whitehall, as revealed in a response sent on 7 October, 1993. Escobar is a ruthless drugs trafficker and terrorist, it stated. He is responsible for the murder of hundreds and perhaps thousands of people. His family live on [his] earnings from the drugs trade. It also warned of the dangers such a deal could put UK staff based in Colombia in, while adding that violence could follow the family into Britain. The then home secretary, Michael Howard, imposed an exclusion order on the Escobars. When a first cousin, Nicolas Enrique Escobar Urquijo, arrived at Heathrow airport in November 1993, the order was enforced, while the rest of his family were denied entry at Frankfurt airport and sent back to Bogota. Pablo Escobar (left) with Carlos Enrique Lehder Rivas, who was co-founder of the Medellin cartel (American Heroes Channel) Weeks later, Escobar was shot dead on a Medellin rooftop in a gunfight. The drug lords wife and children were given asylum in Argentina after being rejected by Germany and Mozambique. Mr Howard, 82, who is now Lord Howard of Lympne, said he did not remember blocking the Escobar family, adding: I knew of Escobar and went to Colombia, but that was after his death. 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 Cornish parish which was once home to Vicar of Dibley star Dawn French has reversed its decision to ban women from applying to be vicar after a backlash. St Fimbarrus parish church in Fowey, Cornwall caused controversy in May after it passed a resolution to only have a male vicar. A newly elected council at the 800-year-old church has announced a reversal of the decision and in a statement, the parochial church council (PCC) said the previous decision was "misguided and unrepresentative". Marisa MacInnes, a member of the new PCC, told The Guardian: We are encouraged that numbers in the congregation have doubled in recent weeks and we are confident that the right person to be vicar will come forward in the coming months. The decision on the ban had been taken without consultation which angered many residents. "There was disappointment that this had happened without consultation and many expressed a strong desire for change," the PCC added. "Following recent widespread consultation with the congregation and the wider Fowey community, the PCC has voted unanimously to rescind the previous PCC's resolution requiring male leadership." The PCC also said they wanted the church to be accessible to all and that it wanted the best candidate for the church "regardless of gender". Despite the Church of England allowing female vicars, the former PCC insisted the move to ban them from the parish was "not sexist", claiming there was a "debate over the roles women play within a church". The parochial church council (PCC) said the previous decision was misguided and unrepresentative (Alamy) Speaking in March, the PCC said: "As an evangelical church we look to the Bible for all matters of faith. The Bible is very clear on equality all are equal. "There is, however, debate over the roles women play within the church. "We appreciate this can be difficult to understand looking from the outside into the church, but would robustly defend that this position is not sexist, is widely established in the worldwide church, and accommodates all views in the membership of our church without exclusion." In May, Andy Virr, Conservative councillor for Fowey, Par, Tywardreath and Golant, and Cornwall Council's portfolio holder for adult social care and health, quit as warden and chairman of the PCC in protest at the ban. Recommended Best spa hotels in Cornwall 2022 for relaxing by the sea Reverand Martin Oborne who campaigns for equality within the church and is also a vicar in London described the U-turn as "very good news". The parish church will advertise for the new part-time vicar with no specification about sex. 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 closure and subsequent reopening of the UKs largest gas storage site cost the country nearly 1.7 billion over two years, Labour has said. The party has blamed the Conservatives for what it has labelled a costly mistake, as Labour accused ministers of ignoring warnings about the winding down of the Rough storage facility under the North Sea. The storage site had been mothballed from 2017 but was partially reopened last year, when it was able to store around 30 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas. Centrica last month increased capacity at the site, the UKs largest facility, in order to provide the firm with a bigger safety cushion for next winter. Labour said that, with more storage, the UK could have bought gas more cheaply now and stored it for use over the winter. But it said the lack of capacity will now cost the country dear. Labour said the UKs storage capacity is 2% of annual demand, a fraction of the equivalent figures in Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands. Despite warnings, this Tory Government shut down gas storage and once again left working people paying the price for their sticking plaster approach, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said. Yet another failure on energy security hasnt just left families paying more, its left us exposed and reliant on others Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves Yet another failure on energy security hasnt just left families paying more, its left us exposed and reliant on others. Instead of investing in homegrown energy to lower bills, create jobs and strengthen our energy security, they are happy to keep laying the costs on working families. Labour said the UK was paying 685 million over the odds for winter gas this year, after paying out 967 million extra last year due to the lack of gas storage facilities. The Opposition said that the Governments mistake was piling pressure on already hard-pressed families. Built on the rock of economic responsibility, Labour will drive forward the industries of the future working in partnership with businesses and workers to sort out these Tory energy failures, get bills down and restore some economic security, Ms Reeves said. We are reinforcing our energy security by securing almost 200 billion of investment into low-carbon energy projects since 2010, backing new nuclear and floating offshore wind, and investing in low-carbon alternatives Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps hit back at Labour. We will take no lessons on energy security from the party that wants to ban new oil and gas licences in the North Sea, risking hundreds of thousands of British jobs, handing control of our energy to countries like Russia, and hiking up prices. Meanwhile, we are reinforcing our energy security by securing almost 200 billion of investment into low-carbon energy projects since 2010, backing new nuclear and floating offshore wind, and investing in low-carbon alternatives helping to grow our economy. 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 }} James Cleverly has been accused by colleagues of treating his job as foreign secretary like a continuous photoshoot. Senior civil servants and Tory backbenchers have said Mr Cleverly is not working to represent the hard interests of Britain or Rishi Sunaks policies. Weeks after the foreign secretary warned the prime minister that he wants to stay put amid talk of a cabinet reshuffle, government figures said they were frustrated that the UKs ambassadors in some countries appear to be more focused on local development than on British interests such as trade and migration. Others said they were concerned about the lack of a tough approach to Iran. A government minister told The Daily Telegraph that Mr Cleverlys approach amounted to Lets go on a tour of the Pacific islands or somewhere in South America. I dont understand how little interest the Foreign Office seems to have in the hard interests of the country. The true priorities of the country are counterterrorism, illegal immigration, and trade. Thats what they should be focusing on, the minister said. A second government figure said Mr Cleverly was reluctant to deliver difficult messages to diplomats representing some of Britains allies in cases where countries were not cooperating with the UK on certain issues. And a senior Tory told the paper: For him, its a continuous photoshoot. This month, Mr Cleverly told Mr Sunak that he wants to remain foreign secretary, as speculation mounted over an imminent cabinet reshuffle. During a relaxed interview in Aspen, Colorado, Mr Cleverly said: I adore being foreign secretary. I think that my observation is that you become better at the job the more you do it, the more relationships you are able to build. If anyone in the UK is watching, listening particularly you, Prime Minister I very much want to stay put. He has been tipped as a contender to replace Ben Wallace at the Ministry of Defence. Mr Cleverly has recently been pictured in traditional Kazakh dress, shooting a bow and arrow and holding a falcon. He also had a slick video produced after a Caribbean and South American tour, in which he cooked a Brazilian dish. Two weeks ago, Mr Cleverly tweeted a series of pictures of himself wearing a variety of colourful shirts at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. An ally of Mr Cleverly said critics had seized on a small handful of the tens of trips he has made since becoming foreign secretary in September. The ally said: A lot of Jamess job is winning arguments for votes at international fora on things, including against Russia. The details of the governments net zero drive and Labours plans should it win power have come under intense scrutiny amid the fallout from the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election. Senior Tories, including Dame Priti Patel, have called on ministers to delay or scrap measures they fear will add to the strain on household finances, such as the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars after 2030. The expansion of Londons ultra-low-emission zone (Ulez) has also become a flashpoint in the Labour Party, with Sir Keir Starmers top team piling pressure on the citys mayor, Sadiq Khan, to rethink the move after it was blamed for the Uxbridge defeat. 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 been criticised for living a helicopter lifestyle despite claiming to be on the side of motorists. The prime minister has come under fire for taking a 200-mile helicopter trip to attend a campaign event in Wrexham, North Wales, despite the fact that the journey by train would have taken just 10 minutes longer. It came as Mr Sunak claimed he was on the side of drivers amid rising concerns about the cost of policies aimed at curbing the use of cars. The PM has repeatedly come under fire for using a helicopter to travel to campaign events and official visits. In May he was branded out of touch for paying more than 10,000 to fly by private helicopter to a Tory party dinner in Wales. And attacks on Mr Sunak stepped up after he flew in a luxury Bell 429 GlobalRanger on Friday to visit the premises of online retailer Net World Sports. The journey from London to Chester would have emitted more than a tonne of CO2 into the atmosphere during the hottest month yet recorded. Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry condemned Mr Sunaks helicopter lifestyle, adding: On one issue after another, he is being found out. And a Labour source told the Sunday Mirror: Its ironic that the prime minister insists on this form of travel when mortgages are sky-high thanks to choices the Tories made. Working people are being walloped by his failure every single day, but Rishi Sunak continues to have his head in the clouds. It came as Mr Sunak used an interview to tell drivers he is on their side, ordering a review of anti-car schemes that have been criticised for piling pressure on motorists during the cost of living crisis. The prime minister said that most people rely on their cars, and that anti-motorist policies fail to take account of how families live their lives. He told The Daily Telegraph: The vast majority of people in the country use their cars to get around and are dependent on their cars. When Im lucky enough to get home to North Yorkshire, its more representative of how most of the country is living, where cars are important. I just want to make sure people know that Im on their side in supporting them to use their cars to do all the things that matter to them. He shared a picture of himself in Margaret Thatchers 1973 Rover P6 as he claimed that the importance of cars is something anti-motorist Labour just dont seem to get. And its why Im reviewing anti-car schemes across the country, he said. But Ms Thornberry said Mr Sunak is only on the side of the motorists from 3,000 feet above. If the PM thinks the only way he can travel round Britain is by helicopter, let him say so, but stop taking us for fools by constantly trying to hide it, she said. Labour MP Darren Jones branded him Chopper Rishi, accusing him of making pronouncements from the sky above us all. The PM ordered a review of the rollout of low-traffic zones amid Tory backlash over the scheme, which some have dubbed an attack on motorists. He has told the Department for Transport to review its policies on low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs). The pitch to motorists and car owners comes after the Conservatives narrow victory in the Uxbridge and Ruislip by-election earlier this month, which saw the Tory candidate tap into local concerns about the expansion of Londons ultra-low-emission zone (Ulez). That success has seen some Tory MPs on the right of the party urge Mr Sunak to engage in a rethink on net zero, in the hope of attacking Labours green ambitions. The spread of LTNs in recent months has emerged as a concern among some on the right of the Conservative Party. But Mr Sunak knocked back calls to change the deadline for the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. He said: The 2030 target has been our policy for a long time and continues to be. We are not considering a delay to that date. 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 }} An American volunteer nurse and her child have been kidnapped in Haiti. Alix Dorsainvil and her young daughter were abducted on Thursday morning from the campus of the nonprofit El Roi Haiti, where Ms Dorsainvil works. The organisation runs a school and ministry in Port au Prince. The nurse, who is originally from Middleton, New Hampshire, is married to El Roi programmes director Sandro Dorsainvil. Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family, El Roi president and co-founder Jason Brown said in a statement. Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus. The US State Department said it is aware of reports of the kidnapping. The department has issued a do not travel advisory, noting that kidnapping in Haiti is widespread, and victims regularly include US citizens We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our US government interagency partners, a spokesperson said. Kidnappings in the area usually involve ransom negotiations and in the past, US citizen victims have been physically harmed. Ms Dorsainvil attended Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts. The universitys president Toni Hays said that service had been important to Ms Dorsainvil while she was a student at the school. It doesnt surprise me that Alix chose to get involved in this type of service work, Mr Hays told WMUR-TV. She was amazing. She was passionate, she was compassionate. In a video posted on El Rois website, Ms Dorsainvil said that she was invited by her husband to join the volunteer team in Haiti. Sandro invited me to the school to do some nursing for the kids, he said that was a big need they had, Ms Dorsainvil said. When I got there, there were so many cases ... Haitians are such resilient people, theyre full of joy and life and love. The US State Department has ordered non-emergency personnel to leave Haiti amid growing security concerns. Earlier this month, the National Human Rights Defence Network issued a report warning about an upsurge in killings and kidnappings and the UN Security Council met to discuss Haitis worsening situation. The Buffalo AKG Art Museums Jeffrey E. Gundlach Building, which opened July 12 to considerable fanfare for a week before closing to complete remaining work, will reopen Thursday. This will mark the first time the paying public can visit all three buildings, including the restored and renovated 1905 Robert and Elisabeth Wilmers building and 1962 Seymour H. Knox Building. The new 82-space underground parking garage also will open Thursday. Museum officials had hoped to reopen the Gundlach Building on July 20, but finishing touches needed throughout the building as well as work on the John J. Albright Bridge and the curved sliding glass doors in the basement required two additional weeks. This moment represents the culmination of years of hard work by hundreds of people, said Janne Siren, museum director. With the opening of the Jeffrey E. Gundlach Building, the John J. Albright Bridge and the underground parking garage, visitors will be able to enjoy the entirety of the new museum campus in its full glory with more than 400 artworks on view. Looking at this project now, I can only say that whats difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer, he said. The $195 million expansion, restoration and renovation of the museum, formerly known as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery which began in January 2020, two months after the museum shut down has added substantially more gallery space and broadened access by offering free admission to the Knox Building. The whole campus is now also ADA-compliant. The transformed campus includes the return of the grand stairway in front of the Wilmers Building and a lawn on museum grounds where a surface parking lot had been, reversing changes made in 1962. When the three-story, glass-and-marble Gundlach Building reopens, it will be with works on the first floors double-height gallery by artists influenced by Clyfford Still, an early innovator of Abstract Expressionism. They will be near the exhibition Clyfford Still: A Legacy for Buffalo, featuring all 33 works of his that are owned by the museum. The works include Stanley Wilsons Endless Time, Joe Bradleys Good World, Sterling Rubys SP273 and Jo Bauers Grey Side Bar (ochre line). Also on display in the Gundlach Building that wasnt during opening week is Lap-See Lams Dreamers Quay. Its the inaugural presentation of the Glass Box Theater, located in the northwest corner of the first floor. Attendance to date has exceeded expectations for the Buffalo museum, which before the expansion was already considered one of the worlds great repositories of modern and contemporary art. There have been 32,000 visitors since June 12, Siren said. The response to the opening of the Buffalo AKG has exceeded all our expectations, he said. The citizens of Buffalo have made it abundantly clear: they love art and they love their hometown cultural organizations. Another 6,200 turned out for a Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra concert on the Great Lawn and for the first performance of the museums Summer Jazz Concert series. Museum hours run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to Monday. The museum is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Admission is $18. Its $16 for seniors and college students, $10 for ages 18 and under, and free for ages 5 and under, as well as members. Tickets can be purchased at the museum or online at buffaloakg.org. Visitors who since June 19 have paid to see the two older gallery spaces were given vouchers to return at no cost to see the reopened Gundlach Building. 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 }} Six people have died in Canada after a small plane crashed in the mountainous region in Alberta province, authorities said. The incident occurred in Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said on Saturday. The RCMP said an aircraft with five passengers and a pilot left Springbank Airport near Calgary on Friday night en route to Salmon Arm, British Columbia. However, contact with the aircraft was lost around 9.30pm local time (03.30 GMT Saturday), RCMP staff sergeant Ryan Singleton said. Shortly after the plane was reported overdue, a search was conducted by a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) squadron based in Winnipeg. Rescuers scouted through the crash site to find the passengers on board, but all six people in the plane had died, Mr Singleton said. Police said a Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules plane was dispatched to search for the missing aircraft and searchers located it on Mount Bogart, about 60km west of Calgary, by honing in on an emergency locator transmitter. The RCMP and Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue led the operations. Recovering the bodies of the pilot and the passengers was very challenging due to the difficult terrain. However, all six bodies have been successfully recovered, Mr Singleton said. The names of the victims have not been released yet. But the RCMP said the Transport Safety Board of Canada is conducting an investigation into the crash. A Transportation Safety Board spokesman said the aircraft was a single-engine Piper PA-32, and the board is investigating the crash. 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 Kansas man has been sentenced to 56 years in prison after his toddler starved to death while he was passed out drunk. Forty-seven-year-old Jeffrey Exons sentencing follows his conviction in April over charges of aggravated child endangerment, first and second-degree murder in the death of his two-year-old daughter Aurora. The sentence was the maximum that could be imposed, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported. During the trial earlier this year, prosecutors said that Aurora and her then-four-year-old brother Teddy were found in Exons home on January 5 2021 after Exon made a 911 call reporting that his daughter had stopped breathing. He told law enforcement that the little girl was starving herself, but Teddy later went on to tell investigators that he and his sister had been locked in their rooms for several days without food while Exon slept. Aurora was cold to the touch by the time authorities arrived at the home, and she was declared dead at the scene. Five empty spirit bottles were found in Exons bedroom. Prosecutors argued that he did not feed his children because of his addiction issues. Auroras cause of death was determined to be a form of malnutrition called marasmus. Exons son also testified at the trial that his father had been passed out in the days leading up to Auroras death. 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 }} Presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo stood before a few hundred residents of this small Indigenous community on the slopes of the Agua Volcano and told them they could be the seeds of a brighter, more corruption-free spring in Guatemala. The metaphor fits neatly with his political party, the Seed Movement, and allows the 64-year-old academic and former diplomat to riff on themes of renewal and growth. But it also alludes to Guatemalas democratic spring," considered a more inclusive period in the country's history during the presidency in the 1940s and early 1950s of his late father, Juan Jose Arevalo. Bernardo Arevalo won just 11% of the vote in the presidential elections first round June 25, but it was enough to give him the surprise second slot in the Aug. 20 runoff ballot. He will face Sandra Torres, a conservative and former first lady who was the leading vote-getter in the first round and is making her third bid for the presidency. Arevalo's recent speech in Santa Maria de Jesus was similar to those he has given in Guatemalas capital, but the imagery could be especially important in rural Indigenous communities as he seeks to rapidly expand his largely urban, youthful base before the runoff. He won in Guatemala City and other important cities, including Sacatepequez and Quetzaltenango. It remains to be seen whether he can convince people in rural communities that he can address their daily problems. The delayed certification of the first round results shortened the already small window that Arevalo has to reintroduce himself to much of the country as his opponents rush to paint their own negative picture. Do you feel what is happening? Arevalo told the crowd in Santa Maria de Jesus. The new spring is arriving, thats what you feel, and you all are the seeds of that new spring." A new spring that is going to bring us well-being, the water we lack, the education they owe us, the health that they have denied us thanks to those corrupt contracts that serve few," Arevalo said, standing in front of an old, damaged Roman Catholic church, in a wide-brimmed hat and untucked shirt against the tropical heat. Among those listening was Juana Oron, a 67-year-old homemaker of the Kaqchikel people. She is one of the older voters who remember hearing about Arevalos father, one of only two leftist presidents in Guatemalas democratic era. The elder Arevalo, who governed from 1945 to 1951, is credited with establishing key social programs that remain in place today, including Guatemala's labor code and social security. Guatemalas democratic spring was cut short in 1954 by the CIA-backed overthrow of his successor, President Jacobo Arbenz. Under Juan Jose Arevalo, the state advocated for rights for Indigenous peoples and others beyond the countrys small elite. I remember I was little and (my parents) said he had done good things, said Oron whose first language as a child was Kaqchikel. If his father was good, Arevalo could be a good president, too, she said. Opponents have tried to frame Arevalos candidacy as a step toward some of the regions more notorious leftist regimes, such as Cuba and Nicaragua. They warn that the progressive candidate will bring expropriations, abortion and same-sex marriage to the conservative country. Arevalo has been the elections surprise. In the days before the June 25 vote, he was polling below 3% and trailing at least seven of the other 21 candidates. But his anti-corruption message resonated in the country where gains against corruption have been erased and the justice system reoriented to pursue the prosecutors and judges who formerly led that fight. In the month since that initial result, the Attorney Generals Office announced an investigation into his party and had a judge suspend its legal status until the Constitutional Court stepped in to block that move. In Santa Maria de Jesus, people wanted to compare Arevalo in person to what they were hearing about him. Some handed him flowers, posed for photos or reached out to touch him as he made his way through the throng. Arevalo pushed back against attempts to frame him as a left-wing radical he has said private property rights are not up for discussion and pounded the issue of corruption. Let us work, let us get ahead on our own effort, lets get rid of the corrupt once and for all, he said. For Francisco Jimenez, a political scientist at Rafael Landivar University, Arevalo will need concrete proposals to make inroads with the base of Torres, who has spent two decades assembling it. He will have to make governing proposals with a social agenda, where the people see that he is going to have an impact on their lives and communities, Jimenez said. The other part is continuing to present himself as the different model. That has been his success, someone totally different from the other candidates. Evangelical churches in Guatemala have painted Arevalo as an existential threat to the family. Gladys Sunun, a 35-year-old Kaqchikel vendor from an evangelical family, said she came to hear Arevalo for herself. She said she had heard that Arevalo would convert Guatemala into another Cuba or Nicaragua, but left feeling that might not be true, though she wants to investigate more. He came to tell us not to worry, she said. It sounds real, but we dont know. Her sister July Sunun said she wanted to hear more about Arevalo's positions on gender ideology. As a mother Im afraid, because weve grown up with a Christian background. I dont want to marry my daughter with another woman," she said. July Sunun acknowledged that Arevalo said he would respect the identities and decisions of the people, but what he hasnt said is that he wont allow (same-sex marriage) to happen here." 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 }} At a moment of growing legal peril, Donald Trump ramped up his calls for his GOP rivals to drop out of the 2024 presidential race as he threatened to primary Republican members of Congress who fail to focus on investigating Democratic President Joe Biden and urged them to halt Ukrainian military aid until the White House cooperates with their investigations into Biden and his family. Every dollar spent attacking me by Republicans is a dollar given straight to the Biden campaign, Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. The former president and GOP frontrunner said it was time for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others he dismissed as clowns to clear the field, accusing them of wasting hundreds of millions of dollars that Republicans should be using to build a massive vote-gathering operation to take on Biden in November. The comments came two days after federal prosecutors unveiled new criminal charges against Trump as part of the case that accuses him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club and refusing to turn them over to investigators. The superseding indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that Trump and two staffers sought to delete surveillance at the club in an effort to obstruct the Justice Department's investigation. The case is just one of Trump's mounting legal challenges. His team is currently bracing for additional possible indictments, which could happen as soon as this coming week, related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election brought by prosecutors in both Washington and Georgia. Trump already faces criminal charges in New York over hush money payments made to women who accused him of sexual encounters during his 2016 presidential campaign. Nevertheless, Trump remains the dominant early frontrunner for the Republican nomination and has only seen his lead grow as the charges have mounted and as his rivals have struggled to respond. Their challenge was on display at a GOP gathering in Iowa Friday night, where they largely declined to go after Trump directly. The only one who did accusing Trump of running to stay out of prison was booed as he left the stage. In the meantime, Trump has embraced his legal woes, turning them into the core message of his bid to return to the White House as he accuses Biden of using the Justice Department to maim his chief political rival. The White House has said repeatedly that the president has had no involvement in the cases. At rallies including Saturday's Trump has tried to frame the charges, which come with serious threats of jail time, as an attack not just on him, but those who support him. Theyre not indicting me, theyre indicting you. I just happen to be standing in the way, he told the arena crowd in Erie, adding that, Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it actually a great badge of honor.... Because Im being indicted for you. But the investigations are also sucking up enormous resources that are being diverted from the nuts and bolts of the campaign. The Washington Post first reported Saturday that Trumps political action committee, Save America, will report Monday that it spent more than $40 million on legal fees during the first half of 2023 defending Trump and all of the current and former aides whose lawyers it is paying. The total is more than the campaign raised during the second quarter of the year. "In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Bidens cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, the leadership PAC contributed to their legal fees to ensure they have representation against unlawful harassment," said Trump's spokesman Steven Cheung. At the rally held in a former Democratic stronghold that Trump flipped in 2016, but Biden won narrowly in 2020 Trump also threatened Republicans in Congress who refuse to go along with efforts to impeach Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said this past week that Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry into the president over unproven claims of financial misconduct. Trump, who was impeached twice while in office, said Saturday that, The biggest complaint that I get is that the Republicans find out this information and then they do nothing about it." Any Republican that doesn't act on Democrat fraud should be immediately primaries and get out out! he told the crowd to loud applause. They have to play tough and ... if theyre not willing to do it, we got a lot of good, tough Republicans around ... and they're going to get my endorsement every singe time. Trump, during the 2022 midterm elections, made it his mission to punish those who had voted in favor of his second impeachment and succeeded in unseating most who had by backing primary challengers. At the rally, Trump also called on Republican members of Congress to halt the authorization of additional military support to Ukraine, which has been mired in a war fighting Russias invasion, until the Biden administration cooperates with Republican investigations into Biden and his familys business dealings words that echoed the call that lead to his first impeachment. Hes dragging into a global conflict on behalf of the very same country, Ukraine, that apparently paid his family all of these millions of dollars, Trump alleged. In light of this information, Congress, he said, should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles ... the weapons stockpiles to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime familys corrupt business dealings. House Republicans have been investigating the Biden familys finances, particularly payments Hunter, the presidents son, received from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that became tangled in the first impeachment of Trump. An unnamed confidential FBI informant claimed that Burisma company officials in 2015 and 2016 sought to pay the Bidens $5 million each in return for their help ousting a Ukrainian prosecutor who was purportedly investigating the company. But a Justice Department review in 2020, while Trump was president, was closed eight months later with insufficient evidence of wrongdoing. Trumps first impeachment by the House resulted in charges that he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on the Bidens while threatening to withhold military aid. Trump was later acquitted by the Senate. 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 }} Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected in 2024. NBC News contacted 44 of those who served in then-President Donald Trumps cabinet between 2017 and 2021. While many declined to comment or didnt answer, only four have publicly endorsed Mr Trump for the office he once held. Several of them have been trying to remain as neutral as possible as the Republican primary plays out. There are those who oppose Mr Trumps return to the presidency. Former Attorney General Bill Barr told NBC, I have made clear that I strongly oppose Trump for the nomination and will not endorse Trump. Mr Barr was asked how he would cast his vote if the 2024 general election ended up being a rematch between Mr Trump and President Joe Biden. Ill jump off that bridge when I get to it, he said. The Trump campaign told NBC to contact three ex-cabinet members, one who has endorsed him and two who didnt commit to doing so at this time. Speaking about Mr Trumps cabinet, the director of presidential studies at the University of Virginias Miller Center, Barbara Perry, told NBC, Theyre not friends theyre not hanging on forever. Theyre going to skip out, or hes going to push them out in some instances, she added. Those supporting Mr Trumps return to the White House are former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, his last Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former budget chief Russell Vought, and former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell. A spokesperson for Mr Meadows told NBC he fully supports Mr Trump. Mr Vought wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in May that Mr Trump is the only person I trust to take a wrecking ball to the Deep State. Ive seen his willingness up close and behind closed doors, he added. My friend and former boss is going to finish what he started. One of Mr Trumps chiefs of staff, Mick Mulvaney, told NBC that he is working hard to make sure that someone else is the nominee. I think hes the Republican who is most likely to lose in a general election, of all our leading candidates. If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be him, he added. Two former members of the Trump cabinet ex-VP Mike Pence and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley are running against Mr Trump in the Republican primary. Former Trump Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told NBC he supports Mr Pence. Mr Coats is a former GOP senator from Indiana, where Mr Pence served as a US representative and governor before becoming vice president. I think he has all the qualities to be a great president, Mr Coats said. I know its a steep climb for him, but I think the steps he has taken now show the integrity of who he is and his qualifications. Elaine Chao, Mr Trumps Transportation Secretary, has criticised Mr Trump for his racially charged attacks against her. When I was young, some people deliberately misspelled or mispronounced my name, she has said. Asian Americans have worked hard to change that experience for the next generation. He doesnt seem to understand that, which says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans. Ms Chao is married to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell who didnt respond when asked by NBC if she would support anyone in the presidential race. Mr Trumps Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, told NBC: Donald Trump is my friend and would make a fantastic president, and if I have an announcement to make about 2024, Ill look forward to doing so in an appropriate way. Trump Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, now a Montana Representative in the US House, told NBC: I think the president is on a glide slope right now, but hes got some hurdles. From an individual who worked for him, I know hes tough. Theyre throwing everything at him, and hes got some significant hurdles ahead. I take the indictment seriously, I think everyone should. So hes got some tough hurdles before him, but I tell you what, theres only one Donald J Trump, he 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 }} Donald Trump returned to the roots of his first impeachment when he suggested that aid to Ukraine should be conditioned on congressional investigations of President Joe Biden. The former president called for Republicans in Congress to hold back on more support for Ukraine until the White House cooperates with their probes into the business dealings of Mr Biden and his son Hunter Biden. The Saturday night tirade at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania echoed the conduct that led to Mr Trumps first of his two impeachments when he used military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into then-candidate Biden in 2019. Congress should refuse to authorize a single additional shipment of our depleted weapons stockpiles to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden Crime Familys corrupt business dealings, Mr Trump said on Saturday. He argued that all Republicans who dont join the efforts should be challenged in their primaries Mr Trump endorsed challengers in the 2022 midterms of the Republicans who voted for his impeachment after the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Republicans are probing Hunter Bidens business interests in China and Ukraine during the Obama administration when Mr Biden served as vice president. Hunter Biden served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. The White House has argued that the GOP hasnt presented any proof of wrongdoing by the president. Republicans in Congress have shared their frustration regarding the administrations response to their requests for records. The Oversight Committee has got hold of thousands of pages of financial documents and theyve also looked at Treasury Department bank activity reports and an internal report by the FBI, according to The Washington Post. Far-right conservatives in the party have been putting pressure on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to turn the investigations into an impeachment inquiry. The speaker indicated last week that he was open to doing so. A spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Ammar Moussa, told The Post: Just like when he was impeached, Trump is using aid to Ukraine to play politics, which only serves to benefit one person: Vladimir Putin. MAGA Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kevin McCarthy are echoing Trumps baseless attacks, floating a political impeachment, and wasting taxpayer dollars instead of working with President Biden on actually delivering lower costs, more jobs, and safer communities for the American people. Mr Trump spoke to Mr Zelensky in 2019 in what the ex-president has referred to as a perfect phone call. At the time, Mr Zelensky was requesting US missiles as his country was trying to resist what later became the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of last year. I would like you to do us a favour though, Mr Trump responded on the call, before going on to ask that Mr Zelensky help him find DNC emails that he suggested, without evidence, were located on a server in Ukraine. Mr Trump also asked that Mr Zelensky discuss investigating Hunter Biden with his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr. The phone call prompted a complaint by a whistleblower which later led to the impeachment inquiry. He was impeached in the House for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He was acquitted in the Senate, where one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, voted with the Democrats. 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 broadcaster at the rightwing network Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) interrupted the programming ahead of former President Donald Trumps rally in Erie, Pennsylvania to reject the notion that he wanted to kill liberals, globalists, and insufficiently conservative or Trump-supporting Republicans, known as RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). Matthew Alvarez said on Saturday that There is something that is trending on Twitter right now ... I was interviewing people ... they were talking about how great the country is, how great the president is, and I heard something else that was spoken ... what Im hearing is somebody said, Well lets kill them all. That is not something that I agree with, obviously, he said, according to RawStory. Footage from the pre-rally interviews shows a Trump supporter saying that he will guarantee that Mr Trump gets back into the White House. Hes then asked what his opinion is on the globalists and RINOs and he appears to respond Kill them all to which Mr Alvarez says I agree with you on that. After the incident, Mr Alvarez backtracked to his viewers: So if there is something that happened, where somebody was speaking out there, I didnt hear those words spoken. Its very loud outside. All I know is Im here for God, for this country, for truth, for President Trump, that kind of thing. Definitely not a proponent of anything like that happening. A fellow host on RSBN added: It is very natural for someone to maybe agree with them, even if you didnt understand. They will take a clip of that and run with it. We all know thats not what you meant, he added. I didnt say it, I didnt hear the guy say it, Mr Alvarez responded. 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 }} Nikki Haley is once again pressing Washingtons greying political establishment to step aside after a pair of concerning moments involving two of the Senates oldest members grabbed headlines in recent days. The former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador spoke to CBSs Margaret Brennan in an interview that aired on Sunday; she is currently campaigning in early primary states as she seeks the GOP nomination for president. A central tenet of her campaigns message since its onset has been a call for a new generation of leaders to take the helm in both parties. As such, Brennan asked her about the moment that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze and appeared unable to speak at a press conference on Wednesday, after which he was led away by a colleauge. It was later revealed that the Senate GOP leader had suffered an undisclosed fall earlier in July while still recovering from a concussion suffered in the spring. I think Mitch McConnell did an amazing job when it comes to our judiciary. When we look at the judges, when we look at the Supreme Court, he's been a great leader. But I do think that this is one you know, we've got to stop electing people because they look good in the picture or they hold a baby well, she told CBS News. We've got to stop electing people because we like them and they've been there a long time. That's actually the problem. You need to have term limits, because we need new ideas, new solutions. We've got to have a new generation. Ms Haley added when pressed by Brennan on whether she had confidence in Mr McConnell remaining leader of the Senate Republican caucus: What I am saying about Mitch McConnell, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, all of them: know when to walk away, know when to walk away. We have huge issues that need new solutions. We need new generational leaders. We appreciate your service. We appreciate what you've done. But this is why we will fight for term limits. We've got to get it done in America. Her remark naming Senator Feinstein was an apparent reference to another moment that drew the attention of reporers this past week when the senior senator from California appeared confused during a committee hearing and launched into a speech calling for a vote which was already in progress. And persistent concerns about Joe Bidens age have followed him doggedly throughout his first term. The 80-year-old Mr Biden was already the oldest US president to be sworn into office in 2021, and is now facing some calls from progressives and others concerned about criticisms focused on his mental acuity to step aside and allow a younger politician to be the Democratic Partys standard-bearer. Nikki Haley is challenging for the GOP nomination (Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.) Ms Pelosis inclusion on the list is only notable given that she is the sole named party leader to have already given up her leadership position, willingly, earlier this year. The 83-year-old California congresswoman handed over command of the Democratic caucus to Hakeem Jeffries at the beginning of the year while Republicans struggled to anoint their own leader in a chaotic speakership election. Ms Haley was less certain in her interview with CBS whether Donald Trump, 77, would be included in her call for ageing politicians to step aside. But she maintained that he should take a mental acuity test, as she argues all presidential contenders should. And she relented after pressing from Brennan that Mr Trump was of course not who she had in mind when she made her call for leaders with new ideas, age notwithstanding. I just said we need a new generational leader, she noted. I mean, that goes ... for all of them. You can look across DC ... Of course, I'm talking about Trump. I've said that all throughout this campaign that it is time for us to have a new generation. We've lost Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president. That's nothing to be proud of, we should want to win the majority of Americans, we've got to start going with a new generation so that we can do that. 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 president Donald Trump floated his potential defence for the charges he may face for promoting lies about the election during a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania. The already-twice-impeached and twice-indicted former president now faces a potential third indictment for spreading lies about the 2020 presidential election and the attack on the Capitol that was fuelled by them. But speaking to the crowd in Pennsylvania, a state where he lost 43 lawsuits as he tried to dispute the 2020 presidential election results, Mr Trump pushed back on the potential accusations. Why didnt the corrupt Marxist prosecutors bring these radical and unjustified charges against me two and a half years ago, Mr Trump asked the crowd. They had two and a half years. Two and a half years. Nobody even knew they were looking at it. I dont think they were. Mr Trump said with no evidence that Special Counsel Jack Smiths office waited as long as it did to indict him in the middle of his 2024 presidential campaign. Because its election interference, he said. These are crooked people. Mr Trump repeated his continued lies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and questioned why the press did not call Pennsylvania for him in the 2016 or 2020 presidential election. They just refused to call it because, in my opinion, they were trying to cheat and they couldn't quite pull it off, he told the crowd. So far, Mr Trump has been indicted by the district attorney for New York Countys office for charges related to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and by Mr Smiths office for his handling of documents related to national security. Mr Trump pled not guilty to all charges. Mr Trump also railed against Fani Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County, Georgia, who is investigating Mr Trumps attempts overturn the election results in the state. So they have a DA there that doesn't do anything about crime, he said. All she does is focus on lets get Trump. We got to get him. The former president said he was being treated unfairly and said that Democrats made far more inflammatory statements than he did in the past. GOP presidential hopeful booed off for claiming Trump is running to stay out of prison They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you, he said. That's what it's all about. Despite facing multiple charges, Mr Trump continues to lead every poll for the Republican primary both nationally and in the early primary states including Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Similarly, he feted how he held a decisive lead against his closest competitor, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis. A lot of people say just saying this is dropping out of the race, he said. I don't know that that's true, but I wouldn't be surprised. He should. Because I think he's absolutely killed himself for [2028]. Similarly, he mocked how his former vice president Mike Pence polled in single digits and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson barely registered in the polls. In addition, he criticised President Joe Biden, using a vulgar epithet for him. We have somebody who is not at the top of his game, he said. Never was at the top of a game. Never was. We have a guy who is a dumb son of a b***h. 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 sailor who was rescued after spending three months adrift with his dog in the Pacific Ocean has revealed why he will now be leaving his faithful pet to get lost in the jungle. Tim Shaddock, 54, and his dog Bella were found alive on board his catamaran on 12 July, having survived on raw fish and rainwater under a beating sun for more than 90 days. Mr Shaddock, a former IT manager from Sydney, said the last time he saw land was in early May as he sailed out of the Sea of Cortez with the aim of reaching French Polynesia. The boat, however, became lost after the electronics were wiped out by a storm, leaving him unable to call for help and stranded at sea with Bella. Mr Shaddock sits with Bella after being rescued by a Mexican tuna boat (Grupomar/Atun Tuny via AP) The pair were reunited a week after they were spotted by a helicopter and saved by a crew of tuna fishermen who took them to the Mexican city of Manzanillo. Mr Shaddock told The Times: Im so happy to have seen my dog again. Shes still as lively as ever. But their time together will not last for long, as it was revealed the pair are to be parted for good. Mr Shaddock said he had decided to leave Bella in Mexico after a crew member from the rescue boat promised to give her a happy and loving home. Mr Shaddock wants to continue his adventures, with Belize next on his list. Ill see if I can get lost in the jungle there, he said. But he plans to do these potentially dangerous explorations solo. He said that, while he cared less for himself, he could not put his beloved dog at risk again. Mr Shaddock, a former IT manager from Sydney, said the last time he saw land was in early May as he sailed out of the Sea of Cortez with the aim of reaching French Polynesia (AP) However, he added: Im sad to lose her, shes a remarkable animal. Ive had her since she was a pup, and she just hasnt stopped following me. Bella enjoyed her time on the boat, said Mr Shaddock, keeping him calm and sane throughout the ordeal (AP) He met Bella, who was a stray, in March 2020 in Mexico, where he was plotting a sailing route home to Australia, having been barred from the country due to pandemic restrictions. The duo drifted around Mexico for three years before finally setting off for what would have been a 5,000-mile ocean crossing. With coronavirus restrictions relaxed, the journey became more about a quest for solitude for Mr Shaddock. The dog jumped into his car when he left central Mexico for the coast last spring. I thought to myself, well thats it then, he said. The crew of the Mexican tuna boat Maria Delia, which rescued the pair, pose for photos with Bella (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Bella enjoyed her time on the boat, said Mr Shaddock, although she did not once get off the vessel to swim with him. He said she kept him calm and sane throughout the ordeal. You wouldnt believe how well she managed out there. When we were rescued, all the crew commented on how fit she still looked, especially compared to me. Fisherman Genaro Rosales, 48, a member of the rescue crew, will be adopting Bella (AFP via Getty Images) Despite his sadness, Mr Shaddock is philosophical about losing his dog, happy in the knowledge she will be taken care of by her new Mexican family. Genaro Rosales, 48, along with his three children and their pug-chihuahua will be adopting Bella. Shes got a really good outcome, said Mr Shaddock. The worst outcome was that she would lose her life out there with me. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, an advocate for higher pay for service members, recently compared military members wages to those of fast-food workers. You can work at some McDonalds in this country for more money than signing up for the military. Its really, truly a disgrace, the Staten Island Republican said on the New York City radio program Sid and Friends. The fight for higher wages for fast-food workers succeeded in New York and has since spread around the country. A review of military compensation, mandated to happen every four years, was ordered by President Biden in January. Workers in both fields experience challenging financial circumstances. We wanted to find out if Malliotakis claim is accurate, that someone could work at a McDonalds restaurant and earn more money than someone who signed up for the military. The Bureau of Labor Statistics most updated data on fast-food and counter workers finds that in places where these workers have the highest pay, they earn, on average, between $33,000 and $36,000 a year, if they work full-time hours. The highest-paying states for fast-food workers are Washington, California, Massachusetts and New York, along with the District of Columbia. In the highest-paying metro area, San Jose, Calif., the average pay for full-time work was $39,110. But many fast-food workers do not have full-time jobs. A study in California from Harvard University and the University of California San Francisco found that 51% of fast-food workers wanted more hours. Daniel Flaming, president of the Economic Roundtable, said frontline fast-food workers in California work on average 26 hours a week, and their median annual earnings were $14,949 in 2020. More than two-thirds of Californias frontline workers are paid less than $20,000 a year, Flaming said. The base pay for people starting out in the military is much lower than the average full-time pay for fast-food workers in high-paying states. However, even low-ranking service members can receive additional compensation. The average base pay for the lowest ranking service member is $21,215, according to the Congressional Research Service. But these personnel can receive additional compensation for housing and food if these items are not provided to them by the government. One-third of service members receive government housing, and the rest receive an allowance. The average total compensation for the lowest-ranking member is $44,810, when allowances for housing, food and a federal tax advantage is included. Comparing military compensation to civilian compensation can be tricky because of the unique features of military pay. In the military, basic pay is taxable, unless a service member is in a tax-free combat zone, but housing and food allowances are not taxed. For that reason, most service members receive a larger amount of take-home pay than civilians who are paid a comparable amount, according to the Congressional Budget Office. There are also attractive benefits for service members that are not typically afforded to fast-food workers, such as health care, educational programs and retirement pay, weighting total military compensation more heavily toward noncash and deferred benefits, which increases the value of military compensation relative to that for comparable civilians by more than a comparison of cash compensation would suggest, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The U.S. Army puts it this way: Your Army base salary is just one part of the total compensation soldiers receive. While civilian jobs may pay higher base salaries, the Army offers a starting salary above the federal minimum wage for a 40-hour work week, 30 days paid leave every year, plus a variety of benefits on top of your base pay that add up. But unlike hourly civilian employees, active duty military personnel are not entitled to overtime pay. We asked Malliotakis office about her claim, and her spokesperson, Natalie Baldassarre, sent us the entry pay for the U.S. Army, $23,011, along with a website that lists fast-food salaries, which states that McDonalds average salary in New York is $30,283, and the starting salary is $19,000. We asked about additional compensation for service members, but did not hear back. Our ruling Malliotakis compared the starting salaries for military members with wages at McDonalds. She did not specify starting wages at McDonalds and she did not mention other benefits, such as health insurance or retirement savings. People who study military pay say it is difficult to compare it to civilian compensation because of the unique pay structure and benefits military members receive, such as allowances for food and housing, or government-provided meals and housing. Base pay for low-ranking members of the military is lower than the average full-time pay for fast-food workers. When housing, food, and federal tax benefits are added, the value of the total compensation for entry-level servicemembers can exceed the average pay for established full-time fast-food workers. In comparing compensation for both jobs, we looked at averages. In some cases, incomes in one job will be higher than in the other, or the reverse could be true. Malliotakis statement is partially accurate but it leaves out important details. We rate this Half True. 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 }} War is returning to Russia, Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned, after early-morning drone attacks hit Moscow on Sunday. Although Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the strikes, Mr Zelensky said such attacks were an inevitable and fair process of the war between the nations. Earlier on Sunday, Russia blamed Ukraine for what it called an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime and said three drones had targetted the capital. Its defence ministry said two buildings were damaged in the Moskva-Citi business district after being brought down using electronic jamming equipment, while another was shot down over the Odintsovo area. One of the residential buildings damaged was home to three government ministries, local media reported. Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the capital was forced to temporarily close due to the attacks, according to Russias state news agency. Nobody was hurt, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. It is the fourth attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fuelling concerns about Moscows vulnerability to attacks as Russias war in Ukraine drags on into its 18th month. President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the attempted attacks, his spokesperson said. He was in his home town of St Petersburg for meetings with African leaders and a naval celebration at the time. Emergency personnel survey the damage caused by one of the destroyed drones in Moscow (AP) On the morning of 30th July, an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime using unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in the city of Moscow was foiled, Russias defence ministry said in a statement. In a video address from the western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk, Mr Zelensky said that Ukraine was getting stronger. Today is the 522nd day of the so-called Special Military Operation, which the Russian leadership thought would last a couple of weeks, he said. Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process. A Ukrainian airforce spokesperson did not claim responsibility for the attacks but said the Russian people were seeing the consequences of Russias invasion of Ukraine. All of the people who think the war doesnt concern them its already touching them, Yurii Ihnat told journalists. Theres already a certain mood in Russia: that something is flying in, and loudly, he said. Theres no discussion of peace or calm in the Russian interior any more. They got what they wanted. Mr Ihnat also referenced an attempted drone attack in Crimea early on Sunday the Ukrainian territory occupied and illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. At least two buildings were damaged in the early-morning attacks on the capital (AP) Russias defence ministry said it had shot down 16 Ukrainian drones and neutralised eight others through electronic jamming. No injuries or damage were reported. Mr Zelensky has vowed to take back all land Russian forces have occupied, including Crimea, and his efforts have been strengthened by the receipt and deployment of increasingly advanced Western weapons. It comes after a ramping up of Ukraines counteroffensive in recent weeks, with the head of Ukraines intelligence directorate telling Ukrainian news site TSN on Saturday that Kyivs forces were set to enter Crimea soon. In Ukraine, the airforce claimed it had destroyed four Russian drones above the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike late on Saturday killed two people and wounded 20 in the city of Sumy in northeast Ukraine. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said a four-storey college building was hit, with local authorities saying accommodation and teaching buildings were damaged in the blast and fire that followed. Close Huge smoke cloud rises after massive explosion at factory in Moscow 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 }} 45 people have been injured in a blast at a night-vision goggle factory in Moscow, The Moscow Times reports. The explosion rocked the town of Sergiev Posad, 50 km (30 miles) northeast of Moscow on Wednesday, with emergency services reporting that the blast appeared to have taken place in a warehouse containing pyrotechnic equipment. 23 people were hospitalised, with six in intensive care, the Sergiev Posad mayors office said. Unverified footage on social media showed a huge column of smoke, and high-rise buildings with windows blown out. The Zagorsk Optical and Mechanical Plant produces optical equipment for industrial and healthcare applications as well as for the Russian security forces. However, TASS cited emergency services as saying they did not believe the blast had been caused by a Ukrainian drone attack - many of which have taken place in Moscow and the surrounding area in recent weeks and months. The news comes as Russia claimed it shot down two Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow, one near a major airport to the south of the city and one to the west of the capital. 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 }} At least 44 people have been killed and nearly 200 injured after a suicide bomb blast at a political rally in Pakistan. The large explosion ripped through a rally being held by supporters of a hardline cleric and political leader in the Bajaur district of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in a region that borders Afghanistan. The gathering on Sunday was being held by supporters of the conservative Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, which is known for its links with hardline political Islam. It is believed that more than 200 people have been injured (EPA) A rescue operation is ongoing and an emergency has been declared in Bajaurs hospitals, and adjoining areas where most of the injured were taken, some by military helicopter. Akhtar Hayat, the provincial police chief, later said the blast was caused by a suicide bomb. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but Isis operates across the border in Afghanistan. Images on local TV showed ambulances ferrying injured people to hospitals. Some were forced to wait in the hallways of health clinics as local services struggled to deal with the high number of casualties, the BBC reported. Adam Khan, 45, was among the injured in Sundays attack. He was hit by splinters in his leg and both hands when he was knocked to the ground by the explosion at around 4pm. He said: There was all dust and smoke around and I was under some injured people from where I hardly [could stand] up but only to see chaos and some scattered limbs. Mohammad Wali said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him. He added: I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded throwing me away to the ground. The seriously injured were airlifted to hospital (EPA) We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying wounded people and sobbing relatives taking bodies of their loved ones. Police said the workers' convention of pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) party was taking place on the outskirts of Khar when the explosion took place. An announcement was being made for the arrival of the partys senior leader, Abdul Rasheed, when the bomb exploded. Maulana Ziaullah, the local party chief, was confirmed among the dead. Mr Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were on the stage at the time of the blast but escaped unhurt. Party officials said Mr Rehman, whose party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad, was not at the rally. Mr Rasheed claimed the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work and demanded a full investigation. He said: Many of our fellows lost lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones. An injured man is shifted to a hospital (EPA) Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif, President Arif Alvi and other leaders have condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families. Bajur was once a haven for Islamic militants and is a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). But the group was forced from the area by the Pakistani military in recent years. The country has seen a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since last year when a ceasefire between the TTP and Islamabad broke down. The TTP has condemned the bombing, saying it was aimed at pitching Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban, wrote on Twitter: Such crimes cannot be justified in any way. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech 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 IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The co-founder of the company that operated the ill-fated submersible trip to the wreck of the Titanic is now leading efforts to send humans to Venus. Guillermo Sohnlein, who is also the founder and chairman of Humans2Venus, said in an interview with Insider that he is hopeful his new company can host a colony of 1,000 humans on the hottest planet in the solar system. The new venture comes less than two months after OceanGate co-founder and Mr Sohnleins friend Stockton Rush and four other passengers died when the companys Titan submersible imploded at depths of more than 12,000ft. Mr Sohnlein co-founded OceanGate with Mr Rush in 2009 and handed over control of the company in 2013. Guillermo Sohnlein (60 Minutes ) Forget OceanGate. Forget Titan. Forget Stockton. Humanity could be on the verge of a big breakthrough and not take advantage of it because we, as a species, are gonna get shut down and pushed back into the status quo, Mr Sohnlein said. [Sending humans to Venus] ... it is aspirational, but I think its also very doable by 2050. Mr Sohnlein argued that new findings by NASA suggest humans could potentially live in a silver of the Venusian atmosphere that is 30 miles from the surface. According to NASA, Venus has a very toxic atmosphere filled with carbon dioxide and its permanently shrouded in thick, yellowish clouds of sulfuric acid that trap heat, causing a runaway greenhouse effect. It is believed by experts that it would be nearly impossible for humans to live on Venus, per Space.com. However, Mr Sohnlein has expressed that those hurdles can be overcome with innovation. When it came to imagining a permanent home for humanity away from Earth, one challenge always bothered me, an entry by Mr Sohnlein on the Humans2Venus website read. I am not an engineer or a scientist, but I have ultimate faith in the abilities of both. Therefore, I always figured that they would be able to overcome the myriad challenges facing us in the extreme environment of space: radiation, temperature, pressure, food, water, breathable air, etc. All of these could be overcome. Hamish Harding (upper left), Stockton Rush (upper right), Paul-Henri Nargeolet (bottom left) and Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman (bottom right) died in the Titans implosion (Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGate/AFP/Getty) Mr Sohnlein has fiercely defended Rush against criticism that the late investor ignored several warnings about safety concerns with the Titan. I dont think that should have a negative connotation because you could almost argue that its a critical element of humanity moving forward, he told Insider. If we didnt have people that like this, wed probably all still be in caves. OceanGate, which was based in Everett, Washington, announced earlier this month that it suspended all operations. In this handout image provided by NASA, the SDO satellite captures a ultra-high definition image of the Transit of Venus across the face of the sun on June 6, 2012 (Getty Images) The Titans catastrophic implosion on 18 June remains under investigation by multiple maritime authorities, including the US Coast Guard as well as the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the French Marine Casualties Investigation Board. The Coast Guard convened a Marine Board of Investigation last month and said it will hold a public hearing once it is determined what caused the submersible to malfunction. 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 }} In May this year, residents of Whitstable gathered to discuss a growing crisis the slow death of their community at the hands of tourists, with the blame laid firmly on the growth of second homes and holiday lets. Locals listed numerous problems caused by a proliferation of short-term rentals in recent years, from poor parking and litter to all-night parties. The seaside town on Kents northern coast has also seen a steady decline in year-round inhabitants, which has left the town feeling hollowed out, they said. Its a familiar story for anyone living in one of the UKs holiday hotspots. Around the coast, and in popular tourist destinations such as the Cotswolds, the Lake District, and parts of Wales, resentment has been brewing for some time. Locals are increasingly being driven out by soaring house prices, and the effect has been devastating, both for those forced out and for those left behind. Janet Pearson lives in Newlyn, a working fishing port in West Cornwall that has become increasingly popular with holidaymakers in recent years. The road she lives on, a quiet terrace of small fishermens cottages, is perfect for the Airbnb market. One by one, the houses are being sold to investors and let out for a week or two at a time. Its cancerous in the way its spreading, she said. When I first moved here 10 years ago, every house on my road was lived in, with several families and quite a few children. During lockdown, two houses became holiday lets, then more. Its sad in the winter. When I pull my curtains at night and look out, the houses opposite are just dead. Theres no light in them at all. It makes me feel very isolated. Just 10 miles away, the honeypot resort of St Ives has been grappling with the pressures of overtourism for decades. In 2016, the town became one of the first in the country to try to legislate against the tide, voting through Policy H2, which stipulates that newly built homes can only be sold as a principal residence. Whitstable, on Kents northern coast, has seen a steady decline in year-round inhabitants (Getty/iStock) Other places have followed suit: the Cornish towns of Fowey and Mevagissey, as well as Brighton, Whitby, Scarborough and parts of Norfolk. Few want to drive the holidaymakers out completely; many of the UKs more remote regions are almost entirely reliant on tourism to drive their economies. But the prevailing mood is that a balance needs to be struck, and soon. Janet Jefferson, an independent councillor representing Scarboroughs Castle ward, is one of those pushing for there to be greater consideration for local interests. In some areas there might only be two or three people living in a road permanently. It also reduces the number of properties that are left for ordinary families, she said. A lot of landlords are issuing Section 21 notices, so people are having to vacate properties they might have lived in for two decades so it can be let out for holidays. Its then very difficult for them to find something to rent. Its cancerous in the way its spreading Janet Pearson on holiday lets in Newlyn, Cornwall Im not decrying people who want to come on holiday theres nothing wrong with that. But you lose the community. In Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay, places like that, the young people cant afford to buy anything because they get snapped up by investors. The problem with mechanisms such as Policy H2 is that they simply dont get to the root of the issue. Angry vandals have targeted a second home in Cornwall with graffiti (Jory Mundy / SWNS) While its evidently a good thing that new-build developments are preserved for those who live and work in the area, most investors in holiday lets are after the more historic and atmospheric homes the ones that usually make up the heart of any town. But for now, its pretty much the only tool local authorities possess. The government has promised help through the Levelling Up Bill, currently making its way through parliament. This will allow local councils to double the rate of council tax payable on second homes, as has been the case in Wales since 2017. Whitby and Scarborough have already voted to adopt these measures as soon as they are passed into law. The Telegraph report one in four councils in England have pre-emptively agreed to double the levy. More than 100,000 second-home owners are set to see bills rise. But critics are sceptical as to how much of an effect this will have on the community crisis. The Welsh government has now raised rates again, with a premium of 300 per cent, but the policies have little to no impact on holiday-let owners, who are subject to business rates instead (and for the most part are able to claim 100 per cent relief as small businesses). Campaigners are more optimistic regarding the latest proposal from Michael Gove, the minister for levelling up, housing and communities, who last month announced a new policy that would require property owners to apply for planning permission in order to convert homes into holiday lets. Recommended Best spa hotels in Cornwall 2022 for relaxing by the sea I think its a good idea, says Cath Navin, one of the founders of Cornwall-based organisation First Not Second Homes. Local councils should be able to say No more holiday lets. It will deter people from investing in property purely as a cash cow. But its something thats only going to be fully functional as part of a raft of measures, including returning other houses to long-term letting. CCTV captures the moment an arson suspect ignites flammable liquid in a store starting a fire in Oklahoma. The footage, released by Oklahoma Police Department, shows an unidentified person seemingly breaking the glass of a door to get into a business building in Oklahoma City. The suspect makes their way around the shop floor, pouring what appears to be a flammable liquid onto the floor and several surfaces. When finished, they start a fire on the desk in front of them and leave the building. Police in Oklahoma are offering a cash reward to anyone who has information about this individual. Several people have died after a bomb exploded at a rally in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, 30 July. Initial reports suggested at least 40 people had been killed in the blast in Bajur district, which is on the border of Afghanistan. More than 100 were injured and the death toll is expected to rise, officials said. Attendees at the rally were there to support a hardline cleric and political leader on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajur. Many of the wounded were taken to the citys main hospital, with some of the injuries described as critical. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Police deploy tear gas and clash with anti-government protesters in Lima, Peru. Civilians and police came to blows when protesters tried to make their way to an Independence Day parade headed by Peruvian President Dina Boluarte. Officers fired tear gas at protesters, who can be seen hitting police with objects in retaliation. The protesters had gathered about 800 meters (0.49 miles) from where the parade was taking place. Those protests began after then-President Pedro Castillo was impeached and later arrested for trying to dissolve Congress in December 2022. A group of demonstrators, dressed in black, also carried photographs of victims who were killed during the previous anti-government protests late last year. A bear was spotted cooling off in a swimming pool in California after residents spotted the animal roaming the streets. Police responded to calls about a large animal walking the hillsides of Burbank, near Los Angeles in California, on 28 July 2023. When officers turned up, the bear was cooling off in someones swimming pool, escaping the notorious Californian heat. Bears are known to inhabit the area around Los Angeles and Burbank with an estimated 25,000-30,000 in the entire state. Increasing numbers of bears are wandering into the city as the neighbourhoods push against a national forest. Embarrassing for Ireland Chinese fast fashion takes the Shein off FDI Critics have raised eyebrows at the idea of Ireland rolling out the red carpet for firms dogged by claims of unethical practices. But is tougher regulation the right answer? Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney and IDA head of growth markets Eileen Sharpe roll out the red carpet at the opening of Shein's EMEA HQ in Dublin in May Jonathan Keane Sun 30 Jul 2023 at 03:30 Within a week after excavation for a pond on Newton Road in Orchard Park began, the wells on two nearby properties went dry, and three others were depleted, neighbors said. The neighbors blame the Disciples of Divine Mercy in the Holy Face of Jesus, a Catholic lay group that expanded its Mother of Mercy House of Prayer at 6131 Newton Road last year. Ten residents of Newton Road have filed a lawsuit against the organization and John and Kathleen Wabick, who own the property. Kathleen Wabick, founder of the group, did not respond to two voicemails last week requesting comment. Excavation on the reflection pond started April 25, 2022. On April 28, Russ and Amy Wierers well went dry. By May 2, Geraldine Burgwardts well dried up, and three others were depleted, according to the lawsuit, filed by Richard J. Lippes. The neighbors contend that, according to the original site plan, the pond was supposed to be no deeper than 6 feet, but now is 18 to 20 feet deep. In digging out the pond, to such a greater depth, defendants hit an underground spring that fed the water wells of the plaintiffs, the lawsuit contends. Expansion of ministry near Chestnut Ridge Park vexes neighbors in Orchard Park Some residents in the area of the Newton Road property want to know the purpose of the expansion. And the answer to one simple question: Is it a church or not? The complaint also says runoff from a 61-space parking lot floods neighboring property, and trees and brush near one neighbor, in an area labeled on the site plan to be protected and preserved, were removed. This is the second legal action the neighbors, calling themselves the Friends of Chestnut Ridge, have filed about the expansion of the building, parking lot and pond. The property adjoins Chestnut Ridge Park. Last year, they filed a petition seeking an injunction, contending that the project did not get proper approval from Erie County planners, or obtain a state stormwater discharge permit, and that the addition is too close to the adjacent property. They wanted construction to stop until laws and the zoning ordinance are followed. State Supreme Court Judge Dennis Ward denied the Town of Orchard Parks motion to dismiss the case, which is still pending. The Wabicks are named in that petition challenging the towns actions on the project. Its one thing to either get the project stopped or request an injunction to get the problems rectified, Lippes, attorney for the Friends of Chestnut Ridge, told The Buffalo News. Its another thing to compensate the plaintiffs, for example, for the loss of their water. The latest suit seeks the remediation of the amount and quality of the water in the wells and $500,000 in damages for each of the plaintiffs. When it did come back, the water pressure never came back fully. Water that did come back was dirty and brackish, Lippes said. They rightfully request that they be compensated for all the problems they are undergoing. Lippes said that in the event all of the construction is completed, he will ask the judge to require the Wabicks to rectify the problem so the water pressure will fully return and be clean, without contaminants. The really important thing is building connections Im writing to you once again from Riyadh, the bustling capital city of Saudi Arabia. Between sips of aromatic tea and nibbles of sugary dates, Ive been meeting with leaders of a new development project about what it will take to bring an employee-centric culture into their organisation. Its an interesting question, isnt it? How do you take a written vision on paper and turn it into a livable set of behaviours? Fortunately, for me (and now in-turn for you, dear readers), before I boarded my plane to Saudi Arabia, I had a conversation with an entrepreneurial individual who, after selling his own businesses, worked developing culture and growing teams in multi-nationals across Europe and the US. Now, as chief revenue officer for Xtremepush, an Ireland-based company that provides personalised omnichannel marketing for its customers, Rob Pryce provides personalised support creating culture for its growing workforce. The really important thing is building connections, building processes and scalability that are all inclusive. I need to make sure I know that no matter where people are based, they feel part of the organisation, Rob recommended. He cautioned, however, against what several Google searches on how to build company culture list as item number one: Decide what your culture should look like. According to Rob, this item actually comes last. So, here then, is an alternative culture cookbook from someone who knows a thing or two. Seek to understand your people first Instead of pushing a pre-ordained culture- and people-development agenda, Rob encourages the leader or consultant to set up a series of individual and group meetings. To listen. You have to bring people with you on the journey. So, I meet with everyone to hear them tell me: This is how were doing. Heres where the people are that we have to play with. Heres where were strong. And here are the gaps. Rob also advised that this role is easier when its conducted from within, as opposed to from without. Its a time investment that requires on-site presence and reliability. Its a lot of work at the start, said Rob. You need to build those connections and understanding before you can begin to form your own opinions. Obviously, you can take counsel from others but me talking to individuals personally is going to be more beneficial, compared to simply hearing about someone else from someone else. I seek to forge a bond with the individuals so that they can imagine you understanding what its like in the trenches with them and how you might work through challenges together. If you cant get that level, you dont have real connection. Rob stressed that if youre considering rolling out key performance indicators (KPIs) and expecting to get participation before listening and forging trust bonds, you may experience an initial uptake, but the impact wont be lasting. Again, your aim is to help employees envision that you care enough to go to battle with them. That youre in it together. This requires a deep level of trust. Create a stretch project Once there is alignment for every single individual, Rob encourages that each person also be initiated into their personal development plan. While most companies I work with across Europe and the United States are accustomed to providing a system for establishing and tracking these types of plans, many of the people working for the project I mentioned in Riyadh have not yet been introduced to the concept. Rob expands this process of creating an action plan for current and future career progression by implementing stretch projects for his employees. So, if you have a sales guy that has ambitions toward marketing or products, I get him hands-on involved with another department or team leader to give him cross-function exposure. He gets to talk to other team members, he gets involved with the new processes. By providing exposure across ecosystems and access to different stakeholders, employees get to refine or hone skills. It helps them identify where they want to be and how they want to contribute in the best way possible within a business. This, of course, also provides new managers with introductions of potential new team members before real openings arise. Layer in structure after you build the foundations The culture-building process then, according to Rob, is primarily about listening and understanding, about raising awareness and recalibrating. This way people feel they have contributed to the construction of their companys culture structure and they will be more likely to support it. The last bit is the structure, said Rob. Once you get the people processes in place, thats where the systematic scaling is easier. US-based IT and recruitment company Kavaliro states technology can significantly support people process and culture. It advises utilising a single technology platform or suite of integrated products to sustainably scale and also save a lot of time and effort. Dont wait until youve reached a pre-determined number of millions in revenue, and then try to simply bolt on a structure, right? I asked Rob. Thats right, he replied. I would say nothing will ever be 100 percent ready to do what you want to do. So just go and get started. Start listening and start connecting. Write to Gina in care of SundayBusiness@independent.ie It is believed to be the first report of an alleged financial sanction breach since Russias war in Ukraine started in February 2022. Photo: Getty images The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed not to prosecute a case of an alleged breach of financial sanctions in relation to Russia after the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) investigated the case and sent it a file. The Sunday Independent first reported that the GNECB had sent the file to the DPP following an investigation into the alleged sanction breach in April. The newspaper reported on the alleged financial sanction breach in September last year, when it was being reviewed. It is believed to be the first report of an alleged financial sanction breach since Russias war in Ukraine started in February 2022. According to a statement from a Garda spokesman, the DPP directed no prosecution in the case. A separate alleged financial sanction breach remains under review by the GNECB. The DPP said it doesnt comment on individual cases or confirm whether or not a file has been submitted and what the decision may be. Country inflicts tax losses of nearly $20bn each year The report says 260bn of Irelands total bank deposits of 290bn are 'abnormal'. Photo: Getty Ireland has been accused of being one of the most complicit countries in enabling international tax abuse by a researcher behind a global study on tax avoidance. EHRs complete patient journey records across all health settings are essential to Slaintecares success. Stock Image. Salesforce is one of a number of large tech firms expected to tender for a contract to develop a shared care record (SCR) system for the HSE. The project is one of a number of large-scale IT projects likely to cost over 2bn in total which underpin Slaintecare. Sources pointed to Salesforces Health Cloud service. Cerner, which is part of tech giant Oracle, and US firm Epic Systems, both of which provide electronic health record (EHR) systems may also bid. Epic Systems won a contract last year worth tens of millions for an EHR system for the new National Childrens Hospital. St Jamess and the Mater also currently use such records. Epic is also developing such a system for Northern Irelands NHS. A UK social enterprise that provides EHRs to the NHS, Patients Know Best, previously took part in trials here. However, it and any smaller US or Irish firms would be ineligible to tender for the SCR contract unless part of a consortium as single bidders must have a turnover of at least 40m, the tender documents state. The involvement of controversial US tech giant Palantir with the NHS sparked widespread privacy concerns in the UK related to health data. The first phase of an SCR here will begin with a summary care record a snapshot of a patients essential clinical information. Initial cost estimates for a national rollout of that are 20m-25m, the HSE said. SCRs are a digital record of a patients health status aggregated from various sources, according to the HSE. EHRs complete patient journey records across all health settings are essential to Slaintecares success, according to the HSE. Their rollout alone could cost up to 2.1bn over a decade, according to HSE documents. Other IT projects currently under way at the HSE include an integrated financial management system being developed by IBM, based on a contract that is reportedly worth 82m. One former senior HSE source, who asked not to be named, described the procurement of tech and software by the public sector as hopeless. They tend to be slow, and not very agile, he added. Pionex, a cryptocurrency exchange that uses AI for trading, is building out an Irish office as it prepares to launch its product in Europe. Chief operating officer for EMEA David Nolan told the Sunday Independent that the company is recruiting several roles with an initial eight or nine people on the team. Were just building out the team and finalising the actual European platform. We have the American one up and running but we need to tailor it for European regulatory requirements, and we hope to have the platform live in October, Nolan said. We need to find the right candidates to fill some of the senior roles, which takes time. Between building out the staff, completing the platform and finalising our products, thats where we are at the moment. It will be hiring Irish-based staff as well as remote recruits. The Irish subsidiary, Pionew Ireland, recently secured approval from the Central Bank of Ireland as a virtual asset service provider (VASP), which allows it to operate cryptocucrency services here. The company has operated under the brands Pionex and Pionew in different regions, but Nolan said the company will be unveiling a global rebrand of the entities soon to bring these brands under one umbrella. Pionex allows users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies like much of its competitors and uses AI bots to assist users with their trading. We have the AI, the bot technology, that we have running and available for free for people to use you can see it on the US website, Nolan said. Thats the prime feature we will bring into the market, along with spot [trading] and standard stuff, but well certainly try to mimic as best we can the numbers that we have on the US platform in Europe. As it stands, companies need to acquire approvals such as the Irish VASP licence in multiple countries in order to operate and market their digital asset services in the country. Pionex also has such an approval in Lithuania and is pursuing one in Italy, Nolan added. The European regulatory environment is about to undergo further change soon, with the passing of the EUs Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation that will introduce a bloc-wide regime for licensing and passporting, akin to traditional financial services. Pionex joins a slew of other international crypto companies with operations in Ireland. Nolan previously headed up the European operations at Kraken, another crypto exchange with a presence in Ireland. Kraken and several other major crypto firms such as Coinbase cut thousands of jobs recently in response to a weakening tech sector and a crypto winter where digital currency prices plummeted. Nolan said that this means there are potentially more candidates with crypto experience on the market. Initially we put out the feelers for these roles towards the end of last year and we got a huge number of applicants. We then put it on hold until we had a better understanding of when we were getting our VASP, he said. Because of the people that were leaving Kraken in huge numbers and the likes of Binance more recently, and because were a remote first company, were getting a lot of very good applicants. Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting Irish-owned companies to achieve greater scale and expand their global footprint, and an important part of that growth journey is by supporting them to become more agile, competitive, and innovative. If you look at companies around the world that are successfully scaling and growing, you will find that these are typically businesses that are proactively investing in their people, processes and systems in order to build capability, boost productivity and drive higher performance across their business operations to increase their competitiveness. The adoption of digital skills and tools not only enables companies to reach new customers, increase sales, explore new markets and improve product and service quality, it also equips organisations to deal with challenges and to improve operational excellence by driving performance and processes in the right direction. The pandemic and ever-changing consumer habits have been significant catalysts for change in how businesses operate, with many increasingly embracing the opportunities that digitalisation presents. In Enterprise Irelands Leading in a Changing World 2022-2024 strategy, one of our key ambitions is to support Irish companies on their innovation and digitalisation journey. Irish SMEs are a driving force in our economy. While many SMEs have fully embraced digitalisation and experienced an associated productivity boost, not all have, meaning there is now a need to accelerate and enhance digital adoption and maturity. As part of our commitment, Enterprise Ireland, along with our colleagues in the Local Enterprise Offices, last year joined forces with Google on the Youre the Business programme. This important initiative is a digital training scheme designed to help Irish SMEs to upskill and aims to accelerate growth through digitalisation in the form of free, tailored online training, along with a SME rewards programme. The digital platform provides Irish SMEs access to a series of live and on-demand training sessions, geared towards supporting companies at all stages of their digitalisation journey. The training initially consisted of three modules focused on helping businesses to understand how they can use digital to get online, grow online and expand internationally. And in recent weeks a new module, Improve your online business security, has been added. This comes after research, conducted by iReach Insights on behalf of Google, found 77pc agreed that having a secure online presence is priority for their business, but just one fifth said they are very aware of the specific measures or tools required to protect their data. Embracing digital skills and tools is important, but can sometimes be daunting, and Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting Irish businesses, including SMEs, on the journey to overcome barriers to digital adoption and better position themselves for success in todays digital world. Enterprise Ireland is delighted to work with Google and the Local Enterprise Offices on this important initiative, and encourages business owners to visit g.co/yourethebusiness for more information. Darren OReilly is Global Communications & Strategic Marketing, Enterprise Ireland Currenxie appointed fintech entrepreneur Garrett Cassidy as an independent non-executive director in June. Cassidy founded Trezeo before selling to UK fintech firm Monese. Photo: Shane O'Neill, SON Photographic Currenxie, a Hong Kong-based business banking app, is to establish its European headquarters in Dublin. The company provides virtual accounts and cross-border payments for businesses. It plans to employ up to 40 people at its Dublin office over the next two years to support its operations in the EU. Half of these will be technology-based roles, while the remainder will serve other functions such as compliance, operations, sales, marketing and customer support. Once matured, Currenxies Dublin headquarters will have every capability its Hong Kong office has, a spokesman said. Currenxie, which raised $10m (9m) in 2021, appointed Irish fintech entrepreneur Garrett Cassidy as an independent non-executive director in June. Cassidy founded Trezeo before selling to UK fintech firm Monese. It has applied for an electronic money, or e-money, licence from the central bank that it can passport around the EU. Europe is important to Currenxie and our global payment network, as we continually improve the cross-border payment services we provide to our global clients, the spokesman said. New Zealander Tim Bills-Everett wants to kickstart a green hydrogen economy in Ireland As temperatures across Europe soar amid fresh fears of the Gulf Stream switching off due to oceanic overheating, it sometimes feels like the world is in dire need of an energy miracle. It is not clear how many jobs will be affected Tilia is a subsidiary of Linden Lab, the creators of the game Second Life Tilia Payments has told its Irish staff that it is to close its office, despite a major recent funding deal with JP Morgan. US parent company Tilia LLC said it had taken the decision to close down Tilia Pay Ireland Ltd, which is based in Dundalk, Co Louth. Staff were informed they would be made redundant, but it was not clear how many jobs would be affected. Tilia declined to respond to a request for comment. The firm, which is headquartered in San Francisco, provides in-game payments to create digital economies within games, virtual worlds, within mobile applications, and for NFT providers. It is a subsidiary of Linden Lab, the creators of original metaverse game Second Life. In the last nine months, Tilia has raised a total of $22m in strategic funding. Last October it announced that it had secured a strategic investment from JP Morgan Payments. In March, it secured further funding from a Seoul-based fintech to further scale its platform and address the growing market need for trusted, dynamic payments in online games, creator platforms, social commerce and other digital social worlds. Selected cinemas/Apple TV+; Cert 15A Every now and then it looks like this wonky true-life comedy might be about to find its groove. Squint hard enough and you can just about make out the sort of film that The Beanie Bubble is trying to be. You can hear it in the occasional line of dialogue (you dont know how cheap my soul is) and in the glistening soundtrack too (full marks for The Cure, a bonus star for The Cranberries). You can see it in Elizabeth Banks, a likeable, commanding presence and the undeniable star of this rickety, rusty presentation. There is something here. Sadly, The Beanie Bubble never finds its groove and the problem starts on the page. Based on the 2015 non-fiction book, The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute by Zac Bissonnette, this mischievous corporate yarn concerns an icky billionaire fellow named Ty Warner. Even if youve never heard of the man, youll probably be familiar with Mr Warners toys. He created the Beanie Babies brand, an alarmingly simple line of stuffed childrens playthings that became a proper online sensation at a time when none of us knew what that meant. Back in the mid-1990s, America went nuts for Beanie Babies. Warner essentially created a fad his customers doled out cash for items that they believed were limited-edition collectibles. They would then resell those collectibles to the highest bidder on eBay. You can see where this is going. Supply soon caught up with demand, and eventually, the bubble burst. A dramatised reconstruction was inevitable, and this clumsy, convoluted feature written by Kristin Gore and co-directed by Gore and Damian Kulash delivers a devious disclaimer at the top. There are parts of the truth you just cant make up. The rest, we did. It sounds nice, but it doesnt really mean anything, does it? The Beanie Bubble is full of this sort of nonsense. There are three timelines to follow. A beardless Zach Galifianakis portrays Warner in all three, and thats fine. Whats not fine is how The Beanie Bubble refuses to explain Warners appeal. Galifianakis portrays this tetchy entrepreneur as an irredeemable weirdo, a man who says he shared a girlfriend with his late father (dont ask) and who makes fun of overweight women. And yet, somehow, Warner convinces one of his neighbours (Elizabeth Bankss Robbie) to start a business with him. Their partnership wont last. The Ty toy business, however, will boom and Warner isnt the sort of man who likes to share his success. In another timeline, our sleazy, slippery money-maker has somehow managed to charm Sarah Snooks Sheila into thinking hes the man of her dreams. Not quite, but he is good with her children, and Warner is especially talented at making big profits out of their cute ideas. The third strand concerns a charismatic intern named Maya (Geraldine Viswanathan). Maya is the mid-1990s brains of the operation. She is the one who introduces Warner to the world wide web. Its Maya who establishes an official Ty online market the first of its kind and its Maya who warns her ruthless, reckless boss not to get ahead of himself. Hold on tight for impact. A tangled set-up there, and you know what? With cleaner facts, sharper focus, and a linear narrative, The Beanie Bubble would probably make more sense. It would be a better film, too. Galifianakis has his fun. Sometimes he wears the look of a man who showed up at the wrong party but decided to stay for a laugh unlike Banks, who knows exactly whats required of her. She lights this film up; she is its secret weapon, and it should use her more. Likewise, Viswanathan is a joy, even if her character seems purposely designed for clunky exposition. Snook, however, deserves better. Sheila smiles whenever Warner acts the clown and she frowns whenever he stops laughing. Eventually, she tells him off and threatens to leave. Its a silly, soapy roundabout, and Snook Successions star performer, remember is too good to play the put-upon housewife. As a drama, The Beanie Bubble lacks depth and conviction; as a comedy, it needs more jokes. How much you enjoy this film depends on your capacity for momentum-killing flashbacks and flashforwards. I cant stand them, and this tiresome, toneless feature is constantly getting in its own way. A good story badly told. Two stars A Randolph native who gave his life while serving in Iraq was honored Saturday with the dedication of a highway named for him. A section of State Route 394 in Randolph is now named Staff Sgt. David Textor Memorial Highway. State Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio, sponsors of the legislation enacting the designation, were joined at Randolph Post 181, American Legion, by Textors family, friends and members of the community to commemorate the contributions of the Bronze Star recipient. A member of the Armys Company A, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces (Airborne), Textor was killed in action on July 15, 2008, when he was thrown from the turret of a Humvee during an attack in Mosul, Iraq. Sgt. Textor made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation, Borrello said. As the father of five children, he would often say he joined the Army to protect his kids and his country. While we cannot repay the debt we owe Sgt. Textor or his family, renaming this roadway is one small way we can honor the courage, dedication and ultimate sacrifice of this American hero. Giglio noted the importance of recognizing the sacrifices of fallen heroes like Textor. One of the greatest privileges of serving in the New York State Assembly is the ability to help families and communities memorialize the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that others are given an opportunity to live in a free society, Giglio said. The dedication of the Staff Sgt. David Textor Memorial Highway will forever keep the memory of this Green Beret alive. Sgt. Textors bravery and selflessness will never be forgotten. Textor volunteered for military service in May 2002 after graduating from Randolph Central School and moving with his family to Virginia. He excelled as a soldier and began the Special Forces Qualification Course in May 2005, earning a coveted Green Beret in November 2006. In 2008, Textor became the 163rd name inscribed on the 1st Special Forces Group Memorial Wall at Fort Lewis. His was the 25th name added to the memorial since Sept. 11, 2001. Textors awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral 2 Device, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab and Special Forces Tab. Never mind Taylor Swift at the Aviva praise the Lorde at the All Together Now festival The underrated New Zealand artist is worth both the hype and the fan-girl levels of anticipation as Swift, Billie Eilish and Charli XCX Lorde performs at Forbidden Fruit Festival in Dublin, in 2022. Photo: Kieran Frost/Redferns Ed Power Sun 30 Jul 2023 at 03:30 Kerry family speaks out as killer set to be released: I can't believe he is out after just five years Irelands reputation for the cead mile failte may be under threat, given the warnings issued to tourists by several foreign embassies. Visitors to Ireland are being told they must be vigilant of petty crime, street fights in Temple Bar and even bloody clashes between the families that control organised crime in Ireland. Last week the American Embassy advised US citizens to keep a low profile on Dublins streets in the wake of a violent assault on a tourist. Other embassies have also been telling their citizens to express caution, and the warnings predate the assault on a US tourist in Dublin earlier this month which left him with serious injuries. The Spanish embassy refers to street fights and the Hutch-Kinahan feud in a notice to citizens. Its travel advice for Ireland says this is a safe country and Dublin has crime rates comparable with other European capitals, but people coming here should take steps to keep safe. It points to the role the housing crisis plays in accommodation fraud and recommends reserving a place to stay through official channels. Precautions must be taken in the busiest commercial areas of the main cities, in particular in Dublin, due to the presence of pickpockets, the advice states. Street fights at night are frequent in the Temple Bar and Portobello areas, and in the OConnell Street area, Parnell Square and the vicinity of Connolly Station, all in Dublin. Dublin is sporadically the scene of bloody clashes between the families that control organised crime in Ireland. Other parts of the Spanish advice echo the US embassys sentiments last week. It is advisable to be vigilant with personal belongings in tourist areas and in very crowded ones, such as shopping centers and pubs, and avoid lonely areas as much as possible, especially at night. Americans were last week told to remain aware of their surroundings and take steps to protect personal items such as passports, phones and jewellery. New Zealanders and Canadians coming here have also been warned about petty crime. Advice from the Kiwi embassy says violent crime can occur but tourists are rarely targeted. Nonetheless, they are told to avoid secluded parks and unlit areas in inner-city locations after dark. Credit card fraud and ATM scams are also referenced. Car theft and break-ins occur particularly with rental cars which are targeted near tourist attractions and national parks, in both Dublin and elsewhere. We advise New Zealanders to be alert to their surroundings at all times and take steps to safeguard and secure their personal belongings. Canadians have been given similar advice, but were also told about cyber crime and romance fraud. Perpetrators may compromise public Wi-Fi networks to steal credit card or personal information, Canadas advice states. If youre travelling to Ireland to meet someone youve otherwise only met online, you may be the victim of a scam. Be wary of attempts at fraud by persons who profess friendship or romantic interest over the internet. Failte Ireland and the Department of Tourism both said the guidance issued by the American embassy last week reflects common sense and their own advice for tourists. They said the majority of tourists coming here feel safe. It is vitally important that visitors to Dublin feel secure and have the best possible experience of our capital city, a Failte Ireland spokeswoman added. The State needs to act quicker on utilising available land. Photo: Getty Thousands of homes could be built on state-owned land listed on local authority vacant site registers. A study shows swathes of publicly owned land worth more than 130m have been lying idle for years. Together the sites could allow for the development of at least 4,225 homes and possibly more than 5,800 depending on the mix of houses, apartments and density. Much of the vacant land is in Dublin, but register analysis identified 33 empty sites in 10 local authority areas. Most are suitable for housing. It does not account for another 190 vacant sites around the country which are privately owned, or other State property earmarked by the Land Development Agency (LDA) for potential development. Empty sites represent a fraction of the land that could be used for housing An LDA report earlier this year identified 83 locations nationwide where up to 66,910 homes could be delivered, and it recently sought expressions of interest from landowners willing to sell more land for housing development. Architect Mel Reynolds said the huge parcels of state land show the Government does not need to consider purchasing more land to develop homes. He added the State needs to act quicker on utilising available land. The vacant land scheme was dead in the water when it started, he said. It wasnt effective, and in fairness to the Government they are replacing it next year with a residential zoned land tax in an effort to improve it. Architect Mel Reynolds. "Private developers and owners are sitting on land and speculating on values but the biggest single landholder in the country is the State itself. What is the rationale behind the LDA buying land from the private sector when the State is sitting on zoned land with the capacity for tens of thousands of homes? State land worth more than 110m is listed as vacant on Dublin City Councils register. It includes 16 sites, 13 owned by the local authority. Among them is a 45m plot on Oscar Traynor Road, towards the northern end of the Port Tunnel, which was recently earmarked for the development of 853 homes. It has been on the local authoritys vacant-site list since 2019 and has been idle for more than a decade. The council said one city-centre site it owns off Werbrugh Street was recently rezoned open space, but the other 12 parcels of land are suitable for housing. Land owned by St Jamess Hospital, Dublin Port Company and a site near St Jamess Gate brewery previously owned by the Digital Hub Development Agency and recently transferred to the LDA are also listed as vacant. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has two sites it owns, worth 5m, on its vacant-site register. One is at Mount Anville where half the site will be used for a new school, with the other half earmarked for housing, along with a second council property in Dublin 14. Architects are now working on designs. Both were registered as vacant in 2018. South Dublin County Council owns a site valued at 500,000 registered as vacant and zoned for residential amenities. Cork City Council said it is advancing a housing proposal on two sites it has towards the north of the city, worth more than 4m. Meanwhile plots owned by local authorities in Carlow, Meath, Sligo and Westmeath are also listed as vacant. Two sites owned by Wicklow County Council are earmarked for development a primary care centre in Greystones, and a regeneration project in Rathdrum. The Department of Finance owns a vacant site off Mungret Street in Limerick. The OPW, which manages the States property portfolio, did not address questions about plans for this site. Reynolds said empty sites represent a fraction of under-utilised land that could be developed for housing. Looking at the LDA report, it looks like they have capacity for up to 35,000 homes in Dublin, he said. "At the speed at which the State is moving, we are likely to only see a fraction of those homes developed in the next seven years. The Department of Housing said sufficient land is needed to deliver targets of an average of 33,000 homes per year until 2030. It said the LDA will assemble strategic landbanks from a mix of public and private lands and make these available in a controlled manner to ensure long-term market stability. Some sites are suitable to progress to design and planning and transfer, subject to achieving statutory consents and agreements, a spokesman said. Others may be complex, still in use, and may need more significant planning before being considered for development. US tourist Stephen Termini's sons stand where their father was attacked on Talbot Street. Photo: Mike Rizzuto/Instagram A son of a US tourist Stephen Termini (57) who was attacked in Dublins north inner city has shared a picture online of the place where his fathers attack took place. Stephen Termini's son Mike Rizzuto, posted a picture of himself and his brother Jesse stating: "My brother and I stood where our father was attacked. It's a very heavy spot, but it'll take more than that to keep us down." He continued the post, with an update on his fathers medical state. "Our father has improved on his health. He's no longer in a coma, but it will be a long healing process. Please stand by. Much Love." Mr Termini, from Buffalo in New York, is in a serious but stable condition after suffering serious injuries to his eye and head during the incident on the corner of Store Street and Talbot Street on Wednesday, July 19. The victim was punched and kicked multiple times in the head during the attack. Stephen Termini with his sons Mike and Jesse Rizzuto His two sons have since landed in Ireland, thanking those who made it possible for them to travel. A GoFundMe page set up to help with their travel costs has raised more than $131,479 (119,267) to date. Jesse wrote on Facebook: "We got to see our father for a bit today, I dont want to say too much more on that topic because its day-by-day but both of us remain hopeful. "The people of Ireland have been incredibly supportive and have been trying to help us every step of the way, and we truly could not be more grateful for these people doing everything they can for us. "It truly is making the entire process easier and again we could not be more grateful to everyone here. He added: Thank you to everyone who made this possible and everyone still helping us out every step. Four new laws passed by Justice Minister Helen McEntee Mr Terminis sister, Michelle, had shared a poignant statement to the fundraiser page, saying it was her brothers dream to visit Ireland. "My brother had been working at a galvanizing plant, saving every penny to afford the trip (after losing his wife to illness last April). He had always dreamed of visiting Ireland. "He was trying to trace our family that emigrated to the US from Dublin. What we were told as children was that our grandfather, Charles Wilson, had been a painter, painting cathedrals in Dublin. His mother, Ann Donnelly was from county Mayo. It's been difficult to find any trace of them from here, so he thought perhaps he could learn more in Ireland. "Our mother's last request was to be buried in Ireland (2004). He was unable to attend the ceremony at the time, but longed to visit her final resting place, she said, adding that she didn't worry about him visiting Ireland. "We feel so very helpless as none of us can afford the trip to be with him in his time of dire need. I understand that he may lose one of his eyes and suffer lifelong disability from this unfortunate incident. Thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Three teenage boys face charges for the assault on Mr Termini. Each have been remanded on bail pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. They are aged 14, 15 and 16. The incident has prompted a wider debate on whether the Irish capital's streets are safe. On Friday, Justice Minister Helen McEntee announced an additional 10m for gardai in the Dublin region. Meanwhile, the US embassy in Dublin has advised US tourists travelling to Ireland to be aware of their safety due to recent assaults in Dublin city. Many of the National Army soldiers who fought at the foundation of our democracy are forgotten men whose time has come to be remembered, a ceremony to rededicate the National Army Monument in Glasnevin Cemetery has been told. The ceremony was attended by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste and Defence Minister Micheal Martin, Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, Lord Mayor Daithi de Roiste, and family members of the soldiers of the National Army who died during the Civil War. At the unveiling of the monument beside the grave of Michael Collins, and the laying of wreaths, followed by a minute of silence and the raising of the National Flag to full mast, Lieut Gen Clancy said it is appropriate in the spirit of real inclusiveness and ethical remembering, and with a full desire to deal with some of the more uncomfortable aspects of our shared history, that we remember some 810 uniformed members of Oglaigh na hEireann who gave their lives in the service of the State during that tragic and critical period at the foundation of our democracy. For far too long there has been no memorial of any kind, nor any complete listing of the National Army war dead. This year represents perhaps the last real opportunity to rectify that, he added, saying 180 soldiers of the national Army are buried in Glasnevin, with the remainder buried elsewhere across the island, some in unmarked graves. The deaths of these men were devastating not just for their families at the time, but in many cases these casualties on operations, these accidental shootings, and these deaths by suicide, led to intergenerational trauma that still resonates in families today, he added. He said one of the triumphs of the Decade of the Centenaries projects has been the work of archivists and historians putting history in the hands of citizens. "It is crucial that we also acknowledge the hurt, the tragedy, and indeed the atrocities that were perpetrated on those in the Republican tradition during the Civil War who fought for an Ireland they believed in, said Lieut Gen Clancy. The average age of the soldiers buried in Glasnevin is early 20s, largely unmarried, and from a working-class background. One of the wreaths was laid by Ellen Ward, whose great, great, great uncle Christopher Kearns who fought and died in the Civil War at the age of 18, having concealed his age to join the army. "Its a great thing to remember. In our family it wasn't really spoken about, it wasn't really acknowledged. Over the past few months we've spoken about it more than ever before. When he went off to join the army he packed his sandwiches in newspaper, said right, I'm off and away he went, she said. "There are so many stories like that as well. It's not just our family. I think it's so important to remember that and talk about it, and have these discussions regardless of sides. It's really about just remembering their lives and what they did, she added. Ms Ward said it was only through research carried out for the Decade of Centenaries that they discovered the circumstances of Christophers death in a grenade attack on the army truck in which he was travelling at Ferrycarraig Bridge in Wexford in October 1922. Crew of the LE William Butler Yeats are welcomed home Young Offenders star Chris Walley proudly gave his brother the thumbs up after a successful Naval Service mission to tackle arms smuggling and people trafficking off the North African coast. The award-winning actor was at Haulbowline naval base in Cork with dozens of other Naval Service family members to welcome home the crew of the patrol ship L.E. William Butler Yeats from its six week deployment to the Mediterranean as part of Ireland's commitment to the EUNAVFOR-MED Operation Irini. Mr Walley's brother, Main Engineering Officer Tim Walley, served on L.E. William Butler Yeats and was one of 58 officers and ratings to safely return to Ireland on Sunday. Government and Naval Service officials paid tribute to the accomplishments of the Irish personnel as part of the EU commitment to cracking down on criminal gangs who have been operating off the North African coast. A key focus of the mission was to police waters off North Africa which have become a haven for criminal gangs involved in both people smuggling and the illegal arms trade. The Irish vessel also conducted patrols to ensure illegal oil shipments were not being undertaken from Libya amid fears such smuggling is being used to fund paramilitary groups in the North African country. International groups are committed to promoting stability in Libya and supporting its power-sharing Government. During its six week deployment, the vessel provided information, surveillance, reconnaissance and support operations via its Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB). The patrol vessel, the second youngest in the Irish fleet after being commissioned in 2016, is an expanded development of the L.E. Niamh design. Operation Irini follows previous Naval Service deployments as part of UN/EU humanitarian missions in the Mediterranean including Operations Pontus between 2015-2017 and Sophia in 2018. During Operation Pontus, L.E. William Butler Yeats deployed to the Mediterranean between July and October 2017, rescuing 704 persons and recovering the bodies of three deceased. The latest deployment involved a crew of 58 including five female crew. It was the first such deployment for more than half the crew of L.E. William Butler Yeats. The ship is heavily armed and features a 76mm OTO Melara main gun, two 20mm RH 202 Rheinmetall cannon, two 12.7mm Browning heavy machine guns and four 7.62mm general purpose machine guns. Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt Gen Sean Clancy said everyone was very proud of how L.E. William Butler Yeats fulfilled its mission. This deployment was crucial to the regeneration of Irelands navy and is directly linked to our efforts to recruit, retain and incentivise seagoing. Naval Service Flag Officer Commodore Michael Malone said such missions were vital to Ireland's maritime capabilities. With ambitions for the expansion of the Naval Service as outlined in the Commission on the Defence Forces report, this deployment presents an opportunity to build on the experiences gained through previous maritime overseas missions," he said. "Our sailors bring vital experience to bear in what remains a dynamic operational role. The EU-led Operation Irini is headquartered in Rome where a small Defence Forces administrative team was deployed for several weeks before the patrol ship began its work. Operation Irini, which was launched in 2020, has largely been undertaken by navy and air units from France, Greece, Italy, Germany and Portugal. Still from the video that has circulated online A Belfast city councillor is to meet with police following an incident during Saturdays Pride parade, where a street preacher said that those present wanted to rape our children. The PSNI confirmed they are investigating the incident at Royal Avenue on Saturday as a hate crime. The preacher was filmed standing with a loud hailer outside the Primark building as the Pride parade was passing. Police were standing nearby while the comments were being made, as was Alliance Party councillor Micky Murray. Mr Murray said he had already asked for a meeting with police to discuss the decision not to allow officers to take part in the Belfast Pride parade whilst wearing uniform. He said he will now be raising what he claims was a failure to move the street preacher on, when he meets with Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton on Wednesday. Mr Murray said the street preacher had been known to engage in similar language in the past and he had asked one of the officers in attendance to keep an eye on what was said. Within minutes of alerting police the man was filmed shouting: Homosexuals have become so brazen and they want to rape the righteous, adding thats what is happening today, they want to rape our children. The man added: We need to stand up against the sin of homosexuality. Superintendent Christian Bradley said police are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a male using a public address system in the Royal Avenue area of the city on Saturday prior to the parade. Officers were present at the scene and gathered evidence on body worn video. This footage is being reviewed by investigators, he added. The incident is being treated as a hate crime. There is no specific hate crime legislation in Northern Ireland. In the past, public order offences have been used to prosecute so-called hate speech. Mr Murray said that police at the scene were really dismissive of his concerns. People were visibly and audibly outraged, asking why police were not stopping him, he said. After I heard the comments it took me about an hour to gather myself and it did take away from the positivity of the day. He shouted this while families were walking by, while young people who may be struggling with their sexuality or gender identity or mental health in general were listening, and police were standing by and watching it and allowing it to continue. I was one of those people who when police said they were not taking part in Pride came out publicly and said this is the wrong decision. This incident has made me second guess should police be participating in Pride? The message preached by people who proclaim to be Christians was deeply offensive and in my view constitutes hate speech. It is also a case in point as to why we still need Pride. Around 70,000 people attended Belfast Pride, with more than 250 different groups signed up to take part in the event, an increase of 25pc on last year. Abuser was director of the Christian Brothers property company, accused of hiding assets from victims Three more victims have come forward to An Garda Siochana following the jailing of sex abuser Paul Hendrick a former CBS secondary school principal, and director of the Christian Brothers property company which is accused of helping to hide the orders assets from victims trying to sue the religious order. Hendrick resigned as company director at Christian Brothers CLG in October 2018, months before gardai questioned him about allegations of sexual abuse made by one former pupil. Earlier this month, Hendrick (75) pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecently assaulting Kenneth Grace in the early 1980s and was sentenced to three and a half years in jail. Mr Grace waived his anonymity in order to encourage others to go public. The Sunday Independent understands that at least three men have come forward since Hendricks sentencing. Gardai confirmed that a small number of active investigations were underway, but would not confirm numbers. Hendrick was deputy principal at the Christian Brothers School on Westland Row in Dublin when he began abusing Ken Grace, who was then just 13 and in his first year of secondary school. The abuser went on to become principal of the school, and was in a leadership position of the Christian Brothers organisation at the time it adopted a new legal strategy in dealing with damages claims from victims. The sexual predator was a director of Christian Brothers CLG, the limited company that manages the religious orders considerable property assets, serving as a director on the board from 2014 until 2018. The company featured in Mr Graces High Court claim for damages against the religious order. In a recent High Court hearing, Mr Graces legal team accused the Christian Brothers of putting assets beyond reach of the abuse victim a claim denied by the religious group. Mr Graces lawyers said that religious brothers named as defendants in the case have in recent years transferred ownership of properties they used to hold in trust for the congregation. The properties were transferred to third parties not connected to the proceedings, and in other cases had been sold. These included a property in Dun Laoghaire, which was owned by three Christian Brothers named as defendants in Mr Graces case, but was transferred to the Christian Brothers CLG last year. The court was told these claims are being contested. Mr Grace and other victims are being forced to sue each individual member of the Christian Brothers. The congregation is not a recognised legal entity and the leadership have declined to represent the order in civil proceedings. Mr Grace has to date issued separate proceedings against 90 individual religious brothers. Hendrick groomed the young Kenneth Grace when he arrived in first year at his new school, asking him to help with jobs around the school, offering him sweets and cans of Coke, and later cigarettes. He abused the boy in a furnace room of the school. He whipped him and demanded to be whipped, while dressed in a leather thong. The abuse continued over four years in the school, the priests house and in residences owned by the Christian Brothers in Waterford and Tipperary. In his victim impact statement, Mr Grace told the court that Hendricks actions destroyed his childhood. Mr Grace, whose father passed away when he was very young, was afraid to tell anyone and didnt understand what was happening. In his victim impact statement, Mr Grace said Hendrick became the father figure he never had but his actions turned his childhood and adult life into a battlefield. The betrayal he had experienced as a child had made it difficult for him to trust others. Back in the late 70s, Roisin Lavelle took off to LA via Europe, having spent her college years in Ireland following a California childhood. Back in La-La Land, she landed a job as nanny to Joan Collinss kids, a position that came with a Corvette, lodgings in a Bel-Air mansion and the inside track on the lives of the rich and famous "My friend and I had the same time off, from noon on Saturday to Monday morning, and from the start Mr Newley gave me his new Corvette and a fuel card for the weekends." Roisin Lavelle looks back over her 1970s Hollywood summer as nanny to star Anthony Newley's children. Graphic: Shane McIntyre Theres something about turning 70 that nudges a woman towards reflecting on a life that she hopes has been well-lived, so far. When I saw the 26-year-old me hashtag on Twitter an app that had hooked and reeled me in early in the pandemic I found myself posting a photo of 26-year-old me standing at the door of a silver Chevrolet Corvette. I added a caption to explain what I was doing with such a cool motor, and the post generated lots of engagement. It seems that people like reading about celebrities lives, especially if the one telling the story is just an ordinary person who happened to become involved with some famous folk. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus ultra-right religious coalition will eventually become history, but the damage has been done to Israeli democracy by the precedent that he set in neutering the Supreme Court on July 24. Much like House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Netanyahu has aligned himself with the most radical of political partners in order to gain power only to be forced to let the tail wag the dog. And like Donald Trump, Netanyahu has identified divisions in his electorate and exploited them for personal gain. Currently on trial on corruption charges, Netanyahu was rebuffed by his former coalition partners last November, leaving him with only the most right-wing religious partners. His narrow majority includes cabinet members with criminal records for violence against Palestinian Arabs, and who at times seem intent on provoking them by allowing settlers to attack Arab villages in the West Bank. Some of them may be hoping for a third intifada as an excuse for forcing mass Arab deportations. As a longtime supporter of Israel and many of Netanyahus policies during his previous terms as prime minister, I am shocked that he would turn against his people and cling to power in hopes of passing new laws decriminalizing the actions that brought about his indictments and thus avoiding prison. The neutering of the Supreme Court has at least under this coalition destroyed the balance of power between the judiciary and the legislature (which is firmly in the hands of Netanyahus Likud party). The bold judiciary reform is based on claims that unelected judges have ruled too often in discrimination suits for Arab citizens as well as Arabs living in the contested West Bank. Its most ardent supporters are Orthodox Jews who fear the court might strip them of their favors under Bibis past governments, including immunity from military duty and continuation of family welfare support while the men spend their days studying Torah. I believe that Netanyahu could have mollified his past partners by stepping aside as head of the Likud party and allowing a loyal puppet to become prime minister. That could have avoided the four inconclusive elections that preceded the one he won last fall. During seven months of demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of Israelis infuriated by the reform, there have been clashes with thousands of supporters of the reform, prompting President Isaac Herzog to warn of a civil war. This government apparently learned nothing in May 2021 when many of Israels 1.7 Arab citizens rioted against their Jewish neighbors and the military in support of their Arab kinsmen during the IDFs strikes on Gaza. No matter what the future holds for Netanyahus coalition, or its dangerous brinkmanship, nothing can undo the damage to democracy in Israel. The government has poisoned the people with distrust of their institutions for generations to come. A long-time confidante looks back at Sinead OConnors life and legacy, the icon and the real woman The Smiths, whom Sinead OConnor loved and covered, have a song called Paint a Vulgar Picture. Its something that, she once told me, echoes so much of what disgusted her about the commodification of music and the cha-ching noises that sound every time one of the greats takes their leave of us. At the record company meeting, the song begins, on their hands at last! a dead star... The sycophantic slags all say, I knew him first and I knew him well. This week the summer people will begin to travel to the countryside for the August bank holiday weekend. For many urban dwellers it is an annual opportunity to reconnect with nature. The holidays offer an opportunity to see the reality of the state of our natural environment. Eilis OHanlon: Sinead OConnor wouldnt want to be glorified in death Offering up the same old platitudes is an easy trap to fall in to, but the singer once famously said she would punch the next well meaning sod Flowers left at Sinead O'Connor's former home in Bray, Co Wicklow. Photo: Collins Dublin Eilis OHanlon Sun 30 Jul 2023 at 03:30 The Sam Maguire is pictured with the jerseys of Kerry and Dublin ahead of the All-Ireland football final at Croke Park tomorrow. Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile Kerry and Dublin players during the pre-match parade before last year's All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile When an Ireland, thankfully now past, was finding it difficult to cope with the anger and rebellion of a young Sinead OConnor, Gay Byrne understood her so much better than the vast majority. Gay always gave her the space and scope her campaigning, restless soul deserved. In the very best sense of the idiom, it takes one to know one. Michael Gannon, St Thomas Square, Kilkenny He never knew her, but Yeatss words could have been written for Sinead WB Yeats captured Sinead OConnors epitaph and essence with the following prophetic words in The Stolen Child. Come away, O human child! / To the waters and the wild / With a faery, hand in hand / For the worlds more full of weeping than you can understand. Aidan Hampson, Artane, Dublin Interview stage of garda application asks far too much of young hopefuls This week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar spoke about the Governments difficulties in recruiting new gardai (US embassy issues warning on safety as Varadkar admits garda recruitment is very hard, Irish Independent, July 26). Earlier this year, my daughter applied to join the garda training programme. She sailed through the first two of the five stages. I was not concerned about the final two stages garda vetting and a fitness assessment. She is a lifeguard at a public pool, so she has already been vetted, and between swimming and the gym she is very fit. In between was an interview, which she failed by three points because she didnt sufficiently exercise authority. First, she was 21 and on the bottom rung of the ladder where she works. She has no authority. She certainly has no idea what authority a garda has. I assumed this was something recruits would be trained on. Perhaps the problem in reaching the Governments target of 1,000 new gardai this year is not the quality of applicants, but the interview phase. Dawn OShea, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16 Capital city is not the only place in desperate need of a greater police presence Lack of policing is not exclusive to Dublin. There is a serious lack of gardai in Clonmel, Co Tipperary. I phoned the gardai recently to report that some clown was racing a car around a supermarket car park. When I got through, after 10 minutes, the clown had taken his dangerous driving act across the bypass. The garda told me he was on his own and trying to deal with prisoners, the public office and the phone. It is a disgrace that the gardai do not even have enough members on duty to answer the phone. There is also a problem with begging, which borders on harassment. Walking from the town centre car park through Hopkins Lane is stressful. The laneway is so narrow that beggars are nearly in your face. They also gather around the machine where motorists pay for parking. People feel intimidated. I have also witnessed drugs being dealt in the town. Not a garda in sight. Its no wonder the Irish police force is the laughing stock of Europe. John Williams, Clonmel, Co Tipperary Harrowing reality of sex for rent compels us to look out for vulnerable women Thursday nights Prime Time report on RTE about sex for rent was disturbing. We need immediate action to empower young women. Legislation must be introduced to criminalise this sordid reality and prosecutions must follow. Any vulnerable young person must know where to go and who to talk to if their situation is so dire that they end up considering this. We all must keep watch on any questionable living arrangements. Ask questions if suspicions are raised. Turning a blind eye to this would be unforgivable. Margaret Docherty, Terenure, Dublin 6W Ministers need to address reasons behind inaction on forestry programme The laissez-faire attitude to the farm forestry programme by ministers Charlie McConalogue and Pippa Hackett is an absolute disgrace (Start date for new forestry programme in the next few weeks McConalogue, Farming, July 25). For a start, they announced the new programme last autumn before even submitting details of application to the EU. Since then, they have made little attempt to sort things out. The private afforestation sector is still without a viable programme with yet another season looming. The sector is demoralised. Skills and expertise built up over many years are being lost. What is going on? The lack of will to sort out Ash Dieback compensation, as well as the licence debacle and failure to get a new programme over the line, reflect badly on the ministers. They should reveal the reasons for their inaction. Gill McCarthy, Shillelagh, Co Wicklow Well done to the jurors who saw through claims against Kevin Spacey Is it because Kevin Spacey is rich and famous that he became fair game to be targeted with lies? The case taken against him may have ended with him being jailed. His mental health has probably been damaged. Thank goodness for juries that are wise and just and who see through heartless accusations. Robert Sullivan, Bantry, Co Cork Limerick might just be better than the legendary Kilkenny team of 2006-09 I see Martin Breheny rates the great Kilkenny hurling team that won four All-Irelands in succession from 2006 to 2009 ahead of the magnificent current Limerick team. Martin was one of only two pundits out of 10 to get his All-Ireland hurling final prediction wrong (All-Ireland final jury delivers its verdict, Irish Independent, July 22). It is probable that he is wrong again. Pat Downey, Corbally, Co Limerick A traditional idea for when youre feeling lost stop and ask for directions Leo Gormleys letter regarding road signs being covered by bushes and trees reminds me of the motorist seeking directions (Its a bad sign when we cant read a place name on a road sign while driving, Letters, July 28). The motorist asks a local: Am I on the right road for Ballina? You are, comes the reply. But youre facing the wrong way. Tom Gilsenan, Beaumont, Dublin 9 Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik TD pictured with some of the Ukrainian people in the Taravie Hotel, Courtown on Monday afternoon. Pic: Jim Campbell Ivana Bacik TD met by Imelda Willoughby on the Labour Party's leader's visit to the Taravie Hotel, Courtown on Monday afternoon. Pic: Jim Campbell Debbie Dillon (Co-ordinator) in conversation with Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik TD, pictured and Deputy Brendan Howlin TD in the Courtown Training Initiative on Monday afternoon. Pic: Jim Campbell Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik TD listened to the concerns of the Ukrainian people pictured in the Taravie Hotel, Courtown on Monday afternoon. Pic: Jim Campbell Labour Party Leader and TD for Dublin Bay South, Ivana Bacik, paid a short visit to Courtown recently, having been invited by the Wexford branch of the Labour Party. Ms Bacik visited Courtown and Riverchapel taking in a youth project at the LTI and local hotels, before heading back up to the Riverchapel Community Complex to see progress by a community group. Ms Bacik was accompanied by members of the Labour Party including Deputy Brendan Howlin TD, visiting students, and members of the Ukrainian community who are being accommodated in a local hotel. Labour Party member Craig Lang welcomed Ms Bacik to Riverchapel. There was so much more I could have shown her. She went to the LTI, with the initiative that they are doing with the youngsters. The Ukrainians in the direct provision, and then Pat Byrne with the Ice Cream, and then back up on the complex with the BMX track, and then the free community shop as well. Mr Lang said Ms Bacik may be returning to north Wexford and Gorey in September for a longer visit. Sriharikota/IBNS/UNI: In a dedicated commercial mission, ISRO's workhorse launch vehicle PSLV-C56 on Sunday successfully launched seven Singapore satellites, including the primary payload DS-SAR, a Radar Imaging Earth Observation satellite, from the spaceport of SHAR Range, in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota. "PSLV-C56/DS-SAR Mission fully accomplished," ISRO said. After a 25.5-hour countdown, the 44.4 m tall four-stage vehicle with a lift off mass of 228 tonnes, took off majestically from the First Launch Pad at 0630 hrs. The ascent of the PSLV C56 launch vehicle tracked against the backdrop of the rising sun. Slow motion video on our Instagram isro.dos pic.twitter.com/tAzC8gmHLo ISRO (@isro) July 30, 2023 Scientists at the Mission Control Centre, including ISRO Chairman S. Somnath, watched the trajectory of the flight with bated breath. PSLV-C56/DS-SAR, is the dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for ST Engineering, Singapore. The launch was conducted by ISRO under a contract with New Space India Limited (NSIL). After a flight duration of about 25 minutes, all seven satellites had to be injected into the orbit. After a flight duration of 21 minutes, according to the mission plan, PSLV-C56 had to first launch the primary payload, DS-SAR, a 360 kg Radar Imaging Earth Observation satellite into a Near-equatorial Orbit (NEO) at 5 deg inclination and 535 km altitude. All seven satellites were successfully deployed into their intended orbit, achieving the mission's objectives approximately 20 minutes after liftoff. The DS-SAR satellite, a Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR), creates two-dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects. It is a collaborative project between DSTA, representing the Government of Singapore, and ST Engineering, and is designed to meet the imagery requirements of diverse Singapore government agencies and ST Engineering's clientele in the commercial sector. Later, the six co-passenger satellitesalso from SingaporeNuLIon by NuSpacean advanced nanosatellite enabling seamless IoT connectivity in both urban & remote locations; ORB-12 STRIDERa satellite developed under international collaboration, Galassia-2a nanosatellite orbiting at low earth orbit; SCOOB-IIa nanosatellite flying a technology demonstrator payload; Arcadean experimental satellite for atmospheric coupling and dynamics exploration and VELOX-AMa technology demonstration microsatellitewill be placed in the orbit in that order in a span of four minutes. The successful launch of PSLV-C56 and DS-SAR serves as a testament to India's growing prominence in the global space industry, strengthening collaborations and drawing the attention of commercial satellite operators from around the world. This achievement not only generates revenue but also significantly contributes to the growth of the country's space economy. With this, ISRO has launched 531 foreign satellites and the fourth dedicated PSLV launch for the Singapore government to date. Images: ISRO Twitter India's ISRO successfully launches 7 Singapore satellites with PSLV-C56 in a textbook lift off. Photo Courtesy: ISRO Twitter page video grab Singapore on Sunday congratulated Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the launch of PSLV-C56. Singaporean envoy to India Simon Wong posted on X, which was previously known as Twitter: "Congratulations to @isro for launching the PSLV-C56 successfully this morning. The also placed seven satellites developed by DSTA, ST Engineering, our universities and private industry into orbit. To bold new frontiers in the space partnership!" In a dedicated commercial mission, ISRO's workhorse launch vehicle PSLV-C56 on Sunday successfully launched seven Singapore satellites, including the primary payload DS-SAR, a Radar Imaging Earth Observation satellite, from the spaceport of SHAR Range, in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota. "PSLV-C56/DS-SAR Mission fully accomplished," ISRO said. After a 25.5-hour countdown, the 44.4 m tall four-stage vehicle with a lift off mass of 228 tonnes, took off majestically from the First Launch Pad at 0630 hrs. PSLV-C56/DS-SAR, is the dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for ST Engineering, Singapore. The launch was conducted by ISRO under a contract with New Space India Limited (NSIL). Congratulations to @isro for launching the PSLV-C56 successfully this morning. The also placed seven satellites developed by DSTA, ST Engineering, our universities and private industry into orbit. To bold new frontiers in the space partnership! - HC Wong : ISRO pic.twitter.com/Hv4cQ1ehQJ Singapore in India (@SGinIndia) July 30, 2023 After a flight duration of about 25 minutes, all seven satellites had to be injected into orbit. After a flight duration of 21 minutes, according to the mission plan, PSLV-C56 had to first launch the primary payload, DS-SAR, a 360 kg Radar Imaging Earth Observation satellite into a Near-equatorial Orbit (NEO) at 5 deg inclination and 535 km altitude. All seven satellites were successfully deployed into their intended orbit, achieving the mission's objectives approximately 20 minutes after liftoff. Image: Pixabay Kolkata: A major fire that broke out at a plastic factory at Baruipur in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday night was still razing as the fire brigade personnel with the help of locals were fighting the blaze, official sources said on Sunday. Sources said though the fire was under control this morning, there were several pockets left to be brought to full safety. No casualty has been reported, though the factory almost turned into a rubble. The fire at the factory, located in Mallikpur was first noticed around 9 PM on Saturday after the workers had left for the day, eyewitnesses told the Baruipur police. Police and fire brigade personnel made all efforts to ensure the safety of the locality. The cause of the fire was yet to be examined, police added. (With UNI inputs) Russia alleges Ukraine of conducting drone attack in Moscow city. Photo Courtesy: OSINTdefender @sentdefender Twitter page Moscow: Russia on Sunday accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack on Moscow city which damaged two buildings and even forced authorities to shut down the city's airport temporarily. A drone was shot down over the Odintsovo district, west of the city centre, and two others were neutralised but crashed into offices, Russia's defence ministry was quoted as saying by BBC. One person was injured due to the blast, reports TASS news agency. "A security guard was injured in a Oko-2 building as a result of the blast. Glazing from the first to the forth floor were shattered as a result of a drone attack," the source told the Russian news agency. Ukrainian authorities did not acknowledge the incident so far. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that the city was attacked by Ukrainian drones. The facades of two office buildings of the Moscow City were slightly damaged. There were no casualties, reports BBC. Ukraine tried to carry an attack on Crimea overnight using 25 drones, all of which were destroyed, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday morning. "Tonight, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using twenty-five aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs] on objects on the territory of the Crimean peninsula was thwarted," the ministry said in a statement as quoted by Sputnik. For Emily Boller, it was a $5,000 hospital bill for a simple case of pink eye that took four years to pay off. For Mary Curley, it was the threatening collection letters from a lab that arrived more than 2 years later, just as her husband lost his job and the family was fighting to save their home. For Cory Day, it was a $1,000 fee he was charged at an emergency room outside Los Angeles, even though he only checked in and then left before being seen. I feel like the hospital is a predator, Day said. This is a place thats supposed to be looking after you. The experience offered a stark lesson, he said: Dont trust the system. Reporting on medical debt over the past two years, Ive spent hundreds of hours on the telephone, in the living rooms and at the kitchen tables of patients like Day, Curley and Boller. They are among the 100 million people in America whom we found have been driven into debt by medical and dental bills. Some of my conversations with patients have been heartbreaking. Some enraging. Many have revealed a deep and disturbing disillusionment with our health care system. Medical providers ignore this at their peril and at a high risk to Americans health. Doctors and hospitals have long held an exalted position in American life, retaining public confidence even as Americans have steadily lost trust in other institutions such as government, law enforcement and the media. Growing up, I shared this faith. My father was a physician who never hesitated to get up in the middle of the night and drive to the hospital to operate on a sick child in his care. But as a journalist covering health care in America over the past 15 years, Ive seen patients faith shaken. Theyre tired of shocking medical bills they didnt expect and cant afford. And theyre disgusted by the collection notices, the threatening phone calls and the appointments they cant get because they owe money. Many Americans say they simply no longer trust their medical providers. This is borne out by polling we did with our colleagues at KFF as part of our investigation of medical debt. Just 15% of people with health care debt said they have a lot of trust that providers have patients best interests in mind. Thats about half the rate among people without such debt. Many caring people who work in health care understand this. Ive met countless compassionate physicians, nurses and others who see firsthand the toll that debt is taking on their patients. But Ive seen a lot more denial and finger-pointing by health care leaders. Hospitals and doctors blame the government for underpaying them, and blame insurers for selling plans with unaffordable deductibles. Insurers blame providers for obscene prices. Everyone blames drug companies. The upshot is that each of these medical industries hunkers down and, pleading its own suffering, looks out for its own interests. They rarely talk seriously about what they could do to relieve the financial burdens they create that drive tens of millions of Americans into debt. And so, the suffering of patients deepens. In our project on medical debt with NPR, we documented cancer patients forced to hold off debt collectors while fighting off nausea and other toxic side effects of chemotherapy; older workers whose retirement savings were obliterated; 30-somethings unable to buy a home because their credit was ruined by health care debt; new mothers forced to take on extra work; parents unable to buy Christmas gifts for their children; and seniors who cut back on food because of medical debt. That our health care system would do this to people might be reason enough for hospital executives, insurance CEOs and senior physicians to stop the blame game and look in the mirror. If nothing else, this should be a flashing red light: the simmering resentment of growing numbers of patients who feel victimized by this system. We got a hint of the dangers of this during the pandemic, as Americans who distrusted the medical system proved easy prey for misinformation about vaccines and other public health measures, with sometimes fatal consequences. Other systemic risks are lurking. I was once a political reporter. I covered mayors and state legislatures and, ultimately, Congress. I saw up close what an erosion of trust can do to a system, and how much more difficult it becomes to get things done when the public loses faith in its institutions. And as the political turmoil of recent years shows, public anger and disillusionment can produce unpredictable, even dangerous results. Health care leaders and physician leaders in particular could alleviate patients financial suffering. Physician groups and hospital systems, many of which are led by doctors, could look more closely at the bills they send patients and the collection tactics they use. Health insurers, whose leadership ranks also often include physicians, could reconsider the high-deductible plans they sell and ask whether they truly protect their customers. And physicians everywhere could speak up about the financial travails of patients in their care. Absent action, patients trust is sure to erode further. And without the trust of the people it serves, this American health care system cannot long endure. File picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay Moscow: Russia is consistently building up its navy, with 30 ships set to join the country's fleet in 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday amid the ongoing war with Ukraine. "Today, Russia is implementing the tasks of a large-scale maritime policy with confidence, consistently building up the power of its fleet. This year alone, 30 ships of different types will join it," Putin said at the parade in honour of Navy Dayas reported by Sputnik. The ships put on combat duty include the Mercury missile corvette, on which the St. George naval flag has been hoisted "as a sign of the inviolability of [Russian] naval traditions, a symbol of courage, bravery and firmness of military sailors," the Russian leader stated. "These qualities are being fully manifested today," Putin said, adding that the Russian navy had always been an inviolable guardian of the country's frontiers. Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack on Moscow city which damaged two buildings and even forced authorities to shut down the city's airport temporarily. A drone was shot down over the Odintsovo district, west of the city centre, and two others were neutralised but crashed into offices, Russia's defence ministry was quoted as saying by BBC. One person was injured due to the blast, reports TASS news agency. Ukraine tried to carry an attack on Crimea overnight using 25 drones, all of which were destroyed, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday morning. "Tonight, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using twenty-five aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs] on objects on the territory of the Crimean peninsula was thwarted," the ministry said in a statement as quoted by Sputnik. Image: Pixabay At least 35 people died in a suicde bomb attack that rocked a political gathering in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) region on Sunday, media reports said. Caretaker Information Minister Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel told Geo News that more than 200 people have been injured during the blast that took place during the speech of a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader. The injured people were rushed to Timergara and Peshawar for treatment. Police said initial investigation revealed it was a suicide attack. Shah added that the investigation teams are collecting evidence from the site of the blast. Pakistan has witnessed a rise in Islamist terror attacks since last year following the breakdown of a ceasefire agreement between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the government. : A file image of Mount Bogart in Kananaskis Country. Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia Commons At least six people died after a small plane crashed in the mountainous region of Calgary in Canada on Saturday, police said. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said five passengers and one pilot were onboard the aircraft, which left Springbank Airport near Calgary around 9 p.m. MT en route to Salmon Arm, B.C., for a church function, reports CBC. RCMP Staff Sgt. Ryan Singleton told CBC that relatives lost contact with passengers on the plane around 9:30 p.m. Hours later, the plane was reported overdue, prompting a Winnipeg-based Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) squadron to conduct a search. The RCAF crew later traced the missing plane's emergency locator to Mount Bogart in Kananaskis Country. The crash site is located close to the Kananaskis Village. The identities of the crash victims have not been revealed so far. Mike Koppang, a mountain rescue specialist with Kananaskis Country, said crews were on the scene for most of Saturday morning and the early hours of the afternoon. In a disheartening incident, a Sikh New York state trooper was denied his right to grow facial hair for his wedding, despite a state law in 2019 that mandated employers to accommodate attire or grooming obligations based on religious beliefs. Trooper Charanjot Tiwana, stationed in Jamestown, New York, had sought permission to grow his beard to one-half inch in length, a practice deeply rooted in his religious commitment as a Sikh. Unshorn hair and beards hold significant cultural and religious value for practicing Sikh men, which unfortunately clashed with the grooming rules enforced by the State Police, requiring troopers to shave and keep their hair short. The denial of Tiwanas request was justified on the grounds of safety concerns related to the use of a gas mask, as stated by the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association, his union. It is essential to acknowledge that wearing a turban is also a customary practice for Sikh men. However, Tiwana refrained from formally requesting permission to wear one while on duty, primarily due to the rejection of his beard request. This unfortunate situation has led to feelings of persecution among the Sikh community. Charlie Murphy, the president of the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association, emphasized the importance of ensuring that all New Yorkers, including law enforcement officers, have the freedom to practice their religion without facing oppression from their employers. The New York State Police, while confirming that Tiwana had submitted a religious accommodation request, declined to comment on the outcome or the reasons behind the denial. The departments spokesperson, Deanna Cohen, emphasized their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, stating that they engage in the reasonable accommodation process for all such requests from NYSP employees. This incident sheds light on the larger issue of diversity within the New York State Police force. The department has faced challenges in diversifying its workforce, with only a small percentage of Black and Hispanic troopers compared to the respective proportions in the state population. Fortunately, in recent years, some police departments in the United States have taken steps to address such issues and become more inclusive. For instance, Detroits police force started allowing officers to wear beards in 2016, and Philadelphia permitted short beards for officers facing shaving-related issues, primarily common among Black men. Newarks police department began allowing Muslim officers to wear the hijab while on duty, and in New York City, Sikh officers have been permitted to wear turbans since 2016. Notably, in 2022, a federal court ruled in favor of Sikh U.S. Marine recruits, allowing them to keep their beards during boot camps. While the New York State Police are working on a policy regarding turbans, it is crucial to emphasize the need for sensitivity towards cultural and religious practices like wearing turbans and growing beards among Sikh troopers. In 2019, New York state passed a law requiring all employers, including state agencies, to accommodate workers with religious requirements for attire or facial hair, as long as these requirements do not interfere with essential job duties. This law prompted employers to review and update their grooming and dress code policies accordingly. State Assemblyman David Weprin, the sponsor of the 2019 state law, expressed shock upon hearing about Tiwanas denial of religious accommodations. He highlighted that such accommodations have been made in almost every agency and emphasized the importance of upholding religious rights. It is high time for greater awareness and sensitivity towards the cultural and religious significances of practices like wearing turbans and growing beards among Sikh individuals. Sikhs should not have to compromise their faith to serve their country or their communities. It is our collective responsibility to foster an environment that respects and accommodates diverse religious beliefs while ensuring the safety and security of all individuals. Only then can we truly embrace a society that celebrates its diversity and inclusivity. With collective efforts, we can envision a future where Sikhs, adorned in turbans and beards, proudly serve as New York State troopers, representing the true spirit of unity and acceptance. (Image and text credit: Khalsavox.com) Following criticism from the Jewish NGO The Simon Wiesenthal Centre, the Israeli embassy has now criticised Nitesh Tiwari's romance drama Bawaal for "trivialising" the Holocaust. Bawaal follows Ajay Dixit (Varun Dhawan), a high school history teacher, and his wife Nisha (Jahnvi Kapoor), as they travel through Europe and stop at significant World War 2 locations like Auschwitz and Anne Frank's Amsterdam house. The movie contains several contentious comparisons between greedy people and Hitler and marital strife and Auschwitz. Twitter Also read: Despite Negative Reviews, 'Bawaal' Is An Interesting Film If You Watch It With An Open Mind! In the scene, Janhvi and Varun are seen in striped pyjamas in a concentration camp. In a statement, the embassy said, "The Israeli embassy is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie 'Bawaal'. There was a poor choice in the utilization of some terminology in the movie, and though we assume no malice was intended, we urge everyone who may not be fully aware of the horrors of the Holocaust to educate themselves about it. Our embassy is constantly working to propagate educational materials on this crucial subject, and we are open to engaging in conversations with all individuals to foster a better understanding of the universal lessons derived from the Holocaust." The Israeli embassy is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie 'Bawaal'. There was a poor choice in the utilization of some terminology in the movie, and though we assume no malice was intended, we urge everyone who may not be Israel in India (@IsraelinIndia) July 28, 2023 Israeli ambassador to India Naor Gilon also tweeted, I did not and will not watch the film Bawaal but from what Ive read, there was a poor choice of terminology and symbolism. Trivialization of the Holocaust should disturb all. I urge those who dont know enough about the horrors of the #Holocaust to educate themselves about it. Auschwitz is not a metaphor. It is a quintessential example of mans capacity for evil", said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWC Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action. Twitter "By having the protagonist in this movie declare that Every relationship goes through their Auschwitz, Nitesh Tiwari, trivialises and demeans the memory of 6 million murdered Jews and millions of others who suffered at the hands of Hitlers genocidal regime," Cooper said. Twitter He went on to say that if the filmmaker's intention was to gain publicity for the picture by purportedly shooting a dream scene at a Nazi concentration camp, he was successful. I did not and will not watch the film Bawaal but from what Ive read, there was a poor choice of terminology and symbolism. Trivialization of the Holocaust should disturb all. I urge those who dont know enough about the horrors of the #Holocaust to educate themselves about it. Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) July 28, 2023 Amazon Prime should stop monetising Bawaal by immediately removing this banal trivialization of the suffering and systematic murder of millions of victims of the Nazi Holocaust, he said in the statement. You can stream Bawaal on Amazon Prime Video. (To read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading Indiatimes BINGE) American television star Kristen Bell and husband Dax Shepard revealed they were 'kicked out' of Boston's Logan International Airport after hunkering at their gate four hours. Why? dax/ Instagram Spent $600 buying pillows and blankets The celebrity couple shared that they spent $600 buying pillows and blankets to build makeshift beds so that their family could crash in Boston Logan International Airport after their flight was delayed for over 9 hours. However, they were "kicked out" from the airport, despite it being open 24 hours a day. Bell said in a since-expired Instagram Story on Wednesday that her husband and their two children, Lincoln, 10, and Delta, 8, were stranded at the Boston airport after hours of delays. And Shepard posted that after seven hours of delays, the flight was kicked to the next day all together and that there were ZERO hotel vacancies in the greater Boston area. Dax/ Instagram Videos showed them making beds In a video that showed the famous family improvising by assembling a makeshift bedroom on the airport floor, the Idiocracy star joked with his wife that hed gone out and spent $350 on bed sheets and neck pillows, But then you went and you spend a little bit more! The video showed Kristen, Dax, and their children mingling with family and friends at the gate of the airport. She said they had been spending time playing Uno and Spades to try to steer clear of boredom. After finding out their flight had been moved to the next day, they intended to hunker down in the building. "We made quite a home here," she captioned a photo of herself as she posed with a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. kristen/ Instagram However, authorities are said to have had different ideas and as the group got ready to settle they claim they were "kicked out" despite having nowhere to go. The controversy comes days after Kristen revealed she was left red-faced after 10-year-old daughter Lincoln requested a non-alcoholic beer at a restaurant. Appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the Frozen actress revealed that she lets her kids drink non-alcoholic beer at home, with her eldest even requesting the drink while out for dinner at a fancy restaurant. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. A Florida woman who admitted to siphoning nearly $3 million from the life savings of an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor in a romance scam received a four-year prison sentence on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos sentenced 36-year-old Peaches Stergo to 51 months after denouncing her actions as unspeakably cruel and her behavior motivated by greed. She was further ordered to pay $2.8 million in restitution. She also will forfeit the home she bought in a gated community, as well as over 100 luxury items, including Rolex watches and jewelry, prosecutors said. She was arrested in January and pleaded guilty to wire fraud in April for the scam which lasted years. U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE What happened and how? Stergo met the victim, whom authorities have never publicly identified, on a dating website and asked for money that she said was needed to help get funds from a legal settlement, according to court documents. She then told a series of more lies, fabricating stories that she needed money to gain access to a TD Bank account or else she would never be able to repay the victim, prosecutors said. Stergo also sent heartless text messages, the U.S. attorney's office for Southern New York said in a statement. Stergo called the scam her "business" and told her real lover in a text that the elderly man said he loved her; she added "lol" to that message, the prosecutor's office said. She also remarked that he had become "broke." AP PHOTO It began almost 6-7 years ago The U.S. Attorney's Office release included details from statements made in court, other filings and a Justice Department indictment, which detailed that Stergo, who went under the name of "Alice," met the man on a dating website about six or seven years ago. "From at least in or about May 2017, up to and including at least October 2021, Stergo engaged in a scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor (the Victim) of over $2.8 million, which was his life savings," the release detailed. "After the Victim gave her the money, Stergo said the settlement funds had been deposited into her TD Bank account. In reality, bank records show Stergo never received any money from an injury settlement." "Over the next four and a half years, Stergo continued her lies," the press release continued. "She repeatedly demanded that the Victim deposit money into her bank accounts. She claimed that if he did not, her accounts would be frozen, and he would never be paid back." Stergo's victim wrote a total of 62 checks that were deposited into bank accounts. According to records, he wrote his first check to Stergo in the amount of $25,000 in May 2017. The checks from the victim to Sterto then escalated to almost monthly payments of $50,000. Alamy From a home to a boat to luxurious trips The victim of Stergo's fraud was forced to give up his apartment, while she used the money to purchase, "a home in a gated community, a condominium, a boat, and numerous cars, including a Corvette and a Suburban," according to authorities. "During the course of the fraud, Stergo also took expensive trips, staying at places like the Ritz Carlton, and spent many tens of thousands of dollars on expensive meals, gold coins and bars, jewelry, Rolex watches, and designer clothing from stores like Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes." The victim, who lost his parents in the Holocaust when he was six years old, wrote a letter to the judge that read, per AP. As a Holocaust survivor, I have endured unspeakable pain and loss in my life, but never did I imagine that I would be subjected to such a heartless betrayal in my old age. Stergo was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must pay restitution in the amount of $2,830,775, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has resolved the long-drawn legal battle over the management and control of some of the assets of the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu in Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL) in favour of his widow, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu and her two children. INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the late Ikemba Nnewi was a director of OTL, a family company, before he died in 2011. The suit, LD/1539/2012, filed by Bianca on behalf of the claimants, her two sons, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, who were infants at the time, against OTL and seven others (brothers of the late Dim Ojukwu, their sons and property agent) before the court, was over alleged move by the defendants to take possession of claimants residence at No. 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, as well as some of the companys property in Lagos, which were under the management and control of their late Biafran warlord. The defendants in the suit filed in 2012 are OTL, Prof Joseph Ojukwu, Engr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr. Patrick Ike Ojukwu, Arch. Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Messrs. Massey Udegbe (doing business under Massey Udegbe & Company). The claimants stated that at about August 4, 2011, while their father was sick and hospitalized in London, the 4th-7th defendants attempted to forcibly take possession of their home at No. 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Oueens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos, claiming that after the death of their father and soon after his burial, the 2nd-7th defendants went on to appoint a property agent, the 8th defendant, to take over, not only their fathers residence at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive but also other property under the possession, management and control of their father, namely No. 13 Hawksworth Rd (now known as 13 Ojora Rd) Ikoyi; No. 32A Commercial Ave, Yaba, Lagos; No. 30 Gerard Rd, Ikoyi, Lagos and No.4 Macpherson Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos. READ MORE: Ebele Obiano Speaks After Receiving Valedictory Slap From Bianca Ojukwu Delivering judgment on June 24, this year, the court presided over by Justice A. M. Lawal, after considering all the evidence adduced by the parties in the course of the proceedings spanning about 10 years, ruled that the claimants being biological children of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu by that virtue are entitled to the estate of their father, as well as his entitlements as a deceased director and shareholder of the Ist defendant. Justice Lawal stated that equity is fairness and fairness is equity, adding that as a court of equity, the court would not allow the dispossession of the claimants who are children of a foundation director of the company while other directors are in hold and control of other property of the Ist defendant and deriving benefits from the same. Therefore, the claimants are entitled to possess and control what their late father possessed and controlled in the company, OTL, when he was alive, he ruled. The judge stated that the fact that the 1st defendant allowed the family of the company to live on, and derive income from the assets of the company all these years was a decision of the company by conduct. He noted that the 2nd defendant who had refused to surrender the property under his control for joint management cannot now lead the battle of having the deceased directors children hounded out of possession of the property that was managed by their late father. The Department of State Services (DSS) grilled Alhaji Ahmed Ododo, the candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in the November governorship election in Kogi State. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that Ododo was invited to the office of the DSS for investigation over a petition leveled against him which was reported by some members of the opposition party in the state. Confirming the event, the spokesperson to the Kogi State Government, Kingsley Fanwo, took to his social media page to reveal that Ododo willingly honored an invitation by the DSS. However, Fanwo, who accompanied the APC governorship candidate to the DSS office, did not reveal the allegations in the petition. He rather described the allegations as frivolous and unfounded, maintaining that the APC governorship candidate honored the invitation by DSS to respect a constituted authority. Fanwo explained on his Facebook page that Ododo was drilled by a team of Operatives at the DSS for hours, and he gave convincing explanations to the interrogators. He was thereafter allowed to go by the DSS operatives. Fanwo post reads: The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Alh. Ahmed Usman Ododo today honored the invitation of the DSS to answer questions regarding a petition against him by some members of the opposition. The DSS invited him, and as a law-abiding citizen who is aspiring to lead the state, he honored the invitation. The allegations contained in the petition are frivolous and unfounded, but it was incumbent on the APC Governorship Candidate to respect a constituted authority such as the DSS. Alh. Ododo was drilled by a team of operatives at the DSS for hours, and he gave convincing explanations to the interrogators. We commend the professionalism of the DSS and pledge our cooperation to whatever measures taken, or that would be taken to ensure a peaceful Kogi and a peaceful poll in November 2023. We assure supporters of the APC GOVERNORSHIP candidate that he has since left the DSS Office to continue his consultations with Kogites ahead of the Guber poll. Our commitment to peace and tranquility is iron cast. Every Kogite and every supporter of Alh. Ahmed Usman Ododo should endeavor to be peaceful in all their activities towards the election. News / Local by Staff reporter Go home and vote! That is the clarion call of Zimbabweans in South Africa and the EFF which is organising 500 buses to facilitate voting in the upcoming elections.With just weeks away to go before Zimbabweans go to the polls in a crucial vote that could end the 43 year reign of Zanu-PF, an initiative to mobilise Zimbabweans living in South Africa to exercise their right to vote has gained momentum.Spearheaded by the presidential aspirant Saviour Kasukuwere and South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the initiative aims to provide free buses to transport registered voters to travel back to Zimbabwe.Speaking on Newzroom Afrika on Thursday, Victor Mpofu, one of the organisers of this effort, said the ambitious campaign was spearheaded by EFF leader Julius Malema who has committed to providing 500 buses to transport eligible Zimbabwean citizens to and from Zimbabwe at no cost to the voters.The enthusiasm on the ground is high, he said, with many Zimbabweans in South Africa expressing a willingness to return home and exercise their democratic right."A lot of people are coming forward and they're ready to go back home People are willing to just go back and exercise their democratic right," he said.Despite challenges to the legitimacy of Saviour Kasukuwere's candidacy due to a court case, Mpofu said they remain determined to encourage participation in the elections.They believe that every eligible voter should have the opportunity to cast their ballot, regardless of the uncertainty surrounding the candidate's status.The logistics of the initiative appear to be well-organised, with the buses scheduled to depart from major cities across South Africa.While the EFF is providing financial support for the initiative, it was not explicitly stated who would be covering the expenses for the buses' operation.However, Mpofu emphasised the importance of voting and urged Zimbabweans to take advantage of the opportunity to return home, even if they face challenges with their immigration status upon re-entry to South Africa.Earlier this month, Malema, speaking at a press conference said: "We call on all Zimbabweans who are here in South Africa to go back home and vote. If it means coming back, they can come back, they are more than welcome, but they must do the right thing and go and vote."No-one is going to fight for these Zimbabweans who are loitering the streets here. They are their own liberators. For once, they must take responsibility and get into buses and go home and vote."With just a few weeks remaining until the elections, the initiative to provide 500 buses demonstrates the commitment of Zimbabweans in the South African diaspora to participate in shaping the future of their home country.The efforts made by the organisers, in collaboration with the EFF, underscore the significance of voter engagement and democratic participation. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has declared a 24-hour curfew in the State. Information Nigeria reports that the Governor announced the measure on Sunday after hoodlums stormed two warehouses, looting items. According to reports, some of the hoodlums were degenerating to private shops and attacking people when security operatives took charge. A statement from Fintiris Chief Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou, said the curfew followed the dangerous dimension the activities of hoodlums had assumed across the state capital as they attacked people with matches and broke into business premises carting away property. READ ALSO: Tinubu Should Be Transparent About Fuel Subsidy Removal Peter Obi The State Government noted that with the curfew imposed, there will be no movement throughout the State. Rt. Hon. Fintiri said only people on essential duties with valid identification would be permitted to move around during the period of the curfew, the statement added. Fintiri however appealed to everyone to comply with the directive, adding that any person found contravening the order would be arrested and prosecuted. Earlier this week, murder charges were brought against David Zandstra, 83, of Marietta, Ga., a former reverend who authorities said had kept the crime secret for 48 years. Read more Robert Jordan was playing in his backyard on Aug. 15, 1975, another summer afternoon in his idyllic Delaware County neighborhood, when the panic began to spread from house to house. Gretchen Harrington, an 8-year-old girl from his Bible camp, was missing. I remember being asked, Have you seen Gretchen? and saying, No, why? Jordan, who was 9 years old at the time, recalled this week. The Amber Alert system wouldnt begin for two more decades. There were no cell phones. No Facebook, Citizen or Nextdoor apps. Advertisement But through a network of suburban moms, everyone in Jordans Marple Township neighborhood seemed to hear the news at nearly the same time. It went right down the line, housewives not even getting on the phone, just going to tell each other something had happened, Jordan said. We knew something was happening because our mothers were so jittery. They sprang into action. Jordan piled into a neighbors Volkswagen van with his mother and four other kids. Their search began at a nearby park. Hundreds of residents from Marple and neighboring towns would later comb wooded areas with no results. Tracking dogs were called in. Even a psychic. We havent got a thing, not a thing, then-Broomall Fire Chief Knute Keober told The Inquirer two days after Gretchens disappearance. If shes in the area, shes by Jesus well-hidden. It wasnt until Oct. 14, 1975, that a hiker found skeletal remains along a path in Ridley Creek State Park. At first, he thought they belonged to an animal. I looked closely and saw what I thought was fingernails, the man told police, according to a new book on the case. The body was positively identified as that of Gretchen Harrington. It bore signs of blunt force trauma to her skull. Her death was ruled a homicide. Jordan, 57, now a health care marketing executive, still thinks of Gretchen and that summer each time he drives down Lawrence Road, the last place she was seen. He remembers the Bible camp. Hot dogs and baked beans. Kickball and Wiffle ball. Then, an abduction and a murder. It haunted families for years. So many young people from the 70s still bear that pain and anxiety today, he said. She was a lovely girl. It was always a dead end Brandon Graeff was 2 years old when Gretchen Harringtons body was found. The case had long turned cold by 1997, when he joined the Marple Township police force. Tips had poured in early on, then slowed. Detectives pursued them all, on and off the clock. Everything and I mean everything was followed up on, said Graeff, who became chief in 2020. The case came up from time to time, in roll call, or when a detective would grab the folder again during a slow week. Theyd look through it, maybe try to see something different for her, Graeff said, But we couldnt. We didnt. It was always a dead end. Since 1975, the case has proceeded along two tracks: the abduction handled by Marple Police, and the homicide by state police, because the park in Edgmont Township is in their jurisdiction. In early 2021, Graeff got a call from a man named Mike Mathis, who said he and another former township resident, Joanna Sullivan, were working on a book about the murder and were hoping the department would cooperate with granting them some access to the files. With little movement in the investigation in decades, Graeff couldnt think of a good reason to say no. Were dealing with a little girl whose killer was not held to account, he said. My question to myself was, Why not? How could it hurt? Sullivan, 57, remembers being at Lawrence Park Swim club the day that Gretchen disappeared. The image of a hovering helicopter was seared into her memory. We were just at the pool on a hot summer day and the helicopter was overhead, she said. We were wondering what was going on. Then we heard. Mathis, 58, remembers his father joining the search for Gretchen. He and Sullivan would meet a few years later at Paxon Hollow Middle School. They were editors at the student newspaper, The Hollow Log. They kept in touch through high school and beyond. At a reunion decades later, theyd talk about writing a book together about Gretchen. It just stayed with me and Mike and many other kids through the years, said Sullivan, now the editor-in-chief of the Baltimore Business Journal. I always thought Id like to write that story. When COVID struck in 2020, Sullivan and Mathis suddenly had more time. They got started by creating a list of people they wanted to interview. At the top of the list, she said, was the Zandstra family. The book, Marples Gretchen Harrington Tragedy: Kidnapping, Murder and Innocence Lost in Suburban Philadelphia, was published in October 2022. Sullivan and Mathis did a round of public appearances in the area, including a December book signing at the Barnes & Noble in the Lawrence Park Shopping Center just down the street from where Gretchen was abducted. They had no idea that, just a few weeks later, a woman would come forward with information that would break the case wide open. I think it was Mr. Z On Jan. 2, 2023, state police interviewed a woman later identified in court documents only by her initials. She said shed frequently slept at the home of a local reverend named David Zandstra and his family because she was friends with his daughter. Zandstra had served at Trinity Chapel Christian Reformed Church, one of two churches on Lawrence Road in Marple Township that were used for the Bible camp that Gretchen attended. The other was the Reformed Presbyterian Church, where Gretchens father was the pastor. It was Zandstra who called police and reported Gretchen missing at 11:23 a.m. on Aug. 15, 1975. He said he was calling at the request of the girls father. The new witness told state investigators that during two sleepovers at the Zandstra house when she was 10 years old, she awoke to Zandstra touching her. She also showed police a childhood diary shed kept that mentioned the sleepovers and, in September 1975, her suspicion that Zandstra might have been involved with the attempted kidnapping of a girl in her class, as well as Gretchens disappearance. Its a secret, so I cant tell anyone, but I think he might be the one who kidnapped Gretchen, she wrote. I think it was Mr. Z. At first, a cordial interview Earlier this month, David Zandstra, 83 and living in Marietta, Ga., walked into an interview room at the Cobb County Police Headquarters with no reservations about speaking with police. He didnt lawyer up. It was the departments soft interview room. Couch, comfortable chairs, unlocked. Two Pennsylvania troopers were waiting for him: Cpl. Andrew Martin, who had picked up the Harrington case about 2017, and Eugene Tray, whod been called in recently. Theyd caught a flight to Atlanta on July 17 to interview the octogenarian suspect, with the new information in hand. If Zandstra was worried about the interview when he sat down, he didnt show it at least not at first. Back in 1975, police had interviewed Zandstra twice. He also spoke to Mathis for the book, which focused on a different man as the prime suspect. Deep down, Im sure he was very, very concerned, Tray said. The conversation was almost cordial to start. Zandstra denied ever seeing Gretchen on the day she went missing. But then police told Zandstra about the sexual assault allegations from the girl with the diary. It was the final straw placed on top of nearly a half-century of guilt. He broke down and confessed. We asked and he spoke, Tray said. He was presented with things I dont think he expected to be presented with. Then, I think he started to think more on it. I think he just wanted his sick, twisted version of redemption, and to come clean. Zandstra admitted to abducting Gretchen as she was walking to Trinity Chapel for morning exercises, according to the criminal complaint. He said Gretchen asked to go home, but he drove her to a wooded area and parked. When she refused his demand to take off her clothes, he struck her in the head with his fist, court documents state. Zandstra said he checked her pulse and believed that she had died, so he attempted to cover up her half-naked body with sticks and left the area. He was two different people, Tray said of Zandstra, before and after his confession. He was definitely relieved and happy to get that off his chest, how sick that may be. Searching for other victims Zandstra left Delaware County in 1976, and worked in Texas and California before retiring to Georgia. Cops in and around Marple Township whod worked on the case, or helped search for Gretchen in 1975, have retired and died. The case took a toll on many of them, knowing a child killer could have gotten away with it, said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, who was 12 years old when Gretchen disappeared. Its important to understand law enforcement officers are moved by the trauma they see happen, he said. Thats why theyre in this business of trying to bring justice. Stollsteimer described Zandstras arrest as a great relief to police in Delaware County and praised Martin, in particular, for sticking with the case. This is just great, old-fashioned police work, he said. Martin was unable to attend the news conference on Monday announcing Zandstras arrest and was not available for an interview this week. Tray, however, said the case would not have been solved were it not for him. State police collected DNA from Zandstra when he was arrested, which could prove useful if there are additional victims in other parts of the country. As part of that effort, the Christian Reformed Church in North America says it is reaching out to Zandstras former congregations. He served in Flanders, N.J.; Broomall, Pa.; Plano, Texas; and San Diego and Fairfield, Calif. After settling in Georgia, Zandstra continued to advise clients of a pregnancy resource center, according to a 2012 religious newsletter in which he wrote a small section titled Peace to you. A photo shows him smiling, with gray hair and a closely cropped beard. The prospect of peace was and is badly needed in the uncounted and constant conflicts of our world, he wrote. Only believers in Jesus are able to find real peace with God. California police are now looking into whether Zandstra might be connected to the 1991 disappearance of 4-year-old Nikki Campbell in Fairfield, and police in Delaware County are also reexamining other cases from the 1970s. Who knows? This guy was a monster, Stollsteimer said. Nothing would surprise me. Sullivan, the author of the book on the Harrington murder, has been fielding calls and Facebook messages this week from people in Marple who might have information about other cases of abuse. I dont think it was an isolated case, Sullivan said. As for whether the book helped lead to the break in the case, that depends on whom you ask. Some law enforcement officials are convinced that it did. Others cautioned against such speculation. Regardless, a new chapter is planned if the book goes to another printing: Case solved. On Friday, the Delco DAs office got word that Zandstra would waive an extradition hearing and agree to be transported from Georgia to Pennsylvania. But his defense lawyer later sought to have the waiver recalled because he was not present with Zandstra when it was signed. Authorities are awaiting a judges ruling. The Harrington family released a statement this week, thanking police for their work and community members for their support over the years. Gretchens father, Harold, died in November 2021 at the age of 94. If you met Gretchen, you were instantly her friend, the family wrote. She exuded kindness to all and was sweet and gentle. Even now, when people share their memories of her, the first thing they talk about is how amazing she was and still is. At just 8 years old, she had a lifelong impact on those around her. The Forbahead II on the Susquehanna River earlier this month. Photo by WBRE/WYOU Read more Every summer, for about the last five years, a growing group of young men shove off from the banks of the Susquehanna River to live like modern-day Huckleberry Finns. They flow downriver for up to 50 miles at natures pace on a raft thats grown bigger and taller every year thanks to a whopping 32 wooden pallets and 64 plastic, 55-gallon drums for buoyancy. That pace is usually about one mile per hour, maybe two, said Seth Kashuba, 22, one of the original rafters. The trip began in 2018, Kashuba said, after his group of friends aged out of the summer camp where theyd met and bonded. Cody Stang, the groups captain, came up with the idea for a rafting trip down the Susquehanna, one of Pennsylvanias longest rivers. Advertisement It started off just two pallets by three pallets all together, real small. Just every year we made it bigger and better, and now its triple-decker, Stang, from Meshoppen, Wyoming County, told WNEP-TV of Scranton. This years trip started in Falls, Wyoming County, and ended south in Berwick, Columbia County, about 45 miles later. The river starts to get rockier and more dangerous farther south. The Forbahead II (named after a friend) doesnt have a sail, and using a motor would classify it as a boat. Its guided by the waters flow and some occasional towing by kayaks. Julys heavy rains made the trip easier this year, Kashuba said, because there was ample water flow. In some years, with little rainfall, theyve had to push the Forbahead II through shallow water. That definitely wasnt fun, he said. Kashuba, of Blakely, Lackawanna County, said a total of 13 friends made their way onto this years rafting trip, ranging in age from 18 to 23. Some had to leave to get to work. One was planning a wedding. Each night, they guided the raft ashore to camp on the riverbank. Now that were getting older, we all have a lot more responsibilities, he said. This years version of the raft even had an observation tower, about 19 feet tall, but Kashuba said it never felt scary up there. The crew, many of whom attended Liberty University in Virginia, doesnt drink and never intended to garner social media likes. We dont need alcohol to have a good time, he said. Were out to create memories and have some good, wholesome fun. You dont really see guys our age having this kind of fun. Kashuba said anyone wanting to create a raft of their own should review regulations and be sure to have life jackets aboard for everyone. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission told The Citizens Voice, of Wilkes-Barre, that unpowered rafts arent regulated by the agency and are, therefore, legal. Its basically like were tubing, Kashuba said. Kashuba also recommended a short trip, maybe a mile, for the maiden voyage, along with some bug spray. This year wasnt too bad but there have been years where theres bugs flying in your nose and ears, he said. Kashuba said there were a few run-ins with dobsonflies, which look terrifying, but are actually harmless. Theyre like the size of a small bird, he said. Next years raft probably wont be bigger, Kashuba said, because the construction and dismantling process take up too much time. They might bring more musical instruments, he said, including a piano. Oh yeah, it will be fine, he said. We could park a car on this thing. News / Local by Staff reporter Zanu-PF is in the eye of a storm amid accusations that its officials are disrupting learning at schools, especially in rural areas as campaigning for the August 23 elections heats up.This publication established that aspiring candidates and their supporters were sometimes holding campaign meetings at schools where they force teachers and learners to attend.In 2018, Masvingo High Court Judge, Justice Joseph Martin Mafusire barred Zanu-PF from abusing learners, teachers and school property in pursuit of personal political interests.The United Nations (UN) welcomed the ruling saying it was in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that the best interests of the child must be the paramount consideration in every situation, and at all times.'In Mutare, Citizens Coalitions for Change (CCC) aspiring candidate for Mutasa Central, Trevor Saruwaka, lodged a complaint with the Education ministry recently after accusing the Zanu-PF candidate, Innocent Benza of launching his campaign at Vumbunu Primary School.Educators Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general, Tapedza Zhou, said reports of lessons being disrupted by Zanu-PF officials were a cause for concern."The future of our children is by far more valuable than the 2023 elections that shall come and go like dew," Zhou said"Holding the whole nation at ransom, trivialising the education of our children and disregarding the constitution with impunity have no place in a civilised society and negate the spirit of the second republic."Zhou said learners should also not be exposed to violent campaigns."We all have a duty to be responsible enough to protect our future generations from political violence.""Learning must go on undisturbed."Amalgamated Rural Teachers of Zimbabwe leader, Obert Masaraure, condemned the disruption of lessons as barbaric."The former liberators are now dragging learners to political rallies, abusing school property for political gain and even abusing teachers in pursuit of private political interests," Masaraure said."They have successfully made learning impossible in our schools."If these people remain in power the education of our children will be at risk. Zimbabwe needs a break from this barbarism."Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro, said he was not aware of such allegations when contacted for comment.Zanu-PF spokesperson, Christopher Mutsvangwa, said the ruling party was not disrupting any lessons."We know where this is coming from," Mutsvangwa said."Zanu-PF as a revolutionary party we value education and we are not fools to disrupt lessons."In 2018, legislative watchdog Veritas and the Association of Rural Teachers Unions of Zimbabwe went to the High Court challenging Zanu-PF for forcing school authorities to provide transport and other services for its supporters to rallies as well as forcing schoolchildren to attend political rallies. A semi-truck caught fire underneath the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge and shut down traffic in Philadelphia, Pa. on Sunday, July 30, 2023. Read more The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge reopened to traffic Sunday night after a semi-truck trailer caught fire beneath it, prompting officials to close all lanes for about three hours. The Philadelphia Fire Department responded to the area around 4:40 p.m. and found a trailer ablaze, with no truck attached, said department spokesperson Rachel Cunningham. Black smoke billowed from the scene, near the 6400 block of State Road in Philly, and clouded over the bridge. Within about two hours, the fire was under control, Cunningham said. There were no reports of injuries, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation, she said. The bridge was closed to all traffic for about three hours. Just after 8 p.m. Sunday, drivers were again making their way across. The Burlington County Bridge Commission, which oversees and operates the bridge, shut it down out of an abundance of caution due to the heavy smoke and to reduce traffic coming into the area, said Dave Levinsky, spokesperson for Burlington County. The Tacony-Palmyra bridge, built in 1929, extends over the Delaware River and connects Levick Street in Philadelphias Tacony section with Palmyra, N.J. The closure comes just a month after a portion of Interstate 95 collapsed just a short distance north, after a tanker truck crashed and exploded beneath a highway overpass. State Sen. Doug Mastriano, with Donald Trump in November 2022, spread false information to his colleagues at Trump's request, according to emails from December 2020 that surfaced in an unrelated lawsuit in Erie County. Read more In mid-December 2020, even Pennsylvania State Sen. Doug Mastriano apparently had some doubts about the latest plan hatched by Donald Trumps inner circle to select fake Electoral College electors in an attempt to reverse the results of the presidential election. The right-wing senator had heard from other Republicans that the scheme might be illegal, in the words of lawyer Christina Bobb, then a One America News anchor who later joined Trumps legal team. Mastriano needs a call from the mayor. This needs to be done. Talk to him about legalities of what they are doing, Bobb wrote on Dec. 12, 2020, to Trump advisers, referring to Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City. That email and others from Trumps team were reported last summer by the New York Times. But previously unreported communications obtained by The Inquirer show that, two days after Bobbs email, Trump himself called Mastriano this time peddling lies about Dominion voting machines. Advertisement POTUS just called me, Mastriano wrote in a Dec. 14, 2020, email with the subject line Document from POTUS. He asked that I share the attached with you. Mastriano was happy to oblige. He sent the email to an unidentified group of recipients, with findings from a debunked study of voting machines in Michigan, including a false claim that there was a 68% error rate in votes cast. A Cover-up is Happening regarding the voting machines in Michigan, reads one of the talking points Mastriano forwarded. That same day, Mastriano posted on Facebook a link to a conservative news site with a headline about how Dominion software was intentionally designed to influence election results. Uh oh, Mastriano wrote. Those claims, of course, were not true. In April, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to settle a defamation case stemming from false claims it had aired about the companys voting machines. Lawsuit unearths new emails That Trump had been in contact with Mastriano and other Pennsylvania legislative leaders in December 2020 has previously been reported in the media, and documented by the House Jan. 6 committee that investigated the attack on the U.S. Capitol. But the new emails reveal additional details about Trumps pressure campaign in Pennsylvania and provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how it was received in Harrisburg. Election-related conspiracy theories and bad legal advice percolated quickly through the legislature. Trump, who has already been indicted in New York and Miami, remains the focus of criminal investigations in Washington, D.C., and Georgia for his efforts to cling to power after losing the election. Emails among Pennsylvania state representatives and senators are generally not considered public record under the states Right-to-Know law. These communications recently surfaced as a result of a defamation lawsuit that State Sen. Dan Laughlin filed last year against the Erie Reader and one of its contributing editors over an opinion piece. By suing the weekly newspaper, Laughlin, an Erie County Republican, opened the door to legal discovery and depositions that unearthed otherwise confidential communications. In addition to a couple of Mastriano emails referencing his conversations with Trump, other emails point to disagreements within the GOP about challenging the results of the election. For instance, Laughlin privately scoffed at a lawsuit filed by Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, one of Trumps top supporters, seeking to disenfranchise about 2.6 million voters by throwing out every mail-in ballot in Pennsylvania. Were not saying a word on this crap, Laughlin wrote from his iPhone on Dec. 8, 2020. Mike Kelly is hurting our party right now. Kellys legal challenge was unanimously rejected by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court later unanimously declined to hear the case on appeal. Laughlins email made for an awkward moment last month in Pittsburgh, when Kelly was deposed by a lawyer representing the Erie Reader, according to a deposition transcript reviewed by The Inquirer. Do you know what he means when he says this crap? the lawyer asked Kelly, who responded: No, I dont Nobodys ever said this to me in person. I dont know. Ive never seen this e-mail before right now. Kelly, who said he has a cordial relationship with Laughlin and has campaigned with him, raised doubts about whether Laughlin had actually written the emails. I know whats written here, but I dont know that this is hes never said this to me directly, Kelly said, according to the transcript. Pa. Republicans not talking House Republicans in Harrisburg including those who in December 2020 signed a letter asking Pennsylvanias congressional delegation to reject the states electors were noticeably silent about Trump this week. They did not want to discuss his arraignment in Miami on federal charges, which included concealing classified documents, obstruction, making false statements, and related counts. The state Senate does not return to session until next week. Laughlin and Mastriano did not respond to requests for comment. READ MORE: Pa. Republicans dont want to talk about Trump. It was business as usual in Harrisburg as he was arraigned on federal charges in Florida. In a Facebook post last month, Laughlin bristled at having to sit through a deposition of his son in the defamation case he brought. This is about as low as you can go, he wrote. Laughlin has argued that while he did sign a friend-of-the-court brief in a Texas lawsuit challenging the results of the 2020 election, he did not support claims of election fraud or attempts to overturn the results. The newly disclosed emails show that he signed the brief against the advice of a political adviser, who told him: It is a court filing. Dont put your name on it. Paula Knudsen Burke, the attorney representing the Erie Reader and Erie County Democratic Party chairman Jim Wertz, the contributing editor who wrote the column, declined to comment on Laughlins lawsuit. (Burke, of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, has represented The Inquirer in public records matters.) The new emails also include a sampling of the backlash Laughlin received from constituents for supporting the Texas lawsuit. You should be ashamed, one man wrote. Think about what you did. You are clearly a sad Trump suck up as well as an idiot. As for Mastriano, the emails include his recap of another Trump phone conversation, on Dec. 30, 2020. After the call, Mastriano told his colleagues that Trump had asked them to send a letter to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) that highlights the litany of voting irregularities in the November election. Mastriano, who was asking other lawmakers to sign the letter, sent the email to an executive secretary who forwarded it to all Republican senators and their chiefs of staff. He included a draft of the letter, which included baseless claims of extensive potential fraud. It sought to delay the certification of the election on Jan. 6, 2021. Last year, Mastriano secured the Republican nomination for governor, relying on a statewide following hed built through election denialism and opposition to coronavirus mandates. But the retired Army colonel followed it up with a quixotic general election campaign that at one point had him campaigning with a right-wing evangelist who believed COVID-19 vaccines were used for surveillance under the skin. Trump flew to Pennsylvania twice and stumped for Mastriano, but it didnt help. He lost in a landslide to Democrat Josh Shapiro. Votebeat Pennsylvania reporter Carter Walker and staff writer Jeremy Roebuck contributed to this article. Angel Davis and her attorney Bethany Nikitenko (left) at a news conference Tuesday. Davis, who was shot in the head in March by a private security contractor during an eviction from her apartment, is suing Marisa Shuter, Philadelphias landlord-tenant officer. Read more Three separate shooting incidents by private security contractors attempting to evict residents in Philadelphia was cause enough for alarm. But a lawsuit by a woman shot in the head by one of the contractors underscores the citys absurd for-profit eviction system, which is largely farmed out to one attorney who operates with little oversight, regulation, or accountability. The shootings prompted state lawmakers from Philadelphia to rightly propose ending the use of private firms to enforce evictions as landlord-tenant officers, a system that has been marred by heavy-handed tactics, including sudden lockouts, as detailed in a 2020 Inquirer editorial. The rest of Pennsylvania uses elected constables to oversee evictions, but Philadelphia privatized its system in the 1970s after a series of corruption scandals capped by an officer selling the possessions of evicted families. But over time, any reforms were lost in a system shaped by cronyism. READ MORE: Philadelphia's eviction process blindsides renters | Editorial Advertisement In 1986, then-Municipal Court Judge Alan K. Silberstein appointed attorney Robert H. Messerman as the landlord-tenant officer. In 2006, Messerman hired Silbersteins daughter, Marisa Shuter. After Messerman retired, Shuter was appointed landlord-tenant officer in 2017. Shuter employs a handful of retired cops, suburban constables, and private security guards to carry out evictions. These deputy landlord-tenant officers are licensed to carry a gun but are not sworn law enforcement personnel and cant make arrests. Before the pandemic, nearly 20,000 evictions a year were filed in Philadelphia, resulting in more than 5,000 lockouts, while Shuters firm was paid more than $1 million a year for its work. The citys Municipal Court does not put the eviction business out for competitive bid. In fact, Shuter doesnt even have a contract. In lieu of a document that could provide some regulation and oversight, Silbersteins daughter has something better: the kind of family and political ties that have long pervaded the city courts. Silberstein, who died in February, was a longtime ally of Philadelphia Democratic Party boss Bob Brady. Shuters mother, Dveral Silberstein, a schoolteacher, served on the citys long troubled Board of Revision of Taxes for 15 years before her husband took her place in 2007. Shuters husband, David C. Shuter, was elected to the Municipal Court in 2006 and presides over some evictions, an arrangement ethics lawyers say is a conflict of interest. The landlord-tenant officers deputies receive court-issued badges but are independent contractors who use their own guns and vehicles. Law enforcement accreditation is not required, and any regular training is unclear. Lamont Daniels, the deputy landlord-tenant officer who shot Angel Davis in the head during an eviction confrontation in March, operated a business that provided armed security guards to nightclubs. In 2021, Daniels received his own eviction notice for unpaid rent in a case that was closed less than five months before the shooting. In June, a second shooting involving a tenants dog during an eviction in North Philadelphia fortunately resulted in no injuries. Earlier this month, a deputy landlord-tenant officer shot a 33-year-old woman in the leg during an eviction altercation in Kensington. After the third shooting in four months, the citys court system agreed with Marisa Shuter to suspend all evictions until the security contractors received training in the use of force and de-escalation procedures. But more training is not going to end the conflict of interest between Judge David Shuter and his wife or alter the no-bid financial scheme that rewards unregulated private contractors based on the number of evictions they execute. Nor will it bring any accountability to what has long been an opaque, vigilante-like system. READ MORE: Evictions dont have to go back to normal after the CDC moratorium expires | Editorial Earlier calls by former City Councilmember Helen Gym to investigate the private eviction operation went nowhere, as did calls to abolish the arrangement. The recent shootings have spurred Council to renew efforts to examine the use of private contractors by the landlord-tenant officer. It remains to be seen if the latest effort will just be more Council grandstanding. In a perfect world, the private eviction system would be eliminated, and the Philadelphia Sheriffs Office would take over the duties. (In fact, the Sheriffs Office handles some evictions, but at roughly three times the cost.) But the bigger problem is the Sheriffs Office has a long history of corruption and incompetence. There is little confidence current Sheriff Rochelle Bilal is up to the job. The best solution is for the deputy landlord-tenant officers to be eliminated and the eviction duties folded into a reformed Sheriffs Office that reports to the mayor. Until then, Philadelphians who are at risk of losing their home to an eviction may also be at risk of losing their lives. The crowd cheers during a rally held by Pennsylvania Democrats at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Friday, May 6, 2022. Josh Shapiro, Tom Wolf, Madeleine Dean and others spoke at the event. (Heather Khalifa/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS) Read more David McCormick hasnt even officially jumped into Pennsylvanias Senate race, but Democrats already have an ad out blasting his past comments on abortion rights. David McCormick is too extreme for Pennsylvania, the Facebook ad says, after a snippet of the Republican former hedge fund manager showed him saying in an April 2022 debate he supports an abortion ban except in cases where the mothers life is at risk. The small ad buy attacking a politician who is likely to run against Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is just a preview of whats to come. Democrats in Pennsylvania are already campaigning on abortion hoping the issue, which boosted them in the midterms, will keep Republicans on guard and motivate their base in a state Supreme Court race this fall and in 2024. Were just getting started. The stakes in the next election could not be higher, Democratic National Committee chair Jamie Harrison said in a call with reporters Wednesday, one of dozens to mark one year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Advertisement The abortion issue helped Democrats in Pennsylvania and across the country win close races in 2022 despite a weak economy and slumping approval ratings for President Joe Biden. The renewed focus on abortion comes as some Republicans have called for a national abortion ban and Democrats argue that even in states such as Pennsylvania, where abortion is legal, obstacles to receiving care remain. Republicans, for their part, face a conundrum: The issue that once motivated their base now shows signs of being politically toxic. Polls show top GOP candidates stances on abortion are largely out of step with the majority of Americans views. Its no question one of the things that Republicans are studying most after the midterms, said GOP strategist Brock McCleary. It is safe to say that it had as much of an impact as almost anything else in terms of Republicans underperforming expectations. As for McCormicks stance, his spokesperson told The Inquirer on Thursday that he also supports abortion in cases of rape and incest an expansion of the debate answer he gave last year during the GOP Senate primary, which he narrowly lost to Mehmet Oz. Hes widely expected to run again but hasnt indicated when he may announce. How abortion rights helped Democrats in 2022 As soon as Politico published the leaked Dobbs decision in early May 2022, Democrats running for office in Pennsylvania started sounding the alarm that womens reproductive rights were under attack. Voting registration spiked among women and young voters. Democrats aired more than one million political ads mentioning abortion in 2022, a 500% increase over 2020, according to ad monitoring site AdImpact. Meanwhile, Republican ads mentioning abortion plummeted in the last year. In polls, likely voters named the economy as the top issue confronting Pennsylvania but when asked what issue was motivating them to vote, abortion topped the list. Undoubtedly, abortion was an important driver and it went a long way toward explaining the outcome, which was in some ways unprecedented, said pollster Berwood Yost, with Franklin and Marshall College. Pennsylvania abortion laws havent changed in the last year, and permit termination through 23 weeks of pregnancy. But the midterm stakes were particularly high for abortion rights supporters. With a Republican-controlled legislature and an open race for governor, Gov. Josh Shapiro ran on a platform of protecting access while State Sen. Doug Mastriano supported a total abortion ban with no exceptions. Single-issue abortion voters have not historically been a huge voting bloc, but after the constitutional right to an abortion was overturned the issues importance grew. And Democrats expanded their messaging to warn their base that other freedoms were at risk. Abortion is sort of code for extremism, McCleary, the GOP strategist, said. And if you look at all the ads that were run against Republicans they talk about abortion but the word extremism was as prominent in those as anything else. Its the debate around extremism that Republicans need to engage in. The stakes look different in Pa. 2022 With Shapiro in office and Democrats narrowly controlling the Pennsylvania House, immediate threats to abortion access in the state arent as clear and present as in 2022. That could benefit Republicans, who performed better in parts of New York and California in the midterms than they were expected to, despite the abortion issue taking center stage. But Pennsylvania is far from solidly blue, which makes it vulnerable, said Signe Espinoza, executive director of Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania. The threat was real and still is real because we lost the federal protection, Espinoza said. Our message is to stay alert and continue to push all leaders to do more in this moment. Public support for abortion rights has only strengthened in the last year as Republican legislatures and governors have taken steps to limit abortion access. A majority of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, but many are open to restrictions. I think the increasingly radical extremist proposals were seeing are going to keep it on the front burner, said U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon. A recent Franklin and Marshall Poll found that Republican-leaning Independent voters thought the Democratic Party was closer to the mainstream opinion on abortion than the GOP. Thats a fundamental issue Republicans face, said Yost, the pollster. The campaigns ahead Abortions role in the presidential race will depend on the GOP nominee, the state of the economy, and other issues that could bubble up and take center stage. Some candidates, such as former Vice President Mike Pence, have run unabashedly on an anti-abortion platform, promising a federal ban. Others have expressed a range of views on whether they would support a federal ban, and how many weeks into a pregnancy they would allow abortions, if at all. Congressional Democrats see abortion as a winning issue, particularly in suburban areas. Army veteran Ashley Ehasz is again challenging U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who has represented his Bucks County district since 2016. Ehasz said abortion was a primary reason she sought a rematch. It absolutely is still an issue it is the issue, she said this week, calling Fitzpatrick an anti-choice extremist. Chris Gustafson, a spokesperson with the National Republican Campaign Committee, the GOPs House campaign arm, said Democrats were the extremists on the issue. We will not take lectures from the party that supports abortion up to the moment of birth, he said. The most immediate test of how abortion rights impact Pennsylvania politics will be this Novembers race to fill an open seat on the state Supreme Court, where justices hold power over the future of abortion in the state. Democrats currently hold a 4-2 majority, and Democrat Dan McCaffery faces Republican Carolyn Carluccio in the November general election. The court has heard several abortion cases and is currently examining a challenge to a state law that restricts the use of public funds to help women get abortions. Carluccio, a Montgomery County judge, who beat a more conservative opponent in her primary, is endorsed by the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. After winning the primary, McCaffery tweeted: Voting rights, workers rights, womens reproductive rights ... I will not let you down. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Saturday, July 29, 2023, in Erie. Read more ERIE With a familiar medley of insults, falsehoods, and digressions, former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening bashed the criminal indictments mounting against him, attacked President Joe Biden, and repeated his lies about election fraud at a rally in a bellwether region in northwest Pennsylvania. In an unusually punctual appearance, Trump took the stage at 6 p.m in front of about 4,000 people at the Erie Insurance Arena to repeat some of his greatest hits from his signature rallies and add a few new ones. He promised to save the U.S. economy, purge the deep state from the federal government, and prevent World War III which is where were headed, Trump said. He also threw in a dig at Philadelphia, one of his favorite targets of abuse, by blaming Democrats for the citys ongoing gun crisis. Has that city gone to hell or what? he said. Now its so dangerous you cant walk outside to buy a loaf of bread. Its horrible. Its horrible what happened. Advertisement In addition to Philadelphia, Trump disparaged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, several other GOP presidential candidates, Fox News, the prosecutors investigating him, and more. Trumps rally comes two days after his lawyers met with the special counsel investigating his efforts to overturn the presidential election results and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots and after prosecutors announced new charges in the classified documents case accusing him of asking a staffer to delete camera footage to obstruct the investigation. The Erie rally was the second time Trump has visited Pennsylvania in a month, after appearing at the controversial Moms for Liberty conference in Philadelphia on June 30. A significant portion of Trumps 100-minute speech was about Biden and his son Hunter, whose plea deal for tax and gun charges fell apart on Wednesday. He said the Bidens make Hillary Clinton look like a beautiful angel. Trump promised to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Biden crime family if hes elected, a line that received a standing ovation and the loudest applause of the night. Trump on abortion He also took time for a detailed digression on abortion, taking credit for the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade, which was made possible due to appointments during his administration, while also offering a nuanced take on how Republicans should discuss the issue on the campaign trail. Republicans disappointing results in the 2022 midterms were seen by many as a reaction to the courts decision and the GOPs hard-line stance against abortion rights. At Saturdays rally, Trump seemed to be offering a playbook for other Republicans: Emphasize that its good for the issue to be decided at the state level, as it has been since the courts decision, and support exceptions in cases involving rape, incest, and threats to the mothers life. Attacks on indictments; support for social issues Trump said the criminal indictments he faces are part of an effort to sabotage his third presidential campaign, in which he maintains a strong lead in national Republican primary polls. They impeach me, they indict me, they rig our elections, Trump said. And the Republicans just dont fight the way theyre good people, but they dont fight the way theyre supposed to fight. Trump rattled off his support for conservative positions on a number of social issues, such as his support for the Second Amendment and prohibiting transgender girls from participating in womens sports, and his opposition to vaccine mandates. Crowd members rose to their feet as he listed each one. Democrats: MAGA extremism has failed Pennsylvania Ahead of Trumps appearance, the chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party said Trump has failed working people in the state, while Biden has delivered. As Pennsylvania voters watch Trump double down on the same MAGA extremism tonight that failed our commonwealth, I am confident they will deliver him the same resounding rejection they did in 2020, said Sen. Sharif Street (D., Philadelphia) who chairs the Pennsylvania Democrats. Trump won Erie County in 2016 but lost it narrowly to Biden in 2020. Erie sent the Trump campaign a bill for $5,200 Friday in advance of Saturdays rally for expected overtime costs, according to the citys spokesperson. The Trump campaign has yet to reimburse the city for $35,000 in overtime costs to the city for a 2018 visit to the arena. I think we have to try [to get reimbursed], Erie Mayor Joseph Schember, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday. We are going to see whether we can get some payment from them in advance this time. Its important to do this because were talking about taxpayer money being used to help make the former presidents visit safer. Mandy Jurchenko, 46, who lives near Easton and attended Saturdays rally, said the country needs to elect Trump again to avoid becoming a communist country. Everything was going well when we had him, Jurchenko said, who works on a farm. We need him back, bad. A shift on mail voting Ahead of Trumps appearance, several of his surrogates noted the importance of mail voting in the next election. In 2020, Trump villainized mail voting in Pennsylvania and used it as a core part of his lies that the election was stolen from him. Were going to beat them at their own game, said Carla Sands, a former Republican U.S. Senate candidate and the U.S. ambassador to Denmark during Trumps administration. She encouraged churches to register Republican voters as part of their strategy. Trump campaign volunteers were also collecting voter registrations and mail ballot applications. The Pennsylvania GOP has shifted to support mail ballots since the 2022 election, where Republicans underperformed and lost several key races. Supporters of President Donald Trump stand and sing the "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the start of a Trump rally at the Giant Center in Hershey on Dec. 10, 2019. Read more Rich Pruett has supported former President Donald Trump since he descended the escalator at Trump Tower in 2015 to announce his candidacy in the Republican primary. Hes arranged meet-ups and fundraisers and attended parties and rallies all over Pennsylvania. And hes defended the former president at every turn. Over the weekend, though, as TV news stations ran nonstop coverage of the federal indictment against Trump, Pruett felt himself drifting. Its been too much, too often, said Pruett, who lives in Drexel Hill and works in insurance. I think Ive come to the realization that this is not going to stop. Advertisement Pruett sees the prosecution as wholly politically motivated, but it has still worn down his allegiance to Trump. Hes now interested in South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott becoming the nominee. He is not alone. As the unprecedented federal case against a former president unfolds, some Trump supporters in Pennsylvania are backing away from him, either doubtful of his electability or weary of the negative attention he attracts. I think that smart people will have to come to this realization that, hey, it was great for four years. We can do it again, but hes just not the guy to be sitting in the chair, Pruett said. READ MORE: Pa. Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg dont want to talk about Trump Most polls show Trump still maintains loyal support from about one-third of the GOP, and he leads by a wide margin in early primary state surveys. In a crowded field, that core group of supporters could be enough to deliver him the nomination. Even voters who are cooling on the idea of him as the nominee say theyd back him in a general election but they worry about his chances of winning Pennsylvania, a key swing state that Trump lost by a close margin in 2020. The last time Trump was indicted, his poll numbers briefly spiked, as some voters rushed to his defense. After this second indictment, an ABC poll found nearly equal percentages of Americans believed that Trump should have been charged in the case and that the charges against him were politically motivated. Theres a lot of people who, on the surface, they will say they like Trump, said Jeff Piccola, the former GOP chair in York County. They will say this is all terrible about what theyre doing to him, but in their heart of hearts, they wish he would go away or someone else would surface to get the nomination. Piccola described himself as a die-hard Trump supporter until 2021, when he became so frustrated with Trump endorsing GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano that he resigned his position as county chair. For Piccola, a lawyer, the indictment adds to his conviction that Trump isnt helping the party anymore. He could have avoided all this if he just gave the documents back to them, Piccola said. Its not like he needed them for anything. Hes hurting our party, and I just think hes very, very selfish and egocentric. After the 2022 midterms, Trump lost favor with a lot of Republicans in Pennsylvania who blamed him for losses in the state. One of Trumps earliest 2016 supporters, former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, was passed over by Trump for an endorsement in the governors race and is now an early backer of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. I think he has the best chance of winning in the general election, Barletta said of DeSantis in a recent interview. Hes young, hes energetic, hes raising a family, so I think people can see someone who understands what theyre experiencing. READ MORE: Chris Christie calls Trump a child, taking his political jabs further than other GOP presidential contenders For some, the indictment isnt why theyre distancing from Trump but its another thing they fear will turn off other voters. Glen Beiler Jr., a 64-year-old FedEx courier from Ephrata, is a two-time Trump supporter who now leans toward DeSantis. Beiler worries about the former presidents ability to win suburban and independent voters. He thinks DeSantis relative youth hes 44 is an asset. Trump turned 77 this week. Biden is 80. He also thinks for all the political energy Trump inspired, theres some fatigue as voters look ahead to a possible rematch. Its kind of like, for years we had the Clintons and the Bushes, Beiler said. People were just tired of the kind of same old and wanted something new. But if Trump is the nominee, he will fully support him. Whats going on doesnt change my opinion of what he can do, Beiler said. He won it before and, despite what people are saying, I think he could win it again. I am not a cultist Pennsylvania is currently scheduled to vote in the presidential primary April 23. The date will likely change, but its late enough in the primary calendar that voters here could go to the polls after the nomination is already settled. Seven months before the first primary votes are cast, Trump is leading big in states where early momentum is key. Outside former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christies presidential announcement in New Hampshire last week, a group of Trump loyalists waved flags and held up signs. Anthony Boucher, a 47-year-old electrician, said he was not worried in the slightest about the charges against Trump in New York, where he was arraigned April 4 in a hush-money case, or the possibility of more. Theres more support for Trump than people even think, Boucher said. Hes the only one that can fix whats going on in the country right now. He knows how bad the swamp is and how deep it is and what the swamps like. Terry Christopher, a former GOP chairman in Lancaster Township who now lives near Reading, said a lot of Pennsylvania voters feel similarly. The federal indictment doesnt impact Christophers support for the former president. I am not a cultist. I see flaws in Donald Trump. Its not like I like every single thing, Christopher said. But of all the reasons I would have to lose support for him, the Biden Justice Department isnt gonna sway me. Christopher, along with every voter interviewed for this article, questioned the fairness of the proceedings in light of what he considered a missed opportunity to hold other politicians accountable, like President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Biden aides found classified documents at his home and former office and Clinton was accused of mishandling classified intelligence in emails, but neither was accused of intentionally moving classified documents or information or of trying to conceal them. According to the indictment, Trump illegally kept classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida after the National Archives sought their return, and tried to hide them from federal investigators. Christopher, 49, works in advertising and said hes taken a serious look at some of the other GOP candidates and walked away uninspired. Ive looked for excuses not to support Donald Trump, Christopher said. And then I hear him talk and I see him, and it brings back those old feelings of someone whos willing to stand up to the people who dont like me and fight on my behalf. He is the only person who makes me feel that way. Staff writers Chris Brennan and Gillian McGoldrick contributed to this article. Doug Mastriano appears to be in the early days of another run for governor. Read more QUARKERTOWN It was a sweltering Sunday in July with one storm having just passed and plenty of dark clouds looming on the horizon. Still, more than 70 people shelled out $10 and hauled beach chairs to a wet concrete slab in front of a covered stage in a public park for the events big draw: State Sen. Doug Mastriano. The crowd predominantly white and older than 50 looked as if it had been recruited from the 2022 campaign trail, when Mastriano, a Franklin County Republican, waged his losing battle for governor. And Mastrianos 25-minute speech, delivered as usual in tandem with his wife, Rebbie, echoed the themes of that race. Advertisement Unsubstantiated suggestions of voter fraud. Complaints about precautions taken during the pandemic. Indoctrination in public schools. And, as always, most fervently, his disappointment in fellow Republicans for not supporting his campaign. It rang as both a retrospective grievance tour and a future call to action. Mastriano decried the Republican establishment while his wife told the crowd they had helped lay a foundation for a movement. It was not the result we wanted, Mastriano told the crowd of the 2022 election. But its the beginning of a movement here that has the power to change the course and trajectory of Pennsylvania. Is Pennsylvania worth saving? Mastriano is clearly stoking his base. But to what end? The Inquirer spoke to a dozen Republicans elected officials, consultants, and activists for this article. None of them could say for sure what Mastriano is trying to accomplish. Earlier this year, he had teased the possibility of another statewide bid, this time for the U.S. Senate in 2024, right up until the day in May when he declared he would not run. That answered one question but prompted many more. Typical for Mastriano, he is not keen to share his plans and did not respond to requests for comment. Why another run for governor looks likely The most likely scenario: Mastriano is in the very early days of another run for governor in 2026, which raises the prospect of a rematch with Gov. Josh Shapiro, who soundly defeated him last year. Sam Faddis, a retired CIA officer and president of the Pennsylvania Patriot Coalition, said he has not spoken to Mastriano about the future but suspects he is laying the foundation for a 2026 rematch. He said Mastrianos supporters are drawn to him in part due to his personality but also because of their affinity for his issues and antipathy for government and politicians. There are a lot people who are really angry and feel disenfranchised, and thats not going away, Faddis said. I think there are a lot of people across the political spectrum who wish that was not true, including the GOP establishment. READ MORE: Gov. Josh Shapiros budget breakdown over school vouchers was a rare misstep Another option a primary challenge to U.S. Rep. John Joyce, a Blair County Republican and staunch conservative seems doubtful. They endorsed each other last year, and Mastriano told Politico in March that he considers Joyce a friend and would not challenge him. A spokesperson for Joyces campaign said the congressman intends to run for a fourth term in 2024. The campaign would not comment about Mastrianos political future. Many Pennsylvania Republicans dread the notion of another bid for governor. Mastrianos presence at the top of the ticket was widely blamed for a disappointing showing in 2022, including Mehmet Ozs loss to Sen. John Fetterman and the surprising flip of the state House to Democrats. The only person in Pennsylvania who wants Doug Mastriano to run for governor in 2026 is Josh Shapiro, said Chris Pack, a Republican national strategist who has worked in Pennsylvania and on congressional efforts. GOP in the dark Pennsylvanias Republican establishment is unclear on what comes next for Mastriano. If youre looking for deep insight, quite frankly I dont have it, said David Feidt, chairman of the Dauphin County Republican Party and co-chair of the partys 24-county Central Caucus, which includes Mastrianos district. And the state party is mum. Lawrence Tabas, a Philadelphia lawyer who chairs the states Republican Party, did not respond for requests for comment. Mastriano and his wife announced in Quakertown that they will hold a freedom conference in Harrisburg on Oct. 21 aimed at educating people new to politics. Matt Beynon, who worked for another competitor in last years primary, said some candidates have trouble seeing their limitations. I think its pretty clear he doesnt see the state Senate as his end point, though I think voters have provided him with his glass ceiling, Beynon said. Other strategists surmise that Mastriano may just be replenishing his campaign bank account. Josh Novotney, a GOP lobbyist from Philadelphia who has worked on statewide campaigns, noted that Mastriano was criticized last year for not being a prolific fundraiser. Hes got to do these events with the base all around the state, Novotney said. He has the time now to meet with donors and build up relationships. If hes in Quakertown meeting with grassroots people three years out, thats how you win. When Mastriano spoke July 16 at the Pennsylvania Patriot Coalition event in Quakertown, his volunteers ran one of the dozen tents for vendors. They offered a variety of merch T-shirts and hats for $20, bags and glasses for $30, a signed photograph for $50. It was all emblazoned with the Walk as free people motto from his gubernatorial campaign. Discontent in Mastrianos district Mastriano, a retired U.S. Army colonel, handily won a 2019 special election for the Senates 33rd District, which covers all of Franklin and Adams Counties, and then won a full four-year term in 2020. His next election, if he seeks a second full term, would be next year. It should be an easy lift if he doesnt face a primary challenger. Republicans make up 71% of the registered voters in Franklin County and 66% in Adams County. But not everyone is satisfied with his work as a legislator. Charlotte Shaffer, chair of the Adams County Republican Party, said Mastriano has been virtually missing in action since last year, not showing up for party gatherings for candidates or elected officials. Mastriano held an event at a public park in May in Adams County he called it Connecting with the 33rd District on Facebook but did not share the invitation with anyone from the local party. I believe five people showed up, Shaffer said. She said she doesnt know what Mastrianos political aspirations are. Theres a communication gap, Shaffer said. Actually, there is no communication coming from him as a senator and his campaign. Shaffer calls that really disappointing because her local party knocked on thousands of doors last year, pushing him for governor. We did a whole lot, Shaffer said. We put everything we had behind the Republican candidates. Mastriano remains active on Facebook Mastriano may not show up in Adams County much, but he is still posting every day on social media. He still makes regular appearances on radio shows and podcasts where deferential hosts offer support for his long list of grievances. He unspooled that list again on July 24 on the John Frederick Radio Network, posting video of that to his Facebook page. READ MORE: How Doug Mastriano deployed Facebook Live to build his far-right base Mastriano mischaracterized unverified claims by Republicans in Washington about corruption when President Joe Biden was vice president as smoking gun evidence. When are folks going to be held accountable? Mastriano asked. When is Joe Biden going to be impeached? We need action in D.C. He lamented hearing complaints about government and politicians from people who did not vote for him. Two out of five registered voters in Pennsylvania did not cast a ballot last November. We had the majority across the state, the support, because we personified the values of the people of Pennsylvania, Mastriano said. But the people of Pennsylvania, not enough of us get out and do the least we can do for our country and vote. And, again, he complained about that the Republican Party did not rally around him with donations, endorsements, and other support after last years bruising primary. Thats our party, Mastriano said. Republicans in Pennsylvania, Ive found, are fantastic at tearing each other down. We are the best at beating up each other. Where 3G made a market success of the smartphone and changed forever how we use data on our mobile devices, 5G- the fifth generation- is set to revolutionise data use, increasing the scale, scope and speed of how we communicate and do business. But we are behind the curve in Ireland and the telecom operators here are dragging their heels on some technical aspects of the 5G licence rollout. The Irish telecoms regulator ComReg has called a halt to the time allowed for operators to the raise queries over allocating the 20-year licences for the rollout of 5G, following a period of consultation. A lot is at stake, as the potential impact across industries could be enormous. However, the roll out across many regions is scheduled to take up to three years, with the final regions due to be covered in seven years. Hence, ComReg is anxious that no more delays affect the execution of the 5G licences allocation first announced in mid-2022. To press home its case, ComReg in recent High Court proceedings, released reports from experts which indicated the cost of delays were in the region of 250m every quarter, or 2bn over two years. Lost opportunity Those sums indicate the lost opportunity in supporting increased mobile data traffic, industry productivity losses, as well as energy efficiency losses. The Government was emerging from under the bailout cloud when the last major assignment of licences was awarded, in 2012. At the time it was grateful for the 850m in upfront and annual fees the mobile operators paid for 15-year licences. The auction of the latest 5G licences was set to bring in around 448m, but came with tougher conditions. The old licences came generally unencumbered with low coverage targets and a soft rollout timeframe. It is no wonder that mobile operators have been under constant criticism about poor rural coverage. In the upcoming 5G spectrum assignments, ComReg has recognised the need to deliver 95% coverage of the population, with early geographical coverage of IDA business parks, hospitals, transport hubs, and cities. The latest spectrum of 5G licences will make it easier for telecom operators to service rural areas, where low population density traditionally made for tough return on investment. Chief executives of Imagine, Eir, Three Ireland and Vodafone Ireland, who have won the main 5G licences, will no doubt see the opportunity to sell a new range of products and services, however, they will have to undertake massive investment in upgrading the infrastructure of both wireline and wireless networks if the licence technical conditions laid down by ComReg are to be achieved. Not unexpectedly, there has been substantial challenges to the technical conditions by the many telecom operators, both from those who won the licence auction and those who did not. There has been a pressure on telecom operators in Ireland to offer the full spectrum of support services. During covid, ComReg rushed out a limited and temporary range of 5G licences because of people working from home, which could not be catered for by fixed-line broadband. However, growth over the last three years has been more rapid, but complaints have also sharply from subscribers stuck on old 4G devices. Smart home tech The full radio frequency spectrum in the new licences is expected to resolve these issues, and will also meet the rising demands of augmented reality apps, video calling, and smart home tech to control heating, lighting, refrigeration and security. Early adopters such as Glanbia which installed an indoor 5G network to increase manufacturing efficiency of its cheese plant in Ballyragget, point to the benefits. The Government will look to 5G to help realise its digital transformation ambitions and to anchor Irelands position as a prime destination for international businesses. The EU in pushing its Digital Decade objectives and has been pressing Ireland to complete its full 5G spectrum rollout. It is time for the telecoms operators to stop squabbling on technicalities. A little change of scenery and patient last week, locuming for Shanrahan Veterinary Clinic near Cahir in Co Tipperary, which is nestled between the Galtee and the Knockmealdown mountain ranges. The location explains the species jump to the ovine variety, which I enjoy as it keeps that part of my sheep knowledge ticking in my very dominant dairy world at home in Cork. Irish sheep parasite resistance Sheep farming and responsible parasite prevention go together like thunder and lightning; its impossible to have one without the other. There are some parts of New Zealand that are unable to sheep farm due to parasite resistance. A report from the Irish sheep technology adoption programme in 2017 reported that white drenches were only 31.5% effective, yellow drenches 51.9% effective and clear drenches were 62.5% effective. These figures are now six years old, so more than likely, the percentages have dropped even more, which is a worrying concept for sheep farming in Ireland. It's that important time of year in the sheep farming calendar when the all-important ram sales are occurring ahead of the breeding season. During the my day locuming, a sheep farmer handed in a dung sample for a faecal egg count that was part of his parasite TASAH two complimentary diagnostic tests. I was thrilled to hear it was from rams that the farmer had bought and was currently in quarantine away from the rest of the flock. Eimear McGrath, who owns Shanrahan Veterinary, encourages her sheep farmers to test for resistance frequently on their farms and especially with newly bought in stock. This sample was part of a resistance test called a drench test, where the animals are sampled before dosing and then again after dosing. The interval time between dosing and sampling is 10-14 days unless a yellow (levamisole) drench is used, reducing the interval to seven days. Using this type of testing throughout the year, whenever dosing is necessary, is a great surveillance method for resistance on your farm. I performed a drench test on my calves this year in May prior to their first white wormer dose; no evidence of resistance was noted, which was great relief; however, it will be something I will repeat on an annual basis with all wormer classes. The goal is a 95% reduction from the initial pre-dosing sample compared with the post-dosing sample. For example, going from 600 eggs per gram pre-dosing to 300 eggs per gram post-dosing would equal a reduction of only 50%, meaning that resistance to your selected dose is present in your flock. For the result to be reliable, an initial result of a minimum of 200 eggs per gram would be required. Always submit fresh samples; as I have mentioned before, it makes false readings less likely. Biosecurity Quarantining bought-in stock such as rams is vital to protect your established flock from disease, not only parasites. Isolating from other animals for three weeks can allow time for any virus or bacterial disease to exhibit clinical signs. When it comes to parasites treatments, ideally, the use of two classes of anti-parasitic should be used to prevent resistance worms avoiding treatment. An orange drench (Monepantel) is the newest class of anti-parasitic available in Ireland and is recommended for use in combination with another drug class for the gold standard quarantine dose. However, I am aware that supply issues may be affecting its availability for this use in Ireland; always consult your vet before using any dosing product. The Orange (Monepantel) drench needs to be protected at all costs from resistance development to ensure its efficacy for the future. It would be ideal to keep these newly dosed animals in the shed for 48 hours to prevent introducing foreign eggs onto pasture. As an extra precaution, it would be advisable to choose a turn-out pasture likely to be contaminated pasture with eggs from your established flock to dilute any resistance worm eggs that may not have been killed by the combined dose used. I often get asked what the "best" wormer is - and the answer in most scenarios is the wormer that works best on your farm, and regular drench tests are the way to establish this going forward. Dosing commandments The basics of dosing bought-in stock, such as the rams, stay the same as when you are dosing home-bred stock. Always try to calibrate your drenching gun or syringe prior to use, an easy way is to use the humble kitchen measuring jug to check the volume of the dose. Always check the dose rate on the data sheet supplied with the product and look for the expiry date. Individually weighing each animal is the gold standard for dosing; however, if this is not achievable, dose to the heaviest in the group. Especially when it comes to rams, make sure to restrain correctly when drenching to avoid spills and drenching injuries to the larynx. The Animal Health Ireland funded Parasite TASHA is a fantastic opportunity for all sheep farmers to discuss parasite control with the added bonus of two free diagnostic tests. Using these tests to carry out a Drench test on bought-in stock could be an opportunity to make sure you are not buying in resistance in a Trojan ram. Contact your vet today to discuss biosecurity measures on your farm and also parasite resistance prevention advice. If you havent done so already, sign up on AHI.ie and nominate your local trained vet to complete your Parasite TASHA. News / Local by Staff reporter The Supreme Court has called for a case management meeting at 10 AM on Monday in the appeal by 12 Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidates from Bulawayo who were barred by the High Court from running for MP.The matter is likely to be argued on Wednesday or Thursday.Nelson Chamisa's CCC was dealt a heavy blow in Bulawayo, one of its strongholds after the court nullified the candidature of 12 of its parliamentary contestants ahead of the general elections in Zimbabwe.Since the turn of the century, Bulawayo has been a stronghold for the opposition - which, at the time, was known as the Movement for Democratic Change.With the opposition out of the way, the ruling will likely hand Zanu-PF a walkover.In the 2018 elections, the opposition lost one constituency in Bulawayo after the party fielded two candidates, resulting in a split vote, which handed Zanu-PF's Raji Modi the seat.Learning from past mistakes, the CCC claimed to be guarding against double candidates this time when its selection process, which came to be known as "strategic ambiguity" among critics, came into effect.This process led to the delay of nomination papers reaching the nomination court in Bulawayo in time - from Harare, the capital city where decision-making had been centralised.The case presented before the courts by Zanu-PF-linked activists was that CCC candidates filed their papers past the 16:00 nomination court deadline.Justice Nokuthula Moyo delivered the judgment, nullifying the candidature of CCC's parliamentary contestants.But the CCC said it would challenge the judgment, which would then be suspended, in the hope that the party candidates could stand for election.The anticipated walkover by Zanu-PF means that CCC can also miss out on provincial council seats, which are awarded on the strength of parliamentary votes. The Minister for Education has said that a primary schools campaign run by Horse Racing Ireland to introduce children to the sport was developed without her departments consultation. Norma Foley said videos filmed on school grounds to promote the campaign did not fall within her Departments remit, though the use of school property for commercial purposes is considered "not generally appropriate. Earlier this year, HRI launched the primary school campaign titled The Road To Racing with the stated aim to teach pupils about the world of horse racing. The programme consists of four three-minute videos, describing the scope of the industry from the everyday work carried out in the stables to what happens on race day. In publicising the initiative, HRI paid two primary school teacher influencers 1,200 each to promote the programme, including the creation of a video that was hosted on HRIs website. A spokesperson for HRI said: Horse Racing Ireland has used sports personalities, media personalities, and influencers to promote the sport of horse racing and the wider breeding industries." Queried by Social Democrats TD for Kildare Catherine Murphy as to what input the Department of Education had, Minister Foley said her Department was not consulted regarding the initiative. She said that choices regarding educational materials, textbooks, educational products as well as digital and online services to support the implementation of the curriculum in schools are made by individual schools and their boards of management, adding that the current policy in the Department is not to endorse any products, publications or services from individual providers. Regarding the video created by an Instagram influencer and primary school teacher, Ms Foley said that in the Departments view it would not generally be appropriate for commercial content to be shot on school property. The Minister added however that such decisions are a matter for the board of management/education and training board concerned. The boards of management and school principals have a responsibility for the quality and effectiveness of education and the management of staff in a school, she said. Ms Murphy described the Ministers response as head in the sand stuff, and said the HRI programme amounted to materials that are essentially creating a brand awareness with very young people. If the Minister so wishes she can issue a memo or circular on the practice of the promotion of products or services in classrooms that are coming in under the guise of teaching resources, she said, adding that the judgement of some boards of management also needs to be questioned regarding tolerance for the use of classrooms by influencers. It is not HRIs first encounter with social media influencers. Earlier this year, the RTE radio presenter and comedian Doireann Garrihy was paid 20,000 by the body to promote the Cheltenham racing festival. HRI chief executive Suzanne Eade defended the use of such influencers however, saying it is a proven, cost-effective practice, and has more cut through than some of the more traditional communication methods. The rededication of a memorial to the National Army soldiers killed in the Civil War enables their memory to be rehabilitated, a ceremony in Dublin has heard. Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sean Clancy paid tribute to the some 810 soldiers killed serving on the Free State side in the 1922-23 conflict as he addressed the event at Glasnevin cemetery on Sunday. Descendants of some of those who died, representatives of all four provinces on the island of Ireland, were invited guests at the ceremony, among them relatives of Michael Collins, the commander in chief of the National Army who was killed in 1922. Government coalition partners Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin, the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, the two main parties forged from the divisions of the Civil War, also attended the rededication of the National Army Monument. Sinn Fein TD Matt Carthy also attended the military commemoration, as did Dublin Lord Mayor Daithi de Roiste. Prior to the ceremony, there was no monument in Ireland specifically dedicated to the soldiers of the National Army who fought against the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War. Weeks after the war ended, on August 3, 1923, the Oireachtas passed legislation that led to the creation of the modern-day Irish Defence Forces, Oglaigh na hEireann. The rededication event for the forgotten fallen of the National Army, which had already adopted the name Oglaigh na hEireann during the Civil War, took place on the Sunday prior to the centenary of that date. It is appropriate then, in the spirit of real inclusiveness, of ethical remembering, and with a full desire to deal with some of the more uncomfortable aspects of our shared history, that we remember some of 810 uniformed members of Oglaigh na hEireann who gave their lives in the service of the state during the tragic and critical period at the foundation of our democracy, Lt Gen Clancy told the ceremony. For far too long there has been no memorial of any kind, nor any complete listing of the National Army war dead. Indeed, this year represents perhaps the last real opportunity to rectify that. The remains of some 180 of the 810 soldiers who died serving in the National Army are buried at the plot in Glasnevin cemetery. Sources at the archives show that the average soldier buried here was in his early 20s, was unmarried and from a working-class background, said Lt Gen Clancy. Many had previously served in the IRA during the War of Independence, some even in the 1916 rising, many others had served in the British Army, underlying yet again how complex is the weave of Irish history. The chief of staff highlighted the poignant example of two young Belfast-born Dublin-raised brothers Frederick (18) and Gerald McKenna (16) who were buried in Glasnevin after being killed together in action in Cork in August 1922 only a month after joining the National Army. Whatever the often very legitimate reasons our forebears may have had for forgetting in the intervening 100 years, I think its appropriate now that I as the 32nd Chief of Staff of Oglaigh na hEireann should finally take this opportunity to rehabilitate their memory, said Lt Gen Clancy. A key government housing initiative to offset the effects of ending the eviction ban will hit its targets despite some councils not having completed a single home purchase so far. An analysis of figures provided by local authorities across the country shows there are now over 1,800 tenant-in-situ purchases in the pipeline, though completed and agreed sales make up just 650 of those. The tenant-in-situ scheme encourages local authorities to buy properties that have been put up for sale by the landlord where there is an existing tenant in receipt of the housing assistance payment (HAP). It was pinpointed by Minister Darragh O'Brien as being one of a number of responses to ease the impact of ending the eviction ban in March. Mr O'Brien said his department would fund councils to purchase 1,500 homes for existing tenants, but progress on final sales has been somewhat slow. Despite that, councils say they are engaged in inspections and negotiations of hundreds of properties. In Dublin, the City Council said it has bought 53 homes, but has 191 sale-agreed and 128 under inspection. In Fingal, the council has bought eight homes, is sale-agreed on 48, and is in conveyancing or inspections on 68. For South Dublin, 57 homes have been purchased and 208 are at various stages of inspection, while Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council has bought three homes and is in the process of adding nine more. In Cork, the City Council says it is in the process of purchasing a total of 79 homes, while in the county, 56 are sale-agreed and 38 have begun the process. Limerick City and County Council has bought 17 homes with 47 sale-agreed, and 153 in the pipeline. In Waterford, one home purchase has been completed while 31 are agreed and 14 more are in the pipeline. A Department spokesperson said the scheme will deliver "at least" 1,500 additional social homes this year. "The Department will fund and support local authorities to acquire at least 1,500 social homes in 2023. "The majority of these acquisitions will be focussed on properties where a social housing tenant has received a notice of termination due to the landlords intention to sell the property "The Department is working closely with the local authorities on the delivery of the acquisition programme and is monitoring activity at the local authority level. "It should be noted that there is a time period between a local authority agreeing to purchase a property and the completion of the acquisition. "Based on the level of activity at the local authority level, the Department is confident that at least 1,500 social housing acquisitions will be completed during 2023." However, the figures highlight the overall delay in completing sales. At an Oireachtas Housing Committee meeting in March, a representative for the County and City Management Association (CCMA) Coilin OReilly said it can take four months on average from start to finish to acquire a property under the scheme. A man was hospitalised with serious injuries following an assault in Dublin on Sunday morning. Gardai say they are investigating the incident that happened at around 4:30am on the Larkhill Road, Whitehall in the Dublin 9 area. Theres nothing quite like a homecoming, and in the case of the LE William Butler Yeats, there was a little star power to add to the occasion. For the young children nervously bobbing up and down in anticipation of seeing their brave loved ones as the Irish naval ship returned to base in Haulbowline, the six weeks at sea must have felt like a lifetime. The hushed whispers of I think I can see them! as the ship rounded the final leg of its return from Operation Irini in the Mediterranean soon turned into delighted squeals and manic waving to their mums, dads, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and friends. Thunderous applause rang out for the nearly 60 men and women as they received their peacekeeping medals from Capt Ken Minehane as they disembarked from the ship, followed by bearhugs and wide smiles as they were reunited with their families. Jubilant families at the naval base in Haulbowline cheer the return of the LE William Butler Yeats. Engineer Tim Walley was among those to be greeted by his parents Martin and Jacqui, girlfriend Danielle Dunlea and her mother Sharon, and his brother Chris he of 'The Young Offenders' fame. The actor, who plays Jock in the hit series about life in Cork, made sure to keep a low profile, ensuring the spotlight was on Tim and the rest of the crew. Chris did tell the Irish Examiner of his pride in his brother and his crew-mates, insisting their commitment to international missions and peace is amazing. Carefully-made signs, full of colour and affectionate messages, cannot have helped but raise the spirits of the Operation Irini crew as they sailed home. Ballymacoda youngsters Clodagh, 9, Rian, 5, and Teidi McAuley, 1, were on hand with mum Donna to welcome home Shane McAuley. Clodagh, Rian, and Teidi await the return of father Shane McAuley from a six-week deployment as part of the EU's Operation Irini, which aims to enforce the UN's arms embargo on Libya. Clodagh and Rian could barely contain themselves as they spotted their dad, saying they couldnt wait to see him, proudly holding aloft the welcome-home banner specially made for the occasion. The crew, skippered by Lieutenant Commander Alan Flynn, was awarded medals for both peacekeeping and their mission on Operation Irini, an EU operation to ensure the UNs arms embargo on Libya is enforced. The crew, who endured extreme heat throughout their mission in June and July, was patrolling the Mediterranean ostensibly to prevent arms trafficking to Libya, while also ensuring oil is not exported from the country as negotiations go on to build peace in the north African country. Capt Minehane said that although the naval service has been going through a difficult period there is currently 770 personnel despite more than 1,000 minimally required amid a recruitment crisis missions such as Operation Irini showed the value and valour of such a career. These men and women are a credit to their country, and have distinguished themselves yet again, he said. Russian authorities said three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure of one of four airports around the capital. It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fuelling concerns about Moscows vulnerability to attacks as Russias war in Ukraine drags on into its 18th month. The Russian Defence Ministry referred to the incident as an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime and said three drones targeted the city. An investigator examines an area next to the damaged skyscraper in the Moscow City business district after a reported drone attack (AP) One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defence systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district in the capital. Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack insignificantly damaged the outsides of two buildings in the Moscow City district. A security guard was injured, Russias state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials. The Russian Defence Ministry referred to the incident as an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime (AP) No flights went into or out of Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the city for about an hour, according to Tass, and the air space over Moscow and the outlying regions was temporarily closed to any aircraft. Those restrictions have since been lifted. Moscow authorities also closed a street to traffic near the site of the crash in the Moscow City area. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials, who rarely if ever take responsibility for attacks on Russian soil. Drones penetrated central Moscow (AP) Russias Defence Ministry reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone outside Moscow on Friday. Two more drones struck the Russian capital on Monday, one of them falling in the centre of the city near the Defence Ministrys headquarters along the Moscow River about two miles (3km) from the Kremlin. The other hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defences on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down. A firefighter has been killed while battling a massive wildfire in north-eastern British Columbia the second such fatality in the Canadian province this month and the fourth in Canada during this years record fire season. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said on Saturday that the 25-year-old, from Ontario, was working in a remote area when his heavy-duty ATV rolled over a steep drop on a gravel road just before 11am on Friday. Police said the man, who has not been publicly identified, was taken by helicopter to Fort St John but died en route. The RCMP said a workplace fatality investigation is under way. I am devastated to learn that we have lost another wildfire fighter. My heart goes out to the family, friends and colleagues of this front-line hero. This news comes soon after the death of Devyn Gale and has shaken those bravely fighting fires right now.https://t.co/zxqynUOR0n David Eby (@Dave_Eby) July 29, 2023 Provincial officials confirmed the man was a contracted firefighter working for the wildfire service through a private British Columbia company and died while fighting the 2,316 square mile (almost 6,000 sq km) Donnie Creek blaze. BC Premier David Eby issued a statement on Saturday saying the fatality coming so soon after the death of 19-year-old firefighter Devyn Gale on July 13 has shaken people throughout the province and devastated the firefighting community. This wildfire season has been profoundly awful, he said. Statistics from the provincial wildfire service show there are currently 363 active wildfires in British Columbia, with 11 new fires in the last 24 hours and 191 blazes classified as out of control. In total, there have been 1,517 wildfires in British Columbia this year, burning a record-breaking 5,944 square miles (15,397 sq km) of trees, bush and grassland. Sunday, Jul 30th, 2023 (7:17 am) - Score 9,888 A new report highlights how a 330m revolving credit facility that matures next November, 685m worth of debt maturing in February 2025, higher borrowing costs and last years failure to agree a 3bn takeover by Virgin Media (here) has left broadband ISP TalkTalk with few options, and a break-up of the business is now expected. The provider, which is home to around 4 million broadband customers in the UK, has been fairly busy over the past few years. Back in 2020 they became the subject of a 1.1bn takeover by Toscafund (here), which including debt valued the broadband provider at around 1.8bn. Since then theyve backed alternative network builder Freedom Fibre (here), acquired Ethernet provider Virtual1 (here), gobbled up Ovo Energys (SSE) broadband base of 135,000 customers (here) and taken a controlling stake in Telecom Acquisitions Ltd (here), which manages a multitude of ISP brands and products (e.g. Home Telecom, Fleur Telecom, Hive Telecom and Eclipse Broadband). On the flip side, fears of competition concerns from regulators may have helped to scupper a 3bn merger deal with Virgin Media (VMO2) last year (here), while a new MSN report (via The Telegraph) states that the ISP shed around 100,000 customers in the last three months alone. Some analysts are now even predicting that the competitive environment could see 10% of their base walk away this year alone, and consumer complaints are on the rise (here). A few months ago we reported that TalkTalk was now considering its options for the future (here) and one of the first pieces to go is expected to be their business-to-business arm (TT Business Direct Limited) here, which is home to around 80,000 customers and could be worth up to 200m. The Daisy Group is now said to have a serious interest in that, while their wholesale division is likely to follow. According to the MSN/Telegraph piece, TalkTalks bosses recently held a private call with bondholders and announced a pullback in commercial activity, with plans to cut its sales and marketing costs, while at the same time shifting attention toward disposals (break-up) in order to generate cash (i.e. much like a second hand car, individual parts are sometimes worth more than the whole). In a statement, Sir Charles Dunstone, TalkTalks original founder, claimed shareholders were very excited about the internet provider being broken up and sold off in pieces. Excited might be pushing it a bit, but theyre definitely low on options. Sir Charles Dunstone said: Since we took TalkTalk private in 2021, we have been investing in growing our Wholesale division both organically and through the acquisition of Virtual1. This is now one of the largest and fastest growing B2B telecoms platforms in the UK. In addition, in Consumer, we have been working hard to upgrade customers to full fibre products underpinned by alternative fibre supply. The success or failure of this approach will partly depend upon the providers ability to extract a good value for what they have in those forthcoming sales. On the one hand, they might be able to extract a reasonable value for their business-to-business arm, but analysts warn that achieving the same with their wholesale division could be harder. The latter is partly dependent upon the sustainability of TalkTalks retail franchise, which is already under pressure. Finally, even if we assume that all of this goes off without any problems, then that will leave the remaining retail ISP to sit alone in an aggressively competitive market. Some creativity may be required to return the provider to a more favourable position of growth. Today Sunny to partly cloudy. Hot. High near 105F. WSW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Gusty winds during the evening. Low 83F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Tomorrow A mainly sunny sky. High 103F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. News / Local by Staff reporter HEAVILY armed anti-riot police yesterday patrolled streets in Harare and Bulawayo after two High Court decisions against opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).A Bulawayo High Court judge on Thursday barred 12 candidates from CCC from standing in next month's election, handing three candidates, including Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, a free ticket to Parliament.The opposition party yesterday said it had appealed the ruling at the Supreme Court.On the same day, however, Harare High Court judge Justice Neville Wamambo also dismissed an appeal by the opposition party challenging 17 "bogus" candidates it accused of forging party signatures to file their nomination papers.Despite heavy police presence, Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube expressed ignorance about the deployment."I am not aware of that, I'm coming from court now. I have not seen that,'' Ncube said.National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi was not answering his mobile phone.In interviews, various human rights defenders said government was in panic mode."Citizens have suffered enough but for how long? It follows that one day their anger will erupt," Ibhetshu LikaZulu secretary-general Mbuso Fuzwayo said.Another human rights defender Effie Ncube said: "I think the police are overreacting and making a mountain out of nothing." News / National by Simbarashe Sithole A 41-YEAR-OLD Mvurwi man has shocked Beris post villagers after he allegedly stoned his daughter to death over a boyfriend dispute. Governor Chiriseri was arrested following the death of his daughter Grechen Chiriseri (18) who he allegedly stoned before fatally beating her with a stick.The matter came to light yesterday at Guruve magistrates courts where he was remanded in custody to August 11.The state led by Albert Charewa alleged on July 25 at Beris Post Village 2, Mvurwi, the suspect met his daughter with her boyfriend Thomas Mutukura coming from Chiriseri's house.Chiriseri became furious and the boyfriend fled.His daughter tried to flee but Chiriseri struck her with a brick on the head and she fell down.The charged Chiriseri picked a stick and fatally assaulted his daughter.A police report was filed leading to the arrest of Chiriseri. Reddit Email 64 Shares By John Mukum Mbaku, Weber State University | Egypt and Ethiopia have waged a diplomatic war of words over Ethiopias massive new dam the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, which started filling up in July 2020. The political row has threatened to get out of hand on occasion but now the two countries have finally agreed to conclude a mutually acceptable agreement within four months. We asked John Mukum Mbaku, the author of a recent article on the Ethiopian dam and a co-author of a book on the Nile Rivers changing legal regime, to answer four key questions. What is the context of the current tussle? Ethiopia, whose highlands provide more than 85% of the water that flows into the Nile, has long argued that it has the right under international law to manage resources within its own borders for its national development. It sees the Nile as a gift of God given to Ethiopians to use for their development. Article continues after bonus IC video CGTN Africa: Egypt, Ethiopia to revive talks over mega hydropower plant Egypt, which depends on the Nile for more than 90% of its fresh water, has argued that the Ethiopian dam represents a threat to its water security and its very existence as a people. The decision by Addis Ababa to begin construction of the dam on the Blue Nile in 2011 exacerbated an already deteriorating relationship between Ethiopia and its two downstream neighbours, Egypt and Sudan, over access to Nile waters. After Egypts diplomatic efforts failed to stop construction, Cairo redirected its energies to securing a legally binding agreement for filling and operating the dam. But no mutually acceptable agreement for filling and operating the dam was ever reached. In August 2020, Addis Ababa began to fill the dams reservoir. That process was repeated in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed announced that the country would delay the fourth filling until September to alleviate the concerns of neighbouring people. The dams reservoir filling in particular, and its operation in general, are issues that the three countries must resolve, most likely through a legally binding agreement or treaty. In February 2022, the Ethiopian dam started producing electricity. Egyptians claimed that Addis Ababa was violating its obligations under the 2015 Declaration of Principles and endangering Egyptian water interests. What are the main sticking points going into the talks? An agreement would have to explicitly deal with issues that are important to Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. The most important are Egypts and Sudans historically acquired rights to Nile waters. The rights were granted by the 1929 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and the 1959 bilateral agreement between Egypt and Sudan (1959 Nile Treaty). After estimating the average annual flow of the Nile River as measured at Aswan to be 84 billion cubic metres, the two treaties granted 66% of Nile waters to Egypt, 22% to Sudan and 12% to account for seepage and evaporation. These allocations exhausted all the Niles average annual flow of water. Egypt was also granted veto power over all construction projects on the Nile and its tributaries. These rights came to be known as Egypts and Sudans acquired rights. They have been the main sticking point in efforts to conclude a treaty between all 11 Nile riparian states for the allocation of the waters of the Nile, as well as between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the Ethiopian dam. While Ethiopia and other upstream riparian states see these two treaties as colonial anachronisms that have no relevance to modern Nile governance, Egypt and Sudan insist that they are binding. What impact would a breakthrough have on other Nile Basin agreements? The impact will depend on what type of agreement is reached. Assume that both Egypt and Sudan agree to abandon the rights granted by the 1929 and 1959 treaties. They could then enter into negotiation with Ethiopia to produce a new treaty that creates rights for all three states. Such a treaty could provide the impetus for all 11 Nile Basin states to return to the Cooperative Framework Agreement, which was expected to provide a legal framework for governing the Nile based on equitable and reasonable water use. The framework agreement has been in limbo since Egypt and Sudan rejected it. The other Nile Basin states see these colonial-era treaties as a violation of international law principles, and a breach of the vision of the Nile Basin Initiative. What other claims threaten the status quo? Egypt fears that if Addis Ababa is allowed to fill the reservoir without a legally binding agreement, other Nile Basin states might also take unilateral actions. This could harm Egypts water security and ability to control projects on the Nile River and its tributaries. Then, there is the matter of how to manage issues related to climate change, such as droughts and floods. The existence of the dam means Addis Ababas cooperation will be required. In times of drought, for example, the Ethiopian dam will be expected to release some water to help Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopias right to water for agriculture and household consumption is an issue that has not yet been agreed upon by all three countries. Egypt and Sudan are worried about the harm that could come to them from activities upstream. Egypt remains adamant that the dam will hurt its water supply and threaten domestic development. But Sudanese officials appear to have changed their assessment of the impact of the dam. They now see it as a potential regulator of seasonal floods and provider of clean energy. These issues should be examined thoroughly during the negotiations. The three countries should adopt a treaty or agreement that is mutually acceptable and beneficial. Over the years, the three countries have struggled to bring meaning to terms like significant harm and equitable and reasonable utilisation. The final treaty should define these terms. It should also create a mediation mechanism, which can include referring certain specified matters to the International Court of Justice for resolution. John Mukum Mbaku, Professor, Weber State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Protests to save Akbelen forest continue despite the violence ( Globalvoices.org) Since 2019, the local residents of Ikizkoy village in Turkeys southwestern province of Mugla have been trying to prevent deforestation in the Akbelen forest, which is situated near their village. But in Turkey, the preservation of green spaces has never been a priority for the ruling Justice and Development Party, which has no sound environmental policy. The crackdown in 2013 against a group of environmentalists trying to prevent the destruction of Gezi Park was a defining moment for the ruling government, marking the AKPs anti-environmental turn. Since then, scores of protests have erupted across Turkey, often staged and organized by local residents trying to protect the remaining green spaces and prevent the expansion of power plants. But with a ruling government that lacks any green vision, prioritizes the economy at the expense of the environment, and allows greedy companies to fill in their coffers at the expense of regular citizens, it is a struggle that is here to stay. The deforestation in the Akbelen forest that began on July 24 is a brazen example of this. Meanwhile, the companies behind the forest destruction have refused to comply with a court order that suspended the project in the first place. Business interests Out of 35 coal-fired power plants, there are three power plants operating in Mugla Yatagan (in operation since 1982), Yenikoy (in operation since 1986), and Kemerkoy (in operation since 1993). All three were privatized in 2014. Yenikoy and Kemerkoy were purchased by YK Energy, a joint company set up by Limak Holding and ICTAS Enerji. Both Limak and ICTAS are known for their ties to the ruling government. Since taking over plant management, the companies have done little to address the devastating health and environmental implications of the plants. Local residents have documented these effects extensively in local and international reports. These implications also did not stop the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources from launching a new regulation in March 2022 that open the natural olive groves in the area to development, and green-lights mining activities for the power plants. The same month, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change made amendments, for a fourth time, to a regulation governing protected natural areas (national parks, nature parks, environmentally protected zones, and wetlands), opening these areas for mining and construction. These decisions were announced amid an ongoing court case filed by the local residents of Ikizkoy village. Dismissive of the protests by the local residents, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry handed over some 740 decares (740,000 square meters) of forest land to YK Energy to mine for lignite in April 2021. According to reporting by a local online news platform Bianet, the companies moved into the forest area on July 24, having obtained the necessary permissions to open 740 decares of land for cutting. The companies claim the lignite underneath the forest area will fuel the power plants of Yenikoy and Kemerkoy, which use coal to generate just one percent of the consumed electricity in the country. The protesters are now calling on the relevant authorities to scratch that permission. In a statement signed by 16 environmental non-governmental organizations, the signatories said, Deforestation should not be allowed for the continuity of thermal power plants, which cause premature deaths and are one of the main causes of the climate crisis. Fighting the climate crisis is possible by working with nature, not against it. We cannot sacrifice forests, which account for more than half of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions we have caused in the last 10 years, for the sake of coal power plants that threaten natural areas, climate, and the lives of all living things. Consequences of environmental degradation In recent years, Turkey has been hit by a series of natural disasters and environmental crises such as drought, wildfires, floods, and mudslides, and as recently as February 2023, a devastating earthquake. As summer heat reaches new highs, reports of forest fires hitting Turkey have been making the headlines. Experts say while climate change or excessive weather conditions may have had a role to play, these disasters and crises were also an outcome of poor planning and incorrect decisions made at the government level. According to the Climate Transparency Turkey report, Turkey continues to generate more than 30 percent of its electricity through coal. The report also adds, Despite the decrease in coal-powered generation in 20212022, Turkey has no intention to phase out coal and has approximately 20.4 GW of new coal capacity in the pipeline, placing it sixth globally. In June 2022, the first block of the China-financed 1.3 GW coal power plant opened in Hunutlu. While the coal capacity pipeline decreased by 63 percent in comparison to 2020, to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius or achieve Turkeys goal of net zero emissions by 2053, no new coal power plants should be built. Turkey only ratified the 2015 Paris Agreement, which set a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius, in October 2021, five years after signing the agreement. At the time, Turkey also announced its goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2053. According to Climate Action Tracker, the countrys efforts to reach the Paris Accords goals are critically insufficient. And ratifying the Paris Agreement was not done with pure intentions. The decision came shortly after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received guarantees of financial support from France, Germany, the World Banks International Finance Corporation, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, according to reports by Politico and Reuters. Previously, Ankara said the reason it had not signed the agreement was because of unfair classification. Turkey was ranked as an Annex I group country a developed or industrialized country which prevented it from seeking funding, unlike nations ranked as developing. Back at the Akbelen forests, pleas for help from residents and demands to stop the destruction of the forest continued into their fourth day. One resident speaking to a Turkish newspaper Evrensel, pleaded, If this place goes, everywhere will burn, Turkey will burn. Lets not cut down our pines and forests. Another resident said, I came here from a village that was destroyed for coal before, and now they are kicking me out from here too. Arent we the people of this country? Soldiers are preventing us. Help us. Reports and footage of local police using force, pepper spray, tear gas, and water canons have been circulating online, elevating the gravity of the situation in the area: There is both slaughter and cruelty in Akbelen. The gendarmerie once again tear gassed the people of Ikizkoy, who were trying to enter #AkbelenOrman together with the deputies from the Green Left Party and CHP. Three people were detained under torture. YK Energy, set up by LIMAK and ICTAS, started cutting in Akbelen Forest to supply coal for the thermal power plant. The gendarmerie intervened harshly against those who wanted to prevent the slaughter that had been going on for a few days. Journalists covering the events were also targeted: I got pepper sprayed directly into my eyes, as gendarmerie prevented me from filming. At least two reporters were fined, while several residents were reportedly detained. There have also been reports of local police preventing people from accessing the area and setting up barricades. Donald Trump took the stage at the Iowa Republican Dinner to a song that started out with the lyrics, One could end up going to prison, one just might be president. The ironic moment came as the former presidents legal woes are mounting. Mr Trump has already been indicted twice. By the end of the summer, he may be the subject of as many as four criminal cases. The latest episode in his legal peril appeared to be taking shape on Thursday 27 July, when the ex-presidents legal team met with the prosecution team led by Special Counsel Jack Smith in a last-ditch attempt to convince Mr Smith and his team from seeking another indictment against Mr Trump for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. That same day, the special counsels team hit Mr Trump with superseding charges in federal court in Florida. Officials accused the former president and an employee at his Mar-a-Lago club of attempting to destroy security camera footage once Mr Trump learned he was under subpoena in the investigation over his handling of classified documents. Earlier this month, Mr Trump said prosecutors notified him that he was also a target of Mr Smiths investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The former president is understood to be facing the possibility of charges under three federal criminal statutes: Conspiracy to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under colour of law, and witness tampering. Natalie Allison of Politico tweeted a video of the moment on Friday night. As Trump took the stage in Iowa, this ironic line played: One could end up going to prison, one just might be president. He had to walk out to Brooks & Dunn (like all candidates tonight) instead of his usual Lee Greenwood, she wrote. As Trump took the stage in Iowa, this ironic line played: One could end up going to prison, one just might be president. He had to walk out to Brooks & Dunn (like all candidates tonight) instead of his usual Lee Greenwood. pic.twitter.com/Ial80MXp76 Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) July 29, 2023 Twitter users were quick to join in the mockery of the former president. Story continues MSNBC host Katie Phang simply wrote that it was poetic. Omg. That line hits right when he gets on stage, State Attorney for Palm Beach County Dave Aronberg wrote. GOP strategist Mike Murphy wrote: Ha! Trump is finally understanding [that Iowa Governor Kim] Reynolds didnt get her job because she just fell off a turnip truck. #SharpOperator BTW, earlier she was at a big Tim Scott event. And treated with due respect. Soooooo this was the song that was playing as Donald Trump entered the stage to deliver remarks at the Iowa GOP Lincoln Dinner tonight. pic.twitter.com/kRvLMEGmFG Iowa Starting Line (@IAStartingLine) July 29, 2023 This is gold! Proving once again that #Republicans are so clueless they dont even listen to lyrics before greeting their standard bearer with a song. Excuse me while I ROTFLMAO, Ann Werner said. Fish farming Fish farming near Mississippis barrier islands was proposed 30 years ago with the idea of installing net pens in barges south of Horn Island. In response, the Bureau of Marine Resources hastily published marine aquaculture guidelines that were criticized by scientists for their poor approach to sampling pollutants and monitoring water quality and sediments near the pens. The barge fish farm idea was abandoned after it drew criticism from the National Park Service and the Gulf Islands Conservancy, an advocacy group created to defend the integrity of the wilderness qualities of Mississippis barrier islands. Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposed Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in the Gulf of Mexico. Industrial fish farms, anchored in shallow Gulf waters, would release feed pellets, disease treatment pharmaceuticals and fish waste, like ammonia, directly into the water. Even though discharge permits are required from the Environmental Protection Agency and Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, theres no way to treat the water and remove the waste products in an open net-pen. The currents simply flow through and carry the waste away to become someone elses problem, like the pollution flowing into the Mississippi Sound from the Bonnet Carre Spillway during floods in 2019-2020, creating harmful algae blooms, killing oysters, and sickening dolphins. Mississippi has seen enough pollution and algae bloom problems and should ban net pen fish farming in state waters and oppose industrial fish farming in federal waters. Andrew Whitehurst, Healthy Gulf, water program director Terese Peresich Collins, Board, Gulf Islands Conservancy Respect the trees We must recognize the importance of trees. Trees must be given rights. Some countries are agreeing to the rights of nature. I believe its just the beginning. Trees are more than what you may think. Trees lower the temperature in hot summer months. Trees create moisture, which means water by the gallons are produced. Trees are plants that must be kept alive and need not be chopped down. Story continues Miguel Nicholson Gulfport Federal program As a volunteer with the ONE Campaign, I went to Capitol Hill to meet with Congressman Mike Ezells office and ask them to reauthorize the US Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or PEPFAR. The 20-year-old program has helped save 25 million lives from HIV/AIDS, put 20 million people on life-saving antiretroviral drugs, and ensure 5.5 million babies were born HIV-free. But far too many people still die of this preventable, treatable disease. Some 650,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2021 and the virus infects someone new every 30 seconds. Congress has an opportunity right now to move us closer to the end of HIV/AIDS by supporting one of the most effective disease-fighting tools in our global health arsenal. The United States must continue playing a vital role in global health policy are we risk losing decades of health care infrastructure investments. It is imperative that Congress reauthorize PEPFAR in 2023 so it can keep up its work. I thank the staff for the meeting and urge Sen. Wicker to continue PEPFARs success and support Americas commitment to fight the global AIDS crisis. TJ Harvey Biloxi Start a conversation The whole country is experiencing a rise in homelessness. Prior to 2018 I was very good at ignoring the homeless population, but during that year I almost became homeless myself and started interacting with the population in a 1-on-1 basis. I want you to know that as afraid of them you are, most of them are much more intimidated by you. If for any reason law enforcement were to become involved in your interaction with them, they are the ones that would end up being cited, arrested, or worse. Our friends without homes have no intention to harm you. Please do not think less of these people, because that is what they are ... people. They are no more or less a person in the eyes of God than you or I are. While I am not asking you to give them money, food or anything else, what I do ask of you is to have a conversation with them. Youll discover that you most likely have more things in common with them than you do differences. Josh McGee Biloxi Canada's gossip queen Lainey Lui, shown in this handout image, has announced she is leaving her role as a host on CTV's daytime talk show "The Social" to focus on covering the entertainment beat full time at "etalk" and on her blog. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Bell Media **MANDATORY CREDIT ** Since last August, the All Blessings Flow mobile unit and its crew of local volunteers have become a staple in the Lovingston Food Lion parking lot on Monday mornings offering free, gently-used medical supplies to anyone in need. Now, in collaboration with the American Heart Association and Blue Ridge Medical Center, volunteers also are offering free blood pressure checks next to the ABF trailer on the third Monday of the month. By about 11 a.m. July 17, retired nurse Sharon Cole had done eight blood pressure checks from a booth at the far end of the shopping center lot. Cole said she doesnt collect any information, just administers a test to anyone who wants one. If she finds a persons blood pressure is elevated, she might give them some information and recommend they call their doctor. Untreated, high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack and other serious health problems. Last summer, one man was astounded by the group and ABFs generosity. Its one of Reverend Donna Stecklines favorite stories. Shes the rector of Arringtons Trinity Episcopal Church ABFs Nelson County partner and was volunteering with Cole and other parishioners that Monday. Steckline recalled how the man came over to see what their setup was all about. When he said his mother was in need of a wheelchair, volunteers pulled a new one out of the trailer. [We] brought it down and he was like How much is this? I said, its free. and he threw his hands up. He was pacing back and forth in tears because he was getting this brand new wheelchair for his mom for free. Steckline said the mans mother recently died, and he brought that wheelchair back to pass on to someone else. And thats what the whole term All Blessings Flow is all about, she added. The Charlottesville faith-based nonprofit collects, cleans and refurbishes used medical equipment to distribute free of charge to people in need throughout Central Virginia. The colorful ABF trailer, stocked with medical supplies, stops in Buckingham County on Tuesdays, Fluvanna County on Wednesdays, Louisa County on Thursdays and Orange County on Fridays. When the units in Lovingston on Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon, volunteers from Trinity Episcopal and other community churches help collect donated medical supplies, and distribute items to anyone who stops by. If a community member needs something thats not available that Monday, ABF workers can add the item to a waitlist and bring it to Lovingston at a future visit. Its where we are supposed to be, out in the community, Steckline said of the work. Jenni Kitchen with Charlottesville nonprofit On Our Own was manning a table with free Narcan and fentanyl test kits that Monday. Kitchen explained On Our Own offers peer recovery support groups throughout the week for community members struggling with addiction and mental health issues. Its come as you are, everybodys welcome, Kitchen said. Her booth is part of the nonprofits new harm reduction outreach program in Charlottesville and Albemarle, Nelson, Fluvanna and Green counties. This should be in every first aid kit, she said, explaining how Narcan acts as an anti-drug, instantly blocking the effects of opioids in someones system once administered. In the first two weeks of the program, and on stops in Nelson, Louisa and Charlottesville, Kitchen had already distributed 200 doses of Narcan. Kitchen gives anyone 18 years or older a little handheld box of the medication and teaches them how to use it. She also was offering fentanyl test kits: This is so people who are actively using know what theyre using. So they can make the choice to either adjust the amount they use, not use, or make sure that someone around them has Narcan in case things go sideways. Kitchen lost four family members to substance use disorder, which motivates her to intervene for others. It really drives me though, to use that experience to make sure that it doesnt happen to anyone else. According to the Centers for Disease Control, someone may be experiencing an opioid overdose if they have slow, weak or no breathing; cold and/or clammy skin; discolored skin especially in the lips and nails; are making choking and gurgling sounds; and are falling asleep or losing consciousness. If you think someone might be having an overdose, the CDC directs bystanders to call 911 immediately, administer naloxone (Narcan) if available, try to keep the person awake and breathing, lay them on their side to prevent choking, and stay with them until emergency assistance arrives. Over by the All Blessings Flow trailer, Poppet Nelson and Debby Ashley, parishioners with Trinity Episcopal and Calvary Baptist Church talked about how the support theyre offering, and what a community member might need, isnt always physical. Nelson shared a story about praying with a grandmother and her grandchild who saw their setup outside the shopping center and just asked for prayers. I always feel like I get the blessings back, she said. Steckline added, theyll share a story of whats going on in their life and we always ask would like prayer? You can see the help. Its tangible. Its beautiful. Charcoal prices are likely to rise further during the week as the National Forestry Authority enforcement officers embark on implementation of the presidents directive banning the business. Executive order number 3 issued by President Museveni on May 24th addressed pressing issues including damage to the environment by the charcoal business. However, several months later, the presidential director is yet to have any tangible impact. Now the Director of National Forests at the National Forestry Authority, Tom Rukundo says starting this week, they are focusing on the gaps in charcoal transportation to make it difficult to move it from Northern Uganda to different parts of the country. He says this is likely to further raise the cost of a sack of charcoal that currently stands at between Shs100,000 and Shs120,000. He made the remakes while officiating Uganda Baatis annual environmental conservation campaign code-named Safal Eye in the Wild Photography Competition. The campaign aims at using the power of photography to promote environmental conservation. Invasive plant species are encroaching on Charlottesvilles green spaces. To fight back, the city is enlisting goats. Theyll start on Monday at Washington Park. The middle of Washington Park is overgrown with just about every invasive plant you can imagine, Steve Gaines, the citys urban forester, told The Daily Progress. You cannot walk through it. Its like an impenetrable wall. Enter Goat Busters, a local company that uses kiko goats to clear unwanted brush. Everything green and soft that they can reach is subject to their consumption, owner Jace Goodling told The Daily Progress. Goodling has an army of 110 goats at his disposal. He expects to unleash 40 of them onto Washington Park where they will feast upon invasive plant species such as kudzu, bush honeysuckle, autumn olive, tree of heaven and more. The goats are the most recent weapon the city is deploying in its ongoing war against invasive species. Gaines said the city has recently allotted $75,000 a year for controlling the unwelcome plant life. These plants are problematic not just because they grow faster than native species and disturb wildlife, but because they can kill trees. The big goal is to increase the citys tree canopy, which is one of main objectives in the climate action plan, Gaines said. But why has the city chosen goats to combat the scourge instead of a crew armed with weed whackers? In my experience, were probably cheaper, Goodling said with a laugh. But to take a more idealistic view, its obviously a much more environmentally friendly approach. If the city used machinery to remove the horticultural jungle, the shredded brush would be placed in a pile in the middle of the park. But with a goat armys appetite, the brush will not only be swallowed whole, but they will convert it into fertilizer. Youre getting a more holistic benefit out of an otherwise waste of vegetation. As light-weight cloven-hooved animals, theyll tear up the top inch of soil and work the fertilizer into the soil, Goodling said. The grand idea is it gives native species and desired species better soil conditions to grow and prosper. Gaines said residents should know that the goats are not a one-off, but rather part of a plan designed to remove invasive species and replace them with trees. The use of goats in this regard is very well-documented, particularly given the proximity to the pool. Theres going to be a lot of people around, so we dont want the removal to be very loud with a bunch of heavy machinery. Goats are but one tool, Gaines said. Others include chemicals and heavy machinery. In this case, the city elected to use goats in part because the targeted area of the park is so densely overgrown and located on a slope. Goats are maneuverable, and they will be very thorough, Gaines said. This is kind of a good way to acquaint the public with the option. The goats will make the area much more accessible for the city to later come in and spray the unwanted plants with herbicides. Without the goats, Gaines and his colleagues would have to use more chemicals. The plan is to have the goats feast for a week, then let the plants resprout in the fall. As those plants try to grow, theyll be seeking nutrients to prepare for their dormant season in the winter. Thats when the city will employ targeted herbicides. The plants will mistake the herbicides for nutrients, absorbing the chemicals into their roots, leading to the plants demise. This is timed by design, Gaines said. We have a plan and are following the plan. Were not just doing it willy-nilly. Goat Busters has a plan too. I tell people its not rocket science, but there is a science to it, Goodling said of the goat business. His 40-goat estimate is not a guess but rather a calculation. If he puts all of his goats on the job, theyll start to eat too much and begin ripping bark from trees. If he doesnt send enough goats, they wont feel as though they must compete for food; theyll take their sweet time and never finish the work. My job is knowing how many to put in to make all the green disappear without starting to kill trees, Goodling said. As Goodling sees it, its practical, sustainable, affordable and also a little fun. We enjoy it looking at it from an agri-tainment perspective. A bunch of city kids down there playing all summer, whens the last time they saw a goat? Goodling asked. And in this day and age, Americas youth has gotten so far removed from agriculture in any way, shape or form. The park cleanup will begin Monday morning, commemorated by the Running of the Goats, which Goodling called his favorite part of the job. With the goats loaded into a trailer, the company will release them down a chute into the targeted area of the park. The event has parallels to Pamplonas Running of the Bulls, but a lot safer and you dont have to wear any funny clothes, according to Goodling. Goat Busters will visit the area in advance to set up an electric fence so the animals do not wander from the site. Were putting up crowd fencing to keep the more curious, less intelligent members of the crowd away from the electric fence, Goodling added. While the electric fence is not life-threatening, he strongly advises no one touch it. Ive been hit thousands of times and sometimes itll lay your ass right on the ground, Goodling said. It doesnt kill you, but it does teaches you not to touch the fence real fast. Goodlings primary job is in custom home construction. But he finds his goat side hustle to be a lot more fun. So is his business name. I came up with it myself. I honestly cant say it was a sober moment, but it stuck. You got kudzu, you got poison ivy, who you gonna call? ... Goat Busters, man. The Herald reports: Te Whatu Ora Health NZ says it has reset its expectations with ambulance services after it was not informed National Party health spokesman Dr Shane Reti would visit emergency departments while an observer during several ride-alongs. An aspiring Health Minister who wanted to get first hand experience of how the health system is doing on the frontline. This is a good thing. The fact he is a trained and registered doctor, also meant he was sometimes consulted by the ambulance crews. ut Peter Alsop, chief of staff for the office of Te Whatu Ora's chief executive, said the authority should have been told of visitors to emergency departments. It told the Herald last week it was generally accepted practice when an MP goes to one of its facilities that it is made aware of their plans, for safety and privacy reasons, and it has reset expectations with providers and is putting clearer procedures in place for future visits by politicians. This makes me laugh because when tony ryall (the best post WWII Health Minister) was Minister of Health, he would often be visiting a city and if there was a spare half hour in his schedule, pop in unannounced to EDs and just sit in the waiting room chatting to patients about their experiences. This is part of what made him such a good Minister he didn't just rely on papers from the ministry. He made sure he knew what was happening at the front line. He did this for well over a year, and never publicised he did this. It only came to public attention when a medical union complained publicly about it claiming the Minister was spying on them. It made him more popular than ever. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Scattered showers and thunderstorms. High 78F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. The Columbia Police Department is asking for the publics help in finding Daniel Lee Thompson, 41, who was last seen on June 26, 2023. The troll bubble is Danish recycle artist Thomas Dambos happy place. The real world melts away when hes inside the invisible cocoon of creativity. That currently includes his twin sons turning 1 year old on Saturday, occupancy issues with his home in Denmark, and having less than two months to achieve his goal of building 10 trolls across America in roughly four months. Replacing lifes stresses is the magic that enables Dambo to assume the persona of the latest giant troll hes shaping out of recycled wood in Victor. In his make-believe world, the oversized trolls bring joy to the little people, or humans, and teach them Dambos mantra, that something made of something old can be just as good, as valuable and as beautiful as something made of something new. For the next week, the sacred space for Dambo is off a scenic hiking trail in the small historic mining town of Victor. On Friday, the site throbbed with sounds of sawing, hammering and drilling, with a variety of rap, reggae and country music playing from a large speaker plunked down. A gentle breeze cooled the intense heat of the high-altitude sun and coaxed wildflowers to wave at workers. The Sangre de Cristo range and Collegiate Mountains loom to the west, modern-day gold mining scars fill the opposite view, and two locals, Mount Pisgah and Grouse Mountain, rise up in another direction. Nearby remnants of an 1800s blacksmith shop used during the Gold Rush days, when underground mining produced more than a kings ransom, became a makeshift wood shop where volunteers fine-tuned the new trolls hands. Debbie Fung-A-Fat and her husband, James, drove in from Boulder, as two of 120 volunteers helping with the massive public art installation. I have a mild obsession with trolls, she said. The fascination has led to a troll-themed room in the couples Breckenridge getaway and trips to find other Dambo troll sculptures; the one in Victor is his 119th and the fourth of 10 in his coast-to-coast Way of the Bird King tour. Imagining humans and trolls coexisting is not such a stretch when viewing his pieces, Fung-A-Fat said. To me they almost have real-life expressions, some sweet, some not so sweet, she said. They seem very personable. One reason might be the process Dambo uses in conjuring up his trolls. Each is unique and built specifically for the site in the community in which it lives. The nonprofit Gold Mining District Impact Group asked Dambo in January to consider adding Victor to his list of upcoming projects. After nine years of placing trolls in 17 countries, the requests are so numerous now that he cannot possibly fulfill all of them, said his wife, Alexa Piekarski, who works as The People Person for her husbands company. After consulting with an obtaining approval from local groups, Dambo scouts for a location for a new sculpture. Somewhere near public parking and away from homes, in a natural setting and a space where the troll will feel comfortable and welcomed. You cant put a troll anywhere, he said. Maybe Id like to put it on the moon, but I cant. I would need a permit. Donning his troll hat, Dambo enacts the pose and story that comes to his mind with each proposal. Photos preserve the idea, and he carves the head, fingers and feet in his shop near Copenhagen, Denmark. The rest of the sculpture is formed on-site, using scrap wood. The Victor troll will be made of about 150 old wooden pallets that volunteers are dismantling and reconfiguring. His brain is like a never-ending hamster wheel, Piekarski says of her husband. The Victor troll is a female whose name will be revealed at a public completion celebration at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 4, at Pinnacle Park Plaza, 109 N. 3rd St. She will be kneeling with her hands outstretched and poised to simulate pushing rocks into holes in the ground that were made in early mining days as prospectors searched for gold ore veins. Dambo said he hasnt erected a sculpture on a mountain or used a Western theme before. To be here is to be living in a cowboy movie, he said. Also, being a little like a gold digger. Its the perfect spot. The troll will feel at home in Victor, he said. But what Dambo most appreciates about the area is the undeveloped land and abundant nature, which he said Denmark doesnt have because people have not taken care of the land. Dambo likes giving people a reason to leave their cars and enjoy the thrill of discovering his hidden-gem trolls in forests, near lakes, along hiking trails and at other unexpected locations. For me, its about people being brought together for an experience, he said. His favorite troll? That's easy. It's always the one hes working on at that moment. As an artist, you have to believe its the best one youre doing, he said. Otherwise, why do it? 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. At least 30 dead and more than 90 malnourished dogs discovered at Ohio animal rescue In this photo provided by Rescue 1122 Head Quarters, an ambulance carries injured people after a bomb explosion in the Bajur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on July 30. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The U.S. Senate has endorsed a major expansion of a compensation program for people sickened by exposure to radiation during nuclear weapons testing and the mining of uranium during the Cold War An airplane operated by Ethiopian Airlines is seen in this file photo. EPA-Yonhap Korea and Ethiopia have agreed to increase flights between the two countries from the current seven to nine a week, a move that will help further promote people-to-people exchanges, Seoul said Sunday. Under the agreement reached with the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, there will be two more passenger flights, in addition to the four passenger and three cargo flights currently under operation, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. Ethiopia is the only African country that has direct flights to and from Korea. Ethiopian Airlines, its flag carrier, operates flights to and from Incheon, the main gateway to Korea, and the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Many Korean passengers use the route to travel to neighboring countries, such as Tanzania, South Africa and Nigeria, according to the ministry. (Yonhap) Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, second from right, visits Turkey's Disaster And Emergency Management Presidency in this photo provided by Seoul's foreign ministry. Yonhap Foreign Minister Park Jin has met with the chief of Turkey's disaster management agency and discussed recovery efforts in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake that struck the country earlier this year, the foreign ministry said Sunday. The meeting between Korea's top diplomat and Yunus Sezer, head of Turkey's Disaster And Emergency Management Presidency, on Saturday (local time), came as the Korean foreign minister is visiting the country as part of his four-nation trip that has also taken him to Austria. During their meeting, Park offered his condolences to those who suffered from the devastating earthquake in February and expressed hope that bilateral ties between the two countries will strengthen on the back of Korea's quake recovery support. He said that Seoul will continue to extend government and civilian support for survivors. Korea has pledged to provide over $10 million to help build shelters for survivors and has dispatched a disaster relief team. Sezer briefed Park on the latest developments in recovery efforts and thanked him for the swift dispatch of Korea's disaster relief team. Park is also scheduled to visit Italy and Vatican City as part of the four-nation swing. (Yonhap) OZARK-Home security surveillance video has revealed that a Dale County man found dead on County Road 33 in Skipperville Saturday morning was killed by an attack of up to six dogs, Dale County Sheriff Mason Bynum said early Sunday morning. Demarcus Sam McKenzie II, 27, of Skipperville, was found dead in the 5500 block of County Road 33 after deputies responded to an Ozark-Dale County E911 call of an unresponsive male found at that location. Bynum said in a statement released early Sunday that preliminary investigation appeared that the victim died of a gunshot wound to the head but that as investigators and a crime scene technician processed the victim and collected statements from witnesses, there were some inconsistencies and a lack of physical evidence to support those initial thoughts. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators collected a home security surveillance system DVR which captured multiple views of the exterior of the home. During a review of the surveillance footage investigators were able to determine that McKenzie was present inside the home prior to the incident, Bynum said. It appears that as the victim was exiting the residence a dog became aggressive towards the victim. The victim began to run down the driveway as two to three more dogs joined in on the attack. The video depicts the victim tripping near the base of the driveway as more dogs joined in on the attack, Bynum said. At one point five to six dogs are seen violently attacking and mauling the victim as he struggles to stand. After a few minutes the dogs overpower the victim and he appears to become incapacitated. Although this does not make this event any less tragic we hope this will allow the victims family to continue to grieve with a sense of closure, Bynum said. Late Saturday night I met with the victims mother and family and provided them with our findings. We will continue with the investigative process and consult with Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams on what steps to take as we move forward. McKenzies body was turned over to the Dale County Coroners Office for transport to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy, Bynum said. I would like to thank the Ozark Police Departments Criminal Investigative Division and Crime Scene Unit as well as ALEAs SBI Dothan Office for their assistance in this investigation, he added. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): The Ministry of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship on Sunday signed 106 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with various esteemed organizations and institutions on the occasion of the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam 2023 and the third anniversary of the National Education Policy. The MoUs encompass partnerships with both public and private entities to foster innovation, research, and knowledge exchange in multiple domains, ushering in a new era of collaboration in education and industry-academia linkages. Also Read | Amanda Bynes Checks Into New Mental Health Treatment Centre To Work on Continue Working on Her Illness. The signing took place in the presence of Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi and Minister of State for Education Rajkumar Ranjan Singh who expressed their praise for the present education and industry leaders of the country for taking steps to nurture the leaders of tomorrow through this auspicious event under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under CBSE, 15 MoUs were inked, with different Institutes and Sector Skill Providers to give a specific focus on skill development and education. Also Read | In Seema Haider, Anju Rafael Rerun, Sri Lankan Woman Crosses Over To India to Marry Facebook Friend of Six Years in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor. This partnership will also promote skill assessment and capacity building. These MoUs were signed in association with the Atal Innovation Mission, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Apparel made-ups and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council, Automotive Sector Skill Council, Sports, Physical Education, Fitness and Leisure Skills Council, Central Square Foundation (CSC), Educational Initiatives Pvt. Ltd, Oxford University Press India, Logistics Sector Skill Council, Furniture and Fittings Sector Skill Council, Life Sciences Sector Skill Council, Textiles Sector Skill Council and the Healthcare Sector Skill Council. For the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), 3 MoUs have been signed with the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) to promote Indian Sign Language to share expertise and resources for the standardization and development of quality learning resources in Indian Sign Language; with the Common Service Centres (CSC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to leverage CSC E-Governance Services to facilitate the admission of Out of School Children (OoSC) in NIOS, increase enrolment and provide e-services, and with The Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University for academic advancements. An MoU between Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and IBM was also inked in order to accelerate the activities conducted for the effective implementation of the Vigyan Jyoti Program in JNVs. NCERT signed 20 MoUs under the aegis of the eVidya initiative with the Departments of School Education of several states for the development of quality content and its dissemination through PM eVIDYA DTH TV channels in different languages and for various stakeholders. In the realm of higher education, six MoUs were established to promote the Indian Knowledge System. 14 MoUs under the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) were also signed in partnership with, SkillDzire Technologies Pvt Limited, MathWorks India Private Limited, TimesPro, Google India, Gate India Electronics Private Limited, Future Minds, The Open Group, Consortium for Technical Education (CTE), MahaLearning Tab India, Durjeya Solutions Private Limited, Flaunch Innovation Pvt. Ltd, Electronics Sector Skill Council, NIELIT and the Instrumentation Automation Surveillance & Communication Sector Skill Council. Furthermore, 2 Samarth MoUs with different states were also inked, alongside an MoU with Samarth DU and EdCIL. In a bid to bolster international collaborations, 6 MoUs have been signed, including the IIT-Madras Zanzibar campus MoU. Additionally, MoUs were also signed between IIT Tirupati and IIFCET, for offering the advanced certification and training course on Digital Manufacturing and Automation for Foundry Industry for training and enriching the knowledge of diploma holders/graduate engineers employed in the industry; IIT Tirupati and M/s Siemens/ Wipro for establishing Centre of Excellence on Smart manufacturing and Electric Vehicle Technologies; IIT Jodhpur and CU/Raj; IIT Ropar and five Central Universities of North India for academic collaboration and sharing of resources; VNIT Nagpur and TCS to path-breaking research in the area of automotive electronics, powers electronics and other related interdisciplinary subjects; NIT Raipur and the Bhilai Steel Plant, the largest steel plant in India giving an opportunity of entrepreneurship skill to budding students by exposing them to industrial training and joint degree programmes.The PM-USHA initiative also resulted in 15 MoUs with various states. An MoU was signed between DHE with BISAG-N as well. The UGC signed 5 MoUs: University of Mumbai and University of Illinois, USA; University of Mumbai and Saint Louis University, USA; Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidlaya and L N Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan; University of Lucknow- Lincoln University College Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; University of Lucknow and Universidade Federal do Ceara, Brazil. A total of 14 MoUs were exchanged which included MoUs of DGT with AWS India Pvt. Ltd and ETS India Pvt Ltd, MoUs of NIESBUD with TIDES- business incubator of the IIT Roorkee, EIC-business incubator of IIML and DeAsra Foundation; MoU of IIE with IIT Guwahati; MoU of NSDC with Pearson VUE, CISCO, Ajinorah, Indo German Chamber of Commerce, IndusInd Bank, Yamaha Automobile, EPowerX Learning Technologies Pvt Ltd and Drone Destination.These collaborations signify the government's unwavering commitment to equipping the youth with cutting-edge skills and knowledge, fostering innovation, and nurturing academic excellence in India. The Ministry of Education looks forward to the collective efforts of all stakeholders in realizing the full potential of these partnerships and shaping a bright and prosperous future for the nation. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chinese military a steadfast force for world peace, stability: spokesperson Xinhua) 09:00, July 30, 2023 BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese military has always been a steadfast force in upholding world peace and stability, a defense spokesperson said on Saturday. China's military force has never posed a challenge to anyone nor threatened others, said Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, in response to a question concerning the 2023 defense white paper newly approved by the Japanese government. According to media reports, the white paper says China has presented an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge to Japan. The Japanese defense white paper clings to its mistaken perception of China, deliberately exaggerates the so-called "Chinese military threat," smears China's legitimate military development and activities, rudely interferes in China's internal affairs, and provokes regional tensions, Tan said. "We strongly oppose this and have already made serious representations to Japan," the spokesperson noted. In recent years, Japan has substantially increased defense spending and has been steadily advancing its military expansion, Tan said, adding that it has aligned itself with certain major powers, forming targeted "small circles." These acts have posed a severe challenge to regional and global peace, security, and stability, Tan added. The spokesperson urged Japan to learn from historical lessons, refrain from irresponsible words and actions, abandon zero-sum and confrontational thinking toward neighboring countries, develop a correct understanding of China, and take practical steps to restore bilateral relations onto the right path. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) A gun placed on a surface. Illustration photo by Pexels A Vietnamese was shot dead in Cambodia's Phnom Penh on Saturday, local police said. Phnom Penh police said the incident happened at around 1:25 p.m. on Street 360, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang 3, Khan Boeung Keng Kang, the Khmer Times reported. The Vietnamese victim, whose identity has not been verified, was about 30 years old. Their body has been taken to the Stung Meanchey Pagoda, waiting for relatives to come. The police had arrested the man who allegedly shot the Vietnamese. Sources said the gunman and the victim were seen arguing with each other. Dras (Ladakh), Jul 30 (PTI) Difficult terrain and weather challenges have pushed the deadline for completion of the Zojila tunnel, which will provide all-weather connectivity between the Kashmir valley and the Ladakh region, to December 2030, according to officials. The tunnel, said to be the longest of its kind in Asia and at the highest altitude, will significantly cut down the time to cross the Zojila pass from four hours to just 15 minutes, they said. Also Read | Husband Reunited With Wife in Uttar Pradesh: Woman Mistakes Man for Long-Lost Husband Who Went Missing 10 Years Ago, Brings Him Home. Officials said that while 40 per cent of work on the 13-km-long tunnel is already over, the challenges posed by the terrain and weather are such that the rest of the work is taking so much time. "The area is severely avalanche-prone. The work had to be stopped multiple times due to the difficulties posed by the weather and the terrain. The tunnel was to be completed by December 2026. But now, keeping the challenges in mind, the deadline has been revised to December 2030," Captain IK Singh of the Border Roads Organisation told PTI. Also Read | Delhi Hit-and-Run Case: Police Inspector Killed After Truck Hits His Car on Rohtak Road. The tunnel project through the Zojila Pass at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway is of strategic importance. The highway remains closed during winter due to heavy snowfall, cutting off the Ladakh region from Kashmir. The tunnel will help overcome this hindrance and prove all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region. The single-tube Zojila tunnel, from Baltal in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir to Minimarg in Drass town of Ladakh's Kargil district, has an approach road of 18 km. "The total length of the project from Sonamarg to Minimarg is 31 km. From Sonamarg to Baltal it is 18 km. Then the main tunnel starts from Baltal and goes to Minimarg. It is 13 km long. The work is going on at a rapid pace on both the projects," Imtiaz Ahmed, the construction manager of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited told PTI here. MEIL is constructing the tunnel using the new Austrian tunnelling method. "By using this method, the chances of accidents are very low while the quality and the speed are very high. This technology is applied in Europe and North America," he explained. Ahmed said out of the 13-km stretch, cutting has been done on 6 km -- three km from each end. The stretch remains closed for over four months during winter due to excessive snowfall. "It not only causes problems for the locals and tourists, but military movement also becomes a challenge during those four months. It is easier to clear snow on the stretch from Dras to Minamarg. However, from Minamarg to Baltal it is very difficult to even clear snow during those months... All these challenges will be addressed once the tunnel is operational," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Zojilla tunnel in 2018. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the prime minister, had approved the construction, operation and maintenance of this tunnel at a total cost of Rs 6,800 crore. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Srinagar, July 30: An army Jawan was reported missing from Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials here said on Sunday. Javaid Ahmad Wani, a resident of Achathal area of Kulgam district, had gone missing Saturday evening, officials said. Wani, posted in Ladakh region, was on leave. His car was found in Paranhall later last evening, they said. Indian Army Soldier Javed Ahmad Goes Missing in Mysterious Circumstances in Jammu and Kashmirs Kulgam. Security forces have launched a massive hunt to track down the missing soldier. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) West Bengal, July 30: In three separate cases, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel foiled drug smuggling attempts at the International Border of West Bengal, informed the BSF in a statement. The officials also seized 50 Phensedyl bottles and 33 kg Ganja which were being smuggled from India to Bangladesh. On July 29, in three separate cases, Alert BSF troops of South Bengal Frontier, while performing Operational duties at the International Border of West Bengal, foiled drugs smuggling attempts & seized 50 Phensedyl bottles & 33 kg Ganja, that were being smuggled from India to Bangladesh, the statement said. Earlier on July 24, the BSF personnel foiled a drug smuggling attempt and neutralised a suspected Pakistani smuggler in the Ramgarh area in the Samba sector of Jammu, the force said in a statement. Jammu and Kashmir: BSF Thwarts Major Narcotic Smuggling Bid Along International Border in Samba, Pakistani Intruder Shot Dead. BSF Jammu Troops foiled a Narco smuggling bid and neutralised a Pakistani smuggler," the BSF said in an official release. Further, according to the release, on the intervening night of July 24 and 25, alert BSF troopers neutralised a Pakistani smuggler while he was trying to smuggle narcotics through the Ramgarh border area in Samba Sector. West Bengal: Suspected Cattle Smuggler Shot Dead by BSF Near India-Bangladesh Border. During the initial search of the area, 4 packets of suspected narcotics (weighing approx 4 kgs) were found along with the body of the neutralised smuggler from across the border, the BSF stated further. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has asked the city government to ensure five per cent reservation for specially-abled candidates in all educational institutions and that the mandate of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act is followed. A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma also asked Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University to reserve seats for specially-abled persons as per the law. Also Read | Delhi Hit-and-Run Case: Police Inspector Killed After Truck Hits His Car on Rohtak Road. The court's order came on a public interest litigation which alleged that the respondent university was not providing five per cent reservation to specially-abled persons following the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The bench, also comprising Justice Saurabh Banerjee, observed the university was providing a five per cent quota to specially-abled persons in all courses and no further orders need to be passed. Also Read | Manipur Violence: Opposition Delegation of INDIA Bloc Leaders Reaches Raj Bhawan to Meet Governor Anusuiya Uikey. It, however, said the Delhi government and the university "shall make all possible endeavour for filling up the seats meant for specially-abled persons by providing reservation to all categories of specially-abled persons". "The university as well as the state government are directed to ensure that in all educational institutions, the statutory provisions governing the field under the RPWD Act are followed and 5 per cent reservation is provided to specially-abled persons," the court said in its recent order. In May, the court passed an interim order directing the university to provide reservations to specially-abled candidates for admission in the current academic session. The petitioner -- Justice For All, an NGO -- had argued that the university, instead of providing a five per cent quota under the Act was providing only a three per cent quota to the candidates. The petitioner subsequently moved a contempt application and alleged that the interim order was not being implemented. The court closed the proceedings after the university filed an affidavit and "categorically stated" that it was providing five per cent reservation to specially-abled persons. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], July 30 (ANI): A huge fire broke out at a hospital in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Sunday morning, an official said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ahmedabad Police Kanan Desai said that the police officials reached the spot of the incident after they received information about the fire at a hospital in Ahmedabad's Shahibaug area. Also Read | Indian Army Soldier Javed Ahmad Goes Missing in Mysterious Circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam. The DCP stated, "Fire broke out at the Rajasthan Hospital in Ahmedabad's Shahibaug area. The fire had started in the basement of the hospital. A police team reached the spot of the incident shortly after receiving the information. Around 100 patients in the hospital have been shifted, and now the hospital staff will be moved out of the hospital. People residing in residential areas around the hospital will also be moved by the police team for safety measures." DCP Kanan Desai further added that a team of Police officials, Fire Department officials, Municipal Corporation, and Traffic Police, along with the MLA and the local leaders are working towards the safety of the general public inside and around the hospital. Also Read | Hidden Camera in Girls Bathroom in Aligarh: Hostel Warden Makes Objectionable Videos of Minor Girl Students by Placing Mobile in Bathrooms, Suspended After Probe. Ahmedabad Chief Fire and Emergency Officer Jayesh Khadiya said that the information about the fire incident at a hospital in the district's Shahibaug area was received in the early hours of Sunday morning. The Official also said that initially 5 fire tenders were sent to the place of the incident and shortly after which twenty-twenty-five tenders also reached the spot. He also stated that the fire had started in the second basement of the hospital building due to some reason. "We received information about the fire incident at around 4:30 in the morning today. We sent five fire tenders to the hospital initially. The fire had started in the second basement of the hospital," said Fire Official Jayesh Khadiya. The official added that there were no reports of casualties or injuries. Further details into the matter are awaited. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 30 (ANI): National Spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party Sambit Patra on Sunday took a swipe at the Opposition alliance as they concluded their visit to Manipur on Sunday, saying that politics will begin again from tomorrow. ...Politics should not be done. In sensitive matters, action should be taken with sensibility and there should be no sensationalization. Home Minister says that we are ready for an open debate in the Parliament but they are running away from it. From tomorrow, politics will begin again. Their strategy will be to disrupt the Parliament..., Patra said while talking to ANI. Also Read | Kanwariyas-Muharram Mourners Face-Off on Bareilly Highway in Uttar Pradesh; SHO Among Two Cops Suspended for 'Dereliction of Duty'. Recalling an earlier visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Manipur, Patra said that Shah's visit was for resolving the issue while Oppositions was only for politics. When HM visited Manipur for 3 days, he called an all-party meeting there and had deliberations with them. For the first time in the country's politics, the country's Home Minister stayed for three nights in a northeastern state where insurgency was common earlier. But the Opposition MPs went there only to do politics.., he said. Also Read | Go First Flights Cancellation: India's Low-Cost Airline Extends Suspension of Flights Till July 31 Citing Operational Reasons. I'd like to ask the Opposition, you were in power in the northeast for so long. What is the reason that not one even 1 km of fencing was done on the 400 km-long border between Manipur and Myanmar? It is our government that did a complete survey; 10 km of fencing has been done and work is underway on the 80 km area. Why was this not done earlier?... he added. A delegation of 21 MPs from 16 parties of the Opposition bloc - the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) - reached Manipur on Saturday and returned to the national capital on Sunday. On Sunday, leaders met Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan and handed over a memorandum to her and requested her to restore peace and harmony by taking all effective measures, "where justice should be the cornerstone". "In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent. You are also requested to apprise the Union Government of the complete breakdown of law and order in Manipur for the last 89 days so as to enable them to intervene in the precarious situation in Manipur to restore peace and normalcy," the memorandum reads. The memorandum further read that the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows "his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur. The condition in the relief camps is pathetic is to say the least. Special care needs to be taken to the kids on a priority basis. Students from different streams are facing uncertain future, which has to be the priority of the state and the Union governments. The continued internet ban for the last three months is aiding lo the unsubstantiated rumours, which is adding to the existing mistrust. Silence of Hon'ble Prime Minister shows his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur, it added. Sambit Patra further said that when the Opposition was in power earlier, did nothing during several clashes during their tenure. None of their Home Ministers went to Manipur even for a day for discussion at the time when around 1600 people were killed during their rule -- when there was Naga-Kuki clash, when there was Meitei-Pangal clash when there was Kuki-Paite clash. They didn't resolve any issue and today they want to do politics..., the BJP leader said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, July 30: Go First airline, which has been grounded since early May, has announced a further extension of flight cancellations till July 31, the airline announced in a tweet on Sunday. "Due to operational reasons, Go First flights until 31st July 2023 are cancelled. We apologise for the inconvenience caused...," the airline tweeted on Sunday. Go First has also issued a statement, which it has posted along with the tweet, saying that the company has filed an application for immediate resolution and revival of operations and is optimistic about resuming bookings shortly. Go First Flights Cancellation: India's Low-Cost Airline Extends Suspension of Flights Till May 28 Citing Operational Reasons. "...the company has filed an application for immediate resolution and revival of operations. We will be able to resume bookings shortly," the airline stated. "We regret to inform that due to operational reasons, Go First flights scheduled till 31st July 2023 have been cancelled. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the flight cancellations. We acknowledge the flight cancellations might have disrupted your travel plans and we are committed to providing all the assistance we can," Go First said in the statement. Earlier on May 2, Go First cancelled its flights and filed for voluntary bankruptcy before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), alleging delays on the part of a US-based engine maker, Pratt & Whitney, for its inability to promptly meet obligations -- leading to the grounding of a portion of its fleet. Last Friday, DGCA conditionally allowed the grounded airline Go First to resume its operations. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had said Go First may resume scheduled flight operations on the availability of interim funding and approval of flight schedule by the regulator. The regulator had allowed the operation of 15 aircraft and 114 daily flights. Crisis-Hit Airline Go First Extends Flight Cancellations Till June 22 Due to Operational Reasons. The airline has approximately 4,200 employees, and it reported total revenue from operations at Rs 4,183 crore in the financial year 2021-22. There were reports that the grounding of the Go First flights had put pressure on airfares, particularly on select routes where it had a footprint. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Patna (Bihar) [India], July 30 (ANI): On reports of a tussle between him and his uncle Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras over the Haijpur seat, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan on Sunday said that if any allies have any concern then they should talk first within the alliance. "If any of the allies have any issue or concern, they should first talk within the alliance. That is the right place & forum...The media will not give you a seat...The seat will be decided within the alliance..., he said. Also Read | Punjab Road Accident: Several Persons Injured As Multiple Cars Collide With One Another on Bathinda-Chandigarh Highway (See Pics). He further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has an alliance with other parties not just mine so a discussion with them is important. Before joining the NDA, a lot of my worries were presented as conditions which are not true. It is a big decision to form an alliance as it decides the course of the party...BJP has an alliance with other parties not just mine, therefore a discussion with them is important. Once everyone is on the same page every piece of information about the number of seats & selection of seats will be given in a press conference...", he added. Also Read | Kanwariyas-Muharram Mourners Face-Off on Bareilly Highway in Uttar Pradesh; SHO Among Two Cops Suspended for 'Dereliction of Duty'. Earlier this week, Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras once again staked his claim on the Hajipur constituency and said that he will contest the next Lok Sabha polls from his late brother Ram Vilas Paswan's constituency. I will contest from Hajipur itself, this is my right. I am an MP there, I am a cabinet minister in the Government of India and an old and trusted ally of the NDA (National Democratic Alliance), Paras said. In 2019, Pashupati Paras had won from Hajipur while Chirag emerged the winner from Jamui. However, the uncle-nephew fight shows no sign of relenting for close to three years. Pashupati Kumar Paras and Chirag Paswan first locked their horns over claiming the legacy of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder Ram Vilas Paswan. Earlier on Tuesday, Chirag said that he will contest the next Lok Sabha polls in 2024 from the Hajipur constituency in Bihar. "I definitely say that I will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Hajipur only. It is not right to share the talks that took place with the BJP on a public platform but it is certain that Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest the Lok Sabha election from Hajipur," Chirag Paswan told ANI. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) was formed in October 2021 after the Election Commission allotted a separate symbol to Chirag Paswan's faction following his differences with his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who heads a separate faction. In the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, Chirag Paswan had walked out of the NDA, raising a rebellion against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In the Bihar assembly elections 2020, the LJP managed to secure only 5.66 per cent vote share winning a single seat. The lone MLA who won under the LJP symbol soon switched sides to the JD(U). (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Yavatmal, Jul 30 (PTI) A highway police staffer and another person were killed after a truck rammed into a police van in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, officials said on Sunday. The accident took place at around 11.30 pm on Nagpur-Tuljapur highway here, they said. Also Read | Husband Reunited With Wife in Uttar Pradesh: Woman Mistakes Man for Long-Lost Husband Who Went Missing 10 Years Ago, Brings Him Home. The highway police personnel were checking a truck on a bridge when another truck rammed into the police van from behind, the police said in a release. A highway police staffer and the offending truck's driver were killed in the accident, while two other police personnel were seriously injured, the release said. Also Read | Delhi Hit-and-Run Case: Police Inspector Killed After Truck Hits His Car on Rohtak Road. A probe was on into the incident, the police added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 30 (ANI): In a significant move, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has recovered around 500 gigabytes of data from various electronic devices seized from the terror suspects who are in custody, the agency top sources told ANI. As per the source, the data recovered by the ATS has been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for further analysis. Also Read | Missing Cases in India: 13.13 Lakh Girls, Women Went Missing Between 2019 and 2021, Shows Home Ministry Data. "During the investigation, ATS has recovered around 500 GB of data from various electronic devices seized by ATS from arrested terror suspects. All the data has been sent to FSL for analysis. The data included drone visuals of several locations and screenshots of Google locations of various places in the Pune district. It also has some images of Mumbai's Chabad House, the source told ANI. After a Google image of the Chabad House was recovered from both suspected terrorists arrested for planning an attack in Rajasthan, Mumbai Police beefed up security outside the Chabad House in Colaba. Also Read | Amanda Bynes Checks Into New Mental Health Treatment Centre To Continue Working on Her Illness. The agency on Wednesday arrested a man named Abdul Qadir Dastgir Pathan in Pune for providing shelter to the terror suspects Mohammad Imran Mohammad Yunus Khan and Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yakub Saki. Khan and Saki, wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for their alleged involvement in a terror-related case in Rajasthan, were nabbed from the Kothrud area of Pune on July 18. The ATS, which recently took over the probe from Pune Police, said that it recovered white explosive powder, laptops, parts of drones and books written in Arabic, among other things from Khan and Saki. However, an ATS official, on Sunday said, The drone was used to take some visuals but what visuals they have taken, needs to be identified therefore, the same data has been sent to FSL for further probe." Sources in Maharashtra ATS further informed that ATS has seized some electronic circuits which were meant to make bombs by the suspects. ATS officials have also informed that the terror suspects used a tent to stay in forest areas in Punes adjoining districts. As per the ATS officials, the terror suspects, after coming to Maharashtra, befriended a third person, a resident of Jharkhand, who managed to escape when the police nabbed the duo. However, the agency has formed several teams to trace the third absconding accused, the officials added. The teams have been sent to various locations in the state and out of the state, he added. On Friday, the agency said that they have arrested a man from Ratnagiri district for providing financial aid to suspected terrorists, who were taken into custody by the Pune Police on July 18. According to a press release issued by the ATS on Saturday, the person from Ratnagiri was earlier detained. However, he was arrested on Friday after a probe showed his involvement in the case. The latest arrest has taken the number of the arrested to four. As per the ATS, these suspects were brainwashed through various videos of individuals avaliable on YouTube, literature books and contents. Earlier, Maharashtra ATS further stated that both accused were booked under UAPA charges. "During the investigation, it was revealed that both were planning to carry out anti-national activities to disturb the unity and safety of the nation and for this, both had taken the training to make bombs and kept the required materials in their possession," an official statement said.(ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) People in Dien Bien province's Muong Nhe district are told about human anti-trafficking (Photo: phutho.gov.vn) Also joining the video is one of the most influential key opinion leaders in Vietnam, former Miss Universe Vietnam, and Top 5 Miss Universe worldwide in 2018 H'hen Nie who has 1.9 million followers on Facebook and 100,000 followers on Instagram. It aims to amplify the message among the younger generation. The theme of WDATIP this year is "Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind". In the clip, ambassadors, the head of the IOM Delegation, and Hhen Nie emphasised that human trafficking happens all around us every day. To effectively prevent the evil, it is important to have a correct and comprehensive awareness of the problem, as well as to look at human trafficking from different lenses and understand its impact. The influencers also call on public for taking the matter to individuals, recognise the signs, and notify authorities if someone witness others or find themselves in danger. In Vietnam, there are some misconceptions such as only women and girls experience human trafficking; human trafficking does not happen online; climate change is not related to human trafficking; human trafficking only involves moving, traveling, or transporting a person across state or national borders; or traffickers only target victims they dont know. In response to WDATIP, the ambassadors, the head of the IOM Delegation, and H'hen Nie delivered the joint message A human being is not a commodity. Every human is a gift to call on the community to work together and raise your voices to combat human trafficking and empower every victim to build back their lives and reach their full potential. According to a report by the Ministry of Public Security, the purpose of the crime was sexual exploitation, forced labor, taking body parts of victims, and other inhumane purposes. It also shows that the number of male victims of human trafficking has increased alarmingly. The Government of Vietnam has emphasized that human trafficking crimes have become complicated and increasingly severe, with criminals tactics becoming more complex and harder to tackle, including using encrypted messaging apps and large-scale operations managed by transnational criminal groups. In the past few years, Vietnam has been making significant efforts to create a transparent migration environment, protect the legal rights and interests of migrants, and take action against human trafficking. In the implementation of the third National Human Trafficking Prevention and Control Programme for 2021-2025, with a vision for 2030, the Government includes new solutions and tasks to prevent and fight human trafficking in all areas, including improving its capacity for investigations, prosecuting, and convicting more traffickers, increasing international law enforcement cooperation, and initiating criminal proceedings against allegedly complicit officials./. Lucknow, Jul 30 (PTI) BSP President Mayawati on Sunday accused Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya of trying to drive a wedge between communities ahead of election with his comment on demolition of Buddhist monasteries in ancient India. "The latest statement of Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya that many temples including Badrinath were built by demolishing Buddhist monasteries and why modern survey should be done not only of Gyanvapi Masjid but also of other major temples, is a purely political statement giving rise to new controversies," the Bahujan Samaj Party chief said in a tweet. Also Read | Husband Reunited With Wife in Uttar Pradesh: Woman Mistakes Man for Long-Lost Husband Who Went Missing 10 Years Ago, Brings Him Home. Mayawati also asked Maurya why he never raised such a demand when was a minister in the BJP government. "Maurya was a minister in the BJP government for a long time, why did he not put such pressure on his party and the government in this regard? And now creating such a religious controversy at the time of elections. Buddhist and Muslim communities are not going to be misled by them," she said. Also Read | Delhi Hit-and-Run Case: Police Inspector Killed After Truck Hits His Car on Rohtak Road. Maurya, the SP national general secretary, had recently claimed that Badrinath, a Hindu pilgrimage site, was a Buddhist monastery till the 8th century. The SP leader also said authorities must do a survey on what lay before the temple where Gyanvapi mosque now stands. "If there has to be a survey, then there should also be a survey of what lay there before the temple. All places of Hindu religion were earlier Buddhist monasteries. Temples were built by demolishing Buddhist monasteries," he had said. Maurya had in January this year courted another controversy when he demanded expunging of certain verses in Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, which, he claimed, talk about caste and insult a large section of society. The Allahabad High Court had on Thursday reserved its decision in Gyanvapi survey case. The court will pronounce the verdict on August 3. Till then the stay on ASI survey will remain in force. The district court of Varanasi had recently ordered the Archaeological Department of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, except for the wazoo Khana. But the Muslim side reached the Supreme Court, which directed the high court to hear the matter. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], July 30 (ANI): Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in Meghalaya rescued 88 cattle allegedly being smuggled into Bangladesh from the international border in the East Khasi Hills district of the state. Acting on a tip-off, vigilant troops of 110 Bn BSF Meghalaya confiscated 58 buffaloes brutally crammed into two trucks from Ichamati- Shella road, East Khasi Hills on Saturday, BSF Meghalaya stated. Also Read | Manipur Viral Video: Mother of Girl, Who Was Paraded Naked by Mob in Kangpokpi, Demands Capital Punishment for Accused. "These buffaloes were being taken to the international border for smuggling to Bangladesh," BSF Meghalaya further said. The seized cattle and vehicles have been handed over to the concerned Police station for further legal action. Also Read | Assam Police Will Be Among Top 10 Police Forces of India by 2026, Says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. "In a different operation troops of 193 BSF battalion conducted a special ambush and rescued 30 cattle on the international border of East Khasi Hills while they were being smuggled to Bangladesh. The seized cattle were handed over to Danger police station for further legal action," BSF Meghalaya further said. Enhanced vigilance by BSF on international border has led to the seizure of more than 2000 cattle from different border areas of Meghalaya since January 2023. Around 24 people have been arrested for allegedly being involved in 'cattle smuggling' after 51 cattle heads were seized from their possession in Assam's South Salmara Mankachar district along India-Bangladesh border, officials said on Friday. Additional Superintendent of Police, Faruk Ahmed said that based on secret information, police and BSF teams jointly launched an operation in the riverine areas along the international border and seized the cattle heads. "We cordoned the entire area and seized 51 cattle heads including two cows and 49 buffaloes from the area and arrested 24 persons who were involved in cattle smuggling. It is one of the biggest successful operations," ASP Faruk Ahmed said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 30 (ANI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will inaugurate the new building of the Assam Legislative Assembly in the presence of state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati on Sunday. Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter on Saturday and said, "Tomorrow is a historic day for Assam. Honble Lok Sabha Speaker will dedicate our first permanent Legislative Assembly Complex to the people." Also Read | Manipur Viral Video: Mother of Girl, Who Was Paraded Naked by Mob in Kangpokpi, Demands Capital Punishment for Accused. All existing and former Parliamentarians, members of the Assam Legislative Assembly,and other invitees will be present on the occasion. Pijush Hazarika member of Assam Legislative Assembly twitted, "The Hon'ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Shri @ombirlakota Ji, will inaugurate the newly constructed Assam Legislative Assembly building tomorrow, i.e., on July 30. On the eve of the auspicious ceremony, I visited the newly constructed Assembly Hall today and assessed the progress of the preparations for tomorrow's event." Also Read | Assam Police Will Be Among Top 10 Police Forces of India by 2026, Says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. Earlier, Numal Momin, Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly told ANI that LokSabha Speaker Om Birla will inaugurate the new building of the Assam LegislativeAssembly on July 30. "The Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Minister of Assam along with cabinet colleagues, and members of Assam Legislative Assembly will be present on the occasion. We are fully prepared for the programme," the Deputy Speaker said. "The new building has new features. We are planning for e-Vidhan that is also very shortly will have in the new building. It will be a very modern assembly in Assam for the first time. Next assembly session will be held in the new building, Momin further said. He added that the construction of the new building was started long before during the Congress regime and it has been re-designed a little bit. After our government has come, we have intensified the works and on July 30 the new building will be inaugurated, Momin said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lucknow, Jul 30 (PTI) During his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio braodcast on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the Uttar Pradesh government's feat of planting 30 crore saplings in the state. Modi highlighted the active public participation in the state's 'Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan 2023', which was kicked off on July 22 by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath by planting a sapling in Bijnor. Also Read | ITR Filing Last Date 2023: No Extension for Income Tax Return Filing Due Date, Penalties and Loss of Benefits if You Miss Deadline. The prime minister emphasised that everyone should be a part of such plantation and water conservation efforts. Responding to Modi's praise for the campaign, Adityanath expressed his gratitude and tweeted that inspired by the Prime Minister's initiative, the plantation drive has taken the form of a 'Jan-Andolan' or people's movement in the state. Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Minor Girl Raped in Satna, Accused Arrested; Second Case in District in Four Days. He said dedicated efforts are being made for the development of a green state, adding that the government is committed to planting 5 crore saplings. This year's target is to plant 35 crore saplings, of which 30.21 crore were planted on July 22. Additionally, 5 crore more trees are planned to be planted on Independence Day. During his 'Mann Ki Baat', the prime minister also praised the growing interest of people in pilgrimage, especially in his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, where 10 crore people are now visiting Kashi Vishwanath a year. Modi also mentioned that the number of pilgrims visiting Mathura and Ayodhya has also gone up. He said this surge in tourism has created new employment opportunities for thousands of underprivileged individuals. In Sunday's radio broadcast, the prime minister also announced the launch of the 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign in the run up to Independence Day to honour the martyred bravehearts of the country, with special inscriptions to be installed in panchayats in their memory. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 30 (ANI): Customs officials seized 1329 g of gold paste worth Rs 81.6 lakh at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad on Sunday, informed the officials. According to the officials, the passenger has been arrested under the Customs Act and an investigation is underway. Also Read | Kanwariyas-Muharram Mourners Face-Off on Bareilly Highway in Uttar Pradesh; SHO Among Two Cops Suspended for 'Dereliction of Duty'. Officers of Hyderabad Customs at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) seized 1,329 g of gold paste concealed in pant pockets valued at Rs 81.6 lakh on 29.07. The passenger was travelling from Chennai to Hyderabad. The passenger has been arrested under the Custom Act of 1962. Further investigation into the matter is under progress, the Hyderabad Customs officials informed. Earlier in June this year, Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs Department seized 1705.3 grams of gold worth over 1 crore from two passengers arriving from Dubai at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. (ANI) Also Read | Go First Flights Cancellation: India's Low-Cost Airline Extends Suspension of Flights Till July 31 Citing Operational Reasons. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 30 (ANI): A local court sent Vijay Mishra lawyer of slain gangster Atique Ahmed who was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police from Lucknow on Saturday, to 14-day judicial custody today. According to the police, advocate Mishra was arrested for allegedly assisting Atique and his brother Ashraf Ahmed, in the murder of Umesh Pal. Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Two College Students Die by Suicide in Davangare After Intimate Video Surfaces on on Social Media. "One of the accused of Umesh Pal's murder, Vijay Mishra, was arrested from Lucknow. After presenting him before the court, he was sent to 14-day judicial custody. Some significant pieces of evidence were collected which showed his involvement in the murder case," said Deepak Bhukar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj. On being asked about Atique's wife, Shaishta Parveen, DCP Bhukar said, "We have found some leads about Shaishta Parveen and Zainab (Ashraf's wife). An investigation is underway in this matter". Also Read | ITR Filing Last Date 2023: No Extension for Income Tax Return Filing Due Date, Penalties and Loss of Benefits if You Miss Deadline. Further, he said that advocate Mishra is a history-sheeter. "Against advocate Vijay Mishra action has been taken under the Gangster Act in Prayagraj district. In addition, a case of extortion among others has also been registered against him at the Atsuraiya police station", said DCP Bhukar. Notably, Atique Ahmad and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead by men posing as journalists on the night of April 15, while they were being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj. The gangster siblings collapsed at the spot after being shot from point-blank range. All three assailants were sent to judicial custody by the district court. They were charged under the IPC sections, 302, 307, 302, 120 B, 419, 420, 467 and 468. Atique Ahmed was accused in the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal and also in the killing of a key witness in that case, Umesh Pal, in February this year. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) Domestic drug makers Sun Pharma and Alembic are recalling products in the US market due to manufacturing issues, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). As per the US health regulator's latest Enforcement Report, the Mumbai-based drug major is recalling 12,336 bottles of Buprenorphine Sublingual tablets, used for treating opioid use disorder, in the American market. Also Read | NCL Recruitment 2023: Vacancies Notified for 700 Apprentice Trainees Posts, Apply Online at nclcil.in; Check Direct Link, Last Date and Other Details. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc, the US-based arm of the company, is recalling the affected lot (8 mg, 30 count-bottles) due to CGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) deviations, the USFDA stated. The company initiated the CLass II voluntary recall on May 3 this year. Also Read | Bawaal Controversy Explained: Why Varun Dhawan-Janhvi Kapoors Film is Facing Ire for Its Hitler, Auschwitz and Holocaust References (SPOILER ALERT). Sun Pharma is also recalling 7,313 bottles of Methylphenidate Hydrochloride tablets, used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in the US market. New Jersey-based Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc is recalling the lot due to the "presence of foreign substance: metal embedded in a tablet", the USFDA stated. The company initiated the recall on July 13 this year, it added. The US Health regulator stated that Alembic Pharmaceuticals is recalling 2,844 units of Diclofenac Sodium Topical Solution in the American market. The medication is used to treat pain and other symptoms of arthritis of the joints. Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc is recalling the affected lot due to "defective delivery system", USFDA said. The company initiated the Class II recall on June 22 this year. As per the USFDA, a Class II recall is initiated in a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote. The Indian pharmaceutical industry is the world's third-largest by volume and 14th-largest in terms of value. India exported pharmaceuticals worth Rs 1,75,040 crore in 2021-22, including bulk drugs/ drug intermediates. The US is the world's largest market for pharmaceutical products. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Peshawar, July 30: At least 20 people were killed and 50 others injured in a blast at an Islamic political party's meeting in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, according to a media report. The explosion took place at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers' convention in Bajaur's Khar, Geo News quoted police as saying. The police said that about 50 people were injured and have been shifted to a nearby hospital. Law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area. Pakistan Blast: One Killed, 35 Injured in Explosion in Bajaur District in Khyber Pankhtuwa Province. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi told the Dawn newspaper that five ambulances had reached the site. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], July 30 (ANI): A huge fire on Friday destroyed the government high school in Pakistans Khwazakhela tehsil, Dawn reported. Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper. Also Read | Earthquake in Myanmar: Quake of Magnitude 4.5 Hits Minbu. However, no damage to human life was reported as the school was closed for summer vacation. The School guard Imran Khan told reporters that the fire started due to a short circuit in UPS batteries in offices and destroyed records, furniture, computers and other goods. Also Read | The dangerous Feminists Behind a Lebanese Media Outlet. He said no one was hurt in the incident as students and staff members were away due to summer break. Residents, however, contested the claim and said there was a high likelihood of UPS batteries being out of charge due to the prolonged power suspension. They insisted that the school guard was not present on the premises as the fire broke out, so they suspected the involvement of mischievous elements in it. The residents also said both TMA and Rescue 1122 personnel reached the school quite late despite being informed about the fire on time. Mazhar Azad told Dawn that the fire gutted around nine rooms along with veranda and offices destroying desks, chairs, fans, cupboards and other goods. He said the people couldnt learn about the fire as the school stood away from residential areas. The residents called for an immediate investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire and warned that if authorities didnt meet the demand, they would stage street protests. They said the school had both boy and girl students catering to the population of around five villages. They further demanded immediate rehabilitation of the school and the provision of goods to the schools to ensure that students dont suffer any learning losses. When contacted, deputy district education officer Fazal Khaliq said he visited the school shortly after learning about the fire. I conducted an initial inquiry and formed a team to ascertain the cause of the fire, he said, as per Dawn. He said it was the responsibility of the communication and works department to assess damage. (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, Jul 30 (PTI) Imran Khan was the mastermind of the unprecedented anti-government protests across Pakistan on May 9 and it was aimed at toppling the military leadership, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said. Pakistan saw massive nationwide anti-government protests following the arrest of Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman by paramilitary Rangers in a corruption case on May 9. Khan, 70, was later released on bail. Also Read | Pakistan Suicide Blast: At Least 35 Killed, 200 Injured in Suicide Bombing Targeting JUIF Workers in Bajaur (Watch Video). Dozens of military installations and government buildings, including the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or torched during the riots. Over 100 vehicles of police and other security agencies were set on fire. In an interview with Geo News channel, Sharif said men, women, a cabal, some military men and their families were involved in the events of May 9, dubbed "Black Day" by the powerful military. Also Read | Pakistan Blast: One Killed, 35 Injured in Explosion in Bajaur District in Khyber Pankhtuwa Province. "Those involved in the May 9 incidents wanted to overthrow the military leadership," he said. The prime minister said the planners wanted "anarchy" and "war" in the country. PTI Chairman Khan was the mastermind of the May 9 incidents, the Geo News reported, quoting Sharif. Following the violent protests, law enforcement agencies arrested over 10,000 PTI workers across Pakistan, 4,000 of them from Punjab province only. According to Khan, over 16 PTI workers were killed in the violence. Police have put the death toll to 10. Khan is also facing numerous cases related to attacks on military installations. Currently, he is facing over 150 cases related to terrorism, murder and blasphemy. He is reportedly under virtual house arrest at his private residence Law enforcement agencies have arrested over 10,000 PTI workers across Pakistan, 4,000 of them from Punjab province only. According to Khan, over 16 PTI workers were killed in the violence. Police have put the death toll to 10. Khan is also facing numerous cases related to attacks on military installations. Currently, he is facing over 150 cases related to terrorism, murder and blasphemy. He is reportedly under virtual house arrest at his private residence at Zaman Park in Lahore. The PTI contests that its members were not involved in the attacks, but the government and military reject the claims and say they have "irrefutable evidence" of their involvement. Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan. The US has repeatedly dismissed his allegations. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. MasterCard has commented on the problems with contactless payments via Apple Pay and Google Pay on Baku-Sumgayit commuter trains. The company acknowledged that there have been short-term problems with accepting NFC payments on the trains operated by Azerbaijan Railways CJSC. "We are working closely with the partner bank to resolve this matter," MasterCard told Trend. Previously, there were reports of users experiencing double charges when using Apple Pay or Google Pay for fare payments on the Baku-Sumgayit route. Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 30 (ANI): The 'Modified Semicon India Programme' is a part of a larger endeavour to promote manufacturing in India, as part of the 'Make in India' initiative and in line with the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday. He made the remark while addressing the second day of the ongoing SemiconIndia conference in Gujarat's Gandhinagar on Sunday. Also Read | Moscow Drone Attack: One Injured After Overnight Drones Attack on Russias Capital, Prompts Temporary Airport Closure. Jaishankar highlighted the nation's strategic vision and ongoing efforts to secure a pivotal role in critical and emerging technology. Talking about its goal, the EAM said, "You are also deeply familiar with the steadily expanding production of electronic products in the country. It is a natural outcome of the journey of India from being the fifth-largest economy currently to the third largest, which is our current goal. Our strong interest in expanding this aspect of manufacturing is reflected in the Modified Semicon India Programme which provides appropriate fiscal incentives. This too is a facet of a larger endeavour to promote manufacturing in India, articulated in the 'Make in India' initiative and the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat." Also Read | Earthquake in Myanmar: Quake of Magnitude 4.5 Hits Minbu. The Centre launched the Semicon India Programme in December 2021 for the development of the semiconductors and display manufacturing ecosystem in India. "A more self-reliant India will ipso facto also be more self-reliant in semiconductor production. Similarly, an India that is seeking to enhance both the quality and quantity of its exports and become more deeply embedded in global value chains will also necessarily focus today on the semiconductor domain," the External Affairs Minister added. At the conference, he also talked about the collaboration between India and US across fields and spheres. He also invoked US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo's India visit in March during which an MoU on the Semiconductor Supply Chain and Innovation Partnership was concluded. Jaishankar said during Prime Minister Modi's visit to the US, specific commitments were made with regard to Micron Technology, Lam Research and Applied Materials and they have been the subject of deliberations as well. "During Prime Minister Modi's State visit to the United States in June 2023, semiconductors were also a focus of the talks with President Biden and his team. As you would be aware, the two leaders chaired a technology round-table with the brand names of the industry. The Joint Statement highlighted this aspect of our cooperation. Three US companies - Micron Technology, Lam Research and Applied Materials - made specific commitments that have been the subject of your deliberations as well. It is essential that these developments are viewed from the larger perspective of India and the United States building a technology partnership for the future," Jaishankar said. "India's entry as the latest member of the Minerals Security Partnership is worth noting, given the importance today of diversifying and securing supply chains in that area. Similarly, cooperation between the two countries has been a visible tailwind in the sphere of advanced telecommunications. Even as India's 5G rollout starts to gather momentum, it is noteworthy to seek Bharat 6G and the American NextG Alliance co-lead research. Launching Open RAN deployments and participating in the US Rip and Replace Programme is also worth noting. This collaboration today extends to new initiatives and additional domains and can be expected to grow steadily," he added. On Space collaboration, the EAM said India signed the Artemis Accords and promoted stronger ISRO-NASA collaboration. The Innovation Handshake between Indian entities and the National Science Foundation (NSF) holds much promise. So too does the INDUS-X innovation bridge in defence technologies. Minister Jaishankar underlined the significance of critical and emerging technologies in elevating India's position on the global stage. Jaishankar said it is an intrinsic element of the knowledge economy that is steadily unfolding and one of its primary characteristics is that it embeds technologies in a manner that profoundly influences all aspects of our lives. He said, "The depiction of a Chip War may be somewhat overstated, but it has more than a fundamental kernel of truth. To a considerable extent, concerns in the iCET field are influenced by how market shares and production dominance was leveraged in other areas." "Technology trade is not just trade; it is as much as about political science. The truth is that we are seeing the re-emergence of export controls as a response to strategic assertions of economic strength. How to do business needs to be tempered with where and with whom to do it," he added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Muscat [Oman], July 30 (ANI): To enhance the maritime partnership between Indian Navy and Royal Oman Navy, the indigenously built destroyer INS Visakhapatnam entered Oman on Sunday, informed Indian Navy officials. The Indian Navy and Royal Oman Navy are working together to address security challenges in the region and the warship is part of the Western Naval Command Fleet, the officials added. Also Read | Pakistan Suicide Blast: At Least 35 Killed, 200 Injured in Suicide Bombing Targeting JUIF Workers in Bajaur (Watch Video). The Sultanate of Oman is a strategic partner of India and an important interlocutor at Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) fora. India and Oman are linked by geography, history and culture and enjoy warm and cordial relations. While people-to-people contact between India and Oman can be traced back 5000 years, diplomatic relations were established in 1955 and the relationship was upgraded to a Strategic partnership in 2008, as per the Ministry of External Affairs. INS Visakhapatnam is the lead ship of the P15B class of guided missile stealth destroyers and was commissioned on November 21, 2021. Also Read | Pakistan Blast: One Killed, 35 Injured in Explosion in Bajaur District in Khyber Pankhtuwa Province. The ship symbolises India's matured shipbuilding capability and the quest for the 'Make-in-India' initiative towards achieving 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. The crew of the ship abides by her motto 'Yasho Labhasva', a Sanskrit phrase that translates to 'Attain Glory'. It embodies the indomitable spirit and capability of this mighty ship to achieve success and glory in every endeavour. The motto inspires her crew to surmount all odds and uphold the glory of the Ship, Service and Nation always, said the Navy. (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 [Pakistan], July 30 (ANI): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan the 'mastermind' behind the events that took place on May 9 which aimed to topple military leadership, reported The News International. PM Shehbaz Sharief also said that along with PTI workers, a group of politicians, some military men and their families were also involved in May 9 violence. Also Read | Pakistan Blast: One Killed, 35 Injured in Explosion in Bajaur District in Khyber Pankhtuwa Province. Moreover, the military labelled it as a 'Black Day' in the history of Pakistan. Shehbaz Sharif during an interview on Geo News's programme said, "Those involved in the May 9 incidents wanted to overthrow the military leadership." Also Read | US Plane Crash: Four Killed, Two Injured in Two Separate Helicopter Crash in Oshkosh and Wisconsin. Shehbaz further mentioned that the planners wanted "anarchy" and "war" in the country, according to The News International. However, the government and the military have arrested and detained several PTI workers and leaders for allegedly being involved in such events. As many as 2138 suspects have been arrested in five major cities of Pakistan's Punjab province in connection with the May 9 case, ARY News reported. Following the attacks, Pakistan Army dismissed two senior officers and a lieutenant general, The News International reported. The army's spokesperson Major General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said two departmental enquiries have been conducted headed by major generals and punishments were given as per the recommendations. Whereas the PTI opposes that its members were not involved in the attacks, however, the government and military reject their claims and say they have 'irrefutable evidence' of their involvement, reported The News International. On May 9, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan was arrested at the Islamabad High Court in the Al Qadir Trust case. After his arrest, protests erupted in Pakistan and military installations including the Lahore corps commander's residence and state properties were attacked in Pakistan. (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 [Pakistan], July 30 (ANI): In a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through the political community, a prominent leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Mian Allah Yar Gadgor, met an untimely demise after falling from the fourth floor of a building within a private housing society in Islamabad, reported The Express Tribune. According to The Express Tribune, he came to the housing society for some business-related work when the incident happened. Also Read | US Plane Crash: Four Killed, Two Injured in Two Separate Helicopter Crash in Oshkosh and Wisconsin. The incident took place in the territories of Lohi Bhir Police Station in Islamabad. The deceased body has been transferred to the post-mortem facility at a local hospital. The authorities are investigating the incident to find whether it was an accident or a murder, reported The Express Tribune. Also Read | Alcohol in Iran: The Deadly Cost of Prohibition. Authorities are currently investigating the incident to determine whether it was a murder or an accident. The Station House Officer (SHO) at Lohi Bhir Police Station said that Gadgor was at the house with his other four friends at the time of the incident. Moreover, police have taken all four individuals into custody for further investigation, he added. Furthermore, the police authorities have not commented on the specific details of the investigation noting the case is of sensitive nature. They also added that further details on the incident are likely to be revealed after the post-mortem and further investigation, according to The Express Tribune. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Gaza City (Gaza Strip), Jul 30 (AP) Several thousand people took to the streets across the Gaza Strip on Sunday to draw attention to chronic power outages and difficult living conditions, providing a rare public show of discontent with the territory's Hamas government. Hundreds joined marches in Gaza City, the southern town of Khan Younis and other locations, chanting what a shame and in one place burning Hamas flags, before police moved in and dispersed the gatherings. Also Read | Pakistan Suicide Blast: At Least 35 Killed, 200 Injured in Suicide Bombing Targeting JUIF Workers in Bajaur (Watch Video). Police destroyed mobile phones of people who were filming in Khan Younis, and witnesses said there were several arrests. The demonstrations were organized by a grassroots online movement called alvirus alsakher, or the mocking virus. It was not immediately known who is behind the movement. Also Read | Pakistan Blast: One Killed, 35 Injured in Explosion in Bajaur District in Khyber Pankhtuwa Province. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 from the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prompting Israel and Egypt to impose a crippling blockade on the territory. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas, an Islamic militant group that does not recognise Israel's right to exist, from building up its military capabilities. The closure has devastated Gaza's economy, sent unemployment skyrocketing and led to frequent power outages. During the current heat wave, people have been receiving four to six hours of power a day due to heavy demand. Where is the electricity and where is the gas? the crowds shouted in Khan Younis. What a shame. What a shame. The crowds also criticized Hamas for deducting a roughly USD 15 fee from monthly USD 100 stipends given to Gaza's poorest families by the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar. Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist, barring most demonstrations and quickly stamping out public displays of dissent. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Sydney, July 30: While most of us keep toiling till our golden years seeking a perfect retirement, an 11-year-old millionaire is throwing her 12th birthday party with a retirement plan. Pixie Curtis, the young Australian-born entrepreneur is the CEO of her toy company called Pixie's Fidgets. She founded the company with her mother Roxy Jacenko in 2021, and earned major profits. Top 10 Trailblazing Entrepreneurs and the Inspiring Stories Behind Their Success Journey. The young millionaire currently earns more than $133,000 every month, according to reports. Jacenko actually gave her daughter the idea to plan the 12th birthday-cum-retirement party, telling her the importance of education in life, reports The New York Post. Curtis is now stepping away from her business to focus on school. She shared a video on Instagram, showing her birthday party guests' goodie bags with skincare essentials and glow lip treatments worth over $50. The bags were sponsored by luxury Australian beauty brand MCoBeauty. Several followers replied to the video posted by Curtis. Oh wow! For my 12th I had a McDonalds party back in the day. How things have changed, one follower said. The kid millionaire started out selling bows and then launched her fidget spinner business during the pandemic. Indian Entrepreneur and His Family Overjoyed After They Bump Into Dubai Ruler in Lift, Calls Him 'Down To Earth Person' (See Pics). Curtis often shares her extravagant, expensive lifestyle on Instagram, where she has over 130,000 followers, the report mentioned. Some users even expressed concerns about Curtis expensive lifestyle. Go be a kid. Listen to yourself trying to be an adult, those nails, makeup, the car Seriously? one user commented. Curtis even owns a Mercedes Benz, though she cannot legally drive. The expensive car was gifted from her mother on her 10th birthday. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2023 04:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, July 30: A Delhi Police Inspector posted with the security wing was killed after being hit by a truck on Rohtak Road in West Delhi's Punjabi Bagh on Sunday, officials said. A senior police officer said that in the early hours on Sunday, an accident took place on Rohtak Road (near Madipur metro station, in which a car was hit by a truck from behind. The PCR was informed and a team was sent to the spot. Delhi Hit-and-Run Case: Delhi Police Inspector Killed After Truck Driver Hits His Car From Behind on Rohtak Road (See Pic). "The car had stopped due to some mechanical problem when it was hit by the truck from behind. The driver in the car, who was standing outside, was also hit. He suffered critical injuries and died," said the official. The deceased was identified as Inspector Jagbir Singh of Delhi Police, presently posted in the Security Unit. Delhi Road Accident: DTC Bus Driver Loses Control, Hits Five Vehicles in New Friends Colony; One Dead, Five Injured (See Pics). "The truck driver left the truck and fled from the spot. Legal action is being taken and efforts are being made to trace the driver," said the official. Further investigation into the matter is on. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2023 10:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Kolkata, July 30: A man on Sunday was allegedly beaten to death here by a group of people following a quarrel over the purchase of liquor from a shop, the police said, adding two persons have been arrested in this connection. The deceased has been identified as Sushanta Mondal. It has been learnt that an argument broke out between a staff of the liquor shop and Mondal when the latter came to the outlet at Dhakuria crossing in south Kolkata to purchase liquor. As the heated discussion aggravated, the shop employee came out of the shop and, with the help of some of his local associates, began beating up Mondal, who eventually fell unconscious on the ground. Gurugram Shocker: Elderly Man Beaten to Death by Three Men Under Influence of Alcohol in New Palam Vihar, Accused Absconding. Mondal was later taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. The local residents, enraged by the incident and Mondal's death, tried to ransack the liquor shop. A huge police contingent reached the spot to control the situation. Delhi Shocker: Man Beaten to Death at De-Addiction Centre in Sonia Vihar, Case Registered. People also staged protests by blocking the road, which resulted in traffic congestion in the area. The liquor shop staff and one of his associates have been arrested. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2023 09:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). The official said that one passenger was feeling unwell and a doctor onboard suggested that the passenger needed to be hospitalised. Since it was a medical emergency, the flight which was airborne for a little over one hour returned to Melbourne in the morning, the official said. The groups have been formed as part of efforts to bring more synergy to the poll efforts of NDA constituents. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold Cluster -1 meetings with groups of NDA MPs from West Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Brij region on Monday at 6 PM at Maharashtra Sadan. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Azerbaijan looks forward to further expansion of bilateral ties with Morocco, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan tweeted, Trend reports. On the National Day of Morocco, we cordially and wholeheartedly congratulate the people and the government of Morocco and convey to them our best and most sincere wishes! We look forward to further expand our bilateral ties, the ministry said. In the attack, her lip was ripped off and teeth were knocked out, 7NEWS Australia reported. She was rushed to hospital with severe facial injuries and is still in hospital. Filmmaker Oliver Stone expressed his regret over his decision to vote for US President Joe Biden. Stone expressed concerns that the current administration's actions might lead America into World War 3. Stone made these statements in a recent podcast interview by commentator Russell Brands talk show "Stay Free" on Rumble. In the same podcast discussion, Oliver Stone further elaborated on his viewpoint, stating that he perceives President Joe Biden as someone deeply entrenched in the Cold War era mentality. "He really hates the old Soviet Union, which he confounds again with the Russian Federation, which is not communist," Stone added. Joe Biden Makes Another Gaffe While Speaking on COVID-19 Deaths, Says 'Over 100 People' Died From Coronavirus (Watch Video). 'Biden May Start World War 3' NEW: Director Oliver Stone declares he 'made a mistake' when he voted for Biden, says he may start 'World War 3' - Fox News Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) July 30, 2023 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER Narcotics officers seize a mound of cocaine and say its worth $300,000 on the street. But whose street? A crack dealer is arrested carrying dozens of crack rocks worth $1,000, officials say. But what is a rock? An informal survey by the Associated Press of narcotics officers nationwide found that a kilo of cocaine ranges from $10,000 in Los Angeles to $35,000 in Iowa City, Iowa, to almost $70,000 in Shreveport, La. Advertisement The street price of powdered cocaine, meanwhile, ranges from $16 per gram in Los Angeles to $20 for poor quality powder in Yakima, Wash., to $35 in New York City to as much as $125 in Iowa City and Shreveport. A rock of crack cocaine, meanwhile, generally runs about $20 nationwide, but the size of the rock varies tremendously, even within one city. Drug Enforcement Administration officials often get wary when asked the street value of cocaine. Spokesman Frank Shults cites the extreme variations in major cities across the country, the widespread variation in purity level and the frequent, regular market fluctuations. The street value also doesnt reflect the wholesalers loss, a crucial factor when law enforcement is trying to cripple drug trafficking organizations. When officials do try to estimate the street value of drugs seized, they sometimes trip over themselves. Federal agents in Los Angeles seized about 20 tons of cocaine from a warehouse Sept. 29, the largest such seizure in history. Local DEA spokesman Ralph Lochridge issued the first very conservative estimate of street value--$2 billion. The DEA special agent heading the Los Angeles office, John M. Zienter, later placed the street value at $20 billion. Advertisement Meanwhile, Los Angeles police calculate the street value of cocaine at $170,250 per pound, making the haul worth $7 billion. But the people who bought that cocaine lost far less than even $2 billion. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Sgt. Tim Beard said the price per kilo runs about $10,000 to $15,000, depending on the quantity and buyer. Based on the $10,000 price, the 20 tons would have cost $181 million. The impact of Colombias crackdown on drug traffickers, launched in August, remains unclear. Cocaine prices have gone up in some areas while declining in others. Law enforcement officials say some of the increase may be due to entrepreneurs taking advantage of fears that supplies may dry up. Wholesale prices of kilos around the country are $14,000 to $15,000 in far South Texas near the Mexican border; $14,000 to $18,000 in New York; $16,000 to $18,000 in Dallas; $16,000 to $20,000 in Seattle and in the Northeast region including Boston; $18,000 to $20,000 in New Orleans; $18,000 to $24,000 in Colorado; and about $20,000 in Kansas City, Mo. Law enforcement officials say kilo and street prices are determined by several factors. Among them: * Proximity to foreign suppliers or direct connections to them. Miami had the lowest price per kilo--$9,000 to $10,000--before the crackdown, but that has shot up to $20,000, said Metro-Dade Police Detective George Reyes. Surprisingly, one of the lowest prices found in the survey--$11,000--was found in Montana, which is not considered a major cocaine center. Gary Carrell of Montanas Justice Department said the cocaine was almost 100% pure and the sellers apparently had good connections to suppliers in Medellin, Colombia. * Quantity purchased. If youre only buying one or two kilos, it could cost you $20,000 to $23,000, but five to 10 kilos would only cost $18,000 to $19,000 per kilo, said John Fernandes of the DEA in Miami. Likewise, an eight track, or eighth of an ounce of cocaine in Los Angeles costs $100 to $120, a per-gram price of $28 to $34 on the street, said Detective Dennis Zeuner, chief of the narcotics unit in the Hollywood Division. An ounce of powdered cocaine costs $450 to $500, reducing the per-gram price to $16 to $18. To buy by the gram, the price would be $60 to $100, said Beard of the county sheriffs office. * The customer. Sellers sometimes offer discounts to regular or potential customers. Mexican sellers are the only source of cocaine in central Washington state, and if the customer is another Mexican, the price per kilo ranges from $13,000 to $15,000, said Robert Dreisbach, the DEA agent in charge of the Yakima office. If the buyer is a non-Mexican, the price ranges from $17,000 to $19,000. A $20 rock of crack can mean anything from one-sixteenth of a gram in Tacoma, Wash., to one-tenth of a gram in Minneapolis, to one-fifth of a gram in San Diego, to one-fourth of a gram in Washington, D.C. In Los Angeles, one official said a $20 rock is one-tenth of a gram, another said its one-fifth of a gram. Smaller rocks in each place can sell for less, depending on the customers savvy. Some enterprising juveniles in Miami get together $10, buy one rock from a dealer, break that in two and sell each piece for $10 elsewhere and go back to the dealer to buy another, said James N. Hall of the Miami-based Up Front Drug Information Center. Powdered cocaine prices also vary widely. In Miami, a gram costs $55 to $60, up from $35 to $40 a year ago, Reyes said. The price in Yakima ranges from $40 to $60, although a gram of extremely low quality cocaine can be bought for as little as $20, said Capt. Don Biasio of the local narcotics unit. In New York City, police spokesman Sgt. Joseph McConville said the price of a gram is $35 to $55. In Iowa City and Shreveport, powdered cocaine can cost as much as $125 per gram. Other typical street prices for a gram of cocaine: $50 to $75 in San Diego; $60 to $80 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Seattle; $80 in Chicago and San Bernardino; $80 to $100 in Dallas, Philadelphia, Montana and Louisiana; $100 in Harlingen, Tex.; $100 to $120 in Minneapolis and $120 in Kansas City. The purity of the cocaine, 80% to 95% in most areas, also is dependent on location and market conditions. Low prices dont always reflect poor quality cocaine. From Associated Press Parliament on Tuesday repealed a major apartheid law used for decades to segregate South Africas public facilities ranging from restaurants to libraries to buses. The repeal of the Separate Amenities Act was the latest in a series of reforms by President Frederik W. de Klerk since he came to power last year. The changes have angered conservative whites, who oppose the idea of sharing power with the black majority. The Separate Amenities Act was passed in 1953 and gave governments and privately owned enterprises the right to reserve facilities such as parks, hotels, swimming pools, toilets and recreation centers for whites only. Advertisement Tony Leon, an anti-apartheid member of Parliament who voted to scrap the measure, said 37 years of segregated facilities have given the country a disfigured human landscape. Jan Hoon of the pro-apartheid Conservative Party opposed repeal of the measure, saying it is another step down the road to black rule. In major cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, public facilities have been integrated for years. But in hundreds of smaller towns and villages, there have been no public facilities for blacks or vastly inferior segregated ones. The Separate Amenities Act does not affect neighborhoods and schools, the main institutions still segregated under the governments apartheid laws. In Parliament in Cape Town, De Klerks ruling National Party and the anti-apartheid Democratic Party outvoted the Conservative Party to scrap the law, 105 to 38. The mixed-race and Indian chambers of Parliament voted unanimously for repeal. The countrys 28 million blacks have no voice in national affairs. De Klerk promised in February to scrap the Separate Amenities Act. He says he wants to end racial discrimination and negotiate a new constitution that will bring blacks into the national government. Advertisement However, he opposes a one-man, one-vote, majority-rule system, saying it would replace white domination with black domination. The president envisions a mechanism that would give whites veto power on major policy decisions. De Klerk has promised that next year the government will amend the Group Areas Act that segregates neighborhoods by race. He opposes full repeal of the measure and appears to favor a system that would allow some neighborhoods to be integrated and others to remain segregated. The government has given no indication that it plans to integrate public schools, although many private schools are multiracial. Since taking office in September, De Klerk has legalized dozens of black opposition groups, permitted peaceful protests, freed scores of political prisoners, suspended the death penalty and ended segregation on beaches and in hospitals. Meanwhile, police offered a $19,000 reward Tuesday for the arrest of a right-wing leader who released a videotape in which he declared war on the government and vowed to overthrow De Klerk. Piet Rudolph, deputy leader of the extreme right-wing Boer State Party, was sought by police in connection with a 20-minute videotape mailed to a radio station and a newspaper in Johannesburg. There is no time to plan a counterrevolution. It is now open war, Rudolph said in the videotape, in which he was surrounded by four masked men armed with machine guns. We will use every means at our disposal to fight the De Klerk government, the overthrow of which is the highest priority to us. NEXT STEP President Frederik W. de Klerk, committed to the dismantling of apartheid, has promised to amend next year the Group Areas Act that segregates neighborhoods by race. He appears to favor a system that would allow some neighborhoods to be integrated and others to remain segregated. Talks between the government and anti-apartheid leaders will deal with this question as well as segregated schools, laws reserving most land for whites, official classification of people by race and the lack of a voice for blacks in national affairs. When the NAACPs conference ended here last week, civil rights leaders left behind a portrait of black men in crisis. Too many young black men, said the civil rights group, are underemployed, alternately feared and reviled, and living at risk. Now come the men of Sigma Pi Phi, a once-secret black fraternity that celebrates the professional and material success of black men. Known as the Boule (pronounced boo-lay ), the group is here this week for its biennial meeting and its own look at An Agenda for the Black Male in the 90s. It was an invitation-only, tuxedoed gathering of some of the most prominent and powerful black men in America, who say they are struggling to define their responsibility to other black men, the ones the NAACP calls endangered. Advertisement ( Boule is a Greek word, designating a council of community leaders who advised kings. The reference, members of the 3,000-man, worldwide fraternity, is highly intentional.) The roster of members here this week reads like a Whos Who among blacks: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis W. Sullivan, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ron Brown, Mayor Tom Bradley, NAACP Executive Director Benjamin Hooks. Like Yales Skull and Bones secret society to which George Bush belongs, the Boule has been criticized by some as a social anachronism, and has challenged members to change its image. Incoming president Dr. Benjamin Major, a retired San Francisco physician, said he is aware of charges that the group is more interested in socializing and congratulating itself on its enviable exclusivity than it is in making a substantial contribution to the rest of black America. Until eight or 10 years ago, we were just what we were perceived to be, said Major, who wants to make the groups social action committee more aggressive. We dont want to appear as if we were remaining above the problems of most black people. We know we didnt get here solely by the dint of our own hard work, he added. We owe a lot of people, and we have to give back to our brothers and sisters. Advertisement The ballroom of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel where the Boule opened its meeting last weekend may be only a freeway away from South-Central Los Angeles, but it was light-years away in mood. As 1,300 members and wives skirted the buffet tables to clasp hands and embrace, a black-tie band played jazz favorites from the 1940s and 50s. The men looked prosperous and seemed accustomed to the deference accorded them. Many of their well-coiffed wives wore designer clothes, French perfume and expensive-looking jewelry. Cocktail conversation was of children in medical school, summer homes at the beach, Mexican vacations, luxury cruises. This is not the stuff of recent NAACP statistics on the endangered black male: One of four black men in their 20s is in jail, in prison, on probation or parole. Black men in poor, inner-city neighborhoods are less likely to live to the age of 65 than men in Bangladesh. Black males are the only U.S. demographic group that can expect to live shorter lives in 1990 than they did in 1980. The fact that the world of black men in crisis rarely collides with this world of black-tie networking concerns some older Boule members, as well as many of the young achievers now being invited in. But social activism is a relative newcomer to the fraternitys social agenda, said Major, who teaches in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. And it has been emphasized recently, in part, to convince younger members that the organization could offer them more than social connections. Today, say the Boules leaders, it can offer an opportunity for social commitment. Formed in 1904 by a group of Philadelphia doctors and dentists, the fraternity was organized so that the tiny number of black men with graduate degrees could network with each other and help younger men. It was important back then, said Major, because the only avenues of professional discourse (in society as a whole) were closed by segregation. Its important now, say the groups leaders, to continue the networking, as well as to offer role models and mentors for a new generation of professional black men. As a young man living in Berkeley, Major recalled that he would catch occasional glimpses of older men in the community as they quietly left to attend their ritual monthly meetings. I saw these black professional men, doctors, judges, lawyers, put on their tuxedos every fourth Saturday and disappear, Major said. I wanted to know what was going on. He found out when he became one of the very few invited to join the group. He learned the secret handshakes and other Greek esoterica as he discovered that most of the black leaders in his community were already members. It was an honor to simply be in the company of such men, Major said. Todays membership includes Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder, Chief Judge A. Leon Higgenbotham of the U. S. Federal Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, publishers Earl Graves (Black Enterprise) and John H. Johnson (Ebony). The list of deceased members reads like a page of modern American history: sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois, U. N. Ambassador Ralph Bunche, Urban League President Whitney Young, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legendary mentor, Dr. Benjamin Mays. Many past and present Boule members were first-and-onlys, according to Sigma Pi Phi historian Matthew Carter, himself the first black mayor of predominantly white Montclair, N.J. Chemist Samuel P. Massie was the first black professor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Ernest Wilkins, who received a Ph.D. at age 15, was the only black scientist attached to the Manhattan Project. Several of the fraternitys Los Angeles members are second-generation Boule brothers: Ivan Houston, chairman of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Co., one of the countrys largest black-owned insurance companies (and co-chairman of the conference) followed in the footsteps of his father, Norman. Elbert Hudson was another legacy member: his father, H. Claude Hudson, a dentist and banker with a law degree, was president of the Los Angeles NAACP chapter. The Boules modern membership includes a handful of white members, some of them Jewish men active in the civil rights movement. There are no women in the fraternitys 96 chapters and, members say, no plans to open membership to them. Sigma Pi Phi members pay about $300 per year in dues, plus the costs of entertaining their brothers at monthly meetings. Qualifications for membership include professional accomplishment and service to the community. A potential member is voted on by the local chapter. The average age of members hovers around 60. The reason, according to Los Angeles Boule president, neurosurgeon Dr. Samuel Biggers, is that in the past, membership was seen as the pinnacle of ones professional and social career. We were getting old, dying on the vine, you could say, Major said. So we decided to recruit some younger men, and they wanted social activism as part of the Boule. The group also decided to become less secretive as it refocused on reaching out to other black mens worlds, including the ghetto. While the group has pledged to give back to the black community, the Boules way of giving back, is by being mentors and role models--not by throwing money at a problem, Major said. The fraternity does give money away, however, in its nationwide scholarship programs for high-achieving young black men. Members also are actively involved in voter education projects for blacks of all ages and backgrounds. Still, the focus remains on mentorship. When segregation was legal in the United States, Major said, the black elite and the black poor often lived close to each other. Children from impoverished families were well aware that black doctors, lawyers, teachers and ministers existed. They often knew them on a familiar basis, and several were brought along by a successful adult who took an interest in them. But today, many successful blacks live outside the black community. Their affluent neighbors are often white. The black middle class has been accused by some conservative black sociologists of deserting its less-fortunate brethren, leaving no role models for poor black youth. Major hopes Boule members will take an active role in changing that. One-on-one contact is important, he said. It makes all the difference. Thats something Fred Terrell is happy to hear. A Los Angeles native and Yale-educated investment banker, Terrell says he had his own mentor, Elbert Hudson, chairman of Broadway Federal Savings & Loan. At 36, Terrell is by far the youngest member of the New York City Boule. As the corporate finance executive for First Boston, Terrell believes that fellowship with other black men is a necessary counterweight to his largely alabaster professional life. But he has another agenda, which is to gently, but firmly, persuade his Boule colleagues to take more responsibility for the non-affluent sector of their community. I think it does very little for the whole of the African-American community for a group like this to meet every two years and be self-congratulatory, said Terrell, unless we think about how to improve the conditions for all of those who arent here. HHS secretary Sullivan, speaking Monday on The Crisis of the Black Male, called upon members to step in to help resolve the crisis facing the endangered black males of the nation. One way of sharing the benefits of your successful life, Sullivan told his Boule brothers, is to help another young man become a success. . . . The ability to help our young men lies primarily with us . THE WASHINGTON POST Three former federal attorneys, including one who served as a top-ranking Justice Department official, were indicted Monday in Miami along with 56 others as part of a broad racketeering case against the Colombia-based Cali cartel, a group charged with running a $2-billion cocaine distribution enterprise since 1983. The indictment incorporates evidence gathered over a decade about the cartels activities in the United States, where it allegedly controls about 80% of the cocaine supply and is believed to have smuggled in at least 210,000 tons of the drug. The indictment describes the cartel as a multinational corporate-style enterprise that has effectively used U.S. lawyers to protect its financial interests and help disrupt investigations here and in Colombia. Among the attorneys indicted in the case is Michael Abbell, who once headed the Justice Departments Office of International Affairs. Abbell, who left the department in 1984, participated in federal efforts to investigate one of the Cali cartels co-founders, Jose Santacruz Londono. Donald Ferguson, who had been an assistant U.S. attorney in Miami, also was charged. Former assistant U.S. attorney Joel Rosenthal has pleaded guilty in the case to charges of money laundering. Advertisement Abbell and the other lawyers face charges of money laundering, drug conspiracy and racketeering. The indictment also charges them with obstructing justice, preparing false affidavits and conveying warnings to arrested cartel members that they should not cooperate with the government. The case against the lawyers is unusual because it calls into question the generally protected nature of attorney-client communications. But the indictment charges that the work of attorneys retained by the cartel went far beyond legal boundaries, with the defense lawyers aiding the cartel in the commission of illegal acts. South Florida lawyers Francisco Laguna and Robert Moore already have pleaded guilty to charges in the case after an investigation in which the Justice Department seized law firm files and tracked cartel payments to lawyers. Laguna was a partner of Abbell in the Ristau & Abbell Miami office. South Florida defense attorney William Moran also was charged. Miami attorney Albert Krieger, who represents Moran, said that joining allegations against the cartel with charges against the lawyers is prejudicial. The indictment is extraordinarily detailed, he said. The result of that, whereas the lawyers are excluded from the allegations concerning their participation in drug smuggling and drug distribution, they are thrown into a case with those who are accused of such activities. The result is that the spillover effect is guaranteed to hinder the jurys consideration of the separate acts of the lawyers. Santacruz and the other alleged cartel co-founder, Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, also were charged Monday in the broad racketeering case unsealed in Miami. But the alleged Cali kingpins, who are believed to be living in Colombia, already have been indicted on drug charges numerous times in this country. Authorities here have been unable to bring them to trial because of Colombias policy prohibiting the extradition of its citizens to the United States. The racketeering case builds on earlier cases brought by the DEA against the Cali leaders. ASSOCIATED PRESS Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid met their maker in a dusty Bolivian town on Nov. 6, 1908. Historians say they are dead. What refuses to die is the legend that they survived that shootout and lived on. Now comes a batch of new research that tends to lay the legend in its grave. But dont bank on it. A husband-and-wife team of researchers, Daniel Buck and Anne Meadows, after 10 years of digging, have exhumed long-lost Argentine police files that appear to locate the two desperadoes just where conventional wisdom says they should have been in the late 1900s, Bolivia. Advertisement Their findings are in the January issue of True West, but Buck is the first to concede that they do not constitute proof positive. Theres never a final word, Buck said from his home in Washington, D.C. You can only build circumstantial cases here. No one identified them when they were buried, and there are no photographs [of the bodies]. But, then, no one has proven they came back, either. Then you build a positive circumstantial case that they were the two guys who died in Bolivia. Butch Cassidy was christened Robert Leroy Parker by his Mormon pioneer parents. The Sundance Kids real name was Harry Longabaugh. The two and their gang, known as the Wild Bunch, held up banks and robbed trains in the Rocky Mountains in the 1890s. With the law on their heels, they fled to Argentina in 1901, along with Sundances girlfriend, Etta Place. The three homesteaded a ranch in the Cholila Valley. By 1905, though, they were back to robbing banks. Most historians believe that Butch and Sundance died in a shootout in San Vincente, a town in Bolivia, across Argentinas northern border, where a patrol discovered them holed up in a rented hut. Advertisement * A gunfight ensued, ending when darkness fell. Later that night, townspeople reported hearing screams and two shots. In the morning, they found both outlaws dead, both shot in the head. The writers Buck and Meadows believe that rather than be captured, Cassidy shot Sundance, then himself. Since 1985 they had chased a rumor that police files would nail down the pairs identity. In September they finally received a nine-pound, 1,500-page package of photocopied reports on outlaw bands that terrorized southern Argentina in the early 1900s. A letter and three notes in the package of material were in Cassidys handwriting. They also found a Spanish translation of a letter from Sundance, and two other letters referring to the outlaws. Cassidy, under his alias of J.P. Ryan, wrote on Feb. 29, 1904, to Dan Gibbon, a Welsh immigrant friend living in the Andean foothills of Chubut: I have been laid up with a bad case of the Town Disease and I dont know just when I will be able to ride, but as soon as I am able I will be down. Look out for my horse. The letter was posted in Cholila. (And Cassidy probably had gonorrhea.) The papers included a receipt for Ryans purchase, for 150 pesos, of a chestnut stallion. Ryan added a postscript transferring ownership of the horse to Gibbon. Another document details expenses by Ryan and H. Place, an alias used by Sundance, for routine ranching expenses. The police record also held a June 28, 1905, letter from Sundance, translated into Spanish, and also addressed to Gibbon. It was posted in Valparaiso, Chile: I dont want to see Cholila ever again, but I will think of you and of all our friends often. . . . . The letter also mentions leaving with his wife, presumably Etta Place, for San Francisco. A June 30, 1905, visit by Sundance and Etta Place to his brother, Elwood, who lived in San Francisco, is recounted in Donna Ernsts book, Sundance, My Uncle. Jim Dullenty, founder of the Western Outlaw Lawman History Assn., says the papers are not conclusive, but this is additional evidence that Butch and Sundance died in Bolivia. I strongly believe it hasnt been proven one way or the other, he said from Hamilton, Mont. This is still an unsolved mystery . . . [but] I would say the evidence is beginning to weigh more on the side of them dying in South America. Still, tales of one or both of the outlaws escaping back to the United States are unlikely to fade. * William T. Phillips, a Spokane, Wash., man who died in 1937, wrote an article titled The Bandit Invincible, in which he claimed that Cassidy survived the shootout, had plastic surgery in Paris, married and eventually moved to Spokane about 1910. Buck says recent research has shown Phillips to have been most likely an impostor born in Michigan who picked up on the outlaws legend when he moved West. Harold Schindler, who has written extensively on the Old West for the Salt Lake Tribune, remains unconvinced by Buck and Meadows discovery. Schindler favors a 1991 account by a retired Utah Highway Patrol trooper, Merrill Johnson, who has since died. Johnson said his father-in-law, John Kitchen, introduced him in 1941 to an old friend of the family, Bob Parker--Butch Cassidy. The worldwide Salvation Army, after a century of rarely serving Communion in worship services, has signaled that members now have the freedom to practice openly and more often the rite that nearly all of Christianity observes. The uniformed officers and members are encouraged to use the love feast--a Salvation Army euphemism for Communion--and develop creative means of hallowing meals in homes and at local corps, or congregations, said a cautiously worded report endorsed recently at a meeting of Salvation Army leaders in Australia. The long-awaited report does open things up, said Robert L. Docter of Northridge, a retired educator who is editor of the organizations newspaper for the U.S. Western Territory based in Rancho Palos Verdes. Advertisement Nothing in the statement prohibits individuals from participating in the sacraments, Docter said, referring also to water baptism--another sacrament almost never observed by Salvationists. The Salvation Army is widely known for its uniforms, brass bands, Christmas kettles, clothing collections and social service to the poor. But relatively few know of its Sunday services and organization as a 3-million-member evangelical denomination, including 450,000 members in this country. Fewer still are aware that the Salvation Army, for most of its history, avoided Communion, also called the Eucharist or Lords Supper, and baptisms on the grounds that those outward symbols of Christian faith were unnecessary and might substitute for a fully lived life of faith and love. Its hard to imagine them going back to Communion because it was such a defining stance for the Salvationists, said Diane Winston of Princeton Universitys Center for the Study of American Religion and author of a forthcoming book on the Salvation Army as a modern urban religion. This is the kind of dilemma in which the Army finds itself today--wanting to retain its traditions but also wanting to be flexible and respond to the contemporary world, Winston said. Salvation Army officials said that conversion of new members in some parts of the world has been hampered because people have not understood the denominations substitute ceremonies for baptism and Communion; some felt the lack of those rites meant the church body was not Christian. Advertisement Founded in 1865 in London by Gen. William Booth, the Salvation Army regularly took Communion at first. Historians say that some followers were offended by women evangelists in the Salvation Army serving the grape juice and bread of Communion--especially in an era when women generally were not clergy. But Catherine Booth, the influential wife of the founder, admired the piety and practices of Quakers, who did not perform baptisms or Communion rites. In keeping with the Salvation Armys theology of sanctification--the Holy Spirit active in the lives of holy people--she saw all of life as sacramental. Although not prohibiting the sacraments, William Booth declared in 1883 that the rites would not be endorsed as official worship of the Army. Coincidentally, some Quaker churches have recently relented on the issue. Most Quaker congregations still do not baptize or serve Communion, but the Friends Church Southwest, an association of 45 churches, changed that position in 1994 to give greater latitude. Some churches have been more aggressive than others in making changes, and some probably never will, said Don Worden, director of development for Friends Church Southwest. When William Booth announced 115 years ago that the two sacraments would be essentially dropped from Salvation Army worship, he also said that the decision might be reviewed at a later time when we have more enlightenment. Some say that time is now. Scottish-born Maj. Chick Yuill, co-pastor of the large Pasadena Tabernacle Corps, said in an interview that he does not speak for everyone, but that he suspects the Army is definitely moving toward more frequent Communion services. I think the time has come, said Yuill, whose corps Sunday service averages about 300 worshipers. Some 15 to 20 years ago, he said, even suggesting a change would not have been possible, and serving Communion came to be a sign of dissension in the past. But when Salvation Army officers participate in ecumenical or evangelical services at other churches, they have often taken Communion. Indeed, the recently endorsed Army report reaffirmed that Salvationists may partake if they choose to do so and if the host church allows. Yuill noted that Salvation Army corps members typically have Communion on the Thursday preceding Easter, when many churches commemorate Jesus last supper with his disciples. We call it the love feast, but it looks the same and tastes the same as Communion, Yuill said. The emphasis is on sharing and the priesthood of all believers--concepts on which we stand firmly. The baptism issue is less important because it is not a recurring event, he said. Yuill said he wished that the 15-member International Spiritual Life Commission, which issued the report after two years of study, could have given a little stronger encouragement for exploration of Communion. Part of the caution stems from the religious organizations care not to suggest that salvation comes from certain ceremonial acts rather than by grace and an ongoing relationship with Christ, said Docter, a former Cal State Northridge professor who edits New Frontier, the organizations Western territorial newspaper. The newspaper printed the full report. Nevertheless, Paul A. Rader, the first American ever elected general of the London-based Salvation Army, strongly praised the findings of the commission he created. They call every Salvationist to explore with vigor and anticipation the God-given freedom the Army has in Christ. . . . said Rader, who was the western territory commander when he was elected to the top post four years ago. One of the commissions three lay members, Warren Johnson, an administrator in the Armys Orange County headquarters in Tustin, said the commission chose not to reintroduce sacraments on a regular basis but allowed some leeway for the rites. The word we received was that the issues were real critical for survival in some areas of the world, Johnson said. Im a third-generation Salvationist and Ive enjoyed Communion when weve held it, he said. Johnson said the infrequency of the ceremony in Army services has made it awkward for worshipers. A few years ago at the Tustin Ranch Corps Church, Johnson said, our officer-pastor spent five or six minutes explaining the meaning of the rite. For what seemed like a long time, no one responded to the invitation to take Communion, he said. But the first one to go up was my 85-year-old mother, who had not taken Communion since she was 14, he said. That was a very important moment for us. Times Staff Writer EVERY serious music buff has a secret love. The unmanageable kind, as expressed in Doris Days hit of that name: a passion that lives in the heart of you and grows impatient to be free but awaits those moments when the whole unfurling wont be too darn embarrassing. Maybe youre a metalhead who listens to Diana Krall in your bedroom late at night, or the only person in your group whos still really into the Black Crowes. Or the object of your affection could be completely acceptable, with only the intensity of feeling getting out of hand. Either way, this kind of devotion to an artist, a musical work or a style is unjustifiable, emotional and fundamentally private. Its not the same as a guilty pleasure; that term has been neutered by the prevailing idea that taste is just a matter of perspective and hierarchies are for old men who cant get over Bob Dylan. Guilty pleasures today dont involve much guilt; either theyre camp, or they argue for certain ideas -- that the 1970s were underappreciated, for example, or that teen idols can make serious musical statements. Secret loves, on the other hand, argue for nothing. They just persist, and in their resilience, reveal the undefended, perhaps indefensible corners of the heart. Advertisement My secret love is Sinead OConnor. Its an open secret; when asked about my favorite artists, I might mention her, but I wont elaborate or offer a rationale. If one of her efforts pops up on my year-end best-of list, I like to think others would find it exceptional too. But the truth is that I love everything OConnor does, even her missteps. In the 1980s, OConnor stood for defiant post-punk femininity, her shaved head and glorious wail signaling a new way to feel freedom. But after her one major international hit, her 1990 version of the Prince-penned Nothing Compares 2 U, OConnor became a difficult case. She ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a 1992 Saturday Night Live appearance, making herself an outcast among mainstream entertainers without making clear the reason for her heresy. (She was protesting the churchs then-surfacing sexual child-abuse scandals.) From there the controversies multiplied, and it became awkward to be her fan. She bore four children by four fathers. She was ordained as a priest within a Catholic splinter group but refused to share details of her vocation. Interviews became an occasion for her to say something outrageous -- that she was a lesbian or that she would retire. Now shes releasing Theology, her second album since she announced she would record only inspirational music -- the first was a collection of Rastafarian-influenced reggae songs. This double-disc set is likely to gain her few new listeners. Its lyrics come straight from the Old Testament, thick with images of vineyards and voices raised to a vengeful God. The music, half Irish traditional and half gentle rock, contains few hooks or concessions to fashion. Most songs appear twice, as if OConnor cant stand the thought of her Word not being fully absorbed. None of its accessible, unless youve got your King James Version on the bed stand. Its not the soft-pedaled, feel-good stuff that fills most mega-churches, either; though OConnor has expressed hope that religious people will find her music, shes not conceding to contemporary Christian trends either. Theology is exactly the kind of release I treasure from OConnor, though Id never try to push it on a skeptic. That would entail contextualization, and theres nothing in this music that expresses the desire for that. This is pretty much how Ive felt about OConnors music for 15 years. The beauty I hear in it has nothing to do with whats hip, or great, or even relevant in the big pop world. What I hear is a mind resolute on understanding things Id like to understand too. Advertisement Worry-free music OCONNOR doesnt worry about whether contemplating subjects like spiritual yearning or political oppression in clear and uncompromising language makes her seem like a blowhard. She just makes the music she makes, from her own questions. As a critic -- someone who spends way too much time second-guessing artists motivations -- I love that OConnors are so forthright, unguarded and singular. I like that she doesnt seem to want someone like me to make excuses for her. I vividly remember the first time I heard OConnor singing. It was 1987. I was in bed, waking up alone in the ramshackle Victorian flat I shared with several like-minded weirdos in San Francisco. The morning show on KUSF, my neighborhood college radio station, buzzed from the clock radio nearby. Out of nowhere came this voice. Over gradually building strings and drums, OConnor muttered, her words hot and sorrowful -- overdramatic, yet exacting, in the way that only belongs to youth. Her words described jealousy, a lost lover, an unquenchable need. Id kill a dragon for you, Ill die! she screamed. This was romantic unreasonableness personified -- something I understood deeply, being 23. The song was Troy, from OConnors 1987 debut The Lion and the Cobra. It seemed custom-made for me, a lapsed Catholic, creative-writing major stumbling from one bad romance to another. Its title was a slap at the beautiful paternalism of William Butler Yeats poem No Second Troy. The dragon-killing line reclaimed the chivalric tradition of St. George, handing that spear to a woman. The sound combined punks fury with pop melodiousness. I rushed out that day and got the album; that night I discovered all the other ways OConnor spoke my truth. Or so I would have said then. At 23, I thought absolute truth was a viable concept. Since then, Ive come to believe that ambiguity and change are all you can really count on. But OConnors music has remained a touchstone. It comes down to this: For OConnor, everything is personal. Its not just that her songs often make startlingly specific reference to her own life but that her ego is swollen enough, or her vision empathetic enough, to take on huge subjects and own them. This Is a Rebel Song, from her 1997 Gospel Oak EP, is a beautiful example; set to a mournful Irish melody, it transforms the long history of Englands occupation of Ireland into a plea from a likely pregnant woman that her soldier lover recognize her. Your rage is like a fist in my womb, sings OConnor, the famous mother. This is politics so deeply internalized that it bleeds. Music tells OConnors story, connecting it to the Big Stories that preoccupy her. The leaps she makes can seem unbelievably presumptuous when enacted by a pop star -- how dare she compare herself to Joan of Arc, as she has in the past, or Job, as she does on Theology? But thats what we all do, in our unchecked dreams. I admire OConnor for not disguising the process through which shes learned to feel, and to believe in whatever she believes. The audience is listening OCONNOR made her first L.A. appearance in a decade last week at the Silent Movie Theatre, appearing for two nights with only two bandmates -- Caroline Dale on cello and Bill Shanley on guitar -- and playing the Theology set almost in its entirety. She presented the songs without fuss, articulating ancient narratives in a plain-spoken, contemporary voice. She sang about her Lord saving her from any Babylon crap. The small crowd, wrapped up in the majestic grace of her singing, cheered every prayer and admonition. OConnor responded with dimply grins and a few one-liners, joking gently about the mess in the Middle East before If You Had a Vineyard, her lamentation on the subject. Shed raised the right mood in her accompanists on one song by telling them to respond as if their dogs had died. Funny, but the song itself -- Rivers of Babylon, the Melodians classic rocksteady rewrite of Psalm 137 -- was as bereft as OConnor demanded. Again, she took the old story into herself; in the popular versions by the Melodians and Boney M, the songs mourners are a group, a we, but OConnor changed that plural pronoun to I, making the sorrow of exile so lonesome you couldnt help but cry. OConnor performed beautifully throughout her short set, exuding grace even when she fumbled her guitar runs, but even if shed been less genial, I doubt the audience would have been anything but rapt. I could feel it; this was a crowd of secret lovers. For the night we were together, sharing our fervor without raising any signs or even (except for one irrepressible woman) yelling requests. Such displays would have violated something: our pact with OConnor to remain steadfast, perhaps; our pact with each other to keep the privacy of our fanship intact. What do our secret loves prove? Not the tastes we share and debate; not our place in the world. Instead, this intensity connects to the aspects of ourselves we dont totally choose. They point toward the sweet-or-salty preferences that brain chemistry determines, and the web of affinities that begin in childhood and unfold over a lifetime. Secret loves explain why many of us turned to art in the first place, as a refuge, a defining factor, a motivational force. Theyre worth revealing. -- ann.powers@latimes.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. The Azerbaijani diaspora organizations have released a statement concerning the Lachin-Shusha-Khankendi road situation, Trend reports. "We are extremely surprised and disappointed by the July 28, 2023 statement made by Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric regarding the issue of supplies for the Armenian residents in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. This statement goes against the purposes and principles outlined in the Council's Charter, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," the statement reads. According to the Azerbaijani diaspora organizations, the claims that Armenians living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan are allegedly facing a "blockade" and a "humanitarian crisis" are unfounded and merely a part of Armenia's efforts to mislead the international public opinion. As an example, after the Second Karabakh War in 2020, which lasted for 44 days and ended with Azerbaijan's historic victory, Azerbaijan, despite facing a 30-year occupation and enduring hardships for the Azerbaijani people, proposed fundamental principles and a peace treaty to normalize relations between the two countries. These principles were based on the mutual recognition and respect for each other's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and borders. Despite the prolonged lack of response from the Armenian side to these peace initiatives and their use of various pretexts to stall the process, the Azerbaijani side has remained determined and continued to make sincere efforts towards achieving a peace treaty, delimitation of borders, and the opening of communications. The Azerbaijani authorities have taken consistent steps to engage in dialogue with the local Armenian residents of the Karabakh region. Notably, the construction of the new Lachin road was completed efficiently, and the road was promptly put into operation. In contrast, the Armenian side proposed an unreasonable approach of "ensuring the rights and security of Karabakh Armenians through Baku-Khankendi negotiations within the framework of an international mechanism," which effectively hindered direct communication between Azerbaijan and the local Armenian residents while subtly maintaining territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Furthermore, in violation of the trilateral agreement reached on November 10, 2020, Armenia failed to withdraw its armed forces from Azerbaijani territory and neglected to provide official maps of minefields to Baku. As a consequence, since November 2020, 303 Azerbaijanis, including two journalists, have tragically fallen victim to landmine explosions. Azerbaijan has established the Lachin border crossing checkpoint within its sovereign territory with the objective of exercising border control and preventing illegal activities by Armenia. Despite ensuring the safe passage of Armenian residents, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the Russian peacekeeping forces through this checkpoint, the Armenian side has been spreading false information about a "dire humanitarian situation" in the region. These statements are used as a pretext to continue their illegal activities within Azerbaijan's territory. Additionally, Armenia has engaged in various provocations, including firing at Azerbaijani border guards on June 15, attempting smuggling activities, and sending unauthorized trucks to Azerbaijan's territory on July 26. Azerbaijan has made several proposals, including using the Aghdam-Khankendi road and other alternative routes, to address the needs of Armenian residents in the region. These proposals received support from the European Union and the ICRC. However, the Armenian side rejected these offers by installing concrete barriers on the alternative roads and obstructing access to the territory. This once again demonstrates that Armenia's claims regarding the humanitarian situation in the region are merely a form of political blackmail and manipulation. According to Azerbaijani diaspora organizations, Armenia's objectives include drawing third parties into the region, escalating tensions geographically, and disrupting the ongoing peace process. The responsibility for all recent provocations is attributed to Armenia and its leadership, as they persist in maintaining an illegal military presence in Azerbaijani territories, fostering separatism, and obstructing efforts for reintegration. The organizations demand that certain countries, which have turned a blind eye to the suffering of approximately one million Azerbaijanis forcibly expelled from Armenia and the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in the late 1980s and early 1990s, acknowledge the genocide that occurred in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly on February 26, 1992. They also urge these countries to acknowledge the fact that Armenia has kept Azerbaijani territories under occupation for 30 years and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic under blockade for 32 years. Furthermore, they call attention to the ongoing presence of Armenian armed forces in Azerbaijani territory for the past three years and Armenia's obstruction of efforts to open communications. The statement further emphasizes the importance of respecting Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging these countries to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan and to put an end to the policy of double standards. During an idyllic Musikfest evening in 2013, Kassie Hilgert was sitting on a bench with her partner at Liederplatz, her favorite of the platzes, when Jeff Parks suddenly appeared, as if out of the shadows the former recalled. Ive got nothing else, he said then from the platz at the courtyard of the Sun Inn (Parks favorite as well). If this doesnt do it for you its a perfect night, everyone is out, its great music this is it, so youve got to make up your mind. The decision in question was one that Hilgert will say now she thought about for way too long, and one that wouldnt be announced until the following summer, but if there was ever a night to make the call, it was that one warm summer air, a crowded downtown, a smorgasbord of smells in the air a perfect crystallization of the now-40-year-old festival. The following year would be Parks last as president and CEO of ArtsQuest, the arts nonprofit organization he founded and built that has played a massive role in revitalizing Bethlehem, making nights like that one in 2013 possible. The nonprofits board of trustees conducted a nationwide search for a new head honcho, but, as Parks knew, their best candidate had been right under their noses since 2008, when Hilgert, the then-senior vice president of marketing and engagement, joined ArtsQuest. Since Parks retired at the end of 2014, shes taken over as the only other person to hold the title of ArtsQuest president. In the years since the change, Musikfest has continued to develop and grow, with some tweaks and experiments coming here and there, but in the general sense, the change in ArtsQuests hierarchy hasnt dramatically changed the festival and what it means to Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley as a whole. For 40 years through new venues, mug designs, flash floods, a pandemic and thousands upon thousands of ears of corn Musikfest has remained a festival that, for a little under two weeks in August, becomes the epicenter of the Lehigh Valley, while continuing morph in ways that better reflect the region it calls home. From the first 182,000 fest-goers in 1984 to the most recent 1.24 million in 2022, Musikfest has routinely succeeded to a constantly increasing degree in bringing together the surrounding community. That was Parks goal when he started the festival, and its still the goal for Hilgert, ArtsQuests staff and the hundreds of volunteers that make the festival happen year in and year out. Starting on Thursday, the 40th edition of Musikfest will be no different. Plenty of Musikfest faithful spend time on Bethlehems Southside under the towering visage of the Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces without a second thought during these 11 August days, whether its at one of the Wind Creek Steel Stage headlining shows or Americaplatzs nightly offerings. That wasnt even an afterthought for Parks back in 1984. This was all about how do we take this post-industrial community and allow it to thrive in an environment that wasnt even post-industrial at the time, he said. It was just desperate. So did we envision the festival as it is today? No. But Parks had to start somewhere, and music was the answer. Even then, he said, it was part of the communitys heritage, so this festival was to be a festival of music literally all music. We just presented everything that had to do with music, he said, It wasnt a blues festival, it wasnt a jazz festival, it wasnt a folk festival. It was going to just give people exposure to all different kinds of music. You can look up and down the lineup for Musikfest past and present, and that hasnt changed theres hip-hop, electric, punk and country artists scattered across platzes on any given day of the festival. But while also getting more eclectic as the years have gone on, the festivals offerings have also consciously gotten more diverse. The addition of Plaza Tropical to the grounds free stages in 2000 added a much-needed home for Latin American music at a festival that takes place in a region with a significant Hispanic population Allentowns population is 54% Hispanic according to census data, while Bethlehems total is a hair under 30%. The organization has a responsibility to make sure the festivals offerings reflect that, Hilgert said. Its a community festival, so it has to be for all of the community. We said we will accept people from all communities with all abilities, Parks said, whos a Lehigh Valley native and product of both the Bethlehem Area School District and Lehigh University. You have a home here. When you inject different groups into this environment, he said, its a place where everybody can learn about people with whom they felt they had great differences. While the festival has a solid track record of inclusiveness, Hilgert knows that Musikfest, and ArtsQuest as a whole, still has room to grow in the diversity department. It is the continuous journey of a mission that will never be met, she said. There is always somebody that we are not reaching, there is always a community that we are not engaging. And so that is the excitement of each year looking at the calendar to say what are we going to continue, but what else can we do to invite the community in? Even though Plaza Tropical has been around for over two decades of the festival, there have been just a handful of headliners on any iteration of the festivals main stage, including 2022s Olga Tanon headlining show and El Gran Combos this year. The recent shows have been a renewed conscious effort from ArtsQuest, Hilgert said, and Musikfest is outfitting its headlining stage with acts that more accurately represent the demographics of the Lehigh Valley. Its been in our DNA, she said, but were paying more attention to it. As important as the music is to the festival, it might not even be the most crucial part of attending for Lehigh Valleyans. You cannot underestimate how much people love to walk in the street with a beer in their hands, Hilgert said. It is simultaneously true and extremely funny that Musikfests long-standing tradition of a massive prevalence of beer and beer mugs have played such a big role, maybe the biggest, in the growth of the festival, but it is more abstractly representative of what Musikfest means to its annual crowd that now regularly tops 1 million people. Musikfest, more than perhaps anything else, is about hanging out. Whether youre catching up with friends, visiting with family, welcoming in out-of-towners or sharing a laugh with strangers, the music can often become merely background noise for the beer-in-hand lazy summer evenings spent with other people. Hilgert herself was an early adopter of the social aspect of the festival. As a 13-year-old from Allentown eager to check out the very first Musikfest, she and her friends finagled their way to the festival and were blown away by what they found. It was like, alright, you tell your parents youre staying there, and then you tell your parents youre staying over here, and were going to find a way to get to Bethlehem, she said. Because we just had to see this thing. I remember no music. All I remember is frantically running around like little gangs of teenagers wandering all over Bethlehem. It was like a foreign land. It was so cool. The festival became a regular part of Hilgerts summer, through her years at Salisbury High School in the late 80s to 2008, when it became a part of her career. So it makes sense, then, why the community flocked to it. Its simultaneously a final summer hurrah for kids before school is back in session and where parents can take advantage of a chance to cut loose a little bit. People plan vacations around it. As growing popularity meant more traffic, Bethlehem residents began hosting cheaper parking in their driveways. People have met spouses at Musikfest (including ArtsQuest board and staff members), and platzes have even hosted weddings in between bands. Thats the community owning (the festival), Hilgert said. Theres nothing more important than when the community owns this. It became a place people wanted to be, and by extension, so did Bethlehem. When Parks talks about the festival, hes quick to note Musikfest and ArtsQuest, and their success, is, to him, the second-most exciting facet of all of this. The most exciting, though, is what has happened around the festival. This is a place people want to live, Parks said. His hope and goal, from the beginning, was to let the community reach its potential. Parks, a developer in the city himself, can run through the projects, some ArtsQuest and some not, that began to sprout up across the north and then Southside of Bethlehem, maybe not solely because of Musikfest, but the line from point A to point B is easy to draw. Christkindlmarkt came first, in 1993, to restore the Christmas City brand that had wavered. The Banana Factory, which was built in 1998, was a major ArtsQuest investment in Southside Bethlehem. Starting in the late 1990s, Hotel Bethlehem underwent a significant restoration under new ownership that led to a reputation as one of the top historic hotels in the country. The casino, first as Sands and now as Wind Creek, opened in 2009 just outside the heart of the Southside, where the ArtsQuest Center joined it two years later in the shadow of Bethlehem Steels blast furnaces. Those are just some of the major developments. There have been hundreds more small-scale changes, from an influx of small businesses and a calendar full of events to organizations like the Downtown Bethlehem Association and the Southside Arts District to shepherd social and commercial activity. I get such a kick walking down Third Street now with all these apartments going up and parking garages and car spots all over, Parks said. I walk on Main Street almost every day, just to see how things are going. Theyre going pretty well. For as much progress as has been made in 40 years, theres always more to be made. Parks oversaw 31 of these first 40, and this festival will be Hilgerts ninth in charge (only 22 more until theyre even). Still, while they were and are the figureheads, its a team effort that helps the festival continue to change and grow and constantly become a better version of itself. And the team is pretty darn big. In this role, Hilgert said, when you hire the right people, then you can step back and let them do what they do. There are also hundreds of Musikfest volunteers, plenty of which also volunteer with ArtsQuest year-round, serving on committees and participating in other programming. Theyre all part of the constant, fluid development process for the festival. Parks jokes that when he was president, he would walk around feeling like he had a complaint department sign on his back, because there were plenty of critics of the festival, some more logical than others. Those whose complaints were along the lines of there are too many people on Main Street werent exactly helpful, but there were plenty of points made that helped tweak and fine-tune the festival. I see (those criticisms) as an opportunity, Hilgert said. If theyre speaking up and saying good job or bad job, theyre engaged. Thats a person to bring closer and pick their brain, and they may have the next great idea. 99% of these ideas were not mine, Parks said. If there was any one idea that was Parks, it was starting the whole thing in the first place, so there is some credit due. Through both his and Hilgerts leadership, the festival has cemented itself as the premiere event of the Lehigh Valleys calendar. Thats perhaps not something anyone expected back in 1984, but that just implies, for Parks, that therell be even more unexpected joys over the next 40 years: theres a whole ethos around the festival that you can keep discovering forever. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com. A trainee pilot who was caught driving an Audi A7 at 181 kmh in Laois has been offered the chance to pay 2,500 to avoid a driving ban. Beytullah Bozkurt, 24, of 4 Castlegrange Court, Castaheany, Dublin 15 was detected driving at 181 kph on the M7 at Ballydavis on May 22 last. Garda Sergeant Michael Tarpey said the defendant had no previous convictions and road conditions were good at the time. Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick asked Judge Andrew Cody to accept the lesser charge of careless driving which doesnt attract an automatic disqualification. She said her client had been travelling from Limerick to Dublin on the day. He had adhered to the speed limit but at Ballydavis he overtook a line of lorries and sped up because another vehicle was directly behind him urging him on as he overtook, she said. Ms Fitzpatrick said her client was a Turkish national who has lived in Ireland for a number of years and was training to be a pilot in the Czech Republic. He was driving an Audi A7, a 2011 Audi A7, she said when asked by Judge Cody. She said her client worked part time in a restaurant and had brought 1,500 to court. Judge Cody said he had another case of a speeding motorist who forgot he wasnt on the Autobahn in Germany. This man seems to think he was in the air at the speed he was going, he said. He noted there had been a sad funeral in Portlaoise during the week and said if the man was willing to pay 2,500 to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust he would reduce the charge from dangerous driving to careless driving. Pilot training doesnt come cheap, neither do Audi A7s for that matter, Judge Cody added. He adjourned the case until October 26 and said the charge would be reduced if a receipt for the donation was produced in court. Steam rises from the cooling towers at the Bugey nuclear power plant in Saint-Vulbas, central France, on July 20, 2023. OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP For France, which needs to modernize its nuclear power stations, the reform of the European electricity market currently being examined in Brussels is a major challenge. France has convinced the Commission to take its demands into account the text on the table bears witness to this but is facing fierce opposition from many of its partners, with Germany foremost among them. As for its traditional pro-nuclear allies Eastern European countries and Finland , they are now cautiously supportive. It did try to rally its camp before the summer break, but "the blocking minority around France remains fragile," explained a European source. Following the spike in energy prices in the summer of 2022, in the wake of the war in Ukraine, the Commission presented a draft law on March 14 to curb the volatility of electricity prices, provided they are decarbonized. The bill would allow member states to subsidize the production of energy on their territory, whether from renewable or nuclear sources, and whether from existing or future installations, without contravening state aid legislation. It would also enable them to implement a windfall tax on electricity producers when prices soar. Today, households and businesses pay the price per kilowatt-hour at which it is produced in the latest power plant, often gas-fired, commissioned to meet demand. The Commission is proposing an alternative model that would enable them to benefit from the prices of energy produced on their own soil. Through long-term contracts between the producer of decarbonized electricity and the state, the latter would guarantee a fixed price to the former. Under this mechanism, the producer would pay the state the income earned if the market price exceeds the guaranteed price, and would receive compensation in the opposite case. No progress at all For Berlin and its allies in Luxembourg and Austria, it is out of the question for Paris to use disguised subsidies to finance its "grand carenage," the renovation program to extend the life of its nuclear power plants. "Berlin is panicked that its industry is losing competitiveness. It wants to keep electricity prices high so that France doesn't benefit from nuclear power," said a pro-nuclear European diplomat. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes France and Germany square off in Brussels over nuclear power On the other hand, Germany, with its growing number of renewable energy projects, is in favor of the Commission's proposed mechanism for subsidizing the construction of future power generation facilities. For France's allies, who don't have a large nuclear fleet and above all want to be able to financially support the construction of new power plants, this is the main thing. "Paris runs the risk of being isolated in its fight," explained a European source. You have 60.72% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Ukrainians attend a Christmas mass at an Orthodox Church in Bobrytsia, on the outskirts of Kyiv, on December 25, 2022. FELIPE DANA / AP Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, July 28, signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to December 25. The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to "abandon the Russian heritage," including that of "imposing the celebration of Christmas" on January 7, and cited Ukrainians' "relentless, successful struggle for their identity" and "the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their traditions, holidays," fueled by Russia's 17-month-old aggression against the country. The law also moves the Day of Ukrainian Statehood to July 15 from July 28, and the Day of Defenders of Ukraine to October 1 from October 14. The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, or January 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups. The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their calendars for the purpose of calculating Christmas and Easter. Ukraine's religious landscape has fractured for years. There are two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, one aligned with the Russian church, even as it enjoys broad autonomy, the other completely independent of it. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the branch that is separate from the Russian church, announced earlier this year that it was switching to the Revised Julian calendar, which marks Christmas on December 25. Its leadership last year allowed believers to celebrate the holiday on Dec. 25. Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday that the rival Orthodox Church, which is aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, vowed to continue observing Christmas on January 7. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes NATO summit delivers a mix of promises and ambiguities for Ukraine Florida governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis on the campaign trail in Ankeny, Iowa, June 15, 2023. SCOTT OLSON / AFP It was a simple excerpt from a Fox News interview, from one moment among many, that spoke to the paradoxical reality of a particular campaign, that of Ron DeSantis. On July 6, the Florida governor was being interviewed on the conservative channel that had shown him favor until that point. "I like you a lot," the presenter began. Then he asked the Republican primary candidate about his difficulty in connecting with voters. DeSantis' answer? The proof is in the money. In six weeks, his campaign team raised $20 million. The super PAC (political action committee) backing him, called Never Back Down, is at $130 million (115 million). "Nobody has been able to match that in presidential politics," enthused the candidate, before explaining that he was in the process of building his network of campaign organizers in all the key states. If doubt were a country, DeSantis wouldn't know where to find it on the map. Among his entourage, however, questions are emerging. "It's an uphill battle," said Steve Cortes, one of his spokespeople. This campaign was supposed to be a demonstration of professionalism and resources, a political blitz aimed at toppling Donald Trump's dominance of the Republican Party. DeSantis' entrance on the scene at the end of May in the less than solemn form of a Twitter conversation with Elon Musk full of technical difficulties was presented by his supporters as the first step in his conquest. A few weeks later, it's clear that the Florida governor has no momentum whatsoever. According to the website FiveThirtyEight, which aggregates national polls, Trump's lead has widened. The former president who called his rival a "son of a bitch" and "highly overrated" on July 8 has more than doubled his polling numbers in the Republican primaries, surpassing the 50% mark. DeSantis, meanwhile, has dropped below 20%, to the point where the Murdoch group which owns Fox News, the New York Post tabloid and the Wall Street Journal appears to be distancing itself from the candidate, according to the American press. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes DeSantis makes confused Twitter entrance into 2024 US presidential campaign The unusual political context calls for caution. The primaries will begin in Iowa on January 15, 2024. Surrounded by judicial threats, Trump may be dominating the polls, but he is raising deep doubts about his ability to win the presidency, beyond the circle of his loyal followers. Already twice indicted, and awaiting a likely third indictment in early August in Georgia, then a possible fourth in the federal investigation into the January 6 attack on the Capitol, the former president talks of nothing but himself and the persecution of which he considers himself the victim. But the other candidates aren't taking advantage of this, instead, they're sinking into quicksand. This phenomenon is even more striking with DeSantis because of the interest he generated after the November 2022 midterm elections and his triumphant reelection in Florida. At the time, he was neck-and-neck with Trump in the polls, particularly in key states such as New Hampshire. You have 66.36% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. SOME residents in Dooradoyle have called for a Dutch style roundabout to be included in a new Active Travel scheme for the Limerick city suburb. A Dutch style roundabout has parallel crossings, both cycle and pedestrian zebra crossings on each arm which enables pedestrians and cyclists to have priority over motorists. This follows feedback from a public consultation on the proposed scheme which was held and where six submissions were received. The new project, proposed by Limerick City and County Council, will be known as St Pauls to Ballykeefe Active Travel Scheme. It will be funded entirely by the National Transport Authority and the objective is to connect St Pauls Roundabout to Ballykeefe Roundabout with a new pedestrian and cycle facility. It is intended to form an important part of Limericks Active Travel Network, connecting Fr Russell Road and Mungret to St Nessans Road and Dooradoyle. Potential design options are currently being considered for pedestrian and cycle infrastructure on each of the three elements of the scheme. One of these includes linking both roundabouts with one-way cycle tracks. Commenting on the submissions, Limerick Green Party TD Brian Leddin noted: Three were in favour of the scheme and two have raised concerns as they are property owners that would be affected and then the sixth submission made would be a technical one as some suggestions were made. Deputy Leddin added: With any scheme there are going to be challenges especially in situations where there is limited street space. It looks like there are constraints at St Paul's Roundabout and I hope and expect that the Active Travel team will work with those who will be impacted and understand their concerns and try to address them. Based on the submissions, other key issues raised were cyclist priority, bus priority, if it would be a safe environment for children and adults to walk and cycle in the area and if traffic would be impacted if the roundabout is signalised. The council says it has noted the current information and feedback and that a preferred option will be selected and presented for further non-statutory public consultation. More information on the proposed scheme, submissions made and design options can be found through Limerick City and County Councils website. A YOUNG Limerick man was scammed out of nearly 800 after buying an iPhone from a seller online. The 18 year-old arranged to buy an iPhone 14 from a private online seller. They arranged a price of almost 800 euro and a place to meet in Limerick city to exchange the phone for cash. They met in the car park on Thursday, July 19 at 7:30pm and exchanged the phone for the cash. The buyer went home and turned on the phone to discover that it was not an iPhone 14. He immediately tried to contact the seller but could not and he has no other contact details for him, the seller had arrived on foot so there isnt a car registration. Sergeant Ber Leetch, Crime Prevention Officer Henry Street garda station said: "Buyer beware is very old advice but it is as applicable today as ever. "If you must buy something under these circumstances do not hand over any cash until you are satisfied that you are about to get what you pay for and never go alone, bring somebody with you." IF PASSERS-BY looked through the window of Ian Brennans studio, they might be surprised. Layer after layer, the Caherconlish native explores stories that are told by bodies, with a painterly approach. If he had to describe his art, Ian would say its honest, shocking and relational. Words he would also use to describe himself. I wouldn't put it on my Tinder profile though, Ian laughs. Half a twin, the artist often tells people that he was in a relationship before he arrived into the world. Through his work, Ian explores all sort of relationships - with his own self, his family and friends, lovers, but also the one he shares with his sitters. As he invites his sitters to take part in a soul-baring experience, he often engages in the art of eye contact - also called a witnessing exercise. We look into each other's eyes. It could be from five minutes to up to 40 minutes. Theres no right or wrong way to do it. And I guide the sitter through a body scan, a meditation where I invite them into their bodies and I do the same with myself, it brings us into a deep place of meditation, Ian explains. Sometimes, the eye contact can lead to tears. I often have shed tears myself, and often my sitters have shed tears. It really is a deep process. When there's no words behind it, we come out of our head and into our heart and were faced with what's present, he says. Perhaps it is because of his training as a psychotherapist that he manages to bring so much depth into his art. Often, he paints nudes, but not with the type of approach that some might expect. I tell people that Im not going to paint their beauty, but that Im going to paint an aspect of them and show the beauty of that, he says. It doesn't matter what age the person is, from people in their mid-20s right up to their mid-70s. For Ian, the body holds stories and experiences. He is keen to stress he doesnt just paint the human body, but the human feelings covered in flesh. Before getting interrupted by a passing train, he says: The more flesh, the more feelings sometimes. I think everybody should be celebrated, that everybodys body should be celebrated. Every aspect of who we are. It doesn't matter if some people have more skin and more flesh or less flesh than others. Its the only vessel that we have in our lives, our bodies. It's always a privilege for me when a person give me access wholeheartedly to both their exterior and interior. After having spent almost two decades in the corporate world, Ian decided to follow his lifelong dream of becoming an artist. Over the last three years, he has been painting full-time - something he never saw himself doing. From a young age, he was interested in art - but didnt have access to materials. In secondary school, we had a very robust system where your name was picked out of the hat to get into the art class, and my name wasn't picked out, so I didn't get to do art, he recalls. Art is not something he ever thought he would get into. I'm self-taught and I don't have a degree. So I always would've lacked confidence or felt less than those who had a degree or were qualified. But my experience has been that you don't need to have a degree to become an artist, he says. Ian Brennan is the only Irish artist who has been selected for the London Art Biennale for the second time in-a-row. In 2021, he won an award at the Biennale, which took him to the Cianciano Biennale in Tuscany, Italy. In rural Cork, Ian lives simply. In his home, there are no clocks. The painter doesnt watch television or listen to the news - a decision he consciously made a couple of years ago - something thats appreciated when he finds himself in celebrity circles because of his work, as he gets to meet people for who they are - without preconceived expectations. As he is getting ready to attend his friends book launch in London, he says hell always feel the need to come back home. I come home every two or three months, it grounds me, it makes me remember where I'm from, who I am. But it also reminds me of how far I've come from since I lived there, Ian says. KFin Technologies Limited reported its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, with positive growth in various key metrics. The company's revenue from operations reached 1,815.0 million, showing a YoY increase of 7.6%. The EBITDA stood at 704.3 million, marking a 12.8% YoY growth, and the EBITDA margin for Q1FY24 improved to 38.8% from 37.0% in Q1FY23. The PAT also showed a substantial YoY growth of 15.9% to reach 433.8 million, with a PAT margin of 23.9% in Q1FY24 compared to 22.2% in Q1FY23. The diluted EPS rose by 13.3% YoY, amounting to 2.51. As of June 30, 2023, the company had cash and cash equivalents of 3,197.6 million. Non-domestic mutual fund revenue accounted for 29% of the overall revenue in Q1FY24. In terms of business highlights, KFin Technologies experienced overall AAUM growth of 14.5% YoY, outperforming the industry's growth rate of 14.2%, and attained a market share of 31.3%. The equity AAUM also increased by 15.5% YoY, with a market share of 34.4%. Notably, the company successfully added 158 new corporate clients under issuer solutions and managed 4 out of 7 mainboard IPOs during the quarter, resulting in a market share of 46.5% in NSE 500 companies. During Q1FY24, KFin Technologies accomplished significant milestones, such as being appointed as the RTA for Jio Financial Services Limited and securing RTA mandates from new clients in Malaysia and Singapore. The company also won 28 new funds from an existing client in the Philippines for RTA services and onboarded 5 new clients in Gift City, India. Additionally, KFin Technologies secured its maiden fund administration contract in Thailand in July 2023. The company's alternate funds reached a count of 416, capturing a market share of 36.4%. The NPS subscriber base showed strong growth, reaching approximately 1.00 million, with a YoY increase of 24.1%, surpassing the industry's YoY growth of 12.9%. Commenting on the companys performance, Sreekanth Nadella, Managing Director and CEO, KFin Technologies Limited said, We continue to execute our business plans with strong and definitive focus on building a diversified global fund administrator. Our growth continues to be a secular one with strong performance across business lines aiding a better first quarter, weighed against our estimations, in terms of sales, revenue, and margin delivery. With an excellent sales performance in the first quarter and a strong pipeline, we are confident of yielding better performance from all the business lines especially from the younger and faster growing segments as we move into the subsequent quarters. Our recent wins in Canada, Singapore and Thailand are testimony to our technology platform finesse and strong business development efforts to position KFin tech as a global fund administrator from India." KFin tech is a technology-led platform-based company and we are committed to use frugal and agile engineering to build innovative solutions for global asset managers by running an efficient and optimized operation." He added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Armenia's allegations against Azerbaijan regarding the detention of Vagif Khachatryan are unfounded, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan in response to the statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry. To evade its obligations, Armenia is once again attempting to deceive and politically manipulate the international community regarding the arrest of Vagif Khachatryan by the State Border Service of Azerbaijan at the Lachin border checkpoint while trying to cross into Armenia in an ICRC vehicle on July 29. As stated in the information of the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Vagif Khachatryan committed a massacre against the Azerbaijani population in the Meshali village of the Khojaly region within a group of Armenian armed formations on December 22, 1991. 25 Azerbaijanis were killed, 14 were wounded and 358 were displaced in the mass killings. Khachatryan was charged under the articles 103 (genocide) and 107 (deportation or forced exile of population) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan within the aforementioned criminal case, with pre-trial detention being ordered by the court as a preventative measure. He was arrested within this criminal case on the border checkpoint on July 29 while traveling to Armenia. Vagif Khachatryan was placed in a medical facility in Baku and necessary medical treatment was ensured taking into account the purpose of travel of Vagif Khachatryan to get medical assistance. Steps taken by Azerbaijan were within both international law and Azerbaijans legislation, the MFA said. As confirmed by the ICRC, since December last year, travel of almost 700 persons of Armenian origin via the ICRC to Armenia and back to Azerbaijan was facilitated with no unlawful acts being committed against them. Thus, the claim of the Armenian Foreign Ministry on imminent threat to persons crossing the border checkpoint is completely false and only serves to induce panic among the Armenian residents. Regarding the claim by Armenia of the alleged breach of the international humanitarian law by Azerbaijan during the arrest of Vagif Khachatryan we would like to note that no restrictions on legal actions against the war criminals exist in the international humanitarian law. Furthermore, it is completely inappropriate for Armenia to refer to the international humanitarian law considering the genocide and the massacres committed by it in 30 years against the civilian populations of Khojaly, Malibeyli, Gushchular, Aghdaban, Ballighaya, Bashlibel, as well as other settlements and cities. According to the ministry, Armenia must support the actions to bring to justice the persons who committed crimes against humanity including genocide, as well as massacres against the Azerbaijani civilian population during the 30 years long occupation period instead of attempting to shield them and cover up their acts. The smear campaign carried out by Armenia against the measures of Azerbaijan in this area are nothing more than a justification and support for war crimes. "Azerbaijan clearly declared time and again during 30 years that it has started the criminal cases against the persons who committed war crimes in its territory with international warrants being issued against these persons, and Azerbaijan will continue to act within the criminal proceedings and the internal legislation to bring these persons to justice according to the international practice," the MFA said. Company Law Committee, a government-appointed panel, is likely to discuss whether there is a need for a stricter regulatory regime for startups against the backdrop of instances of corporate governance concerns at some of the entities, PTI reported Sunday citing a senior government official. The move comes as part of the governments efforts to boost the growth of startups in the country amid delay by the Bengaluru-based edtech major BYJU'S in submitting its financial statements and corporate governance concerns. The official said the corporate affairs ministry has not made its view on whether there is a need for a more rigorous regulatory framework for start-ups. There should not be too much regulatory compliance burden on such entities, the official added. The Company Law Committee (CLC)set up by the corporate affairs ministry back in September 2019is likely to look into various aspects of the regulatory regime for startups, the official said. The Committee, headed by the corporate affairs secretary, has government officials, representatives from the industry and experts, among others as members. It broadly looks at the effective implementation of the Companies Act, 2013 and the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008 as well as facilitating and promoting greater ease of doing business. Under the companies law, a startup is defined as a private company incorporated under it and recognised as a startup in accordance with the notification issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. Startups have been provided various relaxations, including certain exemptions from procedural compliance requirements. Among others, startups are allowed to accept deposits from members without any restriction on the amount for a period of five years from the date of its incorporation. The official said there needs to be a balancing when it comes to regulations for them. Ease of doing business as well as a compliance-oriented regulatory regime should be ensured, he added. Recently, the corporate affairs ministry ordered an inspection of the books of edtech major BYJU'S. The inspection of the books of Bengaluru-based Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, which operates under the brand BYJU'S, will be carried out by the ministry. Indians who have previously worked outside the country or expatriates qualifying as resident and ordinarily resident (ROR) taxpayer in India are required to report foreign retirement funds that they hold and the income from such funds in India in Schedule FA of the income-tax return. When NRIs return to India, their taxation starts from the year their status changes to ROR and not from the immediate year of their return. The taxability of income accruing from these foreign retirement funds depends on the nature of the funds and the benefits available under applicable Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs). Pension income from a foreign countrys social security authorities is taxable as other sources of income, whereas pension from employer-funded plans outside India is taxable as salary income. Both are taxable at applicable slab rates. In case of double taxation, an individual may claim benefits under DTAA between India and the other country. The benefits can be in the form of (a) exemption from Indian tax or (b) foreign tax credit for taxes paid in the other country, depending on the individuals residential status under the DTAA. For example, any benefit received from the US Social Security Authorities is taxable only in the US and exempt from Indian income tax as per the DTAA between India and the US. However, any interest, dividends, or capital gains from individual retirement account and 401K plans will be taxable in India, and the individual may claim a foreign tax credit for taxes paid in the US. If exemption is claimed under the DTAA as a tax resident of the other country, Form 10F is required to be filed electronically along with a copy of the tax residency certificate issued by the tax authorities of that country, in this case, the US IRS. If foreign tax credit is claimed, Form 67 must be filed along with proof of taxes paid outside India on or before the end of the assessment year. In some countries, such as the US, the accretions in the retirement funds may not be taxable until withdrawal. This creates a mismatch in claiming foreign tax credit because tax liability arises in India when the income accrues, whereas the other country taxes it upon withdrawal or redemption of the retirement funds. This mismatch can potentially result in double taxation of the income in both countries. To address this mismatch, a beneficial provision was introduced under the Act (Section 89A and Rule 21AAA) effective from fiscal 2021-22. This provision allows the deferral of Indian taxation on accrued income from eligible retirement funds to the year of withdrawal and enables claiming foreign tax credit in India in that year, subject to specified conditions. This option must be exercised using Form 10EE, which needs to be filed electronically before the due date for filing tax return. Form 10EE is a one-time compliance and once furnished for a particular year applies to that year and all subsequent years, unless the individual becomes a non-resident of India. This rule applies to specified accounts, which means an account maintained in a notified country by a specified person for their retirement benefits. The income from such accounts is not taxable on an accrual basis but is taxed by that country upon withdrawal or redemption. Currently, only three countries are notified for this provision: Canada, the UK, and the USA. The term accrual in the aforementioned provision, on the basis judicial precedents, implies the taxpayer has an ascertained entitlement and an enforceable right in favour of the taxpayer, and with a corresponding obligation on the other party to pay the taxpayer. Relief under Section 89A becomes relevant when the test of accrual of the income is met in case an individual is a resident in India, but taxation in a foreign country occurs only in a subsequent year when the funds are withdrawn. The accrued income for which relief is claimed under Section 89A, and the accrued income for which relief is not claimed, must be reported separately in the tax return. Sonu Iyer is partner and national leader People Advisory Services, EY India. Siddharth Deb, senior tax professional with EY, contributed to this article. Niger's military leaders has warned against any armed intervention in the country as West African leaders are set to gather in Nigeria's capital for an emergency summit to decide on further actions to pressure the army to restore constitutional order. The European Union (EU) has decided to cut off financial support to Niger following the military coup there and in a similar reaction. On 27 July, Niger soldiers publicly announced a coup on national TV, declaring the dissolution of the constitution, suspension of institutions, and closure of borders. President Mohamed Bazoum is being held by the presidential guard since the coup's inception. Later General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the chief of Niger's presidential guard, declared himself the head of a transitional government on Friday this week straight after his soldiers detained President Mohamed Bazoum on Wednesday. The military coup in Niger has been widely condemned by its neighbours and international partners who have refused to recognise the new leaders and have demanded that Bazoum be restored to power See Top Updates here -Josep Borrell, the head of the EU's foreign policy, said in a statement on Saturday that In addition to the immediate cessation of budget support, all cooperation actions in the domain of security are suspended indefinitely with immediate effect." - The EU has set out 503 million euros ($554 million) from its budget, according to its website, to enhance Niger's governance, education, and sustainable growth between 2021 and 2024, Al Jazeera reported. -Speaking of West Africa, Heads of state of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union could suspend Niger from its institutions, cut off the country from the regional central bank and financial market, and close borders, a report by Reuters has claimed. -Niger's eastern neighbour Chad, a non-member of both regional organisations, has been invited to the ECOWAS summit, a statement from the Chadian president's office said on Saturday. -The European Union and France have cut off financial support to Niger and the United States has threatened to do the same. -UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted, "I condemn in the strongest terms any effort to seize power by force and to undermine democratic governance, peace & stability in Niger. The @UN stands by the Government and the people of Niger." -According to the World Bank, Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, receiving close to $2 billion a year in official development assistance. -Moreover, it is also a security partner of former colonial power France and the United States, which both use it as a base to fight an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa's wider Sahel region. The US and former colonial power France view Niger as a crucial partner in addressing security issues in the region. Niger borders seven African nations, including Libya, Chad, and Nigeria. -Ahead of the Sunday summit, the military leaders in Niger warned in a statement read on Niger national television on Saturday night against any military intervention. "The objective of the (ECOWAS) meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are non-members of ECOWAS, and certain western countries," junta spokesman Colonel Amadou Abdramane said. "We want to once more remind ECOWAS or any other adventurer, of our firm determination to defend our homeland," he said. -The junta issued a second statement on Saturday night inviting citizens in the capital take to the streets from 7 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) to protest against ECOWAS and show support for the new military leaders. (With inputs from Reuters) The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) set in motion the sale of an $18.5 billion loan portfolio from Signature Bank this week, a set of loans linked to major private equity and investing firms, according to the regulator's website. The portfolio comprises 201 performing capital-call loans tied to Starwood Capital Group, Carlyle Group, Blackstone , Thoma Bravo and Brookfield Asset Management, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing a person familiar with the matter. Also read: FDIC asks banks to submit final bids for First Republic by Sunday: report The FDIC hired Newmark Group in March to sell about $60 billion of Signature Bank's loans, after state regulators decided to close down the failed lender amid a turmoil in regional banks earlier this year. Also read: FDIC plans to offer $60 billion of Signature Bank loans in the coming months The FDIC declined to comment beyond the notice on its website. The sale was launched on July 25 and is limited to FDIC-insured depository institutions, the Bloomberg report said. The notice reads that the loans for sale "consist of subscription credit facilities to private equity funds." This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. The Manipur government Saturday started the process of collecting biometric details all illegal Myanmar immigrants in the northeastern border state following the Union ministry of home affairs directive, a senior official said. On instructions of the ministry of home affairs, Government of India, to complete the campaign for biometric capture of illegal Myanmar immigrants in the state of Manipur by September 2023, the government of Manipur has resumed its campaign for biometric capture of all illegal immigrants in the state from today (July 29)," joint secretary (home) Peter Salam, who is the states nodal officer, said in a press release. The campaign will continue in all districts until biometric data of all illegal Myanmar immigrants in the state are successfully captured," it said. The same is targeted for completion by September 2023." More than 30,000 Myanmar nationals have taken shelter in Mizoram since February 2021 after the Myanmar military junta staged a coup in the neighbouring country, news agency PTI reported. A pilot project of recording biometric data of Myanmar nationals was launched in all the 11 districts last week, the PTI report said quoting David H. Lalthangliana, state home department officer on special duty. Lalthangliana said the exercise was being conducted in relief camps. In April, the union home ministry had asked Mizoram and Manipur to collect biometric details of illegal immigrants. In June, the ministry reminded both the states to complete the exercise by September 30. Lalthangliana said the exercise could not be undertaken immediately as the original format needed to be altered to collect data from Myanmar nationals. Earlier, the Zoramthanga government in Mizoram had conducted profiling of the Myanmar nationals on its own and issued identity cards to them. Chief Minister Zoramthanga had also objected to the instruction of the Centre to deport Myanmar nationals from the state as the illegal migrants belong to the same ethnic group and he had to provide shelter on humanitarian grounds Majority of the Myanmar nationals live in relief camps, while some stay in rented houses and others have been accommodated by their relatives. The Mizoram government, NGOs, churches and villagers provide food to the Myanmar nationals, who also support themselves on daily labour. New Delhi: With the government tapping tech for healthcare, the countrys top teaching hospital, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, is making itself future ready in Amrit Kaal" with artificial intelligence, drones and robotics. AIIMS director M. Srinivas has directed officials to develop strategies on research and application of AI, drones and robotics in healthcare. The objective is to ensure timely delivery of medical supplies, which is often a casualty of factors such as traffic jams. Artificial Intelligence (AI), drones and robotics are poised to revolutionize healthcare delivery in the near future. To make AIIMS New Delhi future ready in the Amrit Kaal, it has been decided to have a special focus on research, adoption and application of AI, drones and robotics," said Srinivas in an official communication. The Indian Council of Medical Research and AIIMS-Rishikesh have already conducted successful trials for drone delivery. The government describes Amrit Kaal, as an era of hope, empoweredness and inclusive economy." AIIMS Delhi sees a footfall of over 25,000 patients a day, making it the busiest healthcare facility in the country. States like Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand & Himachal Pradesh have already started piloting drones for delivery of emergency medical supplies consisting of vaccines, anti-snake venom, life-saving drugs, and carrying the diagnostic lab samples in the return flight as reverse logistics in a Hub & Spoke model of service delivery. Besides, AI powered diagnostic tools aim to help doctors accurately diagnose patients and recommend the appropriate treatments, medicines, Investigations & advice. AI models can analyze a patients medical images and detect subtle abnormalities that may indicate the presence of a disease, whether taken through an X-ray machine or a smartphone camera. The Bollywood film Bawaal has been facing criticism since the time its teaser was out. The film has been citicized for its portrayal of the Holocaust. On social media too, users trolled the Nitesh Tiwari directed film for its tone-deaf treatment of World War II and unwanted comparisons of marriage with the horrors of Auschwitz. Earlier, The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, criticised the film for "outlandish abuse of the Nazi Holocaust as a plot device" and urged Amazon Prime to remove the film from its platform. Facing a fresh criticism, Ambassador of Israel to India Naor Gilon has criticised the film in his long tweet which read, "The Israeli embassy is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie 'Bawaal'". Also Read: Varun Dhawan's Bawaal gets trolled on Twitter for references to Auschwitz, comparisons with Hitler Furthermore, Gilon added that he has and will not watch the film but urged everyone even those who are not fully aware of the horrors of the Holocaust" to get knowledge about it. In a long post, he wrote, The Israeli embassy is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie 'Bawaal'. There was a poor choice in the utilization of some terminology in the movie, and though we assume no malice was intended, we urge everyone who may not be fully aware of the horrors of the Holocaust to educate themselves about it." Our embassy is constantly working to propagate educational materials on this crucial subject, and we are open to engaging in conversations with all individuals to foster a better understanding of the universal lessons derived from the Holocaust," the post from Ambassador of Israel to India read. 'Bawaal, a romantic drama, is set against the backdrop of World War 2. In the movie, Varun is seen playing a history teacher who takes Janhvi Kapoor's character on a trip to Europe to visit World War 2 sites. It was shot in Paris, Berlin, Poland, Amsterdam, Krakow, Warsaw, Lucknow, and two other cities in India. The film was released on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video on July 21. In history, the Holocaust refers to the genocide of Jews in Nazi Germany. Last year, Gilon had launched a scathing attack on his fellow countryman and filmmaker Nadav Lapid for calling 'The Kashmir Files' propaganda" and "vulgar" at the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI). 'The Kashmir Files' was screened at IFFI on November 22 as a part of the Indian Panorama Section. IFFI Jury Head Nadav Lapid, at the closing ceremony of the film festival had called the film 'Kashmir Files' "propaganda, vulgar". (With inputs from agencies) West Bengal's former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has been hospitalised on Saturday after he complained of respiratory issues. On Sunday, Woodlands hospital, the private medical facility treating the ex-CM shared an update and said that Bhattacharya remains critical, but stable. The medicos said that Bhattacharya's condition improved slightly on Sunday. Bhattacharya has been put on invasive ventilation and is being administered antibiotics, and other supportive management. The oxygen saturation of the 79-year-old Bhattacharya, who was rushed to the private hospital from his Palm Avenue residence via a green corridor on Saturday afternoon, improved slightly, but he continued to be on invasive ventilation, a senior doctor said. Relevant conservative medical management is being continued. His overall clinical status remains critical but stable. He was admitted to Woodlands Hospital on July 29 with lower respiratory tract infection and Type II respiratory failure" the press release mentioned. "His health condition remained critical but stable as oxygen saturation in his blood improved. His blood pressure has also improved. He is responding to the treatment but still is not out of danger. Our doctors closely monitored him the entire night and there was no major deterioration," the doctor told news agency PTI. "Blood pressure has improved and he is responding to treatment. We are hopeful that he will come out of this crisis," Bhattacharya's cousin Malavika Chatterjee said. Bhattacharya was diagnosed with lower respiratory tract infection and Type 2 respiratory failure. Besides, being on invasive ventilation doctors have given him antibiotics, and other supportive management. Bhattacharya, who was the chief minister from 2000 to 2011, has been suffering from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and other old age-related ailments for quite some time. Bhattacharya has been away from public life for the past few years due to his health. He had stepped down from the CPI(M)'s politburo and the central committee in 2015 and gave up membership in the state secretariat in 2018. A 24-year-old Indian student, Gurvinder Nath died following the critical injuries sustained during a violent carjacking in Canada. Nath, 24, was violently assaulted shortly after 2 am in the area of Creditview Road and Britannia Road West on July 9, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBS) reported. Hearing about her son's death, Narinder Devi, 50, died by suicide on Thursday. Gurvinders body reached his hometown late Friday evening and both the mother-son were cremated together on 29 July, a report by Indian Express has stated. According to preliminary investigation, the woman was in shock following the death of her son in Canada. Family members said she was unable to bear the loss," a police official said as quoted by Hindustan Times on 28 July. Gurvinder Nath's grandmother Vidya Devi, 75, told Indian Express that after learning about his son's death, she first tried to electrocute herself. Kamal, Gurvinder Nath's brother and Narinder Devi's eldest son Kamal presumed that his mother consumed some pesticide, the report said. Speaking about it further, Vidya Devi said as quoted by the daily, The next morning, Thursday, she was not home. We thought she had gone to the temple as usual. But she didnt return for some time. My eldest grandson, Kamal, found her lying on the street just outside the house." Community held candlelight vigil for Gurvinder Nath Last week, over 200 people had gathered in Mississauga at a candlelight vigil after Nath died following the critical injuries sustained during a violent carjacking in Canada, according to Canada-based media reports. According to the statement released by Peel Police, As previously reported, on July 9, 2023, at 2:10 am, the victim, a food delivery driver, was working in the area of Britannia Road and Creditview Road, in the City of Mississauga. Upon arriving at the delivery address, the victim was confronted by unknown suspects who attempted to take his vehicle when a physical altercation occurred. The unknown suspects fled the scene in the victims vehicle leaving the victim at the side of the road with life-threatening injuries." After that, he was taken to hospital and pronounced dead in hospital five days later on July 14. Peel police said he was working for Pizza at the time. On 25 July, speakers at the vigil at the parking lot of Paramount Fine Foods Centre, 5500 Rose Cherry Place, told the crowd that Nath came to Canada carrying the hopes of his family and now his family is dealing with grief at the loss of one of its three sons, CBS report stated. The water level of the Godavari River flows reached 56 feet on Saturday night at Telangana's Bhadrachalam. Bhadrachalam RDO, Madhavi while speaking to news agency ANI said, Yesterday night at around 8:40 pm we issued a third warning level. Today, the Godavari water level reached 56 feet at 10:00 pm. We are prepared to overcome the situation even if the Godavari flow comes up to 60 feet. We have already arranged rehabilitation centres and NDRF teams." On Saturday, the water level in Godavari river in the temple town of Bhadrachalam stood at 55.40 ft at 4 pm and the third and final warning was in force (third warning level is 53 ft). People living in vulnerable areas have already been evacuated and shifted to relief camps in the district. Agricultural fields in several districts suffered damage due to heavy rains and flooding. The heavy rains during the past one week led to inundation of low-lying areas and damage to agricultural fields at several places in the state. The MeT in its Daily Weather Report of Telangana State at 8.30 am on July 29 had said the southwest monsoon has been weak over Telangana with the state experiencing isolated rains. Speaking of futher weather warning, it said that the state will very likely witness heavy rain at isolated places in the districts Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad and others on August 1. Meanwhile, at least 16 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents due to the downpour that lashed Telangana during the past week, officials said as reported by PTI. In Andhra Pradesh, an official said that the flood water inflow of Godavari river at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage in Dowleswaram is expected to subside from Monday, news agency PTI has reported. B R Ambedkar, managing director, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), said at 9 pm on Saturday, the third warning continued at Bhadrachalam in neighbouring Telangana with the water level reaching 55.9 ft in Godavari river. "At Dowleswaram Barrage, flood water inflows and outflows were at 14.8 lakh cusecs with the second warning continuing," said Ambedkar in a press release. The Krishna river flood water inflows and outflows at Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada were 1.11 lakh cusecs at 6 pm on Saturday. He said the department is monitoring the flood situation on a regular basis and alerting the district administrations in the Godavari region as well as people. He further advised people living in the riparian communities to be alert until the flood waters recede completely, especially those in low-lying areas. Moreover, control room numbers have also issued helpline numbers -1070 and 18004250101 - for people to contact when they need help or information. (With inputs from agencies) BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. On July 29, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a phone call to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Trend reports. During the telephone conversation, negotiations on the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the latest situation in the region were discussed. Stating that the provocative steps taken by the Armenian side are hindering the peace process, the head of state emphasized that the continued illegal presence of the Armenian armed forces in the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan is a source of military tension in the region. The head of state mentioned the Armenian side's military provocation at the border checkpoint of Lachin, shooting at our border guards, attempted smuggling, and unauthorized sending of trucks to Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev said that although the Azerbaijani side put forward a proposal to use the Aghdam-Khankendi road in order to meet the needs of the Armenian residents, that was supported by the European Union and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Armenia opposed all proposals. Armenian sides claim about the humanitarian situation and blockade is a political manipulation. President Ilham Aliyev said that it is unacceptable for Armenia to continuously engage in disruptive activities and try to hinder peace negotiations, as well as the development of contacts and dialogue between Azerbaijani and local Armenian residents. Our head of the state reiterated that the Azerbaijani side is determined to reintegrate the Armenian residents, reminding that the first meeting was held in Khojaly for this purpose, and Azerbaijan's proposal for the second meeting was presented. Antony Blinken expressed the continued support of the United States for the negotiations on the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, touched upon the importance of passage through the Lachin state border checkpoint and other alternative routes, and the significance of maintaining positive dynamics in the negotiations. During the telephone conversation, views on other issues of mutual interest were also exchanged. The Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra Sunday sought the assistance of the World Bank for upgrading infrastructure and capacity building in the state. The World Bank was not just a fund-giving body but is a source of knowledge for developing countries, PTI reported quoting Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde as saying. Shinde said, the World Bank partnership with the state will help improve the standard of living of people in Maharashtra which has the best skilled workforce and modern infrastructure facilities. "We are working on improving green technology, disaster management, health services and port infrastructure facilities," reported PTI quoting Shinde. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also attended the World Bank meeting, said the government is planning to make Maharashtra drought-free by linking rivers. "The government is planning to divert water from rivers flowing Westward to Godavari Valley and linking rivers in Vidarbha will help in removing drought," Fadnavis said. The Shinde government also sought assistance from the global fund-giving body to improve traffic in Mumbai, green energy, and for improving services to people in each district and boosting economic development. Seprately, the Maharashtra Chief Minister today attended the foundation stone laying ceremony of Dharmveer Anand Dighe Cancer Hospital in Thane. Shinde said that the name of the new cancer hospital is an honour for him. The hospital has been named after Shinde's mentor and Shiv Sena icon , Anand Dighe. "It's an honour for me because this hospital's name is Dharmveer Anand Dighe Cancer Hospital. Anand Dighe was known for his work towards people. We are also working for people...This hospital will give a new life to a cancer patient." Shinde said. The cancer hospital will be set up in the town centre premises of Thane Municipal Corporation in Rustamji Home Complex in Balkum. For the construction of this hospital, a built-up area of 24,000 square meters and an adjoining large plot of 12,000 square meters have been given to Jito Educational and Medical Trust and Tata Memorial Hospital. INDIA bloc leaders who are currently in Manipur expressed grief after witnessing the conditions in which people are living in government allotted relief camps. Congress MP Phulodevi Netam, a part of the I.N.D.I.A. delegation that is on a visit to Manipur, says, ...400-500 people are staying in one hall. The State Govt is providing them only daal-chawal, children are not getting anything else to eat the entire day. There is no toilet or bathroom facility. The manner in which people are living in camps is very heart-rending..." They also questioned, as reported by Indian Express if the governments claim that the state was peaceful is true, what is the need to run relief camps that have come up over the past nearly three months. The opposition delegation of 21 MPs arrived in Manipur on Saturday to assess the ground situation and meet victims of the three-month ethnic riots in the state. On Sunday, they called on Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum on their observations. Manipur can be a security problems for the country if: Congress Following the meet, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asserted that if the Manipur ethnic conflict is not resolved soon, it may create security problems for the country. He said, "The governor heard our observations and agreed to those. She expressed sorrow over the incidents of violence and suggested that an all-party delegation should visit Manipur to talk to people to remove mistrust among communities." Chowdhury said that the visiting MPs will present their observations on Manipur in Parliament. "We have requested a discussion on Manipur in Parliament as the situation is deteriorating every day," he said. Notably, the viral video from Manipur where two women were purportedly seen being paraded naked triggered a war of words between the Centre and Opposition, resulting in repeated disruptions and adjournments in Parliament. (With agency inputs) MPS More Information Manipur violence: For nearly three months, India's tiny state Manipur is reeling from ethnic conflict, fought between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki tribe. Hundreds of people have been killed and dozens of properties have been reduced to ashes due to the eruption of violence after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, which the residents of the hills had been enjoying for decades since Independence. The government in Manipur, regardless of which party comes to power, has always been dominated by plainsmen Meiteis, who account for about 53% of the state's population and live mostly in irregular oval-shaped Imphal Valley. Consequently, the government's actions have often been viewed through the prism of suspicion by tribals -- mostly Nagas and Kukis -- who make up 40% of Manipur's population and live for the most part in the hills surrounding the valley. The Kukis are represented by 10 legislators, including five BJP MLAs, in the 60-member Manipur Assembly. The Kuki People's Alliance (KPA), which is an ally of the ruling BJP government, has two MLAs. The violence in Manipur erupted on 3 May this year and since then brutal reports of killings and rapes have emerged from the state. At present, BJP is the ruling government in the state and the Kuki community are demanding the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who has shown apparent close ties with Meities people. Here are 10 updates on Manipur and its prolonged ethnic violence: Mother demands capital punishment for who raped her daughter The mother of one of the girls who was stripped naked and paraded by a mob in Manipur wants capital punishment for the culprits. She said, "I trust the central government but not the state government." She also said, "The thing I want to convey is that we the tribals, the minority, we can't live with the Meitei anymore, and second, if possible I want to at least see the dead bodies of my son and husband." Manipur govt recaptures biometric details of 'illegal' Myanmar immigrants The government of Manipur has resumed its campaign for the biometric capture of all "illegal" Myanmar immigrants on the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Tribals in Manipur reach out to opposition Alliance INDIA The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), an umbrella group of tribals in Manipur, on Saturday, wrote a letter to the opposition alliance INDIA, seeking its support for their demand for a separate administration and implementation of President's rule in the violence-hit state. CBI launches probe on Manipur viral video The CBI on Saturday registered a case in connection with Manipur viral video where two women were purportedly seen being paraded naked. The CBI team will question the arrested accused. The process of handing over the evidence is already underway by the local police. Manipur Police arrested six accused after the video went viral. Ex-Army chief hints Chinese aid in Manipur Former Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane said that involvement of foreign agencies in violence-hit Manipur cannot be ruled out," as he highlighted the role of Chinese aid to various insurgent groups" in the northeastern state. In an indirect reference to China, General Naravane during a discussion on 'National Security Perspectives' at the India International Centre here on Friday said "Internal security is very important. If there is instability not only in our neighbouring country but in our border state, then that instability is bad for our overall national security". Opposition delegates to meet Governor of Manipur Opposition delegates of 21 MPs will meet the Governor of Manipur on Sunday after they visited four relif camps on Saturday Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey met affected people on Saturday Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey on Saturday visited relief camps in Churachandpur and consoled a woman who narrated her story. She met several locals displaced during the violence that erupted on May 3 and assured the affected people that the government would offer compensation to those who lost family members and experienced property damage. Additionally, she expressed her commitment to promoting peace and ensuring a bright future for the people of Manipur, promising to do everything in her power to achieve these objectives. Rally held to protest against the demand for 'separate administration' by Kukis A massive rally was taken out in Imphal on Saturday to protest against the demand for a 'separate administration' for areas inhabited by the Kuki community. Tens of thousands of demonstrators from across five valley districts of the state participated in the rally, demanding the territorial integrity of the northeastern state where race riots began in early May. Meghalaya CM calls for political parties to engage on issues in the Northeast Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has urged political parties to take a keen interest in the Northeast region and address the challenges faced by its communities. Speaking about the recent violence in Manipur, CM Sangma emphasized the importance of peace in the state for the overall well-being of the Northeast. The Delhi Police on Sunday said it has registered three cases after an unruly crowd taking part in Saturday's Muharram processions clashed with police and pelted them with stones in west Delhi's Nangloi. Twelve people, including six police personnel, were injured while public property was damaged in the clashes. The police on Saturday said, Several tazia processions were being carried out in the Nangloi area and around eight to 10 thousand people participated in those. One or two organisers on the main Rohtak Road became unruly and tried to deviate from the route that was mutually decided in the coordination meeting with the taziadaran." The first FIR was registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act at Nangloi police station on the complaint of Nangloi SHO Prabhu Dayal. The incident in this case occurred at Surajmal Stadium, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Harendra Singh said. The second FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Nanag Ram, the law and order inspector at Nangloi police station, for an incident at Nangloi Chowk, Singh said. The third FIR was registered on the complaint of Mukesh Kumar, a head constable, for an incident near the metro station at Nangloi. All three cases were registered on Sunday, Harendra Singh added. In the first FIR, Dayal said several 'tazia' processions were scheduled in Nangloi on Saturday. There were meetings conducted with the organisers regarding the route and other issues. Apart from Nangloi police station of the Outer district, meetings were held with Prem Nagar and Aman Vihar police stations in Rohini district. It was decided that the processions would proceed towards Surajmal Stadium via the metro station, take a u-turn from the Nangloi depot red light and return to their designated place, it said. From 12 pm on Saturday, various processions were approaching from different areas following the predetermined route, the FIR stated. Around 5 pm, some processions from the Prem Nagar and Aman Vihar areas of Rohini district crossed the Kirari Gate and reached the front of Surajmal Stadium via Rohtak Road. Upon reaching the site, instead of following the pre-decided route, some people tried to enter the stadium and started pushing and shoving, it added. As there was no permission to enter the stadium, they were stopped. The Nangloi SHO, along with other officers and staff, tried to pacify them but they started fighting, it further said. The procession organisers stood on rickshaws and carts and started instigating the people to go inside the stadium. Some of these people had weapons such as swords, knives, sticks and iron rods, the FIR stated. On our refusal, the organisers and their supporters started pelting stones at the police. One of them, having a knife in his hand, attacked sub-inspector Parveen, on which Parveen grabbed the knife in order to save himself and received injury," it added. Singh said the police are checking CCTV footage from the area and analysing videos of the incidents that were widely circulated on social media on Saturday. The Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) have submitted a memorandum to the police over Saturday's clashes during Muharram processions in west Delhi, officials said. Slogans of Desh ke gaddaro ko goli maro... (shoot the traitors) and Jai Shri Ram were raised outside the Nangloi police station by the members of the two organisations after they submitted the memorandum, a senior official said on Sunday. The sloganeering went on for around half an hour with the crowd subsequently dispersing, he added. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: The government is moving fast to operationalize two deals signed with the US and the UAE for making trade easier and also to boost the number of exporters and allied service providers who can benefit from them, according to two officials. The move involves giving full effect to the mutual recognition of a key trade facilitation scheme for authorized economic operators (AEOs) in India and their equivalent in the two partner-countries and to expand the coverage of beneficiaries. The mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) signed with the US and the UAE are being run on a pilot basis. An AEO tag is given to trusted merchants and other entities involved in international trade. So far, India has given the status of AEO to around 5,680 importers, exporters, logistics providers, custom brokers and warehouse operators who are compliant with supply chain standards and security norms. The US has a similar programme, called Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) which is managed by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) department. Once the deals are operationalized, customers of Indian businesses in those two nations will also get a host of trade privileges including priority customs processing, lower inspection rate and acceptance of self-declaration of origin of goods. Accredited merchants in those countries will get similar privileges at Indian ports. Merchants with AEO tag in certain categories also get privileges like an option for deferred customs duty payments under a clear consignment now, pay later facility. Over 700 Indian AEO businesses export to the US and would be beneficiaries of the mutual recognition of the schemes, said the first of the two officials quoted above, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Under the AEO programme which started in India in 2011 and revamped in 2016, we have made a lot of progress last year. In 2022-23, we have added more than 1,000 new AEOs. This year also, we want to maintain the same tempo and we want to surpass last years track record," said the second official cited above, Naveen Kumar Jain, principal commissioner, directorate of international customs (DIC) in the finance ministry. The DIC is the nodal agency for the AEO programme. To get accreditation as an AEO, all documentation can be filed online. At present, the DIC is reaching out to the trading community to mobilize greater participation in the AEO programme and to complete the formalities of reciprocal arrangements under the mutual recognition agreements. India signed the MRA with the US in late 2021 and with the UAE in June this year. Indias mutual recognition deal with South Korea is already operational. Mint reported on 18 July that India is exploring such a deal with Russia. The move to implement these deals guaranteeing superfast clearances at ports comes in the context of a slowdown in merchandise exports amid a global demand slowdown. Indias merchandise exports contracted by 22% in June compared to the same month a year ago, to $32.97 billion, as per official figures. An email sent to the finance ministry seeking comments for the story on 26 July remained unanswered at the time of publishing. A highway police staffer and another person were killed on Sunday after after a truck rammed into a police van in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district. The accident took place on the Nagpur-Tuljapur highway at around 11.30 pm, officials said as reported by PTI.. The highway police personnel were checking a truck on a bridge when another truck rammed into the police van from behind, the police said in a release. A highway police staffer and the offending truck's driver were killed in the accident, while two other police personnel were seriously injured, the release said. A probe was on into the incident, the police added. Earlier in the day, a report of accient was reported from Delhi where Inspector Jagbir Singh who was posted in the security unit lost his life in a dreadful accident on Rohtak Road, near Madipur metro station. Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) Vichitra Veer said the accident took plave in the early hours of the day on the Rohtak Road wherein a Ciaz car was hit by a truck from behind. As per PTI report, the car had stopped due to some mechanical problem when it was hit by the truck from behind. The car driver, who was standing outside, was also hit and died due to the accident, the DCP Veer said. Further adding, he said that the truck driver left the vehicle and fled, however, legal action is being taken and efforts are being made to trace him. Yesterday, at least six people were killed died and 21 were injured when two luxury travel buses collided on the National Highway 6 in Maharashtras Buldhana district, police said as reported by PTI. One of the buses was carrying pilgrims from the Amarnath Yatra to Hingoli, while the other bus was on its way from Nagpur to Nashik, police said. The Telangana government has made a final decision to demolish the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) building. In a recent affidavit presented to the Telangana High Court on July 27, the state government stated its intention to raze the existing structure due to its unsuitability as a hospital. As per a report by The Siasat Daily, the government revealed plans to demolish other satellite structures associated with OGH to make way for the construction of a new hospital building, spanning an area of 35.76 lakh square feet. During a meeting attended by ministers Mahmood Ali and Talsani Srinivas, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, along with officials from various departments such as health, GHMC, MA&UD, and R&B, as well as representatives from Osmania General Hospital, the government cited safety concerns as the primary reason for their decision. They emphasized that the existing building of Osmania General Hospital is considered unsafe, leading to the plan to demolish it and construct a new hospital building in its place. The old building is unfit for any kind of patient care, and the said building is to be removed along with the other satellite buildings for the development of an alternative hospital of 35.76 lakh square feet," stated the affidavit filed on behalf of the Health, Medical, and Family Welfare department of Telangana. The current bed capacity of Osmania General Hospital (OGH) stands at 1100, which decreased after the old OGH building was vacated due to its deteriorated state. According to Dr. B. Nagendar, the superintendent of OGH, the hospital requires a total of 1812 beds to effectively handle the current patient load. After the decision to demolish the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) was made, several petitions and Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed, expressing both support and opposition to the plan. Subsequently, the Deccan Archaeological and Cultural Research Institute approached the High Court, advocating for the renovation of the current structure and the construction of new buildings as specified in GO 313, issued on November 3, 2010, The Siasat Daily reported. On Friday, the government finally put an end to the uncertainty surrounding the future of OGH by announcing its definitive decision to demolish the existing structure and proceed with the construction of a new building. Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, left the south London public shocked on Sunday when he unexpectedly dished out environmentally friendly burgers from a food truck to hungry royal fans in London, Reuters reported, In a video posted on YouTube, the heir to the throne, joined forces with YouTube channel Sorted Food to spotlight the work of three of the most recent Winners of The Earthshot Prize. Earthshot Prize, set up by Prince William, is an annual award given to five winners for their contributions to develop solutions to major environmental problems. It was first awarded in 2021 and is planned to run annually until 2030. Each winner receives a grant of 1 million to continue their environmental work. In the viral video, the Duke of Cambridge is seen in a food van in London with the Sorted Food chefs, and one diner puts her hand to her mouth in shock as she recognises the prince. "Coming right up," the prince said as he served up the "Earthshot burgers" to the stunned customers. "Morning everyone, nicely cooked, ready to go." The prince went on to say: "So, for those of you who don't know, the Earthshot prize is there to repair and regenerate the planet. "Everything you see here comes from the winners from last year. So the box you're about to eat in is built (by) a company called Notpla and there's no plastic involved, they've come up with a seaweed coating. The objective for the heir to the British throne was to raise the profile and work of three previous Earthshot prize winners. "So the box you're about to eat in is built by a company called Notpla and there's no plastic involved, they've come up with a seaweed coating," Reuters quoted heir to the throne as saying to the customers at the burger van. "The ingredients inside the burger are grown from a greenhouse in India from a company called Kheyti, and last but not least, the way we cook them has been on a thing called Mukuru Clean Stoves, and that is designed by a lady in Kenya who came up with the concept to reduce air pollution," the prince added. "Can't vouch for the taste, the quality but ... I'm rolling with it." At the SemiconIndia Conference 2023, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar affirmed that the collaboration between India and the US is expanding to encompass new initiatives in various domains. As reported by ANI, This collaboration today (between India and the US) extends to new initiatives in additional domains and can be expected to grow steadily in the times to come. We see that, for example, in space where India signing the Artemis Accords and promoting stronger NASA-ISRO collaboration is a sign of the times to come..." Earlier, PM Modi on Friday said that India is rolling out the red carpet" for the semiconductor industry, as he invited global semiconductor majors to invest in India. PM Modi said whosoever comes forward will have a first movers advantage." As India moves forward on the path of reform, new opportunities will be created. India is becoming an excellent conductor for semiconductor investments," PM Modi said adder speaking at the inaugural session of SemiconIndia 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Addressing a gathering in Gujarats Gandhinagar which is hosting the countrys annual chip meet, SemiconIndia 2023 PM Modi said, Who can be a more trusted partner than the worlds largest democracy (India)." He also expressed happiness about the growing global trust in India. Themed Catalysing Indias Semiconductor Ecosystem, the second edition of the conference organised by India Semiconductor Mission in partnership with industry and industry associations, is aimed at making India a global hub for semiconductor design, manufacturing and technology development. During PM Modi's recent state visit to the US, significant announcements were made regarding investments in India's semiconductor sector. Micron Technology revealed plans to invest up to USD 825 million in constructing a new semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with the backing of the Indian government. Additionally, Applied Materials committed to investing USD 400 million in establishing a collaborative engineering center in the country. Furthermore, Lam Research proposed a scheme to train 60,000 Indian engineers through its Semiverse Solution virtual fabrication platform, aimed at accelerating India's semiconductor education and workforce development objectives. (With inputs from agencies) As a growing number of Wagner soldiers gather in Belarus, neighbouring countries are mulling a border closure. Polish officials said that more than 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked mercenary group had moved close to the shared border. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki described it as a step toward a hybrid attack on the Polish territory". Both Poland and neighbouring Lithuania have said that Wagner soldiers could try to disguise themselves and attempt to infiltrate their territory. We have information that more than 100 of Wagner mercenaries have moved in the direction of Suwalki Gap, near Grodno in western Belarus," Morawiecki told reporters on Saturday. The considerations are real. The possibility of closing the border exists," added Lithuanian deputy interior minister Arnoldas Abramavicius. Wagner mercenaries have moved into Belarus under a deal ending the aborted mutiny last month by the groups leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Morawiecki said its fighters may dress up as Belarusian border guards to assist migrants trying to cross into Poland. He has accused Russia and Belarus of supporting crossings in an attempt to destabilize the country. The Poland-Belarus border has become a tense place over the past few years as a growing number of immigrants arrived looking for EU entry. They have sought to enter the zone by crossing into Poland and Lithuania. Poland's government accuses Russia and Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize Poland and other EU countries. It has dubbed the migration a form of hybrid warfare, and has responded by building a high wall along part of its border with Belarus. Lithuania has also repeatedly warned its Western allies that Wagner mercenaries could disguise themselves as asylum seekers trying to cross Belarus's borders with EU member states, or stage provocations involving refugees. (With inputs from agencies) BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. On July 29, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives visited Vagif Khachatryan, who was detained the same day by Azerbaijani border guards at the Lachin border checkpoint. During the visit, the detainee was allowed to contact with his family, Ilaha Huseynova, head of the PR department of the ICRC office in Azerbaijan, told Trend. As part of its mandate, the ICRC assesses the treatment and conditions of detention during such visits. Additionally, the ICRC facilitates the re-establishment or continuation of family connections for individuals in detention. Any comments and recommendations resulting from the visits are communicated exclusively to the detaining party, in accordance with ICRC procedures. Vagif Khachatryan, internationally wanted fugitive of Meshali massacre of December 22, 1991, was detained by the military personnel of the State Border Service at the Lachin border crossing point of the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border while trying to go to the Republic of Armenia for treatment through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The investigation established that Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan, born in 1955, a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan, born in Badara village of Askaran district and worked as a driver in Khankendi city automobile transport company, residing in Meshali village, together with other people of Armenian nationality, used various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, to completely destroy the village. Using various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, they raided the village and killed 25 people of Azerbaijani nationality, injured 14 people, and contrary to national and international law norms expelled 358 Azerbaijanis from their domicile. In addition, Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan continued his criminal actions together with his accomplices, destroying and damaging property belonging to the state and villagers, causing a total of 5 million 496 thousand 900 manats of material damage. Due to the fact that sufficient reasonable suspicions arose regarding the criminal case, it was decided to involve Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan as an accused person under articles 103 (massacre) and 107 (deportation or forced movement of the population) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. However, due to the fact that his whereabouts were unknown to the investigation, on November 12, 2013, an international arrest warrant was applied by the court's decision. At least 39 people died and nearly 200 were wounded after a suicide bomber set off a major blast at a Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) convention. The bomb blast was reported in the Khar tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwas Bajaur district during a political convention. According to the reports, a local JUI-F leader has also been killed in the Pakistan bomb blast. The blast reportedly took place inside the convention and law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area. The provincial police chief Akhtar Hayat has told Reuters that the bomb was set off by a suicide bomber, killing 39 people and injuring nearly 200 at the political rally. The television footage showed ambulances arriving at the scene. Some pictures on social media showed slippers and skull caps strewn all over the bomb blast site. No organisation or individual has so far claimed responsibility of the bomb blast at the political convention in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Hospitals across Bajaur, where the bomb blast took place, and neighbouring areas had been put on high alert. We are trying to move critical patients to Peshawar and other hospitals through helicopters," Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker Information Minister Firoz Shah Jamal said. An eyewitness said that the gathering was listening to a discussion when the bomb blast took place. We were listening to a bayan [discussion] when a powerful explosion knocked me unconscious," he said. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has demanded an investigation into the incident which has claimed 39 lives. "JUI workers should remain peaceful and federal and provincial governments should provide the best treatment to the injured," he said. Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan condemned the blast and sought a report from the district administration. JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said, "I strongly condemn the blast and want to give a message to the people behind it that this is not jihad but terrorism. This has happened before...our workers have been targetted. We raised our voice over this in the Parliament but no action was taken." Russian President Vladimir Putin while attending a press conference on Saturday downplayed concerns regarding not attending the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. The first in-person BRICS summit since the pandemic is scheduled to be held from August 22-24. Replying to a question about not visiting South Africa for the BRICS summit next month, Putin said, I do not think my visit to BRICS Summit is more important than me staying in Russia". The Russian President also added that he is in contact with leaders of all the BRICS countries. Russia had previously clarified that Putin would not be attending the BRICS summit in person, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would represent the country. South African President Cyril Ramphosa had also made a similar statement on the matter. By mutual agreement, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the summit but the Russian Federation will be represented by Foreign Minister Mr. Sergei Lavrov," South African Presidency had said in a statement earlier this month. The move was seen as a major setback for Putin, who has touted his relations with the BRICS countries - India, China, Brazil and South Africa - as evidence that US and European efforts to isolate him over the war in Ukraine have failed. Why is Putin not attending BRICS summit in South Africa? The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Putin in March this year, linking him to the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children. Putin could be arrested under the warrant if he leaves Russian soil. South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC and is bound by the court's decisions. The African country had indicated that it had no intention of arresting Putin if he attended the BRICS summit, but still pushed to avoid the controversy altogether. South Africa also has a history of defying ICC arrest warrants. In 2015, it had refused to execute an ICC arrest warrant against then-Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during the African summit. (With inputs from agencies) Russia-Ukraine war : Saudi Arabia is set to host Ukrainian-organized peace summit on 5 and 6 August, according to several reports. Saudi Arabia has invited several major countries including India, Britain, United States among others. A report by Wall Street Journal, confirms that Saudi Arabia is set to host talks in August about Ukraine. Saudi Arabia will invite up to 30 countries, including Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Chile and Zambia, to Jeddah. Developing countries invited to the summit include India and Brazil, the WSJ report said. The peace summit to be hosted by Saudi Arabia aims to find a way to start negotiations over Russia's war on the country, an Associated Press report stated. The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. Among the invitees, it is still unclear if everyone will attend the peace talk summit. However, countries that took part in a similar round of talks in Copenhagen in June are expected to do so again. Britain, South Africa, Poland and the EU are among those who have confirmed attendance and the US national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to attend. The meet, which excludes Russia is expected to bolster international backing for peace terms favoring Ukraine. Planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv and Russia is not invited, AP reported citing an official who is familiar with the developments. News of the summit comes after US national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited the kingdom on Thursday. Saudi Arabia's hosting of the talks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May attended an Arab League summit in Jeddah to press those nations to back Kyiv. Arab nations largely have remained neutral since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022, in part over their military and economic ties to Moscow. Saudi Arabia also has maintained a close relationship with Russia as part of the OPEC group. The organizations oil production cuts, even as Moscows war on Ukraine boosted energy prices, have angered Biden and American lawmakers. But hosting such talks also help raise the profile of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has sought to reach a detente with Iran and push for a peace in the kingdom's yearslong war in Yemen. However, ties also remain strained between Riyadh and the West over the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, which U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Prince Mohammed ordered. (With inputs from agencies) US envoys for Afghanistan Thomas West and Rina Amri have once again called for an inclusive government in Kabul which, at present is under Taliban rule, TOLOnews reported. Since the Taliban seized power, it has curtailed women's rights in the nation. Thomas West, a US special envoy, and Rina Amiri, a US special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights, met with representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in Astana two days prior to the Doha summit to discuss Afghanistan. The meeting's attendees discussed women's rights and inclusive governance in Afghanistan. Many agreed that inclusive governance & womens rights are integral to economic stability, security & peace," said Amiri there. "For two years, Afghan women have been far away from the public affairs of the society, and even if they made personal efforts to provide for their lives, they were not allowed. Afghan women are a part of Afghan society. The government has the responsibility to provide ways for their participation in public issues, in education and work, and their presence in the society," said Surya Paykan, a women's rights activist, according to TOLOnews. Some political observers think that convening such summits can help to resolve the nation's issues which have undergone a major regime change. "These types of efforts can benefit the people of Afghanistan because they can have a positive effect on the stability of Afghanistan, the region and the world," said Tariq Farhadi, a political analyst, reported TOLOnews. Meanwhile, according to MoFA deputy spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, a delegation led by Taliban's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi left Kabul for Qatar (Doha meeting) on Saturday afternoon to speak with US officials about a number of topics, TOLOnews reported. Takal tweeted that Muttaqi will speak about lifting sanctions and being removed from blacklists, freeing Afghanistan's bank reserves, and putting an end to airspace violations. Anju, who fled India last week, is now married to her lover Nasrullah and lives in Peshawar, Pakistan. After her nikah , Anju said: I have converted to Islam and feel safe in Pakistan." Peshawar, where she currently resides, is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It is regarded one of the most dangerous regions in the world due to its proximity to Afghanistan. How can Anju feel comfortable in such a setting? Is this not the Pakistan government trying to settle scores for Seema Haider, who landed in Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, with four children from Pakistan, and caused a sensation on both sides of the border. Just as Anju feels safe in Pakistan, Seema feels secure here along with her children. You can connect the dots here if you like. The media circus has thrust these women into the spotlight, and all stories that should have been at the top of the news line-up have vanished. In no way can the cases of Anju and Seema be linked to national identities. This is not the only instance of a sexist attitude toward women. Let me now tell you what I felt last week. A lovely rainy morning transformed into one of misery for me when I stumbled across a video from Manipur showing what was done to two women by a mob. Manipurs evildoers pushed these women into a position of helplessness, but the video also permanently exposed them in front of the entire world. This cockiness is not new. It always has disastrous repercussions. Let me cite an instance from history to further affirm my point. Though historians disagree on whether the great king Prithviraj Chauhan abducted Samyogita or whether she went of her own accord with him, this episode undoubtedly made Samyogitas father, Raja Jaichand, feel immensely humiliated. He was so offended that he did not hesitate to join Mohammad Ghoris camp. What happened afterward is well known. Prithviraj Chauhan was obviously a superb fighter, but his defeat laid the groundwork for Indias servitude. If only this had not occurred. Unfortunately, such occurrences are unavoidable. This is the reason the violence in Manipur could not be stopped. The third month of the sad spread of disquiet, discontent and estrangement is about to be completed. There have been 150 fatalities so far, and thousands are now homeless. Feeling compassion for the hundreds of victims of blind hysteria, the question definitely arises as to why they became the object of anger of their neighbours in their own country. There is another point that makes my heart hurt. Manipurs felony involving the women happened on 4 May. The government and the Womens Commission may have been blindfolded, but why did the regional and opposition parties remain silent on this? There may be a network of their workers and activists in Manipur. Why did they forget that, regardless of who is in power today, society and the country belong to everyone? This is why the politics around this topic generates so many concerns. How long will politicians be in a rat race to prove that they are cleaner than others? Those in power today were in opposition the day before. The opposition of today may come to power tomorrow, but defending India and Indians is not the responsibility of any single party. When will our political class muster the fortitude to speak with one voice on such an issue? There is another sad element of the happenings in Manipur. The husband of one of the women who was publicly humiliated had served in the army as a soldier. He risked his life in the Kargil conflict and in Sri Lanka to fight for Indias honour and fame. This time around he had no choice but to witness his wifes humiliation. During the celebration of Victory Day" on 26 July, many people wondered, Do we give respect to our soldiers like this?" Social media mercenaries have also played a significant role in igniting this fire. The army and the police are planning to take action after a video surfaced showing a man in uniform assaulting a woman. What effect would such falsified videos or posts have on our bravehearts? Only sensitive people can comprehend this question. The main reason for saying this is that there is a concern in the North-east that the fires in Manipur might spread to Mizoram and other neighbouring areas. That is why it is critical to put a stop to the current storm of ethnic rivalry. The flames of such a fire may find new fuel at any moment and in any place. Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal. At least 10 police personnel received injuries in stone-pelting after a protest march against the sexual assault on two women in Manipur turned violent at Satana town in Maharashtra's Nashik district, officials said. As reported by PTI, Superintendent of Police (SP) Shahaji Umap said, Several persons have been detained in connection with the incident which took place on Saturday evening and the situation has been brought under control." The march was organised by the Eklavya Adivasi Sanghatana, a few other tribal organisations and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi to condemn the incident in Manipur where two women were paraded naked and sexually assaulted by a mob on May 3. Thousands of young men, some of them with their torsos bare as a mark of protest, took part in the march, a local police official said. He further said that when the march, which started from the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar statue, reached near the tehsil office, some participants started a sit-in agitation in front of the Satana police station, demanding that local BJP MLA Dilip Borse accept their memorandum. The police officials told them the MLA could not accept their memorandum as he was attending the assembly session in Mumbai", he said. There were heated arguments and some of the protesters pelted stones at the police and passing vehicles which forced the police to use "mild lathicharge", the official said. There was tension in the town and shops and other commercial establishments downed their shutters following the incident. "Ten police personnel were injured in the incident and we have taken 21 people, who indulged in stone-pelting, into custody. The incident took place after the protest march. Additional force was called in immediately. The situation is now peaceful," SP Umap told reporters on Saturday. The mother of one of the girls who was stripped naked and paraded by a mob in Manipur wants capital punishment for the culprits and to see the remains of her son and husband who too died on that day. She was speaking to PTI after MPs from the opposition bloc INDIA visited the victims family. Demanding capital punishment for the culprits, she said, I trust the central government but not the state government." (With inputs from PTI) A 21-member Opposition delegation from both Houses including Congress leaders and MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi visited violence stricken Manipur. On Sunday, 30 July, the delegation handed over a memorandum to Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan. Besides Chowdhury and Congress' Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation included Sushmita Dev (TMC), Mahua Maji (JMM), Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK), P P Mohammed Faizal (NCP), Chaudhary Jayant Singh (RLD), Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD), N K Premachandran (RSP) and T Thirumavalavan (VCK). JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh and his party colleague Aneel Prasad Hegde, CPI's Sandosh Kumar, CPI(M)'s A A Rahim, SP's Javed Ali Khan, IUML's E T Mohammed Basheer, AAP's Sushil Gupta, VCK's D Ravikumar and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT), and Phulo Devi Netam and K Suresh of the Congress were also part of the delegation. Here are 10 points to the INDIA bloc visiting Manipur -The Governor and the visiting delegation, during their interaction, suggested that a multi-party delegation be sent to violence-hit Manipur. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) members arrived at Delhi airport on Sunday from Manipur. -Opposition bloc INDIA on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "silence", showing "brazen indifference" to the ongoing situation in the northeastern state. -Upon meeting the governor after visiting the violence stricken state, the opposition leaders condemned the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) led state government and chief minister N Biren Singh of having closed their eyes to the problems in the state. -The opposition leaders also alleged that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Central government has not done enough for Manipur. -" Both state govt and central govt are not taking any major steps for Manipur. Big things are being said in Delhi and even outside the country...people don't have food & medicines in their homes, children don't have any facilities to study, college students can't go to college. Nothing is being done to end the fight between two communities...state govt and central govt have their eyes closed", said Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after returning from Manipur -Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha urged the Kuki and Meitei communities to cooperate in restoring peace and harmony in the state saying that there is "no alternative to peace anywhere". "We want peace to be restored in Manipur. Peace with justice. Our only demand is that both communities should live in harmony. The situation in Manipur is dangerous. Be it Madhya Pradesh or Manipur, there is no alternative to peace anywhere," Jha said while talking to the media. -Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who was also the part of visiting delegation, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should also visit the north eastern state. "People welcomed us there (Manipur). NDA alliance and Prime Minister Modi should also visit Manipur," Gogoi said while speaking to ANI. -The 21 opposition MPs who signed the document demanded urgent rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected people to bring peace and harmony to the state. "From the reports of incessant firing and arson of houses in the last few days, it is established beyond doubt that the state machinery has completely failed to control the situation for the last almost three months," the memorandum read. -More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. -Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts. (With agency inputs) In the lead-up to the 2024 US presidential election, speculation surrounds the potential candidates for the Republican Party's nomination. Despite facing legal challenges, former US President Donald Trump is perceived as the frontrunner. However, as many as three Indian-American leaders are seeking to challenge his position and "make America great again." Among them are Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, and Hirsh Vardhan Singh, who have expressed their intentions to contest the nomination. The Republican Party's national convention is scheduled for July 15-18, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the official presidential nominee will be formally selected. All about the 3 Indian-Americans looking to challenge Donald Trump in the US Presidential race Nikki Haley Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and Trump's initial ambassador to the United Nations, is the only woman contender in the Republican primary contest. Despite being perceived as an underestimated underdog, she proudly recounted her tenure in the Trump administration. Nevertheless, she openly criticised Trump's baseless post-election pursuit to challenge alleged voter fraud that cost him the 2020 election. Despite polling low, Haley demonstrated remarkable fundraising abilities, with the Stand For America Fund Inc. Super PAC raising $18.7 million from April to June, amassing a total of $26 million in donations. Notably, she garnered support from affluent GOP donors such as Kenneth Langone, Alice Walton, and Kenneth Fisher, who each contributed $6,600. Vivek Ramaswamy Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur and son of Indian immigrants, entered the US Republican presidential nomination race as an outsider but has now surged to the third position. A Reuters-Ipsos poll revealed that he enjoys the support of 9% of Republican leaders, while former President Donald Trump leads with a commanding 47%, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 19%. Ramaswamy's campaign focuses on innovative drug development and healthcare transformation, vowing to restore meritocracy and reduce reliance on China. Impressively, he raised $7.7 million in the second quarter, with $5.4 million from his personal funds. Since launching his bid, he has invested a total of $16 million. Hirsh Vardhan Singh Hirsh Vardhan Singh, a 38-year-old engineer, has joined the crowded US Presidential race as a conservative Republican. He aims to prioritise citizens and restore the conservative wing of the New Jersey Republican Party. Despite unsuccessful attempts in previous elections, he remains committed to his "America First" principles. Singh describes himself as the "only pureblood candidate" for never giving in to Covid vaccinations. His candidacy has drawn attention due to his staunch conservative values and positions on vaccination. (The list was collated by NDTV) Political analyst and writer Badri Seshadri was arrested by the Tamil Nadu Police on Saturday due to his alleged 'provocative' comments about Manipur violence and Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud in a YouTube interview. As per media reports, the police cited Sections 153, 153A, and 505(1)(B) as the basis for his arrest. In the interview, Seshadri said, "The Supreme Court has said that if you (the government) cannot do anything, we (the court) will. Let's give a gun to Chandrachud and send him there. Let's see if he can restore peace." Seshadri had further said, "It's a hilly and complex region and murders will happen there. We can't stop the violence from happening." As reported by India Today, per the details mentioned in the FIR, which India Today had access to, the complaint against Badri Seshadri was lodged by advocate Kaviyarasu. In his complaint, the advocate reported that he came across a YouTube interview clip on July 22, in which Seshadri made critical remarks about the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Chandrachud. Meanwhile, BJP state president Annamalai condemned Seshadri's arrest and said the DMK government is relying only on arrests. "Tamil Nadu BJP strongly condemns the arrest of renowned publisher and stage speaker Badri Seshadri by the Tamil Nadu Police early this morning. This corrupt DMK government is relying only on arrests without power to address the views of the common people. Is the Tamil Nadu Police's job only to enforce the revenge measures of the corrupt DMK government?," Annamalai tweeted. Who is Badri Seshadri? Badri Seshadri, aged 58, is the founder of Kizhakku Pathippagam, a prominent publishing house in Tamil Nadu. He is recognized for his pro-right-wing party and organization viewpoints, although he also maintains some connection with the ruling party, Indian Express reported. As per the report, Badri Seshadri was appointed to the advisory council for the Tamil Internet Education Council by the DMK government after it assumed power. Nevertheless, his tenure in the position came to an end in October 2022 when he was removed due to his critical comments about DMK founder C N Annadurai on social media. Following the outbreak of violence in Manipur, Badri Seshadri expressed disapproval towards Tamil writers who blamed the Central government for the situation in the region. In response to his arrest, K Annamalai, the president of Tamil Nadu BJP, strongly criticized the action and accused the DMK government of curbing freedom of speech. Speaking on Badri's arrest, Historian Ramachandra Guha on Twitter wrote, "Criticising the Supreme Court or even the CJI is to exercise the freedom of speech the Constitution guarantees us. The TN Government should release Badri Seshadri immediately." In a revelation made by Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, it has come to limelight that the Italy government is seeking to break free of an agreement made with China. The Belts and Roads Initiative (BRI) agreement was signed between Italy and China four years ago. Minister Crosetto has said that Italy made an "improvised and atrocious" decision signing the BRI agreement, which made Italy the only major Western country to have taken such a step, according to a Reuters report. The Reuters report citing an interview said that Italy had signed the BRI agreement with China in order to bolster exports. Crosetto is part of an administration that is considering how to break free of the agreement, reports Reuters. The BRI scheme aims to rebuild the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with large infrastructure spending. Critics see it as a tool for China to spread its geopolitical and economic influence. "The decision to join the (new) Silk Road was an improvised and atrocious act" that multiplied China's exports to Italy but did not have the same effect on Italian exports to China, Reuters quoted Crosetto telling the Corriere della Sera newspaper. "The issue today is: how to walk back (from the BRI) without damaging relations (with Beijing). Because it is true that China is a competitor, but it is also a partner," the defence minister added. The revelation of the Italian government comes after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met US President Joe Biden on Thursday, and said her government was still deliberating on the BRI and announced a trip to Beijing in the near future. "We'll take a decision before December," Meloni told US broadcaster Fox News in an interview aired on Sunday, adding that the issue required discussions with the Chinese government and within the Italian parliament. Meloni reiterated her view that it is a "paradox" that while Italy is part of the BRI, it is not the G7 country with the biggest trade with China, and said that shows it is possible to have good relations with Beijing without the Belt and Road. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 29. On July 29, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a phone call to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Trend reports. Antony Blinken expressed the continued support of the United States for the negotiations on the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, touched upon the importance of passage through the Lachin state border checkpoint and other alternative routes, and the significance of maintaining positive dynamics in the negotiations. During the telephone conversation, views on other issues of mutual interest were also exchanged. The Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) launched seven Singaporean satellites, onboard a PSLV rocket in a commercial mission on Sunday. After the much-awaited launch of Chandrayaan-3 this month, the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency launched PSLV-C56 carrying Singapore's DS-SAR, a Radar Imaging Earth Observation Satellite, along with six co-passenger satellites from Sriharikota, about 135 km from Chennai. at 6:30 AM on 30 July (Sunday). After the launch, ISRO tweeted, "The mission is successfully accomplished. PSLV-C56 vehicle launched all seven satellites precisely into their intended orbits". PSLV-C56 is a dedicated mission of NewSpace India Ltd, which is the commercial arm of ISRO. PSLV has earned its title 'as the workhorse of ISRO' through consistently delivering various satellites into low earth orbits, ISRO said. Sunday's mission follows the PSLV-C55/TeLEOS-2 mission, which was successfully launched in April to cater to customers in Singapore by ISRO. This mission witnesses the rocket placing the satellites into a low earth orbit. The DS-SAR carried a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel Aerospace Industries. This allows the satellite to provide all-weather day and night coverage and is capable of imaging at 1 metre resolution. The 360 kg DS-SAR satellite is developed under a partnership between DSTA (representing the Government of Singapore) and ST Engineering, Singapore. On deployment, the satellite would be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the Government of Singapore. Six co-passengers: Meta Platforms executives are placing a strong emphasis on increasing user retention for Threads, their recently launched Twitter rival. CEO Mark Zuckerberg informed employees on Thursday that the app experienced a significant drop in users, losing more than half of its user base in the weeks following its highly publicized launch. According to Reuters, Zuckerberg believes that user retention on the text-based app was higher than what the executives had anticipated, but he acknowledged that it was "not perfect." He made these remarks during an internal company town hall. "Obviously, if you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We're not there yet," said Zuckerberg as per Reuters. Zuckerberg deemed the decrease in users as "normal" and expressed confidence that retention would improve with the introduction of additional features to the app. Plans include developing a desktop version and incorporating search functionality. As per Reuters, Chief Product Officer Chris Cox stated that Meta aims to implement more "retention-driving hooks" to encourage users to come back to the app. One of the strategies involves ensuring that Instagram users can access important Threads content. The executives' statements followed a day after Meta impressed investors with an optimistic revenue growth projection, indicating a potential resurgence for the company. This turnaround comes after facing significant doubts last year due to substantial spending on the metaverse while experiencing a decline in ad sales. During the call with employees, Zuckerberg expressed his belief that the company's efforts in developing augmented and virtual reality technology for the metaverse were not massively ahead of schedule, but on track, reported Reuters. He emphasized the importance for Meta to begin investing in this work sooner rather than later, considering the competition from established players like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, who have years of experience in building operating systems for their existing products. (With inputs from Reuters) A human shadow on the steps of a bank in Hiroshima, following the explosion of the nuclear bomb in August 1945. (Image credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Christopher Nolans biopic Oppenheimer has reignited public interest in the historic race to develop atomic weapons. Yet, while the film dwells on J. Robert Oppenheimer's uneasy conscience and his fear of a future nuclear war, being told from his perspective, it doesn't show the direct consequences of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Yet on the streets of the two stricken cities, the horrifying evidence was plain to see. Black shadows of humans and objects, like bicycles, were found scattered across the sidewalks and buildings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two of the largest cities in Japan, in the wake of the atomic blast detonated over each city on Aug. 6 and 9, 1945, respectively. It's hard to fathom that these shadows likely encapsulated each person's last moments. But how did these shadows come to be? According to Dr. Michael Hartshorne, emeritus trustee of the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and professor emeritus of radiology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, when each bomb exploded, the intense light and heat spread out from the point of implosion. Objects and people in its path shielded objects behind them by absorbing the light and energy. The surrounding light bleached the concrete or stone around the "shadow." In other words, those eerie shadows are actually how the sidewalk or building looked, more or less, before the nuclear blast. It's just that the rest of the surfaces were bleached, making the regularly colored area look like a dark shadow. Related: Why do nuclear bombs form mushroom clouds? Powered by fission The intense energy released during an atomic explosion is the result of nuclear fission . According to the Atomic Heritage Foundation , a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., fission occurs when a neutron strikes the nucleus of a heavy atom, like the isotopes uranium 235 or plutonium 239. (An isotope is an element with varying numbers of neutrons in its nucleus.) During the collision, the element's nucleus is broken apart, releasing a large amount of energy. The initial collision sets off a chain reaction that continues until all of the parent material is exhausted. "The chain reaction occurs in a pattern of exponential growth that last[s] a millisecond or so," said Alex Wellerstein, an assistant professor of science and technology studies at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. "This reaction splits about a trillion, trillion atoms in that period of time before the reaction stop[s]." The atomic weapons used in the 1945 attacks were fueled by uranium 235 and plutonium 239 and released a massive amount of heat and very shortwave, gamma radiation. Energy flows as photon waves of varying lengths, including in long waves, like radio waves , and in shortwaves, like X-rays and gamma-rays . Between long waves and shortwaves lie visible wavelengths that contain energy that our eyes perceive as colors. However, unlike energy with longer waves, gamma radiation is destructive to the human body because it can pass through clothing and skin, causing ionizations, or the loss of electrons, that damage tissue and DNA , according to Columbia University . The gamma radiation released by the atomic bombs also traveled as thermal energy that could reach 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,538 degrees Celsius), Real Clear Science reported. When the energy hit an object, like a bicycle or a person, the energy was absorbed, shielding objects in the path and creating a bleaching effect outside the shadow. In fact, there were likely many shadows initially, but "most of the shadows would have been destroyed by subsequent blast waves and heat," Hartshorne told Live Science. A person's shadow on bank steps in Hiroshima, Japan, which was created during the 1945 nuclear blast. (Image credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Fat Man and Little Boy On Aug. 6, 1945, an atomic bomb nicknamed Little Boy detonated 1,900 feet (580 meters) above Hiroshima, Japan's seventh-largest city. According to the World Nuclear Association , the explosion was equivalent to 16,000 tons (14,500 metric tons) of TNT exploding, which sent a pulse of thermal energy rippling across the city. The pulse flattened 5 square miles (13 square kilometers) of the city. Almost one-quarter of the population of Hiroshima died immediately. Another quarter died of the effects of radiation poisoning and cancer in the months that followed. Three days after that blast, the United States detonated a second atomic bomb, nicknamed Fat Man, over Nagasaki. The plutonium 239 bomb released a 21,000-ton (19,000 metric tons) explosion that produced similar patterns of destruction and death across the city. Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender on Aug. 15 and signed the formal declaration on Sept. 2, 1945, ending the hostilities in the Pacific War and bringing World War II to a close. Related: How does an atomic clock work? Remembrance The United States targeted both Japanese cities during the war for their military significance. As time has passed, the long-term consequences of the radiation released by each bomb has raised significant questions about their use. Many of the shadows etched into the stone were lost to weathering and erosion by wind and water. Several nuclear shadows have been removed and preserved in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum for future generations to ponder these events. "I think it is very important to keep in mind the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons," Wellerstein told Live Science. "It is very easy to regard these weapons as tools of statecraft and not weapons of mass destruction. The nuclear shadows serve as a potent reminder of the human cost of [atomic weapon] use." Originally published on Live Science. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan condemned terrorist attack in Pakistan, the ministry wrote on its Twitter page, Trend reports. "We strongly condemn the terrorist attack at the Political Convention in Bajaur. We stand with brotherly Pakistan agnst this terrorist act that killed 40 and injured more than 100 people. We express condolences to the Government, victims & their families," - the publication said. Hundreds of canvassers have spread out across Atlanta in hopes of convincing more than 70,000 residents to sign onto a petition that activists believe is their best chance to halt the planned construction of a huge police and firefighter training center Tennessee governor declines to say if he has enough votes for gun proposal Gov. Bill Lee wouldnt say whether his proposal to keep firearms away from dangerous people has enough support inside Tennessees Republican-dominant Statehouse to survive the upcoming special legislative session Crime By Long Island Published: July 30 2023 Former high school classmate of actor Billy Baldwin, Rex Heuermann, shocks Massapequa community as he is taken into custody as a suspect in the Gilgo Beach serial killings. Residents of Massapequa were left in shock as news broke that a former Berner High School classmate of actor Billy Baldwin was taken into custody as a suspect in the Gilgo Beach serial killings. The accused, 59-year-old Rex Heuermann, lived with his wife and two children in the very Massapequa Park home where he grew up. Rex Heuermann, a seemingly average man known for his quiet demeanor and family-oriented lifestyle, graduated from Berner High School in Massapequa back in 1981. However, his life took a dark turn when he was apprehended near his office on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Friday, July 14. The revelation sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community, including actor Billy Baldwin, who took to social media to express his disbelief at the situation. "Woke up this morning to learn that the Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect was my high school classmate Rex Heuermann," Baldwin wrote on the fateful day. "Married, two kids, architect. Average guy quiet, family man. Mind-boggling Massapequa is in shock." According to reports by The New York Times, some individuals who attended school with Heuermann recalled a troubling past. As a sixth-grader, he was reportedly subjected to verbal taunts, but over the years, he grew larger and more intimidating during high school. "I was really scared of him," one of Heuermann's former classmates told The Times. "He was the type of guy if he snapped he could really hurt you. He was disillusioned and he was misguided. You had to be very careful." The developments surrounding Rex Heuermann have left the community grappling with a mix of emotions. Authorities are actively investigating the Gilgo Beach serial killings, a case that has long haunted Long Island. As the investigation unfolds, more details about the suspect's past and potential motives are likely to emerge. Malaysias Capital A teamed up with UnionDigital Bank, a subsidiary of Union Bank of the Philippines, to expand its financial technology business in the Philippines. UnionDigital Banks collaboration with BigPay, a leading mobile wallet providing financial services in Malaysia and Singapore, solidifies its expansion in the Philippine market. BigPay, under the partnership, aims to serve Philippine customers with secure and frictionless financial services to improve their financial health and management in the long run. UnionDigital Bank, the digital bank subsidiary of Union Bank of the Philippines, forms a strategic partnership with Capital As subsidiaries BigPay and airasia Superapp. Unveiling the collaborations at the APEC Business Advisory Council meeting press conference in Cebu are (from left) Capital A chief executive Tony Fernandes, BigPay chief executive Zubin Rada Krishnan, UnionDigital Bank president and chief executive Henry Aguda and Aboitiz Group president and chief executive Sabin Aboitiz. The partnership is expected to enhance the travel experience of frequent fliers with flexible payment options with a Fly Now, Pay Later offer available in the airasia Superapp, and exclusive co-branding deals. As tourism flourishes in the region, we are excited to elevate the end-to-end travel and payment experience of Filipinos through our collaboration with UnionDigital Bank and airasia [Superapp], said BigPay chief executive Zubin Rada Krishnan. Through this partnership, BigPay is one step closer to making our financial services highly accessible in the Philippines, with the mission of empowering people to level up their lives, one transaction at a time, he said. AirAsia is the airline business of Capital A, while airasia Superapp is the one-stop travel platform offering services from flights, hotels, ride-hailing, loyalty programs and more. For Capital A, the vision has always been to provide low cost, best value services, connecting people and realizing dreams, for people of ASEAN and beyond. With UnionDigital as our proud partner, we are now on our way to creating a future where travel meets innovative financial solutions that facilitate everyones dream journeys with unparalleled ease, said Capital A chief executive Tony Fernandes. We look forward to working with UnionDigital to redefine travel coupled with fintech as an accessible and enriching experience, he said. Fernades said data showed that seven of 10 of customers in the Philippines save up for travel plans, carefully budgeting to ensure they can explore the world comfortably. This is a pivotal moment for the two important sectors in the Philippines. We are forging a path towards greater convenience, accessibility and innovation to empower Filipinos to live better lives, said UnionDigital Bank president and chief executive Henry Aguda. As we make these partnership announcements at ABAC, we are not just setting the stage but building a solid foundation for a brighter future with BigPay and AirAsia by our side, he said. The collaboration demonstrates UnionDigital Bank, AirAsia and BigPays dedication to driving positive change, leveraging on powerful synergies that will empower and uplift the lives of Filipinos. As we continue to push boundaries and pioneer new initiatives with like-minded partners, a financially inclusive Philippines will surely be on its way, Aguda said. Darwin G. Amojelar Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. 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. The Cybercrime Investigation Coordinating Center signed a memorandum of agreement with consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines to help stem the growing cases of consumer fraud. CICC executive director Alexander Ramos said the MOA with CitizenWatch would help CICC reach targeted consumers and empower them through cybersecurity training and campaigns. We would like to show to them that partnership with the government is the solution to resolving cybercrimes, Ramos said. Retired Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes, a CICC technical consultant, said consumer fraud would be one of the four major areas to be included in the proposed National Cyber Security Plan. It will be one of the first four policies at the top of the agenda of the cyber security plan of the Philippines because it affects not only the consumer but the poor consumer, he said. CitizenWatch Philippines lead convenor Orlando Oxales said accessing the internet has become an indispensable utility for daily transactions and interactions with the digital transformation of the government and private sectors. CitizenWatch Philippines is one with the Cybercrime Investigation Coordinating Centers campaign to safeguard our digital environment. It is with honor and great enthusiasm that CitizenWatch Philippines is partnering with the CICC to fight the rising cybercrime incidents victimizing the countrys consumers, he said. Based on statistics previously released by CICC, online fraud in Metro Manila rose 186 percent to 4,446 in the first half of 2023 from 1,551 in the same period last year. The Inter-Agency Response Center of CICC received 364 complaints on online fraud in the first half which accounted for 40 percent of the total 904 cybercrime complaints during the period. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Moroccos King Mohammed VI has expressed hope for a return to normality and reopening of borders with North African neighbour Algeria, which cut diplomatic ties nearly two years ago. We pray to the Almighty for a return to normality and a reopening of the borders between our two neighbouring countries and our brotherly peoples, Mohammed VI, 59, said late Saturday in a speech to mark the anniversary of his accension to the throne in 1999. The borders have been closed since 1994, leaving families divided after Morocco accused its neighbour of involvement in a jihadist attack on a Marrakesh hotel that killed two tourists. Algeria then sealed the frontiers. Since then, tensions have persisted between the regional rivals, exacerbated by their dispute over Western Sahara, where the Algiers-backed Polisario Front is seeking independence from Rabats rule and has declared the territory a war zone. Algeria severed ties in August 2021, accusing Rabat of hostile acts, a move which Morocco said was completely unjustified. Israels recognition earlier this month of Moroccos sovereignty over Western Sahara added to tensions between Morocco and Algeria, which called Israels move a flagrant violation of international law. In his nationally broadcast speech Saturday, Mohammed VI expressed reassurance to our brothers in Algeria, their leadership and their people that they will never have to fear malice from Morocco. The king calls annually for a rapprochement with Algeria. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro on Sunday strongly opposed the grant of retirement benefits and pensions to the 18 high-ranking police officers who resigned amid allegations of involvement in illegal drug activities. If the reasons for the acceptance of their resignations are indeed strong, then these drug cops should be punished and not be coddled, she said. If ordinary employees of the governments are charged, all of their benefits are being suspended, she added. She raised concern about the fiscal crisis that the country is facing, particularly the burden of providing large pensions to police officers and military personnel. What kind of justice system would remove drug cops from their posts and still give them pensions, especially when we are already grappling with a fiscal crisis caused by the hefty pensions of police and military personnel? she asked. Granting retirement benefits and pensions to these high-ranking drug cops, according to Castro, could send a wrong message to the public. If they were given their pensions, then it simply sends the wrong message, which is crime pays in the Philippines, she noted. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. MY E.G. Services Berhad (MYEG) has entered into a collaboration and secured regulatory approval to deploy its blockchain-based customs clearance and processing services for trade flows between the Philippines and China. The group, together with its Philippine-incorporated companies, signed agreements for a collaboration with the Bureau of Customs and Cargo Data Exchange Center Inc., paving the way for the Philippines to adopt the digital solution known as Ztrade. The signing was done during the sidelines of the three-day state visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Ztrade is a first of its kind Web3 + Artificial Intelligence link between China and its trading partners which runs on MYEGs innovative Zetrix layer-1 blockchain platform. The new platform is expected to play a pivotal role in bolstering the trade relationship between the Philippines and China. China is the largest import and export trade partner of the Philippines. (Clockwise from top) Enrique Y. Gonzalez (MYEG Philippines Inc), TS Wong (MY E.G. Services Berhad), Jason Gaw Cheng (CDEC), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Trade Sec. Alfredo Pascual during the signing of the memorandum agreement in Petaling, Malaysia. In 2022, China was the Philippines largest supplier of imported goods valued at $28.22 billion or 20.6 percent of the total imports that year. The BOC, in collaboration with MYEG Philippines Inc. (MYEG PH), MYEG Ventures Inc. (MVI), and Cargo Data Exchange Center Inc., has executed a Memorandum of Understanding for the potential use of Zetrix Platform, said Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio. This platform is a blockchain-based application that will enable the verification of Certificates of Origin for exports to China and vice-versa, using express clearance and tariff exemptions under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement. The proposed use of the Zetrix Platform shall be at no cost to the Philippine government and is expected to facilitate greater trade through seamless yet highly secure transactions between countries, Rubio added. Under the collaboration, MYEG will provide the Ztrade solution in the Philippines, including ground installation, training, and assistance with customization requirements while CDEC, which is a value-added service provider of trade and logistics solutions for the BOC, will support the integration of Ztrade to its platform to ensure a seamless experience for users. At CDEC, we are proud to be the partner of MYEG in launching the Zetrix platform which will increase the global trade competitiveness of the Philippines and improve ease of doing business for our traders and logistics service providers, said CDEC President Jason Gaw Cheng. Malaysia, through its Ministry of Investment Trade and Industry, had announced in April its support for the adoption of a blockchain-based single window system for the mutual recognition of digital certificates of origin to improve trade facilitation and reduce technical barriers for more efficient and secure processing of goods originating from Malaysia to China. Forbes Malaysias 48th richest man TS Wong, who is also the Group Managing Director of MYEG, said: At MYEG, we are pleased that the advantages of deploying a Web3 + AI based solution i.e. Ztrade in offering secure, more intelligent, and more cost-effective processing of cross-border trades are now also being recognized in the Philippines, besides in Malaysia and China. We look forward to expanding this service to other nations as we continue pursuing our objective of deploying this pioneering solution, which leverages the power of Web3 and AI technology, across ASEAN and the RCEP region. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. A New England woman and her child were kidnapped in Haiti Thursday while working for a Christian nonprofit, according to the nonprofits website. Alix Dorsainvil, who is also the directors wife, and their child were kidnapped Thursday morning from El Roi Haiti Outreach Internationals campus near Port au Prince while serving in their community ministry. Dorsainvil is originally from New Hampshire. Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family, the website states. Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus. Dorsainvil is a nurse for the school, according to a video on the website. But she also provides services for the community. Her husband, Sandro Dorsainvil, grew up in the Cite Soleil area, a community in Port-au-Prince known for its poverty and violence, according to the website. He taught himself English and Spanish and had multiple translating jobs in Haiti, including a translating job by an adoption agency. He later attended high school in Montana and graduated from Liberty University in 2018. He is now the founder and director of El Roi Academy. We continue to trust in Jesus Christ who is faithful, even in these very difficult circumstances. We are asking people to pray and cry out to Him, that He would hold our friends safely in His hands and place a hedge of protection around them as He makes their path straight back to us and to freedom, the website states. The U.S. State Department confirmed to the Boston Globe on Friday that it was aware of reports of the kidnapping of two U.S. citizens in Haiti. We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners, a department spokesperson told the newspaper. We have nothing further to share at this time. There was also a do not travel advisory issued for Haiti. Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure, the advisory states. It states kidnappings are widespread and that victims regularly include U.S. citizens. Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked, it reads. Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings. Victims families have paid thousands of dollars to rescue their family members. A Boston food truck owner was sentenced to prison after filing fraudulent loan applications to obtain $1.5 million in COVID-19 relief money, the office for the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts said. Loc Vo, 55, of Brighton, was sentenced to two years in prison and two years of supervised release. He was was also ordered to pay $1,516,606 in restitution and forfeiture. Vo pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in January. In April 2020, Vo, the owner of Smart Gourmet LLC, submitted applications to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program and the Paycheck Protection Program, both established by the CARES Act, according to court documents. Vos applications were approved and he received $144,502 from Bank of America in PPP funds and $149,000 in EIDL funds. However, instead of using the money for its intended purpose, officials said Vo wired $143,000 of the EIDL money and $128,000 of the PPP money to an account in his name at E-Trade, an online trading platform. He then used the funds to purchase shares in an internet marketplace company and a biotechnology company, prosecutors said. In February 2021, Vo submitted a second PPP application and received $148,000, of which he wired $130,000 to the E-Trade account, court documents state. In April 2021, Vo submitted a PPP application for Indy Publish, a defunct book publishing business based in Virginia. The business was established in 2000 by Vo but was forfeited in 2002 for failing to file property returns for 2001, prosecutors said. Vo said in the PPP application that he did not own any other business. He received $106,673 from Bank of America as a PPP loan, of which he wired $90,000 to the E-Trade account and $19,000 to the Smart Gourmet account. Read more: Man rescued after getting stuck in swamp in Central Massachusetts In May 2021, Vo submitted a final application to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund for Smart Gourmet and received $967,531. Over the next two months, he transferred $838,000 to the E-Trade account and $74,000 to an account on Robinhood, another online trading platform, officials said. His attorney, Thomas Kerner, said in email to the Associated Press he was trying to revive his food truck business. Until he was approached by the FBI in 2021 regarding the E-Trade and Robinhood transactions, Mr. Vo was actively trying to revive his food truck business, Kerner said in email. In 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Taskforce as a means to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud, Rollins office said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman, of Rollins Securities, Financial and Cyber Fraud Unit, is prosecuting Vos case. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justices National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at the link here. A 29-year-old Boston man is facing charges after turning himself into police for hitting a parking police cruiser in Randolph over the weekend before driving off, according to Randolph Chief Anthony Marag. A Randolph police officer was helping a driver who ran out of gas on North Main Street when a 2014 black Jeep going north crossed over the center line and hit the parked cruiser, Marag said. The Jeep then continued north. Read More: Man rescued after getting stuck in swamp in Central Massachusetts It happened around 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 29. The officer was evaluated onsite but declined further treatment, the police chief said. A video of the incident can be found here. It shows a Jeep hitting the front left side of the cruiser as it is parked behind a U-Haul van with its hazard lights on in the left lane. Another officer, who was also at the scene, tried to stop the Jeep, but was unsuccessful, according to Marag. Police decided not to chase the Jeep out of the abundance of safety for officers and other drivers. Photo evidence was used to get the Jeeps license plate number and identify the suspect, the police chief said. Officers found the vehicle about 30 minutes later near Wellington Hill Street, but not the driver. Police also found damage on the car contingent with the hit-and-run. The vehicle was taken to the Randolph Police Department and impounded, Marag said. The suspected driver turned himself into police Sunday morning. He was charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and negligent operation of a motor vehicle as a result, according to the police department. The driver will be summonsed to Quincy District Court at a later date, Marag said. The drivers name was not released as a criminal complaint had not yet been issued. One person was seriously injured from a car crash in Cambridge that happened while heavy storms passed through the area Saturday. First responders were called to the crash on Memorial Drive just after 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 29, the Cambridge Fire Department said on Facebook. Cambridge police and Massachusetts State Police responded as well. The Cambridge Fire Department said one person was treated onsite before being taken to the hospital with serious injuries. No other information about the crash was released. The crash happened at the same time that the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch, which was active in the entire state until 9 p.m. The eastern portion of the state got the most rain from Saturdays storm with Andover and Boston getting over 3 inches, according to the weather service. It was the fifth wettest day in the month of July in Boston, the National Weather Service added. The city got 3.07 inches while Andover got 3.18. INCESSENT rainfall did not deter over 4,000 people from making the pilgrimage to the top of Croagh Patick this afternoon (July 30). Pilgrims began climbing the mountain shortly after midnight, with more arriving prior to the commencement of hourly masses on the summit at 8am. Continuous rainfall descended after 9am, creating difficult climbing conditions for pilgrims, many of whom travelled long distances - some of whom climbed the mountain barefoot. Local parish priest Fr Charlie McDonnell told The Mayo News that he estimated that over 4,000 people undertook the climb today (Sunday July 30). He added that nearby car parks were busier than the previous year in the early morning, but that the overall number of pilgrims appeared to be down. "The weather was a huge contributory factor. The day was atrocious," Fr McDonnell said. Despite the difficult climbing conditions, Fr McDonnell said there have been no reports of serious casualties and that overall casualty figures were way down on previous years. Fr McDonnell said that recent works on the path at the cone of the mountain had made 'a huge difference' to the safety of climbers. This years Reek Sunday pilgrimage was dedicated to church vocations. A special stand was set up at the foot of the mountain to provide information about the priesthood. The annual pilgrimage has been designated as one of the key initiatives to highlight the Year for Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood. Echoing the theme of this years pilgrimage, Fr McDonnell called on men to consider joining the priesthood. "No doubt it is a challenging time to minister as a priest, but in my role I find that serving the people of God in today's counter-cultural environment is nothing short of a faith-enriching experience," he said. "For this Reek Sunday, I invite any man who is discerning a vocation to the priesthood to avail of the opportunity to come to Croagh Patrick and pray, climb and reflect with other priests and members of the faithful." Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, pictured at the top of Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday (Pic: Conor McKeown) Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, said Mass at the top of the Reek at 11am before giving out Holy Communion. "On Reek Sunday every year we follow in the footsteps of Saint Patrick, and of our ancestors who have climbed this holy mountain since the dawn of Christianity. Croagh Patrick, represents the rock from which we, the people of Ireland were hewn," said Archbishop Martin in his homily. "Todays pilgrimage links our past, present and future and it continues to nurture the spiritual memory and identity of this country." Archbishop Martin also decried unlimited choice without consequence as a tyranny which threatens the dignity of the human person as a unity of body and soul. "To be able to discern between good and evil is more important than ever, when there are just so many choices out there, and when the primacy of individual choice - including absolute choice over our bodies and over creation - is sometimes held up as the gold standard of a modern society freed from the so-called 'shackles of the past'," he stated. "But to present choice as unlimited, unencumbered by talk of 'good and bad' choice, of 'right and wrong' choice, is a recipe for disappointment, for a sense of personal failure and even despair." by Ray Schultz , July 30, 2023 The sudden closure of the Santa Barbara News-Press has left both readers and staff members feeling saddenedand perhaps relieved. Its been like watching a cancer victim die, says Dawn Hobbs, a former News-Press reporter, according to The Los Angeles Times. You are so sad at the end. But youre almost relieved that the entity has been put out of its misery. Billionaire Wendy McCaw bought the News-Press from The New York Times for $110 million in 2000. But the reports of a match made in heaven proved greatly exaggerated, the Los Angeles Times alleges. Within a few years, McCaws relationship with newsroom leaders and then with many readers began to crumble. advertisement advertisement A bloodbath exodus of top editors followed in 2006, the Los Angeles Times says, adding, "circulation swooned." Many said the newspapers fate had been sealed ever since McCaw began warring with her staff and injecting her right-leaning, government-upbraiding views deep into the news pages, the Times continues. The finale came on July 21 when parent Ampersand Publishing, LLC filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, spelling the end of the 168 year-old news product. I have some bad news, Managing Editor Dave Mason wrote in an email to staff. Wendy filed for bankruptcy on Friday. All of our jobs are eliminated, and the News-Press has stopped publishing. They ran out of money to pay us. They will issue final paychecks when the bankruptcy is approved in court. MediaPost was unable to get comment from McCaw at deadline. The bankruptcy filing indicates that there are no assets to pay creditors. Chapter 7 bankruptcy normally means liquidation. The publisher reported from 200 to 999 creditors and estimated liabilities totaling from $1 million to $10 million, according to the filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. The company listed assets of $50,000 or less. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 31. Nearly 61,700 tons of non-oil products worth $12.6 million were imported in Irans North Khorasan Province, during the first three months of the current Iranian year (March 21 through June 21, 2023), Director General of North Khorasan Customs Office Abbas Bagheri said, Trend reports. The director general said that the imports via the provinces customs for the reporting period increased by 766 percent in value, while decreasing by 41 percent in volume compared to the same period last Iranian year. Bagheri added that the imported goods were mainly aluminum, electric engines, washing machines and spare parts, air conditioners, etc. According to him, the mentioned goods were mainly imported from China, Turkiye and the UAE. Overall, Iran imported 9.6 million tons of non-oil products worth $14 billion within the first three months of the current Iranian year. This is an increase of 5.79 percent in value and 1 percent in volume compared to the same period in the last year. --- Follow the author on Twitter:@BaghishovElnur BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 31. Iranian local farmers were paid another 110 trillion rials (about $2.62 billion) in exchange for wheat purchased under a guarantee in Iran (July 15 through July 22, 2023), Iranian Minister of Agriculture Jihad Mohammad Ali Nikbakht said, Trend reports. The minister noted that more than 6 million tons of wheat worth more than 900 trillion rials (about $21.4 billion) have been purchased in the country since the beginning of the current wheat harvesting season (started in March 28, 2023). Nikbakht added that some 550 trillion rials (about $13.1 billion) of the mentioned funds have been paid to wheat farmers by July 10, 2023. It is planned to pay the remaining funds in stages. Overall, 13 million tons of wheat are forecasted to be harvested in Iran for the current Iranian year (March 21, 2023, through March 19, 2024). Of that amount, 8-8.5 million tons are estimated to be purchased by Iranian Government Trading Corporation (GTC). Meanwhile, last Iranian year (March 21, 2022, through March 20, 2023), about 11.5 million tons of wheat were harvested in the country, of which 7.5 million tons were purchased by the GTC. Last year, the price of 1 kg of wheat was set up at 115,000 rials (about $2.74), while, 1 kg of wheat is set at 150,000 rials (about $3.57) for the current season. In total, wheat was planted on 5.95 million hectares of land in Iran in the current season. Of this, 3.96 million hectares accounted for dry-farming land, while 1.99 million hectares for ordinary agricultural land. --- Follow the author on Twitter:@BaghishovElnur DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia's war on the country, officials said Sunday. The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said one official, who spoke early Sunday on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Russia was not invited, the official added. Hours later, the head of Ukraines presidential office, Andriy Yermak, confirmed the talks would be held in Saudi Arabia, without naming Jeddah as the location. The Ukrainian Peace Formula contains 10 fundamental points, the implementation of which will not only ensure peace for Ukraine, but also create mechanisms to counter future conflicts in the world, Yermak said in a statement. We are deeply convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis, because the war is taking place on our land." Yermak's statement described the 10 points as being discussed individually and in groups with representatives of more than 50 countries on an almost weekly basis. Previously, Ukraine has described the 10-point peace formula as including the restoration of Ukraines territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine. Other peace plans have been floated amid the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin just finished meetings in St. Petersburg with African leaders about their own proposed plan. China and Pope Francis also been working separately on their own. No details of those plans have been released. Saudi Arabia did not acknowledge the upcoming summit Sunday and did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, the official who spoke to AP said. A high-level official from U.S. President Joe Biden's administration also is expected to attend the event, which is being planned by Kyiv, the official said. Details remain in flux and the official did not offer dates for the talks, nor did Yermak. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the summit citing diplomats involved in the discussion, said the talks would take place Aug. 5 and 6, with some 30 countries attending. News of the summit comes after U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited the kingdom Thursday. The official who spoke to AP said the summit would be the next step after talks that took place in Copenhagen in June. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended an Arab League summit in Jeddah in May to press those nations to back Kyiv. Arab nations largely have remained neutral since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022, in part over their military and economic ties to Moscow. Saudi Arabia also has maintained a close relationship with Russia as part of the OPEC+ group. The organizations oil production cuts, even as Moscows war on Ukraine boosted energy prices, have angered Biden and American lawmakers. But hosting such talks also help raise the profile of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has sought to reach a detente with Iran and push for a peace in the kingdom's yearslong war in Yemen. Ties remain strained between Riyadh and the West over the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, which U.S. intelligence agencies say was ordered by Prince Mohammed. ___ Madhani reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Associated Press writer Andrew Katell in New York contributed to this report. How to use the mindat.org media viewer Click/touch this help panel to close it. Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. 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Summary of all keyboard shortcuts The Orioles announced the signing of three right-handers Eduard Bazardo, Kyle Dowdy and Wandisson Charles to minor league contracts this evening. All three are relievers wholl add to Baltimores bullpen depth without requiring a spot on the 40-man roster. Bazardo has spent his entire career in the AL East. A former international signee of the Red Sox, he played parts of seven seasons in the Boston system. The Venezuela native has primarily pitched at Triple-A Worcester over the last two years, tallying 68 2/3 innings of 4.33 ERA ball. Bazardo has fanned an average 23.1% of opposing hitters at that level against a solid 7.7% walk rate, securing fairly brief looks in the majors in each of the past two seasons. The 27-year-old tallied 19 1/3 MLB innings over 14 appearances, allowing five runs. Thats a strong mark but wasnt supported by a fairly modest 14:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Boston ran Bazardo through outright waivers in each of the last two years and he elected minor league free agency after going unclaimed in October. He averaged 94 MPH on his fastball and generated a decent number of whiffs on his low-80s breaking ball in his limited big league look. Dowdy pitched 22 1/3 innings as a Rule 5 draftee for the Rangers back in 2019, walking more batters than he struck out while posting a 7.25 ERA. Returned to the Cleveland system midseason, he spent the next couple years in the minor leagues. Dowdy returned to the bigs for a very brief stint with the Reds this September, making two appearances. He worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings for Cincinnati, albeit with just three strikeouts and walks apiece. Cincinnati non-tendered him at the end of the year to reallocate his spot on the 40-man roster to prospects they didnt want to lose in the Rule 5 draft. A University of Houston product, Dowdy turns 30 in February. He spent most of this year with the Reds highest affiliate in Louisville, pitching to a 3.96 ERA across 52 1/3 frames. Dowdy punched out 24% of opponents but issued walks at a significant 13.3% clip. Strike-throwing has been a consistent issue throughout his career, as hes walked 12.7% of batters faced over four Triple-A seasons. He averaged a bit north of 96 MPH on his heater during his limited MLB look with Cincinnati. Charles, 26, has yet to reach the majors. He secured a spot on the As 40-man roster over the 2020-21 offseason, which he held until this August. Oakland designated him for assignment and ran him through waivers amidst a grisly 2022 showing at Double-A Midland, and he reached free agency at seasons end. The native of the Dominican Republic posted an 11.43 ERA over 37 innings for the RockHounds, walking an untenable 18.8% of opponents with a 16.8% strikeout rate. The Orioles will hope a change of scenery can get him back on track. Prior to this year, Charles had garnered modest praise from prospect evaluators for a fastball that reaches the upper-90s. The Blue Jays landed one of the most sought-after bullpen arms on the trade market Sunday, announcing the acquisition of righty Jordan Hicks from the Cardinals in exchange for Double-A right-handers Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein. In a corresponding roster move, Toronto designated righty Mitch White for assignment. Hicks had previously been reported to be discussing an extension with the Cardinals ahead of the trade deadline on August 1, though those discussions seemingly stalled out earlier in the week. Hicks, 26, was a third-round pick in the 2015 draft by the Cardinals. He made his big league debut back in 2018 and threw 77 2/3 innings in his first big league season, with a 3.59 ERA and 3.74 FIP. While he generated an impressive 60.7% groundball rate in his rookie campaign, he posted a lackluster 20.6% strikeout rate and struggled badly with his control to the point of walking 13.3% of batters faced. Early on in his sophomore 2019 season, Hicks required Tommy John surgery. That surgery began a series of injuries and setbacks that would limit him to just 38 2/3 innings of work from 2019-21. Finally fully healthy in 2022, the Cardinals decided to try using Hicks as a member of the rotation. That experiment did not go well, as Hicks posted a 5.84 ERA and 5.54 FIP in 24 2/3 innings of work across seven starts while walking a whopping 16% of batters faced over that stretch. While he pitched a bit better upon returning to the bullpen, he nonetheless finished the 2022 campaign with 4.84 ERA and 13.3% walk rate in 61 1/3 innings of work. The 2023 campaign started off difficultly for Hicks once again, as he yielded a whopping nine runs (eight earned) in just 5 2/3 innings of work in his first seven appearances of the year. Since then, however, hes settled in as one of the most dominant relievers in baseball over the past few months. Since April 18, Hicks sports a 2.25 ERA and a sterling 1.92 FIP in 36 innings of work. Hes cut his walk rate to 10.4% in that time, a figure that, while somewhat elevated, is more than made up for by a phenomenal 34.4% strikeout rate. Hicks also sports a characteristically excellent 58.3% groundball rate this season, a figure that has led him to allow just two home runs all season, and none since he got his season back on track in mid-April. Hickss dominant arm makes him a perfect candidate for Torontos bullpen, as the Blue Jays lost closer Jordan Romano to the 15-day injured list earlier this weekend thanks to lower back inflammation. While its possible Romano will return fairly quickly after the minimum 15-day stint, hes been plagued by the issue since it caused him to depart the All Star game earlier this month. Still, it would hardly be a surprise to see the Blue Jays take additional time to ensure their closer is fully healthy upon his return given both the nagging nature of the issue and the importance of Romano, who leads the AL with 28 saves this season and sports a 2.79 ERA in 42 innings this season, to the clubs success. In return for Hickss services, the Blue Jays are paying a hefty prospect toll. Robberse appears to be the headliner in the deal as the clubs seventh-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline and their sixth-best prospect according to Fangraphs. Originally signed out of the Netherlands back in 2019, the 21-year-old hurler sports a 92-94 mph fastball, quality secondary offerings in both a changeup and a slider, and plus command. In 113 1/3 innings of work at the Double-A level, Robberse owns a 3.97 ERA and a strikeout rate of 22%. Kloffenstein, meanwhile, goes unranked on both Pipelines and Fangraphss lists. Fangraphs describes Kloffenstein as a pitcher with a four-pitch mix highlighted by a sinker and a slider, though it ultimately pegs him as more of an innings-eating, depth starter type. That evaluation, however, is from prior to the 2023 campaign, where Kloffenstein has impressed to this point. Torontos third-round pick in the 2018 draft has shoved across 89 innings of work at Double-A this season to the tune of a 3.24 ERA with a strikeout rate of 27.6%, a figure well above his career rate of 23.5% entering the 2023 campaign. Both Kloffenstein and Robberse clearly fit the mold of return the Cardinals have reportedly been looking for in dangling their rental arms this summer: controllable, upper-level starting pitching prospects. Both Robberse and Kloffenstein project as starters going forward and have over 100 innings of experience at Double-A, with Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat noting that both hurlers are set to be promoted to Triple-A by the Cardinals organization. Given that promotion, it seems reasonable to assume both pitchers will be on the big league radar for sometime in 2024, barring injury or ineffectiveness changing the timeline. The deal also spells the end of Whites time in Toronto. A second-round selection by the Dodgers in the 2016 draft, White impressed with a 3.44 ERA and 3.78 FIp in 49 2/3 innings of work across his first two seasons in the majors. He continued his success in a Dodgers uniform in 2022 with a 3.70 ERA and 3.95 FIP in 56 innings of work, but the club dealt White to Toronto at the trade deadline last season. Since joining the Blue Jays, White has struggled mightily, with a 7.60 ERA in 55 2/3 innings of work. While he posted a 4.03 FIP that far outstrips his results as a member of the Jays, his walk rate has ticked up to 11.7% this season, a level unlikely to be sustainable given his mediocre 21.7% strikeout rate. Going forward, Toronto will have one week to either waive or release White, assuming he himself isnt traded before the deadline on August 1. Craig Mish of the Miami Herald first reported that Hicks had been traded to Toronto. FanSideds Robert Murray reported that Kloffenstein was part of the return. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet first reported Robberses inclusion in the deal. The Cubs have outrighted infielder Edwin Rios, according to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. There had been no previous indication that Rios had been designated for assignment. Chicagos 40-man roster drops to 39 as a result of the move. Rios has the requisite service time to reject an outright assignment, but would forfeit the remainder of his $1MM salary in doing so. A sixth-round pick by the Dodgers in the 2015 draft, Rios made his big league debut with the club in 2019 and thrived in a bench role with LA, slashing a phenomenal .260/.338/.634 in 139 plate appearances across his first two seasons in the majors. The following two seasons, however, werent as fruitful. From 2021-22, Rios battled hamstring and shoulder injuries while slashing just .183/.263/.365 in 152 plate appearances. That combination of injuries and ineffectiveness led the Dodgers to non-tender Rios this past offseason. Upon departing LA Rios joined the Cubs, who signed him to a $1MM major league deal in hopes of Rios providing lefty power off the bench for the club. Things didnt go according to plan for Rios or Chicago, however, as the now 29-year-old slugger slashed just .071/.235/.214 with a massive 47.1% strikeout rate in 34 trips to the plate. That performance was enough for the Cubs to demote Rios to Triple-A for most of the 2023 campaign despite the small sample size. Now, more than a month removed from Rioss last big league appearance, hes off the 40-man roster entirely. Assuming he opts to accept his outright assignment in order to retain the remainder of his salary, Rios figures to serve as a depth bench option for the Cubs infield, though hes blocked by the likes of Matt Mervis and Miles Mastrobuoni, both of whom are already on the 40-man roster. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- For four Thursdays in a row this summer, someone was killed by another person in Washtenaw County. A 56-year-old man found dead in his Ann Arbor home. Someone shot during an argument in Ypsilanti. A woman stabbed by an attacker who later barricaded himself in Ypsilanti Township. A father killed by his son in a Superior Township stabbing. These four deaths are just a sample of the homicides that have happened since June 1 a trend that has county law enforcement calling for more attention on mental health. Ive been here since 1998. In terms of homicides, Ive never seen this before, said Aimee Metzer, interim chief of the Ann Arbor Police Department. 11 homicides have happened since June 1 Since June 1, there have been 11 homicides in Washtenaw County, the same number as the county had for all of 2022. The 14 total homicides this year have outpaced 2020 and 2021 numbers, which had 12 and 14 homicides, respectively. Four of the 11 homicides happened in Ypsilanti Township, two in Ann Arbor, two in Superior Township, one on a highway in Ann Arbor Township, another on the highway in Lima Township and one in the city of Ypsilanti. Eight of the homicides were fatal shootings, with the remainder being stabbings. Both victims and suspects have been on the younger side, with the average age of victims 33 and suspects 25, respectively. What concerns law enforcement, however, is motive. In seven of the summer cases, police have identified the motive as some sort of interpersonal or family dispute. The motive for the remaining cases is either unknown or has not been released by police. Homicide motives underscore police concern Police have previously curtailed violence by talking with groups known to fight with each other, said Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton. This years violence, however, is more random, he added. This is more reflective of a societal issue where violence is the answer to any disagreement, to any argument, Clayton said. Only one incident this summer a fatal stabbing in Superior Township has involved family members. The rest have stemmed from some sort of beef, law enforcement officials said. While six of the homicide suspects have had prior offenses in Washtenaw County, none have been incarcerated in Michigan for offenses considered violent by the FBI. In two incidents the homicide on M-14 and one in Ann Arbor a suspect has not yet been identified. Theres no correlation in the individual cases, and most of them are known offenders or relationship-based, which makes it particularly difficult for law enforcement to have some predictive impact, said Kirk Moore, chief of the Ypsilanti Police Department. Overall violent incidents, either random or spurred by interpersonal disputes, have also seen an uptick, Moore said. While domestic violence is not on the rise, Ypsilanti police have seen a major difference in severity, he said. Aggravated assaults in downtown Ann Arbor have been going up since 2019, according to data from the Ann Arbor police. Read more: Violent crime like June shootings, assaults on the rise in Ann Arbor, data shows Two other recent incidents almost became homicides, said Metzer -- a March stabbing on Miller Avenue and an assault in June that fractured a 38-year-old mans skull. Mental health concerns are at the forefront The rise in violence has underscored concerns for mental health in the community, law enforcement said. We were worried about this the year before coming out of COVID, Clayton said. And this is not unique to Washtenaw County. Matter of fact, I would argue Washtenaw Countys a bit behind the curve of what weve seen nationally. Murders rose nationally by 30% in 2020 compared to the years before, followed by a 6% rise in 2021, according to statistics from the FBI. The pandemic likely affected these numbers. The murder rate is currently set to drop roughly 12% this year overall. The murder rate has fallen by 6.6% in Detroit and 26% in Flint, according to FBI data. Grand Rapids, which had 23 homicides in 2022, is on track for a similar number. While Metzer said it is difficult to know exactly what may be causing the rise in violence, she also pointed to mental health. Anecdotally, I think I could say that theres an increase in people who are suffering from a mental illness or need mental health treatment or counseling, she said. An ongoing internal study of 15 years of homicide data has begun to show a correlation between victims and perpetrators, Clayton said. Those who have suffered from a crime like criminal sexual conduct or assault are more likely to commit a homicide later, Clayton said. But identifying victims who may later become violent can be difficult. How do you pick which ones you engage? Do you just a run a program for folks in this age range that have suffered some kind of trauma? Clayton said. Its got to be a collective societal community approach. Of the homicides committed so far this year, three suspects have been referred for a competency evaluation: Ricky McCain, 54, charged in the death of Jude Walton in Ann Arbor in April; Kendall Newbern, 16, suspected in the death of 18-year-old Jason Gregory in June; and Shaquille Williams, 27, accused of fatally stabbing 60-year-old Clifford Williams. This is bigger than just the police, Clayton said, adding the community needs nonprofits, politicians and health officials to work together. (You have to put) in the work understanding that this is not going to be done overnight. That this is long-haul stuff that were talking about. More police is not the answer, Clayton says The Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office will not be putting more deputies on the street, Clayton said. And in Ann Arbor, short staffing has made handling the current cases already difficult, Metzer said. When she was first hired in the late 90s, the department had roughly 200 officers and 25 detectives. Now, it has around 100 officers and fewer than 10 detectives. The detectives are saddled with 20 to 30 cases at a time, and that makes it very, very hard, Metzer said. As soon as one thing is ... wrapped up, something else comes in. Data analysis is critical for understaffed departments, Moore said. As we try to rebuild our ranks, that data helps us to be more efficient with the resources that we do have, Moore said. Clayton encouraged those struggling with mental health to reach out to resources, whether they are concerned about being a victim or their own health status. He also encouraged residents to be mindful of their reactions during interpersonal conflicts. Theres strength in going to talk to a therapist to help you navigate those situations, Clayton said. Individual issues can quickly become community issues, Moore said. Its really important for us as a community to start to not only embrace each other, but to recognize when citizens are in distress, Moore said. 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. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: Competency hearing adjourned for man accused of killing Ann Arbor woman Man accused of fatally stabbing father to undergo competency exam Police looking for man who groped Ann Arbor woman outside her apartment IMLAY CITY, MI As the summer sun set on a Michigan night, fairgoers with hands sticky from fair food and foreheads dried, or still wet, with sweat packed a set of grandstands on Saturday, July 29. The Demolition Derby is a staple of fairs and small towns across Michigan, at the Eastern Michigan State Fair theres no difference. Crashes, smoke and spews of mud drew cheers from an eager crowd. Among the drivers in the second heat there were two Millers. Rodger Miller, who has been competing in derbies for 35 years, and his son Nathan Miller, who has been competing for six. Lot of big hits out there, the vans were really starting to come on strong, Rodger Miller said, We had to take those vans down. His son said the same thing a few minutes earlier, while Rodger Miller was getting his car towed back. Rodger Miller called it intuition. Vans peeled off one by one, with their beaten down machines taking too many hits to handle. Suspension, steering, tires. Before you knew it we were down to one, two, Rodger Miller said, Tried to take my son out but I couldnt get him. Rodger Miller said that derbies have been a nice father and son experience for him, but when they are in the drivers seats they are still opponents that has created quite the scoreboard. Were going back and forth, I think he still has two on me in the head-to-head, Nathan Miller said. Nathan Miller ended the derby with a smash that set his fathers car on fire, leaving Rodger Miller to scramble out of the window. The Millers were just two of the many heavy hitters at this years derby, which was dedicated to Hunter Thorner. Thorner was last years derby champ, but died in a crash in January. His brother, Hayden Thorner, won the derbys first heat with his name written on his car. It was his first time competing in a demolition derby. 32 1 / 32 Demolition Derby packs Eastern Michigan State Fair's stands The demolition derby is just one attraction the Eastern Michigan State Fair offered this year, after starting on Wednesday, July 25. The fairs last day is Sunday, July 30. For more information visit the Eastern Michigan State Fairs website here. Read more at The Flint Journal: Michigans Best Local Eats: Try the Barbie Shake at this Michigan ice cream spot Check out the vintage and new games at Michigan hot spot bar arcade Flint Jazz Festival kicks off on a good note FLINT, MI Residents of Flint will continue to have access to nutritious food by the truckload throughout August thanks to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. MDHSS has provided the Flint mobile food pantries since February 2016 in partnership with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint. Augusts mobile food pantry distribution will have plenty of delicious, vitamin-rich produce, including cabbage, sweet corn, watermelon, and summer squash. Augusts schedule is listed below: Asbury United Methodist Church, 1653 Davison Road Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 10 a.m. Greater Holy Temple, 6702 N. Dort Hwy. Thursday, Aug. 3, at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, at 10 a.m. Mark Baptist Church, 3020 Dupont St. Wednesday, Aug. 9, at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 9 a.m. Bethel United Methodist Church, 1309 N. Ballenger Hwy. Monday, Aug. 7, at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 14, at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21, at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 28, at 10 a.m. Flint residents can also pick up free nutritional food at the three Flint Help Center locations: Bethel United Methodist Church, 1309 N. Ballenger Hwy., open Mondays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Asbury United Methodist Church, 1653 Davison Road, open Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Greater Holy Temple, 6702 N. Dort Hwy., open Thursdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Information about additional food distributions will be announced as they are scheduled. To check food distribution schedules, visit the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan website at FBEM.org and find the updated schedule on the Mobile Pantry Distribution page, or call 810-239-4441. 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: Zero-emissions goal by Flint MTA boosted with $480K federal grant University of Michigan-Flint police undergo mental health de-escalation training program Flint reschedules Independence Day fireworks for Back to the Bricks weekend KENT COUNTY, MI The Kent District Library will ask voters this November to renew a property tax at a lower rate that will fund the library system for the next 15 years. On Nov. 7, Kent County residents in the Kent District Library (KDL) service area will consider a 15-year millage of 1.1 mills a roughly 10.9% reduction from the current millage of 1.2355 mills. All cities and townships in Kent County except for Grand Rapids, Cedar Springs, Sparta and Sparta and Solon Townships are in the KDL service area. KDL officials say the new millage rate equates to about $145.75 annually for the average homeowner in the service area. Voters last approved a 10-year KDL millage in 2014. The millage is expected to generate $26.6 million in its first year, covering the expense of physical and digital collections, employees, programs and events, tech tutoring and other library services and expenses. If approved, the millage will expire Dec. 31, 2039. KDL Board Chair Andy Erlewein said the library system will continue offering its current program and services and add more materials, programs, events and services under the new rate. Kent District Library is able to lower its millage because we are part of a thriving and growing community where new taxable real estate has produced more revenue, Erlewein said. As good stewards of taxpayer dollars, we want to lock in savings for residents now. KDL has 20 branches throughout Kent County and includes more than 440,000 residents in its service area. KDL officials said in 2022 library users saved an average of $1,348 in value for physical and digital items they would otherwise have had to purchase. KDLs collection includes more than 700,000 physical items and 15.6 million digital items, including books, e-books, magazines, movies, audio books, video games, research materials and more. This millage will support our programs and services we offer, as well as our physical spaces, said KDL Executive Director Lance Werner. As an organization, we very much reflect the needs and wishes of each community we serve. From young learners to senior scholars, we offer age-appropriate materials, programs and services that reflect the diverse interests and points of view of our entire community. About 90% of KDLs funding comes from millage dollars. Without it, KDL would be forced to close, Werner said. People can find out more about KDLs services and offerings at kdl.org. Read more on MLive: Did President Gerald R. Ford claim he saw a UFO? Recall effort against Ottawa Impact member halted by appeal Ottawa County exceeds budget, allocates $110K more to cover costs of conservative law firm Lane closures on Fulton Street go into effect as road project continues JACKSON, MI - A sea of purple filled the streets as people gathered to honor cancer survivors at Cascade Falls on Friday, July 28 for Relay For Life. The Jackson Relay For Life started in 1991 and was the largest in the nation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Money raised for the event helps fund cancer research. Its a community-wide event, and this year $9,000 was raised by at-risk children in the Jackson County Health Departments Get Real program. Your zip code should not determine your chance of survival against cancer, said Katie Jones, senior development manager at the American Cancer Society. This year, over 400 people and 45 teams registered for the event, with more cancer survivors attending this year than the year before. Relay isnt sad. Its a celebration, a celebration of how far weve come and where we are headed, said KayCe Parsons, a survivor. Parsons has fought three different types of cancer. Breast cancer saved my life. If they hadnt found the breast cancer, then they wouldnt have found the multiple myeloma and then the rare cancer, Parsons said. The Relay for Life community wants cancer to be a thing of the past for future generations. For my grandkids, I want this to be a footnote in history, co-event lead Tami Reed said. More from the Jackson Citizen Patriot: Jackson Relay for Life raises money for cancer research, provide camaraderie Michigans Best Local Eats: Theres a brisket sandwich at PB&Js BBQ that even Elvis would love Nominations open for Jacksons finest in volunteering, diversity and inclusion ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 30. The value of steel products exported to Kazakhstan from Turkiye increased by 18.3 percent to $19.3 million from January through June 2023 compared to the same period last year, Trend reports. According to the Turkish Trade Ministry, in June, the value of exported steel products to Kazakhstan increased by 3 percent compared to the previous month, reading $3.5 million. However, the overall Turkish export of steel products decreased by 39.2 percent in the first six months of this year compared to the same period in 2022 and totaled $7.2 billion. In June of this year, Turkiye exported steel products worth $1.3 million, which is 42.1 percent less than in June last year. Over the past 12 months (June 2022 - June 2023), Turkiye exported steel products worth $16.4 billion. Overall, the trade turnover between Turkiye and Kazakhstan totaled $1.9 billion from January through April 2023. This figure is 4.4 percent less than in the same period of the previous year ($2.06 billion). The Michigan legislature has been away on summer break for a month already, but that doesnt mean the headlines stop coming. This week, read about two Michigan Republicans who answered to the charges made against them, a number of bills signed into law and some post-Roe abortion statistics. And while youre here, dont forget to check out a special series taken on by the MLive politics team. Weve been taking a walk down memory lane with articles about state history, like the short-lived sixth Great Lake, an impersonating lawmaker from the 1960s and the restoration of the heart of the Michigan Capitol. Now, lets get you up to speed on whats been happening this week in Michigan politics: Former Michigan GOP co-chair pleads not guilty in Trump electors case Former Michigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock pleaded not guilty this week to eight felony charges stemming from her participation in an alleged scheme to replace Michigans electoral college representatives with a slate of Republicans to subvert the 2020 election. In a Tuesday hearing over Zoom, Maddock pleaded not guilty to all eight felony charges, according to court records. Maddock is one 16 Republicans charged this month by Attorney General Dana Nessel, which allegedly sought to secure a second term for then-President Donald Trump. The remaining defendants face arraignment over the next two weeks. A preliminary examination in Maddocks case has been scheduled for Aug. 11. Ex-GOP gov. candidate Ryan Kelley pleads guilty to Jan. 6 charge Ryan Kelley, a one-time contender for Republican gubernatorial nomination, pleaded guilty to one of four federal charges he was facing from his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. According to court documents, Kelley formally pleaded guilty to one count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds in court Thursday. Court filings Kelley signed in June said he had beckoned rioters up the Capitol steps toward the building before removing police barricades and tearing the covering off scaffolding erected for the upcoming presidential inauguration. Prosecutors presented no evidence he ever entered the Capitol. Under the plea offer, the estimated prison term Kelley could receive is between zero and six months and a fine between $1,000 and $9,500, though Kelley can ask the court for no fine. The court, however, isnt required to abide by the estimates. Others participants in Jan. 6 who pleaded guilty to Kelleys charge have been sentenced to prison, probation or simply a fine, depending on the circumstances. Conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors now banned in Michigan Pride flag Michigan is joining the growing list of 21 states, plus the District of Columbia, to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors under legislation signed Wednesday, July 26, by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Today, we are banning the horrific practice of conversion therapy in Michigan and ensuring this is a state where you can be who you are, Whitmer said in a statement. As a mom of a member of the community and a proud, lifelong ally, I am grateful that we are taking action to make Michigan a more welcoming, inclusive place. Supporters of ending conversion therapy, a disproven method used to change someones sexual orientation or gender identity, have long spoken about the negative, long-lasting effects the practice has on LGBTQ people. The conversion therapy ban legislation was one of many bills signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week. The new laws would, among other things, allow Michigan to accept out-of-state teachers and authorize schools to help collect union dues, as well as grant the state authority to adopt stricter environmental rules than the federal government. Abortions for out-of-state women increase 66% in Michigan post Roe The number of out-of-state patients traveling to Michigan to obtain an abortion increased 66% in 2022 from the year prior as the topic became a nationwide point of debate with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Now, doctors say, its unclear if the trend will continue as neighboring states like Ohio and Indiana continue to tighten restrictions on abortion services. The number of out-of-state patients that were seeing has tripled, said Dr. Sarah Wallett, chief medical operating officer with Planned Parenthood of Michigan. Where it used to be fairly uncommon for us to see someone who lived out of state, now, its really routine. Every day that I am in clinic, I am seeing someone who has traveled from out-of-state. Data released by the Department of Health and Human Services earlier this month show, year-over-year, Michigan doctors performed 2,761 abortions for out-of-state patients in 2022 1,096 more abortions than the 1,665 documented in 2021. Out-of-state patients made up nearly 9.2% of all abortions performed in Michigan, making that metric the highest its ever been, according to an agency spokesperson. Read more from MLive: Michigan Republican caucuses are outraising Democrats. It may not matter. Ottawa Countys John Gibbs places deputy on administrative leave following resignation letter Man charged for allegedly pulling gun on state workers testing drinking water Whitmer, Ontario premier exchange hockey jerseys and signatures on new agreement West Michigan mental health board member who used slur asked to resign Michigan Supreme Court offers path forward for non-biological mom in LGBTQ child custody case Ghana's Independent Power Producers (IPPs) are afraid to fold up due to the government's failure to settle debts owed them. According to the IPP, the debt is now over $2 billion. The IPPs on July 1 threatened to shut down their plants but rescind their decision following discussions with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) aimed at resolving the debt issue. However, despite the assurances, the agreements seem to have been breached, leaving the IPPs disappointed and no option but to threaten another power cut to government. On Thursday, July 27, IPP carried out an urgent meeting with government representatives to discuss the situation. Energy industry stakeholders have been warning about a potential power crisis if IPPs decide to take action. With a controlling interest of roughly 50%, IPPs have a substantial impact on the nation's energy-generating mix. The debt load, however, has negatively impacted their access to working capital, making it difficult for them to finance necessary inputs like chemicals for water treatment in thermal generators, many of which are priced in foreign currencies, notably the US dollar. 28.07.2023 LISTEN Abraham Amaliba, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal team, described the free Senior High School program as the only policy the ruling NPP wants to be remembered with. According to Mr. Amaliba, members of the NPP is acting as though Ghanaians were struggling to attend school before the implementation of the free SHS program. He said in an interview on TV3 on July 28, NPP behave as if people were not going to school at all. When you talk about free SHS, free education as if people were not going to school at all until they came. This is the mathematics they are doing, do they subtract figures that year in, year out school enrollment increases even before Senior High School? Look even before Senior High School, school enrollment was increasing so if you come and you are making some false statements, did you subtract anything, you just lumped everything. Even those who have gone to school that Nana Addo hasnt gone so these are some of the immoral lies they come to TV and peddle," Abraham Amaliba stated. Senegalese opposition politician Ousmane Sonko was arrested late Friday for allegedly stealing a gendarme's phone and posting a "subversive" message. The politician, who leads the PASTEF party and whose arrest last month sparked violent clashes between supporters and police, has faced a number of legal problems, which he says are aimed at keeping him out of politics. Senegal's public prosecutor said the politician had stolen the mobile phone of a gendarme whose vehicle had broken down near Sonko's home on Friday and issued a subversive message on social media. 'Endless abuse' On Friday afternoon, Sonko had said on social media that security forces stationed outside his home were filming him. He said he had taken one of the phones and demanded the images be deleted a request he claimed was denied. "I ask the people to stand ready to face this endless abuse," Sonko wrote. The prosecutor said the politician had "for some time" committed "criminally reprehensible" acts, and that an investigation into "various counts of offences and crimes" had been ordered. Sonko's party said he had been "brutally arrested" and called on Senegalese people to "constitutionally resist these abuses". One of Sonko's lawyers, Cheikh Koureyssi Ba, said on Facebook that Sonko was already being interrogated. Another lawyer, Abdoulaye Tall, told local media that Sonko was in police custody. On Friday evening, people were gathering outside Sonko's Dakar home. Previous arrests On 1 June, Sonko was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for morally corrupting a young woman, which makes him ineligible to stand in next year's presidential election. He was blocked in his home by a security detail between May 28 and July 24. Because he was tried in absentia, a retrial would likely be ordered if he were arrested in relation to that case. The government has previously said he could be arrested over that affair at any time. Friday's arrest does not appear to be related to the moral corruption case, however. In another affair, an appeals court on May 8 gave him a six-month suspended sentence. A former civil servant, Sonko rose to prominence in presidential elections in 2019, coming third after a campaign that took aim at President Sall and the country's ruling elite. He has portrayed Sall as a would-be dictator, while the president's supporters call him a rabble-rouser who has sown instability. Sall in early July eased tensions in the normally stable West African nation by announcing he would not seek a controversial third mandate, following months of ambiguity and speculation about his intentions. Parliament has passed the Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2022, to replace the Death Penalty with life imprisonment. The Bill seeks to amend relevant Sections of Act 29 and the Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105) to replace Death Penalty with life imprisonment. The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Armed Forces Act, Act 1962 (Act 105) to provide for life sentence in the administration of criminal justice. The Private Members Bill was sponsored by Mr Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina, moved the Motion for the House to pass the Bill into law. When Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin put the Motion to a voice vote, it was passed. Mr Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, in seconding the Motion noted that even though the Death Penalty had remained in the Armed Forces Act since it was enacted, the last time it was enforced was about four decades ago. Adding that the provisions were therefore found in the statute but without enforcement. He noted that the mere fact that there had not been any execution for over four decades, means the Death Penalty provisions in the Armed Forces Act had outlived its usefulness as a deterrent action. He said it was extremely doubtful that the Death Penalty provisions in the Ghana Armed Forces Act served as a deterrent because even the most sophisticated empirical studies had failed to demonstrate any clear evidence of a deterrent effect from the use of the Death Penalty. The need has therefore arisen to amend relevant sessions of Act 105 to replace Death Penalty with life imprisonment to maintain a high level of certainty in the military justice system. Mr Anyimadu-Antwi said considering that since 1993, no President had signed death warrant for the execution of those sentenced to death and the fact that the daily amount spent per prisoner does not vary in spite of the category of prisoners, it was appropriate to conclude that replacing Death Penalty with life imprisonment would not have any financial burden on the State. GNA Parliament of Ghana will adjourn sine die on Thursday, August 3, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the New Patriotic Party, Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam-Adoagyiri has said. Presenting the Business Statement for the ninth week ending Thursday, August 3, 2023, Mr Annoh-Dompreh recommended that the House commences sitting each day at 1000 hours and also have extended sittings to ensure that business scheduled for the ninth week, particularly Bills programmed were considered by the House and same passed expeditiously. Mr Speaker, it is hoped that this recommendation, if adopted will also facilitate the consideration of other parliamentary business that will require the attention of the House, he said on Friday on the Floor of Parliament. Mr Annoh-Dompreh, therefore, reiterated earlier calls of urging Committees with referrals to expedite work on same for the attention of the House. Mr Speaker, the House has barely four sitting days left to adjourn sine die and given this, the Business Committee, urges all Committees with referrals, particularly the under-listed bills to expedite consideration on the same for the attention of the House, he said. He urged the Committees with pending Bills including the Grains Development Authority Bill, 2022; Ghana Industrial Property Office Bill, 2023; Rent Bill, 2023; Budget Bill, 2023 and National Petroleum Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to expedite work on same for the consideration of the House. Mr Annoh-Dompreh informed the House that owing to the recess, the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference to be hosted in Ghana from Saturday, September 30 to Friday, October 6, 2023, a decision regarding the participation of MPs had commenced and MPs would be duly informed when the decision regarding their participation was concluded. Touching on the Mid-Year Review of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the government of Ghana for the 2023 Financial Year scheduled for Monday, July 31 by Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister, he urged the MPs to take note and avail themselves accordingly. He said, pursuant to Standing Order 70 which allowed MPs to make brief comments on the reviewed budget, the Business Committee had accordingly decided that MPs would be allowed to make brief comments on Tuesday, August 1 and Wednesday, August 2, 2023. Mr Speaker, to afford many members as possible the opportunity to comment on the Mid-Year Budget Review, the Committee has proposed the following time allotment; Chairman and Ranking Members of Finance Committee 15 minutes, all other MPs ten minutes. Mr Speaker, the Business Committee proposes that the leadership structures the comments along specified sectors like governance, including security and public safety, finance and the economy generally, energy and other infrastructural sectors, the social sector, local governance as well as youth, sports, tourism and the cultural sectors. This arrangement shall enable a smooth flow of the comments, he said. In the ninth week, five Ministers are expected to attend upon the House, to respond to 36 questions, of which all would be Oral. The Nsawam-Adoagyiri Legislator mentioned the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection; the Minister for the Interior; the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Minister of Energy and the Minister for Roads and Highways. GNA A Parliamentary Candidate hopeful on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Millicent Nana Yaa Sokro, has said she wants to break the long male Member of Parliament dominance in the Ho Central constituency. According to her, she is a grassroot woman who can help break the male dominance in the political history of the Ho Central Constituency since the inception of the fourth republic in 1992. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, 25th July, 2023, days after she picked the nomination for to contest, she said, is a privilege for her and all women in society. "It is a privileged and honour to have women representatives in active politics in changing the narrative, as a female coming into the race to contest the parliamentary primaries in the Ho Central Constituency, I think is a privilege because since 1992, no woman has contested this position before especially in a male dominated constituency like the Ho Central. I am coming in to break the male dominance so women can also have a voice," she said. She declared that she represents the 'can do spirit' in women in the Ho Central Constituency through human resource development. 'When you are self-reliant, you can effectively contribute your quota to the development of the nation," she stressed. She believes it is time for women to rise to leadership positions to better manage the affairs of the nation and ensure equitable distribution of the national cake to all areas for sustainable growth and development. According to her, programs such as Health Life Projects, Agriculture Development, Local Business Drive, Women Empowerment Programs, and Teachers Award Scheme among others will be initiated to better the lives of the constituents. Nana Yaa, who hails from Akoefe Gadza, in the Ho Central municipality, calls on party faithfuls to rally behind her for the NPP to snatch the seat from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2024 general elections. She bemoaned the male-female ratio in Ghana's Parliament as not representing enough indicating that out of the 275 Members of Parliament, only 40 of them are women. It comprises Twenty (20) from the majority and twenty (20) from the minority. The New Patriotic Party has opened nominations in all orphan constituencies in the country from Tuesday July 11 to Thursday, August 10, 2023 for all eligible party members who have the interest to contest the Parliamentary Primaries to pick forms accordingly. The Executive Board of Mission Africa Incorporated USA/Ghana, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, the Worldwide Miracle Outreach UK led by Dr Lawrence Tetteh, Inland Empire Concern African America Churches of California, (IECCAC (UNA- GH), Inter Faith Christian for Jewish Strategic Diplomacy, USA, Christian Bible and Governance, have commended the Speaker of Ghanas Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Alban Sumani Kingsford Bagbin, the eight Members of Parliament and other groups and individuals for putting up a sprinted fight for the landmark legislation the Bill on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values to tackle LGBTQI+ in the country. According to a release issued and signed by the President and Founder of Dr. Kodjoe Sumney, the groups have been following with keen interest the attempt by some international and local institutions to abort the passage of the bill at its formative stages. We at the above-mentioned organizations are very proud of our gallant Members of Parliament, and our unwavering Speaker who stood up to be counted when it mattered most that despite all the threats and intimidation, put their lives, offices and traveling comfort on the line to resist the immoral Colonialism (LGBTQI+) agenda. "For this and many reasons, the group will confer on the following: Rt. Hon Alban Sumani Kingsford Bagbin, Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram constituency, Samuel Nartey George, Emmanuel Bedzrah (MP, Ho West) Della Adjoa Sowah (MP, Kpando), John Ntim Fordjour (MP, Assin South), Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini (MP, Tamale North), Helen Adjoa Ntoso (MP, Krachi West), Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (MP, La Dadekotopon), Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor (MP, South Dayi) and Lawyer Moses Foh Amoaning, the Mission Africa Humanitarian -Good Fight of Faith Award, portions of the release stated. The awards ceremony according to the statement is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 1st August 2023 at Justice D. F. Annan Hall, Parliament House from 4pm-6pm. "The general public is therefore, being invited to attend this memorable event to boost their confidence as well as to tell the rest of the world that, Ghana is behind them. "Lets come together to encourage our MPs and the speaker to come up with bills that seek to protect and preserve our regional and traditional values, norms, culture knowing that the whole nation will the against both external and internal aggression," the statement added. Background Eight members of Ghanas Parliament jointly submitted a private bill to push for the criminalization of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI+) activities in the country. The bill, which they term a Bill on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, was presented to Speaker, Alban Bagbin on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. The proponents of the bill want the promotion, advocacy, funding, and acts of homosexuality to be criminalized in the country. In recent times, the LGBTQI+ community in Ghana have featured prominently in news, especially after the arrest of 21 activists in the Volta Regional capital, Ho. Prior to that, police officers raided a house at Ashongman in Accra that was being used as an office of LGBQI+ Rights and a shelter for the LGBTQI+ community. The two incidents reignited public debate on the subject with some legislators including the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, publicly declaring their interest in criminalizing all forms of LGBTQI+ activities. The bill, presented to the Speaker, is the first major step taken towards criminalization. Read full statement below: 28th July 2023 Immediate Press Releases Mission Africa Inc. Inland Empire Concern African America Churches of California, honours Bagbin, Sam George, others for championing Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill The Executive Board of Mission Africa Incorporated USA/Ghana, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, the Worldwide Miracle Outreach UK led by Dr Lawrence Tetteh, Inland Empire Concern African America Churches of California, (IECCAC (UNA- GH), Inter Faith Christian for Jewish Strategic Diplomacy, USA, Christian Bible and Governance, have commended the Speaker of Ghanas Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Alban Sumani Kingsford Bagbin, the eight Members of Parliament and other groups and individuals for putting up a sprinted fight to ensure that the Bill on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values see the light of day. We at the above mentioned organizations are very proud of these gallant men and women, who stood up to be counted when it mattered most that despite all the threats and intimidation put their lives, offices and visa and traveling comfort on the line to resist the immoral Colonialism (LGBTQI+) agenda. For this and many reasons, the group will confer on the following: Rt. Hon Alban Sumani Kingsford Bagbin, Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram constituency, Samuel Nartey George, Emmanuel Bedzrah (MP, Ho West) Della Adjoa Sowah (MP, Kpando), John Ntim Fordjour (MP, Assin South), Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini (MP, Tamale North), Helen Adjoa Ntoso (MP, Krachi West), Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (MP, La Dadekotopon), Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor (MP, South Dayi) and Lawyer Moses Foh Amoaning, the Mission Africa Humanitarian -Good Fight of Faith Award. The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 1st August 2023 at the Justice D. F. Annan Hall, Parliament House, at 4pm-6pm . The general public is being invited to attend this memorable event to encourage our Members of Parliament to more, knowing that the whole nation is behind them. For further information please kindly contact: 0241625034 Signed Dr KODJOE SUMNEY (President and Founder Mission Africa Inc.) Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, lead convener of the #FixTheCountry Movement, sparked controversy this weekend with comments questioning the fairness of Ghana's judicial system. In a tweet on Saturday, July 29, Barker-Vormawor asked whether the countrys judicial system is made for government or for the delivery of justice. He gave a scenario where prosecutors will be absenting themselves without facing any sanction while an accused person who is absent for once is dealt with by the judge. "It is only in Ghanaian Courts that a person can go to Court for 3 years, and the prosecutor wont show up; but the Judge will do nothing. Then when the prosecutor shows up; and you miss court once, they revoke your bail; and issue a bench warrant. Are our courts working for justice or for the Government?" he asked. Though he did not provide specifics, Barker-Vormawor is currently facing trial himself for allegedly inciting a coup in a social media post last year. The activist was arrested in February 2022 after a Facebook post criticizing the government and calling for a coup. He was granted bail in May but rearrested twice on charges of careless driving and offensive conduct, before being granted bail the third time in July. The coup in Niger and the flying of Russian flag have left some political actors in a state of shock. As we all know it, the Wagner Group is mostly known for its involvement in various conflicts and operations worldwide, especially in helping fight insecurity in Africa. When it comes to African countries, their potential benefits from Wagner's presence, as well as engagement with Western countries, can vary based on their individual needs and geopolitical considerations. What African States Could Gain From Wagner Cost-Effective Support: Wagner's services are often regarded as more affordable compared to Western military assistance, making it an attractive option for countries with limited defense budgets in the region. Rapid Deployment: Wagner has a reputation for deploying quickly to conflict zones, which could be advantageous for countries facing immediate security threats. This makes them best option for African states in which insecurity is deteriorating. This is what we see in Mali and Burkina Faso. Access to Military Expertise: Wagner is composed of former Russian military personnel with combat experience, and their assistance could provide tactical expertise to the local forces. As seen in Bakhmut, Wagner has proven to be the most efficient and effective private military company in the world. What Western Nations Offer When It Comes To Fighting Insecurity In Africa? High-Quality Training and Equipment: Many Western countries possess advanced military training facilities and can provide modern and sophisticated weaponry, which can enhance the capabilities of local forces. Access to Intelligence and Surveillance: When it comes to gathering intelligence, western nations typically have robust intelligence capabilities that can aid in gathering and analyzing critical information to counter security threats effectively. This helps local forces to have foresight of impending threats. Broader Diplomatic and Economic Cooperation: Since Wagner has been criticized by western nations, some African countries may Engage with Western countries to broader diplomatic and economic partnerships, fostering development and stability in various sectors. However, it's important to note that the involvement of Wagner can be controversial due geopolitical implications. On the other hand, Western countries' military assistance may also raise concerns about neocolonialism and interference in local affairs. Each African country must carefully assess its security needs, sovereignty, and long-term interests when considering partnerships with any external actors, be it Wagner or Western nations. Originating at www.linkedin.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Export of electrical equipment from Turkiye to Iran decreased by 10.2 percent to $83.6 million, from January through June 2023 compared to the same period last year, Trend reports. According to the Turkish Ministry of Commerce, Turkiye increased exports of electrical equipment to Iran to $13.3 million in June, which is 14 percent less in comparison with the same month of 2022. Moreover, the export of Turkish electrical equipment increased by 8 percent and amounted to $7.9 billion from January through June 2023 compared to the same period last year. Turkiye exported electrical equipment worth $1.3 million in June of this year, which is 1.2 percent less in comparison with June last year. Meanwhile, Turkiye exported electrical equipment worth $15.2 billion in 2022 - an increase of 7.3 percent compared to 2021. In 2019, Ghana Education Service banned all forms of corporal punishment in both public and private schools in Ghana. In this view, they came out with Positive Discipline Toolkit containing positive and constructive alternatives to correct basic and secondary school pupils. The religious books such as the Holy bible in the book of Proverbs 23:13-14, portray corporal punishment as a method of instilling corrective behaviour to wrongdoers. Do not withhold discipline from your child, if you punish him with the rod he will not die. Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from death, the holy book states. Now it seems the ban on corporal punishment has turned out to be unfortunate. Why? This is because GES has taken away the power and mandate of headteachers, also, this has contributed to the waywardness of students in our schools especially basic and secondary schools. Back in the day who are you as a student to fight or misbehave in class? I remember when I was served six strokes of lashes for misbehaving (fighting in class)in class then in basic school. A big thanks to my late headmaster, (name withheld) for straightening me. He never cared about knowing me personally through my Dad. Its about time, we have to revisit our old corporal punishment which sought to discipline us as students. Yes human rights activists may oppose this view we cannot sit down and watch the kind of indiscipline students are exhibiting in the various public and private schools. Im pleading with the Government of Ghana and the Ghana Education Service to reinstate corporal punishment to cast out the devilish attitude in students. This time there should be critical measures put in place if not fully canning the students but a way which will make vagabond feel uncomfortable when they misbehave. To end, I would like to extend my appreciation to my former tutor, Mr. Gideon Easmond for giving 20-stroke bend-down lashes when I was reported by my mother for misbehaving in the house. Since that time I have appreciated her. Whispers! Writers email: [email protected] Over the years, the pharmaceutical society of Ghanas annual general meeting (AGM) has aroused a lot of excitement among pharmacists, especially newly inducted pharmacists. During this time, pharmacists meet, have fun, and discuss recent professional developments and the way forward. This years AGM is on the 5th to 8th of September with the theme The Pharmacist for National Development. Over the years, AGMs have been organized in various regions of the country, and each region has made the AGM fun and productive. Things are a little different this year because we are returning to the region that has fueled the country over the years with all its plentiful resources. I have travelled the length and breadth of the Western region, from Asankrangwa, Axim, Dixcove, Tarkwa, Bibiani, and Sekondi; Azaay, Taadi she yie! The Western region produced the first President of the Republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first representative who made us aware that we could manage our affairs. This region placed Ghana above its contemporaries as a country that gained independence from colonial rule, an excellent example to many African countries. Even today, Ghana continues making history by being the first sub-Saharan country to roll out an online pharmacy pilot on a large scale, making pharmacists accessible across the country and advancing national development. The pharmaceutical society of Ghanas decision to host the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Takoradi is a deliberate attempt to remind us that the pharmacist can advance national development. The western region of Ghana is a place with many resources that supports the economy of the nation, it is blessed with a diverse landscape supporting agriculture and industry. The twin city (Sekondi-Takoradi) and its environs are blessed with significant deposits of Gold, bauxite, manganese, oil, timber, and crops like cocoa, rubber, and oil palm. Also, Sekondi-Takoradi is known for its rich culture and festivals. Coincidentally, the Kundum festival falls around the latter part of August and the beginning of September each year, around the same time the AGM will take place. It will be a time of merry-making, drumming, dancing, and beautiful cultural displays. In addition, Takoradi has vibrant beaches and houses one of Ghana's essential harboursa dynamic business center. There are so many tourist attractions like castles, the Fort Metal Cross, built by the Dutch in the 17th century, and the Takoradi Market Circle, the largest open-air market in the region. Also, Nzulezu, a village built entirely on stilts above Lake Tadane is a terrific tourist destination in the Western region. When it comes to food, Takoradi has various kinds of seafoods like octopus, fish, prawns, shrimps, crabs etc. There are also cooked fermented corn dough balls (etew), fresh fish stew (fanti-fanti), pounded rice snacks, boiled bambara bean stews and fried mashed ripe plantain (tetale). Though the Western region has so many resources, it is sometimes underrated. Takoradi is fast becoming a thriving hub for new pharmacies and start-ups; this AGM will offer all pharmacists and friends of this noble profession an opportunity to see all the great things the Western region has to offer. Consider the numerous business opportunities in this region that will be available to pharmacists attending the AGM. Come join us as we attend the 2023 AGM in Takoradi. 30.07.2023 LISTEN Miss Mary Awelana Addah, Acting Executive Director, Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), has called for the verification and publication of declared assets to ensure a robust asset declaration regime. We are calling for an asset declaration regime that is robust enough to add on the issues of verification and publication. Even during the dictatorial regime, we had an asset declaration regime that took care of verification and publication of assets. If in the 80s we were able to have such a robust asset declaration regime, it is surprising that in a democracy we have decided to make things so cheap that people declare their assets and until something happens, we don't bother looking into it, she said. She made the call on Saturday during a discussion on an Accra-based television station on the topic, CECE DAPAAH $1M: Lifestyle Audit, Money Laundering, Code of Conduct Bill. Ms Addah called on Parliament to expedite action on the passage of the Conduct of Public Officers (COPO) Bill into law to address corruption amongst public officers. We can make some very good strides if we have laws that bark. The bill which is currently stranded in Parliament should become an urgent matter for the State to pay attention to, she said. She said the Office of the Special Prosecutor should be given the support and allowed to work independently to investigate Madam Cecilia Dapaah and her stolen cash case. Without a doubt, the Special Prosecutor has shown over the years that if given the needed independence, he can do a good job. Ms Addah said investigations would be successful if various institutions particularly, the police collaborated with one anoother. Mr Amaechi Nsofor, Cross Border Asset Recovery Expert, said aside the enforcement of a robust asset declaration regime, there should also be an effective whistle blowing regime. He said public officials should be subjected to periodic lifestyle audits and asked lawmakers to make laws regarding unexplained wealth and confiscation approach. In the United Kingdom for example, anybody who owns property in excess of $50,000 and cannot explain how they acquired or could afford to acquire that property, will have that property seized from them following a court process. That process needs to be something that could be looked at in Ghana if we are going to prevent people from living beyond their means whilst holding public office, he said. GNA Dr Justice Srem-Sai, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, says the Office of the Attorney General's request for Cecilia Dapaah's simple stealing docket is suspicious. Why would the AG call for the docket on a simple case of theft when it has not done so in the past? How many stealing cases have the AG requested dockets on? So, if in a simple case of stealing, the AG requests for a docket, it raises suspicion What has come of many of the cases involving public officials in the past? No real outcome. So, when you go again and ask for the docket, then the people are entitled by way of memory and common experience that we are probably heading towards that direction we already know of, he said. The Senior Lecturer said this on Saturday during a discussion on an Accra-based television station on the topic, Cecelia Dapaah $1M: Lifestyle Audit, Money Laundering, Code of Conduct Bill. Madam Dapaah, a former Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, has been in the news lately after her two former domestic staff were arraigned for stealing cash and personal effects from her house at Abelenkpe, Accra, between July and October 2022. The two domestic staff and three others are facing charges before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing $1 million, 300,000 and millions of Ghanaian cedis belonging to the Minister and her husband. The case sparked outrage against the Minister on social media with calls for her resignation. Madam Dapaah subsequently tendered in her resignation to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday, July 22, 2023, to allow for investigations. Dr Srem-Sai, also the Managing Partner, Praetorium Solicitors, said citizens were justified in requesting to know the source of the stolen money because Madam Dapaah was a public officer and under obligation to do so. He urged the former Minister to support her claim of inconsistencies in media reportage by providing the actual details. It is not enough to say there are inconsistencies, but you need to also state what you think the correct amount is. Until she comes out with the exact amounts and details, we have no basis to question what the police are saying. Not even once has the complainant herself come up with what she thinks she has. So, it's not enough to just say what the police are saying is not correct. You need to tell us that this is what you had and this is what is missing so, compare the figures to know the truth, he said. Dr Richmond Atuahene, Corporate Governance and Banking Consultant, Salman Partners & Financial Consult, said the growing anxiety and suspicion surrounding the case was because of how it was being handled. He said the practice of stashing money deprived the banks of getting enough money to give out loans to individuals to work with it for the economy to grow. Hiding large sums of dollars has negative ramifications on our economy because it erodes the purchasing power of the Ghanaian, he added. GNA Voters in the Central African Republic will cast their ballots on Sunday on a controversial plan to change the constitution and open the door to a third term by President Faustin Archange Touadera. The proposed constitutional change would raise the presidential term from five to seven years, and scrap its two-term limit. The president's supporters say his tenure would be reset to zero, enabling him to run again for the presidency. One of the poorest countries in the world, the Central African Republic has been gripped by conflict and political turmoil for over a decade. Touadera was first elected in 2016 as the country with the backing of France and the UN emerged from a civil war that broke out following a coup. Today, swathes of territory are still controlled by rebel groups. Touadera himself remains in power with the support of Russia's paramilitary Wagner group. He was re-elected in 2020 after a vote marred by accusations of fraud and low turnout. Less than one in three eligible voters took part, mainly because of intimidation in rebel-held areas. 'Constitutional coup d'etat' According to Evariste Ngamana, deputy parliamentary speaker and spokesman for the pro-Touadera majority in parliament: "This constitution stems from the public dialogue which was organised in March 2022 it stems from the will of the people. "The goal is to create institutional stability and the right conditions for development." However, the main opposition parties and civil society groups are calling for a boycott of the poll. They say that the electoral roll is incomplete and those in charge of overseeing the vote lack independence. "We are faced with a constitutional coup d'etat the goal of no-limit [presidential] terms is quite simply about having power for life," said Martin Ziguele, president of the opposition Central African People's Liberation Movement. Muted protests Open protests against the referendum have been low-key and Human Rights Watch says opponents have been threatened or harassed. On 14 July, only around 500 people braved a ban to attend a protest rally, which authorities had branded "subversive". But the country's judiciary has not always sided with Touadera. In September 2022 the Constitutional Court dealt the president a humiliating blow when it scrapped the establishment of a committee tasked with drafting the new constitution. The court's president, Daniele Darlan, was then targeted in violent verbal attacks by Touadera supporters. In January this year, he was forcibly retired. Around 1.9 million electors are eligible to take part in Sunday's vote, though intimidation could once again limit turnout. Touadera has said that Russia and Rwanda, which has also increased its influence in the CAR, would "support" security for the vote. An outlet linked to Russia's Wagner group said this month that several hundred fighters from the mercenary force had arrived in the country to carry out this task. (with AFP) The Central African Republic began voting on Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution that would allow President Faustin-Archange Touadera to seek a third term in a country which has endured several coups. In 2020 Touadera won a second term through to 2025, after a vote interrupted by several incursions by armed rebel groups, while he also had to overcome allegations of fraud. His rivals now charge that he wants to remain "president for life" -- under the increasingly visible protection of private Russian mercenary group Wagner, which first deployed to the CAR in 2018. The country of 5.5 million people is one of the world's poorest. Opponents of President Faustin-Archange Touadera suspect he wants to remain 'president for life'. By LUDOVIC MARIN (AFP/File) Voting was scheduled to begin at 6:00 am (0500 GMT) but polling stations opened around one hour late. The polls are due to close at 4:00 pm, with some 1.9 million people called on to cast their ballots. Provisional results are not expected for eight days, while the constitutional court is scheduled to publish the definitive outcome on August 27, according to the national electoral authority. Boycott The proposed new constitution would extend the presidential mandate from five to seven years and abolish the two-term limit. Opinion polls suggest the "yes" camp is likely to triumph. "We know that the 'yes' camp is going to win -- but we shall put the emphasis on participation," national assembly vice-president and presidential majority spokesman Evariste Ngamana told AFP. The main opposition parties, civil groups and armed rebels have all called on voters to boycott the exercise. Central African Republic. By Sylvie HUSSON, Anibal MAIZ CACERES (AFP) The opposition has notably complained about the lack of an up-to-date electoral register and says institutions tasked with guaranteeing a free and fair vote are not independent. In the capital Bangui, between 2,000 and 3,000 "yes" supporters turned out Friday for a final meeting to drum up further backing for the proposal. But observers said the vote might not inspire much interest among the general populace. "The majority of the CAR population, who are struggling to survive in a difficult economic and security context, doubtless have other priorities aside from this referendum which mobilises few beyond those close to those in power," said Charles Bouessel, analyst with the International Crisis Group. Russian influence Touadera has announced, meanwhile, that Russia and Rwanda, two states whose influence has been very much on the rise in the CAR in recent years, would be "supporting" security forces during the vote. A Wagner-linked source said earlier in July that several hundred of the Russian fighters would be in place for the poll. Supporters backing a new constitution hold posters urging people to vote yes. By Barbara DEBOUT (AFP) "It's a vote being pushed by the Russians and organised with their help -- the president of the constitutional court and of the national electoral body have been invited to Russia and doubtless have received instructions," a diplomatic source told AFP. Human Rights Watch says Russian embassy personnel in Bangui visited the former president of the constitutional court, Daniele Darlan, last year to ask for advice on how the constitution might be amended to enable Touadera to stay in power. HRW regarded this as a Russian attempt to influence the political process in the CAR. In September, the constitutional court inflicted a defeat on the political establishment by annulling a proposed committee to draw up a new constitution. Some observers worry about Moscow's growing influence in the CAR. By Barbara DEBOUT (AFP/File) But in January, Darlan was ousted. Government officials have cajoled and threatened referendum opponents, says HRW, and authorities also banned an opposition rally in the capital in a bid to keep a lid on hostility to the poll. Since December 2020, hundreds of Wagner fighters and Rwandan troops have been deployed to face an offensive led by an alliance of the country's most powerful rebel groups, which have found themselves pushed into rural areas. The coup in Niger, the third in as many years to topple an elected leader in Africa's troubled Sahel, threatens to further hamper efforts against jihadist groups in the region, analysts say. Niger's neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso have each undergone a military coup since 2020, fuelled by anger at the failure to quash long-running insurgencies by jihadists linked to the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. In Niger, which faces a two-pronged jihadist insurgency, President Mohamed Bazoum was this week confined to his residence by his own presidential guard, with the head of the elite force, General Abdourahamane Tiani, declaring himself the new leader. Like Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso are impoverished former French colonies that gained independence in 1960. Following their coups, the juntas there forced out French troops, with Mali cooperating with forces from Russia, which has for years strived to increase its influence in Africa. While it was not immediately clear if Niger's new masters would follow suit, Tiani made clear there would be a change of strategy. The Mali junta forced out French troops and is cooperating with forces from Russia. By FLORENT VERGNES (AFP) "The security approach today has not brought security to the country despite heavy sacrifices," he said after declaring himself leader. Specifically, he questioned "the sense and scope of a security approach to the fight against terrorism which excludes any real collaboration with Burkina Faso and Mali", a strategy taken after the coups in those countries. Western aid at risk Analysts say that while increasing cooperation with Mali and Burkina Faso may bring benefits, the putschists risked losing financial and military support from the West, which has stood behind Bazoum. Because of diplomatic tensions following the coup in Mali, Niger and French troops could no longer operate freely against IS bases in the country, where attacks on Niger are thought to be organised. "This crisis cannot be resolved without cooperation from Mali in one form or another," said Tatyana Smirnova, a researcher at the FrancoPaix Centre for conflict resolution. Mali and Burkina Faso have each undergone coups fuelled by anger at the failure to quash long-running insurgencies by jihadists. By OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT (AFP) Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, a researcher with the International Crisis Group, said that "we can expect better relations and cooperation between the neighbouring countries". But Niger's new rulers risked losing support from the West. Bazoum was one of a dwindling group of pro-Western leaders in the Sahel, allowing 1,500 French troops and 1,000 US soldiers to be stationed in Niger. The European Union has announced that it was suspending financial and security cooperation with the country, while the United States has warned that "hundreds of millions of dollars of assistance" was at risk. If France and Washington withdraw their forces, it could leave a dangerous security void in a troubled region, analysts said. Nearly all of landlocked Niger's neighbours have jihadist rebels that could take advantage of the void -- in addition to Mali and Burkina Faso, there are insurgencies in Benin, Libya and Nigeria. 'Civilians pay heaviest price' Impoverished populations often make for fertile breeding grounds for extremists and Niger is one of the world's poorest nations -- two-thirds desert, it often ranks last in the UN's Human Development Index. It already faces two insurgent campaigns -- one which swept in from Mali in 2015 and the other involving jihadists from Nigeria. In addition, in 2022 it was hosting more than 250,000 refugees fleeing violence in Nigeria and Mali, according to the United Nations. Niger under Bazoum was a model of cooperation for the West. By Ludovic MARIN (AFP/File) But despite all of its challenges, Niger under Bazoum was a model of cooperation for the West. "Despite its security problems, it was a pole of stability in the region," said Alain Antil, director of the sub-Saharan Africa division at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). Under Bazoum, Niger undertook programmes financed by international donors like stabilising communities that were targeted by jihadist recruitment and re-integrating former fighters into society. The future of these initiatives is now uncertain. Although it was not yet clear the direction that Niger's new leaders would take in the fight against the jihadists, Tiani denounced the "extrajudicial freeing" of "terrorist chiefs" by the government. The juntas running Burkina Faso and Mali have opted for an offensive-heavy strategy against the jihadists that has been marred by recurrent accusations of abuse of local civilian populations suspected of cooperating with the fighters. "It is civilians who pay the heaviest price of such a strategy, which contributed to destabilisation and can feed tensions within and between communities," Smirnova said. 30.07.2023 LISTEN Professor Justice Nonvignon, an Associate Professor and Health Economist at the School of Public Health, University of Ghana, has urged the government not to succumb to external pressures to scrap the COVID-19 Levy. He said the COVID-19 Levy had the potential of raising about 100 to 600 million dollars for the government, adding that it should be maintained and earmarked for the healthcare sector. One of the biggest mistakes we can make as a country is to put pressure on the government to scrap the Covid 19 levy, which has the potential of raising about 100 to 600 million dollars for the government. It must be earmarked for healthcare, he stated. Prof Nonvignon said this during the University of Ghanas fifth Inaugural Lecture for the 2022/2023 academic year on the theme: The Pursuit of Health Amidst Scarcity: Economics, Health and the Romance in-between. The lecture was organised in recognition of Prof Nonvignons achievement of the highest academic rank. The COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy, introduced by the Government in 2021 is a stand-alone levy applied to the gross value of taxable supplies of goods and services provided under the Standard Rate and VAT Flat Rate Schemes. However, after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, calls have been made to the government to stop the one per cent tax. Prof Nonvignon said the levy must be earmarked for the health sector and could also be used to support research, given the role institutions that were into research played, adding that Noguchi for instance was very instrumental during the pandemic. The fund needs to be earmarked for something even if it cannot go into the health system fund. Call it COVID Emergency Levy, or Levy to eradicate malaria or something. That way, it can be monitored, he added. He said another way to improve health spending was to take advantage of special programmes to support health. He noted that the 2023 budget outlined 16 special programmes with the total budget being 9 billion cedis. However, only one is health specific, that is, nursing training allowance. There should be the introduction of special programmes on malaria, mental health, communicable diseases, and neglected tropical diseases, he emphasised. GNA Niger's junta said ECOWAS could stage an imminent military intervention in the capital Niamey as the regional bloc was due to hold an "extraordinary summit" on Sunday over the coup in the Sahel state. Niger's elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, has been held by the military for four days, and General Abdourahamane Tiani, the chief of the powerful presidential guard, has declared himself leader. Former colonial ruler France and the European Union have suspended security cooperation and financial aid to Niger following the coup, the latest to hit the turbulent Sahel region. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was scheduled to meet in Nigeria's capital Abuja for the summit on Niger, with sanctions a possibility. In a statement read out on national television on Saturday evening, Niger junta member Amadou Abdramane said the summit's aim was to "approve a plan of aggression against Niger, in the form of an imminent military intervention in Niamey". The jihadist threat in Africa's Sahel region. By Jonathan WALTER, Anibal MAIZ CACERES, Sylvie HUSSON (AFP) The action would be "in cooperation with African countries who are not members of the regional body and certain Western nations", he added. Thousands of pro-junta protesters gathered outside the French embassy in Niamey on Sunday, with some trying to enter the building, an AFP journalist saw. Some demonstrators ripped off and stamped on a plaque bearing the words "Embassy of France in Niger", replacing it with Niger and Russian flags, while others shouted "long live Russia", "long live Putin" and "down with France". ECOWAS has the power to impose sanctions on Niger, which is one of its 15 members. Last year, its leaders agreed to create a regional security force to intervene against jihadists and prevent military coups. Details on how that force would work and its funding are still unclear, with ECOWAS defence ministers expected to make decisions later this year. Bola Tinubu, president of Nigeria, also chairs ECOWAS. By Lewis Joly (POOL/AFP) Bola Tinubu, president of Nigeria and ECOWAS chairman, said on Friday the West African bloc and the international community "would do everything to defend democracy and ensure democratic governance continues to take firm root in the region". Ahead of Sunday's gathering, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Tinubu to convey his "deep concern" over the situation in Niger, and "underscored his support for President Tinubu's continued efforts to restore constitutional order" there. Chadian leader Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, whose country is not an ECOWAS member but borders Niger, has been invited to the summit and arrived in Abuja on Sunday. Niger's neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso have both experienced military coups since 2020, fuelled by anger at a failure to quash long-running insurgencies by jihadists linked to the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. Tiani said the putsch in Niger was a response to "the degradation of the security situation" linked to jihadist bloodshed, as well as corruption and economic woes. Turbulent political history After a wave of condemnation for the coup, punitive measures have already begun. France -- which has 1,500 soldiers in Niger -- said on Saturday it was suspending development aid and budgetary support to the West African nation, one of the world's poorest countries. It called for "an immediate return to constitutional order" and President Bazoum's reinstatement. European Union diplomatic chief Josep Borrell meanwhile said the EU would not recognise the putschists, and announced the indefinite suspension of security cooperation with Niger with immediate effect, as well as budgetary aid. Borrell said the EU was ready to support future decisions taken by ECOWAS, "including the adoption of sanctions", echoing a statement by France's foreign minister. The African Union has given the military in Niger two weeks to restore "constitutional authority". It condemned the coup in "the strongest terms possible" and expressed deep concern over the "alarming resurgence" of military overthrows in Africa. The United States -- which has about 1,000 troops in Niger -- has offered Bazoum Washington's steadfast support and warned those detaining him that they were "threatening years of successful cooperation and hundreds of millions of dollars of assistance". Landlocked Niger often ranks last in the United Nations' Human Development Index, despite vast deposits of uranium. It has had a turbulent political history since gaining independence in 1960, with four coups as well as numerous other attempts -- including two previously against Bazoum. burs/imm/gil Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged graduates to avoid the unhealthy temptation of using leadership positions to promote personal or sectional partisan interests to the disadvantage of the organisation or the nation they have been chosen to serve. You should also not use your leadership roles to victimise and settle personal scores but must unite and develop our country, he added. Former President Mahama was speaking at the 2023 graduation ceremony of the Academic City University College in Accra. Do not join these self-centred models of leadership, but I expect you to provide leadership that will strengthen the public service, promote competent-based staff engagement and strengthen systems in both the public and private sectors, he added. He urged the graduates to prepare themselves for the leadership tasks, use their developed competence to provide leadership in solving challenges at home, church, work places and wherever they may find themselves. Former President Mahama said leadership was full of challenges and whoever wanted to be a leader could not escape them, adding that leadership was exciting where one focused and pursue a noble agenda that sought to serve the best interest of the people. He urged them to embrace the values of hard work, honesty, compassion, tenacity and patriotism in whatever they do. Mr Dev Varyani, the Founder of Academic City University College, said, Our unwavering commitment to fostering a rich learning environment centered around STEAM, Entrepreneurship, and Ethics, has truly shaped a winning formula for any student who joins our academic family. He said these past four years had been a journey of growth, self-discovery, and academic excellence. The Founder said the skills and connections you had forged here would undoubtedly propel their careers and pave the way for their dreams to be fulfilled. As you step out into the world, armed with the knowledge, passion, and determination you have acquired, take your exciting ideas and innovations to the global stage. Make your country and your college proud by leaving an impact on society, he added. He said Professor Fred McBagonluri, the Founding President of Academic City, had been instrumental in propelling the young University to contend admirably with well-established institutions in the region due to his excellent leadership and guidance. He reiterated his unwavering commitment to providing unwavering support to the institution, ensuring that it reached new heights. Together, we will continue to ascend towards success and have a significant impact on education, he said. Prof McBagonluri said the University had fostered and shaped the students to become individuals, who were resilient, compassionate, and intellectually inquisitive. We have faith in your capacity to have a significant effect on the world around you, he said. He urged them to embrace naive optimism, view setbacks as stepping stones, cultivate meaningful relationships, and engage in playful disarray. The Overall Best graduating student award went to Ms Daniella Ishioma Omenogor, a Computational Science Student. GNA The war with the Russian occupants is not over yet, but the Ukrainian people are already honoring their fallen defenders. Vlad Sazhen, a student of the Kharkiv Aviation Institute, made a cosmic contribution to the preservation of the memory of the defenders. ADVERTISIMENT The young scientist discovered a new nebula in the constellation Cepheus and gave it the name "Fallen Soldier". Sazhen reported about it on the AstroBin astrophotography exchange platform. "The opening of the Fallen Soldier Nebula is dedicated to all the soldiers who died defending Ukraine, my homeland, from the Russian army. Please continue to support Ukraine," wrote a Ukrainian student who is now studying in the United States. For those who would like to find this object in the sky, its coordinates are as follows: RA 23 15 38, DEC +69 50 58. The object is illuminated by the double star B8, also called BD+69 1319. The dark part of the nebula has two documented names, DOBASHI 3564 and TGU H757. ADVERTISIMENT In 2011, dark nebulae in this part of the universe were described by astronomer Katsuhito Dobashi. His tables are mentioned in several French scientific papers. However, they do not address the illuminated part of the dark nebula. If we consider the object discovered by Sazhen, it is best seen in the blue channel of the telescope. The red signal contains much less data. The star near which the Fallen Soldier Nebula is located also illuminates a small fragment of dark nebula. However, the said object is not exactly classified, it could also be a halo that the star has created. The young Ukrainian scientist also reported that the area where he made the discovery is filled with other reflection nebulae. In particular, the Wolf Cave nebula complex is nearby. In general, the Cepheus constellation is filled with objects of this type and the discovery of many of them is ahead. "If a nebula is undocumented, do your research, draw conclusions and document it! There is much more to be found," Sazhen wrote. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier OBOZREVATEL told that scientists for the first time saw newly formed planets floating in the water around a young star. Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL channels in Telegram , Viber and Threads to keep up with the latest events. 30.07.2023 LISTEN In the course of a convivial telephone conversation with a schoolmate two-years my senior at then Kumawu Tweneboa Kodua Secondary School (TKSS), now Kumawu Tweneboa Kodua Senior High School, on Friday, 28 July 2023, we both shared our various knowledge about how several years expired pharmaceutical drugs are sold in Ghana. Starting from politics, hitting on the public perception and or, ownership, of the monies allegedly stolen from former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaahs house at a suburb of Accra and its wider implications, we suddenly found ourselves discussing how fake and expired drugs are sold in some pharmacies in Ghana. I revealed to him how I once in 1997 became privy to a Ghanaian landlord of my younger brother living in London, shipping quantities of two to four years expired pharmaceutical drugs to Ghana. It all happened that the landlord was loading up a shipping container of various items including his personal effects to Ghana. My brother invited me over to assist his landlord load up his container which had been dropped off by the shipper at a venue about 700 metres away from his house. This was in Leyton, a suburb in the Eastern part of London. When I saw a quantity of pharmaceutical drugs drop from a box out of many boxes and items, I started gathering them up to put them back into the box. It was then that I noticed from the labels that some of the drugs had expired since 1994 with their boxes even torn or weak and tearing. I drew the attention of the landlord, thus, the owner of the items being loaded into the shipping container to the expiry of the drugs. I asked why he was shipping such expired drugs to Ghana? He answered, In Ghana, people will buy them and the drugs are still good and efficacious to use. They have expired in the UK and for the whiteman but not for the Ghanaian or the African back home. With this knockout response, the conversation ended. The drugs and all the items were fully loaded into the container and padlocked. How he sold or distributed the drugs and to whom, I cannot tell until today. When I had said this, my senior said, Adofo, you are telling the absolute truth, the fact you have mentioned Leyton. He then narrated his own knowledge about then facilitators of expired drugs from the United Kingdom to Ghana, mentioning names, among whose was a Ghanaian medical doctor in London in those days. However, that doctor has been declared wanted in the United Kingdom and is currently in a hideout in a village in Eastern region of Ghana for the past fifteen years, he said. The British authorities became aware of this deplorable issue hence sought to arrest the syndicate. This led to the medical doctor (name withheld) absconding to seek refuge in Ghana to avoid arrest, prosecution, jail and revocation of his medical/practice licence. He told me that shipment of expired pharmaceutical drugs to Ghana did indeed take place in Leyton, hence acknowledging the honesty of my statement in that regard, as narrated above. He again told me about how he discovered that expired drugs are sold in some pharmacies, Drug stores or Chemist shops in Ghana. He once went to a pharmacy in Kumasi when he was on holiday and had run out of the medicine for treating his diabetic health condition. The lady at the counter, let us take her for the pharmacist, presented before him two brands of metformin, one made-in Ghana and the other made-in India. The made-in Ghana brand was selling for Ghc10 per pack of 14 tablets, I should think, since that is the number of tablets in a pack here in the United Kingdom before two or seven of such packs are put in a box for sale or for dispensing. When the lady placed the two brands of the metformin on the counter, my senior put 4 x 10 Cedi notes on the counter and said to her, Please, tell me the absolute truth. Assuming I have come from abroad, proposed to marry you and take you to London, which of these two brands of metformin will you recommend for me? Tell me the truth after which I will let you keep the money for yourself as gift from me to you After a moment of silence, the pharmacist asked him to take the Indian brand which was selling for Ghc20.00 a pack. My senior decided to buy a whole box. The lady started to bring them out in packs. My senior insisted they were put back in the box and sold to him but the lady refused. He dashed her the Ghc40.00 as promised. He walked further down the road to another pharmacy where he knew the owner as a friend. He told him what has transpired and asked why the lady at the other pharmacy refused to sell a whole box of metformin to him when requested. The second pharmacist/chemist told him that it is because most, or some, of the drugs being sold are expired. You can only detect, check or tell the expiry date from the box hence their refusal to sell them in whole boxes but will retail them in packs to the number of any boxes you want to buy. Finally, he told me about how a diabetic Ghanaian pensioner from the United Kingdom decided to go and live in Ghana. When he ran out of his medication taken home from London, he decided to purchase some from the local pharmacy in Ghana. His condition started to steadily deteriorate despite still treating his condition with metformin purchased in Ghana. His relatives asked to fly back to London. When he arrived in London and checked in at his General Practitioners (GPs), thus, family doctor, a check run on the samples of the metformin purchased in Ghana and carried along with him to London turned out to have expired for the past fifteen (15) years! If he had not returned to London, he would have passed away long before his actual God-purposed dying age for him because of using the expired drugs. Could it then be said that some pharmacies in Ghana are becoming, if not already become, silent collaborating killers by the fake and expired drugs they intentionally sell to patients? Rockson Adofo Sunday, 30 July 2023 30.07.2023 LISTEN Ancient Romans used the tactic of "Bread and Games" to keep their citizens fed and happy. Friedrich the Great ordered all his farmers to grow potatoes to end the famine in Prussia. China's Revolutionary leader Mao sent all men and women to the farms of the nation. When African countries got their independence and leaders trained in the countries of their former colonial masters seeing the level of industrialization with advancement into high technology these countries were in holding their University Degrees high up in the air their grip on power was not far. Back in Africa, they knew industrial big projects bring big prestige and foreign support. Fighting the aftermath of colonial times their mind was set on demonstrating African mind is equal to the European white mind. Ghana e.g.was fast to rush into nuclear power research instead of harvesting the sun and wind. Zimbabwe while being Rhodesia was the bread basket of Africa before Robert Mugabe came to see his people facing empty shelves forced to cross the border to South Africa for food and medicine. A house to build from the rooftops or on sand is never a wise move but rather to build a strong foundation. The growing African population and being seen as visionary leaders lead many African leaders into the business of importing food from the white man. The pressure on the exchange rate mounted on the state budgets of African nations annually year by year. Cheaper buying natural resources that were and are needed for importation increased and are increasing the level of endebitness. Climate changed and put further pressure on the internal production of enough agricultural products to feed the growing population. Chemicals are seen as the way out of leaving chemical residues in the crop unfit to be sold to the e.g. EU. Environmental destruction in e.g. by mercury for Gold winning reduces the tons of food production needed. Dependency on outside markets increased by less capacity of paying for the foodstuff at compatible prices. The spiral of downfall had begun. This weekend (29.-30.07.2023) the momentum gets International exposure. In Moscow, African leaders shake hands and smile with Vladimir Putin while disgracing their nations to the world community of nations. They want to harvest a big slice of the cake that comes in the form of promised 100.000 tons of free grain. For nations to have a period of shortage in the food sector has always happened in history most prominent to mention the great Irish famine leading to a massive exodus to the USA for survival. Leaders are judged, praised, or condemned, for the plan that is in place and what vision is in their minds to turn the sad story around. Analyzing the countries represented this week in Moscow the world will witness more and more of such scenes when African leaders bring shame onto the name of their nations. President of the Republic of Liberia George Weah has honored acclaimed US-Ghanaian Surgeon Dr. Michael K. Obeng with a Global Excellence Award on July 20. The founder of the foundation for reconstructive surgery RESTORE Worldide Inc, was awarded in the international category of excellence as part of the 2023 Golden Image Award (GIA), which has President Weah as the convener. Dr. Obeng was awarded for his service to humanity and his pioneering role in reshaping a better future for succeeding generations, via his free surgeries across the world. This years award ceremony was an integral part of Liberias 176th Independence Day celebration. According to the GIA Committee, Dr. Obeng was recognized for his immense contribution and dedication to the health sector. A congratulatory message sent from the committee and signed by the Executive Director, Liberia Crusaders for Peace, Ambassador Juli Endee read the Secretariat of the Golden Image Awards; the Liberia Crusaders for Peace in association with the Government of the Republic of Liberia extend compliments to you and pleased to inform you of your selection as winner and recipient of the Golden Image Award 2023, in the international category of Excellence. Your selection comes following a thorough evaluation of your service to humanity and the pioneering role you are playing to reshape a better future for succeeding generations. Your service proved captivating and possessed all the attributes listed in the selection criteria; hence, the committee selected you as the Winner of the Global Excellence Award. Dr. Obeng will personally receive the award in Monrovia on August 18 during the official Kukatornon Peace Ceremony. Golden Image Awards (GIA), founded in 2011, is a National Liberian Prestigious Meritorious Award bestowed upon individuals, organizations, and countries that have made selfless contributions to peace and human dignity nationally and globally. About Dr. Michael K. Obeng Dr. Michael K Obeng, popularly known as The Surgeons Surgeon is a Harvard-trained, board-certified plastic surgeon. He has through his foundation for reconstructive surgery RESTORE Worldwide Inc. together with his team of expert health officials conducted over 2,000 free surgeries in 24 medical missions across the world. The team set a record of 174 life-changing interventions in Ho, Ghana, in October 2022 and broke the record after conducting 298 surgeries in the following medical mission in Cameroon in May 2023. Dr. Obeng is among the rare few plastic surgeons in the world to successfully reattach a limb, and remove ribs to streamline the waist. He specializes in cosmetic surgery and complex reconstruction, hence, the nickname, The Surgeons Surgeon as dubbed by his colleagues. Dr. Michael K. Obeng was named among Americas Top Plastic Surgeons by the Consumer Research Council of America in 2011 and 2014. The Ghanaian-born surgeon gained global recognition in 2021 after successfully removing Gorilla Glue from the hair of internet sensation Tessica Brown by using bio-friendly chemicals he put together in less than 48 hrs. He is a father, an award-winning motivational speaker, a philanthropist, a humanitarian, and a global health strategist. About RESTORE RESTORE is an acronym that stands for Restoring Emotional Stability Through Outstanding Reconstructive Efforts. It is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit medical service organization in the United States of America that provides free reconstructive surgeries and related medical services to children and adults with disfiguring deformities from birth, accidents, and diseases involving not only the head and neck region, but also the trunk, breasts, extremities, and genitalia. It was founded in 2008 by Ghanaian American Harvard-trained plastic surgeon, humanitarian, and global health strategist, Dr. Michael K. Obeng. He is the Director of MiKO Plastic Surgery and MiKO Surgery Center in Beverly Hills, California. As part of its mission, RESTORE also educates and trains local medical professionals on the latest techniques and safety measures in plastic and reconstructive surgery, effecting change long after the RESTORE team leaves these communities. In March last year, Dr Obeng reached an agreement with Sushen Medicamentos PVT LTD. to build a $50 million WHO GMP-certified first-class pharmaceutical plant in Akwamu in the Eastern Region of Ghana to curtail the importation of fake drugs into the country. He also runs Global Health Solution, a consulting firm, that is bridging the gap between morbidity and healthy living in developing countries. Emojis were created by Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita in 1999 and then hailed as a new-era hieroglyphic language, wrote Chinese researchers Jiamin Pei and Le Cheng in a Nature article in 2022. The word emoji is made up of two Japanese words e (picture) and moji (character). It will not be surprising in Ghana and the Gambia when people begin to institute actions of breach of promise to marry, breach of contract, defamation, negligence, etcetera as a result of the wrong use of social medial emojis- it is so imminent. In this article, we examine whether emojis could represent or form the basis of a breach of Promise to Marry, sexual harassment in court. The case for analysis The case involved South West Terminal Ltd v Achter Land & Cattle [2023] SKKB 116 has to do with an action for breach of contract where South West Terminal (SWT) purchased flax from Achter Land & Cattle (Achter), with delivery expected by the end of November 2021. However, the flax was never delivered, and the supplier Achter argued that the use of a thumbs-up emoji () could not convey an acceptance of contractual terms, and therefore there was no legally binding agreement for the supply. Two main questions before the court The Court was confronted with whether there was "consensus ad idem" ("a meeting of the minds") or an intention to create legal relations between the parties resulting in a validly formed contract with thump-up emojis. Court ruling and reasoning The Court ruled that the thump-up emoji was effective to convey acceptance of the contractual terms and that a valid contract had been formed. Achter was ordered to pay damages for $82,000 (CAD) for failing to deliver the flax (this amount being the difference in pricing between the contract in dispute and the cost of the replacement supply). The court further reasoned that: in the circumstances, a () emoji was an action in electronic form that includes "touching or clicking on an appropriately designated icon or place on a computer screen or otherwise communicating electronically in a manner that is intended to express the offer used to allow to express acceptance" as permitted under local law; a the contract could have alternatively been executed in hard copy does not detract from the fact that there are a number of options to execute a contract, nor should it lead to the conclusion that using an electronic option is invalid; the use of the thumbs-up emoji () was analogous to the formerly sent short-form texts confirming agreement ("looks good", "ok" and "yup") and was the customary method by which the parties conducted their commercial relationship; and The defendant had accepted the contract "just like he had done before except this time he used a emoji", and the contract was validly formed due to the existence of consensus ad idem. In the same vein, an Israeli court has recently determined that an emoji can illustrate legal intent . It ordered damages to a landlord who claimed he replied to his detriment when he received a text with positive emojis and took down the ad for the property. The defense The defendant reasoned that one needs an actual signature to confirm the persons identity and that it conveys a message of acceptance. The Court did not deny this and said that was the traditional position but found that itself does not prevent the use of an emoji such as a (). The court reasoned that the authenticity of the text messages and identity of users were not an issue in the case as it was agreed that the cell phones used during communications were unique to the key individuals representing each of the parties. However, the defendant argued on the grounds of a public policy and drew the court's attention that allowing a () emoji to signify identity and acceptance would open up the floodgates to allow all sorts of cases coming forward asking for interpretations as to what various emojis mean (e.g. what does a () emoji or a () emoji mean?) which would lead to the Court being flooded with disputes. The Court acknowledged the defendants concern but said this case was novel (at least in Saskatchewan), however, the Court said it could not (nor should it) attempt to stem the tide of technology and common usage by denying the meaning of the emoji in communications. Judicial Notice on emojis and contracts Common law courts have always applied a wide range of analysis to determine contractual issues such as whether a certain type of signature is sufficient or whether parties agreed to be bound. In many instances, courts have regarded several deviations from wet ink signatures, including simple modifications such as crosses, initials, pseudonyms, printed names, and rubber stamps, to then considering scanned signatures and electronic or artificially generated signatures. Also, Courts have taken judicial notice of many forms of documents used to bind parties, from deeds and vellum to contract paper to emails "in writing". Agreements by a seal, signing, handshake or orally made, acceptance by email, click through online terms, clicking on the I agree" icon, or pressing a computer screen at an appropriately designed icon as constituting consent, agreement, or an electronic signature. Emojis in relationships, flitting There are instances where emojis could also land you into trouble for sexual harassment and breach of contract to marry. With breach of contract to marry, the court position is clear that when you are in a relationship, and promise to marry someone, the emojis you have sent could be the evidence. For instance, the lady texted Will you marry me? and you reply (), it means to consent, yes or agreed. Also, there are several emojis for flitting during chatting. One should be careful with how to use these emojis. For instance, the (tongue) emoji is also a sexual innuendo. It could be used as evidence of sexual harassment in the future. In Bellue v. East Baton Rouge Sheriff NO.: 3:17-CV-00576-BAJ-RLB (M.D. La. Apr. 8, 2019), an employee sued her employer for sexual harassment after a colleague sent her a message commenting on her good looks, followed by a winking emoji. In this case, the court reasoned that message could be regarded as insensitive and uncouth, and it is in material to be regarded as harassment. Though, the court reasoned that the emojis werent considered harassment, in case they did, the court regard them as material and thus constitute sexual harassment. Take Home From the reasoning, of any contractual breaches using social medial and where thumb-up emojis are involved, there is a recent decision from the Canadian court that a thumbs-up emoji is a legally valid acceptance to form a contract. Thus we should be mindful of what we say or use via social media. Also with regards to sexual harassment, one can be held liable for emoji sexual harassment conducted through direct messages on Twitter, chats, texts, or the notorious Facebook others inbox. For instance, texting eggplants and winky faces might land you in trouble at work. Emojis appear to be the new reality in our society and courts will have to be ready to meet the new challenges that may arise from the use of emojis and the like. By Prof. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu & Daniel Sackey Ghanaian politician and business mogul Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong reveals a policy which most citizens wish to enjoy on his trip to South Africa early this year. Hon. Kennedy Agyapong was a special guest on a Ghanaian Popular Online Radio station in South Africa, ''The Press Radio'' hot show 'Ghana Te Sen?' The host Kwaku Anane Jnr. started the program with a Vox-Pop of angry Ghanaians living in South Africa blaming the government of Ghana over free hospitality, social grant, free education, school feeding etc. They stated that Ghanaians living in South Africa said poor policies in Ghana have forced them to migrate to South Africa. "There is no social grant for old age and those living with disabilities. We are enjoying free hospitality in South Africa even though we are foreign nationals," says angry Ghanaians in South Africa. The host welcomed the Member of Parliament of Assin Central Hon. Kennedy Agyapong with this request from the angry Ghanaian citizens. He Kwaku Anane Jnr asked; Hon. When will Ghana initiate "Social Grants" for our grandparents? The MP for Assin Central answered; "Well I heard the voice of a woman concerning the 'Social Grant' for old age but let me explain this; I think maybe their grandparents do not know their rights or maybe they don't know anything about it. Government has initiated a policy called LEAP purposely to support 65years upwards." Mr Agyapong added, "Some leaders of this particular initiative have politicized it to the benefit of their political party members as well as family and friends." Hon Kennedy Agyapong requested support from Ghanaians and also explained how he will change Ghana with Tourism if elected President. WATCH the full conversation with Kennedy Agyapong in South Africa below: Former Deputy Attorney General and former MP for Tempane Constituency, Joseph Kpemka, has called on Ghanaians to refrain from pre-judging the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, before her trial begins. Various groups have raised concerns regarding the source and intended use of funds, including US$1 million, 300,000, and unspecified amounts in Ghanaian cedis stolen from the ministers house. Reports went viral about two house helps who were taken to court for allegedly stealing $1 million dollars, 300,000 Euros, several millions of Ghana cedis, and other personal effects from the residence of Ms. Dapaah and her husband. Following the incident, Madam Dapaah was arrested by the Special Prosecutor, and two residential properties of the former minister were searched. She was later granted bail. During an interview on the Big Issue on Citi TV, hosted by Selorm Adonoo, the former deputy attorney stressed that the stolen US$1 million and 300,000, which belong to the former minister, could be legitimately earned income. Kpemka emphasized the potential implications of public commentary on Madam Cecilia Dapaahs scandal, which could potentially jeopardize the ongoing investigation process. The private legal practitioner clarified that the former minister did not commit any crime by keeping money in her house, urging for a fair and unbiased trial process. I urge all of us in our commentary not to hang the person [Cecilia Dapaah] before shes heard. Let the processes go through. In the end, if guilt is established, we can better comment on the persons character and integrity. It can prejudice the process, lets allow due process to run. We should be cautious and careful in putting her in public court. She has not committed any offence by keeping money in her house. For now, it can be a legitimately earned income. We heard the story that shes a hotelier, shes a deputy minister under former president J.A. Kufuor, and she has been a minister under this government on two occasions, she does other businesses and all that. Lets wait to hear what will come out of the investigations, Mr Kpemka suggested. The former MP proposed some forms of legislation to criminalise the hoarding of huge sums of monies in peoples homes. When the issue came up and people started talking about it, I said the mere fact that you are keeping trillions of dollars on your house, will not constitute an offence. Because theres no law in our books that would have been flouted. As a people, if we think that those occurrences are becoming one too many, and a conduit through which people perpetrate crimethen that means theres a lacuna in our law. If we are discovering cash in quantities in peoples houses that are frightening, and we dont want that to happen, legislation is the way to go. Go to parliament and legislate that if huge sums of money are found, the person is liable, he recommended. -citinewsroom 30.07.2023 LISTEN The manifestation of China's proactive diplomatic approach with the Global South has indicated a transition towards aid diplomacy with the ongoing geopolitical rivalry in international relations. China has possessed a considerable aptitude for recognizing global prospects to expand its influence and reap the benefits of endeavors undertaken by developing nations. The war in Ukraine has provided China with its initial indication that the countries comprising the Global South are not inclined to conform to Western geopolitical expectations. China has taken the role of the "lender of last resort" to developing nations, engaging in 128 initiatives of financial assistance across 22 countries during the period spanning from 2020 to 2021. The recent diplomatic endeavors of China are strategically designed to construct a fresh narrative regarding its global position, with a particular emphasis on the Global South. Regarding financial assistance, China has allocated approximately $42 billion for foreign aid during the period from 2013 to 2018. This allocation encompassed various forms of financial support, such as grants, interest-free loans, and concessional loans. Approximately 45% of the allocation was directed toward Africa, while 37% was allocated to Asia in 2021. Additionally, China announced its intention to give $10 billion from its International Monetary Fund (IMF) reserves to support African countries. Also, The South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund was established by China in 2015, with a current contribution of $3 billion for these developing nations. Chinese-led initiatives, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and the Global Development Initiative (GDI), are integral components of China's endeavors to reform the landscape of international politics. The Global South has emerged as the primary focus amidst the multitude of Chinese initiatives. Global South countries possess an understanding of the intricate nature of their interactions with China; however, their primary focus lies in addressing their economic predicaments. These developing nations realize that China can provide solutions without imposing any prerequisites, such as offering capital for infrastructure projects and making investments in the manufacturing and services sectors. In the initial quarter of 2023, China's trade with Africa amounted to $58.9 billion, which was nearly three times higher than the United States trade of $21.8 billion within the same timeframe. The Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, which was launched in June 2022 under the GDI, received an increased amount of $1 billion from China. Chinese lenders hold approximately 12% of the external debt in Africa, which amounts to a substantial value of $696 billion. The Global Development Initiative (GDI) is a broader endeavor to establish China as a prominent figure in worldwide governance, providing public benefits within a distinct normative framework. This phenomenon is increasingly gaining momentum, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. However, participation in South-South cooperation is not only motivated by altruistic goals; instead, it supports China's efforts to increase its power and influence. China is disseminating its norms and practices through the transfer of knowledge and technology. In multilateral forums such as the United Nations, an increased number of countries aligning their votes with China serves to benefit it by mitigating negative perceptions and narratives, thus promoting a sense of balance in Chinas favor. In 2022, China successfully concluded a series of agreements and transactions with Saudi Arabia, encompassing an investment valued at US$50 billion. The symbolic mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East signifies the increasing influence of China in the region throughout the past decade. In addition, China recently proposed a "peace plan" aimed at resolving the ongoing war in Ukraine. Also, China perceives peace as intrinsically linked to food security, development, and communication in developing countries. An additional illustration pertains to the Chinese proposition of mediating between Israel and the Palestinians, wherein they seek to reutilize previous principles that have yielded no discernible achievements by other nations. Chinas approach towards the Global South illustrates the appeal of China's proactive diplomatic approach centered on collaboration. The aforementioned trend is notably observable in the South Asian region, where China has made substantial investments in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. As an illustration, Sri Lanka is indebted to China for $7.4 billion, which is approximately 20% of the nation's total public debt. Additionally, China has been expanding its influence in Nepal and Bangladesh. China recognizes the significant geopolitical significance and promising potential of South Asia's expanding economy. However, it encounters formidable competition from India and Japan in this regard. Also, a sentiment of discontent is prevalent in numerous economically disadvantaged nations towards the governments of the US, Europe, and other Western regions regarding their perception of Ukraine's invasion by Russia as one of the most severe crises. This is about the Western nation's apparent emphasis on the plight of Ukrainians and willingness to accept Ukrainian refugees while at the same time ignoring the struggles experienced as a result of conflicts, famines, and other disasters in the developing regions. Although China has appeared as their savior, but it faces significant challenges in its quest for development. The economy is currently faced with difficulties like rising debt and pessimistic growth predictions for the future. Additionally, the Chinese leadership is forming new alliances and economic ties with the developing world as a result of their growing perception of the United States and its allies as rivals. China's influence within the developing world may not be universally significant across all issues due to the changing geopolitical landscape, which is characterized by increasing multipolarity. India and Turkey hold the perspective that the future is not characterized by a bipolar paradigm. On the contrary, there is anticipation for a trajectory similar to that of China, leading toward a multifaceted and multipolar future. The concept of democracy continues to possess significant allure in the countries of the Global South. India, a country that perceives itself as a representative of the Global South, has expressed disapproval towards China's prioritization of safeguarding banks during debt restructurings for other countries in South Asia. But China takes a more proactive and direct stance when addressing global challenges. This approach serves as a means for China to assert its diplomatic strategies and global governance concepts as superior to the prevailing liberal, rules-based international system. In concluding remarks, China is leveraging its expanding influence within the Global South, even in the United Nations, to advance its initiatives and propagate its guiding principles. It is imperative for the US and Western allies to effectively respond to China's objectives by intensifying involvement in these multilateral organizations and strengthening governance structures, thereby guaranteeing the continued significance of rules-based policies for the international system. Authors Bio and Photo Aishwarya Sanjukta Roy Proma is a Research Associate at the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD). She is a research analyst in security studies. She obtained her Master's and Bachelor's in International Relations from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She can be reached at [email protected]. As part of the sub-regional integration process of bringing governance to the doorsteps of the people, Winneba, will in September 2023 host the Extra Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, in Ghana. This would be the second time Ghana would host the ECOWAS Parliament which convenes twice a year. The 2023 First Ordinary Session of Parliament, opened on Monday, May 8, 2023, in Abuja and ended on Friday, May 26, 2023. The session was convened under Article 21.1 of the Supplementary Act relating to the enhancement of the powers of the ECOWAS Parliament, which provided that Parliament should meet twice a year in Ordinary Sessions to provide a platform to deliberate and strengthen Member States position on issues of regional and continental importance. As provided for in Article 32 of the supplementary Act, the Session also provides the President of the ECOWAS Commission to present a general report on the implementation of the Community Work Programme to the Plenary. This allows the House to be updated on developments in the Community and followed by debates, expressed opinions and recommendations. Further, National Delegates also have the chance to present their countrys reports to inform the Body of unfolding developments in their respective Member States and the status of implementation of their communitys texts. Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the leader of the Ghanaian delegation announced in Monrovia Liberia at the end of a joint delocalized meeting, when he interacted with the media. He explained that the Conference being hosted out of the capital would bring governance to the doorsteps of the people and create an opportunity for the region by way of putting it on the visibility map for development. This will also allow Member States not only to connect to build consensus towards ECOWAS Development but also an opportunity to travel outside the capital city to familiarise themselves with neighbour countries, he said. Mr Afenyo-Markin, also the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament and a Member of the ECOWAS Parliament, further told Journalists that international programmes created opportunities for growth, development and tourism; and Winneba being the capital of one of the Municipalities in the Central Region was more than ready to welcome the ECOWAS delegation. According to him, the Session would also market the region, the Effutu Constituency and the city which was a coastal city for greater opportunities. He maintained that such Sessions projected facilities towards development and urged his colleagues to push for more opportunities and take advantage of such possibilities. We cannot always over-concentrate in the capital cities; we need to move out and spread opportunity to the people, he said. The Effutu NPP Member of Parliament (MP), told Journalists that this will not be the first of its kind, particularly when Winneba 2021 successfully hosted a delocalised meeting and an Extra Ordinary Session, and therefore a precedent had been set. We are optimistic that this will be better than before. The Ghanaian government will put in place the necessary protocols for all MPs, focal persons and staff, security arrangements will be in place. Winneba, which is the capital of my constituency, is just an hours drive from Accra on a good road, he said. Mr Afenyo-Markin noted that Members were already used to that route with facilities going to be there to host them, adding As I did indicate, we hope to make it a pleasurable time, profitable time for all; we encourage all of you to come and take part in the programme, he said. GNA The armed conflict in Cameroon between separatist groups and the military is in its sixth year. Armed groups are fighting for secession of the English-speaking north-west and south-west regions and establishment of the Republic of Ambazonia. The government rejected a Canadian peace initiative in January 2023. Cameroon is officially bilingual . However, the minority English-speaking population has complained for decades of unfair treatment by the francophone-dominated state. Periods of opposition and resistance have come and gone, for instance in the 1990s. But the current levels of violence are unprecedented. The impact on the civilian population has been devastating. In almost six years of conflict, over 6,000 civilians have been killed. Hundreds of villages have been razed in the military's counterinsurgency campaign. Hundreds of thousands have fled the violence. Recent figures indicate 628,000 internally displaced people and 87,000 Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria, out of a total population of some four million in the anglophone regions. Drawing from our personal experiences and research on the conflict since 2017, we assessed the current situation and the prospects for resolution based on citizen feedback. Most citizens propose inclusive dialogue and a referendum. Current impasse in peace efforts A number of factors currently sustain the conflict and make peacemaking difficult. The foremost obstacle is the Cameroon government's desire to crush the separatists and achieve a military victory. While government forces are better equipped and more numerous, this is a guerrilla war fought in difficult terrain. Such wars are difficult to win. This is especially so when fighting mobile armed groups fuelled by decades of grievances . The grievances relate to policies of forceful political, social and cultural assimilation, economic deprivation and marginalisation. Additionally, a war economy has developed. Military personnel, political leaders and some Ambazonian groups are all profiting from the conflict. On the Ambazonian side, other factors also go against peacemaking. Notably, the Ambazonian movement has become increasingly fragmented politically and militarily. The political leadership, based mainly in the diaspora, has long been split between the Ambazonian Governing Council and the Interim Government. The Interim Government is now fragmented further under competing leaders. The apparent disconnect between the political leadership living securely in the diaspora and the longstanding suffering of the civilian population in the conflict zones is another factor that militates against peace talks. Militarily, there is a proliferation of armed groups. This makes any ceasefire prospects more difficult. While atrocities against civilians are undoubtedly committed by both warring sides, the military in particular continues to exercise extreme violence against the civilian population. Arbitrary arrests and detentions are rampant. All this has led to a palpable shift in the mood among local civilians, with war-weariness and a strong desire for conflict resolution. Way forward Among our research participants from Ground Zero the local name given to the conflict zones an almost unanimous desire was expressed for an end to the violence through a political settlement. Perhaps it is time to listen to these voices from Ground Zero for their perspectives on how to resolve the conflict. One research participant succinctly summed up a possible pathway: Ceasefire is the first button that should be clicked [and] all the political detainees should be released. After their release, dialogue and a referendum and the people will decide. The call for inclusive dialogue was the most commonly voiced element of this peace strategy. As one respondent noted: real, genuine, inclusive national dialogue, inclusive of diaspora elements and their own grassroots voices. While we found support for both secession and a two-state federation among our participants, there was consensus on a referendum among the English-speaking population as their preferred means of political decision-making. Although research participants favoured a bottom-up approach that facilitated local participation in peace processes, a mediation role for the international community was perceived as important: If there is no foreign intervention, it will be difficult. The UN and African Union were most frequently mentioned. At the time of our study, the Canadian initiative was unknown. However, the warring parties remain entrenched in their unwillingness to countenance a political solution that either challenges the status quo (government side) or does not entail independence (Ambazonian side). While most separatist factions (though not all) have shown more willingness to commit to the Canadian peace process, all of them should now listen to the views of anglophone civilians that they purport to represent and respect their desire for a peace agreement. Gordon Crawford has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council for the project "Voices from 'Ground Zero': Interrogating History, Culture and Identity in the Resolution of Cameroon's 'Anglophone' Conflict". Maurice Beseng received funding from Coventry University's International and Interdisciplinary Pilot Projects for the project: "The Shrinking Civic Space in Cameroon and the Role of Civil Society Organisations in Resolution of the ongoing 'Anglophone' Conflict". By Gordon Crawford, Professor, Coventry University And Maurice Beseng, Teaching Fellow, University of Birmingham People with disabilities often face difficulties when accessing transport services. Inadequate and unsuitable options restrict their mobility, independence and ability to navigate their communities. This limits their opportunities for employment, education, healthcare and social engagement. These individuals can also be very vocal about their experiences sharing comments online that can shape the branding and marketing of a city. As an academic researcher with a focus on transport, education and financial services, I teach the marketing and advertising of these services. To do so, one must first understand the state of a service like transport in a city. I've studied the experiences of commuters with disabilities and examined their interactions with transport providers. My focus has been on developing countries, like Nigeria, where limited transport infrastructure poses unique challenges for disabled commuters. In my latest research , I explored interactions between commuters with disabilities and transport services providers in the densely populated Lagos state. Commuters with disabilities express constant dissatisfaction with the poor service quality provided by danfo (minibus) operators in Lagos. And about the negative attitudes of other commuters, who often perceive them as burdens who slow down the journey. It's crucial to address these barriers by establishing inclusive and accessible transport systems that meet the diverse needs of individuals with disabilities. This will promote equal opportunities and full participation for all members of society. Apart from enhancing their wellbeing and quality of life, this could also improve the image of Lagos. The study Danfos small yellow para-transit buses often derived from retrofitted Volkswagen vans are the most popular form of public transport in Lagos. They accommodate 14 to 18 commuters and can be very uncomfortable when passengers are packed together. Danfos are unregulated, with no designated routes or route numbers. They're operated by informal, self-employed owners or drivers. Read more: They Eat Our Sweat - new book exposes daily struggles of transport workers in Lagos Qualitative data for my research was collected over five weeks of ethnographic fieldwork in different locations in Lagos state. This included interviews with 23 individuals with various forms of disabilities and 81 transport service providers. My analysis presents three key themes around the experiences of commuters with disabilities. Before riding Participants expressed concerns about the disorganised nature of transport services in Lagos. They felt anxious and uncertain because there were no fixed schedules and bus availability was unreliable. They requested a journey planner and mobile app. But danfo drivers showed little interest. They didn't believe they needed technology to aid their informal business because even without it, they were exceeding their targets. One driver said: You are making everything these days about technology. I am not ready for that, I just want to get on with my work. Accessing buses was especially challenging for wheelchair users, who face uncooperative drivers. Drivers said that meeting targets and avoiding delays were obstacles to providing better service. The fast-paced environment and inadequate infrastructure exacerbated difficulties for commuters with disabilities drivers and conductors displayed a lack of understanding and patience. I found a general lack of awareness and empathy towards the needs of disabled commuters. While riding Participants shared experiences about bus conditions, safety and desired assistive technologies during their journeys. Service providers showed a resistance to change. Space issues, especially for wheelchair users, were raised. Bus rapid transit services in Lagos were seen as more supportive, but participants mainly used unregulated private buses. Formal buses operate on a specific route, while danfos operate on their regular route. They end up heavily relying on them for their daily commute. One participant with a hearing impairment told me: The bus conductors and drivers can be very rude. They lack empathy and any human feeling. They can shout at you, pull you down if you are struggling to get down or they will treat you like you are nobody. This is because they know you don't have a choice. Participants called for training and compassion. Two wheelchair users said that drivers charged them more because they had a wheelchair. The drivers I interviewed denied the claims. Disembarking Commuters with disabilities expressed concerns about the lack of assistive technologies and the service providers' limited awareness. Accessibility issues arose, like struggles to attract the attention of bus conductors and the rush to exit as conductors called in more passengers. One visually impaired participant said: I now have to follow the bus to one of the bigger stops where I know they will stop to take some passengers. I do this because they don't like stopping at my bus stop always grumbling that I am making them lose customers. Many commuters shared stories of falling and injuring themselves, highlighting the safety hazards involved. Inadequate infrastructure, including poorly designed exits, steep ramps and inaccessible environments worsen these challenges. Regulated buses offered better support. What needs to be done about it The development of inclusive and accessible transport systems would enhance the mobility and quality of life for individuals with disabilities and also the branding of the city. One proposed solution is to launch a social campaign aimed at raising awareness about the challenges faced by commuters with disabilities. This would encourage operators to make small changes to enhance service quality. To reach operators, the campaign which could be sponsored as a corporate social responsibility initiative would involve visiting bus stops, engaging with drivers and sharing informative videos that promote empathy. Read more: South Africa's minibus taxi industry has been marginalised for too long. This must change There's also a clear need for a new mobility start-up that can disrupt the informal economy and provide a more inclusive service. This social enterprise could provide a service similar to London's Dial-a-ride , where commuters with disabilities can pre-book buses. It could incorporate assistive technologies, mobile apps and journey planners. By meeting the growing demand from people with disabilities who want to participate in the marketplace, more socially conscious public transport can open new opportunities. Emmanuel Mogaji does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. By Emmanuel Mogaji, Associate Professor in Marketing, Keele University Several thousand mercenaries of the Russian PMC "Wagner" have already settled in the military camp in Tsel, Belarus. However, the militants arrived without heavy military equipment, as it was probably transferred to the Russian Defense Ministry. ADVERTISIMENT This assumption was made in the summary of British intelligence, published on Twitter by the Ministry of Defense of Britain. It noted that satellite images from July 19, 2023, show that the previously virtually empty site today accommodated about 300 tents and 200 vehicles. According to separate reports, most of the visible vehicles are trucks and vans and several armored combat vehicles. "It remains unclear what happened to the heavy equipment that Wagner used in Ukraine. There is a real possibility that they were forced to return it to the Russian military," the summary noted. ADVERTISIMENT Intelligence officers believe that now the ability of the PMC "Wagner" to provide themselves with heavy equipment and air transportation will be a key factor in their future combat effectiveness. To remind, the State Security Service of Ukraine reported that about 5 thousand mercenaries of the Russian PMC "Wagner" are currently located in Belarus. The arrival of the occupants continues, with Belarus authorities providing infrastructure and training grounds. However, no movement of occupation troops near the border with Ukraine has been recorded so far. Our border guards assure that the situation is fully controlled. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZREVATEL: - Tt became known that the twelfth column of mercenaries from the PMC "Wagner" accompanied by armored vehicles arrived in Belarus on July 27. The convoy included at least 50 units of automotive equipment; - The CNS reported that the mercenaries of the PMC "Wagner," who arrived in Belarus after the failed military coup, might be preparing provocations in Belarus. "Wagner" soldiers may also organize provocations on the border of Belarus with Poland and Lithuania. 30.07.2023 LISTEN In recent times, Ghana has faced numerous challenges on its path to socio-economic and political development. Corruption, in particular, has emerged as a significant obstacle, hindering progress and eroding public trust in the government and institutions. In light of these challenges, the Church of Pentecost's conference on National Development, centered on the theme "Moral Vision and National Development," stands as a beacon of hope and a crucial step in addressing the nation's moral crisis. The conference brought together various stakeholders and esteemed individuals, including former presidents, the current vice president, the speaker of parliament, the Chief Justice, and the Islamic representative. The initiative to convene such a diverse group of leaders to discuss the importance of moral leadership and the common good of people is commendable. It signifies a collective recognition of the situation's gravity. Apostle Nyamekye, the chairman of the Church of Pentecost, played a pivotal role in emphasizing the three vital goals of the conference. Firstly, he articulated the church's commitment to the country's transformation. This commitment highlights the critical role religious institutions can play in shaping moral values and social norms. Throughout history, churches and other religious organizations have promoted ethical principles and guided societies toward progress. Secondly, the mention of Max Weber's work, "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," adds an intriguing historical perspective. It draws attention to the Protestant Reformation's impact on the Western world's economic and cultural development. While Ghana's context may differ, understanding historical influences on ethical principles can offer valuable insights for fostering economic growth and societal advancement. Apostle Nyamekye's third point, drawing from the Biblical reference that "Righteousness Exalts a Nation," underscores the profound connection between moral uprightness and prosperity. This correlation places moral vision at the heart of national development, positioning it as a foundational element of sustainable progress. A society rooted in moral values fosters trust, cooperation, and responsibility toward collective well-being. These values are vital for building a strong nation. The church's endeavor to engage politicians in a moral project against corruption requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. The political landscape presents challenges, but finding common ground and collaborative solutions is essential. Establishing respectful and open communication channels with politicians is fundamental. Constructive dialogues can help understand their perspectives and concerns regarding corruption. Building relationships based on trust and mutual respect lays the groundwork for cooperation. It is crucial to highlight the long-term benefits of fighting corruption for the country and its citizens. Demonstrating how reducing corruption leads to increased public trust, improved economic growth, and better service delivery will garner politicians' and constituents' support. Framing the fight against corruption in terms of shared moral values and ethical principles is essential. Emphasizing the importance of integrity, honesty, and accountability in public service and governance can inspire political leaders to stand against corruption. Moreover, collaboration with civil society organizations, advocacy groups, and concerned citizens is pivotal in amplifying the church's efforts. Working together can create a collective force that demands action from political leaders. The dissemination of conference outcomes and recommendations beyond the religious community is crucial. Policymakers and government officials must be informed of the insights gained from the conference. This will foster collaboration between religious institutions and the government in formulating policies prioritizing moral leadership and the common good. For this endeavor to be effective and sustainable, moral education and ethical teachings must be integrated into various aspects of society. The church, along with other religious institutions, should instill moral values from a young age, shaping the character and behavior of the future generation and ensuring a more morally conscious and responsible society. Inculcating moral character in Ghanaian society requires a multi-faceted approach that involves religious institutions and policymakers but also artists and the media. Artists, including musicians, actors, writers, and visual artists, significantly influence public perceptions and attitudes. Collaborating with artists to create thought-provoking and inspiring content that promotes moral values can be a powerful tool in shaping societal norms. Through their art, artists can raise awareness about ethical behavior, compassion, and social responsibility. This fosters a sense of collective responsibility for society's betterment. Similarly, the media shapes public opinion and cultural narratives. It is essential to involve media outlets in disseminating positive messages and stories that highlight acts of kindness, integrity, and honesty in everyday life. By showcasing role models who exemplify moral character, the media can encourage emulation and inspire citizens to uphold ethical principles in their own lives. Additionally, the media can be instrumental in exposing and raising awareness about corruption and unethical practices, creating public pressure for accountability and change. Engaging artists and the media in promoting moral character requires partnerships, funding, and support from various stakeholders. These stakeholders include the government, religious institutions, civil society organizations, and private entities. Recognizing and appreciating artists and media platforms that contribute positively to moral development can further incentivize their efforts. By harnessing the creative power of artists and the influence of the media, Ghana can foster a cultural shift towards a more morally conscious and responsible society. In conclusion, the Church of Pentecost's conference on National Development focused on moral vision holds immense promise for Ghana's future. Addressing the moral crisis is a fundamental step toward national development. Religious community commitment to contributing to the country's transformation is commendable. By engaging politicians in a moral project to fight corruption, a more transparent and accountable society can be built. The lessons from history and the profound connection between moral uprightness and prosperity underscore the significance of moral vision in national development. It is now up to all Ghanaians to join hands and work collectively toward building a morally strong and prosperous nation that upholds ethical principles, trust, and the common good for generations to come. The journey may be arduous, but with unwavering dedication and persistent efforts, Ghana can overcome its challenges and pave the way for a brighter future. The Ghana Nurse and Midwife Trainees Association (GNMTA) has petitioned government to urgently address the critical issue of their unpaid allowances which they claimed have accumulated for over a year. Signed by its President Pascal Adumbisa, the statement read that despite frantic efforts to get the government to resolve the issue, till date no resolution has been achieved yet in regard to the payment of trainee nurses and midwives' allowances. He said the prolonged delay in payment has exacerbated the hardships faced by the trainees who depend on these allowances for their education and wellbeing. But throwing more light on the details of their petition, the President of the Association said for over a year now, midwives and nurses have not received their allowances. We received an allowance in March. That was for three months and these three months that came in March were for 2022, not 2023. 2021, they made payments for September, October and November but June and December for 2021 were not paid, that is for those who just completed. He said the fallout from this egregious failure by the government is already evident, as trainee nurses and midwives face severe financial hardships, hindering their ability to focus fully on their essential training and achieving the highest levels of expertise in their field. This failure he intimated presents a major setback not only for the trainees themselves but for the entire healthcare sector of Ghana. Mr. Adumbisa further reiterated the importance of the allowance saying it plays a crucial role in supporting nurse and midwife trainees in Ghana, particularly during their practicums. He said it cushions them against exorbitant expenditures, ensuring that trainees can fully focus on their practical training without financial stress. He added that failure on the part of government to heed their demands to pay their allowances would amount to undermining the motivation and dedication of the trainees, which could ultimately have a detrimental impact on the entire healthcare system. " We call upon the government to rectify this injustice without further delay, to restore faith in its commitment to the healthcare sector, and to reestablish its role as a responsible custodian of the nation's future healthcare professionals", the President of GNMTA stressed. The pan-European project "Shared Landscapes" saw nine artists create seven works around the theme of humanity's relationship to nature. Performed this month in the countryside of southern France for the Avignon theatre festival, the series will tour Europe over the coming year. RFI spoke to one of the artists involved: Ari Benjamin Meyers, an American artist and composer based in Berlin, whose music invites audiences to reflect on climate change. Curators Caroline Barneaud, of Switzerland's Theatre Vidy-Lausanne, and Stefan Kaegi, co-founder of the German theatre company Rimini Protokoll, began approaching artists about three years ago with a view to putting together an ambitious al fresco project mixing performance, art, theatre and music. The result is "Shared Landscapes" ("Paysages Partages"): a seven-hour immersive experience in a natural setting, where audiences are invited to contemplate their relationship to the environment through performance art and sound installations. Earth art Meyers, who hails from a classical music background, told RFI he had been experimenting in land art and different forms of performance over the past 15 years. When Barneaud and Kaegi contacted him, h e had just finished working on a piece called "Forecast" that dealt with climate change, so he was in the right frame of mind to take on the new brief. "It was simply to make something in nature," he says, with the idea that it would be recreated within different locations across Europe. For the Avignon Festival, the piece was performed in Pujaut, on the Pelatier plateau about 13 kilometres outside the city. Meyers agrees that as an open-air stage, the area is dramatic, made even more so by the crushing summer heat and the deafening sound of cicadas. 'Unless for the trees...' As a warm breeze filtered up through the rocky valley overlooking vineyards, audiences were given blankets and asked to lie down on the hilly slope under pine trees and stare up at the sky. They were equipped with headphones to hear the voices of people talking about their experiences in nature, a sound installation designed by Kaegi. After about 40 minutes, single notes from brass instruments could be heard emanating from the nearby shrubbery, building in volume and intensity, merging together to become a haunting song. One by one, musicians, who had been camouflaged in the trees, or laying in the grass, gradually revealed themselves to the audience. This is the structure for "Unless for the trees", one section of a four-part composition by Meyers performed at regular interludes throughout the show. Each segment is dedicated to a natural element: "Unless for the birds", "Unless for the ground", "Unless for the air". He chose instruments such as the trumpet, trombone, flute, saxophone or tuba that are sturdy enough to withstand being outdoors in the heat. Meyers has them play a thoughtful, melancholic tune, far from the rousing airs people might be used to hearing bands play outdoors at fairs and carnivals. "It was important to get people to reflect. I don't want to depress people but it makes you think, makes you slightly uneasysomething's a little wrong, a little off," he says, reflecting on his message about the environment. "Being in these places that are very old, you feel the age of the trees, the ground, the age of the ecosystem, the breath the music-making goes back to something old." Interacting with the environment While most sections of the show rely on recordings and technology wireless headphones, virtual reality goggles or a giant screen Meyers' piece is performed live and in person. For him, it was imperative to have a live performance, with local musicians interacting physically with their immediate environment. "You see people working, they're hidden but you understand that they're real people. Climate change, it affects all of us, particularly young people. They have their whole lives to live with this situation. It was good to have young musicians who said: 'great, I'll climb and play in a tree'." It was also important to have the audience roam the countryside for hours (with their picnic dinners), away from the hustle and bustle of the city. "You're at the mercy of nature, and that can be gruelling and also beautiful. It's a big time commitment for the audience but I do think it needs that time. There's something very special about saying 'OK, I'm going to be in the woods for seven hours and there's no quick escape'." A climate prophesy "Shared Landscapes" is a timely project, with the issue of climate change and humans' role in it on everyone's minds. The title of Meyers' piece is inspired by a 1971 children's book, "The Lorax" by American writer Dr Seuss, which he says was clearly ahead of its time in predicting the demise of the planet. "The Lorax is a kind of protector of the environment. He's faced with industry and it's destroying the forest. He disappears and leaves behind a pile of stones and written on the pile of stones is the word 'unless'. Only at the end do we understand that unless we care, unless we do something, it's going to end badly for us," Meyers explains. "For me it was important to have this human element. Also to say, it's on us. It's easy to go off and see other parts of the Avignon Festival, have a glass of wine, like everything's fine but we know it's not fine, it's getting worse." "Shared Landscapes" is part of the "Performing Landscape" project. It was performed at the Avignon Festival in July 2023 and will tour Europe over the coming year. Next stop is Germany in August 2023, followed by Austria, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain in 2024. 30.07.2023 LISTEN The Juaboso lawmaker, Kwabena Mintah Akando, survived a deadly accident at Nyinahin in the Ashanti Region, following a head-on collision between his Toyota Land Cruiser and a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter bus. The incident took place within the Nyinahin area of the Atwima District, leaving several individuals injured. The Toyota Land Cruiser, bearing registration number GN 441-14, was being driven by one Joseph Amo when it collided with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter bus, which has the registration number AS 7363-18. The Land Cruiser V8 was part of the convoy transporting Mr Minta Akandoh, and his bodyguard, G/Cpl. Joseph Ntimbe, who were traveling from Juaboso towards Kumasi at the time of the incident. According to unconfirmed report, the Land Cruiser was attempting to overtake another vehicle when it crashed into the Sprinter bus, causing severe injuries to the passengers in both vehicles. All the injured passengers were quickly rushed to the Nyinahin Government Hospital for immediate medical attention. The driver of the Land Cruiser, Joseph Amo, and three other passengers, have been referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for additional treatment due to the severity of their injuries. Meanwhile, the MP for Juaboso, Kwabena Minta Akandoh, is responding to treatment at the Nyinahin Government Hospital. Unfortunately, the bodyguard of the MP, G/Cpl. Ntimbe, also sustained injuries and has been referred to KATH for further treatment. The collision resulted in severe damage to both vehicles and caused significant injuries to the occupants. Emergency services were immediately alerted and rushed to the scene to provide assistance. Local authorities, including the police and medical personnel, swiftly arrived to manage the situation and ensure the injured individuals received prompt medical attention. Preliminary reports indicate that several passengers from both vehicles sustained various injuries. The injured individuals were quickly transported to nearby medical facilities for treatment. The extent of their injuries and current medical conditions have not been disclosed at this time. Local authorities have initiated an investigation into the cause of the accident. As is standard practice in such cases, the driver of the Toyota Land Cruiser, Joseph Amo, will likely be subjected to a thorough examination to determine if any factors, such as mechanical failure or reckless driving, contributed to the collision. The findings of the investigation will be crucial in establishing liability and potential charges. The news of the accident involving Kwabena Minta Akandoh, a Member of Parliament, has sent shockwaves through the community. Messages of support and well-wishes for a swift recovery have poured in from constituents and fellow politicians alike. The Nyinahin District remains saddened by this tragic incident, and local authorities are urging all road users to exercise caution and adhere to traffic regulations to prevent future accidents. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this unfortunate event, and we hope for a speedy recovery for the injured parties. This accident has raised concerns about road safety in the Nyinahin District, and local authorities have been urged to take immediate measures to ensure that such incidents are prevented in the future. Updates on the investigation and the condition of the injured individuals will be provided as more information becomes available. -DGN online West African leaders have imposed economic and travel sanctions on Niger's military junta, threatening military action if ousted President Mohammed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. Leaders from Ecowas, the bloc of West African nations, held an emergency summit in Nigeria on Sunday to discuss last week's coup. Ecowas gave the junta seven days to reinstate Bazoum, who is being held captive in Niamey by the presidential guards unit. In a statement, the regional bloc said it would "take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order" if its demands were not met within a week. "Such measures may include the use of force", the statement said, adding that military chiefs are to meet "immediately" to that effect. Ahead of the crisis talks, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani who has declared himself Niger's new leader warned Ecowas and unnamed Western nations against stepping in. "We once again reiterate to Ecowas or any other adventurer our firm determination to defend our fatherland," he said in a statement read out on television late Saturday. Ecowas and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union also announced the immediate enforcement of a no-fly zone over Niger, the closure of all land borders with the country, a halt to financial transactions and the freezing of national assets. Military officials involved in the coup would be banned from travelling and have their assets frozen. Anti-French protests On Saturday, France announced it had suspended all development aid and budgetary support to Niger, following similar measures by both the EU and the US. On Sunday, several thousands of coup supporters protested outside the French embassy in the capital Niamey. Images showed fires at the embassy walls and people being loaded into ambulances with bloodied legs. Some of the protesters chanted "Long live Russia", "Long live Putin" and "Down with France", according to AFP news agency. France said it would not tolerate any attack on its interests in Niger, and would respond in an "immediate and intractable manner". The military coup in Niger, which began on Wednesday, has been widely condemned by neighbours and international partners including former colonial power France, the US, UN, African Union and European Union. They have all refused to recognise the new leaders led by Gen. Tchiani. But the coup has been welcomed by the leader of Russia's Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin, who described it as a triumph, Reuters news agency reported. Niger's coup is the third in the Sahel region since Mali in 2021 and Burkina Faso in 2022. The Mali junta has brought Wagner in to help it fight militant Islamists, having forced France to withdraw its military presence last year. France then moved its regional military headquarters to Niger, where some 15,000 troops have continued to fight jihadist violence alongside the Nigerien army. (with newswires) Embassy Bancorp, Inc. (OTCMKTS:EMYB Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 200 shares, a growth of 100.0% from the June 30th total of 100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days. Embassy Bancorp Price Performance EMYB stock remained flat at $16.00 during mid-day trading on Friday. 201 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,372. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.06. Embassy Bancorp has a one year low of $12.50 and a one year high of $21.40. Get Embassy Bancorp alerts: Embassy Bancorp Increases Dividend The business also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 14th. Investors of record on Friday, June 30th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 29th. This represents a yield of 2.81%. This is a positive change from Embassy Bancorps previous annual dividend of $0.35. Embassy Bancorps payout ratio is 6.87%. Embassy Bancorp Company Profile Embassy Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for the Embassy Bank for the Lehigh Valley that provides traditional banking and related financial services to individual, business, and government customers in Pennsylvania. The company's deposit products include savings, money market, individual retirement, and NOW accounts; demand and time deposits; and certificates of deposit. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Embassy Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Embassy Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Erste Group Bank AG (OTCMKTS:EBKDY Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 13,100 shares, an increase of 56.0% from the June 30th total of 8,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 43,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days. Erste Group Bank Price Performance Shares of OTCMKTS:EBKDY traded up $0.08 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $18.84. 21,465 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,516. Erste Group Bank has a 52-week low of $10.57 and a 52-week high of $19.92. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $17.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $17.71. Get Erste Group Bank alerts: Erste Group Bank (OTCMKTS:EBKDY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $2.63 billion for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Erste Group Bank will post 3.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Erste Group Bank Increases Dividend About Erste Group Bank The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 17th were given a dividend of $0.9939 per share. This represents a yield of 5.57%. This is an increase from Erste Group Banks previous dividend of $0.56. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 16th. (Get Free Report) Erste Group Bank AG provides a range of banking and other financial services to retail, corporate, and public sector customers. The company operates through Retail, Corporates, Group Markets, Asset/Liability Management & Local Corporate Center, Savings Banks, and Group Corporate Center segments. It provides mortgage and consumer loans, investment products, current accounts, savings products, and credit cards, as well as cross selling products, such as leasing, insurance, and building society products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Erste Group Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Erste Group Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Digital China Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:DCHIF Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 130,700 shares, a growth of 96.0% from the June 30th total of 66,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently days. Digital China Price Performance Shares of DCHIF stock remained flat at $0.40 during trading hours on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $0.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $0.45. Digital China has a fifty-two week low of $0.40 and a fifty-two week high of $0.48. Get Digital China alerts: Digital China Company Profile (Get Free Report) Read More Digital China Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, provides big data products and solutions for government and enterprise customers primarily in Mainland China. The Big Data Products and Solutions segment sells data software products focused on spatial-temporal big data and artificial intelligence. Receive News & Ratings for Digital China Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Digital China and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. UDR (NYSE:UDR Get Free Report) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $2.24-$2.28 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.50. The company issued revenue guidance of -. UDR also updated its FY23 guidance to $2.48-$2.52 EPS. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms recently commented on UDR. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of UDR from $43.00 to $46.00 in a research note on Monday, May 15th. Wolfe Research downgraded UDR from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating and set a $71.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Monday, May 15th. TheStreet raised UDR from a c rating to a b rating in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on UDR from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of UDR from $50.00 to $47.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $47.90. Get UDR alerts: UDR Stock Performance Shares of NYSE UDR traded down $0.37 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $40.24. 2,359,974 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,784,535. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.03, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.77. The companys 50-day moving average price is $42.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $41.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 5.60 and a quick ratio of 4.91. UDR has a 1-year low of $37.18 and a 1-year high of $50.65. UDR Dividend Announcement Institutional Inflows and Outflows The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 10th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 7th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.17%. UDRs payout ratio is 125.37%. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Clear Street Markets LLC raised its stake in shares of UDR by 96.1% in the first quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 606 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of UDR by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,444 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its stake in UDR by 256.3% in the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 3,378 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $139,000 after acquiring an additional 2,430 shares during the period. Brinker Capital Investments LLC acquired a new position in UDR in the first quarter worth about $214,000. Finally, Horizon Investments LLC bought a new position in UDR during the first quarter worth about $217,000. Institutional investors own 92.46% of the companys stock. About UDR (Get Free Report) UDR, Inc (NYSE: UDR), an S&P 500 company, is a leading multifamily real estate investment trust with a demonstrated performance history of delivering superior and dependable returns by successfully managing, buying, selling, developing and redeveloping attractive real estate communities in targeted U.S. Read More Receive News & Ratings for UDR Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UDR and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Africa Energy Corp. (OTCMKTS:HPMCF Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,000 shares, an increase of 112.8% from the June 30th total of 4,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 18,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.5 days. Africa Energy Trading Down 11.9 % Shares of OTCMKTS:HPMCF traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $0.08. The stock had a trading volume of 6,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 36,657. Africa Energy has a 1 year low of $0.08 and a 1 year high of $0.29. The firms 50 day moving average is $0.09 and its 200-day moving average is $0.11. Get Africa Energy alerts: About Africa Energy (Get Free Report) Read More Africa Energy Corp. operates as an oil and gas exploration and production company in South Africa and Namibia. The company focuses on potential gas condensate development on Block 11B/12B offshore in South Africa. It holds interest in the Block 2B offshore the Republic of South Africa. The company was formerly known as Horn Petroleum Corporation and changed its name to Africa Energy Corp. Receive News & Ratings for Africa Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Africa Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Living a long, active and healthy life is a dream for most of us. And research shows that we can do a lot to make it a reality. ADVERTISIMENT According to the Guardian, scientists have compiled a list of eight habits that can extend life by as much as 20 years or more. Ideally, you should introduce these habits before reaching middle age, but they will benefit, at whatever age you do not start to implement them. Health care professional Xuan-Mai T Nguyen, who is involved with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said. "The earlier the better, but even if you make a small change in your 40s, 50s or 60s, it will still be beneficial," she said. The expert explained that each individual's healthy lifestyle will be good for them personally and for public health. Here's a list of those habits: Proper nutrition; smoking cessation; quality sleep; adequate physical activity; stress management; avoiding heavy alcohol use; not being dependent on opioids; having positive social connections with others ADVERTISIMENT The study, reported by Nguyen, was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Boston. Its authors analyzed data from questionnaires and medical records collected between 2011 and 2019. The records covered more than 700,000 U.S. military veterans between the ages of 40 and 99. All were participants in the Million Veterans Program. Of those, 33,375 died during the study period. Nguyen and her colleagues examined information about these individuals to determine what habits were associated with increased longevity. It turned out that there was a clear pattern for eight habits. Even introducing one had a positive impact, and combining several was even more beneficial. "Men and women who adopted eight therapeutic lifestyle factors were able to increase life expectancy by 23.7 or 22.6 years, respectively, at age 40 years compared to those who did not adopt any lifestyle factors," the authors wrote in their study. ADVERTISIMENT According to their analysis, low physical activity, opioid drug use, and smoking reduced life expectancy the most. Participants with these lifestyle factors had a 30-45% higher risk of dying during the study than other subjects. Stress, excessive alcohol consumption, poor sleep hygiene and poor nutrition increased this risk by about 20%. The authors noted that their work was observational in nature. Therefore, they cannot claim that the correlations they derived show a direct causal relationship with lifestyle. Professor Naveed Sattar, a cardiovascular and metabolic disease expert at the University of Glasgow who was not involved in the study, also cautioned that the study did not include a trial and therefore many factors may make the conclusions less accurate. Still, Sattar spoke favorably of his colleagues' work. "These data add to the notion that our lifestyle matters as much, if not more, than the medications we receive to prevent or treat numerous chronic diseases," he said. And he added that helping people adopt healthy habits can reduce the costs of chronic disease management and help them live more enjoyable and productive lives. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier OBOZREVATEL told about a simple exercise that will help to extend life. It will not need any additional equipment. Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL channels in Telegram, Viber and Threads to keep up to date. Anfield Capital Management LLC decreased its position in iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (NYSEARCA:GSG Free Report) by 39.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 50,860 shares of the companys stock after selling 32,927 shares during the period. Anfield Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.10% of iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust worth $1,375,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of GSG. Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust by 13.7% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 18,027 shares of the companys stock worth $408,000 after purchasing an additional 2,177 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can bought a new position in iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,554,000. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its stake in iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust by 99.4% during the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 65,261 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,478,000 after acquiring an additional 32,536 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers bought a new position in iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust during the 1st quarter valued at about $423,000. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new position in iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust during the 1st quarter valued at about $206,000. Institutional investors own 60.29% of the companys stock. Get iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust alerts: iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust Price Performance GSG traded up $0.10 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $21.45. 177,475 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 201,845. The companys 50-day moving average is $19.82 and its 200 day moving average is $20.08. iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust has a 52 week low of $18.65 and a 52 week high of $23.54. iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust Profile iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (The Trust) is an investment trust that issues units of beneficial interest (shares) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. The Trusts objective is to track the results of a fully collateralized investment in futures contracts on an index composed of a diversified group of commodities futures and to track the investment returns of the index before payment of the Trusts expenses and liabilities. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GSG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (NYSEARCA:GSG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Ashford (NYSEAMERICAN:AINC Free Report) in a research note released on Thursday morning. The firm issued a buy rating on the financial services providers stock. Separately, B. Riley decreased their price target on shares of Ashford from $15.00 to $10.00 in a research note on Monday, May 22nd. Get Ashford alerts: Ashford Stock Performance Shares of NYSEAMERICAN AINC opened at $9.40 on Thursday. Ashford has a 52-week low of $9.20 and a 52-week high of $19.70. The companys 50 day moving average price is $9.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.61. The company has a market capitalization of $30.08 million, a P/E ratio of -0.86 and a beta of 1.94. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Ashford ( NYSEAMERICAN:AINC Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.30. Ashford had a net margin of 0.58% and a negative return on equity of 19.78%. The company had revenue of $185.12 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $179.40 million. Analysts forecast that Ashford will post 6.31 earnings per share for the current year. An institutional investor recently raised its position in Ashford stock. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Ashford Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:AINC Free Report) by 5.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,369 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 883 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned about 0.56% of Ashford worth $241,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 12.95% of the companys stock. Ashford Company Profile (Get Free Report) Ashford, Inc is an asset management firm. The firm provides investment management and related services to the real estate and hospitality sectors. Ashford, Inc was formed on April 2, 2014 and is based in Dallas, Texas. Ashford Inc(NYSEAM:AINC) operates independently of Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc as of November 5, 2019. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Ashford Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ashford and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aurora Investment Counsel reduced its position in shares of Installed Building Products, Inc. (NYSE:IBP Free Report) by 88.5% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,077 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 8,318 shares during the quarter. Aurora Investment Counsels holdings in Installed Building Products were worth $1,077,013,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in Installed Building Products by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 1,912 shares of the construction companys stock worth $218,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Installed Building Products by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 8,313 shares of the construction companys stock worth $712,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Installed Building Products by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 6,894 shares of the construction companys stock worth $590,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in shares of Installed Building Products by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,325 shares of the construction companys stock worth $285,000 after acquiring an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming increased its position in shares of Installed Building Products by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 913 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. 79.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Installed Building Products alerts: Installed Building Products Stock Up 1.5 % IBP traded up $2.22 on Friday, hitting $148.39. 181,269 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 162,869. Installed Building Products, Inc. has a twelve month low of $74.69 and a twelve month high of $150.88. The company has a market cap of $4.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.75 and a beta of 1.76. The company has a current ratio of 2.73, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $129.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $117.86. Installed Building Products Cuts Dividend Installed Building Products ( NYSE:IBP Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The construction company reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.20 by ($0.15). Installed Building Products had a net margin of 8.71% and a return on equity of 57.73%. The firm had revenue of $659.31 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $698.36 million. On average, equities analysts predict that Installed Building Products, Inc. will post 8.37 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th were issued a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 14th. Installed Building Productss dividend payout ratio is currently 15.79%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have weighed in on IBP shares. Loop Capital upped their target price on Installed Building Products from $120.00 to $150.00 in a report on Friday, June 30th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Installed Building Products from $118.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 13th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Installed Building Products from $125.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday, May 8th. Royal Bank of Canada raised Installed Building Products from an underperform rating to a sector perform rating and increased their price objective for the company from $85.00 to $111.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Finally, BTIG Research began coverage on Installed Building Products in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $126.00. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CAO Todd R. Fry sold 500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.24, for a total value of $57,120.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,943 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $678,928.32. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, CEO Jeffrey W. Edwards sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total value of $5,980,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2,747,819 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $328,666,630.59. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Todd R. Fry sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.24, for a total value of $57,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,943 shares in the company, valued at $678,928.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 51,197 shares of company stock worth $6,117,956 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 17.30% of the companys stock. Installed Building Products Profile (Free Report) Installed Building Products, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the installation of insulation, waterproofing, fire-stopping, fireproofing, garage doors, rain gutters, window blinds, shower doors, closet shelving and mirrors, and other products in the continental United States. The company offers a range of insulation materials, such as fiberglass and cellulose, and spray foam insulation materials. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IBP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Installed Building Products, Inc. (NYSE:IBP Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Installed Building Products Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Installed Building Products and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. lowered its stake in Ford Motor (NYSE:F Free Report) by 3.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,545 shares of the auto manufacturers stock after selling 947 shares during the quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc.s holdings in Ford Motor were worth $372,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Aspire Private Capital LLC bought a new position in Ford Motor during the 1st quarter valued at about $15,783,781,000. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ford Motor by 78.2% in the 4th quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 1,998 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares during the period. Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ford Motor in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new position in shares of Ford Motor during the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new position in Ford Motor during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 53.20% of the companys stock. Get Ford Motor alerts: Ford Motor Stock Down 3.4 % F stock opened at $13.26 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $13.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $12.87. The company has a market cap of $53.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.59. Ford Motor has a twelve month low of $10.90 and a twelve month high of $16.68. Ford Motor Announces Dividend Ford Motor ( NYSE:F Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $44.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $43.17 billion. Ford Motor had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 2.44%. Ford Motors revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.68 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Ford Motor will post 1.86 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 25th will be given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.52%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 24th. Ford Motors dividend payout ratio is currently 58.82%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. TheStreet raised shares of Ford Motor from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Benchmark increased their price target on shares of Ford Motor from $19.00 to $20.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Ford Motor from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $14.00 to $16.00 in a report on Thursday, July 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $10.00 to $11.00 in a report on Monday, July 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $15.50. Ford Motor Company Profile (Free Report) Ford Motor Company develops, delivers, and services a range of Ford trucks, commercial cars and vans, sport utility vehicles, and Lincoln luxury vehicles worldwide. It operates through Ford Blue, Ford Model e, and Ford Pro; Ford Next; and Ford Credit segments. The company sells Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories through distributors and dealers, as well as through dealerships to commercial fleet customers, daily rental car companies, and governments. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding F? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ford Motor (NYSE:F Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Ford Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ford Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. B & T Capital Management DBA Alpha Capital Management decreased its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report) by 1.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,202 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 100 shares during the quarter. B & T Capital Management DBA Alpha Capital Managements holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $2,817,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 4th quarter worth about $759,531,000. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 40.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 5,936,351 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $2,038,425,000 after purchasing an additional 1,696,350 shares during the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 168,772.3% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,244,589 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $427,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,243,852 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 58.5% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,298,015 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $428,474,000 after purchasing an additional 479,032 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 197.1% in the 4th quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 473,887 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $162,723,000 after purchasing an additional 314,382 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.90% of the companys stock. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: Insider Activity at The Goldman Sachs Group In other news, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $337.66, for a total value of $1,012,980.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 15,052 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,082,458.32. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO David M. Solomon sold 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $345.71, for a total transaction of $3,457,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 128,982 shares in the company, valued at $44,590,367.22. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $337.66, for a total value of $1,012,980.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 15,052 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,082,458.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 34,977,959 shares of company stock valued at $659,825,442 over the last three months. 0.54% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. The Goldman Sachs Group Trading Down 0.4 % NYSE:GS traded down $1.28 on Friday, reaching $353.23. 1,827,589 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,627,221. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.38. The business has a fifty day moving average of $330.52 and a 200-day moving average of $337.84. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $287.75 and a 52-week high of $389.58. The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 19th. The investment management company reported $3.08 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.25 by ($0.17). The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 8.08% and a net margin of 9.74%. The company had revenue of $10.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.61 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $7.73 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 25.92 earnings per share for the current year. The Goldman Sachs Group Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 31st will be issued a $2.75 dividend. This represents a $11.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.11%. This is an increase from The Goldman Sachs Groups previous quarterly dividend of $2.50. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio is 42.66%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts recently commented on GS shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. JMP Securities reissued a market outperform rating and set a $450.00 price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research report on Thursday, July 20th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price 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. 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 research note on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $410.00 target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $393.34. 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. Featured Articles 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. Ceres Power (OTCMKTS:CPWHF Free Report) had its price objective cut by Berenberg Bank from GBX 1,155 ($14.81) to GBX 1,140 ($14.62) in a report released on Wednesday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports. Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Credit Suisse Group upped their target price on shares of Ceres Power from GBX 950 ($12.18) to GBX 1,000 ($12.82) in a research note on Monday, April 17th. HSBC upgraded shares of Ceres Power from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, March 31st. Get Ceres Power alerts: Ceres Power Trading Down 1.2 % Shares of Ceres Power stock opened at $4.58 on Wednesday. The firms 50-day moving average is $4.12 and its 200 day moving average is $4.54. Ceres Power has a 1 year low of $3.35 and a 1 year high of $8.91. About Ceres Power Ceres Power Holdings plc, a fuel cell technology and engineering company, engages in the development and commercialization of fuel cell technology in North America, Asia, and Europe. The company offers SteelCell, a solid oxide fuel cell that generates power from conventional and sustainable fuels, such as natural gas, biogas, ethanol, and hydrogen. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Ceres Power Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ceres Power and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication (OTCMKTS:BZQIF Get Free Report) is one of 144 public companies in the Telecom Services industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication to related businesses based on the strength of its valuation, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability, risk and dividends. Profitability This table compares Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication N/A N/A N/A Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication Competitors -4.75% -11.78% 1.10% Institutional & Insider Ownership 21.5% of Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.1% of shares of all Telecom Services companies are held by institutional investors. 30.3% of shares of all Telecom Services companies 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. Analyst Ratings Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication 0 0 0 0 N/A Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication Competitors 776 2361 4243 156 2.50 This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat. As a group, Telecom Services companies have a potential upside of 166.23%. Given Bezeq The Israel Telecommunications rivals higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication and its rivals gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication N/A N/A 1.57 Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication Competitors $8.78 billion $579.34 million -262.92 Bezeq The Israel Telecommunications rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication. Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry. Dividends Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication pays an annual dividend of $0.23 per share and has a dividend yield of 19.9%. Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication pays out 31.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Telecom Services companies pay a dividend yield of 16.0% and pay out 42.5% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication is clearly a better dividend stock than its rivals, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication Company Profile (Get Free Report) Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication Corp. Ltd provides communications services to business and private customers in Israel. It operates through Domestic fixed-line communications, Cellular Communication, Internet, International Communication, and ICT Solutions, and Multi-Channel Television segments. The company offers telephony services, including basic telephony services on the household telephone line, as well as associated services, such as voice mail and caller ID; national numbering services; and transmission and data-communication services. In addition, it provides virtual server services; Bcyber services; smart business services; private virtual PBX services; and B144 service, an advertising platform for digital advertising and marketing to small businesses, BCam, Wi-Fi, SMS, and remote backup. Further, the company offers infrastructure services, company's network connection, billing services, and space leasing; and operates and maintains radio transmitters for broadcasting of radio and television contents. Additionally, it provides basic telephone, browsing and data communications, messaging, push to talk, Internet of Things, and servicing and repair services, as well as sells terminal equipment. Furthermore, the company provides cellular communication services; multi-channel digital satellite television, over the Internet, and value added services. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Holon, Israel. Receive News & Ratings for Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EFG Asset Management Americas Corp. boosted its stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR Free Report) by 3.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,601 shares of the business services providers stock after acquiring an additional 288 shares during the quarter. EFG Asset Management Americas Corp.s holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions were worth $1,114,000 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. MV Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 33.0% during the 4th quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 290 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 9,074 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,217,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 5,604 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $752,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp raised its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 9,816 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,317,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the period. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 11,874 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,593,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.05% of the companys stock. Get Broadridge Financial Solutions alerts: Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Down 1.2 % Broadridge Financial Solutions stock traded down $1.99 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $167.82. The companys stock had a trading volume of 327,054 shares, compared to its average volume of 336,318. The firms 50 day moving average is $160.25 and its 200 day moving average is $150.49. The company has a market cap of $19.80 billion, a PE ratio of 36.01 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.35. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has a 52-week low of $131.35 and a 52-week high of $183.33. Broadridge Financial Solutions Dividend Announcement Broadridge Financial Solutions ( NYSE:BR Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The business services provider reported $2.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a return on equity of 40.29% and a net margin of 9.33%. Broadridge Financial Solutionss revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.93 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 6.9 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were issued a $0.725 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $2.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.73%. Broadridge Financial Solutionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.23%. Insider Activity In related news, VP Laura Matlin sold 4,052 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.73, for a total transaction of $622,913.96. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 5,825 shares in the company, valued at $895,477.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Leslie A. Brun sold 6,900 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.98, for a total value of $1,027,962.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 59,916 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,926,285.68. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Laura Matlin sold 4,052 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.73, for a total value of $622,913.96. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 5,825 shares of the companys stock, valued at $895,477.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 27,397 shares of company stock worth $4,162,229 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a research note on Monday, April 24th. They set an outperform rating and a $169.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com started coverage on Broadridge Financial Solutions in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $161.40. Broadridge Financial Solutions Profile (Free Report) Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chase Investment Counsel Corp boosted its position in shares of Perrigo Company plc (NYSE:PRGO Free Report) by 5.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,965 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 585 shares during the quarter. Chase Investment Counsel Corps holdings in Perrigo were worth $393,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PRGO. Raymond James & Associates raised its holdings in Perrigo by 23.6% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 53,302 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,048,000 after buying an additional 10,189 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in Perrigo by 222.6% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,039 shares of the companys stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 5,547 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. raised its holdings in Perrigo by 135.4% in the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 24,726 shares of the companys stock worth $950,000 after purchasing an additional 14,222 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its holdings in Perrigo by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 49,027 shares of the companys stock worth $1,884,000 after purchasing an additional 4,675 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Perrigo by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 12,112,154 shares of the companys stock worth $465,469,000 after purchasing an additional 554,915 shares in the last quarter. 95.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Perrigo alerts: Perrigo Stock Up 0.5 % Shares of Perrigo stock traded up $0.19 during trading on Friday, hitting $36.55. The companys stock had a trading volume of 831,457 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,215,525. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 2.52. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $33.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $35.26. The company has a market capitalization of $4.95 billion, a PE ratio of -38.07 and a beta of 0.81. Perrigo Company plc has a 52 week low of $30.78 and a 52 week high of $43.90. Perrigo Dividend Announcement Perrigo ( NYSE:PRGO Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.03. Perrigo had a negative net margin of 2.85% and a positive return on equity of 6.21%. The company had revenue of $1.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.33 EPS. Perrigos quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Perrigo Company plc will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 20th. Investors of record on Friday, June 2nd were given a dividend of $0.273 per share. This represents a $1.09 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.99%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 1st. Perrigos dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -113.54%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Perrigo from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Perrigo has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $48.00. Insider Activity at Perrigo In related news, EVP Svend Andersen purchased 2,900 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $33.41 per share, with a total value of $96,889.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president now directly owns 68,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,296,636.81. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Geoffrey M. Parker purchased 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $33.06 per share, with a total value of $330,600.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 25,879 shares in the company, valued at approximately $855,559.74. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Svend Andersen purchased 2,900 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 23rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $33.41 per share, for a total transaction of $96,889.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president now owns 68,741 shares in the company, valued at $2,296,636.81. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Perrigo Company Profile (Free Report) Perrigo Company plc provides over-the-counter health and wellness solutions to enhance individual well-being in Ireland, the United States, France, Belgium, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Australia, Greece, and Spain. It operates through Consumer Self-Care Americas and Consumer Self-Care International segments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Perrigo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Perrigo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Community Bank System (NYSE:CBU Get Free Report) is scheduled to be issuing its quarterly earnings data before the market opens on Monday, July 31st. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.86 per share for the quarter. Parties interested in registering for the companys conference call can do so using this link. Community Bank System Price Performance Community Bank System stock opened at $52.59 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The stock has a market cap of $2.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.41 and a beta of 0.58. The companys 50 day moving average price is $49.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $52.66. Community Bank System has a 52 week low of $42.10 and a 52 week high of $72.86. Get Community Bank System alerts: Community Bank System Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 10th. Investors of record on Friday, September 15th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 14th. This is a boost from Community Bank Systems previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Community Bank Systems payout ratio is 64.94%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Community Bank System Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CBU. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. increased its stake in shares of Community Bank System by 43.0% during the first quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 5,912 shares of the banks stock valued at $422,000 after purchasing an additional 1,777 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates increased its stake in shares of Community Bank System by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 17,408 shares of the banks stock worth $1,221,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in Community Bank System by 15.8% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 7,143 shares of the banks stock worth $501,000 after acquiring an additional 977 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Community Bank System by 2.7% in the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 20,597 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,447,000 after acquiring an additional 540 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Community Bank System by 20.9% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 51,951 shares of the banks stock worth $3,644,000 after acquiring an additional 8,977 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.97% of the companys stock. A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Hovde Group upgraded shares of Community Bank System from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 28th. TheStreet downgraded shares of Community Bank System from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of Community Bank System from $54.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Community Bank System from $64.00 to $57.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Raymond James raised shares of Community Bank System from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $55.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $59.00. About Community Bank System (Get Free Report) Community Bank System, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Community Bank, N.A. that provides various banking and other financial services to retail, commercial, and municipal customers. It operates through three segments: Banking, Employee Benefit Services, and All Other. The company offers various deposits products, such as interest and noninterest -bearing checking, savings, and money market deposit accounts, as well as time deposits. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Community Bank System Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Community Bank System and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Segments of Russia's pro-war media space have begun to coalesce around the Kremlin's narrative attempt to portray Ukraine's counteroffensive as a failure, exaggerating the AFU's losses and reporting less of its own than before. Some bloggers are shaping their portrayal of events on the front in fear of punishment from the authorities similar to the arrest of terrorist Igor Girkin. ADVERTISIMENT However, the Kremlin's ability to create a coherent narrative about the war in the Russian media space remains uncertain and further Russian failures or significant Ukrainian success could undermine its progress completely. This was pointed out by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). It is noted that prominent Russian bloggers are inaccurately portraying the AFU's counteroffensive operations as a series of "unsuccessful" attacks across the contact line more often. They have been widely sharing footage from July 29, claiming that it shows a single Russian tank "defeating an entire Ukrainian company with armored vehicles" as if it had happened recently. However, it was established that the footage was filmed back on June 7 and they show Russian Armed Forces artillery units hitting the Ukrainian convoy, no consequences were seen there. ADVERTISIMENT "Russian sources are sharing old footage to support claims that Ukrainian forces are suffering significant losses in armored vehicles and the increase in video footage on July 29 indicates that they are deliberately doing so to support the Kremlin's version," ISW stressed. It recalled how Russian dictator Vladimir Putin recently said that Ukrainian forces "lost 39 units of armored vehicles" during several days of fighting in the western Zaporizhzhia region, which is a notable intonation in his exaggeration of Ukrainian losses during the AFU counteroffensive. Analysts have previously said that the Kremlin is likely changing its policy on war coverage to downplay the potential for a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive and promote itself as an effective military leader. Russian bloggers continue to report localized offensives by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and some problems with Russian defensive operations against this backdrop, but the broader operational presentation of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the pro-war Russian media space is consistent with the Kremlin's likely change in its presentation. ADVERTISIMENT Experts say some propagandists may be shaping their portrayal of a broader Ukrainian counteroffensive in fear of the Kremlin's punishment following the arrest of a prominent critic of Russian authorities terrorist Igor Girkin (Strelkov). A Russian insider, citing sources in the Russian president's administration, said on July 28 that the Kremlin recently urged affiliated bloggers to reduce their coverage of the war in Ukraine in general and publish more "positive content on topics of Russian national pride." "We have not noticed pro-Kremlin bloggers cutting coverage of the war back, although they have started to insist that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed more. The arrest of prominent critics of the war against Ukraine, such as Girkin, along with efforts by the Russian Defense Ministry to consolidate control over Russian informational space may encourage affiliated bloggers to align their portrayal of the war with more serious statements by the Kremlin than before" ISW expressed its belief. ADVERTISIMENT They believe that the Kremlin's ability to create a more coherent narrative about the war in Russian infospace remains uncertain and subsequent failures of the Russian Armed Forces or significant success of the AFU on the frontline could undermine propagandists' progress in this effort. Today, segments of Russian informational space continue to complain about the systemic problems associated with the war and many bloggers are likely to change course on their portrayal of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the event of significant Ukrainian successes. "The community of pro-war Russian bloggers is still very reactive and motivated by vivid themes of outrage. Many are likely to abandon their attempts to join the Kremlin's reporting on the war in the event that polemics about Russia's failure provoke renewed intense anger towards the "leadership" of the Russian military. A coherently expanded and unquestioned Kremlin narrative on the tactical and operational situation in Ukraine would make it difficult to report on the realities of the battlefield, especially in the absence of more detailed reporting from the Ukrainian side," ISW stated. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, the arrest of terrorists Igor Girkin (Strelkov) and Pavel Gubarev in Russia spooked the collaborators in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. They began to flee en masse. The secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, expressed his belief that Girkin's arrest is evidence of a strong fright in Moscow. It is indicative and is a warning to anyone who dares to criticize the authorities. Only verified information we have in our Telegram channel Obozrevatel, Threads and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB Get Free Report) updated its third quarter 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of $0.21-$0.25 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $0.23. The company issued revenue guidance of $128.00 million-$132.00 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $135.99 million. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TheStreet raised Core Laboratories from a c rating to a b- rating in a report on Wednesday. Bank of America cut Core Laboratories from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and set a $21.50 price target on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Core Laboratories from $18.00 to $19.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Core Laboratories in a report on Wednesday, July 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup cut Core Laboratories from a neutral rating to a sell rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $22.00 to $21.00 in a report on Friday, June 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and one has assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $21.30. Get Core Laboratories alerts: Core Laboratories Price Performance Core Laboratories stock traded up $1.48 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $26.09. The companys stock had a trading volume of 597,650 shares, compared to its average volume of 433,953. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.43, a P/E/G ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 2.64. Core Laboratories has a twelve month low of $13.19 and a twelve month high of $26.80. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $23.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $23.24. Core Laboratories Dividend Announcement Core Laboratories ( NYSE:CLB Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The oil and gas company reported $0.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.14 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $128.36 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $126.26 million. Core Laboratories had a return on equity of 16.83% and a net margin of 7.75%. Research analysts forecast that Core Laboratories will post 0.55 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 7th will be given a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 4th. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.15%. Core Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.82%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CLB. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in Core Laboratories by 167.6% during the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 902,625 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $19,903,000 after purchasing an additional 565,344 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Core Laboratories by 13.5% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 24,393 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $538,000 after purchasing an additional 2,898 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in Core Laboratories by 112.8% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 81,636 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $1,800,000 after purchasing an additional 43,266 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Core Laboratories by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,280,545 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $28,243,000 after purchasing an additional 24,399 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new position in Core Laboratories during the 1st quarter worth approximately $544,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.63% of the companys stock. Core Laboratories Company Profile (Get Free Report) Core Laboratories Inc provides reservoir description and production enhancement services and products to the oil and gas industry in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Reservoir Description and Production Enhancement segments. The Reservoir Description segment includes the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock, reservoir fluid, and gas samples to enhance production and improve recovery of oil and gas from its clients' reservoirs. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Core Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Core Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC grew its holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF Free Report) by 4.3% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 19,736 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 821 shares during the quarter. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF comprises about 0.9% of Cornerstone Advisory LLCs holdings, making the stock its 28th largest position. Cornerstone Advisory LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF were worth $4,822,000 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 IWF. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P lifted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 34.1% in the 1st quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 26,203 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $7,275,000 after purchasing an additional 6,665 shares during the period. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF in the 1st quarter valued at about $42,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 6,211 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,724,000 after purchasing an additional 644 shares during the period. West Michigan Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 7,595 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $2,109,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares during the period. Finally, Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF in the 1st quarter valued at about $33,422,000. Get iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF alerts: iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Stock Performance Shares of NYSEARCA:IWF traded up $4.41 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $284.07. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,073,357 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,461,928. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.14 and a beta of 1.08. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $270.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $248.83. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has a fifty-two week low of $202.05 and a fifty-two week high of $286.96. About iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banc of California (NYSE:BANC Free Report) had its target price upped by DA Davidson from $17.50 to $21.50 in a report issued on Wednesday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports. DA Davidson also issued estimates for Banc of Californias Q3 2023 earnings at $0.29 EPS. Several other brokerages have also commented on BANC. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on Banc of California from $18.00 to $16.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. TheStreet lowered Banc of California from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Friday, May 12th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Banc of California in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Banc of California from $20.00 to $18.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on Banc of California from $20.00 to $17.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Get Banc of California alerts: Banc of California Stock Performance BANC stock opened at $14.47 on Wednesday. Banc of California has a 1-year low of $9.72 and a 1-year high of $18.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The company has a market capitalization of $840.27 million, a P/E ratio of 10.26 and a beta of 1.23. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $12.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.62. Banc of California Dividend Announcement Insider Buying and Selling at Banc of California The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.76%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 14th. Banc of Californias payout ratio is 28.37%. In other news, Director Joseph J. Rice acquired 7,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $11.25 per share, with a total value of $84,375.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 9,500 shares in the company, valued at $106,875. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Banc of California news, CEO Jared M. Wolff acquired 6,769 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $11.10 per share, for a total transaction of $75,135.90. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 217,204 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,410,964.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Joseph J. Rice purchased 7,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $11.25 per share, for a total transaction of $84,375.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 9,500 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $106,875. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought a total of 17,469 shares of company stock valued at $194,583 in the last three months. 7.37% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banc of California Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Banc of California by 43.0% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 227,875 shares of the banks stock valued at $4,412,000 after buying an additional 68,518 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in Banc of California by 1.5% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 583,011 shares of the banks stock worth $11,286,000 after buying an additional 8,380 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Banc of California by 51.3% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 34,077 shares of the banks stock valued at $660,000 after buying an additional 11,557 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Banc of California during the 1st quarter valued at $225,000. Finally, Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Banc of California by 12.3% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 47,942 shares of the banks stock worth $928,000 after acquiring an additional 5,255 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.96% of the companys stock. Banc of California Company Profile (Get Free Report) Banc of California, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Banc of California, National Association that provides banking and financial products and services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing demand, checking, savings, and money market deposits accounts; certificate of deposits; and retirement accounts and safe deposit boxes. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Banc of California Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banc of California and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dana (NYSE:DAN Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $0.65-$1.05 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $0.68. The company issued revenue guidance of $10.45 billion-$10.95 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $10.72 billion. Dana Trading Up 0.8 % Dana stock traded up $0.15 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $18.96. The stock had a trading volume of 1,750,021 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,153,974. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The stock has a market cap of $2.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.78 and a beta of 2.44. Dana has a one year low of $11.17 and a one year high of $19.75. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $16.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.82. Get Dana alerts: Dana (NYSE:DAN Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 28th. The auto parts company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $2.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.71 billion. Dana had a positive return on equity of 3.92% and a negative net margin of 2.24%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.08 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Dana will post 0.73 EPS for the current fiscal year. Dana Dividend Announcement Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 11th will be given a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 10th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.11%. Danas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -24.84%. A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on DAN shares. StockNews.com downgraded Dana from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays raised their price objective on Dana from $17.00 to $19.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Dana from $15.00 to $18.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Dana from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Dana from $15.00 to $16.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. Five 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, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $18.00. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dana A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky acquired a new stake in Dana in the third quarter valued at approximately $335,000. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its stake in Dana by 121.5% in the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 5,502 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $77,000 after acquiring an additional 3,018 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC grew its stake in Dana by 2.3% in the first quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 2,621,679 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $46,063,000 after acquiring an additional 60,025 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL grew its stake in Dana by 9.6% in the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 3,612,318 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $63,468,000 after acquiring an additional 316,466 shares during the period. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Dana by 2.9% in the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 82,651 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $1,452,000 after acquiring an additional 2,303 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.67% of the companys stock. About Dana (Get Free Report) Dana Incorporated provides power-conveyance and energy-management solutions for vehicles and machinery in North America, Europe, South America, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in four segments: Light Vehicle Drive Systems, Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems, Off-Highway Drive and Motion Systems, and Power Technologies. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Dana Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dana and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EMCOR Group (NYSE:EME Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The construction company reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.58, Briefing.com reports. EMCOR Group had a return on equity of 24.20% and a net margin of 4.13%. The business had revenue of $3.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.99 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. EMCOR Group updated its FY23 guidance to $10.75-$11.25 EPS. EMCOR Group Trading Up 5.6 % Shares of EME stock traded up $11.26 on Friday, hitting $211.82. The company had a trading volume of 857,215 shares, compared to its average volume of 304,780. The firm has a market cap of $10.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.06 and a beta of 1.10. The stocks 50-day moving average is $180.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $165.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.29. EMCOR Group has a twelve month low of $112.85 and a twelve month high of $212.71. Get EMCOR Group alerts: EMCOR Group Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 20th will be paid a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 19th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.34%. EMCOR Groups payout ratio is 7.16%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Insider Activity Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on EMCOR Group in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. In related news, CEO Anthony Guzzi sold 7,741 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.02, for a total transaction of $1,432,239.82. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 238,981 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,216,264.62. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, EVP R Kevin Matz sold 13,462 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.46, for a total transaction of $2,227,422.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 191,709 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,720,171.14. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Guzzi sold 7,741 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.02, for a total value of $1,432,239.82. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 238,981 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,216,264.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 35,462 shares of company stock valued at $6,423,718. Company insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in EMCOR Group by 0.8% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,152,648 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,000,359,000 after acquiring an additional 47,507 shares in the last quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in EMCOR Group by 2.4% in the first quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 3,565,326 shares of the construction companys stock worth $579,687,000 after acquiring an additional 82,360 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in EMCOR Group by 3.6% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,744,930 shares of the construction companys stock worth $196,531,000 after acquiring an additional 61,165 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in EMCOR Group by 1.0% in the first quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 961,989 shares of the construction companys stock worth $156,410,000 after acquiring an additional 9,577 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of EMCOR Group by 96.7% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 651,082 shares of the construction companys stock worth $105,859,000 after purchasing an additional 320,153 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.67% of the companys stock. EMCOR Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) EMCOR Group, Inc provides electrical and mechanical construction, and facilities services primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. It offers design, integration, installation, start-up, operation, and maintenance services related to electrical power transmission, distribution, and generation systems; energy solutions; premises electrical and lighting systems; process instrumentation in the refining, chemical processing, and food processing industries; low-voltage systems, such as fire alarm, security, and process control systems; voice and data communications systems; roadway and transit lighting, signaling, and fiber optic lines; heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and geothermal solutions; clean-room process ventilation systems; fire protection and suppression systems; plumbing, process, and high-purity piping systems; controls and filtration systems; water and wastewater treatment systems; central plant heating and cooling systems; crane and rigging services; millwright services; and steel fabrication, erection, and welding services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for EMCOR Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EMCOR Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Estate Counselors LLC grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF Free Report) by 153.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 75,290 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 45,555 shares during the period. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF accounts for 2.4% of Estate Counselors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Estate Counselors LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF were worth $18,396,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 145,777.6% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 223,496,182 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $47,881,822,000 after purchasing an additional 223,342,974 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 9.1% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 38,134,434 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $8,169,921,000 after acquiring an additional 3,186,645 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 22,099,282 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $4,734,550,000 after acquiring an additional 1,283,522 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 16.9% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,718,604 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,225,154,000 after purchasing an additional 828,749 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 5,150,534 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,103,450,000 after purchasing an additional 608,288 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF alerts: iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Trading Up 1.6 % Shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF stock opened at $284.07 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.05 billion, a PE ratio of 26.14 and a beta of 1.08. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $270.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $248.83. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has a 12 month low of $202.05 and a 12 month high of $286.96. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Profile iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc. lowered its stake in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO Free Report) by 1.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 171,822 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,707 shares during the quarter. Coca-Cola accounts for 2.4% of First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc.s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $10,658,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Naples Global Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Coca-Cola by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC now owns 23,188 shares of the companys stock worth $1,448,000 after buying an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. increased its holdings in Coca-Cola by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 12,780 shares of the companys stock worth $793,000 after buying an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Kessler Investment Group LLC increased its holdings in Coca-Cola by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Kessler Investment Group LLC now owns 2,679 shares of the companys stock worth $170,000 after buying an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp increased its holdings in Coca-Cola by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp now owns 16,604 shares of the companys stock worth $1,056,000 after buying an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gleason Group Inc. increased its holdings in Coca-Cola by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 14,369 shares of the companys stock worth $891,000 after buying an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.61% of the companys stock. Get Coca-Cola alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms recently commented on KO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Coca-Cola from $67.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 25th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Coca-Cola in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Citigroup boosted their price target on Coca-Cola from $71.00 to $74.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Finally, Wedbush boosted their price target on Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $68.33. Coca-Cola Price Performance NYSE KO traded up $0.04 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $62.48. The companys stock had a trading volume of 9,723,263 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,537,233. The firms 50-day moving average price is $60.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $61.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The Coca-Cola Company has a 1 year low of $54.01 and a 1 year high of $65.47. The company has a market capitalization of $270.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.71, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 0.54. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.06. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 43.06% and a net margin of 23.81%. The company had revenue of $12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.74 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.70 EPS. The firms revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.63 EPS for the current fiscal year. Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, September 15th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.94%. Coca-Colas dividend payout ratio is presently 75.72%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Coca-Cola news, insider Nikolaos Koumettis sold 253,102 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.63, for a total value of $16,104,880.26. Following the sale, the insider now owns 184,563 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,743,743.69. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Coca-Cola news, SVP Beatriz R. Perez sold 50,000 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.66, for a total value of $3,133,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 143,383 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,984,378.78. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Nikolaos Koumettis sold 253,102 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.63, for a total value of $16,104,880.26. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 184,563 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,743,743.69. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 470,786 shares of company stock valued at $30,019,224 in the last quarter. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. About Coca-Cola (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. Read More 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. First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown raised its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO Free Report) by 3.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,563 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 785 shares during the period. First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtowns holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF were worth $912,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 108,287.1% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 296,468,035 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $11,556,324,000 after purchasing an additional 296,194,508 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 75,901,915 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,958,657,000 after buying an additional 744,035 shares during the last quarter. Betterment LLC grew its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Betterment LLC now owns 71,776,690 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,797,855,000 after buying an additional 5,650,398 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 55,758,981 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,173,478,000 after buying an additional 3,909,063 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 55,415,031 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,556,296,000 after buying an additional 1,508,810 shares during the last quarter. Get Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF alerts: Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Stock Performance Shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF stock traded up $1.02 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $43.02. The company had a trading volume of 7,437,409 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,256,264. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a 50 day moving average of $40.91 and a 200 day moving average of $40.69. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has a 52-week low of $34.88 and a 52-week high of $43.22. About Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF The Fund seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index, that measures the return of stocks issued by companies located in emerging market countries. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VWO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CGI Group, Inc. (TSE:GIB Free Report) Raymond James boosted their FY2023 earnings estimates for shares of CGI Group in a report issued on Wednesday, July 26th. Raymond James analyst S. Li now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $7.09 for the year, up from their previous estimate of $6.97. Raymond James also issued estimates for CGI Groups Q4 2023 earnings at $1.81 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $7.68 EPS. Get CGI Group alerts: CGI Group (TSE:GIB Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported C$1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$1.70 by C$0.12. The business had revenue of C$3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$3.53 billion. CGI Group Price Performance Several other research firms have also weighed in on GIB. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of CGI Group from C$156.00 to C$147.00 in a report on Thursday. National Bank Financial increased their price objective on shares of CGI Group from C$160.00 to C$175.00 in a report on Monday, July 24th. CIBC increased their price objective on shares of CGI Group from C$146.00 to C$150.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Desjardins decreased their price objective on shares of CGI Group from C$155.00 to C$154.00 in a report on Thursday. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of CGI Group from C$140.00 to C$155.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for CGI Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CGI Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cabot (NYSE:CBT Get Free Report) and EMS-CHEMIE (OTCMKTS:EMSHF Get Free Report) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations. Profitability This table compares Cabot and EMS-CHEMIEs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Cabot alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Cabot 7.51% 28.94% 9.14% EMS-CHEMIE N/A N/A N/A Valuation & Earnings This table compares Cabot and EMS-CHEMIEs top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Cabot $4.32 billion 0.91 $209.00 million $5.55 12.63 EMS-CHEMIE N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Institutional and Insider Ownership Cabot has higher revenue and earnings than EMS-CHEMIE. 91.0% of Cabot shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 6.6% of EMS-CHEMIE shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.7% of Cabot shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent recommendations for Cabot and EMS-CHEMIE, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Cabot 0 1 3 0 2.75 EMS-CHEMIE 1 2 0 0 1.67 Cabot presently has a consensus target price of $89.25, suggesting a potential upside of 27.34%. EMS-CHEMIE has a consensus target price of $587.50, suggesting a potential downside of 24.61%. Given Cabots stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Cabot is more favorable than EMS-CHEMIE. Summary Cabot beats EMS-CHEMIE on 9 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Cabot (Get Free Report) Cabot Corporation operates as a specialty chemicals and performance materials company. The company operates through two segments, Reinforcement Materials and Performance Chemicals. It offers reinforcing carbons that are used in tires as a rubber reinforcing agent and performance additive, as well as in industrial products, such as hoses, belts, extruded profiles, and molded goods; and engineered elastomer composites solutions. The company also provides specialty carbons for use in inks, coatings, cables, plastics, adhesives, toners, batteries, and displays applications; conductive carbon additives and fumed alumina used in lead acid and lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles; fumed silica used in adhesives, sealants, cosmetics, batteries, inks, toners, silicone elastomers, coatings, polishing slurries, and pharmaceuticals; and fumed alumina for use in various products, including inkjet media, lighting, coatings, cosmetics, and polishing slurries. In addition, it offers aerogel, a hydrophobic, silica-based particle to use in various thermal insulation and specialty chemical applications; masterbatch and conductive compound products that are used in automotive, industrial, packaging, infrastructure, agriculture, consumer products, and electronics industries; and inkjet colorants for inkjet printing applications. The company sells its products through distributors and sales representatives in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. Cabot Corporation was founded in 1882 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. About EMS-CHEMIE (Get Free Report) EMS-CHEMIE HOLDING AG engages in the high performance polymers and specialty chemicals businesses worldwide. The company's High Performance Polymers segment is involved in the manufacture and supply of high-performance polyamides granulates. Its Specialty Chemicals segment develops, produces, and sells fibers, fusible adhesives, and adhesive yarns for technical and textile applications; powder coatings; and reactive diluents. The company also offers bonding, coating, sealing, and damping systems; and hotmelt adhesives, crosslinkers, epoxy systems, technical fibers, adhesion promoters, and fusible bonding yarns and granules. It serves automotive, electro and electronic, industry and consumer goods, optic, and packaging markets. The company was founded in 1936 and is based in Domat/Ems, Switzerland. EMS-CHEMIE HOLDING AG is a subsidiary of EMESTA HOLDING AG. Receive News & Ratings for Cabot Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cabot and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The 50-story IQ-quarter building located in the Moscow City business center, which was attacked by a drone on the night of July 30, houses three Russian ministries at once. These are the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. ADVERTISIMENT The documentation of the Ministry of Digital Development was found after the explosion on the street. The first UAV crashed exactly into the 10th floor of the 2nd tower of the Moscow City IQ-quarter, where the office of the Ministry is located, ASTRA found out. The location of two more agencies in the tower is also known, following 2019 data. ADVERTISIMENT The second drone strike hit the bottom floor of the second building. Moscow International Moscow City Business center is a business district in Moscow on Presnenskaya Embankment. Moscow City includes 6 skyscrapers with a maximum height of 300 meters or more (Shanghai 5, Hong Kong 6, Chicago 6, New York has 7). The Federation Tower, the tallest building in Europe, is located in the MIBC. The complex also has the second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh tallest buildings in Europe. The IQ-quarter complex is a complex of three high-rise buildings located on 11th plot in Moscow City. ADVERTISIMENT To remind, new explosions occurred in Moscow on the night of July 30. After a UAV hit the Moscow City business center, smoke was billowing from one of the towers and windows blown away. Russia's Defense Ministry blamed Ukraine for the UAV attack on Moscow. The terrorist agency said that one UAV was destroyed in the air by air defense assets over the territory of the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region. Another two drones were allegedly suppressed by electronic warfare equipment and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of the Moscow City complex of non-residential buildings. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZREVATEL: - Russians were shocked by the night drone attack on Moscow. One of them took a video of the destroyed apartments of a high-rise, another man said he saw a large white drone flew over the city and crashed into a building; - Another Russian woman filmed the consequences of the damage in Moscow City business district, complaining that "the tower was blown up." The footage shows that the glazing on the first six floors was blown out. The area of damage is 40 square meters. J Sainsbury (OTCMKTS:JSNSF Get Free Report) is one of 62 public companies in the Grocery Stores industry, but how does it compare to its peers? We will compare J Sainsbury to related businesses based on the strength of its risk, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings and valuation. Insider & Institutional Ownership 23.0% of J Sainsbury 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, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Get J Sainsbury alerts: Profitability This table compares J Sainsbury and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets J Sainsbury N/A N/A N/A J Sainsbury Competitors 1.92% 15.56% 4.91% Analyst Ratings Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score J Sainsbury 0 0 0 0 N/A J Sainsbury Competitors 1121 2759 3010 115 2.30 This is a breakdown of recent ratings for J Sainsbury and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat. As a group, Grocery Stores companies have a potential upside of 73.69%. Given J Sainsburys peers higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe J Sainsbury has less favorable growth aspects than its peers. Dividends J Sainsbury pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.5%. J Sainsbury pays out 1,061.3% 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 4.2% and pay out 62.1% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Earnings and Valuation This table compares J Sainsbury and its peers revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio J Sainsbury N/A N/A 236.81 J Sainsbury Competitors $28.67 billion $604.25 million 208.04 J Sainsburys peers have higher revenue and earnings than J Sainsbury. J Sainsbury 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. Summary J Sainsbury peers beat J Sainsbury on 8 of the 10 factors compared. About J Sainsbury (Get Free Report) J Sainsbury plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the food, general merchandise and clothing retailing, and financial services activities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It operates through three segments: Retail Food, Retail General Merchandise and Clothing, and Financial Services. The company operates various store formats, including convenience stores and supermarkets. It is also involved in the online grocery and general merchandise operations. In addition, it offers financial services, such as credit cards, scorecards, and personal loans; and home, car, pet, travel, and life insurance products. J Sainsbury plc was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for J Sainsbury Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for J Sainsbury and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. J. W. Coons Advisors LLC cut its position in Life Storage, Inc. (NYSE:LSI Free Report) by 3.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,637 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 185 shares during the quarter. J. W. Coons Advisors LLCs holdings in Life Storage were worth $608,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in Life Storage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Life Storage during the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Life Storage by 148.5% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 333 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Life Storage during the 1st quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Life Storage in the second quarter worth $53,000. 90.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Life Storage alerts: Insider Activity at Life Storage In other news, Director Arthur L. Havener, Jr. sold 2,625 shares of Life Storage stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.76, for a total value of $335,370.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 14,901 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,903,751.76. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, Director Arthur L. Havener, Jr. sold 2,625 shares of Life Storage stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.76, for a total transaction of $335,370.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 14,901 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,903,751.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen R. Rusmisel sold 2,500 shares of Life Storage stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.92, for a total transaction of $324,800.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,801 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,312,705.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 10,161 shares of company stock worth $1,320,037 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock. Life Storage Trading Down 0.8 % Life Storage Announces Dividend NYSE:LSI traded down $1.02 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $133.10. 7,208,600 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,059,395. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.88 and a beta of 0.65. Life Storage, Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.02 and a 12 month high of $146.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.42. The company has a fifty day moving average of $131.40 and a 200 day moving average of $126.96. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 13th were paid a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 12th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.70%. Life Storages payout ratio is presently 83.53%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In LSI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Raymond James lifted their price target on Life Storage from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Wolfe Research lowered Life Storage from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Life Storage from $140.00 to $145.00 in a research report on Friday, May 12th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of Life Storage from $136.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Life Storage from $120.00 to $122.00 in a report on Thursday, June 15th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $128.63. Life Storage Profile (Free Report) Life Storage, Inc is a self-administered and self-managed equity REIT that is in the business of acquiring and managing self-storage facilities. Located in Buffalo, New York, the Company operates more than 1,200 storage facilities in 37 states and the District of Columbia. The Company serves both residential and commercial storage customers with storage units rented by month. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Life Storage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Life Storage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Journey Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 5.1% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 30,326 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,461 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company comprises about 1.6% of Journey Advisory Group LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Journey Advisory Group LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $10,414,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 287.6% in the first quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 358,378 shares of the companys stock valued at $123,074,000 after acquiring an additional 265,916 shares during the last quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 12.3% during the 1st quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 61,214 shares of the companys stock worth $21,022,000 after buying an additional 6,685 shares in the last quarter. Edge Capital Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 24.9% in the 1st quarter. Edge Capital Group LLC now owns 17,028 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,848,000 after purchasing an additional 3,390 shares during the period. FourThought Financial Partners LLC raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 18.2% in the 1st quarter. FourThought Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,018 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,036,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the period. Finally, Cora Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Cora Capital Advisors LLC now owns 956 shares of the companys stock worth $328,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.25% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 0.8 % LLY stock traded up $3.49 during trading on Friday, hitting $458.48. 1,438,327 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,323,019. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $448.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $390.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $435.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.89, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.38. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $296.32 and a 52-week high of $469.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get 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 return on equity of 61.42% and a net margin of 20.54%. The company had revenue of $6.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.62 EPS. Eli Lilly and Companys revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 8.78 EPS for the current year. 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. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 14th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 71.86%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have weighed in on LLY shares. 22nd Century Group restated a maintains rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. SVB Securities boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $410.00 to $458.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $551.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, July 21st. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $420.00 to $500.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $408.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $467.45. Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 591 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $466.62, for a total transaction of $275,772.42. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 101,028,219 shares in the company, valued at $47,141,787,549.78. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 591 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $466.62, for a total transaction of $275,772.42. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 101,028,219 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $47,141,787,549.78. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of the businesss 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,978 shares in the company, valued at $2,602,163.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 746,556 shares of company stock valued at $334,342,879. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. 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. Further Reading 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. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 17.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,747,996 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after acquiring an additional 264,807 shares during the period. Abbott Laboratories accounts for approximately 0.9% of KBC Group NVs investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. KBC Group NV owned about 0.10% of Abbott Laboratories worth $177,002,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Monumental Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.08% of the companys stock. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have issued reports on ABT. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $127.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 24th. Raymond James increased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $116.00 to $123.00 in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Abbott Laboratories from an underperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Friday, July 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $132.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $117.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $120.82. Insider Transactions at Abbott Laboratories Abbott Laboratories Price Performance In other news, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,825,316 shares in the company, valued at $757,746,582.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 8,226 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.56, for a total transaction of $909,466.56. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,427 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,786,409.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 in the company, valued at $757,746,582.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 108,226 shares of company stock valued at $12,148,467 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock. Shares of NYSE ABT traded up $0.08 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $112.73. The company had a trading volume of 3,409,325 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,720,931. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $196.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.04 and a beta of 0.68. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $106.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $106.34. Abbott Laboratories has a twelve month low of $93.25 and a twelve month high of $115.83. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 20th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $9.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.71 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 12.83% and a return on equity of 20.60%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.43 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.4 earnings per share for the current year. Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, July 14th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 13th. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.62%. Abbott Laboratories 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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report). 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. Laboratory Co. of America (NYSE:LH Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $13.00-$14.00 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.02. The company issued revenue guidance of $12.08 billion-$12.26 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.63 billion. Laboratory Co. of America also updated its FY23 guidance to $13.00 to $14.00 EPS. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $275.00 to $270.00 in a research note on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $265.00 to $240.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $277.00 to $257.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 16th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $260.00 to $235.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Laboratory Co. of America from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Laboratory Co. of America currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $272.88. Get Laboratory Co. of America alerts: Laboratory Co. of America Trading Down 0.7 % Shares of LH traded down $1.41 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $214.64. The stock had a trading volume of 711,812 shares, compared to its average volume of 723,460. Laboratory Co. of America has a 1 year low of $166.93 and a 1 year high of $222.33. The firm has a market cap of $19.02 billion, a PE ratio of 23.15 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 2.35 and a quick ratio of 1.46. The stocks 50 day moving average is $220.60 and its 200 day moving average is $229.84. Laboratory Co. of America Announces Dividend Laboratory Co. of America ( NYSE:LH Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The medical research company reported $3.42 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.47 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $3.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.77 billion. Laboratory Co. of America had a return on equity of 14.63% and a net margin of 5.89%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.96 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Laboratory Co. of America will post 13.7 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 8th will be issued a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 7th. Laboratory Co. of Americas payout ratio is presently 31.07%. Insider Transactions at Laboratory Co. of America In other Laboratory Co. of America news, EVP Der Vaart Sandra D. Van sold 212 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $50,880.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,605 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,825,200. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Laboratory Co. of America news, CEO Paul R. Kirchgraber sold 4,300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.91, for a total transaction of $932,713.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 12,946 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,808,116.86. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Der Vaart Sandra D. Van sold 212 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $50,880.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,605 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,825,200. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,012 shares of company stock worth $1,308,748. Insiders own 0.65% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Laboratory Co. of America Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Roundview Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 7,793 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $2,055,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management raised its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 34,800 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $9,175,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp raised its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 105.7% during the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 1,654 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $441,000 after buying an additional 850 shares during the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. purchased a new position in Laboratory Co. of America during the 1st quarter worth approximately $213,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 18.9% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 89,167 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $23,543,000 after buying an additional 14,186 shares during the last quarter. 87.75% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Laboratory Co. of America Company Profile (Get Free Report) Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as a life sciences company that provides vital information to help doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and patients make clear and confident decisions. It operates in two segments, Labcorp Diagnostics and Labcorp Drug Development. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Laboratory Co. of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Laboratory Co. of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST Free Report) by 3,961.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 140,034 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after buying an additional 136,586 shares during the quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC owned 0.19% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $48,518,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 6,539 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $1,539,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $56,000. Park Place Capital Corp increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 888 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $308,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 22.2% in the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 141,997 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $33,419,000 after purchasing an additional 25,775 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Korea Investment CORP increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 44,491 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $10,471,000 after purchasing an additional 881 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.36% of the companys stock. Get West Pharmaceutical Services alerts: Insider Activity at West Pharmaceutical Services In related news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $343.05, for a total value of $343,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,829 shares in the company, valued at $627,438.45. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $343.05, for a total value of $343,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,829 shares in the company, valued at $627,438.45. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Eric Mark Green sold 44,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $363.10, for a total transaction of $15,976,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 134,574 shares of the companys stock, valued at $48,863,819.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 67,244 shares of company stock worth $24,454,553. 1.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders. West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 3.0 % Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock traded up $10.56 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $365.46. 499,702 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 321,806. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $206.19 and a twelve month high of $389.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.27 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $363.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $335.64. The company has a current ratio of 3.62, a quick ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.16. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 18.10% and a return on equity of 22.58%. The company had revenue of $753.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $755.71 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.47 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 7.88 EPS for the current year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have weighed in on WST shares. Stephens raised their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $420.00 in a report on Monday, July 17th. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday. StockNews.com downgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, June 13th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the company from $390.00 to $405.00 in a report on Friday, June 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $350.00. West Pharmaceutical Services Profile (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. Recommended Stories 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. Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc. (NYSE:NUV Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 37,300 shares, a decline of 20.0% from the June 30th total of 46,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 303,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days. Institutional Trading of Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NUV. Citigroup Inc. grew its holdings in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 98.7% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 2,981 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 1,481 shares in the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund in the 1st quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nuveen Municipal Value Fund in the 4th quarter valued at $54,000. 18.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Nuveen Municipal Value Fund alerts: Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Stock Up 0.9 % NYSE:NUV traded up $0.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $8.72. The company had a trading volume of 369,294 shares, compared to its average volume of 283,292. The company has a 50-day moving average of $8.74 and a 200 day moving average of $8.82. Nuveen Municipal Value Fund has a 1 year low of $8.25 and a 1 year high of $9.39. Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Dividend Announcement Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Company Profile The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 14th will be issued a $0.028 dividend. This represents a $0.34 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.85%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 13th. (Get Free Report) Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund also invests some portion of its portfolio in derivative instruments. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen Municipal Value Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com cut shares of Owens Corning (NYSE:OC Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Thursday morning. Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Loop Capital upped their price objective on Owens Corning from $138.00 to $157.00 in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Owens Corning from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their price target for the company from $135.00 to $168.00 in a report on Thursday. Barclays increased their price target on Owens Corning from $161.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday. Truist Financial increased their price target on Owens Corning from $105.00 to $135.00 in a report on Thursday, July 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Owens Corning from $102.00 to $110.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $139.75. Get Owens Corning alerts: Owens Corning Trading Up 0.7 % Owens Corning stock opened at $140.07 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $124.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $106.87. The company has a market cap of $12.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Owens Corning has a 52-week low of $74.22 and a 52-week high of $143.67. Owens Corning Announces Dividend Owens Corning ( NYSE:OC Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The construction company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.25 by $0.97. Owens Corning had a return on equity of 25.59% and a net margin of 13.62%. The business had revenue of $2.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.54 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.83 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Owens Corning will post 12.72 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 4th. Investors of record on Monday, July 17th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 14th. Owens Cornings payout ratio is currently 14.74%. Insider Buying and Selling at Owens Corning In other Owens Corning news, insider Gunner Smith sold 6,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.01, for a total value of $793,569.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 31,153 shares in the company, valued at $3,582,906.53. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, EVP Daniel T. Smith sold 3,670 shares of Owens Corning stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.11, for a total transaction of $389,423.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 46,811 shares in the company, valued at $4,967,115.21. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Gunner Smith sold 6,900 shares of Owens Corning stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.01, for a total value of $793,569.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 31,153 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,582,906.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.89% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Owens Corning Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of OC. US Bancorp DE raised its position in Owens Corning by 4.0% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 6,502 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $595,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Owens Corning by 9.3% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,606 shares of the construction companys stock worth $238,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. boosted its position in shares of Owens Corning by 24.9% during the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 13,517 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,237,000 after acquiring an additional 2,693 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in shares of Owens Corning by 10.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 19,987 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,952 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in Owens Corning by 245.2% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 3,649 shares of the construction companys stock worth $333,000 after buying an additional 2,592 shares in the last quarter. 93.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Owens Corning (Get Free Report) Owens Corning engages in manufacture and sale of insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composite materials in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Composites, Insulation, and Roofing. The Composites segment manufactures, fabricates, and sells glass reinforcements in the form of fiber; and glass fiber products in the form of fabrics, non-wovens, and other specialized products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Owens Corning Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Owens Corning and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CIC Wealth LLC decreased its holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 8.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 11,597 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,045 shares during the quarter. CIC Wealth LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $1,128,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its stake in Philip Morris International by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 9,860 shares of the companys stock worth $959,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Summit Trail Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Philip Morris International by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 11,360 shares of the companys stock worth $1,119,000 after purchasing an additional 374 shares during the period. Journey Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in Philip Morris International by 20.4% in the 1st quarter. Journey Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,082 shares of the companys stock worth $397,000 after purchasing an additional 692 shares during the period. TrinityPoint Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Philip Morris International by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. TrinityPoint Wealth LLC now owns 24,399 shares of the companys stock worth $2,373,000 after purchasing an additional 1,475 shares during the period. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Philip Morris International by 12.7% in the 1st quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 1,474,296 shares of the companys stock worth $143,375,000 after purchasing an additional 165,757 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.43% of the companys stock. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In PM has been the subject of a number of research reports. Citigroup raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their target price for the company from $109.00 to $117.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 20th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, 22nd Century Group restated a reiterates rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Tuesday, June 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $111.40. Philip Morris International Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:PM traded up $1.28 on Friday, hitting $99.86. 3,889,031 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,248,114. The companys 50 day moving average price is $95.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $97.54. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $82.85 and a one year high of $105.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $155.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.32, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.70. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 20th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $8.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.76 billion. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 11.63% and a negative return on equity of 127.84%. Philip Morris Internationals quarterly revenue was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.48 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current year. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 23rd were issued a $1.27 dividend. This represents a $5.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 98.26%. 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 primarily under the IQOS and ZYN brands; and consumer accessories, such as lighters and matches. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report). 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. Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $2.60-2.75 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $2.69. Portland General Electric also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $2.60-$2.75 EPS. Portland General Electric Trading Down 0.7 % POR traded down $0.32 during trading on Friday, hitting $47.54. 716,519 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 740,728. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.89. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $48.06 and a 200 day moving average of $48.48. Portland General Electric has a 12-month low of $41.58 and a 12-month high of $56.37. Get Portland General Electric alerts: Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 28th. The utilities provider reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.49 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $648.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $571.82 million. Portland General Electric had a return on equity of 9.06% and a net margin of 8.88%. The firms revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.72 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Portland General Electric will post 2.73 EPS for the current year. Portland General Electric Announces Dividend Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 22nd. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.00%. Portland General Electrics dividend payout ratio is currently 69.60%. A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Portland General Electric from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Tuesday. Guggenheim lowered their price target on shares of Portland General Electric from $50.00 to $48.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Portland General Electric from $56.00 to $52.00 in a report on Thursday, June 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a research report on Monday, May 8th. They set an overweight rating and a $56.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, 58.com reiterated a downgrade rating on shares of Portland General Electric in a research report on Tuesday, June 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Portland General Electric currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $50.83. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, VP John Teeruk Kochavatr sold 3,000 shares of Portland General Electric stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.12, for a total value of $153,360.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 15,489 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $791,797.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.51% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Covestor Ltd increased its stake in Portland General Electric by 359.6% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,523 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $139,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Portland General Electric during the first quarter worth about $158,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Portland General Electric during the first quarter worth about $180,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Portland General Electric during the first quarter worth about $208,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new position in shares of Portland General Electric during the first quarter worth about $239,000. About Portland General Electric (Get Free Report) Portland General Electric Company, an integrated electric utility company, engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. It operates six thermal plants, three wind farms, and seven hydroelectric facilities. As of December 31, 2022, the company owned an electric transmission system consisting of 1,255 circuit miles, including 269 circuit miles of 500 kilovolt line, 413 circuit miles of 230 kilovolt line, and 573 miles of 115 kilovolt line; and served 926 thousand retail customers in 51 cities. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Portland General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Portland General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Toyota Prado 250, a more affordable alternative to the Land Cruiser 300 SUV, is getting ready to premiere. The upcoming car has been revealed online, although there is not much time left until the debut of the model. ADVERTISIMENT The new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 250 will premiere on August 1. According to Autoevolution, the next-generation Prado will get the 250 index. The automaker itself recently showed a couple of intriguing photos of the novelty. However, there was limited information. Nevertheless, Halo oto on YouTube finalized the pictures and showed how the new Japanese SUV might look given the information available so far. It is known that the novelty will share the platform and most of the body panels with the new Lexus GX, which was shown earlier. However, the new Toyota Prado will get a unique front-end design and a redesigned feed. ADVERTISIMENT The next-generation Prado visually refers to the classic model of the 1980s (Toyota Land Cruiser FJ62) with its square silhouette and simple shapes of different elements. Recall, OBOZREVATEL previously reported on the new Toyota sedan. It is larger and cheaper than Camry. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Primo Water (NYSE:PRMW Free Report) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Wednesday morning. Primo Water Price Performance PRMW stock opened at $14.32 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $2.28 billion, a PE ratio of 53.04 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $13.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.09. Primo Water has a 12-month low of $12.15 and a 12-month high of $16.47. Get Primo Water alerts: Primo Water (NYSE:PRMW Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $0.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.09 by ($0.01). Primo Water had a return on equity of 7.46% and a net margin of 1.88%. The firm had revenue of $546.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $534.04 million. As a group, research analysts predict that Primo Water will post 0.74 EPS for the current year. Primo Water Announces Dividend Institutional Trading of Primo Water The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 14th. Investors of record on Friday, June 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 1st. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. Primo Waters payout ratio is 118.52%. Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Primo Water by 4.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 23,616 shares of the companys stock worth $296,000 after purchasing an additional 976 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new position in Primo Water during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $176,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in Primo Water by 180.3% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 113,906 shares of the companys stock worth $1,428,000 after acquiring an additional 73,271 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co boosted its holdings in Primo Water by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 34,530 shares of the companys stock worth $433,000 after acquiring an additional 1,980 shares during the period. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC acquired a new stake in Primo Water in the second quarter valued at approximately $5,258,000. 82.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Primo Water (Get Free Report) Primo Water Corporation provides pure-play water solutions for residential and commercial customers. It offers bottled water, water dispensers, purified bottled water, self-service refill drinking water, premium spring, mineral water, sparkling and flavored water, filtration equipment, and coffee. The company offers its products under the Primo, Alhambra, Crystal Rock, Mountain Valley, Deep Rock, Hinckley Springs, Crystal Springs, Kentwood Springs, Mount Olympus, Pureflo, Sierra Springs, Sparkletts, and Renu brands in the United States; Canadian Springs, Labrador Source, and Amazon Springs brands in Canada; and Decantae, Eden, Eden Springs, Chateaud'eau, and Mey Eden brands in Europe and Israel. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Primo Water Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Primo Water and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG Free Report) Equities research analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q2 2024 earnings per share estimates for Conagra Brands in a note issued to investors on Thursday, July 27th. Zacks Research analyst V. Bagree now forecasts that the company will earn $0.78 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.76. The consensus estimate for Conagra Brands current full-year earnings is $2.73 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Conagra Brands Q3 2024 earnings at $0.72 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $0.69 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $2.93 EPS. Get Conagra Brands alerts: Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 13th. The company reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. Conagra Brands had a return on equity of 15.19% and a net margin of 5.57%. The firm had revenue of $2.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.65 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Conagra Brands Stock Performance A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on CAG. Barclays cut their price objective on Conagra Brands from $42.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Friday, July 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Conagra Brands from $43.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 6th. Bank of America cut their price objective on Conagra Brands from $40.00 to $38.00 in a research report on Friday, July 14th. TheStreet cut Conagra Brands from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Thursday, July 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Conagra Brands from $43.00 to $36.00 in a research report on Friday, July 14th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Conagra Brands has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $38.25. Shares of NYSE CAG opened at $33.03 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $33.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.00. Conagra Brands has a 52 week low of $32.05 and a 52 week high of $41.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.76 billion, a PE ratio of 23.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.54. Conagra Brands Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 31st will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 28th. This is a boost from Conagra Brandss previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.24%. Conagra Brandss payout ratio is currently 92.96%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Conagra Brands Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAG. Institutional & Family Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Conagra Brands in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Delta Asset Management LLC TN acquired a new position in Conagra Brands in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Core Alternative Capital acquired a new position in Conagra Brands in the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. acquired a new position in Conagra Brands in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Conagra Brands by 117.5% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,031 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 557 shares in the last quarter. 88.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Conagra Brands Company Profile (Get Free Report) Conagra Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer packaged goods food company primarily in the United States. The company operates through Grocery & Snacks, Refrigerated & Frozen, International, and Foodservice segments. The Grocery & Snacks segment primarily offers shelf stable food products through various retail channels. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Conagra Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Conagra Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Polaris (NYSE:PII Free Report) had its price objective lifted by Robert W. Baird from $125.00 to $140.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports. Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Raymond James lowered Polaris from a strong-buy rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 18th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Polaris from $105.00 to $100.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. KeyCorp raised their price target on Polaris from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com began coverage on Polaris in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Polaris from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Polaris has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $124.18. Get Polaris alerts: Polaris Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of Polaris stock opened at $134.81 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 1.20. Polaris has a 52-week low of $91.86 and a 52-week high of $138.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.59 and a beta of 1.61. The companys 50 day moving average price is $120.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $113.65. Polaris Announces Dividend Polaris ( NYSE:PII Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 25th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.21. Polaris had a net margin of 6.89% and a return on equity of 57.98%. The firm had revenue of $2.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.14 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.42 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Polaris will post 10.45 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 31st. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.93%. Polariss payout ratio is presently 24.28%. Insider Activity In other news, SVP James P. Williams sold 14,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total transaction of $1,820,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 16,001 shares in the company, valued at $2,080,130. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.75% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Polaris Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PII. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in shares of Polaris by 33.2% during the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,698,573 shares of the companys stock valued at $389,534,000 after acquiring an additional 922,101 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in Polaris by 1,473.6% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 661,440 shares of the companys stock worth $66,805,000 after buying an additional 619,406 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Polaris by 14.8% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,136,582 shares of the companys stock worth $435,665,000 after buying an additional 532,947 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Polaris in the 4th quarter worth about $49,002,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Polaris by 392.9% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 382,885 shares of the companys stock worth $38,671,000 after buying an additional 305,200 shares in the last quarter. 88.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Polaris (Get Free Report) Polaris Inc designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles worldwide. It operates through three segments: Off-Road, On-Road, and Marine. The company offers off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles; military and commercial ORVs; snowmobiles; motorcycles; moto-roadsters, quadricycles, and boats; and aftermarket parts and apparel. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Polaris Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Polaris and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Heritage Wealth Partners LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK Free Report) by 5.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,904 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 172 shares during the period. Rockwell Automation comprises 0.7% of Heritage Wealth Partners LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Heritage Wealth Partners LLCs holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $852,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $206,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 70.3% during the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 28,468 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $7,333,000 after acquiring an additional 11,754 shares in the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank grew its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 30,786 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $7,930,000 after acquiring an additional 330 shares in the last quarter. Tredje AP fonden grew its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 11.2% during the 4th quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 6,967 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,794,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kingsview Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 24.7% during the 4th quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,068 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $533,000 after acquiring an additional 410 shares in the last quarter. 79.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Rockwell Automation alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, VP Isaac Woods sold 150 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.00, for a total value of $48,750.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 940 shares of the companys stock, valued at $305,500. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Blake D. Moret sold 4,855 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total value of $1,529,325.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 64,425 shares in the company, valued at $20,293,875. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Isaac Woods sold 150 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.00, for a total transaction of $48,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 940 shares in the company, valued at approximately $305,500. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 15,217 shares of company stock valued at $4,687,705. Insiders own 0.64% of the companys stock. Rockwell Automation Price Performance NYSE ROK traded up $2.99 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $333.30. The companys stock had a trading volume of 719,073 shares, compared to its average volume of 551,097. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $209.27 and a fifty-two week high of $348.52. The stock has a market cap of $38.29 billion, a PE ratio of 29.34, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.45. The companys 50-day moving average is $315.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $294.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 1.08. Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The industrial products company reported $3.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.41. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 15.82% and a return on equity of 42.15%. The company had revenue of $2.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.09 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.66 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 25.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 12.02 EPS for the current year. Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 11th. Investors of record on Monday, August 14th will be given a $1.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 11th. This represents a $4.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.42%. Rockwell Automations dividend payout ratio is presently 41.55%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $260.00 to $270.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $262.00 to $300.00 in a report on Monday, July 10th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Rockwell Automation from an underperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 11th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $334.00 to $375.00 in a report on Monday, July 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $272.00 to $273.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Rockwell Automation currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $290.00. About Rockwell Automation (Free Report) Rockwell Automation, Inc provides industrial automation and digital transformation solutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company operates through three segments, Intelligent Devices, Software & Control, and Lifecycle Services. Its solutions include hardware and software products and services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ROK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Rockwell Automation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rockwell Automation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sanchez Wealth Management Group reduced its stake in John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:JHMM Free Report) by 0.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 147,613 shares of the companys stock after selling 487 shares during the quarter. John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF accounts for 3.1% of Sanchez Wealth Management Groups investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Sanchez Wealth Management Group owned about 0.24% of John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF worth $7,068,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp lifted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF by 139.3% in the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 718 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 418 shares during the period. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF by 300.0% in the 2nd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,148 shares of the companys stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 861 shares during the period. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF by 23.4% in the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 1,779 shares of the companys stock valued at $83,000 after buying an additional 337 shares during the period. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF by 51.8% in the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 2,011 shares of the companys stock valued at $96,000 after buying an additional 686 shares during the period. Get John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF alerts: John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF Stock Performance JHMM stock traded up $0.32 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $51.23. 147,274 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 229,352. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $49.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $48.46. The stock has a market cap of $3.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.93 and a beta of 1.08. John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF has a fifty-two week low of $41.96 and a fifty-two week high of $51.96. John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF Announces Dividend About John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 28th were issued a dividend of $0.2466 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 27th. (Free Report) The John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF (JHMM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the John Hancock Dimensional Mid Cap index. The fund tracks an index of US firms ranked 200-950 by size, weighted by multiple factors relative to their sector peers. JHMM was launched on Sep 28, 2015 and is managed by John Hancock. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cable Hill Partners LLC decreased its stake in Sempra (NYSE:SRE Free Report) by 30.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,392 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 605 shares during the period. Cable Hill Partners LLCs holdings in Sempra were worth $212,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora boosted its stake in Sempra by 576.9% during the 4th quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 176 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Dark Forest Capital Management LP lifted its stake in shares of Sempra by 567.9% in the 4th quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 187 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Sempra by 76.3% in the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 231 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sempra in the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Sempra by 842.9% in the 2nd quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 264 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.45% of the companys stock. Get Sempra alerts: Sempra Trading Down 0.0 % Shares of SRE traded down $0.06 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $149.30. The company had a trading volume of 870,217 shares, compared to its average volume of 961,589. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $146.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $151.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. Sempra has a 1-year low of $136.54 and a 1-year high of $176.47. The stock has a market cap of $46.98 billion, a PE ratio of 19.24, a P/E/G ratio of 3.40 and a beta of 0.73. Sempra Dividend Announcement Sempra ( NYSE:SRE Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.76 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $6.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.04 billion. Sempra had a net margin of 14.47% and a return on equity of 10.28%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 71.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.91 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Sempra will post 8.93 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th were paid a dividend of $1.19 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 3rd. This represents a $4.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.19%. Sempras dividend payout ratio is currently 61.34%. Analysts Set New Price Targets SRE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. 888 reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Sempra in a report on Friday, June 23rd. Morgan Stanley restated an equal weight rating and set a $158.00 target price on shares of Sempra in a report on Friday, July 21st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Sempra in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Guggenheim dropped their target price on shares of Sempra from $174.00 to $172.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Sempra in a report on Wednesday, June 7th. They set a buy rating and a $178.00 price target for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Sempra currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $167.71. Sempra 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. Recommended Stories 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. Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E (OTCMKTS:CIBEY Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 25,700 shares, a growth of 34.6% from the June 30th total of 19,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 134,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Get Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E alerts: Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E Stock Performance Shares of Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E stock traded up $0.01 on Friday, hitting $1.22. 30,498 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 113,051. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $1.16. Commercial International Bank has a one year low of $1.07 and a one year high of $1.80. About Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E Commercial International Bank (Egypt) SAE provides retail, corporate, and investment banking services in Egypt. The company operates in following segments: Corporate Banking, Investment, Retail Banking, and Others. It offers current and saving accounts, easy accounts, time deposits, and certificates of deposit; and personal/overdraft/mortgage, educational, solar, travel, car finance, and unsecured personal loans, as well as revolving overdraft salary upfront services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dominos Pizza, Inc. (NYSE:DPZ Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,740,000 shares, an increase of 21.7% from the June 30th total of 1,430,000 shares. Approximately 5.0% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 714,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.4 days. Insider Buying and Selling at Dominos Pizza In related news, EVP Cynthia A. Headen sold 382 shares of Dominos Pizza stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total value of $152,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,333 shares in the company, valued at $1,733,200. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.76% of the companys stock. Get Domino's Pizza alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Westpac Banking Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Dominos Pizza by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 2,561 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $887,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Castleview Partners LLC increased its position in Dominos Pizza by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Castleview Partners LLC now owns 819 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $284,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC increased its position in Dominos Pizza by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 665 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $230,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its position in Dominos Pizza by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 3,270 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,133,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC increased its position in Dominos Pizza by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 1,360 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $449,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. 90.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Analysts Set New Price Targets Dominos Pizza Price Performance DPZ has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Dominos Pizza from $465.00 to $483.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Dominos Pizza from $425.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday. TD Cowen reiterated a market perform rating and issued a $330.00 price target on shares of Dominos Pizza in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Dominos Pizza from $430.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Dominos Pizza from $310.00 to $375.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Dominos Pizza currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $389.17. NYSE:DPZ traded down $1.70 on Friday, reaching $400.88. The stock had a trading volume of 461,113 shares, compared to its average volume of 787,662. The company has a market cap of $14.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.83. The firms fifty day moving average is $335.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $330.75. Dominos Pizza has a 12-month low of $285.84 and a 12-month high of $417.23. Dominos Pizza (NYSE:DPZ Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 24th. The restaurant operator reported $3.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.06 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. Dominos Pizza had a net margin of 10.49% and a negative return on equity of 11.24%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.82 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Dominos Pizza will post 13.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Dominos Pizza Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.21 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $4.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.21%. Dominos Pizzas payout ratio is currently 36.58%. Dominos Pizza Company Profile (Get Free Report) Domino's Pizza, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a pizza company in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: U.S. Stores, International Franchise, and Supply Chain. It offers pizzas under the Domino's brand name through company-owned and franchised stores. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Domino's Pizza Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Domino's Pizza and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (NYSE:FMS Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,800,000 shares, a growth of 104.4% from the June 30th total of 1,370,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 536,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.2 days. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In FMS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 13th. StockNews.com raised shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA in a research note on Wednesday, July 12th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $28.95. Get Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 9.0% in the 1st quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,807 shares of the companys stock valued at $229,000 after buying an additional 560 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI increased its stake in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 19,391 shares of the companys stock valued at $463,000 after buying an additional 592 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 61.1% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,969 shares of the companys stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 747 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 34.7% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,432 shares of the companys stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC grew its position in shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 6.7% during the 1st quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 14,241 shares of the companys stock valued at $303,000 after acquiring an additional 898 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 6.66% of the companys stock. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Stock Down 0.2 % Shares of FMS traded down $0.05 on Friday, reaching $26.28. The companys stock had a trading volume of 414,667 shares, compared to its average volume of 421,583. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA has a twelve month low of $12.78 and a twelve month high of $27.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.42 billion, a PE ratio of 24.79 and a beta of 1.04. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $23.96 and a 200-day moving average of $21.85. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (NYSE:FMS Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.10. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA had a net margin of 3.06% and a return on equity of 5.44%. The company had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.98 billion. Equities analysts predict that Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA will post 1.17 EPS for the current year. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th were paid a $0.7086 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 17th. This represents a yield of 2.1%. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaAs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.62%. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Company Profile (Get Free Report) Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co KGaA provides dialysis and related services for individuals with renal diseases in Germany, North America, and internationally. The company offers dialysis treatment and related laboratory and diagnostic services through a network of outpatient dialysis clinics; materials, training, and patient support services comprising clinical monitoring, follow-up assistance, and arranging for delivery of the supplies to the patient's residence; and dialysis services under contract to hospitals in the United States for the hospitalized end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and for patients suffering from acute kidney failure. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Small Pharma Inc. (OTCMKTS:DMTTF Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 272,300 shares, a growth of 79.6% from the June 30th total of 151,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 212,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.3 days. Small Pharma Price Performance Shares of DMTTF traded up $0.00 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $0.05. The company had a trading volume of 44,849 shares, compared to its average volume of 111,252. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $0.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $0.06. Small Pharma has a 52-week low of $0.05 and a 52-week high of $0.33. Get Small Pharma alerts: Small Pharma Company Profile (Get Free Report) Read More Small Pharma Inc, a biotechnology company, focuses on developing short-duration psychedelic-assisted therapies for the treatment of mental health conditions. Its clinical program is based on N,N, dimethyltryptamine, a naturally occurring psychoactive molecule. The company's product includes SPL026, which is in clinical Phase IIa for the treatment of major depressive disorder; and SPL028, an injectable formulation of deuterated DMT, which is in Phase 1 clinical trial, as well as SPL801B, an oral dosage. Receive News & Ratings for Small Pharma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Small Pharma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The occupants kidnapped about 250 children from the occupied part of Zaporizhzhya region. Their captors have already given them up for "adoption" in the Russian Federation and other occupied territories of Ukraine, so the process of returning the little Ukrainians home will be extremely complicated. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, more than a thousand children from Zaporizhzhya the invaders have taken them to camps for "vacation", there they are subjected to powerful propaganda processing. This was reported by the mayor of temporarily occupied Melitopol Ivan Fedorov in the air of the telethon. "250 children are those children that the enemy stole from the temporarily occupied territory and allegedly found them new families, that someone adopted from herefia and in the temporarily occupied territories not under the laws of Ukraine. Therefore, these are the children who will be difficult to return after de-occupation," - said the mayor of Melitopol. At the same time, the occupants carry out active "ideological processing" of small residents of Melitopol. For this purpose they are taken out to the so-called "camps". ADVERTISIMENT "More than a thousand small residents the enemy took out to the so-called camps allegedly under the guise of recuperation. But we clearly understand that this is not about recuperation, but about propaganda and brainwashing of our children. Therefore, today our children are one of the most vulnerable categories of the population, which the enemy is trying to influence in every possible way. And he is not hiding it. Because in one of the statements the Gauleiter said: "We take children to the camp so that they really understand what values are, what SMO is and their state is RFia." So, unfortunately, children today are under such a powerful 'fire' of propaganda from the enemy," Fedorov said. He added that the invaders turned "education" in the occupied territories into a system of destruction of Ukrainian identity and militarization of young people. ADVERTISIMENT We will remind, earlier Fedorov told that the occupants turned Melitopol into a medical hub for their wounded. However, they treat there only those invaders who are of no particular value to the Russians. "Elite 300s" are sent to Crimea. Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON Get Free Report) will release its earnings data after the market closes on Monday, July 31st. Analysts expect Sonoco Products to post earnings of $1.53 per share for the quarter. Persons that wish to listen to the companys earnings conference call can do so using this link. Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $1.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.07. Sonoco Products had a return on equity of 29.17% and a net margin of 6.93%. The company had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.85 EPS. Sonoco Productss revenue for the quarter was down 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect Sonoco Products to post $6 EPS for the current fiscal year and $6 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get Sonoco Products alerts: Sonoco Products Stock Up 0.6 % Sonoco Products stock opened at $58.87 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.66, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.69. Sonoco Products has a fifty-two week low of $53.78 and a fifty-two week high of $65.96. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $59.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $59.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.47. Sonoco Products Announces Dividend Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 10th will be issued a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 9th. Sonoco Productss dividend payout ratio is currently 40.40%. Several brokerages recently weighed in on SON. Bank of America cut their target price on Sonoco Products from $80.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Sonoco Products from $70.00 to $68.00 in a report on Monday, July 10th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Sonoco Products from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $63.67. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sonoco Products Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Sonoco Products by 13.4% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,240,829 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $515,546,000 after acquiring an additional 972,157 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Sonoco Products in the 4th quarter worth $53,429,000. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Sonoco Products in the 1st quarter worth $51,618,000. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Sonoco Products by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 10,991,558 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $687,633,000 after acquiring an additional 362,516 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Sonoco Products by 29.1% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,228,838 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $76,875,000 after acquiring an additional 277,198 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.74% of the companys stock. Sonoco Products Company Profile (Get Free Report) Sonoco Products Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells various engineered and sustainable packaging products in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company operates through two segments: Consumer Packaging and Industrial Paper Packaging. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Sonoco Products Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sonoco Products and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,840,000 shares, an increase of 31.2% from the June 30th total of 3,690,000 shares. Approximately 0.5% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 3,480,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.4 days. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have issued reports on STM. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of STMicroelectronics from an underperform rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 12th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of STMicroelectronics from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Susquehanna reduced their price objective on shares of STMicroelectronics from 55.00 to 54.00 in a research report on Sunday, May 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, STMicroelectronics presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $54.75. Get STMicroelectronics alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On STMicroelectronics Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in STM. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of STMicroelectronics by 1,773.6% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,267,061 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $19,857,000 after buying an additional 4,985,946 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in STMicroelectronics by 448.6% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,214,361 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $118,169,000 after purchasing an additional 1,810,709 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in STMicroelectronics in the 4th quarter valued at about $44,110,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. raised 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 valued at $87,142,000 after purchasing an additional 952,720 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in STMicroelectronics by 92.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,830,732 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $97,926,000 after purchasing an additional 879,856 shares during the last quarter. 6.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. STMicroelectronics Price Performance Shares of NYSE STM traded down $0.78 during trading on Friday, hitting $53.45. 5,121,774 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,240,735. The company has a market cap of $48.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.52, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.59. STMicroelectronics has a 1 year low of $29.09 and a 1 year high of $55.85. The firms fifty day moving average price is $48.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.58 and a quick ratio of 1.87. STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The semiconductor producer reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $4.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.37 billion. STMicroelectronics had a return on equity of 35.04% and a net margin of 25.36%. STMicroelectronicss revenue for the quarter was up 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.92 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that STMicroelectronics will post 4.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. STMicroelectronics Company Profile (Get 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. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, Inc. (OTCMKTS:SUTNY Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,400 shares, a growth of 41.7% from the June 30th total of 2,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 49,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Stock Performance OTCMKTS:SUTNY traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $3.78. The companys stock had a trading volume of 51,156 shares, compared to its average volume of 75,841. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust has a 12 month low of $2.72 and a 12 month high of $3.95. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $3.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $3.58. Get Sumitomo Mitsui Trust alerts: Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, Inc operates as a trust bank in Japan and internationally. It offers supervising services for management strategies, and financial and human resource management; and general affairs, business process, corporate administration, operational process, risk, and compliance management services; and internal auditing services. Receive News & Ratings for Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sumitomo Mitsui Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI Get Free Report) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $7.09-$7.23 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $7.30. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Sun Communities also updated its FY23 guidance to $7.09-7.23 EPS. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial cut their price objective on Sun Communities from $163.00 to $157.00 in a research report on Friday, June 9th. Wolfe Research raised Sun Communities from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $155.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 11th. StockNews.com started coverage on Sun Communities in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Barclays dropped their target price on Sun Communities from $168.00 to $158.00 in a report on Thursday, July 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Sun Communities from $160.00 to $168.00 in a report on Thursday, May 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $157.25. Get Sun Communities alerts: Sun Communities Stock Performance Shares of SUI stock traded down $0.73 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $131.50. 1,089,135 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 664,304. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $132.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $139.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 71.47, a P/E/G ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.70. Sun Communities has a 12-month low of $117.63 and a 12-month high of $172.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 2.63 and a current ratio of 2.63. Sun Communities Dividend Announcement Sun Communities ( NYSE:SUI Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($1.23). The firm had revenue of $863.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $834.99 million. Sun Communities had a return on equity of 2.80% and a net margin of 7.27%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.02 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Sun Communities will post 7.16 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.93 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $3.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.83%. Sun Communitiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 202.17%. Insider Transactions at Sun Communities In other Sun Communities news, CEO Baxter Underwood bought 400 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $126.18 per share, for a total transaction of $50,472.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 73,083 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,221,612.94. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 2.06% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sun Communities A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SUI. MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Sun Communities in the first quarter valued at about $401,000. Yousif Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Sun Communities by 12.2% in the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 6,798 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,192,000 after purchasing an additional 739 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its position in Sun Communities by 21.1% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 1,190 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $208,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the period. Prudential PLC acquired a new stake in Sun Communities in the first quarter valued at about $385,000. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in Sun Communities by 1.9% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 3,453 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $605,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.23% of the companys stock. About Sun Communities (Get Free Report) Established in 1975, Sun Communities, Inc became a publicly owned corporation in December 1993. The Company is a fully integrated REIT listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol: SUI. As of March 31, 2023, the Company owned, operated, or had an interest in a portfolio of 671 developed MH, RV and Marina properties comprising approximately 179,700 developed sites and approximately 47,990 wet slips and dry storage spaces in the U.S., the UK and Canada. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Sun Communities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sun Communities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Takeda Pharmaceutical (NYSE:TAK Get Free Report) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of $3.16-$3.16 for the period. The company issued revenue guidance of $27.99 billion-$27.99 billion. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. TheStreet upgraded shares of Takeda Pharmaceutical from a d rating to a c rating in a research note on Thursday, May 11th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Takeda Pharmaceutical from $24.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Get Takeda Pharmaceutical alerts: Takeda Pharmaceutical Price Performance TAK traded down $0.30 on Friday, hitting $15.31. 2,617,432 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,543,968. Takeda Pharmaceutical has a 12 month low of $12.28 and a 12 month high of $17.15. The business has a 50-day moving average of $15.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $16.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.26, a PEG ratio of 6.34 and a beta of 0.62. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Takeda Pharmaceutical ( NYSE:TAK Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 11th. The company reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $7.23 billion during the quarter. Takeda Pharmaceutical had a net margin of 7.34% and a return on equity of 12.82%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Takeda Pharmaceutical will post 0.38 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC lifted its holdings in shares of Takeda Pharmaceutical by 110.6% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 2,022 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,062 shares during the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Takeda Pharmaceutical in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Takeda Pharmaceutical by 28.7% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,976 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 663 shares during the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp raised its holdings in Takeda Pharmaceutical by 5,755.0% in the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 3,513 shares of the companys stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 3,453 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. bought a new position in Takeda Pharmaceutical in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $105,000. Institutional investors own 2.72% of the companys stock. About Takeda Pharmaceutical (Get Free Report) Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited engages in the research, development, manufacture, marketing, and out-licensing of pharmaceutical products in Japan, the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Russia, rest of Asia, and internationally. It offers pharmaceutical products in the areas of gastroenterology, rare diseases, plasma derived therapies, immunology, oncology, and neuroscience. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Takeda Pharmaceutical Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Takeda Pharmaceutical and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc. trimmed its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Free Report) by 4.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,751 shares of the companys stock after selling 749 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 1.0% of Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,782,000 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. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,537,899 shares of the companys stock worth $270,007,000 after acquiring an additional 47,005 shares during the last quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 17,520 shares of the companys stock worth $1,944,000 after acquiring an additional 533 shares during the last quarter. Alaska Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $228,000. Drive Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 181.8% during the 4th quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,775 shares of the companys stock worth $1,204,000 after acquiring an additional 6,952 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Western Pacific Wealth Management LP lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 41.9% during the 4th quarter. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP now owns 1,602 shares of the companys stock worth $178,000 after acquiring an additional 473 shares during the last quarter. 76.60% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Merck & Co. Inc. alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MRK shares. Mizuho reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $130.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, April 10th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $102.00 to $113.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 18th. HSBC started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, July 14th. They set a hold rating and a $123.00 target price for the company. Barclays lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $128.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $123.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $123.53. Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc. Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.0 % In other news, EVP Steven Mizell sold 53,400 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.01, for a total value of $6,355,134.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,685 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,770,831.85. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . In related news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 75,436 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.03, for a total value of $8,752,839.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 154,493 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,925,822.79. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, EVP Steven Mizell sold 53,400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.01, for a total value of $6,355,134.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,685 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,770,831.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 144,711 shares of company stock worth $16,973,762. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $106.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.44. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $110.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $110.42. The company has a market cap of $269.83 billion, a PE ratio of 20.77, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.35. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $84.52 and a fifty-two week high of $119.65. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $14.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.81 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 37.92% and a net margin of 22.52%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.14 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year. Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.75%. Merck & Co., Inc.s payout ratio is presently 57.03%. Merck & Co., Inc. Profile (Free Report) Merck & Co, Inc operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Merck & Co. Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Merck & Co. Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP Free Report) had its price objective upped by Robert W. Baird from $228.00 to $260.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Several other analysts have also issued reports on UNP. Susquehanna lowered their target price on Union Pacific from $203.00 to $202.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Atlantic Securities lowered Union Pacific from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $244.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Thursday. Credit Suisse Group decreased their target price on Union Pacific from $237.00 to $235.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Bank of America upped their target price on Union Pacific from $237.00 to $265.00 in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on Union Pacific from $223.00 to $213.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 21st. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $233.97. Get Union Pacific alerts: Union Pacific Stock Up 0.3 % Shares of NYSE:UNP opened at $232.77 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $142.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.24, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39. Union Pacific has a 12-month low of $183.69 and a 12-month high of $242.35. The businesss 50 day moving average is $205.09 and its 200 day moving average is $202.20. Union Pacific Dividend Announcement Union Pacific ( NYSE:UNP Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The railroad operator reported $2.57 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.75 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $5.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.09 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 55.03% and a net margin of 27.18%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.93 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 10.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th. Union Pacifics payout ratio is currently 47.45%. Institutional Trading of Union Pacific Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich increased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 104,263.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 341,697,058 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $69,918,052,000 after buying an additional 341,369,646 shares during the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in Union Pacific by 90,390.6% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,697,556 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $2,836,353,000 after buying an additional 13,682,419 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Union Pacific by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,164,765 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $2,242,636,000 after buying an additional 223,827 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 10.1% during the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 9,400,232 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $1,891,819,000 after purchasing an additional 864,127 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 8,983,932 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $1,860,303,000 after purchasing an additional 883,963 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.04% of the companys stock. About Union Pacific (Get Free Report) Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. The company offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, ethanol producers, and other agricultural users; petroleum, and liquid petroleum gases; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Union Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Union Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO Get Free Report) will announce its earnings results after the market closes on Monday, July 31st. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.64 per share for the quarter. Investors that are interested in participating in the companys conference call can do so using this link. Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 1st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.62 by ($0.61). Vornado Realty Trust had a positive return on equity of 2.51% and a negative net margin of 20.39%. The business had revenue of $445.92 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $452.70 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.79 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect Vornado Realty Trust to post $3 EPS for the current fiscal year and $2 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get Vornado Realty Trust alerts: Vornado Realty Trust Stock Performance VNO opened at $22.15 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 4.75, a quick ratio of 4.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The companys fifty day moving average price is $16.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.61. Vornado Realty Trust has a 1-year low of $12.31 and a 1-year high of $30.90. The company has a market cap of $4.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.89 and a beta of 1.46. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Vornado Realty Trust announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, April 26th that permits the company to repurchase $200.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the real estate investment trust to buy up to 7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the companys board of directors believes its stock is undervalued. Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Scotiabank reiterated a sector perform rating on shares of Vornado Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Piper Sandler downgraded shares of Vornado Realty Trust from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $16.00 to $11.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Vornado Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating for the company. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vornado Realty Trust currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $18.00. Insider Activity at Vornado Realty Trust In other news, Director Russell B. Wight, Jr. purchased 16,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $11.21 per share, for a total transaction of $179,360.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 7,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $78,470. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Vornado Realty Trust news, Director Russell B. Wight, Jr. acquired 5,341 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $11.30 per share, with a total value of $60,353.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 12,000 shares in the company, valued at $135,600. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Russell B. Wight, Jr. purchased 16,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $11.21 per share, with a total value of $179,360.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 7,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $78,470. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have bought 25,341 shares of company stock worth $285,033. 8.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Vornado Realty Trust Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Vornado Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at $376,294,000. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Vornado Realty Trust by 30.0% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 20,448,221 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $314,289,000 after purchasing an additional 4,723,170 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Vornado Realty Trust by 10.8% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,527,974 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $613,088,000 after purchasing an additional 1,319,443 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Vornado Realty Trust during the first quarter worth about $17,554,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Vornado Realty Trust by 53.2% during the first quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,102,930 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $47,692,000 after purchasing an additional 1,077,106 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.54% of the companys stock. About Vornado Realty Trust (Get Free Report) Vornado Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the ownership of office, retail, merchandise mart properties, and other real estate and related investments. It operates through the New York and Other segments. The company was founded by Steven Roth on March 29, 1993 and is headquartered in New York, NY. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Vornado Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vornado Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ZRC Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of DXC Technology (NYSE:DXC Free Report) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 1,867 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $48,000. Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DXC. North Star Investment Management Corp. raised its holdings in shares of DXC Technology by 3,054.8% during the first quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 978 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 947 shares during the period. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of DXC Technology by 352.0% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,234 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 961 shares during the period. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of DXC Technology by 186.4% during the 1st quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 1,283 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 835 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of DXC Technology by 163.0% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,315 shares of the companys stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 815 shares during the period. Finally, Lansing Street Advisors bought a new stake in DXC Technology in the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. 91.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get DXC Technology alerts: DXC Technology Stock Performance Shares of NYSE DXC traded down $0.31 during trading on Friday, reaching $27.70. 1,313,250 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,408,207. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $26.67 and a 200-day simple moving average of $26.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.18. DXC Technology has a 52-week low of $22.11 and a 52-week high of $31.99. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades DXC Technology ( NYSE:DXC Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 18th. The company reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.02. The company had revenue of $3.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.62 billion. DXC Technology had a negative net margin of 3.94% and a positive return on equity of 17.23%. The firms revenue was down 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.84 EPS. On average, analysts predict that DXC Technology will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current year. DXC has been the subject of several analyst reports. TheStreet cut shares of DXC Technology from a b- rating to a c- rating in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of DXC Technology from $33.00 to $27.00 in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of DXC Technology from $27.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Friday, May 19th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of DXC Technology from $30.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Friday, May 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on shares of DXC Technology from $38.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Friday, May 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $31.75. DXC Technology Profile (Free Report) DXC Technology Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology services and solutions primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Australia, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Global Business Services (GBS) and Global Infrastructure Services (GIS). Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DXC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for DXC Technology (NYSE:DXC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for DXC Technology Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DXC Technology and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. On July 29, commencing at 2:20 p.m. (local time; 5:50 p.m. JST) for approximately 35 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, paid a courtesy call on Hon. Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena, Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The overview is as follows. An intelligence officer of the 32nd separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shared how he rescued a wounded compatriot from the battlefield under heavy fire from enemy Grad MLRS. The shells were whistling over the heads of the defenders and every few meters they had to fall to the ground to survive. ADVERTISIMENT The warrior's story was published on the Facebook page of the 32 SMB. "Then our guys had to move back a bit from their positions. They were shelled quite a bit. Grad MLRSs were working. There were a lot of wounded," Oleksandr said. He added that the reconnaissance went to these positions at night as the task was to make a way back and clean up the trenches. According to the information of the soldiers, the occupants did not gain a foothold there. "We reached the site, searched all the positions and bushes nearby and saw no signs of the enemy. Already in the morning, the massive shelling started again. Grad MLRSs were working. But we managed to find our wounded guys. We had to bring them out because they would not have survived. We heard whistling above our heads. We took them and went back. Every few meters we fell to the ground so that the shrapnel would not hit us," the officer said. ADVERTISIMENT Oleksandr noted that during the explosions one should fall, right where they are standing. People often start to run, which is a certain death. "To save a person under such circumstances, you have to put him on the ground forcibly. I don't even know the name of the fighter I took out. Somehow I didn't ask. There was no time for that. We were out at 4:00 in the morning. I only know that he survived. That's the main thing," the warrior said. Oleksandr is from Lokhvytsia in Poltava region, he is a carpenter by education and has not served in the army before. He got into reconnaissance by accident. When a large-scale war began, he could not sit at home, so he filled out a questionnaire and was assigned. He was trained in Germany at a NATO base. ADVERTISIMENT "The intelligence officers' job is to get men into the position abandoned or recaptured from the enemy. We also set up an observation post. In practice, it looks like this: we go ahead 300 meters ahead, go in first, look if there is no enemy, no stretch marks, no mines. We have a sapper with us. The infantry goes in when everything has been checked. Then we either go back or climb closer to the enemy and set up an observation post. There were times when we climbed through thickets to the enemy positions. We climbed up to a hundred meters," the soldier says. He added that ideally intelligence officers do not shoot, although in practice it can be different, because they go "to the very hell". "There is a saying that when a scout begins to fight, it is no longer a scout, but infantry. I had to be an infantryman. If everything goes according to plan, we report on enemy actions and take photos from the arranged post. We usually go in for 1-3 days, then we rest," he said. ADVERTISIMENT According to him, the occupants often leave their dead and wounded at the positions. "It's amazing to us, but they don't take those who can't walk with them. Probably so that they won't run away. In general, they treat people like meat. They often send them to storm through mines, right under bullets. When I know the terrain and receive tasks, I often correct the path with the commander. They follow orders without thinking. It may be better for the war, as their losses are much higher," the scout said. Friends, settled life and calling relatives helps Oleksandr recover from the fights. "The guys in our unit are mostly good. We are already like a family. They cook everything deliciously. We made both stuffed cabbage and olivier. We really want home-made food. We've had enough sardines and stew for many years to come," he says. ADVERTISIMENT Oleksandr misses his daughter and son, who are 4 and 2 years old. "I call regularly, my daughter cries, she really wants me to come. They promise to give vacations and I will go at once. I hope that by the end of the year we will win. I think so... I want it very much! First I'll go home to my family. I'll be with them for a while, have a rest. Who knows, maybe then I'll sign a contract. I think we need a strong army for the future. The Russians will not leave us," the warrior says. As reported OBOZREVATEL: - Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who in April 2022 managed to be released from a Russian prison, went to fight for Ukraine. He was wounded and is now being treated in Germany. - Ukrainian air intelligence officers showed how they used a drone to locate and rescue wounded twin soldiers in the video. One of the warriors was seriously injured. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel, Threads and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Kerala's investment-friendly ecosystem makes the state an ideal offshore destination for the companies in the US taxation industry, Minister for Law and Industries, P Rajeeve, has said. Inviting America's taxation and accounting firms to set up their offices in the southern state, Rajeeve highlighted the quality of Kerala's human resources in the domain, backed by vibrant education and skilling ecosystem. Addressing the US Tax Industry Meet, held on Saturday, the minister also pointed out the excellent physical and social infrastructure, besides robust connectivity that can make it a preferred investor destination. "Companies can leverage our amazing talent pool and infrastructure facilitiesKerala's investment-friendly ecosystem makes the state an ideal offshore destination for the companies in the US taxation industry which is ever increasingly searching for talented and skilled professionals," the minister said. Interacting with experts from various companies in the segment, Rajeev said Kerala in its Industrial Policy 2023, has identified 22 sectors of potential investment with attractive incentives for investors. 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 Nifty, which ended a tad lower on July 28, is expected to stay in the 19,500-19,800 range in the coming sessions, with a break on either side deciding the direction of the next move, experts said. Maruti Suzuki India, GAIL (India), Power Grid Corporation of India, UPL, Adani Green and Navin Fluorine International are among the several companies that will come out with their first quarter numbers on July 31, which can have a bearing on investor sentiment. "The Nifty is expected to find support around 19,500 levels, which coincides with the 20-day exponential moving average (DEMA) of 19,526 on the daily chart," Ashwin Ramani, derivatives & technical analyst at SAMCO Securities said. The Nifty ended 14 points lower at 19,646, while the Sensex closed 107 points lower at 66,160. The Nifty formed Doji candlestick on the daily charts, pointing to a tug-of-war between bulls and bears. Despite ending lower for the second day running, the index held on to the 20-day DEMA. It also closed above the previous day's low of around 19,600, which, too, can act as support. On the higher side, 19,700-19,800, which have the maximum call open interest, are likely to be the critical levels. A close below 20 DEMA can lead to profit booking and initiation of fresh short positions, Ramani said. The Nifty needs to close above 19,800 for the uptrend to continue. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks are the aggregates of three-month data and not just the current month. Key support and resistance levels on Nifty The pivot point calculator suggests that the Nifty may get support at 19,584, followed by 19,553 and 19,502. In case of an upside, 19,686 can be the key resistance followed by 19,717 and 19,768. Nifty Bank The banking index, which has the highest weight in Nifty, too, closed lower on July 28, falling over 200 points to 45,468. It took support at 20-day EMA (45,331). If Bank Nifty closes below the level, it can slide below 45,000, experts said. "Bank Nifty closed below the key zone of 45,600 on the daily chart. However, it found intraday support from the 20-DEMA, which is placed at 45,331 on the daily chart," Ashwin Ramani said. A close below 45,300 will likely intensify the selling pressure but if the index ends above 45,700, the uptrend will resume, he said. The pivot point calculator indicates that Bank Nifty is likely to take support at 45,291, followed by 45,176 and 44,989. In the case of an upside, the initial resistance is at 45,665, followed by 45,780 and 45,967. Call options data As per the options data, the maximum weekly Call open interest (OI) was at 19,800 strike, with 96.09 lakh contracts, which can act as a key resistance for the Nifty. It was followed by 20,500 strike, which had 82.74 lakh contacts, while 19,700 strike had 75.44 lakh contracts. Meaningful Call writing was at 20,200 strike, which added 41.26 lakh contracts, followed by 20,500 and 19,600 strikes, which added 39.81 lakh and 35.47 lakh contracts, respectively. The maximum Call unwinding was at 19,800 strike, which shed 5.24 lakh contracts. Put option data On the put side, the maximum open interest was at 19,600 strike, with 69.41 lakh contracts. This can be an important support level for the Nifty50 in the coming sessions. It was followed by 19,500 strike, comprising 58.37 lakh contracts, and 19,000 strike, with 48.5 lakh contracts. The maximum Put writing was visible at 19,600 strike, which added 38.35 lakh contracts, followed by 19,500 strike, which added 32.57 contracts, and 18,800 strike, which added 16.68 lakh contracts. Meaningful Put unwinding was seen at 19,800 strike, which shed 31.26 lakh contracts, followed by 19,700 and 19,900 strikes, which off loaded 6.6 lakh and 4.53 lakh contracts. Stocks with high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in the stock. Godrej Consumer Products, Muthoot Finance, Page Industries, Petronet LNG and Hindustan Unilever were among the stocks that saw highest delivery. 80 stocks see a long build-up Delta Corp, Indiabulls Housing Finance, RBL Bank, Ipca Laboratories and Sun TV Network were among 80 stocks to see a long build-up. An increase in open interest (OI) and price indicate a build-up of long positions. 18 stocks see long unwinding Based on the OI percentage, 18 stocks, including Laurus Labs, Metropolis Healthcare, Glenmark Pharma, IndusInd Bank and Coromandel International, saw long unwinding. A decline in OI and price indicate long unwinding. 38 stocks see short build-up A short build-up was seen in 38 stocks, including M&M Financial Services, Dr Lal PathLabs, Bajaj Finserv, Can Fin Homes, and Granules India. An increase in OI along with a fall in price points to a build-up of short positions. 52 stocks see short-covering Based on the OI percentage, 52 stocks were on the short-covering list. These included Cipla, Tata Chemicals, IDFC First Bank, Marico and Deepak Nitrite. A decrease in OI along with a price increase is an indication of short-covering. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Results on July 31 Stocks in the news Power Grid Corporation of India: The state-owned company has been declared the successful bidder for two inter-state transmission system projects, which will come up under the build, own operate and transfer (BOOT) mode. Gland Pharma: The US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has concluded the inspection of the firm's Visakhapatnam facility with zero 483 observations, with no action indicated. The FDA conducted the good manufacturing practice inspection of the oncology facility during July 20-28. Godrej Properties: The Mumbai-based real estate developer's board will meet on August 2 to consider a proposal to raise funds by way of debt securities via private placement. Piramal Enterprises: The diversified non-banking finance company reported a consolidated profit of Rs 509 crore for the first quarter of the financial year 2023-24, led by a gain of Rs 855 crore following the sale of stake in Shriram Finance. Profit in Q1FY23 was Rs 8,155 crore supported by an exceptional gain of Rs 7,614 crore related to pharma demerger. Net interest income fell 17 percent to Rs 891 crore compared from the year-ago period. Bank of India: The public sector lender recorded a standalone profit of Rs 1,551 crore for the June quarter of FY24, a 176 percent year-on-year growth, with net interest income increasing 45 percent YoY to Rs 5,915 crore. Operating profit grew 72 percent to Rs 3,752 crore and non-interest income 27 percent to Rs 1,462 crore. SBI Cards and Payment Services: The credit card issuing company saw a 5 percent year-on-year decline in profit at Rs 593 crore in Q1FY24. Revenue from operations grew 26 percent to Rs 3,912 crore compared from the year-ago quarter, with net accounts increasing 22 percent to 10.97 lakh. Marico: The FMCG company reported a consolidated profit of Rs 436 crore in the June quarter, rising 15.6 percent from the year-ago period backed by healthy operating performance. Revenue from operations fell by 3.2 percent YoY to Rs 2,477 crore on weak India business and moderate growth in international business, with domestic volume growth at 3 percent. Fund Flow FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FII) sold shares worth Rs 1,023.91 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DII) purchased Rs 1,634.37 crore worth of stocks on July 28, provisional data from the National Stock Exchange (NSE) shows. Stocks under F&O ban on NSE The NSE has added Indiabulls Housing Finance to its F&O ban list for July 31. Securities banned under the F&O segment include companies where derivative contracts have crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) officials had a meeting with RBL Bank executives on July 28 after the tech-to-tractor conglomerate picked up a 3.53 percent stake in the private sector lender for Rs 417 crore. We have acquired a 3.53 percent stake in RBL Bank as an investment at a cost of Rs 417 crore, M&M confirmed in a regulatory filing, hours after Moneycontrol reported that a Mahindra Group entity had picked up nearly 4 percent stake in the bank. M&M added that it may "consider further investment subject to pricing, regulatory approvals and required procedures". However, in no circumstance will it exceed 9.9 percent, the company clarified. The Mahindra Group owns non-banking financial company Mahindra & Mahindra Financial. Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services on July 28 reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 362.22 crore for the quarter ended June 2023, registering a growth of 51.01 percent over Rs 239.86 crore profit reported a year back. On July 28, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial shares opened at Rs 313.95 apiece on the BSE and closed at Rs 300.95. An approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is mandatory for buying a 5 percent stake in any Indian lender, according to banking rules. RBL Bank went through a rough patch through the last few years. Vishwavir Ahuja stepped down as MD and CEO in December 2021 after the central bank refused to extend his tenure and appointed a central bank official on the banks board. Ahujas sudden departure and the subsequent action of the RBI had put the regulatory lens on the private lender's financial strength and asset quality. A source from the investor community told Moneycontrol, We sense that the regulator is looking for a long-term solution for RBL Bank. 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 Bollywood film producer and director Dinesh Vijan, founder of Maddock Films, purchased apartments in a project by Rustomjee Group in Mumbai for Rs 103 crore, documents accessed by IndexTap.com showed. The apartment units, spread across an area of 9,000 sq ft, are located on the 15th and 16th floors of Parishram by Rustomjee on Nargis Dutt Road at Pali Hill in Mumbai. The properties were registered on July 25, 2023, the Agreement for Sale showed. Also Read | Kartik Aaryan buys apartment in Mumbai for Rs 17.50 crore The documents were signed by Keystone Realtors and Dinesh Prem Vijan. A stamp duty of Rs 6.17 crore was paid for the deal, the documents showed. The carpet area of the units is 7,791 sq. ft. Vijan has produced critically and commercially acclaimed films such as Stree, Hindi Medium, Luka Chuppi, Badlapur, Love Aaj Kal, Cocktail and Bhediya. Also read | Bungalow deals gaining traction in Mumbai Moneycontrol is awaiting responses to email queries sent to both Keystone Realtors and Dinesh Vijan. The developer has refused to comment. Of late, luxury property deals have been gaining traction across cities. A recent report by Knight Frank showed that Indias ultra-high-net-worth individual (UHNWI) population those with a net worth over $30 million is estimated to shoot up by 58.4 percent in the next five years, from 12,069 in 2022 to 19,119 individuals in 2027. Indias billionaire population is expected to go up from 161 in 2022 to 195 in 2027. Also Read | Premium residential property values rise 3-18% on average in top three cities in H1 2023: Savills India The premium residential market in the major cities saw a notable price appreciation in the range of 3 to 18 percent on average across Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR in H1 of 2023 as compared to the year-ago period, according to a report by Savills India, a global property consulting firm. Also Read | Lodha sells two luxury apartments in Mumbai for Rs 109 crore Recently, Macrotech Developers, which uses the Lodha brand after its founder Mangal Lodha, has sold two apartments in its luxury Lodha Malabar on Walkeshwar Road at Malabar Hill, one of Mumbais ritziest areas, for Rs 109 crore to the directors of Kandoi Fabrics, a company that is into manufacturing and exporting packaging fabrics and bags. Also Read | Aditya Birla Group company buys Mumbai bungalow for Rs 220 crore Dharam Prakash Gopee, 69, an Indian origin businessman in the UK, was convicted and jailed in February 2018 for his dubious moneylending activities targeting vulnerable people. The UKs Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) secured a 5 million confiscation order and 230,000 compensation to be paid to consumers. But instead of learning some lessons, Gopee became a serial litigator and is now barred from issuing new proceedings in any court of England and Wales without the explicit permission of a judge. Earlier this week, on July 25, 2023, a three-judge bench made a General Civil Restraint Order (GCRO) against Gopee for three years. The GCRO is the widest form of civil restraint order which is made when a person repeatedly makes applications and claims which are totally without merit. Gopee joins a select list of up to 60 individuals in England who have GCRO issued against them. The chain of vexatious and meritless applications started in 2015 and continued after he was put in prison due to contempt of court and because of his conviction for indulging in unlicensed money lending. Between 2015 and 2019 he began at least 12 judicial review claims and also sought to be made party in several claims brought by his consumers who were seeking to escape from his unenforceable loans. Loathsome moneylender Gopee described himself as the lender of the last resort and conducted his business through a variety of companies. Just one out of his several companies had a consumer credit licence which lapsed in 2012. Undeterred, Gopee continued the exploitation and secured 1,000 charges on hundreds of properties of borrowers. He used to register charges over the home of borrowers to facilitate possession of a property if they failed to pay the debt. In August 2021, the FCA managed to get a high court order removing over 600 charges, notices or restrictions registered against borrowers properties by Gopee. For unpaid sums as low as 2000 he would make borrowers sell their home to one of his companies. In order to purchase the homes, another company would purportedly loan the purchase money to the first company. There were over 400 properties of which he obtained possession only to rent them back to the borrowers. Through this circuitous route he operationalised his greed and deceit to maximise profits. Between 2012 and 2016, Gopee gave 1 million of new loans and collected 2 million in payments. In 2015, the FCA got a restraint order against Gopee in order to prevent the disposal of assets belonging to him and the companies under his control. This was done as the FCA started building a case against him. Gopee, however, wilfully ignored the restraint order and continued to dispose assets without informing the court and the FCA. This included assets belonging to a family trust, among other financial dealings. This led to a series of contempt of court proceedings for which he was jailed for varying periods. Gopee launched appeals against his prison terms for contempt of court. Trial at Southwark crown court Gopee was prosecuted by the FCA and a trial commenced at Southwark crown court for his illegal moneylending. By then, he had already faced numerous cases, where he appeared on behalf of his companies defending steps taken against borrowers. In several cases Gopee was fighting decisions wherein courts had set aside possessions of borrowers homes by him. In February 2018, the Southwark crown court sentenced him to 3.5 years in prison. Horror stories of Gopees conduct started to emerge including instances of possessing homes belonging to families who had borrowed as less as 2000 to 5000. In many cases Gopee had managed to get eviction orders without giving proper notice to the borrowers. In some instances he was accused of not disclosing complete information to judges in order to prevent borrowers from being restored to their homes. And if borrowers succeeded in getting their homes back, he was quick to file an appeal. Even though he was jailed, he continued to file appeal so much so that between 2015 and 2019 he had made 12 judicial reviews claim. He also accused a judge who heard a case involving his borrowers of being bias! In several cases he would file an application/appeal using third parties who would be related to him or under his control, without getting his name officially. As he made up a history of unmeritorious application, the first GCRO was made in October 2019 by the high court in London. He filed an application to set aside his conviction by the Southwark crown court which was unsuccessful. The second GCRO Gopee appealed the GCRO order saying that it was made without notice and a hearing and thus violated his human rights and went against public interest. In England there are three forms of civil restraint order (CRO). At the lowest is a limited CRO which restrains the person from issuing an application in the proceedings in relation to which the limited CRO is made without the permission of a judge. The extended CRO restrains a person from issuing claims or making applications in which the order is made without the permission of the judge. The widest form of the civil restraint order is the GCRO general civil restraint order which restrains a person from issuing any new proceedings against any defendant in the courts of England and Wales, or from making an application, appeal or any other process in the case in which GCRO is made without the permission of a judge. Gopees appeal against the GCRO came up for hearing in July 2023, but by that time it had expired its two-year duration in October 2021. The FCA raised the point that the court could take the opportunity to file fresh GCRO as after the expiry of the first GCRO, Gopee had again started to file unmeritorious applications. Since the expiry of the first GCRO, seven orders were issued by various courts refusing or striking out applications made by Gopee due to lack of merit. The high court noted that although in some of these cases Mr Gopee is not named as a party in the action, in all cases Mr Gopee was the person bringing the claim, application or appeal which was totally without merit. The courts judgment means that till July 2026, FCA, his borrowers, and other entities have earned reprieve. The draft bill to replace the ordinance which mandated the creation of an authority for transfers and postings of senior officers in the Delhi government is ready and has been circulated among the MPs before its introduction in Parliament next week. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2023 will have the identical provisions for the appointments and postings of the senior officers in the Delhi government like the ordinance promulgated on May 19. According to the bill, all transfer and postings of senior officers in the Delhi government will be done by a three-member committee headed by the Delhi chief minister. The Delhi ordinance was promulgated by the central government a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi excluding police, public order and land to the elected government, headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "With a view to give effect to the intent and purpose behind the provisions of article 239AA of the Constitution, a permanent authority, headed by the Chief Minister of Delhi along with the Chief Secretary, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Principal Secretary, Home, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, is being constituted to make recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor regarding matters concerning transfer postings, vigilance and other matters, according to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill. The National Capital Civil Service Authority shall have the responsibility to recommend the transfers and postings of all Group 'A' officers (IAS) and officers of DANICS serving in the Delhi government. It says that this would balance the interest of the nation with the interest of the Union territory of Delhi in the administration of the capital to the manifestation of the will of the people reposed in the central government as well as the government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. Justifying the move to bring the bill, the statement of objects and reasons say several important national and international institutions and authorities like the President, the Parliament, the Supreme Court, various constitutional functionaries, foreign diplomatic missions, international agencies, etc are located in Delhi and high dignitaries from other nations pay official visits to Delhi. The highest possible standards are required to be maintained in the administration and governance of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, it said. It said that any decision taken in respect of Delhi not only affects the residents of the city but the entire country and shall have the potential of putting the national reputation, image, credibility and prestige at stake in the international global spectrum and therefore, the entire nation is vitally interested in the governance of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. "Delhi being the capital of India has a unique status and certain distinguished features and there is need to promote the national interests without compromising the aspirations of the residents of Delhi," it says. The bill says the Constitution defines the territory of India, comprising States and Union territories and its provision provides that the Union territories are to be governed solely by the President. According to the bill, there shall be an Authority to be known as the National Capital Civil Service Authority consisting the chief minister of Delhi, who shall be the ex-officio chairperson of the authority, the chief secretary of Delhi, who will function as member and the principal home secretary, Delhi, who shall be the member-secretary. All matters required to be decided by the Authority shall be decided by majority of votes of the Members present and voting. The quorum for the meeting of the Authority shall be of two Members. All recommendations of the Authority shall be authenticated by the Member-Secretary. The authority will decide the procedure to be followed in imposing any penalty, suspension pending departmental inquiries before the imposition of such penalty and the authority by whom such suspension or penalty may be ordered; and the officer or authority to whom an appeal or revision shall lie and other matter which is incidental to or necessary for the purpose of regulating the appointment and conditions of service of persons appointed to services and posts. The Lieutenant Governor, after the receipt of such recommendation will pass appropriate orders giving effect to the recommendation made. Provided that the LG, before passing appropriate orders on such recommendation, may ask for any relevant material regarding the Group 'A' officers, including the officers of the All India Services and DANICS, serving in the Delhi government. If the LG differs with the recommendation made he may return the recommendation to the authority for reconsideration. "Provided also that in case of difference of opinion, the decision of the Lieutenant Governor shall be final," the bill says. The bill is expected to be tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Admi Party has opposed the ordinance saying the Centre had "deceived" the people of Delhi. "This is a deception committed with the Supreme Court and the people of Delhi who have chosen Kejriwal thrice as the chief minister. He doesn't have any powers but the LG, who has not even been chosen but forced upon people, will have powers and through him the Centre will keep tabs on the work happening in Delhi. This is contempt of court," AAP chief spokesperson and Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had said. Kejriwal himself, along with party ruled Punjab's Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, had visited most non-BJP-ruled states and met opposition leaders seeking their support to oppose the legislation. A fire broke out in the basement of a 10-storey hospital building in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city on Sunday causing thick smoke in the premises, following which around 125 patients were evacuated as a precautionary measure, officials said. There was no report of any casualty in the blaze which erupted at around 4.30 am in Rajasthan Hospital, located in the city's Sahibaug are, they said. A four-wheeler parked in the basement of the facility was partially damaged, a fire official said. Due to the renovation work underway at the hospital, several items stored in the basement caught fire and caused massive smoke, the official said. It took about eight hours to control the blaze because of the massive smoke in two basements of the building and difficulties faced by the fire fighters in entering one of the basements, he said. The hospital is run by a charitable trust. The fire broke out at around 4.30 am in the basement of Rajasthan Hospital, inspector M D Champavat from Sahibaug police station said, adding that heavy smoke emanated from the basement of the medical facility. "Nearly 125 patients were evacuated and shifted to different hospitals as a precautionary measure," he said. The blaze erupted in the second basement of the 10-storey Rajasthan Hospital and a call was received at around 4.30 am, deputy chief fire officer Jayesh Khadia said. Due to the ongoing renovation of the hospital, several items stored in the basement caught fire and caused massive smoke. Around two dozen fire fighting vehicles were rushed to the spot, he said. "It took nearly eight hours to control the fire because of massive smoke and difficulties in getting entry to the affected areas. We managed to enter the first basement after ventilating smoke mechanically, but faced massive difficulties in entering the second basement," Khadia said. No casualty was reported, he said. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. India is currently home to 75 percent of the world's wild tigers, according to the Status of Tigers 2022 report. The progress comes on the back of the rising tiger count in the country. According to the latest government data released on the International Tiger Day on July 29, the tiger count in India has risen from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,682 in 2022 - marking an annual rise of roughly 6 percent. "With this, India has become home to approximately 75 percent of the worlds tiger population," Union Minister of State for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey said in Ramnagar while releasing the data for 2022. Currently, India has 53 reserves, out of which Uttarakhand's Corbett National Park leads with the highest tiger count at 260. It is followed by Bandipur with a count of 150 and Nagarhole with a count of 141 in Karnataka; Bandhavgarh, with a count of 135 in Madhya Pradesh; and Dudhwa, with a count of 135 in Uttar Pradesh. Furthermore, the Kaziranga National Park in Assam has recorded 104 tigers, while Sundarbans in West Bengal has 100 of the big cats. Meanwhile, state-wise, Madhya Pradesh continues being home to the largest population of tigers at 785, as per the All India Tiger Estimation, 2022 report. Furthermore, this year, the country's iconic Project Tiger marked 50 years. Project Tiger is a first-of-its-kind species conservation program that helped India's tiger population grow to a commendable number in the last five decades. Also Read: 50 years of Project Tiger | Remembering Kailash Sankhala, first director of Project Tiger The number of tigers countrywide, however, have not been seeing uniform rise. In fact, tiger population has been declining in several areas. Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh have recorded declines in tiger count. Moreover, no tigers are estimated to exist in Mizoram and Nagaland. Additionally, as per conservationists, the focus on tiger has come at the expense of other critically endangered species (their numbers rose from 47 in 2011 to 73 in 2022 as per data presented in the Rajya Sabha) and forest-dwelling communities. Also Read: International Tiger Day 2023: 'Several tiger reserves are nearing carrying capacity' Earlier this April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had unveiled the Status of Tigers 2022, on the occasion of the 50-year anniversary of Project Tiger. Tiger census is held every four years in the country. Stating that the government machinery has completely failed to control the Manipur ethnic conflict, which is lingering for nearly three months, opposition bloc INDIA on July 30 slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "silence", showing "brazen indifference" to the ongoing situation in the northeastern state. In a memorandum submitted to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey, the 21 opposition MPs who signed the document demanded urgent rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected people to bring peace and harmony to the state. "From the reports of incessant firing and arson of houses in the last few days, it is established beyond doubt that the state machinery has completely failed to control the situation for the last almost three months," the memorandum read. "The continued internet ban for the last three months is aiding the unsubstantiated rumours, which is adding to the existing mistrust among the communities," the Parliamentarians said. "Silence of Honble Prime Minister shows his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur," they added in the memorandum. "There is anger and a sense of alienation amongst all communities and it has to be addressed without delay," they said. "We earnestly request you to restore peace and harmony taking all effective measures, where justice should be the cornerstone. In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent," the MPs told the governor. "You are also requested to apprise the Union government of the complete breakdown of law and order in Manipur for the last 89 days so as to enable them to intervene in the precarious situation in Manipur to restore peace and normalcy," they added. The document also stressed that the "failure of both the central and state governments" to protect the lives and properties of the people of the two communities is apparent from the figures of more than 140 deaths (over 160 deaths as per official records), over 500 injuries, burning of more than 5,000 houses and internal displacement of over 60,000 people. The opposition delegation had arrived in Manipur on July 29 to assess the ground situation and meet victims of the three-month-long ethnic riots in the state. On the first day of their two-day whirlwind tour, they visited several relief camps in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur and met scores of victims of ethnic clashes from both the warring communities. Talking about their visit, the Parliamentarians said in the memorandum that they interacted with the victims taking shelter in the relief camps. "We are, indeed, very shocked and sad to hear the stories of anxieties, uncertainties, pains and sorrows of the individuals affected by the unprecedented violence unleashed by both sides since the beginning of the clashes," they added. The memorandum highlighted that the condition in the relief camps is pathetic, to say the least, and special care needs to be taken for the kids on a priority basis. "Students from different streams are facing uncertain future, which has to be the priority of the state and the Union governments," it added. Later, sharing a copy of the memorandum on Twitter, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh slammed Modi and claimed that the anger, anxiety, anguish, pain and sorrow of the people of Manipur make "absolutely no difference" to him. "While he is busy listening to his own voice and forcing down his Mann ki Baat on crores of Indians, the 21 MP delegation of Team INDIA is talking about Manipur ki Baat with the Governor of Manipur," Ramesh added. The delegation members left for Delhi on July 30 afternoon after submitting the memorandum to the governor. Besides Chowdhury and Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation included Sushmita Dev (TMC), Mahua Maji (JMM), Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK), P P Mohammed Faizal (NCP), Chaudhary Jayant Singh (RLD), Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD), N K Premachandran (RSP) and T Thirumavalavan (VCK).JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh and his party colleague Aneel Prasad Hegde, CPIs Sandosh Kumar, CPI(M)s A A Rahim, SPs Javed Ali Khan, IUMLs E T Mohammed Basheer, AAPs Sushil Gupta, VCKs D Ravikumar and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT), and Phulo Devi Netam and K Suresh of the Congress were also part of the delegation. More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals Nagas and Kukis constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts. It was about an hour into my lunch at Amadeo By Oberoi the Oberois spanking new restaurant at Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, when something that sounded a lot like a fire alarm started to wail out over the hubbub of a bustling service. While hunched chefs exchanged momentary looks of concern, servers tried to project calm. And then, barely a minute later, the alarm stopped. Order was restored. Fellow diners most of whom had not so much as halted their conversations, continued to decimate mounds of potato salad and giddily slurp their pasta. The inaction of the diners tells a lot about the food and experience at Amadeo. Bluntly put, this is a restaurant where not even the implicit threat of fire will be enough to drag you away. Welcome to Amadeo where the food is not just bold and fun but also seriously immersive. It starts as soon as you enter through a corridor of teasing wine bottles to a light filled dining room kitted out with soaring ceilings and captivating lights. A dancing fountain provides ample eye candy. The main stars at Amadeo which gets its name and culinary spirit from the Latin word Amadeus (meaning love of God,) are the show kitchens and live counters. Guests are encouraged to sit at the chefs table and enjoy a theatrical dining experience. And though you might be suspicious of a kitchen that attempts multiple cuisines (Amadeo serves Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Indian), its not a multi-cuisine restaurant assures food and beverage manager Alisha Rampal. You will not find things like soups, burgers, dim sums, black dal or butter chicken on our menu. There are far too many restaurants doing that. We only focus on select dishes from each cuisine. So, the menu straddles handmade pasta, sushi and grills to western Indian specialties, Italian small plates, Chinese wok preparations and bao buns. Be prepared for pleasant surprises in familiar foods; my sushi was unconventionally stuffed with okra and the maki roll came crowned with caviar and flecks of gold. Handmade pastas with offbeat sauces are particularly delicious. A rustic plate of goat cheese ravioli made with beetroot dough came floating on a bed of kale sauce with crunchy walnuts for company. The crowd favourite was a purple potato chaat which arrived in a messy riot of almond kachumber and pomegranate. But it was the boisterous thecha kombdi that everyone umm-ed and aaagh-ed over. Succulent pieces of chicken smeared with fiery thecha (a Maharashtrian condiment of coarsely ground green chillies, garlic and peanuts) chargrilled to perfection was the absolute star of the show. The sweet pumpkin murabba helped to douse some of the heat. This is confident cooking. No baubles, no gimmicks. True, there was a slight loss of momentum with a vigorously charred asparagus and avocado and oil drenched duck seekh kababs. But the hypnotic creaminess of the truffle tagliatelle proved a balm. If theres a trend that needs to be retired, its one that requires diners to assemble dishes. Isnt that what chefs get paid to do? Having said that the make your own mushroom chilli bao is sensational. Drinks at Amadeo are both delicious and breath taking. Fuji San a white rum and umeshu (plum wine) based cocktail goes down a lot faster than intended. Warli, a tequila drink with coconut water and chilli cordial is another delicious cocktail that prompts big smiles and wordless grunts of deep pleasure. Amadeo By Oberoi has a casual, fun vibe. Even on a fairly busy day the staff found the time to stop for a chat, make genuine recommendations and have a laugh. They know they have a hit on their hands, and this has bred the right kind of confidence, unlike in some hyped establishments where the swagger becomes insufferable. Amadeo By Oberoi, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Jio World Centre, BKC, Mumbai. Tel: +91-22-35706000 The Egyptian Metrological Authority (EMA) advised swimmers on the Mediterranean coast from the North Coast all the way to Port Said to stay close to the shore this weekend as waves could climb up to 2.5 metres. Since Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have taken the world by storm, people just cannot speak talking about it. Some people are deeming it as a boon and are encouraging this huge advancement in technology. Others are considering AI as a bane and a threat to their jobs. However, AI turned out to be a boon for this man from Long Island, US. He was paralysed after a diving accident but regained motion and feeling in his body after a surgery that connected his brain to a computer through microelectrode implants. According to the New York Post, Keith Thomas, 45, is a pioneer case for AI-infused surgeries to treat or cure diseases like blindness, deafness, ALS, seizures, cerebral palsy and Parkinsons, experts at Manhassets Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research said. This is the first time a paralysed person is regaining movement and sensation by having their brain, body and spinal cord electronically linked together, Chad Bouton, a professor at Feinsteins Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, told The Post. We could continue to help millions of folks around the world and maybe with an even broader range of conditions. Thomas had suffered a broken neck and damaged portions of his spine while diving into a friends pool in Montauk, in 2020. He was told that he will never be able to move below his neck. However, he didnt lose hope. Im a true New Yorker and wanted everything [fixed] right away, he told the Post. Thomass determination and his love for his life made him an apt candidate for the surgery, Dr Ashesh Mehta director of the Institutes Laboratory of Human Brain Mapping, told The Post. There was something special about Keith. We knew that he had the strength, the right attitude, the perseverance to do whats required. Thomas went through a 15-hour surgery and he was awake during some of it to communicate with the doctors, as per New York Post. The surgery had to go perfectly. There was no room for error. Theres only one way to get it right and a million ways to screw it up, Mehta added. Thomas was able to hold his sisters hand, post the surgery and one-week recovery, since his accident. Its quite a long road to get to this point, Thomas said, adding that he can now move his right arm to his face and the next goal is to brush his own teeth. I was crying like crazy. As a tourist, exploring a destinations culture firsthand is an excellent way to learn about the place you are visiting. By understanding a particular places culture, you can gain a better understanding of the customs, traditions, and way of life of its people. Furthermore, several destinations globally offer travellers opportunities where they can discover the destinations culture firsthand. If you are a culture buff, check out these seven destinations in India and abroad: Durban, South Africa Situated on the east coast of South Africa, Durban is a multicultural city with a rich history. Located in North Durban, the eThekwini Inanda Heritage Route in the Inanda Valley gives travellers a chance to gain knowledge of South Africas cultural legacy. This historic route celebrates the leaders of the struggle against Apartheid. The Inanda Valley was where Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi fought for equality and justice. From this valley, Nelson Mandela cast the first vote as a black person in South Africas first democratic election. The Satyagraha movement by Gandhi was conceptualised here as well. Visitors can take a guided tour of the eThekwini Inanda Heritage Route. In addition to the country's history, the tour also provides insights into the rich culture and beliefs held by local Durban communities. Durban is also home to additional cultural attractions such as the Durban Art Gallery, the Gandhi Museum and the Umhlanga Cultural Village. Bahrain With a history of over 4,000 years, this fascinating destination is a treasure trove of museums, archaeological sites, traditional craft centres, and historic forts. For travellers who want to learn about the culture of Bahrain, the Bahrain National Museum, the Bahrain Fort, the Riffa Fort, the Al Jasra Handicraft Centre, and the Pearling Path are must-visits. The Bahrain National Museum houses ancient artefacts and interactive exhibits that can help visitors learn about the countrys past. The museum's highlight is the Dilmun Burial Mounds, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which provides a glimpse into Bahrain's prehistoric era. Moreover, the Al Jasra Handicraft Centre allows visitors to watch artisans creating intricate pottery, handwoven textiles, basketry, and traditional pearl jewellery. The centre also hosts workshops and demonstrations for visitors to learn and engage in these traditional crafts. Washington DC, the US The capital city of the US, Washington, DC is home to numerous museums, historical sites, art galleries, and performance venues. With more than 175 embassies, ambassador residences, and international cultural centres, DC is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation. These embassies host several cultural events throughout the year that are open to the general public. Washington DC has some of the most celebrated free museums in the world. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Gallery of Art are crowd favourites. Furthermore, the city features many well-known monuments and memorials. Most of these monuments are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and you do not need to make reservations. They include the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, National World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the FDR Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Bordeaux, France There is much more to Bordeaux than just good wine. The city of Bordeaux in southwestern France has over 2,300 years of history. Guests can visit the Musee d'Aquitaine, a museum to learn more about Bordeaux and the Aquitaine region. It houses a selection of artefacts, including Roman mosaics, mediaeval sculptures, and modern art. Additionally, travellers can check out Vieux Bordeaux, the old town of Bordeaux that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vieux Bordeaux has many striking historical buildings, including the Saint-Andre Cathedral, the Place du Parlement, and the Hotel de Ville. Additional places to visit in Bordeaux include the CAPC Musee d'art Contemporain de Bordeaux, a contemporary art museum, the Cathedrale Saint-Andre, a stunning Roman Catholic church, and the Grand Theatre de Bordeaux, a theatre built in the 18th century. Travellers can also book a wine tour to explore the rich history of Bordeaux and its world-famous wines. Waitangi, New Zealand Waitangi is a small town in New Zealand, which is home to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a national historic site where the Treaty of Waitangi, the founding document of New Zealand, was signed in 1840. The Waitangi Treaty Grounds offer guests a chance to learn about the Maori people, the indigenous people of New Zealand who arrived in the country over 1,000 years ago. At the award-winning Waitangi Treaty Grounds, visitors can partake in a full-day immersive experience that includes watching powerful Maori cultural performances, exploring traditional Maori crafts, and taking informative guided tours of a lush native forest, an art gallery and a carving studio, all with spectacular vistas of the Bay of Islands. In addition, the Waitangi Arts and Crafts Centre, the Waitangi Maori Cookery School, and the Waitangi Maori Language School are worth checking out. Jaipur, India Jaipur is a top destination for culture lovers. The vibrant capital of Rajasthan, the Pink City, has a plethora of historical monuments and cultural attractions. Jaipur's most popular cultural attractions are the Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Panna Meena ka Kund, Nahargarh Fort, Birla Mandir, City Palace, and Amer Bazaar. A good time to visit Jaipur is during the Jaipur Literature Festival, a literary festival held every January. This festival hosts interesting sessions featuring a diverse range of authors, poets, and thinkers from around the world. Siem Reap, Cambodia Siem Reap offers a glimpse into the Khmer civilisation, one of the most important ancient civilizations in Southeast Asia. The city is home to the Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which consists of the remains of the Khmer Empire, including the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat temple. Built in the second century by King Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. Additionally, travellers can visit the Royal Palace, the National Museum of Cambodia, the Old Market, and the Apsara Theatre in Siem Reap to immerse themselves in Cambodia's rich culture. On a recent trip to Switzerlands Bernese-Oberland area, I was captivated by the Alpine scenery. Sheets of flowers draped the valleys, punctuated by singing rivers and framed by snow-clad peaks. I was less captivated, more bemused, by the hordes of Indian tourists eating parathas (true story) on the summit of Schilthorn and pouting for selfies in every available meadow. The zeal of their selfie-taking was only matched by their enthusiasm for taking photos of cows. I get it. Swiss cows are a thing of wonder. They radiate good health, from their lush, rounded bellies, to their glossy skin. The tinkling of the bells lovingly tied around their necks is the very definition of bucolic. I found it ironic how Indian tourists seemed as transfixed by Swiss cows, as most Westerners are by the sight of Indian cows in city traffic. The cow is the thread that binds Switzerland and India, even as it underscores their seemingly irreducible differences. Switzerland is Indias most obvious other. Orderly, clean, punctual and with stunning natural vistas unspoiled by overpopulation, effluents, or air pollution. For Indians, Switzerland is simply too good to be real. It is a dream. I suppose thats why it was the preferred setting for Bollywood dream sequences. For the uninitiated, the dream sequence in a Hindi movie refers to a romantic interlude, wholly separate from the plot, wherein the male and female protagonists suddenly find themselves transported to a dream land - often Switzerland preforming their amorous fantasies through dance, song, and prancing around Alpine peaks in inadequate clothing. The cow is as important to Switzerlands sense of self as it is to Indias. Cow festivals in honour of the ascent (alpage) and descent (desalpe) of cattle into alpine meadows are a much-anticipated part of the nations annual calendar. Cattle are adorned with headdresses of flowers and other decorations and huge crowds gather to gaze upon the bovine processions. Cow bells take up a sizable portion of every souvenir shop in the country. There are almost 20,000 dairy farmers in Switzerland and together they produce some 4 billion kilograms of milk annually. The Swiss milk industry generates billions of francs in revenue per year. In other words, cattle continue to be a mainstay of the Swiss economy. Swiss chocolate and cheese, need milk. My family spent about five days hiking in the Oberland area, before taking a train to Zurich from whence we were scheduled to fly out. We chose the scenic route aboard the Panoramic Express train between Interlaken and Lucerne, as the first leg of this journey. Think floor to ceiling windows looking out on to parakeet-green valleys, separated by lakes the colour of blue that sets the heart singing. And yet, I couldnt stop my brain ticking to a bovine rhythm, as I caught myself wondering what Id do if I had to choose between being a Swiss cow or an Indian one. Id plump for Swiss, I concluded. Sure, I might be eaten one day, but in the time that I did have, the care Id receive would be top notch. In Switzerland, cattle cannot be transported for more than six hours and there are studies to ensure the perfect decibel level of cow bells to minimize aural irritation. As a Swiss cow, Id even be provided with a support bra for my udders if they got painfully engorged. On the hand, as a cow in India, I might have vigilante gangs ready to murder random people they suspect of eating beef in my name. But I would also face the likelihood of being abandoned by owners for whom I am financially unviable to look after. Like the 5.2 million other stray cattle in the country, I would then be reduced to wandering urban streets, dodging traffic and foraging in garbage dumps. My reverie was interrupted by our on-the-dot arrival at the station. Because another thing about Switzerland is that trains dont run by the clock. Its the clocks that are set by the arrival and departures of the trains. A woman in Canada has said she was hospitalised after drinking four litres of water for 12 days as part of a viral 75 Hard social media challenge, which involves drinking a gallon (about four litres) of water regularly for 75 days. Michelle Fairburn talked about her experience in a TikTok video explaining how drinking excessive amounts of water made her feel unwell. The mother and real estate agent in Toronto suspected she had a case of "water poisoning". Water poisoning is a condition caused by drinking excessive amounts of water, and can be fatal in the most extreme cases. Sharing the video on TikTok on the 12th day of following the viral challenge, Fairburn said she didn't feel good when she was going to bed the night before and had woken up several times in the night to go to the toilet. She added that she couldn't eat, was nauseous, felt weak, and had been "on the toilet all morning." "I'm doing the 75 Hard, so I'm drinking an excessive amount of water," Fairburn said in the video. "I don't know what to do." Later that day, she shared another update saying she had consulted a doctor who diagnosed her with severe sodium deficiency and suggested she go to a hospital. "Sodium deficiency actually can be fatal," Fairburn said in the second video. "So now I'm going to the hospital and they're going to check everything and then apparently they can raise my sodium gradually." She said she was going to continue working out but had been told she had to drink less than half a litre of water per day. Read more: Woman charged Rs 350 for water at 'fancy restaurant' brings empty bottle home to reuse \Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Sunday arrived here to attend a ceremony marking 10 years of the ambitious multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. He, who is a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, during his visit from July 30 to August 1 will hold meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi. He was received by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal upon arrival here, ARY News reported. A statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) earlier on Saturday said the Chinese vice premier, who is on a three-day visit to Pakistan at the federal governments invitation, played a prominent role in Chinas international economic relations and implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, of which CPEC is a flagship project. As the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, he also was instrumental in the planning and execution of multiple CPEC projects in Pakistan. The Pakistan FO said that He's visit reflects the importance attached by Pakistan and China to further deepen their All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership. It also reaffirms support on issues of each others core interests; enhances economic and financial cooperation; advances high-quality development of CPEC; and explores new avenues for strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries. The CPEC is a collection of infrastructure and other projects under construction throughout Pakistan since 2013. Islamabad has so far received USD 25.4 billion in direct Chinese investment in various transport, energy, and infrastructure schemes under the flagship connectivity and investment corridor project, under the flagship connectivity and investment corridor project, part of Beijings Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is opposed by India as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The BRI was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping 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 BRI is seen as an attempt by China to further its influence abroad with infrastructure projects funded by Chinese investments all over the world. The initiative also led to allegations of smaller countries reeling under mounting Chinese debt after Sri Lanka gave its Hambantota port in a debt swap to China in 2017 on a 99-year lease. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on July 29 that an African initiative could be a basis for peace in Ukraine but that Ukrainian attacks made it hard to realise. He was speaking at a press conference after meeting African leaders in St Petersburg on July 28, and hearing their calls for Moscow to move ahead with their plan. "There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented," he said. "But there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement." Reuters reported in June that African mediation in the conflict could begin with confidence-building measures followed by a cessation of hostilities agreement accompanied by negotiations between Russia and the West. Putin said that one of the points in the initiative was a ceasefire. "But the Ukrainian army is on the offensive, they are attacking, they are implementing a large-scale strategic offensive operation... We cannot cease fire when we are under attack." On the question of starting peace talks, he said, "We did not reject them. In order for this process to begin, there needs to be agreement on both sides." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has rejected the idea of a ceasefire now that would leave Russia in control of nearly a fifth of his country, and give its forces time to regroup after 17 grinding months of war. 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 Former President Donald Trump lashed out at Republicans in Congress while campaigning in Pennsylvania on Saturday, threatening members of his party who do not share his appetite for pursuing corruption investigations against President Joe Biden and his family and for retribution. In a litany of grievances about his deepening legal woes and the direction of the country, the twice-indicted former president cast GOP holdouts as meek during a rally in Erie, criticizing their response to what he described as politically motivated prosecutions against him. The Republicans are very high class, he said. Youve got to get a little bit lower class. And then Trump, the overwhelming front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, put party members on notice. Any Republican that doesnt act on Democratic fraud should be immediately primaried, said Trump, to the roaring approval of several thousand supporters at the Erie Insurance Arena. Throughout the night he referenced the case against Hunter Biden and accused the president of complicity in his sons troubles. It was the first solo campaign event and the second public appearance for Trump since the Justice Department added charges against him in connection with his mishandling of classified documents after leaving office. In a superseding indictment filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Florida, federal prosecutors presented evidence that Trump told the property manager of Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Florida, that he wanted security camera footage there to be deleted. Prosecutors also charged him, along with one of his personal aides, with conspiring to obstruct the governments repeated attempts to reclaim the classified material. On the same day that the additional charges were announced, Trumps lawyers met with federal prosecutors to discuss another expected indictment, one centering on Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. To Trumps unflinching supporters gathered inside the arena, the cascade of indictments was a punchline if not a badge of honor. Edward X. Young, 63, a debt consolidation company consultant and part-time actor who was dressed like Elvis Presley, wore a T-shirt with a mock-up mug shot of Trump. He said he had driven 10 hours from Point Pleasant, New Jersey, to attend Trumps rally, his 59th. I think hes being persecuted, he said of the former president. Ruth Jenkins, 61, a Republican from Rochester, New York, who works for a Wegmans grocery store, said that she did not believe that Trump had been motivated to run for president to avoid criminal liability. Well, who wouldnt want to be kept out of prison? she said, claiming that the latest charges against Trump were the latest attempt to shift attention away from the case against the presidents son. As Trump prepared to take the stage, campaign workers helped fill in an empty section near the back of the arena, which had been configured to seat 8,000. The playlist for the rally featured Try That in a Small Town, the Jason Aldean hit that was filmed at the site of a lynching and pulled from Country Music Television amid criticism. With Trump as its standard-bearer, the Republican Party has watched Democrats in Pennsylvania secure high-profile victories in the last year, including flipping a U.S. Senate seat, holding on to the governors office and gaining control of the statehouse. In 2020, Trump lost the battleground state by nearly 82,000 votes to Biden, who was born there. Despite several courts rejecting his election lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Trump has continued to cling to falsehoods about results, including Saturday. We got screwed, he said, baselessly claiming that news outlets had delayed their race calls because he had been ahead. I said, Why arent they calling Pennsylvania? Trump, who spoke for more than 100 minutes, said that he still had not decided whether he would take part in the first Republican presidential debate, which will take place Aug. 23 and be televised by Fox News. Trump said that there appeared to be little upside to debating on a hostile network Fox News began to fall out of favor with the former president after it became the first major outlet to call Arizona for Biden in 2020 and noted his commanding polling lead over his GOP opponents. His nearest competitor, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, trailed him by about 30 percentage points in national polls. If I dont go to the debate, they say Im not saying this they say the ratings are going to be very bad, he said. Should I do it or not? The crowds answer was resounding: No. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. By Neil Vigdor c.2023 The New York Times Company Hirsh Vardhan Singh, a 38-year-old Indian-American engineer, has announced his bid to secure the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election, the third person of Indian descent set to go toe-to-toe with former president Donald Trump in the race for the White House. In a video message posted on X, formerly Twitter, on July 28, Singh said "his intention to seek the republican nomination for President of the United States". "I'm entering the race for President," he wrote on the social media platform. I'm entering the race for President.https://t.co/OEHCSYOdvK pic.twitter.com/RyxW4sKMSW Hirsh Vardhan Singh (@HirshSingh) July 27, 2023 Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, once a close Trump aide, and tech millionaire Vivek Ramaswamy have already announced their plans to run for president. In his three-minute video, Singh described himself as a "lifelong Republican and America First conservative who worked to restore a conservative wing of the New Jersey Republican Party". "We need strong leadership to reverse the changes that have occurred in the past few years and restore American values. That is why I have decided to seek the Republican Party's nomination for the 2024 election for the office of president of the United States," said Singh, described as "Trump on steroids" by rival Democrats. The Indian-American engineer filed his candidacy officially with the Federal Election Commission on July 27, The Hill newspaper reported. "I'm the only pure-blood candidate for president because I never gave in to the Covid vaccinations," Singh said. Commenting on Trump's bid, Singh said, "While President Trump was undoubtedly the greatest president of my lifetime and had my support as a MAGA Republican since day one, America needs more". Make America Great Again slogan was popularised by Trump during his successful 2016 presidential campaign. Though caught in numerous legal battles, Trump is way ahead of his rivals in the Republican Party's nomination race. Singh also strongly criticised the "corruption" of the Big Tech, and pharmaceutical companies, claiming they "relentlessly attacked our freedoms". Singh's political career Singh unsuccessfully ran in the Republican primaries for the governor of New Jersey in 2017 and 2021, for a House seat in 2018, and for Senate in 2020. In his most recent run for governor, he campaigned as a more conservative option, more closely aligned with Trump than the eventual nominee, Jack Ciattarelli, but came in third for the nomination. There's an all-out attack on American family values, parental rights and the marketplace of ideas and open debates. We need strong leadership to reverse the changes that have occurred in the past few years and restore American values," he said. According to The Hill, Singh is one of the several long-shot candidates in the race, including former Cranston, Rhode Island, Mayor Steve Laffey, Michigan businessman Perry Johnson and Texas pastor Ryan Binkley. Coup-hit Niger's neighbours have not ruled out military intervention, Nigeria's president said, ahead of a West African coalition's crisis summit in Abuja on Thursday. GVB is cleaning up Ypao Park in preparation for a busy summer season of visitors. The Guam Pardon Review Board meets at the Department of Corrections Parole Division in Hagatna on July 27, 2023. A large pile of white goods and metal has collected along Route 2 Sunday, July 23, 2023, in Hagat. The Egyptian government has introduced a new load-shedding program this week, which involves power cuts at specific times throughout the day. This requires citizens to check their watches before using elevators. The government's lack of clarity on the frequency of power cuts and whether load reduction can occur multiple times in the same area has caused confusion among the public, as expressed on social media. Despite the government's repeated assurances of increasing the capacity of its power grid and achieving energy self-sufficiency, the public remains puzzled about the cause of the blackouts. Record consumption and power surplus Since June 2015, Egypt has been self-sufficient in electricity and currently has an electricity surplus of over 25 percent. The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy announced on 17 July that national electricity consumption had reached record highs due to the heat wave that has affected Egypt since last week. With temperatures across most of Egypt nearing 40 degrees Celsius and reaching up to 45 degrees in the deep south, power cuts have become unbearable for those staying indoors. For the first time, electricity loads have reached the maximum consumption level recorded in previous years, reaching 34,650 megawatts (MW), while work is underway to stabilize the power supply, the ministry said in a statement. The Ministry stated that although consumption reached 44,900 MW, there was still a reserve capacity of 9,800 MW, indicating that the available capacity had not been exceeded. What causes the problem? The Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker has attributed the need for load reduction to the decreasing gas supply to power plants, as stated in his press statement. We are currently implementing temporary load reductions to reduce pressure on the gas network, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said during the weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday 19 July, after two days of citizens' complaints of repeated power cuts without prior notice, which had resulted in damage to some electrical appliances. Madbouly said in a presser on 27 July that Egypt is required to generate 34 gigawatts during peak hours, for which 129 million cubic meters of gas and diesel are required daily. Madbouly explained that since the start of the heatwave on 17 July consumption have soared to nearly 36 gigawatts daily, which required procuring from 144 to 146 million cubic meters of gas and diesel daily. He added that Egypt needed to ease loads since not doing so would have required coming up with anywhere between 160 to 165 million cubic meters of gas and diesel daily - an amount that is not currently feasible to procure. Gas shortage mystery Despite Egypt's repeated emphasis on having a significant electricity surplus and natural gas exports of around 8 million tons worth $8.4 billion in 2022, there is currently a shortage in gas supply to power plants. According to a report by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) in July, Egypt was able to maintain its gas exports at 1.9 million tons during Q1 of 2023. Egypt announced the achievement of self-sufficiency in natural gas consumption in 2018 and the cessation of gas imports due to the gradual increase in local production and the discovery of gas fields, particularly the Zohr gas field in the Mediterranean. In August 2022, the government announced a nationwide energy consumption rationing plan aimed at saving 15 percent of natural gas usage and redirecting it towards exports to generate foreign currency. Earlier this month, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla denied claims of a reduction in local production and stated that Egypt did not export any quantities of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in June due to increased local consumption. In an interview with CNN Business Arabic on Wednesday, El-Molla announced that the ministry plans to resume the export of LNG in October. Saheeh Masr, a fact-checking platform, has disclosed that Egypt has exported LNG over the past four summers, with a total value of $2.68 billion according to data from the Central Bank of Egypt. Despite the alleged surplus in gas and electricity, the root cause of the problem remains a mystery as power plants continue to experience an insufficient gas supply. Search Keywords: Short link: Frances Le Maire presses China on market access and lobbies for electric car investment View Photo BEIJING (AP) The French finance minister said Sunday he pressed Chinese leaders to open their markets wider to foreign companies and lobbied for investment in Frances electric car industry, as the European Unions second-largest economy followed Washington in reviving post-COVID economic talks amid tension over Beijings surging trade surpluses. Bruno Le Maire also defended Pariss controls on foreign access to technology after authorities said two Chinese citizens are under investigation for what news reports say is possible smuggling of French-made processor chips with military uses to China and Russia. Le Maire met Saturday with Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijings top envoy on economic issues. He followed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who visited Beijing on July 9-10 as part of U.S. efforts to revive frosty relations with China. Chinese officials gave Le Maire and Yellen a warm welcome as part of efforts to reverse an economic slump by reviving foreign investor interest. But Beijing has given no indication of possible changes in technology and other policies that its trading partners say violate Chinese market-opening commitments. Officials of the 27-nation European Union are trying to narrow a trade deficit with China that swelled to 396 billion euros ($432 billion) last year. Le Maire cited cosmetics, aerospace and agriculture as possible areas for more French exports. There is a need to improve access to the Chinese market. I think that it was at the core of our discussions, Le Maire said in an interview at the French Embassy. We want to have a stronger economic relationship between Europe and China, between France and China, which means to get access for all European goods. Chinese leader Xi Jinpings government has looked to Europe as an alternative market and source of technology since Washington tightened controls on access to U.S. processor chips and other high-tech goods and hiked tariffs on imports from China in a feud over its industry development ambitions. Le Maire and Chinese officials pledged to cooperate on climate change, financing for developing countries and nuclear power. They announced plans to set up a group to settle a dispute over access to Chinas market for cosmetics, a major French export. Le Maire also lobbied for investment from Chinas fast-growing electric car industry. He was due to fly to the southern city of Shenzhen to meet Wang Chuanfu, founder of BYD Auto, one of the worlds biggest electric vehicle producers. BYD Auto and other Chinese brands are starting to sell in developed markets including Europe and Japan. Chinese battery supplier CATL has set up a factory in Germany to supply automaker BMW. We want China to make investments in France in electric vehicles, Le Maire said. In the climate transition, there is a place for Chinese investment in France, which allows us to reinforce our economic relations and also speed up action against global warming. The talks were overshadowed by Russias war against Ukraine and complaints China might be helping Moscow evade Western sanctions, but Le Maire said he didnt discuss the war with Chinese officials. However, he said it was in Beijings interest to end the 17-month-old war. President Emmanuel Macrons security adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, said this month China was delivering military equipment to Russia but gave no details. I want to make very clear that we want this war to go to an end as soon as possible, Le Maire said. Indeed, (it is) in the interest of China, it is in the interests of the global growth to have peace as soon as possible. Le Maire also defended French controls on technology exports and foreign investment in high-tech industry. French authorities are investigating two Chinese citizens associated with chip producer Ommic who the newspaper Le Parisien said face possible charges of exporting chips to a Chinese armaments maker using forged documents. French counter-espionage officials believe a Chinese investor who bought control of Ommic in 2018 was trying to transfer chip manufacturing technology to China, according to the newspaper. The ruling Communist Party is trying to develop its own chip industry, but Washington has blocked access to advanced manufacturing tools and persuaded allies Japan and the Netherlands to impose their own restrictions. Chinese authorities complain their companies are unfairly targeted by restrictions on access to foreign technology. They have warned curbs on access to semiconductors will disrupt smartphone and other industries. Everybody can understand that France wants to protect its key technologies, Le Maire said. We dont want any foreign country to get access to those French sovereign technologies. By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer A firefighter has been killed while battling a wildfire in British Columbia, Canada A firefighter has been killed while battling a wildfire in British Columbia, Canada View Photo VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) A firefighter has been killed while fighting a massive wildfire in northeastern British Columbia, marking the second such fatality in the Canadian province this month and the fourth in Canada during this years record fire season. A release from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Saturday the 25-year-old man from Ontario was working Friday just before 11 a.m. in a remote area when his heavy-duty ATV rolled over a steep drop on a gravel road. Police say the victim, who has not been identified publicly, was transported by helicopter to Fort St. John but died en route. The RCMP say a workplace fatality investigation is underway. Provincial officials have confirmed the man was a contracted firefighter working for the wildfire service through a private B.C. company and died while fighting the almost 6,000-square-kilometer (2,316 square mile) Donnie Creek blaze. B.C. Premier David Eby issued a statement on Saturday saying the fatality coming so soon after Gales death has shaken people throughout the province and devastated the firefighting community. This wildfire season has been profoundly awful, Eby said. Statistics from the provincial wildfire service show there are currently 363 active wildfires in British Columbia, with 11 new fires in the last 24 hours and 191 blazes classified as out of control. In total, there have been 1,517 wildfires in British Columbia this year, burning a record-breaking 15,397 square kilometers (5,944 square miles) of trees, bush and grassland. Russian anti-war activists hold protest after activists face entry, residence problems in Serbia View Photo BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Pro-democracy Russians in Serbia protested Sunday after two prominent anti-war activists and critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin said they faced problems with entry and residence permits in the Balkan country. Several dozen activists held banners reading We came to live in peace and I love Serbia and I want safe and happy life here, as they gathered at a central square in Belgrade, the Serbian capital. The rally came days after Serbian police refused to extend a residency permit for Vladimir Volokhonski and weeks after another prominent activist, Peter Nikitin, spent more than one day at the Belgrade airport because of an entry ban, according to the two activists. Serbias authorities have cited unspecified security concerns in both cases, they said. There was no immediate response to an email request for comment from police by The Associated Press. We are here today to protest against the pressure Russian antiwar activists (have been) experiencing here in Serbia recently, Nikitin said. None of us understand how anything we do can threaten national security of Serbia we have no idea whats next. About 200,000 Russian citizens are believed to have fled to Serbia since the start of the invasion of Ukraine as the fellow Slavic nation does not require visas for Russians. The Balkan nation has maintained friendly relations with Russia and has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow, despite condemning its invasion of Ukraine. Serbian authorities have not commented on either Nikitins or the case of Volokhonski. Nikitin and Volokhonski both have been active in organizing protests against the invasion of Ukraine and Putins crackdown on political opponents. The two formed the Russian Democratic Society in Serbia, which gathers democracy-minded Russians in the Balkan country. Volokhonski said he believed the refusal by the authorities to extend his stay in Serbia is connected to our activities is Serbia, our Russian Democratic Society events here, or our activities to help Ukraine, to support our political prisoners in Russia. The United States recently imposed sanctions against Serbias pro-Russia intelligence chief, Aleksandar Vulin, accusing him of crimes and corruption. Serbian media have reported that Vulin wiretapped a Russian opposition meeting in Belgrade in 2021, which he has denied. Nikitin said many Russian fellow-activists residing in Serbia have been travelling over the summer and they too could face problems upon return. He adds that that is why we felt it is important to come out and draw attention to this. Guatemala presidential candidate rushes to expand base beyond urban youth View Photo SANTA MARIA DE JESUS, Guatemala (AP) Presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo stood before a few hundred residents of this small Indigenous community on the slopes of the Agua Volcano and told them they could be the seeds of a brighter, more corruption-free spring in Guatemala. The metaphor fits neatly with his political party, the Seed Movement, and allows the 64-year-old academic and former diplomat to riff on themes of renewal and growth. But it also alludes to Guatemalas democratic spring, considered a more inclusive period in the countrys history during the presidency in the 1940s and early 1950s of his late father, Juan Jose Arevalo. Bernardo Arevalo won just 11% of the vote in the presidential elections first round June 25, but it was enough to give him the surprise second slot in the Aug. 20 runoff ballot. He will face Sandra Torres, a conservative and former first lady who was the leading vote-getter in the first round and is making her third bid for the presidency. Arevalos recent speech in Santa Maria de Jesus was similar to those he has given in Guatemalas capital, but the imagery could be especially important in rural Indigenous communities as he seeks to rapidly expand his largely urban, youthful base before the runoff. He won in Guatemala City and other important cities, including Sacatepequez and Quetzaltenango. It remains to be seen whether he can convince people in rural communities that he can address their daily problems. The delayed certification of the first round results shortened the already small window that Arevalo has to reintroduce himself to much of the country as his opponents rush to paint their own negative picture. Do you feel what is happening? Arevalo told the crowd in Santa Maria de Jesus. The new spring is arriving, thats what you feel, and you all are the seeds of that new spring. A new spring that is going to bring us well-being, the water we lack, the education they owe us, the health that they have denied us thanks to those corrupt contracts that serve few, Arevalo said, standing in front of an old, damaged Roman Catholic church, in a wide-brimmed hat and untucked shirt against the tropical heat. Among those listening was Juana Oron, a 67-year-old homemaker of the Kaqchikel people. She is one of the older voters who remember hearing about Arevalos father, one of only two leftist presidents in Guatemalas democratic era. The elder Arevalo, who governed from 1945 to 1951, is credited with establishing key social programs that remain in place today, including Guatemalas labor code and social security. Guatemalas democratic spring was cut short in 1954 by the CIA-backed overthrow of his successor, President Jacobo Arbenz. Under Juan Jose Arevalo, the state advocated for rights for Indigenous peoples and others beyond the countrys small elite. I remember I was little and (my parents) said he had done good things, said Oron whose first language as a child was Kaqchikel. If his father was good, Arevalo could be a good president, too, she said. Opponents have tried to frame Arevalos candidacy as a step toward some of the regions more notorious leftist regimes, such as Cuba and Nicaragua. They warn that the progressive candidate will bring expropriations, abortion and same-sex marriage to the conservative country. Arevalo has been the elections surprise. In the days before the June 25 vote, he was polling below 3% and trailing at least seven of the other 21 candidates. But his anti-corruption message resonated in the country where gains against corruption have been erased and the justice system reoriented to pursue the prosecutors and judges who formerly led that fight. In the month since that initial result, the Attorney Generals Office announced an investigation into his party and had a judge suspend its legal status until the Constitutional Court stepped in to block that move. In Santa Maria de Jesus, people wanted to compare Arevalo in person to what they were hearing about him. Some handed him flowers, posed for photos or reached out to touch him as he made his way through the throng. Arevalo pushed back against attempts to frame him as a left-wing radical he has said private property rights are not up for discussion and pounded the issue of corruption. Let us work, let us get ahead on our own effort, lets get rid of the corrupt once and for all, he said. For Francisco Jimenez, a political scientist at Rafael Landivar University, Arevalo will need concrete proposals to make inroads with the base of Torres, who has spent two decades assembling it. He will have to make governing proposals with a social agenda, where the people see that he is going to have an impact on their lives and communities, Jimenez said. The other part is continuing to present himself as the different model. That has been his success, someone totally different from the other candidates. Evangelical churches in Guatemala have painted Arevalo as an existential threat to the family. Gladys Sunun, a 35-year-old Kaqchikel vendor from an evangelical family, said she came to hear Arevalo for herself. She said she had heard that Arevalo would convert Guatemala into another Cuba or Nicaragua, but left feeling that might not be true, though she wants to investigate more. He came to tell us not to worry, she said. It sounds real, but we dont know. Her sister July Sunun said she wanted to hear more about Arevalos positions on gender ideology. As a mother Im afraid, because weve grown up with a Christian background. I dont want to marry my daughter with another woman, she said. July Sunun acknowledged that Arevalo said he would respect the identities and decisions of the people, but what he hasnt said is that he wont allow (same-sex marriage) to happen here. By SONIA PEREZ D. Associated Press Power station fire, explosions cut off power in much of Iraq in scorching summer heat, officials say Power station fire, explosions cut off power in much of Iraq in scorching summer heat, officials say View Photo BAGHDAD (AP) Power was cut off in large swaths of southern and central Iraq for much of Saturday during scorching summer heat and observances of the Shiite holy day of Ashoura after a fire broke out at a power station in the southern city of Basra. The fire at the Al-Bkir substation in Basra resulted in the separation of transmission lines linking the southern and central regions, leading to a complete shutdown of the electrical system in the area, Iraqs Ministry of Electricity said in a statement. It said the fire was accidental. The power outage came as the electrical system faces other challenges, including fuel shortages and surging demands for electricity during a major heat wave. On Saturday, temperatures reached 47 degrees Celsius (116.6 degrees Farenheit). Also on Saturday, the company that handles electricity transmission in the north reported that the northern transmission line in a remote area outside the city of Haditha in western Iraq had been sabotaged. Three towers were hit by improvised explosive devices, putting the line out of service, the statement said. It did not say who was responsible for the attack. Staff were not initially able to repair the damage on Friday due to security issues, the statement said. Islamic State cells and other armed groups are active in the remote desert area. On Saturday, workers were able to access the site with the help of security forces and begin repair work. The Ministry of Electricity ordered the formation of committees to investigate both incidents. The power blackout had a domino effect on other services, with Baghdad Municipality attributing a disruption in tap water supply to the outage caused by the fire in Basra. The municipality said it was trying to run water pumps using generators to limit the impact on citizens. Earlier this month, Iraq signed a $27 billion deal with TotalEnergies that many hope will help resolve Iraqs longstanding electricity crisis, attract international investors and reduce its reliance on gas imports from neighboring Iran. By ABDULRAHMAN ZEYAD Associated Press Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in New Alamein on Saturday to hold talks with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and attend unity talks with top representatives of Palestinian factions on Sunday. The meeting between El-Sisi and Abbas is part of the continuous coordination between the leaderships in the two countries to confront the challenges the Palestinian people face in obtaining their inalienable rights, according to a statement by the Palestinian embassy in Cairo. Egyptian-Palestinian coordination also seeks to allow the Palestinian people to achieve the right to self-determination and establish their independent state that enjoys full national sovereignty over all its lands with Jerusalem as its capital, added the embassy. The embassy further noted that the presidents visit reflects the continuous consultation and coordination with his brother, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, on the relations between the two states and the multiple issues at the Arab, regional, and international levels. A delegation of Palestinian officials accompanies Abbas during his visit, including Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Hussein Al-Sheikh; PLOs Executive Committee member Ziad Abu Amr; and Head of the Palestinian General Intelligence Service Majed Faraj. Other officials in the Palestinian delegation include Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Adviser to the Palestinian President for Religious and Islamic Affairs; Majdi Khalidi, Advisor to the President for Diplomatic Affairs; Ahmad Assaf, the General Supervisor of the Official Palestinian Media; and Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt Diab Al-Louh. Unity meeting Another delegation representing the Hamas movement, headed by its leader Ismail Haniyeh, also arrived in Egypt on Saturday to participate in the Palestinian factions secretaries-generals' meeting, Hamas announced in a statement. The meeting will be held in New Alamein, according to Hamas. Hamass delegation includes deputy chief Saleh Al-Arouri and political bureau members Mousa Abu Marzouq, Khalil Al-Hayya, Husam Badran, and Rawhi Mushtaha. In this meeting, Hamas seeks to unify the Palestinian position and reach consensus on a unified national strategic plan to confront occupation, the statement read. A third delegation from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the second largest faction within the PLO, arrived in Cairo to participate in the meeting. In a statement issued Saturday, Deputy Secretary-General of the PFLP Jamil Mezher said his faction will do its best alongside the participating forces to reach a specific agreement that allows the Palestinian people and their forces to unite against the fascist policies and measures of the (Israeli) government. During the meeting, the PFLP will call for the formation of a unified comprehensive resistance leadership with the participation of all forces, Mezher said. The resistance leadership will be followed by protection committees to defend our people in the Palestinian cities, villages and towns who suffer from assaults by the Israeli forces and the fascist settlers, he added. Palestinian President Abbas had called for this meeting following the deadly Israeli attack on the Jenin camp in the West Bank. Both Abbas and Haniyeh met in Ankara on Wednesday in the run-up to Sunday's crucial meeting. A Palestinian official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said the talks aim to "end the divisions (between factions) in preparation for a unified Palestinian government and presidential and general elections." Haniyeh's spokesman Taher al-Nunu told AFP that Hamas sought to "unify the Palestinian position" under a strategic plan to "confront the Israeli occupation in light of the aggression of its extremist government." Egypt has hosted several meetings of the Palestinian factions over recent years in an attempt to end the internal division that began in 2007. Search Keywords: Short link: The GOVERNMENT does not interfere with the work of the Judiciary, and those accusing it of having a hand in recent court rulings barring some opposition candidates from contesting the August 23 harmonised elections are clearly ignorant, President Mnangagwa has said. Speaking to the media yesterday after his arrival from Russia, where he was attending the Second Summit of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, President Mnangagwa said he was not involved in any election-related court dispute. They should go and recover their school fees from where they went to school, he said. I am nowhere near the court. I have never taken anybody to court, so if they are making such allegations, it means they do not have much education. More than a dozen opposition candidates have been barred from contesting the forthcoming polls after courts made findings that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission erred by accepting their nominations. Article continues below these jobs... Work In Zimbabwe Latest Jobs Class 1 Auto Electrician on 9 August 2023 Our client in the auto [] Bus Driver on 9 August 2023 Proton Bakers is currently [] Driver/Salesman on 9 August 2023 Proton Bakers is currently [] Electrician on 9 August 2023 Proton Bakers is currently [] Independent presidential candidate Mr Saviour Kasukuwere was blocked from contesting for the top job in the land after the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal challenging a High Court ruling that nullified his nomination. The apex court ruled that Mr Kasukuweres appeal lacked merit. On Thursday, 17 opposition National Assembly candidates, including 12 from the Citizens Coalition for Change, were stopped from participating in the polls after the Bulawayo High Court found that they had filed their nomination papers out of time. Labour Economists and African Democrats leader Ms Linda Masarira, who wanted to contest the presidential election, also had her application to stand in the polls dismissed after she failed to pay her nomination fees on time. Turning to the just-ended summit, President Mnangagwa said African countries, including Zimbabwe, were at the forefront of shaping a new world order. We were all well-received and the response by Heads of State from Africa was very encouraging, he said. Out of the 54 countries, the majority of Heads of State went to Russia for the Russia-Africa Summit, which shows that Africa respects Russia, and Africa is now independent and cannot be bullied as to what it must do. Yes, leaders from a few countries did not go, but the majority of Heads of State went. African countries that were not represented at the Head of State level, he said, sent representatives. There was a lot of co-operation, especially in the area of food security across Africa, he said. President (Vladimir) Putin also added a donation to several countries that have insecure food situations; he made donations of several metric tonnes. He added: Then you are fully aware of the geopolitical situation in the country (Russia) . . . there is now a mood of creating a new world order, and it is unfolding. We all are contributing to a new world order, where everybody is treated equally and where international law is observed. Addressing the summit on Friday, President Mnangagwa said there was need to dislodge the Western hegemonic rule and influence. For decades, sustainable socio-economic development at regional and global levels has been hindered by the escalating threat of transnational organised crime, conflict and terrorism that encroach upon global peace and security, he said. In Zimbabwe, we have a philosophy that a country is built, developed, ruled and prayed for by its own people. We leave no one and no place behind. Strengthening existing institutions, as well as carving new partnerships, remain key for a just and peaceful world order, which is unfolding. In this context, Zimbabwe commends the Russian Federation for its solidarity and support, guided by our shared aspirations and development objectives for convening this Russia-African Summit. Sunday Mail Breaking News via Email In a dramatic turn of events, the former Zanu PF youth leader, Jim Kunaka, has launched a fierce legal battle by approaching the Constitutional Court to challenge a recent High Court ruling that barred exiled former minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, from running in the upcoming presidential election on August 23. Kasukuwere, whose candidature was initially accepted by the nomination court on June 21, faced a sudden reversal when High Court judge, Justice David Mangota, stripped him of his eligibility. This decision came after Zanu PF activist, Lovedale Mangwana, lodged a challenge against Kasukuweres candidacy, arguing that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) had violated the Electoral Act by accepting his nomination papers despite his absence from the country for over 18 months. Unwilling to accept defeat, the former Zanu PF commissar, Kasukuwere, took the matter to the Supreme Court, hoping for a favourable outcome. However, the Supreme Court disappointed him by upholding Justice Mangotas ruling, leaving him with limited options. Kasukuwere, affectionately known as Tyson, expressed his determination to continue the fight and challenge the latest ruling. Meanwhile, Kunaka, in his application seeking access to the ConCourt, argued that Justice Mangotas decision infringed upon the constitutional rights of voters to freely choose their preferred presidential candidate. In his submission, Kunaka stated, I nominated Saviour Kasukuwere as a presidential candidate. He was my candidate of choice. It is my respectful contention that the decision of the court in question infringes on my right to choose a candidate of my choice to participate freely in politics as protected by sections 58 and 67 of the constitution of Zimbabwe. Article continues below these jobs... Work In Zimbabwe Latest Jobs Class 1 Auto Electrician on 9 August 2023 Our client in the auto [] Bus Driver on 9 August 2023 Proton Bakers is currently [] Driver/Salesman on 9 August 2023 Proton Bakers is currently [] Electrician on 9 August 2023 Proton Bakers is currently [] Kunaka emphasized that not only his rights but also the rights of thousands of Zimbabweans who intended to vote for Kasukuwere had been infringed upon. He further argued that excluding Kasukuwere from the electoral process would undermine the credibility of the upcoming elections. Highlighting the urgency and significance of the case, legal experts weighed in on the matter. Lawyer Dumisani Dube explained, The application by Kunaka doesnt stop the decision of the Supreme Court. However, due to the importance of the matter in the constitutional jurisprudence of the country, the court may set the matter down urgently before the election date. Another lawyer, Nqobani Sithole, emphasized the distinction between the roles of the High Court and the Constitutional Court, stating that the former deals with the interpretation of the law while the latter focuses on constitutionality. As Kunakas ConCourt application takes center stage, the nation eagerly awaits the courts decision. Will Kasukuwere be granted the opportunity to participate in the forthcoming election? Or will the High Court ruling be upheld, solidifying his exclusion from the race? One thing is certain: this legal battle has intensified, and the fate of Kasukuweres presidential aspirations hangs in the balance. Breaking News via Email Biden admin backs LAB-GROWN MEAT made of CANCER cells as the food of the future The Biden administration has backed lab-grown meat and other biotechnologies as the food of the future in an apparent bid to solve "climate change" and food security issues Back in September 2022, President Joe Biden issued an executive order (EO) stressing that the U.S. government is dedicated to investing in biotechnology that will advance the U.S.'s food security. The EO acknowledged biotechnology's role in "cultivating alternative food sources" and "looking to improve food security and drive agricultural innovation through new technologies." Investments in lab-grown meat fall under the goals of this EO, with Newsweek commenting that meat grown in steel tanks "is considered to be the 'future of meat production' in the face of 'climate change.'" One such company set to benefit from the administration's EO is the Alameda, California-based Eat Just. Its CEO and co-founder Josh Tetrick applauded the "bold move" by the White House. "America has an opportunity to lead the world in building a new, healthier, and more sustainable approach to making meat," he told magazine publisher Farm Progress. "It's critical for our food security, for our manufacturing and technology base, and for our moral leadership." Tetrick isn't the only private bigwig pushing for synthetic meat. Even technocrat and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is pushing for lab-grown meat instead of the real thing. Based on multiple reports, Gates has made sizeable investments in "synthetic meat" manufacturers. (Related: VESTED INTEREST: Bill Gates backs USDA approval of lab-grown chicken meat as he invests in the companies that make them.) Back in 2021, the Microsoft co-founder told the MIT Technology Review that all countries should drop the real thing and go all-out with synthetic meat. "I do think all rich countries should move to 100 percent synthetic beef. You can get used to the taste difference, and the claim is they're going to make it taste even better over time," he said. "Eventually, that green premium is modest enough that you can sort of change the [behavior of] people or use regulation to totally shift the demand." Every bite of lab-grown meat comes with CANCER Mathematics website owner Igor Chudov put in his two cents on lab-grown meat in a February 23 article on his Substack. He cited a Bloomberg article that expounded on how this is made by means of "growing meat from cells in a lab, without raising any living animals for slaughter" "Under the right conditions, animal cells can be grown in a petri dish, or even at scale in factories full of stainless-steel drums," the piece by Bloomberg's Joe Fassler continued. "For decades, companies such as Pfizer Inc. and Johnson & Johnson have cultured large volumes of cells to produce vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and other biotherapeutics." But according to Chudov, lab-grown meat is an abomination that needs to be stopped before it becomes mainstream in our society. Not only does it lack nutrition, there have been reports that suggest potential health risks linked to these products. Such risks include allergic reactions triggered by exposure to foreign proteins found within them. He added that contrary to claims, the production process of lab-grown meat still involves animal cruelty. This is because stem cells need to be taken from live animals tissues during processing something which no conscious person can support ethically speaking. "If everyone starts eating these products instead of organic ones derived directly from nature, then we risk losing out on vital nutrients needed for optimum health and well-being too," he concluded. "Thankfully, there are still plenty of healthy alternatives available today, such as organic meats and vegetables grown naturally without any added hormones, chemicals, etc. so let us make sure we stick with those instead whenever possible." FrankenFood.news has more stories about lab-grown meat. Watch this video about the U.S. Department of Agriculture approving lab-grown chicken meat for sale. This video is from the Thrivetime Show channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Globalist-backed lab-grown meat uses byproduct of cow slaughter. Lab-cultured, GMO-laden fake "meat" is a toxic abomination to be avoided at all costs. TRUTH: Lab-grown "meat" produces 25x more carbon dioxide "pollution" than traditional animal husbandry. Sources include: AllNewsPipeline.com WhiteHouse.gov Newsweek.com IgorChudov.Substack.com Bloomberg.com Brighteon.com Same JPMorgan Chase that just de-banked Dr. Mercola and his staff worked closely with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein to enable child trafficking The latest scandal to come out of the American banking industry involves JPMorgan Chase, which de-banked Dr. Joseph Mercola and his "Mercola Market" company because Mercola and his businesses are opposed to Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) tyranny, including the Operation Warp Speed "vaccines" that were unleashed on the public. Numerous bank accounts associated with the Florida-based retailer, including the personal accounts of its employees and their families, were closed by Chase without warning and without explanation. Dr. Mercola tweeted the following about what transpired: "Chase bank has shut down our business bank accounts along with the accounts of my CEO and CFO, as well as their family members (including spouse and child). They've refused to provide any reason for doing so, the oldest account has been active for 18 years." While Chase is refusing to talk about why it decided to punish Mercola and his businesses and employees, several employees of Mercola Market believe that Chase's decision is politically driven, triggered by Dr. Mercola's dissenting views concerning the public health response to the Fauci Flu. Mercola Market CFO Amalia Legaspi is one of the victims who is suffering most from Chase's decision, as her bedridden husband with dementia, who currently lives in the Philippines, relies on Legaspi's earnings earnings that, up until this point, were easily accessible through her now-shuttered Chase account. The initial story from Chase is that the Mercola-associated accounts had to be closed because of undisclosed "legal reasons." When asked for paperwork, however, Chase failed to provide anything other than silence. Mercola Market CEO Steven Rye also had his family, including his children, barred from ever holding any Chase bank accounts in the future. Rye has expressed concerns about the direction mainstream banking seems to be taking, following the lead of the Biden regime and Big Tech in censoring, or in this case de-banking, individuals and businesses with opposing political views. "Rye's concerns add fuel to an emerging debate about the potential role of banking providers as arbiters of public discourse, a problem that will get all the more worse if CBDCs are allowed to proliferate," warns Cindy Harper, writing for Reclaim the Net. (Related: Check out the July 27 episode of Brighteon Broadcast News in which Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses the de-banking of Dr. Mercola, his staff, and his family by JPMorgan Chase.) JPMorgan Chase is friendly to pedophiles, so of course it hates good people like Dr. Mercola who care about children For many years, Dr. Mercola has been leading the fight against the pharmaceutical industry. A licensed physician, Dr. Mercola remains one of the most outspoken opponents to covid tyranny, having written a trove of articles, many of which we cited here, through the plandemic about the pseudoscientific nature of what the government and Big Tech were doing. That it took this long for JPMorgan Chase to retaliate is a bit surprising, considering Dr. Mercola is a household name among natural healing proponents. At the same time, it is chilling to think that this new precedent is being set for U.S. banks, and one of the largest ones at that, to discriminate against customers based on their political views. It is hardly a surprise, though, considering JPMorgan Chase's sordid history catering to pedophiles like Jeffrey Epstein, a now-deceased registered sex offender, who used his Chase bank accounts to facilitate child sex trafficking and other evils associated with his infamous "Epstein Island." The New York Times published a lengthy piece outlining JPMorgan Chase's relationship with Epstein over the years. "James E. Staley, the former top JPMorgan Chase executive who was closest to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein at the bank, relied on him for many years as almost something of a personal adviser, a document shows," the Times reported. "The two men discussed a wide variety of topics in emails, including a potential meeting between Chinese officials and executives of the nation's largest bank, business deals that Mr. Staley was working on, a potential promotion for Mr. Staley and the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis, according to a document the bank prepared shortly after Mr. Epstein's arrest in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges." Documents obtained by the Times show that Staley was unusually and creepily close to Epstein, writing that he "missed" Epstein and wanted to talk to him about "helping his daughter get into graduate school. In one email, Staley bragged to Epstein about his New Year's Eve plans in 2011, stating: "I'm here in Brazil with three beautiful women. Have a happy new year." Staley also corresponded with Epstein about the nature of his sex crimes, writing in another email the following strange and seemingly coded statements: "Maybe they're tracking u?? That was fun. Say hi to Snow White." To this, Epstein responded with: "What character would you like next." Staley just so happens to be a central figure in two civil lawsuits that were filed last year against JPMorgan Chase about the bank's nearly 15-year business relationship with Epstein. "The lawsuits contend JPMorgan looked the other way at accusations that Mr. Epstein's was trafficking teen girls and young men, and continued to even when he had to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty in 2008 to a charge of soliciting prostitution from a teenage girl," the Times reported. JPMorgan Chase is just another globalist-run fiat corporation that aids and abets pedophiles while punishing those trying to do good in the world. Learn more at Globalism.news. Sources for this article include: ReclaimTheNet.org Brighteon.com NYTimes.com Left-wing MSNBC contributor calls for altering Patriot Act to go after conservatives If you still don't believe that the Democratic Party is home to some of the most cynical, tyrannical, political authoritarians on planet earth, this story should finally convince you. During an appearance on uber-left-wing MSNBC, Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Righteous Media advocated for a post 9/11 style government crackdown as a strategy to win "a battle for hearts and minds" of Americans who may stray from the leftist ideology and become excessively patriotic, Infowars reported this week. He actually compared the threat of such a scenario to the number one threat after 9/11 -- which, of course, was international terrorism -- effectively saying that conservatives and Trump supporters are akin to terrorists. A lot of Americans are up for grabs. I wouldnt dismiss it as just something only people on the right or watching Fox News latch on to. We are in a battle for hearts and minds and their people are on the fence, Rieckhoff asserted. You got to have leaders and messages and messengers and programs to get to those people that bring them over into community organizing and into non-profit organizations and away from the Patriot Front and Oathkeepers, he continued. Rieckhoff emphasized the necessity for "the same kind of tectonic shift" in culture that occurred in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, which led to a harsh police-state style crackdown on civil liberties. The authoritarian-in-waiting proposed that the measures taken back then were insufficient, and he recommended that the authorities should go even further this time. I think the parallels of 9/11 are important. We talked about this before. After 9/11, the laws didnt work. They made massive changes to respond to a new threat, Rieckhoff said. He added: I think we have to face the fact that many structures, laws and policies may not work. After 9/11 we created the Department of Homeland Security, there was the Patriot Act. There was massive change in our entire society to face the number one threat, or at least what was communicated as the number one threat. He went on to claim that Americans on the right, such as former Trump National Security Advisor General Mike Flynn, are continually calling for violence," which is a blatant lie -- it's his left-wing friends who do that. And in fact, if any political movement in America today poses a threat to our democratic republic, it's his pals, the Democrats. His own words prove that. MSNBC guest @PaulRieckhoff: "After 9/11 we created the Department of Homeland Security. There was the Patriot Act ... We need the same kind of tectonic shift [against American right-wing threats]. pic.twitter.com/Br76pjvhDW Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) July 25, 2023 In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Congress established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to protect the country from future threats. While the primary goal of the DHS is to ensure national security, there have consistently been huge concerns regarding infringements on democratic principles and civil liberties which Rieckhoff pointedly failed to discuss. One of the major concerns with the DHS is the potential violation of civil liberties in the name of national security. Measures such as increased surveillance, warrantless wiretapping, and the collection of personal data have raised concerns about the erosion of privacy rights. Scores of critics have argued that these practices undermine the democratic principle of individual freedom and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Another democracy concern with the DHS is the issue of transparency and accountability. The department operates in a complex web of agencies and has expanded its powers significantly since its inception. This has led to a lack of clarity regarding the extent of its authority and the mechanisms in place to ensure oversight and accountability. The lack of transparency raises questions about the potential abuse of power and limits citizens' ability to hold the DHS accountable for its actions. And this guy wants to expand this kind of power -- specifically to target 'wrong-thinking' Americans. What a Nazi. Sources include: Infowars.com NaturalNews.com Mastodon, a social media platform used by leftist media reporters, has a serious PEDOPHILIA problem A social media platform for left-wing "reporters" known as Mastodon is a haven for pedophiles who are spreading highly explicit child sexual abuse material (CSAM), a new study from Stanford University 's Internet Observatory has revealed. Across 325,000 posts on Mastodon, Stanford researchers identified 112 instances of CSAM in just two days. The first instance took the researchers just five minutes to find, which shows just how common pedophiles are among left-wing reporters. The Stanford team identified 713 uses of the 20 most prevalent CSAM hashtags containing video and / or audio media. There were also 1,217 text posts on Mastodon that linked to "off-site CSAM trading or grooming of minors." "We found that on one of the largest Mastodon instances in the Fediverse [a group of federated social networking services], 11 of the top 20 most commonly used hashtags were related to pedophilia," the study explains. David Thiel, one of the study researchers, also spoke directly to The Washington Post about the study, revealing that "we got more photo DNA hits in a two-day period than we've probably had in the entire history of our organization of doing any kind of social media analysis and it's not even close." (Related: You know what else has a pedophilia problem? The Biden White House.) Instagram also caught harboring "an enormous pedophile network" If you have never heard of Mastodon, it is probably because you are not a left-wing reporter and do not hang around on seedy social media platforms where child pornography and other gross perversions are traded. Mastodon is branded as a "federated" social media platform, meaning people can join servers or "instances" that are "separate yet interconnected," to quote The National Pulse's Jake Welch. "However, such platforms often have more permissive guidelines," Welch notes. "Mastodon, for example, employs one person to moderate content on the platform compared to sites like Meta, which have thousands of moderators." Mastodon and other federated platforms are not the only cesspools where pedophiles love to congregate. It was also just revealed that Instagram, a Mark Zuckerberg-owned social media platform that exists under the umbrella of Meta, which also owns Facebook, is similarly guilty of hosting "an enormous pedophile network." Not only are Instagram users disseminating child pornography without consequence, but they are also reportedly selling "commissions" for people who may be victims of child trafficking. Stanford's Internet Observatory was involved in that investigation as well, along with investigators from The Wall Street Journal and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Together, they identified "thousands of posts dedicated to advertising sex content featuring children." Not only is Instagram allowing such pedophile networks to exist on its platform, but it is also providing content-sharing and recommendation features to amplify their reach across the social media world. According to Thiel, who formerly worked on the security team at Meta and now serves as the Stanford Internet Observatory's chief technologist, Instagram utterly failed to put up the proper "guardrails" to hinder pedophile networks from congregating there. The Journal's report on the matter added that Instagram failed to even address "basic" issues with the platform that allow pedophiles to use their various hashtags to connect and trade with one another. "Content moderation in this area appears to be lax, despite the platform's censorious approach over vaccines, right-wing politics, and LGBT+ exposes," says The National Pulse's Jack Montgomery. "Users not only find it difficult to report pro-pedophile content, but are even having it recommended to them by Instagram's algorithms." Big Tech and social media platforms are magnets for pedophiles and child traffickers to do their dirty deeds. Learn more at Evil.news. Sources for this article include: TheNationalPulse.com 1 NewsTarget.com TheNationalPulse.com 2 There are NO REPURCUSSIONS IF THEYRE WRONG says actor and rapper ICE CUBE about the vaccine industry that tried to force him to get the deadly Covid jab Since its inception, the vaccine industrial complex has enjoyed 100 percent "immunity" from being held responsible for dirty, defective, infectious vaccines that literally cause disease, inflict central nervous system disorders, plant heavy metal toxins in the brain, and fuel the autism epidemic. Sure, certain lawsuits and specific cases wound up being "settled" by the vaccine industry with their own special court systems and their very own tax-payer-funded 'slush bucket' for those payoffs. And be sure, those settlements meant the afflicted families, including children, signed a lifetime gag order to accompany the money. Meanwhile, the "holy grail" arm of Big Pharma, the insidious vaccine industry, pockets billions of dollars every year injecting most American children with over 70 vaccines before they ever reach age 7. That is a cold, hard fact that's tough to swallow. Many Blacks in America just say "No!" to vaccinations, knowing it's unnatural, experimental, and abusive in its base form, with all the known carcinogens, chemical "adjuvants" and genetically modified viruses and bacteria. That's one reason actor and rapper Ice Cube rejected Hollywood's shilling for the vaccine industry, as they tried to coerce Ice Cube into getting the Wuhan Virus jab just to be able to be on the set for a movie. He said, emphatically, "No!" Tucker Carlson and Ice Cube took a ride through Los Angeles and discuss forced vaccination that Ice Cube refused to comply with. Ice Cube explains how the vaccine industry can try to force everyone to take their experimental jabs that were rushed to market for Covid, and he was NOT willing to take any of these crazy chances with his health. Today's vaccine industry funds the architects of terror, who manufacture deadly vaccines, like notorious Nazi scientist Heinrich Himmler and his "Final Solution" Oftentimes now, vaccines are the "final solution" to life, because they can kill you, like the Covid jabs that cause clots throughout the vascular system, straining even a healthy person's heart to the point of a massive heart attack. Even children are dropping like flies after getting jabbed with the Fauci Flu toxic protein stabs. It's a new Holocaust, but this time there are no gas chambers, just dirty vaccines disguised as disease prevention. Welcome to the Vaccine Holocaust, also called the "pandemic." After WWII came to a close, the Allies held the Nuremberg trials in Germany, that tried mass murderers for their crimes against humanity. Who were the guilty parties? Defendants included doctors, German industrialists, Nazi Party officials, and high-ranking military officers. The other serial murderers had already committed suicide, including Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler. Today, those who have funded, created, distributed, marketed and promoted the infamous toxic spike protein Covid "vaccines" may be guilty of mass murder in the first or second degree, thus requiring new Nuremberg-style trials for their atrocities and cold-blooded mass executions for which they could be directly responsible. This would most likely include Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci, Rochelle Walensky, Deborah Birx, Joe Biden, Robert Califf, dozens of "gain-of-function" scientists, high-ranking military members of the Chinese Communist Regime, George Soros, top MSM journalists, and many more. The Covid vaccines are weapons of mass destruction, no doubt. They are biological weapons and classify as such. Millions of people have fallen sick, are suffering vascular clots, heart attacks, and exacerbated diseases and disorders due directly to the Covid nano-particle clot shots. Bookmark Vaccines.news to your favorite independent websites for updates on Long-Vax-Syndrome that's sweeping the nation and the world as you read this. Sources for this article include: Pandemic.news NationalWW2Museum.org TheGatewayPundit.com NaturalNews.com GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy advocates raising the voting age to 25, but still allowing 18-year-olds if they pass the civics test or perform military service Biotech entrepreneur and a candidate in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries Vivek Ramaswamy posted on social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, to reiterate that America is a "constitutional republic," not a direct democracy. Thus, he is for amending the highest law of the land to increase the voting age from 18 to 25. "We need to revive civic duty among young Americans I'm for a constitutional amendment to raise the voting age from 18 to 25, but to still allow 18-year-olds to vote if they either pass the same civics test required of immigrants to become naturalized citizens, or else to perform six months of military or first responder service," he captioned his tweet. We're not a direct democracy. We are a *constitutional republic.* We need to revive civic duty among young Americans. That's why I'm for a constitutional amendment to raise the voting age from 18 to 25, but to still allow 18-year-olds to vote if they either pass the same civics pic.twitter.com/a3ST9QJSPV Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 25, 2023 The American Civics Test is an oral examination designed to assess the applicant's knowledge of U.S. history and government. It is administered to immigrants who are applying for American citizenship. In the video he published, the "millennial candidate" was speaking to a woman, who was saying, "So many people have lost sight of the Constitution, and [they have to realize] that it is the only way back." Ramaswamy agreed and said, "It is the single greatest source of freedom in human history and we will not apologize for that." The woman praised his proposal saying only Ramaswamy had the guts to bring up "controversial" issues like the voting age. She straightforwardly told him how she refused to believe others' stand on this. She also did not agree when they said that the presidential candidate "shot himself in the foot" bringing this up. The GOP presidential hopeful initially announced his Constitutional amendment push promoting "civic duty voting" back in May in a campaign event in Urbandale, Iowa, the news outlet AP reported. "The United States faces a 25 percent recruitment deficit in the military and just 16 percent of Gen Z say they're proud to be American," he said in a statement. "The absence of national pride is a serious threat to our Republic's survival." He pointed out that at a time when young Americans are taught to celebrate their differences, civic duty voting creates a sense of shared purpose and experience. According to the conservative businessman's campaign website, while the Constitution prohibits discrimination based on race and gender, it does not 'expressly guarantee universal voting.' "Voting is a privilege, and civic duty is a proper precondition for enjoying that privilege," the site reads He is aware that he is about to endeavor the difficult task of convincing Congress and state legislatures to support him as U.S. Constitution amendments require approval by two-thirds of Congress, as well as three-fourths of state legislators. Still, he insisted that his proposal "can create a sense of shared purpose and responsibility amongst young Americans to become educated citizens." As part of his proposal, Ramaswamy said that his plan would require no additional government bureaucracy to administer, saying debate generated by his proposal "will itself catalyze a long overdue conversation in America about what it means to be a citizen and how to foster civic pride in the next generation." These past few years, Republicans have increasingly struggled with younger "woke" voters, particularly on issues such as the environment, LGBT ideologies, gun violence and much more. Ramaswamy, 37, is the youngest candidate competing for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination in a field that already includes several candidates in their senior years, including former President Donald Trump and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Another presidential hopeful is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is a little older than him at 44 years old. (Related: Anti-woke presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy vaults into third place in Republican primary behind Trump and DeSantis.) States began to move toward lowering their voting ages, following a call by President Dwight Eisenhower made in 1954. And in 1970, Congress amended the voting rights law, lowering the voting age in federal, state, and local elections to 18. Back then, some states filed a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing that the House had no jurisdiction over state voting ages, with which the Supreme Court agreed. A Constitutional amendment, which superseded any state laws with thresholds higher than age 18, was swiftly passed by Congress and ratified by three-quarters of states. Visit VoteRepublican.news for more updates on the campaign platforms of the 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls. Sources for this article include: APNews.com TheHill.com Tom Renz warns about the danger of TECHNOCRATS gaining power in government Brighteon.TV Ohio-based attorney Thomas "Tom" Renz warned about the dangers of technocrats gaining power in government during the July 25 episode of his Brighteon.TV program "Lawfare with Tom Renz." He cited a recent article from the American Thinker that discussed technocracy, the Nazis and Albert Speer. The chief architect of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich was the only senior official spared capital punishment at the end of the Nuremberg trials. According to the lawyer, the architect was spared the death penalty because he repented while on the witness stand. Speer also defied Hitler's last-minute orders to burn all the infrastructure and the lowlands to protect the German people. Instead, Speer was sentenced to 20 years at the now-demolished Spandau Prison in Berlin. The architect reportedly said: "Hitler's dictatorship was the first dictatorship of an industrial state in this age of modern technology, a dictatorship which employed to perfection the instruments of technology to dominate its own people." (Related: Hohmann: Technocrats are leading the world into a new dark age.) "The instruments of technology made it possible to maintain a close watch over all citizens and to keep criminal operations shrouded in the high degree of secrecy," Speer noted. He continued that these same instruments had made 80 million people "subject to the will of one individual." According to the chief architect and the Third Reich's armaments minister, the authoritarian system in the age of technology would not need high-quality leaders from the lower ranks since the means of communication alone will serve this purpose. "The more technological the world becomes, the greater is the danger. [Therefore], the more essential will be the demand for individual freedom and self-awareness of the individual human being as a counterpoise to technology." Jumping back to the current time, Renz challenged his viewers to imagine how the internet and today's technology could be used by these dictators. Renz: Nazis didn't die out, they just moved on According to the "Lawfare" host, Speer was one of the leading geniuses behind Hitler's rise to power. This puts the architect among the evil men in history who supported the most evil man in history. "What he is saying is almost identical to what Klaus Schwab and Yuval Noah Harari are pushing. What Anthony Fauci did, what our technocrats are doing. Our deference to the experts in the government," Renz said. "Our legal system has fallen victim to this." "We have law and a president that says that we need to follow the experts in the government to give them wide latitude to do whatever it is that they need to do because they are the experts, and they are clearly independent and only interested in what is best for the people. That's ignorant." Renz also noted that Schwab, Harari, Bill Gates and George Soros are putting the technocrats back in charge because they can control them. These evil people, he added, want to make sure that their commands go from on high directly to the people. While there is no more Nazi party trying to separate the Jews from the rest of the population and trying to create the "master race," there remains genetic engineering and gene therapies designed to change humanity. "It's happening again, just like [how] it happened before, but with a new generation and new technology," Renz concluded. "The Nazis didn't die. They moved, and now they are doing it again." Follow Technocrats.news for more news about technocrats in the American government. Watch the July 25 episode of "Lawfare with Tom Renz" below. "Lawfare with Tom Renz" airs every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and every Saturday at 12:30-1 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: All the technocrats agree: Free speech does not include the right to question vaccines, transgenderism, chemtrails, GMOs or the pharmaceutical cartels. Globalist technocrats targeting infants with lab-made breast milk. Atty. Tom Renz: Fauci funded the creation of the most dangerous virus to global society Brighteon.TV. The Alex Jones Show: Rise of medical technocracy leads to widespread fearmongering. Government efforts to control your thoughts, speech and life spearheaded by CISA. Sources include: Brighteon.com AmericanThinker.com Sen. Marco Rubio, other lawmakers demand answers on UFOs and UAP Senior lawmakers are demanding comprehensive information on unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) from military and other government officials. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is at the forefront of this push for more transparency on UFOs and UAP. While he clarifies that he doesn't necessarily believe the government is hiding evidence of the discovery of extraterrestrial life, he stressed that it is crucial to get to the bottom of the issue, especially when unknown objects are operating in restricted American airspace. "My primary interest in this topic is if there are objects operating over restricted air space, it's not ours and we don't know whose it is. That's a problem that we need to get to the bottom of," said Rubio. "If there's an explanation for it that's being kept from Congress, then we need to force the issue. We're not getting answers." (Related: Sen. Marco Rubio: Senior government officials have first-hand knowledge of secret UFO programs.) Back in June, Rubio alleged the existence of a clandestine UFO craft crash retrieval program in operated by the government with the help of high-security officials within the Department of Defense. The senator's claims came to light during a recent interview with NewsNation on June 26, where he addressed the allegations made by Air Force veteran and former intelligence officer David Grusch. Grusch asserted in testimony before Congress that the Pentagon had not only discovered the wreckage of UFOs but had also recovered deceased alien bodies from these crashed spacecraft. Rubio's statements have sent shockwaves through the political and scientific communities, reigniting discussions about the existence of extraterrestrial life and government involvement in UFO-related activities. Along with Rubio, a bipartisan group of senators including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Todd Young (R-IN) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) have sponsored an amendment to a bill calling for the collection and full disclosure of all records related to UFOs and UAPs unless a special review board deems it necessary for them to remain classified. Lawmakers hear testimonies, but remain cautious on the issue The interest in UFOs and UAP is not confined to the Senate. The House Oversight Committee held a hearing on the subject, with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) leading the proceedings. Testimonies have been presented by Grusch, former Navy Cmdr. David Fravor and former Navy pilot Ryan Graves. Grusch said the government has retrieved "non-human origin technical vehicles" that have landed on Earth. He asserted that the U.S. government has been running secret UAP programs for decades. Grusch, who previously served in prestigious roles within the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office, claimed that he provided classified information about these programs to Congress and the Intelligence Community inspector general. According to Grusch, that classified information confirms the existence of covert operations aimed at retrieving partial and intact remains of nonhuman origin aircraft and their occupants. These mysterious technical vehicles, reminiscent of spacecraft, are allegedly of extraterrestrial origin, and the government has had encounters with deceased extraterrestrial pilots. Grusch added that numerous current and former senior military and intelligence officers have provided him with evidence and documents supporting the existence of these clandestine programs over the years. The Pentagon was quick to rebut Grusch's statements, denying the existence of any UFO and extraterrestrial retrieval program and dismissing the idea of possessing extraterrestrial materials. The Defense Department asserted that there is no verifiable information to corroborate claims of encounters with extraterrestrial beings or the possession of their technology, whether in the past or the present. Follow UFOs.news for more news about UFOs and UAP. Watch the video analyzing David Grusch's claims about recent UFO discoveries. This video is from the Brian Ruhe channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Air Force vets testify UFOs have turned off nuclear warheads and shot test missiles out of sky at US bases. Two UFOs shot down today over North America and CNN is openly talking about it what's going on? Navy: Releasing more classified UFO/UAP videos will harm national security. Sources include: TheHill.com TheIndependent.co Brighteon.com Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah arrived Sunday in Iraq on an official visit to discuss issues of common interest, including oil, border demarcation, as well as strengthening bilateral relations between Kuwait and Baghdad. "We have decided to open a commercial attache at the Kuwaiti consulate in Basra," Al-Sabah said, during a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Baghdad, according to Iraqi News Agency (INA). He also expressed Kuwait's willingness to restore the historic commercial relationship to normal, according to INA. The Iraqi Foreign Minister stated that the issue of border demarcation was discussed, and both sides agreed to continue the meetings of the committees on the file, emphasizing the need to resolve border issues between Iraq and Kuwait. "The oil file and the joint fields were part of our discussions," Hussein said, adding that "the right framework for solving problems is dialogue." He also indicated that "both sides discussed the process of facilitating visits between the two countries." Al-Sabah is scheduled to meet with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, and Parliament Speaker Mohamed Al-Halbousi, according to Kuwait state media. Search Keywords: Short link: UN, WEF admit they control search engine results, Big Tech: We own the science and we think the world should know it To keep the narrative in constant check, the United Nations (UN) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) are colluding with Big Tech to censor not just social media accounts but also Google search results that contradict the official propaganda on the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19), climate change, and other prominent issues. Last fall, the WEF held its Sustainable Development Impact Meetings around the same time as the UN General Assembly meeting. At both events, the issue was discussed at length with both entities claiming that they "own the science" through their control of Silicon Valley. "We own the science and we think that the world should know it, and the platforms themselves also do," was one of the arrogant statements made at the meetings. "If you Google 'climate change,' you will, at the top of your search, you will get all kinds of UN resources," said another about one of the outcomes of this collusion. "Another really key strategy we had was to deploy influencers ... influencers who were really keen, who have huge followings, but really keen to help carry messages that were going to serve their communities, and they were much more trusted than the United Nations," it was further admitted. "This idea that all speech is equal is not true," said another." (Related: If the WEF is successful in its endeavors, the entire world will look like communist China.) Bill Gates, U.S. government top funders of covid and climate change propaganda coming from WHO All of these statements were made by globalist "elites" who apparently no longer fear retribution from the public. Even just 10 years ago, they would have at least attempted to hide or shroud this type of rhetoric in a more palatable way now, they no longer care, it would appear. This is the essence of the "great reset," at least as WEF head Klaus Schwab envisions it. The globalists from their ivory towers instruct social media and tech platforms as to what information is acceptable, and this is what becomes of the internet in that it becomes a propaganda tool rather than an information tool. At the WEF meetings "Tackling Disinformation" module, participants from the UN, CNN, and Brown University discussed strategies for better controlling narratives online. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications at the UN, revealed that the globalist body had partnered with several Big Tech companies, including TikTok and Google, to control the narratives on covid and global warming. After discovering that "incredibly distorted information" was showing up about climate change on Google, Fleming and her cronies decided to interfere to change those search results to only those of which the UN and the WEF approve. With TikTok specifically, the UN unleashed a project called "Team Halo" that aimed to boost official covid messaging from the government over independent content. Remember that TikTok is owned by the Communist Chinese Party (CCP), so all covid messaging conformed to the Chinese model of dealing with covid. According to Fleming, Team Halo was part of the UN's "trusted messenger project" in which the UN trained "scientists" and "some doctors" on TikTok to push the government's covid propaganda. The top funder of all this propaganda is none other than the United States government followed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which remains a premier contributor to the World Health Organization (WHO). Also included as top WHO funders are the United Kingdom, Germany, the GAVI Alliance, the World Bank, and numerous other globalist-controlled entities. "The unelected globalists' authoritarian attempts to remake society out of the destruction of the old are becoming increasingly more obvious and desperate as the people's trust in the global elites continues to crumble," reported The Expose. The latest news about the WEF and UN plans for the world can be found at Globalism.news. Sources for this article include: Expose-News.com Newstarget.com The new study found a new species of shark in the Northwestern Australian waters. Experts named the discovery as Marshallae or the painted Hornshark. The world of the ocean has many undiscovered marine species that scientists aim to unlock, especially in the deep sea. The National Ocean Service - NOAA explained that about 80% of the ocean is said to be unmapped and undiscovered. With the help of advanced technology, experts slowly unearthed the secrets in the deep sea. NOAA also noted the difficulty in navigating the oceans and the limitations of marine vehicles. In Australia, researchers reported that they discovered a new species of Australian shark in the Northwestern part of the country. New shark species in Australia A recent report published in Phys.org revealed the discovery of experts from the Australian National Fish Collection (ANFC). The researchers were not expecting to discover a new shark species in Australia. They were in the waters to survey seabed habitats. The study was also published in the Diversity journal that described the new shark species uncovered in Northwestern Australia. The report noted that Australia is an important place for the unique shark family of Heterodontidae that can thrive in temperate waters. With the brown-like color, horn sharks can hide in rocks and attack their potential prey. Furthermore, the report said the new shark species showed unique teeth and horns. The AZ Animals explained that horn sharks have shark spines that help protect them. Horn shark species are very sensitive to light. They spend their time hidden. The report added that horn sharks like to consume fish, shrimps and other crustaceans. Meanwhile, researchers explained that they named the new shark Painted Hornshark or the Heterodontus marshallae after Dr. Linsay Marshall. Dr. Marshal managed to paint all the rays for a guidebook, the report said. The study, published in Diversity, noted the two species of sharks: H. zebra can be found in parts of Japan and Indonesia, living in shallow waters. Meanwhile, the H. marshallae can be found in parts of Northwestern Australia. Also Read: North Atlantic Right Whale Suffers from Worsening Decline in Population, New Report Shows More facts about Horn Sharks According to Florida Museum, the horn sharks can also be found in temperature or subtropical areas in the Gulf of California, Eastern Pacific Oceans and Central California. Horn sharks are said to be the least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are listed as data deficient. Also Read: Starving Sharks Believed to Consume Drugs Thrown on Florida Coasts, US Did you know? The NOAA Fishers explained a fantastic fact about sharks: they have no bones. The report explained that the mighty sharks could use their gills to filter oxygen and sharp eyesight to look for possible prey. While some sharks have horns, some species are unique in their ways. NOAA said that sharks don't have the same teeth and fingerprints. The report added that sharks likely emerged about 455 million years ago. Related Article: About 50 Tiger Sharks Filmed on Feeding on Humpback Whale's Remains on Hervey Bay Coast, Australia For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News. Researchers successfully revived small ancient worms frozen for about 46 years in Siberian permafrost that can help scientists unlock the mystery of the evolutionary process long ago. The scientists revived the frozen roundworms by giving them food and water. The latest study was published in PLOS Genetics journal. Discovering the existence of thousand years species and worms can help scientists understand their existence. The species of roundworms were reported to thrive during the Pleistocene time. Small ancient worms According to CNN and Sky News reports, the thousand years old roundworms were unearthed in the Siberian permafrost, located 40 meters deep. The revival of the ancient worms amazed the scientist, especially after it was frozen in Siberian permafrost. The worms managed to exist together with mammoth populations. The study's senior author, Prof. Teymuras Kurzchalia, explained that the event was like sleeping beauty, as the worms were frozen. Professor Kurzchalia also serves as emeritus professor at Max Planck Institute's Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics. According to the report, the revived small worms were dormant, noting they weren't dead. The report said that they were from the extinct Panagarolaimus kolymaensis. The discovery and resurrection of the ancient roundworms showed the process of cryptobiosis. Based on the report published by the University of Hawaii, cryptobiosis shows the long inactivity of species due to extreme conditions. During the process, the report said the species could prevent metabolic function, including reproduction. As mentioned in the study, other species that can undergo a cryptobiotic state are roundworms, plant seeds, microorganisms and brine shrimp. Furthermore, professor Kurzchalia explained that the worms could have been in the Guinness World Record because they have been in a cryptobiotic state for a long time. It is possible that the roundworms experienced extreme environments during their time. More facts about cryptobiosis and roundworms The report added that tardigrades and brine shrimp could undergo cryptobiosis. Tardigrades refer to aquatic animals. The report added that about 1000 of the said species have been discovered. Meanwhile, brine shrimps refer to marine species. What is more amazing about salty aquatic crustaceans is they can have dormant eggs, which could live in extreme environments. Worms may be small, but they also have interesting facts. The record showed that there are about 2,700 different earthworms globally, according to University of Illinois Extension. Worms can move but they don't have arms or legs. One of the largest earthquakes was discovered in South Africa, measuring about 22 feet. Worms can also have the organs of a male and female. They are called hermaphrodites. Also Read: New Shark Species Named Painted Hornshark After Discovering in Australia's Waters Did you now? In a study published in Jstor, the researcher explained that cryptobiosis is also known as hidden life, in which some species could live under suspended animation. Experts used the other term like temporary death. Related Article: Medieval Period Augustinian Monks had More Intestinal Worms Despite Clean Monasteries For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News. 800 dead birds are found along the UK coasts as a result of the second wave of the avian flu outbreak in the area. Avian Flu Outbreak on UK Coasts The UK is currently experiencing its most severe outbreak of avian flu to date, with thousands of infected seabirds found along the coast even during the summer months. This has prompted the RSPB to issue a warning, seeing the situation among seabird populations as a potential crisis turning into a catastrophe. Although the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reassured that the risk of avian flu to humans is low, the safety of beachgoers is of utmost priority and it is essential to remain cautious. Numerous deceased birds suspected of being carriers of avian flu have been found on beaches nationwide, including popular tourist spots like the south Pembrokeshire coast, the Isle of Man, and the Sefton Coast near Blackpool. Not all tourists may be aware of warning signs, so the National Trust is taking proactive steps to educate visitors about the risks linked to bird flu. The National Trust is responsible for watching over a large portion of the Pembrokeshire coastline. To safeguard beachgoers, experts remind the public that it is advisable to keep pets on leashes, avoid contact with deceased or sick birds, and promptly report any concerning sightings to the police. Second Wave Takes Down 800 Birds Bird flu spreads by close contact between infected birds and their feces, although being extremely rare in human infections, according to the CDC. Indicating the devastation caused by the second wave of bird flu in the region, James Parkin from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority reported the gathering of 700 to 800 birds, predominantly guillemots, razorbills, and gannets. To estimate the extent of the damage to bird colonies in the UK, the RSPB is conducting seabird population surveys across the country. Disturbingly, since mid-April, around 30,000 adult black-headed gulls, constituting approximately 10% of the breeding population in the UK, have disappeared. Certain species, like skuas, have experienced catastrophic declines of up to 90% in certain areas, according to Inside Ecology. Since 2021, experts are worried as 21 out of the 25 species of seabirds that breed in the UK have tested positive for the deadly virus, prompting the need for vigilant monitoring and preventive measures. Also Read: 1000 Endangered Seagull Chicks Die Mysteriously in Israel Nesting Area, Testing Underway Catastrophe for Seabirds RSPB director of policy and advocacy, Jeff Knott, raised worry over an extraordinary rise in seabird fatalities. There may be hundreds of thousands, if not millions of birds washing up on UK coasts. Since seagulls spend the majority of their time at sea, it is challenging to estimate the exact toll when such beaching episodes occur. Bird flu poses a serious risk and, when combined with other dangers like wind farms, climate change, and fishing bycatch, might result in the local extinction of unique seabirds. The RSPB urgently requests that new seabird conservation plans be implemented by the devolved governments of the UK. The governments have implemented broader measures to support seabirds and are currently monitoring the situation's long-term effects on wild bird populations. These measures include a seabird Conservation along with a seabird conservation strategy in Wales, a recovery pathway in England, and consultations organized by the Scottish government, BBC News reported. Related Article: 200 Sandwich Terns, Black-Headed Seagulls Found Dead in Scotland Forest Reserve, Avian Flu Tests Underway To combat the 15-year lead pollution, the EPA will switch out the free bottled water supply for Jefferson County homes with a water filtration system for the kitchen. Free Bottled Water Supply Ends The Environmental Protection Agency has been providing free bottled water to more than 50 houses in rural Jefferson County for the past 15 years, where those who rely on well water still run the risk of lead contamination due to the region's mining history. The EPA now prefers to equip affected houses with kitchen sink water filtration systems rather than continuing to provide bottled water. The full extent of the issue, however, has remained a mystery despite years of investigation, the region being named a federal Superfund cleanup site, and the EPA taking water samples from more than 1,400 wells throughout Jefferson County. Lead Contamination Puzzle According to Greg Bach, project manager for EPA remediation, the origin of the contamination is still unknown. Due to certain wells being unrecorded, it is unknown how many drinking water wells in the county are affected and how many wells are in total. Southwest regions have been the focus of EPA testing rather than more populated areas with public water supply. Given that residential wells use the same aquifer for water supply, it is unclear whether variations in outcomes are due to geology, well technique, or other elements. The EPA's "traffic light" map, which shows green for safe green, yellow for moderately contaminated, and red for dangerous wells, was used by Bach to highlight the significant disparities between nearby wells. However, unsafe wells aren't always grouped together, leaving the reasons for this distribution unclear. Still Exceeding Threshold, Spreading to Soil Public health hazards from lead pollution can have long-lasting effects, particularly on young children's brain and nervous system development. The agency estimates that 423 wells surpass its safety standard, even though a complete data set about the lead levels in Jefferson County's wells is still years away, at best, according to KSDK. According to the EPA, around 10% of wells in Jefferson County and the neighboring Lead Belt counties consistently have high lead levels, prompting action such as bottled water delivery and referrals to medical providers. About 140 wells in Jefferson County alone have been impacted. 53 of these homes in De Soto's western region receive delivery of bottled water, while the remaining homes either already have filtration systems or are denied help. Also Read: Microplastics Dominate Lake Tahoe in High Concentrations, Officials Worry About Health Implications Though information about the number of children impacted is not yet available, countywide, 90 children now have elevated blood lead levels, although water is not thought to be the primary cause. The greatest health risk for residents with faulty wells is ingesting water through consuming or preparing food, but other uses like taking a shower and cleaning dishes are rated safe. The EPA's suggestion that homeowners install kitchen sink filtration devices is a stopgap measure while they look into the local lead exposure. The public feedback period for the proposal expires on August 4. Mining activities and floods, which have spread polluted soil along the floodplain, are responsible for the lead pollution in the area. For terrain-filling purposes, lead-contaminated soil has been used in yards and construction sites. Residents have replaced their soil as a solution to the problem. To address the issue, free blood or water tests are offered to the public to involve them in water testing and safety assessments. Residents are urged by officials to register for well testing so that important data can be collected, Saint Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Related Article: Smelly, Toxic Foam Befouls Tiete River in Brazil, Potable Water Supply at Risk The extinct underwater volcano Zuidwal has the potential to generate sustainable energy that can be used to heat homes in the Netherlands. Sustainable Energy: Geothermal Heat From Extinct Volcano There is a plan to pipe heat gathered from an extinct volcano into residences in the Dutch city of Bolsward. To produce sustainable energy below, Ynze Salverda, a Stichting Ontwikkeling Geothermie Friesland STOGEF board member, suggested exploiting leftover warmth from the Zuidwal volcano under the Wadden Sea. Salverda advised on utilizing the geological benefits of the area rather than only depending on wind turbines, which can be problematic in calm weather. Due to its long history as a significant gas producer, the Netherlands has access to extensive subsurface data that reveals a layer of porous stone that is suited for geothermal energy and has a temperature of about 90C. The suggested method uses a geothermal "doublet" technology, drawing heat out of water pumped via a production well and injecting the cooled water back into the system through an injection well. By supporting this grassroots project, it is hoped to offer dependable, inexpensive, and non-commercial energy that will sustainably meet people's needs. Demand for Heat in the Netherlands Geothermal energy, which was highlighted in a 2022 article by Think Geoenergy, might someday supply 25% of the Dutch heat demand, according to the public energy business Energie Beheer Nederland. Between The Hague and Rotterdam, 26 operational non-volcanic geothermal energy installations are primarily used to heat greenhouses. A national mapping project and goals of exceeding double geothermal generation by 2030 are also in place. A 2.5 km deep geothermal project is being dug in Delft to heat the university campus as well as the equivalent of 10,000 homes. The project's science program is being overseen by Phil Vardon, a Delft University of Technology professor of energy geomechanics. Zuidwal is Underwater Vardon claims that although the volcano is somewhat of a novelty, it does appear to have raised the local temperature. On temperature maps extrapolated from drilling operations, this can be seen. The lecturer went on to say that one aspect that isn't ideal is the water's ability to flow because the reservoir has a narrow reservoir. However, a network of experts supporting regional energy initiatives known as Energiewerkplaats Fryslan has published an exploratory study into the potential of 500-meter or three-kilometer structures combined with a district heating system, with an approximate total cost of between 143 million and 188 million, equivalent to more than US$200 million, according to Energy Portal EU. Also Read: Deep Sea Mining for Minerals Copper, Nickel, Cobalt Being Considered by Norway Looking Forward to Community Energy Even though the local area must raise 30% of the total cash, the project's director, Johannes Lankester, is still upbeat about the strategy. Lankester highlighted the value of community ownership, or MienskipsEnergie in Frisian, and thinks it is technically feasible. The South-West Friesland local council is looking for funding from the European Union and the government to create a public heating network and investigate alternative energy sources. They see geothermal heat as a vital addition to their energy mix, therefore they intend to dig for it near Bolsward in about 2027. However, due to previous earthquakes in Groningen brought on by gas extraction, the Dutch mining authority is concerned, necessitating the need for more details on the initiative's possible hazards. Diana Tronco, an Inco-Drilling project advisor, emphasizes the project's balanced approach involving two wells-one for extraction of water and one for reinjection-and sees the possibility of geothermal energy, The Guardian reported. Related Article: Old Flooded Coal Mine in England Produces Geothermal Heat in the Winter Mexico has face more than 200 deaths because of the extreme hot temperature that has been experienced in the past four months. According to a report on AccuWeather, the death toll due to the extreme heat has already increased to 249. The Ministry of Health said a hundred of fatalities were reported in Nuevo Leon, 28 in Tamaulipas, 26 in Veracruz, and 26 in Sonora in the period of March 19 to July 22. On the other hand, the rest of the deaths were recorded in 12 other states. Based on official records, 92.4% of the deaths was due to heat stroke, while the rest were because of suffering from dehydration. Further, health authorities said there are a total of 3,169 cases that are associated with extreme natural temperatures. Cause behind the extreme weather A CNN report said that aside from southern states in the United States, Mexico has also been enduring the extreme heat in the past months due to a "heat dome." According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a heat dome transpires when the atmosphere traps hot ocean air like a lid or cap. Experts said that heat domes could be triggered by a strong change or gradient in ocean temperatures from west to east in the tropical Pacific Ocean during the preceding winter. They noted that as prevailing winds move the hot air towards the eastern direction, the northern shifts of the jet stream trap the air and move it through the land, where it sinks and later results in heat waves. Last month, a separate CNN report said the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon was the hardest hit of the extreme hot temperature, with 64 fatalities. The report disclosed that dozens of deaths have been recorded across various areas, such as Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Sonora, and Campeche. A report on Le Monde also indicated that more than 1,500 people had to be rushed to hospitals due to the high temperatures. Researcher Graciela Raga pointed out that the drought being experienced by the public in Mexico, as well as the fact that the soils have been extremely dry are the reason why the heat wave is at its worse. Meanwhile, uthorities said that of the more than 200 deaths, 63% was registered in the "third heat wave" of the four waves expected for 2023. When checked with the same period last year, officials said the Mexico reported a total of 282 cases, which were associated with extreme natural temperatures as well as 38 deaths nationwide. Seven of the fatalities were attributed to the third heat wave and were notified late, authorities said. Read Also: Mexican Power Grid At Risk Due To Extreme Weather Precautionary measures vs. heat Raga expressed belief that what is happening in Mexico is a consequence of the climate change. Healthcare providers have warned that as the planet warms and more nations have been facing high temperatures and unprecedented levels of heat exposure, medical and healthcare systems need to be proactive. The Mexican government advised the public to drink at least two liters of bottled, boiled, or disinfected water frequently and avoid too much exposure to the sun. Officials also recommended the use of appropriate clothing, sunscreen, as well as caps or hats. Related Article: Family Dies Inside Car With Running AC as Heat Wave Impacts Mexico The countries of India and Bhutan have seen a growth in their tiger populations, with experts believing that this is a good indication of a healthy ecosystem. A report on the BBC said that both countries have recorded a significant increase when it comes to the number of their wild tigers. India reported an average total of 3,682 tigers and with this number, the country has become the home of 75% of the world's wild tigers, according to the Minister of State for Forest, Environment and Climate Change. The spike of the wild tiger population in India amounts to an annual increase of 6%, according to authorities. For its part, Bhutan has recorded a total of 131 tigers, which is a 27% increase from its previous figure in 2015. Read Also: Growing Tiger Population Gives Hope for Wildlife Conservation Tiger conservation The present increase in India could be considered as a major conservation success. According to Union Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, the measures of India when it comes to tiger conservation were not only for the figures but also a testament to the determination and commitment of its government. Experts have observed that the tiger population in India had decreased to less than 2,000 during the 1970s and this low figure was attributed to rampant poaching and loss of habitat. Meanwhile, in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, experts also saw a notable increase when it comes to the number of wild tigers. According to Chimi Rinzin, country director of WWF-Bhutan, the spike on the number of tigers was an indication for a very healthy ecosystem. Results of a Bhutan tiger population survey also disclosed that the tigers breeding at different altitudes in the country could show that the kingdom might actually assist regional populations to recover. An entry in the WWF said that the increase on tigers was also due to the collective effort among the Royal Government of Bhutan, local partners, and non-governmental organizations. Furthermore, the Bhutan Tiger Center had initiated efforts to monitor and research the country's tiger population and it worked with local communities to radio-collar tigers so that their movements could be studied. Bhutan has since been implementing a couple of measures for the rise of tiger populations, including the adoption of a global conservation tool that sets best practices and standards that aims to manage wild tiger sites. This tool will also equip rangers with improved monitoring and reporting technology so that they will be able to eradicate crimes and hostilities against the wildlife. Meanwhile, a separate CNN report said in April that the resurgence of Indian tigers "represents a triumph for conservationists, and a ray of hope for other countries struggling to boost wildlife numbers." Before, tiger number had depleted because of agricultural expansion, deforestation, and infrastructure, resulting in the fragmentation of tiger habitats. Experts said these factors affected tigers as they are considered as solitary animals who need to roam and hunt in large territories. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an address that tigers are considered as brothers in the Indian tribes. Tiger attacks Amid the growth, there have been concerns about the increase in tiger attacks across areas where conservation measures are taking place. In India, tigers have started to venture outside protected nature reserves to look for food and this brings fears among residents in nearby villages. Records showed that more than 100 people were killed in tiger attacks in India between 2019 and 2021 This is the same concern of people in Bhutan. Authorities said that if tigers are to keep thriving, human-tiger conflict must continue to be addressed. Related Article: India's Tiger Reserves Prevent Carbon Emissions By Reducing Deforestation Related Video: Strong winds triggered panic among passengers of a ferry traversing Laguna de Bay in Rizal province east of Manila, resulting in the deaths of at least 27 people, while 40 survived. According to a report from the Associated Press, passengers of M/B Princess Aya rushed to the left side of the vessel when the fierce winds pummeled the wooden vessel, causing it to tilt and capsize. The incident happened shortly after the vessel left a port in Binangonan and was en route to Talim Island. The Philippine Coast Guard explained that they allowed the vessel to sail since the storm signal due to Typhoon Doksuri had been lifted. Boat Overloading Initial investigation showed that the boat was overloaded. The ferry was only supposed to carry 42 passengers and crew members, yet it was reported that it had at least 60 passengers on board. They were also not wearing life vests as required by safety regulations. Philippine Coast Guard chief Admiral Artemio Abu said two coast guard inspectors authorized the ferry to depart after being presented with a manifest that identified only 22 passengers in addition to the boat's three-member crew. But the number grew as more individuals were eager to board the vessel. They have been stranded for days since inclement weather prompted the suspension of ferry services earlier that week. "On his way back to the boat, he said that he saw far too many people have gone onboard and he could no longer convince them to disembark," Abu said. "Those who were stranded had insisted on staying onboard." The two inspectors have been relieved from their posts and will be investigated. Read Also: Fishermen Stranded for 28 Hours in Shark-Infested Waters Off the Louisiana Coast After Their Boat Capsized Seeking justice Among the victims of the tragedy is 24-year-old Denice, who lives in Rizal. Her parents, Domingo and Glenda Aparentado, said their daughter was on the way from work when the incident happened. Domingo told Reuters that he raced to the location after hearing the news and saw his daughter's body in the sea. "I tried everything I could but she died," he added. The grieving family is seeking accountability from government officials following the incident. A local media outlet reported that the Coast Guard is wrapping up its investigation and looking to file complaints against the crew and captain of the vessel. The captain of the boat is now in the custody of authorities, but he claims that he is not aware that the ship is overloaded. The Passenger Ship Safety Certificate of the motorized banca Princess Aya is also suspended effectively immediately until further notice from this authority. Lawmakers are also pushing for a Senate hearing regarding the deadly occurrence. Senator Grace Poe is pushing the authorities to pursue a "thorough and airtight investigation" to hold people accountable for the tragedy. "This is infuriating and saddening. The loss of so many lives-whether it's due to negligence or possibly corruption-should not be taken lightly... Whoever is responsible for this tragedy should be held accountable," Poe said in a press release. Related Article: Tourist Boat Capsizes in Northern Italy: Four Deaths Reported From Lake Maggiore Thanaweya Amma (final school year) students will be able to obtain their final exam results for school year 2022/23 starting Monday, an official source has told Al-Ahram. The Ministry of Education is finalizing the results and will release them tomorrow online at an unknown time. Students and their parents will be able to access the results via their seating number through the specialized link on Al-Ahram or through the official link. Links will not be able to be opened before the results are released. As many as 783,025 students nationwide took the Thanaweya Amma this year, including 391,671 in the systems science branch, 276,211 in the literature branch, and 98,658 in the mathematics branch. In addition, 1,824 students from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) schools, 255 vision-impaired students, 80 imprisoned students, and 34 inpatients also took the exams. Students getting the highest grades in the Thanaweya Amma exams are usually announced first in a press conference by the minister of education, while the rest of students are able to obtain their results a few hours later. The Thanaweya Amma school year is of crucial importance for students as the grades they obtain in the final exams determine which universities they can join. Search Keywords: Short link: Online Desk By Express News Service A couple of months after responding to the "untrue horrific claims" by a self-proclaimed Hindi film critic and journalist from Pakistan accusing her of "sleeping with Feroz Khan and his son Fardeen", the actress Celina Jaitly has revealed that she has taken legal action. She said that the Ministry for External Affairs has raised the issue with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and sought an immediate investigation and action. Celina took to Twitter to share the news and also posted a picture of the letter that the MEA sent to the National Commission for Women (NCW). A few months ago, a self-proclaimed Hindi film critic and journalist from Pakistan named @UmairSandu took to Twitter to make viral untrue horrific claims about me which included bizarre allegations like my relations with both my mentor Feroz Khan and his son Fardeen , in addition pic.twitter.com/xAtxdE8Jzb July 30, 2023 "@NCWIndia took cognizance of my complaint and wrote a letter addressed to the respected Joint Secretary (PAI Division), Ministry of External Affairs @MEAIndia for initiating necessary action in the matter. The Commission has received a positive response from the MEA communicated via letter. The Ministry views the incident with utmost seriousness and has raised the matter with Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi seeking an immediate investigation and action of the incident," she tweeted. Celina further wrote that, "The perpetrator changes his location on social media consistently but was hiding in Pakistan." Sharing that she would have fought until the "last breath even if it meant going to Pakistan to teach this person a lesson", she said, "For me it was not just a fight for the open assault on my character but also an assault on my integrity, my motherhood, my family and above all my Godfather and my beloved mentor Mr Feroz khan who is no longer in this world here to defend himself. He was my mentor, my friend my guide and I am eternally grateful for the love, respect and career he gave me." The actress expressed her gratitude to the National Commission of Women, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Government of India. "I am so grateful to the National Commission of Women, to the amazing Ms@khushsundar for her understanding and support and wonderful work with womens issues, Ms Rekha Sharma Chairperson @NCWIndia and above all the Ministry of External Affairs and our GOVERNMENT OF INDIA because they upheld the pride of every Indian woman by initiating this action. I feel proud to be an Indian woman today. Four generations of my family including my father gave their blood to our nation and today when they are no longer in this world I feel glad to be treated as a daughter of my nation where in the Government is my protector and guardian," she tweeted. Celina, finally, ended her long note by thanking "all my friends, Indian army colleagues of my late father, amazing twitterati, the Indian media, press who showed unwavering support in my ordeal. Proud to be an Indian woman. Jai Hind!!" The case Earlier this year, Pakistani film critic and journalist Umair Sandhu wrote in a tweet, Celina Jaitley is the only actress in Bollywood who slept with both father ( Feroz Khan ) and son ( Fardeen Khan ) many times. Celina also gave a justly reply to him and received support from many. Celina Jaitly's professional life Jaitly started her career with a marketing job in a mobile phone company in Kolkata before she decided to participate in a local beauty contest. She won the title at Femina Miss India 2001. She also won the Miss Margo Beautiful Skin, Indiatimes Surfer's Choice, and MTV's Most Wanted award. In 2003, she made her film debut in Feroz Khan's Janasheen and worked in many movies like No Entry, Apna Sapna Money Money, Golmaal Returns, etc. She was last seen in the 2020 short film Season's Greetings on Zee5. She has been working with the Trans and the LGBTQIA+ community as an activist since the last two decades. Celina Jaitly's personal life Celina Jaitly is married to Austrian entrepreneur and hotelier Peter Haag. They became parents to twin boys born in March 2012. Jaitly gave birth to a second set of twin boys in 2017, in which one boy died due to a heart defect. She is currently based between Austria, Singapore, and Dubai and travels for her film and endorsement work internationally. A couple of months after responding to the "untrue horrific claims" by a self-proclaimed Hindi film critic and journalist from Pakistan accusing her of "sleeping with Feroz Khan and his son Fardeen", the actress Celina Jaitly has revealed that she has taken legal action. She said that the Ministry for External Affairs has raised the issue with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and sought an immediate investigation and action. Celina took to Twitter to share the news and also posted a picture of the letter that the MEA sent to the National Commission for Women (NCW). A few months ago, a self-proclaimed Hindi film critic and journalist from Pakistan named @UmairSandu took to Twitter to make viral untrue horrific claims about me which included bizarre allegations like my relations with both my mentor Feroz Khan and his son Fardeen , in addition pic.twitter.com/xAtxdE8Jzbgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Celina Jaitly (@CelinaJaitly) July 30, 2023 "@NCWIndia took cognizance of my complaint and wrote a letter addressed to the respected Joint Secretary (PAI Division), Ministry of External Affairs @MEAIndia for initiating necessary action in the matter. The Commission has received a positive response from the MEA communicated via letter. The Ministry views the incident with utmost seriousness and has raised the matter with Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi seeking an immediate investigation and action of the incident," she tweeted. Celina further wrote that, "The perpetrator changes his location on social media consistently but was hiding in Pakistan." Sharing that she would have fought until the "last breath even if it meant going to Pakistan to teach this person a lesson", she said, "For me it was not just a fight for the open assault on my character but also an assault on my integrity, my motherhood, my family and above all my Godfather and my beloved mentor Mr Feroz khan who is no longer in this world here to defend himself. He was my mentor, my friend my guide and I am eternally grateful for the love, respect and career he gave me." The actress expressed her gratitude to the National Commission of Women, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Government of India. "I am so grateful to the National Commission of Women, to the amazing Ms@khushsundar for her understanding and support and wonderful work with womens issues, Ms Rekha Sharma Chairperson @NCWIndia and above all the Ministry of External Affairs and our GOVERNMENT OF INDIA because they upheld the pride of every Indian woman by initiating this action. I feel proud to be an Indian woman today. Four generations of my family including my father gave their blood to our nation and today when they are no longer in this world I feel glad to be treated as a daughter of my nation where in the Government is my protector and guardian," she tweeted. Celina, finally, ended her long note by thanking "all my friends, Indian army colleagues of my late father, amazing twitterati, the Indian media, press who showed unwavering support in my ordeal. Proud to be an Indian woman. Jai Hind!!" The case Earlier this year, Pakistani film critic and journalist Umair Sandhu wrote in a tweet, Celina Jaitley is the only actress in Bollywood who slept with both father ( Feroz Khan ) and son ( Fardeen Khan ) many times. Celina also gave a justly reply to him and received support from many. Celina Jaitly's professional life Jaitly started her career with a marketing job in a mobile phone company in Kolkata before she decided to participate in a local beauty contest. She won the title at Femina Miss India 2001. She also won the Miss Margo Beautiful Skin, Indiatimes Surfer's Choice, and MTV's Most Wanted award. In 2003, she made her film debut in Feroz Khan's Janasheen and worked in many movies like No Entry, Apna Sapna Money Money, Golmaal Returns, etc. She was last seen in the 2020 short film Season's Greetings on Zee5. She has been working with the Trans and the LGBTQIA+ community as an activist since the last two decades. Celina Jaitly's personal life Celina Jaitly is married to Austrian entrepreneur and hotelier Peter Haag. They became parents to twin boys born in March 2012. Jaitly gave birth to a second set of twin boys in 2017, in which one boy died due to a heart defect. She is currently based between Austria, Singapore, and Dubai and travels for her film and endorsement work internationally. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: The Gyanvapi Masjid that stands adjacent the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi is caught in a multi-pronged legal battle as Hindus claim the original Lingam of the erstwhile Vishweshwar temple was hidden by the priests inside the Gyanvapi well during Mughal Emperor Aurangzebs raid in the late 1660s. Hindu petitioners want to reclaim it for worship at the sacred place where the mosque now stands. But Muslims have been offering regular namaz on the mosque premises and claim it to be a 1,000-year-old shrine. The Gyanvapi Masjid was built on the banks of the Ganga by Aurangzeb in 1669. Several historians have claimed that it was constructed after demolishing the Adi Vishweshwara (Lord Shiva) temple and its debris were used for the construction of the mosque. It is said that the mosque was named after a nearby well and literally means the 'well of knowledge' (Gyanvapi). As for the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, it was constructed adjacent the Gyanvapi Masjid by Ahilyabai Holkar, queen of the Maratha Malwa kingdom. The temple was built almost 100 years after the mosque came up. Ahilyabai is known for constructing several other temples and ghats in Varanasi as well. An earlier attempt to build the Kashi Vishwanath temple by her father-in-law, Malhar Rao Holkar, couldn't materialise. This temple has now become one of the most revered seats of Lord Shiva. It's part of the grand Kashi Vishwanath Corridor inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2021. Genesis of the legal battle Fourteen months before the Babri Masjid was razed by Kar Sevaks in Ayodhya and just a month after Parliament passed The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, a petition was filed in a Varanasi civil court on behalf of the ancient idol Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar (Lord Shiva) and five others on October 15, 1991. The petition demanded the restoration of the Gyanvapi land to the adjacent Kashi Vishwanath temple. It also sought the removal of Muslims from the complex area and demolition of the mosque. This litigation came at the peak of the Ram temple movement launched by the Sangh Parivar. At that point in time, the VHP, Bajrang Dal and other RSS affiliates had given a call to 'liberate' all Hindu temples that had been demolished to build mosques during the Mughal era. The Gyanvapi and the Krishna Janmabhoomi abutting the Shahi Idgah, were on their top three list. Contention of petitioners in the 1991 title suit The ancient temple of Lord Vishweshwara, the petitioners claimed, was partially demolished to build the Gyanvapi mosque. The Swayambhu Jyotirlinga, they contended, was beneath the disputed structure, i.e. the Gyanvapi mosque and the land belongs to the ancient temple. Since it's the abode of the deity, it cannot be a place of worship for any other religion, they argued. Besides, since Aurangzeb was not the owner of the land, he could not have created any waqf (permanent dedication of asset) in favour of the mosque as per Islamic tenets, the petitioners said. The hearing started in the civil court from June, 1997. On July 17, 1997, the court dismissed the suit, saying it was not maintainable under the Places of Worship Act, which prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947. Both sides filed several revision petitions. On September 28, 1998, the district judge merged all the pleas and ordered the civil court to adjudicate the dispute afresh after considering all evidence. The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM), the committee that manages 22 mosques, including the Gyanvapi in Varanasi, challenged the maintainability of the suit in the Allahabad High Court. AIMs contention The AIM argued that the charge that Aurangzeb built the mosque after demolishing a temple was incorrect. It asserted that the Gyanvapi Masjid was built on waqf land, so any dispute related to it could not be adjudicated by a civil court. It also cited the Places of Worship Act to question the maintainability of the suit. The high court on October 13, 1998, stayed the Varanasi district court order and further proceedings in the case. Dispute in abeyance The stay continued for 22 years, during which it remained in abeyance, with the high court continuing to extend the stay. After the November 2019 judgment of the Supreme Court allowing the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, prominent voices in the Sangh Parivar, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, said Kashi and Mathura were no longer part of their agenda. In its Ayodhya order, the Supreme Court had made it clear that only the Ayodhya temple was exempt from the Places of Worship Act, 1991. Yet, the Kashi and Mathura disputes got reignited, this time not through the Sangh Parivar but by 'devotees' and their battery of lawyers. Back to court battle A month after the Supreme Court verdict on November 9, 2019, a fresh petition was filed in the Varanasi civil court by advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi, who identified himself the next friend" of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar. He sought a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), as was done at the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site to find out whether the mosque was built over an ancient Hindu temple. This was the first time that a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises was demanded. A few months later, in February 2020, the plaintiffs of the original 1991 suit again approached the Varanasi civil court to reopen the case, which had been stayed by the high court in October, 1998. They cited a Supreme Court order of 2018, which said that a stay order has to be rectified every six months. Since this was not done in this case, the civil court agreed to reopen the case. The AIM challenged the decision in the high court, which first stayed it and then reserved its verdict on March 15, 2020. Challenge to Places of Worship Act, 1991 In March 2021, the Places of Worship Act itself came under challenge at the Supreme Court. One of the petitioners, BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, contended that the 1991 Act legalised acts of invaders who demolished temples and other religious structures of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs, and took away their rights to restore their places of worship. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy moved a separate plea terming the 1991 Act unconstitutional. "It's unconstitutional because it bars any person to approach the Supreme Court under Article 32 on enforcement of his/her fundamental right(s), he argued. On March 12, 2021, a two-judge bench comprising the then Chief Justice of India S A Bobde, and Justice A S Bopanna, agreed to adjudicate on the matter and issued notices to the Union home and law ministers. Amid this backdrop, Varanasi civil judge (senior division) Ashutosh Tiwari delivered his judgment on April 8, 2021 directing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex. He ordered a five-member committee, comprising two Hindus, two Muslims and an archaeological expert, to oversee the survey. A court-appointed observer was to chair the panel. "This court finds that a survey by the ASI alone can bring the truth of the matter before this court. Irrespective of what surfaces, the survey by ASI may go on to help not only to the plaintiffs, but also to the defendants, if their version is indeed true," he said. The AIM again moved the high court against this verdict. Justice Prakash Padia stayed the order on September 9, 2021 and later clubbed the case with the original title suit of 1991, the judgment in which had been reserved in March 2020, by reopening it for further clarification from both the sides. On July 25, 2023, Justice Padia concluded his hearing in these two cases and fixed August 28, 2023, for delivery of the final verdict in the original title suit. Current flurry of cases In August 2021, five women plaintiffs approached civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar with their plea to allow them to worship the idols of Goddess Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman and other visible and invisible deities on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque. Judge Diwakar ordered a court-mandated survey, including videography, of the Gyanvapi premises on April 8, 2022, to verify the petitioners claim. The AIM challenged this order in the high court, which dismissed it on April 21, 2022. The court-mandated survey started on May 6, 2022, amid protests by the Muslim side. The AIM objected to the appointment of Ajay Kumar Mishra as the court commissioner under whom the survey was taking place. The civil judge rejected the plea and the survey resumed on May 13, 2022. On the same day, the AIM approached the SC, pleading for an immediate stay on the survey. The SC didn't stop it but agreed to take up the case the following week. On May 16, 2022, the survey team claimed to have found a purported 'Shivling' in the middle of the wuzu khana (ablution pond) of the Gyanvapi complex. The civil judge immediately ordered the sealing of the wuzu area while allowing namaz on the campus. On May 17, 2022, an SC bench, comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud (now CJI) and Justice P S Narasimha, started hearing the case and on May 20, 2023, ordered status quo at Gyanvapi and full protection of the pond area. It transferred the case to the Varanasi district judge from the court of the Civil Judge (Senior Division). The SC asked the district judge to first decide the AIM suit challenging the maintainability of the petition filed by the five women plaintiffs, within six months.On September 12, 2022, Varanasi district judge Dr Ajay Krishna Vishvesha found the plea of the five women plaintiffs maintainable. Floodgate opens After the discovery of the purported Shivling in the ablution pond of the Gyanvapi Mosque, Varanasi courts were flooded with pleas, most of them of similar nature, filed by the Hindu side. Their demands included the right to worship the 'Shivling', ban on the entry of Muslims and scientific investigation of the 'Shivling' to ascertain its age and nature. Judge Vishvesha rejected the plea for a scientific probe on the grounds that it would violate the SC's order to keep the pond area sealed. The four women plaintiffs one of the five dissociated herself challenged the order in the high court, which allowed the scientific survey in its order on May 12. The SC, however, stayed this order a week later. Meanwhile, the same four plaintiffs filed an application on May 16, 2023, before the district judge seeking ASI survey of the Gyanvapi complex, excluding the sealed wuzu pond area. Judge Vishvesha allowed this plea, on the grounds that it wouldn't violate the SC order. The AIM filed a contempt plea in the SC against this order, arguing how could the district court allow it when the top court had stayed an ASI survey at the mosque in May. The SC halted the survey for two days and asked the AIM to move the high court for relief. Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker on July 27 reserved his verdict on the ASI survey till August 3 after hearing both sides. Status of Krishna Janmabhoomi controversy in Mathura The Allahabad High Court on May 26, 2023, transferred to itself all the suits related to Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute pending in the Mathura lower court. High Court judge Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra allowed the transfer application moved by the Hindu side, including Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev Khewat, Mathura, through lawyer Ranjana Agnihotri and seven others. In fact, the petitioners had initially moved the court of the Civil Judge (Senior Division) of Mathura on September 25, 2020, seeking removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque abutting the temple complex and ownership of 13.37 acres, a part of which houses the mosque. It is believed that the Shahi Idgah mosque, which stands adjacent the Krishna Janmasthal (birthplace of Lord Krishna then known as Katra Keshav Dev), was built on the orders of Aurangzeb after demolishing the temple in 1670. The spot where the mosque stands is believed to be the actual place where Lord Krishna was born. The area was regarded as nazul land (non-agricultural state land)owned by the Marathas, and then the British. Before the mosque was built, Raja Veer Singh Bundela of Orchha had built a temple on the same premises in 1618. In 1815, Raja Patni Mal of Benaras bought the 13.37 acres in an auction from the East India Company. The Rajas descendants Rai Kishan Das and Rai Anand Das sold the land parcel to Jugal Kishore Birla for `13,400, and it was registered in the names of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Goswami Ganesh Dutt and Bhiken Lalji Aattrey. Subsequently, Birla set up the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, which acquired ownership rights over the Katra Keshav Dev temple. In 1951, the 13.37 acres were placed in the Trust, with the condition that the Trust property will never be sold or pledged. In 1956, the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Sewa Sangh was set up to manage the affairs of the Katra Keshav Dev temple. In 1977, the word Sangh in the registered societys name was replaced with Sansthan'. In 1968, a compromise agreement was worked out between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Sewa Sangh the temple management authority, a registered society under law and the Shahi Masjid Idgah, wherein, the temple authority conceded the contentious portion of land to the Idgah on which the mosque stands. However, the petitioners rejected the compromise agreement claiming it was made fraudulently and was invalid in law. In any case, the deity was not part of the proceedings, and His rights cannot be denied by the agreement, they argued. Formulation of the Places of Worship Act The Places of Worship Act was passed by the Narasimha Rao government on September 18, 1991, a year before the demolition of the Babri Masjid so as to tamp down communal tension. The legislation aims to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947. Section 3 of the Act bars the conversion, in full or part, of a place of worship of any religious denomination into a place of worship of a different religious denomination or even a different segment of the same denomination. The Section 4(1) of the Act, which is relevant in the context, declares that the religious character of a place of worship shall continue to be the same as it existed on August 15, 1947. Section 4(2) says that any suit or legal proceeding with respect to the conversion of the religious character of any place of worship existing on August 15, 1947, pending before any court, shall abate and no fresh suit or legal proceedings shall be instituted. Section 5 states that nothing contained in the Act shall apply to the Ayodhya structure and to any suit, appeal to other proceedings relating to it. Section 6 says, whoever contravenes the provisions of section 3 shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to pay a fine. Exemptions The disputed site at Ayodhya was exempted from the Act. Due to this exemption, the trial in the Ayodhya case proceeded even after the enforcement of this law. The Act also exempted any place of worship which is an ancient and historical monument or an archaeological site covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958. Any suit that has been finally settled or disposed of. Any dispute that has been settled by the parties or conversion of any place that took place by acquiescence before the Act commenced. Status of cases At the HC: Final hearing on a bunch of pleas, including the original petition of 1991 and the 2019 plea for an ASI survey, over on July 25, 2023. Justice Prakash Padia fixes August 28, 2023, for judgment. Verdict by a separate bench on the ASI survey reserved till August 3 In Varanasi: As many as 18 pleas are pending before various courts. The district judge has clubbed eight of them and is hearing them together. 'Suit no. 18/2022 Rakhi Singh and others vs UP state and others' filed by five women plaintiffs is the leading case. Seven other cases are: Civil Suit No. 712/2022 (new no. 01/2023) filed by Bhagwan Aadi Vishweshwar Viraajman through next friend Kiran Singh and others Civil Suit No. 839/2021 (new no. 02/2023) filed by Lord Shri Aadi Visheshwar Jyotirlinga through next friend Mahant Shiv Prasad Pandey, Sube Singh Yadav, Santosh Kumar Singh Civil Suit No. 840/2021 (new no. 03/2023) filed by Shri Nandiji Maharaj seated within the precincts of Shri Aadi Visheshwar Mahadev temple through next friend Sitendra Choudhary, Jaihind Choudhary, Akhilesh Kumar Dubey, Vinod Yadav and Ravi Shankar Dwivedi Civil Suit No. 350/2021 (new no. 04/2023) filed by Goddess Maa Shringar Gauri through next friend and devotee Ranjana Agnihotri of Lucknow and Asthan Lord Adi Visheshwar through next Jitender Singh Vishen Civil Suit No. 245/2022 (new no. 05/2023) filed by Satyam Tripathi, Ashish Kumar Shukla of Lucknow and Pawan Kumar Pathak of Varanasi Civil Suit No. 358/2021 (new no. 06/2023) filed by Maa Ganga through next friend Suresh Chavhanke, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, Umakant Gupta, Anand Sahu, Maneesh Nigam and Rupesh Mishra LUCKNOW: The Gyanvapi Masjid that stands adjacent the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi is caught in a multi-pronged legal battle as Hindus claim the original Lingam of the erstwhile Vishweshwar temple was hidden by the priests inside the Gyanvapi well during Mughal Emperor Aurangzebs raid in the late 1660s. Hindu petitioners want to reclaim it for worship at the sacred place where the mosque now stands. But Muslims have been offering regular namaz on the mosque premises and claim it to be a 1,000-year-old shrine. The Gyanvapi Masjid was built on the banks of the Ganga by Aurangzeb in 1669. Several historians have claimed that it was constructed after demolishing the Adi Vishweshwara (Lord Shiva) temple and its debris were used for the construction of the mosque. It is said that the mosque was named after a nearby well and literally means the 'well of knowledge' (Gyanvapi). As for the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, it was constructed adjacent the Gyanvapi Masjid by Ahilyabai Holkar, queen of the Maratha Malwa kingdom. The temple was built almost 100 years after the mosque came up. Ahilyabai is known for constructing several other temples and ghats in Varanasi as well. An earlier attempt to build the Kashi Vishwanath temple by her father-in-law, Malhar Rao Holkar, couldn't materialise. This temple has now become one of the most revered seats of Lord Shiva. It's part of the grand Kashi Vishwanath Corridor inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2021.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Genesis of the legal battle Fourteen months before the Babri Masjid was razed by Kar Sevaks in Ayodhya and just a month after Parliament passed The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, a petition was filed in a Varanasi civil court on behalf of the ancient idol Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar (Lord Shiva) and five others on October 15, 1991. The petition demanded the restoration of the Gyanvapi land to the adjacent Kashi Vishwanath temple. It also sought the removal of Muslims from the complex area and demolition of the mosque. This litigation came at the peak of the Ram temple movement launched by the Sangh Parivar. At that point in time, the VHP, Bajrang Dal and other RSS affiliates had given a call to 'liberate' all Hindu temples that had been demolished to build mosques during the Mughal era. The Gyanvapi and the Krishna Janmabhoomi abutting the Shahi Idgah, were on their top three list. Contention of petitioners in the 1991 title suit The ancient temple of Lord Vishweshwara, the petitioners claimed, was partially demolished to build the Gyanvapi mosque. The Swayambhu Jyotirlinga, they contended, was beneath the disputed structure, i.e. the Gyanvapi mosque and the land belongs to the ancient temple. Since it's the abode of the deity, it cannot be a place of worship for any other religion, they argued. Besides, since Aurangzeb was not the owner of the land, he could not have created any waqf (permanent dedication of asset) in favour of the mosque as per Islamic tenets, the petitioners said. The hearing started in the civil court from June, 1997. On July 17, 1997, the court dismissed the suit, saying it was not maintainable under the Places of Worship Act, which prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947. Both sides filed several revision petitions. On September 28, 1998, the district judge merged all the pleas and ordered the civil court to adjudicate the dispute afresh after considering all evidence. The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM), the committee that manages 22 mosques, including the Gyanvapi in Varanasi, challenged the maintainability of the suit in the Allahabad High Court. AIMs contention The AIM argued that the charge that Aurangzeb built the mosque after demolishing a temple was incorrect. It asserted that the Gyanvapi Masjid was built on waqf land, so any dispute related to it could not be adjudicated by a civil court. It also cited the Places of Worship Act to question the maintainability of the suit. The high court on October 13, 1998, stayed the Varanasi district court order and further proceedings in the case. Dispute in abeyance The stay continued for 22 years, during which it remained in abeyance, with the high court continuing to extend the stay. After the November 2019 judgment of the Supreme Court allowing the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, prominent voices in the Sangh Parivar, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, said Kashi and Mathura were no longer part of their agenda. In its Ayodhya order, the Supreme Court had made it clear that only the Ayodhya temple was exempt from the Places of Worship Act, 1991. Yet, the Kashi and Mathura disputes got reignited, this time not through the Sangh Parivar but by 'devotees' and their battery of lawyers. Back to court battle A month after the Supreme Court verdict on November 9, 2019, a fresh petition was filed in the Varanasi civil court by advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi, who identified himself the next friend" of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar. He sought a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), as was done at the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site to find out whether the mosque was built over an ancient Hindu temple. This was the first time that a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises was demanded. A few months later, in February 2020, the plaintiffs of the original 1991 suit again approached the Varanasi civil court to reopen the case, which had been stayed by the high court in October, 1998. They cited a Supreme Court order of 2018, which said that a stay order has to be rectified every six months. Since this was not done in this case, the civil court agreed to reopen the case. The AIM challenged the decision in the high court, which first stayed it and then reserved its verdict on March 15, 2020. Challenge to Places of Worship Act, 1991 In March 2021, the Places of Worship Act itself came under challenge at the Supreme Court. One of the petitioners, BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, contended that the 1991 Act legalised acts of invaders who demolished temples and other religious structures of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs, and took away their rights to restore their places of worship. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy moved a separate plea terming the 1991 Act unconstitutional. "It's unconstitutional because it bars any person to approach the Supreme Court under Article 32 on enforcement of his/her fundamental right(s), he argued. On March 12, 2021, a two-judge bench comprising the then Chief Justice of India S A Bobde, and Justice A S Bopanna, agreed to adjudicate on the matter and issued notices to the Union home and law ministers. Amid this backdrop, Varanasi civil judge (senior division) Ashutosh Tiwari delivered his judgment on April 8, 2021 directing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex. He ordered a five-member committee, comprising two Hindus, two Muslims and an archaeological expert, to oversee the survey. A court-appointed observer was to chair the panel. "This court finds that a survey by the ASI alone can bring the truth of the matter before this court. Irrespective of what surfaces, the survey by ASI may go on to help not only to the plaintiffs, but also to the defendants, if their version is indeed true," he said. The AIM again moved the high court against this verdict. Justice Prakash Padia stayed the order on September 9, 2021 and later clubbed the case with the original title suit of 1991, the judgment in which had been reserved in March 2020, by reopening it for further clarification from both the sides. On July 25, 2023, Justice Padia concluded his hearing in these two cases and fixed August 28, 2023, for delivery of the final verdict in the original title suit. Current flurry of cases In August 2021, five women plaintiffs approached civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar with their plea to allow them to worship the idols of Goddess Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman and other visible and invisible deities on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque. Judge Diwakar ordered a court-mandated survey, including videography, of the Gyanvapi premises on April 8, 2022, to verify the petitioners claim. The AIM challenged this order in the high court, which dismissed it on April 21, 2022. The court-mandated survey started on May 6, 2022, amid protests by the Muslim side. The AIM objected to the appointment of Ajay Kumar Mishra as the court commissioner under whom the survey was taking place. The civil judge rejected the plea and the survey resumed on May 13, 2022. On the same day, the AIM approached the SC, pleading for an immediate stay on the survey. The SC didn't stop it but agreed to take up the case the following week. On May 16, 2022, the survey team claimed to have found a purported 'Shivling' in the middle of the wuzu khana (ablution pond) of the Gyanvapi complex. The civil judge immediately ordered the sealing of the wuzu area while allowing namaz on the campus. On May 17, 2022, an SC bench, comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud (now CJI) and Justice P S Narasimha, started hearing the case and on May 20, 2023, ordered status quo at Gyanvapi and full protection of the pond area. It transferred the case to the Varanasi district judge from the court of the Civil Judge (Senior Division). The SC asked the district judge to first decide the AIM suit challenging the maintainability of the petition filed by the five women plaintiffs, within six months.On September 12, 2022, Varanasi district judge Dr Ajay Krishna Vishvesha found the plea of the five women plaintiffs maintainable. Floodgate opens After the discovery of the purported Shivling in the ablution pond of the Gyanvapi Mosque, Varanasi courts were flooded with pleas, most of them of similar nature, filed by the Hindu side. Their demands included the right to worship the 'Shivling', ban on the entry of Muslims and scientific investigation of the 'Shivling' to ascertain its age and nature. Judge Vishvesha rejected the plea for a scientific probe on the grounds that it would violate the SC's order to keep the pond area sealed. The four women plaintiffs one of the five dissociated herself challenged the order in the high court, which allowed the scientific survey in its order on May 12. The SC, however, stayed this order a week later. Meanwhile, the same four plaintiffs filed an application on May 16, 2023, before the district judge seeking ASI survey of the Gyanvapi complex, excluding the sealed wuzu pond area. Judge Vishvesha allowed this plea, on the grounds that it wouldn't violate the SC order. The AIM filed a contempt plea in the SC against this order, arguing how could the district court allow it when the top court had stayed an ASI survey at the mosque in May. The SC halted the survey for two days and asked the AIM to move the high court for relief. Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker on July 27 reserved his verdict on the ASI survey till August 3 after hearing both sides. Status of Krishna Janmabhoomi controversy in Mathura The Allahabad High Court on May 26, 2023, transferred to itself all the suits related to Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute pending in the Mathura lower court. High Court judge Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra allowed the transfer application moved by the Hindu side, including Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev Khewat, Mathura, through lawyer Ranjana Agnihotri and seven others. In fact, the petitioners had initially moved the court of the Civil Judge (Senior Division) of Mathura on September 25, 2020, seeking removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque abutting the temple complex and ownership of 13.37 acres, a part of which houses the mosque. It is believed that the Shahi Idgah mosque, which stands adjacent the Krishna Janmasthal (birthplace of Lord Krishna then known as Katra Keshav Dev), was built on the orders of Aurangzeb after demolishing the temple in 1670. The spot where the mosque stands is believed to be the actual place where Lord Krishna was born. The area was regarded as nazul land (non-agricultural state land)owned by the Marathas, and then the British. Before the mosque was built, Raja Veer Singh Bundela of Orchha had built a temple on the same premises in 1618. In 1815, Raja Patni Mal of Benaras bought the 13.37 acres in an auction from the East India Company. The Rajas descendants Rai Kishan Das and Rai Anand Das sold the land parcel to Jugal Kishore Birla for `13,400, and it was registered in the names of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Goswami Ganesh Dutt and Bhiken Lalji Aattrey. Subsequently, Birla set up the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, which acquired ownership rights over the Katra Keshav Dev temple. In 1951, the 13.37 acres were placed in the Trust, with the condition that the Trust property will never be sold or pledged. In 1956, the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Sewa Sangh was set up to manage the affairs of the Katra Keshav Dev temple. In 1977, the word Sangh in the registered societys name was replaced with Sansthan'. In 1968, a compromise agreement was worked out between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Sewa Sangh the temple management authority, a registered society under law and the Shahi Masjid Idgah, wherein, the temple authority conceded the contentious portion of land to the Idgah on which the mosque stands. However, the petitioners rejected the compromise agreement claiming it was made fraudulently and was invalid in law. In any case, the deity was not part of the proceedings, and His rights cannot be denied by the agreement, they argued. Formulation of the Places of Worship Act The Places of Worship Act was passed by the Narasimha Rao government on September 18, 1991, a year before the demolition of the Babri Masjid so as to tamp down communal tension. The legislation aims to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947. Section 3 of the Act bars the conversion, in full or part, of a place of worship of any religious denomination into a place of worship of a different religious denomination or even a different segment of the same denomination. The Section 4(1) of the Act, which is relevant in the context, declares that the religious character of a place of worship shall continue to be the same as it existed on August 15, 1947. Section 4(2) says that any suit or legal proceeding with respect to the conversion of the religious character of any place of worship existing on August 15, 1947, pending before any court, shall abate and no fresh suit or legal proceedings shall be instituted. Section 5 states that nothing contained in the Act shall apply to the Ayodhya structure and to any suit, appeal to other proceedings relating to it. Section 6 says, whoever contravenes the provisions of section 3 shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to pay a fine. Exemptions The disputed site at Ayodhya was exempted from the Act. Due to this exemption, the trial in the Ayodhya case proceeded even after the enforcement of this law. The Act also exempted any place of worship which is an ancient and historical monument or an archaeological site covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958. Any suit that has been finally settled or disposed of. Any dispute that has been settled by the parties or conversion of any place that took place by acquiescence before the Act commenced. Status of cases At the HC: Final hearing on a bunch of pleas, including the original petition of 1991 and the 2019 plea for an ASI survey, over on July 25, 2023. Justice Prakash Padia fixes August 28, 2023, for judgment. Verdict by a separate bench on the ASI survey reserved till August 3 In Varanasi: As many as 18 pleas are pending before various courts. The district judge has clubbed eight of them and is hearing them together. 'Suit no. 18/2022 Rakhi Singh and others vs UP state and others' filed by five women plaintiffs is the leading case. Seven other cases are: Civil Suit No. 712/2022 (new no. 01/2023) filed by Bhagwan Aadi Vishweshwar Viraajman through next friend Kiran Singh and others Civil Suit No. 839/2021 (new no. 02/2023) filed by Lord Shri Aadi Visheshwar Jyotirlinga through next friend Mahant Shiv Prasad Pandey, Sube Singh Yadav, Santosh Kumar Singh Civil Suit No. 840/2021 (new no. 03/2023) filed by Shri Nandiji Maharaj seated within the precincts of Shri Aadi Visheshwar Mahadev temple through next friend Sitendra Choudhary, Jaihind Choudhary, Akhilesh Kumar Dubey, Vinod Yadav and Ravi Shankar Dwivedi Civil Suit No. 350/2021 (new no. 04/2023) filed by Goddess Maa Shringar Gauri through next friend and devotee Ranjana Agnihotri of Lucknow and Asthan Lord Adi Visheshwar through next Jitender Singh Vishen Civil Suit No. 245/2022 (new no. 05/2023) filed by Satyam Tripathi, Ashish Kumar Shukla of Lucknow and Pawan Kumar Pathak of Varanasi Civil Suit No. 358/2021 (new no. 06/2023) filed by Maa Ganga through next friend Suresh Chavhanke, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, Umakant Gupta, Anand Sahu, Maneesh Nigam and Rupesh Mishra Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Seventeen Indian youths from Punjab and Haryana who were stranded in Libya for the last six months were released from the jail in Tripoli yesterday. Member of Parliament of Rajya Sabha from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney said that they were cheated (the amount varies from person to person) by some unscrupulous travel agents on the pretext of sending them to Italy for lucrative jobs. All of them left India for Italy in February 2023 via Dubai then Egypt and after a few days, they were landed in Libya and kept in Zuwara City, where they were being deprived of basic amenities like food and water and causing physical assault. Sahney said that when he got to know about it in May this year, he got in touch with the Indian Embassy in Tunisia and initiated the legal process for rescuing all these boys. "My office was in constant touch with these boys and their families. Initially, our major concern was to take them out from the captivity of the local mafia, he said. Sahney further said that they were detained in an under-construction building by an armed group from where the police took their custody. "On June 13 with the help of Libyan police, we made these boys run and accommodated them in a hotel at Zwara City, Libya. My office was in touch with these youths throughout the night till this rescue operation got over in the early morning. Later, they were kept at a detention centre on June 15 and then we initiated the legal process to get their consular access, he said. Sahney said on Saturday the process of getting their consular access got over and Libyan authorities released them from jail and kept them in Tripoli till arrangements for their travel documents viz Emergency Certificate to ensure their smooth, safe repatriation to India were arranged by them. Sahney said he will be sponsoring all legal expenses and flight tickets for the youth coming back to their home. On reaching India, Sahneys office will offer them free of cost skilling and provide them with job opportunities so that they dont have to go abroad in search of Jobs. CHANDIGARH: Seventeen Indian youths from Punjab and Haryana who were stranded in Libya for the last six months were released from the jail in Tripoli yesterday. Member of Parliament of Rajya Sabha from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney said that they were cheated (the amount varies from person to person) by some unscrupulous travel agents on the pretext of sending them to Italy for lucrative jobs. All of them left India for Italy in February 2023 via Dubai then Egypt and after a few days, they were landed in Libya and kept in Zuwara City, where they were being deprived of basic amenities like food and water and causing physical assault.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sahney said that when he got to know about it in May this year, he got in touch with the Indian Embassy in Tunisia and initiated the legal process for rescuing all these boys. "My office was in constant touch with these boys and their families. Initially, our major concern was to take them out from the captivity of the local mafia, he said. Sahney further said that they were detained in an under-construction building by an armed group from where the police took their custody. "On June 13 with the help of Libyan police, we made these boys run and accommodated them in a hotel at Zwara City, Libya. My office was in touch with these youths throughout the night till this rescue operation got over in the early morning. Later, they were kept at a detention centre on June 15 and then we initiated the legal process to get their consular access, he said. Sahney said on Saturday the process of getting their consular access got over and Libyan authorities released them from jail and kept them in Tripoli till arrangements for their travel documents viz Emergency Certificate to ensure their smooth, safe repatriation to India were arranged by them. Sahney said he will be sponsoring all legal expenses and flight tickets for the youth coming back to their home. On reaching India, Sahneys office will offer them free of cost skilling and provide them with job opportunities so that they dont have to go abroad in search of Jobs. By Express News Service MUMBAI: Pressure mounts over the incumbent BJP-led government in Maharashtra to arrest the pro-Hindutva activist Sambhaji alias Manohar Bhide for his controversial remarks against Mahatma Gandhi. Condemning Bhide's remarks Maharashtra Deputy CM and home minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Mahatma Gandhi is viewed as the leader of the history of India's freedom struggle. Such a statement against him is inappropriate, people will not tolerate it. The state government will take appropriate action in this case. Insulting Mahatma Gandhi will not be tolerated under any circumstances." Ajit Pawar who is part of the incumbent government also demanded the arrest of Sambhaji Bhide. The Amaravati police have already registered the police complaint against Sambhaji Bhide under IPC section 153 A promoting enmity between two groups. This is a cognisable offence with three years imprisonment and a penalty. Sambhaji Bhide alias Manohar Kulkarni hails from Sangali and worked for RSS in the 1980s. He is said to have formed his own trust known as 'Shiv Pratisthan.' Bhide in his speech had said that Mahatma Gandhis father was a Muslim landlord and he is Muslim. He even claimed that people unnecessarily give importance to Pandit Nehru in the freedom struggle. Bhide said there is no iota of contributions by Pandit Nehru to the freedom struggle. Earlier former Maharashtra Congress chief minister Prithviraj Chavan brought up Bhide's remarks against Mahatma Gandhi on the floor of the House in the Maharashtra state assembly monsoon session and demanded the arrest of Mr Bhide. Former Maharashtra cabinet minister and Congress MLA Yashomati Thakur had asked "for whose permission the BJP-led government is waiting" when there are demands for Bhide to be arrested. She said that the way Mr Bhide spews venom shows that he comes from the legacy of Krishnaji Bhaskar Kulkarni, the advocate of Afzal Khan who attacked Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj when they met at Pratap Fort. Anil Bhonde, a BJP Rajya Sabha member, said that they will not tolerate the insult towards Bhide. We are against the usage of derogatory words towards Mr Bhide. People are trying to abuse him because he is a Hindutvawadi activist, said Bhonde. MUMBAI: Pressure mounts over the incumbent BJP-led government in Maharashtra to arrest the pro-Hindutva activist Sambhaji alias Manohar Bhide for his controversial remarks against Mahatma Gandhi. Condemning Bhide's remarks Maharashtra Deputy CM and home minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Mahatma Gandhi is viewed as the leader of the history of India's freedom struggle. Such a statement against him is inappropriate, people will not tolerate it. The state government will take appropriate action in this case. Insulting Mahatma Gandhi will not be tolerated under any circumstances." Ajit Pawar who is part of the incumbent government also demanded the arrest of Sambhaji Bhide.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Amaravati police have already registered the police complaint against Sambhaji Bhide under IPC section 153 A promoting enmity between two groups. This is a cognisable offence with three years imprisonment and a penalty. Sambhaji Bhide alias Manohar Kulkarni hails from Sangali and worked for RSS in the 1980s. He is said to have formed his own trust known as 'Shiv Pratisthan.' Bhide in his speech had said that Mahatma Gandhis father was a Muslim landlord and he is Muslim. He even claimed that people unnecessarily give importance to Pandit Nehru in the freedom struggle. Bhide said there is no iota of contributions by Pandit Nehru to the freedom struggle. Earlier former Maharashtra Congress chief minister Prithviraj Chavan brought up Bhide's remarks against Mahatma Gandhi on the floor of the House in the Maharashtra state assembly monsoon session and demanded the arrest of Mr Bhide. Former Maharashtra cabinet minister and Congress MLA Yashomati Thakur had asked "for whose permission the BJP-led government is waiting" when there are demands for Bhide to be arrested. She said that the way Mr Bhide spews venom shows that he comes from the legacy of Krishnaji Bhaskar Kulkarni, the advocate of Afzal Khan who attacked Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj when they met at Pratap Fort. Anil Bhonde, a BJP Rajya Sabha member, said that they will not tolerate the insult towards Bhide. We are against the usage of derogatory words towards Mr Bhide. People are trying to abuse him because he is a Hindutvawadi activist, said Bhonde. By PTI IMPHAL: The Manipur Police has registered a case against Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) spokesperson Ginza Vualzong for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups and creating public mischief, a charge denied by the organisation. Registering a 'zero FIR' based on a complaint by a trader, the Manipur Police filed the case in the Imphal sub-division under sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race etc, defamation, spreading rumours and creating ill-will between two communities. The FIR will later be transferred to the Khangshong police station under the Tamenglong district for investigation. The complaint was filed by traders, who feared that their goods would be looted at the Khangshong railway station after Vualzong made a statement that the majority community was smuggling arms and ammunition into the valley through trains. Khangshong is the last station in the state which is connected to the railway link. Denying the charges as baseless, Vualzong said that filing of the FIR is yet another way by the state government to "suppress the voice of tribals". "Before this, our official Twitter account was withheld by the social networking site following a direction from the Manipur Police, and now this Zero FIR," he said. The ITLF spokesperson termed the registering of the case as "trivial" and added that the entire case is about sloganeering. "I wonder why the state authorities turn a deaf ear when slogans like wiping out the entire tribal community are raised at rallies of the majority community," he said. IMPHAL: The Manipur Police has registered a case against Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) spokesperson Ginza Vualzong for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups and creating public mischief, a charge denied by the organisation. Registering a 'zero FIR' based on a complaint by a trader, the Manipur Police filed the case in the Imphal sub-division under sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race etc, defamation, spreading rumours and creating ill-will between two communities. The FIR will later be transferred to the Khangshong police station under the Tamenglong district for investigation.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The complaint was filed by traders, who feared that their goods would be looted at the Khangshong railway station after Vualzong made a statement that the majority community was smuggling arms and ammunition into the valley through trains. Khangshong is the last station in the state which is connected to the railway link. Denying the charges as baseless, Vualzong said that filing of the FIR is yet another way by the state government to "suppress the voice of tribals". "Before this, our official Twitter account was withheld by the social networking site following a direction from the Manipur Police, and now this Zero FIR," he said. The ITLF spokesperson termed the registering of the case as "trivial" and added that the entire case is about sloganeering. "I wonder why the state authorities turn a deaf ear when slogans like wiping out the entire tribal community are raised at rallies of the majority community," he said. By PTI IMPHAL: The opposition INDIA bloc on Sunday asserted that if the Manipur ethnic conflict, which is lingering for around three months, is not resolved soon, it may create security problems for the country. A delegation of 21 MPs of the opposition INDIA bloc called on Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum on their observations after visiting the northeastern state. Addressing reporters outside Raj Bhavan after the meeting, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "The governor heard our observations and agreed to those. She expressed pain over the violence and narrated the people's sufferings." "The governor suggested that an all-party delegation should visit Manipur to talk to both Meitei and Kuki people to remove mistrust among the communities. We also agree to that suggestion," Chowdhury said. He said that the visiting MPs will present their observations on Manipur in Parliament and try to put pressure on the central government when they get a chance. "We will speak on the lapses committed by state and central governments in Manipur in Parliament. We appeal to the Centre to have a discussion on the issue in Parliament," he added. Chowdhury claimed the situation in Manipur is deteriorating every day. ALSO READ | Kuki leader advocates creating new Union territories in Manipur Talking about their experience during the two-day visit, the senior Congress leader claimed the situation has become such that valley people (Meiteis) cannot go to the hills (where Kukis live) and hill people cannot come to the valley. "There is a huge scarcity of ration, fodder, milk, baby food and all other essential items. Students' education has been hampered. We explained all these to the governor, who said that these issues should be resolved collectively," he added. The opposition delegation left for Delhi in the afternoon. They had arrived in Manipur on Saturday to assess the ground situation and meet victims of the three-month-long ethnic riots in the state. On the first day of their two-day whirlwind tour, they visited several relief camps in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur and met scores of victims of ethnic clashes from both warring communities. ALSO READ | Meiteis show of strength on streets of Imphal valley Besides Chowdhury and Congress' Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation included Sushmita Dev (TMC), Mahua Maji (JMM), Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK), PP Mohammed Faizal (NCP), Chaudhary Jayant Singh (RLD), Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD), N K Premachandran (RSP) and T Thirumavalavan (VCK). JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh and his party colleague Aneel Prasad Hegde, CPI's Sandosh Kumar, CPI(M)'s A A Rahim, SP's Javed Ali Khan, IUML's E T Mohammed Basheer, AAP's Sushil Gupta, VCK's D Ravikumar and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT) were also part of the delegation. More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundred were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts. IMPHAL: The opposition INDIA bloc on Sunday asserted that if the Manipur ethnic conflict, which is lingering for around three months, is not resolved soon, it may create security problems for the country. A delegation of 21 MPs of the opposition INDIA bloc called on Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum on their observations after visiting the northeastern state. Addressing reporters outside Raj Bhavan after the meeting, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "The governor heard our observations and agreed to those. She expressed pain over the violence and narrated the people's sufferings."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "The governor suggested that an all-party delegation should visit Manipur to talk to both Meitei and Kuki people to remove mistrust among the communities. We also agree to that suggestion," Chowdhury said. He said that the visiting MPs will present their observations on Manipur in Parliament and try to put pressure on the central government when they get a chance. "We will speak on the lapses committed by state and central governments in Manipur in Parliament. We appeal to the Centre to have a discussion on the issue in Parliament," he added. Chowdhury claimed the situation in Manipur is deteriorating every day. ALSO READ | Kuki leader advocates creating new Union territories in Manipur Talking about their experience during the two-day visit, the senior Congress leader claimed the situation has become such that valley people (Meiteis) cannot go to the hills (where Kukis live) and hill people cannot come to the valley. "There is a huge scarcity of ration, fodder, milk, baby food and all other essential items. Students' education has been hampered. We explained all these to the governor, who said that these issues should be resolved collectively," he added. The opposition delegation left for Delhi in the afternoon. They had arrived in Manipur on Saturday to assess the ground situation and meet victims of the three-month-long ethnic riots in the state. On the first day of their two-day whirlwind tour, they visited several relief camps in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur and met scores of victims of ethnic clashes from both warring communities. ALSO READ | Meiteis show of strength on streets of Imphal valley Besides Chowdhury and Congress' Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation included Sushmita Dev (TMC), Mahua Maji (JMM), Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK), PP Mohammed Faizal (NCP), Chaudhary Jayant Singh (RLD), Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD), N K Premachandran (RSP) and T Thirumavalavan (VCK). JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh and his party colleague Aneel Prasad Hegde, CPI's Sandosh Kumar, CPI(M)'s A A Rahim, SP's Javed Ali Khan, IUML's E T Mohammed Basheer, AAP's Sushil Gupta, VCK's D Ravikumar and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT) were also part of the delegation. More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundred were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts. By PTI KOLKATA: Kuki leader and BJP MLA Paolienlal Haokip, who shot into the limelight after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur, said the way forward to finding a solution to the state's racial conflict is by creating three separate Union territories. Haokip in an interview to PTI advocated giving "political and administrative recognition to the ethnic separation" in the state, upping the ante from earlier vaguely explained demands for a "separate administration" for Kuki areas made by fellow Kuki community leaders. However, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Meitei groups led by COCOMI (Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, an umbrella body of several Imphal-based organizations) have strongly voiced their opposition to any moves to "break up" the state, and analysts say the Central government, which is holding talks with Kuki groups - Kuki National Organisation and United Peoples Front, is also against such a formulation. "The way forward, as I see it, is for the Union government to give political and administrative recognition to the ethnic separation, where the state of Manipur is reorganised as three Union territories," Haokip told PTI. Critics point out that the formulation would implicitly create separate Naga, Kuki and Meitei territories which would be difficult given the fact that there are mixed populations in many villages and districts. He argued that such a move will "best ensure lasting peace, and also pave the way for each community to pursue excellence". Ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis, which broke out in early May this year, has so far claimed more than 160 lives and continues to plague the northeastern state to date. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. Haokip, who won the election from Saikot constituency in Churachandpur district of Manipur earlier this year on a BJP ticket, said, "The resumption of talks by the central government with Kuki Zo insurgent groups on a bilateral platform is a positive development, given that the state government has been playing spoiler with its majoritarian and arrogant attitude." Haokip and other Kuki leaders believe that their community has received a raw deal as the majority has been controlling the state's allocations of resources and at the same time stifling check mechanisms such as the Hill Areas Committee of the Manipur assembly. They are also unhappy about the fact that tribal lands were declared as reserved forests and protected forests without letting tribal people claim their pre-existing rights in these areas. Earlier this year, the Manipur government bulldozed Kuki villages in protected forests claiming they violated the Forests Act. The community is also upset over stalling of the delimitation commission report which it claims recommends giving more seats to tribals in proportion to their increased percentage of population in the state. On the other hand, organisations such as the COCOMI, which staged a protest on Saturday in Imphal where tens of thousands of people gathered to protest talks with Kuki groups, have branded these groups as "narco-terrorists", accusing the Kuki-Zomi community of cultivating poppy and of encouraging "illegal migration from Myanmar" to swell their numbers. Haokip, an alumni of JNU, however, rubbished these claims and said, "The COCOMI is an organization parroting the majoritarian politics of arrogance, which had been challenging constitutional provisions governing the state that was Manipur. "The accusations about illegal immigration and poppy cultivation are trumped-up narratives meant to suit and instigate the current ethnic cleansing violence backed by the state." He also pointed out the long history of Kuki's being part of the country's national movement. "Kukis had fought the longest war with the British with perhaps the greatest casualty on the British side. The Anglo-Kuki war 1917-1919, recorded as the Kuki rebellion by British historians, lasted for almost three years," he said. He also underlined the Kuki participation "in great numbers in the Azad Hind Fauz under Netaji." The INA liberated Manipur's Moirang town from the British forces and flew its flag there in April 1944. KOLKATA: Kuki leader and BJP MLA Paolienlal Haokip, who shot into the limelight after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur, said the way forward to finding a solution to the state's racial conflict is by creating three separate Union territories. Haokip in an interview to PTI advocated giving "political and administrative recognition to the ethnic separation" in the state, upping the ante from earlier vaguely explained demands for a "separate administration" for Kuki areas made by fellow Kuki community leaders. However, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Meitei groups led by COCOMI (Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, an umbrella body of several Imphal-based organizations) have strongly voiced their opposition to any moves to "break up" the state, and analysts say the Central government, which is holding talks with Kuki groups - Kuki National Organisation and United Peoples Front, is also against such a formulation.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "The way forward, as I see it, is for the Union government to give political and administrative recognition to the ethnic separation, where the state of Manipur is reorganised as three Union territories," Haokip told PTI. Critics point out that the formulation would implicitly create separate Naga, Kuki and Meitei territories which would be difficult given the fact that there are mixed populations in many villages and districts. He argued that such a move will "best ensure lasting peace, and also pave the way for each community to pursue excellence". Ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis, which broke out in early May this year, has so far claimed more than 160 lives and continues to plague the northeastern state to date. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. Haokip, who won the election from Saikot constituency in Churachandpur district of Manipur earlier this year on a BJP ticket, said, "The resumption of talks by the central government with Kuki Zo insurgent groups on a bilateral platform is a positive development, given that the state government has been playing spoiler with its majoritarian and arrogant attitude." Haokip and other Kuki leaders believe that their community has received a raw deal as the majority has been controlling the state's allocations of resources and at the same time stifling check mechanisms such as the Hill Areas Committee of the Manipur assembly. They are also unhappy about the fact that tribal lands were declared as reserved forests and protected forests without letting tribal people claim their pre-existing rights in these areas. Earlier this year, the Manipur government bulldozed Kuki villages in protected forests claiming they violated the Forests Act. The community is also upset over stalling of the delimitation commission report which it claims recommends giving more seats to tribals in proportion to their increased percentage of population in the state. On the other hand, organisations such as the COCOMI, which staged a protest on Saturday in Imphal where tens of thousands of people gathered to protest talks with Kuki groups, have branded these groups as "narco-terrorists", accusing the Kuki-Zomi community of cultivating poppy and of encouraging "illegal migration from Myanmar" to swell their numbers. Haokip, an alumni of JNU, however, rubbished these claims and said, "The COCOMI is an organization parroting the majoritarian politics of arrogance, which had been challenging constitutional provisions governing the state that was Manipur. "The accusations about illegal immigration and poppy cultivation are trumped-up narratives meant to suit and instigate the current ethnic cleansing violence backed by the state." He also pointed out the long history of Kuki's being part of the country's national movement. "Kukis had fought the longest war with the British with perhaps the greatest casualty on the British side. The Anglo-Kuki war 1917-1919, recorded as the Kuki rebellion by British historians, lasted for almost three years," he said. He also underlined the Kuki participation "in great numbers in the Azad Hind Fauz under Netaji." The INA liberated Manipur's Moirang town from the British forces and flew its flag there in April 1944. By PTI KOLKATA: A nine-year-old boy was injured in a crude bomb explosion in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Sunday, police said. The boy, a class 4 student was injured in Basirhat block 2 when he mistook a crude bomb lying in the field close to his house to be a ball and touched it, they said. He was rushed to a local hospital in Basirhat but as his condition deteriorated he was referred to R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Police said that on receiving information about the blast, a team rushed to the spot and is carrying out an investigation. The boy's right hand was injured in the explosion, doctors said. KOLKATA: A nine-year-old boy was injured in a crude bomb explosion in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Sunday, police said. The boy, a class 4 student was injured in Basirhat block 2 when he mistook a crude bomb lying in the field close to his house to be a ball and touched it, they said. He was rushed to a local hospital in Basirhat but as his condition deteriorated he was referred to R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Police said that on receiving information about the blast, a team rushed to the spot and is carrying out an investigation. The boy's right hand was injured in the explosion, doctors said. Cairo-based financial services company Banknbox announced the opening of its $10 million regional headquarters in Egypt to provide an integrated platform of banking solutions, electronic payments, smart transportation tech, and digital government payment solutions, among others, according to a press release on Sunday. Banknbox CEO and Managing Director Basem Mahmoud said the company chose to establish its regional HQ in Egypt after evaluating other options in the region. The decision matches banks' and financial institutions' desire for new products and services to satisfy customers and promote digital transformation. It also affirms Egypt's economic strength and growth, Mahmoud added. The integrated platform will offer business-to-business (B2B) services and systems that are new to the Egyptian and North African markets. Services span mobile banking apps, internet banking, e-wallets, e-KYC, AI like Chatbot and Open Banking APIs, automated branch and communications tech. This allows banks, financial institutions, and companies to rely on one platform for all banking services and electronic payments. Banknbox also provides card issuance and processing across card types, real-time card personalization, ATM management, POS and SoftPOS transaction acceptance, a White Label payment gateway, and more. With dozens of bank and financial institution partnerships in the Middle East, Banknbox is in talks with banks in Egypt to provide services. The opening of the new headquarters aligns with the Central Bank's new registration rules for digital banks, announced earlier in July, which are part of a broader financial inclusion strategy. Egypt's financial inclusion rates improved by 147 percent between 2016 and 2022. Search Keywords: Short link: Narendra Sethi By Express News Service DEHRADUN: The tiger population in Uttarakhand has increased from 442 to 560 when compared to 2018. With an increase of 118 tigers, Uttarakhand has retained its third position after Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka in terms of tiger population in the country. Global Tiger Day, celebrated as Tiger Conservation Day, was held in Ramnagar on Saturday. Speaking on the occasion, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami requested leading wildlife conservationists from across the country to visit the Jim Corbett Museum Kaladhungi, saying, "World-renowned former hunter Jim Corbett spent most of his life in his old house at Kaladhungi near Haldwani, which has been converted into a museum." Union Minister of State for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey said, "It is the duty of human life to protect nature, when man will protect nature, nature itself will protect the creatures." He further added that "five decades of tiger conservation have been completed, which is full of achievements." Sameer Sinha, Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttarakhand Forest Department, told The New Indian Express, "Today is indeed a day of celebration for Uttarakhand wildlife, with a very significant increase in tiger population. This is a big tribute to the people of Uttarakhand, whose support has made possible the encouraging population of tigers in Uttarakhand." With 3,167 tigers, which is about 75 per cent of the global population, the once bright orange fur and isolated low roar can no longer be classified as rare wildlife in Uttarakhand, according to the 2022 tiger census. State-wise tiger data was released at the event. There has been an increase of 715 tigers in 2022 when compared to 2018 across India. Based on the 2022 data, the total number of tigers is 3682, which was 2967 in 2018. Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of tigers at 785, followed by Karnataka at 563 and Uttarakhand at 560. According to the data released, the number of tigers in Uttarakhand Corbett Tiger Reserve is large. With an increase of 118 tigers compared to 2018, the total number of tigers in the state now stands at 560. At the same time, the number of tigers in Corbett Tiger has increased from 231 to 260. DEHRADUN: The tiger population in Uttarakhand has increased from 442 to 560 when compared to 2018. With an increase of 118 tigers, Uttarakhand has retained its third position after Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka in terms of tiger population in the country. Global Tiger Day, celebrated as Tiger Conservation Day, was held in Ramnagar on Saturday. Speaking on the occasion, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami requested leading wildlife conservationists from across the country to visit the Jim Corbett Museum Kaladhungi, saying, "World-renowned former hunter Jim Corbett spent most of his life in his old house at Kaladhungi near Haldwani, which has been converted into a museum." Union Minister of State for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey said, "It is the duty of human life to protect nature, when man will protect nature, nature itself will protect the creatures." He further added that "five decades of tiger conservation have been completed, which is full of achievements." googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sameer Sinha, Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttarakhand Forest Department, told The New Indian Express, "Today is indeed a day of celebration for Uttarakhand wildlife, with a very significant increase in tiger population. This is a big tribute to the people of Uttarakhand, whose support has made possible the encouraging population of tigers in Uttarakhand." With 3,167 tigers, which is about 75 per cent of the global population, the once bright orange fur and isolated low roar can no longer be classified as rare wildlife in Uttarakhand, according to the 2022 tiger census. State-wise tiger data was released at the event. There has been an increase of 715 tigers in 2022 when compared to 2018 across India. Based on the 2022 data, the total number of tigers is 3682, which was 2967 in 2018. Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of tigers at 785, followed by Karnataka at 563 and Uttarakhand at 560. According to the data released, the number of tigers in Uttarakhand Corbett Tiger Reserve is large. With an increase of 118 tigers compared to 2018, the total number of tigers in the state now stands at 560. At the same time, the number of tigers in Corbett Tiger has increased from 231 to 260. By PTI KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Sunday urged the people of ethnic strife affected Manipur to embrace peace for the sake of humanity. She also assured the people of the northeastern state of standing by their side. "My heart aches deeply upon hearing the heart-wrenching stories from Manipur. Human lives should never endure the agonies of hatred's cruel experiments. Yet, in the face of silence from those in power, let us find solace in knowing that INDIA will mend wounds and rekindle the flame of humanity," Banerjee tweeted. My heart aches deeply upon hearing the heart-wrenching stories from Manipur. Human lives should never endure the agonies of hatred's cruel experiments. Yet, in the face of silence from those in power, let us find solace in knowing that INDIA will mend wounds and rekindle the Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) July 30, 2023 A delegation of MPs from the opposition bloc INDIA, of which the TMC is a part, visited Manipur for two days since Saturday. "I earnestly plead to Manipur's brave brothers and sisters to embrace peace for the sake of humanity. We stand beside you, offering unwavering support and compassion," she said. More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundred were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts. KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Sunday urged the people of ethnic strife affected Manipur to embrace peace for the sake of humanity. She also assured the people of the northeastern state of standing by their side. "My heart aches deeply upon hearing the heart-wrenching stories from Manipur. Human lives should never endure the agonies of hatred's cruel experiments. Yet, in the face of silence from those in power, let us find solace in knowing that INDIA will mend wounds and rekindle the flame of humanity," Banerjee tweeted.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); My heart aches deeply upon hearing the heart-wrenching stories from Manipur. Human lives should never endure the agonies of hatred's cruel experiments. Yet, in the face of silence from those in power, let us find solace in knowing that INDIA will mend wounds and rekindle the Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) July 30, 2023 A delegation of MPs from the opposition bloc INDIA, of which the TMC is a part, visited Manipur for two days since Saturday. "I earnestly plead to Manipur's brave brothers and sisters to embrace peace for the sake of humanity. We stand beside you, offering unwavering support and compassion," she said. More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundred were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts. By PTI JODHPUR: The wife and the daughter of an Army personnel were found dead under mysterious circumstances in their official quarter in Rajasthan's Jodhpur early on Sunday, police said. The charred remains of 25-year-old Rukmeena and her two-year-old daughter Riddhima were found on a bed, they said. Rukmeena's husband Ram Prasad has claimed that the pair died in a fire triggered by a short circuit. Ram Prasad has been apprehended by the police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Amrita Duahn said the woman's relatives have been informed and the post-mortem will be done once they reach Jodhpur. Sikkim native Ram Prasad married Rukmeena, who belonged to Nepal, three years ago. A Naik in the Indian Army, Ram Prasad moved to Jodhpur with his family about two years ago and had been living in the military quarters. "At 5 am on Sunday, we received information that two people had burnt to death in the Army quarters. We rushed to the spot and found the woman and her daughter lying on the bed in a completely charred condition," Duhan said. Ram Prasad was also present in the house and had burn marks on his hands, she said. According to sources, he has claimed that he tried to save his wife and their daughter but could not and ran out of the house for help. Duhan said a case is being registered against Ram Prasad under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code at Ratanada police station. "We are not in a position to arrive at any conclusion until the post-mortem is conducted," Duhan said and added that a forensics team was called to the spot. JODHPUR: The wife and the daughter of an Army personnel were found dead under mysterious circumstances in their official quarter in Rajasthan's Jodhpur early on Sunday, police said. The charred remains of 25-year-old Rukmeena and her two-year-old daughter Riddhima were found on a bed, they said. Rukmeena's husband Ram Prasad has claimed that the pair died in a fire triggered by a short circuit. Ram Prasad has been apprehended by the police.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Amrita Duahn said the woman's relatives have been informed and the post-mortem will be done once they reach Jodhpur. Sikkim native Ram Prasad married Rukmeena, who belonged to Nepal, three years ago. A Naik in the Indian Army, Ram Prasad moved to Jodhpur with his family about two years ago and had been living in the military quarters. "At 5 am on Sunday, we received information that two people had burnt to death in the Army quarters. We rushed to the spot and found the woman and her daughter lying on the bed in a completely charred condition," Duhan said. Ram Prasad was also present in the house and had burn marks on his hands, she said. According to sources, he has claimed that he tried to save his wife and their daughter but could not and ran out of the house for help. Duhan said a case is being registered against Ram Prasad under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code at Ratanada police station. "We are not in a position to arrive at any conclusion until the post-mortem is conducted," Duhan said and added that a forensics team was called to the spot. By Express News Service CHITTOOR: We have witnessed cross-border love stories, which stand as a testament to the power of love that knows no boundaries. Adding to the list is this social media love that resulted in a marriage. Meet Vigneshwari, a Sri Lankan national, who has been grabbing eyeballs after she arrived in India on a tourist visa to marry her boyfriend, Lakshman, in Chittoor district. However, Vigneshwaris love story might get cut short as her visa expires in a week. Though she wanted to live with Lakshman in the latters village, police served notice to Vigneshwari, asking her to return to Sri Lanka before August 6, the date on which her tourist visa expires. The couple had been in love for the past seven years before they decided to tie the knot. According to reports reaching here, Lakshman, who hails from Arimakulapalle in Chittoor district, ekes out a living as a construction worker. While browsing through his Facebook account, he connected with Vigneshwari. Love blossomed even as the duo exchanged their thoughts on the social media platform and this overseas relationship continued for years. On July 8, Vigneshwari landed in Chennai on a tourist visa. Lakshman welcomed her and brought her to his home. The couple tied the knot on July 20 at a temple in the district. CHITTOOR: We have witnessed cross-border love stories, which stand as a testament to the power of love that knows no boundaries. Adding to the list is this social media love that resulted in a marriage. Meet Vigneshwari, a Sri Lankan national, who has been grabbing eyeballs after she arrived in India on a tourist visa to marry her boyfriend, Lakshman, in Chittoor district. However, Vigneshwaris love story might get cut short as her visa expires in a week. Though she wanted to live with Lakshman in the latters village, police served notice to Vigneshwari, asking her to return to Sri Lanka before August 6, the date on which her tourist visa expires. The couple had been in love for the past seven years before they decided to tie the knot. According to reports reaching here, Lakshman, who hails from Arimakulapalle in Chittoor district, ekes out a living as a construction worker. While browsing through his Facebook account, he connected with Vigneshwari.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Love blossomed even as the duo exchanged their thoughts on the social media platform and this overseas relationship continued for years. On July 8, Vigneshwari landed in Chennai on a tourist visa. Lakshman welcomed her and brought her to his home. The couple tied the knot on July 20 at a temple in the district. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Former chief minister of Karnataka SM Krishna noted that earlier whenever he used to say that Bengaluru will overtake Singapore, nobody used to believe him. But today, the city has surpassed the economic capabilities of Singapore by a huge margin, he said at the 66th annual awards ceremony of Bangalore Management Association (BMA) in the city on Saturday. Krishna, who was also governor of Maharashtra, said almost 45% of revenue for Karnataka comes from Bengaluru. For some time the city was sidelined and not much development happened, but with the new government and (Deputy CM) D K Shivakumar as Bengaluru Development Minister, I am positive that the silicon valley of India will flourish and ideas of growth will be refocused. He recalled policies and experiences about infrastructure policies from his tenure and how Bengaluru has progressed. Adding that at the end of the decade, India will be the third largest economy, and several governments over the years have made it happen by contributing in all spheres. Krishna is a Padma Vibhushan awardee and was felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the association. K Ullas Kamath, chairman, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Karnataka Council, said Karnataka is the only state in the country that has industry, government and academia collaboration and all of them work in tandem. He added, Currently, Karnataka is the third highest contributor to the nations GDP at 8.4% after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. In a few years, we should be able to overtake Tamil Nadu by contributing 10% to Indias GDP. Encouraging entrepreneurship and pushing for family businesses to find space in mainstream economic development, he said, We need to create about 21 lakh jobs every year to meet the demand. For their contributions in different sectors, 18 exceptional individuals from the state were presented with excellence awards by the association at Chancery Pavilion. BENGALURU: Former chief minister of Karnataka SM Krishna noted that earlier whenever he used to say that Bengaluru will overtake Singapore, nobody used to believe him. But today, the city has surpassed the economic capabilities of Singapore by a huge margin, he said at the 66th annual awards ceremony of Bangalore Management Association (BMA) in the city on Saturday. Krishna, who was also governor of Maharashtra, said almost 45% of revenue for Karnataka comes from Bengaluru. For some time the city was sidelined and not much development happened, but with the new government and (Deputy CM) D K Shivakumar as Bengaluru Development Minister, I am positive that the silicon valley of India will flourish and ideas of growth will be refocused. He recalled policies and experiences about infrastructure policies from his tenure and how Bengaluru has progressed. Adding that at the end of the decade, India will be the third largest economy, and several governments over the years have made it happen by contributing in all spheres. Krishna is a Padma Vibhushan awardee and was felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the association. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); K Ullas Kamath, chairman, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Karnataka Council, said Karnataka is the only state in the country that has industry, government and academia collaboration and all of them work in tandem. He added, Currently, Karnataka is the third highest contributor to the nations GDP at 8.4% after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. In a few years, we should be able to overtake Tamil Nadu by contributing 10% to Indias GDP. Encouraging entrepreneurship and pushing for family businesses to find space in mainstream economic development, he said, We need to create about 21 lakh jobs every year to meet the demand. For their contributions in different sectors, 18 exceptional individuals from the state were presented with excellence awards by the association at Chancery Pavilion. By Online Desk CHENNAI: Coimbatore South Constituency MLA Vanathi Srinivasan has slammed the Tamil Nadu government for the arrest of Badri Seshadri. Police from Perambalur travelled 270-km to arrest Badri Seshadri from his house in Chennai at 5 am on Saturday. While strongly condemning the arrest, Vanathi Srinivasan, in a statement said that the DMK government in the state is arresting those who post comments on social media with the intention of instilling fear in the minds of its opponents. The action reeks of fascism. If people were to be arrested based on their social media comments, most DMK leaders should be in jail, she added. Vanathi, who is also the national president of BJP's women's wing, demanded the release of Badri Seshadri and wanted the cases against him to be withdrawn. In an interview on a YouTube channel, Seshadri, referring to the violence in Manipur, wondered aloud whether it was prudent to approach the courts in the first place. He said, The court is acting without reason. Im not sure whether the judges themselves have knowledge about the issues among the locals and the ground situation. He also asked if the CJI would dare to stand in Manipur wielding a gun. CHENNAI: Coimbatore South Constituency MLA Vanathi Srinivasan has slammed the Tamil Nadu government for the arrest of Badri Seshadri. Police from Perambalur travelled 270-km to arrest Badri Seshadri from his house in Chennai at 5 am on Saturday. While strongly condemning the arrest, Vanathi Srinivasan, in a statement said that the DMK government in the state is arresting those who post comments on social media with the intention of instilling fear in the minds of its opponents. The action reeks of fascism. If people were to be arrested based on their social media comments, most DMK leaders should be in jail, she added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Vanathi, who is also the national president of BJP's women's wing, demanded the release of Badri Seshadri and wanted the cases against him to be withdrawn. In an interview on a YouTube channel, Seshadri, referring to the violence in Manipur, wondered aloud whether it was prudent to approach the courts in the first place. He said, The court is acting without reason. Im not sure whether the judges themselves have knowledge about the issues among the locals and the ground situation. He also asked if the CJI would dare to stand in Manipur wielding a gun. By Online Desk CHENNAI: The DMK government is using its police force to betray the farmers, said farmers' association leader P R Pandian at Sethiathoppu in Cuddalore district on Sunday. Pandian was stopped by the police from proceeding to Valayamadevi where Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) India Ltd is using an earthmover to clear fertile lands acquired by it several years ago for its expansion activities. NLC's move has triggered protests in Cuddalore lately. Speaking to reporters, Tamil Nadu Federation of All Farmers' Association leader, Pandian said that the state government is intimidating the farmers by hoisting false cases against them. The government is throttling democracy with its acts. He said farmers and the local people welcomed NLC when it moved to Cuddalore in 1956 with the hope that it would generate employment and boost the local economy. But NLC failed to fulfill its promises to the farmers. Against this backdrop, Chief Minister MK Stalin's promises to farmers about compensation for their land and jobs rings hollow, Pandian said. On July 28, an anti-NLC protest organized by the Paatali Makkal Katchi (PMK) turned violent after party cadres allegedly pelted stones at the police. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, who led the protest, and his supporters were detained by the police. Speaking to reporters at Thoothukudi airport on July 29, Anbumani Ramadoss said that the state government must immediately stop land acquisition by NLCIL or this might begin the countdown for the DMK regime. Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president Kamal Haasan on Saturday demanded NLC drop its expansion plan considering the public opposition to it. CHENNAI: The DMK government is using its police force to betray the farmers, said farmers' association leader P R Pandian at Sethiathoppu in Cuddalore district on Sunday. Pandian was stopped by the police from proceeding to Valayamadevi where Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) India Ltd is using an earthmover to clear fertile lands acquired by it several years ago for its expansion activities. NLC's move has triggered protests in Cuddalore lately. Speaking to reporters, Tamil Nadu Federation of All Farmers' Association leader, Pandian said that the state government is intimidating the farmers by hoisting false cases against them. The government is throttling democracy with its acts.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He said farmers and the local people welcomed NLC when it moved to Cuddalore in 1956 with the hope that it would generate employment and boost the local economy. But NLC failed to fulfill its promises to the farmers. Against this backdrop, Chief Minister MK Stalin's promises to farmers about compensation for their land and jobs rings hollow, Pandian said. On July 28, an anti-NLC protest organized by the Paatali Makkal Katchi (PMK) turned violent after party cadres allegedly pelted stones at the police. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, who led the protest, and his supporters were detained by the police. Speaking to reporters at Thoothukudi airport on July 29, Anbumani Ramadoss said that the state government must immediately stop land acquisition by NLCIL or this might begin the countdown for the DMK regime. Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president Kamal Haasan on Saturday demanded NLC drop its expansion plan considering the public opposition to it. Rajesh Asnani By JAIPUR: BJP chief JP Nadda participated in a key party session for the Rajasthan elections in Jaipur on Saturday. During his one-day visit, Nadda held a crucial meeting with the core committee and prominent leaders of the party at the state headquarters. The visit gains significance as it comes in the midst of the election year, with several top BJP leaders making trips to the desert state. The BJP plans a grand conclusion of the Nahi Sahega Rajasthan which the party has been running in the state for the past fortnight. The party is also organising three parivartan yatras across the state, but who will lead these yatras is unclear even after the meeting today. Notably, this is the first election in the state where the party has refrained from announcing its chief ministerial candidate, breaking the party tradition. Speculation is rife that a major announcement concerning former chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia could be made. These rumours gained further momentum after Raje was appointed as the national vice president of the BJP. However, following Naddas meeting, no concrete announcement was made regarding the CM face. Nadda did not respond to questions, but BJP chief CP Joshi expressed confidence in the partys ability to form the government in Rajasthan and asserted that the party stands united. The final decision on CMs face would be taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board. Joshi shared information about the partys plans for August 1, which includes seven programs to be held. Among the upcoming initiatives, the party will undertake three Parivartan Yatras in the state in September. The route plan for these yatras is being finalised. Joshi launched an attack on the state led by CM Ashok Gehlot. He criticized the governments weak law and order situation, which he claimed has added to the troubles of the people. Joshi also highlighted the governments selective handling of criminal cases, pointing out the appointment of Salman Khurshid as a lawyer to defend certain suspects while neglecting other cases related to bomb blasts. Parivartan yatras The party will undertake three Parivartan Yatras in Rajasthan in September. The route plan for these yatras is being finalised. State party chief Joshi hit out at the governments weak law and order situation, which he claimed added to troubles of the people. JAIPUR: BJP chief JP Nadda participated in a key party session for the Rajasthan elections in Jaipur on Saturday. During his one-day visit, Nadda held a crucial meeting with the core committee and prominent leaders of the party at the state headquarters. The visit gains significance as it comes in the midst of the election year, with several top BJP leaders making trips to the desert state. The BJP plans a grand conclusion of the Nahi Sahega Rajasthan which the party has been running in the state for the past fortnight. The party is also organising three parivartan yatras across the state, but who will lead these yatras is unclear even after the meeting today. Notably, this is the first election in the state where the party has refrained from announcing its chief ministerial candidate, breaking the party tradition. Speculation is rife that a major announcement concerning former chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia could be made. These rumours gained further momentum after Raje was appointed as the national vice president of the BJP.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); However, following Naddas meeting, no concrete announcement was made regarding the CM face. Nadda did not respond to questions, but BJP chief CP Joshi expressed confidence in the partys ability to form the government in Rajasthan and asserted that the party stands united. The final decision on CMs face would be taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board. Joshi shared information about the partys plans for August 1, which includes seven programs to be held. Among the upcoming initiatives, the party will undertake three Parivartan Yatras in the state in September. The route plan for these yatras is being finalised. Joshi launched an attack on the state led by CM Ashok Gehlot. He criticized the governments weak law and order situation, which he claimed has added to the troubles of the people. Joshi also highlighted the governments selective handling of criminal cases, pointing out the appointment of Salman Khurshid as a lawyer to defend certain suspects while neglecting other cases related to bomb blasts. Parivartan yatras The party will undertake three Parivartan Yatras in Rajasthan in September. The route plan for these yatras is being finalised. State party chief Joshi hit out at the governments weak law and order situation, which he claimed added to troubles of the people. Express News Service By MUMBAI: The police in Maharashtras Amravati district on Saturday registered a case against Sambhaji Bhide for his alleged derogatory remarks on Mahatma Gandhi, with state Congress chief Nana Patole insisting the right-wing activist must be arrested. Patole said his party would agitate after the end of the Monsoon session of the Assembly on August 4 if Bhide is not put behind bars. Bhide, founder of Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan outfit, is accused of making offensive remarks about the Father of the Nation in his speech during a programme at Bharat Mangal Hall in Badnera Road in Amravati district on Thursday. The Rajapeth police in Amravati booked Bhide under IPC section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), an official said.If the state does not arrest Bhide, the Congress will organise protests across Maharashtra, Patole said. MUMBAI: The police in Maharashtras Amravati district on Saturday registered a case against Sambhaji Bhide for his alleged derogatory remarks on Mahatma Gandhi, with state Congress chief Nana Patole insisting the right-wing activist must be arrested. Patole said his party would agitate after the end of the Monsoon session of the Assembly on August 4 if Bhide is not put behind bars. Bhide, founder of Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan outfit, is accused of making offensive remarks about the Father of the Nation in his speech during a programme at Bharat Mangal Hall in Badnera Road in Amravati district on Thursday. The Rajapeth police in Amravati booked Bhide under IPC section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), an official said.If the state does not arrest Bhide, the Congress will organise protests across Maharashtra, Patole said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Yeshi Seli By NEW DELHI: Israel has accused an Indian film, released on the OTT platform, of trivialising the holocaust and called it disturbing. "I did not and will not watch the film Bawaal but from what Ive read, there was a poor choice of terminology and symbolism. Trivialization of the Holocaust should disturb all. I urge those who dont know enough about the horrors of the Holocaust to educate themselves about it," said Israels Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon. The film Bawaal, which has been released on the OTT platform, has a reference to Auschwitz which hasnt gone down well with the Israelis. The line which has raised a storm is when actor Jahnvi Kapoor says `har Rishta apne-apne Auschwitz se guzarta hai. "There was a poor choice in the use of some terminology in the movie and though we assume no malice was intended, we urge everyone who may not be fully aware of the horrors of the Holocaust to educate themselves about it. Our embassy is constantly working to propagate educational materials on this crucial subject, and we are open to engaging in conversations with all individuals to foster a better understanding of the universal lessons derived from the Holocaust. The Israeli embassy is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie 'Bawaal', according to a statement issued by the Israeli Embassy in Delhi. Meanwhile, the movie follows the journey of Ajay Dixit aka Ajju (Varun Dhawan), a small-town high school history teacher, and his newlywed wife Nisha (Janhvi Kapoor) who decide to go on, a Second World War trail across Europe by visiting Poland, the Netherlands, and Germany. The couple, who is already suffering from a strained marriage, struggles to remain afloat despite a series of events that put their love to the test and make them face their inner demons. The Director of the film Nilesh Tiwari has used World War-2 as a metaphor and the backdrop of the story. NEW DELHI: Israel has accused an Indian film, released on the OTT platform, of trivialising the holocaust and called it disturbing. "I did not and will not watch the film Bawaal but from what Ive read, there was a poor choice of terminology and symbolism. Trivialization of the Holocaust should disturb all. I urge those who dont know enough about the horrors of the Holocaust to educate themselves about it," said Israels Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon. The film Bawaal, which has been released on the OTT platform, has a reference to Auschwitz which hasnt gone down well with the Israelis. The line which has raised a storm is when actor Jahnvi Kapoor says `har Rishta apne-apne Auschwitz se guzarta hai.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "There was a poor choice in the use of some terminology in the movie and though we assume no malice was intended, we urge everyone who may not be fully aware of the horrors of the Holocaust to educate themselves about it. Our embassy is constantly working to propagate educational materials on this crucial subject, and we are open to engaging in conversations with all individuals to foster a better understanding of the universal lessons derived from the Holocaust. The Israeli embassy is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie 'Bawaal', according to a statement issued by the Israeli Embassy in Delhi. Meanwhile, the movie follows the journey of Ajay Dixit aka Ajju (Varun Dhawan), a small-town high school history teacher, and his newlywed wife Nisha (Janhvi Kapoor) who decide to go on, a Second World War trail across Europe by visiting Poland, the Netherlands, and Germany. The couple, who is already suffering from a strained marriage, struggles to remain afloat despite a series of events that put their love to the test and make them face their inner demons. The Director of the film Nilesh Tiwari has used World War-2 as a metaphor and the backdrop of the story. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hailed Sundays meeting of the Palestinian factions general secretaries in Egypt as a first and important step toward dialogue and unity among the factions. Abbas made the remarks as he read out the final communique of the meeting that he chaired in northern Egypts New Alamein City with the participation of several Palestinian factions. Abbas called for the factions to form a committee that will be charged with completing the dialogue on the different files and issues discussed today, with the aim of ending the division and achieving Palestinian national unity. I call for this committee to start work immediately and brief us on the agreements and recommendations that it reaches, Abbas said. The Palestinian leader thanked Egypt for hosting the meeting, praising President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis keen support for Palestinian unity. I hope that we may have another meeting soon on the soil of the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt, stated Abbas. Abbas thanked the Palestinian factions for their positive efforts to reach a comprehensive national agreement that restores the well-deserved esteem of our cause. The president also thanked Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Russia and China for their efforts to end the disunity among Palestinians. "The coup d'etat and the division that befell us after... must end," said Abbas during Sunday's talks, referring to clashes between Hamas and Fatah that followed the 2006 vote, AFP reported. "We must return to a single state, a single system, a single law and a single legitimate army," asserted the Palestinian leader. Delegations from various Palestinian factions, including Hamas, Fatah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), attended the meeting, however, some were absent. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Vanguard for the Popular Liberation War Lightning Forces, and a group from the PFLP refused to participate in the meeting over the Palestinian authoritys refusal to release their arrested resistance members. During the talks, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called for Abbas to end "political arrests" and "security collaboration" with Israel, several representatives in attendance told AFP. With PIJ and two other factions absent, Sunday's meeting was "incomplete", Haniyeh said. The Hamas leader called for "the restructuring of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO)", an umbrella institution promoting Palestinian statehood. The body includes most Palestinian factions, but not Hamas or PIJ. The PLO is "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people", said Abbas. The Palestinian president has called for "peaceful popular resistance", in contrast to Haniyeh's advocacy for "comprehensive resistance". The Hamas leader also said that "a new, inclusive parliament must be formed on the basis of free democratic elections." Both Fatah and Hamas, in separate statements, said that they are seeking to unify the Palestinian position and reach a consensus on a unified national strategic plan to confront the occupation. The factions' meeting comes amid a resurgence of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and particularly in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967. Violence linked to the conflict has killed at least 203 Palestinians, 27 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian this year, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources from both sides. Abbas called the meeting in response to the two-day Israeli incursion into Jenin and its refugee camp earlier in July, which resulted in the loss of 13 Palestinian lives and left over 100 others injured. On Sunday, Abbas held a meeting with the Head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service (GIS) Abbas Kamel, where they discussed recent developments amid Israeli aggression against the Palestinian lands, people, and their sanctities, said the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo in a statement. Search Keywords: Short link: Jitendra Choubey By NEW DELHI: First, the good news. Indias tiger population has gone up by 24% since 2018 to at least 3,167. The average population is estimated at 3,682. In fact, the country has about 75% of the worlds tiger headcount, which is a testimony to robust national conservation efforts. According to an analysis by the Wildlife Institute of India, based on both camera-trapped and non-camera-trapped tiger presence areas the upper and lower limits of the tiger population are estimated at 3,925 and 3,167, with the average count of 3,682, reflecting an annual growth rate of 6.1%. In the 2018 census, the average tiger population was 2,967. Now, the worrying trend. The Status of Tiger 2022 report released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority on Saturday captures the uneven growth of its population. For example, tigers remained extinct in Mizoram and Nagaland and are on the verge of extinction in Jharkhand. Their population in Mizoram and Nagaland stayed at zero, while in Jharkhand, it declined from five in 2018 to one. Chhattisgarh (19 to 17), Odisha (28 to 20), Arunachal Pradesh (29 to 9) and Telangana (26 to 21), too, witnessed a population dip. The report underlined that mining activities in protected zones have negatively impacted the tiger habitat. Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are going through intensive mining activities. Moreover, approximately 35% of the tiger reserves urgently require enhanced protection measures, habitat restoration, ungulate (animal) augmentation and subsequent tiger reintroduction. The report suggested that strengthening the security of the protected area and intensifying anti-poaching measures are the need of the hour to conserve tigers. It also sought targeted monitoring and conservation in localised areas like the Western Ghats. On the flip side, the Central, Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains witnessed a significant increase in tiger population, particularly in MP, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. India has 53 tiger reserves spread across 75,796 sq km. There is tiger abundance in Corbett (260), followed by Bandipur (150), Nagarhole (141), Bandhavgarh (135), Dudhwa (135), Mudumalai (114), Kanha (105), Kaziranga (104), Sundarbans (100), Tadoba (97), Sathyamangalam (85) and Pench-MP (77). NEW DELHI: First, the good news. Indias tiger population has gone up by 24% since 2018 to at least 3,167. The average population is estimated at 3,682. In fact, the country has about 75% of the worlds tiger headcount, which is a testimony to robust national conservation efforts. According to an analysis by the Wildlife Institute of India, based on both camera-trapped and non-camera-trapped tiger presence areas the upper and lower limits of the tiger population are estimated at 3,925 and 3,167, with the average count of 3,682, reflecting an annual growth rate of 6.1%. In the 2018 census, the average tiger population was 2,967. Now, the worrying trend. The Status of Tiger 2022 report released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority on Saturday captures the uneven growth of its population. For example, tigers remained extinct in Mizoram and Nagaland and are on the verge of extinction in Jharkhand. Their population in Mizoram and Nagaland stayed at zero, while in Jharkhand, it declined from five in 2018 to one. Chhattisgarh (19 to 17), Odisha (28 to 20), Arunachal Pradesh (29 to 9) and Telangana (26 to 21), too, witnessed a population dip.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The report underlined that mining activities in protected zones have negatively impacted the tiger habitat. Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are going through intensive mining activities. Moreover, approximately 35% of the tiger reserves urgently require enhanced protection measures, habitat restoration, ungulate (animal) augmentation and subsequent tiger reintroduction. The report suggested that strengthening the security of the protected area and intensifying anti-poaching measures are the need of the hour to conserve tigers. It also sought targeted monitoring and conservation in localised areas like the Western Ghats. On the flip side, the Central, Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains witnessed a significant increase in tiger population, particularly in MP, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. India has 53 tiger reserves spread across 75,796 sq km. There is tiger abundance in Corbett (260), followed by Bandipur (150), Nagarhole (141), Bandhavgarh (135), Dudhwa (135), Mudumalai (114), Kanha (105), Kaziranga (104), Sundarbans (100), Tadoba (97), Sathyamangalam (85) and Pench-MP (77). Fayaz Wani By SRI NAGAR: After allowing the Shia community to take out Muharram processions in Srinagar after a gap of 34 years, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in a major outreach on Saturday joined the main (10th) Muharram procession of Shia Muslims in Srinagar. It was for the first time in over three decades that the head of the state has joined the Muharram procession in J&K. The main Muharram procession was taken out from the Bota Kadal area of downtown Srinagar after a gap of 34 years instead of the traditional route from Abi-Guzar to Zadibal. The 8th and 10th Muharram processions were banned in Srinagar after the outbreak of militancy in J&K in 1989. However, with the improvement in ground situation and considerable drop in militancy violence in Valley, the Lt Governor administration permitted the 8th and 10th Muharram processions this year. Donned in black, Lt Sinha visited the Bota Kadal to participate in Zuljinah procession, which is observed to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS), grandson of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) during the battle of Karbala. SRI NAGAR: After allowing the Shia community to take out Muharram processions in Srinagar after a gap of 34 years, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in a major outreach on Saturday joined the main (10th) Muharram procession of Shia Muslims in Srinagar. It was for the first time in over three decades that the head of the state has joined the Muharram procession in J&K. The main Muharram procession was taken out from the Bota Kadal area of downtown Srinagar after a gap of 34 years instead of the traditional route from Abi-Guzar to Zadibal. The 8th and 10th Muharram processions were banned in Srinagar after the outbreak of militancy in J&K in 1989. However, with the improvement in ground situation and considerable drop in militancy violence in Valley, the Lt Governor administration permitted the 8th and 10th Muharram processions this year. Donned in black, Lt Sinha visited the Bota Kadal to participate in Zuljinah procession, which is observed to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS), grandson of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) during the battle of Karbala.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Shruti Kakkar By NEW DELHI: About 220 disability rights organisations and activists have urged the Law Commission of India to align Uniform Civil Code (UCC) with the existing laws protecting the rights of Persons with Disabilities. The request was made by prominent organisations as well as individuals with disabilities as the commission sought public opinion on UCC, to ensure that all voices are heard during the formulation of the law. Emphasising on the need to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities, it was stated that implementation of the UCC without careful consideration would impact the individuals significantly. We urge the Law Commission to not go ahead without adequate consultations with all stakeholders, including the disabled, their representative groups. It would also be pertinent to note that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, recognises 21 types of disabilities. Their lived experiences and interactions within these domains may vary depending on their disabilities and the degrees of their impairment. We urge the Law Commission to give serious consideration to our views and hear the voices of PwDs and their representative groups, they said. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal informed on Saturday that the Law Commission has received more than one crore suggestions regarding the Uniform Civil Code. NEW DELHI: About 220 disability rights organisations and activists have urged the Law Commission of India to align Uniform Civil Code (UCC) with the existing laws protecting the rights of Persons with Disabilities. The request was made by prominent organisations as well as individuals with disabilities as the commission sought public opinion on UCC, to ensure that all voices are heard during the formulation of the law. Emphasising on the need to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities, it was stated that implementation of the UCC without careful consideration would impact the individuals significantly. We urge the Law Commission to not go ahead without adequate consultations with all stakeholders, including the disabled, their representative groups. It would also be pertinent to note that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, recognises 21 types of disabilities. Their lived experiences and interactions within these domains may vary depending on their disabilities and the degrees of their impairment. We urge the Law Commission to give serious consideration to our views and hear the voices of PwDs and their representative groups, they said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal informed on Saturday that the Law Commission has received more than one crore suggestions regarding the Uniform Civil Code. Prasanta Mazumdar and Pronab Mondal By GUWAHATI/ KOLKATA: Congress Lok Sabha member Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday likened the present situation in Manipur to that across the Line of Control with Pakistan even as he expressed deep concern over the division of the state on ethnic lines. There is an LoC-like situation in Manipur. Both communities (Meiteis and Kukis) have weapons with them. Weapons were also given to children. When the youth should be busy in college education, they are carrying AK-47 rifles to protect their families, Gogoi told journalists. He was part of the 21 MPs of the Opposition alliance, INDIA, which arrived in the state earlier in the day. They divided themselves into two groups and visited Meitei-majority Bishnupur district in Imphal Valley and Kuki-majority Churachandpur. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury at a relief camp in Churachandpur district | pti Law and order have completely collapsed in Manipur but for some unseen reasons, Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not see any tension. He can see only power in Manipur, alleged Gogoi, who visited Bishnupur. Manipur is no longer one. There are two Manipurs now, the Assam MP further said. Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who led a team of MPs to Churachandpur, visited a relief camp there. They (inmates) are utterly scared and do not want to talk. They know this government is not going to help them, he said after the visit. In his pushback, Union minister Anurag Thakur alleged that more incidents of violence have taken place in Bengal than in Manipur and questioned why the Opposition delegation visiting the strife-torn Manipur was silent on the violence in Bengal. Thakur, who was in Kolkata, dismissed their Manipur visit as a drama. More than 57 persons were murdered in the rural poll violence. Bengal witnessed atrocities against women. More violence happened in Bengal than in Manipur, Thakur said. MEITEIS STAGE BIG PROTEST IN IMPHAL On the streets of Imphal, a counter-narrative played out on Saturday with tens of thousands of people joining a rally against what they called Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists. Drugs have been at the centre of the violent ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and the Kukis. GUWAHATI/ KOLKATA: Congress Lok Sabha member Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday likened the present situation in Manipur to that across the Line of Control with Pakistan even as he expressed deep concern over the division of the state on ethnic lines. There is an LoC-like situation in Manipur. Both communities (Meiteis and Kukis) have weapons with them. Weapons were also given to children. When the youth should be busy in college education, they are carrying AK-47 rifles to protect their families, Gogoi told journalists. He was part of the 21 MPs of the Opposition alliance, INDIA, which arrived in the state earlier in the day. They divided themselves into two groups and visited Meitei-majority Bishnupur district in Imphal Valley and Kuki-majority Churachandpur.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury at a relief camp in Churachandpur district | pti Law and order have completely collapsed in Manipur but for some unseen reasons, Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not see any tension. He can see only power in Manipur, alleged Gogoi, who visited Bishnupur. Manipur is no longer one. There are two Manipurs now, the Assam MP further said. Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who led a team of MPs to Churachandpur, visited a relief camp there. They (inmates) are utterly scared and do not want to talk. They know this government is not going to help them, he said after the visit. In his pushback, Union minister Anurag Thakur alleged that more incidents of violence have taken place in Bengal than in Manipur and questioned why the Opposition delegation visiting the strife-torn Manipur was silent on the violence in Bengal. Thakur, who was in Kolkata, dismissed their Manipur visit as a drama. More than 57 persons were murdered in the rural poll violence. Bengal witnessed atrocities against women. More violence happened in Bengal than in Manipur, Thakur said. MEITEIS STAGE BIG PROTEST IN IMPHAL On the streets of Imphal, a counter-narrative played out on Saturday with tens of thousands of people joining a rally against what they called Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists. Drugs have been at the centre of the violent ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and the Kukis. Prasanta Mazumdar By GUWAHATI: Thousands of people hit the streets of Manipurs capital Imphal on Saturday and reaffirmed their stand against the Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists. Drugs have been at the centre of the nearly three-month-long violent ethnic conflict between Meiteis and Kukis, in which nearly 150 people lost their lives and over 50,000 were displaced. The mass rally against Chin-Kuki narco terrorism commenced from the THAU ground and passed through city thorough fares before culminating at Hapta Kangjeibung, four kilometers away. Here, a public meeting was held. The locals estimated that over one lakh people from different communities and leaders of various organisations participated in it. They said they had not seen such a huge turnout of people at any event in Imphal in recent years. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which has been vocal against the menace of Chin-Kuki narco-terrorism ever since the eruption of the violence, organised the rally.The protestors adopted five resolutions. They demanded an end to the present conflict and extermination of foreign Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists.They outright rejected the demand of Kukis for a separate administration and insisted on the implementation of National Register of Citizens or NRC.NRC must be fully implemented in Manipur, the protestors demanded. Further, they demanded that a special session of the Assembly is summoned by August 5 to adopt some action-oriented resolutions to save Manipur.They warned that if the session is not summoned by the given time, strong agitations would be followed according to peoples resolutions. Finally, the protestors demanded that a memorandum should be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him of the first three resolutions.Earlier, COCOMI convenor Jeetendra Ningomba had alleged that attempts were being made by fringe elements to distort Manipurs image by lobbying with some institutions within and outside the country. Slowly, the true picture of those behind the violence has been surfacing, Ningomba had said, adding that the world would soon see and realise the violence was instigated by the Chin-Kuki illegal immigrants. GUWAHATI: Thousands of people hit the streets of Manipurs capital Imphal on Saturday and reaffirmed their stand against the Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists. Drugs have been at the centre of the nearly three-month-long violent ethnic conflict between Meiteis and Kukis, in which nearly 150 people lost their lives and over 50,000 were displaced. The mass rally against Chin-Kuki narco terrorism commenced from the THAU ground and passed through city thorough fares before culminating at Hapta Kangjeibung, four kilometers away. Here, a public meeting was held. The locals estimated that over one lakh people from different communities and leaders of various organisations participated in it. They said they had not seen such a huge turnout of people at any event in Imphal in recent years.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which has been vocal against the menace of Chin-Kuki narco-terrorism ever since the eruption of the violence, organised the rally.The protestors adopted five resolutions. They demanded an end to the present conflict and extermination of foreign Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists.They outright rejected the demand of Kukis for a separate administration and insisted on the implementation of National Register of Citizens or NRC.NRC must be fully implemented in Manipur, the protestors demanded. Further, they demanded that a special session of the Assembly is summoned by August 5 to adopt some action-oriented resolutions to save Manipur.They warned that if the session is not summoned by the given time, strong agitations would be followed according to peoples resolutions. Finally, the protestors demanded that a memorandum should be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him of the first three resolutions.Earlier, COCOMI convenor Jeetendra Ningomba had alleged that attempts were being made by fringe elements to distort Manipurs image by lobbying with some institutions within and outside the country. Slowly, the true picture of those behind the violence has been surfacing, Ningomba had said, adding that the world would soon see and realise the violence was instigated by the Chin-Kuki illegal immigrants. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 gives due respect and credit to every language in the country and those who try to politicise languages for their selfish interests will have to shut their shops. The PM said the world is looking at India as a nursery of new possibilities and several countries are approaching the government for setting up IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) campuses there. Delivering the inaugural address at the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam on the third anniversary of the launch of the NEP 2020, the Prime Minister said the NEP aims at making India a hub of research and innovation. Highlighting Indias top institutes opening their offshore campuses, Modi said, The world is looking at India as a nursery of new possibilities. Many countries are approaching us to open IIT campuses there. Two IIT campuses one in Tanzania and one in Abu Dhabi are already about to start operations... Various global universities are also reaching out to us, expressing their interest in setting up campuses in India. The PM also released the first installment of funds under the PM SHRI Scheme, under which existing schools would be selected, strengthened and upgraded.As many as 6,207 schools received the first installment with a total amounting to Rs 630 crore. The aim is to develop more than 14,500 PM Shri schools across India.He also released education and skill curriculum books translated into 12 Indian languages. Giving special thrust to the promotion of the mother tongue, Modi said, Education in the mother tongue is initiating a new form of justice for the students in India. It is also a very significant step towards social justice.He said subjects ranging from social science to engineering will now be taught in Indian languages. When students are confident in a language, their skills and talent will emerge without any restriction, he said, adding that judging youngsters on the basis of their language rather than their talent is the biggest injustice.He lamented that even though India has a number of established languages, they were presented as a sign of backwardness, and those who could not speak English were neglected and their talents were not recognised.As a result, Modi said, the children of the rural areas remained most affected. Citing examples of several developed countries, he said they have the edge owing to their local languages. Giving the example of Europe, he said most countries make use of their own native languages. Even at the United Nations, I speak in Indian language, the Prime Minister said. He pointed out that those who try to politicise language for their own selfish interests will now have to shut their shops. National Educational Policy will give due respect and credit to every language in the country, Modi said.He asked schools to make students aware of subjects such as disaster management, climate change and clean energy. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 gives due respect and credit to every language in the country and those who try to politicise languages for their selfish interests will have to shut their shops. The PM said the world is looking at India as a nursery of new possibilities and several countries are approaching the government for setting up IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) campuses there. Delivering the inaugural address at the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam on the third anniversary of the launch of the NEP 2020, the Prime Minister said the NEP aims at making India a hub of research and innovation. Highlighting Indias top institutes opening their offshore campuses, Modi said, The world is looking at India as a nursery of new possibilities. Many countries are approaching us to open IIT campuses there. Two IIT campuses one in Tanzania and one in Abu Dhabi are already about to start operations... Various global universities are also reaching out to us, expressing their interest in setting up campuses in India.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The PM also released the first installment of funds under the PM SHRI Scheme, under which existing schools would be selected, strengthened and upgraded.As many as 6,207 schools received the first installment with a total amounting to Rs 630 crore. The aim is to develop more than 14,500 PM Shri schools across India.He also released education and skill curriculum books translated into 12 Indian languages. Giving special thrust to the promotion of the mother tongue, Modi said, Education in the mother tongue is initiating a new form of justice for the students in India. It is also a very significant step towards social justice.He said subjects ranging from social science to engineering will now be taught in Indian languages. When students are confident in a language, their skills and talent will emerge without any restriction, he said, adding that judging youngsters on the basis of their language rather than their talent is the biggest injustice.He lamented that even though India has a number of established languages, they were presented as a sign of backwardness, and those who could not speak English were neglected and their talents were not recognised.As a result, Modi said, the children of the rural areas remained most affected. Citing examples of several developed countries, he said they have the edge owing to their local languages. Giving the example of Europe, he said most countries make use of their own native languages. Even at the United Nations, I speak in Indian language, the Prime Minister said. He pointed out that those who try to politicise language for their own selfish interests will now have to shut their shops. National Educational Policy will give due respect and credit to every language in the country, Modi said.He asked schools to make students aware of subjects such as disaster management, climate change and clean energy. Harpreet Bajwa By CHANDIGARH: As per the flood damage report of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the four-lane Kiratpur-Manali and Chandigarh-Kalka-Shimla Nation Highways have suffered the maximum loss due to the recent heavy rains that led to flashfloods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh. A four member expert team comprising professors from IIT, Mandi and Roorkee will be visiting the hill state in the first week of August to analyze the damage and suggest long term restoration measures. It is estimated that the total damage to national highways in the hill state is approximately between Rs 300 to Rs 400 crore. Regional Officer, National Highways Authority of India of Himachal Pradesh, Abdul Basit had on Thursday called on Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and presented the flood damage report of NHAI to the governor. He said that Kiratpur-Manali and Chandigarh-Kalka-Shimla Nation Highways suffered the most. Abdul Basit said that the maximum damage has happened on the Pandoh-Kullu-Manali National Highway. The highway at Kullu-Manali has been completely washed away at many places and the movement of vehicles is being facilitated from Raisen through the left bank. He said that to provide relief to people, who have lost the connectivity between Kullu and Manali, a 4 to 5-meter-wide temporary road is being constructed so that small vehicles can pass through. At present, five kilometre temporary road is yet to be constructed between Kalath and 16 Mile. It will be completed in the next 10 to 12 days. The construction works are getting hampered due to bad weather and continuous rains. A temporary passage between Raisento PatliKuhl has been constructed. Sources said that the Kiratpur-Manali road suffered the maximum damage at Raison, where around one-kilometre stretch of road was completely damaged by the floods in Beas river. There is no sign of the four-lane road left in the stretch. The Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway has been damaged near Koti for three to four kilometres at five places as two lanes have suffered the maximum damage, said sources. Meanwhile, Basit said that three spans of a 50-year-old bridge had collapsed on the Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh Highway, parallel to which a permanent bridge is being constructed by the NHAI. However, the work is being hampered due to frequent flooding of the drain. Havoc in Uttarakhand The devastating monsoon rains in Uttarakhand wreaked havoc in Kotdwar town of Pauri and Pithoragarh districts on Friday night. Heavy rains have created a flood-like situation in Kotdwara and the Paniali rivulet has caused the most devastation in the citys Kaudiya ward. Late at night, many houses were flooded, people left their belongings and ran to save their lives. Dr Vikram Singh, director of the State Meteorological Centre, said, A yellow alert has been issued for heavy rains in many areas across the state for the next three days. CHANDIGARH: As per the flood damage report of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the four-lane Kiratpur-Manali and Chandigarh-Kalka-Shimla Nation Highways have suffered the maximum loss due to the recent heavy rains that led to flashfloods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh. A four member expert team comprising professors from IIT, Mandi and Roorkee will be visiting the hill state in the first week of August to analyze the damage and suggest long term restoration measures. It is estimated that the total damage to national highways in the hill state is approximately between Rs 300 to Rs 400 crore. Regional Officer, National Highways Authority of India of Himachal Pradesh, Abdul Basit had on Thursday called on Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and presented the flood damage report of NHAI to the governor. He said that Kiratpur-Manali and Chandigarh-Kalka-Shimla Nation Highways suffered the most. Abdul Basit said that the maximum damage has happened on the Pandoh-Kullu-Manali National Highway. The highway at Kullu-Manali has been completely washed away at many places and the movement of vehicles is being facilitated from Raisen through the left bank. He said that to provide relief to people, who have lost the connectivity between Kullu and Manali, a 4 to 5-meter-wide temporary road is being constructed so that small vehicles can pass through. At present, five kilometre temporary road is yet to be constructed between Kalath and 16 Mile. It will be completed in the next 10 to 12 days. The construction works are getting hampered due to bad weather and continuous rains. A temporary passage between Raisento PatliKuhl has been constructed. Sources said that the Kiratpur-Manali road suffered the maximum damage at Raison, where around one-kilometre stretch of road was completely damaged by the floods in Beas river. There is no sign of the four-lane road left in the stretch. The Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway has been damaged near Koti for three to four kilometres at five places as two lanes have suffered the maximum damage, said sources. Meanwhile, Basit said that three spans of a 50-year-old bridge had collapsed on the Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh Highway, parallel to which a permanent bridge is being constructed by the NHAI. However, the work is being hampered due to frequent flooding of the drain.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Havoc in Uttarakhand The devastating monsoon rains in Uttarakhand wreaked havoc in Kotdwar town of Pauri and Pithoragarh districts on Friday night. Heavy rains have created a flood-like situation in Kotdwara and the Paniali rivulet has caused the most devastation in the citys Kaudiya ward. Late at night, many houses were flooded, people left their belongings and ran to save their lives. Dr Vikram Singh, director of the State Meteorological Centre, said, A yellow alert has been issued for heavy rains in many areas across the state for the next three days. Prasanta Mazumdar By Winston Churchill had famously said never let a good crisis go to waste. As if taking a cue from the wise mans eternal quote, the battle-hardened Mizoram Chief Minister, Zoramthanga, has deftly used the crisis in neighbouring Manipur to not only send a message to the minority Kukis, but also win sympathy and support of the Mizo people of his state who will vote to elect a new government in a few months. Mizos, Kukis, Zomis, Hmars, Chins (Myanmar) and Chin-Kukis (Bangladesh) are ethnic cousins belonging to the Zo community. They share the same ancestry, culture and tradition. Nearly 150 people have been killed and over 50,000 others rendered homeless by the violence in Manipur. According to latest official figures, 12,584 displaced tribals are taking shelter in Mizoram. Passions are running high among tribals of the northeastern states over violence against their kin in Manipur. The wily Zoramthanga has moved in to use the opportunity to launch his own campaign in Mizoram. He is also using the opportunity to raise the demand of unification of all Zo areas of Northeast. After walking along with protestors in his state capital in a solidarity march for Kuki-Zo tribals earlier this week, Zoramthanga said, The wound is deep and it is very difficult to heal this with a painkiller. It needs a thorough investigation. He also said it was up to the Centre and Manipur chief minister Biren Singh to decide if the latter should step down. Sourav Roy As a former insurgent leader-turned-politician, Zoramthanga knows the implications of an ethnic strife too well. He, therefore, lost no time to wade into the troubled waters. He stood by the Kuki-Zo tribals all along as the violence flared up. So, when the strip-parade video involving two Vaiphei women went viral, he minced no words in condemning it despite being an ally of BJP. Many lives have been lost. There is bloodshed all over. With no iota of doubt, those victims are my kin, my own blood. Should we remain silent in this situation? I dont think so! he said. For him, the issue involving his fellow Zo tribals is bigger than coalition politics. His party, Mizo National Front, is a component of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). But that did not stop him from going hammer and tongs against the Manipur CM. Though we are with NDA, we do not subscribe to its policies and objectives, he announced. Zoramthanga has mounted pressure on the Central and Manipur governments for an early cessation of violence and a political solution. The two MPs from his state, both from MNF, have expressed their desire to quit NDA. K Vanlalvena (Rajya Sabha) and C Lalrosanga (Lok Sabha) said they were waiting for the party leaderships nod. For the record, regional parties in the Northeast are known to change coalition equations overnight. It is a culture here that they like to align and merge themselves with the party in power at the Centre. Ideologies do not work. One reason for such partnership is to ensure the free flow of funds from Delhi. Zoramthanga (79) is a three-time CM. He was second in command to Laldenga, the pioneering leader who was the MNF chief during the Mizo secession movement. Zoramthanga joined the movement in its early days in 1966 and moved to the jungle. Laldenga engaged him as his secretary and he held the post for seven years. In 1979, he became MNF vice chief. After Mizoram attained statehood, he was appointed as a minister in the interim government in 1987. In 1990, when Laldenga died, Zoramthanga was entrusted with the task of heading MNF. The party has won the state polls in 1998, 2003 and 2018 with Zoramthanga taking over as the CM. Manipur has been ethnically divided in the wake of the violence. Kukis cannot enter the Imphal valley and similarly, the Meiteis cannot leave the Imphal valley as arterial highways pass through Kuki villages in the hills. With no immediate rapprochement between the two warring communities in sight, the Kukis are now demanding a separate administration. It has brought the dream of unification of all Zo areas in the limelight with the Mizos fully backing it. Zoramthanga said the unification of Mizo-inhabited areas of other states to form one administrative unit was one of the main objectives of the MNFs founding leaders. An MNF delegation had raised the issue of merger with the Centre. It was pointed out to them (delegation) on behalf of the Centre that Article 3 prescribes the procedure in this regard but the government cannot make any commitment, he said. Winston Churchill had famously said never let a good crisis go to waste. As if taking a cue from the wise mans eternal quote, the battle-hardened Mizoram Chief Minister, Zoramthanga, has deftly used the crisis in neighbouring Manipur to not only send a message to the minority Kukis, but also win sympathy and support of the Mizo people of his state who will vote to elect a new government in a few months. Mizos, Kukis, Zomis, Hmars, Chins (Myanmar) and Chin-Kukis (Bangladesh) are ethnic cousins belonging to the Zo community. They share the same ancestry, culture and tradition. Nearly 150 people have been killed and over 50,000 others rendered homeless by the violence in Manipur. According to latest official figures, 12,584 displaced tribals are taking shelter in Mizoram. Passions are running high among tribals of the northeastern states over violence against their kin in Manipur. The wily Zoramthanga has moved in to use the opportunity to launch his own campaign in Mizoram. He is also using the opportunity to raise the demand of unification of all Zo areas of Northeast.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); After walking along with protestors in his state capital in a solidarity march for Kuki-Zo tribals earlier this week, Zoramthanga said, The wound is deep and it is very difficult to heal this with a painkiller. It needs a thorough investigation. He also said it was up to the Centre and Manipur chief minister Biren Singh to decide if the latter should step down. Sourav RoyAs a former insurgent leader-turned-politician, Zoramthanga knows the implications of an ethnic strife too well. He, therefore, lost no time to wade into the troubled waters. He stood by the Kuki-Zo tribals all along as the violence flared up. So, when the strip-parade video involving two Vaiphei women went viral, he minced no words in condemning it despite being an ally of BJP. Many lives have been lost. There is bloodshed all over. With no iota of doubt, those victims are my kin, my own blood. Should we remain silent in this situation? I dont think so! he said. For him, the issue involving his fellow Zo tribals is bigger than coalition politics. His party, Mizo National Front, is a component of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). But that did not stop him from going hammer and tongs against the Manipur CM. Though we are with NDA, we do not subscribe to its policies and objectives, he announced. Zoramthanga has mounted pressure on the Central and Manipur governments for an early cessation of violence and a political solution. The two MPs from his state, both from MNF, have expressed their desire to quit NDA. K Vanlalvena (Rajya Sabha) and C Lalrosanga (Lok Sabha) said they were waiting for the party leaderships nod. For the record, regional parties in the Northeast are known to change coalition equations overnight. It is a culture here that they like to align and merge themselves with the party in power at the Centre. Ideologies do not work. One reason for such partnership is to ensure the free flow of funds from Delhi. Zoramthanga (79) is a three-time CM. He was second in command to Laldenga, the pioneering leader who was the MNF chief during the Mizo secession movement. Zoramthanga joined the movement in its early days in 1966 and moved to the jungle. Laldenga engaged him as his secretary and he held the post for seven years. In 1979, he became MNF vice chief. After Mizoram attained statehood, he was appointed as a minister in the interim government in 1987. In 1990, when Laldenga died, Zoramthanga was entrusted with the task of heading MNF. The party has won the state polls in 1998, 2003 and 2018 with Zoramthanga taking over as the CM. Manipur has been ethnically divided in the wake of the violence. Kukis cannot enter the Imphal valley and similarly, the Meiteis cannot leave the Imphal valley as arterial highways pass through Kuki villages in the hills. With no immediate rapprochement between the two warring communities in sight, the Kukis are now demanding a separate administration. It has brought the dream of unification of all Zo areas in the limelight with the Mizos fully backing it. Zoramthanga said the unification of Mizo-inhabited areas of other states to form one administrative unit was one of the main objectives of the MNFs founding leaders. An MNF delegation had raised the issue of merger with the Centre. It was pointed out to them (delegation) on behalf of the Centre that Article 3 prescribes the procedure in this regard but the government cannot make any commitment, he said. By Associated Press KHAR: An explosion at a political rally on Pakistans border with Afghanistan killed at least 44 people and wounded nearly 200 in a Sunday attack that a senior leader said wanted to weaken Pakistani Islamists. The Bajur district near the Afghan border was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban a close ally of Afghanistans Taliban government before the Pakistani army drove the militants out of the area. Supporters of hardline Pakistani cleric and political party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam generally supports regional Islamists, were meeting in Bajur Sunday in a hall close to a market outside the district capital. Party officials said Rehman was not at the rally but organizers added tents because so many supporters showed up, and party volunteers with batons were helping control the crowd. Officials were announcing the arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party when the bomb went off in one of Pakistans bloodiest attacks in recent years. There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs, said Adam Khan, 45, who was knocked to the ground by the blast around 4 p.m. and hit by splinters in his leg and both hands. The Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the bombing was aimed at setting Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that such crimes cannot be justified in any way. The Afghan Talibans seizure of power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government in November, and have stepped up attacks across the country. The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan. In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere. Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The Associated Press that so far 44 people had been martyred and nearly 200 wounded in the bombing. The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. n February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters. Prime Minister Sharif and President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families. Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehmans party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt. Rasheed, the regional chief of the party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work. The bombing drew nationwide condemnation, with the ruling and opposition parties extending condolences to the families of those who died in the attack. Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections. Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more were wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones, Rasheed said. Mohammad Wali, another attendant at the rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him. I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground, he said. We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones. KHAR: An explosion at a political rally on Pakistans border with Afghanistan killed at least 44 people and wounded nearly 200 in a Sunday attack that a senior leader said wanted to weaken Pakistani Islamists. The Bajur district near the Afghan border was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban a close ally of Afghanistans Taliban government before the Pakistani army drove the militants out of the area. Supporters of hardline Pakistani cleric and political party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam generally supports regional Islamists, were meeting in Bajur Sunday in a hall close to a market outside the district capital. Party officials said Rehman was not at the rally but organizers added tents because so many supporters showed up, and party volunteers with batons were helping control the crowd. Officials were announcing the arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party when the bomb went off in one of Pakistans bloodiest attacks in recent years.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs, said Adam Khan, 45, who was knocked to the ground by the blast around 4 p.m. and hit by splinters in his leg and both hands. The Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the bombing was aimed at setting Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that such crimes cannot be justified in any way. The Afghan Talibans seizure of power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government in November, and have stepped up attacks across the country. The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan. In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere. Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The Associated Press that so far 44 people had been martyred and nearly 200 wounded in the bombing. The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. n February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters. Prime Minister Sharif and President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families. Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehmans party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt. Rasheed, the regional chief of the party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work. The bombing drew nationwide condemnation, with the ruling and opposition parties extending condolences to the families of those who died in the attack. Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections. Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more were wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones, Rasheed said. Mohammad Wali, another attendant at the rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him. I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground, he said. We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones. By AFP BANYUMAS: Eight people trapped in an illegal gold mine on the Indonesian island of Java are feared dead, a local rescue official said Sunday, as search efforts entered a fifth day with little progress. Unlicensed mines -- many with disregard for basic safety measures -- are common across the mineral-rich Southeast Asian archipelago and accidents are frequent. The workers were digging inside a hole with a depth of 60 metres (200 feet) in Pancurendang village in Central Java on Tuesday evening when water suddenly flooded the illegal mine. Rescuers had deployed water pumps around the clock and worked to dam a nearby river in a frantic bid to get the water out of the mining shaft but it remained flooded on Sunday. "This is already the fifth day. We expect the bad news that the victims have died," local search and rescue agency head Adah Sudarsa told reporters Sunday. Sudarsa said the rescue effort would continue until Tuesday in the hope of retrieving the miners' bodies, which are yet to be found. Authorities had planned to deploy divers to find the miners but local rescue official Priyo Prayudha Utama told AFP "it was not possible" because the mine shaft was too narrow. Most of the trapped miners had moved from West Java to mine in the region, police said. On Friday police charged four people with allegedly operating the mine without a permit. The suspects, including one who remains at large, face up to five years in prison and 100 billion rupiah ($6.6 million) in fines. In 2021, six people were killed on Sulawesi Island after an illegal gold mine collapsed. At least 16 people were killed two years earlier when another illegal gold mine on the island collapsed and buried the workers. In 2016, 11 miners died after a mudslide engulfed an illegal gold mine in Sumatra's Jambi province. BANYUMAS: Eight people trapped in an illegal gold mine on the Indonesian island of Java are feared dead, a local rescue official said Sunday, as search efforts entered a fifth day with little progress. Unlicensed mines -- many with disregard for basic safety measures -- are common across the mineral-rich Southeast Asian archipelago and accidents are frequent. The workers were digging inside a hole with a depth of 60 metres (200 feet) in Pancurendang village in Central Java on Tuesday evening when water suddenly flooded the illegal mine.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Rescuers had deployed water pumps around the clock and worked to dam a nearby river in a frantic bid to get the water out of the mining shaft but it remained flooded on Sunday. "This is already the fifth day. We expect the bad news that the victims have died," local search and rescue agency head Adah Sudarsa told reporters Sunday. Sudarsa said the rescue effort would continue until Tuesday in the hope of retrieving the miners' bodies, which are yet to be found. Authorities had planned to deploy divers to find the miners but local rescue official Priyo Prayudha Utama told AFP "it was not possible" because the mine shaft was too narrow. Most of the trapped miners had moved from West Java to mine in the region, police said. On Friday police charged four people with allegedly operating the mine without a permit. The suspects, including one who remains at large, face up to five years in prison and 100 billion rupiah ($6.6 million) in fines. In 2021, six people were killed on Sulawesi Island after an illegal gold mine collapsed. At least 16 people were killed two years earlier when another illegal gold mine on the island collapsed and buried the workers. In 2016, 11 miners died after a mudslide engulfed an illegal gold mine in Sumatra's Jambi province. Sudan's paramilitaries have ordered civilians to vacate homes in the capital's south, several residents said Sunday, as fighting between the forces of rival generals raged in the western Darfur region. "Members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) told me I had 24 hours to leave the area," Khartoum resident Fawzy Radwan told AFP. He had been guarding his family's home since fighting began in the city more than three months ago between the RSF and the regular army. The war between Sudanese army lead by chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has killed at least 3,900 people, according to a conservative estimate, and displaced some 3.5 million. Much of the fighting has occurred in densely populated neighbourhoods of Khartoum, pushing 1.7 million residents to flee and forcing the millions who remain to shelter from the crossfire in their homes, rationing water and electricity. Hundreds of residents were being evicted from southern Khartoum's Jabra neighbourhood, according to residents on Sunday. Jabra and the nearby area of Sahafa are home to the army artillery corps as well as an RSF base used by Daglo. "They told us this is a military zone now and they don't want civilians around," resident Nasser Hussein told AFP. The RSF has been accused of rampant looting and of forcibly evicting people from their homes since the war began on April 15. Along with Khartoum, some of the worst violence has been in the conflict-scarred region of Darfur, where allegations of war crimes have sparked a new investigation by the International Criminal Court. Again on Sunday, clashes in the town of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state and Sudan's second-biggest city, sent bombs falling on civilian neighbourhoods, witnesses said. In the Central Darfur state capital Zalingei, the army "killed 16 rebels and captured 14, including an officer", a military source told AFP on Sunday, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. Days of "bombs repeatedly falling in our homes" have sent civilians fleeing from Nyala, according to Issa Adam, who spoke to AFP from a displacement camp. Many are "now out in the open during the rainy reason", he said. Mohamed Khater had also fled Nyala with his children after bombs killed his neighbours. From a nearby camp, he told AFP that "no organisation has reached us, and we're scared of the fighting reaching us." Over 2.6 million people have been displaced within Sudan since the war began, and more than 800,000 others have fled across borders. Search Keywords: Short link: Apple tightens App Store rules on APIs to safeguard users data San Francisco, July 29: In another bid to safeguard users' privacy on the App Store, Apple will require developers to explain under a new policy why they need access to select data, to prevent misuse of application programming interfaces . Apple tightens App Store rules on APIs to safeguard users' data A small set of APIs can be misused to collect data about users' devices through fingerprinting, which is prohibited by Apple Developer Programme License Agreement."To prevent the misuse of these APIs, developers will need to declare the reasons for using these APIs in their app's privacy manifest. This will help ensure that apps only use these APIs for their intended purpose," the tech giant said in a statement.As part of this process, developers will need to select one or more approved reasons that accurately reflect how their apps use the API, and the apps can only use the API for the reasons they have selected."Starting in fall 2023, when you upload a new app or app update to App Store Connect that uses an API (including from third-party SDKs) that requires a reason, you'll receive a notice if you haven't provided an approved reason in your app's privacy manifest," Apple informed.Starting in spring 2024, in order to upload a new app or app update to App Store Connect, "you'll be required to include an approved reason in the app's privacy manifest which accurately reflects how your app uses the API," the company added.APIs are used by developers to extract and exchange data.na/prwIANS29 July 2023 Shared Recently! Surge in Covid-related hospital admissions in US amid late summer wave risk New York, July 29: Several Covid-related indicators, including hospital admissions and positivity rate are once again on the rise in the US, threatening a late summer wave in the country. Surge in Covid-related hospital admissions in US amid late summer wave risk The latest indicators, including hospital admissions, emergency department visits, test positivity, and wastewater levels, are increasing nationally, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).From July 9 to 15, there was an over 10 per cent increase in hospital admissions due to Covid 19 in the US.However, there was no Covid-19 death rate change yet.According to experts, the fresh cases may not be severe and this uptick may not be prolonged.As testing data has become more limited, wastewater surveillance can offer a more consistent view of transmission trends over time, according to CNN.Data from Biobot Analytics, a biotechnology firm that has partnered with the CDC, shows that the concentration of coronavirus particles in sewage samples is about a third of what it was at this time last year.CDC data also suggests that other pathogens that can cause flu-like symptoms or stomach bugs, including adenovirus, norovirus and rotavirus, are circulating at much higher levels this summer than they were last year.This is the fourth summer that Covid-19 cases have risen in the US.According to the report, the CDC is also tracking a slew of co-circulating Covid-19 variants, and all of them seem to be second- or third-generation offshoots of the recombinant variant XBB.IANS29 July 2023 Shared Recently! US, Australia to cooperate with India to ensure security and stability of Indo-Pacific Washington DC, July 29: US and Australia on Saturday agreed to further cooperate with India, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines and Korea to ensure the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific at the 33rd Australia-US Ministerial Consultations . US, Australia to cooperate with India to ensure security and stability of Indo-Pacific Officials from the two countries on Saturday met in Brisbane. The US delegation was led by Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J Austin, and Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. The Australian delegation included Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Penny Wong.During the meeting, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing interoperability with the militaries of the Pacific through a range of exercises.They welcomed Fiji, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga's participation in Exercise TALISMAN SABRE 2023 for the first time, as well as India, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines as inaugural observers, according to a fact sheet released by the US Department of Defence.The two countries welcomed progress under the AUKUS partnership toward the Australian acquisition of a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability and the development of advanced capabilities to safeguard stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.Australia will initially buy three Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines from the USA. These are likely to be second-hand boats from the US Navy, plus there is an option for obtaining two more Virginia-class submarines should plans to build a new class of SSN-AUKUS boats be delayed.The SSN-AUKUS submarine will be largely based on a British SSN design, but with the incorporation of some American technology. Both the UK and Australia will obtain SSN-AUKUS boats, with British production kicking off slightly earlier than in Australia, which is a total novice at such sophisticated shipbuilding. The whole intent is for Canberra to be able to build and maintain a fleet of SSNs as a sovereign capability, but with support from the UK and USA.Australia will become the seventh country in the world to operate nuclear-powered submarines. Of course, it should be pointed out once again that these Australian SSNs are not capable of carrying ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads. They are not ballistic missile submarines, which only a very exclusive club of nations operate.Moreover, Australia and US reaffirmed their commitment to transparency and urged others to take a similar approach to their capability development.During the 33rd Australia-US Ministerial Consultations, the two countries planned the deployment of a USCG Cutter to the Pacific in early 2024 to further maritime domain awareness and training in the region to address maritime security priorities including illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.The two determined that the unbreakable alliance between the United States and Australia has never been stronger and that the alliance remains a partnership of strategic interest rooted in common values and a common determination to preserve stability, prosperity, and peace.Against the backdrop of historic momentum for the alliance, the United States and Australia committed to advance a number of key lines of shared effort, according to the US fact sheet titled 'Secretary Austin's Eighth Trip to the Indo-Pacific Region.'This includes reaffirming respect for each other's sovereignty and their commitment to operationalize the Alliance, the United States and Australia advanced key priorities across an ambitious range of force posture cooperation efforts, including conducting more regular and longer expeditionary visits of US submarines to Australia starting this year.The two reaffirmed the importance of maximizing the strategic and technological advantage of the Alliance in an age of heightened strategic competition. They advanced a number of key priorities to strengthen their advanced capabilities and the health of their defence industrial bases.They committed to collaborating on critical technologies and innovation to ensure the Alliance's asymmetrical capability edge and to explore opportunities for regional co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment aligned to agreed capability priorities.The two countries also agree to uphold a global order based on international law, including the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. They advanced a number of key priorities to strengthen their mutual alliances, partnerships, and trilateral and multilateral security arrangements, according to the fact sheet.ANI29 July 2023 Shared Recently! FAO welcomes EU contribution of Euro 25 mn to advance wildlife conservation and food security Rome, July 29: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has welcomed Euro 25 million in additional funding from the European Union to extend and scale up the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme. FAO welcomes EU contribution of Euro 25 mn to advance wildlife conservation and food security Since 2017, the initiative has been working with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to reduce unsustainable wildlife hunting, conserve wildlife, and strengthen people's livelihoods and food security.The first phase of the initiative received Euro 45 million from the EU, with co-funding from the French Global Environment Facility and French Development Agency . This second phase will run from August 2023 to May 2029 and will be part of NaturAfrica, the new EU initiative for biodiversity conservation in Africa.In this new phase, FAO will continue to lead a consortium of partners, which includes the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development, the Center for International Forestry Research and the Wildlife Conservation Society ."The SWM Programme has a significant contribution to make as we work towards a sustainable and food-secure world for all," said Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, FAO. "The initiative contributes to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework as well as to the "four betters" in the new FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031. For example, the Programme is working towards "better nutrition" by promoting safe food across wild and domestic meat value chains, and towards "better environment" by developing innovative approaches to improve practices, build capacities to reduce zoonotic risks and protect ecosystems."The partnership is working with national and regional administrations, and over 80 local and indigenous communities, in 16 countries. The initiative is strengthening innovative and collaborative targeted approaches to conserve wild animals, protect ecosystems, and improve the livelihoods of those who depend on these resources."Building scalable new models to conserve wildlife and improve food security takes time," said Marjeta Jager, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission. "We need to further develop the models tested by the SWM Programme and to disseminate and scale up the Programme's findings, results and approaches to achieve greater impacts. For this reason, the European Union seeks to provide additional funding to continue the SWM Programme until June 2029."The new EU funding will be used to increase the impact and sustainability of the Programme by completing the models and sharing lessons learnt, tools and innovations at national, regional and international levels.The initiative will continue to work with the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and regional organizations in Africa.The SWM Programme contributes to the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031, which supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through a transition to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems that deliver improvements in production, nutrition, environment and livelihoods.The Programme also contributes to many international strategies and priorities, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the One Health approach, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.ANI29 July 2023 Shared Recently! Study reveals how probiotics help slow age-related cognitive decline Washington, July 28 : Eating a probiotic may help prevent the decline in memory and thinking that might come with ageing, according to the results of a recent study. This research may help develop new, non-invasive methods of slowing cognitive decline in the elderly. Study reveals how probiotics help slow age-related cognitive decline Researchers discovered that probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG treatment for three months improved the cognitive scores of study participants with mild cognitive impairment. Changes in their gut microbiota were also linked to this improvement in cognition."The implication of this finding is quite exciting, as it means that modifying the gut microbiome through probiotics could potentially be a strategy to improve cognitive performance, particularly in individuals with mild cognitive impairment," said Mashael Aljumaah, a microbiology doctoral candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University."This adds a new layer to our understanding of the microbiome brain-gut connection and opens up new avenues for combating cognitive decline associated with aging."Aljumaah, who is also connected to King Saud University in Saudi Arabia, will present the research at Nutrition 2023, the American Society for Nutrition's flagship meeting held in Boston from July 22 to 25."Many studies focus on severe forms of cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia, but these conditions are more advanced, making them significantly harder to reverse or treat," said Aljumaah."In contrast, we focused on mild cognitive impairment, which can include problems with memory, language, or judgment. Interventions at this stage of cognitive impairment could slow down or prevent the progression to more severe forms of dementia."The study involved 169 participants between 52 and 75 years old who were divided into two groups depending on whether they had no neurological issues or mild cognitive impairment.Within each group, participants either received the LGG probiotic or a placebo in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial lasting three months. The researchers selected the LGG probiotic because prior research had shown its potential beneficial effects in animal models.To investigate the study participants' gut microbiomes, the researchers used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify and compare bacteria present in stool samples. They then used whole genome sequencing to gain insights into the functional roles of the bacteria identified.The analysis revealed that microbes in the genus Prevotella were present in a higher relative abundance in participants with mild cognitive impairment than those with no cognitive impairment.This suggests that gut microbiome composition could serve as an early indicator for mild cognitive impairment, offering opportunities for earlier interventions to slow cognitive decline.For study participants who had mild cognitive impairment and received the LGG probiotics, the Prevotella relative abundance decreased. This change coincided with improved cognitive scores, suggesting that cognitive health in older adults could be improved by manipulating the gut microbiota."By identifying specific shifts in the gut microbiome associated with mild cognitive impairment, we're exploring a new frontier in preventive strategies in cognitive health," said Aljumaah. "If these findings are replicated in future studies, it suggests the feasibility of using gut microbiome-targeted strategies as a novel approach to support cognitive health."The researchers are now working to understand the specific mechanisms of how microbes like Prevotella influence the gut in a way that improves brain health. Specifically, they are exploring how certain molecules produced by these bacteria modulate the functionality of neuroprotective hormones that can cross the blood-brain barrier.ANI29 July 2023 Shared Recently! How gullible investors were swindled by the Chinese in Rs 712 crore fraud Hyderabad, July 29: An investment fraud to the tune of Rs 712 crore detected by the Hyderabad police last week once again highlights how gullible people are becoming victims of fraudsters sitting abroad and operating through their local agents using the latest technology tools. How gullible investors were swindled by the Chinese in Rs 712 crore fraud The case also shows how the masterminds based in China are operating in a well-planned manner without the risk of being caught. The modus operandi of the fraudsters also ensures that they leave no trail of the defrauded money.In all the three major cases detected in Hyderabad, the prime accused are Chinese, who were running the rackets remotely through their conduits in India and other locations.In the latest case, the police claimed to have made a breakthrough with the arrest of nine accused from Mumbai, Lucknow, Gujarat, and Hyderabad for links with fraudsters based in Dubai and China.According to the police, the gang cheated 15,000 gullible investors in India to the tune of Rs 712 crore in less than a year and routed this money to China through Dubai in the form of crypto currency.Those arrested were identified as Prakash Mulchandbhai Prajapati, Kumar Prajapati, Naimuddin Wahiduddin Shaik, Gagan Kumar Soni, Parveez alias Guddu, Shameer Khan, Mohammed Munawar, Shah Sumair, and Arul Dass.The investment fraud was busted after police took up investigation in April following a complaint by a Hyderabad resident, who lost Rs 28 lakhs to the fraudsters.The complainant, a techie, fell into the trap of the gang, which was luring people with the offers of investment-cum-part time jobs.The victims were approached on Telegram and WhatsApp and were given simple task of liking YouTube videos or writing Google reviews.The victims were initially asked to make small investments of up to Rs 5,000. "To win the trust of the victims, the fraudsters paid them high returns. The investors were thus lured to make higher investments," said Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand.Police investigations revealed that every time victims loaded or invested money, his investment amount was displayed in a window like an online wallet. It had options like Invest money, withdraw money, perform tasks etc.However, the victims were not allowed to withdraw the money till completion of all tasks. By then, most of them had already invested Rs 5-6 lakh.In the case of the victim from Hyderabad, he was given 4 sets of 30 tasks each. In the first set he loaded with Rs 25,000 and earned a profit of Rs 20,000 on the website, but the victim was not allowed to withdraw the money.When questioned, he was told that he has to complete all the four sets of tasks to get the profit. The victim invested higher amounts in the subsequent sets. When he wanted to withdraw profits, he was asked to pay Rs 17 lakh as withdrawal fee. It was only then he realised that he was cheated.Tracking the trail of fraud money proved a daunting task for the investigators and this shows how the fraudsters are executing their plans.Initially, it was found that Rs 28 lakh that the victim lost was transferred to six accounts including an account maintained in the name of Radhika Marketing and from there, the money was transferred to various other Indian bank accounts and finally in Dubai, the fraudulent money was used to purchase crypto currency.The account in the name of Radhika Marketing was being maintained by Munawar of Hyderabad. Investigations revealed that he along with Arul Dass, Shah Sumair and Shamir Khan went to Lucknow on the instructions of Manish, Vikas and Rajesh, who all are residents of Lucknow, to open bank accounts in the names of shell companies with an offer of Rs 2 lakhs per account.They opened 33 shell companies and 61 accounts in the name of companies and handed over the same to Manish. He had sold the accounts to Kumar Prajapati, an associate of Prakash Prajapati.According to the police, Prakash Prajapati, a resident of Ahmedabad is associated with Chinese Lee Lou Guangzhou, Nan Ye, Kevin Jun etc. He was coordinating with the Chinese in supplying Indian bank accounts and shares the OTPs for operating these accounts from Dubai/China through remote access apps.According to police, the Chinese masterminds were running this entire system of task based investment frauds. They were the ones running these scam and luring the victims by sending messages over Telegram.The defrauded money was credited to Primary Shell/Mule bank accounts being supplied by Prakash Prajapati, layered to some secondary bank accounts to hide the proceeds of crime. Finally it was being sent to Chinese. Prakash Prajapati was coordinating with his other associates, Arif, Anas, Khan Bhai, Piyush and Sailesh etc who are the residents of Mumbai, settled in Dubai in converting the fraudulently gained Indian rupees to USDT (Crypto) and transfer the same to China.For every fraudulent transaction in these accounts, Prakash Prajapati was paid 2-3 per cent commission.Police found that Prakash Prajapati was transferring part of his commission through Hawala to give the same to the account suppliers with the help of Kumar Prajapati and he was routing major portion of it back from China by importing electric bikes.Police found that Prakash Prajapati was using a Tron coin wallet address for getting his commissions to be paid in USDT or TRON. These crypto wallet transactions in his wallet have crypto transfers to another wallet address, which in turn has been found to have transaction linkages with two other crypto wallets including Hezbollah wallet (labelled as a wallet belonging to a terror financing module), police said.This is not the first such investment fraud case detected in Hyderabad. A bigger fraud surfaced in October 2022. Police then busted a Chinese investment fraud of Rs 903 crore and arrested 10 accused including a Chinese national and a Taiwanese national.The cyber crime cell of the city police busted the fraud during the investigation into a complaint by a citizen who was cheated after he invested Rs 1.6 lakh in an investment app called LOXAM.Police had found during the investigation money of the complainant was deposited in the bank account of Xindai Technologies Pvt Ltd. Further investigations revealed the scam.Money changers licensed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to deal in foreign exchange were involved in the scam. Though they had a license to provide foreign exchange to those travelling abroad, they were found to be violating FEMA.Chinese national Lec alias Li Zhongjun and Taiwanese national Chu Chun-yu were arrested along with eight others for running a hawala scam from Delhi and Mumbai.Sahil Bajaj, Sunny alias Pankaj, Virender Singh, Sanjay Yadav, Navneeth Kaushik, Mohammad Parvez, Syed Sultan, and Mirza Nadeem Baig were also arrested.According to the police, Navneeth Kaushik, a resident of Delhi had obtained RBI licenses for two money exchanges.The police investigations revealed that the transactions in the account of one of the exchanges are to the tune of Rs 441 crore in a period of seven months.Transactions of another Rs 462 crore were done in another exchange."It came to light during the investigation that fraud has been committed through hawala to the extent of Rs 903 crore," Police Commissioner Anand said.Virender Singh of Pune revealed that he opened a bank account in the name of Xindai Technologies on the orders of Jack (Chinese) and gave the internet banking user name and password of the bank account to him.Sanjay Kumar of Delhi opened another account on the instructions of Lec alias Li Zhounjau and gave it to Pei and Huan Zhuan in China.Similarly, he opened 15 other bank accounts and sent them to one Chu Chun-yu of Taiwan who was temporarily residing in Mumbai. He was sending account details, user ID, password and SIM cards to other countries. Sanjay Yadav and Virender Rathor received Rs 1.2 lakh commission per account which was arranged by Lec alias Li Zhounjau.In 2021, Cyberabad Police had busted a racket led by two Chinese nationals as kingpins that cheated people across India by enticing them with huge returns on investments.Three accused were arrested in the case while other accused including two Chinese nationals remained at large.The economic offences wing of Cyberabad Police had busted the racket being run in the name of 'Shared Bike (BK)'/ 'Sharing Economy'.According to police, the accused cheated around 20,000 people all over the country to the tune of Rs 50 crore.The accused had three attractive investment schemes to lure investors. On investment of Rs 300, Rs 3,000 and Rs 15,000, they promised high returns of Rs 1,350, Rs 13,500 and Rs 67,500, respectively, over a period of 90 days.Since people were initially reluctant, the fraudsters deposited money into the bank accounts of some of the investors to gain the trust of others.The arrested include Uday Pratap, a resident of Gurugram. He was the authorised signatory for an account of Mobicentric Technologies in a private bank in Hyderabad which is one of the fraudulent companies and he was also director of Corporfountain India Pvt Ltd, Gurugram.The other accused were Nitesh Kumar Kothari, of Delhi and Rajesh Sharma, of Gurugram.According to the police, the three accused were working under the control of the absconding Chinese nationals -- Zhang Hongwei alias Peter and Peng Guowei alias Javie.The accused launched a shared bike app and started cheating people through Skype and WhatsApp.In January 2020, Peng Guowei left India and did not return due to international travel restrictions while Zhang Hongwei never came to India.IANS29 July 2023 Shared Recently! 29 Constitution Bench matters currently pending before SC, Centre informs parliament New Delhi, July 29: The Central government on Friday informed the Parliament that there are 29 Constitution Bench matters pending for adjudication before the Supreme Court . 29 Constitution Bench matters currently pending before SC, Centre informs parliament Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said that out of these 29 cases, 18 cases are pending before 5-judge bench, 6 cases pending before 7-judge bench and 5 cases pending before 9-judge bench.As per SC information, in respect of the Constitution Bench cases, there are intricate issues of law involved and arguments last for ranging from weeks to months."It is not possible to set out strict parameters and timelines regarding adjudication of such cases," the government replied to CPI (M) A.M. Ariff, who had accused government for pendency for its lack of interest in expediting the cases."As far as corrective action is concerned, the adjudication and expeditious disposal of cases is within the exclusive domain of the judiciary and government has no role in the matter," the government said.It said that as a matter of record, 19 Constitutional Bench matters have been disposed of the Supreme Court from 2020 to 2023.IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! Over 4.43 crore cases pending in district, subordinate courts across India New Delhi, July 29: A The Union Law Ministry has revealed startling figures on the pendency of cases in the country's district and subordinate courts while responding to queries raised by the MPs in Lok Sabha. 'Over 4.43 crore cases pending in district, subordinate courts across India' As of July 24, there are over 4 crore pending cases, with approximately 1 lakh cases remaining unresolved for over 30 years.It was further revealed that Uttar Pradesh faces the highest backlog, with over 1 crore cases pending.Uttar Pradesh also leads in the number of vacancies for judges in lower courts, with around 1,200 seats remaining unfilled in the district and subordinate courts.For the high courts, the situation is no less concerning, with a whopping 60 lakh cases pending across the country.Allahabad High Court emerges as the biggest contributor to the backlog, accounting for approximately 10 lakh pending cases. Following closely are the high courts of Bombay, Rajasthan, and Madras.Surprisingly, Allahabad High Court not only tops the list in pending cases but also holds the highest number of vacancies for judges.The court has 65 seats awaiting appointment of judges, contributing to the overall 341 vacant positions in High Courts nationwide.In response to queries regarding the relationship between pending cases and judge's vacancies, the government clarified that while vacancies are factors, they are not the sole cause for the increased pendency.Several other factors contribute, including the availability of physical infrastructure and supporting court staff, complexity of facts, nature of evidence, cooperation of stakeholders such as the bar, investigation agencies, witnesses, and litigants, and proper application of rules and procedures.In regard to the Supreme Court, the ministry said that, as of July 2023, approximately 69,000 cases are pending.The apex court currently has two vacant seats, which could potentially affect its ability to handle the backlog effectively.As per the information provided by the Supreme Court, as of March 21, 2023, the cases pending for more than 30 to 50 years are 22; 30 to 40 years are 20; and 40 to 50 years are 2. No cases are pending for 10 and 15 years.IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! J&K CS asks health professionals to screen UT population for NCD Srinagar, July 29: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta on Saturday asked the health professionals to screen the whole population of the UT for Non-Communicable Diseases like Hypertension, Diabetes and common types of cancers. J&K CS asks health professionals to screen UT population for NCD Chief Secretary said that the NCD are major cause of deaths across the globe so their early diagnosis could lead to better prevention and cure of such diseases.He asked for organising camps all across J&K for conducting free of cost screening of people.CS said that there is still scope for improvement in institutional births despite it being ahead of national average.He also emphasised on further improving the ranking of the UT in SDG goals related to health.He asked the department to digitise all the health records of the patients so that it is accessible to them anywhere by using their ABHA numbers and advised them to allow them to add their previous records to it for saving the same for posterity.He also enquired from the officers about the defunct machinery and poorly managed infrastructure in the hospitals of the UT.He said that the department should make a plan to repair all of such machines and upgrading the infrastructure to put it to optimal use for the benefit of general public.IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! Delegations from various Palestinian factions came together for a closed-door meeting following an opening session. The meeting seeks to address crucial developments in the Palestinian cause and seek ways to restore national unity amid significant challenges, Egypt's state-owned news agency MENA reported. While delegations from Hamas, Fatah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) are participating in the meeting, the Islamic Jihad Movement is boycotting the gathering. Mohammed Al-Hindi, the movements deputy secretary-general, justified the boycott because of "the Palestinian Authority's refusal to release members of the movement in the West Bank, as well as the continued political arrests and pursuit of the resistance." Both Fatah and Hamas said, in separate statements, that they are seeking to unify the Palestinian position and to reach a consensus on a unified national strategic plan to confront the occupation. The PFLP said in a statement that it will call for the cancellation of the Oslo Accords and the obligations resulting from it, and the reconstitution of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) with all parties. UAE bans rice exports, re-exports for 4 months Abu Dhabi, July 30: The UAE has imposed a four-month ban on rice exports and re-exports, the country's Ministry of Economy said. UAE bans rice exports, re-exports for 4 months The ban, with effect from July 28, covers the free zones in the UAE and applies to all rice varieties, including brown rice, fully or partially milled rice, and broken rice, according to a statement released on the Ministry's social media account on Saturday.Companies interested in exporting or re-exporting rice must request an export permit from the Ministry of Economy, said the statement.The ban can be automatically extended unless a decision is made to cancel its implementation, it added.The UAE ban comes after the Indian government decided last week to halt exports of non-basmati white rice because of the price rise in domestic market and significant crop damage caused by late but heavy monsoon rains, Xinhua news agency reported.The UAE imports nearly 90 per cent of its needed food.IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! 7th Al Dhaid Date Festival sees huge turnout Sharjah, July 29: The 7th edition of Al Dhaid Date Festival continues to captivate participants and visitors alike, in a celebration of heritage, competition, and the exquisite delectability of dates. Organised by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the event is hosted at Expo Al Dhaid, offering an enticing platform to showcase the richness of palm cultivation until July 30. 7th Al Dhaid Date Festival sees huge turnout Drawing significant attention, the festival has not only become a hotspot for the public but has also attracted various official delegations and representatives from government institutions, who have shown great interest in the event's vast array of activities.During the event, Jamal Mohammed bin Huwaiden, member of the Board of Directors of SCCI, along with Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of the Sharjah Chamber, Mohammed Musabah Al Tunaiji, General Coordinator of the festival, and members of the Organising Committee, received a delegation from the Qassim Dates Festival Committee in Saudi Arabia.The delegation, led by Bandar bin Saleh bin Suleiman Al Hadiya, Office Manager, Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture in Buraidah and Vice Executive Director of the Dates Festival, was briefed on the best local dates and date varieties showcased by the participants, as well as details about the competitions.Al Awadi said, "Al Dhaid Date Festival has indeed succeeded in securing a commanding position among the list of festivals that celebrate the heritage of palm cultivation at both state and regional levels. This success is evident in the keen interest of official delegations to visit the event and understand its unique approach to promoting and developing the palm cultivation and date production sectors. The festival supports palm owners and farmers, motivating them to expand and enhance their production."Preliminary results from the festival highlight the success indicators and confirm the festival's ability to achieve its strategic goals."Al Dhaid Date Festival continues into its seventh season with more exciting competitions. The event on Sunday will feature the Elite General and Al Dhaid Fort Elite competitions, which are expected to showcase intense competition among hundreds of palm owners and farmers.ANI30 July 2023 Shared Recently! UAE Ambassador presents credentials to President of Maldives Male, July 29: Sheikh Rahma bin Abdulrahman Al Shamsi presented his credentials as Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of the Maldives to Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of Maldives, during an official ceremony at the President's office in Male. UAE Ambassador presents credentials to President of Maldives During the meeting, Al Shamsi conveyed to President Solih the greetings of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, as well as their wishes for further development and prosperity for the government and people of the Republic of the Maldives.For his part, President Solih conveyed his greetings to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, and expressed his wishes for further growth and prosperity for the government and the people of the UAE.President Solih wished the Ambassador success in his duties in strengthening bilateral relations in various fields, stressing his country's readiness to provide all possible support to facilitate his duties.For his part, Al Shamsi expressed his pride in representing the UAE in the Republic of the Maldives and his keenness to enhance bilateral relations in various sectors, in a way that contribute to deepening the bonds between the two countries.During the meeting, both sides reviewed areas of cooperation between the UAE and the Republic of the Maldives, and discussed ways to develop them in order to achieve the interests and aspirations of the two countries and peoples.ANI30 July 2023 Shared Recently! A timely collaboration New Delhi: Of all the matters validating strategic cooperation between India and the US from a long-term perspective, perhaps the most important point in the current - that might have gone somewhat unnoticed by the analysts - is the pledge of common resolve of President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep up commitments on safety, security and trust in regard to Artificial Intelligence .A . A timely collaboration The US is already working with seven leading AI companies including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta to make sure that AI applications were built up as a safe and trustworthy instrument for lifting the humanity at large.It goes to the credit of Prime Minister Modi, who in his recent visit to the US took up the AI issues in an in-depth manner during his talks with President Biden - with full realisation that AI was going to affect everyone's life.Science Advisor to President Biden, Arati Prabhakar of Indian origin, announced that Indo-US cooperation would boost the ability to deal with AI's harms and start using it for good.There is an implied acknowledgement of the great reality that Information Technology can be used with equal effectiveness as a weapon of combat in 'information warfare' and other covert operations as well as as a means of spreading subversion and radicalisation.The potential for misuse includes malware injection technologies, data manipulation, forgery, cyber-attacks and terrorism. On the other hand, AI-powered cyber security solutions in coordination with human intelligence can be extremely useful particularly when one is dealing with large amounts of data.The AI can analyse this data to find patterns and anomalies and possibly detect the modus operandi of the adversary's operation.A sobering thought is that of all digital data in the world 90 percent has been created in the last two years - the speed with which information is generated apart, protection of personal data is the emerging challenge.Smart computer systems are becoming increasingly adept at remembering and reading what we as people would be doing - this includes skills of 'looking', 'listening' or 'speaking'. And they learn to discover patterns and rules from huge amounts of data which can even give them an upper hand in some areas of human activity.AI systems are faster, are never tired and have a built-in capacity to learn from examples. They are better able to recognise art forgery and detect dementia before a medical specialist could consider that option and predict diabetes.The predictive value of AI is very extensive within the input-output paradigm that remained its defining feature.Amazon is said to have taken to 'predictive shipping' whereby they would be able to send you a package before even you know you want it. AI does appear to be overriding the limitation of the input-output principle while creating new products and services.An area of concern regarding AI is that if 'automated decision-making systems' are fed discriminatory data, they will reproduce the bias of the input reflected in the choice of algorithm and yet have the advantage of falsely inspiring more belief because of the human nature of considering these systems trustworthy. This bias can come into play in the area of 'predictive policing' where the vulnerable in society could face an undeserved disadvantage on account of a contaminated data set traceable to the hostility of a certain kind from data providers. On the other hand, an AI company can use its resources for producing clearly defined profiles of people - with greater precision - which can be used for political purposes.It is a measure of the apprehensions about the possible misuse of AI that governments across the world are already seized of the issue of putting in place laws and restrictions to regulate AI operations.The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended the creation of an independent statutory body to ensure the right development of AI across sectors. It wanted the adoption of an ethical code by both public and private entities.Ethical use of data has been flagged by TRAI as a major concern for the government as well as corporate entities. It has to be understood that AI-powered national security systems run the risk of hacking or manipulation by the adversary with disastrous consequences. AI is effectively used in rockets, missiles, aircraft carriers, naval assets and other automated defence systems. Creators of AI need to know that the new technology could also be used by the enemy for indoctrinating young minds and raising agents of terror including 'lone wolves'. On the other hand, AI-based systems can be proactively used for detecting whether a website or email is a phishing trap. In short, the inevitable use of AI brings in its own challenges spanning the ethical and regulatory realms.Major powers like the US and China are investing big time in creating AI-based systems in their search for maintaining a military lead. AI is being used for preparations needed for facing the future battlefield.Meanwhile, AI's wide applicability in almost every sector has permeated human lives ranging from the service sector using voice assistants like Alexa, Siri and OTT platforms to health care, agriculture, climate change and financial spheres. However, its immense potential in the area of security and defence is what is attracting the attention of policymakers and defence analysts.Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), cyber security, military logistics and in particular Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems(LAWS) have acquired newfound importance because of AI and so have image clarification from drone footage and geospatial data analysis.In the military domain, an area of concern is that AI is providing new autonomous and affordable capabilities to a wide range of actors. AI has given weak states and non-state actors more options to enhance their capabilities and in the process strengthened asymmetric warfare possibilities. Too much AI development favoured on the presumption of its potential positives should not make people oblivious of its negative side including in particular, the danger posed to national security itself.The risk of AI Chatbots influencing young minds vulnerable to neurodivergence to become terrorists is real. Greater transparency has to be demanded of AI technology companies and this would include identifying the personnel responsible for checking the guardrails. These members could themselves become a source of threat on account of some vulnerability they were suffering from - they should rightly be kept in the purview of a functioning internal vigilance system that all sensitive organisations were expected to have.Advancement in AI is expressed mainly in 'machine learning' that can enable a high degree of automation in otherwise labour-intensive activities such as satellite imagery analysis and cyber defences.AI will affect national security generally while driving military and information superiority because of the fact that the adversary could be using the same AI operations for damaging the other side.The US National Commission on AI had in 2020 recommended that the US should form a US-India Strategic Tech Alliance (USISTA) to develop an Indo-Pacific strategy on emerging technologies considering India's enhanced geopolitical standing.The India-US 2+2 dialogue has called for strengthening bilateral partnerships on these technologies, particularly in the field of energy.The QUAD summit of 2022 flagged cooperation in the sphere of AI. Advances in AI will progressively multiply threats, challenges and opportunities from the national security perspective. India therefore, needs to create a supportive AI ecosystem.Prime Minister Modi's visit to the US has paved the way for lasting cooperation between the two countries in the best interest of both sides.India is well ahead on its AI journey and AI-enabled projects in defence are getting priority. An AI-based Signal Intelligence Solution can enhance the Intelligence collection and analysis capabilities of the armed forces. India is poised to become a powerhouse of AI research and innovation as a responsible AI global leader.According to Sundar Pichai CEO of Google, 'AI is probably the most important thing that humanity has ever worked on'. India hosts one of the most thriving start-up ecosystems with dozens of unicorns using AI-powered tools. They are expanding the scope for AI strategy for India and the world and especially for the global South - which this country is successfully leading as the President of G20.(The writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Views expressed are personal)IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! EU, African Union put pressure on Nigers coup leaders to end regimeA Brussels, July 30: The European Union has decided to cut off financial support to Niger following the military coup there and in a similar reaction, the African Union has also called on the Nigerien military to "return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority," Al Jazeera reported. EU, African Union put pressure on Niger's coup leaders to end regimeA Josep Borrell, the head of the EU's foreign policy, said in a statement on Saturday that "In addition to the immediate cessation of budget support, all cooperation actions in the domain of security are suspended indefinitely with immediate effect."This comes after General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the chief of Niger's presidential guard, declared himself the head of a transitional government on Friday this week straight after his soldiers detained President Mohamed Bazoum on Wednesday.Borrell further said in his statement that the coup leaders should be held accountable for ensuring the safety of the president and his family.He also stated that Bazoum "remains the only legitimate president of Niger.The EU has set out 503 million euros from its budget, according to its website, to enhance Niger's governance, education, and sustainable growth between 2021 and 2024, Al Jazeera reported.Meanwhile, the African Union asked that the Nigerian military return to their barracks.Following a meeting on the Niger coup on Friday, the African Union's Peace and Security Council issued a declaration demanding that the military troops "immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum of fifteen days, according to Al Jazeera.The group said that it "condemns in the strongest terms possible" the overthrow of the duly-elected government.Prior to the swearing-in of the then-newly elected Bazoum in March 2021, when forces attempted to take over the presidential palace, Tchiani spearheaded the resistance.The first peaceful transfer of power since Niger's independence from France in 1960, was the pro-West Bazoum election.The US and former colonial power France view Niger as a crucial partner in addressing security issues in the region. Niger borders seven African nations, including Libya, Chad, and Nigeria.The Niger Coup has received global condemnation. According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, "The very significant assistance that we have in place for the people in Niger is clearly in jeopardy."Additionally, Blinken "lauded Bazoum's contribution to promoting security not only in Niger but also in the larger West African region.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted, "I condemn in the strongest terms any effort to seize power by force and to undermine democratic governance, peace & stability in Niger. The @UN stands by the Government and the people of Niger."ANI30 July 2023 Shared Recently! Oppenheimer urged Nehru to bar thorium exports to US for its N-goals Washington, July 30: J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American physicist called the father of the atom bomb, had tried and failed to prevent then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru from supplying the US material -- especially thorium -- needed for a bomb far deadlier than his creation. Oppenheimer urged Nehru to bar thorium exports to US for its N-goals Oppenheimer's appeal was conveyed in a phone call to the then Indian Ambassador to US, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, who reported it to her brother, Prime Minister Nehru, in a letter dated February 10, 1951, reproduced in a 2014 book by her daughter Nayantara Sahgal.It came amidst intense negotiations between the two countries over an India request for emergency food grains assistance that Pandit had conveyed to the Harry S. Truman administration just weeks before in December.According to the Emergency Food Aid Ac signed by Truman in June 1951, India was promised 2 million tonnes of food grains but among the conditions attached was the continue supplies of "strategic materials", which, a declassified "top secret" memo of the State Department from the time, said included "beryl, manganese, mica, and kyanite -- and initial shipments, heretofore prohibited, of monazite".Monazite, a brown crystalline mineral consisting of a phosphate of cerium, lanthanum, other rare earth elements, and thorium, is found in abundance in India.A contract was drawn up later in the year for "to cover shipment from India of 500 tons of monazite concentrate".Oppenheimer's plea with Nehru was specifically about thorium."Oppenheimer wants you (Nehru) to know that work of a most 'horrible and deadly nature' is being done on the atom bomb, that step by step America is 'deliberately' moving towards a war of annihilation," Pandit had written in the letter to Nehru, according to Sahgal's book."The recent promises given by Truman and Attlee regarding the atom have resulted in research for a weapon of the same deadly quality which will be kept secret and used INSTEAD of the atom. For this purpose more and more thorium is required and the US desires to stockpile all available thorium."Oppenheimer has reason to believe an approach will be made very soon very soon to India directly and through Britain. In fact, he believes that one reason why the Indian request for wheat has been so readily sponsored by the State Department is because of what they themselves require from India. The argument used for obtaining thorium will be that it is needed for humanitarian purposes According to Oppenheimer, no such purpose can at present be achieved."Oppenheimer begs the government of India not to sell any thorium to the US voluntarily or through pressure," the letter says.Declassified US State Department papers from the time -- ranging in confidentiality from "SECRET" to "TOP SECRET" -- show Nehru and his government tried very hard to keep this minerals, called "strategic materials", off the table, especially those that could be used to produce a nuclear bomb.But they were thwarted by a mix of worsening food crisis at home and an adamant US government and Congress, which had to clear it.In a telegram to the state department marked "SECRET", the then US Ambassador to India, Loy Wesley Henderson wrote, "Saw Bajpai (Girijia Shankar Bajpai, the top civil servant in the Foreign Ministry as Secretary General). this morning (at) my request. Told him I had given further consideration to information he gave me yesterday afternoon (May 7) and had become concerned lest inclusion by Nehru in his coming statement (in parliament) of reference to GOI (government of India) unwillingness (to) furnish materials relating to manufacture atomic weapons might not be regarded as uncalled-for criticism US atomic weapon policies. I said I hoped that (the) Prime Minister cld be induced drop this reference."Bajpai told the US Ambassador, according to the Henderson memo, "decision (taken by) Prime Minister in consultation with members (of) Cabinet and apparently Cabinet felt more strongly on this point than any other".Yet the Nehru government went with it and allowed the export of these "strategic materials", including, for the first time, monazite, the thorium laden mineral.Oppenheimer's contacts with India, clearly, go much further than his two recitations of a line from Bhagavad Gita -- "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" -- in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer", a film about the man who led the world to its first atomic bomb, whose use in 1945 ended the Second World War, and and then spent the rest of his like campaigning against the ultimate weapon of destruction he had helped create.The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "American Prometheus The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer" by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin.True to the book, the film tracks Oppenheimer's journey through the academic world straddling two three countries across two continents to his appointment to head the Manhattan Project which unfolded over three years ending 1945 at a secret facility created by the US government in Los Alamos, New Mexico.Oppenheimer became disillusioned about his creation and turned into an avid campaigner against nuclear bomb, which cost him his equity with the US government and he was stripped of his top security clearance at a rigged hearing that was recreated with remarkable clarity and simplicity by Nolan.Exonerated for his loyalty to the country but deprived of his security clearance, Oppenheimer was offered citizenship by Nehru in 1952, according to many published accounts.But he did not take it, displaying perhaps the same independent spirit.IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! France cuts off financial support to Niger following military coup Paris, July 30: France has cut off financial support to Niger after a coup toppled the West African country's democratically elected president, CNN reported. France cuts off financial support to Niger following military coup France in a statement called for the "immediate return to the Nigerien constitutional order" adding to the mounting international pressure on the coup plotters.The move came shortly after the European Union suspended all security cooperation to Niger on Saturday and announced that it would no longer provide financial support. Niger is one of the world's poorest countries and receives hundreds of millions of dollars each year in assistance, as per CNN.A general who leads the country's presidential guard, Abdourahamane Tiani, was declared the country's new leader after President Mohamed Bazoum was detained earlier this week.EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borell said "This unacceptable attack on the integrity of Niger's republican institutions will not remain without consequences for the partnership and cooperation between the European Union and Niger, in all its various aspects.""President Bazoum was democratically elected; he is and remains the only legitimate President of Niger. He must be released unconditionally and without delay."Leaders from Washington to Moscow have called for Bazoum's release, so far to no avail.According to CNN, The African Union on Saturday demanded that Nigerien military personnel "immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority," within 15 days. The AU warned it would "take necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators, should the rights of political detainees not be respected."Borell and French President Emmanuel Macron both said they would be willing to support regional organizations, including the Economic Community of West African States, should they decide to bring sanctions against Niger.It is unclear to what extent international pressure would impact the decision of those attempting to seize power.Abdourahamane Tiani, a Niger general, following the military coup that sparked international condemnation, declared himself as the country's new leader, by appearing on national television, CNN reported on Friday.Tiani appeared on Tele Sahel with a banner identifying him as "President of the national council for the Preservation of the Homeland."The appearance comes a day after the West African country's military endorsed the leaders behind the toppling of President Mohamed Bazoum's government.Despite the move, an official loyal to the deposed president said there was infighting among the plotters while France has said the coup is "not final".Tiani said in the broadcast that Wednesday's coup was motivated by both the desire to "preserve our homeland" in a context of a "deteriorating security situation," and poor economic and social governance, CNN reported.ANI30 July 2023 Shared Recently! At the core of Manipurs ethnic strife is fight over tribal land rights Imphal, July 30: The ethnic conflicts in Manipur for over three decades have mostly been land-centric and in all of them, Kuki tribals are involved. At the core of Manipur's ethnic strife is fight over tribal land rights The Kukis and their sub-tribes are hill tribes living in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and other northeastern states besides Myanmar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts in southeast Bangladesh.This northeastern region is culturally and ethnically diverse having more than 200 ethnic groups, including 34 in Manipur, with distinct languages, dialects and socio-cultural identities.In the ongoing ethnic violence, which broke out in Manipur on May 3, over 160 people have been killed and over 600 injured, huge destruction of properties took place, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.Kuki tribals felt that if the Meitei community gets the ST status, their various rights, including the land rights, would be curtailed and Meitei people would be able to purchase and live in their existing lands.The ongoing conflict between non-tribal Meiteis and Kuki tribals can also be termed as hills versus plains conflict.Meiteis account for 53 per cent of Manipur's three million population, while tribal communities account for around 40 per cent. Out of these, Naga tribes make up for 24 per cent and Kuki/Zomi tribes constitute 16 per cent.The valley areas, where the Meiteis are living, are around 10 per cent of the total geographical areas of Manipur while the hilly areas comprise around 90 per cent territory.On September 13, 1993 militants belonging to National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah faction massacred around 115 Kuki civilians in the hills of Manipur.However, the Naga outfit rejects responsibility for the killings.In 1990, there were clashes over land. Kukis often claimed 350 of their villages were uprooted, over 1,000 killed, and 10,000 people displaced.In 1993, there were clashes between Meitei Pangal (Muslims) and Meiteis. A bus carrying Muslim passengers was set on fire and over 100 people were killed.Manipur had scores of militant outfits and violence was largely triggered by insurgents.A total of 23 underground outfits under two conglomerates a 8 under the United Peoples' Front (UPF) and 15 are under Kuki National Organisation (KNO) -- are currently under Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Centre since August 2008.Manipur is also affected by activities of Meitei, Naga, Kuki, Zomi, and Hmar insurgent groups.To curb the illegal and unlawful activities by insurgent groups of northeastern states, a total of 16 insurgent organisations have declared "unlawful associations" and/or "terrorist organisations" under The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.Out of these 16, eight are from Manipur. These are People's Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, the Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and its armed wing the Manipur People's Army (MPA), the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), the Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), the Coordination Committee (Cor-Com), the Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK), and the Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF).While the NSCN-IM and other Naga outfits in neighbouring Nagaland entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 1997, Manipur Valley-based militant outfits (Meitei groups) such as the UNLF, PLA, KYKL etc. are yet to come to the negotiating table.There are 2,266 Kuki cadres who have been staying in different designated camps in Manipur after the Centre and the Manipur governments signed the tripartite Suspension of Operation (SoO) on August 22, 2008, when Congress was in power in Manipur.Officials in Manipur alleged that the cadres of the Kuki National Army (KNA), Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) are instigating the poppy cultivators in the state against the government, which has been taking action against illegal poppy cultivators by destroying poppy fields in the forest lands, especially in the reserve and protected forests.However, an umbrella organisation of the Kuki outfits has dismissed the accusations.On March 10, the tribals organised protest rallies against the state government's actions against the illegal poppy cultivators and illegal encroachments of forest lands in three hills districts that were also allegedly backed by the Kuki militants.The rallies in several places turned violent, injuring many, while the Manipur government unilaterally withdrew itself from the SoO deal the very next day. However, the Central government is yet to approve the Manipur government's decision to withdraw from the SoO deal.The Manipur government also claimed that the Myanmarese immigrants came from across the border, encouraging illegal poppy cultivation and the drugs trade.On April 9, the Kuki Independent Army (KIA) looted 25 sophisticated arms from the armoury of Kuki militant groups staying in their designated camps at Chungkhao in Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar.The Manipur Police launched a probe into the looting of arms by the militants of the KIA (also known as the Kuki Independent Organisation), which is a non-signatory of the tripartite ceasefire pact with the governments.The arms loot took place three days after the Manipur police announced a reward of Rs 50,000 to any person who provides information leading to the arrest of KIA chief Thangkhongam Haokip (40).The hilly and forested Churachandpur district in southern Manipur, which borders Myanmar and Mizoram, is home to various Kuki-Chin militant groups.Ever since the non-tribal Meitei community members started demanding to categorise them as Scheduled Tribe around one and a half decades ago, the Kuki tribals and their various organisations have been strongly opposing the demand saying that if the Meitei community is declared as tribals, their (Kukis) share of benefits as tribals will be curtailed and the people belonging to the Meitei community will be allowed to purchase land in the hilly areas.Amid the ethnic violence, 10 tribal MLAs, belonging to the Kuki community, have demanded a separate state for the Manipur tribals.The 10 legislators, including seven ruling BJP MLAs, also sent a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in support of their demand.Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that the demand was made under tremendous pressure from various quarters, including the Kuki militants.(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! Hollywood sex is kosher: Indian sentiments matter not (Column: B-Town) New Delhi, July 30: Courts in India make a criminal swear by the Bhagavad Gita before he deposes in a case, or at least, that is what I have seen in films. The Gita, if one understands rightly, is the ultimate belief one can swear on to tell the truth. A criminal may still lie, but our judiciary and our films continue to repose faith in this holy book. Hollywood sex is kosher: Indian sentiments matter not (Column: B-Town) Since our film folk swear by the Gita, why won't our Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC)? The CBFC has passed the Hollywood film 'Oppenheimer' with a scene showing the lead pair indulging in sex while the male actor is shown reading from the 'Bhagavad Gita'!No, not Vatsyayana's 'Kama Sutra', unless the CBFC thought it is all the same!I don't know why the makers thought of doing this stunt, but, maybe, the CBFC did figure it out and thought might as well let the people of India know, to use the phrase of the news channel anchors!The Indian censor board is known to be hard on Indian films, in most cases illogically and unnecessarily. But, the board forgets to apply the same yardstick when it comes to Hollywood films.These films may be from Hollywood, but the audience is the same, those Indians who also watch Hindi movies. Now, even more people watch Hollywood films as they get an extensive release all over India and are dubbed in various local languages. The standards should be the same for both.With Hollywood, especially with 'Oppenheimer', the CBFC has decided to prove itself even more lenient than Hollywood. In the USA, they don't have a censoring body and the filmmakers practice self-censorship. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has given the film an 'R' rated because it has some sexuality, nudity and profane language.The Indian censor board has rated it UA, which practically allows audiences across age groups to watch it. If the CBFC thinks this elaborate sex scene in 'Oppenheimer' is okay for all ages, the film would have avoided all the controversy. But, who in the board will explain the use of the 'Bhagavad Gita'?Does Prasoon Joshi, as the CBFC chief, watch the movies or even visit the office (I am not saying attend)? Well, the censor certificates have to be signed and if the chairman does not visit the office, they have to be brought to him at this suburban luxury hotel which is his adda.Who actually runs the CBFC? The Regional Officer! If nothing, a film such as 'Oppenheimer' needed a look-see by the revising committee before it was granted a U/A certificate and the 'Bhagavad Gita' scene passed.When it comes to 'Adi Purush', probably the feeling was that the film will narrate the story of the Ramayana and help enlighten generation next. Chairman Joshi, being a poet, should not have let such a telling of 'Ramayana' with funny-looking characters and pedestrian dialogues pass. That is, unless he was not aware of them.CBFC appointments are always based on the policy of distributing rewards to those close to the ruling establishment, whatever the ruling party. There is no minimum qualification required. The knowledge of the film industry, public tastes and trends don't matter. The chairman before Joshi was also one such person. He was close to the 'margdarshaks' of the ruling party. And he decided how long James Bond should kiss his heroines!In the early 2000s, people like Anupam Kher and Arvind Trivedi (Ravan of Ramanand Sagar's TV serial 'Ramayana'), both BJP loyalists graced the chair. Earlier in the late 1990s, a man named B.P. Singhal was given the responsibility. What was his qualification? He was an ex-cop and brother of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief.The media did not take kindly to this appointment and Singhal gave up within a year. No censor chief appointed from the film fraternity has lasted for long in the position.Seeing that such a hullabaloo has been raised about the passing of 'Adi Purush' and now 'Oppenheimer', the CBFC is on an overdrive. 'OMG2' has been stalled. The board has found it 'slightly' controversial.This Akshay Kumar-starrer is a sequel to 'OMG Oh My God'. Either something is controversial or not at all. One never knows when a slight controversy blows up into a huge one.The other film that was subjected to extra scrutiny is 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' starring Ranvir Singh and Alia Bhatt. Among the cuts that were imposed include a reference to the West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and her pet phrase, 'Khela Hobe!'.Only if the Board had been as sensitive about religious issues as it was about political leaders!Band Baja Is Okay For BaraatThere was a time when film music was an orphan, the copyright or the creators, as in the lyrics writer, composer and crooner, did their job and the song belonged to nobody and for everybody to make money out of. To a great extent, that still happens. Be it music portals or be it music companies, they continue to exploit the works of others.Film songs have been played all over. The creators got nothing in return. When the commercial services of the All India Radio started, film music was their mainstay. What did they pay in return? Re 1 as royalty for a song that millions across Indian listened to!Music companies were known to mail paltry sums cheques of sums like Rs 250 as royalty to film producers. Film music was fair game for anybody and everybody.Then came the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS), the body that represents the music companies in the country. Its job was to safeguard the interests of the creators of film music, apart from the music rights owners. The use of film music was not free anymore.IPRS even lobbied with the government and got laws made for this purpose. The law made commercial use of recorded music subject to payment of royalty.The law, however, exempts certain bodies and events from paying royalty for use of recorded music. Marriage processions (baraats) and other festivities associated with marriage are among the events that are exempted. This is not something the general public would be aware of, but still, the band baja would play the songs and the processions would move on with the 'baraatis' dancing to the songs. The tradition is age-old and has been practised unhindered.Now, guess who was exploiting the situation? The very people who were given the job of protecting copyrights.They started raiding marriage processions or functions demand royalty. How many parents of either the bride or the groom would want their special day to be marred by such intrusion? So, not knowing the law or what to do, they usually ended up paying. The authorities have wised up to this blackmail and called upon the culprits to refrain from acting the way they did.It would be interesting to know, though, how many such 'royalties' that were collected have been acknowledged and credited to the account books of the body that is meant to protect copyrights!IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurates new building of Assam Legislative Assembly Guwahati, July 30: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday inaugurated the new building of the Assam Legislative Assembly in Guwahati. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurates new building of Assam Legislative Assembly Earlier Numal Momin, Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly told ANI that the next assembly session will be held in the new building."The new building has new features. We are planning for e-Vidhan which will be shortly in the new building. It will be a very modern assembly in Assam for the first time. The next assembly session will be held in the new building," Momin said.He added that the construction of the new building was started long before during the Congress regime and it has been re-designed a little bit. "After our government came to power, we have intensified the works and on July 30 the new building will be inaugurated," Momin said earlier.Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal were present on the occasion."The Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Minister of Assam along with cabinet colleagues, and members of Assam Legislative Assembly will be present on the occasion. We are fully prepared for the programme," the Deputy Speaker said earlier.ANI30 July 2023 Shared Recently! Ongoing power outages across Egypt could extend through August and even into mid-September in a worst-case scenario if the heatwave does not relent, Cabinet Spokesman Nader Saad warned. The soaring temperatures, which have reached nearly 40 degrees Celsius in most areas of Egypt and surpassed 45 degrees in the south, have led to a record-breaking electricity consumption of 34,650 megawatts (MW) during peak hours, placing immense strain on the country's natural gas network that fuels power plants. To alleviate the mounting pressure on the gas network, the government has implemented temporary electricity load reductions since mid-July. However, these load-shedding measures have resulted in power outages across Egypt. The spokesman indicated that these measures could be reduced if temperatures fall. During a phone interview with Sada El-Balad satellite channel on Saturday night, Saad expressed deep regret and referred to the UN secretary-general's recent remarks that the world has entered an "era of global boiling" due to the record-shattering July temperatures. "We apologize for the current situation regarding load shedding due to climate change, Saad said. "The crisis of rising temperatures has led to a significant and unprecedented drawdown of [natural] gas intended for power stations, impacting gas pressure and resulting in the current crisis we are experiencing," Saad explained. Egypt, a major natural gas exporter, has suspended its gas exports during the summer months to ensure adequate energy supplies for the domestic power plants, he noted. The country boasts natural gas reserves of 2.1 trillion cubic metres, but technical constraints have limited any further increase in daily production capacity. The government has taken urgent measures, including importing quantities of mazut a substitute fuel oil valued between $250-300 million, to bolster fuel supplies for the power plants, he said. Saad emphasized that the quantities of gas supplied to power plants have not been reduced. Instead, the government has diverted up to 15 percent of gas from fertilizer factories to meet the demands of the power stations In a press conference on Thursday, Madbouly said that Egypt consumes 144 to 146 million cubic metres of gas and diesel daily to meet power generation demands. Easing loads has been necessary to keep daily consumption below 160-165 million cubic metres of gas and diesel, an amount which would not have been feasible to procure. Saad also confirmed that there has been significant investment in renewable energy in an attempt to decrease the share of electricity generated from fossil fuels. Denying rumours On Tuesday, the C abinet released a statement denying recent claims that the largest gas field in the Mediterranean, Zohr, is experiencing a decline in production due to technical issues. Saad seconded this denial, explaining that the field is operating effectively, with a normal production decrease rate of five percent, which is very low compared to other fields worldwide that have production decrease rates of 15-20 percent. Saad also clarified that there are no plans to cancel daylight saving time. Studies conducted by the ministries of petroleum and electricity confirm its importance in saving up to 10 percent of energy use, he added. There is no consideration of cancelling daylight saving time. The most important consideration is to conserve energy, such as turning off lights after employees leave government institutions and bodies, Nader explained. Saad also revealed that as part of the overall effort to address the energy crisis, buildings in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) will be closed after official work hours, and unnecessary air conditioning and lighting will be avoided. In addition to the building closures, Saad also emphasized plans to turn off billboards on the streets after 10pm in the near future. However, he clarified that this measure is not currently in effect, as advertisers have already made payments for these billboards. Search Keywords: Short link: PM Modi thanks US govt for returning over 100 rare, ancient Indian artefacts New Delhi, July 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed his gratitude to the US government for returning over 100 rare and ancient artefacts to India. PM Modi thanks US govt for returning over 100 rare, ancient Indian artefacts "A few days ago, social media was abuzz with the news that America had returned over 100 rare and ancient artefacts to India. These artefacts are anywhere between 250 and 2500 years old. These rare and precious items belong to different regions of the country," PM Modi said during the 103rd episode of his monthly radio broadcast -- 'Mann Ki Baat' -- on Sunday."I would like to thank the US Government for returning these items, which testify to our proud heritage. Even during my visit to the US in 2016 and 2021, many similar artefacts were returned to India," PM Modi added.Earlier, in a tweet, PM Modi had said the return of 105 trafficked antiquities to India will make "every Indian happy"."Grateful to the US for this. These precious artefacts hold immense cultural and religious significance. Their homecoming is a testament to our commitment to preserving our heritage and rich history," he had posted.Earlier, the Indian consulate in New York held a repatriation ceremony for 105 trafficked antiquities handed over by the US.The ceremony followed PM Modi's maiden State visit to the US in June.Speaking at the event, Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, thanked the US, and, in particular, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his Anti-Trafficking Unit and the Homeland Security Investigation team for their stellar cooperation and support.The envoy noted that for the people of India, these were not just pieces of art but a part of their heritage and culture.Sandhu tweeted, "105 Indian antiquities to return home! Delighted to attend a ceremony in #NewYork this morning, marking the restitution of artefacts following PM @narendramodi's State Visit. Appreciate the cooperation extended in the protection & exchange of cultural property."The repatriation ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the Homeland Security Investigation team, as per an official release.ANI30 July 2023 Shared Recently! Ethnic faultlines behind demands for two more capitals for Meghalaya Guwahati, July 30: Deep ethnic, subnational, and interpersonal faultlines have long defined the politics of Meghalaya. The Khasis, Jaintias, and Garos are the prominent indigenous communities in the three separate hill regions that make up the state. Ethnic faultlines behind demands for two more capitals for Meghalaya Meghalaya, which was carved out of Assam in 1972, contains 24 Assembly seats in the Garo Hills, 29 seats in the Khasi Hills, and seven in the Jaintia Hills. The Khasis and Jaintias share some common cultural traits, but the Garos are linguistically and racially distinct.Though the Garo region contributes a lesser number of seats than Khasi Hills, it is ironic that the politics in the hilly state have been largely dominated by Garo community leaders.The present Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma, and his late father, P.A. Sangma are from Garo Hills. Conrad Sangma's predecessor, Mukul Sangma, belongs to the same community as well.Recent attack on the Chief Minister's Office in Tura when Conard Sangma was meeting a group of protesters over a demand of making Tura town, the headquarters of Garo region and the winter capital of Meghalaya, is also an example of ethnic division among the communities.The dominance in the state politics was the bone of contention and the Garo community's organisation wanted to shift the capital from Shillong at least for a substantial time of a year.Meanwhile, the Jaintia community leaders have also come up with a new demand to make Jowai town as the spring capital of Meghalaya. Even though the state administration has immediately turned down the proposal, the matter may gain pace at any time soon.Conard Sangma knows very well that Khasis have a reservation against him since he belongs to the Garo community. When this year's assembly polls were happening, there was a call to install a Khasi Chief Minister this time.When Conrad Sangma's NPP emerged as a single party after the February Assembly election and staked claim to the government formation, the capital Shillong descended into familiar turmoil.Following an arson, Khasi nationalist organisations burned effigies and expressed threats of further bloodshed.Two MLAs from the Hill State People's Democratic Party, who had offered support to the National People's Party after the Assembly elections had produced a splintered mandate, became the target of their mockery.The names of the Hill State People's Democratic Party also appeared in the letter that Sangma submitted to the Governor, making a claim to form the government with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party and an independent MLA.The two MLAs, Methodius Dkhar and Shakliar Warjri, backing the Sangma's NPP, enraged Khasi ethnonationalist organisations, who believed this act prevented the state from having a chief minister from the community.Even though the Meghalaya state Assembly rejected the proposal in 2014, the Hill State People's Democratic Party and the Garo Hills state movement committee intensified their demands two years ago for the demarcation of the boundaries for the proposed Khasi-Jaintia and Garoland states.Some sections of both the Khasi and Garo communities even believe that the bifurcation of Meghalaya into two states, one for the Khasi-Jaintia communities and one for the Garos, will essentially wipe out the tension among the ethnic communities.However, the bifurcation of a small state like Meghalaya is a very complex phenomenon and this fact keeps the different ethnic groups together, but faultlines that run deeper in the state often come out in the open.IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! 4K women performed Haj without mahram, says PM Modi, announces new campaign to mark I-Day New Delhi, July 30: With the Assembly elections due in four states in a few months from now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an attempt to reach out to the Muslim population, informed on Sunday, how 4,000 women from the community recently undertook the Haj pilgrimage without their male companions or 'mahram'. PM Modi further informed that changes that have been made in the Haj policy in the last few years are being highly appreciated. 4K women performed Haj without 'mahram', says PM Modi, announces new campaign to mark I-Day In his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi said, "I have received a large number of letters this time... These letters have been written by those Muslim women who have recently come from Haj pilgrimage. This journey of theirs is very special in many ways. These are the women, who have performed Haj without any male companion or mahram, and the number is not fifty or hundred, but more than four thousand -- this is a huge transformation."Earlier, he said, Muslim women were not allowed to perform Haj without Mehram.Assembly elections are due in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana in December 2023.Telangana has a substantial Muslim population."Through Mann Ki Baat, I also express my heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Saudi Arabia. Women coordinators were specially appointed for women going on Haj without Mehram," the prime minister said."Our Muslim mothers and sisters have written a lot to me about this. Now, more and more people are getting the chance to go for Haj," he said.With Independence Day round the corner, PM Modi said that another campaign is going to be launched, called 'Meri Mati Mera Desh'.This campaign will be launched to honour the martyred braveheart men and women, he said."In the memory of these luminaries, special inscriptions will also be installed in lakhs of village panchayats of the country. Under this campaign, an 'Amrit Kalash Yatra' will also be organised across the country. This 'Amrit Kalash Yatra' carrying soil in 7,500 urns from every corner of the country will reach Delhi. This journey will also carry with it saplings from different parts of the country. A garden will be built near the National War Memorial by fusing the soil and saplings that would arrive in 7,500 urns," Modi informed.Highlighting the significance of weaning away youngsters from the menace of drugs, the prime minister said that the government had launched the 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan' on August 15, 2020."More than 11 crore people have been connected with this campaign. Two weeks ago, India had taken a huge action against drugs. After seizing about 1.5 lakh kg of consignment of drugs, it was destroyed. India has also created a unique record of destroying 10 lakh kg of drugs. The cost of these drugs was more than Rs 12,000 crore," he informed.IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! Helen Flanagan told to cover up or leave restaurant over bikini issue Los Angeles, July 30: Actress Helen Flanagan was left red-faced while on a holiday in Barbados with her three children, when she was refused entry to a swanky restaurant after turning up in just a bikini, but she was saved by a helpful holidaymaker. Helen Flanagan told to 'cover up or leave' restaurant over bikini issue The 'Coronation Street' star, 32, was asked to "cover up or leave" by the restaurant staff at the four-star Waves Hotel and Spa in Barbados.Helenwas wearing just a gold two-piece when she was turned away from the swanky Kyma coffee shop, the Sun reported.Helenlooked mortified after being told she was not dressed appropriately. But another holidaymaker then spared her the blushes and stepped in to lend her a dress.The Sun quoted the holidaymaker as saying "Helen turned up to the Kyma bar with her kids and was enjoying a drink outside. It was seriously hot in the early afternoon and when Helen took her kids indoors to get the air-conditioning, she was told she had to cover up or leave.""She looked horrified because all she had on was a bikini and people were staring. My sister had a Skims black dress and lent it to her so she could go in.""She was so grateful because it was a little awkward."It's a pretty upmarket bistro-come-cafe, and although you can go there straight from the beach, you have to have a T-shirt or a kaftan on. Helen sat back and enjoyed a coffee with the kids after that."She returned the dress - and a pair of flip-flops we lent her - to the hotel reception before she left."She was a great sport about the whole thing."The actress had been keeping fans updated on her luxury trip via Instagram.Helenand her three children -- Matilda, eight, Delilah, five, and two-year-old Charlie -- from her relationship with footballer Scott Sinclair, have been in the Caribbean for the past week.She split from her fiancee Scott last year, following 13 years together.Helen, who played Rosie Webster in 'Coronation Street' took a step back in 2018. She was back on the box for 'I'm A Celebrity All Stars' earlier this year.The actress said she would love to go back to Weatherfield if Rosie had children.IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! PM Modi to visit Pune on Aug 1, to be conferred with Lokmanya Tilak award New Delhi, July 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Pune on August 1, where he will be conferred with Lokmanya Tilak National Award. The award was constituted by Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983, to honour the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak. It is presented every year on August 1 -- Lokmanya Tilak's death anniversary. PM Modi to visit Pune on Aug 1, to be conferred with Lokmanya Tilak award The event has undertaken a political undertone as NCP chief Sharad Pawar is expected to be the chief guest at the award function, as per reports.If Pawar attends the function, then it would be the first occasion when he would be sharing stage with the prime minister, after a split in NCP was engineered by his nephew Ajit Pawar, who along with a few MLAs, joined the ruling Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde group)-BJP government in Maharashtra on July 2.The presence of both Pawar and Modi on the same stage is likely to create a lot of uneasiness within political circles, especially within the opposition INDIA alliance.Last week, during the meeting of floor leaders of the INDIA alliance, the scheduled event where Pawar could be present along with the prime minister, was flagged, with many leaders expressing concern over its repercussions on the opposition alliance.Meanwhile, during his day-long visit, PM Modi will flag off metro trains and inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects in Pune.PM Modi will also inaugurate the waste to energy plant under Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation (PCMC).Developed at a cost of about Rs 300 crore, it will use up about 2.5 lakh MT of waste annually to produce electricity.He will also hand over more than 1,280 houses constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).PM Modi will also handover more than 2,650 PMAY houses constructed by Pune municipal corporation.Further, the prime minister will also lay the foundation stone of around 1,190 PMAY houses to be constructed by PCMC and of over 6,400 houses constructed by Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority.IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! PM Modis vision for next 25 years to turn India into a developed nation: Anil Antony Chennai, July 30: Newly-appointed national secretary of the BJP, Anil Antony has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vision for the next 25 years to turn India into a developed country. PM Modi's vision for next 25 years to turn India into a developed nation: Anil Antony Son of veteran Congress leader and former Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Anil, who is an engineer with a Masters from the prestigious Stanford University, spoke about the Congress and the prospects of the BJP in his home state, Kerala, in an interview with IANS.Excerpts from interviewQ What is your first reaction on being appointed as the national secretary of the BJP?A I joined the BJP, because I was very sure that the BJP is the only national party with a vision and direction to drive the country forward under the leadership of our beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. He has a vision for the country for the next 25 years. In the nine years under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modiji, the country has progressed much ahead than the earlier 67 years post Independence put together.India is emerging as a prominent pillar in a multi-polar world. He wants to push forward the country into a developed nation in its 100th year of Independence. I am feeling very humble and honoured that the BJP leadership has shown this much confidence in me and with this new posting that I have a better platform to work towards the PM's vision for India.Q Will you be concentrating on Kerala as a BJP leader who is now a national secretary of the party.A I have not yet been assigned any new responsibilities after announcing me as the new national secretary of the party. I lived in Kerala for a significant amount of time during my upbringing. I have a lot of interest to see that the party grows in Kerala. I will definitely be making my efforts to develop the party in the state.The party has been consistently growing in the state. The vote share was 3 per cent and it has increased to 13 to 14 per cent now and our alliance is growing in Kerala. Many accomplished citizens and many promising youths have joined the BJP and are still joining.Just like across India, the youth in Kerala are attracted towards the Honourable Prime Minister's vision for India. Kerala is a state with a lot of socio economic growth. While the median age of the country is 27, in Kerala it is 35 and young people are struggling for job opportunities. They are leaving in masses searching for jobs both outside the country and within India to other states.India is thriving and moving forward under the leadership of PM Modi. He has a vision to transform the country by providing economic and social opportunities and young people will definitely resonate with the good governance of the Government of India and they want to be part of India's growth. Just like West Bengal, Tripura and other Northeastern states, the party will grow in Kerala.There is exceptional growth. In Kerala, also we have 14 and 15 per cent vote share and state leadership is strong and central leadership is showing more interest in the state. In 2024 we will definitely win multiple seats and BJP will become a significant political party in the state. I can say that we will have exceptional growth in Kerala.Q It is learned that senior leaders of the BJP will be in fray in 2024 general elections. Are you a candidate?A I joined the party only in April and my first responsibility in the party was announced only yesterday. My only priority is only to work on the responsibility given by me. These are decisions taken by the party leadership and it is the leadership that decides. Everything else is speculation. I won't comment on the seat and other factors that the party leadership has to decide.Q You are the son of senior Congress leader A.K. Antony. Is that a baggage for you in your future political career?A My father was in parliamentary politics for 52 years and has spent more than six decades in party politics. In his parliamentary career he was the Chief Minister of Kerala, a Union minister and had handled the crucial defense portfolio. He has generated tremendous good will across the political spectrum, across people and among the public. He has now retired from parliamentary politics.The current Congress led by Rahul Gandhi and his associates have diverted themselves from what the Congress party used to be. The party is now going in a very very negative tangent where they don't have any clear vision or direction on how to progress. At the same time we have a Prime Minister who has had a vision for 25 years. Congress is getting alienated from the young and aspirational India and cut off from Young India. The Congress party has changed a lot and is no longer a party where my father and many other stalwarts worked for many many years. My father has tremendous goodwill and I am proud to have a father like him.Q Narendra Modi and the BJP have been in power for the past nine years. Will the party and Modi get a third tenure in 2024 general elections ?A Definitely Narendra Modi and the BJP will be returning to power after the 2024 general elections.In 2014 and 2019 PM Narendra Modi led the party to back to back victories. Every year the progress of India is exponential and in the last nine years it is more. In 2014 we had 500 startups and now we have over one lakh. We have more than 115 unicorns, and is the third largest digital economy in the world. This is exponential growth.As far as Infrastructure is concerned, we had 75 airports in 2014 when Narendra Modi came to power. Now we have 150 airports and in 2030, there will be 400 plus airports. In 2014 highways were built at a speed of 8 to 9 km per day; now it is more than 100 km per day.Lot of this is due to the passion, dedication and vision of the Prime Minister to take the country forward. There is a great future for the country and the entire government and party machinery have full confidence in this vision and are working to ensure that the milestones are met.The people of India are beneficiaries and their lives are improving better than any time, including employment opportunities. We are getting more and more global recognition and we are respected in international forums.Across international and domestic stages and, including grassroots levels India story is resonating and because of this people will show confidence. We will come back with a better mandate and the margin will be higher than in the 2019 polls. There are 38 allies for the BJP now within NDA and the BJP and party organization is getting bigger.Q Manipur is turning into a major crisis. What's your take on this?A The Manipur issue is very disappointing. However, the opposition parties create a narration far removed from realities for their short-term political victories. It is a state where there were frequent clashes between tribes for many historic reasons. If you look at the state of Manipur for the past 20 years, the violence has come down with data that shows that Manipur was getting more peaceful than anytime in the past. For example in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 an average of 150 people were killed. It has come down to 10 or 15 people in the last five years.Law and order situation has been drastically improving. There are anti-India elements inside and outside the country who are trying to flare up the tribal conflict. The opposition is trying to flare this up for their political exigencies. They are trying to create a false narration of a communal war for a tribal conflict. This has been steadily controlled and violence steadily decreasing but anti India forces are trying to unleash violence and the opposition is not standing with the people of India and instead of bringing stability to the region, they are playing in the hands of anti-India forces. India has been more secure and stable in the last nine years from Kashmir to Northeastern states.Everywhere, we are seeing situations where everything is brought under control through steady intervention. The Honourable Home Minister visited the place multiple times. But the opposition is creating false narrations to rake up the issue communally and people of India will reject this kind of negativity.IANS30 July 2023 Shared Recently! CRPF provides safe passage, ensures security of pilgrims during Amarnath Yatra in Srinagar Srinagar, July 30: The troops of the Central Reserve Police Force are playing a crucial role in ensuring the safety and providing safe passage and assistance to the pilgrims of the Amarnath Yatra in Srinagar, officials said on Sunday. CRPF provides safe passage, ensures security of pilgrims during Amarnath Yatra in Srinagar Deputy Inspector General Srinagar North Range CRPF said that the CRPF deployed along the Amarnath Yatra route in Srinagar was essential in ensuring the safety and aid of the pilgrims in Srinagar."The CRPF plays a crucial role in providing safe passage and assistance to the pilgrims of the Amarnath Yatra in Srinagar. The CRPF personnel are deployed along the Yatra route and in Srinagar to ensure the security and well-being of the pilgrims," said the official.The DIG stated that the CRPF regularly checks for threats, upholds the peace, and makes sure pilgrims can travel without incident in the yatra."The CRPF conducts regular security checks, maintains law and order, and facilitates the smooth movement of pilgrims during the yatra," he said.The official further added that the CRPF personnel work closely with the local authorities, including the Jammu and Kashmir Police, to create a secure environment for the pilgrims and address any potential security threats.The CRPF provides various assistance services to pilgrims in collaboration with other agencies. These services include medical camps, transportation facilities, communication networks, and emergency response teams, he said further.Additionally, he said that the CRPF is prepared and trained to deal with any emergencies and, if necessary, offer prompt assistance to the pilgrims."The CRPF personnel are trained and equipped to handle any emergency situations and provide immediate help to the pilgrims if needed," he said.The presence and efforts of the CRPF contribute to the safe and successful completion of the Amarnath Yatra in Srinagar, ensuring a memorable and secure pilgrimage experience for the devotees, he added.The DIG said, "CRPF's presence and dedication help instil confidence among the pilgrims and ensure that they can undertake the yatra in a peaceful manner."The efforts of the CRPF contribute to the overall success and safety of the pilgrimage, allowing thousands of devotees to visit the holy Amarnath shrine every year, stated the official.The total number of devotees who undertook the pilgrimage this year's Amarnath Yatra surpassed last year's number.A total of 9,150 devotees took darshan at the Amarnath Cave shrine on Thursday, taking the cumulative figure of devotees to 369,288.This surpasses last year's total of 365,721 devotees taking the Yatra.Beyond the spiritual significance, the Yatra has also witnessed the arrival of distinguished personalities from various walks of life, renowned badminton player Saina Nehwal, and Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan.The Amarnath Yatra-2023 has also witnessed a significant increase in the number of foreign pilgrims visiting the holy shrine. The pilgrimage's allure extends beyond national boundaries, drawing people from all over the world to partake in this spiritually enriching experience.ANI30 July 2023 Shared Recently! Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says war is 'gradually returning to Russia' Kyiv, July 30: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday warned that the war is "gradually returning" to Russia, adding that it is an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process." He stressed that Ukraine is "getting stronger.". Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says war is 'gradually returning to Russia' Zelenskyy's remarks come after Russia brought down three Ukrainian drones. According to the statement released by the Ukraine President's office, Zelenskyy said, "Russian aggression has gone bankrupt on the battlefield. Today is the 522nd day of the so-called "special military operation," which the Russian leadership expected to last for a week or two. Ukraine is getting stronger.""Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia - to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process," he added.He spoke about his visit to Prykarpattia's Ivano-Frankivsk, according to the statement released by Ukraine President's office. Zelenskyy stated that he held a meeting of the Congress of local and regional authorities of Ukraine in Ivano-Frankivsk. He warned that Russia can still attack Ukraine's energy sector and critical facilities during winter."But we must be aware that, just as last year, Russian terrorists can still attack our energy sector and critical facilities this winter. Today we discussed with the communities the current state of preparation for all possible scenarios," Zelenskyy said.Zelenskyy noted that during his visit to Ivano-Frankivsk, they discussed budgetary issues and the issue of urgent reconstruction, including the energy sector and various systems of ensuring life in the communities.On Sunday, Russia said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones that were attempting to attack Moscow. It is the second reported attack in Moscow in a week, CNN reported.The Russian Defence Ministry said three drones were intercepted. It, however, said that a business and shopping development in Moscow's west was hit.No casualties were reported in the drone attack. However, the fifth and sixth floors of a 50-storey building were damaged, CNN reported citing TASS news agency.Earlier, Ukrainian Minister Mykhailo Fedorov had said there would be more drone strikes to come as Ukraine ramps up a counteroffensive aimed at pushing Russian troops out of Ukrainian territory, according to CNN.Ukraine earlier claimed responsibility for a strike on Monday that struck two non-residential buildings. Russia termed the incident a "terrorist attack." On Friday, Russia said it shot down a Ukrainian missile over the Taganrog. However, Ukraine did not issue any statement regarding Russia's claim.ANI30 July 2023 Shared Recently! France on Sunday warned it would retaliate if its citizens were attacked in Niger, after protesters tried to enter its embassy in the capital, Niamey. "Should anyone attack French nationals, the army, diplomats and French interests, they will see France respond in an immediate and intractable manner," the French president's office said, adding that French President Emmanuel Macron "will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests". "France also supports all regional initiatives" aimed at "restoring constitutional order" and the return of Niger President Mohamed Bazoum, Macron's office said, as the West African regional bloc ECOWAS was readying to discuss the Niger coup during a summit in Nigeria. French foreign ministry condemned the violence that erupted around its embassy in Niger, where a junta seized power this week in a coup, and demanded that local authorities protect the building. "Nigerien forces have an obligation to ensure the security of our diplomatic missions and consulates as part of the Vienna convention," the ministry said, condemning "all violence against diplomatic missions". "We call on them to immediately fullfil this obligation". Thousands of junta supporters gathered outside the French embassy in Niger's capital Niamey on Sunday after Paris suspended aid, with some trying to enter the building. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Authorities in Nigeria's northeastern Adamawa state on Sunday imposed a statewide round-the-clock curfew to stop widespread looting of food stores in the state capital Yola by cash- and food-strapped residents. The looting, spearheaded by street urchins, saw hundreds of residents break into public and private warehouses storing grains and other commodities and cart them away. "The Governor of Adamawa State...Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has declared a 24-hour curfew on the state, effective immediately Sunday 30th July, 2023," Humwashi Wonosikou, the governor's spokesman, said in a statement. Yahaya Nguroje, Adamawa state police spokesman said security personnel had been deployed to enforce the curfew. Last month Nigeria ended a fuel subsidy regime, leading to petrol prices quadrupling and food prices soaring. Nigeria's economy has been weakened by recession and the fallout from Covid-19, making life hard for its citizens, most of whom live on less than $2 a day. Online video footage shows residents of Yola looting sacks of grain, cartons of pasta and other household items from a warehouse of Nigeria's emergency management agency (NEMA). The plunder prompted NEMA to put its warehouses across Nigeria on alert to forestall possible looting, according to agency sources. Search Keywords: Short link: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow, has released the notification for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2023 on its official website, iimcat.ac.in, today, July 30. The Indian Institute of Management Lucknow is in charge of conducting the entrance exam this year. The notification includes information on the CAT 2023 exam schedule in addition to the registration beginning and ending dates. The CAT 2023 test is scheduled to be held on November 26. More than 2.5 lakh individuals are expected to enrol for the CAT 2023. In 2022, 2,22,184 applicants in all registered for the CAT. Common Admission Test is a prominent national-level entrance exam for admission to numerous management programmes throughout India, including prestigious institutes such as IIMs. Other notable colleges and educational institutions that offer MBA admissions, such as Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), also take CAT results into account. The test will last two hours in accordance with the CAT format. The CAT 2023 will be broken down into three sections: verbal ability and reading comprehension, data interpretation and logical reasoning, and numerical aptitude. Candidates will receive three marks for each accurate response, but one point will be deducted for each incorrect response. The IIMs have made a few minor changes to the CAT 2023 registration cost for this year. Candidates will be charged a higher fee to register for the CAT 2023. Instead of paying Rs 1,150 for registration, students who fall under the SC, ST, and PwD categories must now pay Rs 1,200. Students from other categories would have to pay a registration fee of Rs 2,400 instead of Rs 2,300. CAT 2023: eligibility criteria In order to be eligible for the exam, graduate students from accredited universities or institutions must have a minimum grade point average of 50 per cent or equivalent, if the eligibility requirements for the CAT 2023 remain the same. However, a score of 45 per cent will do for those who fall under the Scheduled Tribe (ST), Scheduled Caste (SC), and Differently Abled (DA)/Persons with Disability (PWD) categories. The test is also open to candidates who have finished their degrees but are awaiting the results of their undergraduate (UG) courses in order to obtain a spot in one of the CAT 2023 participating colleges. A personality test is typically part of the screening process for IIMs, however, it may vary from one institute to another. At different phases of the selection process, academic achievement, relevant job experience, and other factors may also be taken into consideration when shortlisting applicants. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is anticipated to declare the Class 10 and 12 Compartment exam results 2023 soon. Once it is announced, students can check their scores by visiting the official websites atcbse.gov.in, results.cbse.nic.in or cbseresults.nic.in. The board is expected to release Class 12 Compartment results first, followed by the results of Class 10. However, the official date and time of the result declaration is yet to be announced. The board is anticipated to announce the results of the class 12 compartment test first. Following the announcement of the class 12th results, the class 10th results will be released. According to earlier trends, CBSE usually releases the compartment results within 10 to 15 days after the exams are held. CBSE administered the Class 10 compartment exam from July 17 to July 22. While the Class 12 Compartment exam was scheduled on July 17. The board conducted the practical exams for the compartment students from July 6 to July 20. CBSE conducted the compartment exams for students who failed to score the minimum passing marks. It was for those who couldnt pass one or two subjects in the regular board exams. The compartmental exams were held to provide candidates with a second chance to improve their scores. CBSE Class 10, 12 Compartment Results 2023: How to Check Step 1: Visit CBSEs official website atcbse.gov.in. Step 2: Search for the link that says CBSE Compartment Exam Result 2023 when available. Step 3: On the new window, select the class (10th or 12th), then enter roll number, admit card ID, school number, and centre number. Step 4: After entering all details, click on the Submit option. Step 5: The CBSE compartment result 2023 will appear on the screen. Step 6: Check the result and download it. Students can apply for further studies after the CBSE Class 10th and 12th Compartment 2023 results are declared. On May 12, CBSE published the results for the Class 10th and 12th regular board exams. This year, a total of 21,65,805 students appeared in the Class 10 exam, yielding a remarkable overall pass percentage of 93.12 per cent. Meanwhile, the Class 12 exams were taken by 16,60,511 students, and the overall pass percentage was 87.33 per cent. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) entered into memorandums of understanding (MOU) with 15 different institutions to promote skill education and capacity building of teachers in order to give students access to a variety of knowledge and exposure to cutting-edge technology. The board has partnered with companies that offer sector skills, including Atal Innovation Mission, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, the council for the manufacturing of apparel and home furnishings, the council for the automotive industry, the council for sports, physical education, and leisure skills, the council for logistics, the council for furniture and fixtures, the council for the life sciences, the council for textiles, and the council for the healthcare industry. Additionally, the Sector Skill Councils will assist the board in creating skill modules, study materials for skill topics, staging contests or hackathons for students, and providing teacher training. The NEP places a major emphasis on increased cooperation between academia and industry. The curriculum must be in line with what the business requires and should allow for student internships and apprenticeships to encourage exposure to the field. It is also fundamental to upgrade teachers competence to achieve the intended goals."CBSE through these initiatives has thus entered into strategic partnerships for the skill development, education and training, stated a release from the board. CBSE further stated that SAFAL, a competency-based census evaluation for grades 3, 5, and 8 for school growth, will be supported by the Central Square Foundation (CSF) for the board. For the purpose of conducting SAFAL for grades 3, 5, and 8, the partners will create high-quality competency-based tests.Oxford University Press India and Educational Initiatives Pvt Ltd will create training modules on developing competency-based capacity building programmes (CBP) for teachers of English, math, science, and social science, updating current CBPs to improve assessment and evaluation, and creating training materials for developing CBPs on the National Curriculum Framework Foundational Stage (NCF-FS). The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), whose popularity is expanding, can become a worldwide board in the Global South, according to Indias Union Minister of State for Education Dharmendra Pradhan, who made this claim at the G20 conference on June 21. Amidst todays competitive job market, government job opportunities continue to captivate a substantial number of aspirants. There are many factors for which individuals should enrol in government jobs, including stability and perks. For those who dream of pursuing a government job, we have curated a list of job opportunities available for you to apply to this week. This weeks job opportunities range from India Post Payments Bank to the Airports Authority of India. So be ready with your resumes and explore these government job opportunities awaiting for you. India Post Payments Bank recruitment for 132 vacancies India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has released a notification for Executive positions on a contractual basis, operating under the Department of Post, Ministry of Communications. The application process started on July 26, with 132 vacancies available. Interested candidates can apply on the official website until August 16. The selection process will include an online test, group discussion or personal interview, and selected candidates will receive a monthly salary of Rs 30,000. Eligible candidates aged between 21 and 35, with a graduation degree in any discipline, can apply. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in sales and financial operations. SC, ST, and PWD candidates need to pay Rs 100, and other categories Rs 300 as application fees. DRDO recruitment for 55 Project Scientist Posts Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has announced 55 vacancies for Project Scientist posts. Candidates, who are interested, can apply through the official website of DRDO at drdo.gov.in. The application process is entirely online, and the deadline for submission is August 11, before 4 PM. This recruitment drive aims to fill a total of 55 vacancies. It is important to note that General, OBC, and EWS male candidates need to pay an application fee of Rs 100, whereas SC, ST, PWD, and women candidates are exempted from any fee. The age limit for Project Scientist F is 55 years, for E its 50 years, and for D, the age limit is 45 years. Aspiring candidates seeking to join DRDO, a part of the Ministry of Defence, should keep these essential details in mind. SSC JE recruitment for 1,324 vacancies The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has issued a notification for the Junior Engineer (JE) Examination, including civil, mechanical, and electrical branches. The online registration process commenced on July 26, and candidates can apply for the SSC JE 2023 recruitment exam through the official websitessc.nic.in. The last date of submitting application form is August 16 till 11:00 pm. Through this recruitment drive, the SSC aims to fill 1,324 vacancies for junior engineers in various central government departments such as MES, BRO, CPWD, NTRO, and others. Aspiring candidates need to pay an examination fee of Rs 100. However, candidates belonging to SC, ST, PWD, women, and ex-servicemen eligible for reservation are exempted from paying the fee. New India Assurance Company Limited hiring for 450 Administrative Officer Posts The New India Assurance Company Limited (NIACL) has commenced a recruitment drive for the role of Administrative Officer (Scale I), with 450 vacancies to be filled. The application process is set to begin on August 1, and will continue until August 21. Interested candidates can apply on NIACLs official website at www.newindia.co.in. Applicants for the Administrative Officer (Scale I) positions will undergo a selection process comprising a preliminary and mains examination, followed by an interview. Successful candidates appointed as Administrative Officers will receive a monthly salary of Rs 80,000. To be eligible, candidates should hold a graduation or post-graduation degree in the relevant discipline. Age criteria require candidates to be between 21 to 30 years old, as mentioned in the official notification. Airports Authority of India hiring for 342 vacancies The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has announced 342 vacancies for junior assistants, senior assistants, and junior executive positions. The online application process will commence on August 5 and interested candidates can apply through the official website www.aai.aero. September 4 is the last date to apply. The maximum age limit for Junior Assistant and Senior Assistant positions is 30 years while for Junior Executive it is 27 years. The application fee for General/EWS/OBC candidates is Rs 1000, while SC/ST/PWD/Female candidates are exempted from any fee. Salary ranges from Rs 31,000 to Rs 92,000 for Junior Assistants, Rs 36,000 to Rs 110,000 for Senior Assistants, and Rs 40,000 to Rs 1,40,000 for Junior Executives. MP High School Teacher Selection Test to hire 8,720 candidates The Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) has already issued the admit card for the state high school teacher selection test 2023. Aspirants can download their hall ticket from the official website at esb.mp.gov.in by entering their 13-digit application number, date of birth, and subject. The selection exam is scheduled for August 2, in two shifts. MPPEB aims to fill 8,720 vacancies through this recruitment exam. The new National Education Policy (NEP) will give due respect and credit to every language in the country and those who try to politicise language for their selfish interests will have to shut their shops, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday. Delivering the inaugural address at the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam on the third anniversary of the launch of the NEP, Modi said the biggest injustice to students is judging them on the basis of their language, instead of their capabilities. The National Educational Policy will give due respect and credit to every language in the country. Those who try to politicise language for their selfish interests will now have to shut their shops, the prime minister said. Education in the mother tongue is initiating a new form of justice for students in India. It is also a very significant step towards social justice, he added. Taking note of the multitude of languages in the world and their importance, the prime minister underlined that several developed countries have got an edge owing to their local languages. Giving the example of Europe, he said most countries make use of their own native languages. Modi lamented that even though India has an array of established languages, they are presented as a sign of backwardness and those who cannot speak English are neglected and their talent is not recognised. As a result, children in the rural areas remain the most affected. The country has now begun to shun this belief with the advent of the NEP. Even at the United Nations, I speak in an Indian language, he added. Modi underlined that subjects ranging from social science to engineering will now be taught in Indian languages. When the students are confident in a language, their skills and talent will emerge without any restrictions, he said. The prime minister said the world is looking at India as a nursery of new possibilities and several countries are approaching the government for setting up Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campuses there. The world is looking at India as a nursery of new possibilities. Many countries are approaching us to open IIT campuses there. Two IIT campuses one in Tanzania and one in Abu Dhabi are already about to start operations. Various global universities are also reaching out to us, expressing their interest in setting up campuses in India, he said. Modi said the NEP aims at making India a hub of research and innovation and has given equal importance to traditional knowledge systems and futuristic technology. He also asked schools to make students aware of subjects such as disaster management, climate change and clean energy. During the programme, the prime minister released the first instalment of funds under the PM SHRI scheme. The schools under the scheme will nurture students in a way that they become engaged, productive and contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive and pluralistic society, as envisaged under the NEP. The prime minister also released education and skill curriculum books translated into 12 Indian languages. The two-day Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam is being held at Bharat Mandapam at the old Pragati Maidan here. From UPSC Civil Services to SSC recruitment exams, from college admissions to group discussions, general knowledge questions mark a significant part of almost every exam. For candidates preparing to crack an exam or those who need to get their news in a compact form, News18 offers a weekly column - GK Capsule. While we provide you a weekly news wrap, to get more information on a specific topic or an exam, reach out at @news18dotcom. Current events and general knowledge are important components of most competitive assessments in India, including the Union Public Service Commissions Civil Services Exam. Reading up on current events may offer you an advantage over other candidates in the general knowledge section. Heres a list of major highlights from this week for you to read in order to better prepare for any forthcoming exams. New Railway Lines for Leh-Pathankot and Leh-Kargil-Srinagar Shelved Due to low traffic forecasts, the proposed railway lines for Leh-Pathankot and Srinagar-Kargil have been cancelled, the Ministry of Railway informed the Lok Sabha this week. The Bilaspur-Manali-Leh new line project survey has been finished, and a thorough project report has been created. The survey estimates that the 664 km route between Pathankot and Leh would cost Rs 70,308 crore while the 480 km route from Srinagar would cost Rs 55,896 crore. However, the ministry refused to comment on the projects present condition. Japanese Foreign Minister Travels in Delhi Metro Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi visited the Delhi Metro system and even took a ride on Friday. He took the Yellow Line Metro from Central Secretariat to Chawri Bazaar. During his journey, he was joined by Hiroshi Suzuki, Japans Ambassador to India, and Amit Kumar Jain, Director (Operations and Services), DMRC, according to a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official. The journey culminated with a visit to the Patel Chowk Metro Museum. Pakistan Making Another Attempt to Revive Separatist Movement in Kashmir: Sources Pakistan is trying to resurrect the separatist movement in Kashmir by giving it the local form and face of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and Hurriyat Conference. Sources told CNN-News18 said Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence is keen to launch a soft movement following its failure to launch terror strikes in Kashmir. The ISI intends to launch the separatist movement before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and sources have cited the separatists severe financial shortage since 2017. United States Announces $345 Million Military Aid Package For Taiwan On July 28, the United States released a $345 million military aid package for Taiwan, with the goal of swiftly enhancing the islands ability to withstand any prospective Chinese invasion. The package, which includes intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance technology as well as small weapons munitions, will be drawn from the United States own reserves, allowing it to be supplied on a shorter-than-usual timeframe. French President Macron Visits Sri Lanka French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Sri Lanka on Friday for a brief visit, to the island nation, which is facing a challenging economic recovery. The French president was welcomed by his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ranil Wickremesinghe. Macron and Wickremesinghe were scheduled to meet at the airport to discuss economic recovery and the rule of law. With Beijing, the nations largest creditor, agreeing in March to reschedule its loan repayments, Macron was scheduled to speak with Wickremesinghe about the countrys debt restructuring. India to Provide 50% Financial Aid for Setting Up Semiconductor Manufacturing Facility Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday announced that technology firms will receive 50 per cent financial help for establishing a semiconductor manufacturing plant in India. He also declared that the government has laid down the red carpet for the semiconductor industry. PM Modi made the announcements at Semicon India 2023 conference in Gandhinagar. He added that India is creating a complete environment for the semiconductor industry to grow in the country. This is the start of our campaign for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections 2023," Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday while addressing a gathering of tribals in Indore. The BJP is intensifying its efforts to win over the ST community, whose vote is crucial in the assembly polls due later this year. I thank the people of Madhya Pradesh for voting for BJP in 2014 and 2019 (Lok Sabha) elections," he said at the Vijay Sankalp Sammelan". Pakistan attacked us in Uri and Pulwama, but they forgot that BJP is in power in India and Narendra Modi is our prime minister," he said. Addressing the gathering of at least 50,000 BJP workers, Shah said, Only the karyakartas can help BJP win the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections." A BJP functionary had earlier said at least 50,000 saffron workers from the tribal-dominated Indore division are expected to attend the Vijay Sankalp Sammelan in Shahs presence. Attacking the Congress-led Kamal Nath government in the state, Shah said, Kamal Nath-led government did away with more than 51 schemes which were started by Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government earlier." The Congress government which ruled the country for 70 years didnt do anything for the poor," he said. He hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi who he termed as the messiah of the poor". PM Modi is known as the messiah of the poor due to the welfare work done for them," he said. Shah lauded the people of Madhya Pradesh for their crucial role in securing 27 Lok Sabha seats for the BJP in the state during the 2014 elections. In 2019, the people of MP gave 28 out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state to the BJP. In 2024, give all the 29 seats to Modi ji, Shah said. Earlier in the day, Shah, along with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, visited Janapav, the birthplace of Lord Parshuram, near Indore. Shah was also supposed to visit Bhopal on Sunday, however, the programme was later postponed, party sources told the news agency IANS. While the BJPs Central leadership has appointed three union ministers as state election in-charges, partys key strategist and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has intensified his visits to the poll-bound state. Shah has visited state capital Bhopal thrice in the last 20 days and held several rounds of high-level meetings at party headquarters On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath will also attend the Adivasi Yuva Mahapanchayat" being organised by students and unemployed tribal youths in the city to highlight their issues. In the 2018 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress emerged as the single largest party by winning 114 seats in the 230-member House while the BJP bagged 109 seats. The Congress went on to form a coalition government under Nath but it collapsed in March 2020 when nearly two dozen MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia quit Congress and later joined the BJP, paving the way for the return of Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the chief minister once again. KERALA LOTTERY RESULT TODAY LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala state lottery department has announced the results for Akshaya AK-610 lucky draw for Sunday, July 30. The draw was held at Gorky Bhavan, near Bakery Junction, in Thiruvananthapuram. The winner of the first prize will get Rs. 70 lakh, while the second and third-place winners were granted Rs. 5 lakh and Rs. 1 lakh, respectively. Check full list of winning numbers for Kerala Akshaya AK-610 lucky draw here at 3 pm. KERALA AKSHAYA AK-610 LOTTERY GUESSING NUMBERS 9820 9802 9280 9208 9082 9028 8920 8902 8290 8209 8092 8029 2980 2908 2890 2809 2098 2089 0982 0928 0892 0829 0298 0289 KERALA LOTTERY RESULT TODAY: AKSHAYA AK-610 PRIZE DETAILS 1st Prize: Rs 70 Lakh 2nd Prize: Rs. 5 Lakh 3rd Prize: Rs. 1 Lakh 4th Prize: Rs. 5,000 5th Prize: Rs. 2,000 6th Prize: Rs. 1,000 7th Prize: Rs. 500 8th Prize: Rs. 100 Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000 HOW TO DOWNLOAD PDF WITH FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS STEP 1: Visit keralalotteries.com STEP 2: Click on Lottery Result STEP 3: A new page will open. Click on View STEP 4: You can access PDF by clicking on Download icon on the top right side of the page. HOW TO CHECK AKSHAYA AK-610 LOTTERY RESULT? Participants of AKSHAYA AK-610 lottery can check result by clicking on the official website of the Kerala Lottery Department: www.keralalotteries.com. Apart from the website, these results are also published in the Kerala Government Gazette. Interested candidates can participate in the lottery by purchasing the tickets, which are priced at Rs 40, from any Taluk lottery offices in the state. The Kerala has three lottery offices in Punalur (Kollam district), Kattappana (Idukki district) and Thamarassery (Kozhikode district). KERALA LOTTERY RESULT 2023: HERES HOW TO CLAIM PRIZE MONEY Winners of AKSHAYA AK-610 lottery draw must confirm their winning tickets with the Kerala lottery results published in the Kerala Government Gazette. If they find their ticket number in the published gazette, they must report to the Kerala lottery office in Thiruvananthapuram along with their tickets and identification proof to claim the prize within 30 days. KERALA LOTTERY RESULT 2023 FAQs: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW How do I buy Kerala lottery tickets? Kerala lottery tickets can only be purchased from authorized retailers in state. Which online sites are best to buy Kerala lottery tickets? Selling or buying lottery tickets over the Internet is illegal in India, so you can buy it only through authorised ticket agents by physically visiting them. Is Kerala lottery available online? No. As per the rule, only physical tickets are permitted to sale. What is the price of Kerala lottery ticket? Weekly lottery tickets are available for Rs 40, while the Bumper lotteries price varies - Rs 200 to Rs 300 - depending upon prize amount. Who is eligible for Kerala lottery? Anyone above the age of 18 years can purchase lottery tickets. Even those who are not the residents of the state can buy, but they need to physically visit the state of Kerala and buy the ticket from an authorized retailer. Also, its important to check the local laws of the state you live in. Some states have restrictions on participating in lotteries or buying lottery tickets from other states. Where to buy Kerala lottery? One can buy the ticket from an authorized retailer in Kerala. How much money will I get from Kerala lottery? Depending upon the prize money, winner of Kerala lottery can win from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 12 crore When is Kerala lottery results declared? The results of weekly lottery is announced everyday at 3 pm, and for the Bumper lottery, it is announced at 2 pm. Is lottery legal in Kerala? The Kerala Lotteries are regulated by the State Government. The toll collections on national highways have improved to Rs 150 crore per day in the first three months this financial year, as compared to the daily average of about Rs 130 crore in the first quarter of 2022-23. According to data from the ministry of road transport and highways presented in Lok Sabha last week, which was analysed by News18, the average monthly toll collection through FASTags for the first quarter of 2023 stood at Rs 4,406 crore. This is more than the average monthly collection in the previous quarter (January-March 2023), which was Rs 4,083 crore, as well as the first quarter of 2022 (Rs 3,841 crore). Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari told the House that user fee collection was the highest from heavy commercial vehicles after the implementation of FASTag. There are 898 toll plazas on national highways as on June 30, 2023. The user fee at a toll plaza on the national highway is levied as per the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, he said. Ministry data shows that toll collection on national highways across India has jumped around three times between 2015-16 and 2022-23. In 2022-23, the user fee collection at toll plazas on national highways was Rs 48,028.22 crore, up from Rs 17,759.12 crore in 2015-16. In 2022-23, the average daily toll collection stood at Rs 132 crore, an improvement from Rs 93 crore per day during 2021-22. In 2019-20 and 2020-21, these figures were around Rs 75 crore per day. Why is toll collection increasing every year? Gadkari said migration from manual toll collection to electronic via FASTag has improved the overall user fee collection. Also, user fee collection increases every year on account of traffic growth, revision in user fee rates, and addition of new tollable road length, he added. Moreover, with the declaration of all lanes of toll plazas on national highways as FASTag, compliance of toll collection has improved, he said. The minister said at least 112 new toll plazas were started in the last financial year. The FASTag system was introduced first in 2016-17. The conversion of cash lane to FASTag lane has been gradual. All lanes of the toll plaza were enabled with FASTag from February 2021. Presently 97.6 percent fee collection happens through FASTag, Gadkari said. More than 200 toll plazas within 60-km range Gadkari also told the House that as on June 30, user fee plazas in the country were within 60 km. There were two toll plazas within a distance of 10.86 km at Hemjadi and Surathkal on NH66. Surathkal fee plaza has been closed by merging its influence length with Hemjadi fee plaza, he said. Fee plazas could be established within a 60-km range of each other as per the provision of sub-rule (2) of Rule 8 of the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, Gadkari said. He added that as per these rules, there was no provision to stop the collection of user fee at toll plazas on national highways. The user fee is continued to be collected in perpetuity at the rates stipulated in the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, Gadkari said. A fire broke out in the basement of a ten-storey hospital in Gujarats Ahmedabad on Sunday. As a precautionary measure, 125 patients were evacuated from the premises. Inspector MD Champavat, Shahibaug police station said that so far no casualty has been reported. Due to renovation works, several items were stored in the basement. As these items caught fire, it caused a massive smoke. Chamapavat station said that according to preliminary information, the fire broke out around 4:30 am in the Rajasthan Hospitals basement. The hospital run by a charitable trust is located in Ahmedabads Shahibaug area. Police Inspector MD Champavat said, Fire fighting teams are working to control the blaze. Smoke continues to emerge from the basement of the hospital where the fire broke out." He said that nearly 100 patients were evacuated from the multi-storey building as a precautionary measure. Deputy chief fire officer Jayesh Khadia said that the fire broke out in the second basement of the ten-storey Rajasthan Hospital and a call was made to them at around 4:30 am. Around two dozen fire fighting vehicles were rushed to the scene, he added. Union Home Minister Amit Shah took to Twitter and said that he had talked to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and took information about the tragedy. He added that the local administration is engaged in fire fighting, rescuing patients and relief work. The cause of the fire was yet to be determined. (With inputs from PTI) Saudi Arabia plans to host talks next weekend to discuss a path towards peace in Ukraine, convening representatives from Kyiv, Western powers and developing countries, officials told AFP on Saturday. Russia will not attend the meeting in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah, just as it did not participate in a similar gathering last month in Copenhagen, said three officials based in the Gulf who have been briefed on the plans. A full list of participants was not available, although countries including Britain and Japan were expected to attend, the officials said. The Wall Street Journal first reported the Saudi-hosted talks and said developing countries such as Brazil that attended the Copenhagen meeting were also expected to be in Jeddah. The move represents the latest effort by Saudi Arabia to assert itself in diplomacy related to the Ukraine war. In May, the kingdom hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at an Arab League summit in Jeddah, where he accused some Arab leaders of turning "a blind eye" to the horrors of Russia's invasion. Riyadh has backed UN Security Council resolutions denouncing Russia's invasion as well as Russia's declared annexation of territory in eastern Ukraine. At the same time, it has continued to coordinate closely with Russia on energy policy, including oil production cuts approved last October that Washington said at the time amounted to "aligning with Russia" in the war. Last September, Riyadh played an unexpected role in brokering the release of foreign fighters detained in Ukraine, including two from the United States and five from Britain. Earlier this year, a Saudi official told journalists that Riyadh remained open to contributing to mediation to end the conflict, especially "on important minor issues that may help cumulatively in the end to have a political solution of the whole issue". As of February, Saudi Arabia had pledged $400 million in relief to Ukraine, about two-thirds in oil products and one-third in other humanitarian aid, including allocations for Ukrainian refugees who fled to neighbouring countries. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday about the upcoming talks in Jeddah. Search Keywords: Short link: Indian woman, Anju who travelled to Pakistan to meet and marry her lover Nasrullah, was gifted a piece of land, Pakistan Rs 50,000 and other gifts by a Pakistani businessman. Mohsin Khan Abbasi, CEO of Pak Star Group of Companies gave her gifts as an encouragement for converting to Islam. Abbasi said that his intention is to ensure that Anju faces no issues and feels at home in Pakistan. He said that his company decided to provide a plot of 272 square feet to Anju to build a house, an India Today report said. Another thing is when someone comes to a new place, the main problem is housing. Since we have a project running, we thought we can accomodate them here. Our board of directors approved it and we the plot in her name," Abbasi was heard saying in a video. Anju received 10 Marla housing land,cheque of 50K, & other Gifts, given by Islamabad Based businessman & CEO of Pak Star Group of Companies Mohsin Khan Abbasi. CEO PSG said that, #Anju has converted to Islam and married Nasrullah,so we are welcoming her. #AnjuNasrullahLoveStory pic.twitter.com/22j5CWM9LC Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) July 29, 2023 Abbasi further urged other businessmen, Pakistani government and the people of the country to support the newly married couple, Nasrullah and Fatima. He said that it is important to make Pakistan feel like home for her, adding that, she should feel valued after she left her home and family in India to marry Nasrullah and embrace Islam. Following her travel to Pakistan, Anjus husband Arvind Kumar said that they are not divorced yet and so she cannot get married there. She claimed that she submitted divorce papers three years ago in Delhi but no such notice has reached him yet, he said. On papers, she is still my wife. She cannot marry anyone else. The government should get the matter investigated," Arvind Kumar added. Anjus father, Gaya Prasad Thomas said that she is mentally disturbed and eccentric. He said that although she is free of nature, she would never get involved in anything like this. The 34-year-old Anju, born in Kailor village in Uttar Pradesh was a resident of Alwar district. She became friends with the 29-year-old Pakistani national, Nasrullah on Facebook in 2019. She travelled via te Wagah-Attari border to a remote village in the tribal province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a valid Pakistani visa to meet Nasrullah. ALSO READ | Indian Woman Anju is Now Paks Fatima As She Weds Facebook Friend in Peshawar, Converts to Islam A mother of two children, Anju married Nasrullah after converting to Islam on July 25. A senior officer at Moharrar City Police Station in Upper district had said that Nasrullah and Anjus marriage was solemnised and a proper nikah was performed after she converted to Islam. (With inputs from PTI) Indian army soldier, Javed Ahmad Wani, went missing from Kashmirs Kulgam area. Agencies have found blood stains in the missing soldiers car. Search operations to find the jawan in the area have ended. However, Wani who was set to return to his posting in Leh today is still missing. Sources have said that other areas will be searched after generating leads. So far no one has been able to confirm the real reason behind him going missing or his kidnapping. VIDEO | Security forces launch a search operation for a missing Army soldier in Jammu and Kashmirs Kulgam. pic.twitter.com/fvTyO0PhzS Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 30, 2023 According to sources, some locals were picked up for questioning. Wani posted in Ladakh came back home on leave. Apparently he was missing from Saturday. The 25-year-old soldier went missing when he had gone out to make purchases in Chowalgam. His Alto car has been taken to a local police station. One of his slippers, along with the groceries that he bought were also found in the car. BJP leader Altaf Thakur in a video said that this is a new tactic of the militants to target innocent people. We will find those responsible for kidnapping the soldier and they will be punished, he added. VIDEO | This is a new strategy by militants to target innocent people, but we will find those responsible for kidnapping the Army soldier and they will be punished," says BJP leader Altaf Thakur as an Army soldier goes missing in J&Ks Kulgam. pic.twitter.com/MoCE4feLcc Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 30, 2023 Thakur strongly denounced the cowardly act of terrorists who have abducted a young solider, on leave in Kulgam. Frustrated by successful G20 event, peaceful Muharram procession, and peaceful environment in Kashmir, neighbouring country is trying to show its presence through terrorists," Thakur added. He said that this is just a failed attempt triggered by frustration. Thakur requested police top brass to track down those involved and bring back the missing soldier home safely. The army and police have launched a massive search operation and they are checking the area. Wanis neighbours informed his family about his car parked on a road with its windows open. Agencies are trying to assess the real reason behind this matter. (With inputs from Ieshan Wani) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Maharashtras Pune on August 1, where he will be conferred Lokmanya Tilak National Award. He will also flag off metro trains, of which, one of the stations is the deepest metro station. The Prime Ministers Schedule According to a release by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), the PM will first perform pooja and darshan at Dagdusheth Mandir, following which he will be conferred Lokmanya Tilak National Award. Around mid-day, Prime Minister will flag off metro trains and also lay foundation stone several developmental projects in the city. He will flag off metro trains that will mark the inauguration of services on the two completed corridors of Pune Metro Phase-I. These sections are; Phugewadi station to Civil Court station and Garware College station to Ruby Hall-Clinic station. The foundation stone of this project was also laid by the Prime Minister in 2016. These new sections will help connect some of the importance places of the city including Shivaji Nagar, Civil Court, Pune Municipal Corporation Office, Pune RTO, and Pune Railway Station. The metro stations designs are unique and backed by historical inspirations. One of the unique features of the Civil Court metro station is that it is one of the deepest metro stations in the country. The deepest point of the station is 33.1 metres. The roof the station is made in a way where direct sunlight will fall on the platform. Some of the stations designs are inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Chhatrapati Sambhaji Udyan and Deccan Gymkhana metro stations have a resemblance with the headgear that were worn by Chhatrapati Shivajis soldiers, also known as Mavala Pagadi." The design of the underground metro station of Shivaji Nagar is like a reminder of the forts built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Moving ahead, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Waste to Energy Plant under Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The plant developed at a cost of about Rs 300 crores it will use up about 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of waste every year to produce electricity. Under the mission of Housing for All, PM Modi will handover more than 1,280 houses. These houses were constructed by PCMC under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).Additionally, he will handover 2,650 houses constructed by Pune Municipal Corporation. He will also lay the foundation stone of nearly 1,190 PMAY houses to be constructed by the PCMC and over 6,400 houses by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the 41st recipient of the award. The award was constituted by Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983 to honour the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak. It is presented every year on Aug 1 Tilaks death anniversary. The award given to those who have worked for the progress and development of the nation has been previously presented to luminaries such as Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mrs India Gandhi, Shri N R Narayana Murthy, among others. Kerala Police has issued an apology to the daughter after an overnight search for a missing five-year-old girl ended with the recovery of her body from a dump site in the states Ernakulam district. In a heartbreaking incident, the girl was abducted, raped, and strangulated to death near Kochi. Sorry daughter," Kerala Police said in a tweet. Our efforts to bring her alive to her parents were unsuccessful. The suspect who kidnapped the child was arrested," the post in Malayalam read. Earlier today, hundreds turned at the school where her body was kept to pay their respects and demanded stringent punishment, especially death, for the accused. People, cutting across all ages and from all walks of life, turned up to pay tribute to the child at the school where she was a student till Thursday. A large crowd was also present at the public cemetery where the victims body was buried close to 11 am on Sunday after performing last rites. Kerala Girl Abducted, Raped & Killed On Friday, the girl was abducted, brutally raped, and killed allegedly by a migrant worker from Bihar who lived in the same building as the childs family who too hailed from the same state. Her body was found dumped in a sack in a marshy area behind a local market in the nearby Aluva area here on Saturday. The accused was arrested on Friday itself, but could not be interrogated as he was in an inebriated state, police had said. Kerala police chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb had rejected the charges and said there were no lapses on behalf of the investigators. In another cross-border story, a 25-year-old Sri Lankan woman has travelled to India to marry a man from Andhra Pradesh who she met on Facebook six years ago. The woman, identified as Shivakumari Vigneshwari entered the country on a tourist visa, and married, the 28-year-old Laxman. She has now been instructed to leave the country once her visa expires on August 15 or seek an extension of her say, according to The Times of India. Chitoor district superintendent of police (SP) Y Rishanth Reddy served a notice on the woman on this. Vigneshwari is planning to get an Indian citizenship, and on Saturday she also applied an extension of her stay for an year, TOI said. The woman came to Andhra Pradesh on July 8, and the two got married at a temple on July 20. The boys family offered their blessings to the union. The police has also advised the couple to get their marriage registered. Other recent cross-border stories This comes after the stories of Anju and Seema Ghulam Haider, who crossed borders to meet or get married to the men they met online. Haider, a Pakistani mother of four sneaked into India to live with Sachin Meena, a Hindu man she got in touch with while playing PUBG in 2019. According to reports, the couple decided to take their relationship to the next level and married at the Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal in March this year. Seema returned to Nepal from Pakistan, taking the Karachi-Dubai route, on a 15-day tourist visa on May 10. In Nepal, she reached from Kathmandu to Pokhara and stayed for the night. Seema then took a bus from Pokhara on the morning of May 12 and entered India from Roopandehi-Khunwa (Khunwa) border district Siddharthnagar. On the other hand, Anju, an Indian woman entered Pakistan legally to meet her Facebook friend, but has no intentions to marry him. Anju, 34, born in Uttar Pradesh, and living in Rajasthans Alwar travelled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on the invitation of her 29-year-old friend Nasrulla. The two met each other around 3 years back on social media. Anju also highlighted that she came to Pakistan for sightseeing and to attend a wedding and followed proper legal procedures to do so. She specifically mentioned that she has no intentions of getting married to Nasrullah. Residents of Thane and its suburbs will face water cuts, once every 14 days till the end of the monsoon season, due to technical issues at the water supply source, officials said. The accumulation of green waste that came in due to the heavy rains in the last few days have clogged the network, thereby affecting the municipal pumping station at Pise. As per the information received from the officials, there also have been some technical snags at the units that has led to the reduction in water pumping. In accordance with the situation, the administration has decided to reduce water supply on zoning basis in the city, from August 1 onwards. The corporation has also issued an advisory asking residents to boil water before drinking and to take adequate precautions. The officials told Times of India, The city has been divided into 14 zones and each of these areas will face 12 hour water cut once every 14 days till the end of the monsoon or till when the technical issues are resolved, whichever is earlier. This is not the first time in this year that Thane residents will be facing such water cuts. In June this year, the storage capacity of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporations (MIDC) Barvi Dam had decreased significantly, leading to the people facing a water cut. As per a Free Press Journal report, this impacted the residents living within the jurisdiction of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) that includes the Wagle Estate, Manpada, Majiwada, Kalwa, Mumbra, and Diva ward committees. The areas that were expected to be most impacted by the decrease in water level of the Bavri dam were Kalwa, Mumbra and Diva. In another incident from May 2023, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) had announced suspension of water supply for 24 hours in some areas of Thane due to maintenance and repair works. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that he will soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi to inform them of the losses suffered by Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rains. The chief minister said in a statement that a central team visited the affected areas in the hill state to assess the damage and will submit its report. According to the chief minister, Himachal Pradesh has suffered a substantial loss of Rs 8,000 crore due to the rains, a PTI report quoted. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONU SOOD: Cometh the hour, cometh the man, well that is Sonu Sood for you. Famous for portraying innumerable bad characters in movies, Sonu Soods efficiency in setting an on-screen identity of his very own has been unparalleled. But on the contrary, the Punjab-born actor has garnered praise off the screen having emerged as a real-life hero. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole world faced an unprecedented health crisis. The scene was not much different in India back in the first half of 2020. In a gloomy situation like this, Sonu Sood appeared as a messiah of poor and needy people, ravaged by the destructive nature of the pandemic. As Sonu Sood celebrates his 50th birthday today, we take a look at some of the humanitarian works that he has done over the years. Helping the inter-state migrants during COVID lockdown Following the announcement of a sudden lockdown on March 24, 2020, innumerable outstation workers and migrant labours were left stranded in Mumbai. Sonu Sood hit the headlines back then for sponsoring and organizing transport services for a number of migrants in Mumbai. The Dabangg actor came out to the rescue of needy people by arranging buses and trains reaching up to Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Assam. He also initiated a COVID-19 helpline to assist the interstate migrant workers, struggling to reunite with their families back home. Launching Shakti Annadanam initiative With an aim to offer food to people in need, Sonu Sood started a food distribution drive, called Shakti Annadanam. The campaign was launched in 2020. Named after the Bollywood actors late father Shakti Sagar Sood, the scheme aimed to feed more than 45,000 thousand people only in the city of Mumbai on a daily basis. Introducing the Pravasi Rojgar app In July 2020, Sonu Sood came up with an app called Pravasi Rojgar to offer interstate unemployed people opportunities of employment. The free of cost online platform was designed to find out the perfect job opportunities for the underprivileged people. Helping out the health workers Sonu Sood decided to offer his Mumbai hotel to the frontline medical professionals who kept on working tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The actor even reportedly donated more than 25,000 face shields and PPE kits to the health workers. Launching scholarship programme Having lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people failed to pay fees for their childrens education. Facing the brunt of the pandemic, a large number of students did not have the adequate resources to attend online classes. To help out these students, Sonu Sood decided to kick start a scholarship programme after his late mothers name. Vijay Varma and Tamannaah Bhatias relationship is currently the talk of the town. The lovebirds recently confirmed all the dating rumours, at the screening of their latest release Lust Stories 2. Recently, Tamannaah made headlines when a new story of the actress owning a diamond ring worth 2 crores spread. The actress denied it and cleared the air about the same. Vijay has now revealed how he reacted to the same. In an interview with Sidharth Kanan, Vijay was asked about the ring, to which the actor said, Aapko pata hai na woh kya hai? Woh bottle ka dhakkan hai. Woh mazaak kar rahe hain ek dusre ke saath (You know that its a bottle cap right? Theyre both having fun). Media carry kar rahi hai ke Rs 2 crore ka fifth-largest diamond. Rs 2 crore mein fifth-largest diamond kisse milta hai (The media is saying its the fifth-largest diamond in the world. How can you buy the fifth-largest diamond in the world for Rs 2 crore)? He also shared what he texted to his girlfriend after the news came out. Maine usse message kiya ke yeh sab fake news aa rahi hai, aur mera naam kyu nahi likha (I texted her saying all this fake news is swirling around, and why Im not mentioned). A lot of media reports claimed that she possesses the fifth-largest diamond in the world, gifted to her by Ram Charans wife, Upasana Kamineni Konidela. Now, the actress has finally cleared the air about the viral image, but in a rather humorous way! Sharing the same photo on her Instagram story, Tamannaah revealed that what everyone misunderstood for a diamond was, in fact, a bottle opener. The hilarious caption of her post, read, Hate to break it to you but we were doing a photo shoot with a bottle opener and not an actual diamond. #girlsliketoclickpics Back in 2019, Upasana took to her Twitter handle and shared a picture of Tamannaah wearing the ring which is delicately adorned on her finger. Upasana tweeted, A gift for the super Tamannaah Bhatia from Mrs Producer. Missing you already. Catch up soon. Meanwhile, on the work front, Tamannaah Bhatia is currently basking in oodles of praise for her fiery moves in the chartbuster song Kaavaalaa from her upcoming Tamil film, Jailer. Besides Jailer, she also has Bhola Shankar in Telugu, Bandra in Malayalam, and Aranmanai 4 in Tamil. Furthermore, Tamannaah has Veda with John Abraham, directed by Nikkhil Advani, in her kitty. As NCP supremo Sharad Pawar is set to attend an event that will honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an award, several Opposition parties, including his own have voiced their opinions against it saying it wont look appropriate." Pawar will attend an event in Pune on August 1, where PM Modi will be conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award organized by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust. Pawar is set to be the chief guest of the ceremony and he will to confer the award to the prime minister. For this, a delegation of political parties will meet Pawar on Sunday evening and persuade him to not go to the function. This is led by socialist leader Baba Adhav and will include NCPs faction, Shiv Sena (UUBT), Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and CPI(M). NCPs Pune chief Prashant Jagtap said that an all-party delegation will be meeting Pawar to try and convince him and urge him to drop of the function. The parties expressed concern that Pawar should not been seen with PM Modi at the time they are battling against his government on various issues including the situation in Manipur, according to the Hindu. Congress also said that the end decision lies in the hands of Pawar, however it was very strong on its stand of the NCP patriarch not attending the event. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that at the time when PM Modi is calling INDIA all sorts of names, it does not look appropriate for Pawar to attend this particular event. Pawar will not only share the stage with PM Modi, he will also confer the award on him during the function at the S P College grounds. The delegation led by socialist leader Baba Adhav that will meet Pawar will include leaders from the veteran leaders NCP faction, the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UUBT), the Aam Aadmi Party, and the CPI(M). Raut further highlighted that the BJP has not just divided the NCP, but described it as a corrupt party. If the NCP has suffered so much, then how can its party head felicitate the Prime Minister? By doing so, Pawar will be harming his own image and reputation. I think Pawar should avoid attending the function, Pawar said, according to the Indian Express. Raut said that this will create confusion in the minds of people his party workers and send a wrong signal. PM Modi will be given the award for his supreme leadership and for awakening the feeling of patriotism among citizens. During an hour-long discussion with reporters following the conclusion of the second Russia-Africa Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed crucial topics, including Russia's relations with Africa, the ongoing situation in Ukraine, and the potential risk of clashes with the United States in Syria. The Russian news agency TASS has summarized Vladimir Putin's main statements as follows: On relations with Africa The African continent as a whole is "very friendly and positive" toward Russia. "Everyone remembers what happened during the struggle for independence." In relations with Russia, African states are trying to find "mutually acceptable and mutually interesting projects." "They are not asking for any kind of charity. <...> It is true, there has not been a single direct request - 'give us this, give us that'." On African peace initiative Some provisions of the African peace initiative on the Ukrainian settlement are already being implemented, but "there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement." "For example, one of the points is a ceasefire. But the Ukrainian army is on the offensive, it is on the attack, on what is called a large-scale strategic offensive. <...> We cannot declare a ceasefire when we are attacked." This initiative "could be the basis of some processes aimed at finding peace, like others, such as the Chinese peace plan". On free grain Russia's willingness to supply free grain to some African countries has nothing to do with the African mission set up in Ukraine. The deliveries themselves will begin "within three to four months." Thus, Moscow will share with African countries a part of the income from the increase in world food prices after the grain deal is finalized. On Russia's withdrawal from grain deal Russia has suspended the grain deal because the part of the agreement concerning the country was never fulfilled. "It's time to move forward, time to do something". At the same time, attempts to prevent Russian food and fertilizer exports have been unsuccessful: "We continue to be the market leader in wheat sales, <...> despite all efforts to prevent us, and in fertilizers". On special military op progress The Ukrainian military did not succeed in any of the areas where it tried to advance: "Everywhere the enemy was stopped, pushed back." The Ukrainian armed forces "withdrew their assault units to places where they are restoring combat capability" due to heavy losses. They have also changed tactics to reduce equipment losses: "Personnel are brought up, thrown out, equipment disappears immediately, they attack on foot." This leads to heavy losses in personnel. Since the beginning of the so-called counteroffensive, Kiev has lost 415 tanks and "more than 1,300 armored vehicles of various classes". In the area of responsibility of the battlegroup Center, the Russian military "not only repels the enemy's attacks but also goes on a counteroffensive: "They advanced in two areas. In one area - 15 kilometers along the front and about four kilometers in depth." On commanding troops "I do not consider it my business to manage the troops, it is wrong and even harmful. <...> But, of course, <...> I am aware of what is going on there. Several times a day, I contact the leadership of the Defense Ministry, if necessary, talk to specific units." About transfer of Azov fighters to Kiev There were agreements between Moscow and Ankara on the presence of fighters of the Azov nationalist battalion (outlawed in Russia and recognized as a terrorist organization) in Turkey: "There were agreements, there will be no further comments." Ankara's transfer of Azov fighters to Kiev did not affect Moscow's decision to withdraw from the grain deal: "One thing has nothing to do with the other." On president's plans Putin plans to meet with Erdogan. The heads of state agreed on it before the May elections in Turkey: "Either he will come to us or I will visit him, we'll see." On the decision not to go to the BRICS summit in South Africa: "I don't think that my stay at the BRICS summit is more important than my stay in Russia now." As for a possible trip to the G20 summit in India, there is no decision yet: "I don't know yet, I haven't thought about it, I haven't decided, we'll see." On Crimean Bridge defense After the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge, the Russian military carried out "a series of preventive strikes" on the places where these drones were sent from and where they were manufactured. There are already proposals to improve the security of this structure: "This is technical physical protection, the use of other technical means. <...> It is not very expensive, but I hope it will be reliable." On risks of clash with US in Syria "We are always ready for any scenario, but no one wants this, and on the initiative of the American side we once created a special mechanism to prevent these conflicts." On temporary management of foreign assets The Russian authorities are not planning any new decisions on the temporary management of foreign companies' assets: "No, so far nothing of this kind is being prepared, and what there was due to the fact that the management of these companies tried to put pressure on Russian citizens - their employees - intimidating them with possible dismissals in case they showed a certain civic position. I hope that this will not be repeated in the future." At the same time, such decisions do not constitute property confiscation: "We are not taking anything from anyone. Search Keywords: Short link: Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad on Sunday claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi was worried about losing next years Lok Sabha polls and looking for a sanctuary abroad. Prasad made the remark when his comments were sought on Modis Quit India" jibe a few days ago when the PM had accused opposition parties, which have formed the new coalition INDIA", of corruption, nepotism and appeasement politics. It is Modi who is planning to quit This is the reason why he is visiting so many countries. He is looking for a place where he can cool his heels and enjoy pizzas, momos and chow mein," he said. Peals of laughter followed the wisecrack of the RJD supremo whose ability to lighten up a situation with the use of earthy humour has been legendary. The ailing septuagenarian made a rare public appearance at a function organised by his elder son and Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav. Prasad also said he was looking forward to the next meeting of INDIA" at Mumbai scheduled next month which he would attend alongside his arch-rival turned ally Nitish Kumar, the Bihar Chief Minister. We must keep the unity intact and defeat the BJP. Narendra Modi is trying to subvert the Constitution, but we shall foil the bid," Prasad said. He also blamed the Centre for the ongoing strife in Manipur. Shah Rukh Khan never fails to inspire his audience. Deemed as King of Bollywood, the man has always managed to mesmerise his audience by something or the other. One movie of SRK which is remembered till date is Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. It is known as one of the classic cults. The romantic drama not only impressed fans with its storyline but also with its songs. However, the movie had to go through its own struggles before it became a hit. Also Read: This Man Will Have Sleepless Nights After X Installed at Twitter HQ, Heres Why Twitter page Film History Pics took to the micro blogging site and revealed that SRK received Rs 5000 as signing amount. Not just this but he was only given Rs 25K for the film. This film was ready before Baazigar and Darr. However, the distributors were not interested. SRK bought Bombay territory and helped release it. Along with this, he shared images of the actor from the movie. Here, have a look at the viral tweet: Shah Rukh Khan received Rs 5000 as signing amount & Rs 25k for the film. Film was ready before Baazigar & Darr, but distributors werent interested. SRK bought Bombay territory & helped release it.(1994) Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa pic.twitter.com/eApFFFX1Aa Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) July 29, 2023 My fav SRK movie after Swades, such a heartwarming film and #SRK as Sunil was so endearing, wrote a Twitter user. Another person mentioned, SRK. To acquire a films rights in less than 2 years of entering the showbiz shows how quickly he reached to the top. This also shows his brilliant business acumen and passion for what he has created. Fan for life. Also Read: Japanese Man Who Turned Into Dog Goes For His First Ever Walk, Video is Now Viral Meanwhile, earlier, the female lead of the movie, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi reminisced about the shooting days of the iconic film. She mentioned that Bollywood superstar SRK, who was recently married then, would think of Gauri Khan while doing scenes with her. Talking to Bollywood Hungama, the actress said, I used to mainly talk to Gauri, I dont think I spoke much to Shah Rukh. I always say this that I think jab Shah Rukh Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa karrahe the, woh mujhe nahi dekh rahe the woh Gauri ko dekh rahe the. OnlyFans model, Andressa Urach, has been facing backlash after it was revealed that her son has filmed some of her content. Former Miss Bumbum model has returned to the subscription site for the second time. In her recent Instagram Q&A, the Brazilian TV personalitys son Arthur Urach was asked by a follower if he is the one who films Andressas Onlyfans?" To this, he replied, Yep, Im really badass with pictures, right?" For those who dont know, Arthur Urach is 18-year-old and has about 235K followers. His answer caused many people to feel uneasy. Also Read: Japanese Man Who Turned Into Dog Goes For His First Ever Walk, Video is Now Viral According to reports, religious people have objections to this and have slammed Andressa for making her son a part of such content. One person asked, You are not ashamed of your mother selling herself, do you film her like this?", to which the teenager replied: Im not ashamed, Im very serene with her decision." Meanwhile, earlier, the internet was angered over this woman who exposed her sister-in-laws OnlyFans account during the engagement ceremony. According to Reddit, the woman claims she had no clue the groom was unaware of the brides past. It all began when she complimented the man for being open-minded" and marrying a person who used an OnlyFans account. The Redditor highlights how the bride used to be stalked by crazy users in the past. Also Read: Indian Woman Talks About Dream of Leaving Her Home Country, Gets Slammed The Redditors husband made an attempt to stop her but his twin brother told him that his whole situation is his fault for bringing the troublemaker (referring to me) to the party." This started a heated family discussion leaving the husbands mother enraged. The Redditor was more surprised when her husband also began blaming her for the situation. We ended up leaving in order to get away from my husbands crazy family, but he ended up blaming me for uncovering my sister-in-laws past to her fiance," she continued. At least 44 people were killed and 123 others were injured in a blast at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers convention in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday. At least 17 people are in critical condition. The blast targeted the radical Islamic party when more than 400 members and supporters had gathered in the Khar tensil of the Bajaur district, near the border of Afghanistan. I can confirm that in the hospital we have 39 dead bodies, with 123 wounded that includes 17 patients in a serious condition," Riaz Anwar, the health minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told AFP. Till now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan Army and other forces are helping with the operation and providing medical treatment to those injured. The injured people have been shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment and the law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area. The hospitals across Bajaur and neighboring areas have been put on high alert, KP caretaker Information Minister Firoz Shah Jamal told Dawn. Jamal added that the critical patients are being moved to Peshawar and other hospitals via helicopters. Till now, at least five ambulances have reached the site, according to Dawn. JUI-F Reacts, Seeks Inquiry Expressing Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed deep sorrow and regret over the blast and prayed for recovery of the injured party workers. Rehman asked the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and KPKs government to start an inquiry into the incident and asked for the best treatment of the injured. The 34-year-old Indian mother of two, who allegedly got married to her Pakistani Facebook friend, called the wedding news as baseless speculations" while talking to her father on the phone. Anju, born in Uttar Pradesh, and living in Rajasthans Alwar travelled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on the invitation of her 29-year-old friend Nasrulla. The two met each other around 3 years back on social media. In the video call, Anjus father, Gaya Prasad Thomas expressed his disapproval after hearing her wedding news, and questioned why she travelled to the neighboring country without informing her family, according to Hindustan Times. Anjus father had earlier said that she is mentally disturbed and eccentric." He said that although she is free of nature, she would never get involved in anything like this. According to reports, Anju married Nasrullah after converting to Islam on July 25. A senior officer at Moharrar City Police Station in Upper district had said that Nasrullah and Anjus marriage was solemnised and a proper nikah was performed after she converted to Islam. In another development, Anju was reportedly gifted a piece of land and 50,000 Pakistani Rupees along with other gifts from Mohsin Khan Abbasi, CEO of Pak Star Group of Companies. Abbasi said that his intention is to ensure that Anju faces no issues and feels at home in Pakistan. He said that it is important to make Pakistan feel like home for her, adding that, she should feel valued after she left her home and family in India Anju has also changed her name to Fatima, and embraced Islam. Reactions on the alleged marriage Following her travel to Pakistan, Anjus husband Arvind Kumar said that they are not divorced yet and so she cannot get married there. She claimed that she submitted divorce papers three years ago in Delhi but no such notice has reached him yet, he said. On papers, she is still my wife. She cannot marry anyone else. The government should get the matter investigated," Arvind Kumar added. Apart from this, the reports of the marriage has caused stir in the local village she comes from. They allege that her actions will destroy the reputation of the village, and also the entire nation. They have also banned her from returning to the village again, according to HT. US-based Delta Airlines has been hit with a USD 2 million lawsuit, accusing the American airliner of gross negligence in an incident involving the sexual assault of a minor and her mom on a 9-hour flight by a fellow passenger, according to Fox News. The lawsuit companies that the Delta Air Lines staff served a drunk man at least 10 vodka drinks and a glass of wine, who started groping the 16-year-old girl and her mother after the plane departed from JFK Airport. According to the court documents, the flight attendants ignored pleas for help from the women as the intoxicated male passenger continued to behave aggressively toward them over the course of the flight. A lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Eastern District of New York claims, the airline staff even permitted the drunken man to exit the plane at its destination in Athens, Greece, without alerting local authorities or US law enforcement about the sexual assault. The intoxicated man, who reportedly hails from the US state of Connecticut, was seated next to the plaintiffs on the flight, the report said. According to Fox News, the drunk man also made obscene gestures," demanding to know their address and other personal information. When the women told flight attendants the man was drunk and making them feel unsafe, they told them to just be patient and did nothing. According to the complaint, the USD 2 million lawsuit accuses Delta of gross negligence and demands compensation for the victims. It adds that flight attendants continued to serve the intoxicated man drinks even though he was noticeably drunk. The intoxicated Delta passenger appeared to be getting drunker and drunker as the Delta flight attendants continued serving him alcohol," it states. Eight people trapped in an illegal gold mine on the Indonesian island of Java are feared dead, a local rescue official said Sunday, as search efforts entered a fifth day with little progress. Unlicensed mines many with disregard for basic safety measures are common across the mineral-rich Southeast Asian archipelago and accidents are frequent. The workers were digging inside a hole with a depth of 60 metres (200 feet) in Pancurendang village in Central Java on Tuesday evening when water suddenly flooded the illegal mine. Rescuers had deployed water pumps around the clock and worked to dam a nearby river in a frantic bid to get the water out of the mining shaft but it remained flooded on Sunday. This is already the fifth day. We expect the bad news that the victims have died," local search and rescue agency head Adah Sudarsa told reporters Sunday. Sudarsa said the rescue effort would continue until Tuesday in the hope of retrieving the miners bodies, which are yet to be found. Authorities had planned to deploy divers to find the miners but local rescue official Priyo Prayudha Utama told AFP it was not possible" because the mine shaft was too narrow. Most of the trapped miners had moved from West Java to mine in the region, police said. On Friday police charged four people with allegedly operating the mine without a permit. The suspects, including one who remains at large, face up to five years in prison and 100 billion rupiah ($6.6 million) in fines. In 2021, six people were killed on Sulawesi island after an illegal gold mine collapsed. At least 16 people were killed two years earlier when another illegal gold mine on the island collapsed and buried the workers. In 2016, 11 miners died after a mudslide engulfed an illegal gold mine in Sumatras Jambi province. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loongs estranged brother has asked two senior Indian-origin ministers to sue him in the UK for making defamatory allegations relating to their rental of two colonial-era bungalows in the city. My Facebook post was made in the United Kingdom. If K Shanmugam and V Balakrishnan believe that they have a real case, they should sue me in that country, Channel News Asia quoted Lee Hsien Yang, the second son of Singapores first prime minister the Late Lee Kuan Yew, as saying. Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan have sent lawyers letters to Lee Yang for defamatory allegations relating to their rental of two Ridout Road bungalows. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Shanmugam said Lee Yang had accused him and Dr Balakrishnan of acting corruptly and for personal gain by having Singapore Land Authority (SLA) give us preferential treatment by illegally felling trees without approval, and also having SLA pay for renovations to 26 and 31 Ridout Road. We have asked him to apologise, withdraw his allegations and pay damages, which we will donate to charity. If he does not do so, we will sue him, the Channel quoted the minister as saying. Hitting back at the ministers, Lee Yang said, My social media post (on July 23) simply stated facts that were already widely published in Singapore and international media. The properties at the centre of the matter 26 Ridout Road was rented to Shanmugam, and 31 Ridout Road to Balakrishnan are two 100-year-old bungalows in the Ridout Park area, which are designated one of the 39 Good Class Bungalow Areas by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Lee Yang and his wife Lee Suet Fern are not in Singapore. They left after declining to attend a police interview in July 2022, relating to lying in judicial proceedings about the late Lees will with regard to the family house. Lee Yang, who was formerly CEO of telco SingTel and also sat on the boards of various institutions, has made at least eight Facebook posts on Ridout Road, according to media reports. The Ridout Road bungalows matter first emerged in early May when opposition politician and Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam questioned if the ministers were paying less than the fair market value for their rental of the two-state properties along Ridout Road. Investigations, including the one by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing or preferential treatment given to the two ministers. Three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow early Sunday, Russias defence ministry said, in an attack that briefly shut an international airport. While one of the drones was shot down on the citys outskirts, two others were suppressed by electronic warfare" and smashed into an office complex. No one was injured. Moscow and its environs, lying about 500 kilometres (310 miles) from the Ukrainian border, had been rarely targeted during the conflict in Ukraine until several drone attacks this year. The attack reported Sunday is the latest in a series of recent drone assaults including on the Kremlin and Russian towns near the border with Ukraine that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv. The defence ministry called it an attempted terrorist attack". On the morning of July 30, the Kyiv regimes attempted terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the city of Moscow was thwarted," it said on Telegram. One Ukrainian UAV was destroyed in the air by air defence systems over the territory of the Odintsovo district of Moscow region. Two more drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of Moscow-Citys non-residential building complex." Moscow-City is a commercial development to the citys west. City Mayor Sergei Sobyanin posted on Telegram that the facades of two city office towers were slightly damaged". He added that there were no victims or injured". - Airport briefly closed - The TASS state news agency reported that the capitals Vnukovo airport was closed for departures and arrivals, flights are redirected to other airports". Within less than an hour, operations appeared to have returned to normal. Earlier this month, a volley of drone attacks briefly disrupted air traffic at the same airport, to the citys southwest. The attacks on Moscow come several weeks into a Ukrainian counter-offensive to claw back territory captured by Russia since large-scale hostilities erupted in February 2022. Russias foreign ministry has said such attacks would not be possible without the help provided to the Kyiv regime by the US and its NATO allies". On Friday Russia said it had intercepted two missiles over its southern Rostov region bordering Ukraine, with at least 16 people wounded by debris falling on the city of Taganrog. Shortly after, it said it downed a second S-200 missile near the city of Azov, with debris falling in an unpopulated area. On the other side of the border, a Russian strike killed two people in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, authorities there said. And at least one civilian was killed in a missile attack on the northeastern city of Sumy, according to Ukrainian national police, who added that there were five injured. According to public broadcaster Suspilne, the building was destroyed in an explosion at about 8:00 pm (1700 GMT). In early July, a Russian drone attack hit an apartment building in the same city, killing three and wounding 21. South Africas radical leftist opposition party on Saturday urged the leaders of China, India and Brazil to boycott the BRICS summit next month in solidarity with Russias Vladimir Putin, who will not be attending. Putins potential visit had posed a diplomatic and legal dilemma for South Africa, as he is the target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, but it was confirmed earlier this month he wouldnt participate in person. At an anniversary rally for the South Africas third-largest party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), leader Julius Malema called on the remaining BRICS leaders to also skip the August 22-24 summit in a show of support for Putin. We call on the president of the Peoples Republic of China, India and Brazil not to come to (the) BRICS summit in solidarity with President Putin," Malema said. Malema also denounced the United States for threatening" South Africa by demanding it turn against the Russian leader in exchange for remaining part of the landmark African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants duty-free access for most exports. They can take away AGOA and leave us with our sovereignty," the 42-year-old said, addressing a a packed stadium of over 90,000 supporters donning the party colour red. The militant EFF, which draws inspiration from Marxism-Leninism, was celebrating its 10th anniversary. The flags of the African Union and Cuba hang from the stage. Malema condemned the corruption of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), which has governed the country since the advent of democracy in 1994 promising to oust them in the next election. In March, the EFF organised a national protest in a bid to force President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down over his handling of the countrys sickly economy and crippling energy crisis. Malusi Khwane, an unemployed 46-year-old father wearing an EFF jacket and beret told AFP he was fed up of the ANC government". With EFF things are going to change. Next year they can even have a better chance to win the election with our support," said Khwane. The Ain Al-Hilweh camp in Sidon, Lebanon, has now returned to a state of calm after a period of security tension resulting in injuries, including two girls, on the night between Saturday and Sunday. The escalation began when a gunman, known as 'Somali' opened fire on an Islamic activist at Ain Al-Hilweh's vegetable market, causing a foot injury. Lebanese National News Agency, NNA, reported a heavily armed deployment between the Safsaf and Barkasat areas on Sunday. After the initial shooting, medium machine gun rounds, hand grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades were discharged, leading to further casualties. The two girls were taken to the Humanitarian Appeal Hospital in the camp for urgent medical attention. As tension filled the air, some families took the precautionary measure of seeking refuge in the neighbouring villas. Meanwhile, authorities and mediators worked tirelessly to establish communication and negotiate a ceasefire, aiming to restore normalcy to the area. Search Keywords: Short link: The Biden administration believes China has implanted malware in key US power and communications networks in a ticking time bomb" that could disrupt the military in event of a conflict, The New York Times reported Saturday. The Times, quoting US military, intelligence and security officials, said the malware potentially gave Chinas Peoples Liberation Army the ability to disrupt US military operations if Beijing were to move against Taiwan at some point. The systems affected, the Times said, could allow China not only to cut off water, power and communications to US military bases, but also to homes and businesses across the United States. The report comes two months after Microsoft warned that state-sponsored Chinese hackers had infiltrated critical US infrastructure networks. Microsoft singled out Guam, a US Pacific territory with a vital military outpost, as one target but said malicious activity had also been detected elsewhere in the United States. It said the stealthy attack, carried out since mid-2021, was likely aimed at hampering the United States in the event of a regional conflict. Authorities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Britain warned at the same time that Chinese hacking was likely taking place globally, affecting an extensive range of infrastructure. Discovery of the malware, the Times said, sparked a series of meetings in the White House Situation Room involving top military, intelligence and national security officials in an effort to track down and eradicate the code. The newspaper quoted one congressional official as saying the malware operation amounted to a ticking time bomb." The White House issued a statement Friday that made no mention of China or military bases. The Biden administration is working relentlessly to defend the United States from any disruptions to our critical infrastructure, including by coordinating interagency efforts to protect water systems, pipelines, rail and aviation systems, among others," said Adam Hodge, acting spokesman for the National Security Council. He added that President Joe Biden has also mandated rigorous cybersecurity practices for the first time." Reports of the malware operation come at a particularly strained point in US-China relations, with China aggressively asserting its claim that Taiwan is Chinese territory and the US seeking to ban sales of sophisticated semiconductors to Beijing. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng is scheduled to visit Pakistan to participate in a three-day ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. This multi-billion dollar initiative has been a subject of contention in the region as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, thereby violating Indian sovereignty. It is part of Beijings ambitious plan linking China with Asia, Europe and beyond. The ceremony, scheduled from July 30 to August 1, will celebrate a decade of CPEC as a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Dawn newspaper reported. What is CPEC? The CPEC comprises infrastructure and development projects underway in Pakistan since 2013. This vast initiative aims to upgrade the crisis-marred countrys infrastructure and boost its economy through modern transportation networks, energy projects, and special economic zones. The CPEC is a key part of BRI that aims to build a modern-day Silk Road" connecting China to economies in Southeast and Central Asia by land and the Middle East and Europe by sea. History of CPEC? The foundational agreement for the projects included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was signed in 2013, with term sheets formalised during President Xi Jinpings visit to Pakistan in 2015. In November 2016, CPEC achieved partial operation as Chinese cargo was transported overland to Gwadar port for further maritime shipment to Africa and West Asia. Last year, CPEC entered its fifth phase. As of July this year, the total value of projects stands at approximately $62 billion. China has pledged USD 46 billion in loans and grants, while Pakistan has contributed nearly USD 16 billion. The project has faced criticism, with some alleging it is a debt trap for Pakistan and questioning the equitable distribution of its benefits. However, the Pakistani government maintains that CPEC is crucial to the nations economic development strategy. Controversies surrounding CPEC? Since its launch in 2015, the issue of ecological consequences and its subsequent impact on the human insecurity of Balochistan has come to the forefront. Additionally, the USD 65 billion infrastructure projects initiated by Beijing have become a subject of contention between the two "all-weather" partners due to the constant targeting of Chinese nationals by local insurgency groups. Last year in September, when Shehbaz Sharif visited China, Xi Jinping expressed deep concern" over the security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan on the CPEC projects and sought a reliable and safe environment" for them. Indias position on CPEC? Since its inception, India has consistently opposed projects in the so-called CPEC, which are in Indian territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan. New Delhi regards such projects as inherently illegal. Last year, media reports started floating that China is planning to include Taliban-led Afghanistan in CPEC. To this, India issued a strongly worded response, saying that We have seen reports on encouraging proposed participation of third countries in so-called CPEC projects. Any such actions by any party directly infringe on Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity". Reiterating Indias position, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India deems participation of third countries in CPEC Projects, as illegitimate and unacceptable." (With agency inputs) On October 4, 2022 , the summit was in sight; then tragedy struck in the form of what would prove to be among the very deadliest avalanches in mountaineering history. In a lengthy piece for Outside , Anna Callaghan revisits what happened that day on India's Draupadi Ka Danda II, or DKD2 as it is known, and attempts to unpack the thorniest of questions: Why? And could it have been prevented? Some 46 peopleall but one participating in a 28-day advanced mountaineering course run by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM)struck out early that morning for the summit of the 18,600-foot peak. "All 46 climbers were together on the slope," writes Callaghan, "and almost everyone was attached to the fixed line with a carabiner, waiting to move up." After 5 hours of climbing, they began to reach the top. Then the "crack shot." The avalanche swept 34 of the climbers into a crevasse, where they fell roughly 80 feet. "The snow that piled up around them hardened into concrete, entombing them alive," writes Callaghan. Only five of them would ultimately be pulled out alive; each had managed to land with their head above the snow. Of the rest, all but two of the bodies were recovered. It's unclear whether the Indian government plans to publish the results of an investigation into the avalanche, so Callaghan spoke with survivors and experts in a search for answers. There are no clear ones, though most fault the decision to group all the climbers together; another cites the dangers that familiarity can breed. NIM has been climbing on DKD2 since 1981 and had never experienced an avalanche there. (Read the full piece, which also explains why mountaineering and national defense go hand-in-hand in India.) When Georges Seurat painted Bathers at Asnieres in 1884, his scene of people frolicking in the Seine was one that reflected real life, as the French back then were permitted to swim in the river. Bathing in the Seine was banned less than 30 years after that, though "rogue" swimmers have continued taking the plunge for years. Soon, however, the general public will get to live like they're in the 19th century again: The Guardian reports that in two years' time, the Seine will once more be open for swimming. A handful of Olympic and Paralympic events were already scheduled to be held in the Seine's waters during next year's Summer Games in Paris, but authorities say that by 2025, three open-air swimming spots will open for everyday recreationone in the middle of the city, near the Ile Saint-Louis island, and one each on the eastern and western ends of Paris. The capital's mayor, Anne Hidalgo, says that lifeguards will monitor each swim area. There will also be "spaces where swimmers will be able to change, shower, and keep their belongings safe," according to a statement from City Hall. The Seine was shut down for swimming in 1923 due to the condition of the water, which sees sewage overflows from the city's underground tunnels when it rains too hard. Authorities, however, say they hope a $1.6 billion cleanup initiative, including the construction of a reservoir to hold the overflow, will make a big difference, reports the BBC. One local who jumps in the Seine on the regular warns of another problem swimmers may have to contend with. "There is no shortage of rats in Paris, including along the quays," he says. A water quality official with the city tells the BBC "we will certainly be monitoring and taking action" to get rid of any rodents spotted in the water. (Read more Seine stories.) Three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, Russian authorities said, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure of traffic in and out of one of four airports around the Russian capital. It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fueling concerns about Moscow's vulnerability to attacks as Russia's war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month. The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an "attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime" and said three drones targeted the city. One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defense systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district. Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor, reports the AP. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack "insignificantly damaged" the outsides of two buildings in the Moscow City district. A security guard was injured, Russia's state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials. No flights went into or out of Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the city for about an hour, according to Tass, and the airspace over Moscow and the outlying regions was temporarily closed to all aircraft. Those restrictions have since been lifted. Moscow authorities have also closed a street to traffic near the site of the crash in the Moscow City area. Without directly acknowledging that Ukraine was behind the attack on Moscow, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian airforce said that the Russian people were seeing the consequences of Russia's war in Ukraine. "All of the people who think the war 'doesn't concern them,' it's already touching them," spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told journalists Sunday. "There's already a certain mood in Russia: that something is flying in, and loudly," he said. "There's no discussion of peace or calm in the Russian interior any more. They got what they wanted." Russia's Defense Ministry reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone outside Moscow on Friday. Four days earlier, two drones struck the Russian capital, one of them falling in the center of the city near the Defense Ministry's headquarters along the Moscow River about 2 miles from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down. (Read more Russia-Ukraine war stories.) A woman from New Hampshire who works for a nonprofit organization in Haiti and her young daughter have been reported to be kidnapped as the US State Department issued a "do not travel advisory." US officials ordered nonemergency personnel to leave Haiti amid growing security concerns, the AP reports. Alix Dorsainvil, a nurse for El Roi Haiti, and her daughter were kidnapped on Thursday, the organization said in a statement Saturday. El Roi, which runs a school and ministry in Port au Prince, said the two were taken from campus. Dorsainvil is the wife of the program's director, Sandro Dorsainvil. "Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family," Jason Brown, El Roi president and co-founder, said in the statement. "Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus." A State Department spokesperson said in a statement Saturday the agency is in contact with Haitian authorities on the matter "and will continue to work with them and our US government interagency partners." In its advisory, the department said that "kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include US citizens." It said that kidnappings often involve ransom negotiations and that US citizen victims have been physically harmed, per the AP. Earlier this month, the National Human Rights Defense Network issued a report warning about an upsurge in killings and kidnappings, and the UN Security Council met to discuss Haiti's worsening situation. WMUR-TV reported that Dorsainvil is from Middleton, New Hampshire, and went to Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, which has a program to support nursing education in Haiti. "It doesn't surprise me that Alex chose to get involved in this type of service work," Regis College President Toni Hays told the station. "She was amazing." (Read more Haiti stories.) A Colorado woman celebrated her 90th birthday last Thursday, and she likely has a USPS mail carrier to thank for the feat. Fox News reports Seana Green has been delivering mail for roughly 15 years and has made a point to be friendly with the Durango residents whose mail she delivers. They include Marilyn Schmidt, who spent many days on her porch. In mid-July, Green realized she hadn't seen Schmidt on Thursday or Friday. "When I showed up on Saturday ... she wasn't on the porch and the mail was just hanging out of her box," Green said. She knocked loudly on the door but got no reply, she tells the Durango Herald. "So I ... started hollering toward the screen doors until there was a very weak answer from inside." Morocco's King Mohammed VI has expressed hope for a return to normality and reopening of borders with North African neighbour Algeria, which cut diplomatic ties nearly two years ago. "We pray to the Almighty for a return to normality and a reopening of the borders between our two neighbouring countries and our brotherly peoples," Mohammed VI, 59, said late Saturday in a speech to mark the anniversary of his ascension to the throne in 1999. The borders have been closed since 1994, leaving families divided after Morocco accused its neighbour of involvement in a jihadist attack on a Marrakesh hotel that killed two tourists. Algeria then sealed the frontiers. Since then, tensions have persisted between the regional rivals, exacerbated by their dispute over Western Sahara, where the Algiers-backed Polisario Front is seeking independence from Rabat's rule and has declared the territory a "war zone". Algeria severed ties in August 2021, accusing Rabat of "hostile acts", a move which Morocco said was "completely unjustified". Israel's recognition earlier this month of "Morocco's sovereignty" over Western Sahara added to tensions between Morocco and Algeria, which called Israel's move a "flagrant violation of international law". In his nationally broadcast speech Saturday, Mohammed VI expressed reassurance to "our brothers in Algeria, their leadership and their people that they will never have to fear malice from Morocco." The king calls annually for a rapprochement with Algeria. Search Keywords: Short link: A powerful bomb ripped through a political rally by supporters of a hard-line cleric and political leader on Sunday in Pakistan's northwestern Bajur district, police and health officials said. At least 40 people were killed and nearly 200 wounded, including children, in one of the worst attacks in years. Senior police officer Nazir Khan said the workers' convention of Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Jamiat Ulema Islam party was taking place on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajur district, when the explosion took place, the AP reports. Video showed wounded people being carried from the scene in the chaotic aftermath of the explosion. Bajur used to be a haven for Islamic militants. It is the former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, a militant group that is a close ally of the Taliban government of Afghanistan. The TTP was in recent years evicted from the area as a result of operations by the Pakistani military. In a statement sent to the AP, the TTP condemned the bombing, saying it was aimed at pitching Islamists against each other. A spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, also condemned the attack. Though a separate group, the TTP remains a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The takeover emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government last November and have since stepped up attacks across the country. One of the victims, Adam Khan, 45, was hit by splinters in his leg and both hands. He said it was around 4pm when the explosion knocked him to the ground. "There was dust and smoke around and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs," he said. The venue was being guarded by party volunteers with batons. An announcement was being made for the arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a senior leader of the party, when the bomb exploded. Mohammad Wali, an attendant at the political rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him. "I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground," he said, per the AP. "We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones." (Read more Pakistan stories.) They might take the plunge later in the presidential campaign, but so far, few people who served in Donald Trump's Cabinet are publicly committing to supporting their former boss for another term. NBC News tried to contact 44 former Cabinet members to ask if they endorse Trump. Most wouldn't say. Others hedged, at least while the Republican Party is in the process of choosing a nominee. A total of four former Cabinet members said they stand behind Trump's attempt to return to the presidency. One is Mark Meadows, who was the former president's chief of staff at the end of his presidency, including the Jan. 6 period; a spokesman said Meadows "fully" supports Trump. The others are former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, and former budget chief Russell Vought. "My friend & former boss is going to finish what he started," Vought tweeted in May. Trump went through Cabinet members, sometimes labeling them incompetent. Some left over disagreements. Turnover in his last year in office, the Brookings Institution found, swamped that of every president since Ronald Reagan. Those people are not rushing to his side now. Rex Tillerson, who was secretary of state when he was reported to have called Trump a moron, would not comment on this race. Mick Mulvaney, another chief of staff, said, "I am working hard to make sure that someone else is the nominee." Dan Coats, former director of national intelligence, is endorsing Mike Pence. Former Attorney General Bill Barr said he opposes Trump being the nominee but hasn't decided how to vote in a Biden-Trump election. Mark Esper, a former defense secretary, told CNN that he doesn't plan to endorse anyone but that Trump isn't "fit for office." Rep. Ryan Zinke, interior secretary under Trump, wouldn't give a direct answer but said he takes the pending charges against him seriously. "I think everyone should," Zinke said. The Trump campaign had no comment other than suggesting three former officials to contact, one of whom did endorse Trump; the others wouldn't commit. Some officials who worked for Trump but won't commit may be "uneasy with what they saw," Julian Zelizer, a history professor at Princeton University, told NBC. Others, he said, "are waiting to see how the field unfolds before jumping behind one campaign." That's common in politics, but Miles Taylor, who worked in the former president's administration, said dodging the issue isn't doing the country any favorsespecially considering Trump's strength so far as a candidate. "There's an obligation for folks to paint a clear-eyed picture of what this means," Taylor said. (Read more Donald Trump 2024 stories.) Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by subscribing or contributing today. 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. US President Joe Biden said on Friday that a potential deal may be on the way with Saudi Arabia after talks between his national security adviser and Saudi officials in Jeddah aimed at reaching a normalization in relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. "Rapprochement may be underway," Biden told contributors to his 2024 re-election campaign at an event in Freeport, Maine, Reuters reported. However, specific details about the prospective deal were not disclosed by the President. Biden's remarks seemingly contrast with his previous statements in a CNN interview broadcast on 9 July, in which he asserted that Israel and Saudi Arabia are a long way from a normalization agreement. We are a long way from there. We got a lot to talk about, Biden said in an interview with Fareed Zakarias GPS. We are making progress in the region. And it depends upon the conduct and what is asked of us for them to recognize Israel, Biden said at that time. On Thursday, the American president dispatched to Jeddah National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Middle East Envoy Brett McGurk for talks with the kingdoms Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The wide-ranging talks in the Red Sea city covered initiatives to advance a common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East, the White House said in a brief statement. Sullivan and the Saudi prince also discussed the Biden administrations hopes to normalize relations between Tel Aviv and Riyadh, according to a White House National Security Council official familiar with the matter, as reported by AP. Sullivans visit comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to the kingdom in June in part "to promote normalization" between Israel and Saudi Arabia. However, during Blinkens visit, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that normalization with Tel Aviv would have limited benefits without finding a pathway to peace for the Palestinian people. The Saudis have also shown hesitance to proceed with normalizing relations with Israel at a time when it is led by the most extremist government in its history, and when aggression against the Palestinians has soared in the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News on Friday, that an Israeli-Saudi deal could be very close if the Saudis want it, it is up to them. I think this is a great thing if we have it. We will have tremendous economic benefits; it will have tremendous strategic benefits. It will be a blow to Iran and a boon to Israel and the US and the Arab world as well, Netanyahu said. US officials see a potential deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia as possible after the administration of former President Donald Trump reached similar agreements between Israel and Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates under the rubric of the 2020 Abraham Accords. A potential normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel would require significant concessions to the Palestinians that are unlikely to be approved by Netanyahus hardline coalition, and could instead require him to seek the formation of a unity government, The New York Times reported. Tom Friedman, known to have a close relationship with Biden, wrote in a New York Times column Thursday that these concessions might include an official Israeli promise never to annex the West Bank (as part of the 2020 normalization deal with the United Arab Emirates, Netanyahu agreed to hold off on actualizing his annexation pledge until 2024); a commitment not to establish any more settlements or expand the boundaries of existing ones; a commitment not to legalize any illegal outposts; and the relinquishing of some Palestinian-populated territory in Area C of the West Bank, which is controlled by Israel under the Oslo Accords. Search Keywords: Short link: TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa yesterday praised the peaceful, disciplined, and well-organised conduct of the Ashura commemoration, hailing Bahrain as an "oasis of brotherhood and peace." HM King said that the commemoration this year was marked by the highest levels of discipline and organisation, a fact that underscores Bahrains open and cohesive society. HM King emphasised that Bahrain stands as an oasis of brotherhood and peace, a testament to the sectarian pluralism embraced by Bahraini society. HM also acknowledged religious freedom as one of the most prominent pillars of Bahrain. He further stressed that todays world has no other way but coexistence and cooperation for all people to thrive. In this regard, HM extended his gratitude to all individuals and concerned authorities for their responsible actions and awareness during this important occasion. HM commended the efforts of all competent institutions and agencies, citing particularly the Ministry of Interior, the Jaffari Endowments Council, heads of community centres (Maatams), supervising committees, field work teams, and volunteers. His Majesty also lauded the tireless and integrated efforts of government agencies that played a crucial role in facilitating the smooth commemoration of Ashura. Separately, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, highlighted Bahrains strong social fabric and expressed his pride in His Majesty the Kings recognition of the governments efforts to prepare for a successful Ashura. In this regard, HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister emphasised that the ministries and government agencies are committed to implementing the directives of His Majesty the King to preserve the strength of the Kingdoms united community. HRH Prince Salman commended the efforts of the government authorities, led by the Ministry of Interior and the Jaffari Endowments Council, as well as the heads of Maatams and Hussainias, supervising committees, and volunteers, for their joint cooperation and commitment to ensuring a successful Ashura. AFP | Washington The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com US President Joe Biden on Friday publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild for the first time -- a four-year-old girl his son Hunter fathered with an Arkansas woman -- after Republican criticism of his failure to recognize her. "This is not a political issue, it's a family matter," the president said in a statement to People magazine about the girl, Navy Joan Roberts. "Our son Hunter and Navy's mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward." Biden said he and his wife Jill "only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy." People cited an unnamed source familiar with the situation as saying that a child support dispute between Hunter Biden and Lunden Roberts, settled last month, had affected how the First Couple interacted with their grandchild. "You have to remember there were some fairly contentious legal proceedings between Navy's parents happening until just a few weeks ago. As grandparents, the Bidens are following Hunter's lead," the source said. The Democratic US president had come under tough criticism from Republicans who said his failure to mention Navy was at odds with his public image as a family man. Earlier this month, top Republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik called Biden "cold, heartless, selfish, and cowardly" for not acknowledging Navy, and labeled the situation "an inexcusable disgrace" in comments to the Daily Mail. Hunter Biden's paternity of the child was confirmed through DNA testing. She has reportedly not met her father or her grandparents. Hunter Biden, who has battled drug addiction and is currently mired in legal trouble over tax charges and illegal possession of a firearm, has four other children. AFP | Cairo The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas arrived in El Alamein in Egypt Saturday, the news agency Wafa said, ahead of unity talks between Palestinian factions boycotted by the militant group Islamic Jihad. The Palestinian news agency said that as well as chairing Sunday's meeting of the heads of Palestinian factions Abbas "is scheduled to meet with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi". Last week, Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah made his group's participation in the talks conditional on the release of its members and those of other factions detained by Palestinian security forces in the West Bank. In a statement to AFP Saturday, Islamic Jihad official Mohammad al-Hindi again denounced "continued political detention and prosecution of the resistance". The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is also boycotting the talks. Sunday's meeting will include the heads of other political factions, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Both Abbas and Haniyeh met in Ankara on Wednesday in the run-up to Sunday's crucial meeting. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has good relations with both, hosted the talks and said his government will do its best to push for intra-Palestinian reconciliation. A Palestinian official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media, said the talks aim to "end the divisions (between factions) in preparation for a unified Palestinian government and presidential and general elections". Haniyeh's spokesman Taher al-Nunu told AFP that Hamas sought to "unify the Palestinian position" under a strategic plan to "confront the Israeli occupation in light of the aggression of its extremist government". Since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, the Islamist movement has been at loggerheads with Abbas's secular Fatah which administers Palestinian-run areas of the West Bank, which Israel has occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War. Attempts to end the more than 15-year Fatah-Hamas rift saw leading figures from both movements sign a reconciliation deal in Algiers last year, promising long-delayed Palestinian elections in 2023. Egypt's meeting comes amid a resurgence of violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which this year has killed at least 203 Palestinians, 27 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources from both sides. AFP | Paris The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Less than a week after its launch, the Worldcoin crypto project of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman is already under scrutiny by European regulators over its reliance on an eye scan to verify a users identity, Frances data protection agency said Friday. Worldcoins launch on Monday comes as the cryptocurrency industry is suffering hard times after the spectacular collapse of FTX and various legal cases against the sectors biggest players. Using eye scans, it tries to solve one of the main challenges facing the crypto industry: a level of anonymity so high that makes it vulnerable to scams and spam bots -- which AI threatens to make exponentially worse. But Worldcoins collection of biometric data could run afoul of strict data privacy rules in Europe. "Worldcoin has begun to collect data in France... which seems questionable as does the conservation of biometric data," Frances CNIL data regulator said. After conducting an initial review, CNIL said it identified its counterpart in the German state of Bavaria as the lead agency in Europe to conduct a probe into Worldcoin, and said it supports their investigation. Worldcoin in fact began operating in June in Germany, which is the home country of co-founder Alex Blania. Bavarias data protection agency had no immediate comment when contacted by AFP on Friday. With its cryptocurrency and identification system Worldcoin aims to create the "worlds largest identity and financial public network," according to its website. Altman and Blania said earlier this week in a letter posted to Twitter, which is being renamed X, that the Worldcoin offers "a reliable solution for distinguishing humans from AI online while preserving privacy". This will in turn enable Worldcoin as a blockchain-based technology to drastically increase economic opportunity and enable democratic processes. These incidents reached a head in April when Israeli police assaulted the mosque, which had been occupied by Palestinian worshippers, injuring at least 50 and arresting hundreds. Netanyahu's government, consisting of extremists and settlement supporters like Ben-Gvir, has intensified steps to solidify Israel's hold on territories that Palestinians seek for a future state, angering Israel's top ally, the United States, and dimming hopes for Palestinian statehood. Ben-Gvir, long accused of inflaming Jewish-Arab tensions, has also set his sights on one of the conflict's most sensitive issues: Palestinian prisoners. On Sunday morning, an amendment to the law on the administrative release of Palestinian prisoners was issued by Ben-Gvir. This amendment canceled a previous policy that had allowed the early release of some Palestinian prisoners from prison. This is part of Ben-Gvir's efforts to make life difficult for Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons, who, in the past, were eligible for early release due to a lack of space to house them. Since becoming a part of Israels extremist government, Ben-Gvir has taken it upon himself to impose sanctions on Palestinians, including the prisoners, aiming to further exacerbate the challenges they already face under Israeli occupation, as reported by WAFA. Some of the sanctions imposed on the prisoners include limiting the amount of water they can use and reducing the time allowed for showering to a specific hour. Additionally, specific bathrooms designated for showering in some prisons have been locked. The prisoners are also reportedly provided with low-quality bread, and the raids and searches against them have been doubled, often using stun grenades and sniffer dogs. Even more concerning is the approval of a preliminary reading of a draft law that would deprive prisoners of medical treatment and some surgical operations, as well as the approval of the Ministerial Legislative Committee in the Israeli government of a draft law that would approve capital punishment for prisoners involved in armed resistance, according to WAFA. Ben-Gvir has also implemented racist measures against the prisoners, such as doubling the use of solitary confinement, removing television sets from certain sections where detainees are held, escalating transfers of the leaders of the prisoners' movement, particularly those serving life sentences, and even threatening to close public facilities on Fridays and Saturdays in some central prisons. Son of Colombia President, Gustavo Petro, Nicolas has been arrested by the countrys police. Nicolas was arrested on Saturday for alleged money laundering and illicit enrichment. Confirming the development, Petro said the police arrested Nicolas alongside his ex-wife, Daysuris Vasquez. The 37-year-old and Vasquez were picked up in the coastal city of Barranquilla and brought to the capital, Bogota. Speaking on the issue, Petro vowed to stay away from the legal prosecution of his son. He said: I wish my son luck and strength. May these events build his character and may he reflect on his mistakes. As a person and father, it hurts to see so much self-destruction. The European Union (EU) says it has suspended its budget support in Niger Republic over the military coup. Recall Amadou Abdramane, a colonel-major, announced the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum from office in a late-night address on Wednesday. Abdramane dissolved the countrys constitution, suspended all institutions and closed the borders. In a statement on Saturday, Josep Borrell, EU high representative, said the EU does not recognise and will not recognise the authorities resulting from the coup in Niger. He noted that Bazoum was democratically elected and remains the only legitimate president of Niger. The EU also demanded his release unconditionally and without delay. The EU holds the putschists accountable for his safety and that of his family. The announcement by the putschists of the suspension of the constitution and the dissolution of democratic institutions weakens the state and the people of Niger whose peace, stability and security must be preserved, the EU said. The European Union reiterates its very clear calls for the full restoration, without delay, of the constitutional order and fully associates itself with the declarations of ECOWAS and its African and international partners in this regard. In coordination with the President of the European Council, I will continue this weekend the many contacts already underway in order to achieve this result. And we stand ready to support ECOWASs upcoming decisions, including the adoption of sanctions. This unacceptable attack on the integrity of Nigers republican institutions will not remain without consequences for the partnership and cooperation between the European Union and Niger in all its different aspects. In this respect, in addition to the immediate suspension of budget support, all security cooperation activities are suspended sine die with immediate effect. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government has given General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the mastermind of the supposed coup in Niger Republic, seven days to return power to Mohammed Bazoom. The decision formed part of resolutions reached at the emergency meeting of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, which held in Abuja, Sunday. Other resolutions at the end of the meeting included a stern warning that if the alleged coup plotters failed to restore political stability in seven days, ECOWAS may use force. ECOWAS had also directed the chiefs of defense staff of member states to meet immediately. According to Omar Alieu-Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, who read out the resolutions, the leaders have ordered the closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Niger. Other immediate sanctions by ECOWAS, include the imposition of a no fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger. He also announced the suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Niger, including the freezing of all service transactions, including energy transactions, as well as the freezing of the assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks. Present at the summit were the following heads of state and government and mandated representatives: His Excellency, President Patrice Talon, President of the Republic of Benin, President Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Cote dIvoire. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of the Gambia. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana. Others are General Omar Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo, President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, President Faure Gnassingbe of the Togolese Republic. The representative of the President of the Republic of Cape Verde, the representative of the President of the Republic of Liberia, the representative of President Bazoom, President and Head of State of the Republic of Niger, the representative of President Julius Maada Wonie Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Others include Omar Al Turia, president of the ECOWAS, Musa Faki, Muhammad, chairperson of the African Union Commission, Leonardo Santos Simao, who was special representative of the United Nations Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of Universe, including Mr Job, President of the Commission of UMR. Touray said the principle of zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government as enshrined in the ECOWAS and African Union protocols and other instruments remains in force. His words, ECOWAS resolve as follows. One, His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoom remains the legitimate, elected president and head of state of the Republic of Niger, recognized by ECOWAS, the African Union and the international community. In this regard, only official acts of President Bazoum or his duly mandated officials will be recognized by ECOWAS. Condemn in the strongest terms, the attempted overthrow of constitutional order in Niger, and the illegal detention of His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoum, President and head of state of Niger, as well as members of his family and government. Call for the immediate release and reinstatement of President Mohammed Bazoum as president and head of state of the Republic of Niger, and for the full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Nigeria. Reject any form of resignation that may purportedly come from His Excellency, President Mohammed Bazoum. Consider the illegal detention of President Mohammed Bazoum, as a hostage situation and hold the authors of the attempted coup detat solely and fully responsible for the safety and security of His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoum, as well as members of his family and government. In the event, the authorities demands are not met within one week. Take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force. For this effect, the chiefs of defense staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately. Hold accountable, all those responsible for violence and terror against lives and properties of innocent citizens and residents of Niger. Condemned the pronouncement of support by foreign governments and foreign private military contractors. Express our appreciation to the various governments and partners for their stance and solidarity with ECOWAS. Appoint and dispatch a special representative of the chair of the authority to Niger immediately to deliver the demands of the authority. In the meantime, the following measures are to be applied with immediate effect. Closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Niger. Institution of ECOWAS, no fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger. Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Niger. Freeze all service transactions, including energy transactions. Freeze assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks. Freeze of assets of the Niger State and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial banks. Suspension of measures from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID, and BAORD. Calls WAHU and all other regional bodies to implement this decision. Impose travel ban and asset freeze for the military officials involved in the coup attempt. The same applies to their family members, and the civilians who accept transactions, in any institutions or government, established by these military officials. Express appreciation to His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu. President and Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the manner in which he has conducted the affairs of the community since his election as chair of the ECOWAS authority. Ahmadu Fintiri, governor of Adamawa, has declared a 24-hour curfew in the state. According to a statement by Humwashi Wonosikou, the governors chief press secretary, the curfew was necessary due to the activities of hoodlums in Adamawa. Wonosikou said there will be no movement throughout the state during the curfew and anyone found not complying would be arrested. The Governor of Adamawa State, the Rt Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has declared a 24-hour curfew on the state, effective immediately Sunday 30th July, 2023, the statement reads. Governor Fintiri said the curfew followed the dangerous dimension the activities of hoodlums had assumed across the state capital as they attack people with matchet and break into business premises and homes carting away property. With the curfew imposed, there will be no movement throughout the state. Rt. Hon. Fintiri said only those on essential duties with valid identification would be permitted to move around during the period of the curfew. The Governor is appealing to citizens and residents of the state to comply with the directive, adding that any person found contravening the order would be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law. In April, Fintiri had vowed that his administration will address insecurity in the state by procuring more sophisticated gadgets. Former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, has urged Senators of the 10th Assembly not to confirm the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai as Minister. In a statement he issued on Sunday and made to journalists, the ex-lawmaker expressed surprise that El-Rufais name reflected on the list as a ministerial nominee despite his obvious religious colouration that is dangerous to the unity of the nation. He enjoined the three senators from Kaduna State to rise in honour and resist the confirmation and approval of the former governor for the sake of posterity of the nation. Senator Sani reminded Senators to respect the Senator Abubakar Sodangi Committee which banned El-Rufai from holding public office. The statement read: The Senate should uphold and respect the 2008 Senator Sodangi Committee that barred him from holding public office. Particularly, the three senators from Kaduna State; they must categorically and unambiguously reject Elrufais nomination. Silence is a great disservice and betrayal to the people of Kaduna State, who have suffered under his eight years of tyranny and persecution. Nigerian Senators should save the country from the danger and jeopardy of harbouring, incubating and crowning such a man into the palace of power. A man with a track record of religious intolerance, extremism and disrespect for rule of law doesnt deserve the gavel of approval from the legislature. He doesnt deserve to be a minister. Any opposition Senator that confirms El-Rufai has betrayed the moral conscience of the people of this country; any ruling party Senator that confirms El-Rufai has brought in a destructive agent into the government of Tinubu. Confirming Elrufai as a Minister is a suicidal mission for the Tinubu administration. The Senate is set to begin screening and confirmation of 28 ministerial-nominees sent by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday. The Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, said its cadets are set for a final outdoor field training exercise and appealed to neighbouring communities not to panic on hearing gunshots. The Public Relations Officer of the academy, Major Victor Olukoya, in a statement in Kaduna, said the final exercise comprises 70 Regular Course Army, Airforce Regiment and Direct Short Service Course 27 Army, and Course 31 Airforce nicknamed Exercise Camp Highland in Plateau and Kaduna States, adding that the exercise is scheduled to hold from July 30 to August 11, 2023. He urged locals around Aninkwa, Insame, and neighbouring communities to stay away from the live firing area during the exercise. According to the statement, the exercise will test the cadets leadership skills, physical fitness, as well as command and control abilities, among other military competencies, adding that it is an important military training activity used in ascertaining the preparedness of the cadets for commissioning as officers into the Nigerian Armed Forces. He further explained that phases of the exercise that would take place in Plateau State included Map Reading Exercise at Heipang and Adventure Training at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Shere Hills, Jos, from 30 July to 4 August 2023. He said tactical drills and battle inoculation drills would take place in the Kachia general area from 31 July to 11 August 2023, just as he appealed to communities living around Heipang and Shere Hills, Jos in Plateau State, that they would observe mass movement of military personnel, vehicles and equipment in the general area from 30th of July to 4th August 2023. It further added that residents of Katul Crossing Fadan Kamantan axis in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State would observe the same tactical drills involving firing simulation of small arms and artillery fire from 31st July to 11th of August 2023. He urged the residents in these communities to report any security threat to the nearest authorities. He said battle inoculation, which would involve the live firing of small arms, amour and artillery weapons, would be conducted from the 8th to 11th of August 2023 within the Military Exercise Area near Nigerian Army Base Camp, Kachia. Members of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government are meeting at the State House, Abuja, for an extraordinary session to discuss the happenings in the Niger Republic. Sundays meeting which began at 12:58 pm is at the behest of Nigerias President Bola Tinubu, the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority. It comes four days after a military coup ousted the administration of Nigerien President, Muhammed Bazoum. On Friday, members of Nigers Presidential Guard who perpetrated the coup named General Abdourahamane Tchiani as the nations new leader. In his address, Tchiani, who has headed the Presidential Guard since 2011, said he was the new president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland. He said Wednesdays coup is the militarys response to the degradation of the security situation linked to jihadist bloodshed. The military also issued a warning about the consequences that will flow from any foreign military intervention, saying, Certain dignitariesare in thinking of confrontation, which will end in nothing but the massacre of the Nigerien population and chaos. Tinubu had on Wednesday condemned the coup promising that ECOWAS and the international community would do everything to defend democracy and ensure democratic governance continues to take firm root in the sub-region. He affirmed that the regional bloc would deploy all means necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. The African Union has also given the Tchiani 15 days to restore Bazoum to power. Seated at the State House Conference Centre, the leaders will, among other things, discuss possible sanctions on Niger. Present are Presidents Umaro Embalo (Guinea Bissau), Faure Gnassingbe (Togo), Nana Akubo-Addo (Ghana), Patrice Talon (Benin Republic), Alassane Ouattara (Cote dIvoire), Adama Barrow (The Gambia) and Macky Sall (Senegal). Foreign Ministers Luis Tavares of Cabo Verde and Dee-Maxwell Kemayah Sr. of Liberia and Nigerien representatives are also attending. It was also observed that the President of the Tchadian Transitional Military Council, Mahamat Deby, appeared earlier but left before the meeting commenced. Aloy Ejimakor, the special counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has leaked threats directed at him by an alleged popular billionaire, Terry Waya. Ejimakor warned that Kanu would hold Waya and his sponsors accountable for the threat directed at him. He said the threat was directed at him following the release of the handwritten letter Kanu sent to Finland-based Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa. The IPOB leader had directed the letter to Ekpa through Ejimakor. Following the release of the letter, Ejimakor has been receiving threats from various quarters, including Waya. Tweeting, Ejimakor exposed some of the threat messages directed at him. Ejimakor wrote: Dear Terry Waya, Ive noted your THREATS against me through your phone number: +233 543383197. Be rest assured that you and those who sponsored you (their identity is known) will be held accountable by Onyendu #MNK & by my people. The threat to my life by Terry Waya and his master(s) is becoming more potent. He now says that he knows my house. If you despise me because of the message I delivered on #SitAtHome, please, understand that its not my choice. Its Onyendus orders, and I am just the messenger. To @simon_ekpa & @ChinasaNworu, its all about OBEYING #MNKs orders and as his disciples, he expects you to obey them. Clashes Sunday in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp near the southern port city of Sidon left five people dead and seven others wounded, Palestinian officials said. The officials, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the fighting broke out after an unknown gunman tried to assassinate Islamist militant Mahmoud Khalil, killing a companion of his instead. Later, Islamist militants assassinated a Palestinian military general from the Fatah group and three escorts, another Palestinian official told the AP. Factions used assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers in the overcrowded Ein el-Hilweh camp as ambulances zoomed through its narrow streets to take the wounded to the hospital. Several residents fled the crossfire. Palestinian factions in the camp for years have cracked down on militant Islamist groups and fugitives seeking shelter in the camp's overcrowded neighborhoods. In 2017, Palestinian factions engaged in almost a week of fierce clashes with a militant organization affiliated with the extremist Islamic State group. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two children were among those wounded. The escalation began when a gunman, known as 'Somali' opened fire on an Islamic activist at Ain Al-Hilweh's vegetable market, causing a foot injury and starting the escalation in the night from Saturday to Sunday. Lebanese National News Agency, NNA, reported a heavily armed deployment between the Safsaf and Barkasat areas on Sunday. The clashes stopped for several hours in the morning, though state media said there was still sporadic sniper fire. But they began again after the killing of the Palestinian general and his escorts. The Lebanese Army in a statement said a mortar shell landed in a military barracks outside the camp wounding one soldier, whose condition is stable. Ein el-Hilweh is notorious for its lawlessness and violence is not uncommon. The U.N. says it is home to some 55,000 people. It was established in 1948 to host Palestinians displaced by Israeli forces during the creation of Israel. Search Keywords: Short link: The family of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has confirmed the handwritten letter to Finland-based agitator, Simon Ekpa. Kanus brother, Kanunta charged Ekpa to stop using the IPOB leader in calling for a sit-at-home in the Southeast. Tweeting, Kanunta maintained that the sit-at-home was over. According to him, Ekpa should call for sit-at-home in his name and not that of Kanu. He wrote: Calling for sit-at-home when you want is your choice, but do NOT use #MaziNnamdiKanu name to do so. Sit-at-home in #Biafraland is hereby cancelled by #MNK. If sit-at-home is your new franchise, please do that with your name. #We Move Forward. On Friday, Kanu sent a handwritten letter to Ekpa from the Department of State Services, DSS, facility. He sent the letter through his Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor. Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. Christopher Musa, has asserted that "The Armed Forces of Nigeria have a sacred duty to protect the people and the constitution." He made these remarks yesterday during the 16th International Defence Industry fair in Istanbul, Turkey. He also told pressmen that, "...just like darkness can not drive out darkness, only light can do that. Globally, illeg#timacy should not be allowed to drive out legitimacy" The new Chief of Defence Staff had earlier emphasized that a people centric leadership combined with enhanced troops welfare and inter-agency collaboration is the future of defence management under his leadership. Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has urged President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government and security operatives to extradite Finland-based Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa to Nigeria. Uzodinma said Ekpa should be brought back to Nigeria to either join the sit-at-home he orders or be punished for his crimes. He made the call while receiving the new General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Enugu, Major General Hassan Dada, at the Government House in Owerri. He reiterated the need for peace in the Southeast and to end insurgency in the region. According to Uzodinma: What is topmost in our cases is this popular sit-at-home order. Theres one man called Simon Ekpa somewhere in Finland. It is our hope that the security agencies, particularly the military, working with the Federal Government, will be able to either bring Simon Ekpa back to Nigeria to also sit at home with us or be made to face the wrath of the law. President Bola Tinubu will, in December this year, commission N30 billion worth of projects currently going on at the National Assembly complex, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has said. Akpabio made the disclosure on the commissioning of the projects being executed within the National Assembly complex at the weekend while having an audience with the chairman and members of the governing board of NASC. He said: The entire complex of the National Assembly is like a construction site now due to ongoing general renovation work and fresh projects that, on completion, would be commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in December this year. Aside from the general renovation work, part of the new edifices being put in place is the permanent office complex of the National Assembly Service Commission and a very befitting library complex. Though Akpabio did not state the amount of money that had been released to contractors handling the project, the 9th National Assembly appropriated N30 billion to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for the execution of the project, out of which, as of March this year, only N9 billion had been released. The Senate President, in response to a request made by NASC chairman, Ahmed Kadi Amshi, for prompt documentation of legislative aides of lawmakers, assured him that the September deadline would be abided by. In his address, Amshi told the Senate President and other principal officers of the Red Chamber that the end of September this year has been fixed as the deadline for the documentation of aides of the 469 federal lawmakers. He noted that the documentation of the legislative aides is necessary for the payment of their entitled emoluments. Your Excellency, Mr President of the Senate, please help us to inform the serving senators, and by extension, honourable members of the 10th National Assembly, to forward names of their appointed legislative aides to us for required documentation and payments of monthly salaries. The commission has opened relevant files for this purpose and fixed September this year as the deadline, the NASC chairman said. He added that within the last three years, the commission under his leadership has promoted a total of 2,775 staff, converted about 447 others from one cadre to another, and set a code of ethics for the ethical conduct of staff at all times. New Jersey had the sixth highest rate of Alzheimers disease among seniors in the nation with 12.3% of residents 65 or older estimated to have the devastating brain disorder that slowly destroys memory, thought and language, according to new study. Maryland topped the list at 12.9% of its residents 65 and older, followed by New York. The northeast and southeastern parts of the country showed higher incidences of Alzheimers, the study found. There are over 185,000 people suffering from Alzheimers disease in N.J., Dr. Michal Schnaider Beeri, director of the Herbert and Jackeline Krieger Klein Alzheimers Research Center in the Brain Health Institute at Rutgers University, told NJ Advance Media in an email. No onlooker would ever dare to question Beyonce Knowles-Carters prowess as an utterly present live entertainer. She is the pinnacle, the zenith, the commanding standard against which all other macro-pop spectacles strive to be measured the towering vocals, the choreography, the visual effects, as well as the ability to exist in space and create both an intimacy and a celestial magnetism reserved only for other monolithic mononyms: Madonna, Prince, Cher. Yet the mega-stars eruptive RENAISSANCE World Tour date at MetLife Stadium Saturday night her first solo New Jersey show in seven years seemed just as keen on glancing backward and gazing forward as it did living in its breezy Meadowlands moment. Not far from the Global Container Terminal near Route 440, blaring music pierces the overnight calm as dozens of cars and hundreds of people converge to watch the vehicles burn rubber in head-to-head competition on public streets. But police are pumping the brakes on the illegal street racing that has taken off in Jersey City recent months. If youre outside Tuesday night, keep your eye on the sky. You might catch a glimpse of a rocket blasting off from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia. NASA officials say if skies are clear, people as far away as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York may be able to see the 139-foot-tall Antares rocket during the first few minutes it lifts up into the atmosphere. In New Jersey, skywatchers should look towards the southwestern area of the sky, and binoculars will help. The rocket is scheduled to lift off at 8:31 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, Aug. 1. This will be Northrop Grummans 19th commercial resupply services mission for NASA, delivering science investigations, supplies and equipment to the International Space Station, NASA said in a news release announcing the launch. A rocket that is scheduled to be launched in early August from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility might be visible from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other eastern states.NASA Viewing locations on Chincoteague Island include Robert Reed Park on Main Street or Beach Road spanning the area between Chincoteague and Assateague Islands, NASA said. The Virginia, Maryland and Delaware Atlantic beaches also provide good viewing locations. The NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center will be open from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for people who want an up-close view of the launch. Visitors interested in viewing the launch from the Visitor Center are encouraged to carpool as parking is limited, NASA said. More launch viewing information is available on the visitor center website. For people too far away from the East Coast, NASA said the launch will be live-streamed on NASA Television and the space agencys website, as well as YouTube, Twitter and the NASAs App, with live launch coverage and countdown commentary scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Members of the public outside of the viewing area can register to attend the launch virtually, NASA said. NASA says these are among the best locations to view the August launch of a rocket that will be blasting off from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia.NASA | Jamie Adkins Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. A woman was shot to death early Saturday in Little Egg Harbor by a gunman who then took his own life, authorities said. Police were called to Whitemarsh Court about 5:10 a.m. by a woman who believed someone was breaking into her apartment, according to a news release by township police and the Ocean County Prosecutors Office. During the past two weeks, some New Jerseyans (including some of my co-workers) have reported seeing pesky spotted lanternflies in their yards. But their descriptions varied widely. Some saw tiny nymphs that are black with white spots. Some saw nymphs that are bright red with black and white blotches. And others saw larger lanternflies with colorful wings. Have different species of spotted lanternflies invaded the eastern U.S.? The answer is a big no, according to several insect experts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They say July happens to be a rare month in the one-year life cycle of spotted lanternflies, because these bugs can be going through different phases of their lives at slightly different paces. Lauren Bonus, an entomologist who heads the Camden County Mosquito Commission, said the life cycle of spotted lanternflies tends to be consistent from one phase to the next, but July is the one month where they all have the possibility of overlapping. Since every spotted lanternfly doesnt hatch from its egg on the same exact day, during the same week or even in the same month, each lanternfly wont go through its nymph phases and adult phase at the same time, Bonus explained. Most spotted lanternflies begin to emerge from egg masses in May, Bonus said. But some emerge in April, and some emerge in June. When they hatch will determine when they reach their first nymph phase (also known as first instar), their second nymph phase, their third nymph phase, their fourth nymph phase and finally their adult phase. And these pesky critters will look different in each of those phases. This graphic shows the annual life cycle of the spotted lanternfly.Camden County Mosquito Commission When these insects first emerge typically in April, May or June they will be very tiny with black bodies and white spots. During their second and third phases, usually in June and July, their colors will remain the same but the lanternflies will be slightly bigger. The fourth phase, known as fourth instar, can occur anytime between July and September, and this is when the lanternflies will have mostly red bodies with slightly larger white spots and black blotches. The adult phase the one where the lanternflies grow larger and sport colorful wings can also start as early as July or as late as December, depending on how cold it is outside. In New Jersey, the adult phase typically starts in July and August, Bonus said. By this time of the year, theyre all on their way to (becoming) adults, she said. By September, all of them should be in their adult phase. Once they reach their adult stage, the lanternflies begin to mate and lay eggs setting the stage for new batches of nymphs next spring. (The adults will die off during the first hard freeze of winter, but most of their egg masses will survive.) These are the three different looks of spotted lanternflies as they age. The black-and-white phase at left is what this bug typically looks like after hatching in the spring. (Photos from Penn State Extension) Amy Korman, horticulture extension educator for the Penn State Extension in Northampton and Lehigh counties in Pennsylvania, agrees its common to see spotted lanternflies in different phases around your home in late July. Right now, its not unusual to see a mix of black and white nymphs, red nymphs, and adults, Korman said in an email. By September, it will be almost all adults. Bottom line, they are not all in sync. Whether they are in sync, or not, spotted lanternflies can damage many varieties of trees, shrubs and ornamental plants, according to bug experts at Rutgers University. The lanternflys main target is the Ailanthus, a fast-growing tree that is commonly known as the Tree of Heaven. These insects also tend to prey on red maple trees, black walnut trees, willow trees and grapevines, posing a threat to the wine industry. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Yuli Edelstein, head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee and a senior member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, told Israel's Army Radio that it is too early to talk about a normalization deal in the works. "How shall I put this delicately? There are clauses that are far more important or problematic than such-and-such declarations in the Palestinian realm," Yuli said, according to a Reuters report on Sunday. "Most of the Saudi discourse is with the Americans, not with us," he added, saying that when it came to Riyadh's demands of Washington, "there are some things we can live with better, and some things we can live with less well". Reuters also reported that ahead of a cabinet meeting, when reporters asked whether there would be progress in the Saudi talks, Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said: "I hope so." The statement comes days after US President Joe Biden said on Friday that a deal may be on the way with Saudi Arabia, after talks between his National Security Advisor and Saudi officials in Jeddah on normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Search Keywords: Short link: By James Terminiello I spent most of my life inhabiting the (relatively) frozen wastelands of northern New Jersey, and when I ventured a bit closer to the Mason-Dixon Line Glassboro and Mount Laurel to be exact I expected some environmental variations. But not lizards! Yes, lizards. Italian wall lizards to be exact. It appears that back in the 1980s an enterprising resident of Mount Laurel brought in from the old country over 100 of these flick-of-your-finger fast critters, in an effort to combat our prodigiously prolific insect population. These involuntary lizard commandos appear to have taken to their assignment with gusto and have been gormandizing merrily over the decades. Max Scherzer may be the Texas Rangers biggest addition during trade deadline season, but it wont be their last. St. Louis Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery has been dealt to Texas, according to multiple reports. The former New York Yankee and reliever Chris Stratton will join the Rangers pennant chase. St. Louis is acquiring reliever John King, pitching prospect Tekoah Roby and infield prospect Thomas Saggese. BUY MLB TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER A day after reaching a deal with Scherzer with the New York Mets for top prospect Luisangel Acuna, the Rangers continue to bolster a starting rotation that also includes Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning and Martin Perez. Nathan Eovaldi, their best starter this season, was placed on the injured list Sunday with a forearm strain. (Former Mets ace Jacob deGrom pitched six starts before needing a second Tommy John surgery.) What Montgomery lacks in flash, he makes up with reliability and that is valuable for a team looking for quality innings. The left-hander has tossed 121 innings, posting a 3.42 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 108 strikeouts. He is projected to pitch at least 155 innings for the third consecutive season. Montgomery also has some postseason experience, giving up one run in four innings in 2020 with New York and compiling 2 2/3 scoreless innings during an NL wild-card start last season. Yankees fans remember him as a 2014 fourth-round draft pick who spent six-plus seasons in New York before being dealt for outfielder Harrison Bader a year ago. The 32-year-old Stratton has a 4.36 ERA with a 9.89 K/9 in 53 2/3 innings this season and will slot in middle relief. Want to bet on MLB? See the best NJ Sports Betting sites Tekoah Roby (No. 11) and Thomas Saggese (No. 14) were ranked among Texas best prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. The 21-year-old Roby has a 5.05 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings in Double-A. He was put on the injured list June 6 because of a shoulder injury. Saggese, 21, has a .314/.380/.514 line with 15 home runs and 78 RBIs in Double-A. King, a lefty reliever, has a 5.79 ERA in 18 2/3 innings. Texas leads the AL West with a 60-45 record. It has not made the playoffs since 2016. The Cardinals also dealt closer Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday for pitching prospects Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse. MORE YANKEES Back and hot, Aaron Judge not happy Yankees planning bunch of rest days Marlins want Yankees Gleyber Torres badly, but not for Brian Cashmans price, source says Yankees Aaron Judge delivers big home run (442 feet) and even bigger prediction | Klapisch Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Jimmy Hascup may be reached at jhascup@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. Killer Mikes High & Holy Tour isnt just a rap show, its a revival, the Atlanta rapper has said. Therere the trappings of a fiery Black evangelical church service on stage: a pulpit, candles, flowers each item with a deeper meaning for Mike: to honor his mother, a florist, and his grandmother who gave him a spiritual base. And instead of an organist, DJ Trackstar stands behind the altar alongside the choir, The Midnight Revival. Mike is at the front, using his powerful baritone and Southern charisma to spread the good word not necessarily about God but about Michael Render, the complex man on stage. I grew up going to amazing rap shows, and with that said, all of those shows, as dope as they were, were still sometimes not as crazy and beautifully spiritual as the revivals my grandmother would take me to, Mike told Gambit on the phone from Seattle. Revivals would come through your neighborhood when I was a kid, and even though I didnt like going to church, revivals always had amazing music. When you went to revival, you didnt have to dress up it was everybody under one place and reveling in the music. New Orleans will get a taste of Southern hip-hop spiritual healing when Killer Mike and the Midnight Revival crusades into town at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, at the Joy Theater. All sinners welcome. The High & Holy Tour comes on the heels of Killer Mikes latest solo album, Michael, released last month. Its his first solo record since 2012s R.A.P. Music much of Killer Mikes last decade has been dedicated to Run the Jewels, his collaboration with Brooklyn emcee and producer El-P. The duo in September are celebrating their massive run together with shows in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles. Executive produced by No I.D., Michael features his Dungeon Family cohorts Andre 3000 and Future, El-P, New Orleans Curren$y, Young Thug, Blxst and more. While Mike has referenced religion and spirituality in his music numerous times over his career, Michael sees the rapper embracing it more openly especially in the influences of the Southern Black church on the sound of the record. But this isnt a gospel record, and Mike isnt proselytizing. Its just one lens to start to understand Michael Render. Michael is deeply personal and autobiographical. Killer Mike lays it all out there: spirituality, sex, drugs, stardom, controversy, guilt, mental health, activism, money, success, Blackness, Southernness, family and more. And he can be complicated Killer Mike has been fierce in his advocacy for worker rights and the Black community but has drawn criticism for appearing on NRA TV and meeting with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. It's also a vulnerable album, and he shows a lot of compassion for others and himself. I just want brothers to know Im with you, he adds. And that aint just for my brothers of my color, thats for the worker class across the board and the women who love them their mothers, their lovers, wives, sisters, nieces, daughters. Theres a segment not being rapped to and for. Killer Mike doesnt see himself as a preacher, per se, just a truth-seeker and a truth-sayer, he says. I see myself as a Black man who grew up in a Southern evangelical, Pentecostal experience. Tickets for Killer Mikes show start at $30 via thejoytheater.com. The 16th edition of the Egyptian National Theatre Festival which is named after iconic actor Adel Emam was launched at the Cairo Opera House on Saturday with dozens of artists and cultural personas in attendance. This edition is exceptional, stated Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevine El-Kilani during the opening, adding that "the festival is applying a new vision this year that reflects the great history of Egyptian theatre. This years edition is taking place under the presidency of actor Mohamed Riyad. More than 37 plays will be shown through 12 August across various halls in Cairo; including the Cairo Opera Houses Hanagaer and Creativity Centre, Cairo National Theatre, Al-Taleia, Miami, Al-Ghad, El-Gomhouria, El-Salam, and Floating Theatre. Plays representing different national and private theatre troupes are competing in its various contests under the jury headed by Ashraf Abdel-Ghafour. For the first time, the festival is hosting a contest for first-time theatre writers that will be judged by a jury presided over by professor Essan Eldin Abou El-Ela. The award is named after Abu El-Ela El-Salamony, the Egyptian novelist and playwright who passed away in June. The opening featured a medley of composer Hany Shenoudas scores of Adel Emams films, as well as director Hani Affifis opening show titled Rohna El-Masrah (We Went To Theatre). A number of actors and theatre experts were honoured during the opening ceremony, including Ahmed Fouad Selim, Mohamed Abu Daoud, Mohamed Mahmoud, Roshdy El-Shamy, Riyad El-Khouly, Samy Abdel-Halim, and Salah Abdullah, as well as set designer Noha Barada and writer Mohamed El-Sayed Eid, in addition to actor Khaled El-Sawy who could not attend the opening. Various industry workshops are taking place alongside the festival, including acting training by Ahmed Mukhtar, directing classes by Shady Sorour, scenography sessions by Amr Abdullah, and theatre management lessons by Safwat Hegazy. Director Khaled Galal will also offer a session on career-building. Search Keywords: Short link: Mohamed Bayoumi, who died on 15 July 60 years ago, worked at the dawn of the moving picture when, within years of the invention of the Cinematography, Egypt became the first country in the region to make cinema. His memory is an opportunity to remember that era. The majority of historians believe the first screening of the Lumiere Brothers film in the Middle East took place in Alexandria on 5 November 1896, less than a year after the worlds first screening, which was on 28 December 1895 at Salon Indien du Grand Cafe in Paris. Then, 23 days later, the second screening was held in Cairo. In 1897, the Lumieres sent their colleague, the French-Italian photographer Alexandre Promio, to make a few short documentaries at different locations in Egypt, mainly Alexandria and Cairo. The result of this shooting campaign was 35 short films. It is no surprise that the Lumieres chose Alexandria a cosmopolitan hub, home to Turks, Greeks, Italians, French, English as well as Egyptians to be their primary destination in the region. In the first decade of the 20th century, both residents of Egypt and representatives of European companies joined the new industry. The first studio in the Middle East, Aziz and Dores, was established in Alexandria in 1906 by two photographers, the Turkish Aziz Bandarli and the Italian Umberto Malfasi Dores. Their first film, shot in 1907, documented a visit by Khedive Abbas Helmi II to inaugurate an educational institute in the Morsi Abul-Abbas Mosque. The film was screened in the same year after they opened their first film theatre in Alexandria, Cinemaphone Aziz and Dores. Some critics believe this film should be seen as the first Egyptian film, but others even though the concept of nationality did not yet exist feel that only a film made by Egyptians is worthy of the title. Among the famous production companies in Europe who thought Egypt had great potential in the field was the French company Pathe Freres who, in 1908, opened a film theatre in Cairo. By 1911 there were about 11 cinemas spread across most Egyptian cities, and after ten years that number rose to 50. In the first few years of the film industry, whether internationally or in Egypt, most productions were documentaries. The first couple of attempts to make narrative films in Egypt were flops. In 1918, Mohamed Karim (who was to become a famous filmmaker and the first dean of the Egyptian Institute of Cinema in 1959), became the first Egyptian actor to appear in a film, Charaf El-Badawi (The Honour of the Bedouin), filmed in the Hadra studio in Alexandria. In the same year he also acted in the The Deadly Flowers, but the latter was banned by the censors because it included a scene in which the Holy Quran was upside down. In 1919 an Italian filmmaker, Leonard Ricci, directed Madame Loretta starring the Alexandrian actor Fawzi El-Gazayerli (later famous for his comedic alter ego Mr Bahbah). These first films were shorter than an hour, and they were directed by non-Egyptian filmmakers. One of the few first narrative films directed by Egyptians was Mohamed Bayoumis Barsoum Yabhath Aan Wazifa (Barsoum Looking for a Job) in 1923. It stars Beshara Wakim (who later became a famous screen and stage comedian, dying in 1949) as sheikh Metwalli, and Adel Hamid as Barsoum. The silent comedy, a short film (15 minutes) illustrates the poverty and the hardship of the unemployed among young middle class Egyptians, and includes images of the 1919 Revolution and the Muslim-Christian solidarity it involved. Bayoumi was born in Tanta in 1894. In his youth he was interested in art and photography, but he joined the Military School and graduated as an artillery officer in 1915. In 1919 he was made a reservist as punishment for being involved in the nationalist movement. During the revolution, he wrote poems and issued a magazine called The Scissors agitating against the British occupation. After the revolution, along with Wakim a close friend Bayoumi founded a theatrical troupe called Valley of the Nile (Wadi Al-Nil), which started its performances on 22 July 1919 in Alexandria. Later, he travelled to Italy and Austria to study cinematography, and continued his studies in Germany where he worked as an assistant cinematographer. He said in an interview in Al-Kawakeb magazine in 1951 that he worked in Berlin in cinema, mentioning that Germans were fascinated by Egyptian cigarettes at that time. It was those cigarettes that made him friends with German director Wilhelm Carol who made him an intern at Diva Studios. They also helped him to befriend the German photographer Boehringer who asked him to become his assistant. Bayoumi returned to Egypt in 1921, establishing the first cinematic newsreel called Amoun, to cover important events in Egyptian society such as: the return of Saad Zaghloul and his colleagues from their exile in Seychelles in 1923, the opening of Tutankhamuns tomb in 1924, and the Funeral of Saad Zaghloul in 1924. In 1925, while shooting a documentary on the construction of the new building of Banque Misr, Bayoumi convinced Talaat Harb to establish a cinema department affiliated with the Misr Advertising Company. The founding of Misr Acting and Cinema took place in the same year and Harb appointed Bayoumi as its director. They travelled to Austria in order to purchase equipment for the new company. After accomplishing their mission, Bayoumi decided not to return to Egypt with Harb and stay in Austria for a while, to receive training under the supervision of the expert Leopold Swoboda. He was awarded a certificate from the Central Cinema Centre in Vienna. After this trip it seems that the relationship between Bayoumi and Harb deteriorated as Harb did not acknowledge Bayoumis effort in establishing the Misr Acting and Cinema Company and as a result the latter resigned after a couple of months. In 1932, Bayoumi founded the first Egyptian cinema institute, the Egyptian Cinematographic Institute in Alexandria, and managed with his students to make his second narrative film Al-Khatib Nimrah Talatach (Fiance Number 13) in 1933. He continued working as a cinematographer and actor in several films, but in 1937 returned to the army following a royal order from King Farouk, only to resign after a few years. In 1948 Bayoumi joined the fighters against the Zionist militias in Palestine. In 1956 he returned to Austria to study colour cinematography, and when he returned to Egypt he joined the resistance against the Tripartite Aggression during the Suez War. The first attempts at creating Egyptian films has been a subject of debate among critics and film historians since the last quarter of the 20th century, especially the question of the first long narrative film. In 1927, two films were produced and screened. The first, Qobla Fil-Sahara (A Kiss in the Desert) produced and directed by Badr and Ibrahim Lama (the Lama Brothers), and the second, Layla, was directed by Turkish-Egyptian filmmaker Wedad Orfi (Vedat Orfi), and starred by the first actress in Egyptian cinema, Aziza Amir. Amir, who was also the producer of the film, disagreed with Orfi, which made the latter leave the location, then Amir asked Stephan Rosti to complete the film as a director. In the end the film was screened before Lamas film, and that is why most historians count Layla as the first long narrative Egyptian film. The birth of the Egyptian film industry remains an interesting question, but the truth is that it was a cumulative pile of events and experiments that lead to the formation of one of the most prominent arts that formed Arab consciousness throughout the 20th century. No one can deny Bayoumis vital role in the field. * A version of this article appears in print in the 27 July, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: "Do not go to your grave while holding the best you have, and die empty to fill the lives of others." I found this saying to be profound and unconventional. As I envision Egypt's future, I commit myself to presenting ideas that contribute to its construction and to a successful justice system, which is the heart of that future. Without it, a nation cannot stand. Achieving justice is the ultimate end, relying on qualitative and intellectual reforms of judicial institutions and law enforcement agencies, namely the police, which are its means. Justice is one of the essential pillars of the modern civil state and opens up horizons of knowledge through education and culture. A failed, slow, or selective justice that makes citizens feel oppressed is contradictory to the concept of a modern civil state and its institutions. To achieve it, we must sincerely introspect. A state of law and justice is founded on the separation of powers, and the protection of human rights and minorities. Justice can only be achieved by firmly establishing the separation of legislative, executive, and judicial powers, and when all authorities are subject to the law. Legislation can only express the national will when it respects the rights of all citizens. The executive authority cannot function when it is an oppressive entity that neither respects the law nor ensures citizens' rights. The principles of legitimacy and constitutionality presume the existence of an independent and impartial judiciary, with the rule of law and the judicial system playing a central role in enhancing and safeguarding the state and its citizens. Regarding citizens' rights, these do not consist only of procedural rights, such as the right to a fair trial before an independent and impartial court, established by law and subject to predefined procedures but also other rights that should never be violated, even in emergencies and exceptional situations. These include the right to safety from torture, degradation, forced disappearance, and arbitrary detention. There has been severe confusion between the concepts of "state power" and "state despotism." This confusion led some institutions to believe that the concept of state power is synonymous with despotism, ignoring the fact that democracy requires the state be strong enough to protect democracy itself and ensure security, ultimately in the service of justice. A strong state implies a strong police force as the state's arm in enforcing the law, along with administrative bodies that progress to accommodate modern conditions. This necessitates freeing these bodies from the enduring effects of the despotic philosophy deeply which is deeply rooted in them, without their knowledge. This can only be achieved by purifying legislation from anything that could form and protect despotism and by enhancing scientific efficiency. Some may argue that the independence of the judiciary needs no reaffirmation as it is enshrined in the current, as well as previous constitutions. I emphasize here, however, the functional independence, as opposed to the merely formal. The issue lies in the fact that some executive authorities do not have a clear understanding of the Constitution's philosophy. While judges, lawyers, and public prosecution members enjoy the same human rights as any other person, they must be protected specifically, as they guarantee others' enjoyment of these rights. If judges cannot assess facts and apply the law nationally and internationally, the judicial system itself becomes defective. If lawyers cannot communicate freely with their clients, the principle of equal opportunities and the right to defense in the same way for both parties in criminal proceedings will not be realized. However, the special protection that judges, lawyers, and public prosecution members must enjoy comes with special responsibilities on their part. The principle of judicial independence does not allow them to exceed their authority to achieve personal gains or infringe upon individuals' rights. Therefore, judges must not decide cases based on ideological or religious inclinations, but rather on the facts and their legal interpretation. According to Counselor Hassan Badrawi, since the establishment of the national courts in Egypt in 1883, until 1994, all the changes in this judiciary have been mainly quantitative improvements; opportunities have not yet arisen for the necessary qualitative changes that have been urgently needed for the past two decades and even more so now. The quantitative changes have not alleviated the burdens imposed on the judiciary, which have been greater than the quantitative improvements it has undergone. It is evident that the gap is widening between the improvement rate in judicial performance and the increasing caseload. Moving from general to specific aspects of the application of justice, let us consider the example of the economy. Throughout recent history, Egypt has witnessed significant economic and social transformations requiring legislative action for their realization. From an agricultural system based on broad land ownership to integration into the English economic system, to an agricultural-industrial system, to a purely Egyptian capitalist system, and then to a comprehensive system based on central planning with diminished individual ownership, to a new capitalist system with openness to the global order and a desire for public sector privatization. The choice of a liberal and open economy corresponds with Egypt's experiences in recent decades and aligns with the current global circumstances that Egypt faces. It also aligns deeply with the belief held by the Egyptian national character in the value of individual work and its results. However, this same national character that has lived under a centralized government for over seven thousand years still naturally awaits the activity of the state in this field. I envision and anticipate a role for the state within the framework of social liberalism approved by the Constitution. Nevertheless, this role should not involve direct economic activities but should rather focus on guiding, opening, organizing, and protecting these activities. Establishing overarching rules to limit the state's role in the economy also means putting in place rules that empower individual economic activities. This includes streamlining administrative procedures, relying on post-auditing and control rather than requiring prior permissions and licenses, utilizing tax and customs exemptions to encourage investment, and playing a supportive role in establishing information databases to serve individual economic activities. Additionally, it necessitates a fresh and comprehensive review of many aspects of the judiciary, mandating it with responsibilities for the future in its formation, evaluation, technology, and a review of its many and various laws. All of this should be linked to the idea of the economic return of justice to society. Since economic and individual freedom are what people desire, it is essential to remove all legal barriers that undermine the exercise of this freedom. To this end, there should be a focus on achieving speed and efficiency in resolving economic disputes and preventing state agencies from pressuring business owners to serve political interests or terrorizing them. It also requires elevating the performance standard of arbitration institutions to levels beyond Egypt's currently lacking level of expertise in this regard, enabling it to compete with advanced countries. If this economic orientation is the goal of the legislation, it must consider removing all administrative obstacles to individual economic activities, which lead to mistakes for employees, frustration for business owners, and disruption for all investment calculations. A distinctive characteristic of the Egyptian national character is its tendency to maneuver around the law. Consequently, the legal code has often been unclear and ambiguous to allow for novel interpretations. We saw this with the tax law before 2011, which the state subsequently reversed due to political dissent, despite its success and the mutual trust it built between the taxpayer and the state. For a very long time, the relationship between citizens and the state has been characterized by apprehension and mistrust, which was reflected in legislation across various fields, regarding citizens with an aura of doubt and suspicion. Now, we must ensure that all legislation is free from this spirit and built fundamentally on respect for and trust in the citizen. Search Keywords: Short link: Advice from an adviser Kevin Smith, academic adviser at Bishop Noll Institute, answers some questions regarding the college search. A transcript lightly edited for clarity and space follows: Q: At what age should parents start narrowing possible colleges for their child? A: I like to tell parents to look at it as a funnel. When you are in eighth-tenth grade, nothing should be off the table. All careers, all colleges, etc. Once you get to the second half of your sophomore year going into your junior year, you should start trimming your list. Once you get to the end of your junior year, your list should be pretty well narrowed down to three to five choices. This way when Aug. 1t of your senior hits, you can start applying. Q: What advice would you give to help families make their decision? A: Make realistic decisions. This sounds obvious, but it isn't. Just because a school claims to be "the best at ..." doesn't mean it is the best fit for you. When you go to buy a TV, a car, a house, you don't typically walk into the first place see the car, TV, house without looking at it, testing it or walking through it. Why do we choose colleges without doing the research? Look at the requirements to get in, and if you don't meet those requirements, look at the next school that will get you your desired degree. At the end of the day, employers don't care where you went, they care about what you know. Q: When should you visit colleges? Is it necessary to visit in-person? A: You can start going to college visits in ninth grade and even earlier. However, I'd focus on that your junior and senior years. You can apply to a college before you visit (yes, also after). Visiting in-person will give you the best picture of the campus. What you see online is the best of the best of that school. Q: What should a family look for to determine whether a college is a good match? A: When you visit a school, you will have a good idea if the school is a good fit or not. Be honest with yourself about price, distance and what is expected as a student. Make sure that the admissions counselors at the college (I am a former admissions counselor) are transparent on the classes you will need to complete to better understand your future studies. Q: How do you set up a college visit? A: Typically I tell students to go to Google and type in the college they are looking for and then add "visit" after the name. It should redirect to the signup page. If they can't find it there, just call the college's admissions office to have them walk through signup. Q: Is there a list of criteria help a child decide what school is best for them? A: No. We just sit down and have an honest conversation. I give them tough answers that no one has given them before. I tell students the reality of their "dream college." If they don't have requirements to get in, I start talking about other options. This is when we do hard research on what they are looking for. Q: How do you know where to start when picking a college? A: It is not always easy. You have to have a good feeling of the campus by visiting, as well as understanding what you truly are going to pay at that school. This usually happens around February/March, when the financial aid award letters come out. Q: Any tips for parents preparing to make visits? A: Have fun and enjoy the process. Also, remember, it is your child's education not yours. I know that may be hard to hear for some people, but parents aren't the ones who will be sitting in the classroom, spending hours upon hours a day studying and stressing over tests and assignments. Ask questions of admission counselors and high school counselors. Again, have fun, and let your child make the decision. It is their future, have your input, but try not to influence them one way or another. If you are a Purdue fan, and they want to go to IU, or vice versa, let them. Make sure they look at all options, talk to multiple people and don't let them choose based on their friends' decisions. On Aug. 1, Indianas near-total abortion ban takes effect, making Indiana one of 24 states that, to date, has severely restricted access to reproductive care. While we dont yet know the impact of this new law, at the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking, we do know that victims of rape and incest will face an uncertain future as they navigate the narrow 10-week window that is allowed for them to seek an abortion following an assault. Consider these statistics: One in three Hoosier women experience sexual assault in their lifetime. Indiana high school girls have reported a high rate of sexual assaults, and at one time, Indiana ranked second in the nation for girls who are raped in high school. Nationally, one in seven women who are raped become pregnant. During last summers hurried special session of the Indiana General Assembly, ICESAHT and our partners went to the statehouse and fought for victims of rape and incest. We believe this law will compound the trauma of sexual violence for vulnerable victims. But we will continue to do the important work of supporting victims by preparing our Rape Crisis Centers, local providers and stakeholders for what is to come . In September, before a state court judge issued an injunction, our team worked with Dr. Caroline Rouse, FACOG, assistant professor of obstetrics & gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, to educate service providers. We held a series of regional meetings in Muncie, Indianapolis, Bloomfield and Rensselaer, and currently are providing and updating resources to help providers meet the needs of pregnant rape and incest victims. We will continue these efforts as long as victims need information, support and care. What can you do to help? Support your local rape crisis center. A rape crisis center is a community-based, nonprofit agency that provides advocacy and support services to survivors of sexual violence. A rape crisis center may be co-located with a domestic violence shelter, or another social service organization. Fifteen rape crisis centers currently operate in Indiana, with many serving multiple counties. The centers are staffed by sexual assault victim advocates, who complete training with ICESAHT. They are joined by service providers across the state who approach sexual assault cases through a victim-centered lens. Empowerment, choice and trauma-informed care that is centered on the victim is essential for healing following rape or incest. The ability to make confidential health care decisions, which includes abortion, is an important step in regaining bodily autonomy. We know the future is uncertain in the days and months ahead, but we are up to the challenge. We owe it to victims. INDIANAPOLIS In past generations, it was the accumulation of American body bags that forged domestic anti-war efforts. Last week, Indiana U.S. Reps. Jim Banks and Erin Houchin joined 68 fellow Republicans in voting to end U.S. military aid to Ukraine during debate on the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act. Notwithstanding any provision of this or any other Act, no federal funds may be made available to provide security assistance to Ukraine, read the one-sentence amendment. It was defeated by a 358-70 margin, with all Democrats and a majority of Republicans (including U.S. Reps. Jim Baird, Larry Bucshon, Greg Pence, Victoria Spartz and Rudy Yakym) opposing the measure. My amendment is going to lose overwhelmingly when it is put up for a vote, said U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican who authored the amendment. But the American people will see who wants to represent them, and who wants to represent Crimea. It sets up a divide within the ranks of the Indiana Republican Party, where major figures are still advocating support for Ukraine to repel the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. Banks and Houchin say that they are motivated by fiscal concerns rather than the slaughter of Ukrainian civilians. Banks, the probable Republican U.S. Senate nominee in 2024 from Columbia City, said in a statement to Howey Politics/State Affairs Indiana, President Biden, the weakest commander-in-chief ever, embarrassed our country in Afghanistan and has since reduced our critical munition stockpiles to dangerously low levels. We cannot lead abroad while we are so weak at home. Houchin, a freshman from Salem, said, We cannot continue down this path of tens of billions of dollars being spent in Ukraine with no accounting of where the money is going and no plan for a resolution. I heard resoundingly from my district prior to the vote, and I share my constituents concerns. My votes on these amendments to the NDAA reflect the views of the majority of 9th District Hoosiers. Banks voted against a $40 billion Ukraine aid package in May 2022. He told WOWOs Pat Miller after that vote, Ive heard from our listeners from Northeast Indiana loud and clear. Theyre saying, Enough is enough. We cant give a blank check to Ukraine without solving problems at home first. Ive always said America cant lead around the world when were so weak at home. U.S. Sen. Mike Braun said in May 2022, Ukrainians are amazing. We were slow to help them out of the gate. But Im going to always ask a question: How are we paying for it? And when I found out were borrowing every penny of it, and were not offsetting anything, that turned it into a no vote for me. Other Hoosier Republicans are backing Kyiv. U.S. Sen. Todd Young, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has insisted from the beginning of the war that the United States must back Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is attacking the democratic, rules-based order that has benefitted countless Americans and millions around the globe since World War II, Young said on Feb. 24, 2022. The stakes extend beyond Europe, as China is watching us and clearly has the same ambitions for Taiwan. It is essential that America sends an unequivocal message: Invading sovereign, democratic nations will never be tolerated. Former Vice President Mike Pence has also consistently advocated for supporting Ukraine. He told Fox59 last weekend, The war in Ukraine is not a territorial dispute. It was a Russian invasion by Vladimir Putin. As the leader of the free world, its absolutely essential to provide the Ukrainian military what they need to repel the Russian invasion for this reason. Im someone who believes in that old Reagan doctrine that if youre willing to fight our enemies on your soil well give you what you need to fight them there so men and women in uniform arent going to have to face them someday defending our interests and our allies." Other congressional Republicans are supporting Ukraine. On Feb. 24, 2022, Rep. Bucshon said, Russias actions are a savage violation of international law that have put countless innocent lives at risk. The United States and our allies must stand firm and protect the freedom and sovereignty of Ukraine, and Putins actions must be met with swift and severe consequences. Rep. Yakym told Ink Free News last October, We cannot allow nations to bulldoze other nations. Rep. Pence said in a Feb. 24, 2022 statement, Ukraine is an ally of the United States and I believe it is our duty to stand with our allies. And then there is Rep. Spartz, who began the period after the Russian invasion to rally Republicans to the cause of her native land. She then shocked both Republicans and Democrats with "intense criticisms" of President Zelensky a year ago. In July 2022, Politico reported: Inside the House GOP Conference, theres a widespread fear that her posture is damaging U.S.-Ukraine relations at the worst possible time and that shes being played by forces that aim to weaken the Western alliance. Since then, Spartz flirted with a U.S. Senate candidacy, then announced she would not seek reelection. She has issued relatively few statements on Ukraine since then, as more and more Republicans peel away their support for the war effort. Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill in Congress that would restrict tax breaks for corporate investors who buy large quantities of homes. If passed, the Stop Predatory Investing Act would prohibit investors who acquire 50 or more single-family homes for rental purposes from deducting interest or depreciation on those properties. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), chair of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said investors funded by Wall Street buy up homes that could have been sold to first-time homebuyers. He claimed they rent them out at higher rates, -neglect repairs, and then threaten families with eviction. Our bill will help prevent corporate landlords from driving up local housing prices and put power back in the hands of working families, who need a safe, affordable place to live and raise their children, Brown said. According to a press release from Browns office, two major investors own more than 12,000 homes in three Ohio markets. Other investors dont report how many homes they own. In 2021, 16% of homes in Cleveland were purchased by investors, with one ZIP code reaching 70%. In Cincinnati, they bought 15% of homes and nearly 50% of homes in some communities, and a single company bought 29 homes on a single street, the press release said. It is estimated that a corporation purchased one out of every six homes sold in Ohio last year. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, is a co-sponsor of the bill. He said that in his state and across the country, Wall Street investors buying up homes and hiking rents is problematic. Americas housing policy desperately needs a remodel, and by looking out for the interests of working people and the middle class, this bill represents a key part of the blueprints, Wyden said. Supporters of the bill say it could incentivize big investors to sell single-family rental homes back to homeowners or nonprofits in the community. How much influence on the housing market do corporate investors have? Investors jumped into the housing market in 2021 to flip and rent single-family homes because there were rock-bottom mortgage rates, and demand was surging. According to a National Association of Realtors presentation, institutional buyers defined as companies, corporations, or limited liability companies made up 13% of the residential sales market in 2021. That year, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama and Mississippi had the highest shares of institutional buyers. Cory Ure at SecurityNational Mortgage in Salt Lake City recently talked with The Mortgage Note about how frustrating it was for the average homebuyer in Utah two years ago. At one point in my life, I was a first-time homebuyer, so Ive had a lot of sympathy for a lot of these first-time homebuyers that were being completely shut down by investors coming in and paying cash. And we had big investors, Ure said. Theyd go to a builder and say, Well buy 10 homes right in a row from you. Even some very qualified buyers couldnt compete against these investors, especially these big pension funds and hedge funds coming in and paying way over value. But Ure said that has changed in the past year, and a February report from Redfin showed investor home purchases have fallen across the country. MOROCCO The bison's tails swished back and fourth as they grazed through the tallgrasses and yellow cone flowers. "That means they're calm," Trevor Edmonson explained. "They're tails stiffen when they feel like they're in danger." The 110 bison that roam the Kankakee Sands Preserve have no reason to be afraid, they've never been hunted and they aren't being raised as livestock. However, these mighty creatures still have an important job they're helping restore Northwest Indiana's prairie. Restoring what was lost The fleeing bison that appears on Indiana's state seal does not resemble the mild herd at Kankakee Sands. The animal's tail stands straight in the air as it leaps over a log, seemingly running away from a man chopping down a tree. According to Indiana historian Jacob Piatt Dunn, "the woodman represented civilization subduing the wilderness; and the buffalo, . . . going west, . . . represented the primitive life retiring in that direction before the advance of civilization." The first recorded use of the Indiana state seal was 1801. Less than thirty years later, bison had been completely eradicated from the state. Edmonson, project director at Kankakee Sands, said hunting records show Newton County's last bison was killed in 1824. In the mid-19th century, it was estimated that 30 million to 60 million buffalo roamed North America. Many Native tribes relied on bison for food and other resources, however as the railroad began to expand white settlers began to travel throughout the country, eradicating bison. The federal government recognized how important bison were to Native American survival and in an effort to weaken the tribes, the U.S. Army provided free ammunition to bison hunters. By the end of the 1800s less than 1,000 bison remained in North America. As bison were being brought to the brink of extinction, Native tribes were forced onto reservations and in states like Indiana, tribes lost all of their land. Early Hoosiers worked to convert the state's natural areas into farmland, draining wetlands and plowing prairies. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources 85% of Indiana's wetlands have been lost since the 1780s. The DNR also estimates that prairies likely made up about 15% of the state before European settlers arrived. Much of this prairie land would have been in Northwest Indiana; almost all of the state's original prairie has been lost. Back then people didnt view wetlands as important infrastructure, they kind of viewed it as wasted land or marginal land," Edmonson explained. Before the Nature Conservancy, or TNC, created the Kankakee Sands preserve in 1996, the land had been used for grazing and row crops. Pulling out an original map of Newton County from 1876, Edmonson pointed to the careful black hatch marks that fill the area where the preserve is today. "That was all marshland," Edmonson said, adding that the southern half of the county contained tallgrass prairie. The 8,4000-acre preserve sits in the footprint of Beaver Lake, which was Indiana's biggest freshwater lake before it was drained. The lake was part of the Grand Kankakee Marsh system, which once stretched all the way from South Bend to Momence, IL, making it the largest inland wetland in North America. Over the past century Newton County's landscape has changed a lot: homes and farm fields now fill the former marsh, sand dunes were mined to help build U.S. 41 and the much of the black oak savanna where bison once roamed has become overgrown. Edmonson said restoring this land will be a "multigeneration journey," one that will require native plants, prescribed burns, cattle, and, of course, plenty of bison. The benefits of bison The Kankakee Sands property is a patchwork of wetlands, black oak savanna, sedge meadows and prairie. Edmonson said The goal of our site is not to create one uniform prairie, everywhere you go here there's going to be a mix of soil types, a mix of plant communities that intertwined in that mosaic," Edmonson said. "Thats really what nature is." This "mosaic" of different plant types helps promote biodiversity as different kinds of wildlife need different kinds of habitat to survive. Edmonson said the property is home to over 700 plant species, 250 bird species, 70 butterfly species and 1,000 moth species. Many of these species thrive in habitats that have "structure," Edmonson explained grasslands that have plants with varying heights are good for a wide-range of wildlife. Promoting health, structured grassland requires natural disturbances like prescribed burns and grazing. If I were to plant a prairie full of Big Bluestem without bison, its going to be all eight-foot tall and look pretty uniform Edmonson explained that grazing "Allows for other things to take up that real-estate and thrive." In an effort to recreate the natural disturbances that would have occurred historically, TNC introduced 23 bison to Kankakee Sands in 2016. The herd has more than quadrupled; Edmonson said there were about 20 new calves this year alone. With 12 herds and about 6,000 animals, TNC is the second-largest bison producer in North America, behind media mogul Ted Turner. FIX Edmonson said the benefits of bison go beyond grazing; when the giant animals take "dust baths" they create large divots in the earth, which fill with water and are used as breeding grounds for frogs and turtles, they distribute seeds and spores by carrying them in their thick coats, and birds and small mammals use bison hair to insulate nests and burrows. They are truly a keystone species," Edmonson said bison likely impact their environment in unknown ways as well. "That's part of the fun. You put them out there and then monitor birds and butterflies and dung beetles and things like that." The herd has also changed how the human species interacts with Kankakee Sands. Before the bison arrived, the preserve received few visitors. Now school groups, tourists and drivers who spot the herd from the highway stop-in and want to learn more. The preserve has a bison viewing area, but Edmonson said it's essentially a gravel lot. The Nature Conservancy is working to develop "flagship" preserves where people can visit and learn more about the groups conservation efforts. As part of this initiative, Kankakee Sands is looking to create an outdoor pavilion with seating and informational signage and two bison viewing platforms. Earlier this month the preserve received a $25,000 donation from the NiSource Charitable Foundation for the project. Edmonson said they hope to start work on the project next summer, those interested in donating to the project or volunteering at Kankakee Sands can visit nature.org/Indiana. The goal of the interpretive signage is to help visitors conduct self-guided tours of the properties' many trails. Traditional Western conservation practices kept people away from protected land, but Edmonson said this mindset is changing. People have always been involved and intertwined with nature," Edmonson said. "Were not really separate from it so we want to get as many people out here as we can to see that nature is critical infrastructure for society and is also therapeutic and inspirational." After walking through the sedges, admiring the deep purple ironweed flowers, taking in the the bison herd and listing to the meadowlarks, Edmonson hopes visitors will be inspired to protect nature in their own communities. PHOTOS: The bison herd at Kankakee Sands Preserve kankakee bison kankakee bison Kankakee sand preserve kankakee bison Bison herd Kankakee sand kankakee bison kankakee bison The body of an 18-year-old Illinois man was recovered from Lake Michigan at Gary Saturday after a three-hour search that was hampered by high waves and rip currents. The Lake County Coroner's Office identified the man Sunday as Rayan Mohammed of Bartlett, Illinois. The coroner determined the cause of death to be asphyxia by drowning. Emergency personnel were dispatched to Sullivan Street beach in Gary's Miller section after the man was reported missing at 2:55 p.m. Saturday, according to the Indiana Department Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement. "Multiple agencies with dive teams responded to the scene to search," DNR said. "Search efforts were hampered due to a north wind, with three- to six-foot waves creating dangerous rip currents in the area." A beachgoer observed a body in the water at approximately 6 p.m., three quarters of a mile from where the man was last seen, DNR said. "A recovery was made, and the victim was pronounced dead on scene." GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week Congressman Frank Mrvan toured VNA Hospice NWI's Ethel V. Horton Hospice Center in Valparaiso last week. He talked to nurses, aides and volunteers at the nonprofit hospice at 501 Marquette St. in Valparaiso. He heard about their challenges and how they provide comfort and compassion to dying patients. Families whose loved ones received end-of-life care there shared stories about their experiences with the VNA hospice. "I've always known what hospice care meant, but until you come here and think about all the families and individuals who are quitting their jobs or retiring early to handle the stress of taking care of a loved one who is going through some sort of medical issue, you don't realize how important it is to know that something like palliative care exists. Now I can let my staff know and tell everyone I know so that we can be ambassadors for the community," Mrvan said. He voiced his ongoing support for funding for nonprofit hospice care and praised the staff for their dedication to serving the community and vulnerable people facing life-limiting illnesses. "It's always good to have a legislator who wants to come out and learn about your services, especially when you depend on federal funding, but the fact that it's Frank makes today even more meaningful because I truly believe that he cares about people. His past experience as a township trustee is unique, so when he comes out, he's not just doing it for a photo opportunity; he is genuinely interested in who we are, what we do, and the services we provide. He leaves you with the feeling that he is truly going to advocate and fight for you, and he does," said Bob Franko, CEO of VNA Hospice NWI. VNA Hospice of Northwest Indiana provides services like hospice care, palliative care, VNA Meals on Wheels of Porter County, the Medical Guardian alert button, grief support and a We Honor Veterans Program. It helps seniors stay in their homes and remain in charge of their healthcare for as long as possible. Dan Crenshaw, during a Republican Party event in Houston. Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap (via Getty Images) U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw, 39, is considered to be a rising star in the Republican Party. But in Mexico, the Congressman for Texas has been branded as an interventionist and a wimp by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has accused Crenshaw of deploying anti-Mexican discourse to be re-elected to his seat in 2024. Back in November, Crenshaw proposed a bill in favor of the United States declaring war on the cartels, treating them as terrorist groups and authorizing the use of U.S. military forces on Mexican soil. President Lopez Obrador reminded the congressman that Mexico isnt a colony of the United States, while also emphasizing that the proposal was unacceptable and in violation of international law. Born in Scotland to American parents, Crenshaw was a member of the Navy Seals. A veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he lost an eye in combat. After months of online clashes with the Mexican authorities, the conservative politician requested an interview with EL PAIS to defend his proposal and give his side of the story regarding his verbal conflict with Lopez Obrador and the Democratic Party. Hes not dumb, he says about Lopez Obrador in Spanish, which he learned after spending his youth in Ecuador and Colombia (his father was an American petroleum engineer who found work abroad). Nobodys saying that were going to invade Mexico and send in tanks. He adds: Im Mexicos greatest ally. At times, the Republican opts for a more conciliatory tone. He tells EL PAIS that he will seek to meet with the Mexican president to clear up their differences, but he remains firm in his support for heavy-handed measures. He also denies that the installation of a floating wall in the Rio Grande is an inhumane act: Whats inhumane is crossing into our country without documents. Below is a condensed version of our conversation with Representative Crenshaw. Question. In Mexico, various media outlets describe you as a hard-line Republican. Are you comfortable with this label? Answer. I dont know what hard-line means. I believe that we should only take a hard line against a threat like the cartels, who are killing people [both] Mexican and American people. I dont think its a hard line to say that we have to fight them. Theyve killed thousands and thousands of Mexicans. They control parts of Mexico, they control the government in some parts of Mexico and they threaten politicians in Mexico. And for us, what has changed a lot in recent years is that the cartels arent only sending marijuana, cocaine and heroin. Today, theyre sending poison in the form of drugs, like fentanyl. We have to face them together. I dont know why they describe me as part of the far-right, like in your articles. I dont know what that means, either. Were talking about a matter of national security for both countries. Q. Why do you want to declare war on the drug cartels? A. When we talk about an authorization for the use of military force, its only a legal step to use our military together with the Mexican Army to fight the cartels. In Mexico, the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) and the Navy are used against the cartels. The president doesnt trust the police. Theres corruption in the police. So, if were going to help Mexico, it will be through a relationship between our militaries. Its a legal step, simply so that we can cooperate with the Mexican Army, if they invite us. Thats the second step: Lopez Obrador has to ask for help. I dont understand why AMLO reacted like that against me. I never said that we were going to invade Mexico. That is nonsense. I cant believe the media, the Democrats and AMLO would say something like that. Obviously, were going to respect the sovereignty of Mexico. Were going to stop the drug traffickers, as we do in Colombia or Panama, where we have very close relations with the [armed forces] as we do all over the world to support them. These countries are our allies. President Lopez Obrador knows that were not going to invade Mexico. Hes not a dumb guy, but he wanted I dont know, I dont know why he attacked me. I dont know if its good for his party or for his politics. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks about Dan Crenshaw, during his morning conference on March 13, 2023. Future Publishing (via Getty Images) Q. How have you experienced this clash with Lopez Obrador? A. I was very surprised that he attacked me with such ferocity. When I proposed authorizing the use of military force against the cartels, I didnt think it was too controversial. It shouldnt be. Were talking about a legal requirement, so that we can help the SEDENA. Mexico has the most dangerous cartels in the world. They are big armies. They have more money than ISIS and Al Qaeda. The Mexicans are our neighbors and we have no cooperation with them. Why? Because AMLO doesnt want to cooperate. I dont understand. He talks about campaigning against me in the next election which is illegal, by the way, and makes me laugh a little. Its not how somebody should speak to an ally. Mexico and the United States are allies. Mexico and Texas, especially, are very close allies. We have a close culture and history. Were all on the same team. Q. Isnt it difficult to cooperate after you accused Lopez Obrador of being a friend of the cartels, or saying that drug traffickers are his donors? A. Well, the ball is in his court. The people who are dying the most are Mexicans. Thats the truth. He thinks he doesnt have a fentanyl problem. We all know that this isnt true and that theres a lot of fentanyl in Mexico, not only in illegal drugs, but also in pharmacies. Theres fentanyl everywhere. I dont care about personal feelings between us. What matters to me is the lives of Mexicans and Americans. If AMLO wants us to be friends tomorrow, better for me. I dont hold grudges, and he shouldnt either. This shouldnt be some childlike feud. This should be adults talking about how to help their people. Refusing to do so is a dereliction of duty. I dont care that the insulted me. I think it was stupid. I think it was dumb. It surpised me. It made no sense, which is why I told him: You must support cartels if you dont support this. He knows that were not talking about unilateral operations in Mexico. And the Democrats know that, too. They are all full of shit. Thats why I wanted to talk. I want people to know exactly what were talking about: a partnership, cooperation. Q. Mexico and China claim that the U.S. wants to blame them for the fentanyl crisis. What responsibility should your country bear, considering that its the main drug consumer in the world? A. In the United States, we have more people thats why were the largest consumer. But this happens everywhere. Everyone focuses on the United States because theres more money here, so more is paid [to dealers] and the business for drug traffickers is better. Supply creates demand. This is true, because these are highly addictive drugs. Theres a lot thats being done to treat addictions. If anyone has the solution to solve this problem, bravo. But right now, we dont have it. Its very difficult. Whats easier is to focus on the supply, on the cartels that manufacture the drugs. We have to do everything. But the problem is that many people talk about consumption, but thats just an excuse to do nothing. They want to focus on a problem thats impossible to fix, because were dealing with human nature. Tell me how to change human nature and you know what... Im sure well make a lot of money that way. But we cant change human nature. People want to self-destruct, people get addicted, thats a much bigger problem. And I will not allow it to be used as an excuse to do nothing about the people actually creating the problem. Q. Mexico has been waging a war against drugs for almost two decades. The results havent been as expected. Does direct confrontation with the cartels still make sense? A. First, I would say that it hasnt been a war against the cartels, not like in other countries. In Colombia, there was a war against the FARC and against Pablo Escobar. In Mexico, that hasnt happened. There are small confrontations here and there. Well, AMLOs slogan is hugs, not bullets. There are selective operations, but theres no war. Whats needed is to focus on the cartels and treat them and fight them as if they were terrorists. If we dont, its not enough. Its not enough to focus on the kingpins; you also have to fight the middlemen. Theres a very effective way to do this; the United States knows how to do it, because weve done it for the last 20 years. Its very easy for us. I just want our resources to be available to Mexicans. Weve never had a very close relationship with the military in Mexico. Not at the level we need. Dan Crenshaw on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. in September 2020. POOL (Reuters) Q. You say that theres no war against drugs, but there are tens of thousands of deaths every year in Mexico due to drugs... A. Yes, because the drug traffickers are at war against Mexico, but were not at war against them. Thats the problem. Im not saying that Mexico does nothing. Obviously, there are operations. I met with these SEDENA officers who are fighting the cartels every day, but they need more support. Meanwhile, their leader, AMLO, is saying that this problem doesnt exist in Mexico. How do they feel, the Mexicans who are fighting the cartels every day? Q. The last few years have been marked by the migration crisis. What have Mexico and the United States stopped doing for the situation to get to this point? A. Its a very complex discussion for another time, but I think its a problem of incentives and disincentives. If everyone believes that they can cross the border and nothing will happen, they will come. Its very simple. When we the United States decide that were going to enforce our laws, thats going to be the solution. I know that Mexico doesnt want all these people to be migrating through their country, either. Thats not good for Mexico. Q. What do you think of the buoys that Texas Governor Greg Abbott decided to install in the Rio Grande? A. Hes doing what he can, because its not legal to cross that river and invade our country and our state. His hands are tied. In the U.S., states cannot enforce the laws of the federal government. Texas is looking for whatever solution is possible. And if [the buoys] are blocking the river, well, thats how it is. They shouldnt be crossing that river in the first place. Q. Isnt it inhumane to use drowning devices against the immigrants? A. Whats inhumane is to cross into our country without documents and demand that we take care of them. I cant travel to Mexico without a passport. Why can they? If the law isnt enforced, then nothing matters. Its not inhumane. It makes me very angry when people say that. If there are a lot of people in your house and they want to eat your food, is it inhumane to not let them eat it? One person, yeah, okay. But why not two, three or four? Whats the limit? There are limits and thats because we have laws. We have to enforce the laws. Q. You spoke in favor of Trumps proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Do you still believe thats the solution to the migration issue? A. Its not the solution, but its a solution, in certain parts of the border. When we talked about the wall, it was always a way of saying border security. Its not a matter of building a very big wall and saying no one shall pass. There are certain parts of the border where it makes a lot of sense to have infrastructure, like a wall. And others that dont. But obviously we have to stop them. There are parts of the Mexican border that also have walls. So, for both sides, it makes a lot of sense. This shouldnt be too controversial. Its controversial because Trump said it. We have to get over all of this. There are many emotions involved, but our interests are the same. Nobody wants immigration to get out of control. Nobody wants the cartels to control certain parts of the Mexican government. Nobody wants fentanyl to be poisoning people. Nobody wants China to start colonizing Latin America, as theyre trying to do. Nobody wants any of that. The U.S. and Mexico should be the worlds strongest allies. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Lacy Thomas doesnt know her age. She also doesnt know how to tie her shoestrings, how to initiate a conversation with a stranger, or how to read this newspaper column. But the 32-year-old autistic woman instinctively knew what to do when she first witnessed Steve Honore joyfully singing to customers while giving out free samples at a Costco store. She smiled and hugged him. No words were needed. (Watch a video and view more photos at the online version of this column.) This exchange took place a couple of years ago. Lacy has since hugged Honore every time shes visited the store with her mother, Sandy Thomas. He sings to Lacy. She flashes her mega-watt smile. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine! Honore sang to her again earlier this week. You make me happy on a Tuesday. You always make me smile right here at Costco! Lacy again didnt have to say a word. She just hugged him and blushed. Speaking of goosebumps, greatness is here! Honore loudly proclaimed as customers nabbed samples from his table. Lacy handed him an envelope. Happy birthday Steve, she wrote on it with little balloons floating around his name. Thank you for making my day! Honore sung to her. No matter what kind of day Im having, you make my day. Honore sings to customers during every work shift. His impromptu performances are as familiar as the stores foot-long hot dogs and slices of pizza. He not only hands out free samples of items. He also gives out free hugs, smiles and fist bumps. Doing this puts a smile on my face because I get to give smiles to people, Honore told me as Lacy quietly watched on. When you give smiles, this is whats most important in life. He looked at Lacy. She shyly smiled and checked on her dog, Charlie, who she rolls around in a stroller. The two are inseparable, though his physical condition is in bad shape. He may not have much more time with us, Sandy Thomas whispered. Lacy petted Charlie and placed him back inside his stroller. She likes to touch but doesnt like to be touched. Near bedtime at night, Lacy lies down beside her mother and gently pets her arm. She does this repeatedly before going to her bedroom to sleep. Lacy has unspoken virtues that she lives by. Again, few words are needed. Dont complain. Show gratitude. Dont hurt anyones feelings. And say thank you for everything. She often repeats herself, recalling whatever just happened in her life. After a visit to Costco, she talks about Honore the rest of the day. I did the same thing after first meeting him. Dr. Lacy is the first person who can make me speechless, Honore told me. The 44-year-old Detroit native is a former General Motors engineer who lives in Munster with his wife, Dr. Donna Farin Honore, an OB/GYN physician at Community Hospital in their town. They met in Michigan when she was working on her hospital residency in the Detroit area. She is originally from Chicago so they settled on a midway point between their hometowns - Northwest Indiana. The couple often shopped at a Costco, enjoying free samples like most customers. She told him, I could see you giving out samples and making peoples day. She was just joking because of his outgoing personality. To make her laugh, he told her he would do it. Next thing you know, Im doing my best to make people smile, Honore said. For me, its not merely giving out samples. Its brightening someones day. Hopefully, the smile you give someone will help them to help others to smile. A chain reaction of smiles is my modus operandi. When he began giving out food samples, he instinctively began singing to them as well. He loves Motown tunes and eventually bolts out a sing-song sampling for customers. His repertoire of music is endless. His casual conversations turn into encore performances. Sing, sing a song, he sang as Lacy watched him in action. Make it simple, to last your whole life long! When two customers bumped into each after years of seeing each other, Honore didnt miss a beat. Reunited and it feels so good! he sang as they danced. Reunited and its understood. They laughed and hugged. Lacy gently smiled. Shes shy and doesnt know what to say if someone asks her something, her mother told me. Lacy has talents that others dont possess. This includes remembering people long after others forget an exchange. Shell be back soon to visit Honore and again sample his joy. Bye, Steve! she said when she left his popular spot in the crowded store. Lacy has a huge heart. People are more important to her than anything else, her mother said. Some people might think shes a burden, but I dont feel that way. Shes my special blessing that I dont deserve. PHOTOS: The bison herd at Kankakee Sands Preserve kankakee bison kankakee bison Kankakee sand preserve kankakee bison Bison herd Kankakee sand kankakee bison kankakee bison The act of breaking plates is believed to represent a couples first moment of unity and teamwork. The evolution of this ritual, Dr. Harrington said, is likely to be recent: It was probably introduced during the 18th and 19th century, as romantic love in culture and literature came into focus, he said. People add new interpretations to the customs, thats why they get reinvented. As time goes on, it accumulates different meanings and iterations. For Meena Lee-DePasquale, the owner and designer at 5th Avenue Weddings & Events, a wedding planning company in Manhattan, the continuation of traditions and culture is crucial. Im known for mixed-culture weddings, Ms. Lee-DePasquale said. Blending those cultures together is best done by understanding customs, traditions and rituals. For the past 13 years, Ms. Lee-DePasquale has worked with couples to incorporate their cultures into modern celebrations. For a wedding that combined Hawaiian Japanese and American Latin cultures, we had custom sake cups made for each guest to do the traditional Hawaiian banzai toast and served musubi during cocktail hour, as well as had cherry blossom centerpieces, she said. She has also planned Indian and Quaker, as well as Jewish and Chinese celebrations. People smashed porcelain, stoneware and pottery back in medieval times as opposed to glass, which was considered good luck and owned by the wealthy, she said. The noise from the broken plates was to ward off evil spirits. The more shards, the more luck the couple would experience. Centuries later, a second step in this ritual emerged. The couple sweep up the broken shards together to chase away the evil spirits and to represent their first shared task, Ms. Lee-DePasquale said. It symbolizes working as a team in life and in their marriage. Former President Donald J. Trump lashed out at Republicans in Congress while campaigning in Pennsylvania on Saturday, threatening members of his party who do not share his appetite for pursuing corruption investigations against President Biden and his family and for retribution. In a litany of grievances about his deepening legal woes and the direction of the country, the twice-indicted former president cast G.O.P. holdouts as meek during a rally in Erie, Pa., criticizing their response to what he described as politically motivated prosecutions against him. The Republicans are very high class, he said. Youve got to get a little bit lower class. And then Mr. Trump, the overwhelming front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, put party members on notice. Any Republican that doesnt act on Democratic fraud should be immediately primaried, said Mr. Trump, to the roaring approval of several thousand supporters at the Erie Insurance Arena. Throughout the night he referenced the case against Hunter Biden and accused the president of complicity in his sons troubles. In medical settings, it is common for womens pain to be ignored or dismissed. In other cases, it is not properly treated. This phenomenon is particularly agonizing for women in some of their most vulnerable moments. If you have been a gynecological patient, maybe you have felt unprepared for the pain of a procedure like an IUD insertion. Wondered why you were not offered a better option to control your pain before the HSG, a pelvic X-ray in which dye is shot into your uterus. Or been told, in any number of situations, that you will feel pressure, or this will pinch, or take Tylenol. To be honest, evidence suggests that Tylenol doesnt likely work, even Advil doesnt likely work, in many of those settings, says Sara Whetstone, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the University of California, San Francisco. So are we lying when we tell people its just a cramp? The pain that women experience in medical settings is common, often preventable and routinely ignored. I explored some of this in The Retrievals, a podcast series about recent events at the Yale Fertility Center. When Tricia Cotham, a former Democratic lawmaker, was considering another run for the North Carolina House of Representatives, she turned to a powerful party leader for advice. Then, when she jumped into the Democratic primary, she was encouraged by still other formidable allies. She won the primary in a redrawn district near Charlotte, and then triumphed in the November general election by 18 percentage points, a victory that helped Democrats lock in enough seats to prevent, by a single vote, a Republican supermajority in the state House. Except what was unusual and not publicly known at the time was that the influential people who had privately encouraged Ms. Cotham to run were Republicans, not Democrats. One was Tim Moore, the redoubtable Republican speaker of the state House. Another was John Bell, the Republican majority leader. I encouraged her to run because she was a really good member when she served before, Mr. Bell recalled in an interview. For the second time this year, a court has ruled against Johnson & Johnsons effort to use a bankruptcy case to limit its exposure to tens of thousands of lawsuits that claim its talcum powder products caused cancer. The plaintiffs claim that the company knew for decades about the risks linked to its talc products, including its signature baby powder. The company created a subsidiary, LTL Management, in 2021 as a maneuver to shield itself from the talc litigation. It proposed that the subsidiary, which had filed for bankruptcy, pay $8.9 billion to resolve all the claims against it. But on Friday, Judge Michael Kaplan of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, said LTLs bankruptcy case must be dismissed because the lawsuits did not put the company in imminent or immediate financial distress. Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia dismissed the first bankruptcy effort for the same reason. While one official said that the meat was definitely being offered for sale for human consumption, he could not say who the companys customers were or whether any of the meat in the warehouse was actually sold. The details of the case, made public on Friday, immediately entered the pantheon of New York City rat tales. There was the time in 2020 when a man fell through a sidewalk in the Bronx and into a pit teeming with rats, and many New Yorkers have stories of rats making unwelcome appearances from behind apartment walls or emerging from plumbing fixtures. This year, Mayor Eric Adams appointed the citys first rat czar to confront the long-running rodent problem. Perhaps most famous was Pizza Rat, a large brown rat that went viral after video emerged showing it dragging a large slice of pizza down the stairs to an L line station in Manhattan in 2015. But it was Meat Rats and several instances of selling misbranded chicken gizzards, pork spareribs and other meat that put an end to Ya Feng, which ceased operations at the end of 2022. The lawsuit accused the company; its owner and president, Linmin Yang; and the warehouse manager, Kong Ping Ni, of violating the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act. To resolve the lawsuit, the company and the two men signed an agreement, known as a consent decree, barring them from any work or business involving meat and poultry that would be regulated by those laws. It was approved on Friday by Valerie Caproni, a U.S. District Court judge. Image Doctors Hospital Dear Diary: It was 1980. I had just started at Doctors Hospital on the East Side as a young attending plastic surgeon. I was operating on my first case when Miss Bodine entered the room. Is this your first time at Doctors Hospital? she asked. No, Miss Bodine, I said. Actually, I was born here. Oh, my, she said. Were you a preemie? I thought it was a strange question, but I said I had been born prematurely and kept in the hospital before going home. I finished the surgery, and she was very helpful. When I returned the next week, Miss Bodine entered the room with a large manila envelope. To the Editor: Re The Number of L.G.B.T.Q. People Is Rising. So?, by Jane Coaston (Opinion, July 24): Ms. Coastons report reveals both a fearsome and an exciting new world for the L.G.B.T. community. A world where we are seen and, mostly, accepted. This world could not be more different than most older gay Americans experience growing up. I recall the very day and hour, at age 6, that I knew I was gay, although I wouldnt know what that meant for many years. On my first day of kindergarten, at recess, as I was running around the schoolyard with all the other students in my class, I stopped suddenly and said: Wow! Boys are cool! Seeing another gay person, or hearing any speck of validation for gay people, would seemingly never come to me in my more-conservative-than-Mississippi community in South Jersey. But we are a community now with many, many straight allies, and no matter what the Marjorie Taylor Greenes of the world have to say about it, we are never going back to the closet darkness. There are many rabbit holes on the internet not worth going down. But a comment on an online science forum called PubPeer convinced me something might be at the bottom of this one. This highly cited Science paper is riddled with problematic blot images, it said. That anonymous 2015 observation helped spark a chain of events that led Stanfords president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, to announce his resignation this month. Dr. Tessier-Lavigne made the announcement after a university investigation found that as a neuroscientist and biotechnology executive, he had fostered an environment that led to unusual frequency of manipulation of research data and/or substandard scientific practices across labs at multiple institutions. Stanford opened the investigation in response to reporting I published last autumn in The Stanford Daily, taking a closer look at scientific papers he published from 1999 to 2012. The review focused on five major papers for which he was listed as a principal author, finding evidence of manipulation of research data in four of them and a lack of scientific rigor in the fifth, a famous study that he said would turn our current understanding of Alzheimers on its head. The investigations conclusions did not line up with my reporting on some key points, which may, in part, reflect the fact that several people with knowledge of the case would not participate in the universitys investigation because it declined to guarantee them anonymity. It did confirm issues in every one of the papers I reported on. (My team of editors, advisers and lawyers at The Stanford Daily stand by our work.) In retrospect, much of the data manipulation is obvious. Although the report concluded that Dr. Tessier-Lavigne was unaware at the time of the manipulation that occurred in his labs, in papers on which he served as a principal author, images had been improperly copied and pasted or spliced; results had been duplicated and passed off as separate experiments; and in some instances in which the report found an intention to hide the manipulation panels had been stretched, flipped and doctored in ways that altered the published experimental data. All of this happened before he became Stanfords president. Why, then, didnt it come out sooner? In one of the latest episodes of And Just Like That, the follow-up series to Sex and the City, the man that Seema (Sarita Choudhury) is dating tells her that he might need a little extra help in bed. He suffers from erectile dysfunction. So what is that extra help that Seemas date needs? A vacuum pump. This device is used to help men with erection problems or erectile dysfunction to achieve an erection, explains sexologist Andres Suro from the MYHIXEL male sexual health company. It consists of a plastic or glass cylinder that is placed over the penis and creates a vacuum around it. By pumping air out of the cylinder, the pressure inside is reduced, causing blood to flow into the penis and creating an erection. Once this has been achieved, a constriction ring is placed at the base of the penis to keep the blood in the area and extend the erection. After intercourse, or whenever desired, the ring is removed to allow blood to flow back to the body. This is not the first time that the series has made sex products and toys part of the conversation. In an episode of the original Sex and the City, Charlotte becomes addicted to a vibrator, to the point of never wanting to leave the house; in another, Mirandas housekeeper swaps one of her dildos for a statue of the Virgin Mary; in yet another, Samantha discovers the pleasures of a sex swing. The series has also touched the subject of erectile dysfunction, from men who needed Viagra to premature ejaculation, and in a previous episode of the latest season of And Just Like That, Miranda uses a strap-on to have sex with her partner, Che. Francois Peinado, an urological surgeon specializing in sexual medicine, adds an important piece of information that sounds a bit less friendly than what fiction offers: Vacuum devices produce an erection with venous blood, so they can turn the penis cold or even bluish. The ring should be removed at the latest 30 minutes after its placement, because the blood inside the penis is venous, with low oxygen levels. In addition, Metal or very hard rings should not be used because, sometimes, patients have had to go to the emergency room to have them removed. Beyond the penis Erectile dysfunction is still a taboo; the topic appearing in a highly successful series is always positive. However, it would also be positive to see scenes of sexual intimacy in which penetration, erection or ejaculation are not a mandatory goal. We often forget, or are unaware, that the erotic encounter, in addition to the possible encounter of genitals, is about the encounter between two people who want to be together, explains sexologist Sigrid Cervera from the Erotic Museum of Barcelona (MEB). Regardless of size, erections or penetrations. Erectile dysfunction is a diagnostic term that has been widely disseminated, contributing to make an issue of the erotic and lovemaking experience of many individuals who come to the clinic already self-diagnosed. As a sexologist, I prefer to talk about common difficulties and I would add, to quote [celebrated British sexologist] Havelock Ellis, that in the field of sexuality, there are more cultivable varieties than curable disorders. Among the items on display at the MEB, there is a Jes-Extender penis enlarger. Cervera warns that such a device should be regarded as a mere curiosity, and its use without the supervision of a specialist is highly discouraged. Peinado also considers the guidance and recommendations of a health professional specializing in erectile dysfunction, or a urologist, essential: A doctor can assess a patients condition, identify the underlying cause of the erectile dysfunction and determine if a vacuum pump is a safe and appropriate option for your particular situation. Additionally, the physician will provide appropriate instructions on how to use the device safely and effectively. These devices, when used well, have high efficacy rates, but satisfaction rates vary greatly between patients and there is also a high dropout rate. The most frequent side effects are pain, swelling of the penis and small bruises. They can also cause difficulty to ejaculate. I have something to tell you What is remarkable about the episode of And Just Like That is not only the use of the vacuum pump for the penis, but also the extended presence of objects related to sexual pleasure or health. After having sex without reaching orgasm, Seema pulls out a golden vibrator to finish up, and her lover takes offense. Do you seriously have the balls to say something about my device when I wake up to your freshly washed penis pump drying in my dish rack? she asks. Is it appropriate to inform your sexual partner of its use, if you are only casual lovers? Suro points out that open and honest communication is essential to ensure that both parties are comfortable with and consent to any element that is included in the sexual experience, including the use of devices like a penis pump. If you intend to use it during the encounter, it is recommended that you inform your partner before doing so. Communicating your intentions and the use of any device or sex toy is a show of respect and consideration for the other person, and allows them to make an informed decision about their participation. It is essential to overcome the stigma associated with erectile dysfunction and to promote more openness and understanding around sexual health, concludes Peinado. And the appearance of these problems (and their possible solutions) in the most popular series also helps. The more people talk about it, the easier it will be for men. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition He never lost his faith. But he was always very suspicious of church structures and found it hard to go to church for long periods at a time. When I was younger, I judged him for it. I thought that this was a spiritual defect. Now that I have more perspective and can see his life, I understand it. You write about how his experience has given you compassion for folks who have left the church. And you often say that people dont always leave the church because of what Christians believe but instead because they dont think Christians actually believe what they claim to believe. What do you mean by that? When I first started in ministry, if someone came and said, Im losing my faith. Im walking away from the church, the cause was almost always one of two things. Either the person started to find the supernatural incredible, or the person thought that the morality of the church was too strict in some way, usually having to do with sex. I almost never hear that anymore. Instead, the people that I talk to often have a sense that for the church, the Gospel is a means to an end whether that end is politics or cultural control or cultural influence or something else. And in many cases theyre starting to question not whether the church is too strict but whether the church actually holds to a morality at all. What is alarming to me is that some of the people I find who are despairing are actually those who are the most committed to the teachings of Christianity. So with all this dysfunction that you are speaking about in evangelicalism, why are you still an evangelical Christian? I think the fragmentation thats happening to the evangelical movement right now is actually a necessary precondition for renewal. But a detailed new review of the evidence in the journal Evolutionary Anthropology threw cold water on the idea. Anna Warrener, a biological anthropologist at the University of Colorado Denver, argued that the evidence to date did not offer strong support for the obstetrical dilemma, and that scientists had not paid enough attention to possible alternatives. Whats more, the scientist said, the idea sends a pernicious message to women that pregnancy is inherently dangerous. It perpetuates a narrative of bodily incompetence, Dr. Warrener said. In graduate school, Dr. Warrener did not see any reason to doubt the obstetrical dilemma. For her dissertation, she investigated one of Dr. Washburns key assumptions that women walk less efficiently than men do because their pelvis is wider for childbirth. But in 2015, after studying volunteers walking on treadmills, Dr. Warrener found that having a wider pelvis did not create a bigger demand for oxygen. The data came in, and I was like, Wait a minute I may have gotten some of the story wrong, she recalled. Holly Dunsworth, a biological anthropologist now at the University of Rhode Island, also became disenchanted with the obstetrical dilemma when she took a close look at the evidence. I was scandalized, she said. In 2012, she and her colleagues published a study on the length of pregnancies in humans and other primates. They found that, in general, bigger primates tended to have longer pregnancies than smaller ones. For their size, humans dont have shortened pregnancies. If anything, human pregnancies are longer than one would predict for a primate of their size. A Colorado police officer was found guilty of two misdemeanors on Friday after facing charges for putting a handcuffed woman in a patrol car that was parked on active railroad tracks and then struck by a freight train. The Fort Lupton police officer, Jordan Steinke, is one of two officers facing criminal charges after Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, 21, was pulled over on the night of Sept. 16, 2022, and then struck by the train while trapped in the police car. Ms. Rios-Gonzalez was stopped by the police after a road rage incident involving a handgun, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said last year. A Platteville Police Department officer parked his patrol vehicle on the railroad tracks after he pulled Ms. Rios-Gonzalez over, the bureau said. Like Ms. James-Chakraborty, students and alumni of many colleges and universities not just ultra-elite ones are now wrestling with the practice of legacy admissions, a debate with far broader implications after the Supreme Court last month gutted race-based admissions programs and forced colleges to reconsider their criteria for accepting students. It has sparked some bracing introspection and complicated feelings. About the role familial connections played in the success of many alumni. About whether the practice of legacy admissions, which has long favored white families, should be eliminated just as a more diverse generation of graduates is getting ready to send its own children to college. About how to reconcile the belief that privileges for the privileged are wrong with the parental impulse to do whatever they can for their own children. With the end of race-based affirmative action, the practice of giving admissions preference to relatives of alumni is particularly under fire at the most elite institutions, given the outsized presence of their alumni in the nations highest echelons of power. A new analysis of data from elite colleges published last week underscored how legacy admissions have effectively served as affirmative action for the privileged. Children of alumni, who are more likely to come from rich families, were nearly four times as likely to be admitted as other applicants with the same test scores. Much of the story involves what prosecutors have said was a plot to move boxes of documents in and out of a storage room at Mar-a-Lago to avoid returning them to the government. Prosecutors say there was also a subsequent attempt to disguise those movements by seeking to delete footage from security cameras positioned outside the storage room. According to the indictment, Mr. Nauta was central to the first part of the scheme, moving boxes from the room at least five times at Mr. Trumps direction. All of that took place during a critical moment in the governments investigation: the weeks between the issuance of a subpoena last year demanding the return of all classified documents in Mr. Trumps possession and a visit to Mar-a-Lago shortly after by prosecutors seeking to collect the materials. Mr. Nautas path to Mr. Trump and Mar-a-Lago was also characterized by a degree of turbulence. A member of the Navy, Mr. Nauta had worked as a valet for Mr. Trump in the White House. But toward the end of his military career, Navy officials removed him from what is known as the Presidential Support Detail after learning he had fraternized with colleagues and subordinates in the White House mess, according to people with knowledge of the matter. As naval officials were deciding what to do including the possibility of sending Mr. Nauta back out to sea on a ship an aide to Mr. Trump, who was already out of office, reached out to Mr. Nauta, offering him a job at Mar-a-Lago as the former presidents personal aide, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mr. Nauta leaped at the opportunity, the person said, taking the job in July 2021 after receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy. It remains unclear whether Mr. Trump knew of Mr. Nautas troubles in the Navy at the end of his career. West African leaders on Sunday threatened military action against Niger, where soldiers seized power in a coup on Wednesday, unless the countrys democratically elected president is restored to office within a week. The demand was issued by the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, a 15-member regional bloc, after a crisis summit in Nigeria. It echoed earlier calls by the United States and France, major security allies of Niger, who warned they will cut aid and military ties worth hundreds of millions of dollars unless the deposed leader, Mohamed Bazoum, is reinstated. After coup supporters massed on Sunday outside the French Embassy in the capital, Niamey, burning French flags and calling for the withdrawal of French troops, President Emmanuel Macron issued a stiffly worded warning. Any attack on Frances citizens or interests in Niger will be met with an immediate and uncompromising reaction, Mr. Macron said in a statement. The fact that there are these weapons which are at large massive number of sophisticated weapons is a very huge risk to our national security, Mr. Gogoi said in an interview. Mr. Modis silence, analysts said, reflects how crucial his brand is for the calculations of his governing party, known as the B.J.P., around next years general elections. He is personally more popular with voters than the party he leads, which has let him rescue state and local elections where the B.J.P. was struggling. Party leaders want to avoid linking him in the public mind with Manipur. Amit Shah, Mr. Modis home minister, visited Manipur last month and told Parliament last week that he was willing to have a discussion on behalf of the government. He and other officials also told the local news media that the government had been trying to restore order through security operations, legal action and talks between Meiti and Kuki groups, and that Mr. Modi had been frequently briefed. Since Indias founding as a republic seven decades ago, its northeast has been rife with insurgencies rooted in tribal and ethnic grievances. Many have ended in fragile cease-fires, leaving a delicate balance among tribes competing for land and for resources from New Delhi, and also from the share of illicit trade along the border. Successive national governments have prioritized connections through the northeast that could expand trade with neighboring Bangladesh, Myanmar and Southeast Asia more broadly. An explosion at a political rally on Sunday in northwest Pakistan killed at least 43 people and wounded 200 more, officials said, the latest sign of the deteriorating security situation in the country, where some militant groups have become more active over the past two years since finding a haven in neighboring Afghanistan under the Taliban administration there. The blast occurred at about 4 p.m. in Bajaur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province near Pakistans border with Afghanistan, said Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister. It targeted a political rally organized by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, an Islamist party that is part of the governing coalition in Pakistan. A video from the rally recorded before the explosion shows hundreds of men sitting outside beneath a cloth canopy as party officials addressed the crowd. As one district leader took to the stage, enthusiastic party workers stood up, chanting, Allah is great, according to one rally-goer, Sharifullah Mamond, 19. Then an explosion rocked the crowd. I lost consciousness for a few minutes because of the power of the explosion, Mr. Mamond said in a telephone interview from a hospital in Bajaur where he was being treated for minor injuries. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had fired at least three drones at Moscow, the latest in a wave of attacks in Russia demonstrating that few places are off limits after more than 17 months of war. One drone was destroyed in Odintsovo, outside Moscow, the Defense Ministry said, adding that two others struck commercial buildings in the capital after being intercepted by Russian air defenses. There were no injuries, Moscows mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, said in a post on the Telegram messaging app, but video footage from Russian state media showed blown-out windows and twisted beams in one of Moscows premier skyscrapers. Ukraine does not typically claim responsibility for attacks in Russia, in an effort to maintain a military advantage and an element of surprise. However, senior Ukrainian officials said last week that recent drone attacks on Moscow were orchestrated by Kyiv. In his evening address on Sunday, Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, did not explicitly mention the strikes in Moscow but noted that gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia, including military and symbolic centers. Former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump looks on as he attends the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Day Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023. Its a stunning new allegation in an already serious case: Former President Donald Trump sought to delete Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage to obstruct the Justice Departments investigation into his handling of classified documents. The latest criminal charges unsealed Thursday deepen Trumps legal jeopardy, alleging a more central role for the former president than previously known in a cover-up that prosecutors say was meant to prevent them from recovering top-secret documents he took with him after he left the White House. Coming as Trump braces for possible additional indictments related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the new allegations strengthen special counsel Jack Smiths already powerful case against Trump while undercutting potential defenses floated by the former president, experts say. Before these new charges, you could maybe try some sort of defense that this was all a mistake, it was my staff or confusion about what documents he actually had, said former federal prosecutor Randall Eliason, a George Washington University law professor. But especially now, when youre trying to destroy video footage, he added, thats kind of the final nail in the coffin. I dont see much in the way of a defense, not a real defense. All he can do is claim hes being persecuted and hope for a holdout juror or something. Trump resorted to that familiar playbook on Friday, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform that this is textbook Third World intimidation by rabid, lawless prosecutors. He insisted during an interview with radio host John Fredericks that he did nothing wrong, and accused prosecutors of trying to intimidate his staff into making up lies about him. Later Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to prosecutors. Trump said he was told they were not deleted in any way, shape or form. The new Florida charges came as a surprise, given that Trump and his legal team have been focused on the prospect of an additional indictment in Washington possibly within days related to his efforts to cling to power after he lost to President Joe Biden. Trump received a letter this month informing him that hes a target in that probe, and his lawyers met Thursday with special counsel Jack Smiths office. Hours after that meeting, Smith revealed the new classified documents case charges on top of a 38-count indictment issued last month against Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta. The updated indictment includes a detailed chronology of phone conversations and other interactions between Trump, Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager, Carlos De Oliveira, in the days after the Justice Department last June drafted a subpoena for security camera footage at Mar-a-Lago. Video from the home would ultimately become vital to the governments case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room an act alleged to have been done at Trumps direction and in an effort to hide records not only from investigators but Trumps own lawyers. The day after a draft subpoena was sent to the Trump Organization, the indictment says, Trump called De Oliveira and spoke with him for about 24 minutes. Though the details of that conversation are not included in the indictment, De Oliveira is described by prosecutors as asking a Mar-a-Lago information technology staffer several days later how long the server retained footage for and is quoted as telling the employee that the boss wanted it deleted. Lawyers for Nauta, who has pleaded not guilty, and De Oliveira declined to comment on the allegations. De Oliveira is expected to make his first court appearance in Miami on Monday. To the extent that evidence of Trumps involvement in trying to delete video is circumstantial rather than direct, it might present a challenge for prosecutors, said David Aaron, a former Justice Department national security prosecutor who has worked on cases involving the mishandling of classified documents. But if they can tie the effort to Trump, he added, its devastating in its own right, because it doesnt matter at that point what he thought he had the right to do, or whatever other defense hes going to have about the classified documents. Thats in and of itself very bad. It could also help prosecutors establish that Trump knew what he was doing was wrong because you only delete video of what youve done if you think its going to get you in trouble, Aaron said. And Trumps own accusations against others, like his claims against Hillary Clinton, his opponent in the 2016 presidential race, could boomerang against him. Trump has claimed that Clinton deleted emails from her private server for the purpose of obstructing a criminal investigation into her own handling of classified information something the FBI and Justice Department never alleged but now stands himself accused of scheming to delete evidence he feared would be incriminating. He has specifically criticized other public figures for deleting data when he says they thought they were going to be in trouble, Aaron said. So if you needed to prove his consciousness of guilt, its not just an obvious thing that you would ask the jury to rely on common sense for hes actually made statements about what it means when someone does this. Trump and Nauta are set for trial next May, though its not clear if that date will hold. Smiths team also added a new count of willful retention of national defense information related to a classified document about a Pentagon plan of attack on a foreign country prosecutors say Trump showed off during a July 2021 meeting at his Bedminster, New Jersey resort. That charge comes after Trump repeatedly claimed he didnt have any secret documents when he spoke, only magazine and newspaper clippings, even though an audio recording captured him saying this is secret information. The document was returned to the government in January 2022, months before the subpoena for classified records. Its not clear why prosecutors moved now to indict another one of Trumps underlings, though bringing charges against De Oliveira that could carry significant prison time adds serious pressure on him, potentially increasing the odds that he could decide to cut a plea deal and cooperate. But, you know, Trump seems to inspire a lot of loyalty, at least in some people, Eliason said. Maybe they are holding out for the idea that he is reelected and he can pardon them. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition For 10 days, Ukrainian marines fought street by street and house by house to recapture the southeastern village of Staromaiorske, navigating artillery fire, airstrikes and hundreds of Russian troops. The Russians put up a ferocious defense but that ended on Thursday when they folded and the Ukrainians claimed victory. Some ran away, some were left behind, said an assault commander from Ukraines 35th Marine Brigade, who uses the call sign Dikyi, which means Wild. We were taking captives, he added. The recapture of Staromaiorske, a small village that is nonetheless critical to Ukraines southern strategy, was such a welcome development for Ukraine that President Volodymyr Zelensky announced it himself. The counteroffensive has largely been a brutal lesson for Ukrainian troops, who have struggled to seize back territory across the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. In two months, Ukrainian troops have advanced less than 10 miles at any point along the regions 100-mile front. When the Israeli Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it would review a new law designed to curb its power, it set up a complicated choice for itself. Will it directly confront the elected branches of government by overturning the law? Or will it instead rule in such a way that sidesteps a constitutional crisis? Over the last few decades, attempts to weaken the courts around the world have become recurring signals that a democracy is in trouble. Attacks on judicial independence were early steps toward one-party dominance in Russia, Turkey and Venezuela, for example. But a move to limit the authority of the courts like the new law adopted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus right-wing coalition barring judges from using the longstanding legal principle of reasonableness to overrule government decisions does not make democratic collapse inevitable. Its more like a flashing red light, and how the judiciary responds can begin to decide how much damage is done. What helps determine whether courts come back from the brink? said Rosalind Dixon, a law professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. The mix of skills and strategic behavior of the court, and the degree of support it has from civil society and institutions and elites. Talk Alok Vaid-Menon Is Fighting for Trans Ordinariness So much of the mainstream political discussion about transgender and gender-nonconforming identity is rooted in conflict. Rights denied; rights demanded. The activist, writer and comedian Alok Vaid-Menon acknowledges those fundamental, often violent clashes but comes at them from a place of peace and compassion. Its an approach that, in this inflamed moment, can feel radically hopeful. It has also made Menon, who is 32, uses they/them pronouns and is themselves gender-nonconforming, a crucial voice to their million or so followers on social media, where their posts are widely circulated. Im fighting for trans ordinariness, Vaid-Menon says. I want to be able to walk down the street wearing what I want without it having to be an event. Though surely its not exactly accurate to say theyre always looking to be invisible, given the charismatic effervescence of their personal style. OK, fine, Vaid-Menon says with a laugh. That was my way of fishing for a compliment. In reading about marginalized groups, I find the framing is often about anxiety or the weight of agitating for change. I thought it might be interesting to start from another perspective: Can you tell me about the joy of your experience? Theres so much delight. When I was thinking about coming here this morning, I was like, Im going to take the train because its delightful. In the past, it would be, People are going to stare at me; theyre going to gawk at me; I might get harassed. Now I love random encounters with strangers who feel like potential friends. Thats what fuels me now: not a diagnosis of all the things that are wrong; a diagnosis of all the things that are right. Often theres no space for that, to your point, because when people look at a life like mine, they think that its a life marked fundamentally by violence and aggression. I want to remind people that the everyday lives that people like me are carving on this earth are not abject. Theyre actually pretty awesome. In your book, Beyond the Gender Binary, you write, There is a shocking disconnect between the way the government and the media speak about gender-nonconforming people and the reality of our lives. Tell me more about that disconnect. There are no such thing as trans issues. There are issues that nontrans people have with themselves that theyre taking out on trans people. A great example is when they talk about our agenda. The transgender agenda: Its recruiting people. My agenda is the ability to exist in public without the fear of being physically assaulted. If my existence is such a profound threat to the social fabric, then what needs to be interrogated is how we created a world that doesnt allow people to exist. Whats interesting about so much anti-trans rhetoric is that they say, Youre playing pretend, and were saying, We were playing pretend when we pretended to be men and women and straight. People only understand us through polarities. That doesnt map into the ordinary fleshy experience of being trans, where I dont even think about my gender most of the time. I am thinking about basic things like what am I going to eat for lunch one of humanitys greatest existential questions! Alok Vaid-Menon at the GLAAD Media Awards in New York City in May. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images We do often have to go outside. [Laughs.] Yeah, and I started to realize compassion was that which allowed me to go outside again. My fear would tell me, Someones going to assault me; someones staring at me because they hate me. I had to develop another internal voice that said, Someone is going to compliment me today. I began to witness that there were kind, generous people, and thats where my compassion helped me in a way that none of my fear ever did. Last year, I returned to Australia, and I gave a speech called A Love Letter to the Man Who Bashed Me. It was my public forgiveness of this guy. That was one of the most healing experiences of my life, because I released myself from bitterness. Peoples innate predisposition is toward generosity and kindness. They become diverted away from that because of trauma. You said that peoples innate predisposition is toward generosity and kindness. How do you hold on to that belief in the wake of all the anti-trans legislation happening now? I dont see bad people or evil people. I see people who are byproducts of the circumstances that theyve been through, the emotional information that theyve been given. Whenever Im finding myself having judgment of someone who is anti-trans, I try to remind myself there are people whom they love and people who love them. I remember that they once, too, were a baby and felt wonder in the world, and something sad must have happened to separate them from that. Im trying to get people to extend the love that they already have for their own orbits to the entire world. Were all in this together. Vaid-Menon with Jonathan Van Ness in Austin, Texas, at South by Southwest in 2022. Samantha Burkardt/Getty Images But you dont think peoples resentment is about their struggling to adapt to difference and change more than feeling a comparative lack of freedom? Yes, of course. Things that are new are often jarring at first, but I want to tell you about the internet. I want to tell you about iPhones. I want to tell you the story of the invention of a train. Im going to tell you about planes! [Laughs.] These were inventions that fundamentally restructured how we related to one another, our own self conceptions, and yet there were not millions of people saying: Abolish this! We are committed to our routine. The entire narrative thrust of this country has been one of progress, innovation and redefinition, and yet when it comes to gender and sexuality, these are not ever observed as part of that continuum of self-invention. Trans and gender-nonconforming people are challenging a kind of pageantry that gender and sex are fixed truisms that have no ability to shift. If Im saying there are more genders than man or woman, if Im saying you get to craft your own version of manhood and womanhood then what else was made up? So many trans and gender-nonconforming people feel such a profound sense of clarity, presence and lucidity, and to see people say that were misaligned, that were broken, is so confusing and jarring because, actually, I know what it is to feel broken and misaligned. It was the first 18 years of my life. What theyre describing is my attempt to pretend to be a dude. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity from two conversations. David Marchese is a staff writer for the magazine and writes the Talk column. He recently interviewed Emma Chamberlain about leaving YouTube, Walter Mosley about a dumber America and Cal Newport about a new way to work. US in serious talks with India over China loans to Pakistan 25-Year-Old Sri Lankan Woman Crosses Borders to Marry Indian Man, Plans to Stay in India India oi-Madhuri Adnal In another cross-border story, a 25-year-old Sri Lankan woman has traveled to India to marry a man from Andhra Pradesh whom she met on Facebook six years ago. Arriving in India on a tourist visa, Vigneshwari tied the knot with Laxman, a 28-year-old resident of Andhra Pradesh. However, she has been informed that she must depart the country once her visa expires on August 15, unless she seeks an extension of her stay, as reported by The Times of India. Chittoor district's superintendent of police (SP), Y Rishanth Reddy, delivered a notice to the woman regarding this matter. Vigneshwari is reportedly planning to apply for Indian citizenship and has already applied for a one-year extension of her stay on Saturday, according to TOI. The couple got married at a temple on July 20 after Vigneshwari's arrival in Andhra Pradesh on July 8. The boy's family blessed their union, and the police have advised them to register their marriage officially. Yet Another Cross Border Love Story Like Seema Haider's Case, This Time From Bangladesh This story adds to a series of recent cross-border tales, such as that of Anju and Seema Ghulam Haider, who also ventured across borders to meet or marry men they encountered online. In the case of Haider, a Pakistani mother of four, she clandestinely entered India to live with Sachin Meena, a Hindu man she connected with while playing PUBG in 2019. Taking their relationship to the next level, the couple married at the Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal in March of the current year. Similarly, Seema traveled from Pakistan to Nepal, using the Karachi-Dubai route on a 15-day tourist visa on May 10. From Kathmandu, she reached Pokhara, where she stayed for the night before crossing the Roopandehi-Khunwa (Khunwa) border district Siddharthnagar to enter India on the morning of May 12. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, July 30, 2023, 18:26 [IST] Manipur Violence: SC Sets Up Panel Of 3 Former HC Judges To Look Into Relief, Rehabilitation Andhra Pradesh Farmer Strikes Gold With Tomatoes: Earns Rs 4 Crore in 45 Days India oi-Madhuri Adnal A farmer couple in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district reaped a windfall profit of Rs 4 crore by selling 40,000 boxes of tomatoes in the span of 45 days. Chandramouli, a tomato farmer with a 22-acre land, planted a rare tomato variety in early April and used advanced techniques like mulching and micro-irrigation to expedite the yield. By the end of June, he successfully harvested the tomatoes. Selling his produce at the Kolar market in Karnataka, which is close to his hometown, Chandramouli earned an astounding Rs 3 crore in just 45 days by selling 40,000 boxes of tomatoes. During this period, the price of a 15 kg crate of tomatoes at the market ranged between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500. Delighted with the surge in tomato prices, Chandramouli revealed that his total earnings from the tomato yield amounted to Rs 4 crore. Out of this, he had invested Rs 1 crore in his farming operations, considering commission and transportation charges. This leaves him with a profit of Rs 3 crore. Don't Eat Tomatoes, Grow Them At Home: Uttar Pradesh Minister's Advise Amid Price Hike In the meantime, Madanapalle, known for having one of India's largest tomato markets, experienced an extraordinary increase in tomato prices. On Friday, July 28, the per-kg price of first-grade tomatoes reached an astonishing Rs 200. Traders rushed to the market in large numbers to purchase tomatoes, particularly the first-grade variety, which was reportedly being exported to northern cities. Just two weeks earlier, a crate of 25 kg tomatoes was priced at Rs 3,000, which equates to Rs 120 per kg. However, due to growing demand from other states, the price soared to Rs 200 per kg. Officials predict that the surge in tomato prices will continue until the end of August. Central Team To Visit Telangana Tomorrow For Taking Stock Of Damage Due To Floods, Rains India oi-Madhuri Adnal An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) will visit Telangana on July 31 to assess the damage caused by floods in the state following the recent heavy rains. The team, led by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Advisor Kunal Satyarthi, comprises representatives from various ministries and departments, including Agriculture, Finance, Jal Shakti, Power, Road Transport and Highways, and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC). The dispatch of the Central team to Telangana comes on the instructions of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, as stated by Union Minister and Telangana BJP President G Kishan Reddy. Tragically, at least 18 people have lost their lives in various rain-related incidents due to the heavy downpour that hit the state during the past week. During his visit to rain-affected areas in the state, including Moranchapally village in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, Kishan Reddy urged the Telangana government to utilize the funds available under the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for carrying out flood relief activities. He assured compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families who lost their loved ones in the floods and ordered officials to expedite efforts in locating the missing individuals. Andhra Pradesh Police Rescue Stranded Puppies, Unites With Their Mother Amid Floods Relief work has gained momentum as rainfall subsided in many parts of the state on Saturday. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao supervised the relief operations during the day, coordinating with ministers and Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari. Considering the urgency of the situation, the Central team will visit Telangana from July 31. After assessing the damage during the IMCT's visit and upon receiving the state government's detailed memorandum, the Central team may visit Telangana again for further evaluation. The heavy rains over the past week caused flooding in low-lying areas and significant damage to agricultural fields across several places in the state. The Meteorological Center has forecasted heavy rainfall at isolated locations in various districts of Telangana from 8.30 AM on August 1 to 8.30 AM on August 2. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, July 30, 2023, 22:44 [IST] Govt Failed To Control Manipur Ethnic Strife; PM Modi Shows Brazen Indifference: Oppn Bloc INDIA India oi-Prakash KL Opposition bloc INDIA on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "silence" on Manipur issue and said that the government machinery has completely failed to control the Manipur ethnic conflict. A delegation of 21 MPs of the opposition INDIA bloc called on Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum on their observations after visiting the northeastern state. "From the reports of incessant firing and arson of houses in the last few days, it is established beyond doubt that the state machinery has completely failed to control the situation for the last almost three months," the memorandum read. The Parliamentarians stated that the internet ban for the last three months is is aiding the unsubstantiated rumours, which is adding to the existing mistrust among the communities. "Silence of Hon'ble Prime Minister shows his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur," they claimed in the memorandum. There is anger and a sense of alienation amongst all communities and it has to be addressed without delay, they said. "We earnestly request you to restore peace and harmony taking all effective measures, where justice should be the cornerstone. In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent," the MPs told the governor. "You are also requested to apprise the Union government of the complete breakdown of law and order in Manipur for the last 89 days so as to enable them to intervene in the precarious situation in Manipur to restore peace and normalcy," they added. The document also stressed that the "failure of both the central and state governments" to protect the lives and properties of the people of the two communities is apparent from the figures of more than 140 deaths (over 160 deaths as per official records), over 500 injuries, burning of more than 5,000 houses and internal displacement of over 60,000 people. Talking about their two-day visit to the state, the Parliamentarians said in the memorandum that they visited relief camps at Churachandpur, Moirang and Imphal, and interacted with the victims and inmates taking shelter there. "We are, indeed, very shocked and sad to hear the stories of anxieties, uncertainties, pains and sorrows of the individuals affected by the unprecedented violence unleashed by both sides since the beginning of the clashes," they added. The memorandum highlighted that the condition in the relief camps is pathetic, to say the least, and special care needs to be taken for the kids on a priority basis. "Students from different streams are facing uncertain future, which has to be the priority of the state and the Union governments," it added. Later, sharing a copy of the memorandum on Twitter, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh slammed Modi and claimed that the anger, anxiety, anguish, pain and sorrow of the people of Manipur make "absolutely no difference" to him. "While he is busy listening to his own voice and forcing down his 'Mann ki Baat' on crores of Indians, the 21 MP delegation of Team INDIA is talking about Manipur ki Baat with the Governor of Manipur," Ramesh added. The delegation consisted of various prominent political figures, including Chowdhury and Congress' Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi. Other members of the delegation were Sushmita Dev (TMC), Mahua Maji (JMM), Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK), P P Mohammed Faizal (NCP), Chaudhary Jayant Singh (RLD), Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD), N K Premachandran (RSP), and T Thirumavalavan (VCK). Additionally, JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh and his party colleague Aneel Prasad Hegde, CPI's Sandosh Kumar, CPI(M)'s A A Rahim, SP's Javed Ali Khan, IUML's E T Mohammed Basheer, AAP's Sushil Gupta, VCK's D Ravikumar, and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT), along with Phulo Devi Netam and K Suresh of the Congress, were also part of the delegation. More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. India's Anju Receives Money, Land As Gift After Marrying Pakistani Guy, Embracing Islam India oi-PTI A 34-year-old Indian mother of two children who traveled to a remote village in Pakistan to marry her Facebook friend after converting to Islam has received some money and a piece of land as gifts for embracing the religion. Anju - who now goes by the name of Fatima after converting to Islam - on July 25 married her 29-year-old friend Nasrullah, whose home is in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 40 killed In Bomb Bast During Political Party Meeting In Pakistan They became friends on Facebook in 2019. On Saturday, Mohsin Khan Abbasi, the chief executive officer of a real estate company based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, visited Anju and Nasrullah at their residence. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, July 30, 2023, 22:10 [IST] An image from a video recorded by U.S. Navy pilots, declassified in April 2020 by the Department of Defense. In the photo, an unidentified aerial phenomenon can be seen. The long love affair between the United States and UFOs is experiencing a torrid second honeymoon. In 2020, the decision by the Department of Defense to release a series of videos from 2004 and 2015 depicting encounters by military pilots with unidentified flying objects (UFOs) sent the imagination of public opinion soaring. Now, this curiosity has moved a group of congresspeople in Washington to shake off long-standing taboos in search of answers about what the authorities prefer to call unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) a term used to brush away the tinge of conspiracy that the term UFO carries. Spacecraft of extraterrestrial origin fit into the UAP category, certainly, but also and above all balloons (spy, weather, or other types), threats to national security in the form of supersonic devices from rival powers such as China and Russia, aerospace junk, Elon Musks satellites or, simply, the illusions created by certain optical effects. UFOs landed in Congress this past week, in a hearing that was explosive, despite the fact that all their revelations were already known. Whistleblower David Grusch who worked in the intelligence services for 14 years and testified under oath spoke before Congress and insisted that the government has a damaged alien spacecraft in its possession, along with non-human biological remains. However, he clarified that he hadnt seen any of this with his own eyes: he was allegedly told about the materials while conducting investigations for the Pentagon. He said that, over the course of four years, he interviewed 40 people on the subject. Whistleblower David Grusch, during his appearance in the U.S. Congress. ELIZABETH FRANTZ (REUTERS) 68% of Americans are convinced that their government knows more about UFOs than it lets on, according to a 2019 poll by Gallup poll. Like Grusch, 33% believe that some sightings are related to alien spacecraft visiting the Earth. My testimony is based on information Ive been given by individuals with a long-standing track record of legitimacy and service to this country, many of whom have shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation and classified oral testimony [with] myself and many colleagues, Grusch assured the House Oversight Committee. As this was all classified information, he didnt provide further evidence. Otherwise, I would go to jail, he explained. The Pentagon reacted to this testimony with a resounding denial, stating that its investigators had obtained no verifiable information to corroborate these claims. Skeptical voices were also heard on Wednesday, amid an unusual climate of bipartisan harmony. For instance, Eric Burlison, a Republican from Missouri, said it didnt add up to him that an alien species [thats] technologically advanced enough to travel billions of light-years would then be unable to survive on Earth and end up crashing their ship. It seems crazy to me, he said. Gruschs complaint which incorporates some of the classic elements of UFO-based conspiracy theories was actually published in a handful of marginal media outlets back in June, after newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post decided not to publish his allegations. The two authors of the piece had previously written another article in 2017 in the New York newspaper, a milestone in the new golden age of American fascination with UFOs. In their article, Grusch and his co-author revealed the existence of a Pentagon program that had been studying UAP military sightings since 2007. It has an endowment (buried deep in the U.S. defense budget) and was launched by Nevada Senator Harry Reid, who died in 2022. Nevada is home to the secret military base known as Area 51, a mecca for lovers of alien conspiracy theories. Many believe that this site is where the military keeps the biological remains of aliens. Jimmy Carter and Venus Senator Reid a Democrat who was the senate majority leader from 2007 until 2015 belonged to a long line of U.S. politicians who have been curious about UFOs. The list includes such illustrious names as Hillary Clinton, who, when she was a presidential candidate in 2016, responded to a question about UAPs: There are enough stories out there to not believe that people are just making them up sitting in their kitchens at home. Jimmy Carter is also on the list: the former president saw a UFO in 1969, but didnt dare report it until four years later, to the International UFO Bureau in Oklahoma. That body concluded that what the future president had witnessed was actually Venus doing her thing. Kentucky Republican Glenn Grothman leader of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, which organized Wednesdays congressional hearing recalled Carter in his speech. He also cited another White House tenant, Gerald Ford, but in this case, he was off. Fords history with UFOs is limited to a petition he made in 1966, when he was a congressman, according to documents from his presidential library that can be consulted online. He asked that recently reported UFO sightings in his home state of Michigan be investigated. At that time, the fascination with UFOs was in robust health in the United States. The newly unleashed mass culture enthusiastically embraced the first UFO incident of the modern era, recorded a couple of decades earlier, on June 24, 1947. Then, a pilot named Kenneth Arnold described a string of nine glowing unidentified objects. They flew over Mount Rainier, south of Seattle, at enormous speed. Arnolds description introduced the expression flying saucer into popular parlance and sparked a veritable fever, with hundreds of similar sightings reported in the following weeks. The Air Force studied more than 12,000 sightings before cancelling the Project Blue Book program in 1969. Most were attributed to stars, clouds, commercial jets or spy planes, although 701 remained unexplained. Back then just as today astrophysicists reminded the public not to forget that even if theres no plausible justification for a flying object, it doesnt necessarily make the extraterrestrial hypothesis the most probable. What happened after Arnolds experience contains the big problem (and the golden rule) of UFOs: the more you look for them, the more you find. Especially in times like ours, with the skies populated by drones and other gadgets, when everyone is carrying a camera on their smartphone. In a hearing before the U.S. Senates Armed Services subcommittee, Sean Kirkpatrick director of the wonderfully named All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) confirmed this theory in April. Between 2004 and June 2021, 144 UFO incidents were reported. At the beginning of this year, there were already 350. Four months later, that number had risen to 650. By this point in July, it already exceeds 800, of which it is estimated that only between 2% and 5% merit attention. The February incident of the Chinese balloon crossing the United States before being shot down over the Atlantic had to do with this boom. It left behind in addition to escalated diplomatic tensions between the two countries a trail of sightings of suspicious objects. After that occurrence, Americas defense agencies recalibrated their airspace surveillance systems, so they could detect smaller, slow-moving objects that wouldnt have counted as threats before. The Chinese balloon was cited repeatedly at Wednesdays hearing, at which two retired military pilots, Ryan Graves and David Fravor, also testified. Both men recounted two separate encounters with UFOs (seen in videos that the Pentagon released three years ago) in light of the fact that they had been circulating on the internet for a long time. It was those recordings that pushed lawmakers to demand greater transparency from the Pentagon and hold a congressional hearing in May of last year (the first on the subject in half-a-century). In the Capitol, the legislators dont seem willing to drop the issue, which has lost much of the stigma that it once carried. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader in the Senate, has introduced a bill to create a new commission, which will have the authority to declassify documents on UFOs and extraterrestrial affairs. Meanwhile, Bill Nelson the director of NASA who, in 1986, became the first member of the House to travel into space confirmed to El PAIS that he had commissioned a report from a committee of very distinguished scientists, given the renewed interest in the matter. He promised that the report would be published in August. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition 44 Killed In Bomb Blast During Political Party Meeting In Pakistan International oi-PTI As many as 44 people were killed and dozens more wounded in a bomb blast at a political party meeting organized in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday. The meeting, organised by Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), was underway in Bajaur district. Maulana Ziaullah Jan, a prominent leader of the JUI-F in Khar, also passed away in the blast, Bajaur District Emergency Officer Saad Khan told the Dawn. He also confirmed the number of casualties, and informed that the injured persons are being shifted to nearby hospitals in Peshawar and Timergera, the official said. Extremely graphic Breaking Moment of explosion: Bajaur Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Workers Convention Blasts video released pic.twitter.com/bKeTSrrlvj Aqssss (@AqssssFajr) July 30, 2023 Television footage of the site showed ambulances moving the injured to the hospitals. The area was later cordoned off by the police. Speaking on Geo News after the incident, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said he had missed the convention because of some personal commitments, though he was invited. He said he has so far received the news of the demise of about 10-12 of his party workers, while several more are injured. Did You Know, Nehru Offered Indian Citizenship To Oppenheimer, Father Of Atomic Bomb? "I strongly condemn the blast and want to give a message to the people behind it that this is not jihad but terrorism," the JUI-F leader said, as he called the incident "an attack on humanity and Bajaur". Recalling that this is not the first time that his party JUI-F has been attacked like this, he demanded a probe into the incident. "This has happened before, our workers have been targeted. We raised our voice over this in Parliament but no action was taken," he told Geo News. Along with Hamdullah, several other leaders from across Pakistan have condemned the attack and offered their condolences for the bereaved families of the deceased. Drunk Passenger Assaults Minor, Mother on 9-Hour Flight, Airline Faces USD 2 Million Lawsuit International oi-Madhuri Adnal A male passenger on a nine-hour Delta Air Lines flight sexually assaulted a mother and her teenage daughter, according to a recent report from Fox Business. During the journey from JFK Airport in New York City to Athens, Greece on July 26, 2022, a male passenger allegedly assaulted a mother and her adolescent daughter. As a consequence, the airline is now facing a lawsuit demanding USD 2 million in damages for willful negligence and seeking compensation for the victims involved. Court records indicate that throughout the flight, the male passenger displayed clear signs of intoxication and aggressive behavior. Shockingly, the flight attendants reportedly ignored the pleas for help from the victims and continued serving the man alcoholic beverages. The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of New York, details how what was supposed to be a nearly nine-hour journey turned into a distressing ordeal. The intoxicated man allegedly harassed and acted aggressively towards the mother and her daughter throughout the flight. Compounding the issue, the crew purportedly allowed the intoxicated man to leave the aircraft upon arrival at the destination without reporting the alleged sexual assault to local or federal law enforcement, as reported by Fox Business. Pakistan Airlines Flight PK248 Enters Indian Airspace, Flies Over 3 States For An Hour The court papers reveal that the man was seated close to the mother and her daughter and began trying to engage the 16-year-old girl in conversation after consuming a few beers. The girl attempted to ignore him, which only seemed to provoke his anger, leading to him shouting and behaving aggressively towards her. In addition to making inappropriate gestures, the man demanded personal information such as her address, causing the girl to feel terrified. The situation escalated when he placed his hands on her back without consent. The girl's mother intervened, informing the man that her daughter was a minor, but he callously dismissed her concerns. As the scene drew attention from other passengers, the woman approached the flight attendants seeking help. Regrettably, they allegedly advised her to be patient and did not take immediate action. To make matters worse, the intoxicated man resumed his disturbing behavior towards the child, even revealing personal information such as his location of residence in Connecticut. He continued to behave disruptively, kicking the seats in front of them. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, July 30, 2023, 23:27 [IST] 5-Year Old Kerala Girl Rape And Murder Case: What We Know About The Incident, So Far? Kochi oi-Prakash KL The cops have arrested an immigrant in connection with a rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl in Kerala. The migrant worker had allegedly abducted her, raped and strangulated her to death. Her body was found dumped in a sack in a marshy area behind a local market in the nearby Aluva today. The girl went missing on Friday and the man was arrested later in the day. "We received the complaint at 7.10 pm and an FIR was registered before 8 PM on Friday. Our team checked the CCTV visuals and found that the child was with the labourer. We apprehended him at 9.30 PM itself. However, he was in an inebriated state and the child was not with him," Ernakulam Rural SP, Vivek Kumar told the media. The accused has been identified as Asfaq Aslam. The minor was the daughter of a migrant couple from Bihar and she went missing from her house at the Garage junction on Friday evening. The girl's body was found dumped in a sack in a marshy area behind a local market. She was brutally assaulted, and sexually abused and the accused used garbage and sacks to cover the body, police said. Based on the CCTV visuals, police arrested the labourer hailing from Bihar, who was staying in a room on the first floor of the building where the child's family was residing. Locals had seen the man with the minor girl which helped the cops to identify the killer. The opposition Congress came down heavily on the state police and alleged lapses on their part in tracing the child. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan said the child was inside Aluva town itself and was not found on time. He said the police failed to act even after it was clear that the accused had abducted the child. "The situation is such that even children are not safe these days. The police claim that over usage of drugs and alcohol led to this crime," Satheesan said. KPCC chief K Sudhakaran urged the government to provide appropriate compensation to the family of the child. After the heart-breaking incident of rape and strangulation to death of a girl near Kochi, hundreds turned up on Sunday at the school where her body was kept to pay their respects and demanded stringent punishment, especially death, for the accused. People, cutting across all ages and from all walks of life, turned up to pay tribute to the child at the school where she was a student till Thursday. Both Russia and Ukraine have said that peace talks cannot take place without certain preconditions. Meanwhile, Ukraine said it has attacked a key Crimean bridge. DW has the latest. Recapturing the village of Staromaiorske was such welcome news for the country that President Volodymyr Zelensky announced it himself. But formidable Russian defenses have stymied progress elsewhere. Eurasia Review 30 Jul 2023 By Shivam Shekhawat and Anjali Birla The fall of Kabul in August 2021 prompted discussions about the end of Western.. On person was injured, two Russian government buildings were damaged, and a Moscow airport was forced to close Sunday after a pre-dawn drone attack. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August, 2018) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction: As The Washington Post recently noted: "In [the] fight to lead America's future, [a] battle rages over its racial past: DeSantis defends his state's depiction of slavery; Biden bashes book bans and honors Emmett Till." Indeed, DeSantis promotes the old slavery-justification-Lost-Cause argument that slaves (I guess he meant "some" slaves) learned usable skills, like carpentry. He did not happen to mention that the vast majority of slaves died, in one way or another, before they possibly could have used any learned skill as freemen. Funny also is that he didn't mention the old pro-slavery saw that they were housed, clothed and fed. With these kinds of arguments, one wonders why DeSantis did not use the classic justification of slavery uttered by the First Vice-President of the Confederate States of America, Alexander Stephens, in his famous "Cornerstone Speech": "Many governments have been founded upon the principle of the subordination and serfdom of certain classes of the same race. Such were, and are in violation of the laws of nature. Our system commits no such violation of nature's law. With us, all of the white race, however high or low, rich or poor, are equal in the eye of the law. Not so with the Negro. Subordination is his place. He, by nature, or by the curse against Cain, is fitted for that condition which he occupies in our system. Our new government is founded on the opposite idea of the equality of the races. Its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests upon the great truth, that the Negro is not equal to the White man; that slavery --- subordination to the superior race --- is his natural condition." Whether or not DeSantis is a personal racist, he knows that if Trump leaves the race for one reason or another (like fleeing the country for one reason or another), just as Trump ran on racism to the top of the ticket in 2016, he, DeSantis, can do the same thing in 2024. (By the way, Florida was the third state to secede from the Union, after South Carolina and Mississippi.) He is thus very clearly positioning himself to succeed to Position No. 1 should Trump vacate it for one reason of another. If you think that DeSantis is not running on racism first and foremost --- I have yet to see very much in the way of "dealing with nation's problems" (real or Republo-imagined) --- just look at the way he is very publicly going after Vice-President Kamala (he pronounces the name Ka-MAH-la) Harris, describing her as nothing more than "impeachment insurance." Which brings me to the primary subject of this column, that is that DeSantis (and perhaps one or two other candidates for the GOP nomination when they come to realize how well the theme that I am about to elaborate on is working for him) appears to be getting ready to launch, in FULL-THROAT. That is the Resuurection of the Thesis of "The Lost Cause." And so, the balance of this column is based on a column that I published on that theme in 2021: "Racism, Historical Fact, and 'The Lost Cause' " ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confederate Reunion Parade Richmond. (Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Edyth Carter Beveridge) Details Source DMCA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The tradition of the use of racism as a political weapon by the Republican Party can be traced back to its founding in the 1850s on the wreckage (over the issue of slavery) of the Whig Party (see: "Xenophobia and Racism: They're in the Republican Party's DNA"). As is well-known, the use of political racism has been brought to its highest peak by Trump and his key role in transforming the modern Republican Party into the Republo-fascist Party (see the references for a series of columns by me on this subject at: Click Here). As an example of the use of racism politically, in the most recent elections, in many parts of the country, racism paid a major part of the Republican "platform." DeSantis' favorite, "Critical Race Theory," CRT, (which I am sure virtually no Republican, both lay and political operative/candidate, understands), played a major role. It was used as a battering, racist, ram by the Repubs. (As it happens, CRT is simply a method, developed by a group of academics back in the 1970s, for studying the role of race and racism in U.S. history. CRT is not about substance, per se, but about method.) But given the history of the U.S., in which, for example, race and racism were built into the Constitution, the method quickly does get to substance in the hands of many of its users. (See, e.g., The 1619 Project.) Of course, it doesn't have to, but in current U.S. Republican politics, "CRT" has become shorthand for "they're indoctrinating our children with all sorts of stuff that is entirely unfair, inappropriate, unsuitable, and just dead wrong --- we are NOT racists; we just don't want our children exposed to any history or evidence that might indicate that we are." Now as it happens, accompanying these political strategies and tactics is a (so far) subtle revival of the post-Civil War "Myth of the Lost Cause." As a book by that name says: " The Myth of the Lost Cause was a constructed historical narrative on the causes of the Civil War. It argued that despite the Confederacy losing the Civil War, their cause was a heroic and just one, based on defending one's homeland, state's rights, and the constitutional right to secession. "The Myth of the Lost Cause may have been the most successful propaganda campaign in American history. For almost 150 years it has shaped our view of the causation and fighting of the Civil War. As discussed in detail in prior chapters, the Myth of the Lost Cause was just that, a false concoction intended to justify the Civil War and the South's expending so much energy and blood in defense of slavery." It was developed in the 1890's, declined at about the time of the passage of the Civil Rights Acts in the 1960, but it has never really gone away. Its persistence in the political consciousness in certain parts of the country (just guess which ones) is in line with the hypothesis that in reality the South actually won the civil war. This is a subject on which I have been writing (in short form) since 2009 (more recently in 2018). Heather Cox Richardson, Prof. of History at Boston College, published a very important book on the subject in 2020. My own hypothesis on how the South won can be boiled down to this: 1. Chattel slavery is of course long-gone, but for a century it was replaced by "Jim Crow," and Blacks are still majorly discriminated against socio-economically. terms in the South, it existed on a certain level well into the last century. 2. Since the end of the War, The Dogma of White Supremacy continued to dominate the national political stage. 3. North American Continental Imperialism ended with the accession to statehood by Arizona in 1912. However, expansion beyond the boundaries of North America began with the annexation of Hawaii (1898) and has literally or figuratively continued since. 4. The "states' rights" basis of allotting seats in the United States Senate (which was of course put into the Constitution purely for the benefit of the slave-holding states) as well as votes in the Electoral College has of course continued, and current Republican policy is making it even worse. 5. A major element of Southern politics was the use of the Big Lie Technique. First that Africans and African-Americans were inferior beings, not "human." Second, that the Civil War, initiated by the Forces of Secession in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina on April 12, 1861, was about "Southern Freedom." That of course included the freedom to maintain slavery, and to expand it into the Western Territories, without too much in the way of limitations. 6. At the same time that the CSA was fighting so bitterly and for so long primarily to defend the institution of slavery, it was able to get several hundred thousand poor white farmers and laborers to give their lives in the cause. How? By using the Doctrine of White Supremacy to convince them that they were indeed fighting for "freedom." 7. Central to the "Lost Cause" false narrative, the war was not a rebellion, but rather a "War Between the States," or, as a recent President of the NRA referred to it "The War of Northern Aggression," or "Abraham Lincoln's War," or "The War for Southern Independence." And now we are seeing the revival of the "Lost Cause" doctrine, in modern dress, that is, once again, that the War was really about "states' rights," "the slaves didn't have it so bad," and "Southern freedom." Translated for current times, it is that the states can do whatever the h__l they please. See, e.g., Alabama's defiance of the Supreme Court on voting rights, conveniently ignored by the Republican Right as noted above. (That the "rights" and the "freedoms" of the CSA included the maintenance and the expansion of slavery, is conveniently forgotten.) It also included the elements in item 7 just above, terms which are still being used by a variety of defenders of the "Southern Way of Life," such as a fairly recent President of the National Rifle Association. And it is just like so many of the arguments that many (although not all) Republicans these days use to support their positions and policies (see "The Big Lie") that are not based on fact. This is where DeSantis seems to be going. He is having a hard time attacking Trump directly. Actually, no-one is but Chris "Doesn't-have-a-Chance" Christie (and who knows what he is running for). So, oh my. Given that the base of the Republican Base rests on racism, for DeSantis it's clearly: "Let's revive the Myth of the Lost Cause, and at the same time go after the most prominent Black Woman in the U.S. That should do it." (Article changed on Jul 29, 2023 at 10:53 PM EDT) Legacy Health leadership will be increasing security across all of its locations following the death of Bobby Smallwood, the security officer shot and killed at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center last week. The healthcare company president and CEO, Kathryn Correia, said hospitals will adopt more robust screenings and safety improvements for doors and windows. Select security officers will also carry Tasers. The emotional toll of this shooting continues to ripple across our 14,000 Legacy employees and into the communities we serve, Correia said in a statement Saturday. Legacy is installing metal detectors and will search bags at every hospital, she said. Some hospitals will see metal detectors as soon as Monday. Bullet-slow film will be added to the glass at the hospitals main entrances, emergency departments and internal doors. Lead security officers are now armed with Tasers, and that policy will expand to all security officers with the proper certification, Correia said. Just before 11 a.m. July 22, officers responded to reports of a shooting on the fifth floor of Good Samaritan. Police swarmed the blocks surrounding the hospital, but quickly determined the shooter had left the hospital. Smallwood, 44, had been shot, and was taken to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, where he later died. A second hospital employee was injured by shrapnel. The suspect, identified by police as PoniaX Kane Calles, was found hours later in Gresham, where police shot and killed him after a standoff. Calles had threatened hospital staff three days prior to the shooting, according to sources familiar with the investigation. He was at the hospital for a partner who was giving birth to their child. Correia said the health care company will consider safety improvements at medical office buildings and clinics over the next several months. Legacy employees gathered outside of Good Samaritan Saturday night to advocate for better safety protocols. Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744 Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump points towards the attendees as he speaks during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 29, 2023. At a moment of growing legal peril, Donald Trump ramped up his calls for his GOP rivals to drop out of the 2024 presidential race as he threatened to primary Republican members of Congress who fail to focus on investigating Democratic President Joe Biden and urged them to halt Ukrainian military aid until the White House cooperates with their investigations into Biden and his family. Every dollar spent attacking me by Republicans is a dollar given straight to the Biden campaign, Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. The former president and GOP frontrunner said it was time for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others he dismissed as clowns to clear the field, accusing them of wasting hundreds of millions of dollars that Republicans should be using to build a massive vote-gathering operation to take on Biden in November. The comments came two days after federal prosecutors unveiled new criminal charges against Trump as part of the case that accuses him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club and refusing to turn them over to investigators. The superseding indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that Trump and two staffers sought to delete surveillance at the club in an effort to obstruct the Justice Departments investigation. Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 29, 2023. LINDSAY DEDARIO (REUTERS) The case is just one of Trumps mounting legal challenges. His team is currently bracing for additional possible indictments, which could happen as soon as this coming week, related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election brought by prosecutors in both Washington and Georgia. Trump already faces criminal charges in New York over hush money payments made to women who accused him of sexual encounters during his 2016 presidential campaign. Nevertheless, Trump remains the dominant early frontrunner for the Republican nomination and has only seen his lead grow as the charges have mounted and as his rivals have struggled to respond. Their challenge was on display at a GOP gathering in Iowa Friday night, where they largely declined to go after Trump directly. The only one who did accusing Trump of running to stay out of prison was booed as he left the stage. In the meantime, Trump has embraced his legal woes, turning them into the core message of his bid to return to the White House as he accuses Biden of using the Justice Department to maim his chief political rival. The White House has said repeatedly that the president has had no involvement in the cases. At rallies including Saturdays Trump has tried to frame the charges, which come with serious threats of jail time, as an attack not just on him, but those who support him. Theyre not indicting me, theyre indicting you. I just happen to be standing in the way, he told the arena crowd in Erie, adding that, Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it actually a great badge of honor.... Because Im being indicted for you. But the investigations are also sucking up enormous resources that are being diverted from the nuts and bolts of the campaign. The Washington Post first reported Saturday that Trumps political action committee, Save America, will report Monday that it spent more than $40 million on legal fees during the first half of 2023 defending Trump and all of the current and former aides whose lawyers it is paying. The total is more than the campaign raised during the second quarter of the year. In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Bidens cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, the leadership PAC contributed to their legal fees to ensure they have representation against unlawful harassment, said Trumps spokesman Steven Cheung. At the rally held in a former Democratic stronghold that Trump flipped in 2016, but Biden won narrowly in 2020 Trump also threatened Republicans in Congress who refuse to go along with efforts to impeach Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said this past week that Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry into the president over unproven claims of financial misconduct. Trump, who was impeached twice while in office, said Saturday that, The biggest complaint that I get is that the Republicans find out this information and then they do nothing about it. Any Republican that doesnt act on Democrat fraud should be immediately primaries and get out out! he told the crowd to loud applause. They have to play tough and ... if theyre not willing to do it, we got a lot of good, tough Republicans around ... and theyre going to get my endorsement every singe time. Trump, during the 2022 midterm elections, made it his mission to punish those who had voted in favor of his second impeachment and succeeded in unseating most who had by backing primary challengers. At the rally, Trump also called on Republican members of Congress to halt the authorization of additional military support to Ukraine, which has been mired in a war fighting Russias invasion, until the Biden administration cooperates with Republican investigations into Biden and his familys business dealings words that echoed the call that lead to his first impeachment. Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts as he holds a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 29, 2023. LINDSAY DEDARIO (REUTERS) Hes dragging into a global conflict on behalf of the very same country, Ukraine, that apparently paid his family all of these millions of dollars, Trump alleged. In light of this information, Congress, he said, should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles ... the weapons stockpiles to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime familys corrupt business dealings. House Republicans have been investigating the Biden familys finances, particularly payments Hunter, the presidents son, received from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that became tangled in the first impeachment of Trump. An unnamed confidential FBI informant claimed that Burisma company officials in 2015 and 2016 sought to pay the Bidens $5 million each in return for their help ousting a Ukrainian prosecutor who was purportedly investigating the company. But a Justice Department review in 2020, while Trump was president, was closed eight months later with insufficient evidence of wrongdoing. Trumps first impeachment by the House resulted in charges that he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on the Bidens while threatening to withhold military aid. Trump was later acquitted by the Senate. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Oregon added a second receiver commitment to its 2025 recruiting class. Adrian Wilson, a four-star receiver out of Weiss High School in Pflugerville, Texas, flipped his commitment from TCU to the Ducks on Saturday. The 6-foot-2, 173-pound Wilson was among the players to attend UOs Saturday Night Live camp. He committed to TCU last month and visited Fort Worth last week. Wilson also holds offers from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arizona, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Houston, Baylor, Utah and Ole Miss, among others. He joins receiver Dallas Wilson and offensive lineman Chavez Thompson in UOs 2025 recruiting class. On a June afternoon, Zora Hess parked on the edge of a grassy strip adjoining the Columbia Slough. On one side, cars whizzed by on Interstate 205; on the other, birds chirped in tree branches above several RVs and cars parked by the sloughs bank. Hess, a homeless advocate and a coordinator with the organization CleanCampPDX, was there to check on a dumpster she had installed at the site a few weeks before. It was clearly being put to good use. Unlike many other areas in the city where people live outside, this stretch of grass and the road bordering it was spotless. The dumpster is part of an effort by homeless activists and other supporters to provide regular garbage collection for homeless camps throughout the city one that isnt tied to camp removals. READ: Hidden toll of homeless crisis: Portlands prized natural areas LISTEN: Who should clean up glut of debris from homeless camps in the Willamette River? Beat Check Podcast Its a fundamental service that the city of Portland has struggled to provide, though its essential to preserving peoples humanity and to keeping areas clean, Hess said. The slough which meanders through north and northeast Portland along gritty industrial properties and lush green channels teeming with birds is Hess sanctuary. Shes been paddling it for over a decade and has put in countless hours volunteering to clean it up. And she sees a deep connection between caring for nature and supporting people who experience homelessness. Robin (left) and Zora Hess walk along a street in Northeast Portland on Monday, July 10, 2023. Hess, a homeless advocate, says the city should provide dumpsters and portable restrooms because they're essential to keeping areas clean and to preserving the humanity of people like Robin who are living outdoors. Dave Killen / The Oregonian Homeless people arent inherently dirty or messy, Hess said. They have belongings and generate trash just like their housed neighbors do. Most are capable of cleaning up after themselves and many do. But their options for storage are limited and most dont have access to basic amenities, including bathrooms and regular garbage pickup. Carrying trash and human waste out of natural areas can be arduous, though many try to contain their waste in buckets and bottles, according to homeless advocates. And while encampments may look unattractive, their environmental impact tends to be much smaller than the cumulative effect of people and businesses dumping on the side of the road including at encampments, which is a common practice, Hess said or the industrial pollution regulated but allowed under law. CleanCampPDX launched two years ago to help those living outdoors voluntarily keep their areas clean. The organization currently serves 11 encampments with more sites in the works. It gets grant funding from Metro, the regional government, but Hess said its been hard to work with Portland officials and get permits for the dumpsters. We could be proactive about this crisis, Hess said, but the political will isnt there. Officials in the mayors office said dumpsters dont work. The city installed a handful at the start of the pandemic, but quickly changed course after housed residents and business owners started using them to dispose of mattresses, tires and other trash, said Skyler Brocker-Knapp, the mayors senior policy adviser. City officials also feared that placing dumpsters near camps could attract more homeless people, she said. Every time we tried it, other community members dumped stuff there. The dumpsters really got misused, Brocker-Knapp said. Theres really no good way to make sure theyre just used by the homeless community. But Hess said depriving people of needed services like dumpsters doesnt reduce homelessness, it simply makes people and their living conditions more miserable and is more likely to lead to environmental impacts. She said work done by CleanCampPDX may offer a solution to build on. As Hess checked on the dumpster, she was greeted by Robin, who has lived at the encampment near the slough for more than four years with her two Rottweilers, Baby and Convict. Robin asked The Oregonian/OregonLive to not use her last name for fear of being removed from the site. Robin cleaned up her encampment near the Columbia Slough on Monday, July 10, 2023, in anticipation of garbage pickup that week. The dumpster she uses was placed at the site by CleanCampPDX. Dave Killen / The Oregonian Having a secure place to put trash and regular pickup have made keeping the area clean much easier, Robin said. Before the dumpster arrived, she added, she burned her trash every night to keep things sanitary. If it wasnt flammable, like aerosol cans, I burned it at night to lower the garbage intake and to keep the rats out. Because if I brought trash in bags to the curb, it would back up, the rats would tear into it and it would scatter all over the place, she said. Robin motivates others to keep the area clean, making her the perfect partner for CleanCampPDX, Hess said. She makes sure other campers and visitors put their trash in the dumpster instead of the side of the road, admonishes people not to cut down trees and blocks more cars from driving onto the grass by the riverbank. Everybody calls me the mom of the block, Robin said. TOILETS NOT SWEEPS Hess and others said they also have repeatedly asked the city to place portable toilets at homeless encampments, to no avail. An initial project by the city in the early days of the pandemic met with fervent community opposition. The city had installed more than 120 red portable toilets in 2020, calling them a human right. But they generated vitriolic complaints and many were vandalized or stolen, some apparently by people who live in homes and didnt want the units in their neighborhood. Homeless advocates also said the portable toilets were rarely cleaned, leading to community conflicts. The city's Impact Reduction Program placed 120 portable toilets throughout Portland at the onset of the pandemic -- but only 10 remained as of July 2023. The city quickly reversed course, removing damaged toilets. Officials with the citys Community Safety Division also said the program downsized after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and businesses reopened, leading to more public amenities available. As of today, just 10 of those portable toilets are left throughout the city. Community Safety officials said those numbers fluctuate between 10 and 20 as the locations change as homeless camps are swept. Instead of dumpsters and portable toilets, the mayors staff highlight contract teams that collect trash at campsites across the city. Most notable among them is Clean Start, an initiative of the Portland nonprofit Central City Concern, which gives people experiencing homelessness jobs cleaning up trash. The program is about to expand as Gov. Tina Kotek and Multnomah County last month committed a combined $2.5 million to help it grow. But much of that money is to fund cleanups in neighborhoods, not natural areas, Brocker-Knapp said. Hess said some people who experience homelessness dont trust Clean Start because the program mixes outreach with enforcement. Its crews are dispatched to campsites when people file complaints. In addition to removing trash, their role is to take photos and fill out an assessment for each camp, which can lead to removals. Maeve Connor, a spokeswoman with Central City Concern, said Clean Start workers create trusting relationships with campers and the program has no direct say in which camps to remove, nor does it conduct sweeps. Connor said the workers want to collect accurate information because initial complaints often contain errors -- for example, saying there are weapons at a campsite when there are not. CAMP STEWARDS Barbra Barbie Weber camped in natural areas before moving to Hazelnut Grove, a tiny home village in North Portland, and said many unsheltered people are attracted to natural areas for their serenity and the privacy they offer unlike a crowded shelter or busy sidewalk. Theres this misnomer that homeless people dont care about the environment. Actually, we live in it. We care more than most people give us credit for, Weber said. Barbra 'Barbie' Weber co-founded the Ground Score Association, an initiative of the nonprofit Trash for Peace. The organizations work to help homeless campers clean up garbage.Dave Killen / The Oregonian But, she added, the reality of having to survive in a natural area poses real logistical challenges: It sucks being outside, but when youre also having to deal with factors like garbage and waste, it becomes even more overwhelming. She co-founded the Ground Score Association, an initiative of the nonprofit Trash for Peace, to bring together informal recyclers and dumpster divers. Ground Scores G.L.I.T.T.E.R. program also employs homeless people to provide tent-side garbage pickup under a contract with the city but the cleanup program isnt linked to camp removals. Weber used to manage a bioswale program inside the ramps of the Hawthorne and Morrison bridges. The city of Portland paid those camping in the bioswales green spaces that filter stormwater runoff $20 per hour to keep them clean. But the program was shut down this winter after a fire devastated one of the bioswales. Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, who oversees the Fire Bureau, pointed to that fire under the bridge when he announced his decision to stop handing out tents and tarps to homeless people. Weber also runs a steward program in remote natural areas, paying camp hosts to pick up trash around their area. The program received nearly $110,000 from Metro over the past two years, but funding wont be renewed this fiscal year due to budget constraints and because other cleanup efforts now target public spaces, said Metro spokeswoman Gia Ballash. Weber isnt sure it will be enough, especially as more people take refuge in secluded natural areas to avoid Portlands new daytime camping ban. Every place needs to have regular garbage service, Weber said. Its more humane to give people something to do that will help not just themselves but also the community at large. Gosia Wozniacka; gwozniacka@oregonian.com; @gosiawozniacka Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe/ A man who hit two protesters with his car, killing one of them, during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020 in Seattle has pleaded guilty to multiple felonies. Dawit Kelete, 30, pleaded guilty on Thursday to vehicular homicide in the death of 24-year-old Summer Taylor, The Seattle Times reported. He also pleaded guilty to vehicular assault and reckless driving charges. Attorneys as part of the plea deal have agreed to recommend a sentence of more than six years in prison and 18 months of probation. Kelete is set to be sentenced in September. On July 4, 2020, the Washington State Patrol said Kelete drove the wrong way onto Interstate 5, around a barricade of parked vehicles, and struck Taylor and Diaz Love. Taylor later died and Love was hospitalized with multiple injuries. Kelete was arrested shortly afterward and told police he was withdrawing from the narcotic pain medication Percocet and struggled with an untreated addiction, court documents said. Francisco Duarte, Keletes attorney, said Kelete asked about the victims from the beginning and has shown remorse. Duarte also claimed authorities were negligent and failed to protect the public and protesters. An attorney for Taylors family, Karen Koehler, on Thursday lamented the years its taken for the case to move through the court system, and said the family is focused on remembering Taylor, KING-TV reported. While it was a relief to know they wouldnt have to go to court, theres a lot of very sad, grieving people still, Koehler said. They are... resigned, that this is the best that can be done. Love, who suffered a traumatic brain injury, fractures, lacerations, and other physical wounds, is suing the state, city and Kelete. A trial date has been scheduled for next February. The lawsuit says Kelete was driving negligently and that state and city agencies failed to block all access ramps to I-5 and refused to protect vulnerable protesters. The State Patrol had closed the freeway during the demonstration, which was part of a run of nightly protests over the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Family described Taylor as someone who was dedicated to justice. She had been demonstrating and rallying in support of Black Lives Matter nearly every day of the protests. The Associated Press Last weekend started as if it were a typical Saturday morning. Longtime cops reporter Maxine Bernstein went for a run along the waterfront, and I got to work on my backyard fence. Then, just before noon, police sent out an alert that they had dispatched specialized tactical teams to a report of a shooting at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. The hospital is locked down. Initial information is that the suspect has left the hospital. Officers are searching for the suspect, the alert said. I quickly checked in with The Oregonian/OregonLives editor on duty, Mims Copeland, who said breaking news reporter Austin De Dios was already at the hospital, trying to get more information. We cobbled together a quick article for OregonLive. Bernstein saw the alert when she ended her run and headed to Good Sam in her workout gear. The incident had begun around 11 a.m., when police received reports of a man making physical threats to hospital staff. Police were initially concerned they were facing an active shooter situation so many officers descended on Good Sam. However, after officers arrived on scene it soon became clear that instead of being an active shooter, this was a confined incident in which the suspect was no longer an immediate danger to employees and patients inside the hospital, the bureau said Monday. The initial alert went out at 11:41 a.m. but the reassuring information that it was a confined incident was not relayed to the media or the public for hours. Lt. Nathan Sheppard of the Portland Police Bureau said, We certainly wanted to provide (reassurance) as soon as possible. But we were not only responsible to attempting to locate and try to arrest a suspect, but we were responsible for a homicide investigation. In a fluid situation, Sheppard said, there is also the danger of getting things wrong. We can cite a few times when we have gotten information out quickly and it ended up being wrong or unintentionally misleading information, he said, adding that harms the bureaus credibility with the community. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said on Twitter, Im receiving regular updates from @PortlandPolice. The public was not. And, in his 12:34 p.m. tweet, the mayor urged people in the area to stay alert. But even though police said the assailant had left the hospital, no public alerts were sent to the neighborhood and no description of the shooter given out. If he sees on the news that we know his shirt and pants color, that could prompt him to change, Sheppard said. And, if we say that to the public, we may start getting calls about other community members that are similar in description, which would draw our limited resources away from the primary search. As for public alerts, he said, We mostly send alerts when we believe a suspect is in a contained area and have secured a perimeter and are actively searching for a suspect. Police also weigh whether the alert will cause undue alarm or distress. Legacy Health, the hospitals parent, added to the confusion, tweeting at 1:20 p.m. that an active shooter event had occurred at Good Sam, even though police had ruled that out. Legacy did not answer questions regarding its communications on Saturday but said, Our response prioritized protecting others safety, responding quickly and calmly to a chaotic situation in which the facts were in flux, and communicating directly and transparently while prioritizing affected stakeholders, even as we contended with our own emotions from the shooting. Ive written before about the need for timely and accurate updates to the public about major crimes. Even in chaotic and fast-moving situations, I favor notifying the public about an actual gunman on the loose over withholding information due to the hypothetical risk he might change clothes. With no official word, Bernstein relied on her sourcing, built up over decades of covering breaking news and crime in Portland. She started making calls and learned that one man, a security guard, was dead and another worker injured. Then, she heard police were at the Stadium Fred Meyer. She went to the store and talked to evacuated shoppers. Several unmarked police cars took off at high speed, and she picked up chatter about a standoff in Gresham that might be related to the hospital shooting. Once there, she found a witness who had seen a body near an armored vehicle. At 4:20 p.m., she confirmed police had killed the suspected Good Sam shooter. At 4:45 p.m., Legacy Health released a statement about the death of its employee, Bobby Smallwood, and noted that the suspect is no longer a threat. After Smallwoods name was released, we posted a short article and Bernstein began tracking down relatives. She called a number for Bobbys father, Walter Bob Smallwood, in Florida. I identified who I was and asked if he was related to Bobby Smallwood, she said. He said he was his father. I asked if hes been in touch with Legacy hospital or police. He responded that his son worked at a childrens hospital. I immediately realized the father wasnt aware of what had happened to his son and urged him to call Legacy Health or Portland police, Bernstein said. Informing someone they have lost a loved one in a violent crime is not a position any journalist ever wants to be in. Even if we know who victims are, we typically wait to publish names until they are formally released so that officials have time to notify next of kin. In this case, though, Legacy released the name to the press and on Twitter. There is no guidebook for this sort of territory in journalism. You just have to do what you think is best in a terrible situation. Some reporters might have plunged ahead and interviewed the father, figuring it was their only chance to get information. Bernstein chose to humanely end the interview and urged Smallwood to call his sons employer right away. She also let the Police Bureau know so that a chaplain or detectives could follow up. As we reported, Legacy Healths chief executive officer and Bobby Smallwoods supervisor called his parents later that night and expressed their condolences. Legacy told me it followed its protocol, which is to inform the emergency contact person listed on a persons HR paperwork. Police said Legacy did not coordinate the timing of the names release with them. The hospital system, in response to my questions, said it was operating in extraordinarily difficult and challenging circumstances that day. On Sunday, while she was headed to the beach, Bernstein got a call. Once I got through the mountain pass to the coast, I noticed I had a voicemail, she said. It was Bobbys dad calling back and saying he didnt get much information from police, and asked if I might have more details I could share about what happened to his son. She called him back and told him what she knew. What an awful day, for so many: the Smallwood family, patients and staff at Good Sam and their families, first responders who rushed into a violent, uncertain situation. My hope is that, during any debriefs that may occur, the release of timely information to the public is a major topic of conversation. Informing residents of the city, as well as loved ones of patients and staff under lockdown, should not be last on the to-do list in a crisis. ` KYODO NEWS - Jul 30, 2023 - 17:44 | All, World, Japan Japan has granted long-term visas as a special exception to two Russian women who left their country in opposition to its invasion of Ukraine, sources familiar with the matter said Sunday. The two women in their 20s were permitted to switch their short-term stay statuses to student visas without first returning to their home country as normally required, in a rare approval made in consideration of political views. The two friends from eastern Siberia have an interest in Japanese culture and decided to leave for Japan last September after Russia ordered a partial military mobilization, fearing they might be called up to render logistical support. They arrived in Japan in November after obtaining short-term visas for 90 days, subsequently extending their visas as they looked for opportunities to stay long-term. After coming to Japan, the two women claimed that returning to Russia posed a danger to their safety as they had rallied support for Ukraine on social media and other channels. In Russia, anti-war movements face severe crackdowns and free speech is severely curtailed. The two women, whose residency status change was approved in May, will study Japanese until March 2025 at a vocational school in Chiba Prefecture, according to supporters. Japan's immigration law stipulates that the statuses for short-term stay cannot be changed unless there are "exceptional circumstances." In normal situations, the pair would have had to apply for a new visa at a Japanese diplomatic mission in Russia. An official of the Immigration Services Agency said that while no statistics on similar cases are available, the granting of a status change for the two Russian women could be considered a special exception. "We have never handled a case where (an in-country status change) was approved due to political views," said Nao Wakamatsu, a representative of Daiichi Sogo Group, a firm that offers administrative scrivener services in immigration procedures. The two women told Kyodo News they are grateful to their supporters and Japanese immigration authorities for giving them the opportunity to stay in Japan. New York, US (PANA) - As World Day against Trafficking in Persons is marked on Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for more investment in detection of the crime and protection of people Photo: (Photo : Scott Olson/Getty Images) The untimely death of a Colorado teen, Lily Silva-Lopez, has sparked outrage as her parents accuse the police of failing to arrest the murder suspect, 16-year-old Jovanni Sirio-Cardona. According to reports, the victim had filed a domestic violence complaint just days before the fatal incident, and the police were aware of it. As the community mourns the loss of a vibrant young life, questions arise about law enforcement's handling of the case, raising concerns about missed opportunities to prevent the tragedy. Domestic Violence Complaint Ignored: A Tragic Turn of Events Lily Silva-Lopez, a 15-year-old sophomore at Northridge High School in Greeley, Colorado, had recently ended a tumultuous six-month relationship with Jovanni Sirio-Cardona. According to NBC News, her mother, Alma Lopez, stated that Lily reported an alarming incident on June 2nd, where Sirio-Cardona allegedly threatened her life by sticking a gun in her mouth and menacing her family. Despite the severity of the accusation, Lily did not disclose the incident to her mother until June 10, when she called to inform her that Sirio-Cardona had physically assaulted her while she attempted to break up with him. Upon responding to the domestic violence complaint, a Greeley police officer reportedly took photos and recorded Lily's statement about the alleged assault. However, her parents contend that the officer seemed skeptical and repeatedly questioned why Lily had not reported the previous gun threat. The family claims they provided authorities with crucial information about the suspect, hoping for swift action to protect their daughter. Fatal Encounter: The Tragic Day of June 16th Despite the gravity of the situation, no further action was taken, and tragically, just six days later, Lily's life came to a devastating end. On June 16th, Sirio-Cardona allegedly forced his way into Lily's home through a bedroom window. Her 13-year-old brother, witnessing the terrifying ordeal, managed to escape and call 911, but the call did not connect. According to Fox News, Sirio-Cardona confronted Lily in the hallway, where he reportedly shot her multiple times. Her brother, peering through the bedroom door, saw the suspect holding a gun equipped with a green "scope" while standing over Lily's lifeless body. The suspect then demanded the boy's phone before fleeing the scene. Lily's brother promptly alerted a neighbor to the horrifying event, and law enforcement arrived at the scene to find the young girl with fatal gunshot wounds.' Jovanni Sirio-Cardona, facing charges as an adult, is accused of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, aggravated robbery, and possession of a handgun as a juvenile. Presently, he remains in custody on a $2,000,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 3rd. Read Also: Tennessee Town Faces Water Crisis: Diesel Spill Taints Germantown's Tap Water for a Week Police Response and Community Outrage After the incident, Greeley police arrested Jovanni Sirio-Cardona the same day at his grandmother's house, charging him as an adult with first- and second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, aggravated robbery, and possession of a handgun by a juvenile. The tragedy has sparked outrage within the community, and Lily's grieving parents, Alma Lopez and Hector Silva, have been vocal about their belief that their daughter's life could have been saved if the police had acted more decisively after her domestic violence complaint. According to Snapnews USA, the Greeley Police Department has faced criticism for their handling of the case, with concerns raised about the apparent lack of follow-up or intervention after Lily's report. Police have cited ongoing murder investigations as the reason for not releasing certain details related to the case, further fueling public frustration. As the investigation continues, authorities remain tight-lipped about their procedures. Terasina White, the office administrator for the Weld County District Attorney, emphasized that the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct limit the information lawyers can disclose during ongoing investigations. The tragic death of Lily Silva-Lopez serves as a grim reminder of the importance of addressing domestic violence cases seriously and swiftly. As the community demands answers and accountability, the focus remains on ensuring that no other young lives are lost due to inaction. Related Article: College Drop-Off Made Easy: Prep Tips for a Smooth Move-In Experience Photo: (Photo : Joe Raedle / Getty Images) A federal judge has halted the enforcement of an Arkansas law that would have criminalized librarians and booksellers for providing "harmful" materials to minors. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks, came on Saturday and granted a preliminary injunction against the law that was set to take effect on August 1. This controversial legislation had sparked concern among libraries and booksellers, who feared the chilling effect it could have on their ability to offer diverse reading materials to the public. Federal Judge Puts Hold on Arkansas Law Targeting Librarians and Booksellers According to the Arkansas Times, the Arkansas law, signed earlier in the year by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, aimed to establish a new process for challenging library materials and requesting their relocation to areas not accessible to minors. However, the measure faced fierce opposition from a coalition that included the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock. They argued that the threat of prosecution under the law could deter libraries and booksellers from carrying titles that might be subject to challenges. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arkansas, representing some of the plaintiffs in the case, hailed the court's decision as a triumph for First Amendment rights. Had the preliminary injunction not been granted, the liberty of Arkansans to access diverse reading materials could have been jeopardized. Holly Dickson, the executive director of the ACLU in Arkansas, expressed relief and appreciation for the judiciary's defense of cherished liberties. Cheryl Davis, general counsel for the Authors Guild, an organization that joined the challenge against the law, also welcomed the ruling. She emphasized that enforcing this law could potentially limit the free speech rights of older minors, who are capable of engaging with more complex reading materials. Increasing Attempts to Restrict Access to Books in Conservative States According to ABC, the Arkansas case is part of a broader trend in which lawmakers in conservative states are seeking to introduce measures that make it easier to ban or restrict access to books. According to the American Library Association, last year witnessed the highest number of attempts to ban or restrict books across the United States in the past two decades. Similar laws that restrict access to certain materials or ease the process of challenging them have been enacted in several other states, including Iowa, Indiana, and Texas. This indicates a growing concern among some segments of society about the content available in libraries and bookstores. Read Also: Missing Glendale Teen Alicia Navarro Found Safe After Four Years in Small Montana Town Analysis and Implications According to the Associated Press, the decision by U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks' block the enforcement of the Arkansas law has brought relief to librarians and booksellers across the state. The ruling not only safeguards the rights of these professionals to provide access to diverse reading materials but also upholds the principles of free speech and intellectual freedom enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The case in Arkansas reflects broader debates surrounding censorship, freedom of expression, and the role of libraries and bookstores as repositories of knowledge and ideas. Critics of such laws argue that they can stifle intellectual curiosity and impede the public's ability to explore diverse perspectives and engage with challenging topics. On the other hand, proponents of these laws often cite concerns about age-appropriate content and protecting minors from materials deemed harmful. The ruling's significance goes beyond Arkansas, as it sets a precedent for how similar laws may be challenged in other states. By granting the preliminary injunction, Judge Brooks has underscored the importance of thoroughly considering the potential implications of such legislation on First Amendment rights. While the case proceeds, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has stated that his office will continue to defend the law vigorously. The outcome of this legal battle will likely have broader implications for the future of intellectual freedom and access to information, not just in Arkansas but across the United States. This highlights the delicate balance between protecting minors and upholding the fundamental right to access diverse ideas and knowledge. As the legal proceedings continue, stakeholders and civil liberties advocates will closely watch the outcome, as it will undoubtedly shape the landscape of free expression and intellectual exploration in the digital age. Related Article: New Jersey Mother Demands Answers: Tragic School Bus Incident Claims 6-Year-Old Wheelchair User KYODO NEWS - Jul 30, 2023 - 20:47 | All, Japan, World Nearly 70 percent of atomic bomb survivors across Japan felt the Group of Seven summit held in Hiroshima earlier this year made a meaningful contribution toward realizing a nuclear-free world, a recent Kyodo News survey showed. The 354 respondents of the survey, however, were divided in their views on the Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament statement compiled for the first time by G-7 leaders, with many disappointed that their view that nuclear weapons are "absolute evil" was not reflected in the document. The statement, which was released after the leaders visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum during the summit in May, did not mention the survivors or the U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons, which entered into force in 2021, but supported the possession of nuclear weapons for deterrence. The most common cited reason by the 246 respondents who attributed significance to the summit, at 59.3 percent, was the opportunity the gathering provided world leaders in understanding the reality of the atomic bombings. The G-7 groups Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union. Regarding the Hiroshima Vision statement, 51.7 percent expressed a negative view, with reasons including "no mention of the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons" at 59 percent and "endorsement of nuclear deterrence policies of G-7 countries" at 21.3 percent. Of the 47.5 percent that saw the document positively, 35.7 percent said it "confirmed the commitment to work towards a nuclear-free world as the ultimate goal," while 33.3 percent acknowledged the significance of a document that focused on nuclear disarmament for the first time. The attendance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was favorably received by 69.3 percent of respondents, with 44.1 percent praising the gathering's strong message that nuclear weapons should never be used again. In terms of future requests to the Japanese government, 70.3 percent of respondents sought its early ratification of the U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons and participation as an observer in the next conference of parties. The Kyodo News survey conducted in June and July was sent to around 500 atomic bomb survivors who responded to a previous survey ahead of the summit in February and March, with valid responses received from around 70 percent of them. According to Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare figures as of the end of March, there were 113,649 officially confirmed atomic bomb survivors with their average age at 85.01. Publications Gallery Contact us Register The Citizens Bureau is an office in Parliament that facilitates engagements and information sharing between Parliament and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). It is a platform through which public information from Parliament is shared with CSOs. The Bureau also facilitates dissemination of information on various relevant research works conducted by CSOs and think-tanks to Members and officials of Parliament to enhance their work. The Bureau is equally responsible for the formulation, implementation and reporting on Open Parliament Initiatives under the Open Government Partnership. Why Citizens Bureau? Parliament has enjoyed the support of various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), think tanks and the media in the execution of its legislative, oversight, accountability and deliberative functions over the years. However, this partnership has been ad-hoc in nature. In recognition of the important role CSOs play in the governance space Parliament under Goal Three (3) of its Corporate Strategic Plan (2020-2024) emphasized the need to strengthen the representational role and public involvement in the work of Parliament by institutionalizing Parliament-citizens engagement through partnership with media, CSOs and think tanks. The establishment of the Citizens Bureau is part of efforts by Parliament to mainstream CSOs' participation and harness their contributions to support the work of Parliament. Key activities of the Bureau The main activities of the Bureau are to: Facilitate meetings and other engagements between Parliament (Members of Parliament, Committees of Parliament and Officials of Parliament) on the one hand and Civil Society Organizations on the other hand. Facilitate the sharing of approved public information from Parliament to CSOs and the general public. Share relevant information from CSOs such as research reports with Members, Committees and Officials of Parliament. Facilitate capacity-building of CSOs, think tanks and the media on the work of Parliament. Partner CSOs to enhance public sensitization and awareness on the work of Parliament. How can CSOs and Think-Tanks Participate? The Bureau is open to all Civil Society organizations. However, to participate in the activities of the Bureau, CSOs are required to register here. This will assist the Bureau maintain a database of CSOs/Think-tanks and be able to contact particular CSOs whenever necessary. Some of you, I think, will enjoy this: How to watch the Tabernacle Choirs pilot of Music & the Spoken Word in Spanish: The Spanish pilot of the Tabernacle Choirs Music & the Spoken Word airs Sunday, July 30 There is much food for thought in the survey data reported here. Im not sure whether to be encouraged or discouraged: Where Boomer Faith in God Is Low, Gen Z Belief Is Up: What nearly 20,000 people in 26 countries believe about God, Satan, and the supernatural. Some of the attention of the Interpreter Foundation has been focused in recent months on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (I hope that you will see the results of this attention in a year or two; some will see it much sooner.) So I was pleased to see this, and the more so because it involves Elder Ian S. Ardern, of the Africa Central Area presidency, whom I first met at his home in New Zealand long before his call to service as a General Authority and even more his tenure presiding over the Fiji Suva Mission: New friends, strengthened faith: 1,200 youth attend FSY in Democratic Republic of the Congo: Thank you for being on the covenant path, Elder Ardern tells the youth Ive been working today on notes for my remarks at the beginning of the Wednesday morning opening session of the annual FAIR conference. The expectation that Ill have images during my presentation has fundamentally changed my approach: In olden times, I sometimes chose my topic at FAIR immediately before standing up to the podium. But I cant do that anymore. The tech people need to have all PowerPoint materials in hand several days before the meetings begin. One of the most astonishing things to me about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England is its beginning. I quote from the important 1992 volume by James B. Allen, Ronald K. Esplin, and David J. Whittaker entitled Men with a Mission: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the British Isles, 1837-1841: To all appearances, the spring of 1837 was hardly the time to send any of his leaders abroad, but, Joseph Smith declared, God revealed to me that something new must be done for the salvation of His Church, and this something was the mission to England. The announcement surprised Heber Kimball. On June 4 the Prophet approached him in the Kirtland Temple, saying, The Spirit of the Lord has whispered to me, let my servant Heber go to England and proclaim my gospel and open the door of salvation to that nation.' The news astounded him. He had long thought of preaching in England, but now, with Kirtland in crisis? And alone, without others of his quorum? Heber had expected to be part of such a mission, but he considered himself an unlikely candidate to lead out. With his lack of formal education and limited experience as a leader, the idea of leading a mission to sophisticated England was almost more than I could bear up under. He asked the Prophet if Brigham Young could accompany him, but needing Brother Brigham in Kirtland, Joseph would not consider it. One disaffected colleague chided Heber for being such a fool as to listen to Joseph Smith, the fallen Prophet and leave for England at such a time. Another also thought it foolish but, seeing his determination, gave him a cloak to help him on his way. Brigham Young urged him to go, promising in the name of Israels God you shall be blessed. In preparation, Heber daily retreated to the attic story of the temple and poured out his soul. To say that it was an outwardly unpromising moment to send Elder Heber C. Kimball, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and one of the very most faithful members of the Church, across the Atlantic Ocean is an understatement. The Panic of 1837, which soon enveloped the Kirtland Bank and plunged both town and Church into chaos and despair, began in May. That same month, Warren Parrish led others, including some members of the Quorum of the Twelve, in speaking out against Joseph Smith. And yet Joseph set apostles Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde and Joseph Fielding (a British-born priest at the time) apart as missionaries to England on 11 June. And, just two days later, on 13 June 1837, they departed from Kirtland, Ohio, along with Willard Richards (himself a future apostle and a future member of the First Presidency). Within roughly a year, the Latter-day Saints would largely have abandoned Kirtland. It was a daring move on the part of Joseph Smith and, I would say, a prophetic one. It certainly wasnt prudent by earthly standards. But did it contribute mightily to the salvation of [the] Church? In my opinion, mightily so. It seems to me a perfect illustration of a definition of faith given by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.: Faith is taking the first step, even when you dont see the whole staircase. And, finally, some new horrors from the ever-terrifying Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File: New Organic Gardens in Peru Will Nourish the Bodies and Minds of Children: Over 2,400 students will benefit from the Churchs collaboration with the Qali Warma National School Feeding Program Offering Hope to Young Victims of Abuse in Samoa Church of Jesus Christ continues to provide relief in Turkiye with the launch of new projects: Additional food boxes, hygiene kits, water and childrens clothes distributed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Partners with Other Faiths and Government Leaders in Mbuji-Mayi, DR Congo to Promote Marriage: There is no church without family, and there is no state without family. On Tuesday 25th July, 2023, at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, the Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), West Africa, a leading CSR and Sustainability advocacy organization, in collaboration with the Association of Ghana Industries, brought together, many leading socially responsible companies and organisations who rendered accounts of their impressive and excellent social stewardship, demonstrating a stella commitment to their impact on the broader society and environment within which they operate. Prominent sustainability-inclined businesses and organisations such as PwC, RYTHM Foundation, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), World Vision, Volta River Authority, Vodafone and VIVO Energy delivered speeches and presentations about how they imbibe the tenets of social responsibility and ultimately contributing their quota to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They gave vivid examples of projects they are implementing in health, education, community development, human capital development, volunteerism and other areas. Prof. Martin Gyambrah, Director of the University of Applied Management, Germany (Ghana campus) delivered a practical and scholarly presentation on a new world imperative for business sustainability, post COVID-19. He encouraged businesses to re-think, re-align and commit to sustainable business practices so they can cope with the challenges of a new fast-paced world. He advised that a company that cannot imagine or plan for the future, would not be around to enjoy it. GOIL, Ghanas leading marketer and distributor of oil and petroleum products represented by its Public Relations Manager, Mr. Robert Kyere and Madam Jamilatu Mohammed, RYTHM Foundation represented by the Head of the Foundation, Santhi Periasamy, PwC, represented by one of its Partners, Mr. Richard Ansong, World Vision represented by Mrs. Agnes Obeng and Mr. Joseph Appiah supported the Conference as lead sponsors, creating a platform that enabled businesses give account of their societal stewardship, network, partner and collaborate for business sustainability and the greater good of society. Other notable companies and organisations that participated in the Conference include Toyota Ghana, Promasidor, Republic Bank, CBL West Africa, Imperial General Assurance, SIC Ghana, Ghanaian German Economic Association, Societe Generale, Consolidated Bank, Blay and Associates, Fruveg, Rivella Enterprise, J.A. Abrahams & Sons, Bosomtwi Industries, Amla Foundation, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and many others. According to Mr. Richard Ansong, a Partner at PwC: As the largest provider of professional services in Africa, we are a forward-thinking, forward-looking, sustainability-conscious organization. We specialize in providing industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for our clients globally and in Ghana. We ensure that sustainability is engrained in our service delivery. Companies can no longer operate without strong commitment to values that promote, support and protect people and the planet. We take pride in the fact that our services add value by helping to improve transparency, trust and consistency of business processes in Ghana and across the world. The Head of RYTHM Foundation, the CSR arm of QI Group, Madam Santhi Periasamy said: Over the years, RYTHM has made considerable strides in ensuring Education for All (SDG 4), encouraging Gender Equality (SDG 5), safeguarding Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), providing access to Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG7), promoting Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), helping Reduce Inequalities (SDG 10), and strengthening Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17). She revealed: More than 80,000 beneficiaries have been impacted by RYTHM-funded community projects in approximately 30 countries over the last decade. We have implemented around 75 Projects focused on sustainable community development projects globally. Across the world, we have partnered 135 organisations and more than 17,000 youths and 155,000 women and young females have been assisted through our flagship initiatives and community programmes. The Chief Executive Officer of the AGI, Mr. Seth Twum-Akwaboah said: We are glad that corporate members of our Association are well represented at this Conference. As a leading business association, we encourage and help our members to be socially responsible. We remind them that though making profit is important, they need to put sustainability first. A company can only make profit, if it is in existence and in good relations with internal and external stakeholders. Mr. Nathaniel Quarcoopome, Director of Finance and Administration of the AGI was also present. The Chief Representative of JICA Ghana, Madam Suzuki Momoko revealed that JICA has been working with Ghana since 1963, supporting the Government of Ghanas development agenda. She said: JICA is one of the worlds largest Official Development Assistance executing agencies, taking an integrated approach to development cooperation by combining technical cooperation, finance and investment cooperation and grants. Our extensive interventions in Ghana cut across many sectors including, health, education, private sector development, agriculture, infrastructure and governance. Speaking at the Conference, Mr, John Kojo Williams, Co-Founder of the Centre for CSR, West Africa said: Since 2013, we have been at the forefront of creating awareness on CSR and sustainability issues and matchmaking companies to create sustainable impact. We are happy that this Conference is a huge success and that companies were provided the much-needed platform to render their CSR account, network and partner for more sustainable projects that will keep their businesses alive and make society better. This Conference brought together, companies, business associations, regulatory agencies, international aid organisations, academia and the media. Mr. Williams announced that a magazine to compile CSR activities of companies in Ghana would soon be published. He also announced that entries for Ghana CSR Excellence Awards 2024 are now officially open. Enquiries can be sent to: centreforcsr@outlook.com. More than 30 media houses attended the Conference. 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 In further obedience to Nanas edict that, I educate Ghanaians about the Ghana Armed Forces, the searchlight today will be on Ghana Military Academy(GMA) Intake 15 and their Short Service Commission/Special Duties counterparts. What does that mean? Following Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumahs Ghanaianisation policy after independence in 1957, Ghana started training and commissioning her own officers with Canadian assistance from March 1960. The first batch, Intake 1 was commissioned eighteen months later in September 1961. Hitherto, after an initial period of ab initio training in Ghana, Ghanaian cadets and their West African counterparts from Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Gambia were sent to the United Kingdom to continue their training. On Sunday, 23rd July 2023, the 15th intake of officers to be commissioned into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their commission which took place on 21st July 1973. Background - GSTS Intake 15 started in September/October 1970 as the Regular-Officers-Training-Scheme (ROTS). The brainchild of the CDS at the time Air Marshal MA Otu, the Scheme was intended to be modelled on Gourdonstoun School in Scotland, UK which royals like the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip and his son King Charles III attended. Academics aside, students of Gordonstoun were imbued with discipline and tough military training like mountaineering and seafaring. To this end, thirty-nine boys from schools all over Ghana who had just successfully passed their GCE O Level, were selected and sponsored by the GAF to do a two-year Sixth form course for their Advance Level at the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS), Takoradi from 1970 - 1972. Air-Marshal Otus grand plan was to convert GSTS into a military school which among others, would feed the GAF with disciplined future officers. The sponsorship was to continue to university level. Unfortunately, the 1972 coup marked the end of the scheme. Intake 15 was thus the only intake which benefitted from the Regular Officers Training Scheme. Officially, it was the first batch of A Level cadets that entered GMA, an upgrade of the previous entry requirement of O Level. Appointments Commissioned on 21st July 1973, Intake 15 was the first intake to produce seven Brigadier-Generals in one day in 2003, thirty years after commission. It has produced a CDS, Service Chiefs/Commanders and Commandants. It also produced the first PhD holder in the GAF in 1977, as well a Director, Ghana Law School and a Deputy DG, National-Communication-Authority. Other high profile appointments members of Intake 15 have held include a National Security Adviser, an Ambassador/High Commissioner, a Military Adviser to a former President of Ghana, a UN Presidential Senior-Military-Adviser, as well as Ghanas first Military Adviser (MILAD) at the Permanent Mission of Ghana to the UN, New York. Others have held Senior Staff appointments at the UN and AU. It has also produced Deputy UN Force Commanders, Deputy Commandants for the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College(GAFCSC), Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). Additionally, it has produced DefenceAttaches/Advisers. It has also produced authors/writers. In retirement, Intake 15 continues to make invaluable contributions to national development and play the role of role models for the younger generation of GAF. Ceremony On Sunday 23rd July 2023, officers of Intake 15 and their Short Service Commission counterparts and spouses attended a Thanksgiving Service at their alma mater, the Ghana Military Academy. The sermon 50 years of Dedicated Service to God and Countrywas delivered by His Eminence Col (Rev) JK Otoo(Rtd), a former Chaplain-General/Director-General, Religious Affairs of the GAF. During the Service, Intake 15 presented fifty thousand cedis as seed money, and books authored by the two Intake authors, Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd), former Commandant of the Ghana Military Academy, and Major George Sarpong (Rtd), former Director Ghana Law School, as seed books for the stocking of GMAs new library. In his address, the Guest-of-Honour, the Chief-of-the-Defence-Staff (CDS) Vice-Admiral Seth Amoama narrated how he had had the privilege of learning from individual members of Intake 15 throughout his career starting from his days as a cadet in 1981. He added that the solid foundation given him by his instructors of Intake 15 contributed immensely to his subsequent performances on courses overseas, and what he has ultimately become. He congratulated and thanked the Intake for their outstanding leadership and dedicated service to Ghana and the world. The CDS also approved of the new library for the Academy being named Intake 15 Library. The service was followed by interaction with the cadets and then lunch with Staff and cadets of the Academy. Summary Sunday, 23rd July 2023 was a joyous day as Ghanas 15th Intake of commissioned officers joined staff and cadets of GMA to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of their commission, with the CDS as the Guest-of-Honour. The cadets were reminded by the president of Intake 15, Brig Gen George Adjei (Rtd) to always remember the qualities of loyalty to Ghana, and courage to lead their men. He emphasized the need for them to be physically fit as officers. He also advised them to read voraciously to acquire more knowledge. Underpinning all this, he reminded the cadets of the quality of Integrity, without which one cannot be a good officer/leader! In his Vote of Thanks, the Commandant of GMA Maj-Gen Charles Awity stated that, like the CDS, he owes his success to members of Intake 15 he had asinstructors when he entered GMA in 1984. He thanked Intake 15 immensely for their decision to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary with cadets to share their vast experience, and also for providing seed money and books by Intake authors for GMAs new library in their new buildings. Leadership, LEAD! Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP! Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd) Former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association Nairobi, Kenya Council Chairman Family Health University College Accra [email protected] Source: Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd) 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 Yakubu Alhassan, a 31-year-old storekeeper, has been arrested for allegedly defiling a 15 year old girl (name withheld) at Gushegu in the Northern region. The accused person has since been arraigned before the Yendi Circuit court presided by His Honour Anthony Aduku Aidoo and charged with defilement. The accused person has been remanded into police custody and expected to reappear in court on August 15, 2023. Facts According to the police prosecutor, on July 11, 2022 at about 5:20pm during Eid-Ul-Adha festival, the accused person met the victim and offered her GH 10.00 Sallah cash gift when she was passing by the accused house. The victim initially declined but accepted the cash gift after the accused persuaded her. Thereafter, the accused started making sexual advances towards the victim and called the victim his wife whenever he sees her. On August 11, 2022 at about 7:00pm, the accused person met the victim on her way from her grandmothers house and lured her into his room and forcibly had sexual intercourse with her. The accused person after the act threatened to harm her should she inform anybody about the act. For fear of being harmed by the accused person, she kept the incident to herself but when the victim fell sick she opened up to her mother (name withheld) about the incident. The victims mother on March 12, 2023 when the victims was on admission at the Gushegu government hospital reported the incident to the police and a medical form was issued to the victim for examination. The medical form was returned to the police after examination, fully endorsed by the medical officer of the Gushegu Government Hospital and same retain for evidential purposes. The accused person was subsequently arrested and he admitted having sexual intercourse with the victim only once and stated that he used condom in his investigation caution statement to the police. Source: dailyguidenetwork.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 University of Cape Coast on Saturday, 29th July, 2023 conferred on Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh "Degree of Doctor of Educational Leadership (DEL) Honoris Causa" at the Universitys New Examination Centre Building. The honorary doctorate degree was in recognition of his visionary leadership in transformative education, foresight, role in the implementation of the landmark free senior high school education, and his exceptional interventions towards the establishment of the University of Cape Coast IEPA UNESCO Category II Institute of Excellence in West Africa. Portions of a citation presented to the Minister read; Your contributions in the educational enterprise proceeded to the doorsteps of the University of Cape Coast when as a Minister for Education, you spearheaded and lobbied the UNESCO Executive Board to facilitate a record-time approval of the Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA) as a UNESCO Category II Institute of Excellence in West Africa. Indeed, you were the leader of Ghanas delegation to the 40th UNESCO General Conference in November 2019 when IEPA's application was officially approved. The University Council described Dr. Prempeh, who is also Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, as an exceptional Educational Leader, Advocate of Educational Reforms, Politician, Philanthropist and an Experienced Medical Practitioner. Key Intervention As then sector Minister, you were instrumental in the implementation of the governments flagship Free Senior High School Policy in the first year of the government. Without a doubt, this policy has influenced the exponential increase in High school enrolment from 800,000 in 2016 to 1.2 million as of January 2021. Ultimately, the introduction of the Free Senior High School Policy has greatly impacted the lives of many who had no hope of affording secondary education, as the reforms have lessened the financial burden on parents and students. It was therefore positively rewarding, when in 2020, the first batch of Free SHS students came out with the best WASSCE results in West Africa, the citation further read The citation also touted key reforms across the entire educational sector under his watch including the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Dr. Prempeh was honoured alongside six other distinguished personalities which included former GNPC Boss, KK Sarpong and Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim VI, Paramount Chief of Assin Owirenkyi traditional area. This latest honorary degree is the 3rd in 2 years for the Energy Minister in recognition of his sterling leadership during his tenure as Education Minister. The first was conferred on him in May, 2021 by the University of Education Winneba and the second being the University of Professional Studies in July of the same year. 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 District Chief Executive of Bosome Freho District Assembly in the Ashanti Region, Yaw Danso, has been sacked by President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo. Yaw Danso, who was suspended in October 2022 for allegedly engaging in illegal mining, has now been officially removed from his position. The decision to sack Yaw Danso was communicated by the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Decentralisation, Dan Botwe, to the Ashanti Regional Minister on Friday. President Akufo-Addo has taken this action following investigations into the allegations against Yaw Danso. An audio recording in circulation allegedly implicated Yaw Danso in galamsey, a term commonly used in Ghana to refer to illegal mining activities. Following the suspension, some Assembly members in Bosome Freho called on the presidency to further investigate the allegations. President Akufo-Addo had initially invited Yaw Danso to defend himself against the charges during a special meeting with MMDCEs. However, based on the outcome of the investigations, the decision to sack Yaw Danso was made. In a letter to the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dan Botwe stated, His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has relieved the chief executive of the Bosome Freho District Assembly, Mr Yaw Danso, of his position with immediate effect. The letter also emphasized that the decision was taken due to the serious allegations of illegal mining against Yaw Danso. Following the removal of Yaw Danso, President Akufo-Addo has nominated Kofi Adu Amoateng as the new Chief Executive of the Bosome Freho District Assembly. This nomination complies with the relevant constitutional and legislative provisions. In order to confirm the new nomination, the regional Electoral Commission is to conduct a confirmation process. This decision by President Akufo-Addo demonstrates his commitment to eradicating illegal mining in Ghana and ensuring that those involved in such activities are held accountable. The removal of a chief executive officer for engaging in illegal mining reflects the Ghanaian governments efforts to combat the detrimental effects of illegal mining on the environment and local communities. Source: dailyguidenetwork.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 Robert Califf, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, doesnt seem to be having fun on the job. I would describe this year as hand-to-hand combat. Really, every day, he said at an academic conference at Stanford in April. Its a sentiment the FDA commissioner has expressed often. Whats been getting Califfs goat? Misinformation, which gets part of the blame for Americans stagnating life expectancy. To Califf, the country that invents many of the most advanced drugs and devices is terrible at using those technologies well. And one reason for that is Americans misinformed choices, he has suggested. Many dont use statins, vaccines, or COVID-19 therapies. Many choose to smoke cigarettes and eat the wrong food. Califf and the FDA are fighting misinformation head-on. The misinformation machine is really causing a lot of death, he said, in an apparent ad-lib, this spring in a speech at Tufts University. The pandemic, he told KFF Health News, helped crystallize his need to tackle misinformation. It was a blatant case, in which multiple studies gave evidence about very effective therapeutics against COVID. And a lot of people chose not to do it. There were large-scale purveyors of misinformation, he said, poisoning the well. Occasionally, though, Califf and the FDA have added to the cacophony of misinformation. And sometimes their misinformation is about misinformation. Califf hasnt been able to consistently estimate misinformations public health toll. Last June, he said it was the leading cause of meaningful life-years lost. In the fall, he told a conference: Ive been going around saying that misinformation is the most common cause of death in the United States. He continued, There is no way to prove that, but I do believe that it is. At other times, as in April, he has called the problem the nations leading cause of premature death. Ill keep working on this to try and get it right, he said. Later, in May, he said, Many Americans die or experience serious illness every year due to bad choices driven by false or misleading information. Americans health is indeed in dire straits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted the countrys life expectancy has dropped two years in a row its at 76.1 years as of 2021 a dismal capper to four decades of lagging gains. Countries such as Slovenia, Greece, and Costa Rica outrank the U.S. Their newborn citizens are expected to live more than 80 years, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Several factors are at the root of those differences. But Americans choices, often informed by bad or misleading data, political jeremiads, or profit-seeking advertising, are among the causes. For instance, one 2023 paper estimated that undervaccination against COVID caused in part by misinformation costs as much as $300 million per day, accounting for both the costs of health care and economic costs, like missed work. Outside experts are sympathetic. Misinformation is a huge problem for public health, said Joshua Sharfstein, a Johns Hopkins University public health professor and former FDA principal deputy commissioner. Having a strategy to combat it is crucial. But, he cautioned, thats the easiest part of this. The agency, which regulates products that consumers spend 20 cents of each dollar on per year, is putting more muscle behind the effort. Its begun mentioning the subject of misinformation in its procurement requests, like one discussing the need to monitor social media for misinformation related to cannabis. The agency launched a Rumor Control page seeking to debunk persistent confusion. It also expects to get a report from the Reagan-Udall Foundation, a not-for-profit organization created by Congress to advise the FDA. Califf has said he thinks better regulation and more authority for the agency would help. Califf has noted small victories. Ivermectin, once touted as a COVID wonder drug, eventually became one such win. But, then again, its use is not completely gone, he said. And, despite winning individual battles, his optimism is muted: Id say right now the trend in the war is in a negative direction. Some of those battles have been quite small, even marginal. And its difficult to know what to take on or respond to, Califf said. I think were just in the early days of being able to do that, he told KFF Health News. Its very hard to be scientific, he said. Take the agencys experience last fall with NyQuil chicken a purportedly viral cooking trend in which users roasted their birds in the over-the-counter cold medicine on social media platforms like TikTok. Califf said his agencys skeleton crew at least relative to Big Tech giants had picked up on increasing chatter about the meme. But independent analyses dont corroborate the claim. It seems much of the interest in it came only after the FDA called attention to it. The day before the agencys pronouncement, the TikTok app recorded only five searches on the topic, BuzzFeed News found in an analysis of TikTok data. That tally surged to 7,000 the week after the agencys declaration. Google Trends, which measures changes in the number of searches, shows a similar pattern: Interest peaked on the search engine in the week after the agency announcement. Califf also claimed injuries occurred to participants directly due to the social media trend. Now, he said, the number of injuries is down, though he couldnt say whether the agencys intervention was the cause. Again, his assertions have fuzzy underpinnings. Its not clear what, if any, actual damage the NyQuil chicken fad caused. Poison control centers dont keep that data, said Maggie Maloney, a spokesperson for Americas Poison Centers. And, after multiple requests, agency spokespeople declined to provide the FDAs data reflecting increased social media traffic or injuries stemming from the meme. In countering misinformation, FDA also risks coming off as high-handed. In September 2021, the agency tweeted about purported myths and misinformation on mammograms. Among the myths? That theyre painful. Instead, the agency explained that everyones pain threshold is different and the breast cancer-screening procedure is more often described as temporary discomfort. Statements like these erode trust, said Lisa Fitzpatrick, an infectious diseases physician and currently the CEO of Grapevine Health, a startup trying to improve health literacy in underserved communities. Fitzpatrick has previously served as an official with the District of Columbias Medicaid program and with the CDC. Who are you to judge whats painful? she asked, rhetorically. Its hard to brand subjective impressions as misinformation. Califf acknowledged the point. Speaking to 340 million Americans is difficult. With mammograms, the average patient might not have a painful experience but many might. Getting across that kind of nuance and public communication, I think, is in its early phases. Scrutiny over the agencys role regarding food and nutrition is also mounting. After independent journalist Helena Bottemiller Evich wrote an article criticizing the agency for relying on voluntary reporting standards for baby formula, Califf tweeted to correct a bit of misinformation, saying the agency did not have such authority. An agency communications specialist made a similar intervention with New York University professor Marion Nestle, referring to a troubling pattern of articles with erroneous information that then get amplified. The agency was again seeking to rebut arguments that the agency had erred in not seeking mandatory reporting. As I see it, the troubling pattern here is FDAs responses to advocates like me who want to support this agencys role in making sure food companies in general and infant formula companies in particular do not produce unsafe food, Nestle retorted. Notwithstanding the agencys protests to Evich and Nestle, the agency had only recently asked for such authority. Efforts to respond to or regulate misinformation are becoming a political problem. In July, a federal judge issued a sweeping, yet temporary, injunction at the instigation of Republican attorneys general, multiple right-wing political groups, and prominent anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s Childrens Health Defense barring federal health officials from contacting social media groups to correct information. A large section of the ruling detailed efforts by a CDC official to push back on suspected misinformation on social media networks. An appeals court later issued its own temporary ruling this time countering the original, sweeping order nevertheless underscoring the extent of pushback on government pushback against misinformation. Califf has consistently played down the governments ability to solve the problem. One hundred percent of experts agree, government cannot solve this. We have too much distrust in fundamental institutions, he said last June. Its a remarkable change from his previous tenure leading the agency during the Obama administration. I would describe the Obama years as genteel, intellectual, and a lot of fun, he has said. Now, however, Califf is bracing for more misinformation. Its just something that I think we have to come to grips with, he told KFF Health News. Darius Tahir of KFF Health News wrote this story. ( 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: Walk, hike, ride: Central Pa.s rich network of outdoor trails is expanding at a brisk pace Why are gas prices soaring and will they hit $4 a gallon again? BATH, Maine Marine 1st Lt. Harvey Barney Barnum jumped to the ground when he came under fire during an ambush in Vietnam that killed his radio operator and commander. Collecting himself, Barnum realized he was now the highest-ranking officer of a rifle company hed just joined. He called in artillery and, amid gunfire, dragged the commander to safety, where he died in Barnums arms. Then he proceeded to mount a counterattack, oversee evacuation of the wounded and lead the units eventual break out to rejoin the battalion. The Medal of Honor recipient, now 83, watched Saturday as his wife smashed a bottle of sparkling wine against the bow to christen the future U.S. Navy destroyer thatll bear the name Harvey C. Barnum Jr. He said he was speechless when he learned that a warship would bear his name. As anybody that knows Barney Barnum knows, Ive never been speechless, he joked before the event. The ceremony on Saturday at Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works was a tribute to the Vietnam War hero who during his first firefight was foisted into leadership of Marines who didnt yet know his name because hed just joined them a few days earlier. Dignitaries included Maines governor and senators, as well as Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who praised Barnums humility and generosity, in addition to being a war hero who inspired fellow Marines. Gen. Eric Smith, the acting Marine Corps commandant whose nomination to lead the Marine Corps is being blocked by a Republican senator, called Barnum an icon, a legend, a Marine. In an interview, Barnum said the combat was harrowing on that day, Dec. 18, 1965, during Operation Harvest Moon. His unit was outnumbered, caught off guard and separated from the larger battalion outside the village of Ky Phu in Quang Tin Province. The ships namesake said he was scared like everybody else but he tried not to show it. The other Marines were looking to him, an artillery spotter, after their commander died, he said. To launch a counterattack, he brandished a .45-caliber handgun and told the others to follow him. They did. Its a tough business. But when it gets tough, the tough get going and thats what Marines do, he said. We came together as a team. And, you know, theres no fury unleashed thats greater than that of a bunch of Marines that know that their buddies have been shot. Barnum later became the first Medal of Honor recipient in the Vietnam conflict to return for another tour. He retired from the Marine Corps as a colonel after nearly three decades of service and served the secretary of defense as principal director of drug enforcement policy, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for reserve affairs, and acting assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs. Barnum, of Reston, Virginia, was born in Cheshire, Connecticut, and studied at Saint Anselm College, a Benedictine college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. The schools abbot, Mark Cooper, delivered the invocation on Saturday. Guests arrive for the christening ceremony of the Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. at Bath Iron Works on Saturday, July 29, 2023 in Bath, Maine. (Ben McCanna /Portland Press Herald via AP)AP The event was a family affair for Barnum, who now lives in Virginia. His wife, Martha Hill, served as the ships sponsor. At the event Saturday, she was in a wheelchair; Barnum has been her care provider since she had a stroke about five years ago. Her daughter; two granddaughters, one of whom sang God Bless America; and an 11-year-old great-granddaughter were also participants at the event. Other family and friends were present. Displacing 9,500 tons, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is built to simultaneously wage war against submarines, aircraft and missiles, and other warships. The newest versions are being equipped for ballistic missile defense. The 510-foot (155-meter) guided-missile destroyer was in dry dock for the ceremony as work continues to prepare the ship for delivery to the Navy. David Sharp of The Associated Press wrote this story. Follow David Sharp on Twitter @David_Sharp_AP More: Food and Drug Administration head battles misinformation, but sometimes with fuzzy facts In Erie, thousands cheer Trumps promises on immigration, education, foreign policy It is not every day that a television host has to walk back things after appearing to agree on air that a whole bunch of people should be killed, but Saturday was one of those days for Right Side Broadcasting Networks Matthew Alvarez. Alvarez was working former President Donald Trumps rally in Pa. for the network, and before the event kicked off inside the Erie Insurance Arena, he made the rounds outside to talk to Trump supporters. Things took a disturbing turn when he stopped to speak to one man who said he was there to guarantee Trump gets back in, and get rid of the corruption that is in the White House right now. Its a disgrace, the man told Alvarez. Joe Biden is a disgrace to this country. That is when Alvarez said, So are all the left, and the RINOS, the Globalist, before flipping the mic back in front of the mans face. Kill them all, the man appears to say. Kill them all. Alvarez pulled the mic back and said, I agree with you on that. You can see the exchange, here. After heading inside the building, Alvarez revisited the interaction in what RSBN referred to on its X page formerly Twitter as him officially retracting his statements. The thing that is trending on Twitter right now, you know, outside we were interviewing a number of people, Alvarez said. They were talking about how great the country is, how great the president is, and I heard something else that was spoken. But, what Im hearing that was said was that someone said, Well, lets kill them all. That is not something that I agree with obviously. So, if there is something that happened, where somebody was speaking out there, I didnt hear those words spoken. It was very loud outside, he added. All that I know is, Im here for God, for this country, for truth, for President Trump, that kind of thing. Definitely not a proponent of that kind of thing happening. Brian Glenn, who was also working the event for RSBN, then stepped in and blamed the left for the social media outrage surrounding the interaction. This is what the left will do, Glenn said. They will take a clip of that, and they will run with it, and all of a sudden their statement is that you want to kill everybody or whatever. Alvarez claimed again that he did not hear the man say what it appeared he said. Glenn then told him again that the corrupt media would take a statement like that and run with it. Alvarez then went on the offense. The corrupt media likes to spin, he said. They want to steal. They want to kill. They want to destroy. Lets be real. Above the clip of Alvarez and Glenn discussing the exchange, RSBN wrote, Please note that opinions espoused by contractors or interviewees do not reflect the values of the company. You can see the officially retracts video and statement on RSBNs Twitter page, here. By Kai Nishino, KYODO NEWS - Jul 30, 2023 - 10:01 | Feature, All, Japan Small-circulation, self-published works known as "zines" are quietly gaining traction in Japan, as a growing number of writers and artists are moving away from showcasing their creations on social media and are instead gravitating toward making more community-driven content. Specialty shops that stock troves of literature, comics, and art in zine format have been holding specialist events for fans in recent years, with the movement growing particularly among the social media generation due to its ability to bring together small community subcultures with specific interests. Typically produced in limited batches by writers and creative artists with a small-scale audience in mind, the format spans many genres -- including art, poetry, photography, writing and other forms of expression to share common ideas and subjects. On a Saturday in early June, a small group of men and women from the Zine Farm Tokyo shop in Musashino, western Tokyo, were hard at work, producing zines using a printing press capable of generating unique colors. Ko Nakanishi, 44, owner of the store, began organizing the Kichijoji Zine Festival in 2021. With a wide selection of publications, including novels, poem anthologies and photo collections, each event draws some 1,500 people, including many from abroad, he said. The word "zine" originated in the United States during the 1940s after science fiction fans began using the term as shorthand for "fan magazine." Due to Japan's rich self-publishing history and culture, the format has developed significantly since the 1960s. Zines are distinctive from coterie magazines, which are related to manga, given the versatility of their subject matter and have proliferated at specialty shops and events over the past five years. Last year, Keisuke Nagura, a 29-year-old company employee residing in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, published a zine chronicling his time working as a barista in Melbourne, Australia, for a year. "I didn't want to end it by just posting on social media, but instead, I wanted to leave people with something they can hold in their hands," he said. Having had no previous editorial experience before undertaking the project, Nagura lost many hours of sleep to complete the work. Because he had used expensive printing paper and other materials to make the publication, it was ultimately an unprofitable venture, but he managed to sell about 50 copies. For Nagura, the costs were less important than the fact that he had created something he could share that was tangible. "It reaffirmed my love for coffee culture and the joy of having something I can hold in my hands and share with others," he said. For the past six years, Takako Masuki, a 49-year-old graphic designer living in Akishima, Tokyo, has been making zines by compiling illustrations of Asian cuisine, which she sells at events both at home and abroad. Masuki says she likes the freedom provided by the format, which allows her to decide on all of the content herself, unlike in regular publishing, where a lot of the creative process is done in line with the initial publication offer. "I love the fact that I can decide everything, from the theme to the designs," she said. Akiko Horii, 51, of Misato, Saitama Prefecture, publishes zines about board games from around the world. Though Horii used to post her work on social media, she failed to see the point in displaying her content to a random mass of people on the internet, something she likened to throwing it "into a bottomless well." Publishing zines, on the other hand, is a completely different experience. "I can see the faces of my readers, and see first-hand that my work has reached them," she said. In recent years at "Bungaku Furima," an organization that runs literature flea market events where authors can sell their own work, there has been an increase in zines with niche and unique research topics. As people become more skeptical about social media while growing more distrustful of more traditional media formats, zines are becoming increasingly popular in Japan, said Tomohiko Mochizuki, 42, Bungaku Furima's event organizer representative director. A record 1,400 stalls featuring zines appeared at a Tokyo literature exhibition event attended by as many as 8,400 people in May, up from 600 stalls in 2015, according to the organization. As far as Mochizuki is concerned, the rising popularity of zines is something that is only set to continue. There are record high annual temperatures, unprecedented heat waves, droughts, flooding, and out of control forest fires in Canada. The Colorado river is drying up, and the ocean is overheated in Florida. Soon there will be massive migrations of climate refugees that lead to the draconian bans on immigration and probably autocratic governments. The ruling party in the Netherlands collapsed over its immigration policies, leading to new elections as the issue is being fought over. Republicans and the fossil fuel industry now recognize the threat of global warming. But it was the fossil fuel industry that knew about global warming before scientists and killed efforts to address it in the 1980s. Neither the fossil fuel industry or Republicans should be trusted to do anything substantial to address the issue. There will be ad campaigns about going green and how these companies care about the future of the planet and doing whatever they can to address global warming, but stress the need for balance, whatever that means. At the same time, they will be using lobbyists to push Republicans to allow more drilling for such fuels. They will talk about energy independence. They will make symbolic efforts to address the issue by advocating for planting 1 trillion trees, while undermining efforts for legislation for green energy while continuing to rake in enormous government subsidies and making record profits. And the conservative Supreme Court is on board as it continues to dismantle environmental regulation. George Makakis, Norristown, Pa. KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. In the sweltering summer heat, nobody tries to cool off by jumping into a hot tub. In parts of Florida, however, thats what the ocean has felt like. Earlier this week, sea surface temperatures reached as high as 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit (38.4 degrees Celsius) around the states southern tip in Manatee Bay, according to the National Weather Service although scientists said the context for Mondays reading is complicated. It was like there was no difference between humidity of the air and going into the water, said Chelsea Ward of Fort Myers, Florida. Triple-digit ocean temperatures are stunning even in Florida, where residents are used to the heat and where many retirees find refuge from cold, northern winters. Several other nearby spots reached the mid-90s (about 35 Celsius). A storm finally came through on Wednesday, helping water temperatures drop back down in to the more temperate 80s (about 29 Celsius). Humans naturally look to water for a chance to refresh. Every summer, millions grab their swimsuits for a day on the beach and a chance to cool off in the water a break from everyday work and worry. Pools offer the same relief and a place for friends to gather. But when water temperatures get too high, some of the appeal is lost. Ward, 47, doesnt keep her beach bag in her car anymore even though she lives minutes away from the beach in Fort Myers. Lately, the water is just too hot. On Sunday, when her friend asked if she wanted to go to the beach, the two decided against it after discovering the water temperature was around 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius). When its hot, the body cools down by sweating, which evaporates and releases heat. Dipping into the ocean is typically so refreshing because heat efficiently transfers from your body into the water. But as water temperatures climb, that effect diminishes and you lose less heat less quickly, according to Michael Mullins, a Washington University toxicologist and emergency medicine physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. A hot tub or a stretch of ocean water hotter than body temperature reverses the transfer of heat into your body. Thats not a pleasant experience on a sizzling, humid, Florida day. It would feel, Mullins said, like you are swimming in soup. ICE BLOCKS FOR YOUR POOL? WHY NOT People already tend not to swim that much in the Florida waters that were so extremely hot earlier this week. The water can get muddy and there are alligators and crocodiles in the area, too. But high temperatures anywhere can make swimming less pleasant. Through Friday, Phoenix endured highs above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) every day this month. Pools are warm. About 150 miles (240 kilometers) to the northwest in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Stefanee Lynn Thompson, 50, wanted to keep guests cool for a pool party she hosted Sunday. The heat had raised the pools temperature to 96 degrees (36 Celsius). Galo Felipe Espinoza Sanchez, 5, left, swims with his dad and cousin at Crandon Park beach, during the family's visit to Florida from Ecuador and France, Friday, July 28, 2023, in Key Biscayne, Fla. Humans naturally look to water for a chance to refresh, but when water temperatures get too high, some of the appeal is lost. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)AP Her friend recommended she go buy ice blocks. She ran to the grocery store, picked up 40 of them and dumped them in the pool. She set up fans, too. All that hard work dropped the pools temperature a grand total of 4 degrees Fahrenheit (2.2 degrees Celsius). When its 120 out, anything helps, Thompson said. Recently, ocean temperatures off the western coast of Florida have been a few degrees above normal, sitting around 88 to 90 degrees (31-32 degrees Celsius). Its not just humans that suffer when the oceans warm. Sea corals are bleaching. They can be hurt when water temperatures rise above the upper 80s (low 30 degrees Celsius). July has been so hot that scientists announced a global heat record even before the month ended. Climate change is creating a hotter world, warming oceans and making some storms more destructive. Sea surface temperatures are somewhat above average around Florida, but they are far higher in parts of the North Atlantic near Newfoundland where they are as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) hotter than usual. The extremely high sea surface temperatures recorded earlier this week off Floridas southern tip were caused by lots of sun, little wind and no storms. Ive never seen temperatures 100 degrees in Florida Bay in the 21 years Ive been in the Keys, said Andy Devanas, science officer at the National Weather Service in Key West, Florida. IS THE WATER THAT WARM EVERYWHERE? And there are some questions about how representative Mondays 101.2-degree reading in Manatee Bay were. Water there is shallow and thus heats up quickly. If theres lots of sediment, that can raise temperatures, too, according to David Roth, a forecaster with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Climate Prediction Center. By contrast, stop by the YMCA pools on the North Shore of Massachusetts near Boston and youll descend into water thats around 78 to 80 degrees (26 to 27 degrees Celsius). The ocean nearby is cooler, too. Sea surface temperatures off Cape Cod, for example, barely touched the mid-70s (about 24 degrees Celsius) this week. When Maria Argueta, 38, has time off from her job at an open-air decorative plant nursery in Homestead, Florida, shell go with her family to swim. This year, the heat is stronger, she said. The hot ocean water doesnt bother her, but sometimes she takes her 2-year-old son and other members of the family to the Venetian Pool, a public facility in Coral Gables fed by water from an aquifer thats always in the 70s. The very cool water, she said, is refreshing. FILE - Maria Argueta, 38, cools off with her son Matthew Pastrana, 2, and niece Aurora Reyes, 10, during a cloudy day respite in the high 80s from an ongoing heat wave, at the aquifer-fed Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, Fla., July 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)AP Floridas humid weather makes it harder for sweat to evaporate and cool the body down. People in south Florida know the ocean doesnt tend to offer real relief from that suffocating heat. You arent getting much cooling at all, Roth said. Nobody goes into the water in South Florida in the summer really except to swim, because it is comfortable to swim, but it is not refreshing. Michael Phillis,Beatrice Dupuy and Rebecca Blackwell of The Associated Press wrote this story. AP journalist Seth Borenstein contributed reporting from Washington, Dupuy reported from New York and Phillis reported from St. Louis. 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 SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare hosted its first Purrs & Pours adoption event at the Alley Downtown Taproom on Sunday. Read moreAiken SPCA hosts successful Purrs & Pours adoption event at downtown business Face-changing performance debuts at the opening ceremony of the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Qing) A typical Sichuan Opera performance, face-changing made its debut at the Chengdu Universiade opening ceremony, showcasing this traditional cultural element to the global younger generation. CHENGDU, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Amid thunderous applause, the face-changing performance of Sichuan Opera made its debut at the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade on Friday night, putting the traditional practice to an unprecedented level with cyberpunk-style music and Chinese civilization features. Performers donned red, green, yellow and blue masks, shifting their expressions with lightning speed and showcasing an impressive display of four different masks. "Having 30 performers change faces accurately, skillfully and refined is an extremely challenging feat," shared Kang Yong, a national level actor from Chengdu's Sichuan Opera Research Institute. Kang Yong (R), leader as well as director of face-changing performing squad, helps performer Ren Xin with her headwear prior to an opening ceremony rehearsal on July 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) Remarkably, all those 30 performers are the college students from Sichuan Film and Television Academy, who had little exposure to the traditional art performance three months ago. They delivered the group performance that left the audience spellbound. The past three months witnessed them practicing tirelessly, with collective rehearsal sessions lasting up to nine hours per day. Despite the demanding schedule, each of them kept cherishing their aspiration to shine on the grand stage. "Performers used to change three faces, then advance to six faces, and those skillful performers can change nine faces, with the entire act lasting several minutes," said Kang. Through over 30 years of experience, Kang achieved his personal artistic breakthrough, astoundingly transforming his face 12 times in just 20 seconds. At the opening ceremony, Kang's final change to the "Panda Face" left the audience a memorable impression, with the hand-painted face of Hua Hua, the most lovely panda in the world, adding a distinctive touch of cuteness. Kang's final change to the "Panda Face" during the opening ceremony. (Xinhua/Wu Gang) "It is a bold step in inheritance and innovation, taking the traditional practice to new heights," said Kang. The face-changing of Sichuan opera, showcased at this global gathering of young minds, contributed to a deeper understanding of the Chinese civilization among the younger generation. Chen Weiya, the chief director of the ceremony, was confident that the cultural experience for the college students through the Universiade would have long-lasting effects upon their personal growth and appreciation for diverse cultures. An 18-room boutique hotel proposed along upper King Street is moving on to the next stage in the city's planning pipeline. The Board of Architectural Review approved the conceptual design of the project at the northwest corner of Line Street on July 26. Greenville-based Atlantic South Development is proposing a four-story inn along 657 King that would step up an additional floor in the back that won't be visible from the street level. Plans show onsite parking, a rooftop area, meeting space and two ground-floor commercial spaces on a now-vacant lot just south of the overpass where Interstate 26 meets the Septima P. Clark Expressway. The guestroom mix will be a combination of two- and four-bedroom units. The BAR asked the developer to reconsider certain architectural elements on the facade but otherwise approved of the project. Members also noted that the design needs to strike a balance between fitting into the existing neighborhood while also being able to catch the eye of passersby on the nearby highway overpass and on King Street. The fifth floor request will require a zoning change. Panama-bound Local hospitality industry expert Daniel Guttentag of the College of Charleston is on his way to Panama for a year of study. The director of CofC's Office of Tourism Analysis received a Fulbright Scholarship to spend the 202324 academic year teaching at ISAE University in Panama City. During the sabbatical, hell also be researching tourism throughout the small Central American nation, including how effectively indigenous hospitality firms use technology, such as websites, social media and reservation software. "These little communities have very different experiences with tourism than Charleston does, but at the core, we are looking for the same answer: How to effectively balance the benefits that come with tourism while protecting the community and quality of life for residents," Guttentag said. In Charleston, he spends much of his time crunching numbers and working with the area's top attractions, lodgings and industry representatives. In Panama, he'll be spending time with much smaller visitor-related enterprises. "I hope my impact can be more significant and my experiences can offer a new perspective when I come back," said Guttentag, who's an assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management. Mark Witte, an economics professor at CofC, was named to oversee the tourism analysis office. New management Two Charleston-area hotels owned and operated by locally based Avocet Hospitality Group have new general managers. Carley Ford has been named to leading the staff at The Vendue near Waterfront Park on the peninsula, and Nathan Foster has joined the Tides Folly Beach on the Edge of America. Ford has more than a decade of hospitality experience working in Marriott properties. At The Venue, she oversees the hotel, its rooftop bar and the gallery art spaces. Foster spent nearly two decades moving up the ranks at The Charleston Place before taking the GM spot at the 134-key waterfront Tides. Hell also oversee operations at Pier 101, and BLU at Tides Folly Beach. Avocet has several South Carolina hotels and restaurants in its portfolio along with properties in Alabama and Tennessee. Ive been addressed by many names during my chaplain careers in both the military and health care. While Air Force and hospital colleagues kept to the formal title of Chaplain, my Navy acquaintances called me Chappy. Now that Im retired, some veterans call me Sky Pilot after the 1968 Eric Burdon song. While Im usually cool with however folks address me, I once suggested that my Georgian waitress not call me sweetheart. I guess I was a homesick Yankee who thought that my sweetheart ought to be the only one allowed to use that moniker. But the salutation that always brings me a chuckle is the email addressed, Dear Chaplin Burke. The greeting tells me they dont spell any better than I do. I know this because theyve misspelled chaplain as well as my last name. (Both my first and last name end with an "S".) The extra A in my title, C-h-a-p-l-A-i-n, is silent and spells the difference between Charlie Chaplin, the silent actor, and Norris, the opinionated chaplain. The only thing Chaplin had in common with chaplains is that he, too, honored the value of silence. During my yearlong chaplain residency, my blind but bespectacled supervisor constantly told his chaplain interns: Trust the silence. There is much to be heard outside verbal space in the silence. As a chaplain, Ive found that to be true more than a few times. For instance, I once walked into the hospital room of a pastors wife whose premature twins had both died. Weve been in church work for years, the pastor said. Why couldnt God help us? For a moment, I was tempted to leave, but they needed someone to hear the case theyd built against God, so I listened. The mother believed God had shortchanged them. Both swore theyd never return to church. God wasnt fair. We deserve better, she claimed. Is God a God of love? asked the pastor whod likely preached Gods love dozens of times. Why does he hurt his children? I wanted to say, NO. God is love. He has a purpose. But I wasnt entirely sure at that moment, so I remained quiet. Sign up for our opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! On another occasion, I met a pacing pastor in our hospital as he awaited his fiancees prognosis. The man told me how he was following his fiancee to their new home when her VW van rear-ended a street-sweeping truck. Using the quiet empathy of a mime, I leaned into the story to hear that his fiancee was the cliched other woman, the church secretary hed left his wife for. I dont suspect hed have told me much if Id have responded with a list of Bible verses and theological criticism. In the safety of silence between us, the defrocked pastor paused long enough to ask me his pressing question. Is God punishing me? I wanted to say, Hell yes, He is, but I didnt say anything. Those would have been my words of judgment, not Gods. Neither of the pastors were really seeking an answer. They both wanted to know that despite their grief and their anger, Id stay with them without judgment. James says in 1:19: My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James is saying what we all instinctively know big talkers are hard to teach because they must constantly express their opinions. Charlie Chaplin, like most chaplains, knew that more wisdom can be gained by listening, observing and not rushing to judgment. By the way, my favorite title remains one accidently coined by the director of a local senior care facility several years ago. I entered the home 10 minutes late and rushed to begin a Bible study for the group. But we were all in such a hurry to begin that a slip of the tongue caused a slight variation in the directors last word. With the omission of the last letter, she told the octogenarians, We are now ready for our Bible stud. Again, another name only my wife can call me. She doesnt. But she could. She would never. But she could. BID Group has collaborated with the Department of Labor and Apprenticeship Carolina to launch an apprenticeship program in its fabrication shop in St. George. The program provides valuable opportunities for aspiring professionals in the manufacturing sector. Read moreApprenticeship program established at BID Group fabrication shop The King's Academy's new head of school is leading intentional growth at the school. Phase one of a multi phase building project at the school will be complete in early 2024. Read moreThe King's Academy's new head of schools will oversee growth As a medical educator, Im always thinking about how to mitigate the physician shortage crisis in South Carolina. A recent commentary in The Post and Courier has prompted me to offer some clarification and context around this crisis and how we can better address it. Read moreCommentary: SC needs more doctors. Here's what MUSC is doing about it. Its been a sad, disappointing year for the most inconvenient of Charleston water sports: kayaking the Crosstown. At least three times a year, rain at high tide shuts down the Septima P. Clark Parkway the peninsulas busiest east-west corridor. When that happens, motorists are stranded, traffic is gridlocked and a bunch of wiseacres break out kayaks, canoes or even jonboats. They paddle around in the middle of the Crosstown, showing off, having fun and, intentionally or not, rubbing our faces in the citys persistent flooding woes. But that hasnt happened this year, not even once. The Crosstown has remained open, the intersection of Bogard and President has stayed relatively dry, and even Bee Street isnt a perpetual pond. And thats not due to a lack of rain. Its actually because the city has quietly hit a milestone in its largest flooding mitigation project to date. In January, workers opened the tunnels on the 20-plus-year-old, $198 million Spring-Fishburne Drainage Improvement Project. Currently powered by nothing more than gravity, the new system which includes 18,000 linear feet of new pipes, a mile and a half of new tunnels, eight drop shafts and more than 500 new manholes, catch basins and junction boxes is draining four to seven times as much water from the area around the Septima P. Clark Parkway as the previous storm drains did. That has made a big difference, from west side neighborhoods near the Crosstown to the north end of the hospital district. We were cautiously optimistic, but it has exceeded what we expected from pure gravity flow, says Steve Kirk, the citys project manager on this. Spring-Fishburne is now moving up to a quarter-million gallons per minute out of the area and into the Ashley River, depending on the tide. When the entire project is completed, four-story pumps will drain 1 million gallons of water from the flood-prone area every three minutes. This has been a long time coming and, with rising seas, is not arriving a moment too soon. Preliminary planning on the Spring-Fishburne project began in 1999, pre-engineering in 2004. It was considered an even more ambitious project back then, when the cost was projected to run slightly more than the citys annual operating budget. Finally, in 2012, then-Mayor Joe Riley persuaded the state to contribute $88 million toward the then-$154 million project. Which was only fair, seeing as how the state brilliantly built the Crosstown in the bed of a creek. Which has a lot to do with the areas flooding problems. Spring-Fishburne has grown over the years, in scope and price, and suffered delays and cost overruns. But it got an unexpected boost a few years ago when Mayor John Tecklenburg showed Gov. Henry McMaster how easily the planned system could offer some quick relief to the chronically flooded hospital district. The governor was inspired to find $10 million for another underground tunnel that, when opened, will expand the reach of Spring-Fishburne to the northern edge of the hospital district. Which is huge, because MUSC's operations have been endangered by severe flooding for years. Already, the project has made some difference there. MUSC spokeswoman Heather Woolwine says Bee Street still ponds up during heavy rain at high tide but it now drains in 20 to 30 minutes instead of 2 to 3 hours. Which has the hospital and other neighbors optimistic. Kirk says the project is designed to take into account and handle sea level rise and climate change over the next half century. And with a silt removal system and bar screens that stop floating trash, keeping both out of the Ashley River, its an environmentally sensitive one. The custom-built pumps and complex powertrain that will move water out of the way even faster are on order (you cant just buy them at Lowes) and should be installed between the Ashley River bridges by late 2025. Of course, even four-story pumps wont be able to drain all the water dumped on the peninsula by a hurricane or storm surge. Thats going to take something else, and thats the next fight. But Charleston probably doesnt have another 25 years to figure it out. Spring-Fishburne has given city engineers some hope that the task wont be impossible. The unfinished project has already made a difference on that part of the peninsula, and it will help them understand how to tackle similar flooding problems across the city. Its a very complicated project, and a lot of smart people put a lot of work into this, Kirk says. Theres still a lot of work to do, but theres light at the end of the tunnel. And water. An awful lot of water. Redwood Materials and Berkeley Electric Cooperative, or BEC, are offering access to lithium-ion battery and rechargeable device recycling in the Lowcountry. Read moreRedwood Material and Berkeley Electric Coop team up for batteries One of the climate alarmists most intractable problems is the disproportion between the problems their models forecast and the solutions they propose. That is, if you believe the models, there is no remotely plausible course of action we can follow that makes a perceptible difference. So our impoverishment is pointless. The hero of the Senate, John Kennedy, made this point while questioning Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk. The exchange occurred in May, but I just saw it today. It doesnt matter: the point is evergreen. Actually, I am pretty sure Turk does know the answer to that question. That is, he almost certainly knows how much making the U.S. carbon neutral would reduce global temperatures, according to the Obama administrations formula. The problem, from his perspective, is that the answer is unacceptably small. My organizations energy team did this calculation for the green energy bill that has now been enacted into law in Minnesota. The bill calls for all electricity to come from wind and solar energy by 2040. In their report they found that, using the Obama administrations formula, which grossly overestimates the impact of CO2, the all-green by 2040 plan would avert 0.00096 of one degree of warming. That law relates to the power sector, which accounts for around one-third of all CO2 emissions, in one state of almost exactly average size. But it doesnt matter: Even using the Obama administrations inflated formula, you cant get to an order of magnitude that makes a difference. It is also worth noting that this is a gross calculation, not net. It doesnt consider the vast amounts of CO2 that would be emitted in the course of mining, processing, transporting, manufacturing and installing the almost unimaginable quantity of raw materials necessary to supply the untold numbers of low-intensity, intermittent solar panels and wind turbines that the greenies contemplatea project that would rival the Industrial Revolution. Fifty trillion dollars, meanwhile, represents around $156,250 for every man, woman and child in the U.S., or $625,000 for a family of four. The money would come partly from taxpayers, i.e, mostly upper-income Americans, but primarily from consumers of electricity, gasoline, and products and services that use electricity or energy in any formthat is to say, everyone. And those would be after-tax dollars, too. Glenn Reynolds has been suggesting for a while that the Leftthe Biden administrationmay be deliberately trying to destroy the middle class. At first I thought that idea was too extreme, but I am coming around to the view that there may be no other plausible explanation for the policies the administration is pursuing. Politics in the Netherlands have been increasingly contentious of late. The most recent coalition government fell earlier this month, and now Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag has not only resigned her post, but says she might be leaving the country. This article in the London Times illustrates how liberal elites see themselves and their opponents. But if you read between the lines, reality begins to glimmer through. Just two years ago, she was the great hope of Dutch politics, a cosmopolitan voice of reason, who made unprecedented gains for liberals by taking on the countrys far-right populists. Voice of reason = liberal. The villains, as always are far-right populists. There is no such thing as a far left in Europe, just as it doesnt exist in America. Ms.Kaag is cosmopolitan because she hasnt spent a lot of time in the Netherlands: Kaag had worked for the UN in Lebanon before returning to national politics in 2017. Part of the reason given for her return was to establish for her daughters, who had spent their childhoods abroad during her 34 year career overseas, a life in their home country. So what is the problem? The prospect of her departure, after being hailed as a champion for the traditional Dutch liberal consensus, comes as the countrys security services warn that growing anti-institutional extremism poses a new threat to society. *** In 2021, Kaag represented a different path for the Netherlands after winning an unprecedented and surprise election performance, with her socially progressive, pro-European and welcoming to refugees Democrats 66 party, netting their best ever results. But those policies are not popular these days in the Netherlands: In a far cry from any sense of national unity, the Dutch AIVD, the equivalent of Britains MI5, has identified some 100,000 people who believe Holland is ruled by an evil elite. We have people who hold the same opinion in the U.S. Are they wrong? [I]n May this year, she broke down into tears on Dutch national television, admitting that she now lived in fear as a hate figure for populist attacks on the cosmopolitan elite. My family would be relieved if I quit and we move from the Netherlands, she said. *** Like many Dutch politicians, Kaag lives under police protection. Last year a man brandishing a flaming torch was arrested outside her house and she was regularly greeted by angry mobs in visits to provincial towns. I condemn all political violence and threats of violence, especially when they are uttered by politicians like Chuck Schumer. But the reality is that pretty much everyone who participates in public life gets threats of some kind. The underlying issue is the direction of Dutch society and government: Kaag has fallen victim to the increased polarisation of Dutch politics and the rise of what the countrys security services have called anti-institutional extremism. The anti-institutional extremist movement targets democratic authorities, including politicians and scientists, the Dutch intelligence and security service warned in May. Supporters of this movement paint a picture that an evil elite is in power in the Netherlands that wants to oppress, enslave or even murder the population. They argue that this elite has control over the government, large companies, the judiciary, science and newspapers and TV channels. And that this must be resisted. Sound familiar? If you are part of that eliteor rather, alleged eliteyou are a voice of reason. If you are unhappy with the direction the elites are taking your country, you are an anti-institutional extremist. But what are the sources of popular discontent? You have to read deep into the Times piece to get even a hint of what is going on: Key to the new political underground are conspiracy theories, particularly related to the Covid lockdown and vaccination campaigns and climate change policies, that stretch far beyond the traditional far-right in terms of their reach. We are starting to get warmer, again with echoes of what is happening in this country. But what about those climate change policies? One notable fault-line in Dutch politics has become environmental policies, with an insurgent rural movement against plans to cut nitrogen emission in agriculture to meet European Union climate change targets. The populist farmers party, the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB), has come from nowhere a year ago to become the second largest Dutch political party and probable kingmaker of a new government. One continues reading, in hopes of finding out why the liberals environmental policies are so unpopular, but no such luck. For that, you have to go to a another recent Times story: [T]he most dramatic and politically explosive impact of the Dutch war on nitrogen has been on its hugely productive farming industry: despite the countrys size, the Netherlands, with its 15 million cows and pigs, is the worlds second largest food exporter and has the worlds densest population of livestock. It was a proposal in parliament in 2019 to halve livestock numbers that prompted protests by farmers and the decision to launch the BBB by Van der Plas, who began her journalistic career writing about the meat industry. The party took off in response to a wave of unrest last summer in which farmers blocked roads with manure and flaming hay bales, mounted demonstrations in town squares and hung the Dutch tricolour upside down. So trying to destroy the countrys biggest biggest industry is perfectly reasonable, while opposing that destruction is extreme. Destruction of agriculture isnt the only disaster caused by the Netherlands green policies: More than 21,500 people from outside Europe sought asylum in the Netherlands last year, according to the national statistics office, while tens of thousands more moved there to work and study. House building, meanwhile, is struggling to keep pace, with shortages most acute in Amsterdam and nearby Rotterdam and the Hague. *** Part of the blame for the housing shortage is down to skills shortages and other familiar obstacles to construction familiar across the continent. But the industry has also been hit by a number of Supreme Court rulings in cases brought by environmentalists. These have obliged Dutch authorities to attempt to cut emissions of nitrogen, a big contributor to global warming. The result, the industry claims, has been the cancellation or postponement of plans for thousands of building projects. It has also become more difficult to build roads to alleviate congestion on an already busy network. In short, the disgruntled Dutch who think their country is going in the wrong direction are correct. In the Netherlands as in the U.S., liberals complain that political factions are living in different realities: Andre Krouwel, a Dutch political scientist and lecturer at Amsterdams Vrije Universiteit warned that Western democracies are entering a new era of reality polarisation. We are entering a new phase in western democracies beyond disagreement over policies to disagreeing over reality. We have now entered a world of reality polarisation, he said. It is not easy to bridge the reality gap. There is considerable truth to that. But whose version of reality is the right one? Certainly not the version that says we should kill half our livestock, stop fertilizing our fields, stop constructing buildings and highways, all while welcoming infinite numbers of immigrants from underdeveloped countries, so that we can impoverish ourselves with unreliable energy that will have zero measurable impact on the Earths climate. The fundamental problem the worlds liberals are experiencing is precisely that their crazy plans are bumping up against reality. BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China's online ride-hailing companies reached 318 by the end of June, five more than the number registered in the previous month, data from the Ministry of Transport shows. By the end of last month, the authorized ride-hailing vehicle certificates and driver licenses in the country hit 2.43 million and 5.79 million, respectively, according to the ministry. In June, China saw some 763 million ride-hailing trips, up 3.7 percent on a monthly basis. In 2022, online ride-hailing trips made up about 40.5 percent of total taxi trips, an increase of 6.4 percentage points from a year earlier. After paying tribute to the career of Tony Bennett last week, a friend wrote to recall the effect Sarah Vaughans Live At Kellys and the John Coltrane/Johnny Hartman album had on him. I love Sarah Vaughan and I love Sarah Vaughans I Love Brazil, her second album on Norman Granzs Pablo label. Granz founded Pablo a decade after he sold Verve, the label he had founded to popularize Ella Fitzgerald. At its core, Granz biographer Tad Hershorn explains, Pablo was a showplace for those artists Granz managed nominally and without fees (Duke Ellington and Count Basie) and those he represented exclusively (such as Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson, and Ella Fitzgerald). According to Hershorn, Pablo quickly became a magnet for expatriate musicians, both newcomers and long-time Granz associates, who coveted his solicitous oversight. He added his own creativity to the mix. The success of Pablo, Hershorn writes, depended on artists willingness to to plug into new musical settings provided by Granz. Hershorn cites Sarah Vaughans first recording for Pablo, the 1978 How Long Has This Been Going On? as the textbook illustration of the power of Granzs label on an artists career. Granz teamed Vaughan with Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Ray Brown, and Louie Bellson. Its a wonderful recording. Vaughan recorded I Love Brazil in Rio de Janeiro during a 1977 tour at a point where she was between contracts with American labels. Thankfully, Pablo released the recording (in 1979, I think). It seems to me to be overflowing not only with Vaughans love of Brazil, as stated in the title, but also with her love of the composers (some of whom participated in the recording), the musicians, the arrangements, and the songs. I think I have posted authorized videos supplied to YouTube by Universal Music Group below and shouldnt have the technical problems that bedeviled this post earlier this morning. I dont think the album is well-known, but I loved it at the time and it remains one of my favorites. I dont think there is anything like it. My theory this morning is that it may add some beauty to your day. If You Went Away leads off the album. I understand there are those who dont like Sarah Vaughan. Here, however, she employs her vocal style to ease into the set and get inside the heart of these songs. Ray Gilbert wrote the English lyrics on this one, as on several others. In my eyes he must be a secret hero of the album. Sarah picks up the tempo in Triste. It doesnt sound too too sad to live in solitude. Antonio Carlos Jobim wrote the song, backed Sarah on the piano, and created the fantastic rhythm arrangement. Ray Gilbert did not lend a hand with the lyrics, but he might have helped. You may recall Roses and Roses as brought to us by a shlockmeister or two in the heyday of bossa nova. Here Sarah has composer Dorival Caymmi get us going and weigh in in Portuguese. The English lyrics are by Ray Gilbert. This is how it should be done. Empty Faces is by Milton Nascimento. He backs Sarah on acoustic guitar and on the vocal as well. Sergio Mendes vocalist Lani Hall wrote the English lyrics. Lani married Herb Alpert in 1973. I love this track. I Live To Love You was written by Luvercy Fiorini and Oscar Castro-Neves. I hope you can guess who wrote the English lyrics. This ended side 1 of the album. We turn the album over to side 2 and find The Face I Love. May I say I love The Face I Love? Marcus Valle is the composer. I hope you can guess who wrote the English lyrics. Milton Nascimento wrote Courage. Paul Williams wrote the English lyrics. I wish I could cite the musicians backing Sarah on this one, but my set of liner notes for this track are shredded. Sarah made sure that Nascimentos voice was heard. The Day It Rained what a beautiful track. Mauricio Einhorn adds the grace notes on harmonica. I hope you can guess who wrote the English lyrics. A Little Tear is by Deodato (full name: Eumir Deodato). I hope you can guess who wrote the English lyrics. Stay around for the close while Sarah trades licks with Helio Delmiro on electric guitar. You are probably familiar with Like a Lover. This track closed the album. Dori Caymmi wrote the song, backed Sarah on acoustic guitar, and added his own vocal part. The moving English lyrics are by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. It doesnt get any better than this. If you dont listen to anything else here, please give this one a try before you go. The compact disc added two bonus tracks. Bridges should have been included on the original album. Milton Nascimento composed the song and adds a vocal part in English. Thank you, Gene Lees, for writing the English lyrics. Someone To Light Up My Life is by Jobim with lyrics by Lees. Jobim backs Sarah on piano. Open your arms and sing There I was, placidly reading Michael Barones excellent column The Proximal Origin of a Scientific Fraud. Referring to the recently released emails that reveal the Proximal Origins deceit, Barone concludes: I found the cynicism revealed in these emails shocking, even though I have written critically, in July 2021 and March 2023, about government scientists attempts to discredit the lab leak theory. I note that statistics guru Nate Silver, not a member of any right-wing conspiracy, is now similarly appalled. Im deeply disappointed by the scientists conduct here and how unmoored they were from any attempt at truth-seeking, he wrote last week. The COVID origins story has also been a journalistic fiasco, he added, opining that journalists are more prone toward being manipulated by bad apples in academia and science than they were ten or twenty years ago. Evidence for that predilection comes from New York Times reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg, who last week tweeted that a House Republican hearing raised thorny questions about free speech in a democratic society: Is misinformation protected by the First Amendment? When is it appropriate for the federal government to seek to tamp down the spread of falsehoods? Leave aside the deliciously Orwellian flavor of her verb tamp down and her astonishing ignorance of First Amendment law, and reflect on how Proximal Origin suggests that the government and government-financed credentialed experts are often better at generating misinformation and falsehoods than at detecting them. With his mention of Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Barone triggered me. I was grateful to have forgotten about her. Stolberg contacted me for her her 2018 post-election profile of Ilhan Omar in Glorified and Vilified, Representative-Elect Ilhan Omar Tells Critics: Just Deal. Omar is of course made to order for the Times; she perfectly embodies the state of the left. She therefore received the mostly hagiographic treatment one would expect from the Times. This is how Stolberg treated the issue of Omars possible marriage to her brother: [A]t home in Minnesota, Ms. Omar has been dogged by claims that she briefly married her brother for immigration purposes (my emphasis). She returned to the subject in a paragraph that linked to my City Journal column The curious case of Ilhan Omar. She writes (emphasis mine again): Running for office meant upending gender norms in the Somali community, where politics is typically the province of men. It also forced Ms. Omar to make public details about her complicated private life, which became fodder for conservative bloggers, who seized on her brief marriage to a British citizen. They have since divorced; earlier this year, she married her current husband, Ahmed Hirsi, the father of her three children. Stolberg had called me to talk about my work on Omar before her story was published. She claimed familiarity with all of it. I answered the questions she posed to me by email. Disappointed by her story, I followed up with her by email: Dear Sheryl: I have read your Ilhan Omar story several times. When you treat the issue of her possible marriage to her brother (Ahmed Nur Said Elmi), you relegate it to the world of conservative bloggers and describe the marriage twice as brief. I guess that can be translated as meaning it is undeserving of further discussion. Yet Omar was married to Elmi for eight years. By what lights is that brief? Was Barack Obama briefly president of the United States? If you mean that Omar and Elmi only lived together for a year or two after they were married, why dont you say so? You know that she only got around to dissolving the marriage last year [i.e., in 2017] as she was preparing for bigger things. You only describe describe Elmi as a British citizen. Where and when did they meet? Was he a British citizen at the time she married him? Am I wrong in thinking that if Omar were an up and coming heroine of the conservative movement you might take a closer look at the question of who Ahmed Nur Said Elmi is and why Omar has treated the issue of her marriage to him as a public relations crisis about which she refuses to talk to the media (other than her extremely misleading comments to the City Pages reporter in 2016)? I dont understand your treatment of her marriage to husband number 1 either. As you know, she says that she married him culturally in 2002. You note that she has three children with him. You dont note that she has lived with him since 2002 or that she has held him out at all times as her husband, although you do note that she got around to marrying him legally this year [i.e., in 2018] again, as she was preparing for bigger things. You only describe him as her current husband. What is the story? You dispense with the story as complicated. Does that mean husband number 1 is also husband number 3? Does that mean the situation might require further explanation? Im sure Times readers could figure it out with a little help from you. Why not give them a chance? Id appreciate anything you might be willing to offer in response to these questions. Not surprisingly, I didnt hear back from Stolberg, but I continued to seethe about her story. I called and asked her why she failed to acknowledge the substance of the controversy. Stolberg told me (I am paraphrasing) that Omars election in the face of the controversy rendered the issue more or less moot. Stolberg assumed that voters were in a position to make up their own minds. However that is hard for voters to do when reporters to borrow Barones formulation are better at generating misinformation and falsehoods than at detecting them. 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(S) Securities Fraud Class Action:The complaint alleges Defendants made false and misleading statements and failed to disclose that: (1) SentinelOne lacked effective internal controls over accounting and financial reporting; (2) as a result, the company's key reported business metric annualized recurring revenue or "ARR" was overstated; and (3) as a result, the company's guidance was overstated.Investors learned the truth on June 1, 2023, when after the market closed, SentinelOne published a press release titled "SentinelOne Announces First Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results." Therein, the Company disclosed that "[a]s a result of a change in methodology and correction of historical inaccuracies, which we further describe in our letter to shareholders, we made a one-time adjustment to ARR of $27.0 million or approximately 5% of total ARR." 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For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email S@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jim Obazee as a Special Investigator to probe the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other related entities. In a letter dated 28 July, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Tinubu said the appointment of Mr Obazee, relying on the fundamental objective set forth in Section 15(5) of the Nigerian constitution, was in furtherance of his administrations anti-corruption fight. The appointment is with immediate effect and Mr Obazee is to report directly to the president. According to the letter signed by the president, the full terms of Mr Obazees engagement as a special investigator will be communicated to him in due course. Mr Obazee was the chief executive officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) before he was fired in 2017. Specific directives President Tinubu specifically directed Mr Obazee to take immediate steps to ensure the strengthening and probity of key Government Business Entities (GBEs) and block leakages in the CBN and related GBEs. He also directed the special investigator to provide a comprehensive report on public wealth currently in the hands of corrupt individuals and establishments (whether private or public). Also, the president directed Mr Obazee to investigate the CBN and related entities using a suitably experienced, competent and capable team and to work with relevant security and anti-corruption agencies to deliver on the assignment. Mr Obazee is expected to brief the president weekly on the progress being made concerning the assignment. In the letter, President Tinubu directed Mr Obazees attention to his directive to suspend the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, on 9 June. The suspended CBN boss was arrested in his Lagos home by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) a day after his suspension by Mr Tinubu. He was then flown to Abuja. The SSS is prosecuting him for possession of an unregistered firearm and the Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail last week. The SSS, shortly after the bail was granted, re-arrested him on the court premises leading to an altercation between some officers of the security service and that of the Nigerian Correctional Centre who attempted to detain him until he meets his bail conditions, as directed by the court. The secret service is yet to publicly state the reason Mr Emefiele is still being detained despite being granted bail by the court. Who is Obazee? Jim Obazee was the pioneer executive secretary and chief executive officer of the FRCN from its inception on 3 June 2011 until 9 January 2017, when he was sacked by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The position of the CEO of the council is for four years, though it can be renewed for another term by the President. As the CEO of the council, Mr Obazee was responsible for setting, monitoring and enforcing financial reporting standards and Corporate Governance Practices in both public and private sectors of the economy. Part of his official brief was to harmonise all the roles of professional and regulatory bodies in Nigeria. Little was known about the council until 2014 when his recommendation led then-President Goodluck Jonathan to suspend the then-CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi. Before the sacking, Mr Sanusi had accused the Jonathan administration of massive financial malpractice relating to the alleged misappropriation of remittances from the NNPC. Mr Obazee is a graduate of accounting from the University of Benin with a Masters degree in the same course from the University of Lagos. He also, in his capacity as the CEO of FRC in 2015, suspended from the FRC, Atedo Peterside, chairperson of Stanbic IBTC, for allegedly breaching the councils reporting rules. The implication of Mr Petersides suspension from the FRC was that he would be unable to append his signatures to all the financial reports of the bank during the period of the suspension. The council mentioned some alleged infractions in the 2013-2014 financial statements of the bank as the reason for its decision. It directed the bank to reissue its 2013 financial statements and also imposed a fine of N1 billion on the bank. Apart from Mr Peterside, the council also suspended Sola David-Borgha then MD of the bank, from the FRC. The bank later sued the Council, which eventually lifted the suspension in 2016. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria(ICAN), Mr Obazees effort to ensure compliance with a corporate governance code of the FRC stipulating 20 years for heads of not-for-profit organisations controversially forced the then General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Enoch Adeboye, to step down from the position. Mr Adeboye, however, appointed himself the global overseer of the church while he appointed Joshua Obayemi as the overseer of the church in Nigeria. A few days after ensuring compliance with the order, Mr Buhari fired Mr Obazee from office. Aside from his membership in ICAN, Mr Obazee is also a member of the Nigeria Institute of Management and the American Accounting Association. He has a certificate in strategic financial analysis for business evaluation from Harvard University, USA. His new assignment from Mr Tinubu will be the second time he will take on the CBN, though in a different circumstance. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has rejected a 25 per cent basic salary increase offered by the government. The association also rejected the N25,000 peculiar allowance approved for medical and dental doctors in the federal public service. The Bola Tinubu administration, on Wednesday, approved the rate as peculiar allowance for health workers, few hours after the doctors association began its national indefinite strike. The government conveyed the approval of the allowance to the striking doctors via a letter dated 26 July and signed by the Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Ekpo Nta. The letter reads in part; The federal government has approved the payment of an Accoutrement allowance of N25,000.00 per quarter to medical and dental doctors in hospitals, medical centres, and clinics in the federal public service. The allowance is to be paid from the overhead budget. Rejection The President of NARD, Emeka Orji, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, said the National Executive Council (NEC) of the association observed the paltry 25 per cent increment in the basic salary of doctors as contained in the circular released by NSIWC in the wake of the strike, as well as the accouterment allowance. Mr Orji said NEC rejects the increase and calls for the fulfillment of the agreement between the doctors and the Nigerian government. NEC vehemently rejects the paltry 25 per cent increment in the basic salary of doctors, as well as the accouterment allowance, adding that the associations earlier demand is for full restoration of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to its right value as at the time of the approval of the structure in 2009, he said. He said the strike continues indefinitely until reasonable progress is made by the government to address the associations demands as contained in the ultimatum earlier issued to the federal government. Doctors strike The doctors embarked on an indefinite industrial action in the early hours of Wednesday following what they described as the failure of the Nigerian government to meet their demands. This came after the expiration of a two-week ultimatum earlier issued to the government. The association said the two-week ultimatum, which ended on 19 July, was to give the government adequate time to begin implementation of the resolutions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) previously agreed on. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the strike is disrupting health services in health facilities in Lagos and Abuja, Nigerias capital city. READ ALSO: Nigerian govt to meet demands of striking doctors soon Abbas The resident doctors comprise the bulk of medical personnel in Nigerias tertiary hospitals; hence health activities are mostly crippled when they are on strike. Doctors demand The doctors are demanding, among other issues, the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), tangible steps on the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and payment of all salary arrears owed its members, since 2015. The doctors also want immediate massive recruitment of clinical staff in the hospitals and abolishment of the bureaucratic limitations to the immediate replacement of doctors and nurses who leave the system. They also want the immediate review of hazard allowance by all the state governments as well as private tertiary health institutions where any form of residency training is done. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Kaduna State, says it auctioned two helicopters at $556.2 million (N1.2 billion), because of underutilisation. The Rector and Chief Executive Officer of the institution, Alkali Modibbo, told journalists on Sunday in Zaria that the two Bell 206B III model helicopters were disposed of after satisfying all due diligence. Mr Modibbo explained that a federal government licenced auctioneer, Messrs Tresmo Nigeria Limited, was appointed to dispose of the affected helicopters sequel to the approval and valuation reports obtained from the Federal Ministries of Aviation and Works, respectively. According to him, the auctioneer paid $275,782,661.25 and $280,417,661.25 (totalling N1.2 billion) vide FGN Remita receipts bearing reference numbers 3008-4333-3046 and 1008-4304-1098, accordingly. He recalled that the Nigerian Navy expressed interest to acquire the two helicopters via a letter dated 13th December 2022, with Ref. No: NHQ:04/61/93/OPS/VOL. VII/23. I am directed to convey the compliments of the Chief of the Naval Staff to the Rector and Staff of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, and to further Express our interest to inspect the 2 Bell 206L 3 (Long Range) helicopters proposed to be disposed by your organisation. READ ALSO: The Nigerian Navy (NN) is aware that the 2 Bell 206L 3 helicopters are currently grossly underutilised due to none training of helicopter pilots at the facility. I am to respectfully inform the Rector that the NN operates a similar type of helicopter and hereby expresses its interest to inspect the helicopters for possible acquisition with a view to bolster its operations towards ensuring a safe and secure maritime environment, the letter read in part. Consequently, the Director of Tresmo Nigeria Limited, Adeyemi Apata, applied to be appointed as the auctioneer for NCAT vide a letter dated March 3, Modibbo revealed. Furthermore, the NCAT chief executive said that the Federal Ministry of Aviation in a letter dated 15th March 2023, granted approval for the disposal of the two Bell 206 helicopters to enable the college to acquire Basic Trainer Helicopters. Again, in furtherance of following due process, the college obtained the Valuation Reports of the affected helicopters from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing via a letter dated 30th March 2023. This culminated in the engagement of Messrs Tresmo as the auctioneer vide NCAT.11/1204/VOL.1/043, dated 6th April 2023, Modibbo stated. The NCAT Rector added that the auctioneer also accepted and executed the disposal of the helicopters via a letter signed by Baba Malik on 7th April 2023, which also remitted the proceeds of N1.2 billion into the Federal Government account. He, therefore, emphasised that due diligence was followed in the auctioning of the two unutilised helicopters to boost the training needs of the college. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo has expressed its readiness to participate in the forthcoming local government council election in the state. The publicity secretary of Oyo APC, Olawale Sadare, disclosed this to journalists on Saturday in Ibadan. Mr Sadare noted that the decision was reached at the weekend when its leadership conveyed a stakeholders meeting, where the majority opinion was in support of the party fielding candidates for the council poll. The unanimous decision at the stakeholder meeting held at our state secretariat was that we would participate in the election with a view to winning most of the available seats in the local government areas and local council development areas. I can assure you that by the time we are done with our final round of consultation on or before Monday, we would roll out schedule of activities since OYSIEC has written to us about the extension of the deadline for the conduct of primary which is now August 31, 2023. READ ALSO: We are progressives in politics and we are always ready to play our part as democrats. Dont forget that the main duty of political parties is to field candidates in major elections. We have had to face serious pressure from party faithful who want to contest and serve the masses at the grassroots as council chairmen and councillors, he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission has announced the timetable for the council election slated for April 2024. OYSEIC in the announcement also gave political parties permission to begin electioneering activities including party primaries to produce their respective chairmanship and councilorship candidates. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Opposition parties in Ondo State have rejected the proposal by the state government for creation of 33 local council develioment areas (LCDAs) in the state. The state executive council approved a recommendation last week for the creation of 33 LCDAs. The state Commissioner for Information, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, said the names of the LCDAS would be made public when the House of Assembly passes the bill for their creation. The government, controlled by the All Progressives Congres (APC), said the creation of new councils is to extend governance to local communities. However, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have said the plan is a mere diversionary move. The chairperson of the SDP in the state, Stephen Adewale, described it as an attempt to score cheap political goals. READ ALSO: Ordinarily, one should be pleased with the governments efforts to bring government closer to the good people of Ondo State with the introduction of 33 Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr Adewale said. If passed into law by the State House of Assembly, it would bring our local governments to 51 as the proposed 33 LCDAs are expected to share the same equal power and function with the existing 18 council areas once it becomes law and fully implemented. However, we currently have 18 LGAs, but their leadership is powerless and dependent on the state government. The situation of the existing LGAs is pathetic enough. In a clime, where the state government continues to milk the resources meant for the existing 18 LGAs, where their leadership are toothless and are at the mercy of the state government, no government would be closer to the people if the trends continue and if local governments are not allowed to operate freely. What will now happen to the newly proposed 33 LCDAs if the government is already notorious for starving the current 18 LGs of the funds they constitutionally deserve? Obviously, theirs could be worse. Mr Adewale said without genuine autonomy for the local governments, the outcome will be the same even if LCDAs are created per street. The PDP also reacted in a similar vein, saying that the move is unnecessary. The State Government has not made public the details of the 33 newly created LCDAs but even at that, the move as far as l am concerned is ill-advised, Kennedy Peretei, spokesman for the party said. How can you create new LCDAs when the existing 18 LGAs have not been efficiently run? he queried. When salaries are being owed. Have they factored the new personnel burden it will add to an already comatose Ondo State economy? When responsive state governments are reeling out palliatives to cushion the hardship induced by the Tinubu-led APC government, somebody is talking about creating LCDAs that they dont have the funds to operate, it is simply laughable. What is more, more that 48 hours after the announcement, nobody knows the identities, nomenclature or locations of the LCDAs. It is a sign of a confused government. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print RABAT, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan King Mohammed VI has stated that Morocco looks forward to seeing the improvement of the Morocco-Algeria relationship. In his speech delivered on Saturday to mark the 24th anniversary of his accession to the throne, the king expressed his wish to restore the relationship with neighboring Algeria, noting that Morocco attaches special importance to the bonds of affection, friendship, exchange, and interaction between the peoples of the two nations. Morocco on Tuesday offered condolences to the victims of Algeria's wildfires that have left many dead and injured. These two neighboring North African countries have been locked in a bitter rivalry for decades over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Algeria cut diplomatic relations with Morocco in August 2021 for what it called hostile actions by the neighbor. On March 2023, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said Algeria's relations with Morocco have reached "the point of no return." Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS on Sunday in Abuja called for the immediate release and reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum as the legitimate Head of State and Government of the Republic of Niger. In a communique at the end of the Extraordinary Summit on Socio-Political Situation in the Republic of Niger read by the President of ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, the leaders also rejected any form of purported resignation by President Bazoum and declared him as the only recognised and elected President by ECOWAS, the African Union and the international community. In this regard, only official acts of President Bazoum or his duly-mandated officials will be recognized by ECOWAS, they said. The leaders expressed strong condemnation of the attempted overthrow of constitutional order in Niger, and the illegal detention of President Bazoum, as well as members of his family and government. They demanded the full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger and considered the illegal detention of President Mohamed Bazoum as a hostage situation, holding the authors of the attempted coup detat solely and fully responsible for his safety and security and that of his family and government. In the event ECOWAS demands are not met within one week, the leaders said they would take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force for this effect, the Chiefs of Defence Staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately, the leaders said. ECOWAS leaders also condemned the pronouncement of support by foreign governments and foreign private military contractors, while expressing appreciation to various governments and partners for their stance and solidarity. The Summit hosted by President Bola Tinubu, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, also agreed to appoint and dispatch a Special Representative to deliver the demands of the authority. In response to the coup attempt, the Summit announced immediate sanctions on Niger including the closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Niger, establishing a no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger, and suspending all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Niger. Furthermore, assets of the Republic of Niger in the ECOWAS Central Bank, Niger state enterprises, and parastatals in commercial banks will be frozen. Niger will also be suspended from all financial assistance and transactions with financial institutions within ECOWAS. Additionally, travel bans and asset freezes were imposed on the military officials involved in the coup attempt, as well as their family members and civilians who accept to participate in any institution or government established by these military officials. In his closing remarks to the Summit, President Tinubu thanked fellow leaders, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office in West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simao, for their active engagement and invaluable contributions to the discussions. As we come close to this Extraordinary Summit on the socio-political situation in the Republic of Niger, I send my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your active engagement in our open and closed-door meeting. Your invaluable contributions to our discussions have got us this far and hopefully, we will achieve our objective. The essence of African unity and solidarity is hereby reaffirmed. Our unwavering commitment to democracy, peace and prosperity is hereby resolved. Throughout our deliberations, we have recognized that the challenges faced by Niger are interconnected with broader issues affecting our region. As African leaders, it is our shared responsibility to foster stability and progress, placing the wellbeing of our people at the forefront of our endeavours, and working together towards their prosperity and happiness must always consistently, be our goals and consistently. We will stand with our people in freedom and our commitment to the rule of law and not the barrel of gun. Africa has come of age. We reject coup and interruption to constitutional order. Thank you for coming, he said. Before the Summit, the President also held bilateral meetings with President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau, President Mahmat Iddris Deby Itno of Chad, and Michael Health, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of African Affairs. Presidents Patrice Talon of Benin Republic, Alassane Ouattara of Cote dIvoire, Adama Barrow of The Gambia, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Embalo of Guinea Bissau, Macky Sall of Senegal, Faure Gnassingbe of Togo attended the Summit while the Presidents of Cape Verde, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone were represented. Dele Alake Special Adviser to the President (Special Duties, Communications and Strategy) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, say they have detained an unnamed officer under whose watch a robbery suspect escaped. The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. Background The police, on Thursday, arrested two male robbery suspects in Obosi, a community in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state. The two arrested suspects were identified as Amaechi Precious, 25, an indigene of the community and Almazer Avalumo, 25, from Adikpo in Benue State. A report later emerged alleging that one of the suspects was tortured to death while the second suspect was released from police custody on Friday and handed over to Movement Against Cultism in Obosi, an anti-cultism and vigilante group in the community. Police react But, in a statement on Sunday, Mr Ikenga denied the allegation, explaining that the two suspects were neither tortured nor released to any group. The police spokesperson said the commissioner of police in the state had, on receiving a report of the arrest, ordered that the suspects be taken to a hospital for treatment of gunshot injuries sustained in the course of their arrest. He said both suspects were taken to the hospital and that one of them died at the hospital at night. Two days later, the other suspect outwitted his police guard in the hospital and escaped. The police officer on that shift was arrested and detained, Mr Ikenga said. He (the arrested officer) is currently undergoing a disciplinary procedure that may result in dismissal. The police spokesperson enjoined Nigerians to disregard the report, which he described as vile propaganda seeking to paint the police in bad light. He assured that the police in Anambra State were committed to protecting the lives and property of all state residents. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has joined the Nigerian Senate in appealing to the Federal Government to extradite Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based factional leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to Nigeria for prosecution. The governor stated this at Government House in Owerri during a familiarisation visit by the new General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, H. T. Dada. It is indeed my hope that working with other security agencies the Nigerian Army would address the issue of insecurity, kidnapping, banditry, murder and other sorts of criminalities in the South-east zone. What is topmost on our list in this sit-at-home order from one man called Simon Ekpa from somewhere in Finland? It is our hope that the security agencies, working with the Federal Government, will be able to bring Simon Ekpa back to Nigeria to also sit at home with us, the governor said. A video clip of the meeting was posted on Twitter on Saturday. Mr Uzodinmas appeal came after Nnamdi Kanu, the detained IPOB leader, who the federal government is prosecuting on terrorism charges, issued a letter directing Mr Ekpa to desist from issuing sit-at-home orders in the South-east region. Mr Kanu, in a handwritten letter addressed to Mr Ekpa, directed him to make a public announcement acknowledging receipt of the letter, PREMIUM TIMES reported. Mr Ekpa, one of Mr Kanus lieutenants, claimed to have taken over the leadership of the outlawed group following Mr Kanus incarceration. IPOB, which is agitating for the creation of a sovereign state for Biafra, introduced about two years ago a sit-at-home every Monday across the five South-east states to pressure the federal government to release Mr Kanu. The groups deployment of force, kidnappings and killings to enforce compliance has paralysed the economy of the states as shops, markets, and other business activities remained closed whenever the order is enforced. Governor Uzodinma told the visiting GOC to do all within his power to restore peace in the region, adding that the people deserve to enjoy their rights and privileges in going about their legitimate engagements without fear, harassment and cruel attacks, especially by non-state actors. Speaking earlier, Mr Dada, a major general, told the governor that he had been mandated by the chief of army staff to restore peace in the region and solicited support from the people of the region. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As Nigerias President and ECOWAS chairperson Bola Tinubu prepares to host what may become a significant moment in the recent history of the West African region and his term as leader of the bloc, he is faced with a cocktail of options from which he must choose wisely. On Sunday, leaders of ECOWAS will convene in Abuja for a special session at the request of Mr Tinubu to discuss the recent coup in Niger, the sixth in the sub-region since 2020. ECOWAS condemned the coup with the chairperson promising that ECOWAS and the international community would do everything to defend democracy and ensure democratic governance continues to take firm root in the sub-region. The coup in Niger has been widely condemned by the international community with the African Union (AU) giving the coup plotters 15 days to relinquish power However, locally in Niger, the coup has elicited mixed reactions as some, including the army, are in support of the presidential guards responsible for the rebellion and others against it. Sundays session is expected to produce a roadmap on how to tackle the situation in Niger while also demonstrating the unacceptability of coups in the subregion as Mr Tinubu said in his first speech as leader of ECOWAS. A source close to the Nigerian president but who does not have permission to speak to the press said ECOWAS ambassadors already made recommendations to the heads of state who will attend the meeting. He told PREMIUM TIMES that decisions will be taken at the meeting on how to deal with the challenge in Niger. What are the options available? Although the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance spells out steps Mr Tinubu can take or initiate in an attempt to restore constitutional rule in Niger, they are not without consequences. In the event that democracy is abruptly brought to an end by any means or where there is a massive violation of Human Rights in a Member State, ECOWAS may impose sanctions on the State concerned, the protocol stipulates. It goes further to state that the sanctions may take several forms, in increasing order of severity including refusal to support the candidates presented by the Member State concerned for elective posts in international organisations, refusal to organise ECOWAS meetings in the Member State concerned and suspension of the Member State concerned from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies. During the period of the suspension, the Member State concerned shall be obliged to pay its dues for the period. During the period of suspension, ECOWAS shall continue to monitor, encourage and support the efforts being made by the suspended Member State to return to normalcy and constitutional order. The above recommendations of the protocol may seem to be the magic wand needed to return Niger to status-quo but history has shown how ineffective the sanctions are. Mali and Burkina Faso are clear examples of where sanctions did not serve as a deterrent to coup plotters. For Olubukola Adesina, a professor of political science at the University of Ibadan, Mr Tinubu has only two options to pick. It is either he talks tough or tries to use diplomacy, she said, adding that if he talks tough, he may want to consider sanctions, travel bans or even an invasion but one cannot tell what the consequences of an invasion may be in this age and time. On the other hand, Ms Adesina noted that ECOWAS can try to convince the coup plotters to return to democratic rule by organising elections as soon as possible especially because the coup plotters appear to have the support of the people. Because for a coup to be successful, it means that people are not averse to it. So the only thing we can do is to try to see how the coup leader can be convinced to convene a democratic election quickly, she told PREMIUM TIMES. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the coup plotters claimed that the coup was carried out due to the deteriorating security situation and the bad social and economic conditions in Niger. They have also received support from the army. Ms Adesina, however, recommended that ECOWAS toes the line of diplomacy as oftentimes, sanctions are only symbolic. Coups are no longer fashionable. Democracy remains the way forward albeit fraught with its own challenges, she added. A former Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Martin Agwai, expanded the options available to include diplomacy, negotiation and talks with external partners if they exist. The retired military officer suggested that pressure from various political and economic blocs like the UN, EU, AU and ECOWAS could be deployed in removing the coup plotters legally. However, this can only work if the mutinous soldiers do not have the support of the people, he said. In the case of Niger, they do not only have the support of the people but also have the support of the army and so, diplomatic pressure may not work. Another option available to Mr Tinubu according to Mr Agwai is to deploy the military to sweep out the coup plotters should they refuse to hand over power to the democratically elected president. But, Mr Agwai noted, that this will end as a bad choice as there will be loss of lives and property which may further plunge Niger into a worse situation. He added that ECOWAS would also have to ascertain if there are any external influences or interests in the coup and may consider talks. For Gbemisola Animasawun, an associate professor at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, sanctions are not efficient and should not be an option in Sundays talks. ECOWAS should negotiate with the coup leaders, he said. He noted that sanctions only impoverish the people and exclude the actual culprits. When this happens, the sanction becomes a tool in the hand of the coup plotters where they play on the emotions of the people, convincing them that the sanctioning power has ulterior motives aside from entrenching democracy. This will most likely be the case in Niger given the basis upon which the coup plotters claimed to have ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and the support they have received so far, he said. Anti-French sentiments have continued to grow strongly within French-speaking states in Africa and will be a convenient spin to use in order to rally Nigeriens against any sanctions. Mr Animasawun noted that the coup in Niger is not entirely a surprise given the coup contagion, especially in Francophone Africa. However, to address Niger, Mr Tinubu has to choose between stability and democracy which may not necessarily be exclusive of each other but will require the president (Tinubu) to tread carefully, he said. Stability and Democracy because an unstable Niger has implications for Nigerias war on terrorism. Whatever happens in Niger has implications for our national security and geopolitical interest. It also has an implication for the personae of Tinubu as the president of Nigeria and the leader of ECOWAS, he explained. Contrary to the general assumption that democracy brings about stability, Mr Animasawun explained, it is not automatic because if democracy does not deliver and fails to be inclusive then there will be no stability. Not all undemocratic states are unstable and not all democratic states are stable, he said, giving the example of Libya which was stable until Gaddafi was removed. According to him, Libya was stable because it was a kind of government that met the needs of the people but for some freedoms that were curtailed. Its economic indices at the time however placed it above many economies in Africa. It is the push towards democracy that has made Libya now unstable, Mr Animasawun said. Additionally, Mr Tinubu must balance his role as the leader of ECOWAS and also as the president of Nigeria keeping in mind Nigerias geopolitical interest (security) not necessarily the type of government, he said. When asked what the implication of choosing between stability and democracy will be, Mr Animasawun said while one will be realistic, the other will be symbolic. The realistic part is that if we go for stability, that would likely be at the expense of democracy which will take away from the symbolic position or value of President Tinubu as the leader of ECOWAS, he explained. A middle ground exists, he believes. It will be to find a reconciliation between stability and democracy which is quickly putting in place a transition plan as the coup leader cannot be forcefully removed as it may worsen an already bad case. He noted that Mr Tinubu must take lessons on legitimacy and good governance from what is happening in Niger especially considering the sentiments around his own elections in Nigeria. One fundamental basis for successful mediation is the credentials of the mediator. If a mediator is faced with questions of credibility or legitimacy then he or she must tread cautiously, Wilson Ijide, a retired colonel and lecturer at the Department of Psychology and Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, said alluding to Mr Tinubus own challenges. He said this crisis of legitimacy faced by Mr Tinubu will naturally affect the efficacy of the intervention by ECOWAS. In spite of the foregoing, the options available to Tinubu and ECOWAS ahead of Sundays meeting is to face reality and negotiate ways towards smooth handover to a democratically elected government within a feasible timetable, Mr Ijide told PREMIUM TIMES, adding that there should be no grandstanding by ECOWAS on this. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The UN Security Council members have called for the immediate and unconditional release of Nigers democratically elected President Mohammed Bazoum. The Security Council members, in a statement, underscored the need to protect him, his family and members of his government. Earlier, the demand to release the President of Niger was voiced by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other UN top officials. On Wednesday, a group of Nigerien military officers made a television announcement declaring a coup, after members of the presidents own guard detained him inside his offices in the capital city of Niamey. According to news reports, the attempted coup did not have the backing of the entire military, but the head of the army announced that he supported the move. The Security Council members expressed concern over the negative impact of unconstitutional changes of government in the region, increase in terrorist activities and the dire socio-economic situation. They also underlined their regret over the developments in Niger, which undermine efforts at consolidating the institutions of governance and peace in that country. The Council expressed support for the efforts of the Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS), the African Union and the United Nations. READ ALSO: They welcomed their statements reaffirming their opposition to any seizure of power by unconstitutional means, as well as the calls to the forces involved to refrain from violence, hand over power and return to their barracks. Reiterating support for efforts to reverse unconstitutional government changes, the Council backed ECOWAS and the African Union in strengthening governance and normative frameworks. In solidarity with the people of Niger, the Council emphasised the importance of protecting civilians and providing humanitarian assistance during this challenging time. Meanwhile, West African leaders will hold an emergency meeting in Abuja on Sunday under the auspices of ECOWAS to, among other things, discuss possible sanctions. Sundays meeting is at the request of Nigerias President Bola Tinubu, the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. Mr Tinubus Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, disclosed this in a statement he signed on Friday, titled President Tinubu hosts ECOWAS special meeting on Niger. Tinubu had on Wednesday condemned the current political situation in the neighbouring country, promising that ECOWAS and the international community will do everything to defend democracy and ensure democratic governance continues to take firm root in the sub-region. EU suspends budget support, security cooperation with Niger The European Union (EU) says it has suspended its financial support and cooperation on security with Niger with immediate effect following the military coup there. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell disclosed this in a statement. The coup leaders declared General Abdourahamane Tiani as head of state on Friday, ousting President Mohamed Bazoum. The EU, the United States, and other countries have called for the unconditional release of Bazoum from detention and the restoration of democratic order in the country. In addition to the immediate cessation of budget support, all cooperation actions in the domain of security are suspended indefinitely with immediate effect, Mr Borrell said. Niger is a major recipient of Western aid and a key partner of the European Union in helping contain irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa. The EU also has a small number of troops in Niger for a military training mission. The European bloc has allocated 503 million euros ($554 million) from its budget to improve governance, education and sustainable growth in Niger over 2021-2024, according to its website. (Reuters/NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC), on Friday, announced a 15-day ultimatum for coup plotters in Niger to return to the barracks. The council asked the military personnel to immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum period of fifteen (15) days from the date of the adoption of the present Communique, the Council said in its communique. The council did not state what actions would be taken should the coup plotters not return to the barracks after 15 days. During the meeting convened virtually to discuss the coup in Niger, members expressed deep concern over what they described as an alarming resurgence of military coups detat which undermine democracy, peace, security and stability in the Continent. It condemned the coup, reiterating AUs zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government while asking for the immediate and unconditional release of President Mohamed Bazoum and all other detainees, and respect for human rights, including protection of their physical health and moral integrity. Additionally, the AUPSC warned that it will take necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators, should the rights of political detainees not be respected. READ ALSO: Members of the presidential guard on Wednesday led by Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane, announced they had carried out a coup and closed all West African borders. The coup follows the continuous deterioration of the security situation and the bad social and economic management, Mr Abdramane said. The AUPSC also commended ECOWAS and President Bola Tinubu who will today convene a meeting of ECOWAS heads of states, whose outcome they look forward to. Reaffirming its solidarity and support for Niger, it said it will work in close coordination with other regional actors. Coup plotters defiant, threaten ECOWAS Ahead of the Sunday summit, the military leaders in Niger on Saturday night warned, in a statement read on Niger national television, against any military intervention. The objective of the (ECOWAS) meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are non-members of ECOWAS, and certain Western countries, junta spokesman Colonel Amadou Abdramane said. We want to once more remind ECOWAS or any other adventurer, of our firm determination to defend our homeland, he said. The junta issued a second statement on Saturday night inviting citizens in the capital to take to the streets from 7 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) to protest against ECOWAS and show support for the new military leaders. Sundays ECOWAS meeting of heads of government will hold in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. It will also be attended by the president of Chad, which though is not an ECOWAS member, shares borders with Niger and Nigeria. The military coup in Niger has been widely condemned by its neighbours and international partners who have refused to recognise the new leaders and have demanded that Mr Bazoum be restored to power. Mr Bazoum has not been heard from since early Thursday when he was confined within the presidential palace, although the European Union, France, and others say they still recognise him as the legitimate president. The European Union and France have cut off financial support to Niger and the United States has threatened to do the same. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on Sunday, announced a one-week ultimatum for coup plotters in Niger to hand over power to the democratically elected government or risk the use of force. in the event the authorities demands are not met within one week, take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger such measures may include the use of force, the ECOWAS communique stated. The communique was read by ECOWAS Commission chairperson, Omar Touray, at the Extraordinary Summit held in Abuja and convened in response to the Wednesday coup in Niger. To this effect, all ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff are to meet immediately. The defence chiefs were charged with holding accountable all those responsible for violence and terror against the lives and property of innocent citizens and residents of Niger. Reading the communique in Abuja, Mr Touray noted that the bloc had collectively reached several resolutions including that President Mohammed Bazoum remains the legitimate elected president and head of state of the Republic of Niger as recognized by ECOWAS, AU and the international community. Again, ECOWAS condemned in the strongest terms what it described as the attempted overthrow of constitutional order in Niger and the illegal detention of Mr Bazoum, members of his family and government officials while calling for the presidents immediate release and reinstatement. It also condemned the illegal detention of the president since Wednesday, calling it a hostage situation. The bloc added that it would not accept any purported resignation from Mr Bazoum. In the usual style of coups, heads of state are often coerced into resignation. ECOWAS said that authors of the attempted coup are solely and fully responsible for the safety and security of His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoum as well as members of his family and government. A special representative will be appointed and dispatched to Niger to deliver the demands of ECOWAS to the rebelling forces. The bloc also condemned foreign governments and private military contractors supporting the coup, although it did not name any of them. Other resolutions ECOWAS also imposed immediate sanctions on Niger while waiting for the one-week ultimatum to elapse. It declared the immediate closure of air and land borders between ECOWAS Member States and Niger and the imposition of a no-fly zone between ECOWAS and Niger. It also suspended all commercial and financial transactions between Member States and Niger. It also ordered the freezing of all deals with Niger including energy deals. Assets of Niger in ECOWAS central banks will also be frozen as well as assets of all other public enterprises and institutions in Niger. Additionally, travel bans have been imposed on all soldiers involved in the coup and their accounts frozen. Their family members and civilians who agree to take part in any institutions and government established by the coup plotters will also have their accounts frozen. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The governor of Adamawa State has declared a 24-hour curfew across the state after some residents broke into government-owned and private food stores on Sunday. Witnesses told PREMIUM TIMES that the looters complained of hardship following the removal of subsidy on petrol and the high cost of foodstuffs. Aside from food items, people were also seen with items such as generator sets, mattresses, and other non-food items were said to have been looted from stores owned by private individuals, a resident, Manu Haruna, told PREMIUM TIMES. The chief press secretary to the governor, Humwashi Wonosikou, announced the curfew on Sunday afternoon. He said the government was compelled to announce the sit-at-home order to check the activities of the looters in the state capital looting shops and stores. The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has declared a 24-hour curfew on the state, effective immediately Sunday 30th July 2023. Governor Fintiri said the curfew followed the dangerous dimension the activities of hoodlums had assumed across the state capital as they attacked people with matches and broke into business premises carting away property. With the curfew imposed, there will be no movement throughout the state. Fintiri said only those on essential duties with valid identification would be permitted to move around during the period of the curfew. The Governor is appealing to citizens and residents of the state to comply with the directive, adding that any person found contravening the order would be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law, Mr Wonosikou wrote in the Sunday press release. The police command in the state similarly released a statement warning residents to be law-abiding and stay away from chaotic activities. The states commissioner of police, Afolabi Babatola, said he had deployed a team drawn from different units to enforce the 24-hour curfew declared by the state government. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has confirmed that the IPOB leader indeed declared an end to the controversial sit-at-home in the South-east. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to Mr Kanu, disclosed that the IPOB leader ordered a pro-Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, to stop issuing sit-at-home orders in the region. Mr Ejimakor, on his verified Twitter handle on Friday, posted copies of Mr Kanus handwritten letter to Mr Ekpa, whom he also instructed to stop antagonising governors and other political leaders in the region. Mr Ekpa, based in Finland, has been declaring sit-at-home in the region, which he said was mainly to demand the release of the IPOB leader. After Mr Ejimakor made the letter from Mr Kanu public, Mr Ekpa described it as fake, claiming it was written by authorities of the State Security Service (SSS) and not the IPOB leader. He said attributing the letter to Mr Kanu was a joke and an insult. As the prime minister of Biafra under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, I call on all Biafrans to disregard the fake letter coming from the SSS. We cant take any order from the Islamic SSS, and that is final, Mr Ekpa wrote on his verified Twitter handle on Friday night. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu must be released, and he must address Biafrans from Finland. That is the condition of the prime minister of Biafra and the Biafra Republican Government in Exile, he stated. More confirmation But in a statement on Saturday, Mr Ejiofor restated that the IPOB leader directed that the sit-at-home in the region must be stopped. To this end, we urge all Ezigbo Umu Chineke and, indeed, the members of the public to respect and carry out the wishes of Onyendu and, accordingly, desist from any further engagement with those whose primary intention is to ensure that Onyendu is kept in perpetual captivity, and consequently, destroy the entire South-east through unauthorised sit-at-home and its enforcement, he said. The lawyer said those enforcing the order in the region had failed woefully, adding that they would be soon prosecuted for their actions. Onyendu is a name used to refer to Mr Kanu. It is an Igbo expression which means the leader. The expression Ezigbo Umu Chineke is often used for the Igbos in the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria. The expression means good children of God. Kanu finally undergoes medical examination Mr Ejiofor also announced that Mr Kanu had finally undergone his medical examination in an unnamed hospital in Abuja. We are pleased to inform you that Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu met with his choice personal physician yesterday (Friday) in a hospital in Abuja, outside the facility of the State Security Service (SSS), he said. As part of the protocol, I witnessed the consultation. The medical examination was seamless and productive, and he (Kanu) will be progressing to the next stage soon, the lawyer added. Mr Kanu, facing a terrorism trial at the Federal High Court Abuja, has been in detention at the SSS facility since he was rearrested in June 2021. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A total of 2,648 students on Sunday graduated during the 21st undergraduate and 12th postgraduate convocation ceremony of Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, South-West Nigeria. The universitys Vice-Chancellor, Ademola Tayo, in his address, noted that of the total figure, 2,065 undergraduates received their diplomas and degrees, while 415 graduated from the postgraduate school. This is as the National Universities Commission (NUC), the regulatory agency for universities in Nigeria, has urged academic institutions to keep adapting to meet the shifting demands of our society in the constantly changing environment of higher education. Details of graduands Giving the details of the graduands, the vice-chancellor said a total of 136 bagged First Class, with the duo of Nancy Philip and Ngozi Oluwatayo emerging as the best graduands, as they recorded 4.95 and 4.51 Cumulative Gradient Point Average (CGPAs), respectively. While Ms Philip emerged as the best graduand for the full-time programme, Ms Oluwatayo was for the part-time degree programme. Mr Tayo, a professor, described this years convocation ceremonies as unique, even as he commended the promoters of the institution for what he described as their foresight and unwavering commitment to its sustainability. He said: We proudly celebrate over two decades of unwavering commitment to nurturing young minds and transforming them into competent, compassionate, and responsible leaders of tomorrow. This years graduation is unique in the sense that we have eminent personalities graduating from our postgraduate programmes. We have notable personalities such as a High Court Judge, Managing Directors of reputable organisations, Chief Medical Director of a University Teaching Hospital, Provosts of Colleges and Heads of Departments from various universities graduating today. Also, this graduation is unique because it is the first time that the university is producing her PhD graduates in Nursing, History, Economics and Finance. BU in 21 years The vice-chancellor, who reeled out a series of achievements recorded by the institution, which was established in 1999, said within its 21 years of existence, it had produced quality graduates who he noted have continued to impact the world positively. He said as of Sunday, its wide range of 40 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes offered had been accredited by NUC, the International Board of Education (IBE), and the Adventist Accrediting Association (AAA) in the USA. He said the university recently got another five-year full accreditation status for its Family and Community Medicine programme from the West African College of Physicians and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. The VC, who boasted of its students excellent performance at both national and international competitions, said 12 of its candidates for the final Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) examination graduated with distinctions, adding that Belusochi Joe-Ikechebelu emerged as the overall best medical graduate and the winner of the Best Graduating Medical Student Award instituted by Professor Joseph Ikechebelu. NUCs charge The Acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Chris Maiyaki, who was represented at the event by the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to implementing policies that will transform university education in Nigeria. He said as part of its mandate to regulate the programmes and activities of the universities NUC recently embarked on curriculum re-engineering from Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) to Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS). The innovation, he noted, allows universities to develop 30 per cent of their programmes to suit their local peculiarities. ALSO READ: Management apologises as hackers upload porn videos on Babcock University website He said: By implementing policies and making significant expenditures aimed at bolstering our higher education institutions, the Federal Government, and in fact the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, are prepared to transform the educational landscape. The President is passionate about promoting infrastructure development and providing funds for cutting-edge, demand-driven research. To solve the ongoing crisis in universities, it is also his key priority to ensure the welfare of the faculty and students at higher education institutions. Let me also add that the core of Mr Presidents agenda is to help our teeming youngsters, such as these graduating students, to create the ideal conditions for them to develop their creative ideas into successful global enterprises. He also commended Babcock University for creating entrepreneurial minds, as demonstrated by Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi, who graduated from the university and went on to start Paystack, a global financial technology platform. The Federal Government is still dedicated to working in collaboration with universities like Babcock University to maintain our educational systems leadership in development and innovation, he said. Dignitaries Some of the dignitaries who graced the event included the Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi; Liberias Education Minister, Dao Sonii, a professor; Chief Executive Officer of an America-based firm- Axxess, John Olajide; the universitys Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Yohanna Harry, a pastor, and the Chancellor and Chairman of the universitys Board of Trustees, Robert Osei-Bonsu, among others. The prominent figures commended the university management for maintaining the standard and consistency in its approach to changing the narrative of university education in Nigeria and Africa. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), delivers an important speech during his inspection of the air force of the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on July 26, 2023. Xi made the inspection tour ahead of China's Army Day, which falls on Aug. 1. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, Xi extended sincere greetings to all the officers and soldiers of the air force of the command, as well as festival greetings to service personnel of the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of militia and reserve forces. (Xinhua/Li Gang) CHENGDU, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to speed up efforts to boost the modernization of the armed forces. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks on Wednesday in southwest China's Sichuan Province while inspecting the air force of the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Xi made the inspection tour ahead of China's Army Day, which falls on Aug. 1. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, Xi extended sincere greetings to all the officers and soldiers of the air force of the command, as well as festival greetings to service personnel of the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of militia and reserve forces. It is imperative to remain committed to accomplishing the various tasks entrusted by the Party and the people, Xi said. Xi stressed the need to enhance military preparedness and ensure airspace security by thoroughly carrying out regular air defense. Xi demanded an accelerated pace of pushing new equipment and forces to form combat forces. The new equipment and forces should be integrated into the current combat systems, he added. Xi also called for continuous efforts to carry out training under real combat conditions. The Party must maintain leadership over the armed forces in ideological, political, and organizational terms, Xi said. Xi ordered strict steps to improve Party conduct and enforce Party discipline, and concrete efforts to carry out the education campaign among the armed forces to break new ground for its development. Senior military official He Weidong took part in the inspection. If anything, there is recent evidence that Africans in many countries are increasingly open to the return of military rule under certain conditions. This is a tragic turn of events. The continent can still stem this tide but, to do that, Africas institutions can no longer afford to certify crooked elections or approbate presidents who manufacture ways to stay in power until the day after eternity. What is good against the soldiers must be good also for their civilian wannabes. In July 2013, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, then Egypts army chief, sacked his benefactor and Egypts first democratically elected president, President Mohammed Morsi, in a military coup, installed himself as military ruler of the country and suspended the countrys constitution. 11 months later, at the end of May 2014, the General proclaimed himself the elected ruler of Egypt, winning 93% of the votes in an election with a pre-determined outcome in which he was the only candidate with any chance of being declared winner. The African Union, which had previously decided that coup plotters should not use the benefit of their incumbency to confer democratic legitimacy on themselves, quickly embraced General Sisi, even making him Chair of their Assembly of Heads of State and Government in his first term four years later. In the decade since the overthrow of President Morsi until the beginning of this year, the continent has witnessed at least 21 attempts by the military to take over power in various countries, of which at least eight were successful. The successful military coups occurred coups began with the overthrow of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe in 2017. Guinea has witnessed one such coup, while Sudan, Mali, and Burkina Faso have experienced two each. Since 1950, 45% of coups and attempted coups worldwide have occurred in Africa. Since 2013, 62.5% of successful coups on the continent have been in West Africa. In October 2021, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, described this trend as an epidemic of coups. But not all the coups in Africa have been by the military. The continents count of coups now also must include the overthrow of constitutions by civilian rulers elected under them. Take Guinea (Conakry), for instance, where former President, Alpha Conde, who was term limited, decided to make himself life president. In April 2020, he organised a civilian coup in the form of a violent referendum in which scores were killed, manufactured entirely with the pre-determined outcome of enabling him transform his expired presidential tenure into a life presidency. All this happened with the blessing of Africas regional institutions, including the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) who first gave a clean bill of health to the referendum and then certified the pre-determined election that followed in October 2020 as kosher, even before the results were announced. Almost exactly on the decade-long anniversary of General Sisis coup in Egypt, presidential guards in Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic, sacked the government of President Mohamed Bazoum in a palace coup, bringing to an end, the countrys tortured experiment in elective government, which began in 2000. It was Nigers fifth successful coup in 50 years, an average of one every decade. Two weeks before this coup, on 12 July, the AU launched the Africa Governance Report, 2023 with a focus, ironically, on coups in Africa. When longtime strongman and president of Chad, Idris Deby Itno, was killed by rebels in April 2021, the military in Ndjamena took the opportunity to topple the constitution and install his son, a General, as new president. The African Union, whose executive arm is headed by a loyal acolyte of the Deby military-political family in Chad, took it upon itself to invent a justification for the coup in Chad, claiming that it was necessitated by a security imperative imposed by an attack by foreign mercenaries. The AU did not see it fit to extend the same rationale to Burkina Faso, which it suspended at the beginning of February 2022 after a coup, despite the fact that the country had been under prolonged assault by foreign jihadists. Over the years, therefore, the continents regional institutions, including ECOWAS and the AU, have shown a marked lack of fidelity to the principles of democratic governance. Despite a much touted prohibition against coups, they have developed an unhealthy habit of certifying crooked elections and legitimising indefinite presidential tenures. This makes it impossible to take them seriously when they condemn military coups. By the time, for instance, the military overthrew Alpha Conde in September 2021, both the AU and ECOWAS had long sacrificed their ability to condemn the coup with any credibility or authority. Almost exactly on the decade-long anniversary of General Sisis coup in Egypt, presidential guards in Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic, sacked the government of President Mohamed Bazoum in a palace coup, bringing to an end, the countrys tortured experiment in elective government, which began in 2000. It was Nigers fifth successful coup in 50 years, an average of one every decade. Two weeks before this coup, on 12 July, the AU launched the Africa Governance Report, 2023 with a focus, ironically, on coups in Africa. General Abdourahmane Tchiani, who has now been announced as Nigers latest strongman, was supposed to be in charge of protecting the man whom he has overthrown. His reasons for leading the coup reprises a familiar litany by the regions putschists, at the top of which is rising insecurity. Al Jazeera has rightly described this as the go to reason for all recent coup plotters in Africas Sahel. The military takeover in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, justified on similar grounds, have made no significant dent on the Islamist violence and tide of insecurity in both countries. The outcome is unlikely to be different in Niger. The installation of soldiers as the new rulers in Niamey consummates a takeover of the Sahel from the Atlantic Coast in Conakry to the Gulf in Port Sudan by military strongmen. It is the latest in a blowback against the international strategy of securitising responses to stability and migration in North Africa through support for convenient authoritarianism in the Sahelian corridor. Ironically, the biggest loser in this turn of events, has been France, which has done the most in evolving, supporting, and promoting this strategy. Six weeks before the coup in Niamey, the European Union on 8 June announced military assistance worth 4.7 million to support the Nigerien Armed Forces with military equipment designed to deliver lethal force in full respect of relevant international law. According to the EU, the assistance measure will strengthen the operational capacities of the Nigerien Armed Forces by facilitating the mobility, presence and security of the land forces in the most insecure areas of Niger. It is uncertain whether any of the equipment delivered under this programme of assistance was deployed in this coup. However, the symbolisms are at best wretched and it is difficult for the EU to escape the imputations that must flow from the optics. When they meet on 30 July in Abuja, Heads of State of the ECOWAS are likely to announce a familiar menu of measures, including suspension of Niger from the Community, likely to be followed shortly thereafter by similar measures by the African Union. In 20 years, the African Union has implemented such measures in at least 14 member countries. That has not stemmed the rising attraction of coups on the continent. The international response to the events in Niamey, meanwhile, has been somewhat confusing. ECOWAS, led by Nigeria, has been vociferous in its condemnation of the coup and has scheduled an extraordinary summit in Abuja on Sunday, 30 July (as this column goes to press) to deliberate on the situation. For its part, the Peace and Security Council of the AU, in a communique on 28 July, frowned at the alarming resurgence of military coups and asked Nigers military to immediately and unconditionally return to the barracks. Around the region, however, many question the authority of both institutions on this subject matter, holding them complicit for a series of squalid elections around the continent and for the rich supply of members of the AUs rulers who lack any credibility on the subject matter of upholding democratic legitimacy. Beneath an appearance of unanimity in condemnation of the coup in Niamey from around the world, however, there lurks a significant divergence in the details. France, for instance, has announced that it will decline recognition to the new strongmen in Niamey. By contrast, the United Nations which has still not found time on its agenda for the war in Sudan has asked them for an immediate and unconditional release of deposed President Bazoum, implying a limited recognition of sorts. The United State has made a similar demand. When they meet on 30 July in Abuja, Heads of State of the ECOWAS are likely to announce a familiar menu of measures, including suspension of Niger from the Community, likely to be followed shortly thereafter by similar measures by the African Union. In 20 years, the African Union has implemented such measures in at least 14 member countries. That has not stemmed the rising attraction of coups on the continent. If anything, there is recent evidence that Africans in many countries are increasingly open to the return of military rule under certain conditions. This is a tragic turn of events. The continent can still stem this tide but, to do that, Africas institutions can no longer afford to certify crooked elections or approbate presidents who manufacture ways to stay in power until the day after eternity. What is good against the soldiers must be good also for their civilian wannabes. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police command in Adamawa State says it has arrested 44 suspects over Sunday afternoon unrest and widespread looting of food stores and warehouses in the states capital, Yola. The police spokesperson, Suleiman Nguroje, said a combined team of security operatives had controlled the situation. The police warned that anybody found causing unrest within the state capital and other towns in the state will be dealt with. Presently, the joint security operatives had arrested 44 suspects from different locations across the state found demonstrating. Already investigation into the matter has commenced, recoveries had been made from the arrested miscreants. Items like water pumps and seeds looted from the stores were seized from the suspects. Our security men are doing well; they have cordoned up all the important places in the state capital, Mr Nguroje explained. According to the police spokesperson, security agencies have successfully dispersed the looters after the deployment of massive security operatives in good time to nip the situation in the bud. The police command commended the law-abiding citizens for obeying the 24-hour curfew imposed by the state government He said those arrested for causing problems and looting will be charged with armed robbery. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the government of Adamawa State declared a 24-hour curfew across the state after some residents broke into government-owned and private food stores. Witnesses said the looters complained of hardship following the removal of the subsidy on petrol and the high cost of foodstuffs. Aside from food items, people were also seen with things such as generator sets, mattresses, and other non-food items were said to have been looted from stores owned by private individuals, a resident, Manu Haruna, earlier said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB,) says the IPOB leader has finally undergone his medical examination. Mr Ejiofor, in a statement on Saturday, said Mr Kanu underwent the medical examination in an unnamed hospital in Abuja on Friday. We are pleased to inform you that Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu met with his choice personal physician yesterday (Friday) in a hospital in Abuja, outside the facility of the State Security Service (SSS), he said. As part of the protocol, I witnessed the consultation. The medical examination was seamless and productive, and he (Kanu) will be progressing to the next stage soon, the lawyer added. Mr Kanu, facing a terrorism trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, has been detained at the SSS facility since he was rearrested in June 2021. Background Mr Kanu, since 2022, repeatedly requested access to his medical doctors to enable him to conduct an independent medical examination, as earlier ordered by the Federal High Court, Abuja, on 20 October 2021. But the SSS declined to allow a private medical examination of the separatist leader. Angered by the SSS action, Mr Kanu, through his lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, sued the SSS at the Federal High Court Abuja. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2341/2022, the IPOB leader prayed to the court for an order granting him unhindered access to medical doctors of his choice for his health condition. The SSS, through their lawyer, A.M. Danladi, asked the court to discountenance the application, arguing that records show the IPOB leader was clinically stable. The secret police insisted that Mr Kanu had been receiving adequate medical attention at its facility. But delivering judgement on 20 July, the judge, Binta Nyako, ordered the SSS to grant Mr Kanu access to his medical records and doctors of his choice. Ms Nyako hinged her decision on Section 7 of the Anti-Torture Act, 2017, which provides that a person arrested, detained or undergoing custodial investigation shall have the right to demand a physical and psychological examination by an independent and competent doctor of his own choice after interrogation. The court said Mr Kanu was constitutionally entitled to his medical records and personal physicians for an independent medical examination. It further held that the independent medical examination should be supervised by the SSS, with the entire process recorded and sealed for security purposes. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print HAMPTON, Va., July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Appy Pie website builder has announced the addition of new and advanced features in its AI website builder , focusing on helping businesses of all sizes across various verticals. Businesses can simply describe their website preferences using text or voice prompts to share basic details such as the name, type, niche, style, and goals of the website. Based on the prompts, the AI website builder creates a fully functional website with relevant content, images, layout, and functionality in minutes. Appy Pie's AI website builder creates a professional website in minutes and optimizes it for business success through in-built SEO metrics tool, app integration features, multilingual support for global enterprises, and social media integration. The features are not limited to just these but keep expanding as per the evolving standards and business needs. Users can edit their website by adding or removing features, changing colors, fonts, images, and content while also choosing from a variety of pre-built templates for different categories, e.g., e-commerce, restaurant, blog, finance, etc. "With the new AI Website Builder, Appy Pie has eliminated the traditional barriers and complexities associated with website building. Now you don't need coding or design skills to create a website. Our AI website builder will handle it all for you," said Abhinav Girdhar, the CEO and founder of Appy Pie. Appy Pie's commitment to catering to the specific demands of various businesses sets it apart in the no-code website development arena. The platform helps businesses stand out in the crowded digital space by creating a tailored and personalized website that reflects their brand identity and values. Additionally, Appy Pie premium users receive a free domain, a business email, and a Google Workspace to complete their professional website. About Appy Pie: Appy Pie, a Trademark of Appy Pie LLP, is a leading no-code development platform that helps transform business ideas into reality without requiring technical knowledge. It offers an all-inclusive suite of the best no-code tools, including an app builder, website builder, workflow automation platform, graphic design software, chatbot builder, help desk software, and live chat software. Appy Pie's App Maker has been recognized as one of the highest-rated app builders globally by G2, thanks to its unique features, ease of use, and affordability. It is considered one of the most comprehensive no-code application development software for businesses of all sizes according to Capterra. Moreover, Appy Pie is the fastest-growing cloud-based DIY Mobile App Builder in the world, as acknowledged by GetApp. For more information, please visit: https://www.appypie.com/ Media Contact Abhinav Girdhar [email protected] +1 888 322 7617 SOURCE Appy Pie Yu Meng, Vice President of vivo Imaging; Li Zhuo, Senior Director of vivo Imaging Products; Sebastian Dontgen, Head of Category Management, Marketing and Sales, ZEISS Consumer Products; Zhang Yan, Product Manager of vivo Imaging Performance; visual artists Gao Yuan and Duan Yueheng; Song Wen, Founder of FIRST International Film Festival; and Bertram Honlinger, ZEISS Expert of Photography, attended the event to share their views on technological innovation and the future of mobile imaging. "At vivo, we are committed to advancing 'human-centric professional imaging'. To this end, we continuously enhance our expertise across optics, computing, and algorithm foundations to build imaging capabilities comparable to professional photography equipment. We aim to deliver the user experience of recreating what the human eye can see and make professional-grade imaging capabilities more accessible for everyone. In the future, vivo will stay committed to creating the best imaging technology and help users record life's most precious moments," said Mr. Yu Meng. At a time when everyone can be a creator, vivo has been dedicated to providing exceptional user experience with innovative mobile imaging technology. From industry-outstanding imaging chips and algorithms to expanding technological boundaries in partnership with other industry leaders, vivo continues to make efforts to boost its image technology strengths and improve the user experience in any scenario. Unveiling the latest V3 chip and algorithm technology The brand's latest V3 chip adopts a 6nm process and incorporates a newly designed multi-concurrent AI-ISP architecture and second-generation Frame Info Tunneling (FIT) technology. The technology upgrade delivers a superior user experience by enabling 4K cinema-like bokeh, automatic subject focus detection and switching, cinema-like skin optimization, and cinematic color processing. This makes vivo the first Android phone maker to enable 4K cinema-quality portrait video with post-processing functions. In addition to the launch of the new V3 chip, vivo has also announced a composite algorithm matrix solution. The company's new vivo Origin Imaging Engine (VOIE) enhances image quality, color, tone, and computing functionality by advancing the underlying algorithmic capabilities for three sub-modules: Color Restoration Engine, Ultra HD Engine, and Accelerated Computing Engine. vivo also developed the Hyper-Sense Portrait System and Vast-Sky Night System based on the common portrait and night scene user scenarios. Additionally, vivo has been continuously upgrading its algorithmic matrix and technological capabilities to ensure the best possible shooting experience in various scenarios. Building a prosperous image ecosystem with joint innovation vivo's long-term partnership with optical pioneer ZEISS has led to breakthrough innovations for X series, from generation to generation proving ZEISS technologies and iconic optical designs were adapted for vivo's flagships. ZEISS T* coating for superior optical quality and iconic ZEISS Style Portrait to name just a few. At the event, vivo and ZEISS jointly announced a periscope lens design with the new "Vario-Apo-Sonnar" standards. APO design is considered to have the level of the industry's top-quality control of chromatic aberration. For the very first time, the APO design will be adapted to a mobile imaging system enhancing a high performance zoom quality. Further leveraging the floating lens group technology in the periscope lens, aiming to provide ultra-high resolution and enhanced focusing capability, to enable users to achieve excellent macro shooting outcomes. At the same time, it also has a creamy bokeh effect that allows the subject to be further emphasized. The T* Coating is ZEISS's signature technology for anti-reflective coating on optical surface. The co-engineered rear camera system in the vivo's X series has achieved compliance with ZEISS T* Coating and reduced significantly unwanted lens flares in images under challenging lighting conditions such as nighttime, strong backlighting, and complex light sources. For vivo's upcoming X series flagship model, ZEISS T* Coating will be equipped with Multi-ALD technology to enhance further the image clarity, by reducing center reflectivity from 0.2% to 0.1% on the visible light spectrum. Compared with the previous generation of ALC coating, the reflectivity will be reduced by 50%. In addition to product innovation and joint development, being user-oriented is in vivo's and ZEISS' joint belief. vivo is committed to further diversifying the cooperation with ZEISS, including co-organizing the 2023 VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards. Sebastian Dontgen, Head of Category Management, Marketing and Sales, ZEISS Consumer Products said: "At ZEISS, we have photography in our DNA. To invite and enable even more users worldwide to enjoy creativity through cutting-edge smartphone image technology, it was a logical step for us to co-organize the 2023 VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards with vivo. The impressive results that we were able to experience again this year are a great acknowledgment of our partnership on imaging aspects." vivo has announced a deep collaboration with MediaTek for its X80 series. Additionally, vivo plans to team up with Sony for further collaboration on technologies such as 2-layer pixel (stack pixel) and HDR in the future. vivo will also actively expand joint innovation research by collaborating with more industry partners, and with educational institutes such as ETH Zurich and other universities, striving for technological breakthroughs and a more diversified and open mobile imaging ecosystem. Creating professional portraits and the ultimate night scene experiences vivo has formed a unique portrait style that blends clear texture, natural skin tones, and a balance of real and virtual effects across device iterations. In addition, the brand continues to research and develop 3D portrait technology with 3D facial reconstruction and virtual content. To this end, vivo has relied on its imaging laboratory platform to establish a 3D image laboratory with a proprietary cinema-like optical field system, capable of reconstructing extremely delicate 3D models of human faces and producing highly realistic visual effects in virtual environments. Based on experience gained from past products and real-life business scenarios, the company's 3D models achieve precise facial expressions, body postures and gestures. These technologies have been developed with three user scenarios in mind: generative portrait style, generative portrait editing, and various portrait special effects. Users will be able to take photos that perfectly balance real and virtual effects, edit photos powered by texture reconstruction and lighting estimation algorithms and freely change the lighting, hair and facial expressions. vivo has introduced enhancements to its technical capabilities in image quality, tone, and color for landscape shooting. The upgraded Vast-Sky Night System was designed to improve image quality and supply the most advanced quality solution for night scenes at all focal lengths. The upgraded SuperRAW technology offers exclusive parameter adjustment capabilities, meeting any professional imaging requirements for all focal lengths. Based on VOIE, vivo has also introduced a True Color Night model powered by AI learning to the Night Sky Imaging System. This enhancement enables adaptive tone and color adjustments for night scenes and for night scenes with high contrast, a comprehensive night HDR solution has been introduced to tackle viewing issues in preview, shooting and display modes. In addition, the new XDR Photo 2.0 adds a highlight color preservation mechanism for light sources with high dynamic range and saturation at night. This improves the overexposure for highlights without affecting the color performance of the light source and preserves the night scene. In the future, vivo will work together with Adobe, Apple, and Google to improve HDR photo standardization and overcome the inconsistent display of HDR photos on different devicesmaking vivo the only Chinese company involved in the development of the IOS standards for HDR photos. On top of vivo's original distinctive colors and ZEISS Natural Color, vivo's team has launched a series of rich and personalized colors, drawing inspiration from classic photography techniques, classic films, and masterworks. 2023 vivo VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards Winners During this year's Special Event at the Imaging Conference, vivo also announced the winners of this year's VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards. The top award went to Jiehan Herry Saputro 's "Let Me Fly", which is crowned the Best Photograph of the Year. In addition, the competition included awards in six categories: Portrait, Photo Series, Night, Landscape, Motion, and News. Two special awards were also announced: the X90 Series Best Photograph Award and the ZEISS Professional Imaging Award. Since its inaugural launch in 2020, the VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards program has received nearly one million submissions from over 40 countries and regions. This year, vivo received submissions from India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and many other countries and regions. Note: Please be aware that some of the features and technologies mentioned in this press release may currently only be available in the Chinese Mainland market. The availability of certain capabilities and functions may vary depending on your location. About vivo vivo is a technology company that creates great products based on a design-driven value, with smart devices and intelligent services as its core. The company aims to build a bridge between humans and the digital world. Through unique creativity, vivo provides users with an increasingly convenient mobile and digital life. Following the company's core values, which include Benfen*, user-orientation, design-driven value, continuous learning and team spirit, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy with the vision of developing into a healthier, more sustainable world-class corporation. While bringing together and developing the best local talents to deliver excellence, vivo is supported by a network of R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Xi'an and more cities, focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, imaging system and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set up an intelligent manufacturing network (including those authorized by vivo), with an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million smartphones. As of now, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 60 countries and regions, and is loved by more than 500 million users worldwide. *"Benfen" is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right which is the ideal description of vivo's mission to create value for society. Stay informed of latest vivo news at https://www.vivo.com/en/about-vivo/news SOURCE vivo 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. 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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 Kasganj, July 30 : In a shocking incident, a group of transgenders tonsured a man and also made him drink urine in Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj, police said. The victim was rescued by the people working in nearby fields while they were trying to castrate the victim. The transgenders also looted cash from the man. The incident came to light after a video of shaving the man and making him drink urine went viral on social media. The police have arrested all five eunuchs involved in the incident. The incident was an outcome of rivalry between two groups of eunuchs in the area. The victim is identified as Wadi Rafikul, who is a cook and works at the house of leader of one group of eunuchs in Imambaksh area. As per the complaint filed by Rafikul, the incident occurred when he was returning from Kasganj on Thursday evening. The group of eunuchs surrounded him and assaulted him near Johri brick kiln. Then they soaked his head with water and tonsured him. After this another eunuch urinated in his mouth while the victim was sobbing. They also looted Rs 1,000 cash from him. Rafikul also alleged that after urinating and looting, they also tried to castrate him and make him a eunuch. He was saved by the people working in the fields who came to the rescue after hearing the commotion. The victim lodged a complaint with the Sahawar police station after which the police swung into action and arrested all the five eunuchs in connection with the inhuman act. ABUJA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional group of 15 countries, agreed to impose sanctions on Niger's military leaders involved in a recent coup at an emergency meeting held here on Sunday. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, also chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS, denounced the coup, saying the regional bloc "rejects coup and interruption to constitutional order." "As African leaders, it is our responsibility to foster stability and progress," Tinubu said, noting that the ECOWAS advocates collaborative efforts to ward off coup on the African continent. ECOWAS leaders agreed to impose financial and travel sanctions on Niger's military leaders involved in the coup, and also a no-fly zone over the country. Lucknow, July 30 : A Hindu man helping mourners carry tazia, suffered critical burns after the tazia came in contact with a high voltage overhead wire at the Purania railway crossing in Lucknow's Aliganj during the Muharram procession, police said. Deputy Commissioner of Police, North Zone, Qasim Abidi, said the youth Rinku Rawat, 30, from a slum area near the Purania crossing suffered burns on his hands, legs and stomach. He has been admitted to the SPM hospital and his condition is said to be critical. "As soon as the tazia passed under the overhead wire, it came under the traction zone and a high voltage current leaked through. While Rinku sustained electric shock, others had providential escape," he added. Abidi said the tazia was tall enough and it came under the traction range of overhead equipment (OHE), even the carriers tilted it to make it pass easily under the OHE. He added that the police rushed the victim to the hospital. Meanwhile, two people got electrocuted and 50 others injured after a loudspeaker kept on a tractor trolley came in contact with a high-tension line during a procession in Amroha. Special Director General, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, said strict vigil of police and administration was maintained across the state along with the deployment of adequate police personnel in all the zones. Lucknow, July 30 : Vijay Mishra, lawyer of slain gangster Atiq Ahmed, has been arrested by the Prayagraj police in an extortion case. He was arrested from outside Hotel Hyatt Legacy in Lucknow late on Saturday night. A case had been registered against Vijay Mishra at the Atarsuiya police station for demanding extortion of Rs three crores, in which he is wanted. Police have also made him an accused in Umesh Pal murder case. Junior advocate Himanshu Pandey, who was with Vijay Mishra, informed the Lucknow police about his presence in the state capital. According to STF sources, Prayagraj police with the help of Lucknow STF arrested the lawyer from outside the hotel located in Vibhuti Khand. Advocate Himanshu Pandey said that he was present outside Hotel Hyatt Legacy with Vijay Mishra at night. Meanwhile, about 15 people came in three vehicles and made Vijay sit in the vehicle. Official sources say that the Prayagraj police had been camping in Lucknow for several days in search of Vijay. After getting the exact location of Vijay, he was nabbed. Police is bringing the accused to Prayagraj. After this further action will be taken. --IANSamita/dpb Lucknow, July 30 : The UP Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a woman director of a bike taxi company operating from Lucknow, allegedly involved in over a Rs 100 crore fraud with thousands of investors. Senior STF officials said the woman director, identified as Neelam Verma, a resident of Lucknow's Para area, was arrested from behind RK marriage lawns in Bahadurkheda locality, under the Manak Nagar police station limits of Lucknow, on Saturday. A senior STF official said she was wanted in 23 criminal cases registered with Lucknow's Vibhuti Khand and Hazratganj police stations in the matter since 2019. He said that along with key accused Abhay Kushwaha -- lodged in Lucknow jail in the same matter -- Rajesh Pandey, Nikhil Kushwaha, Azam Siddiqui and Shakeel Ahmad Khan, she was the director of the firm. The official said that during interrogation, the woman revealed that Abhay Kushwaha first floated a real estate firm in 2013 and then he floated a bike taxi company 'Hello Ride' and opened its office on the eighth floor of Cyber Heights building. The STF officials claimed that Kushwaha and his accomplices lured investors to pay for a motorcycle that was supposed to be used as a two-wheeler taxi. "In exchange, the investors were promised a massive return on their investment. Each investor was asked to pay Rs 61,000 for one bike. They promised a monthly return of 9,582 for 12 months," explained the official. They said that customers who invested in one bike were promised a total return of over Rs 1,14,984 lakh in one year on investing just Rs 61,000 and the investors were free to invest in multiple bikes. The officials said nearly 150 employees in seven teams were employed with this firm and the head of each team was given 15 per cent commission on deposits made every month. "They all deposited over Rs 100 crore through this Ponzi scheme and vanished with the hard-earned money of investors after closing their office," he said. Meerut, July 30 : A special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against BJP leader Arvind Gupta Marwari in a case of alleged sexual abuse of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohit Singh Sajwan said all possible places were being raided for Arvind Gupta Marwari's arrest. Station house officer (SHO), Daurala, Sanjay Sharma said the name of Marwari was included in the case following an investigation. "The court has directed to produce him before it by August 8. The proceeding for confiscation of properties will be started thereafter," the SHO added. While Arvind Gupta Marwari is BJP Mahanagar (metropolitan) unit general secretary in Meerut, Sanjeev Jain Sikka has a minister of state rank in Uttar Pradesh. They are maternal cousins. Senior lawyer Ramesh Chand Gupta, the alleged kingpin of the scandal who has already been arrested in connection with the case, is the maternal uncle of Marwari and Sikka. As per the police, the 17-year-old girl, working in the office of advocate Ramesh Chand Gupta, had alleged that she was sexually abused by the trio. Sharma said since the girl had also accused Sanjeev Sikka of sexually abusing her, investigation against him was underway and action would be initiated based on the findings of the probe. Giving details of the case, the police said two videos surfaced purportedly showing advocate Gupta abusing two different girls. After the videos surfaced, the 17-year-old girl went missing and a missing person case was lodged by her brother on May 27. She was recovered safely on June 15. When she was presented before a court on June 16, she levelled charges of sexual abuse against advocate Gupta, the BJP leader and Sikka in her statement recorded under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the police said. Meanwhile, BJP Mahanagar unit president Mukesh Singhal said he had sent his recommendation for the expulsion of both the leaders, to the BJP state unit. Kolkata, July 30 : Better late than never. That is the reaction of wildlife experts in West Bengal on state Forest Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick's announcement in the Assembly this week on bringing a law under which all species of indigenous birds will be prohibited as being kept as pets. According to Mullick, this new state law will cover all species of indigenous birds including pigeons. "Any violation, be it by a seller or buyer, will be considered as a punishable offense and will attract strict action by the competent authorities," he warned. He added that although the new law will permit keeping foreign species of birds, it will be lots of restrictions. "Such foreign species of birds can be kept as pets for breeding purposes only and the owners concerned will have to procure a license for the same from the competent authorities. This licence will be granted against payment of a registration fee of Rs 15,000. There will be lots of restrictions for maintenance of foreign species of birds. The owners concerned will not be allowed to exhibit them in public exhibitions and will not be able to sell them in the open market," the Forest Minister said. Speaking to IANS, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests in West Bengal Atanu Raha feels that the proposal to have a state law on this count is undoubtedly a timely move although there are existing provisions under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 that prohibit keeping indigenous birds as pets. "Barring some species like crow, shalik or martin and pigeons, no other indigenous bird species can be kept as pets. Of course there is a proposal in the state law that even indigenous bird species like pigeons will also be included in the list... I doubt how far that be applicable, since the central act on this count is silent on restrictions on these three bird species being kept as pets, So there is confusion the proposed state act can really prohibit restrictions on these three species as pets," Raha said. However, senior Calcutta High Court lawyer Kaushik Gupta said that while the central act is silent on these three indigenous bird species as pets, it also does not specifically mention that these three species are allowed to be kept as pets. "So if the proposed state act also prohibits these same bird species from being kept as pets, it will not be against the central act. So anyone also keeping crow, shalik or martin and pigeons as pets or selling the same can be acted against under the proposed state law," he said. Meanwhile, Raha said that while the proposal for the new state law is a timely move, the question is how strictly it can be enforced. "Under the existing legal provisions, both the buying and selling of indigenous bird species are prohibited. But keeping parrots, which is again a prohibited species, as pets is quite common. This is because there is a lack of awareness among common people on the existing legal provisions on this count. So the focus of the proposed state act should be more on crackdown on the supply side rather than on the demand side. There should be regular crackdown on the known but illegal birds trading hubs in the state like Galiff Street in North Kolkata, which is a traditional pet trading hub," he said. Noted wildlife activist S Mukhopadhyay said that often common people keep bird species as pets without knowledge that they are unknowingly violating the law. "So, in my opinion, there is a necessity for the state Forest Department to start a major awareness campaign to update the public on what species can be kept as pets and which not. And this should not be just for birds but for any fauna species," he added. That is exactly what the Forest Department is planning, said the Forest Minister. "Before taking legal action against those who are already having Indian species of birds as pets, my department will be undertaking a thorough campaign programme, so that those who are already having Indian species of birds as pets become aware of what to do and what not to," he said. Chennai, July 30 : Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) major ITC Ltd may be ring-fencing the proposed hotel company from future hostile takeovers by holding 40 per cent stake in that company, say analysts. Recently, the ITC Board announced its approval to demerge its hotels' business into a separate company called ITC Hotels Ltd. As per the de-merger scheme, ITC will hold 40 per cent stake in ITC Hotels while the remaining 60 per cent will be held by other shareholders. ITC Hotels will pay a royalty for using the ITC brand in its name. "Perhaps ITC has decided to hold a 40 per cent stake in ITC Hotels to avoid any hostile takeovers. If they had wanted to exit the business, they could have exited," Shobit Singhal, Research Analyst, Anand Rathi Shares and Stock Brokers, told IANS. Added Naveen Trivedi, Deputy Vice President, HDFC Securities: "Hotel is one business that consumes a lot of capital. The return on the investment will come later. ITC may not want any hostile takeover of the hotel company when the business starts giving returns." While ITC does not have any Indian anchor promoter group holding a chunk of shares, about 29.10 per cent stake is held as foreign direct investment (FDI) - Tobacco Manufacturers (India) Ltd - 23.94 per cent, Rothmans International Enterprises Ltd -1.25 per cent, and Myddleton Investment Company Ltd - 3.91 per cent. The above investment vehicles, as per the de-merger scheme, will hold about 17.4 per cent stake in ITC Hotels and there is a risk of them selling off that when the company gets listed. If that happens, it is as if handing over the business to an acquirer on a platter at a time when the investments start paying back good. Analysts cited the hostile takeover of software company Mindtree by L&T couple of years back. ITC told analysts that it will not buy back the shares from the above shareholders if they decide to exit. Today, ITC has over 11,600 keys/rooms in over 120 hotels in over 70 locations. The company is also building one hotel in Sri Lanka the first overseas property. Soon after the de-merger announcement, the markets reacted adversely and ITC's share price came down by about three per cent. Out of the total capital employed by ITC, about 20 per cent is accounted for by the hotel business while the EBITA was only about two per cent, Trivedi said. According to Singhal, the enterprise value of ITC Hotels could be about Rs 25,000 crore. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.) Shimla, July 30 : The northern state of Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing torrential monsoon rainfall, accompanying frequent cloudbursts and high-magnitude flash floods, for nearly a month now, causing massive landslides and mudslides in the hilly terrain. An unusual phenomenon this time is the presence of large numbers of big logs, trees and roots floating in the rivers that aggravate the consequences of flood events with a high risk for engineered structures, warn experts. Local environment activists point fingers at the illegal felling of trees. Often, they blame the irreparable damage to the ecology on the construction of several tunnels for roads and hydropower projects. They say their voices have been blatantly ignored. The gushing water is sweeping away bridges, village homes, and cars, and is causing widespread damage to the forests too. There are scary visuals of a deluge after a cloudburst sending tree logs crashing into villages and damage to shops and houses. A video shows a mudslide carrying logs rushing down from the hills due to a cloudburst in Thunag in Mandi district. Also, the colliding logs cause severe damage to bridges and other infrastructure. Similar visuals surfaced from industrial town Parwanoo located on the Chandigarh-Shimla national highway and close to Haryana's Kalka town. Boulders and large pieces of wood led to the jamming of the floodgates of the 100-MW Malana II hydropower facility, located on the Malana, a tributary of the Beas river. For nearly a week, the water has been overflowing the dam. Rescuers told IANS that wood and boulders' accumulation at the floodgates exerts additional force on the dam structure, a portion of which got damaged. Currently, a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed to open the floodgates to prevent the dam collapsing and inundating the nearby areas. According to the dam authorities, the gantry crane, which is used to open and close the gates, has developed snags. Engineers say the dam gates have been closed due to silt, muck and boulders. Efforts are being made to reduce the water level by breaking the corners of the dam. Visuals from the dam show a huge accumulation of logs along the dam. 14 NDRF Commandant Baljinder Singh is monitoring the operation to open the gates. "The monsoon is indeed heavy this season, but humans have made the situation much worse," remarked Ram Thakur, a resident of Manali. He said huge wooden debris, though a natural part of most rivers systems, but alarmingly high this season especially in tributaries of the Beas river is an indicator to restore and preserve the fluvial systems for prevention of wood-related hazards. A total of 184 people have died and 33 are missing since June 24, the day the monsoon hit the hill state. A total of 71 landslide and 51 flash flood incidents were reported till July 28. The total monetary loss is Rs 5,536.15 crore. The maximum deaths of 32 people were reported in Kullu district, followed by 30 in Shimla district. Seeing the 'free flow' of logs in the rivers, by risking their lives villagers, with a belief of 'one man's loss is another man's gain', have been fishing timber logs by using hook and line. "The wood we are collecting can be used for repairing our houses that have been damaged in heavy rains," remarked villager Zile Ram, who was trying to trap logs in the Parvati river in Kullu. While pointing towards the wooden debris collected on the river bank, his wife Durga Devi said, "It seems these seasoned logs belonged to a wooden house that was washed away in a flash flood. But some of these logs can be used by the panchayat for constructing the footbridge that got damaged in the flood," she added. The villagers are using cable barriers to trap the large wooden logs carried downstream. However, collection of wood is a punishable offence in the state. It is the property of the government. Last week, Pong dam authorities in Kangra district collected more than 1,100 logs of various tree species from the reservoir. Smelling a scam in the thousands of wooden logs flowing in the rivers, Congress leader Kaul Singh blamed former Chief Minister and BJP leader Jairam Thakur for promoting the forest mafia in his constituency Seraj in Mandi district. He said the wooden logs belonged to the forest mafia that had illegally axed thousands of trees for laying roads during the previous BJP government's tenure. Former health and revenue minister Kaul Singh said several of these roads were constructed in Seraj without permission from the Forest Department. State-based environmental researcher and activist Manshi Asher told IANS that the huge flow of logs shows that there has been a landslide or erosion or even tree felling upstream. "Whether the logs belong to infrastructure or some other purpose, whether they are illegal or legal can only be ascertained by an inquiry. But the quantum and type of trees indicates that this was not a natural phenomena," she added. The state has a policy to allot trees, instead of timber or wood, at subsidized rates for constructing or repairing houses in villages. As per the Himachal Pradesh Forest (Timber Distribution to the Right Holders) Rules, the right holders who suffered from natural calamities like flash floods or fire are being given timber free of cost. A right holder is one who has recorded traditional rights in the forest settlement records for grant of timber for construction, repair and addition or alteration of a house for personal use. Torrential rains, cloudbursts and flashfloods have become a regular feature in the hill state in recent years. Himachal Pradesh is a storehouse of biodiversity and is most vulnerable to climate change as the Himalayan glaciers have been retreating due to global warming. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com) --IANS vg/bg London, July 30 : A 34-year-old Indian-origin doctor, who claimed to be a massage specialist from India and sexually assaulted one of his patients in 2020, has been jailed for 18 months in England. Simon Abraham from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was found guilty of sexual assault on a female patient after a trial lasting four days at Chichester Crown Court this month, Sussex Police said. In addition to 18 months in prison, nine months custodial and nine months on licence, he will be placed on the sex offenders' register for ten years and is subject to a five year restraining order to protect the victim from contact by him. The court heard that Abraham, who worked at Eastbourne District General Hospital, contacted the woman in October 2020 after she had been treated for severe headaches. He claimed that he had a call from a colleague, who was concerned about her condition and stated that he had been trained in specialist massage in India for two years. She agreed to his visit, but during the massage he sexually assaulted her, and left only when a visitor came to the house. When he continued to phone her, she contacted the hospital, who advised her that they would investigate, but she should also contact police. After his arrest, Abraham initially denied ever having visited her house, but upon further questioning, he admitted to the visit while denying any sexual misconduct. "Abraham took advantage of the victim's pain, fraudulently accessing her patient details even though he wasn't officially treating her, and then visiting her when he finished work, claiming that he could massage her headache away," Detective Constable Jo Gledhill said in a statement released by Sussex Police. "When he was arrested, he denied that it happened at all, but then asked for a further interview, where he admitted going to her house, but did not sexually touch her," Gledhill said, adding that they take "reports of this nature very seriously". New Delhi, July 30 : Markets are on a roll and are currently trading around their lifetime highs. Going forward, expect them to trade at elevated levels, but different sectors are performing differently. Results are a mixed bag and it's because of the differential sector performance that markets are where they are. Some of the top-performing sectors are Banking and BFSI sector, Auto sector and OMC or oil marketing companies. Let us analyse some of the sectors that have done well and those that have not done well. For starters, IT and the Technology sectors have been under pressure. They are facing headwinds in new business and also pricing pressures. As a result, margins have depleted and the revenue growth is down to a low single-digit as guided by Infosys. Guidance from bellwether Infosys suggests that the company would be under pressure for the coming two to three quarters at the bare minimum. Comparatively, the mid-sized IT companies have fared better and they are in a niche segment and have found their own sweet spot to not come under as much pressure like the heavyweights. Chemical companies have been under fire and many of the speciality chemical companies have declared results which could be termed as disastrous. China has fully reopened in the chemical space and the expansion that was underway in India has been completed. With ample availability of chemicals, prices have softened in a big way and this has hit companies badly. Metals have borne the brunt of falling prices across the sector. This has been more felt in the non-ferrous sector and leading companies have posted results which could be termed as disappointing. The ferrous segment of the metal industry has survived partially because demand has been there and falling commodity prices have been more or less matched by a fall in raw material prices as well. Overall, the sector is not in the pink of health. However, what is not good for this sector is good for the auto industry. The auto industry has had a stellar performance and almost all the popular brands of cars have a waiting list from a couple of weeks to over six months. There is demand and it appears that personal mobility is becoming a key for people in the country today. The entire sector has reported good numbers and with auto doing well, the auto ancillary sector has automatically done well too. On the positive side, the Banking sector has been an outperformer with small finance banks which have micro banking as their core business vertical outperforming. Further small banks have done exceedingly well and the public sector banks too have turned in spectacular results. The merger of HDFC into HDFC Bank is yet another positive for the sector. Hardly any of the banks have turned in a really muted performance worth talking about. The large banks have also chipped in with good results and the demand for funds is visible across sectors. With a weightage of around 42 per cent for the BFSI space in NIFTY, itas been a great contributor to the rise to Mount 20K. Crude prices are on the rise and it has affected the standalone refineries results. However, the OMCs (oil marketing companies) have done well and they have reported good results. Heavyweight Reliance Industries had a bad performance in the O to C segment of its business because refining margins took a hit. Readers would recall that last year the government introduced a concept of a windfall tax on oil companies. Its other sectors have done well and as a result, the overall Reliance result was decent. Companies involved in infrastructure and road-building activities have done well. Even the PSU companies in defence and railways where there is considerable government spending happening have declared decent results. They have done well for themselves and share prices have risen handsomely rewarding shareholders. One other heavyweight in this sector is L&T which reported excellent results and announced its first-ever buyback of shares at Rs 3,000 per share. The company has earmarked Rs 10,000 crore for this exercise. The FMCG sector has not performed well because commodity prices are not softening and rural demand has yet to pick up. Looking at the above analysis it is quite clear that maybe around half the market is firing while the other half is yet to fire or has already fired and cooled off. If things improve when the second quarter results are announced, things could be much better. To sum it up, markets live on hope. (Arun Kejriwal is the founder of Kejriwal Research and Investment Services. The views expressed are personal) Six killed in plane crash in Canada's Alberta province. Image Source: IANS News Ottawa, July 30 : Six people were killed in a plane crash in west of Calgary in Canada's Alberta province, media reports said. The plane, which left the Springbank Airport around 8:45 p.m. (0145 GMT Saturday) for Salmon Arm, British Columbia, was lost around 30 minutes after take off, police said. The wreckage was located Saturday around 7:30 a.m. (1230 GMT) in a mountainous area roughly 100 km west of Calgary and all six bodies have been successfully recovered, Xinhua news agency reported. The police said five passengers and one pilot were onboard the aircraft. The deceased are yet to be identified and cause of the crash is not yet known. Smoke billows in a mountain fire in Latakia province, northwestern Syria, July 29, 2023. Earlier this month, massive wildfires broke out in several Syrian provinces, including Hama, Latakia and Idlib. Firefighters managed to control most of the fires but in Latakia, fires restarted on Tuesday. Fire crews have been battling numerous blazes in the region. (Photo by Monsef Memari/Xinhua) LATAKIA, Syria, July 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. sanctions have impeded the ongoing firefighting efforts in the northwestern Syrian province of Latakia, where wildfires are devouring swathes of forest land and firefighting supplies are in urgent need. The embargo on Syria poses the "biggest challenge for us because we need energy sources and fuel as well as machinery, water tanks and planes," Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Mohammed Hassan Qatana said on Saturday. "We have many workers who need specialized firefighting clothing, and this is a very important issue. We also need spare parts for bulldozers, cars and water tanks," said the minister. Earlier this month, massive wildfires broke out in several Syrian provinces, including Hama, Latakia and Idlib. Firefighters managed to control most of the fires but in Latakia, fires restarted on Tuesday. Fire crews have been battling numerous blazes in the region. "The wind speed is the key factor behind the spread of the fire in addition to the nature of these mountains which are connected with one another. There are several mountain chains and a thick and vast plant cover," said the minister. Fortunately, most of the fires in the countryside of Latakia have been well controlled, and no injuries were reported, he added. According to Bassem Douba, director of agriculture and agrarian reform in Latakia, preliminary estimation indicated that over 5 square km were burned entirely. An investigation into the cause of the fires and a final estimation of their damage are underway, according to the authorities. Firefighters work to extinguish a mountain fire in Latakia province, northwestern Syria, July 29, 2023. Earlier this month, massive wildfires broke out in several Syrian provinces, including Hama, Latakia and Idlib. Firefighters managed to control most of the fires but in Latakia, fires restarted on Tuesday. Fire crews have been battling numerous blazes in the region. (Photo by Monsef Memari/Xinhua) Firefighters work to extinguish a mountain fire in Latakia province, northwestern Syria, July 29, 2023. Earlier this month, massive wildfires broke out in several Syrian provinces, including Hama, Latakia and Idlib. Firefighters managed to control most of the fires but in Latakia, fires restarted on Tuesday. Fire crews have been battling numerous blazes in the region. (Photo by Monsef Memari/Xinhua) San Francisco, July 30 : The big X logo on the Twitter building with a strong lighting scheme here has left people residing in nearby buildings perplexed as they are unable to sleep in the night with all those bizarre lights on. The Elon Musk-run company has put a huge X logo on its headquarters in the city which emits strong lights throughout the night. Now, people living around are looking to purchase window blinds to block out the light coming from X logo. "Imagine no more. This is my life now," a person living next to the X HQ posted on Twitter with a short video of the logo in the night. Another commented: "I would be LIVID. Imagine this X sign right across from your bedroom." "I love living in the city and all that comes with it. I love the streetlights, the sirens, the dings of the trolley. Nothing about this stupid sandbagged solar flare is normal or good," an X user reacted. Musk, however, said on Sunday X is not going to leave San Francisco. "Many have offered rich incentives for X (earlier Twitter) to move its HQ out of San Francisco. Moreover, the city is in a doom spiral with one company after another left or leaving. Therefore, they expect X will move too," he posted. "We will not. You only know who your real friends are when the chips are down. San Francisco, beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friend," Musk added. In December last year, Twitter was sued for failing to pay $136,250 in rent for its San Francisco HQ. --IANS na/kvd Seoul, July 30 : Samsung has doubled down on its entire services portfolio and India is the key innovation hub for creating top-of-the-line technological innovations that are now being rolled out to the global markets, a top company executive has stressed. According to Won-Jin Lee, President and Global Head of the Service Business, Device eXperience Division at Samsung, India is a very important market for the company and Samsung is the only company that would actually mean this. "I see a huge opportunity in India in terms of rolling out new services. There are enough technical innovations in the market. In many cases, we not only bring innovations to the Indian market but also seek innovations out of India," Lee told IANS here during an interaction. According to Lee, who oversees all facets of the high-growth DX division at Samsung and strengthens leadership position in media, game streaming and cross-platform advertising, the huge research and development centre in India is helping cement their global operations. "There are engineers in India who are the key sources of innovation to serve the domestic market. We have several services that are very specific to India. And in many cases, those ideas actually came from the engineers that we have in the country," Lee stressed. Not just working on the latest devices, engineers and researchers at Samsung R&D Institute Bangalore (SRI-B), the company's largest software R&D centre outside South Korea, are working on creating multi-device experiences between personal home and open ecosystem devices for the consumers in the country. Samsung has created multiple devices that are in people's homes and in personal lives, be it smartphones, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch, and Galaxy Tablets, and smart home devices like washing machines, refrigerators, family hubs, robot vacuum cleaners and smart televisions. There is also an open ecosystem for many third-party devices like door sensor, smart plug, LED light bulb to take consumer experience to another level. According to Lee, during the last few years, the number of devices that are connected to the Internet has grown exponentially. "This presents an opportunity for Samsung where we can sort of build a relationship with customers, get to know more about what they want from us and how they use certain products. This provides key inputs to enhance the product experience not only during the lifecycle of the product but for future products as well," Lee explained. Lee said that the company wants to make sure that its services -- from digital payments to streaming content -- are flawless across devices, be it Samsung TV, smartphones, wearables, smart home devices and so on. The SRI-Bangalore has more than 250 startups that it is connected with on how they can modify their products, their services, their experiences based on Samsung's consumer understanding and to match with its consumer needs. The engineers in India recently contributed to the development of seamless IoT (Internet of Things) device registration services known as "Calm Technology" and have been part of the team to achieve the world's first matter-certified IoT ecosystem device. (Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in) Umag : , July 30 (IANS) Stan Wawrinka produced a commanding performance to beat Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-4 at the Croatia Open to advance to his first ATP Tour final since he reached two in 2019, here. Through to his 31st tour-level final (16-14), and his 14th on clay (7-6), Wawrinka is seeking his first title since he won Geneva in 2017. The Swiss will meet Alexei Popyrin in the title match. Sunday's final will be Wawrinka's first since he underwent two left-foot surgeries in 2021 and fell out of the Top 300 of the ATP Rankings. "I'm happy with the match. I think I played really well, the best match of the week," said Wawrinka, who has moved up 23 places to No. 49 in the ATP Rankings behind his four straight-set wins this week. "I'm really happy to be in the final tomorrow," he added. On Saturday, Wawrinka showed his full range in the victory, pairing powerful baseline blasts with deft touch. He saved the lone break point as he served out the opening set and escaped 0/30 to serve out the match after one hour, 26 minutes. On the other hand, Sonego was denied his sixth ATP Tour final and what would have been his first since last year in Metz. Wawrinka's opponent in the summit clash -- Popyrin -- overcame Matteo Arnaldi 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3 to reach his second ATP Tour final. Popyrin, who lifted an ATP 250 trophy in Singapore in 2021, kept Arnaldi under constant pressure on return in the pairas maiden ATP Head to Head series. He converted four of 19 breakpoints en route to a hard-earned three-hour, 16-minute triumph against the seventh-seeded Italian on the Croatian clay. Popyrin has impressed on clay already in 2023. He reached the fourth round as a qualifier in May in Rome, where he defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime before pushing eventual finalist Holger Rune to three sets. The Australian has risen 17 spots to No. 73 in the ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Umag run so far. New Delhi, July 30 : For J. Robert Oppenheimer, the subject of Christopher Nolan's biopic of the nuclear physicist regarded as the 'Father of the Atomic Bomb, the Bhagavad Gita was a spiritual crutch, although his belief has been overshadowed by the scene in the film where he's seen reading out the holy scripture in between having sex with his wife Kitty. Even his translation of a seminal verse of the Gita, which was first red-flagged by historian James A. Hijiya in 'The Gita of J. Robert Oppenheimer', has been questioned by the author and mythologist Devdutt Pattnaik. Nonetheless, Oppenheimer, who was raised in a non-observant Jewish family of New York, would unfailingly turn to the Gita and quote from it on many occasions. Oppenheimer's copy of 'Bhagavad-Gita', translated by Arthur W. Ryder, according to Patty Templeton of the US National Security Research Center, is part of the collections at the Bradbury Science Museum in the Los Alamos Laboratory. The physicist's handwritten initials appear in the upper right corner of the front endpapers. The time-worn book is just one of two of his personal items that the Lab owns, according to Templeton, the other being his office chair. Oppenheimer wanted to read the 'Bhagavad Gita' in the original Sanskrit, as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, before his time at Los Alamos, he sat in on Sanskrit classes with Ryder, who had published an English translation of the Gita. It was a book Oppenheimer would gift to colleagues and friends for the rest of his life, Templeton says. Preparing for Trinity, the first atomic bomb test conducted at the Lab, Oppenheimeras thoughts were on its success and the impact of the bomb on his life and on the world. To understand Oppenheimer's thoughts, Templeton quotes Vannevar Bush, director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), and chairman, National Defence Research Committee (NDRC), who said in his 1970 memoir, 'Pieces of the Action': "I simply record a poem, which (Oppenheimer) translated from the Sanscrit (sic), and which he recited to me two nights before (Trinity): "In battle, in forest, at the precipice in the mountains, On the dark great sea, in the midst of javelins and arrows, In sleep, in confusion, in the depths of shame, The good deeds a man has done before defend him." According to Hijiya, the historian, Oppenheimer believed, "It was the duty of the scientists to build the bomb, but it was the duty of the statesman to decide whether or how to use it." Oppenheimer never publicly ascribed to the Hindu faith, but he quoted the Gita regularly. Most notably, as Templeton points out, upon seeing the Trinity detonation, Oppenheimer reportedly recalled the line, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." The line is from Chapter 11, Verse 32 of the Gita, in which Lord Krishna reveals his divine form to Arjuna (the Vishwaroopa Darshan). Witnessing the terrifying sight of the Lord's cosmic form, Arjuna is overwhelmed with awe and fear. A more accurate translation of the verse, according to Hijiya, is closer to "Now I am time, the great destroyer of worlds." This was in fact a reference to the aspect of time, where Krishna, in order to persuade Arjuna to carry out his duty, says that time is the ultimate destroyer, and one way or another, the ones Arjuna does not wish to fight will die. Historian Alex Wellerstein, however, offers a more elaborate explanation. The quote, he says, has been widely misinterpreted. Wellerstein says in his blog (quoted at length by Templeton): "The Bhagavad Gita expresses a life structured by action. One should detach from desired outcomes and work. The poetic Hindu text is a conversation between Prince Arjuna and the deity Lord Vishnu. "Arjuna is anguished at the idea of slaying friends and cousins in war. Vishnu convinces Arjuna to disregard emotional attachments and fear of mistakes. To uphold dharma, the power which upholds the cosmos and society, Arjuna must do his duty, which is fight. "Oppenheimer is not Krishna/Vishnu, not the terrible god, not the 'destroyer of worlds' -- he is Arjuna, the human prince! He is the one who didn't really want to kill his brothers, his fellow people. "But he has been enjoined to battle by something bigger than himself -- physics, fission, the atomic bomb, World War II, what have you -- and only at the moment when it truly reveals its nature, the Trinity test, does he fully see why he, a man who hates war, is compelled to battle. It is the bomb that is here for destruction. Oppenheimer is merely the man who is witnessing it." So, clearly, if one follows Wellerstein's logic, Oppenheimer's quotation was not a case of misinterpretation or mistranslation. He understood the context of the line from the Gita and saw himself as Arjuna, overawed and overwhelmed by the force he was about to unleash upon the world. He was merely reflecting on the destructive power of the atom bomb, whose creation he was to bitterly regret later. As the Twitter handle puts it, "In the context of Oppenheimer's statement, he was expressing a profound sense of the magnitude and implications of the scientific achievement he had helped bring to fruition. The immense destruction unleashed by the atomic bomb made Oppenheimer acutely aware of the devastating potential of nuclear weapons. "His use of the quote from the Bhagavad Gita reflects his introspection on the consequences of his work and the moral responsibility that came with it." Some scholars have argued that there is no such quote in the Gita. Mythologist and popular author Devdutt Pattnaik is one of them. He is on record as saying he hadn't seen any such reference in the Gita and that the scientist likely looked for either some sort of solace or wanted to make things dramatic. As controversies rage of Oppenheimer and the Gita, what Christopher Nolan's film has done is rekindle interest in a scripture that continues to be relevant despite the passage of time. Washington, July 30 : J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American physicist called the "father of the atom bomb", had tried and failed to prevent then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru from supplying the US material -- especially thorium -- needed for a bomb far deadlier than his creation. Oppenheimer's appeal was conveyed in a phone call to the then Indian Ambassador to US, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, who reported it to her brother, Prime Minister Nehru, in a letter dated February 10, 1951, reproduced in a 2014 book by her daughter Nayantara Sahgal. It came amidst intense negotiations between the two countries over an India request for emergency food grains assistance that Pandit had conveyed to the Harry S. Truman administration just weeks before in December. According to the Emergency Food Aid Ac signed by Truman in June 1951, India was promised 2 million tonnes of food grains but among the conditions attached was the continue supplies of "strategic materials", which, a declassified "top secret" memo of the State Department from the time, said included "beryl, manganese, mica, and kyanite -- and initial shipments, heretofore prohibited, of monazite". Monazite, a brown crystalline mineral consisting of a phosphate of cerium, lanthanum, other rare earth elements, and thorium, is found in abundance in India. A contract was drawn up later in the year for "to cover shipment from India of 500 tons of monazite concentrate". Oppenheimer's plea with Nehru was specifically about thorium. "Oppenheimer wants you (Nehru) to know that work of a most 'horrible and deadly nature' is being done on the atom bomb, that step by step America is 'deliberately' moving towards a war of annihilation," Pandit had written in the letter to Nehru, according to Sahgal's book. "The recent promises given by Truman and Attlee regarding the atom have resulted in research for a weapon of the same deadly quality which will be kept secret and used INSTEAD of the atom. For this purpose more and more thorium is required and the US desires to stockpile all available thorium. "Oppenheimer has reason to believe an approach will be made very soon very soon to India directly and through Britain. In fact, he believes that one reason why the Indian request for wheat has been so readily sponsored by the State Department is because of what they themselves require from India. The argument used for obtaining thorium will be that it is needed for humanitarian purposes According to Oppenheimer, no such purpose can at present be achieved. "Oppenheimer begs the government of India not to sell any thorium to the US voluntarily or through pressure," the letter says. Declassified US State Department papers from the time -- ranging in confidentiality from "SECRET" to "TOP SECRET" -- show Nehru and his government tried very hard to keep this minerals, called "strategic materials", off the table, especially those that could be used to produce a nuclear bomb. But they were thwarted by a mix of worsening food crisis at home and an adamant US government and Congress, which had to clear it. In a telegram to the state department marked "SECRET", the then US Ambassador to India, Loy Wesley Henderson wrote, "Saw Bajpai (Girijia Shankar Bajpai, the top civil servant in the Foreign Ministry as Secretary General). this morning (at) my request. Told him I had given further consideration to information he gave me yesterday afternoon (May 7) and had become concerned lest inclusion by Nehru in his coming statement (in parliament) of reference to GOI (government of India) unwillingness (to) furnish materials relating to manufacture atomic weapons might not be regarded as uncalled-for criticism US atomic weapon policies. I said I hoped that (the) Prime Minister cld be induced drop this reference." Bajpai told the US Ambassador, according to the Henderson memo, "decision (taken by) Prime Minister in consultation with members (of) Cabinet and apparently Cabinet felt more strongly on this point than any other". Yet the Nehru government went with it and allowed the export of these "strategic materials", including, for the first time, monazite, the thorium laden mineral. Oppenheimer's contacts with India, clearly, go much further than his two recitations of a line from Bhagavad Gita -- "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" -- in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer", a film about the man who led the world to its first atomic bomb, whose use in 1945 ended the Second World War, and and then spent the rest of his like campaigning against the ultimate weapon of destruction he had helped create. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer" by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. True to the book, the film tracks Oppenheimer's journey through the academic world straddling two three countries across two continents to his appointment to head the Manhattan Project which unfolded over three years ending 1945 at a secret facility created by the US government in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Oppenheimer became disillusioned about his creation and turned into an avid campaigner against nuclear bomb, which cost him his equity with the US government and he was stripped of his top security clearance at a rigged hearing that was recreated with remarkable clarity and simplicity by Nolan. Exonerated for his loyalty to the country but deprived of his security clearance, Oppenheimer was offered citizenship by Nehru in 1952, according to many published accounts. But he did not take it, displaying perhaps the same independent spirit. London, July 30 : Officials in Los Alamos thought that the people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be in their bomb shelters when the atom bombs were dropped, says the foremost historian of the Manhattan Project, and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1986 book, 'The Making of the Atomic Bomb'. In an interview with 'Nature', the premier science journal, Richard Rhodes points out that the estimates of these officials of the number of deaths were much lower than the actual number (the August 6 and 9, 1945, bombings are said to have caused anywhere between 1,29,000 and 2,26,000 deaths. The reason the US officials thought the way they did was because the Japanese were always going to the bomb shelters whenever they heard a fleet of B-29 airplanes coming. "But when there were only one or two B-29s [the case when the atomic bombs were dropped], they just assumed the planes were there to check out the weather," Rhodes told 'Nature'. "They did not go to the shelters, and therefore many more were killed by the firestorm that followed than would have died otherwise." Since the Christopher Nolan film's release, the scientific world, says 'Nature', has been abuzz about the accuracy of 'Oppenheimer' -- and whether it does justice to the many facets of the story of the atomic bomb. It approached Rhodes therefore to verify the accuracy of the narrative. Another interesting insight shared by Rhodes is that no one thought Oppenheimer was the right choice -- except General Leslie Groves of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, played by Matt Damon in Christopher Nolan's biopic. "Oppenheimer didn't have a Nobel Prize; he was terrible in the laboratories. But whenever Groves had a question that he needed an answer to, he would ask Oppenheimer. So Oppenheimer cultivated him, and in that sense, perhaps recruited himself for the job," observes Rhodes. The historian goes on to also make it clear that "Oppenheimer was indeed a loyal American citizen; he understood the horror of Nazi Germany". The physicist had even "used some of his considerable wealth in part to get Jewish people out of Nazi Germany and Austria and bring them to the United States". Rhodes also gives Groves, who, incidentally, also oversaw the construction of the Pentagon, the entire credit for making the bomb happen. "Everyone thinks Oppenheimer led the Manhattan Project. He did not, of course: he led the Los Alamos Laboratory," Rhodes says. (Other major facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Hanford, Washington, according to 'Nature', produced plutonium and enriched uranium as part of the sprawling effort, but these aren't a focus of the film.) "I don't know whether it could or couldn't have been done without Oppenheimer," continues Rhodes. "But it certainly could not have even remotely happened without Groves. Groves operated on a scale that just defies imagination. And in doing so, and in constantly and relentlessly pushing everybody to get the job done, he made it happen." Finally, Rhodes points out to 'Nature' that it was the involvement of the U.S. Air Force, other than the personal animus that (U.S. Atomic Energy Commission member) Lewis Strauss had against him, that led to the downfall of Oppenheimer. The physicist opposed the hydrogen bomb, the U.S. Air Force wanted it at any cost. "Oppenheimer thought that this huge hydrogen weapon, with its potential for megatons and megatons of yield, was a travesty, as there was no legitimate military target for such a weapon," Rhodes says in his interview to 'Nature'. "It was basically and purely a weapon of mass destruction. So, the Air Force wanted to get him out of the way [to develop it], and it was a significant part of the attempt to destroy Oppenheimer." Mumbai, July 30 : In the 'Weekend Ka Vaar' episode of 'Bigg Boss OTT 2', Pooja Bhatt, who is a contestant and show's host Salman Khan were seen talking about the "rough" time in their careers. In a heartwarming and candid moment during the Weekend ka Vaar episode, Pooja Bhatt revealed the lowest phase of her life during a heartfelt conversation on Bigg Boss OTT 2. She opened up about the time when her movies stopped working, and she found herself at a career crossroads. Undeterred by setbacks, Pooja found solace in filmmaking and embraced the role of a director. Now, the show has provided her with a platform to reconnect with the world, share her story, and rediscover her true self. Salman Khan also shared his experience of going through a rough patch in his illustrious career. He admitted that there were times when he took his stardom lightly, but life eventually taught him the value of hard work and dedication. Grateful for the second chance that life bestowed upon him, Salman expressed his joy in being able to rise above his lowest moments and emerge stronger than ever. As the contestants listened intently, Pooja and Salman's candid revelations resonated with everyone in the house, inspiring them to share their lowest moments as well. Salman has been a part of the industry for over three decades. He made his debut in 1989 with 'Biwi Ho Toh Aisi'. Over his long journey, he has starred in popular films such as 'Andaz Apna Apna', 'Wanted', 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', 'Dabangg', 'Sultan', 'Tiger' franchise and 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan' to name a few. Pooja is the daughter of Indian filmmaker, Mahesh Bhatt and the half-sister of Alia Bhatt and cousin of Emraan Hashmi. She played her first leading role in Mahesh Bhatt's television film Daddy in 1989. Her breakthrough came with the romance comedy 'Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin' in 1991. 'Bigg Boss OTT 2' streams on Jio Cinema. Latest updates on Bigg Boss OTT 2 Thiruvananthapuram, July 30 : Thiruvananthapuram may be the capital of Kerala, but it is Kannur district which is the political capital of the state. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) state secretary, M.V. Govindan, Kerala Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamseer, State Congress President, K. Sudhakaran, BJP leader and Union Minister, V. Muraleedharan, LDF convener, E.P. Jayarajan all hail from this politically volatile district in Northern Kerala. There has been years of bloody duel between the CPI(M) and the RSS, BJP combined with many people losing their lives since the later sixties till now. Many are bedridden for life and have lost their arms and legs. Some lost their eyes and there are party villages for both the CPI(M) and the RSS-BJP combine in this district. Recently, Kerala Assembly Speaker, A.N. Shamseer who is the MLA from Thalassery inKannurdistrict, in a public meeting spoke about the latest developments in science. In between he mentioned that there was a concerted effort from those ruling the centre that almost all the inventions were from India and also stated about plastic surgery. He said that while plastic surgery was a relatively new invention, the votaries of the Hindutva were of the opinion that Lord Ganesha got his face through plastic surgery. The Speaker dismissed this as a Myth. He also said that for him Wright Brothers had invented the aeroplane but for Hindutva people, it was Pushpaka Viman ( a chariot used in Ramayana). The statement of the Kerala Assembly Speaker was not taken lightly by the BJP, RSS and VHP. BJP National Information and Technology Department in-charge, Amit Malavya in a tweet said, "AN Shamseer, Kerala Assembly Speaker, is a religious bigot, who is exploiting his position in public life, to denigrate Hindu faith and beliefs. Hinduphobia is deep rooted in Communists., who have now forged an alliance with the Congress, a self proclaimed Muslim party." The BJP, RSS and VHP leaders filed several cases against the Kerala Assembly Speaker and charged that he had insulted Hindu religious beliefs and should resign from the constitutional post. The youth wing of the BJP, Yuvamorcha conducted protest marches across the state and burned the Speaker's effigy in several places. In the home town of Shamseer, Thalassery, Yuvamorcha state general secretary, K. Ganesh in an explosive speech said that Shamseer was making such remarks on Hindu gods and goddesses with the belief that he will not lose his palm like the PFI chopped the palm of a college Professor in the state for allegedly framing a question which was considered insulting to Prophet Mohammed by religious bigots. The speech of the Yuva Morcha leader brought a sharp retort from CPI(M) and one of its senior leaders and formerKannurdistrict secretary of the party, P. Jayarajan in a public speech said that the space of Yuvamorcha will be in mortuary. It may be noted that CPI(M) and RSS, BJP have been involved in violent political clashes in Thalassery in which several people lost their lives and many were maimed for life. The speech of the Yuvamorcha leader and the counter speech by the CPI(M) leader is considered as igniting the violence inKannurdistrict and several local people fear that this could lead to a trigger for a violence in the district. Kannurhas always been volatile and senior leaders have lost their lives. The CPI(M) leader ,P. Jayarajan who made the threatening speech was attacked by an alleged group of RSS men in which he faced grievous injuries. BJP Yuva Morcha state vice president, K.T. Jayakrishnan, who was a teacher in an Upper Primary school, was butchered in the Mokeri East UP school classroom while he was teaching in the class. The incident was considered as a response to the attack on Jayarajan and it was on December 1, 1999. SFI state joint secretary, K.V. Sudheesh, who was also the district Panchayat member ofKannur,was also butchered allegedly by RSS men on January 26, 1994, at his home in front of his parents. This was a counter to the CPI(M) attacking then RSSKannurdistrict joint secretary, C. Sadanandan Master on the evening of January 25, 1994, in which he lost both his legs. Killings and counter killings were the order of the day in Thalassery, Pannor, Kuthuparamba areas ofKannurdistrict since the late sixties and recently the spiritual guru, Shri M. had mediated between the two warring sides, leading to a relative peace since the past few years. Roy Mathew, social worker and political analyst while speaking to IANS said, "Kannurhas spilt blood with killings and counter killings being the order of the day. The recent outbursts by the BJP and the CPI(M) leaders seem to be getting out of hand and if the police don't act tough against the votaries of these hate speeches, there is a possibility of things getting out of control." It may be noted that more than 200 people have lost lives inKannurdistrict to political wars between the CPI(M) and the RSS since the late sixties and unless the two sides iron out the differences and take control over public speeches, things can again get out of control andKannurcan be back into olden days of killings and counter killings. Dhaka, July 30 : Supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who are demanding polls under a non-party interim government in early 2024, clashed with police in Dhaka after which 90 of them were detained. The clashes left 20 policemen and six protesters injured. The leaders were detained on charges of engaging in clashes and vandalising at least 30 vehicles, 10 of which belonged to the police, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Faruque Hossain, a spokesman for Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) as saying. The protesters, demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation, on Saturday gathered to block traffic on key arterial routes in the capital city on The police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the agitators who attacked police with sticks. On Friday, the BNP had announced the sit-in programme at all entry points of Dhaka from 11:00 a.m. local time. Zia, who has thrice been the prime minister, has been in jail since she was convicted in a corruption case in February, 2018. Hasina's Awami League government has entered the last year of its third consecutive tenure this year. Sydney, July 30 : While most of us keep toiling till our golden years seeking a perfect retirement, an 11-year-old millionaire is throwing her 12th birthday party with a retirement plan. Pixie Curtis, the young Australian-born entrepreneur is the CEO of her toy company called Pixie's Fidgets. She founded the company with her mother Roxy Jacenko in 2021, and earned major profits. The young millionaire currently earns more than $133,000 every month, according to reports. Jacenko actually gave her daughter the idea to plan the 12th birthday-cum-retirement party, telling her the importance of education in life, reports The New York Post. Curtis is now stepping away from her business to focus on school. She shared a video on Instagram, showing her birthday party guests' goodie bags with skincare essentials and glow lip treatments worth over $50. The bags were sponsored by luxury Australian beauty brand MCoBeauty. Several followers replied to the video posted by Curtis. "Oh wow! For my 12th I had a McDonald's party back in the day. How things have changed," one follower said. The kid millionaire started out selling bows and then launched her fidget spinner business during the pandemic. "Curtis often shares her extravagant, expensive lifestyle on Instagram, where she has over 130,000 followers," the report mentioned. Some users even expressed concerns about Curtis' expensive lifestyle. "Go be a kid. Listen to yourself trying to be an adult, those nails, makeup, the car Seriously?" one user commented. Curtis even owns a Mercedes Benz, though she cannot legally drive. The expensive car was gifted from her mother on her 10th birthday. This photo taken with a mobile phone shows an ambulance arriving at the blast site in Pakistan's northwest Bajaur district on July 30, 2023. A bomb blast hit a political rally on Sunday afternoon in Pakistan's northwest Bajaur district, leaving at least 10 people dead and over 50 others injured, a rescue official told Xinhua. (Str/Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A bomb blast hit a political rally on Sunday afternoon in Pakistan's northwest Bajaur district, leaving at least 10 people dead and over 50 others injured, a rescue official told Xinhua. The blast hit a political workers' convention of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) near the Shanday Mor area at the Munda Khar road of Bajaur, a district in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson of the state-run rescue organization Rescue 1122 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said. The rescue official feared that the death toll might further rise as at least 15 wounded are in critical condition. Following the blast, police, security forces and rescue teams rushed to the site, and were shifting the bodies and injured to nearby hospitals. Eight ambulances are taking part in the rescue mission, said the official, adding that rescue aid has also been sought from the neighboring areas. According to local media reports, around 500 people were present at the site, and local leaders were delivering speeches when the blast took place. Police and security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. The nature of the explosion is not known yet. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast yet. This photo taken with a mobile phone shows security personnel standing guard near the blast site in Pakistan's northwest Bajaur district on July 30, 2023. A bomb blast hit a political rally on Sunday afternoon in Pakistan's northwest Bajaur district, leaving at least 10 people dead and over 50 others injured, a rescue official told Xinhua. (Str/Xinhua) Mumbai, July 30 : Housemate Jiya Shankar was heard telling Pooja Bhatt that she does not feel safe around housemate Elvish Yadav after seeing his behaviour in the Weekend Ka Vaar episode. Jiya said that even after Pooja spoke about his wrong behaviour with him, he never came and apologised to her. He retorted that Jiya was spreading rumours about him. In the episode, Elvish was seen being schooled for speaking ill about Bebika Dhurve. After everyone got up from the couch in the living room, Jiya said: "After your conversation, Elvish came and asked me if I feel unsafe around him. So even then Elvish never accepted that conversation, he said that he was speaking about the comments that had come up on social media." "... I do not feel safe around him. Because if he knows and he can say it in front of so many cameras then I donat know what kind of a person he is outside. His body language and all that you sawa Even after he had a conversation with you, he should have come to me and said sorry but he turned the situation around and accused me of telling wrong things about him to everyone." Pooja added: "I agree with you about that. I told him that if you are thinking thatas a different thing but you are saying it in front of the camera, are you stupid about it? He has lots of issues. And Manisha Rani is the one who starts the fire. It is because of her, Abhishek and everyone's behaviour has changed. And she is not real at all. " Elvish then comes to apologise to Bebika and Jiya for talking inappropriately. Latest updates on Bigg Boss OTT 2 Hyderabad, July 30 : The Centre has decided to depute an inter-ministerial central team to Telangana for assessment of the damages caused by floods. Union Tourism Minister and state BJP president G. Kishan Reddy said on Sunday that the decision was taken by Union Home Minister Amit Shah after senior BJP leaders from the state called on him in New Delhi. Kishan Reddy said Amit Shah instructed the Home Secretary to immediately dispatch a high-powered inter-ministerial team to Telangana for assessment of the damage caused by floods. The inter-ministerial team will be visiting the state from July 31 for on the spot first hand assessment of the damage and relief works carried out by the state administration. To be led by Kunal Satyarthi, advisor, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the team will comprise officials from departments like agriculture, finance, water resources, power, road transport & highways and National Remote Sensing Centre. "Further, upon submission of the final memorandum by the state government of Telangana, the same central team will visit the state again for detailed assessment of damage and making final recommendation for the admissibility of additional central assistance in the wake of floods in Telangana during South-West monsoon 2023. "The team will also recommend whether the disaster can be considered to be of 'severe nature'," reads an office memorandum from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Kolkata, July 30 : A Congress woman activist, Khatun Bewa (64), was reportedly lynched allegedly by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists at Ghoramara in Murshidabad district of West Bengal on Sunday morning. Bilal Mondal, the younger brother of the deceased said that besides being a die-hard Congress supporter she was also an ardent follower of state Congress president and veteran party Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. "Some of the miscreants having backing of the ruling party started showering abuses in front of her house. As my elder sister protested, she was lynched in the process. We demand exemplary punishment for the culprits," Mondal said. District Trinamool Congress leader Ashok Das denied the allegations and claimed that the unfortunate event was the result of a quarrel between neighbours. "Congress leadership in the district is trying to add political colour by unnecessarily dragging our name in this," he said. With this fresh killing, the total number of casualties in the state has touched 56 since June 8 when the polling date for panchayat election was announced. New Delhi, July 30 : The Delhi Police has filed three separate FIRs in connection with the Saturday's violence that took place in Outer Delhi's Nangloi area during the Muharram procession. The police have also recovered a few more CCTV footages to identify the culprits. Six police personnel and six volunteers including five women sustained minor injuries while containing the situation. All the FIRs have been filed against unknown individuals. A senior police officer said that they have formed a special team to retrieve CCTV footage from the area which will help them in the investigation. "Additionally, the police have obtained videos related to the Nangloi violence to help identify the suspects. To maintain peace in the area, police have been deployed at the sites of the violent incidents," said the official. Clashes erupted between the police and mob on Saturday evening near the Surajmal Stadium after a few Tazia procession organisers tried to deviate from the designated route of the procession. Several videos of the incident went viral on social media, showing people pelting stones and causing damage to public vehicles, including buses and private cars. One of the videos showed bus passengers taking cover on the floor of a bus to protect themselves from the stone pelting outside. In another video doing rounds on social media, a youth can be seen carrying a sword. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Harendra Singh said on the occasion of Muharram on Saturday at around 5.45 p.m, some Tazia processions entered the Nangloi police station area on main Rohtak Road and tried to deviate the route mutually decided upon in the coordination meeting with the organisers. "Efforts were made to convince them to stick to pre-decided route and proceed to the designated burials. While most of them cooperated, a few miscreants became unruly and started instigating public and resorted to stone pelting," said the DCP. Moscow, July 30 : A man was injured and two buildings were damaged in Moscow city in the drone attack, allegedly carried out by Ukraine, due to which one of the city's airport Vnukovo was also shut briefly, local media reported. "The city was attacked by Ukrainian drones. The facades of two office buildings of the Moscow City were slightly damaged. There were no casualties," Russia's state news agency TASS reported, quoting Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin as saying. As per Russian Defence ministry, Ukraine tried to attack Moscow buildings with drones, one of which was destroyed in the air over the territory of the Odintsovo district and two others were suppressed and crashed in the Moscow City. The capital's Vnukovo airport was closed for arrivals and departures for a brief period, the defence ministry added. Though the Russian Defence ministry termed it an attempted terrorist attack, Ukraine is yet to comment on it. Chennai, July 30 : Newly-appointed national secretary of the BJP, Anil Antony has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vision for the next 25 years to turn India into a developed country. Son of veteran Congress leader and former Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Anil, who is an engineer with a Masters from the prestigious Stanford University, spoke about the Congress and the prospects of the BJP in his home state, Kerala, in an interview with IANS. Excerpts from interview: Q: What is your first reaction on being appointed as the national secretary of the BJP? A: I joined the BJP, because I was very sure that the BJP is the only national party with a vision and direction to drive the country forward under the leadership of our beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. He has a vision for the country for the next 25 years. In the nine years under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modiji, the country has progressed much ahead than the earlier 67 years post Independence put together. India is emerging as a prominent pillar in a multi-polar world. He wants to push forward the country into a developed nation in its 100th year of Independence. I am feeling very humble and honoured that the BJP leadership has shown this much confidence in me and with this new posting that I have a better platform to work towards the PM's vision for India. Q: Will you be concentrating on Kerala as a BJP leader who is now a national secretary of the party. A: I have not yet been assigned any new responsibilities after announcing me as the new national secretary of the party. I lived in Kerala for a significant amount of time during my upbringing. I have a lot of interest to see that the party grows in Kerala. I will definitely be making my efforts to develop the party in the state. The party has been consistently growing in the state. The vote share was 3 per cent and it has increased to 13 to 14 per cent now and our alliance is growing in Kerala. Many accomplished citizens and many promising youths have joined the BJP and are still joining. Just like across India, the youth in Kerala are attracted towards the Honourable Prime Ministeras vision for India. Kerala is a state with a lot of socio economic growth. While the median age of the country is 27, in Kerala it is 35 and young people are struggling for job opportunities. They are leaving in masses searching for jobs both outside the country and within India to other states. India is thriving and moving forward under the leadership of PM Modi. He has a vision to transform the country by providing economic and social opportunities and young people will definitely resonate with the good governance of the Government of India and they want to be part of Indiaas growth. Just like West Bengal, Tripura and other Northeastern states, the party will grow in Kerala. There is exceptional growth. In Kerala, also we have 14 and 15 per cent vote share and state leadership is strong and central leadership is showing more interest in the state. In 2024 we will definitely win multiple seats and BJP will become a significant political party in the state. I can say that we will have exceptional growth in Kerala. Q: It is learned that senior leaders of the BJP will be in fray in 2024 general elections. Are you a candidate? A: I joined the party only in April and my first responsibility in the party was announced only yesterday. My only priority is only to work on the responsibility given by me. These are decisions taken by the party leadership and it is the leadership that decides. Everything else is speculation. I won't comment on the seat and other factors that the party leadership has to decide. Q: You are the son of senior Congress leader A.K. Antony. Is that a baggage for you in your future political career? A: My father was in parliamentary politics for 52 years and has spent more than six decades in party politics. In his parliamentary career he was the Chief Minister of Kerala, a Union minister and had handled the crucial defense portfolio. He has generated tremendous good will across the political spectrum, across people and among the public. He has now retired from parliamentary politics. The current Congress led by Rahul Gandhi and his associates have diverted themselves from what the Congress party used to be. The party is now going in a very very negative tangent where they donat have any clear vision or direction on how to progress. At the same time we have a Prime Minister who has had a vision for 25 years. Congress is getting alienated from the young and aspirational India and cut off from Young India. The Congress party has changed a lot and is no longer a party where my father and many other stalwarts worked for many many years. My father has tremendous goodwill and I am proud to have a father like him. Q: Narendra Modi and the BJP have been in power for the past nine years. Will the party and Modi get a third tenure in 2024 general elections ? A: Definitely Narendra Modi and the BJP will be returning to power after the 2024 general elections. In 2014 and 2019 PM Narendra Modi led the party to back to back victories. Every year the progress of India is exponential and in the last nine years it is more. In 2014 we had 500 startups and now we have over one lakh. We have more than 115 unicorns, and is the third largest digital economy in the world. This is exponential growth. As far as Infrastructure is concerned, we had 75 airports in 2014 when Narendra Modi came to power. Now we have 150 airports and in 2030, there will be 400 plus airports. In 2014 highways were built at a speed of 8 to 9 km per day; now it is more than 100 km per day. Lot of this is due to the passion, dedication and vision of the Prime Minister to take the country forward. There is a great future for the country and the entire government and party machinery have full confidence in this vision and are working to ensure that the milestones are met. The people of India are beneficiaries and their lives are improving better than any time, including employment opportunities. We are getting more and more global recognition and we are respected in international forums. Across international and domestic stages and, including grassroots levels India story is resonating and because of this people will show confidence. We will come back with a better mandate and the margin will be higher than in the 2019 polls. There are 38 allies for the BJP now within NDA and the BJP and party organization is getting bigger. Q: Manipur is turning into a major crisis. What's your take on this? A: The Manipur issue is very disappointing. However, the opposition parties create a narration far removed from realities for their short-term political victories. It is a state where there were frequent clashes between tribes for many historic reasons. If you look at the state of Manipur for the past 20 years, the violence has come down with data that shows that Manipur was getting more peaceful than anytime in the past. For example in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 an average of 150 people were killed. It has come down to 10 or 15 people in the last five years. Law and order situation has been drastically improving. There are anti-India elements inside and outside the country who are trying to flare up the tribal conflict. The opposition is trying to flare this up for their political exigencies. They are trying to create a false narration of a communal war for a tribal conflict. This has been steadily controlled and violence steadily decreasing but anti India forces are trying to unleash violence and the opposition is not standing with the people of India and instead of bringing stability to the region, they are playing in the hands of anti-India forces. India has been more secure and stable in the last nine years from Kashmir to Northeastern states. Everywhere, we are seeing situations where everything is brought under control through steady intervention. The Honourable Home Minister visited the place multiple times. But the opposition is creating false narrations to rake up the issue communally and people of India will reject this kind of negativity. Kolkata, July 30 : The special motion on the situation in violence ridden Manipur moved by Trinamool Congress will come up for discussion in the state assembly on Monday. Although the Trinamool Congress leadership and the state Parliamentary affairs minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay has earlier announced that the motion on Manipur will be moved during the ongoing monsoon session of the assembly, the date of moving the motion was not mentioned then. However, the fresh list of business for the house for Monday has confirmed that the motion will come up for discussion on that day. It is learnt that Chattopadhyay will move the motion. The Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be present on the floor of the house on Monday to participate in the discussion. The other speakers on behalf of the ruling Trinamool Congress will include the partyas chief whip in the assembly Nirmal Ghosh, deputy chief whip Tapas Ray and state minister Birbaha Hansda, among others. Fashion-turned- politician and BJP legislator Agnimitra Paull will be representing her party in the discussion on the motion. Naushad Siddique, the lone All India Secular Front (AISF) representative is also scheduled to participate in the discussion. Political observers feel that the ambience in the floor of the house is likely to be quite stormy on Monday over the discussion on the motions. While treasury bench speakers will launch a scathing attack against the Union government and the BJP over the Manipur issue, the opposition bench would definitely counter that by quoting incidents of violence and harassment of women in West Bengal. New Delhi, July 30 : Taking action against bars for flouting rules and responding to frequent complaints from people, the police shut down 'Liquid Bar' in Delhi's Prashant Vihar, said officials on Sunday. According to the information, the police also prosecuted persons who were drinking in public. The police received information that Liquid Bar had turned into a dance bar where girls were hired to present dance shows. The police then physically inspected the bar. The police team found that music was being played without any permission. However, they didn't find any girl who was dancing. "We have shut down the dance bar, Liquid Bar. We issued the bar owner a Challan of 128/112 of the DP Act. After two Challans, the bar can be sealed, or the license can be canceled," said a source. Apart from this, the police prosecuted six persons for drinking in public places and creating a nuisance. They were challaned under the DP Act. --IANS atk/ New Delhi, July 30 : Human trafficking remains a distressing global epidemic that knows no boundaries. It affects millions of lives, with devastating consequences for victims, especially women and children. On the occasion of the World Day Against Trafficking, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime calls for collective action to leave no victim behind. With the recent release of the Global Slavery Index 2023, it becomes evident that certain G20 nations, including India, are grappling with significant trafficking challenges. India, with its large population and diverse socio-economic landscape, faces a pressing need to combat this menace. The Magnitude of Human Trafficking: According to the Global Slavery Index 2023, six G20 nations, including India, account for more than half of the world's modern slavery victims. India alone has 11 million victims, comprising men, women, and children trapped in this vicious cycle. The report highlights the alarming prevalence of modern slavery in various countries, emphasising the urgency of addressing this issue collectively. The report also mentions about 10 countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery are North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Human trafficking, a billion-dollar industry, affects hundreds of thousands of individuals annually and ranks as the third-largest international criminal enterprise, generating an estimated $150 billion annually (ILO, 2014). Governments worldwide invest millions in combating this issue. India, with its large population and complex social dynamics, has become a hotspot for various forms of trafficking. According to NCRB data, 2,189 trafficking cases were filed in 2022, involving 6,533 victims. Among them, 4,062 were female, 2,471 were male, and 2,877 were minors. While more underage boys (1,570) were trafficked in 2021, adult victims saw women outnumbering men. Certain states, like Telangana, Maharashtra, and Assam, reported higher trafficking cases, making them vulnerable to cross-border trafficking facilitated by neighbouring countries. The Complexity and Reach of Trafficking: Trafficking transcends borders and affects individuals from all walks of life. Traffickers often prey on vulnerable individuals seeking a better life or living in unstable conditions. Deceived by false promises, victims find themselves trapped in deplorable working conditions, exploited for little or no pay. Human trafficking remains an affront to the dignity and wellbeing of around 27.6 million victims worldwide (71 per cent are women and girls, and 29 per cent are men and boys). Accurate data on trafficking victims is challenging to determine due to under identification and hidden nature of the crime. The Impact on the health of Victims: The consequences of human trafficking are far-reaching and devastating, inflicting significant harm and substantial health implications on individuals and communities. Trafficking victims endure a myriad of health issues, including: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS: Victims forced into the sex industry are at high risk of contracting STDs and HIV/AIDS due to unprotected sexual encounters. Pelvic Pain, Rectal Trauma, and Urinary Difficulties: Working in the sex industry subjects victims to physical abuse and trauma, resulting in pelvic pain, rectal injuries, and urinary complications. Pregnancy from Rape or Prostitution: Female victims often experience unwanted pregnancies as a result of rape or coerced prostitution. Infertility from Untreated STDs or Unsafe Abortions: Chronic untreated sexually transmitted infections or unsafe abortions can lead to infertility among female victims. Infections and Mutilations from Unsanitary Medical Procedures: Traffickers may subject victims to unsanitary and dangerous medical procedures, leading to infections and mutilations. Chronic Back, Hearing, Cardiovascular, or Respiratory Problems: Endless toiling in hazardous conditions like agriculture, sweatshops, or construction can cause chronic health issues. Weak Eyes and Eye Problems: Working in dimly lit sweatshops can lead to weak eyesight and other eye-related problems. Malnourishment and Serious Dental Problems: Child trafficking victims often suffer from malnourishment and severe dental issues, leading to retarded growth and poorly formed teeth. Infectious Diseases like Tuberculosis and Hepatitis: Overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions in trafficking situations can increase the risk of infectious diseases. Undetected or Untreated Diseases such as Diabetes or Cancer: Lack of access to proper healthcare and medical attention may leave victims with undetected or untreated chronic conditions. Bruises, Scars, and Physical Abuse: Victims of the sex industry may bear bruises and scars from physical abuse and torture, with attackers often avoiding visible areas to conceal their actions. Substance Abuse and Addiction: Some victims turn to substance abuse as a coping mechanism or are coerced into drug use by their traffickers. Psychological Trauma: Daily mental abuse and torture inflict profound psychological trauma, leading to depression, stress-related disorders, disorientation, confusion, phobias, and panic attacks. Feelings of Helplessness, Shame, Humiliation, Shock, Denial, or Disbelief: The constant exploitation leaves victims with overwhelming emotions, including feelings of helplessness,shame, humiliation, shock, denial, or disbelief. Cultural Shock: Many victims find themselves in unfamiliar countries, facing cultural shock and alienation, further exacerbating their distress. Addressing human trafficking's health implications requires collective efforts to combat this heinous crime and provide comprehensive support and rehabilitation for victims, empowering them to reclaim their dignity and lead fulfilling lives. India's efforts to combat trafficking have been bolstered by the introduction of the Draft Trafficking in Persons Bill, 2021. Once enacted, the bill will broaden the definition of victims, covering all citizens and foreign nationals residing in India, including transgenders. It aims to hold offenders accountable, including government officials and those in positions of authority. Penalties and Protections: The bill proposes stringent penalties, with life imprisonment for trafficking multiple children and the seizure of properties acquired through trafficking income. Additionally, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will lead the fight against trafficking, while the National Anti-Human Trafficking Committee will oversee the law's implementation. Financial Assistance and Strengthening Units: The Ministry of Women and Child Development recently approved a scheme to provide financial assistance to establish protection and rehabilitation homes in states and Union Territories, especially in regions with international borders. This initiative aims to cater to the specific needs of victims, offering them essential support and care. To reinforce the fight against trafficking, the government has allocated funds from the Nirbhaya Fund to strengthen anti-human trafficking units (AHTUs) across all states and Union Territories. These units play a crucial role in detecting and combating trafficking activities. Conclusion: India's Battle Against Trafficking: Human trafficking remains a pressing global challenge, impacting millions of lives worldwide. India, as one of the countries significantly affected, is taking a robust approach to combat this menace. The Draft Trafficking in Persons Bill, 2021, and the recent initiatives to provide financial assistance and strengthen anti-human trafficking units demonstrate the nation's commitment to safeguarding the dignity and rights of trafficking victims. To truly make a difference, it is essential to work collectively on a global scale to eradicate this heinous crime and ensure a brighter future for victims everywhere. Greater Noida, July 30 : People took to the streets in the Sutyana and Kulsera villages of Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh to protest against the prolonged power cuts. The residents alleged that they have been facing a 20-day power outage, which compelled them to stage the protest. A video of the demonstration went viral on social media, showing women and men sitting on a tempo and raising slogans against the local administration. Deepak, a resident of Kulsera, mentioned that there is no electricity in the area, especially in the region along the banks of the Hindon River. "There is no electricity in the houses built along the Hindon River. If this area is considered submerged, then how were thousands of houses allowed to be registered?," he said. CAIRO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian factions met in Egypt on Sunday to discuss reconciliation efforts amid increasing violence between Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank. The meeting, chaired by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, seeks to restore inter-Palestinian unity among various factions, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported. While the two main rival movements, ruling Fatah and Gaza-controlling Hamas, take part in the meeting in Egypt's New Alamein City, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) announced beforehand it would boycott the gathering due to political arrests of some of its members by the Palestinian Authority headed by Abbas. The gathering brokered by Egypt came amid soaring violence in the West Bank. Earlier in July, the Israeli raids on the Jenin refugee camp killed at least 12 Palestinians and wounded more than 150. The Palestinian embassy noted that the Palestinian president and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi are scheduled to meet on Monday. Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, has been sponsoring meetings between Palestinian factions for years, in addition to brokering truces between armed Palestinian movements and Israel. Egypt has repeatedly reiterated its position that supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital in accordance with the internationally-recognized two-state solution. Seven killed, 22 injured in hurricane on wild beach in Russia. Image Source: IANS News Moscow, July 30 : Seven people, including three children and four adults, were killed and 22 others injured when trees fell on their tents during a hurricane in Russia's Republic of Mari. The incident occurred at 6 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) on Saturday near Lake Yalchik, a popular recreation spot for the residents of Mari El and neighboring Tatarstan. About 500 cars and a tent camp on the beach when a gusty wind knocked down many trees, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Alexander Malkin, the head of the republic's civil defence and population protection committee, He added that rescuers, police and an airborne group from the Russian emergencies ministry were involved in the relief work. Mari El is located about 650 km east of Moscow. London, July 30 : Ancient pathogens that escape from melting permafrost have real potential to damage microbial communities and might potentially threaten human health, according to a new study. The idea that "time-travelling" pathogens trapped in ice or hidden in remote laboratory facilities could break free to cause catastrophic outbreaks has inspired generations of novelists and screenwriters. While melting glaciers and permafrost are giving many types of dormant microbes the opportunity to re-emerge, the potential threats to human health and the environment posed by these microbes have been difficult to estimate. In a new study, a team led by Giovanni Strona of the European Commission Joint Research Centre in Brussels, Belgium, quantified the ecological risks posed by these microbes using computer simulations. The researchers performed artificial evolution experiments where digital virus-like pathogens from the past invade communities of bacteria-like hosts. They compared the effects of invading pathogens on the diversity of host bacteria to diversity in control communities where no invasion occurred. The team found that in their simulations, the ancient invading pathogens could often survive and evolve in the modern community, and about 3 per cent became dominant. While most of the dominant invaders had little effect on the composition of the larger community, about 1 per cent of the invaders yielded unpredictable results. Some caused up to one third of the host species to die out, while others increased diversity by up to 12 per cent compared to the control simulations. The risks posed by this 1 per cent of released pathogens may seem small, but given the sheer number of ancient microbes regularly released into modern communities, outbreak events still represent a substantial hazard. The new findings, published in the open-access journal PLOS Computational Biology, suggest that the risks posed by time-travelling pathogens -- so far confined to science fiction stories -- could in fact be powerful drivers of ecological change and threats to human health. San Francisco, July 30 : Ford Motor has issued a recall notice for 870,701 F-150 trucks in the US that could potentially experience a wiring-related problem with their electric parking brakes. In a safety recall report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the automaker said the rear axle wiring harness bundle may contact the rear axle housing in the affected vehicles, leading to unexpected activation of the electric parking brake. "Damaged electric parking brake wiring may lead to inadvertent parking brake application while driving, potentially resulting in loss of control of the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash," NHTSA mentioned. The 870,701 trucks that could be affected are from the model years 2021 to 2023 and have single exhaust systems. The recalled automobiles were manufactured during a three-year period. According to the report, owners of impacted F-150 pickups will receive letters advising them of the recall and the repair for the issue beginning September 11, the same date dealers will receive a notification. On February 23, 2023, Ford's Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) opened an investigation into reports describing unintended parking brake applications on 2021 model year F-150 vehicles. The warranty and field reports both revealed that the wiring containing the rear electric parking brake circuits had been damaged. As of July 11, 2023, Ford is aware of 918 warranty and three field reports for the wire chafing condition in North America, received within the range of August 2021 and July 2023. In March, Ford Motor issued a recall notice for 18 electric F-150 Lightning pickup trucks with faulty battery cells that caused at least one truck to catch fire. On February 4, a fire broke out in a holding lot during a pre-delivery quality check while the vehicle was charging. Ford halted production and issued a stop-shipment order to dealers. According to Ford, the "root cause" of the problem was at the Georgia plant of South Korean battery supplier SK On. Chennai, July 30 : Puducherry Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said that the Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Ltd (NLCIL) should not have taken procession of acquired farmlands in Tamil Nadu by destroying crops. Interacting with reporters after taking a darshan at Chidambaram temple in Cuddalore, the Lt Governor said that crops are akin to life and that she did not subscribe to the recent move of the NLCIL to take procession of farm lands. Noting that NLCIL should have waited for the crops to be harvested by the farmers, she asked the NLICL management on why they took ten years to take possession of acquired lands and said that they could have stopped the farmers from cultivating the crops instead of destroying them. Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam has earlier said that the state government had earlier communicated to the farmers not to cultivate in farmlands acquired by the NLCIL. Kolkata, July 30 : The medical conditions of former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee have improved to a great extent from Saturday when he was admitted at a Kolkata-based hospital with severe medical complications, Bhattacharjee's close comrade and CPI (M) politburo member Surjya Kanta Mishra said. Surjya Kanta Mishra, who is himself a qualified medical practitioner, met the former chief minister at the private hospital in Kolkata on Sunday afternoon. Mishra, the former leader of the opposition in West Bengal assembly and also a heavyweight minister in the Bhattacharjee-led 7th Left Front government in West Bengal, claimed that there had been improvement in the former chief minister's medical conditions from what it was on Saturday afternoon. "I came to meet him not as a physician but as a fellow-comrade. His medical conditions have improved. He has started responding to calls. The difference between his present condition and what it was on Saturday is evident," Mishra told media persons while coming out of the hospital. As per the last medical bulletin issued on Sunday afternoon by the hospital authorities, the former chief minister is 'haemodynamically' stable which means that his blood flow is stable. Earlier in the morning, the hospital sources said that the condition of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee continued to be critical. Despite being a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient for quite some time, Bhattacharjee had always been reluctant on getting admitted to hospital and preferred being treated at his two-room apartment where he resides with his wife Meera Bhattacharjee. His close associates recall how he insisted on being released and going back to his home in past when he was admitted to hospital after his health conditions turned critical. New Delhi, July 30 : The global beauty industry stands as no exception to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, its story of recovery and even growth is an outstanding example of resilience and innovation. The industry has aptly dealt with the negative effects of the pandemic, with the changes becoming prevalent in the times to come. The use of e-commerce is continually on the rise and brands are increasingly banking on online platforms and supply chains to be relevant in unexpected situations. Beauty brands across the world are focusing on providing the best-in-class experience to their consumers as the pandemic's after-effects wane. Online shopping becoming more relevant than ever Digitisation rose to prominence during the pandemic and the beauty sector stepped in to increase its digital presence. With the implementation of a robust digital marketing strategy and e-commerce experience, beauty brands are aiming to increase sales and appeal to varied lifestyles. Brands are enhancing the virtual shopping experience through Artificial Intelligence (AI) to recreate in-store beauty counters and compensate for the feeling of smell, swatch, and sampling of the products. Simply by optimising images and videos of their products, the industry is looking to provide an in-depth look at the customers' preferences sitting in the comforts of their homes. Technology enabling innovation The beauty industry and technology have forged a deep partnership. Technology is riding the innovation for the brands, offering novel experiences to consumers. Platforms like websites and mobile applications are integrating technology to offer personalised solutions. Brands with digital presence are more interactive than ever, thanks to technology. Voice assistance, chatbots, and in-app quizzes have made consented data collection possible to analyse consumer behaviour, trends, needs, and demands. Entrepreneurship and new D2C brands The pandemic paved the way for entrepreneurs across towns and cities. Businesses focused on beauty a" from lip balms, cheek tints and more found a medium of business in social media. Numerous success stories empowering women and the youth made their way to social and media streams. The route of D2C brought consumers and businesses closer with increased brand connections. The whole phenomenon of D2C humanised the consumer-brand connection and continues to flourish. Rise of skincare routines With working from home, physical distancing, and mask-wearing becoming a norm skincare was brought into focus as brands witnessed consumers opting for products with health functions. Products like serums, hydrating masks, face oils, and beauty tools like guasha and face rollers started gaining popularity. There was an increased use of DIY skin care and brands diversified their portfolio to provide homemade solutions to cater to the changing consumer needs. Skin health became the focus area and it continues to be so post-pandemic. The Renaissance of makeup After almost two years of lull, consumers are now making up for the lost time. They are more than eager to go out, celebrate with their friends and family, and travel around the world. For the beauty industry, this has translated into a higher traction for makeup products. More so now than ever, consumers want to look their best and express themselves through makeup. Some of the trends we have seen in the makeup category include abstract eyeliners, colour pops of neon, bold blushes, and everything glitter. Realising the importance of personalisation Resonating with Epilsonas survey which indicated that 80 per cent of consumers are likely to buy a product if it offers personalisation, brands are innovating in terms of giving personalized beauty treatments, products, and supplements. The age-old idea of aone-size-fits-alla and universal products does not align with the new consumeras preferences and expectations. Consumers are looking for unique solutions that can help them with concerns specific to their needs. Brands are increasingly innovating through the integration of technology to help consumers with hyper-personalised recommendations. Research and data have become key in driving these efforts. Brands are also witnessing a higher sense of loyalty toward them through personalised offerings. Hyperlocal models of delivery The path from discovery to delivery is increasingly becoming quicker. Prior to the pandemic, the idea of beauty products being delivered within a day was talked of as a distant reality. Today, however, brands and service providers have gone one step further to bring orders to your doorstep in as less as 2 hours. Hyperlocal delivery models are facilitating this transition, bringing in convenience and efficiency for both the consumer and the marketer. Being focused on specific geographical spaces, they open avenues for brands to draw cultural insights and further customise experiences for the target audience. Content as a medium With increased screen times, the path from online discovery to delivery, content to commerce is more relevant than ever. Over the past few years, content formats like short videos and tutorials have become a mouthpiece of beauty brands to reach their target audience and convey the merit and use-case of their products. Today, we see a shift from traditional ideas and collaborations with digital influencers. In an ever-expanding competitive market, brands are more open to experimentation. The idea of brands closely collaborating with content creators through blogs and social media has proven incremental in enticing and informing consumers. Ethics and values matter more than ever The pandemic put a lot of things into perspective. Today, consumers are more informed and are looking to be associated with brands that align with their values. They want the companies to respect their values and individuality. In this manner, brands are intending to become more eco-aware, transparent, ethical, and more-consumer centric. This can include anything from being plastic-free, supporting women empowerment, against animal cruelty, understanding of diversity, and more. (Karishma Khokhar is the Founder and CEO, of KultApp) (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) --IANS Karishma/tb Bhopal, July 30 : A 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped in Madhya Pradesh's Satna district. This is the second incident of horrifying crime against a minor girl in the district within four days. According to police, the alleged incident took place on Friday, when the victim had gone to a deserted place to address the nature's call. The accused allegedly grabbed her from behind and raped her. She narrated the ordeal to her parents following which, the family members of the teenage girl lodged a complaint at Ramnagar police station, an official said, adding that the accused was arrested on Saturday. The accused has been identified as Vijay Saket (19), Ramnagar police station in-charge Aditya Naryan Dhurve said quoting the victim's complaint. The accused allegedly threatened to kill the girl and raped her, he said. Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for rape, abduction and threatening the victim against the arrested accused, the official said. Earlier on Thursday, a 11-year-old girl was raped, bitten multiple times and brutalised allegedly by two men working for the trust managing a famous temple in Maihar town of Satna district. The two accused, Ravindra Kumar and Atul Bhadoliya, were arrested following the incident and the local administration on Saturday demolished their houses. The victim's private part was brutalised by inserting stick. She is recuperating at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Rewa. Book on Battle of Longewala hero different from movie Border: Author. Image Source: IANS News Chandigarh, July 30 : Author Gurjot Singh Kaler on Sunday said that 'Battle of Logewala' is different from what has been portrayed in the famous Bollywood flick 'Border'. Kaler, who served as Assistant Inspector General of Police in Punjab, has penned the life story of Brigadier (late) Kuldip Singh Chandpuri in a book titled 'The Battle of Longewala: Grit, Guts and Glory'. Brigadier Chandpuri, the hero of the famous 'Battle of Longewala' was a major in the Indian Army during the 1971 war that saw India defeating Pakistan and leading to the liberation of Bangladesh. Brigadier Chandpuri held his post through the night in the now famous 'Battle of Longewala' in Rajasthan with just 120 men against a full-fledged attack of Pakistani tanks. How is the book different from the J.P. Dutta-directed movie "Border"? "This book is very different from the movie. This is because the movie was about just the Battle of Longewala but the book is a detailed account of the life story of Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri," Gurjot Singh Kaler to IANS. The book 'The Battle of Longewala: Grit, Guts and Glory' is an intriguing biography of the legendary soldier who was awarded with Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for his steely fortitude and courage to lead 120 men against a formidable Pakistani force of around 3,500 men and 45 tanks. "The book makes the reader quite emotional and one feels a sense of deep gratitude towards the Indian Army for protecting the integrity of India," Kaler explained to IANS. He said that the book took more than four years to pen it down after research. Various aspects and milestones of Brigadier Chandpuri's life have been carefully documented in a detailed manner in the book. The book makes the reader emotional at various points and successfully captures the attention of the reader from the beginning till the end. The author has penned direct quotes in the form of an interesting conversation between him and Brigadier Chandpuri. "This is precisely the reason that the reader does not feel bored or monotonous. At every point, there is a moral lesson in the book and one feels inspired to read it," said Kaler. The way the ethos and culture of the Indian Army have been described increases one's respect for the soldiers. The 'Battle of Longewala' has been aptly described in great detail in chapter seven. It talks in detail about the contributions of all soldiers of 23rd Alpha Company of Punjab Regiment of the Army, including the BSF as well as highlights the valiant role of IAF Hunter aircrafts in defeating the inimical Pakistani forces in the famed battle. Chapter eight titled 'Life after Longewala' is also an engrossing account of how the movie 'Border' came to be made on the battle and the way it captured the imagination of Indian masses. The book is a kind of masterpiece about the life of Brigadier Chandpuri and the way he lived his life with patriotic fervor and strongly upheld the 'izzat' (self-respect) of the motherland, his men and his own life. The book is a tribute to the Indian Army and highlights the patriotic resilience of our soldiers, says the writer. "It is an emotionally enriching experience to go through the life journey of Brigadier Chandpuri and his heroic exploits to win the Battle of Longewala." The book has given equal respect to the Indian Air Force personnel and attributes the victory in the 'Battle of Longewala' to the joint operation, cooperation and concerted action of both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. "The book teaches one the life lessons of Grit, Guts and Glory. Indeed, the title of the book stands justified," he explains. Decorated war veteran Brigadier Chandpuri died on November 17, 2018. He was 77 years-old and is survived by his wife and three sons. A soft-spoken but firm man, Brigadier Chandpuri was settled in Chandigarh's Sector 33 after retiring from the Indian Army and was active socially. The famous photograph of his soldiers dancing atop vanquished Pakistani tanks after the battle of Longewala was won, adorned the wall in a big frame in the living room of his house. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com) Nadda listens to Mann Ki Baat with party workers in Delhi. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, July 30 : BJP President J.P Nadda listened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio program 'Mann ki Baat' on Sunday. Nadda, along with Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva and MP Harsh Vardhan heard the 103rd episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' with party workers in Keshavpuram. After the 'Mann Ki Baat' program, Nadda said, "Today, we understood the importance of tree plantation and water conservation from the Prime Minister." "Modi government has always worked for the upliftment of women. We could see the result that more than 4,000 Muslim women performed Haj without a male companion or Mahram," he said. He said that this is a major change in the country as earlier the Muslim women were not allowed to perform Haj without a Mahram. "We will leave no stone unturned for implementation of Prime Minister's message of hoisting the Tricolor over every house on August 15," Delhi BJP chief said. The Prime Minister in his 'Mann Ki Baat' called upon the countrymen to hoist the tricolour at their home like the previous year under the 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan'. BJP Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda also listened to the 'Maan ki Baat' program with party workers in Tilak Nagar. Andhra Pradesh on top in borrowings funds from RBI in 4 months, says TDP. Image Source: IANS News Amaravati, July 30 : Andhra Pradesh stood on top among all the states in the country in borrowing funds from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the first four months of this financial year, said the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national spokesman Kommareddy Pattabhiram. Pattabhiram said that from April this year the RBI has extended loans 17 times till now to various states through auction of state government security. Andhra Pradesh utilised this opportunity to the maximum possible by participating in this auction for 14 times. In fact, Andhra Pradesh is the first state in the country to approach the RBI this fiscal, he said. In this financial year, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government has till now raised loans to the extent of Rs 29,500 crore thus taking the state to the top in borrowings, the TDP spokesperson said. The neighbouring states of Karnataka and Odisha have not raised any loans in this fiscal, he said. Though Tamil Nadu has borrowed Rs 40,000 crore in this financial year, its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) Rs 28 lakh crore, Pattabhi said. Since any state can raise loans upto three per cent of the GSDP, Tamil Nadu can raise loans upto Rs 85,000 crore, he narrated. Going by this, Tamil nadu has till now not utilised even 50 per cent of the credit limit, he explained. However, Andhra Pradesh has already reached 97.4 per cent of the limit which the state borrowed from the RBI alone, Pattabhiram said. These statistics clearly indicate that Andhra Pradesh is in a worse situation than Tamil Nadu, he stated. Giving the statistics of other states, the TDP leader said that bigger states in the country like Maharashtra has borrowed Rs 23,000 crore, Rajasthan 20,500 crore, Telangana Rs 17,000 crore, Punjab Rs 15,500 crore, Kerala Rs 12,500 crore, Uttar Pradesh Rs 9,500 crore, West Bengal Rs 6,500 crore, Gujarat 5,500 crore. The backward state of Bihar raised Rs 4,000 crore in this fiscal till now. He alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy has created a record of sorts by becoming the richest Chief Minister of the country after resorting to large-scale corruption and by borrowing huge amounts of funds. Why only Andhra Pradesh is badly in need of borrowing funds unlike any other State and why only the State is knocking at the RBI door much before other States, he asked. "The only answer is the large-scale corruption of Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy who is borrowing funds and diverting them to his own coffers through backdoor," he said. Observing that not even a single rupee is being spent for the development of the state, he said as a result of this the roads are in such a bad condition while irrigation has taken a back seat. He claimed that the people have already realised the facts and are ready to teach a lesson to Jagan when the time comes. CAIRO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed, and 37 others wounded on Sunday as a tour bus collided with a truck on a highway in the coastal governorate of Matrouh in northern Egypt. The accident took place earlier in the morning on Matrouh-Alexandria International Coastal Road near El-Dabaa town and ten ambulances were immediately sent to take the injuries to nearby hospitals, Matrouh Governorate said in a statement. Mabrouk Salem, the health department's undersecretary in Matrouh, said the victims sustained varied degrees of injuries and some required surgical intervention. Road accidents claim thousands of lives every year in Egypt as a result of speeding, poor maintenance of roads, and lax enforcement of traffic laws. Over the past few years, Egypt has been upgrading its road network to reduce traffic accidents. New Delhi, July 30 : For 45-year-old Gagan Wadhwa, life came to a standstill after he was diagnosed with mouth cancer as a result of chewing tobacco. The Delhi resident -- an avid gym lover -- had stage 3 cancer and was not able to open his mouth and the internal tissues of mouth got damaged severely and bursted. Doctors at Max Super Speciality Hospital Vaishali suggested immediate surgery followed by sessions of radiation therapy. The therapy helped immensely in curing the cancer completely and gave Wadhwa a new life. "Radiation therapy is an extremely targeted treatment precisely acting on cancer wherever it may be in the body. This allows the cancer cells to be killed or be reduced in number while safeguarding most of the healthy organs and tissues in the body," said Dr. Vineet Nakra, Radiation Oncologist at Max Super Speciality Hospital Vaishali, who treated Wadhwa. "For treating Wadhwa we used intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) which are advanced therapies that deliver radiation with higher degrees of precision, hence the patient faces minimal side effects," Dr. Nakra explained. Cancers which are collectively known as head and neck cancers usually begin in the mouth, throat, or the voice box. It typically consists of anatomical sub sites like tongue, mouth, other parts of the pharynx like oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, salivary glands, nasal cavity, larynx (voice box), etc. "Radiation therapy supports the cure of cancer in patients either alone or combined with other treatments. Also, it eases symptoms, extends the survival period in more advanced forms of cancers, and is a proven treatment modality for nearly every type of cancer. It is important to remember that head and neck cancer is treatable and can be managed successfully, patients can lead normal and healthy life after diagnosis and treatment," Dr Nakra said. Wadhwa has fully recovered and has been declared cancer-free, said the doctor, calling for increased awareness and early detection of such cancers while also discouraging the use of tobacco and alcohol. Thanking the doctors, Wadhwa said: "I can go back to the gym and follow my passion. I want to convey to anyone facing such health issues in life to not lose hope and aim to beat it." Ranchi, July 30 : Hundreds of artefacts excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI ) from Benisagar, a village 85 kilometres from Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, suggest continuous habitation from the fifth century A.D. to 16-17 century A.D. Archaeologists are continuously researching and studying the sculptures, stone figures found from here. Many things that arouse curiosity have also been found here, whose secret may be unravelled in the coming years. The ASI has included Benisagar in the list of 100 most prominent archaeological monuments of the country. The place was first visited by Colonel Tickell of the British Army in 1840, and in 1875 AD, an historian J.D. Beglar visited Benisagar and found some sculptures here. On the basis of these idols, he ascribed the date of the site to 7th century A.D. Historian KC Panigrahi also published a paper in 1956 about the archaeological remains. In 2003, the ASI carried out excavation here for the first time. This place was named Benisagar because of a huge pond of size 300 by 340 meters, about which legend is prevalent in the local areas that it was built by a king named Beni or Benu. Excavations carried out by the ASI towards the south-east and eastern embankment of this tank have brought to light many sculptural remains including two Panchayatan temple complexes, images of Surya, Bhairava, Lakulisha, Agni, Kuber etc. Apart from these, a stone seal has also been found from the site, which has the inscription "Priyangu Dheyam Chatuvidya (Chaturvidya)", indicating there was a person named Priyangu, who was well-versed in the four Vedas. The script of the inscription is Brahmi and the language is Sanskrit. Some scholars are of the view that the seal recovered from Benisagar shows that it was a centre of learning, where four Vedas were taught. Moreover, the recovery of stones denoting Kama and copulation scenes, indicate that sex education was not a taboo during that time. Historians believe that Benisagar must have been an area under the influence of Tantrism and Shaivism. According to the website of the Archaeological Survey of India, it can be considered to be of 5th century from the epigraphic point of view. Based on the discoveries so far, it can be said that this site was inhabited from 5th century to 16th-17th century. Benisagar is situated near the border of Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. Professor Ajay Rawat, Head of the Department of History, AP College, Mayurbhanj, says that many kings ruled for many decades in the region adjacent to Odisha. Excavations and remains found at Benisagar confirm that it must have been under the rule of the king of Odisha. The temple architecture here can be compared to the Rekha Deula type of architecture prevalent in Odisha. During the scientific excavations carried out here in the years 2009-10 and 2019-20, stone panels depicting images of Agni, Ganesh, Mahishasura Mardani, Surya, Brahma, Shirochedak, Bhairav, Lakulish, Yamuna, Shivling were found. Apart from this, many sections of temple architecture such as door-jambs, branches and headboard, among others, were found. These evidences have been placed in a museum built in Benisagar. At some distance from this museum, some remains of buildings belonging to the old civilisation are also present. Looking at their curved texture, it seems that there is an old time bath house. Besides, the remains of the temple complex spread over an area of aa50 acres have also been found here. A huge stone near the temple, which when striked by another stone produces sound of a bell. The guards engaged in the security of the archaeological site say that its sound can be heard up to a kilometer in the night. The huge pond of 300 x 350 meters is special attraction of this place, which the villagers never dries up. While other ponds in the area often dry up in summer. A view point is being made by the administration around the pond for the convenience of tourists, where they can sit and enjoy the beauty of nature. The Union Government plans to provide necessary tourist facilities, including audio visual center, WiFi, Audiorail, Water Management System at the sites marked as archaeological monuments across the country. Bengaluru, July 30 : Two students of a private college in Karnataka's Davangare committed suicide after a video depicting them in an intimate moment surfaced on social media. The scene of the boy and girl at the terrace of their college was shot by some unknown person, without their knowledge. However, these scenes went viral on social media platforms recently and the families of the two also came to know of the clips. The girl committed suicide at her residence on Friday night and the boy on coming to know of this took his life on late Saturday night. Police said that investigation is on regarding the identity of the person who filmed the scene as also those who have circulated it. Davangare's Superintendent of Police ,K. Arun told media persons that the police would soon arrest the culprit. The families of the boy and the girl have already filed separate complaints with the Davangare district police. --IANS aal/vd Islamabad, July 30 : Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province is beset by an alarming rise in suicides that reflect the anger and frustration among its youth. There are two different types, but both reflect the tragedy of people who feel marginalised. One involves politically motivated suicide bombers targeting security personnel, forcing the state to react with violence that is matching and worse. The other is by the young who give up on life for various socio-economic reasons. The state largely ignores the latter phenomenon. Even the response of the society as a whole, of the human rights bodies and political parties is mute. The combined picture that emerges is dismal since the province has witnessed the numbers rise this year. Take the suicide bombers first. Motivated youth are fighting the state to demand their share of resources and jobs even as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) cuts through the province, carrying goods-laden Pakistani and Chinese trucks and ends at the southern Gwadar port. Their groups are banned and treated as criminals and traitors. The Balochs feel deprived at the expense of the more prosperous Punjab and other provinces with greater political clout. While not bombing the Balochs as was the case in the last century, the stateas response has been ruthless a" imprisonment, abduction and pursuing even those who fled to live in exile abroad. Pakistan produced its first two suicide bombers, both from Balochistan and both women. The Confucius Centre in Karachi was targeted last year killing four Chinese, while the suicide attack killed 13 policemen in March and nine on July 1. The suicide attack in Zhob led to nine security personnel being killed. Zhob, incidentally, borders Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is spreading its wings. The Balochs are caught in the crossfire as the state pursues them clubbing with the TTP. This is but another aspect of the overall picture where young lives are lost. In February this year, the TTP boasted of killing 29, releasing details of the dates and locations. Now, take the suicides by those who are giving up on life. Poverty combines here with health issues, both physical and mental that carry negative perceptions and are ignored and frowned upon by a patriarchal society. These suicides militate against their age-old ideas of amardangia, the stereotypical macho image. Unsurprisingly, more men have taken their lives than women. Data collected by The Balochistan Post website newspaper shows that the number is rising, every week, this year. Twenty-nine suicide cases have been reported in Balochistan since the beginning of 2023, with 11 women and 18 men falling victim to this tragedy. All the victims were aged between 18 and 28, raising serious concerns about the young populationas mental well-being. The infographic designed by TBPas visual studio shines a light on this distressing matter, revealing that approximately 0.135 suicides occurred per 100,000 people every week. The most affected areas in the past six months were identified as Gaddani, Hub Chowki, Kohlu, Noshki, Quetta, Turbat, Chaghi, Dalbandin, Kachi, Kech, Khuzdar, Panjgoor, Awaran, Dera Bugti, Dakki, and Gwadar. The methods employed by these individuals to end their lives varied, with 12 choosing to hang, 4 opting for shooting, and 2 using acid or poison. Additionally, 10 cases remain mysterious with unknown means. The reasons behind these tragic acts are multi-faceted, ranging from poverty and domestic issues to the blackmailing tactics of influential figures who enjoy support from Pakistani security forces. These cases could well fall within the just-discussed first category of motivated suicides. All in all, they reflect a sad state of affairs in Balochistan. London, July 30 : Actress Judi Dench, 88, says it's "ghastly" to be "so dependent" on others and unable to read scripts because of her degenerative eye condition, which has left her barely able to see. The 'Skyfall' star says she wants to work "as much as I can", despite the difficulties she's having learning her lines. Dench was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in 2012, and the star's sight has deteriorated a lot. Despite the difficulties, the star, once described as "the best thing about Britain alongside fish and chips", has no plans to retire anytime soon, Mirror UK reported. Dench, perhaps most famed for her role as M16 chief M in James Bond, says she wants to work "as much as I can". "I mean I can't see on a film set any more," Dench told Notebook. "And I can't see to read. So I can't see much. But you know you just deal with it. Get on. It's difficult for me if I have any length of a part. I haven't yet found a way. Because I have so many friends who will teach me the script. But I have a photographic memory." She was forced to give up driving a few years ago when her eyesight began to worsen. "It's the most terrible shock to the system," she had said previously. "Ghastly. It's terrible to be so dependent on people." Judi has achieved what most actors can only dream of in a career spanning six decades. In addition to numerous BAFTAs, a Tony Award and an Oscar awarded for her powerful portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in 'Shakespeare In Love' Judi made theatre history in 2016 when she picked up a record-breaking eighth Olivier Award. Judi has remained mostly tight-lipped about her private life. In the past, she had cryptically revealed she'd had four marriage proposals over her lifetime -- two from her late husband, Michael Williams, one from a judge in the Midlands and "one other, early on". The first time Michael, a fellow actor, proposed they were on tour Down Under. Judi told him she couldn't trust a proposal because of the nice weather and that she'd prefer to wait for "a rainy day in Battersea". They married in 1971. Michael died of lung cancer in 2001. Judi still lives in the Surrey farmhouse she bought 40 years ago with her late husband. Their daughter, Finty, 50, also an actress, lives there. Gurugram, July 30 : Gurugram police arrested six people for gambling after raiding a private farmhouse in Bhondsi area of the district, and confiscated cash worth Rs 2.61 lakh, officials said on Sunday. According to police, they received an information about people gambling in a farmhouse located at Raishina in the Bhondsi area and nabbed the suspects. The six arrested include Sonu, Harvinder, Surya, Praveen, Mahesh Rana, and Mukesh. The arrested were charged for participating in gambling under the relevant section of the Gambling Act. Police also confiscated gambling paraphernalia and seized cash worth Rs 2.61 and playing cards. The arrested were released on bail after interrogations. In a crackdown against gamblers, this year till July 29, the Gurugram police have registered 121 cases and nabbed 126 suspects; besides, the police have recovered Rs 12.57 lakh cash and assets used in gambling, officials said. Shimla, July 30 : Unusually heavy monsoon rains triggered massive landslides and blocked roads, largely in interior areas, have hampered the transportation of apples from Himachal Pradesh, forcing growers to dump the crop in rivulets. "Hundreds of trucks carrying apples have been stranded in various stretches in the upper Shimla region, especially in Jubbal, Rohru, Kotkhai, Chopal areas due to landslides for nearly a fortnight," a prominent fruit grower told IANS on Sunday. "The condition of roads is so bad that truckers are refusing to ply their vehicles," he added. Others say the inclement weather and transportation problems have led to the rotting of apples. "Apples are being dumped in rivulets as they have started perishing," said Deepak Manta, a grower from Rohru. Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh said heavy rain has damaged roads and bridges. Last week, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Regional Officer, Abdul Basit, called on Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla here and presented the Flood Damage Report to him. A maximum portion of national highways have been damaged in the recent floods triggered by unprecedented rains. He said the Kiratpur-Manali and Kalka-Shimla National Highways suffered a huge loss and the maintenance and repair work was undertaken on war footing to restore them. Vikramaditya Singh, on July 20, met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in Delhi and apprised him about the devastation caused by incessant rains and cloudbursts to the national highways across the state. He urged allocation of funds for estimates of damaged roads and bridges submitted to the NHAI. As per the state Emergency Operations Centre, the PWD suffered a loss of Rs 1,909 crore across the state. A total of 72 landslide incidents and 52 flash floods were reported in the state from June 24 to July 29. Besides Shimla, the condition is reported to be poor in other apple-growing areas in Mandi, Kullu, and Chamba districts. Attacking the Congress government, BJP leader and IT Cell head Amit Malviya tweeted a video of the dumping, saying: "Apple growers in Shimla are forced to drain their produce in a rivulet because Congress government in Himachal has failed to help farmers reach fruits to market in time. "On the one hand Rahul Gandhi sheds tears for farmers, on the other, Congress state Govts are a disaster, when it comes to assisting farmers. This is why fruits and vegetables are expensive in the market," he added. Joining the issue, state BJP leader Chetan Bragta, a prominent apple grower, tweeted: "The whole year the growers works hard to prepare his crop, and it is very painful if his crop ends like this. We are constantly urging the government to open apple collection centres and restore connectivity. "But the government is not paying attention to this, due to which the growers are forced to throw his apple in the drain." Former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said the rains have caused a lot of damage to roads, orchards, houses and fertile land. "After meeting affected people, it came to know that till now the Congress government has given assurance in the name of help. Although the peopleas representative of this area is also a minister in the government, he is unable to improve the area," he said during his visit to Shimla district, which alone accounts for 80 per cent of the stateas total apple production. More than 90 per cent of the state's apple produce goes to the domestic market. But farmers are skeptical about the overall production of the apple crop this year. They say the decline in the crop this time could be as high as 70 per cent compared to the yield of recent years. Himachal Pradesh, the country's fruit bowl ranking second in apple and almond production, may witness a 30-35 per cent decline in the apple crop besides flavour deterioration this year owing to freak weather conditions, say horticulture experts. Growers say the loss could be 50 to 60 per cent. As per farmers, the snowless winter and wet weather with the onset of spring for several weeks are the reasons for the crop loss. The impact is seen more on lower and mid belts. Harvest will pick in July and last till October-end. As per the Economic Survey 2022-23, the state produced 674,000 tons of apples till December 2022. In the past 13 years, the leanest crop of 275,000 tonnes was in 2011-12 while the optimum of 892,000 tons was in 2010-11. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) --IANS vg/vd New Delhi, July 30 : Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday said that the BJP government in Manipur as well as the Centre is not taking concrete steps over Manipur situation. He said that both the governments have 'closed' their eyes on the matter. "Whether it is state government or the Central government, they are not taking concrete steps (on Manipur issue). No one is bothered. Both the governments have closed their eyes as far as Manipur is concerned," Chowdhury, who was part of the Opposition MPs delegation from Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), who visited Manipur, told reporters after returning from the strife-torn state. He said that in the entire Manipur the fight is going on between two communities and no effort is being made to resolve the issue between both the groups. "I want to aware the government, if such situation is allowed to continue, it will go out of hand. Because, both the groups don't trust each other," the Congress leader said. He asked why Chief Minister N Brien Singh has not been dismissed till now as people of the state have lost all faith in his government. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha, who also part of the delegation said, "The situation is dangerous and painful. We demand relations to be restored (between both the communities). An all-party delegation should visit Manipur." Earlier in the day, the delegation of Opposition MPs met Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan in Imphal and submitted a memorandum, urging restoration of peace in the Northeastern state. "We earnestly request you to restore peace and harmony taking all effective measures, where justice should be the cornerstone. In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent," read the memorandum submitted to the Governor by the Opposition MPs. The Congress and other Opposition parties have been blaming Chief Minister N Biren Singh for the current crisis in the Northeastern state and demanded his dismissal. Ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur on May 3 and since then hundreds of people have lost their lives whereas thousands have been forced to take refuge in the relief camps. Bhopal, July 30 : Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Amit Shah has called upon party workers in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh to gear up and work with full committment to ensure that the party wins the Assembly elections with full majority. Shah made the appeal while addressing the booth-level party workers at 'Vijay Sankalp Sammelan' in Indore on Sunday. He said that the party has strongest organisation in the state. "I have visited to the entire country... when I was the party president and even today, I can say that the party organisation in Madhya Pradesh is the best," Shah added. He also recalled the role of Kushabhau Thakre in strengthening the party organisation in the state. Reffering to the Sunday's event, the BJP leader said that this is the begining of elections campaign in the state and subsequently, massive rallies would be held in other parts of the state. Shah said that it is booth-level party workers whose efforts ensure the victory. He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is today known as the "messiah of the poor" across the country due to the welfare works done by him. He also expressed confidence that the BJP will retain power in the state after the Assembly polls, to be held later this year. Hitting out at the Congress, Shah said that the grand-old party nurtured Article 370 (in Jammu and Kashmir) "like its own child". Shah said that during the UPA regime from 2004-2014, Pakistani terrorists used to carry out bomb blasts in India, but now the BJP-led government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, gives befitting reply to such attempts. At least 35 killed, 200 injured in suicide blast targeting JUI-F workers' convention in Pakistan. Image Source: IANS News Peshawar, July 30 : At least 35 people, including a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) local leader, were killed in a suicide blast that took place on Sunday at the workers' convention in Bajaur's Khar, Geo News reported. Caretaker Information Minister Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel told Geo News that more than 200 people have been injured during the blast that took place during the speech of a JUI-F leader. The district emergency officer shared that the injured are also being shifted to Timergara and Peshawar. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar Hayat Khan confirmed said that the initial investigation revealed that it was a suicide attack. He added that the investigation teams are collecting evidence from the site of the blast. Meanwhile, Prime Minister's Office said that PM Shehbaz has issued directives to investigate the incident and identify those who are responsible, Geo News reported. IG Frontier Corps (FC) Major General Noor Wali Khan has reached Bajaur to supervise the situation. Meanwhile, CMH Peshawar has been put on an alert and a rescue operation by the security forces and other law enforcement agencies is underway. JUI-F Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Abdul Jalil Khan, told Geo News, that the explosion took place at around 4pm as Maulana Laeeq was addressing the convention. The provincial spokesperson said that JUI-F MNA Maulana Jamaluddin and Senator Abdul Rasheed were also present during the convention. Members of the Muqam Art Troupe of Xinjiang Art Theater dance to welcome a South African dance troupe at the Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Themed "Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road," the 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival has attracted over 1,000 artists from countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa, and they are expected to stage some 60 well-known performances. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) Dancers perform at a square in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on July 27, 2023. Themed "Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road," the 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival has attracted over 1,000 artists from countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa, and they are expected to stage some 60 well-known performances. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) Dance troupe members from the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute of Thailand and members of the Muqam Art Troupe of Xinjiang Art Theater dance together at the Xinjiang Art Theater in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Themed "Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road," the 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival has attracted over 1,000 artists from countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa, and they are expected to stage some 60 well-known performances. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) Foreign dance troupe members watch a performance of guzheng, a Chinese zither, at the Xinjiang Library in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on July 23, 2023. Themed "Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road," the 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival has attracted over 1,000 artists from countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa, and they are expected to stage some 60 well-known performances. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) A staff member (2nd R, front) introduces the Yongle Canon, the world's earliest and biggest encyclopedia compiled in the early 1400s, to foreign dance troupe members visiting the Xinjiang Library in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on July 23, 2023. Themed "Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road," the 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival has attracted over 1,000 artists from countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa, and they are expected to stage some 60 well-known performances. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) Three dancers from Uzbekistan take a selfie with a tourist (2nd L, front) at the International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Themed "Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road," the 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival has attracted over 1,000 artists from countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa, and they are expected to stage some 60 well-known performances. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) Young dancers perform during a hip-hop demonstration in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 21, 2023. Themed "Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road," the 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival has attracted over 1,000 artists from countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa, and they are expected to stage some 60 well-known performances. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) Dancers from Russia's Saratov Oblast dance with an audience at a theater in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 22, 2023. Themed "Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road," the 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival has attracted over 1,000 artists from countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa, and they are expected to stage some 60 well-known performances. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) Three Tajik dancers pose for photos at Xinjiang Museum in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on July 29, 2023. Themed "Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road," the 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival has attracted over 1,000 artists from countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa, and they are expected to stage some 60 well-known performances. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) Quick-witted parliamentarian Derek O'Brien's timely new book, 'Who Cares About Parliament: Speaking up to Protect India's Great Institution' (Rupa & Co., Rs 395), has very clearly been written for 'New India', especially Gen-Z, his central thesis being, since 2014 Parliament has almost stopped functioning democratically. So much so, the former popular quizmaster has asked students from universities across the world to write the book's forewords. Crediting Arun Jaitley and Ahmed Patel with running Parliament as it should have been, O'Brien writes that with both of them no longer among us, the central pillar of our democracy has almost stopped functioning properly, degenerating into a daily show of pandemonium and repeated adjournments. About Arun Jaitely, whom the author refers as 'J', writes that the last man standing between the ruling government and the opposition was the late former minister and senior BJP functionary. After his demise the gap between the ruling party and the opposition has been growing daily. For the late Congressman Ahmed Patel, the author has shown immense respect and writes that he was accessible to one and all. No would either from either the BJP or the government dare to mess with Patel. O'Brien writes that Patel was always the 'source' and never the 'spokesperson' for the Congress. O'Brien writes that 'voice vote', which has been a potent weapon with the ruling dispensation to push through Bills, has been used so often and so blatantly that it has destroyed the democratic ethos of Parliament as just about every Bill today is passed through a voice vote without any debate. The author writes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not come to Parliament whenever a serious issue is being discussed. Quoting a 2013 incident, when the Congress-led UPA government was in power, O'Brien writes that some important Bill had to be passed and the ruling party had issued a whip to all its members, including the nominated MP and Bollywood star Rekha. After the vote was over, Rekha asked Congress MP Rajeev Shukla to invite her again whenever they needed her. Likewise, Modi also needs to be invited to the parliament -- this is not how an MP or head of government functions. Modi was not present in the House when the discussions on the CAA, abrogation of Article 370, or the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 were discussed. Since Modi became Prime Minister, the PMO has answered all of 13 questions, compared with 85 by Dr Manmohan Singh in the previous 10 years of the UPA government. The author asks when was the last time Modi answered a question on the floor of Parliament and that monologues on airwaves with packaged radio programmes are no substitute to the important questions which the opposition asks. Interestingly, during the 17th Lok Sabha, 115 bills have been introduced in Parliament, of which 85 have been passed without consultation prior to introduction. Almost nine out of 10 bills introduced in Parliament during Modi time have been marked by zero or incomplete consultation. O'Brien writes that Central Hall where all opposing ideologies used to meet, chill their angers, and have friendly discussions. However, after 2014, it has not been the same. The Central Hall, ensconced between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, was opened along the old Parliament building in January 1927. It was very significant for India because it is where the transfer of power from the British Raj to a democratically elected Indian government happened at the midnight hour of August 14/15, 1947. The Tricolour and National were adopted in the same Central Hall, and so was the Constitution. It was also the place from where the Supreme Court used to operate till it got its own building in 1958. O'Brien laments that all that India stands for, the BJP is hell-bent on destroying brick-by-brick. Since 2019, the Lok Sabha has functioned without a Deputy Speaker, who used to be from the opposition according to a well-established precedent, which is completely against the ethos of parliamentary democracy. The Railway Budget was also stopped by Modi in 2017. Railway ministers such as Mamata Banerjee and Lalu Prasad Yadav from time to time gave subsidies to citizens in one form or the other, but Modi came up with the Vande Bharat idea, which costs from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 per ticket, which the common people cannot afford. On the subject of introduction of ordinances in Parliament, the BJP has increasingly resorted to this route, undermining the spirit of parliamentary democracy, O'Brien points out. From 1998 to 2004, the BJP-led NDA government promulgated nine ordinances a year, while during UPA-I, seven were issued a year and during UPA-II, the number was down to five per year. Under Modi, the number has gone up to 11 ordinances a year. O'Brien particularly mentions the Bills relating to the Covid pandemic and how they were bulldozed in Parliament. And a theatre of the absurb followed the announcement of the lockdown. The poor were given four hours to return to their native places, but MPs got 48 hours to get back to their constituencies. The 'Guest Workers' crisis as a result of the four-hour time window triggered the greatest exodus in India since independence, O'Brien writes. And due to this absurdity, it cost India an estimated Rs 35,000 crore per day, causing mayhem for the economy. While a strong economy such as Germany and even a weak economy like El Salvador announced generous economic packages, the BJP-led government stubbornly refused to provide any cash support to its citizens. O'Brien goes on to mention, and it could be more appropriately timed, how protests by opposition MPs inside Parliament are rarely, if ever, shown by television channels. The edited video outputs ensure that the focus remains on the Speaker, Rajya Sabha Chairperson and on the treasury benches. Visuals of opposition MPs protesting from their seats or in the well of the House are invariably censored. Sansad TV is not the only culprit; media outlets, too, have their own priorities. He writes that opposition MPs should start to create their own 'breaking news' by posting their reactions on various government issues on their social media handles. On bulldozing democratic ethos inside Parliament, O'Brien writes that the Union Budget totaling Rs 45 lakh crore was passed in minutes without any discussion and the very next day the Finance Bill 2023 was also cleared without any discussion. Eight consecutive sessions of Parliament, according to O'Brien, have been adjourned sine die before the scheduled date. And these serious issues about Parliament do not get much coverage in newspapers and are mostly ignored by news channels. Scribes covering Parliament are slowly being made to play diminishing roles by a government that wants total control. And the senior editors, who not so long ago had access to Central Hall, are now not allowed into this sanctorum, even as no political party has conducted a formal press conference in Parliament House in at least a few years. About journalists, O'Brien writes that their entry has been restricted and only one is allowed per media group. He writes that if Covid restorations have been lifted, why are journalists not allowed freely inside Parliament. The author writes that in view of these restrictions introduced by the BJP, the political parties in opposition have to find innovative ways to reach out to the people. "I feel besides professional journalists and citizen journalists, the time is ripe for political journalists who must set the narrative in a proactive manner by creating powerful communication even if it means shooting on personal mobile phones," writes O'Brien. Making a scathing attack on the BJP top brass, O'Brien points out that the Prime Minister and Home Minister Amit Shah have taken complete control of the party. They give key positions only to those people whom they don't feel threatened by and have sideline others whom they feel could emerge as likely leaders or power centres in the party. O'Brien cites the example of how a powerful leader like Nitin Gadkari was sidelined and minnows such as J.P. Nadda were elevated to key positions in the party. There are some interesting insights in the chapter titled 'Aya Ram Gaya Ram', which talks about defections by politicians, especially of the Congress, in state after state lured by money and power. O'Brien quotes an Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report to point out that the most plausible reasons behind such defections and switching of parties are the absence of value-based politics, a strong desire for money and power, strong nexus between money and muscle, and the dearth of honest and credible leaders across India. Citing a conversation he had on the subject, O'Brien writes: "About a year after it all happened in Madhya Pradesh I asked a former CM of Madhya Pradesh over coffee in Central Hall, what made a lifelong Congressman jump ship. 'Tell me all about it, Sir. Let me give you a full 20 minutes, till the House convenes again,' I told the former CM. The Congress veteran smiled, took a sip of his coffee and then shared: 'Twenty minutes? I don't even need two minutes to tell you why our man joined the BJP! It is just one reason. Two words. 'Delhi bungalow'." O'Brien writes that there is evidence of shortcomings in the anti-defection law as political corruption related to defection and floor-crossing is still rampant. Cases of defection that end up in courts take years to get resolved. There is a clear need to reassess the current law and enact one that is more stringent. This will prevent blatant subversions of popular mandates. About the practice started by Jawaharlal Nehru to send MPs across party lines to the UN, O'Brien writes that it was meant to be a capacity-building experience that enabled MPs to understand the nuances of diplomacy. Modi has discontinued this practice, too, for all practical purposes. O'Brien has also detailed how the Election Commission has been packed with people loyal to the ruling dispensation and has been used even when the Covid pandemic was raging so that the BJP could benefit electorally. In the epilogue, the author strikes a hopeful note when he says that if a proper alliance is formed for the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 elections, it would be very difficult for Modi to win a third term. And, as was to be expected from a quizmaster, O'Brien concludes his book with a quiz about Indian politics. (Daanish Bin Nabi can be contacted at daanish.n@ians.in) New Delhi/Imphal, July 30 : The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the main civil society organisation of the Meitei community, will organise a protest demonstration in New Delhi on August 6 demanding action against the Kuki militants and protest the move to divide Manipur. Delhi Meitei Coordination Committee (DMCC) Convener Seram Rojesh and Spokesman Khuraijam Athouba said that Indians must know that threat to Manipur integrity is against the national interest of India and India's unity is in its diversity. "India should stand against all forms of terrorism, be it religious or narco- terrorism. Manipur hills can't be another Golden Triangle," he said while strongly opposing the division of Manipur on ethnic lines. Various Kuki tribal organisations and ten Manipur tribal MLAs, including seven from BJP, have been demanding separate administration (equivalent to separate state) for the tribals. The COCOMI leaders said that the Kuki militants, who are under Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the government, are backing the drugs trade, and poppy cultivation. The COCOMI also demanded annul the SoO and to replace Assam Rifles from Indo-Myanmar Border Management with more disciplined force. "Assam Rifles has failed to protect Manipur from cross border narco-terrorist aggression. Security forces have failed to protect the Meitei farmers from attacks of Kuki militants," the COCOMI statement said. The COCOMI appealed to all residents, students, professionals and others who are in Delhi to take part in the August 6 sit-in demonstration at Jantar Mantar. "This event would also convey the message to the Central government and all the parliamentarians to help in resolving the crisis on the basis of truth and not on vested politics. As the nation and the world is being fed with lies, misinformation, and concocted stories, the gathering would also expose everything to the world," the COCOMI statement said. Man beaten to death in Kolkata following quarrel over purchase of liquor. Image Source: IANS News Kolkata, July 30 : A man on Sunday was allegedly beaten to death here by a group of people following a quarrel over the purchase of liquor from a shop, the police said, adding two persons have been arrested in this connection. The deceased has been identified as Sushanta Mondal. It has been learnt that an argument broke out between a staff of the liquor shop and Mondal when the latter came to the outlet at Dhakuria crossing in south Kolkata to purchase liquor. As the heated discussion aggravated, the shop employee came out of the shop and, with the help of some of his local associates, began beating up Mondal, who eventually fell unconscious on the ground. Mondal was later taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. The local residents, enraged by the incident and Mondal's death, tried to ransack the liquor shop. A huge police contingent reached the spot to control the situation. People also staged protests by blocking the road, which resulted in traffic congestion in the area. aThe liquor shop staff and one of his associates have been arrested. Thiruvananthapuram, July 30 : A woman in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district, who was arrested after allegedly claiming that she had killed her husband and buried him, accused police of torturing her in custody. After Afsana's claim, police tried to trace the remains of the adeceaseda Noushad but to no avail even after they dug the land near the rented accommodation where the couple stayed in Paruthipara in Pathanamthitta. Meanwhile, a policeman in Thodupuzha in Idukki got information that a person resembling Naushad was seen at a remote place in Kuzhimattam in Thodupuzha. The cop Jaimon reached the place and identified that it was indeed Naushad and he brought to Pathanmthitta and allowed to go with his parents. He told police and media persons that he had left his family after his wife, along with a few accomplices, allegedly beat him mercilessly. Afsana was sent to judicial custody for misleading the police. After coming out on bail, Afsana told media persons that the police had tortured her. "I was mercilessly beaten up. Policemen used filthy languages against me and I was sprayed with pepper on my face. Even women cops beat me up and I cant even stand up properly now," she said, adding that she would take legal action against the Konni DySp in the case. Afsana said that Noushad used to regularly beat her up after consuming liquor and she did not know the reason why he had left the family one fine morning. Noushad had left home in December 2021 and was traced after her revelations on July 28. However, police denied the allegations of Afsana that they had beaten her up and said that she had confessed to killing Noushad and misleading the police. --IANS aal/vd Hyderabad, July 30 : Union Tourism Minister and Telangana unit BJP president G. Kishan Reddy on Sunday demanded the state government utilise State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for relief works in the flood-hit areas in the state. The minister claimed that Rs 900 crore is available in the SDRF account. In this, the Centre has the share of 75 per cent and the state 25 per cent. Kishan Reddy said the state government should use these funds for relief works in the flood-affected areas, to provide compensation to the families of the deceased and to undertake repair of damaged roads. Talking to reporters after a visit to flood-hit areas, the BJP leader said that the state government does not need any permission to use SDRF funds. "The state government should make use of the funds available," he said. The Union minister visited Moranchapally village of Jayashankar Bhupalapally district, which was badly affected by floods. He interacted with the people and inquired about the problems and the ground situation. Kishan Reddy assured compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the kin whose family members went missing in the floods. He ordered the officials to expedite work to find the whereabouts of the missing individuals. He stated that after his phone call to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Centre undertook various measures for rescue and relief activity. Kishan Reddy visited Warangal town and went around the areas which were flooded due to recent heavy rains and floods. He also visited the colonies inundated by a breach of a lake. New Delhi, July 30 : Three teenagers, who were swept away in the Yamuna river in north Delhi's Alipur, have not been found despite several hours of rescue operations, officials said on Sunday. The teenagers were identified as Rishu, 14, Shivam,13, and Rupesh, 13, all students of same school. According to the information, on Saturday afternoon, five children from Singh village on the outskirts of the village went to bathe in the Yamuna river, but three were swept away by the strong current. The two, who managed to reach the riverbank, returned to their respective homes without informing anyone about the tragic incident. "The families of the missing children searched the entire neighborhood, but when there was no news of their wards, they decided to approach the police," said a police officer. Later, their families learned about the bathing excursion and it was at around 10 a.m., the Boat Club and Fire Service divers were called, and a rescue operation was launched. However, despite several hours of rescue efforts, the the three missing children have not been located yet. New Delhi, July 30 : Denying all allegations, the Margadarsi Chit Fund Pvt Ltd on Sunday criticised the Andhra Pradesh government after the Andhra Pradesh Registrar of Chits issued a notice to the chit fund subscribers, expressing concerns about alleged financial irregularities, criminal violations, and fund diversion. The company has said that the allegations levelled against them by the Andhra Pradesh government are baseless, while calling the government's actions "a personal vendetta" against them and the entire group. On Sunday, the Andhra Pradesh Registrar's advertisement stated that they had decided to shut down the firm. "Pursuing their vendetta against the Ramoji Group and Eenadu, the Telugu daily, the Andhra Pradesh government has initiated a direct attack by constantly persecuting and witch-hunting Margadarsi Chit Fund Pvt Ltd, which also belongs to the Ramoji Group, by levelling baseless and non-existing allegations of financial irregularities," the company said. It further stated that "in continuation of their malicious agenda, the Andhra Pradesh government, through its Registrars, has issued an advertisement in the print media in the form of a notice to subscribers, making the same imaginary, arbitrary, and perverse allegations". The Andhar Pradesh government has accused the chit fund firm, stating that the tickets held in the name of Margadarsi Chit Fund Pvt Ltd, the payment was made using the subscription money paid by unrelated members of the group (other chits group) but not paid by the company. The government called it a major violation. "We are working as per rules. Thus, the question of the company (Foreman) not contributing does not arise, and in fact, it is evidently proved and demonstrated beyond doubt that the prize amount is distributed every month to the subscribers without any default," the firm said. Chandigarh, July 30 : Two Indians were taken into custody in Pakistan after they were swept away by the swollen Sutlej river from a village along the international border in Punjab's Ferozepur district, the police said on Sunday. Ratanpal Singh and Havinder Singh of Sidhwan Bet in Ludhiana were apprehended by the Pakistani Rangers on Saturday and the Border Security Force (BSF) was informed too, the police said. "We are awaiting their handover to the BSF. Only after their arrival, we will reveal the exact reason for their crossing to Pakistan," a police officer told IANS on Sunday. Hyderabad, July 30 : Dil Raju's panel won the elections for Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce held here on Sunday. The panel led by leading producer Dil Raju defeated the panel led by C. Kalyan in a close contest for various committees. Dil Raju, whose real name is V. Venkata Ramana Reddy, and six members of his panel were elected to the 12-member Producer Executive Committee. The panel also won a majority of seats in the 20-member Producer Sector Council. Leading producers like Y.V.S. Chowdary, T. Prasanna Kumar, C. Kalyan, K.L. Damodar Prasad and Mohan Vadlapatla were elected to the executive committee. Both C. Kalyan and Dil Rajuas panels won six seats in the Distributorsa Committee. In the Studio Executive Committee, Dil Rajuas panel bagged three out of four seats. Dil Raju and Kalyan won eight seats each in 16-member Exhibitorsa Executive Committee. Earlier, as many as 1,454 members out of a total 1,600 cast their votes in the Film Chamber office at Film Nagar. Dil Raju on Saturday ruled out any differences with his rival Kalyan. "We have come forward to strengthen the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce. All the producers who are most happening and are in top form today are in my panel," he had said. Stating that the exhibitors have some problems with governments, he felt that to resolve these issues, a strong body is needed. Dil Raju said that he chose the film chamber over political battle despite having chances to become a Member of Parliament from Telangana. --IANS ms/sha Srinagar, July 30 : A J&K Police personeel shot and killed himself in Srinagar city on Sunday. Official sources said that a constable of 10th battalion of IRP shot himself with his service rifle in a hotel in Rajbagh area. "He was shifted to hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. A case has been registered in this incident in Rajbagh police station and investigation started," a source said. BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- During his latest Asia-Pacific trip, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tried to persuade New Zealand to join the AUKUS alliance. The response he got was clear -- it would cost New Zealanders their soul to accept the top U.S. diplomat's advice. "It's a club we'd have to sell our soul to join," said New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. Mahuta replied to Blinken on Thursday that her country was "not prepared to compromise or change our nuclear-free position," and continued to support a nuclear-free Pacific. In fact, this was not the only time the top U.S. diplomat got snubbed during his visits. At a joint press conference after meeting with Tongan Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni on Wednesday, Blinken called Beijing's engagement in the region "problematic behavior," but was only told that Tonga had "no concerns" about its relationship with China. The reasons why Washington was given the cold shoulder are obvious. Blinken claimed that "We really understand what is a priority for the people here," but his real priority is nothing but "American First." What he and those decision-makers back in Washington have proposed for the region are simply not in line with or even counterproductive to its key interests and urgent needs. That is something the regional countries understand fairly well. In recent years, the United States has been bent on peddling the so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy" and "great power competition" in an attempt to build an alliance in the Asia-Pacific region against China's rise. From throwing mud at China's cooperation with local countries to trying to expand the AUKUS grouping, Blinken's current visit is actually seeking to either sabotage Beijing's image or to force the island nations to take sides. Nations in the region want peace, stability and development. The AUKUS pact, which has violated the principles and practices of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and severely undermined the international non-proliferation regime, can only stir up confrontation and fuel an arms race in the area. That is also why former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating warned earlier this month against the U.S.-led NATO's Asia expansion attempt, saying that "exporting that malicious poison (NATO) to Asia would be akin to Asia welcoming the plague upon itself." Despite Washington sparing no efforts in smearing China, countries in the Asia-Pacific region see Beijing as an equal partner and a real friend. Take Tonga. Over the past years, China has provided around 100 grant-aid projects, big and small, to the Tongan government and Tonga people, which covered agriculture, fishery, education, health, environment protection and climate change. When Tonga was faced with multiple challenges, including volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, China rushed to its assistance. As facts have proven, China's friendship has always been based on deeds rather than words, Tongan King Tupou VI has said. As for New Zealand, China is the country's largest trading partner for trade in goods, both in terms of imports and exports. The relationship with China is incredibly important for New Zealand and both countries now enjoy a very constructive and positive relationship, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said during a visit in China last month, adding that his country hopes to further expand bilateral trade and sees it as a priority to re-establish economic activity with China in the post-pandemic era. Between confrontation and common development, it's not difficult for Asia-Pacific countries to choose. New Delhi: The old Parliament House complex on the eve of the monsoon session. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, July 30 : Discussion on the no-confidence motion moved against the Narendra Modi government by the main opposition Congress, is likely to be initiated in Lok Sabha on August 2, sources aware of developments said. They informed that the business advisory committee (BAC) of Lok Sabha under chairmanship of Speaker Om Birla is expected to meet on Monday, where the business for the week is to be finalised. Sources said that there is a likelihood that the date for the discussion on the no-confidence motion is likely to be finalised for August 2 during the meeting. While the BAC meeting is scheduled for Monday, the Prime Minister will be on a day-long visit to Pune on August 1, so the discussion on the no-confidence motion is likely to be initiated on August 2, they added. As per norms, the Prime Minister has to reply to the discussion on the no-confidence motion. The no-confidence motion had been admitted in Lok Sabha on July 26. Moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi under Rule 193, the motion said that it has no trust in the central council of ministers. Once the Speaker announced the receipt of the no-confidence motion, he had sought to know the number of MPs who supported the move. All the Congress, Left, Trinamool Congress, the JD-U, the National Conference, the NCP, the AAP, Samajwadi Party, and Shiv Sena-UBT MPs had stood up to show their support to the proposed no-confidence motion on July 26. When the discussion will begin in Lok Sabha on the no-confidence motion, either Gogoi or any other MP from the Congress will initiate it. The discussion is normally allotted a time slot of 10 to 12 hours. The motion had been moved by the Congress, as the government has not heeded to the opposition coalition INDIA's demand of Prime Minister Modi coming to Parliament and speaking on the situation prevailing in Manipur, which has been in the grip of ethnic violence since first week of May. --IANS ans/vd New Delhi, July 30 : Congress has asked all its state units to organise 'Adivasi Gaurav Parv' on August 9, on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, a party source said on Sunday. According to the source, Congress General Secretary in-charge (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal has written to all the Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) in this regard. "We are all witness to how the present BJP regime is insulting, humiliating and harassing the tribal communities, and also depriving them of their legitimate rights. It has been the Congress party which is consistently standing by them and raising their voice at various forums," the source quoted Venugopal as saying in the letter. "This event should honour the rich cultural heritage of our tribal brothers and sisters as well as act as an opportunity to appreciate their role as the torch-bearers of a sustainable world. All the leaders and workers of the party, along with our Adivasi brothers and sisters, should also reiterate our commitment to the cause of an equitable and just society," Venugopal wrote. As per the source, under the programme, the state units have been told to hold 'Adivasi Gaurav Mahasabha', at places which are traditionally or historically important to the Adivasis. Besides this, Venugopal has asked state units take out mega rallies, highlighting Congress' contributions for the betterment of the Adivasis. Protest in Delhi over violence during Muharram processions. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, July 30 : A day after clashes erupted in the national capital between police personnel and a mob during the Muharram processions, a large number of people, including some religious groups, on Sunday staged a protest outside the Nangloi Police station here. The protesters raised slogans against the accused who pelted stones at the police personnel and damaged several vehicles. The protesters blocked the traffic on Rohtak Road for almost one hour while raising slogans. Clashes erupted between the police and the mob during several Tazia processions on Saturday evening near the Surajmal Stadium. Several videos of the incident went viral on social media, showing people pelting stones and causing damage to public vehicles, including buses and private cars. The Delhi Police have filed three separate FIRs in connection with the violence that took place in Nangloi area during the Muharram procession. The police have also obtained a few more CCTV footage to identify the culprits. Six police personnel and six volunteers, including five women, sustained minor injuries while containing the situation. All the FIRs have been filed against unknown individuals. Mumbai Port Trust to sign MoUs of worth Rs 1,860 cr at Maritime Summit. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, July 30 : Three Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between Indian and foreign universities in presence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and University Grants Commission Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar on Sunday. The MoUs for academic collaboration were signed between University of Mumbai and University of St. Louis, US; Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya and Eurasian National University Astana, Kazakhstan; and University of Lucknow and Lincoln University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Pradhan said that these agreements will encompass an array of collaborative initiatives, including joint degree programmes, dual degree academic programmes, credit transfer arrangements, student exchange opportunities, and joint teaching and research activities. Besides, the agreeements will also facilitate sharing of scientific resources. The UGC Chairman said that these MoUs are a testament to "our commitment to internationalisation". The MoUs were exchanged by Vice Chancellors of Indian universities and representatives of the three foreign universities during the second Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam-2023. Guwahati, July 30 : Six members of an Assam-based group Bir Lachit Sena were arrested on Sunday on moral policing charges. They were later released on bail. They were taken into custody by the police for thrashing an elderly man in Guwahati who belongs to a Hindi-speaking community. In a viral video, it can be seen that the elderly man was threatened by a group of youths. They also thrashed the man and forced him to kneel and apologise before a crowd for allegedly misbehaving with an Assamese individual. However, this allegation was never proven. The video also showed that the son of the elderly man tried to shield him from the group of youths and the man's wife was also seen requesting them to forgive her husband. However, the six persons belonging to the Bir Lachit Sena group were not ready to hear anything. The six persons who were earlier arrested were identified as Bikas Baruah, Mintu Baruah, Tapan Kumar Sarma, Navin Deka, Abhinash Dutta, and Nirmal Deka. They were arrested on a bailable offence. Assam Congress leader Gauravv Somani shared the video on Twitter, following which the incident came to light. Hours later, a senior Assam police officer replied to the tweet, promising to take action against the Bir Lachit Sena members. Hyderabad, July 30 : Leading producer Dil Raju was on Sunday elected as the President of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC). The panel led by Raju defeated the panel led by C. Kalyan in a close contest for various committees. Raju, whose real name is V. Venkata Ramana Reddy, got 48 votes while his rival Kalyan secured 31 votes in election for the post of president. Muthyala Ramadasu was elected as Vice-President while K. L. Damodar Prasad was elected as Secretary. T. Prasanna Kumar was elected as treasurer. Raju thanked the voters for electing him as the president and also giving his panel a majority in the Executive Committee, Exhibitorsa Sector, Distributorsa Sector, Studio Sector and Producer Sector. Raju and six members of his panel were elected to the 12-member Producer Executive Committee. The panel also won a majority of seats in the 20-member Producer Sector Council. Both Kalyan's and Rajuas panels won six seats each in the Distributorsa Committee. In the Studio Executive Committee, Rajuas panel bagged three out of four seats. Raju and Kalyan won eight seats each in 16-member Exhibitorsa Executive Committee. Earlier, as many as 1,339 members out of a total 1,600 cast their votes in the Film Chamber office at Film Nagar. Raju on Saturday ruled out any differences with his rival Kalyan. "We have come forward to strengthen the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce. All the producers who are most happening and are in top form today are in my panel," he had said. Stating that the exhibitors have some problems with the governments, he said that to resolve these issues, a strong body is needed. Raju said that he chose the film chamber over politics despite having "chances to become a Member of Parliament from Telangana". Chennai, July 30 : AIADMK general secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday urged the DMK-led government to conduct special medical camps in the state. In a statement, Palaniswami said that over 4,000 people were affected by dengue in the state, adding diseases like chikungunya and malaria were also on the rise. He said that the fever is affecting those who are dependent on government hospitals. He said that there was an acute shortage of medicines in the government hospitals. The former Chief Minister called upon the state government to hold fever camps across the state against the disease. The former Chief Minister said that the Tamil Nadu Medical Corporation used to stock all medicines required for public when the AIADMK government was in power. He also said that fever is rampant in Chennai as well as in cities like Madurai, Tiruvallur, and Kancheepuram. Chennai, July 31 : Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday urged the DMK-led government to conduct special medical camps in the state. In a statement, Palaniswami said that over 4,000 people were affected by dengue in the state, adding diseases like chikungunya and malaria were also on the rise. He said that the fever is affecting those who are dependent on government hospitals. He said that there was an acute shortage of medicines in the government hospitals. The former Chief Minister called upon the M.K. Stalin-led state government to hold fever camps across the state against the disease. He said that the Tamil Nadu Medical Corporation used to maintain a stock of all medicines required for public when the AIADMK government was in power. He also said that fever is rampant in Chennai as well as in cities like Madurai, Tiruvallur, and Kancheepuram. New Delhi, July 31 : Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal said that she met family members of Vungzagin Valte, the paralyzed BJP MLA from Manipur, here and his wife recounted the horrifying story of violence on him and how no one came to help him. "I met the family members of Vungzagin Valte, the BJP MLA from Manipur, in Delhi. His wife shared how they were victims of horrifying violence. She also revealed that the Manipur CM hasn't met them to this day, which broke their hearts. Despite being paralyzed, Valte's heart still beats for his people," Maliwal tweeted. Recounting the horror, Valte's wife said that it was terrible; the mob started gathering there since morning and they destroyed all the properties, and torched houses. "At night, my husband couldn't sleep. He was calling and requesting to send police and CRPF personnel. On May 4, at around 9 a.m., my husband went to the CM's Bungalow for a meeting. When they finished the meeting, L.M. Khaute, another MLA, was also there. A mob which was running here and there spotted my husband, pulled him out of the vehicle with his driver, and blindfolded him," she said. She further stated that in the pocket of her husband, there was the order copy which the mob took out. The mob then handed over the cell phone to his personal security and then thrashed him. The personal security guard went to the police station to report the incident, but the police didn't do anything. She further said that the doctors informed her that Valte's condition was severe. His cheeks were also broken, and doctors even went on to say that if they would lift up Valte, there were possibilities of his death. When Maliwal asked her if Manipur CM N. Biren Singh met her husband, she replied in the negative. --IANS atk/vd New Delhi, July 31 : "I feel humbled by the trust and faith shown in me," says BJP's newly-inducted Vice-President, M. Chuba Ao. This is for the second time, he got the crucial assignment. Interacting with a group of youth, including students from Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim, virtually, he said, "I am going to surprise you. As a rival, I always criticise the Congress. But individually Late P.A. Sangma ji was a great leader. When he became the Lok Sabha Speaker, he said, "I know I am the first tribal Speaker. I know the responsibility; if I fail, everyone will say a tribal has failed." Chuba Ao said, "The same situation applies to me... I am the first Naga and also first northeastern tribal leader to get this post. So, I should not fail." Late P.A. Sangma was a Congress veteran for many years and became the Lok Sabha Speaker in 1996. Of course, Sangma was also part of the troika with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar in 1999 quitting the Congress and forming NCP on the ground of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin. Chuba is incidentally the BJP in-charge of Meghalaya where NPP leader Conrad Sangma is the Chief Minister. Conrad is late P.A. Sangma's son and the party NPP too was floated by the former Lok Sabha Speaker. Fielding questions on the Manipur impasse and the roles played by the BJP both in Imphal and Delhi, Chuba Ao was critical of the Congress and other opposition parties. "They have brought a No Confidence Motion, but they will get a befitting reply on the floor of Lok Sabha," Chuba said, according to sources in his office. Chuba, who hails from Nagaland, pointed out that in 1993 when there was the height of Kuki-Naga clashes, the then Union Minister of State for Home, Rajesh Pilot, spent "three hours in Imphal". Compared to this, he said, "Our Home Minister Amit Shah visited Manipur for three days. My colleague and MoS Home Nityanand Rai camped himself in Imphal for 20 days." The BJP National Vice-President also said -- What an ex-chief of the Indian Army, General Naravane has stated that there could be the possibility of 'foreign angle' must be understood. "I think he is a learned man. General Naravane knows our region. He served at Jakhama and Rangapahar. So, we should give due weightage to words from such experts. Naravane ji is also a man of few words," Chuba added. One participant from SIkkim then said, "Do you agree China could be involved... and (pauses)... Naga insurgents have in the past taken help from China?" To this question, Chuba's response was: "I am not competent and authorised to speak about foreign countries. This is a very sensitive issue. Our experts, diplomats and leaders in the government are examining all these and they will speak in Parliament during the debate on the No Confidence Motion." One female young entrepreneur from Tura in Meghalaya asked him -- "Uncle Chuba, what is your mission in life as a BJP leader because your party is pro-Hindu?" The BJP National Vice-President (Chuba) replied stating, "Firstly, as a Naga, a tribal and a Christian, I have never faced any problem from my party. So why call us pro-Hindu? We are hundred per cent pro-inclusive for all, for growth and development. The Prime Minister has said it repeatedly, we don't do anything for Hindus or Muslims; we do and want inclusive growth of every citizen." "When toilets were made, roads were made and bridges came up, did they come up only for Hindus... The developmental works have been immense in Assam and also Manipur," he said. To another question, he said, "We have to contribute more sincerely for the cause of peace in Nagaland. As a BJP leader and as a member of Team Nadda and Team Modi I think, I should contribute my part towards bringing all stakeholders for an early solution to our very old Naga issue." (Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of the books 'The Talking Guns: North East India', and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth'. Views expressed are personal) TEHRAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Oil Minister Javad Owji said the country does not tolerate any violation of its rights regarding the exploitation of the Arash gas field, which it jointly shares with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. He made the remarks in an interview with Shana News Agency affiliated with the Iranian Oil Ministry, which was published on Sunday. Known as Durra in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the Arash gas field is located in a neutral zone between the three states and is jointly shared among them. Owji stressed that if the other parties fail to cooperate, Iran will pursue its rights, including the exploitation and exploration of the reserve. He, however, said the country has always stuck to the path of negotiation with the neighboring states. Kuwaiti Oil Minister Saad Al Barrak told SkyNews Arabia on Thursday that his country will start drilling and production at the Durra gas field without waiting for border demarcation with Iran. Earlier this month, the foreign ministries of both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia said the two countries, together, have "exclusive rights" to the gas field. Cairo, July 31 : Palestinian factions met in Egypt to discuss reconciliation efforts amid increasing violence between Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank. The meeting, chaired by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, seeks to restore inter-Palestinian unity among various factions, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported on Sunday. While the two main rival movements, ruling Fatah and Gaza-controlling Hamas, take part in the meeting in Egypt's New Alamein City, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) announced beforehand it would boycott the gathering due to political arrests of some of its members by the Palestinian Authority headed by Abbas. The gathering brokered by Egypt came amid soaring violence in the West Bank, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier in July, the Israeli raids on the Jenin refugee camp killed at least 12 Palestinians and wounded more than 150. The Palestinian embassy noted that the Palestinian President and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi are scheduled to meet on Monday. Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, has been sponsoring meetings between Palestinian factions for years, in addition to brokering truces between armed Palestinian movements and Israel. Egypt has repeatedly reiterated its position that supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital in accordance with the internationally-recognised two-state solution. This aerial photo taken on July 26, 2023 provided by BC Wildfire Service shows wildfires near Downton Lake, the southern part of British Columbia in Canada. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre said Saturday that there were 1,006 active wildfires nationwide, and the number of out-of-control wildfires was 623. This year, the number of wildfires in the country has reached 4,911, devouring about 123,000 square km of land. (BC Wildfire Service/Handout via Xinhua) OTTAWA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A firefighter battling the wildfire in British Columbia, Canada, has been confirmed dead, the fourth such fatality during the country's record fire season this year, local media reported Saturday. The 25-year-old firefighter, contracted to British Columbia Wildfire Service, was working in a remote area when the vehicle he was riding rolled over a steep drop on a gravel road on Friday morning, police said. In July, firefighter Devyn Gale died after a tree fell on her near Revelstoke in British Columbia. Adam Yeadon died while fighting a wildfire near his home in Fort Liard in the Northwest Territories. Helicopter pilot Ryan Gould died in a crash while fighting a fire near Haig Lake in Alberta. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre said Saturday that there were 1,006 active wildfires nationwide, and the number of out-of-control wildfires was 623. This year, the number of wildfires in the country has reached 4,911, devouring about 123,000 square km of land. Property details: RT MINE 1 The RT Mine 1 mining claim consists of one (1) unpatented lode claim covering 20.66 acres on federal land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The claims cover a former producing gold-silver mine in the Ragged Top Mining District in Pershing County, Nevada. The RT Mine 1 claim has one shaft, large trench / open cut and several smaller pits. Location and Access: From Lovelock, Nevada head south I-80 W for 12 miles. Take Exit 93 and head west on Ragged Top Road for 10 miles. Th... Price: $ 2,025 Seller State of Residence: California Zoning: EBM & Industrial City: Lovelock State/Province: Nevada Location: 921**, San Diego, California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Nevada Property details: Nicely located lot within the city of Fritch and close to access road to Lake Meredith. County cad mapping system shows lot at corner of Hillside drive and Bayview drive, with houses in the area. (see picture) Growing area, popular for it's proximity to Lake Meredith and associated recreation. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Bidding is for the total sales price. This is a no reserve auction! Your bid is a legal contract and an acknowledgment that y... Price: $ 400 Seller State of Residence: Texas Type: Buyer to verify Property Address: Corner of Hillside and Bayview drives Zip/Postal Code: 79063 Zoning: Buyer to verify City: Fritch State/Province: Texas Location: 773**, Pointblank, Texas You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Texas The Nifty IT Index, the gauge for the performance of information technology (IT) stocks, was the worst performer on the stock exchanges on July 29, a day after Infosys posted lower-than-expected earnings growth for the June quarter and sharply cut its revenue growth guidance for 2023-24 (FY24). The IT index was down 4.1 per cent, its biggest one-day fall in three months. The decline was led by Infosys, with its shares plunging nearly 8 per cent, followed by HCLTech (-3.2 per cent), Wipro (-3.0 per cent), and TCS (-2.7 per cent). The sharp decline in IT stocks also led to a 1.2 per cent fall in the Nifty50 index its worst performance in four months. This seems to suggest the end of the rally in the IT pack. The upmove had started in April and gathered pace after the Q1FY24 results of TCS, Wipro, and HCLTech. The IT index had rallied nearly 5 per cent after optimistic commentaries by these companies in their result presentations. After Fridays fall, however, the IT index has given up most of the gains. The Nifty IT index is up just 4.4 per cent since the start of 2023 calendar year, as against a 9.1 per cent rise in the Nifty50. For comparison, the Nifty IT Index had declined 26 per cent in 2022, as against a 4.3 per cent rise in the Nifty50 during the year. The meltdown in IT stocks on Friday was triggered by the Infosys results and projections announced the previous day. Indias second-largest IT exporter reported 10.9 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in net profit for Q1FY24, much lower than the market expectation of 16 per cent growth. The relatively muted show by the company was due to a slowdown in revenue growth and renewed pressure on operating margins. The company also cut the growth guidance from 4-7 per cent to 1-3.5 per cent for FY24, signalling a worsening of the demand environment for IT companies. Most of its industry peers, too, reported a decline in operating margins and a slowdown in revenue growth during the April-June 2023 quarter. The margin pressure in Indian IT worsened in Q1FY24 as companies operating expenses continued to grow faster than their revenues despite a sharp decline in fresh hiring. The Ebitda margin (excluding other income) of the listed IT companies declined to 22.4 per cent of net sales in Q1FY24 from 23.2 per cent in Q4FY23 and the pandemic high of 27.7 per cent in Q3FY21. This is the lowest margin for the industry in over a decade with the exception of Q1FY23, when it had dropped to 22.2 per cent of net sales. The biggest issue for the industry is salary and wage expenses, which continue to outpace net sales growth. The combined salary and wage expenses were up 14.5 per cent YoY in Q1FY24, as against 10.8 per cent growth in net sales in the quarter. As a result, salary and wages were equivalent to 58.1 per cent of the industrys net sales in Q1FY24 -- the highest ever. The industrys YoY growth in net sales was 22.2 per cent in the year-ago quarter and 18.6 per cent in Q4FY23. The 10.8 per cent net sales growth in Q1FY24 is the lowest in nine quarters. The analysis is based on the combined earnings of 13 IT companies that have declared their quarterly results for Q1FY24. These 13 companies reported a combined net profit of Rs 26,226 crore in Q1FY24 over net sales of around Rs 1.69 trillion. The companies reported an improvement in net profit that was up 12.1 per cent YoY in Q1FY24, better than 11.5 per cent YoY growth in Q4FY23 and 4 per cent growth in Q1FY23. However, a large part of this growth came from a faster growth in other income, such as treasury income that was up 21.4 per cent YoY in Q1FY24. The growth in other income in Q1FY24 was the fastest in at least 29 quarters. Excluding the gains from other income, the core operating profit was up only 11.6 per cent YoY in Q1FY24 -- the lowest in four quarters. BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) continued to issue a red alert, the country's highest weather alert, for rainstorms on Sunday. From 2 p.m. Sunday to 2 p.m. Monday, heavy downpours and rainstorms are forecast in Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Xinjiang, according to the NMC. Some parts of these regions are forecast to experience heavy rainfall, with maximum hourly precipitation surpassing 60 millimeters, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales. Local governments have been urged to fulfill their emergency and rescue responsibilities effectively. The center has also suggested that assemblies, classes and businesses be suspended and called for efforts to guard against possible disasters such as mountain torrents, landslides and mudslides. China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. A powerful blast triggered by a suicide bomber killed at least 44 people and injured nearly 100 others on Sunday at a rally of a hardline Islamic party in a restive tribal district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo The explosion took place at 4 pm at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl workers' convention in Khar, the capital of Bajaur tribal district. At least 44 people were killed and nearly 100 injured in the blast, police sources said. Saad Khan, the district emergency officer in the Bajaur region, said that Maulana Ziaullah Jan, JUI-F's local leader, was also killed in the blast, one of the worst in recent years. Rescue workers said they feared the number of casualties would rise. Television footage showed panic-stricken people gathering at the site following the blast as ambulances arrived to move the injured to hospitals. Over 500 people were attending the convention when the blast occurred. DIG police Malakand Range Nasir Mehmud Satti said the initial investigation revealed it was a suicide blast. However, evidence is being collected to determine the nature of the blast. An official of the Bomb Disposal Unit said the initial investigation report confirmed it was a suicide blast in which 12 kg explosives were used. The area was sealed and a search operation has been initiated, he said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, which came after a brief lull. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast at the JUI-F convention. He said terrorists targeted those who advocated the cause of Islam, the Holy Quran and Pakistan. Terrorists are enemies of Pakistan and they will be eliminated, he said in a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office. Elements involved in the incident would be meted out with strict punishment, he said. He also sought a report of the incident from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. President Arif Alvi prayed for eternal peace for the departed souls and commiserated with the bereaved families. He also wished speedy recovery for the injured and emphasised the timely provision of medical assistance to them. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah vowed to bring the perpetrators of today's attack to justice. The cowardly acts of terrorists cannot dampen our spirits," he posted on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. The JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded Prime Minister Sharif and the province's caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan to investigate the incident. He also urged the party workers to reach the hospital and donate blood. "JUI workers should remain peaceful and federal and provincial governments should provide the best treatment to the injured," said Fazl. Chief Minister Khan condemned the blast and sought a report from the district administration. The police said that the injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital. The condition of many injured people was stated to be critical. JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said he was supposed to attend the convention today but could not because of some personal commitments. I strongly condemn the blast and want to give a message to the people behind it that this is not jihad but terrorism, the JUI-F leader said, adding that it was an attack on humanity and Bajaur. He demanded that the blast should be probed, recalling that this was not the first that the JUI-F had been targeted. This has happened before...our workers have been targeted. We raised our voice over this in the Parliament but no action was taken. Hamdullah also extended his condolences to grieving families and urged the provincial government to provide the best medical facilities to the injured. Caretaker Information minister of the province Jamal Feroze Shah said an emergency was declared in hospitals of Peshawar and Dir district. The US extended its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured in the suicide blast and vowed its support for Pakistan's efforts in combating terrorism. "Such acts of terror have no place in a peaceful and democratic society. We stand in solidarity with the people of Pakistan during this difficult time," the US embassy in Islamabad said in a statement. "We reiterate our commitment to supporting Pakistan's efforts in combating terrorism and ensuring the safety and security of its citizens," it added. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following the Afghan Taliban's return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists including the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan responsible for cross-border attacks. Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, has condemned the attack. In November last year, the TTP called off an indefinite ceasefire agreed with the federal government and ordered its militants to carry out attacks on Pakistan's security forces. On January 30, a Pakistan Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up during the afternoon prayers in a mosque in Peshawar, killing 101 people and injuring more than 200 others. In February, heavily-armed TTP militants stormed the Karachi Police chief's office in Pakistan's most populous city, sparking gunfire that killed three rebels and four others, including two police constables. The TTP was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007. The outfit, which is believed to be close to Al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. The TTP has also orchestrated the heinous Army Public School attack in Peshawar in 2014, in which over 130 students were killed. Three cases were registered after an unruly crowd taking part in Muharram processions clashed with the police and pelted them with stones in west Delhi's Nangloi, officials said on Sunday. IMAGE: Police personnel and locals at the incident site after violence broke out during 'tazia' procession on the occasion of Muharram, in New Delhi, July 29, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Twelve people, including six police personnel, were injured in the clashes, they said. The first FIR was registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act at Nangloi police station on the complaint of Nangloi SHO Prabhu Dayal. The incident in this case occurred at Surajmal Stadium, deputy commissioner of police (outer) Harendra Singh said. The second FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Nanag Ram, the law and order inspector at Nangloi police station, for an incident at Nangloi Chowk, Singh said. The third FIR was registered on the complaint of Mukesh Kumar, a head constable, for an incident near the metro station at Nangloi. All three cases were registered on Sunday, he added. In the first FIR, Dayal said several tazia processions were scheduled in Nangloi on Saturday. There were meetings conducted with the organisers regarding the route and other issues. Apart from Nangloi police station of the Outer district, meetings were held with Prem Nagar and Aman Vihar police stations in Rohini district. It was decided that the processions would proceed towards Surajmal Stadium via the metro station, take a u-turn from the Nangloi depot red light and return to their designated place, it said. From 12 pm on Saturday, various processions were approaching from different areas following the predetermined route, the FIR stated. Around 5 pm, some processions from the Prem Nagar and Aman Vihar areas of Rohini district crossed the Kirari Gate and reached the front of Surajmal Stadium via Rohtak Road. Upon reaching the site, instead of following the pre-decided route, some people tried to enter the stadium and started pushing and shoving, it added. As there was no permission to enter the stadium, they were stopped. The Nangloi SHO, along with other officers and staff, tried to pacify them but they started fighting, it further said. The procession organisers stood on rickshaws and carts and started instigating the people to go inside the stadium. Some of these people had weapons such as swords, knives, sticks and iron rods, the FIR stated. "On our refusal, the organisers and their supporters started pelting stones at the police. One of them, having a knife in his hand, attacked sub-inspector Parveen, on which Parveen grabbed the knife in order to save himself and received injury," it added. There was heavy traffic, including buses, cars, two-wheelers and pedestrians, on Rohtak Road during this time. The stone pelting posed a danger to lives and property, according to the FIR. The unruly mob was initially warned and later dispersed by the police with mild lathicharge in order to protect lives and property, it said. During this, the police personnel and volunteers also suffered injuries. Vehicles of the police and the Delhi Transport Corporation were also damaged. The injured police personnel and other people were sent to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Mangolpuri for treatment, it added. According to the police, several stones were found on the spot. Singh said the police are checking CCTV footage from the area and analysing videos of the incidents that were widely circulated on social media on Saturday. Several teams have been constituted to identify the perpetrators and initiate legal action against them. The situation is normal and law and order is being maintained, he added. A section of people taking out Muharram processions on Saturday clashed with the police and pelted them with stones, injuring 12 and damaging several vehicles, after they were stopped from changing the designated route in Nangloi, officials had said. The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the "unruly crowd", they had said. Singh said on Saturday, "Several 'tazia' processions were being carried out in the Nangloi area and around eight to ten thousand people participated in those. One or two organisers on the main Rohtak Road became unruly and tried to deviate from the route that was mutually decided in the coordination meeting with the taziadaran." The police made efforts to convince them to stick to the pre-decided route and proceed to the designated burials. While most of them cooperated, a few miscreants became unruly and started instigating the public and resorted to stone pelting, he had said. According to Singh, "To ensure the safety and security of passers-by, which included women, children and motorists, the unruly mob was dispersed by the police with the mild use of lathicharge and order was restored immediately. They were dispersed from the area. The 'tazia' processions were subsequently conducted peacefully in the area as per customs and religious practices." Six police personnel and six volunteers, including five women, suffered minor injuries while some police vehicles were damaged in the stone pelting. A 34-year-old Indian mother of two children who travelled to a remote village in Pakistan to marry her Facebook friend after converting to Islam has received some money and a piece of land as gifts for embracing the religion. IMAGE: India-Pakistan border at Suchetgarh near Jammu. Photograph: Rupam Jain/Reuters Anju, who now goes by the name of Fatima after converting to Islam, on July 25 married her 29-year-old friend Nasrullah, whose home is in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They became friends on Facebook in 2019. On Saturday, Mohsin Khan Abbasi, the chief executive officer of a real estate company based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, visited Anju and Nasrullah at their residence. He presented Anju a cheque, the amount of which was not known, and a land document in the presence of her husband to make her feel at home in Pakistan. Abbasi said he gifted some cash and a 10 marla (approx 2,722 sq ft) plot to help Anju start her new life after converting to Islam so that she should not face any difficulty. "Anju travelled all along from India to this part of Pakistan and converted to Islam to start her new matrimonial life. We came here to welcome her to our religion and congratulate her on her marriage," he said. Anju, who was born in Kailor village in Uttar Pradesh and lived in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, travelled to Pakistan legally from India via the Wagah-Attari border. She was granted a 30-day visa, valid for Upper Dir only. Her visa will expire on August 20. Anju is married to Arvind, who is in Rajasthan. They have a 15-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son. Stating that the government machinery has completely failed to control the Manipur ethnic conflict, which is lingering for nearly three months, opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "silence", showing "brazen indifference" to the ongoing situation in the northeastern state. IMAGE: Opposition MPs of INDIA Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (second from right) along with others addresses the media after meeting the Governor of Manipur, outside the Governor House in Imphal, Manipur, July 30, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo In a memorandum submitted to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey, the 21 opposition MPs who signed the document demanded urgent rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected people to bring peace and harmony to the state. "From the reports of incessant firing and arson of houses in the last few days, it is established beyond doubt that the state machinery has completely failed to control the situation for the last almost three months," the memorandum read. The continued internet ban for the last three months is aiding the unsubstantiated rumours, which is adding to the existing mistrust among the communities, the Parliamentarians said. "Silence of Hon'ble Prime Minister shows his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur," they added in the memorandum. There is anger and a sense of alienation amongst all communities and it has to be addressed without delay, they said. "We earnestly request you to restore peace and harmony taking all effective measures, where justice should be the cornerstone. In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent," the MPs told the governor. "You are also requested to apprise the Union government of the complete breakdown of law and order in Manipur for the last 89 days so as to enable them to intervene in the precarious situation in Manipur to restore peace and normalcy," they added. The document also stressed that the "failure of both the central and state governments" to protect the lives and properties of the people of the two communities is apparent from the figures of more than 140 deaths (over 160 deaths as per official records), over 500 injuries, burning of more than 5,000 houses and internal displacement of over 60,000 people. Talking about their two-day visit to the state, the Parliamentarians said in the memorandum that they visited relief camps at Churachandpur, Moirang and Imphal, and interacted with the victims and inmates taking shelter there. "We are, indeed, very shocked and sad to hear the stories of anxieties, uncertainties, pains and sorrows of the individuals affected by the unprecedented violence unleashed by both sides since the beginning of the clashes," they added. The memorandum highlighted that the condition in the relief camps is pathetic, to say the least, and special care needs to be taken for the kids on a priority basis. "Students from different streams are facing uncertain future, which has to be the priority of the state and the Union governments," it added. Later, sharing a copy of the memorandum on Twitter, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh slammed Modi and claimed that the anger, anxiety, anguish, pain and sorrow of the people of Manipur make "absolutely no difference" to him. "While he is busy listening to his own voice and forcing down his 'Mann ki Baat' on crores of Indians, the 21 MP delegation of Team INDIA is talking about Manipur ki Baat with the Governor of Manipur," Ramesh added. Besides Chowdhury and Congress' Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation included Sushmita Dev (Trinamool Congress), Mahua Maji (Jharkhand Mumti Morcha), Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), PP Mohammed Faizal (Nationalist Congress Party), Chaudhary Jayant Singh (Rashtriya Lok Dal), Manoj Kumar Jha (Rashtriya Janata Dal), NK Premachandran (Revolutionary Socialist Party) and T Thirumavalavan (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi). Janata Dal-United's chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh and his party colleague Aneel Prasad Hegde, Communist Party of India's Sandosh Kumar, Communist Party of India Marxist's AA Rahim, Samajwadi Party's Javed Ali Khan, Indian Union Muslim League's ET Mohammed Basheer, Aam Aadmi Party's Sushil Gupta, VCK's D Ravikumar and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT), and Phulo Devi Netam and K Suresh of the Congress were also part of the delegation. More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts. Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance bloc on Sunday asserted that if the Manipur ethnic conflict, which is lingering for around three months, is not resolved soon, it may create security problems for the country. IMAGE: Delegation of Opposition INDIA MPs after submitting a memorandum to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey, Imphal, July 30, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo A delegation of 21 MPs of the opposition INDIA bloc called on Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum on their observations after visiting the northeastern state. Addressing reporters outside Raj Bhavan after the meeting, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "The governor heard our observations and agreed to those. She expressed pain over the violence and narrated the people's sufferings. "The governor suggested that an all-party delegation should visit Manipur to talk to both Meitei and Kuki people to remove mistrust among the communities. We also agree to that suggestion," Chowdhury said. He said that the visiting MPs will present their observations on Manipur in Parliament and try to put pressure on the central government when they get a chance. "We will speak on the lapses committed by state and central governments in Manipur in Parliament. We appeal to the Centre to have a discussion on the issue in Parliament," he added. Chowdhury claimed the situation in Manipur is deteriorating every day. Talking about their experience during the two-day visit, the senior Congress leader claimed the situation has become such that valley people (Meiteis) cannot go to the hills (where Kukis live) and hill people cannot come to the valley. "There is a huge scarcity of ration, fodder, milk, baby food and all other essential items. Students' education has been hampered. We explained all these to the governor, who said that these issues should be resolved collectively," he added. The opposition delegation left for Delhi in the afternoon. They had arrived in Manipur on Saturday to assess the ground situation and meet victims of the three-month-long ethnic riots in the state. On the first day of their two-day whirlwind tour, they visited several relief camps in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur and met scores of victims of ethnic clashes from both the warring communities.. Besides Chowdhury and Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation includes Trinamool Congerss' Sushmita Dev, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Mahua Maji, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Kanimozhi, Jayant Chaudhary of Rashtriya Lol Dal, Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD, NK Premachandran of Revolutionary Socialist Party, Janatal Dal-United chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, Aneel Prasad Hegde (JD-U), Communist Party of India's P Sandosh Kumar and Communist Party of India-Marxist's AA Rahim among others. Violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring hundreds. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. Investigators have found that jailed Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative Afsar Pasha masterminded the Mangaluru bomb blast that occurred in November last year and he provided training in making cooker bombs to the accused in the case, a police official said on Sunday. IMAGE: Mangaluru blast accused Mohammed Shariq. Photograph: ANI Photo Pasha, who had earlier received training in making bombs in Bangladesh, provided training to the Mangaluru blast case accused during their stay in a jail in Karnataka, he said. The probe also revealed that the now-banned outfit Popular Front of India had earlier transferred Rs 5 lakh to Pasha's bank account, he said, adding that a "comprehensive report" has been prepared by the police based on the information given by Pasha, and it has been shared with the country's intelligence agencies. Pasha is currently lodged in the Nagpur Central Jail after he was brought to the city earlier this month from a jail in neighbouring Karnataka in connection with a probe in threat calls made to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari allegedly by gangster Jayesh Pujari, the police said. "During the ongoing probe being conducted by the National Investigation Agency and the police, it came to light that Pasha was the mastermind of the Mangaluru bomb blast case," the police official said. "Pasha's involvement in training the Mangaluru blast case accused, Mohammed Shariq, in manufacturing cooker bombs came to light during the probe," he said. The blast occurred in an autorickshaw in Mangaluru on November 19 last year. Shariq, the accused in the case who hailed from Shivamogga in Karnataka, was in the autorickshaw with a pressure cooker fitted with detonator, wires and batteries when it went off. The police had said that blast was "not accidental" but an "act of terror" with intention to cause serious damage. Pasha was earlier convicted in a 2012 case of recruiting terrorists for Lashkar-e-Tayiba in Jammu and Kashmir. He was allegedly also involved in the December 2005 terror attack at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. Pasha, who was lodged in the Hindalga jail in Karnataka's Belagavi in the Bengaluru blast case, was brought to Nagpur on July 14 in the Gadkari threat calls case. He is currently jailed in Nagpur. "Pasha had returned to India after receiving training in making bombs in Dhaka several years ago. He was previously involved in a blast in Bengaluru. Despite this, his role in the Mangaluru blast was overlooked during earlier investigations," the police official said. "It has come to light that Pasha and Jayesh Pujari alias Kantha alias Shahir, were propagating Islamic fanaticism in the Hindalga prison at Belagavi during their incarceration there," he said. The accused were influencing the jail inmates. Pasha provided training to Shariq on making cooker bombs, a method used in the Mangaluru blast case, the police official said. The investigation also revealed that the now-banned outfit Popular Front of India had transferred Rs 5 lakh to Pasha's bank account several months ago, he said, adding that the funds originated from the account of a person identified as Abdul Jalil, highlighting potential links between PFI and terror activities. The funds were purportedly used to provide various facilities to those involved in anti-national activities. Smartphones were also reportedly made available to the accused within the prison walls, the police official said. In September last year, the central government banned PFI for five years over its alleged links to terror funding and radicalisation activities. "The police have now prepared a comprehensive report based on the information received from Pasha. The report has been shared with the state director general of police, ACS home, Anti-Terrorism Squad, NIA, and Intelligence Bureau for further investigation," the police official said. Jayesh Pujari had made threat calls to Nitin Gadkari's office after planning it with Pasha, the police said. Pujari had made a threat call to Gadkari's public relations office on January 14, demanding Rs 100 crore and claiming to be a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang. At that time, he was lodged in the Belagavi jail, they said. He made another call on March 21, threatening to harm Gadkari if Rs 10 crore were not paid to him. Pujari was arrested and brought to Nagpur on March 28 this year from the jail in Belagavi, and two cases were registered under provision of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Nagpur. Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has received an email threatening him after he demanded the arrest of Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide for his controversial comments on Mahatma Gandhi's lineage, following which an FIR was registered. IMAGE: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and party leader Prithviraj Chavan (right) during a press conference, in Mumbai, February 2, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Chavan's aide also said police security has been increased for the senior Congress leader. On Sunday, police registered an FIR in Karad city in Satara district, Superintendent of Police Sameer Sheikh told PTI. Earlier, Chavan's aide said the Congress leader has lodged a complaint with the police in Karad city after the e-mail was received on Saturday night. Chavan is the MLA from the Karad South assembly constituency. "The sender used abusive language as Chavan has demanded the arrest of right-wing activist Sambhaji alias Manohar Bhide for making defamatory comments against Mahatma Gandhi," the aide claimed. Bhide was booked by the Rajapeth police in Amravati a day earlier for allegedly commenting on the lineage of Gandhiji while addressing an event there on Thursday. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan tweeted that Bhide is yet to be arrested despite making defamatory comments against Mahatma Gandhi and other national icons but Prithviraj Chavan, who demanded his arrest, is getting threats. "BJP says it has nothing to do with Bhide but at the same time its party workers, along with Bhide's supporters, demand that cases be filed against Congress leader Yashomati Thakur. "All this is condemnable. The government should clear its stand before the resumption of the monsoon session of the state legislature next Wednesday,'' Ashok Chavan said. Earlier in the day, Maharashtra home minister Devendra Fadnavis said police will take appropriate action against Bhide for his alleged objectionable remarks. He said the right-wing leader who runs an independent organisation has no link to Bharatiya Janata Party. The Manipur police registered a case against Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) spokesperson Ginza Vualzong for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups and creating public mischief, a charge denied by the organisation. IMAGE: Members of the Kuki community from Manipur stage a sit-in protest against ongoing violence in the state at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Photograph: Sanjay Sharma/ANI Photo Registering a 'zero FIR' based on a complaint by a trader, the Manipur police filed the case in Imphal sub-division under sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race etc, defamation, spreading rumours and creating ill-will between two communities. The FIR will later be transferred to the Khangshong police station under Tamenglong district for investigation. The complaint was filed by traders, who feared that their goods would be looted at the Khangshong railway station after Vualzong made a statement that the majority community was smuggling arms and ammunition into the valley through trains. Khangshong is the last station in the state which is connected to the railway link. Denying the charges as baseless, Vualzong said that filing of the FIR is yet another way by the state government to "suppress the voice of tribals". "Before this, our official Twitter account was withheld by the social networking site following a direction from the Manipur police, and now this Zero FIR," he said. The ITLF spokesperson termed the registering of case as "trivial" and added that the entire case is about sloganeering. "I wonder why the state authorities turn a deaf ear when slogans like wiping out the entire tribal community are raised at rallies of the majority community," he said. The mother of one of the girls who was stripped naked and paraded by a mob in Manipur wants capital punishment for the culprits and to see the remains of her son and husband who too died on that day. IMAGE: A team of Opposition MPs of INDIA parties visit the Ideal College Relief camp, in Imphal East on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo She was speaking to PTI after MPs from the opposition bloc INDIA visited the victim's family. Demanding capital punishment for the culprits, she said, "I trust the central government but not the state government." She also said, "The thing I want to convey is that we the tribals, the minority, we can't live with the Meitei anymore, and second, if possible I want to at least see the dead bodies of my son and husband." On 4 May, the day the 21-year-old woman was paraded naked, her brother and father were killed by the mob. A delegation of 21 MPs from the opposition bloc is on a two-day visit to the state, and meeting people affected by the violence. When Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi met the mother of one of the victims, she urged them to help her at least see the bodies of her son and husband. She also told the two leaders the situation is such that Kukis and Meteis, the two warring communities, cannot live together anymore. "Her daughter was raped, and her husband and son were killed by the mob in the presence of Manipur Police but till today, not a single police officer has been suspended," Dev told PTI-Video. "They have got a huge shock. They are saying that there was a mob of more than 1,000 people, and they have made a specific demand, which I will raise with the governor," she said. The girl alleged that she was raped in front of the police, but nothing was done to help her, she added. Dev claimed that the girl is scared of the police now. "If a victim does not trust the police anymore then it is a constitutional crisis." Kanimozhi said the victim's father served in the Army and protected the nation, but could not protect his family. "It is so sad to see a woman whose daughter was raped. She lost her husband and her son on the same day and there is no justice for them," she said. The viral video of the May 4 incident renewed the national attention on Manipur, where violence broke out nearly three months ago, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring hundreds. The violence erupted on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. The Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad has recovered images of Chabad House, one of the 26/11 terror attacks sites, in south Mumbai from the electronic devices of the two terror suspects arrested earlier this month in Pune, a senior official said on Sunday. IMAGE: Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel on fire after Pakistani terrorists launched a multi-pronged attack on the city on November 26, 2008. Photograph: Reuters The agency also recovered an electronic circuit used in making explosives from the rented flat of the terror suspects in Pune's Kondhwa area along with 500 GB data from the devices, he said. The two suspects -- Mohammad Imran Mohammad Yunus Khan (23) and Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yakub Saki (24) -- wanted by the National Investigation Agency for their alleged involvement in a terror-related case in Rajasthan, were nabbed from Kothrud area in Pune on July 18. The state ATS later took over the probe into the case from the Pune police. "We have found some images of Chabad House in Mumbai from the electronic devices of the two terror suspects. Besides that, the screenshots of Google map locations from various districts have also been recovered," the senior ATS official said in response to a query by reporters. Chabad institutions, part of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, are community centres that mainly cater to Israelis and Jews across the world. Nariman House (renamed Chabad House), was under siege during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. During the 26/11 attacks, Pakistani terrorists killed rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka Holtzberg besides four visitors at the Chabad House. Two-year-old son of the rabbi, baby Moshe, survived after being rescued by his Indian nanny, Sandra Samuel. The ATS official further said, "We have found a drone camera from the house of the two terror suspects, and also recovered an electronic circuit which is used in making an explosive." "What exactly they were planning to do is not clear yet. We have recovered nearly 500 GB data from their devices. This data has been sent to the forensic department," he said. The terror suspects used the drone for shooting (videos/images), but it is not yet clear which location they captured using it, he said. "Which locations they shot using the drone will be clear only after the forensic report. We have not received the drone footage as it has been sent for forensic analysis," the official added. The police earlier said that they had recovered a tent from the duo. When asked about it, the ATS official said, "The two suspects avoided living in hotels whenever they went to conduct recce as they used the tent. They had visited many places in the state." "The accused are hardcore terrorists...They were influenced by watching the videos of some individuals and reading books...They have been trying to evade many questions (during their questioning)," he added. The accused accompanying them, who managed to run away at the time of their arrest, is also a hardcore terrorist, he said. Multiple teams have been deployed to nab him, he added. Days after the arrest of the two suspects, the ATS on Wednesday arrested a man named Abdul Qadir Dastgir Pathan in Pune for providing shelter to the duo. It has also arrested a man from Ratnagiri district for providing financial aid to them. All of them have been remanded in the ATS custody till August 5. The two arrested terror suspects (Khan and Saki) hail from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh and are graphic designers. Both carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, police said. They fled Ratlam after learning that their names had cropped up in an investigation into a terror case in which some suspected members of the Al-Sufa outfit were apprehended by the Rajasthan police from the MP town, they said. They reached Mumbai, where they stayed in the Bhendi Bazaar area for two to three days and then came to Pune's Kondhwa area. The duo took up jobs with the help of a local resident, sources said earlier. They befriended a third person, a resident of Jharkhand, who managed to escape when the police nabbed the duo, they said. In Kondhwa, the two happened to meet Qadir and told him that they had come to Pune in search of jobs as their financial condition was weak, the sources added. Qadir, who himself was involved in graphic designing work, provided them jobs and sublet the place he had taken on rent, they said. Press Release July 29, 2023 Legarda bats for agri support after over P1B losses from Egay Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda calls for support for the country's agriculture sector after super typhoon Egay (international name: Doksuri) left over P1 billion worth of damages in agricultural products. In its situation bulletin issued 2:00 pm Saturday, July 29, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that typhoon Egay has left P1.36 billion worth of damage to agriculture, with a volume of production loss of 62,259 metric tons, affecting 98,969 hectares of agricultural land and 91,268 farmers. The damaged commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock and poultry, and fisheries. As DA reported, the increase in the value of damages is due to the updated reports from the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Western Visayas. Antique, Legarda's home province, has sustained P5.5 million losses in rice crops due to the typhoon, the Office of the Provincial Agriculture said Friday. "We need to do better in helping our farmers deal with typhoons and other disasters. Our efforts need to be crop-specific, site-level, and continuous. We also need to look at systemic and ecosystem-based resilience measures," she remarked, adding that the ecosystem damage, perennially unaccounted for in disasters, contributes to lessening the sector's capacity to rebound from disasters. Legarda furthered that while the government is always ready to provide emergency relief assistance for farmers, they need help with resilient varieties to plant, advice on better timing, and ecosystem-based protections like windbreaks and watersheds. She strongly supports technological advancements and science-based analysis as a key method to develop a modern, resilient, and sustainable agriculture industry to provide the most appropriate, specific, and well-directed support pre and post-disaster. "We have to stop the cycle of disaster and poverty in agriculture," Legarda stressed. "Our farmers deserve vital and proper execution of the responsive, strong legislative support, which will make our agriculture sector less vulnerable. All policies and programs must be climate-resilient, restorative, have rationalized value chains that lead to less waste, and ensure a better life for the backbone of our society - our farmers and fisherfolk," she said. As a four-term senator, Legarda has championed building a stronger foundation for the country's agriculture. She co-authored the Rural Farms Schools Act under Republic Act 10618, pushing for the establishment of rural farm schools as an alternative secondary education platform. She is also an author and a principal sponsor of the Organic Agriculture Act under RA 10068, which calls for establishing the National Organic Agricultural Program and its amended version under RA 11511 recognizing the Participatory Guarantee Systems as a method of certifying organic produce. To extend financial assistance to the farmers, she principally authored and sponsored RA 10000, or the Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act, to require banks to a 25% allocation of their loanable funds to agriculture. Her legislation also includes House Bill 8385, or the Integrated Urban Agriculture Act, institutionalizing urban agriculture as a sustainable land use system for food production in the community. Typhoon Egay left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) Thursday morning. However, another tropical storm, Falcon, with the international name Khanun, entered PAR at 11:00 pm on Friday. Its center was estimated at 1,315 east of Central Luzon at 10:00 am on Saturday. Falcon is the country's sixth tropical cyclone this year and the third for July. Legarda's office continuously monitors the situation in areas most affected by typhoon Egay so that proper assistance may be provided. BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on Sunday evening issued a red alert for mountain torrents. From 8 p.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday, mountain torrents are expected to hit certain areas of Beijing, Hebei and Shanxi. Local authorities are advised to strengthen real-time monitoring and flood warning procedures amid measures to prepare for evacuation. The CMA simultaneously issued a yellow alert for floods on some small and medium-sized rivers in parts of Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi and Henan, and renewed an orange alert for floods in southwestern Beijing and in central parts of Hebei. Parts of Beijing and Hebei face waterlogging risks from 8 p.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday, the CMA also warned. China has a four-tier weather-warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The police on Sunday arrested slain gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad's lawyer Vijay Mishra from Lucknow in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case, officials said on Sunday. IMAGE: Atiq Ahmad's lawyer Vijay Mishra. Photograph: ANI Photo Several cases, including those under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Explosives Act and the Indian Penal Code, are pending against Mishra, they said. Deputy commissioner of police (city) Deepak Bhukar said Mishra was arrested by officers from the Dhoomanganj police station. He was nabbed outside a hotel and legal action is underway, police sources said. Mishra was accused of sharing Pal's location from a Prayagraj court before the latter along with two policemen was shot dead on February 24. He was booked in an extortion case on May 21 after he allegedly demanded Rs 3 crore from a plywood trader in Prayagraj district. In an FIR at Attarsuiya Police Station in Prayagraj, Sayeed Ahmad, who hails from Dariyabad and owns a shop in the Muthiganj locality, alleged that Mishra had bought goods worth Rs 1.20 lakh from him on credit but refused to clear his dues. He alleged, in the FIR dated April 20, that Mishra dialled Saeed and demanded Rs 3 crore in the name of Atiq and his henchmen. Umesh Pal, the main witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two security guards were shot dead on February 24. Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf, the main accused in this case, were shot dead by assailants when they were being taken in police custody for a medical examination in April. Ahmad's wife Shaista Parveen, also wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, is still absconding. PTI RAJ ABN Senior Congress MLA BR Patil on Sunday admitted that he threatened to resign during the recent Congress Legislature Party meeting, citing "self-respect", but said he did not apologise for writing a letter to Karnataka chief minister highlighting his concerns. IMAGE: Senior Congress MLA BR Patil meets paty leader Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra in Raichur district, Karnataka, October 23, 2022. Photograph: Courtesy BR Patil on Twitter The CLP meeting on Thursday evening was significant as it came amid reports that as many as 30 legislators have written to Siddaramaiah and the party leadership expressing concern over non-implementation of development works in their constituencies. The behaviour and conduct of certain ministers has upset some legislators, Patil said, as he warned that their fight would continue, if it is not corrected. The Aland MLA, however said he is satisfied with the Legislature party meeting held on Thursday and what transpired there. "I too have seen media and newspaper reports. I don't know who has apologised. I have not apologised, nor will I. Have we committed any crime to apologise? Or have we made a big mistake?" Patil said in response to a question that some ministers including home minister G Parameshwara had stated that those who wrote letters to the CM had apologised at the CLP meeting. Speaking to reporters, he said, "There is internal democracy in our party, we have the right to request a legislature party meeting. Accordingly, leaders have called (for the meeting). There was open and detailed discussion in the meeting and I'm satisfied, but I'm not a coward to apologise. If I had committed any mistake, I would have apologised," he added. Several legislators are said to be miffed and have complained that they had not been able to get work done in their constituencies, and have not been granted transfers (of government servants) as requested. They have expressed unhappiness regarding some ministers, alleging that they were not cooperating with them. According to party sources, Patil, one of the MLAs who wrote to the CM, slammed ministers at the CLP meeting for not taking MLAs into confidence. They said Patil asserted his rights when Siddaramaiah questioned the need for the letter that was written to him. Stating that there is no disgruntlement, Patil today told reporters that he along with some legislators wanted certain issues to be discussed for which they had requested that a legislature party meeting be called. Asked whether he had said that he would resign at the meeting, he said, "I said one thing at one point, that if my self respect is hurt I will throw my resignation and go." He however did not wish to elaborate as to what the context was in which he made such a statement. "It cannot be discussed openly in the media, we have discussed internally." The behaviour and conduct of certain ministers has upset some legislators, Patil said, adding, "I don't know whether CM has advised them (ministers) or not... If their behaviour is not right, our fight against it will be there." Clarifying that there is no team as such in place to fight against the ministers' behaviour, Patil, in response to a question, admitted that he walked out of the CLP meeting, and was persuaded by a couple of ministers to get back. But he did not wish to go into details. He however said that the chief minister subsequently spoke to him over the phone. Patil, clarifying that the issue that legislators have is not related to transfer of government servants, said that the CM has explained at the CLP meeting about the burden on the exchequer due to implementation of the poll guarantees, and that there will be shortage of funds for developmental works initially this year, which will be set right in the days ahead. "We are satisfied with what CM said," he added. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), delivers an important speech during his inspection of the air force of the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on July 26, 2023. Xi made the inspection tour ahead of China's Army Day, which falls on Aug. 1. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, Xi extended sincere greetings to all the officers and soldiers of the air force of the command, as well as festival greetings to service personnel of the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of militia and reserve forces. (Xinhua/Li Gang) CHENGDU, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to speed up efforts to boost the modernization of the armed forces. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks on Wednesday in southwest China's Sichuan Province while inspecting the air force of the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Xi made the inspection tour ahead of China's Army Day, which falls on Aug. 1. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, Xi extended sincere greetings to all the officers and soldiers of the air force of the command, as well as festival greetings to service personnel of the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of militia and reserve forces. A day after Nigers General Abdourahamane Tchiani declared himself as the countrys leader following a military coup, the United States announced that it will work to ensure full restoration of constitutional order. In a telephonic conversation on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his unflagging support to the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and the people of Niger, the State Department said in a statement. This call came hours after the head of the countrys presidential guard and the coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, declared himself the head of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland (CNSP). In his address, Tchiani stated that the country needed to change its course to avoid gradual and inevitable demise. He urged the international community to continue supporting the Western African nation despite the change in leadership. I ask the technical and financial partners who are friends of Niger to understand the specific situation of our country in order to provide it with all the support necessary to enable it to meet the challenges, he said. The State Department further informed that the United States is communicating with a broad array of military leaders in Niger. The military coup jolted the already fragile democratic structure of the country. President Mohamed Bazoum made history in 2021 after he was elected the countrys first peaceful and democratically elected president since the countrys independence from France in 1960. Hence, the situation attracted criticism from around the world. The presence of the US in Niger The Western African nation is crucial for the United States as there are about 1,100 American troops deployed in Niger and the US military operates from two bases, according to The Guardian. On Friday, the Pentagon stated that Defense Minister Lloyd Austin is closely monitoring the situation as well. The United States in early 2021 said it had provided Niger with $500 million in military assistance and training programmes since 2012. This is one of the largest support programs given in Sub-Saharan Africa. In a press briefing immediately after the coup, the White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, said that Washington condemned the overthrow of the democratic institution and warned that the military takeover could cause the US to stop providing security and other aid to the Western African nation. Meanwhile, on Friday, the UN Security Council condemned the coup and described it as unconstitutional. The body called for Bazoums immediate release. Following this, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the coup and called it completely illegitimate, during his address at Papua New Guinea. He informed that he had repeatedly spoken with President Mohamed Bazoum and made it clear that the detained leader is in good health. The outlawed Islamabad-based terrorist group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is seeking a merger with the global Sunni pan-Islamist terrorism group Al-Qaeda to formulate an umbrella organisation to provide safe refuge to all the terror groups operating in South Asia, a report submitted to the UN Security Council on July 25 has warned. UN member states have expressed concerns that the TTP terrorists will affiliate with different foreign terror outfits, and will seek a merger with Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The TTP shares close and symbiotic ties with the Afghan Taliban and is seeking a merger with the regional affiliates to expand its terror operations to Jammu and Kashmir, Bangladesh and Myanmar, the report on global operations of al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the UN Security Council said. While Al-Qaeda has an estimated 400 fighters in Afghanistan, its affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), has an estimated 200 fighters led by the emir of AQIS, Osama Mehmood. Based on an internal investigation and assessment of a UN state that requested anonymity, the report unveiled that al-Qaeda is shaping AQIS to spread its operations into Jammu and Kashmir, Bangladesh and Myanmar. It continued that certain limited elements of AQIS are ready to either join or collaborate with the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIL-K). Some [UN] member states registered concern that TTP might provide an umbrella under which a range of foreign groups operate, or even coalesce, avoiding attempts at control by the Taliban, the report that was submitted on July 28, Friday stated. Locator map with Pakistan's Capital Islamabad and Kahmir region. Credit: AP No distinctions between Al-Qaeda, Islamic States Khorasan, the TTP and other terrorist groups? The explosive report was compiled by the UN committee that is involved in monitoring global terrorist activities and was endorsed over Pakistans complaint that the terrorist group TTP has upped its influence across the region since the fall of Kabul to the fundamentalist faction Taliban and the exit of the US military. One member state noted the possibility of [Al-Qaeda] and TTP merging. It assessed [Al-Qaeda] to be providing guidance to TTP for conducting increased attacks within Pakistan, the report said. It outlined the recent terror attacks in Pakistan, warning that the TTP has been focusing on high-value targets in border areas and soft targets to launch its assaults in the urban areas. It underscored that there would no longer be a distinction between Al-Qaeda, Islamic States Khorasan, the TTP and other terrorist groups as the association will be blurred. Their fighters tend to identify with more than one group and there is also a tendency for people to gravitate towards the dominant or ascending power, the states warned in the report. The link between the Taliban and both Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains strong and symbolic, another document drafted by the UN sanctions monitoring team, said. A range of terrorist groups have greater freedom of manoeuvre under the Taliban de facto authorities, it noted. The TTPs capability is assessed as not matching its ambitions, given that it does not control territory and lacks popular appeal in the tribal areas, according to the report. The member states are concerned that the TTP could become a regional threat if it continues to have safe operating base in Afghanistan, it continued. Responding to the report submitted to the UN, the spokesman of the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed that details outlined in the document were false. The Security Councils report that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has relations with the Al-Qaeda organisation is not true. The Al-Qaeda organisation has no presence in Afghanistan, and the reports are false. The Islamic Emirate does not allow anyone to use Afghanistans soil against the security of any other country, Mujahid said in a tweet. Presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo stood before a few hundred residents of this small Indigenous community on the slopes of the Agua Volcano and told them they could be the seeds of a brighter, more corruption-free spring in Guatemala. The metaphor fits neatly with his political party, the Seed Movement, and allows the 64-year-old academic and former diplomat to riff on themes of renewal and growth. But it also alludes to Guatemalas democratic spring," considered a more inclusive period in the country's history during the presidency in the 1940s and early 1950s of his late father, Juan Jose Arevalo. Bernardo Arevalo won just 11% of the vote in the presidential elections first round June 25, but it was enough to give him the surprise second slot in the Aug. 20 runoff ballot. He will face Sandra Torres, a conservative and former first lady who was the leading vote-getter in the first round and is making her third bid for the presidency. Arevalo's recent speech in Santa Maria de Jesus was similar to those he has given in Guatemalas capital, but the imagery could be especially important in rural Indigenous communities as he seeks to rapidly expand his largely urban, youthful base before the runoff. He won in Guatemala City and other important cities, including Sacatepequez and Quetzaltenango. It remains to be seen whether he can convince people in rural communities that he can address their daily problems. The delayed certification of the first round results shortened the already small window that Arevalo has to reintroduce himself to much of the country as his opponents rush to paint their own negative picture. Do you feel what is happening? Arevalo told the crowd in Santa Maria de Jesus. The new spring is arriving, thats what you feel, and you all are the seeds of that new spring." A new spring that is going to bring us well-being, the water we lack, the education they owe us, the health that they have denied us thanks to those corrupt contracts that serve few," Arevalo said, standing in front of an old, damaged Roman Catholic church, in a wide-brimmed hat and untucked shirt against the tropical heat. Among those listening was Juana Oron, a 67-year-old homemaker of the Kaqchikel people. She is one of the older voters who remember hearing about Arevalos father, one of only two leftist presidents in Guatemalas democratic era. The elder Arevalo, who governed from 1945 to 1951, is credited with establishing key social programs that remain in place today, including Guatemala's labor code and social security. Guatemalas democratic spring was cut short in 1954 by the CIA-backed overthrow of his successor, President Jacobo Arbenz. Under Juan Jose Arevalo, the state advocated for rights for Indigenous peoples and others beyond the countrys small elite. I remember I was little and (my parents) said he had done good things, said Oron whose first language as a child was Kaqchikel. If his father was good, Arevalo could be a good president, too, she said. Opponents have tried to frame Arevalos candidacy as a step toward some of the regions more notorious leftist regimes, such as Cuba and Nicaragua. They warn that the progressive candidate will bring expropriations, abortion and same-sex marriage to the conservative country. Arevalo has been the elections surprise. In the days before the June 25 vote, he was polling below 3% and trailing at least seven of the other 21 candidates. But his anti-corruption message resonated in the country where gains against corruption have been erased and the justice system reoriented to pursue the prosecutors and judges who formerly led that fight. In the month since that initial result, the Attorney Generals Office announced an investigation into his party and had a judge suspend its legal status until the Constitutional Court stepped in to block that move. In Santa Maria de Jesus, people wanted to compare Arevalo in person to what they were hearing about him. Some handed him flowers, posed for photos or reached out to touch him as he made his way through the throng. Arevalo pushed back against attempts to frame him as a left-wing radical he has said private property rights are not up for discussion and pounded the issue of corruption. Let us work, let us get ahead on our own effort, lets get rid of the corrupt once and for all, he said. For Francisco Jimenez, a political scientist at Rafael Landivar University, Arevalo will need concrete proposals to make inroads with the base of Torres, who has spent two decades assembling it. He will have to make governing proposals with a social agenda, where the people see that he is going to have an impact on their lives and communities, Jimenez said. The other part is continuing to present himself as the different model. That has been his success, someone totally different from the other candidates. Evangelical churches in Guatemala have painted Arevalo as an existential threat to the family. Gladys Sunun, a 35-year-old Kaqchikel vendor from an evangelical family, said she came to hear Arevalo for herself. She said she had heard that Arevalo would convert Guatemala into another Cuba or Nicaragua, but left feeling that might not be true, though she wants to investigate more. He came to tell us not to worry, she said. It sounds real, but we dont know. Her sister July Sunun said she wanted to hear more about Arevalo's positions on gender ideology. As a mother Im afraid, because weve grown up with a Christian background. I dont want to marry my daughter with another woman," she said. July Sunun acknowledged that Arevalo said he would respect the identities and decisions of the people, but what he hasnt said is that he wont allow (same-sex marriage) to happen here." Russian mercenaries group Wagners founder Yevgeny Prigozhin on Friday hailed the military coup in the African nation of Niger. Amid the growing condemnation worldwide, the Russia-backed mercenaries group chief, in a long message posted to social media, slammed the West as he blamed the political and military upheaval in Niger on the legacy of colonialism. Prigozhin, without evidence, said that the Western nations were sponsoring terrorist groups in the violence-marred Niger. He stated that the country was once a French colony and, before this weeks putsch, it had been one of the few democracies in the region. While the Wagner mercenaries chief Prigozhin and his troops moved to the neighbouring Belarus after their failed mutiny in Moscow to topple the country's "bureaucratic" military leadership, the armed militia leader was spotted in St. Petersburg, meeting with an African dignitary on the sidelines of the Russian-African forum. 'What happened in Niger has been brewing for years': Prigozhin Prigozhin touted that his paramilitary company Wagner's fighters were capable of dealing with the military situation unfolding in Niamey, the Nigerien capital. A low-resolution footage showed Prigozhin in public for the first time this month. "We need to wait for the moment when we can show ourselves in full," he said. "That is why a decision has been made that we would spend some time here in Belarus. During that time, we will make the Belarusian army the second-strongest army in the world. We will train, raise our level and set off for a new journey to Africa," Prigozhin stressed. "What happened in Niger has been brewing for years," Prigozhin said in the social media post. "The former colonizers are trying to keep the people of African countries in check," he added. According to Wagner Chief, "In order to keep them in check, the former colonizers are filling these countries with terrorists and various bandit formations, thus creating a colossal security crisis." The mercenaries leader, also famously known as Putin's chief, appealed to the Niger rebels to procure his services. "The population suffers. And this is the (the reason for) love for PMC (private military company) Wagner, this is the high efficiency of PMC Wagner," Prigozhin said in his statement. "Because a thousand soldiers of PMC Wagner are able to establish order and destroy terrorists, preventing them from harming the peaceful population of states," he continued. Radio Free Asia interviewed 74-year-old Australian citizen and democracy activist Chau Van Kham after his release from a Vietnamese prison last week. He was arrested in 2019, hours after he arrived in Vietnam and met with a fellow pro-democracy activist. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison for terrorism aimed at toppling the peoples administration. Kham was a member of Viet Tan, a pro-democracy group with members inside Vietnam and abroad. It has been described by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as a moderate activist group advocating for democratic reform. Hanoi claims it is a terrorist organization that aims to topple the government. Kham suffers from glaucoma, high blood pressure and kidney stones, according to Viet Tan. His release came on humanitarian grounds in a spirit of friendship between Canberra and Hanoi, according to Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, CNN reported. He returned home to Sydney on July 25. RFA: You have just returned home. Please tell us your thoughts about being released? Chau Van Kham: My first emotion is only after leaving the Vietnam Airlines plane do I truly feel that I have freedom. My emotions were lifted when I saw my wife and my younger brother at the airport, and at the same time the reception of Mr. Chris Bowen, representative of the Australian prime minister. I remembered those who struggle and are still in prisons under the communist regime, especially those who fight for freedom and democracy for Vietnam. RFA: The Vietnamese government accused you of terrorism against the peoples government. The government said that the activities of the Viet Tan Party were characteristic of terrorism. Could you tell us what you have done in Vietnam that they would accuse you of such a severe charge? Chau Van Kham: When I went to Vietnam through Cambodia, I had a bag in which there were only a pair of clothes and several pairs of underwear. No documents, no leaflets, no laptops. And I used a very old mobile phone. During the time I stayed in Vietnam, I didnt do any activities that they could accuse me of being terrorism. During the investigation process, police decided to prosecute me with having activities to protest against the peoples government. But after some months, the investigative agent told me that the government didnt see any activities of me in that purpose so the government lowered the crime down to terrorism. I thought that the terrorism crime was heavier than having activities to protest against the peoples government, but I didnt dispute what he said. But they still couldnt find any activities to accuse me. They told me that when I sat by the Bach Dang River, it was to investigate how to attack vessels on the river. I told them that I used to be a Navy sailor, and I went there to have coffee with my friends and to remember the past. I just laughed at such an accusation. The investigative agents showed me online photos of the Viet Tan Front with guns. I explained to them that such photos with armed guerrillas were for propaganda purposes, not for attacking. I myself know well that the Viet Tan Party, announced to the world its existence in 2004, had a non-violence policy that was announced in 2007. I joined the Viet Tan in 2010. Vietnamese-Australian democracy activist Chau Van Kham [left] is escorted into a courtroom in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Nov. 11, 2019. (Credit: Vietnam News Agency/AFP) RFA: Could you tell us what you did in Vietnam, and what evidence and any grounds they used to prove that you did terrorist acts? Chau Van Kham: In fact I didnt do anything that could be seen as terrorism. They used an announcement on the website of the Ministry of Public Securities that said Viet Tan was a terrorist organization since 2017. They asked me if I heard about that. I replied that I had heard but I didnt care. They asked why. I replied to them with these reasons: Firstly, Viet Tan operates all over the world, even in Vietnam, and only Vietnam accuses Viet Tan a terrorist organization. Secondly, the announcement on the website of the Ministry of Public Securities had not been adopted into law. If there had been a law naming the Viet Tan as a terrorist organization, the Australian government would have known and would have ended our operation. But at court, when I explained this, the chief judge slammed his hand on the table saying that I came to Vietnam and Vietnamese law applied. RFA: Why do you think Vietnam has accused Viet Tan of being a terrorist organization a very severe accusation while others have been accused as being anti-peoples government organizations? Chau Van Kham: To many Vietnamese inside the country, terrorism means death, sorrows, breaking down, back to the terrible time of war. Even me, as a war veteran, when mentioning war, I feel appalled. As a result, any organizations that would bring about such things would be avoided. The purpose for accusing me as a terrorist was to create the thinking of deaths, sorrows. It was completely wrong. The evidence was aired on state television stations at least five days a week during prime time. News about terrorism and deterioration to corruption was aired, and the Viet Tan Party was always mentioned. In the prison, other cellmates asked me what I had done to become jailed with terrorist charges. I told them, Look at me a small guy with a meek personality. How could I terrorize others? It was just the Vietnamese governments propaganda. Now, in my opinion, the only force that can counter Vietnams government for the time being is the Viet Tan Party. So, by all means, they try to destroy our prestige, making Vietnamese people avoid us. I would add the purpose of my trip to Vietnam was to do fact-finding about the real human rights situation in Vietnam. I met with activists there to show support. RFA: The Vietnamese government always says that most Viet Tan members are war veterans who have deep hatred for the country and want to topple the government. As a war veteran who was jailed, did you experience this attitude? Chau Van Kham: After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, I could have left the country at any time. I thought that the war ended was a good thing, and I assumed that the North Vietnam authorities wouldnt torture a low-level army officer like me. So I decided to stay and hoped that the hatred between the North and the South would be minor and not a problem for me personally. But then I was put in a re-education camp for three years and was on probation for two years. They didnt return my citizenship so I fled the country in 1982. When I lived overseas, I continued to hope that the Vietnamese government would change. In 1994, I returned to Vietnam for the first time when my mother got severely sick. I didnt see any real changes from when I left in 1982. I knew there was corruption, red tape, bureaucracy within the regime, but I thought that was a common practice and any regime needs time for adjustment. In 2008, I returned for the second time. I saw that the economy had changed a lot. But politics hadnt changed. In 2009, I came back one more time. I saw that the only way to bring a better future for Vietnam was to join a political organization. I believed that as long as Vietnam was under the communist authoritarian regime, the anti-corruption campaign and government reforms would fail to solve current issues. Whenever all offices are no longer under the leadership of party members, whenever they provide a healthy playing field in all domains from politics to economics to social issues. In Vietnam there are many intellectuals without party membership who arent being put to good use. Such limitations make the country stagnant. Vietnam could get out of current situations like poverty by becoming more open. RFA: You just sent out a letter stating that you will continue the struggle, even after paying a high price of four years in prison. Can you tell us why? Chau Van Kham: In all my replies from the time I was arrested, investigated and put in jail, I have quoted Karl Marx: Wherever there is injustice, there is struggle. So whenever there is no longer injustice in Vietnam, whenever the Vietnamese people no longer face any difficulties in life, I will no longer struggle. The nation needs to have democracy and freedom for full development. Vietnams development now has limitations, more or less depending on each persons perception or on the general secretary of the party. News agencies filmed smashed windows in two high-rise buildings at the Moscow International Business Center district on July 30. The Russian Defense Ministry says they were caused by overnight Ukrainian drone attacks. According to Russian authorities, the only casualty was an injured security guard. Ukraine has not explicitly confirmed responsibility. Thousands of supporters of a military junta that took power in Niger earlier this week have marched in the capital, Niamey, with many waving Russian flags and chanting the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The demonstrators on July 30 set fire to the door of the French Embassy, while the army tried to restore order. The French Foreign Ministry urged the junta to "ensure the security of our diplomatic missions and consulates," while the office of French President Emmanuel Macron said France "will not tolerate any attack against France or its interests." Former colonial power France and the European Union suspended financial aid and security cooperation with Niger on July 29. Junta leaders said they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 28 because of what they claimed was the threat of "imminent military intervention" by the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ECOWAS planned an emergency summit in Abuja, Nigeria, on July 30 to discuss the situation in Niger. Russia's Kremlin-connected Wagner mercenary group has a presence in neighboring Mali. Before the coup, Niger was considered the most reliable remaining partner for Western efforts to combat jihadists in the Sahel region. France has 1,500 troops in Niger to conduct joint operations with Niger's military, while the United States and the European Union have provided security training and assistance. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Binken, traveling in Australia, said continued U.S. aid was conditioned on "the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order" in Niger. The African Union has issued an ultimatum to the junta to restore Niger's democratically elected government within 15 days. Failure to do so, the bloc said, would force it to take "necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators." Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and relies on some $2 billion in annual international assistance. With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters A theme activity was launched on July 29, 2023 to promote the understanding of bamboo and wooden slips culture. (Source: event organizer) DUNHUANG, July 30 (Xinhuanet) -A theme activity, aiming to promote the understanding of bamboo and wooden slips culture, was launched on Saturday in Dunhuang, northwest Chinas Gansu Province. Before writing paper was invented, ancient Chinese wrote characters on bamboo and wooden slips, and bound them together with silk or hemp ropes. They were called Jiandu in Chinese, literally meaning bamboo and wooden scripts. The event focuses on introducing the Chinese culture abroad and striving to shape a reliable, admirable and respectable image of China. A series of online and offline activities will be held to help the world understand the culture of bamboo and wooden slips, while telling the stories of the Silk Road. At the launching ceremony, experts from universities and museums delivered speeches on the history and culture of bamboo and wood slips. In the next few days, reporters from nearly 20 media outlets will visit Dunhuang and Lanzhou to carry out focused interviews. The event is co-organized by the Gansu Provincial Cyberspace Administrative Office and People.cn. The United States issued new sanctions against several Belarusian entities and individuals on August 9, the third anniversary of the 2020 presidential election that kept authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka in power. The Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election. The U.S. Treasury Department said the new sanctions target entities involved in the regimes continued civil society repression, its complicity in the Russias unjustified war in Ukraine, and the enrichment of Lukashenka. The sanctions imposed by the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) target eight individuals, including the general-director of Belarusian Steel Works and members of the family that the department said controls significant portions of the tobacco products and transportation sectors in Belarus. They also hit three state-owned entities, including airline Belavia, and a Canadair regional jet used by high-ranking officials and members of Lukashenkas family, the Treasury Department said in a news release. The news release refers to the August 9, 2020, election as fraudulent and says the sanctions highlight the unified view that Belaruss prolonged subjugation of its people and its continued support of Russias war against Ukraine remain a global concern. Brian Nelson, the Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the sanctions are meant to disrupt the state-owned enterprises and key government officials that the regime relies on to generate substantial revenue to support its fiercely undemocratic and repressive policies. In addition to Belavia, the companies targeted include state-owned enterprises Minsk Civil Aviation Plant 407 and Belarusian Steel Works (BSW). All three have been previously designated by the OFAC. Minsk Civil Aviation Plant 407 is one of the biggest aircraft component manufacturer and repair facilities in Belarus and has been highlighted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a key facility for Belarusian production to meet Russias civil and military aircraft demand, the Treasury Department said. The OFAC also targeted Belarusian businessman Alyaksey Aleksin, who it said is a close confidant of Lukashenka and known as one of Lukashenkas wallets, receiving preferential treatment from the government in exchange for providing funds to Lukashenka and other members of his inner circle. Shortly before his designation, Aleksin transferred ownership in several key businesses to his sons, Dzmitry Aleksin and Vital Aleksin, and his wife, Ina Aleksina, all of whom were designated for sanctions on August 9. The new sanctions also apply to the Department of Financial Investigations (DFR) and its top directors for what the Treasury Department said was its oppression of independent media and civil society actors. The sanctions freeze all property and interests in property in U.S. jurisdiction owned by the designated persons and entities. The OFACs regulations also generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons that involve any property of the people designated. The State Department on August 9 also took action to impose visa restrictions on 101 regime officials and their affiliates for their involvement in undermining or suppressing democratic institutions in Belarus. The list includes several judges responsible for issuing what the State Department said were unjust and excessive politically motivated sentences against Belarusians for exercising their fundamental freedoms, including posting their grievances about the regime on social media. "The United States continues to stand with the brave people of Belarus as they seek a country grounded in the rule of law, respect for human rights, and an accountable, democratically elected government," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the State Department's news release. Blinken also reiterated U.S. calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all 1,500 political prisoners held by the Lukashenka regime, including Ales Byalyatski, Viktar Babaryka, Maryya Kalesnikava, Ihar Losik, and Syarhey Tsikhanouski. OSECINA, Serbia -- Only 2,700 people live in central Osecina, a small town in western Serbia whose downtown consists of two simple intersections. But over the last five years it -- along with the broader town of some 10,000 residents that administers it -- has become covered in Chinese-made surveillance cameras. Like elsewhere in Serbian cities, towns, and villages, the cameras have been purchased and installed by municipal governments in the name of safety and security, with officials saying their presence will lower traffic violations, reduce crime, and make it easier for police to catch criminals. But the scale and density of the spread of the surveillance system -- in Osecina, for example, there is one camera for every 100 inhabitants -- along with the legal question of deploying facial-recognition technology, a nontransparent procurement process, and limited information from Serbian authorities about how the systems are regulated, raises serious concerns about what the quiet expansion of cameras across the country means for Serbia's future. A monthslong investigation by RFE/RL's Balkan Service dug into the procurement mechanisms for the video-surveillance systems in more than 40 cities and municipalities and found a complicated process behind the cameras' spread that has taken place with little public information or consultation with citizens. Drawing upon public records, government documents obtained under freedom-of-information requests, expert interviews, and firsthand visits to the municipalities whose streets and public squares have been blanketed with the Chinese-made cameras, RFE/RL found that the expansion has been financed from local budgets -- not Belgrade's central budget under the auspices of the Interior Ministry -- an arrangement that might raise legal obstacles. RFE/RL also found that 42 local governments surveyed have awarded their contracts exclusively to Macchina Security, a shadowy Serbian company increasingly active on the security goods and services market that has been winning tenders and importing Chinese-made surveillance technology into the country in recent years. Limited public information is available on where all the cameras purchased have been deployed and how they are being used in Serbia, but documentation obtained by RFE/RL shows that at least 10 municipalities have bought cameras through Macchina Security with facial-recognition capabilities, an issue that has been a political flashpoint in Belgrade for years due to the cameras being deployed before the adoption of legal protections to regulate public-video surveillance and facial-recognition technology. Nevena Ruzic, an expert on the protection of personal data who previously worked at the office of Serbia's Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, told RFE/RL that the lack of regulation on video surveillance was a major legal issue facing the Balkan country and that the expansion of cameras in municipalities created legal conundrums as local governments have no clear mandate to use surveillance systems. "Municipalities and cities can establish surveillance on their premises, but public areas for the purpose of preventing crimes or traffic safety are not within their purview," Ruzic said. "This means that [legally] they should not even be able to buy such equipment." A Look At Macchina Security It's unclear why Macchina Security has dominated the contracts for distributing Chinese-made surveillance equipment to Serbian towns and cities. In the 42 tenders for various Serbian municipalities viewed by RFE/RL, Macchina Security faced competition in only eight cases. Macchina Security and the companies that competed against them declined multiple requests by RFE/RL for comment about the tender process. According to the documentation obtained by RFE/RL, the Serbian government has approved 15 different types of cameras from various manufacturers from Poland, Australia, the United States, Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, and even a local Serbian company. Yet, the Chinese firm Dahua appears to have been chosen above the other options. Nemanja Nenadic, the program director of Transparency Serbia, the national chapter of the watchdog Transparency International, told RFE/RL that the low level of competition in the bidding process was common in Serbia and that it warranted further investigation. "Judging by the various advertisements, there is a large number of companies that can be assumed to have the conditions to apply for the tender," Nenadic said. "In such a case, the Public Procurement Office should supervise and find out why there is such a low level of competition." Macchina Security has been operating since 1994 and is owned by Velibor Buljevac. Few public details are available about Buljevac and he did not respond to RFE/RL's requests for comment. Macchina Security, however, has been growing its business in recent years, though the company was also once registered in neighboring Montenegro, where it had to close its affiliate office five years ago following a scandal involving the misuse of funds for a tender to provide equipment for monitoring the sea border between Croatia and Albania. RFE/RL sent inquiries to the Montenegrin government, the Special State Prosecutor's Office, and the European Union delegation in Podgorica. The EU delegation confirmed that court proceedings for the case were ongoing and that the bloc provided funds for the project that were allegedly misused. "We expect that all accusations of abuse of EU funds will receive credible, independent, and effective institutional responses," the EU delegation in Montenegro told RFE/RL. A Quiet Expansion Concerns over the deployment of surveillance systems and a lack of regulation are not new in Serbia. Following years of negotiations, Serbia began to install surveillance cameras in recent years made by China's Huawei through a Safe City project for Belgrade. The government is currently in the process of introducing some 8,000 Huawei surveillance cameras with facial-recognition capabilities, thousands of which are already deployed in the capital. Belgrade says the facial-recognition software has not yet been deployed due to a lack of proper legislation. But the use -- and potential abuse -- of the technology has been a source of concern for activists, the country's political opposition, civil rights groups, and cybersecurity experts. The government has tried several times to push through legislation that would give it broad authority for the public use of surveillance and facial-recognition technology within a new set of police laws but has withdrawn the bills -- most recently in late December 2022 -- after protests and public pressure. But while Chinese-made Huawei systems in Belgrade have garnered the spotlight in Serbia, the spread of surveillance cameras across the countryside through contracts with Macchina Security has taken place under the radar, with cameras from Dahua -- another leading Chinese supplier of surveillance technology -- being the top choice. According to documents obtained by RFE/RL under freedom-of-information requests, 10 out of 42 municipalities and cities with available records have facial recognition equipment, with all purchasing the same DSS PRO Dahua technology. Beyond the purchase of Dahua equipment, other insights can be seen in the official documents. It is stated that recorded data is to flow to local police stations, but there are no details about how the materials are used once there. Public-surveillance cameras and the use of facial-recognition technology are spreading globally and spurring debates and controversies about the legality and ethics of their use. These concerns exist regardless of the manufacturer's country of origin, but several Western governments and independent experts have cautioned about its spread from some Chinese vendors over data security and a lack of safeguards to prevent the technology from being abused. Dahua, for example, was placed on a U.S. sanctions list in 2019 due to allegations it was complicit in human rights abuses in China. The company developed facial-recognition software that can identify ethnic Uyghurs in China's western Xinjiang Province, where Beijing has waged a mass campaign of repression against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities that some Western parliaments have recognized as genocide and the United Nations human rights agency said might also amount to crimes against humanity. Beyond Belgrade Despite the legal complications raised by Ruzic and concerns over the tender process, municipalities and cities appear to be moving forward with an arrangement in which the local municipality buys the equipment from its budget but it is used by the Interior Ministry. Nenadic says that this is an unusual arrangement that could hamper the stated purposes of using such technology to improve public safety. "If security is the reason for these procurements, the question arises as to why it should depend on the local government to make the necessary decision and not the Interior Ministry," Nenadic said. Local police stations turned down RFE/RL's request for comment on how the purchased technology is used, referring reporters to the Interior Ministry, which declined to comment. The only response came from the city of Becej -- located about 120 kilometers north of Belgrade, whose municipal administration stated that its systems had not yet been fully installed. Other cities are also behind schedule in installing the cameras. For example, Subotica -- a city in northern Serbia close to the Hungarian border -- has revised its deadline multiple times and has not yet installed all of its cameras. The city administration of Becej told RFE/RL that they purchased the technology due to public-safety concerns and that the procurement was paid from the local budget, which is financed from the collection of traffic fines. The city added that once installed by the local government, the equipment will be used by police and regulated by a joint contract on technical cooperation between the two entities. Nenadic says concluding such a contract is not standard and could pose some legal issues between the Interior Ministry and the local government. "When state bodies conclude such contracts, they often break the law because it's a way to circumvent their legally prescribed duties and obligations," Nenadic said. "It's unclear if that's exactly the case here, but there are lots of signs that state bodies should investigate." Written by Reid Standish in Prague based on reporting by Natalija Jovanovic in Serbia. Jasna Vukicevic, Milena Kuzmanovic, and Milos Katic of RFE/RL's Balkan Service contributed to this report The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that it was "inevitable" that "war" would come to Russia after authorities there were forced to temporarily close a busy Moscow airport following an overnight drone attack on the capital. "Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia -- to its symbolic centers and military bases. And this is an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process," Zelenskiy said on July 30 during a visit to the city of Ivano-Frankivsk -- which, although in western Ukraine, has been hit by Russian missile fire in the past. 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. Zelenskiy also warned Ukrainians that they must be prepared for further Russian attacks on the country's infrastructure and to prepare now for the winter months. "Ukraine is getting stronger," he said. "But we must be aware that, just as last year, Russian terrorists can still attack our energy sector and critical facilities this winter." Russian officials said three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow early on July 30, injuring a security guard and forcing the temporary suspension of traffic at Vnukovo airport, one of four major facilities serving the capital. Russia's Defense Ministry called it an "attempted terrorist attack" and claimed that one drone had been shot down and two others jammed, leading them to crash into Moscow's prestigious Moskva-Citi business complex. Russia's state-controlled RIA Novosti agency published images showing damage to an office tower in the business district. The reports could not be independently verified. A spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force said in Kyiv on July 30 that "there is always something flying in Russia, and in Moscow in particular." "Something is coming, and loudly," Yuriy Ihnat added. "No matter that the Russian authorities would like to close their eyes and say they have shot down everything. There is no point in talking about peace in the Russian hinterland." It was the fourth time this month that Moscow has been targeted by drone attacks. Local Russian Telegram channels said late on July 30 that a drone strike hit near the southwestern Russian city of Taganrog, causing a fire but no injuries. The reports could not immediately be confirmed. Also unconfirmed was a report in the Ukrainian media of a late-night explosion in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, near the front lines of the war. Meanwhile, Kyiv said its counteroffensive in southern and eastern Ukraine was proceeding with some success. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on Telegram on July 30 that Kyiv's forces were "slowly, but surely advancing" in the direction of Berdyansk and Melitopol in the southern Zaporizhzhya region. "Fighting continues in all directions of the offensive," Malyar wrote. Ukraine's military said on July 30 that the Chonar Bridge, which links Crimea with the occupied part of the Kherson region, was damaged in an attack the previous day. The Russian occupation authorities in Kherson also reported Ukrainian missile strikes targeting railroad supply lines in the region, claiming the attacks had been repulsed. The Russian Defense Ministry also said that "25 drones" attacked unspecified targets in Crimea, adding that all were destroyed or disabled. Crimea, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014, is the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and vital supply link between Russia and the Russian-occupied parts of southern Ukraine. Ukraine's General Staff reported 36 combat clashes during the July 29-30 period. Local authorities in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy reported on July 30 that one civilian had been killed and at least 17 injured in a Russian rocket attack the previous evening. The attack damaged a residential building and a school. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa BEIRUT, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A military officer affiliated with the Palestinian Fatah Movement was assassinated by Islamist militants on Sunday morning along with three of his bodyguards in an ambush in southern Lebanon, Elnashra news website reported. Abou Ashraf al-Armoushi was killed after several armed clashes broke out in the Ain Al-Helweh camp between members of the Fatah Movement and Islamist militants since early Sunday morning, killing at least one and injuring six others. Stray bullets hit shops and houses in the neighborhoods of al-Sabbagh and al-Barad close to the refugee camp. Residents were urged to exercise caution and avoid wandering in areas near the camp due to the danger of stray bullets. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) expressed its deep concern about the renewed tension and clashes in the camp. The UNRWA urgently called on all parties to immediately return to a state of calm and stability. Clashes between rival groups often occur in the Ain Al-Helweh camp, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. The ongoing Syria crisis has also led to an influx of Syrian refugees and Palestine refugees displaced from Syria. Tourists enjoy food at Uu Sodo's "herdsman house hostel" in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) This photo taken on July 24, 2023 shows the scenery of Ulan Mod grassland in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Uu Surleg, son of Uu Sodo, serves a dish for tourists in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Uu Sodo (R) talks with a tourist in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Uu Sodo(L) works to build an outdoor dining room at his "herdsman house hostel" in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Bai Saran, wife of Uu Sodo, takes photos of her son Uu Surleg while he is playing the Morin Khuur, in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Bai Saran, wife of Uu Sodo, takes a beverage for tourists in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Uu Surleg, son of Uu Sodo, rides a horse in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Uu Sodo and his wife Bai Saran pose for a photo in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Uu Sodo (R) helps son Uu Surleg adjust saddle in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Uu Sodo picks a bunch of flowers for his wife Bai Saran in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) This aerial photo taken on July 24, 2023 shows a herd of cattle at Uu Sodo's "herdsman house hostel" in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Uu Sodo (R) and his son Uu Surleg graze cattle in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Uu Sodo rides a horse on the Ulan Mod grassland in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) A tourist rides a horse with the help of Uu Sodo, in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) This photo taken on July 24, 2023 shows roasted lamb chop served by Uu Sodo's "herdsman house hostel" in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Uu Sodo strokes a horse in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) This aerial photo taken on July 24, 2023 shows a herd of cattle on the Ulan Mod grassland, in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Bai Saran, wife of Uu Sodo, serves beer for tourists in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Bai Saran, wife of Uu Sodo, prepares milk tea for tourists in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) This aerial photo taken on July 25, 2023 shows a view of Uu Sodo's "herdsman house hostel", in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Bai Saran smells a bunch of flowers picked by her husband Uu Sodo in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Bai Saran, wife of Uu Sodo, feeds salt to sheep in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Uu Sodo(L) and his wife Bai Saran prepare food in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Tourists take photos at Uu Sodo's "herdsman house hostel" in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Uu Sodo(R) helps a tourist to ride a horse in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) Uu Surleg, son of Uu Sodo, serves a dish for tourists in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Uu Surleg(R), son of Uu Sodo, talks with his family members in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) Uu Sodo works to build an outdoor dining room at his "herdsman house hostel" in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Bei He) College students have fun at Uu Sodo's "herdsman house hostel" in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 19, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua) Uu Surleg, son of Uu Sodo, prepares to play the Morin Khuur, in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. Uu Sodo, a herdsman, and his family reside in a village on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier this year, Uu Sodo established a "herdsman house hostel", offering guests the opportunity to try horse riding, archery, savor milk tea and mutton, and appreciate the stunning Ulan Mod landscapes. His son, Uu Surleg, joined him during the summer, serving food, guiding horses, and playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument featuring a horse-head carving at its top, for visitors. This year, Hinggan League organized a college student tourism festival and funded ten herdsman tourism projects, including Uu Sodo's hostel, as part of an investment support initiative. This financial aid enabled Uu Sodo to construct new yurts and expand his hostel. As of now, the hostel boasts 13 yurts, 10 tents, and 2 awnings, and has welcomed over 3,200 guests. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) A veteran Oceanside police captain has been arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor spousal abuse and was briefly jailed this week in lieu of $10,000 bail. Capt. Thomas Aguigui, a 29-year veteran of the department and one of its highest ranking officers, was arrested at his home in Fallbrook on Wednesday and has since been released, a spokeswoman for the Oceanside Police Department said. Aguigui has been placed on restricted duty within the department, said Kathleen Vincent, the agencys acting public Information officer. She said the incident involved Aguiguis wife. Advertisement The San Diego Sheriffs Department is handling all criminal jurisdiction on this matter and (is) forwarding the case to the District Attorneys Office who will determine whether to file formal charges, Vincent said. OPD views matters of domestic violence to be very serious, she said. Its our protocol that we conduct a parallel administrative investigation into the matter to determine if any policies have been violated. If so, we take the appropriate action. Vincent said the department will not comment further about the investigation because it is a personnel matter. The Sheriffs Department confirmed only that an arrest was made. Aguigui could not be reached for comment Friday. The 54-year-old has been a sworn member of the department since 1988. He is in charge of the Investigations Division and is one of three captains who answer only to Police Chief Frank McCoy. The chief was unavailable for comment Friday. According to a profile on the departments website, Aguigui has worked in patrol, field operations support, crimes of violence, gangs, narcotics, community policing, defensive tactics, and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) during his career. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Phoenix and served in the Marine Corps before becoming a police officer. No formal charges have yet been filed and no court date has been scheduled. jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2023. Ghazouani, who is visiting China, attended the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met on Sunday with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani in Beijing. Li said China and Mauritania, both developing countries, have held similar positions on many international and regional issues, supported each other and forged profound friendship. The two heads of state held a fruitful meeting and jointly made new plans and arrangements for the development of bilateral relations. China is willing to work with Mauritania to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue the traditional friendship, seek greater synergy in development strategies, share development experience and achievements, and push friendly cooperative relations between China and Mauritania to a new level, said Li. Noting that China greatly appreciates Mauritania's consistent unequivocal support for China on issues concerning China's core interests, Li said China will continue to firmly support Mauritania in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and taking a development path in line with its own national conditions. The two sides should take the opportunity of signing the plan on advancing Belt and Road cooperation to expand pragmatic cooperation on agriculture, fishery, animal husbandry, energy and infrastructure construction, to better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, Li said. Li called on the two sides to strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges on health, education, political parties and localities, and build a bridge of friendship between the two countries. China will continue to provide support to Mauritania's development and revitalization within its capacity. Noting that Mauritania-China relations are based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win results, Ghazouani said the friendship between the two countries is profound and solid. Mauritania thanks China for the strong support for its independence and development, and fully agrees with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. Mauritania firmly abides by the one-China principle and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in such fields as agriculture, mining, new energy and infrastructure construction, and will push for further development of bilateral relations, said Ghazouani. Ghazouani, who is visiting China, attended the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province. Saudi Arabia has outlined details regarding its vision for the planned Riyadh Expo 2030 site. Saudi Arabia shared a video on its social media account titled "Riyadh is ready," offering a sneak peek of the potential experience for visitors if the country wins the bid to host World Expo 2030. The video stated it would be the most connected Expo ever with visitors traveling to the site from the new King Salman airport within five minutes by train and also from Riyadh on the metro. It also showed its partner airline, Riyadh Air, flying over a transforming city. The airport is being developed, while Riyadh Air is set to start operating by 2025. Read More: Riyadh Airport to use Face Print Instead of Boarding Pass Last June, Saudi Arabia officially submitted its bid to host the Expo during a presentation held in Paris. The Riyadh Expo 2030 design is inspired by the kingdoms ambition to bring the worlds nations, big or small, together with equal visibility and accessibility, and share its own journey of transformation, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City stated. The planned Expo site will cover approximately seven square kilometers and include a "loop of the world" avenue, connecting more than 200 pavilions. The theme revolves around The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow. Issues of climate and sustainability are expected to feature prominently. Within a week, authorities in different regions of the Kingdom arrested 13,308 violators of residency, labor laws, and border security regulations. The Ministry of Interior reported that the arrests were a result of joint field campaigns conducted by different security forces units throughout the Kingdom from July 20 to 26. The detained individuals included 7,725 violators of the residency system, 3,427 violators of border security regulations, and 2,156 violators of labor laws. Read More: Riyadh Police Arrests a Saudi Who Killed a Syrian in the Street A total of 572 individuals were arrested while trying to cross the Kingdom's border, with 62% being Yemenis, 37% Ethiopians, and 1% belonging to other nationalities. Among those arrested, 58 were trying to cross the border to exit Saudi Arabia. Nine individuals took part in transporting and harboring violators of residency and work regulations while engaging in cover-up activities, were also taken into custody. A total of 36,953 violators are currently subjected to procedures for violating regulations, of which 30,660 are men and 6,293 are women. Of them 30,701 violators were directed to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, 2,155 violators were referred to complete their travel reservations, and 10,205 violators were deported. The Ministry of Interior stressed on that anyone who facilitates the entry of an infiltrator into the Kingdom or gives him transportation or shelter or any assistance or service shall face punishment with penalties of up to 15 years in prison, and a maximum fine of SR1 million, in addition to the confiscation of the means of transportation and accommodation. Jupiters moon Ganymede is the only satellite in the Solar System known to have an intrinsic magnetic field. Interactions between this field and the magnetosphere of Jupiter are expected to funnel most of the associated impinging charged particles, which alter surface chemistry across the Jupiter system, to Ganymedes polar regions. Using observations obtained with the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have now detected hydrogen peroxide, a radiolysis product of water ice, specifically constrained to the high latitudes of Ganymede. This shows that we can do incredible science with Webb e on solar system objects, even if the object is really very bright, like Jupiter, but also when you look at very faint things next to Jupiter, said University of California, Berkeleys Professor Imke de Pater. Using measurements captured by Webbs Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), Professor de Pater and colleagues detected the absorption of light by hydrogen peroxide around the north and south poles of Ganymede, a result of charged particles around Jupiter and Ganymede impacting the ice that blankets the moon. Webb revealing the presence of hydrogen peroxide at Ganymedes poles shows for the first time that charged particles funneled along Ganymedes magnetic field are preferentially altering the surface chemistry of its polar caps, said Dr. Samantha Trumbo, a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University. According to the team, hydrogen peroxide is produced by charged particles hitting the frozen water ice around the poles of Ganymede and breaking the water molecules into fragments a process called radiolysis which then recombine to form Ganymede. The authors suspected that radiolysis would occur primarily around the poles on Ganymede because, unlike all other moons in our Solar System, it has a magnetic field that directs charged particles toward the poles. Just like how Earths magnetic field directs charged particles from the sun to the highest latitudes, causing the aurora, Ganymedes magnetic field does the same thing to charged particles from Jupiters magnetosphere, Dr. Trumbo said. Not only do these particles result in aurorae at Ganymede, as well, but they also impact the icy surface. Planetary researchers had earlier studied hydrogen peroxide on Europa, another of Jupiters four Galilean satellites. On Europa, however hydrogen peroxide was detectable over much of the surface, perhaps, in part, because it has no magnetic field to protect the surface from the fast-moving particles zipping around Jupiter. This is likely a really important and widespread process, Dr. Trumbo said. These observations of Ganymede provide a key window to understand how such water radiolysis might drive chemistry on icy bodies throughout the outer Solar System, including on neighboring Europa and Callisto. It helps to actually understand how this so-called radiolysis works and that, indeed, it works as people expected, based on lab experiments on Earth, Professor de Pater said. The discovery is reported in a paper in the journal Science Advances. _____ Samantha K. Trumbo et al. 2023. Hydrogen peroxide at the poles of Ganymede. Science Advances 9 (29); doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3724 New Alzheimer's research from UVA Health suggests that enhanced light sensitivity may contribute to "sundowning" -- the worsening of symptoms late in the day -- and spur sleep disruptions thought to contribute to the disease's progression. The new insights into the disruptions of the biological clock seen in Alzheimer's could have important potential both for the development of treatments and for symptom management, the researchers say. For example, caregivers often struggle with the erratic sleep patterns caused by Alzheimer's patients' altered "circadian rhythms," as the body's natural daily cycle is known. Light therapy, the new research suggests, might be an effective tool to help manage that. Further, better understanding Alzheimer's effects on the biological clock could have implications for preventing the disease. Poor sleep quality in adulthood is a risk factor for Alzheimer's, as our brains, at rest, naturally cleanse themselves of amyloid beta proteins that are thought to form harmful tangles in Alzheimer's. "Circadian disruptions have been recognized in Alzheimer's disease for a long time, but we've never had a very good understanding of what causes them," said researcher Thaddeus Weigel, a graduate student working with Heather Ferris, MD, PhD, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine's Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism. "This research points to changes in light sensitivity as a new, interesting possible explanation for some of those circadian symptoms." Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, affecting 50 million people around the world. Its hallmark is progressive memory loss, to the point that patients can forget their own loved ones, but there can be many other symptoms, such as restlessness, aggression, poor judgment and endless searching. These symptoms often worsen in the evening and at night. Ferris and her collaborators used a mouse model of Alzheimer's to better understand what happens to the biological clock in Alzheimer's disease. They essentially gave the mice "jet lag" by altering their exposure to light, then examined how it affected their behavior. The Alzheimer's mice reacted very differently than did regular mice. The Alzheimer's mice, the scientists found, adapted to a six-hour time change significantly more quickly than the control mice. This, the scientists suspect, is the result of a heightened sensitivity to changes in light. While our biological clocks normally take cues from light, this adjustment happens gradually -- thus, jet lag when we travel great distances. Our bodies need time to adapt. But for the Alzheimer's mice, this change happened abnormally fast. advertisement The researchers initially thought this might be because of inflammation in the brain -- "neuroinflammation." So they looked at immune cells called microglia that have become promising targets in our efforts to develop better Alzheimer's treatments. But the scientists ultimately ruled out this hypothesis, determining that microglia did not make a difference in how quickly mice adapted. (That's not to say that targeting microglia won't be beneficial for other reasons.) Notably, the UVA scientists also ruled out another potential culprit: "mutant tau," an abnormal protein that forms tangles in the Alzheimer's brain. The presence of these tangles also did not make a difference in how the mice adapted. The researchers' results ultimately suggest there is an important role for the retina in the enhanced light sensitivity in Alzheimer's, and that gives researchers a promising avenue to pursue as they work to develop new ways to treat, manage and prevent the disease. "These data suggest that controlling the kind of light and the timing of the light could be key to reducing circadian disruptions in Alzheimer's disease," Ferris said. "We hope that this research will help us to develop light therapies that people can use to reduce the progression of Alzheimer's disease." Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2023. Ali, who is visiting China, attended the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in Beijing on Sunday, saying that China is willing to work with Guyana to promote relations between China and Caribbean countries, and to jointly safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Li said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than five decades ago, China and Guyana have always treated each other with mutual respect and equality. The political mutual trust between the two sides has become even firmer as time goes by, he said, adding that the practical cooperation has achieved fruitful results, setting an example of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems, histories and cultures. Li expressed China's readiness to continue to make joint efforts with Guyana to develop bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and promote the building of a China-Guyana community with a shared future. He pointed out that China firmly supports Guyana in pursuing a development path that is suitable for its own national conditions. Taking the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity, China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Guyana in economy, trade, agriculture, energy, green development and other areas. China stands ready to work with Guyana to promote relations between China and Caribbean countries, meet global challenges together, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and improve international fairness and justice, Li said. Noting that China is a strategic partner of Guyana, Ali said that Guyana spoke highly of China's great achievements in advancing modernization, and thanked China for helping Guyana with its economic and social development. He welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Guyana. Ali said that Guyana appreciates China's important role in international affairs, and is willing to work with China to practice multilateralism and jointly address the global challenges of energy security, food security and climate change. Ali, who is visiting China, attended the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province. Common beans are important food sources with high nutritional content. Bean seeds also contain phenolic compounds, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that promote health. A study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and CIATEJ in Guadalajara, Mexico, explored the composition of seed coat extracts from black and pinto bean varieties unique to the Chiapas region of Southern Mexico. "These beans are preserved among Mayan communities and grown by indigenous farmers. They are heirlooms from past generations and are important because of their cultural significance and contribution to biodiversity," explained study co-author Elvira de Mejia, professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN), part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at U. of I. The research team selected two varieties among several collected in the Chiapas region because of their high phenolic content, present in the seed coat pigment that gives the beans their dark red or black coloring. "These phenolic compounds have the capability of keeping oxidation and inflammation under control, which could help decrease the risk of chronic health issues such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes," de Mejia said. First, the researchers removed the bean seed coat and ground it for processing. Then they analyzed the chemical composition of a crude extract, as well as an enriched extract that was purified to concentrate the phenolic content. They also measured the bean extracts' antioxidant capacity and ability to inhibit free radicals through biochemical assays and in silico molecular docking, a type of computer simulation. "We found the black beans had high quantities of anthocyanin, in particular delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin glucosides, which have antioxidative properties. The pinto beans had the highest total content of phenolic compounds and showed great potential for inhibiting enzymes that contribute to inflammation," said David Fonseca Hernandez, a doctoral student at CIATEJ, and lead author of the paper. Fonseca conducted the research as a visiting scholar in FSHN at U. of I. The seed coat extracts can be used as additives in the food industry or in cosmetics, Fonseca explained. advertisement "My research focuses on skin health, because there is a lot of interest in new ingredients with bioactive properties to use in formulations for creams. One of the main issues with aging skin is the oxidative stress that results from environmental factors. When the skin is exposed to air pollution and sunlight, it produces higher quantities of free radicals and inflammation pathways are activated," he stated. "We tested some markers related to inflammation, such as cyclooxygenase and inducible nitric oxide synthase. We had really good results showing the extracts, especially from pinto beans, could inhibit and reduce the activity of these enzymes." The researchers also found that the process of enriching the extracts can further concentrate the anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, which is useful both for industry and research purposes. The study is part of a large project supported by CONAHCYT, Mexico's National Science Foundation, explained study co-author Luis Mojica, research professor at CIATEJ and Fonseca's advisor. "One of the project's goals was to find cultivars with an interesting profile to be used as a source of phytochemicals for the cosmetic industry. This industry is growing very fast, and there is a demand for natural products to treat skin-related diseases or aging," he said. "In our research, we compared around 60 cultivars of common beans from the south of Mexico, and these two varieties are three or four times higher than others in phenolic compounds and anthocyanins. These beans are very interesting for health; they are also high in other nutrients such as proteins, fiber, and oligosaccharides." The project can help provide regional support by increasing wellness and developing Mexico's southern region by preserving these unique bean varieties, the researchers stated. advertisement Following up on the study's significant laboratory findings, the next steps will be to test the extracts on cell tissue cultures and eventually in clinical trials. Fonseca attended the U. of I. through I-MMAS, a program created to increase recruitment of Mexican and Mexican-American students within the University of Illinois System. "Our collaboration with Dr. Mojica's research group through I-MMAS is meaningful because there is a large number of migrants from Guadalajara in Illinois, but also because of the quality of their work. Dr. Mojica's lab conducts basic research, but they also work with industry to apply the knowledge to solve practical problems. Dr. Mojica completed his doctorate degree in FSHN at U. of I. Both he and David were very productive and successful students during their time here, and we are very happy to continue our work with them," de Mejia concluded. The paper, "Black and pinto beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) unique mexican varieties exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential," is published in Food Research International [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112816]. Authors are David Fonseca Hernandez, Luis Mojica, Mark A. Berhow, Korey Brownstein, Eugenia Lugo Cervantes, and Elvira Gonzalez de Mejia. Funding for this research was provided by the Consejo Nacional de Humanidades Ciencias y Tecnologias CONAHCYT-Mexico, number 901000 and FORDECYT grant number 292474, and by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. ANKARA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people died, and 23 others were injured after a passenger bus veered off the road and overturned on a highway in the eastern Kars province of Turkiye on Sunday, state-run TRT broadcaster reported. The passenger bus overturned into a stockade after passing the viaduct at the entrance of Karakurt village of Sarikamis district of Erzurum-Kars highway, the TRT quoted Governor of Kars province Turker Oksuz as reporting. The passenger bus flipped over from approximately 50 meters in height and overturned, the TRT added. Medical teams, gendarmerie, and fire crews were dispatched to the scene. Millions of British families are are having to borrow to pay their basic bills and expenses marking a dangerous new phase of the cost of living crisis. And with interest rates set to be hiked again over the coming week, some are warning of a "debt timebomb" among less well off households. Rising rates are in many cases also cutting of access to borrowing. Reports also suggested that struggling single parents were being targeted through social media ads with inappropriate debt repayment schemes. - Guardian Former Rolls-Royce boss, Sir John Rose, called on government to back the company's drive to develop British nuclear technology. The engineer is leading a project to build a fleet of so-called small modular reactors, which are now part of the country's long-term energy strategy. Yet the government is instead launching a competition to choose a provider that will include foreign rivals. According to Rolls, if it won then by 2050 it could generate 40,000 jobs in the UK and add 52 bn to the economy. - The Financial Mail on Sunday The military is rethinking from where it sources supplies in the wake of the war in Ukraine and given the need to boost the country's "sovereign capacity" - military speak for making more kit at home. That push could prove extremely lucrative for home-grown outfits such as BAE Systems. Hence the MoD's award earlier in the month to BAE to supply eight times more 155mm howitzer shells. Rolls-Royce, which is also due to report results this week, is another winner in the sector. - The Sunday Times Technology giants Amazon and Microsoft slammed an Ofcom report accusing them of locking clients into deals that hurt competition. According to the watchdog, the discounts offered by the two companies to clients who rent large amounts of capacity in the cloud keeps them from looking for alternatives, thus hurting smaller competitors. Ofcom was also mulling whether to ask the Competition and Markets Authority to initiate a full-blown investigation. Microsoft also criticised another proposal to setting technical standards in order to facilitate switching. - The Sunday Telegraph The Universities Superannuation Scheme, Britain's largest private sector pension fund,lost 16bn as an 'unnecessary' debt-driven strategy fell through. The fund had invested heavily in so-called liability-driven investments, despite warnings from Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London. The rout came amid the 2022 mini-Budget crisis that triggered a meltdown in the pensions market. - The Financial Mail on Sunday Madonna is movin and groovin again, after a scary hospitalization in June, which required intubation and an ICU stay due to a bacterial infection. In an Instagram post, the Queen of Pop, 64, thanked her fans for their support, with a video of her dancing in her bathroom in a stunning black outfit of sheer, short-sleeved, leather corset and stylish drawstring pants. At the conclusion, she lowered her sunglasses and blew her viewers a kiss. The background music was her 1983 hit Lucky Star, a track on her first album, Madonna, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Madonna was released when the artist was just 24. Other hits in the breakout album include the songs Holiday, Borderline, I Know It and Physical Attraction. In late June, the 64-year-old was rushed to a New York hospital after being found unresponsive at her home. On Saturday June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several day stay in the ICU, her manager, Guy Oseary, announced at the time. Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected. In the video, Madonna captioned a message to her loyal fans: To be able to move my body and dance just a little bit makes me feel like the Luckiest Star in the world! she wrote. Thank you to all of my fans and friends! You must be my lucky stars too! And Happy 40th Birthday to my very first album! In February, Madonna was unrecognizable at the 2023 Grammy Awards, wearing a black blazer, white shirt, and black tie, with a floor-length black skirt and fishnet gloves and stockings, a far cry from her classic music videos. She finished the look with fishnet gloves and a riding crop. The Mets traded starting pitcher Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers on Saturday, shipping roughly $35 million of Scherzers salary through the end of 2024, while the Rangers will pay $22.5 million. In the deal, the Mets acquired infielder Luisangel Acuna in the deal. Who is he? Heres what the Dallas Morning News says: The younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., he signed with the Rangers in 2018 for $425,000 out of Venezuela. He had reportedly agreed to a deal with Atlanta to follow his brother, but it was washed away following sanctions against the Braves for violations in the process in Latin America. Acuna began last season as our No. 10 prospect, but has inched his way up. TO BUY METS TICKETS, VISIT: VIVIDSEATS, TICKETNETWORK and STUBHUB As a 20-year-old last year, Acuna dominated the advanced Class A South Atlantic League with a .317 average and .900 OPS to earn a second-half promotion to Double-A Frisco. He also played in the Arizona Fall League last year. Hes an aggressive hitter with the ability create impact, but hes going to have to start getting the ball in the air more often. According to Baseball America, he hit the ball on the ground more than 50 percent of the time last year. That led to some extra base hits because of his speed, but only 29 total extra base hits. The Rangers feel there is more impact there. He doesnt swing and miss a ton, just doesnt make great contact as often as he can. There is some question about where he will ultimately play. Will he be able to remain at shortstop? Perhaps second base or center field (like his brother) is more realistic. While hes started 76 games at second, hes never gone to the outfield, so thats an unknown. Hes certainly got the speed to go out there. Hes stolen 84 bases over the last two seasons. MORE SPORTS: Ex-Jets crybaby who quit on them is training-camp star with new team Ex-Yankees reliever traded by Mets against his wishes Is Yankees rival about to grab All-Star pitcher at trade deadline After trade, ex-Mets ace blames failures on former coaches: A lot of cooks in his kitchen ISLAMABAD, July 30 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and 20 others injured on Sunday in a road crash in the Rajanpur district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, a rescue official said. District Chief of the Rescue-1122 Aslam told the media that a bus overturned after the driver of the vehicle fell asleep and lost control in the Fazilpur area of Rajanpur. Police and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted bodies and the injured to a nearby hospital. The rescue official feared that the death toll might rise because several of the injured were in critical condition. The bus, with pilgrims onboard, was on its way back to Jacobabad district from a shrine of Sufi saint Sakhi Sarwar in the south region of Punjab. The deceased and injured passengers also included women and two children who belonged to the same village. Local police ordered a blood test of the bus driver who was also injured in the accident, fearing that he might take hashish before starting the journey. A 23-year-old police officer from New Jersey suddenly died this week during a routine workout, according to his family. Patrolman Samuel Irvin, who had just become a police officer two weeks earlier, suffered a catastrophic cardiac arrest on Sunday, said his mother, Deb Irvin. Irvin, of Columbus, graduated the from Gloucester County Police Academy earlier this month and began working for the Mansfield Township Police Department on July 10. He was the most amazing son, brother and a devoted fiance, his mom said. Irvin and his fiancee, Kenzie Santucci, had a Golden Retriever named Bailey and were expecting a baby. His fiancees sister, Mikaela Santucci, has started a GoFundMe campaign in an effort to raise funds for the fallen officers unborn child. Sam brought so much joy into everyones lives. He would go out of his way to make you smile, Santucci wrote in a description on the GoFundMe page. He loved to joke around and his laugh was infectious. His mother said his colleagues at the police department and classmates at the academy spoke highly of his work ethic. We have been told that there was nothing he couldnt do, she said. He ran over 300 miles in the police academy and never faltered. The Mansfield Township Police Department, where Irvin worked for just two weeks, posted a written eulogy on social media earlier this week, speaking of him as a more than just a colleague. Sam was not only a colleague, he was a brother and a friend, the post read. It is difficult to write this because we are all at a loss for words. We are trying our hardest to honor him in the best way we can, but nothing we do will amount to the Man, Expectant Father, Fiance, Brother, Son, and Friend that Samuel Irvin was. Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Preppy Killer Robert Chambers -- who killed a teen in Central Park decades ago -- was released from prison on parole after serving 15 years in a separate drugs case, according to a recent report. State Department of Correction records show that Chambers, 56, walked out of New Yorks Shawangunk Correctional Facility earlier this week after serving 15 years of a 19-year sentence for running a cocaine and heroin operation out of his Manhattan apartment, the New York Post reported. The convicts whereabouts in the aftermath of his release remain unknown, according to the media outlet, but hell be on parole until 2028, records show. The Post reported that calls made to numbers listed as Chambers relatives were not immediately returned. Chambers, who had been in prison since 2008 for peddling drugs, gained notoriety for the slaying of Jennifer Levin in Central Park in 1986. Chambers, who became known as the Preppy Killer in that case, pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Under the plea deal, he received five to 15 years in prison, and was released in 2003 after serving the maximum sentence, the Post reported. He was back behind bars two years later after being convicted of a misdemeanor drug charge, but was given a 90-day sentence, according to the Post. Chambers was sent back to prison in 2008 after police uncovered the cocaine and heroin operation he was running with his girlfriend out of their Manhattan apartment, the Post report stated. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Head outdoors to see a stunning show of shooting stars on Sunday evening. The Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower peaks on Sunday night and into the early morning hours of Monday. The active meteor shower is typically best seen from the southern tropics, so you may not see as many meteors in the New York City area. They are usually faint meteors that lack both persistent trains and fireballs. There are typically 20 meteors per hour. There will be a full moon on Sunday, which means the moons illumination will make it difficult to see the shooting stars. But they still produce good rates of meteors around peak time, according to the American Meteor Society. So take a look after the peak as this meteor shower is active through Aug. 21. How can you view it? The meteor shower will peak on Sunday night. It will have a maximum hourly rate that can reach up to 15 to 20 meteors in a dark sky with no moon. Youll also typically see plenty of meteors mixed in with the Perseids if youre watching the shower this weekend. They tend to be fainter than Perseid meteors so try to look at the farthest side away from a full moon so that its illumination doesnt dull shooting stars. And about 5 to 10% of meteors leave persistent trains glowing ionized gas trails that last a second or two after the meteor has passed. Where should I look in the sky? Meteors will be visible in all parts of the sky. You can use timeanddate.coms Interactive Meteor Show Sky Map to find the current direction of a meteor shower in the sky. To best view them, you should go to the darkest possible location and lean back to observe as much sky as possible directly above you. You dont need any special equipment or skills to view a meteor shower. Find a secluded viewing spot away from city lights. Dress for the weather, and make sure youre comfortable if you plan to stay out long. Some suggest bringing a blanket or chair, as meteor-watching can be a waiting game. Its important to let your eyes become adjusted to the dark (it takes about 30 minutes), according to NASA. Youll see more meteors that way. You should also try to stay off your phone as looking at devices with bright screens can negatively affect your night vision and reduce the number of meteors you see. What if you miss it? Dont fret if you miss this event, as the most popular meteor shower of the year is active and peaks in August. The Perseids are active through Aug. 27, and will peak on the night of Aug. 12-13. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. From her office on Collins Street one of KordaMenthas newest partners, Rachel Waldren, is helping businesses come to grips with the increasing risk of financial crime and their growing responsibility to report suspicious money transactions to regulator, AUSTRAC. Waldren leads the firms financial crime division alongside fellow partner Alice Saveneh-Murray. The experienced investigators joined KordaMentha last year after their consultancy business Murray Waldren merged with the advisory and investment group. Rachel Waldren, partner at KordaMentha, has worked in senior anti-money laundering and financial crimes roles at NAB and ANZ. Credit: Justin McManus The financial crime business unit helps businesses, regulators and royal commissions understand and navigate Australias anti-money laundering and counterterrorism rules and the risks faced by various corporate practices at banks, financial services groups and gambling houses. Its a business unit that is likely to dramatically increase in coming years as Australia looks to expand its anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing laws to include real estate agents, accountants and lawyers. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus is considering industry responses to a consultancy paper outlining how the proposed new laws, known as tranche two will be implemented. Csergo, police allege, would slip from the heaving Shanghai crowds into cafes or restaurants that were unusually calm and empty in a city of 26 million to meet Ken and Evelyn and deliver the reports. He is expected to fight the charges saying he was co-operating out of fear and was in survival mode until he could leave China in January. His mother, Cathy Csergo, was overjoyed when her son returned home at the start of this year. But it didnt last, my happiness, she told this masthead. In two-and-a-half weeks, ASIO came to our place, half past seven in the morning. And I got a shock. Alex, he came down, and he said, Whats going on? Australias spies spent hours picking through the Csergo home, stuffed with travel trinkets, Cathys handwritten notes, and Greek church icons, on March 23. The officers left with mobile phones and laptops and, tucked inside a magazine, a shopping list that allegedly instructed Csergo to collect information on Australias policy and strategy for China. A report found on the laptop of Alex Csergo about the Chinese Communist Party which referenced an interview with a former prime minister. The Herald has chosen not to divulge the complete contents of the list, but it allegedly asked Csergo to make contacts within the highest levels of Australias government and security apparatus. ASIO transferred the investigation to the Australian Federal Police, the court documents state, who returned to the Bondi home the following day. Both the AFP court document and Csergos lawyers portray the Bondi executive as consumed by anxiety and paranoia while in China. Due to [Csergos] enhanced state of paranoia he would always agree to provide the reports and confirm to Ken that he had access to various individuals to obtain important information, the AFP court document reads. Cathy Csergo, at her home in Bondi, says her son Alex would not have returned home if he was a spy. She speaks to him daily on the phone while he remains on remand. Credit: Kate Geraghty Csergo told police he kept copies of his reports, his WeChat and LinkedIn messages and copies of the reports he gave to the handlers on his laptop because he wanted proof he was not going crazy, the court documents say. We need to be careful especially this thing is being followed and they know there is a source, Csergo allegedly told his handlers over WeChat. It will come back to you, then me, then my source ... dont want to find ourselves being questioned by any governments. In exchange for the reports, the AFP alleges, Csergo was given envelopes containing about $4300 worth of Chinese currency which he spent. An extract from the shopping list written by a Chinese agent known as Ken and allegedly secreted into Australia by Csergo in the pages of a magazine, according to the AFP. Bernard Collaery, Csergos lawyer and former ACT attorney-general, has told the courts Csergo only provided open-source information. Csergo allegedly told police he fed his handlers exaggerated or fabricated information to see if it would leak. His fictitious sources became even more extreme, for instance, he claimed that he interviewed the Australian prime minister, the court documents read. He was waiting for someone to claim that he was fabricating the sources or otherwise stop requesting these reports. Csergo was arrested by the AFP on April 14. An American company advised him, according to the court documents, they could extract him from China within 24 hours. Ken asked Csergo if he had been in contact with other intelligence agencies, Csergo told police, and his paranoia increased further. Cathy Csergo said her son was frightened for his life and he did not give his handlers the information they wanted. He told police he expected to be contacted by the Australian government while in China or upon his return and kept the shopping list to prove he had been groomed. The AFP alleges Csergo did not report his contact with Ken and Evelyn to ASIO before his home was searched. They also acknowledge he has not undertaken any work to fulfil the shopping list for Ken. They also alleged Csergo has repeatedly been in contact with Ken via WeChat since returning to Australia and discussed Ken visiting Australia and getting information out. Csergo has made multiple attempts to be released on bail to date he has not been able to meet his lawyers face to face, this masthead understands. Magistrate Michael Barko denied bail in April, saying there was a strong prosecution case and Csergo was a flight risk due to his extremely strong ties to China. He had allegedly Googled Greek and Romanian passports after the raids on his home, but before he was arrested. Loading Collaery said the case was weak, so far, though not all the information has been served. Cathy Csergo, in tears and clutching Alexs Waverley College yearbook, said she knew her son was innocent. My son, hes not a criminal and hes not a spy. Hes an honest man and hes a family man, she said. As dusk approaches the planet Venus is already sparkling like a diamond in the north-west sky. Lack of light pollution in the Blue Mountains makes stargazing from the heritage-listed Linden Observatory a heavenly experience. But all on the horizon is not tranquil. The observatory, 20 kilometres east of Katoomba, from where new exploding stars (supernovae) were discovered in 1998 and in 2000, is at the confluence of flight paths serving the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. Western Sydney Amateur Astronomy Group vice president Rob Horvat searches the night sky with other astronomers. Credit: Wolter Peeters Stargazers who use the heritage-listed observatory built by Ken Beames, one of Australias most remarkable telescope makers, say that air turbulence caused by the passage of large jets overhead will severely impact their ability to take images of distant galaxies. Beames, who was a signaller in the Australian Light Horse in World War I serving in Palestine, was introduced to astronomy and the art of telescope making about 1930. His first telescope displayed such ingenuity that an article was published in The Sydney Morning Herald in 1934. One of the four Defence Force aircrew missing after Friday nights MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crash near Lindeman Island has been remembered as a friend who was willing to do anything for anyone. Warrant officer class 2 Joseph Laycock, also known as Phil, Troop Commander Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent and Corporal Alexander Naggs have been confirmed by the chief of the Australian Army as the four personnel feared dead after the military tragedy in Queensland. WO2 Joseph Laycock, also known as Phil, is one of the four men identified. All four were members of the 6th Aviation Regiment based in Holsworthy in Sydney. Speaking to this masthead on Sunday, Jordan McColl recalled mountain biking with his friend Laycock three weeks ago one of his friends biggest passions and stopping for a kebab. He said, without his knowledge, Laycock had quietly shouted the meal. Loading The irony is not lost on the Pickle District founders. The first sketches of the new Bunnings featured the Pickle District saw tooth logo. They removed it in subsequent drawings. I guess they realised that they shouldnt be celebrating something theyre destroying, Juniper says. Its a done deal, adds Partington. There are 18 arts-related businesses here that are about to be displaced, including ours. Denaro, who chairs the group, is angry at the wasted opportunity. This is the only consolidated arts precinct in Western Australia, and were about to knock it down to create a Bunnings, he says, adding that there is already a Bunnings store just a few kilometres away in Subiaco. Denaro says that what makes the Pickle District so unique is that it flings open studio doors and invites people in to experience the creative process. And, being part of a light industrial area, it connects the work to craft and manufacturing, which is vital part of the history of art. He also believes a thriving arts hub, and not a Bunnings, is the perfect environment for the infilling process the government is pushing. There are many precedents around the world, Denaro says. People living within or nearby an arts precinct and enjoying all those creative spaces and interesting places to eat and to drink. Artists working and engaging with people creates the kind of place people want to live in. Denaro says an agreement with Bunnings to give them the top floor of the new building proved too costly. After Dark: one of the events curated by artists that has made The Pickle District an integral part of the arts scene in the City of Vincent. Credit: Luke Riley They were going to reproduce the iconic ceiling of this place and give us several sea containers. Very international, he says. Then at the next meeting they said they were going to charge us $200,000 a year in rent. That is unfeasible. While City of Vincent Mayor Emma Cole battled valiantly to prevent Wesfarmers landing the big barn in the heart of the district the council was helpless in the face of the state governments all-powerful joint development assessment panel, which has given the project the green light. Adding insult to injury, the City is being forced to swallow Bunnings updated plans, which increase the size of the footprint and remove the community spaces originally offered. While Cole admits the arrival of Bunnings will be impactful shes not as gloomy as Denaro and the Vox Lab cohort about the Pickle Districts future. Many of the arts businesses are staying put. You have The Backlot screening facility, you have the Holmes a Court Gallery, you have the arts space Maison, you have the Pickle Factory, she says. We are in the middle of creating a planning framework that will encourage developers to take account of the special precinct that is the Pickle District. Which is why we told Wesfarmers that if they are going to come down here to build a Bunnings it needs to be a really cool Bunnings. Vincents loss will be the City of Perths gain if Councillor Sandy Anghie has her way. Incumbent Mayor Basil Zempilas only rival for the upcoming mayoral election wants the City of Perth to invite Vox Lab to relocate to the Gasworks, an empty City-owned building in Wellington Street she believes is perfect for an arts hub. City of Perth councillor and mayoral candidate Sandy Anghie is keen for Linton Partington and his fellow Pickle District founders to relocate to the CBD. Over the years the Gasworks has been used for arts-related activities, most notably becoming a key venue for Perth Fashion Week, but is now one of the many empty and under-utilised spaces across the CBD that have lumbered the city with the reputation of being dead. Were encouraging ratepayers in the City of Perth to think creatively about activating their vacant spaces, so we have to walk the talk, says Anghie, an arts-focused lawyer-turned-architect with a practice in West Perth. We cant urge landlords to act on their empty buildings when we sit on them ourselves. We need to lead by example. Anghie knows the area well because she was part of the Historic Heart of Perth team that opened our eyes to the under-appreciated east end of the CBD, celebrating heritage-listed buildings, highlighting the many small museums in the area and guiding visitors to the Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium. Anghie has channelled her passion for art and design and her Historic Heart experience into her election policy, in which she places creatives at the heart of her plan to transform Perth into a vibrant, liveable 24-hour city. The Gasworks: one of the empty spaces in the CBD mayoral candidate Sandy Anghie believes the City needs to take the lead and activate. When we travel we go to cities to London, to Paris, to Vienna, to Copenhagen and we expect them to be great. We dont want to face dead zones, she says. [So that] if a tourist steps out of Perths beautiful Westin in the morning in search of a cup of coffee and breakfast theyre not wanting to be greeted by untidy, rundown spaces with little activity. Anghies big idea for injecting life into an area that still has plenty of moribund spots is creating a cultural spine running down Barrack Street, a walk linking the Bell Tower, Council House Gallery, Perth Town Hall and the recently revived Liberty Theatre and the Art Gallery of Western Australia and the WA Museum. Perth is traditionally an east-west city, she says. It is time we tie together these institutions along the north-south axis and highlight them for all the visitors staying in nearby hotels. The Pickle District team come with an events program. Theyre constantly doing things that attract people. This will be genomics not just for newborn screening, but to the point where everyone in the population will have the option, he says. Just two years ago, Amor thought routine genomic newborn screening was a scientists pipedream. No longer. Ive come around, he says. Were preparing for the world of the future. But newborn genomic screening has a particular set of societal challenges. Current screening is deliberately restrictive; tests look for just a few dozen diseases, such as cystic fibrosis. They could look for more type 1 diabetes risk, for example but dont. Society has decided children should have the right to grow for a while at least blissfully unaware of any future peril. Genomic screening will allow parents and doctors to know so much more if they are willing to ask. Science has already picked out more than 4000 genes known to cause disease; that number will only grow. Because there are so many genes, looking too closely will more than likely reveal something wrong. You dont do a genome of 22,000 genes and not find anything, says Professor Chris Semsarian, who researches genetic heart disease at the University of Sydney. If I sequence your genome today, I guarantee youll become a patient. A trial of newborn genomic screening in the US spotted single-gene disease risks in 11 per cent of newborns; 5 per cent had a gene that could influence how their body responds to certain mutations. Some 88 per cent of newborns had a harmful recessive gene that could be passed on to their children. Genome sequencing can spot problems with no cures. Boggs says: Potentially we may find something thats not treatable. Are you ready to hear that information? I guess no one can really be ready. Once you start down that trajectory, once you know, you cant un-know. Or sequencing can provide uncertainty. For reasons not fully understood, some people can have a disease-causing gene but no disease. Geneticists call this penetrance. Says Amor: Its tempting to think genetics tells us well get a disease or not. But genetics is not absolute. Open the genetic box and all sorts of things could come out. Thats why were going to operate in a very conservative approach, says clinical professor Bruce Bennetts, who leads one of the five screening studies. If genomic screening is rolled out, its likely that tests will only look for genes that cause diseases that can be treated immediately, just as current screening does. Boggs says there should be more genetic counsellors and that midwives, doctors and paediatricians should be trained in this area. The conversations are difficult, the ethics are tricky, and the work is often harrowing. One family Boggs worked with had pre-birth screening known as noninvasive prenatal testing which came back clear. These tests look for common genetic conditions, such as Down syndrome, but they cannot spot every disease, and this familys child was born critically ill. A more comprehensive genetic test revealed a rare condition that would have led to profound physical and intellectual disability. Loading Surgeons wanted to operate on the child and were pressuring the family. But counsellors must also be advocates, Boggs says. The parents asked her: Do we have a say? Boggs told them it was their choice. They opted against the surgery; the child passed away at home, surrounded by family. In other cases, families of sick children must mull over having a genetic test at all. The results may indicate an incurable illness. Sometimes people dont want that hope taken away, so they will decline or delay testing, Boggs says. But hope can spring from the tests too. Natasha Wagners daughter, Evie, woke up one day entirely yellow. Her liver was failing. She was rushed to hospital. Blood tests revealed internal chaos. Everything was wrong, but for a week, no one could say what was wrong exactly. Loading A genetic test eventually revealed Wilsons disease, in which the liver and brain accumulate copper. Evie needed a new liver. With treatment, she is now thriving. After counselling, Wagner opted to have her other six children genetically tested. [The counselling] was lovely. Its like, why would you want to test them, its really rare? But we had a child who had it, and three others who might, she says. NSW Premier Chris Minns has flagged a potential ban for new development on the Hawkesbury-Nepean floodplain, saying the ultimate cost to threatened communities and the taxpayer meant preventing building was a far better option. Minns said he found reports concerning that Hawkesbury Council was continuing to approve development applications for properties unlikely to attract insurance coverage due to flooding risks. NSW Premier Chris Minns is threatening to ban new development on the Hawkesbury Nepean floodplain. Credit: AAP Four floods in two years have left communities in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley reeling, as insurers begin to either reject coverage applications or increase premiums out of the reach of many residents. Despite the serious risk of flooding, thousands of houses and businesses are located in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley after successive governments allowed widespread development. STOCKHOLM, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Human lifespan is expected to increase to up to 120 years within decades thanks to technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and knowledge gained from the COVID-19 pandemic, Swedish Television (SVT) reported on Sunday. "Our prognosis is a lifespan between 100 and 120 years within 50 years or so, at least in developed countries," Ignat Kulkov, a researcher at Malardalen University (MDU), told SVT. Elderly people are also expected to be as healthy as those in their forties -- much thanks to rapid technological advancements, Kulkov explained about a study findings which was done with colleagues at universities in Finland, France and the United Kingdom and has been published in the scientific journal Futures. "More and more people will wear wearable devices to track their health status. These devices will be connected with doctors and hospitals," Kulkov said, adding that some of these sensors will be in the form of implants. Such devices will lead to physicians being able to recommend lifestyle changes at an early stage, with improved health and longer lifespan as a result, he said. Advancements in other fields will also contribute to a longer life, the scientists have found. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in better knowledge of how to trace viruses more efficiently, while AI is already used to diagnose diseases quicker and to develop new treatments, Kulkov said. Personalized medicine with individually tailored drugs is also expected to contribute to improved health, he added. There are, however, also new challenges, Kulkov noted. "Climate change will have the biggest influence on our healthcare systems and our lives, not only in the future but already nowadays," he said. Kyiv, Ukraine: Russian forces struck a grain terminal in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday, extending a bombardment of the countrys infrastructure that has raised alarm about Kyivs ability to ship grain to the world. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has vowed to enhance air defences around the port and the southern coast, but Kyivs resources are stretched thin and it faces difficult choices about where to deploy the limited number of air defence systems that can shoot down Russias most sophisticated missiles. A mangled tower stands behind a mound of grain burned in Russian missile attacks at a grain facility in Pavlivka, Ukraine on July 22. Credit: AP Ukraine continues to ask its Western allies to speed up the delivery of more air defence systems and warn that continued Russian bombardment could leave it without the necessary infrastructure to ship grain even if Black Sea shipping lanes reopen. Moscow has struck Ukrainian ports nearly daily since pulling out of a deal last week that allowed Ukraine to ship its grain despite the war. In two or three months, we may not have a single port left, Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian military southern command, told French journalists this past week. They want to dominate the Black Sea. They want to have a monopoly on grain, she said. The son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro was arrested on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment, the attorney-generals office announced early on Saturday. Nicolas Petro was arrested along with his ex-wife, Daysuris Vasquez, who was also charged with money laundering, as well as personal data violations. They were taken into custody, and the attorney-general is seeking to have them held in detention on those charges, according to the statement by his office. Nicolas Petro, son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Credit: Reuters The attorney-generals office announced in March that it was investigating the younger Petro, a politician in the northern department of Atlantico, for allegedly receiving money from drug traffickers in exchange for including them in his fathers peace negotiations. The president has been negotiating with various illegal armed groups as he seeks to end the countrys 60-year internal conflict, which has killed about 450,000 people. The younger Petro denied any wrongdoing when the attorney-general first announced the investigation, calling accusations against him harmful and unsubstantiated. Both the president and his son said at the time that they welcomed the investigation to clarify and protect my honour and good name. In recent years, the United States has been bent on peddling the so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy" and "great power competition" in an attempt to build an alliance in the Asia-Pacific region against China's rise. Despite Washington sparing no efforts in smearing China, countries in the Asia-Pacific region see Beijing as an equal partner and a real friend. BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- During his latest Asia-Pacific trip, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tried to persuade New Zealand to join the AUKUS alliance. The response he got was clear -- it would cost New Zealanders their soul to accept the top U.S. diplomat's advice. "It's a club we'd have to sell our soul to join," said New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. Mahuta replied to Blinken on Thursday that her country was "not prepared to compromise or change our nuclear-free position," and continued to support a nuclear-free Pacific. In fact, this was not the only time the top U.S. diplomat got snubbed during his visits. At a joint press conference after meeting with Tongan Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni on Wednesday, Blinken called Beijing's engagement in the region "problematic behavior," but was only told that Tonga had "no concerns" about its relationship with China. The reasons why Washington was given the cold shoulder are obvious. Blinken claimed that "We really understand what is a priority for the people here," but his real priority is nothing but "American First." What he and those decision-makers back in Washington have proposed for the region are simply not in line with or even counterproductive to its key interests and urgent needs. That is something the regional countries understand fairly well. In recent years, the United States has been bent on peddling the so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy" and "great power competition" in an attempt to build an alliance in the Asia-Pacific region against China's rise. From throwing mud at China's cooperation with local countries to trying to expand the AUKUS grouping, Blinken's current visit is actually seeking to either sabotage Beijing's image or to force the island nations to take sides. Nations in the region want peace, stability and development. The AUKUS pact, which has violated the principles and practices of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and severely undermined the international non-proliferation regime, can only stir up confrontation and fuel an arms race in the area. That is also why former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating warned earlier this month against the U.S.-led NATO's Asia expansion attempt, saying that "exporting that malicious poison (NATO) to Asia would be akin to Asia welcoming the plague upon itself." Despite Washington sparing no efforts in smearing China, countries in the Asia-Pacific region see Beijing as an equal partner and a real friend. Take Tonga. Over the past years, China has provided around 100 grant-aid projects, big and small, to the Tongan government and Tonga people, which covered agriculture, fishery, education, health, environment protection and climate change. When Tonga was faced with multiple challenges, including volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, China rushed to its assistance. As facts have proven, China's friendship has always been based on deeds rather than words, Tongan King Tupou VI has said. As for New Zealand, China is the country's largest trading partner for trade in goods, both in terms of imports and exports. The relationship with China is incredibly important for New Zealand and both countries now enjoy a very constructive and positive relationship, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said during a visit in China last month, adding that his country hopes to further expand bilateral trade and sees it as a priority to re-establish economic activity with China in the post-pandemic era. Between confrontation and common development, it's not difficult for Asia-Pacific countries to choose. Czech Minister of European Integration optimistic about Ukraines EU membership prospects 30 July, 04:49 AM The issue of Ukraines accession to the European Union will become one of the major topics in the European community, the Head of the Ministry of European Affairs of the Czech Republic, Martin Dvorak (Photo:CTK/Vondrous Roman) The issue of Ukraines accession to the European Union will become one of the major topics in the European community, the Head of the Ministry of European Affairs of the Czech Republic, Martin Dvorak, said in an interview with Czech publication Ceske Noviny on July 29. Dvorak acknowledged that predicting the exact timing of Ukraines EU accession negotiations is challenging and unlikely to occur before the years end. Ukrainians have a very positive approach to their homework and are fulfilling it, he said, referring to the reforms Ukraine is carrying out in order for it to qualify for EU membership. Video of day Whether they will progress far enough in October to start accession negotiations in December, I cannot tell you right now, Dvorak said, referring to the October deadline for Ukraine, when the EU is expected to announce an official assessment of the progress in implementing reforms. The Czech politician stressed the importance of demonstrating ongoing support to Ukraine from the European community, assuring that they have not been abandoned and are on the right track. He expressed confidence that if Ukraine continues its efforts, it will achieve its desired goal of EU membership. Former Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski also shared his optimism regarding Ukraines accession on July 28, stating that he believes Ukraine will become an EU member by the end of this decade. 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 A rgos is well positioned to face up to the challenge of Amazon and other online retail giants, according to bosses at parent firm Sainsburys. Paula Nickolds, the boss of the grocery giants general merchandise business including Argos, said the retail brand has maintained its strong emotional bond with customers despite changes to its operations amid shifting consumer habits. It comes as the high street stalwart marks 50 years since it was founded by Richard Thompson in July 1973. The originally catalogue-oriented retailer rapidly grew across the UK to become one of the UKs most recognisable high street brands. However, its recent history has come amid a backdrop of fierce change in the retail industry amid the intense competition of online general retailers. Argos was taken over by Sainsburys, the UKs second largest supermarket chain in 2016, as part of its 1.4 billion takeover of Home Retail Group. Three years ago, Argos announced it would discontinue production of its recognisable printed catalogue as it blamed weaker demand for it from shoppers. Ms Nickolds said the retailer has reinvented parts of its business over the years in order to keep up with what customers want and told the PA news agency it has kept strong support as a result. There are many customers who hold a lot of nostalgia for our catalogues and products like toys they bought from us years ago, but our ability to transform and keep relevance with customers is a really exciting thing to be a part of, she said. This industry doesnt stand still so Argos hasnt either. But if you look at data like our customer satisfaction figures it shows customers continue to have a very positive relationship with our brand. And for us, we really hope that future generations will also have that relationship with Argos. Changing consumer demand also saw the business reveal three years ago that it planned to close the majority of its standalone shops as it shifted further towards toward sites within supermarkets and its delivery operation. Sainsburys has said it expects to have 160 standalone stores and between 430 and 460 Argos counters within its supermarkets. When asked whether changes will help Argos against the challenge of industry titan Amazon, Ms Nickolds said: Everything weve been doing recently means we are very well-position to face that challenge. The breadth of our business gives us a unique position when it comes to next day delivery and collection across the country. Earlier this month, Sainsburys revealed that Argos sales grew by 5.1% over the 16 weeks to June 24, to drive growth in its general merchandise arm. A lmost half of doctors in the UK say their mental health is worse now than during the Covid-19 pandemic, with experts calling on the Government to continue investing in supporting the health services workforce. The Medical Protection Society (MPS) surveyed 861 doctors and found 46% were worse off psychologically than during the pandemic due to work pressure, rising demand and staffing issues in the NHS. It comes after NHS England pledged to share 2.3 million between seven regions to maintain 40 NHS staff mental health and wellbeing hubs, which were set up in 2021 to provide workers with fast and easy access to support. However, MPS said a freedom of information request by the British Psychological Society found 40 million would be required to run the sites. Nearly half of our members tell us their mental health is worse now than it was during the pandemic, and a similar amount are considering their future in healthcare due to mental health concerns Of those surveyed by MPS, 75% did not believe the Government is doing enough to help healthcare workers when it comes to mental health, while 43% are considering their future career due to concerns about their own wellbeing. More than three-quarters (76%) said staff shortages are making it hard to take time off to deal with their issues. Some 43% of doctors said not being able to do the right thing for patients is impacting on their mental health. Elsewhere, 47% said they were concerned about the impact of burnout on patient safety, and 40% said working long hours is affecting their mental wellbeing. A doctor who participated in the survey said: Pressures across NHS secondary, primary and social care, and the haemorrhaging of experienced staff at every level make the job increasingly impossible and fear of serious incidents, things going wrong, a sense of lurching from crisis to crisis with little or no respite, is taking its toll. I am considering early retirement far earlier than planned. I do think this will be a sad loss both for myself and the NHS services as I have considerable experience and expertise. But I have my health, wellbeing and family to consider also. Professor Dame Jane Dacre, MPS president, said the mental health and wellbeing hubs provide desperately needed support to staff with a range of issues, including anxiety and depression. She added: Demand for support with mental health issues is still high. Nearly half of our members tell us their mental health is worse now than it was during the pandemic, and a similar amount are considering their future in healthcare due to mental health concerns. We are also seeing more staff absent from work due to mental ill health than ever before. It therefore seems absolutely the wrong time to scale back mental health provision for healthcare staff and risk the sustainability of an established network of hubs that are crucial in supporting mental wellbeing and retention. We urge the Government to consider providing sustainable funding to strengthen the hubs. While retention is complex and multi-faceted, investment in mental health support for staff is a fundamental pillar. NHS Digital"> Sarb Bajwa, chief executive at the British Psychological Society, said: These shocking but sadly not surprising findings once again highlight the urgent need for the ongoing, dedicated mental health support provided by the hubs. Its clear the health and social care workforce is running on empty, and they deserve better than a drastically reduced service thats unable to meet demand due to short-sighted funding arrangements. Last week, data published by NHS Digital revealed 24.2% of sick days across the health service in March 2023 were due to anxiety, stress, depression or other psychiatric illnesses. The figure was 24.6% in February and 23.3% in January. Staff wellbeing is the lifeblood of the health service and helps ensure the best patient care Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said the likes of staff shortages, operational pressures and demand on healthcare services take a huge toll on the psychological wellbeing of staff across hospital, ambulance, mental health and community services. Trust leaders are deeply worried about this and are doing all they can do support staff and cover sickness absences, but their efforts will only go so far without national support, she added. A lack of government funding has led to the recent widespread closure of wellbeing hubs, leaving many NHS staff without access to crucial metal health services. Staff wellbeing is the lifeblood of the health service and helps ensure the best patient care. Proper government funding and support for it must therefore be non-negotiable. A north London council left its tenants at risk with fire safety failings, a report has found. The probe into Camden Council by the Regulator of Social Housing came after it was fined 500,000 over a fatal fire in Hampstead in November 2017. The investigation found that over 9,000 fire remedial actions are currently overdue, just under 400 of which were deemed high-risk. A third of the fire safety jobs should have been completed within 10 days and the remainder in 30 days. As part of the probe, the regulator obtained a 2019 audit of fire safety from Camden, which found there were over 6,000 overdue fire remedial actions at the time. The council was also criticised for a potential breach" of housing standards by not having at least one smoke alarm fitted on each storey with living accommodation. The report found: Taking into account the outcome of the fire in 2017, the findings of the internal audit in 2019 and the current fire safety position, the evidence demonstrates a longstanding failure by London Borough of Camden to complete all fire safety remedial actions in a timely manner, and to mitigate the risks to tenants in the meantime. As a consequence, tenants have been, and continue to be, exposed to potential harm." The regulators Kate Dodsworth said: Camden Council has failed to address thousands of fire safety actions in its tenants homes. This is unacceptable and has put tenants at potential risk of harm. The council needs to act urgently to put things right, and we will scrutinise it closely as it does this." In comments reported by the BBC, Georgia Gould, leader of Camden Council, said: There is nothing more important than the safety of our residents and we are taking this notice very seriously." She said a programme of work was in place for this year and next and that the council would not be content until every action is complete. A lmost one in four UK sea swimmers is being put off from taking a dip because of sewage, according to a new poll from the Liberal Democrats. Just over 30% of UK adults said they go sea swimming during the summer, and of these 23% said they will not this year because of sewage dumping by water companies. The Government has recently said it will allow the Environment Agency (EA) to impose unlimited fines on water companies that pollute unnecessarily. Current penalties are capped at 250,000, making it cheaper to pay that than to fix the pollution issue, Environment Secretary Therese Coffey told MPs earlier this month. Sewage dumping by water companies is ruining the British beach holiday Thames Waters interim chief executive Cathryn Ross recently described many of her companys pipes as ageing assets that should have been replaced. The utility firm gathered a 14 billion debt pile, with many critics blaming shareholders for taking too much money out of the company over the previous 30 years without investing enough in infrastructure. Many other water companies have faced similar condemnations. They are only supposed to release raw sewage after heavy rains to stop sewage backing up the system and flooding homes and businesses, with the most recent data showing they had collectively dumped sewage 372,533 times in 2022. The poll, carried out by Savanta with 2,272 UK adults between July 21 and 23, found 43% of regular beachgoers said they were less likely to visit the British seaside this summer because of the sewage discharges. Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Tim Farron said: Sewage dumping by water companies is ruining the British beach holiday. Coastal communities are at the mercy of water companies who unapologetically discharge raw sewage into popular swimming spots. If this continues, tourists will turn away from British beach holidays, leaving small businesses and local tourism to suffer from their mess. No-one should have to go for a swim or build a sandcastle next to raw sewage. This Conservative government needs to stop letting water companies off the hook and finally ban these disgusting sewage discharges and defend our tourism sector. An analysis by the party earlier this year showed there were 1,504 sewage discharges in 2022 on beaches with a Blue Flag rating a standard that is supposed to signify that a beach is free from such pollution. They want sewage dumps on Blue Flag beaches to be banned and have warned that tourists may decide not to visit beaches at all, which would deprive coastal communities of revenue. A Defra spokesperson said: Banning discharges overnight without any plan to fix storm overflows is reckless and would see sewage backing up into peoples homes and the street. The secretary of state demanded action plans on every storm overflow in the country and our Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan requires water companies to spend 56 billion to eliminate the harm from storm overflows the largest infrastructure investment in water company history. We recognise that more should have been done sooner to tackle the harm to our seas caused by sewage overflows. We have listened and have an unprecedented plan to start to put it right An online interactive map of sewage discharges, using information taken from water companies, showed on Friday afternoon dozens of live pollution alerts along the English and Welsh coasts. A Water UK spokesperson said: Just one out of every 10 beaches achieved an excellent water standard in the 1990s. Thanks to water company investment, that has increased to seven in 10 beaches today. The majority of remaining pollution comes from other sources. Nevertheless, we recognise that more should have been done sooner to tackle the harm to our seas caused by sewage overflows. We have listened and have an unprecedented plan to start to put it right. Over the next seven years, water and sewerage companies plan to spend 10 billion a tripling on current levels of investment in the biggest transformation of our sewers since the Victorian era. As part of this, bathing waters will be prioritised and among the first to receive funding. Russians claim shelling of two districts in Bryansk Oblast, destruction reported 30 July, 11:12 PM Bryansk Oblast (Photo: ) Suzemsky and Klimovsky districts of Russias Bryansk Oblast were allegedly shelled on July 30, Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz reported on his channel on Telegram. There were reports of shelling in the village of Zernove, Suzemsky District, at around 9.00 a.m., Bogomaz said. No casualties have been reported, the governor wrote. One residential building was damaged as a result of the shelling. Operational and emergency services are on-site, his post read. Video of day Closer to noon, a new message appeared on Bogomazs Telegram channel reporting shelling in Klimovsky District. The shells hit the territory of a pig farm, the governers message read. As a result of the shelling, two women were injured. They have been taken to the district hospital, where they are receiving all necessary medical assistance. There was damages and fires were burning in the production facilities of the agricultural enterprise, said the governor. Emergency and operational services are working on-site. Subsequently, it was reported that another person had been injured in the incident. Bogomaz previously claimed on July 9 that two Ukrainian missiles had been shot down by Russian air defenses in Bryansk Oblast. 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 G overnment plans to drastically scale up nuclear capacity are more of a wish list, with the role of Great British Nuclear still ambiguous, MPs have said. Parliamentarians on the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee said questions remain for ministers ambitious nuclear goals, with doubts over whether the Government has a specific strategy to meet the target of bolstering the UKs nuclear capacity to 24 gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2050. The new 118-page report, published on Monday, backs the Governments decision to look to nuclear power as a way to meet the UKs electricity needs amid the race to net zero. It warns that the Governments own most recent energy security plan, published in March, offers little clue about how measures will be implemented. Current plans, MPs warn, do not amount to the comprehensive, detailed and specific strategy that we believe is required if the Governments aspirations are to be delivered. Greg Clark, chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, said: The Government is right to identify nuclear power as an important contributor to meeting our future electricity needs. It has stretching ambitions to achieve 24GW of nuclear power by 2050. This would be almost double the highest level of nuclear generation that the UK has ever attained. The only way to achieve this is to translate these very high-level aspirations into a comprehensive, concrete and detailed nuclear strategic plan which is developed jointly with the nuclear industry, which enjoys long-term cross-party political commitment and which therefore offers dependability for private and public investment decisions. Elsewhere, the report also questions the exact purpose of Great British Nuclear (GBN), an arms-length body currently involved in the Government-backed competition to develop smaller-scale nuclear technology projects. Earlier this month, Energy Secretary Grant Shapps hailed a renaissance in nuclear energy in the UK, with GBN playing a key role. MPs said: There is still ambiguity over what GBNs exact remit will be in the future, beyond running a SMR (small modular reactor) competition. We recommend that the Government should set out a more comprehensive statement of GBNs remit, operational model and budget, and its intended role with respect to ministers and government departments. Campaigners against the Sizewell C nuclear power plant project in Suffolk welcomed the committees call for Government clarity on the financing of gigawatt-scale nuclear projects. MPs said the choice to proceed with gigawatt-scale nuclear power should not be made without robust estimates of its value for money, including the financial value of the construction risk being assumed by taxpayers or billpayers. A headline lower cost than Hinkley Point C is not justified if the value of the risk is too great. This is true even if it forces a conclusion that for all its other advantages gigawatt scale new nuclear is not financeable on defensible terms, and that the UKs nuclear ambition would need to be pursued through other nuclear technologies, the report found. A spokesperson for the Stop Sizewell C campaign said: Were appalled that the committee has ignored legitimate concerns about whether nuclear can deliver reliable, affordable electricity. The group said it supported the committee calling for the Government to publish Sizewell Cs cost and value for money, as doing so will expose just how unjustifiable this slow, risky, expensive project is. A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: We have already made clear we will publish a nuclear roadmap and consult on alternative routes to market by the end of the year. Nuclear has a vital role to play in reaching net zero and boosting energy security just last week we launched Great British Nuclear which will help generate billions for the UK economy and support thousands of jobs. S tudents seeking places at the most selective universities could face tougher competition for places on some courses this summer due to pressures on infrastructure, a university sector chief has suggested. Professor Sir Steve West, president of Universities UK (UUK), which represents 140 institutions, said some top universities could limit numbers in subject areas as they may not have enough accommodation, specialist teaching spaces or staffing following major expansion during the Covid years. Speaking ahead of A-level results day in just over a fortnight, Sir Steve suggested that some Russell Group universities may not offer as many vacancies on courses in clearing this year because of capacity issues. The Russell Group includes many of the most selective and research-intensive universities in the UK including the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Sir Steve told the PA news agency: In the first round of Covid, what you saw happening was universities had made offers, students then achieved the offers so there was very little drop-off and therefore research-intensive universities expanded significantly their undergraduate student population. Some research-intensive universities will be limiting numbers into other areas and that's purely and simply because of capacity in the institutions Now thats put pressure on their infrastructure, their staffing, and what theyre trying to do is just to rebalance that back into some sense of normality. In England, A-level and GCSE results are set to return to pre-pandemic levels this year after Covid led to an increase in top grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. When asked whether the cohort of students currently waiting for results this year could face tougher competition at Russell Group universities than in previous years, Sir Steve told PA: Possibly in some subject areas where there may be pressures on accommodation or type of teaching spaces, environments or staffing. Science, medicine and dentistry are the obvious ones because of workshops and laboratories. Earlier this month, Ucas and Ofqual bosses told students waiting for their results to be mindful that the most selective courses do get filled quickly. The exams regulator and university admissions service added that there will be competition for places due to a growth in 18-year-olds in the population. Clearing has become an increasingly popular route to securing a university place in recent years, with students by-passing the main application system in favour of finding a course directly through clearing. It is also used by students who may have changed their mind about their course or university and want to find somewhere new, or those who have done better than expected and want to trade places. When asked whether Russell Group universities are likely to have fewer vacancies in clearing this summer, Sir Steve said: I think that might well be the case in areas where they are either restricted on their student numbers because of highly popular courses and theyre restricted medicine and dentistry are always the common ones. Some research-intensive universities will be limiting numbers into other areas and thats purely and simply because of capacity in the institutions. If you imagine whats happened over the past couple of years, especially in the research-intensives, theres been massive expansion because of the difficulty in predicting grades. Its not unusual for higher tariff universities like those in the Russell Group to have fewer courses than other universities in clearing Sir Steve, who is also vice-chancellor of the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol, is handing over the presidency of UUK in August to Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, vice-chancellor of the University of St Andrews. In a message to students ahead of results day, Sir Steve added: There will be places available in UK universities. They may not be in your first choice university but you will be able to find a university that works for you and allows you to study what you want to study. Dr Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, said: While competition for places at top universities remains high, there is a welcome increase in the proportion of students holding a firm offer from their preferred university this year. This reflects increased confidence in offer making by institutions as school exam grading returns to the pre-pandemic profile. Its not unusual for higher tariff universities like those in the Russell Group to have fewer courses than other universities in clearing. However, most Russell Group universities have courses available in clearing this year, across a range of subjects, as they have done in past years. G raduates who were the first in their family to go to university have a higher average starting salary than those who were not the first to attend, a survey has found. Universities UK (UUK) commissioned two surveys with more than 3,500 UK graduates and a similar number of business leaders to quantify the value of going to university. It found that graduates with no prior family history of going to university earned an average starting salary of 30,111, almost 3,000 more than the average starting salary of those whose family members attended university before them (27,754). For me, as a first-generation, neurodiverse student from a working-class background with no A-levels, university steered me onto a path I had no idea was possible for me to take Nearly 60% of business leaders who were the first in their family to attend university said it helped them become senior faster while 51% said it helped fast-track their career, according to UUK. University of Derby graduate Tamzin Lena Burch, who was first in her family to attend university, said the experience allowed her to unlock her potential. Going to university changed the trajectory of my life, which youd expect it would, she said. For me, as a first-generation, neurodiverse student from a working-class background with no A-levels, university steered me onto a path I had no idea was possible for me to take. Im now a first-class graduate with a marketing job in financial services and a whole new appreciation for education I am privileged that my potential was able to be unlocked. My degree, along with the plethora of work experience I gained through my supportive university, has gifted me with the career stability I have always sought. The surveys found 78% of graduates and 71% of business leaders who were first-generation university students said attending opened doors into companies for them. There is a risk that the rhetoric about rip-off universities puts people who stand to benefit from a degree off taking that path Vivienne Sterne, chief executive of UUK, said recent political rhetoric about rip-off universities has to be countered with evidence that shows going to university is a valuable investment to a person and wider society. Rishi Sunak earlier this month announced plans to cap the number of students that can be accepted on to poor quality university degrees courses that have high dropout rates or a low proportion of graduates getting a professional job in England. The Prime Minister said: Too many young people are being sold a false dream and end up doing a poor quality course at the taxpayers expense that doesnt offer the prospect of a decent job at the end of it. That is why we are taking action to crack down on rip-off university courses while boosting skills training and apprenticeships provision. Ms Sterne said: There is a risk that the rhetoric about rip-off universities puts people who stand to benefit from a degree off taking that path. It is unlikely that the kids of the middle classes, and those whose parents have been to university, will be put off, but those who would be the first in their family to attend, mature learners or those from more deprived backgrounds may well be. So, we have to counter political rhetoric with evidence, evidence that demonstrates that going to university represents a valuable investment both to the individual but also to wider society. What this research demonstrates is that our universities play a powerful role in helping graduates forge successful career paths that can help return the UK economy to growth and continue to power our public services Data from all graduates who participated in the UUK survey showed 73% credit going to university with enabling them to find the job they wanted. Almost all, 97%, of participating business leaders said university graduates reach managerial positions faster as a direct result of going to university and 85% would expect to see graduate employees earn more than non-graduates after three years. More than two-thirds of graduates and business leaders also reported believing that going to university enables people to build transferable skills that help them in their career, which UUK described as framing UK universities as an essential training ground for UK industry. Ms Sterne said: This new research clearly demonstrates the value that graduates benefit from when they go to university in the UK. The benefits captured by this research are numerous from job security and career ambitions, to earnings and social mobility. Ultimately, what this research demonstrates is that our universities play a powerful role in helping graduates forge successful career paths that can help return the UK economy to growth and continue to power our public services. The surveys were conducted by Censuswide among 3,505 UK graduates between June 16 and June 26 and 3,506 business leaders across the UK between June 16 and June 27. A town in Shropshire has been given a magical transformation after knitted and crocheted characters from the Harry Potter series were used to decorate trees, benches and postboxes. The Ellesmere Yarn Bombers have been decorating Ellesmere with their crafted creations since 2018, with Harry Potter chosen as the theme for this years summer yarnbomb, a concept which sees colourful knitted and crocheted yarn adorn streets. Alison Utting, who is one of the organisers of the group, told the PA news agency that the idea behind the theme came from a member who wanted holidaymakers coming to the town during the summer holidays, or those living there, to find joy from them. After the suggestion, ideas started flying, Ms Utting, 56, said. Weve got some really talented crafters in the group and many were getting really involved saying, we can do Dobby, we can do Harry Potter. Others where like who is that? But everyone has really got on board. A 15-strong team a mix of different genders and ages made knitted and crocheted versions of Hagrid, Harry Potter and Dobby, a platform nine and three quarters sign for a bench and a mini-Slytherin outfit to grace a tree. July 31 marks Harry Potters birthday and Ms Utting said that one of the reasons people still love the Harry Potter books is because author JK Rowling was a pioneer of bringing people into the foreground who would usually be seen as background characters. (Ron Weasley), the red-headed boy with the freckles whos a bit clumsy and has hand-knitted jumpers, and (Hermione Granger), the nerdy girl in class, become heroes, she said. Shes a very gifted writer and the books lend themselves to childrens imaginations. My daughters a Slytherin and she passionately supports Slytherin shes even got a Slytherin glasses case. Ms Utting said some in the group made the more elaborate work, while others may have made a few squares for a blanket, but everyone plays a role and the projects serve to unite the team and keep them laughing together. The inspiration for the work came from patterns online, as well as from each other, as the creatives often swap ideas and tips. Ms Utting added that it was nice to see how the group has grown since its inception. She said it drew inspiration from the death of one of her friends Hannah in 2017, who helped to set up the group. The work has garnered fans across the globe. Weve had people commenting from Australia and in America because people have been sharing pictures of them online, she said. Bringing joy has always been our absolute aim if somebody walks past and they make people smile, then weve achieved what weve wanted to achieve. And when you put them up and drive through the town and you see people having their photos taken by them, its amazing, as were all fiercely proud of our town and hope the yarnbombing draws more people to Ellesmere. The crafted creations are to stay up until September and the group has set up a Crowdfunder to raise money for future yarnbombs, which can be accessed here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ellesmere-yarn-bombing M ore than 40 people are reported to have been killed after a suicide bomb ripped through a rally in Pakistan. The attack, which also left more than 200 people wounded including children, was aimed at supporters of a hard-line cleric and political leader in the countrys northwestern Bajur district that borders Afghanistan. The police said the explosion was a suicide bombing with at least 44 dead. Senior police officer Nazir Khan said the workers convention of Maulana Fazlur Rehmans Jamiat Ulema Islam party was taking place on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajur district, when the explosion took place. Ambulance workers helping a wounded man after the attack / AP Adam Khan, 45, was hit by splinters in his leg and both hands. He said it was around 4 p.m. when the the explosion knocked him to the ground. There was all dust and smoke around and I was under the some injured people from where I hardly (could stand) up but only to see chaos and some scattered limbs, he said. Rehman said: Many of our fellows lost lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones. Mohammad Wali said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him. I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded throwing me away to the ground, he said. We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying wounded people and sobbing relatives taking bodies of their loved ones. Initially police said 10 people were killed but the latest figures could still climb higher with many of the wounded critically injured. Azam Khan, head of the emergency room at Khars main hospital, said 35 bodies were brought to the hospital and some were taken back by relatives while the number of wounded was now more than 100. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but the Islamic State group operates across the border in Afghanistan. Pakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since last year when a ceasefire between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad broke down. However, most of the recent attacks have been on security forces and installations, rather than political gatherings. The TTP pledges allegiance to, but is not directly a part of, the Taliban in western neighbour Afghanistan. Pakistans security forces say the TTP have sanctuaries in Afghanistan, which the Taliban run-administration there denies. In a statement sent to The Associated Press, the TTP condemned the bombing, saying it was aimed at pitching Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, also condemned the bombing. Such crimes cannot be justified in any way, he said in a message on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The TTP are not the only militant group to carry out attacks in the area, which has also been hit by a local chapter of the Islamic State. Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehmans party, was among the dead. Senator Abdur Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin was also on the stage but escaped unhurt. Party officials said Rehman was not in the rally. Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the coming elections. The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. In February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters. S ix people have died after a small plane crashed in a mountainous area west of Calgary. The plane was carrying five passengers and a pilot when it crashed in Kananaskis Country on Saturday evening. The flight had left Springbank Airport near Calgary on Friday night en route to Salmon Arm, British Columbia. Police officer Sgt. Ryan Singleton said contact was lost with the plane around 9.30pm local time (3.30am GMT). Shortly after the plane was reported overdue, a search was conducted by a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron based in Winnipeg. The squadron found the crash site, and with help from Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue, searched for survivors. However, all six people in the plane had died, Singleton said. The RCMP did not release the names of the victims. Recovering the bodies of the pilot and the passengers was very challenging due to the difficult terrain, Mr Singleton said. However, all six bodies have been successfully recovered. The Transport Safety Board of Canada is now conducting an investigation into the crash. U kraines president warned the war is returning to Russia after Moscow was hit by a drone attack. Russias airspace was briefly closed after it brought down what it claimed was three Ukrainian drones in the early hours of Sunday morning. Nobody was hurt in the incident and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there was only minor damage to the facade of two office buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district which is several miles from the Kremlin. Kyiv typically does not claim responsibility for specific incidents on Russian territory, and did not claim the latest attack, though President Volodymyr Zelensky said the war was gradually returning to Russias territory - to its symbolic centres. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a press conference during the NATO Summit in Vilnius / AFP via Getty Images In his daily address to the Ukrainian nation, he said the attack on Moscow was an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process. While damage was minimal and the drones were brought down by what the Russians described as radio-electronic equipment, the attacks on the capital are deeply embarrassing for President Putins government who have told the public Russia is in full control of what they call its special military operation" against Ukraine. The damaged facade of an office building in the Moscow City following a reported Ukrainian drone attack / REUTERS Air defences had shot down one more in the air over the Odintsovo area in the Moscow region, it said. On the morning of 30th July, an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime using unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in the city of Moscow was foiled, the ministry said in its statement. Video apparently filmed by a passer-by which surfaced on social media showed flames shooting into the air near buildings after what sounded like an explosion. My friends and I rented an apartment to come here and unwind, and at some point, we heard an explosion and it was like a wave, everyone jumped," a young woman, Liya, told the Reuters news agency. And then there was a lot of smoke and you couldnt see anything. From above, you could see fire." A man takes a picture with his mobile phone of crane workers dismantling debris from a damaged skyscraper in the "Moscow City" business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russi / AP Some glass panels in one high-rise building were blown out and glass and debris littered part of the pavement below. The incident followed what Russia said was a similar Ukrainian attempt to attack Moscow with two drones in the early hours of Monday and two drones reached the Kremlin in May in the most high-profile incident of its kind. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said after Mondays attempted attack there would be more drone strikes. They come as Ukraine announced it will start consultations with the United States this week on providing security guarantees for Kyiv pending the completion of the process of joining NATO. The talks, announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff, are a follow-up on pledges issued by the G7 group of advanced countries after this months NATO summit in Lithuania to draw up and honour security guarantees. We are starting talks with the United States (this) week, Andriy Yermak wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Security guarantees for Ukraine will be concrete, long-term obligations ensuring Ukraines capacity to defeat and restrain Russian aggression in the future. These will be clearly drafted formats and mechanisms of support. Yermak said the guarantees will be in effect until Ukraine secures NATO membership. The Western Alliances Vilnius summit offered support to Ukraine in countering Russias 17-month-old invasion and individual countries pledged new weapons, but no date for Ukrainian membership was set as long as the war continues. Members of the G7 agreed for each nation to negotiate agreements to provide security guarantees and help Ukraine bolster its military. T wo people and a gunman were injured in a shooting at a summer carnival in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on Saturday. Police said one of the victims was taken to hospital, alongside the gunman who was shot by police several times. Both were arrested. Video posted online appeared to show some members of the public running away from the scene at Zomercarnaval, one of Europes largest street parties. Police said a woman was injured in a fall while getting away from the incident on the central street of Coolsingel at around 8.45pm. Shortly afterwards, officers arrested a third person, who they said was suspected of involvement. Police said an earlier shooting at Coolsingel did not appear to be connected but the possibility is being explored as part of the investigation. S hona McGarty is leaving EastEnders after starring in the BBC soap opera for 15 years, the broadcaster has confirmed. The actress, 31, has been a staple in Albert Square since she joined the cast in 2008 aged 16 to portray Whitney Dean. It has been reported that her final scenes will be broadcast early next year. McGarty told The Sun on Sunday: I have decided to spread my wings and will be leaving EastEnders. I have loved my years in the show. I have been trusted with some incredible storylines and have made amazing friendships and family which will endure. Her character arrived in Albert Square as adoptive daughter of Bianca Jackson, played by Patsy Palmer. Whitney was engaged on a number of occasions and married Lee Carter, played by Danny Hatchard, before they later filed for divorce. McGarty has been nominated for a host of awards for her portrayal of Whitney including a number of National Television Awards. She was also nominated earlier this year at the British Soap Awards in the scene of the year category for her depiction of losing her baby with Zack Hudson, who is played by James Farrar. The actress has featured in a number of charitable projects with the BBC soap such as crossover episode with Coronation Street in 2010 and in 2020. The cast shake-up will also see Lorraine Stanley, 47, who plays launderette worker Karen Taylor, written out of the show after she made her first appearance on the show in 2017. Stanley is also known for playing Kelly in the 2006 film London To Brighton. Ukraine to ensure self-sufficiency in electricity next winter energy minister 30 July, 10:05 PM Electric energy (Photo:Pascal Rossignol / Reuters) Ukraine will have the capacity to meet its electricity generation targets during the 2023-2024 heating season, Energy Minister German Galushchenko said in a video interview with the TV Channel "We are Ukraine," shared by the Energy Ministry on Telegram on July 29. Despite possible temporary disruptions due to Russian attacks, Ukraine is confident in its ability to provide 1.7 GW of generating capacity before the onset of winter, the minister said. Galushchenko highlighted the implementation of new methods to enhance the energy supply in Ukraine, expressing certainty in the successful coordination of these efforts to ensure reliable energy provision during the cold season. Video of day Regarding the potential for continued Russian attacks on energy facilities, the minister urged consideration of Ukraine's improved air defense systems, which offer better protection compared to the previous year. While the scale of future attacks remains uncertain, Galushchenko assured that Ukraine would be prepared to conduct necessary repairs. Furthermore, the government is actively working to expand the countrys energy potential, instilling optimism in Ukraine's ability to meet its energy needs throughout the winter season, he said. Despite this assurance, Galushchenko encouraged citizens to remain cautious and advised them to consider having generators and power banks as an additional precautionary measure. "I recommend everyone to have them... Have them available, buy them, and we will do everything in our power to make sure you won't need them," he added. 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 Ukrainian Air Force destroys four enemy Shahed drones in Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts 30 July, 02:27 PM A fragment of the downed Shahed (Photo:Gleb Garanich/Reuters) Ukrainian defenders dealt a significant blow to the enemy on July 30 in Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts in the south and east of the country, shooting down four hostile Shahed attack drones, the Ukrainian Air Force has reported on Telegram. The invaders launched their attack from the southeastern direction using four tactical UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type, the air force said. Thanks to the swift and effective response of the Air Force, all enemy drones were successfully neutralized within the airspaces of Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, Ukraines air force said. Video of day In addition, on July 29, the anti-aircraft defense forces eliminated four reconnaissance UAVs of the operational-tactical level, the air force said. In the regular morning briefing at the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ukrainian military confirmed that Russia had conducted a nighttime strike on Ukraine using Shahed drones. During the night, the Russian Federation once again launched an attack on Ukraine using Iranian-made Shahed UAVs. Information regarding the consequences of this terrorist attack is currently being verified, an official statement from the General Staff reads 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 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. 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Yellow, formerly called YRC Worldwide, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Earlier this month Yellow averted a threatened strike by 22,000 Teamsters-represented workers and last week it said it was exploring opportunities to divest its third-party logistics company. Yellow has historically proven that it could not manage itself despite billions of dollars in worker concessions and hundreds of millions in bailout funding from the federal government, Teamsters General President Sean M. OBrien said in a statement. The company was the third-biggest U.S. trucker specializing in the less-than-truckload segment that combines shipments from different customers in the same trailer. Its customers included large retailers like Walmart and Home Depot, manufacturers and Uber Freight, some of which paused cargo shipments to the company for fear those goods could be lost or stranded if the carrier went bankrupt. The company said in June that the Teamsters union was blocking restructuring and modernization efforts, collectively known as One Yellow, which it said were critical for Yellows survival and ability to refinance about $1.3 billion of debt due to be repaid by 2024. Part of that debt is a $700 million pandemic relief loan provided in 2020 by the Trump administration in exchange for a 30% stake in the Nashville, Tennessee-based company. Earlier in the day, the Wall Street Journal reported the closure of the trucking firms operations citing notices sent to customers and employees. On Friday, the WSJ also reported that the company has laid off a large number of nonunion workers. Updated at 12:12 a.m. Monday. ST. LOUIS Police arrested a man Saturday night after he got into a gunfight with police and led officers on a chase through the citys Carondelet neighborhood after allegedly shooting a woman in his car. Two St. Louis police officers were in the 3600 block of Bates Street at 7:45 p.m. when they saw a woman get out of the passenger side of a car screaming, He just shot me, according to a police report. The suspect exited the drivers side of the car armed with a pistol, police said. The two officers got out of their marked patrol car and ordered the suspect to drop the weapon. The suspect pointed his gun at the officers and fired, police said. The officers returned fire. The suspect ran away. The officers gave chase, but lost sight of him about a half-mile away in the 5500 block of Tennessee Avenue, police said. Numerous officers searched the area and eventually found the suspect hiding in the backyard of a residence near where he was last seen. The suspect described as Black male, age 39 complied with the officers orders to drop his weapon. He refused to surrender, however, and was tased, police said. Neither the suspect nor any officers were injured. The woman, age 38, suffered gunshots to her right arm and back, police said. She was listed in critical but stable condition at an area hospital. The officers involved in the shooting are identified as a Black male officer, 39, who has served eight years as an officer; and a white male officer, 25, who has served for three months. The citys Force Investigation Unit is reviewing the shooting. VALLEY PARK Angie Wideman said she didnt hesitate when she told Johnny Johnson to grab some food from her familys barbecue. He was a family friend shed known since childhood. The mom of four didnt hesitate again when she later offered up their couch. He had nowhere to sleep that night, and Wideman had never seen him be violent. The next morning, Johnson lured Widemans 6-year-old daughter Casey Williamson out of the house and killed her using bricks and a heavy rock. Johnson is scheduled to die by lethal injection Aug. 1 at Bonne Terre prison. A three-judge federal appeals court panel granted Johnson a stay of execution last week, but the full court reversed the decision on Saturday. Lawyers for Johnson are expected to appeal. Ive been looking forward to putting this part of it to rest, Wideman said. Ill never put Casey to rest, but just to put this part of it to rest. Days before the execution, Wideman and her ex-husband Ernie Williamson talked about that July day in Valley Park, and Wideman reflected on how Caseys murder catapulted her family into the ravages of addiction and anxiety, and led to the overdose death of her oldest daughter. Her family reminisced about how Casey loved Britney Spears, was obsessed with the movie Titanic and never turned down an adventure. The two have mixed feelings about Johnsons execution. Williamson was quoted in a clemency application, filed by Johnsons lawyers, saying he did not want Johnson executed. But in an interview with the Post-Dispatch, Williamson said those quotes didnt accurately represent what he wants to happen. I never said I didnt want Johnny Johnson to die, he said. I would love to see him die a miserable death. Williamson said he doesnt support capital punishment. Having spent time himself as an inmate at Potosi Correctional Center, where Johnson is housed, Williamson said death row inmates suffer far more alive than dead. Larry Komp, one of Johnsons attorneys, said their hearts go out to Caseys family but said the clemency petition is faithful to the statements of everyone quoted in it. Wideman wants Johnson killed, but she is adamant that she doesnt want his family to suffer. Wideman said she sent Johnsons sister a Facebook message in February when the execution date was announced. I just said, Im sorry, I dont wish this upon you. I never wanted you to feel this kind of hurt, Wideman said. I wish for peace for her and for her family. I dont want them to have this kind of pain. Johnsons sister didnt respond. The murder Casey Williamson was killed July 26, 2002. Wideman was sleeping upstairs with her two youngest children as Williamson said he got up for his 7 a.m. shift at a cement factory. Casey asked him for a bowl of cereal, but they were out of milk. Williamson told Casey hed walk her across the street to her grandpas house for breakfast before he went to work. He didnt know Casey followed him down the stairs. He also didnt know that the 24-year-old Johnson had stayed the night, and the way the house was laid out, he didnt see Johnson on the couch on the way to the bathroom. (He) was only in the bathroom for five minutes, and when he came out, Johnny and Casey were both gone in a matter of minutes, Wideman said. Williamson searched for his daughter. I couldnt find her, and her bike was right there, Williamson said. I was like, I dont know what the hell happened, but she got lost. I wasnt thinking something terrible happened. Police found Caseys body less than a mile away from the Benton Street home. Around the same time, Johnson was in police custody admitting he lured Casey from the house and killed her inside an abandoned glass factory along the Meramec River after she fought back against his attempt to sexually assault her. Johnson has been in custody since then. A jury in January 2005 took about three hours to find him guilty of first-degree murder, along with armed criminal action, kidnapping and attempted rape. In March of that year, a judge sentenced him to die by lethal injection and told the court it was perhaps the most heinous crime he had ever presided over. Robert McCulloch, who prosecuted the case and served as St. Louis Countys elected prosecutor for 28 years, said on Saturday that putting Johnson to death is the right thing to do. Hes had 20 plus years to go through all the appeals, everything has been litigated ad nauseam, he said. Now its time to carry out the sentence. Johnsons siblings and then-girlfriend told the Post-Dispatch in 2002 that Johnson had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and began unraveling after his release from a mental hospital in January 2002. Johnson had stopped taking his medication because it made him feel like a zombie. He was struggling to help take care of his 2-year-old child and also comply with his probation for burglary and felony theft charges. At the time of her daughters murder, Wideman said some news reports described Johnson as a drifter her family let sleep on their couch. That was definitely not the case. He was my best friends little brother, she said. I had known him his whole life. I babysat him when he was little. She said child abductions were dominating the news cycle that summer, with notable cases such as Samantha Runnion in Stanton, California; Erica Pratt in Philadelphia; and Elizabeth Smart in Salt Lake City. I think everyone was just looking for a story bigger than the last one, Wideman said. At the time, of course, there wasnt (as) much information out there. In Valley Park, a city of about 7,000 residents southwest of St. Louis, connections between the families run deep. Williamson had known Johnson for most of his life, and he briefly lived with Johnsons grandmother before Caseys murder. He said Johnsons older sister regularly babysat his and Widemans kids. In 2002, the Post-Dispatch reported that Williamson gave Johnsons sister her first kiss when they were young. Wideman said her grandparents employed Johnsons mom at the grandparents convenience store. Even Widemans fiance, Larry Tigger McClellan, said he knew Johnson through his older brothers, dating back to when they were kids. McClellans aunt owned the funeral home that held Caseys service. Grief Last weekend, Wideman sat in the cafeteria of Valley Parks only public school with her victims advocate, Alissa Connelly, as her familys annual safety fair wrapped up. She and McClellan were side by side in matching lime green T-shirts, the same shirts all her family members wore as they walked around the school filled with safety education and activities for children. The fair had about a dozen booths. One, from the U.S. Coast Guard, focused on water safety. Another, by the Missouri Masonic Childrens Foundation, provided parents with materials to create identification kits for their children in case they go missing. Several first responders displayed fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles outside as dozens of people milled about eating hot dogs and soft pretzels. Della Steele, Caseys great-aunt, organizes the fair and said they started it a few years after Caseys death as a way to funnel their grief into something positive. This years fair was the first since the COVID-19 pandemic, and Steele said many of Caseys former classmates, now in their mid-20s, attended with their children. Steeles daughter sat with Steele at the fair and said they want Casey to be remembered more for who she was than how she died. The two laughed as they recalled the time Casey brought a frog into her grandmas house during a holiday get-together, and how she was always singing Britney Spears in her husky voice that sounded more like Stevie Nicks. Caseys family at first hosted a memorial walk a year after she died. But the walk stirred up too much sadness, and it made coping with the loss even more difficult. So we started morphing it into the safety fair because we thought we could make a bigger difference that way, Steele said. We honor Casey by doing this but its not as focused, so its a little easier on (Wideman). For Wideman and her family, the pain of Caseys loss endures. The girls siblings, who were 2 and 4 when their sister died, struggle with mental health, nightmares and maintaining relationships. They were kind of cheated out of everything in life because they didnt know anything other than their mom being a zombie for 10 years, Wideman said. She said her oldest daughter, who was 12 at the time, blamed herself for Caseys death. She began to abuse opiates and alcohol, and she died of an overdose about eight years ago. She left behind two children of her own that Wideman and her mother are now raising. In my opinion, (Johnson) took her from us as well, she said. Thats how I see it he took her away from us. She could not cope with life after losing her sister. McClellan noted Widemans father, too, struggled with alcoholism and drank himself to death after Casey died. McClellan lives with Wideman and said he sees every day how she struggles with anxiety, often has trouble getting out of bed and is easily triggered by certain songs or things on TV. But he also said Wideman has the biggest heart. Both Wideman and Williamson said they have leaned into religion to help them cope. The last photo the family has of Casey was taken 36 hours before her death. Donning a denim jumper, a pink T-shirt and tan sandals, Casey has her hair pulled back into a ponytail and her hand near her heart. Wideman said the photo is of Casey singing at a Wednesday night church service. Im a Christian, and I have Jesus in my heart, she sang. And I will live eternally. The 56 people Missouri has executed since 2000 ST. LOUIS One week after an alleged attack on a 6-year-old boy in the leafy St. Louis Hills neighborhood, residents on Sunday were still trying to grasp the brazen daytime incident. If they ever will. The audacity of that happening, you just have to take a breath and wonder what is going through the mind and what more steps you can take to stop it, said Randy Liebler, 64. He was taking a break from mowing his lawn across from Francis Park and St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church, in one of the citys most prominent areas. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard and, during the Christmas holidays, Candy Cane Lane are just a few blocks away. I love the neighborhood, says Liebler and many others. On July 23, a man reportedly came out of nowhere and grabbed a child riding his bike, then sexually assaulted him by a dumpster parked behind a home being remodeled in the 6200 block of Loran Avenue. Three days later, police released photos of a possible assailant for help. The public responded with more than 100 tips. By Friday, police charged Osmani Haji Gul, 34, of the 4900 block of Chippewa Street, with first-degree statutory sodomy and sexual misconduct involving a child. Police said the 6-year-old boy picked Gul out of a lineup. Gul is also charged with first-degree attempted statutory sodomy and fourth-degree assault in a separate, similar incident. Police said Gul put a 12-year-old child in a headlock on Sunday, July 16, at Francis Park, but the child was able to escape and police werent able to find the man. Police said Gul eventually confessed to both incidents in an interview with authorities. He is being held without bond. No attorney is yet listed in electronic court records. On Sunday, no one answered at his apartment door, about 2 miles east of Francis Park, near Kingshighway. A neighbor said Gul is an Afghan refugee who is married with three small children. The neighbor, who didnt want to be named, said Gul came off as a decent man. I never heard him mistreat his children or fight with his wife, the neighbor said. Then you hear this. A man with roots in the Afghan community confirmed that Gul was a refugee since the hasty U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. He didnt want to be named either but hoped for justice in the case. I am from here now, he said. I want a safe country. I have four children. Tom Scheifler, chairman of the St. Louis Hills Neighborhood Association Safety Committee, described the situation as a tragic event that's extremely rare. Everyone realizes that it could have happened at any park in the city or county, but its still chilling when it happens in your neighborhood, he said. He said the association raised $100,000 in donations since January for added security in the neighborhood. Hes pushing for passage on Aug. 8 of a St. Louis Hills special business district that he said would bring in about $200,000 for security, including patrols by an off-duty police officer. While its generally a safe neighborhood, things still happen. One afternoon last year, Scheifler said, a man stealing catalytic converters leveled a gun at him when he approached. On a recent Sunday morning, an off-leash pit bull attacked and killed another dog near a field at Busch Middle School. And on July 11, three men were shot in a vehicle in a nearby Target parking lot. Still, many dont waver. This is St. Louis Hills, said Mary Ann Malley, 66. Its a pretty nice place to live. She and her husband, who met as students at St. Gabriel, grew up in the neighborhood and raised their own children there. Never had any problem, Malley said. But she said the neighborhood is trying to rally for the 6-year-old boy by pulling together donations and food, anything to make him feel better. Its not his fault, she said. Zaporizhzhya NPPs fifth reactor put into cold shutdown IAEA 30 July, 03:37 PM IAEA says fifth reactor at ZNPP shut down to facilitate repair work on the unit (Photo:REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko) Russian invasion forces, who have controlled the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) since the early days of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have put the plants fifth reactor into cold shutdown, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on July 29. According to an IAEA statement, the Russians plan is to cool down the fifth reactor at ZNPP to facilitate repair work on the unit, which can only be conducted in a state of cold shutdown. The IAEAs report indicates that this action took place on the third day after the occupiers switched the fourth reactor from cold to hot mode. As per the IAEA, steam from the fourth reactor is now being used to purify wastewater at ZNPP, while all other reactors remain in cold shutdown. Video of day The plant, Europes largest, has a total of six nuclear reactors. Meanwhile, IAEA experts suggested that an external steam boiler be installed at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant to shift all reactor units to cold shutdown mode. Read also: Nuclear security specialist on potential terrorist attack at ZNPP On July 29, a group of experts currently present at the plant visited the fifth reactor to inspect the reactor core, spent fuel pool, and steam generator. According to their assessment, all equipment appeared to be in normal condition. The IAEA report also emphasizes that no mines or explosives were found inside the fifth reactor, but mines still remain around the perimeter of the nuclear power plant. Infographics: NV Threat of Terrorist Attack at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant What We Know ZNPP fell under Russian occupation in March 2022, and since then, Ukrainian specialists stationed at the facility have faced continuous interference by the invaders. The Russian invasion forces have resorted to intimidation, kidnappings, and coercion, forcing the plants staff to sign contracts with Rosatom. On June 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the troubling claim that Russia is considering the possibility of carrying out a terrorist act at the ZNPP. According to the Ukrainian president, the Russians have already made preparations for such an action. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, supported the Ukrainian presidents claims, stating that the Russians have completed their preparations for a potential terrorist attack at the occupied ZNPP. Their alleged plan involves placing explosive devices near four out of six of the reactor units, with the cooling system also reportedly mined. More recently, on July 25, state nuclear operator Energoatom reported that the Russian invaders had intentionally disrupted the work schedule at the plant, switching the fourth reactor of ZNPP to a hot shutdown mode. Adding to the alarming situation, on July 28, Energoatom claimed that a ZNPP employee named Serhii Potynh had been kidnapped by the Russians, and that he was being tortured while in their captivity. Infographics: NV 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. 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Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News UNIVERSITY CITY The first Mass at All Saints Catholic parish just north of Delmar Boulevard was celebrated in December 1901 to accommodate the fledgling western suburbs of St. Louis. For more than half a century, the parish reigned as one of the largest in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, growing to encompass 21 square miles. Over time, eight other parishes were carved out of the boundaries of All Saints. As of Tuesday, only three of those parishes will remain. A final Mass was celebrated Sunday for 35 parishes that are closing and 15 others that will merge to form five new parishes in the largest downsizing in the history of the archdiocese. Under the reorganization called All Things New, church doors will remain open for the time being, but the parish names and geography will disappear. We have been given a great gift. We know this to be true because it hurts so much to see it end, said Monsignor Michael Witt in his last homily at All Saints. After all, it is in these walls that we grew love. While the details in each closing parish are different, the themes are the same. The shrinking population of Catholics, nuns and priests. Aging parishioners concerned about losing their accessibility to church. And most of all, the pain that comes with the end of a religious family that spans generations. All Saints parish has been challenged by demographic changes in the surrounding neighborhood, which includes a large Orthodox Jewish community within walking distance of University City synagogues. In the 1960s, many Catholic families moved away when the city used eminent domain to tear down the Cunningham Park subdivision for an industrial park. And as the city became racially integrated, white flight contributed to the closure of All Saints School in 1968. The last 55 parishioners who regularly attended weekend Mass are known for their community service, including a food pantry and annual school supply drive. Other demographic challenges that befell All Saints are not unique to the parish. The days are gone when Catholic families reliably produced a half dozen or more children children who would go on to marry other Catholics and produce even more grandchildren. Janet Maassen Blair, 74, is one of nine siblings who were baptized, confirmed and married at St. Rita in Vinita Park, one of the parishes that grew out of All Saints. Blair cried on Saturday when thinking of the possibility shell be buried from anywhere else. I have never left this beautiful church, she said after Mass. About 100 people came to the last Saturday evening Mass at St. Rita, more than double the typical attendance. There were houseplants, calendars and pens for the taking as souvenirs of the 107-year-old parish. Current and former parishioners took photos of themselves in front of the altar before enjoying a banquet in the church basement. Several said they plan to continue their tradition of reciting the rosary at the church grotto every Friday morning. Blair remembers having to squeeze into the pews at St. Rita. Now she is resigned to its closure because, as she says, You cant do church with 45 people. St. Rita and All Saints will be absorbed by Christ the King parish in University City, where the faithful are encouraged to attend Mass going forward. One couple at St. Rita said they are worried about a lack of parking at Christ the King and plan to watch Mass via a livestream. Accessibility is also a concern for Mary Ann Martin, 81, a parishioner at St. Jude since the 1970s. People are just so upset about the closure, Martin said after the final Mass on Sunday. A lot of them are going to have a hard time getting to church. Thats the problem. They have not understood St. Jude, tucked away in unincorporated St. Louis County near Overland, started out strong. Established in 1953, it grew to 700 households, with 550 kids in its school. After territory was ceded to two other parishes in the 1960s, and North Lindbergh Boulevard became an obstacle, St. Jude never regained those kinds of numbers. The school closed in 1974. In recent years, St. Jude had 195 registered households, with about 200 attending weekend Mass. Offerings have been stable, with reserves growing, but the congregation didnt bring in enough new members as demographics changed. More than a third of residents in the parish boundaries are renters. In All Things New records, archdiocese officials summed up the parish this way: An increasingly diverse neighborhood with growing Hispanic presence and most Catholics in the neighborhood not belonging to St. Jude parish. Preaching from a wheelchair on Sunday, the Rev. Jim Gray told about 80 people gathered in the pews that they were good Christian people. He encouraged them to remain so, even though it may seem the archdiocese didnt help. They have not understood our loss, our pain, our sorrow, Gray said, adding: Anger, if it takes us away from God, is not the proper response. He asked everyone to think about all the people, the weddings, baptisms, funerals, confirmations and the kindness and generosity of community. Though small, St. Jude has a devoted following, including those who appreciate that there are no steps leading inside from the parking lot. Its been a great parish, said Laverne Steinhaufel, beside her husband of nearly 60 years. In south St. Louis, more than 500 people packed the pews at Our Lady of Sorrows, once the largest parish in the city. They were saying goodbye not only to their parish but to their priest, the Rev. Sebastian Mundackal, who will move to St. Monica in Creve Coeur. Ill be praying for you. Pray for me, Mundackal told the congregation at the end of an emotional Mass one that extended longer than the traditional hour, but with the reward of a luncheon afterward, he joked. The parishs welcoming spirit is what drew Judy and Arnold Fischer four years ago, at a time when they had basically given up on church, said Judy Fischer. This is where I belong, she said, as tears filled her eyes. Many parishioners roots extend back much further. Sue Giljum has attended Sorrows for 55 of her 60 years. She sent her kids through the school, which closed in 2017. Im overwhelmed, Giljum said after the service. Its the unknown. For at least the next few months, Sorrows will continue to host a weekend Mass, along with St. Joan of Arc and St. Mary Magdalen, the other two South City parishes that are merging into one with a new name to be determined. On Sunday, though, the focus was on Our Lady of Sorrows history, not its future. A slideshow flashed through weddings, baptisms and church celebrations. On the altar, 116 candles were lit to represent each year since its founding. Everything happened here, Mundackal told the congregation. Your sweat, your blood, your sharing kept this church alive. It will continue In the Ville neighborhood of north St. Louis, the pews were packed at St. Matthew the Apostle Parish to not only mark the last Sunday Mass as a parish but to proudly celebrate its 130th anniversary with a buffet, cake, slideshow and a wall of old newspaper articles. St. Matthew will merge with three other North Side parishes: Our Lady of the Holy Cross, St. Augustine, and St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist. Folks here are strong people, and it will continue. We dont know where or how, but it will continue, said Sister Regina Bartman, 80, a retired nun with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, which has served the parish since 1902. St. Matthew was founded in 1893 to serve mostly poor, Irish immigrants. The current Gothic-style church with its towering spire was built in 1906. In the 1950s, the neighborhood and congregation became largely Black as white families moved to the suburbs. The parish and its grade school thrived, with as many as 1,400 parishioners and 480 students in the 1960s. St. Matthew served the community in many ways, including providing lunch and activities for seniors, housing the elderly, tutoring students and rehabbing old housing. Jesuit priests have staffed the parish since 1959 as part of the religious orders ministry to Black Catholics living in St. Louis. The Rev. Jeffrey Harrison, St. Matthews pastor for the past two years, said he has been touched by the parishioners enduring faith. Many are ancestors of those enslaved by white Catholics, who were forced to be baptized. Instead of deserting the Church, they made it their own and worked to take care of each other. Its been easy to preach the Gospel to people who are living the Gospel, Harrison said. Kevin Blackshear, 57, remembers his mom telling him about the enduring dedication of Black parishioners at St. Matthew. The inner working of the Holy Spirit hopes for a better day, if not for yourself, for future generations, said Blackshear, of St. Louis, who still attends Mass every Sunday. No matter what happens to the North City parishes, Blackshear doesnt want the stories of hardship and triumph to be lost. My hope is that even if the lights are turned off permanently, he said, the history remains. Jesse Bogan, Michele Munz and Colleen Schrappen of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. TOKYO Toshihiro Mutsuda was 5 years old when he last saw his father, who was drafted by Japan's Imperial Army in 1943 and killed in action. For him, his father was a bespectacled man in an old family photo standing by a signed good-luck flag that he carried to war. "It's a miracle," the now 83-year-old Mutsuda said Saturday, when the flag was returned to him from a U.S. war museum where it had been on display for 29 years. The flag, known as "Yosegaki Hinomaru," or good-luck flag, carries the soldier's name, Shigeyoshi Mutsuda, and the signatures of his relatives, friends and neighbors wishing him luck. It was given to him before he was drafted by the Army. His family later was told he died in Saipan but his remains were never returned. The flag was donated in 1994 and displayed at the museum aboard the USS Lexington, a WWII aircraft carrier, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Its meaning was not known until it was identified by the family earlier this year, said museum director Steve Banta, who brought the flag to Tokyo. Banta said he learned the story behind the flag earlier this year when he was contacted by the Obon Society, a nonprofit organization that returned about 500 similar flags as nonbiological remains to the descendants of Japanese service members killed in the war. The search for the flag's original owner started in April, when a museum visitor took a photo and asked an expert about the description that it had belonged to a "kamikaze" suicide pilot. When Shigeyoshi Mutsuda's grandson saw the photo, he sought help from the Obon Society, group co-founder Keiko Ziak said. "When we learned all of this, and that the family would like to have the flag, we knew immediately that the flag did not belong to us," Banta said at the handover ceremony. "We knew that the right thing to do would be to send the flag home, to be in Japan and to the family." The soldier's eldest son, Toshihiro Mutsuda, was speechless for a few seconds when Banta, wearing white gloves, gently placed the neatly folded flag into his hands. Two of his younger siblings, both in their 80s, stood by and looked on silently. The three children, all wearing cotton gloves so they wouldn't damage the decades-old flag, carefully unfolded it to show to the audience. "After receiving the flag today, I earnestly felt that the war like that should never be fought again and that I do not wish anyone else to go through this sadness (of separation)," Toshihiro Mutsuda said. The soldier's daughter, Misako Matsukuchi, touched the flag with both hands and prayed. "After nearly 80 years, the spirit of our father returned to us," she said later. "I hope he can finally rest in peace." Toshihiro Mutsuda said his memory of his father was foggy. However, he clearly remembers his mother, Masae Mutsuda, who died five years ago at age 102, used to make the long-distance bus trip almost every year from the farming town in Gifu, central Japan, to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, where the 2.5 million war dead are enshrined, to pay tribute to her husband's spirit. The shrine is controversial, as it includes convicted war criminals among those commemorated. Victims of Japanese aggression during the first half of the 20th century, especially China and the Koreas, see Yasukuni as a symbol of Japanese militarism. However, for the Mutsuda family, it's a place to remember the loss of a father and husband. "It's like an old love story across the ages coming together It doesn't matter where," Banta said, referring to the Yasukuni controversy. "The important thing is this flag goes to the family." That's why Toshihiro Mutsuda and his siblings chose to receive the flag at Yasukuni and brought the framed photos of their parents. "My mother missed him and wanted to see him so much and that's why she used to pray here," he said. "Today her wish finally came true, and she was able to be reunited." States that drafted the most men in World War II States that drafted the most men in World War II #51. Alaska #50. Vermont #49. Iowa #48. South Dakota #47. North Dakota #46. Nebraska #45. Wisconsin #44. Oklahoma #43. Washington #42. Colorado #41. Oregon #40. New Hampshire #39. Georgia #38. Massachusetts #37. Kansas #36. Texas #35. Minnesota #34. Wyoming #33. Montana #32. Maine #31. Missouri #30. California #29. South Carolina #28. Florida #27. North Carolina #26. Arkansas #25. Alabama #24. Utah #23. Rhode Island #22. Idaho #21. New Mexico #20. Hawaii #19. Louisiana #18. Indiana #17. Kentucky #16. Arizona #15. Mississippi #14. Illinois #13. Tennessee #12. Virginia #11. Michigan #10. Connecticut #9. New York #8. New Jersey #7. West Virginia #6. Ohio #5. Delaware #4. Maryland #3. Pennsylvania #2. Nevada #1. Washington D.C. Theres probably no way to ever know if Turyan S. Austell would still be alive today had the St. Louis regions MetroLink train system been equipped with security fences, fare-collection gates and turnstiles. Crime data doesnt suggest it would necessarily have prevented his shooting death by a fellow passenger early Tuesday morning. But common sense suggests that any barrier to anyone just walking onto the trains unimpeded without even having to buy a ticket yes, thats still the current system certainly might have altered the trajectory of what appears to have been a random altercation. More knowable is this: Austells death the third homicide on or near MetroLink trains so far this year will reinforce the publics perception that the transit system is unsafe. To the extent that the pending installation (finally!) of turnstiles helps counter that perception, it will be a useful step toward rescuing this struggling system. After almost three decades of denying this common-sense necessity for passengers peace of mind, Bi-State Development, Metro Transits parent agency, finally relented last year and put in place a $52 million plan to install gates and turnstiles at all 38 stations in the St. Louis-Metro East region. The system announced in January that the first of the projects would commence this fall at four stations, including the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center station in East St. Louis. Coincidentally, thats the station where Austell, 23, of Shiloh, was shot Tuesday, though both he and his assailant entered the eastbound train at earlier stops. Security video indicates they got into an argument, which ended after the train stopped in East St. Louis with the assailant shooting Austell and fleeing the train. Austell died later at a hospital. At this writing, the assailant hasnt been apprehended. When the first four projects were announced earlier this year, there was controversy over the choices because they were based not on which stations had seen the most crime, but which could be completed most quickly based on their existing layouts. The idea is to show progress to the region, Kevin Scott, general manager of security for the Bi-State Development Agency, told agency board members at the time. That was the right priority, because the turnstile project is as much about perception as reality. Thats not to say it isnt necessary, nor that it shouldnt have been done long ago. The perception of an unsafe system is real and consequential in terms of preventing MetroLink from reaching its potential. That perception is fed not just by murders like the one Tuesday, but by general rowdiness that comes with people especially young people being allowed to treat the trains as cost-free rolling hangouts. If nothing else, the necessity of actually having to buy a ticket before boarding will instill a sense of order. Though theres no way to draw a line from the current lack of turnstiles to last weeks shooting, it would be a good time for the system to update the public on how the project is progressing. When it comes to the MetroLink, perception is reality. There's a scene in the hit movie "Oppenheimer" that has a hidden St. Louis connection. As J. Robert Oppenheimer gathers his group of Manhattan Project scientists at Los Alamos, New Mexico, he lets them in on a secret. They don't have enough uranium or plutonium to test a potential atomic bomb, even if they figure out how to create one. Sitting on the desk in front of him are two glass containers a large fish bowl and a smaller brandy snifter. One by one, Oppenheimer drops marbles into the glass plink, plink, plink marking the growth in processing the deadly elements. The character doesn't mention St. Louis in the movie. But the city is where some of that initial uranium was developed. And after World War II, St. Louis became a major source of the uranium processing for missiles during the Cold War arms race. In the Christopher Nolan-directed movie, the scientists celebrate when the final marble plinks into the glass bowl to show they have enough uranium for their task, much as they celebrate when the bomb test is successful. They celebrate again when the bomb is dropped, first on Hiroshima and then on Nagasaki, killing hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians and ending the war. The celebrations are muted, at least for Oppenheimer and many of the scientists, once they realize the impact of what they and the politicians they serve have done. The story reverberates today. Once every generation, it seems, members of Congress realize all over again that the people of our region the workers who toiled at Mallinckrodt Chemical Works plants, and the folks who grew up in areas where some of that nuclear waste was buried, such as along Coldwater Creek in north St. Louis County suffred serious maladies for their role in the war effort. Three generations of activists Kay Drey, Denise Brock and the co-founders of Just Moms STL, Dawn Chapman and Karen Nickel have sounded alarm bells about the damage that the processing of nuclear material and its waste had on people. Like the story of Oppenheimer, it's one that has to be told over and over again because the legacy of the Manhattan Project is ongoing. It's a story of patriotism and death; of moral ambiguity and the pain of unintended consequences. So it was in late May, when I was at the Weldon Spring Interpretive Center for the rededication of a memorial that honors workers who died from maladies related to the processing of nuclear materials. The remodeled museum sits beside a massive pile of gray stone, piled high like so many marbles in a glass jar, protecting future generations from the nuclear waste buried there. Veterans who attended the memorial were thanked for their service. Family members of the workers waved American flags. But the Rev. Gerry Kleba, a Catholic priest, also reminded folks of the somber reason for the occasion. He recounted the estimated 200,000 deaths in Japan, and the local deaths from various illnesses. He repeated the quote that haunted Oppenheimer and was repeated in the recent movie: "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." This month, there was another event at Weldon Spring, this one with the Just Moms STL crowd. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican, pushed for a bill also supported by Rep. Cori Bush, a Democrat to create a new flow of compensation for St. Louis families who have suffered because of the city's connection to the nuclear weapons program. The push comes on the heels of recent reporting from The Missouri Independent, The Associated Press, and MuckRock, reinforcing what Drey has argued for more than a generation: the government knew it was poisoning the Earth, and workers and residents, in its rush to build weapons. Who pays the price? That's a question that tortured Oppenheimer. It's the question before Congress again and a new generation of St. Louisans, learning about the city's past, buried under a pile of rocks that sits as a monument to the past. Tony Messenger 314-340-8518 @tonymess on Twitter tmessenger@post-dispatch.com Tokyo, Japan, July 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On July 25, 2023, at the WebX Conference in Tokyo, Japan, the CEEX Exchange, in conjunction with EDGE MATRIX, and with the joint support of institutions such as INOVAI TECH and the Hong Kong Blockchain Investment and Application Research Institute, launched the E-index Global AI Computing Power Index. This index not only has guiding value for the AI industry, but also has profound impact on the entire Web3 field. On July 27, CEEX held a closed-door seminar on board the Symphony in Tokyo Bay, where experts from various fields, including digital currency experts, investors, researchers, AI developers, and economists, discussed the future development of AI+Web3. During the meeting, Blade, the executive investor of CEEX, deeply analyzed the development trends of AI and Web3, and how to achieve win-win through cross-border cooperation. He also initiated strategic cooperation with the famous decentralized AI computing power network EDGE MATRIX and the famous Japanese basic computing power builder INVOAI TECH, forming the decentralized AI infrastructure alliance WAIGC. His views deeply resonated with the attendees, and were highly recognized by the Japanese web3 industry. Zack, the president of CEEX Tokyo Company, and hundreds of industry insiders discussed the construction and development of the E-index, which will provide new references and services for global computing power companies. The Global AI Computing Power Index jointly developed by CEEX and EDGE MATRIX takes into account multiple factors such as AI listed company data, GPU prices, global trade index, and news data. Through public calculation methods, it provides basic support for the RWA trading of AI computing power, and plays an important reference role for a large number of AI training, development and application companies in judging the risk trend of AI computing power investment. The release of the Global AI Computing Power Index will also become the basis for AI computing power spot trading, futures trading and other derivatives, providing new financing channels for AI developers. At the same time, investors can also gain insight into the major development trends of AI computing power through the Global AI Computing Power Index, providing new references for their investment decisions. The first batch of E-index Global AI Computing Power Index factors include AI companys stock price like. These are important parameters for constructing the Global AI Computing Power Index, demonstrating CEEX's unique perspective and professional strength in the industry. The successful hosting of this event by the CEEX Exchange once again proves its leading position in the fields of blockchain technology, digital currency and AI, and also demonstrates its firm commitment to innovation and openness. About CEEX: CEEX is a globally renowned digital currency exchange, headquartered in Silicon Valley, with a global business network and professional team strength. The team's predecessor was a top market maker for bulk commodities. Through its leading technology platform and innovative trading services, CEEX has become one of the preferred trading platforms for many digital currency users. CEEX is committed to promoting the development and innovation of the digital currency industry, providing global users with a safe, efficient, and reliable digital asset trading experience. Source: CEEX Exchange Las Vegas, NV - (NewMediaWire) - July 27, 2023 - Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK: HEMP) reports today that the global hemp seed market is on the verge of a significant surge, with a projected value of $2.2 billion by 2030 from its current valuation of $1.2 billion, according to a comprehensive market analysis recently released. This particular market analysis provides an all-encompassing understanding of the global hemp seed market, delving into the market size, forecasts, drivers, challenges, and competitive landscape which industry professionals and stakeholders find invaluable in not only tapping into the immense potential of this dynamic market but for making informed decisions of the best companies to partner or work with. (Source) These vital insights into market dynamics present a significant advantage to Hemp, Inc. According to the analysis, the global hemp seed market's rapid expansion is attributed to two key driving forces. First, the growing demand for plant-based products has led consumers to seek healthier and sustainable alternatives. Hemp seeds, known for their nutritional value and versatility, have gained popularity as a powerhouse ingredient in a variety of plant-based food products. Second, the rising health consciousness among consumers has driven the adoption of hemp seeds as a nutritious and natural supplement, bolstering the market's growth prospects. This increasing demand for plant-based products and the rising health consciousness among consumers can provide lucrative opportunities for Hemp, Inc. to strategically align its hemp seed products with these growing consumer preferences. Moreover, with a clear segmentation of the market based on source, form, packaging, application, and distribution channels, Hemp, Inc. gains the ability to optimize its already stellar lineup of CBD/CBG/CBN products. These products specifically include a CBD-CBG Topical Pain Relief Roll-on (an impressive, THC-free 1,460mg of CBD and 630mg of CBG for a whopping total of 2,090mg of cannabinoids in 5ml), CBD/CBG Natural Coffee Enhancers, CBD/CBG Tinctures, and, CBDa/CBGa/CBD/CBG/CBN Capsules. Armed with detailed profiles of key players, including potential competitors and collaborators, Hemp, Inc. can refine its market positioning and forge strategic partnerships to enhance not only its domestic reach but global reach too. With its strong foothold in the market and invaluable roster of manufacturers and vendors across the country and abroad, Hemp, Inc. has the capability to make and/or provide the raw materials to produce hemp-based products such as hempcrete, horse bedding, hemp bio-plastics, and more. The Company also discovered its grounded kenaf hemp blend makes the perfect substrate to grow healthy and/or medicinal mushrooms. Both of these are gaining unprecedented, meteoric growth curves and trending on an international scale. In a parallel development, FashionUnited reported that Textile Exchange released a groundbreaking report titled "Growing Hemp for the Future: A Global Fiber Guide" which underscores the unique potential for sustainable fiber hemp production systems and offers recommendations for a resilient future in the textile industry. It recognizes hemp's ability to enhance soil health, promote biodiversity, and achieve higher yields with minimal inputs. This report also emphasizes the importance of establishing hemp fiber standards from the ground up and highlights the need for comprehensive data to support sustainability claims and urges the sector to avoid hazardous pesticides and seek certification to organic and regenerative standards. Read more on this report here. Hemp, Inc. is committed to promoting eco-friendly practices and sustainability. The emphasis on enhancing soil health and promoting biodiversity aligns with Hemp, Inc.'s mission to prioritize environmentally responsible practices, resonating with consumers and investors who value sustainability. Moreover, the report's recommendation for establishing hemp fiber standards provides Hemp, Inc. with an opportunity to contribute to industry-wide best practices and set the bar for responsible hemp cultivation. By avoiding hazardous pesticides and seeking organic and regenerative certifications, Hemp, Inc. can demonstrate its commitment to producing high-quality, environmentally friendly hemp fiber products. More on Hemp, Inc.s Current Product Line The product line contains CBD, CBDA, CBG, CBGA, and CBN (non-psychoactive compounds found in cannabis plants). These are active ingredients in cannabis that are derived from the hemp plant, which is widely known for pain relief, relaxation, and anxiety relief. A recipe is only as good as its ingredients and how those ingredients are blended. Hemp, Inc. is the only company in America that uses pharmaceutical-grade beta-cyclodextrin (a carbohydrate used during the manufacturing process) which is combined with all the cannabinoids for rapid absorption and uptake. The Companys CBD, CBDA, CBG, CBGA, and CBN product lines are highly potent therapeutic doses that have received rave reviews. Hemp, Inc. has also pushed the boundaries with its CBD/CBG coffee enhancer. This powerhouse product is super potent, absorbs rapidly in coffee, and is 4 times more potent (at a fraction of the price) than other hemp-derived coffee enhancers currently on the market. Its high-quality ingredient combination offers 30 servings per bottle and contains a total of 10,000mg of cannabinoids (7,500mg CBD and 2,500mg CBG) in an MCT oil base. Per serving, thats 250mg CBD and 83mg CBG remarkably mixed in a wonderfully rich cup of coffee. The CBD/CBG coffee enhancer comes in plain (natural) and vanilla flavors. The plain (natural) coffee enhancer is available now and the vanilla flavor will be available by the end of this month. A single container (7-day supply) retails for $27.95 and a bottle (30-day supply) retails for $99.95. Wholesale bulk orders are single-use packages, available through select restaurants. For more information on Hemp, Inc.s products, click here. Catch up on Hemp, Inc.s latest news below. Hemp, Inc. Reports: Hemp Recognized as Specialty Crop with US Department of Agriculture Significant Increase in Revenue Proving 2023 to be a Banner Year for Hemp, Inc. Hemp, Inc. Reports: Industrial Hemp Act 2023 New Look, New Feel for Hemp, Inc.s Hempinc.com Hemp Inc.s Year-to-Date Sales Increase 315% Over Last Year Hemp Inc. Reports Third Quarter Results and Removal of Yield Sign Hemp Inc. Reveals Stunning Results of its Hemp Research Hempcrete Approved for U.S. Residential Construction Hemp Inc. See Significant Increase in Revenue Over the Last 3 Quarters Hemp, Inc. Offers CBD-CBG Topical Pain Relief Roll-On Hemp, Inc.s Chief Visionary Consultant Bruce Perlowin Brings Opportunity to Hemp, Inc. (August 8, 2022) Hemp Inc.s CBDA and CBGA Products on Sale Now (July 19, 2022) Hemp Inc.s Chief Visionary Consultant Bruce Perlowin talks with Stock Day podcast about Hemp Inc.s super potent line of CBD/CBG/CBN Products (July 7, 2022) Healthy Products for Healthy Living: A Look into Hemp, Inc.s Pure, Premium, and Potent CBD and Wellness Products (June 16, 2022) Hemp, Inc. Releases New High Potency CBD/CBG Vanilla Flavored Coffee Enhancer (June 9, 2022) Hemp, Inc.s King of Hemp CBD-CBG-CBN Natural Sleep Aid Capsules in Stock and On Sale (May 26, 2022) King of Hemp Natural and Vanilla-Flavored CBD/CBG Super Tinctures Now in Stock (May 12, 2022) About Hemp, Inc. With more than 14 years of experience in growing and processing hemp in North America, Hemp, Inc. has an established network of industry professionals in every segment of the industrial hemp industry. Its mission of providing green solutions that help make the world a better place continues to flourish as the company advances an ever-growing portfolio of revenue and value-generating synergistic businesses. Hemp may be the salvation in retooling America for greener, more sustainable domestic manufacturing. The Company will continue to keep its shareholders up to date on all pertinent material events, product releases, production plans, and inventory availability. Those interested in distributing on a large-scale basis should email [email protected] or call 877-436-7564 for more information. The entire product line includes tinctures, gummies, capsules, and edibles in a variety of sizes, potencies, flavors, and formulas with a future focus on healthy foods for healthy living. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires issuers to provide adequate current information. Financials for Hemp, Inc. are listed on the OTC Exchange. More information can also be found on the Hemp, Inc. website by visiting www.hempinc.com/financial-disclosures/. The material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Contact: Hemp, Inc. Investor Relations (855) 436-7688 [email protected] View the original release on www.newmediawire.com SARAJEVO (Reuters) - The largest party representing North Macedonia's ethnic Albanian minority offered to pull its ministers from the government to meet a demand from the opposition to clear the way for European Union membership talks. The Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) said the resignations of its ministers would come into effect only if the main opposition nationalist VMRO-DPMNE votes for constitutional changes to recognise a Bulgarian minority, as demanded by Bulgaria to allow the country to join the EU. Last year, North Macedonia's parliament passed a French-brokered deal aimed at settling a dispute with Bulgaria which had vetoed Macedonian-EU talks. Bulgaria lifted the veto on condition that North Macedonia amends its constitution to recognise a Bulgarian minority. The opposition protested against the deal, arguing that it should include a requirement that Bulgaria recognise the Macedonian language. Bulgarians and ethnic Macedonians speak similar languages, and both communities are highly sensitive about laws recognising them as distinct nationalities. A two-thirds majority is needed in the North Macedonian parliament to change the constitution. Last month, the VMRO-DPMNE told the government it would support the constitutional changes if DUI left the government, a new government coalition including the opposition parties was formed, and a new election scheduled. "Conscious of the hopes and goals/dreams of citizens to one day become part of the big European family, ..., we, the ministers and government officials from the ranks of the Democratic Union for Integration, resign from the functions we currently carry out," the DUI said in a letter to Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski published by local media. "Resignations, Mr. Prime Minister, will automatically take effect the moment the opposition votes on the constitutional amendments," the letter concluded. There was no immediate reaction from the government. The VMRO-DPMNE said in a statement that the DUI needed to leave the government as soon as possible and a new election be organised. It did not address the demand that it first vote to support the constitutional changes. North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership for 17 years but approval for talks was first blocked by Greece and then by Bulgaria. EU membership talks and reforms could take years, EU officials have said. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci and Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Peter Graff) AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Three people were injured in a shooting Saturday night during a summer carnival in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, police said in a statement. Police fired several shots at a shooter, it said. The victims and the shooter were taken to hospital. Their conditions were unknown. A shooting took place earlier in the day during the same event, police said in a separate statement. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Daniel Wallis) PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. Not long ago, Marine Col. Jennifer Nash, a combat engineer with war deployments under her belt, made a vow to fellow officers as they headed to a dinner in Atlanta: She would get two new recruiting contacts by the end of the evening. She admits recruiting is not the job that she or other Marines had in mind when they enlisted. But after stints as a recruiter and senior officer at the Eastern recruiting command, she has become emblematic of the Corps' tradition of putting its best, battle-tested Marines on enlistment duty. They get results. Marine leaders say they will make their recruiting goal this year, while the active-duty Army, Navy and Air Force all expect to fall short. The services have struggled in the tight job market to compete with higher-paying businesses for the dwindling number of young people who can meet the military's physical, mental and moral standards. On that night, Nash achieved her own goal. She had gotten the valet at the hotel and the hostess at the restaurant to provide their phone numbers and to consider a Marine career. Nash's boss, Brig. Gen. Walker Field, who head the Eastern recruiting region, says the Corps has historically put an emphasis on selecting top-performing Marines to fill recruiting jobs. He says that has been a key to the Marines' recruiting success, along with efforts to increase the number of recruiters, extend those who do well and speed their return to high schools, where in-person recruiting stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said his recruiters who cover the territory between Canada and Puerto Rico and as far west as Mississippi will meet their mission and expect to have 30% of their 2024 goal when they start the next fiscal year, Oct. 1. More broadly, Marine officials say they expect the Corps to achieve its recruiting target of more than 33,000. Last year, the Navy, Air Force and Marines had to eat into their pools of delayed entry applicants in order to make their goals. The Marines will avoid that this year. "That would be a great ending," said Field, speaking to The Associated Press on a recent steamy day at South Carolina's Parris Island, along the Atlantic Coast. "I'm bearish for not only concluding FY23 on a strong footing, but also how we set the conditions for FY24." The Marine Corps may get some help from its small size. The Army, for example, has a recruiting goal of 65,000 this year, which is nearly double the Corps', and expects to fall substantially short of that. Air Force and Navy officials say they will also miss their goals, although the Space Force, which is the smallest service and does its recruiting within Air Force stations, is expected to meet its goal of about 500 recruits. Sitting in the shadow of Parris Island's replica of the Iwo Jima monument, Field said his biggest challenge is that a number of Marine hopefuls cannot pass the military's academic test, known as the Armed Services Voluntary Aptitude Battery. That is a widespread problem, but the Army recently set up a program that targets recruits who score below 30 on the test and provides schooling for several weeks to help them pass. Already more than 8,800 recruits have successfully gone through the classes, raised their scores and moved on to basic training. The Navy is taking another route with a pilot program that allows up to 20% of their recruits to score below 30 on the test, as long as they meet specific standards for their chosen naval job. Marine leaders, however, do not take those lowest scoring recruits, and so far have no plans for any type of formal improvement program such as the Army's. Field said the Marines are repositioning recruiting stations, moving them around based on where population totals have increased in the latest census. More important, he said, the Corps maintains its focus on choosing the right recruiters, encouraging successful ones to stay in the job and increasing the number of Marine reservists tapped for recruit duties from the current 31 to 96 by the end of next year. Nash, who until last month was assistant chief of staff for the Eastern region, said Marines are hand-selected for recruiting command jobs. Many three- and four-star Marines, including former Defense Secretary James Mattis, will cite their years doing enlistment duty. "We put our best and brightest in those positions," said Nash, adding that those chosen for recruiting posts have a proven track record of success in previous assignments and have demonstrated critical leadership skills. "That's why they got selected, because they were above their peers." She acknowledged that the first time she was picked for a recruiting job she was "voluntold." But now, recounting her sales pitch in Atlanta, her rapid fire pitch comes without taking a breath. "I say, 'Hey, ever thought about being Marine? We're a bunch of Marines. And, you know, I think you potentially could be a good Marine. You ever thought about it?' And usually you get, 'Yeah, I thought about it.' And I'm, like, 'What's holding you back? Would you like to learn more about your opportunities?' 'Absolutely.' `OK. Mind giving me your name and phone number? I'll have one of my recruiters give you a phone call.'" The Marines have resisted increasing bonuses to attract recruits something the other services have found helpful. Gen. Eric Smith, the acting Marine Corps commandant, got some ribbing for his response when he was asked about bonuses during a naval conference in February. "Your bonus is you get to call yourself a Marine," he said. "That's your bonus, right? There's no dollar amount that goes with that." Field, Nash and others also say the Corps prefers to give a lot of recruits a few thousand dollars, rather than increasing the amount and giving money to far fewer people. Field said that getting Marine recruiters in uniform back into high schools this year, after several years of COVID-19 restrictions, has been a key driver. There, young people line up to compete in pull-up contests, vying for a free T-shirt if they can do 20. And recruiters say many are drawn to the cache of being a Marine. "If you told me you'll give me $10 million worth of advertising and I can do something with it, or you'll give me 10 great-looking Marines in a Marine uniform what's going to get the most value? Give me those 10 Marines and give me a day," Nash said. "We'll go out and we'll get more out of that, I think, than $10 million in advertising." Lavias Liverpool Future: An Inside Look Liverpool is in hot pursuit of Romeo Lavia, the 19-year-old midfield sensation from Southampton. With Jurgen Klopp at the helm and a midfield exodus that has seen stalwarts like Jordan Henderson leave for pastures new, the chase for Lavia is on, and Liverpool seems to be leading the race. Romeo Lavia remains Liverpools key midfield target as Jurgen Klopp aims to sign the Southampton star in light of Jordan Hendersons move to Saudi Arabia. Lavias impressive performances for Southampton have attracted attention from major Premier League sides including Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal. However, with Chelsea shifting focus and Liverpools persistent interest, the race seems to be narrowing down. The Premier Leagues Most-Wanted: Interest from Top Clubs The 19-year-olds prowess on the pitch has seen his name linked with some of the Premier Leagues biggest teams since Southamptons relegation. Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have all expressed interest in Lavia in recent months, but it seems as though Chelsea and Liverpool are the only clubs still in the race to sign him. Chelseas attention has been divided, with their summer fixated on Moises Caicedo, and now having agreed a deal for Stade Rennais midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu. This situation leaves Liverpool in a prime position for signing Lavia, although, according to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea is not completely out of the race. Liverpools Midfield Conundrum: Departures and Arrivals Liverpools midfield has seen significant changes this window, with the departure of Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Even Fabinhos future looks uncertain. However, despite Liverpools strong standing, Lavia might need to think twice about moving to Anfield this summer. Who should Lavia join? Data analytics from SciSports present Liverpool as not the best fit for the Belgian. Using a complex algorithm encompassing potential development, formation, playing time and playing style, the Career Advice tool ranks Liverpool joint-10th as a suitable destination for Lavia, with Roma and Southampton leading the race. Chelsea scores 75/100 on the suitability index, same as Borussia Dortmund. Interestingly, Wolves are ranked higher than Liverpool, despite the departures of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves this window. Conclusion: Klopp, Liverpool, and Lavias Dilemma Jurgen Klopps Liverpool is keen on filling the void left in midfield. Yet, the suitability for Lavia is questioned due to the formation and chances of regular play. Lavias decision is poised to be one of the summers biggest talking points. Only time will reveal if the Belgian finds his way to Anfield, or if Klopps tactics change to fit the emerging star. TULAROSA, N.M. A strong rumble woke 13-year-old Lucy Benavidez Garwood in the darkness, shaking the three-room adobe house where she and her family lived and rattling dishes in the kitchen cupboard. Neighbors who gathered that morning agreed it must have been an earthquake. They learned the truth several weeks later when U.S. forces attacked Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The atomic bombs dropped on the two cities had been developed in Tularosas own backyard that pre-dawn test blast jolting communities across southern New Mexico, shooting a mushroom cloud 10 miles into the sky, then raining radioactive ash on thousands of unsuspecting residents. What happened here in the aftermath, surviving "downwinders" and their relatives say, is a legacy of serious health consequences that have gone unacknowledged for 78 years. Their struggles continue to be pushed aside; the new blockbuster film "Oppenheimer," which spotlights the scientist most credited for the bomb, ignores completely the people who lived in the shadow of his test site. Yet for all their ambivalence about the movie's fanfare the northern New Mexico city of Los Alamos, where J. Robert Oppenheimer located the Manhattan Project, just threw a 10-day festival to celebrate its place in history locals also have hope that the Hollywood glow may elevate their long quest to be added to a federal program that compensates people sickened by presumed exposure to radiation from aboveground nuclear tests. "They were counting on us to be unsophisticated and uneducated and unable to stick up for ourselves," said Tina Cordova, a Tularosa native who for 18 years has led the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, which she co-founded after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer. "We're not those people anymore." The Trinity site, about 60 miles northwest of tiny Tularosa, was chosen in part for its supposed isolation. Nearly half a million people lived within a 150-mile radius, though. Manhattan Project leaders knew a nuclear test would put them at risk, but with the nation at war, secrecy was the priority. Evacuation plans were never acted upon. The military concocted a cover story: The boom was an explosion of an ammunitions magazine. "I feel like we weren't valued," said Garwood, now 91, with a family tree scarred by cancers. "Like they didn't value our lives or our culture." The July 16, 1945, blast was more massive than Oppenheimer and his fellow scientists expected, equivalent to nearly 25,000 tons of TNT, according to recent estimates. Witnesses said the plutonium ash fell for days, on areas where people grew their own food, drank rainwater collected in cisterns and cooled off in irrigation canals that made the arid region fertile. Jimmy Villavicencio was 4 years old when the bomb detonated near his home in Oscura, a railroad camp to the east. He was outside helping his mother and a neighbor do laundry in the cool before sunrise. "I looked over to a big old cloud, what my mother called a tsunami," Villavicencio, another cancer survivor, recalled several days ago. His mother frantically removed the wet clothes from the line and hung the pillowcases in the windows to protect their home from the incoming dust. "We heard like a gush of wind, and right behind it came the dirt, and I mean dirt." The debris caked the pillowcases. A powder coated their car. Long after the seeming storm had settled, "snowflakes kept falling," he said. Weeks later, a neighbor's chickens began dying. "We are still paying the price," he added. According to a new study, the fallout floated to 46 states, Mexico and Canada within 10 days. In 28 of 33 New Mexico counties, it estimates the accumulation of radioactive material was higher than required under the federal compensation program. That program the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990 has paid out more than $2.5 billion to people who lived downwind of dozens of aboveground explosions conducted starting in the 1950s at the Nevada Test Site, as well as uranium industry workers and "on-site participants" at the Trinity test. New Mexico civilians have never been eligible. New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R) of Idaho have pressed for years to expand RECA to include people who lived in their and other states during test periods. On Thursday, the Senate took up the amendment for the first time and passed it. Approval by the House remains uncertain, with some members contending the cost is too high. The program will expire next May without further action. "This is a historic victory," Lujan said in an interview after the vote, which he attributed in part to the success of "Oppenheimer" and its scenes in New Mexico. "Any time there's more stories being told, more information being shared, it educates all of us." Proving that radiation caused the cancers that have afflicted New Mexico's downwinders is extremely difficult. A major study published in 2020 by the National Cancer Institute concluded that Trinity fallout may contribute to as many as 1,000 cancers by 2034, most in people who lived very near the test. There is "no evidence to suggest" cases among subsequent generations were related, the study noted. But RECA does not require claimants to establish causation, only to show that they or a relative had a qualifying disease after working or living in certain locations during specific time frames. "Why is our suffering different?" asks Bernice Gutierrez, who was born eight days after the test. She lived in Carrizozo, directly east of the Trinity site. She, her eldest son and daughter and 20 other family members have battled cancer, she said. "What has made us different than the other people given compensation?" To many here, scientific proof is unnecessary. They say the evidence is clear in their family albums, at town gatherings and funerals. "The Durans. The Chavezes. I mean, you go down the road, and I could tell you this one, this one, this one," said Garwood's daughter, Doris Walters, 68. She became active with the downwinders consortium after her own breast cancer diagnosis. "You knock on the door, they would say, 'Yes, cancer affected me or my family.'" The group has collected about 1,000 family health histories from people in the area and found new supporters along the way. Edna Kay Hinkle is one. Her father grew up on a ranch 27 miles from the Trinity site and was 14 when the explosion woke him as he slept on the front porch. A few years later, he, his brother and their wives - all young newlyweds - walked around the site. The gate was wide open. They picked up all this melted sand, all this glass, took it home and had it in the kitchen floor by the door, Hinkle said. A decade ago, she was selling vegetables at the Tularosa farmer's market when a consortium leader approached and asked her to make a list of everyone she knew who were sick or had died of cancer. Hinkle, who had recently learned she had breast cancer, figured the effort wouldn't go anywhere. Then she started her list, and "it dawned on me," she said. All four of the newlyweds who'd explored the site had cancer. So did 25 other relatives from her grandparents' generation on. A cousin had been born with no eyes and later suffered ovarian cancer. Though Tularosa has grown some in the ensuing years, its population remains only a couple thousand. Adobe houses line its still and sunbaked streets. Pecan and pistachio orchards grow just outside of town. Hinkle never considered leaving; she raises horses, cattle and vegetables she thought were the cleanest she could eat until she began wondering whether they were affected by contaminated soil. She has no plans to sit through "Oppenheimer." Any glorification of the bomb, she said, "ticks me off." Garwood and Walters decided to see the movie on its opening weekend in nearby Alamogordo, where the drone of jets from Holloman Air Force Base is everyday background noise. The older woman found herself overcome by memories of an era infused with a sense of patriotism and fears for her father, who was serving in Europe. Her daughter kept thinking about the multiple meanings of the word "trinity." "Every day, I get someone on my prayer list that is suffering from cancer, and I think of the father, son, and holy spirit," Walters said. The downwinders are trying to seize the moment. In Santa Fe, Cordova attended an "Oppenheimer" screening with others from the consortium and participated in a panel discussion on the broader legacy of the Manhattan Project. "To say that this is an emotionally charged issue in which the government has failed to serve its own citizens, and whose protection is its moral imperative, is an understatement," Archbishop John C. Wester told the audience. Well into the film, Cordova began sobbing as the test bomb was detonated in an apocalyptic inferno. She was thinking of her father, grandmothers and great-grandfathers, who she said all succumbed to cancer, and what others have shared about the actual event, when "they thought they were experiencing the end of the world." She wished the movie included even a few words at the end about how local communities were forever changed by what took place. But emails she received over the weekend, from people who had just gone to "Oppenheimer," lifted her spirits. "Whether the [filmmakers] acknowledge us or not, what's going to happen is people are going to watch the movie, they're going to be affected, and they're going to go home and Google search," Cordova said. "And they're going to find us." WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (Tribune News Service) The USS Indianapolis carried nearly 1,200 souls when Japanese torpedoes ripped into its starboard side 78 years ago, just after midnight on July 30, 1945. Among them was Navy Signalman First Class Maryian J. Wojciechowski, a 25-year-old from Scranton and veteran of about 15 major World War II naval engagements and operations. Also aboard the doomed vessel was 22-year-old Seaman First Class Donald A. Eyet of Falls, who planned to use his Navy money to buy the farm next to his father's homestead after the war. They never saw home again. The Indianapolis sank in about 12 minutes. Whether Wojciechowski and Eyet went down with the heavy cruiser immediately or escaped alongside some 900 crew members into the shark-infested waters of the Philippine Sea, where a waking nightmare would unfold over the coming days, remains unclear. "Sometimes you're better off not knowing what happened," Eyet's nephew, 66-year-old Falls-resident David Turk said last week. Navy command learned of the ship's sinking on Aug. 2, 1945, when survivors adrift in the water for more than three days were spotted by aircraft and recovered. Only 316 hungry, dehydrated and sometimes delirious members of the crew survived the ordeal. Wojciechowski and Eyet weren't among them. To honor the sacrifice and memory of those lost, volunteers from the nonprofit Stories Behind the Stars recently wrote memorials for each of the 37 Pennsylvania sailors and marines who perished with the Indianapolis. The narratives read like brief encyclopedia entries, preserving for posterity a record of each man's life and service in the context of the Indianapolis tragedy. Other local lives lost with the Indianapolis include Yeoman First Class Homer Benton Stone, 24, Montrose, Susquehanna County; Electrician's Mate Second Class Charles Norman Everett, 23, Effort, Monroe County; Machinist's Mate Third Class Emerson David Luhman, 22, Weatherly, Carbon County; Fireman Second Class Scott Albert Johnston, 25, Athens, Bradford County; and Seaman First Class Raymond A. Mehlbaum, 30, Ashland, Schuylkill County. "To me, when I'm looking at each one of these guys, each one has a different story," said Kathy Harmon, the nonprofit's volunteer Pennsylvania state director. "They have a different background, where they came from, family that they left behind. Whether they volunteered to get into the service or were drafted, they just all ended up there together." Wojciechowski, a graduate of Scranton Technical High School, enlisted in the Navy in October 1940. He was aboard the USS Nevada when that battleship ran aground during Japan's surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, according to newspaper records and his Stories Behind the Stars tribute, and was transferred to the Indianapolis shortly thereafter. The 9/11 Memorial Committee of Lackawanna County, which erected in 2017 a Pearl Harbor memorial plaque at Courthouse Square in Scranton, was not aware of Wojciechowski's service there when notified by The Sunday Times last week. The memorial has been updated since its unveiling and currently includes the names of 158 Lackawanna County veterans, or those with county roots, who were present at Pearl Harbor and the surrounding bases the morning of the Japanese strike. It will eventually include Wojciechowski's name as well. "We will order a nameplate and we will add our North Scranton hero to that list," 9/11 Memorial Committee Chairman Charlie Spano said. During the war, Wojciechowski married the widow Elizabeth Logan in Scranton on Nov. 16, 1944, though his married life was short-lived. His last visit home coincided with Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945, when America and its allies celebrated the capitulation of Nazi Germany and the end of the war in Europe. The Indianapolis and its crew would soon play a major role in ending the war in the Pacific. It set out from San Francisco on July 16, 1945, on a top-secret high speed run to the Northern Mariana island of Tinian. Aboard were core components of the atomic bomb "Little Boy," which the U.S. dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Aug. 6. The Indianapolis completed its mission and delivered the bomb components July 26, just days before meeting its demise. The torpedo attack, sinking and harrowing ordeal of the stranded sailors many whose lives were claimed by shark attacks was referenced in the 1975 film "Jaws." In a speech, shark hunter Quint, played by actor Robert Shaw, describes the horror of the sinking's aftermath. Eyet had about a week to get from his home in Falls to San Francisco before the Indianapolis departed. Turk, Eyet's nephew, said he had a bad feeling about going back. Turk's Exeter Twp. home sits catty-corner to the property where Eyet and his many siblings grew up. The border between Luzerne and Wyoming counties splits the homestead property, which still remains in the family. Last week, Turk spread out across his kitchen table a collection of photos of his late uncle. In one, Eyet stands with his parents shortly before boarding the bus that would take him from home for the last time. Among the photos was the original telegram, dated Aug. 12, 1945, that delivered devastating news that Eyet was missing in action. His body was never recovered. Eyet's death at sea weighed heavy on his father, Turk's grandfather, who died in 1974. "It bothered him every day," Turk recalled. "There was days when he called me Don instead of David." Despite his absence, "Uncle Don" remains a beloved figure in the family that's passed down his memory and story for generations. The biggest disservice one can do, Turk said, is not remember. "In our family ... we pass this on to all the kids," he said. "There's four and five generations now since my Uncle Don, and they all know about this and they're all interested, which is a great thing. We all should be that way." Framed in Eyet's former home is a document from President Harry Truman honoring his service. "He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live, and grow, and increase its blessings," it reads. "Freedom lives, and through it, he lives in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men." (c)2023 The Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) Visit at citizensvoice.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. NAIROBI, Kenya African leaders have left two days of meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin with little to show for their requests to resume a deal that kept grain flowing from Ukraine and to find a path to end the war there. Putin in a press conference late Saturday following the Russia-Africa summit said Russia's termination of the grain deal earlier this month caused a rise in grain prices that benefits Russian companies. He added that Moscow would share some of those revenues with the "poorest nations." That commitment, with no details, follows Putin's promise to start shipping 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain for free to each of six African nations in the next three to four months an amount dwarfed by the 725,000 tons shipped by the U.N. World Food Program to several hungry countries, African and otherwise, under the grain deal. Russia plans to send the free grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and Central African Republic. Fewer than 20 of Africa's 54 heads of state or government attended the Russia summit, while 43 attended the previous gathering in 2019, reflecting concerns over Russia's invasion of Ukraine even as Moscow seeks more allies on the African continent of 1.3 billion people. Putin praised Africa as a rising center of power in the world, while the Kremlin blamed "outrageous" Western pressure for discouraging some African countries from showing up. The presidents of Egypt and South Africa were among the most outspoken on the need to resume the grain deal. "We would like the Black Sea initiative to be implemented and that the Black Sea should be open," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said. "We are not here to plead for donations for the African continent." African leaders also called clearly for peace. "This war must end and it can only end on the basis of justice and reason," said the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat. "The disturbances that it causes in the supply of energy and grain must cease immediately" for the benefit of all, especially Africans. Putin said Russia would analyze African leaders' peace proposal for Ukraine, whose details have not been publicly shared. But the Russian leader asked: "Why do you ask us to pause fire? We can't pause fire while we're being attacked." The next significant step in peace efforts instead appears to be a Ukrainian-organized peace summit hosted by Saudi Arabia in August. Russia is not invited. Africa's nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations and have been more divided than any other region on General Assembly resolutions criticizing Russia's actions in Ukraine. Delegations at the summit in St. Petersburg roamed exhibits of weapons, a reminder of Russia's role as the top arms supplier to the African continent. But African nations need more concrete results from such meetings, the AU Commission head told the summit. "The trade balance between Russia and Africa, very unbalanced in favor of the first party, must be improved," Mahamat said. At the first Russia-Africa Summit in 2019, Putin vowed to double Russia's trade with the continent within five years. Instead, it has stalled at around $18 billion a year. In addition, "the strengthening of cooperation on peace and security and the fight against terrorism calls for more deeds and fewer declarations of intent," Mahamat said, while he and other African leaders were rushing to respond to a coup in Niger that could upend the regional response to a growing threat from Islamic extremist groups. Putin in his remarks on Saturday also downplayed his absence from the BRICS economic summit in South Africa next month amid a controversy over an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court. His presence there, Putin said, is not "more important than my presence here, in Russia." NIAMEY, Niger Thousands of people backing the coup in Niger marched through the streets of the capital denouncing France, the country's former colonial power, waving Russian flags, and setting a door at the French Embassy ablaze on Sunday before the army broke up the crowd. Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Russia's involvement in the rallies, if any, isn't clear but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading Down with France and supporting President Vladimir Putin of Russia. The Russian mercenary group Wagner is operating in neighboring Mali, and under Putin Russia has expanded its influence in West Africa. The new junta's leaders have not said whether they intend to ally themselves with Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners. French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated and anyone who attacks French citizens will see an immediate response. Niger, a French colony until 1960, had been seen as the West's last reliable partner battling jihadists in Africas Sahel region. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nations troops. At an emergency meeting Sunday, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorized the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued its own 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government. Shortly after the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Chadian President Mahamat Deby arrived in Niger to lead mediation efforts, according to the Chad state radio station. ECOWAS has struggled to make a definitive impact on the regions political crises in the past but Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Nigers first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday that they had deposed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the countrys new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africas Sahel region. Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew Bazoum because he wasnt able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that was a pretext for a takeover driven by internal power struggles. We couldnt expect a coup in Niger because theres no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power, Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Tchiani. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum's predecessor, and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. Niger's dire security situation is not as bad as that in neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Some taking part in Sunday's rally warned outside bodies to stay away. I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business, Oumar Barou Moussa said at the demonstration. Its time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. Its time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty." Niger has the most at stake of any country in the Sahel if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance it has received from abroad. On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic cooperation with the U.S. hinges on the release of Bazoum who remains under house arrest and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. Macron said he'd spoken to Bazoum and his predecessor on Sunday. On Saturday France suspended all development and financial aid to Niger. The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020. While the bloc has struggled to have much impact, the measures placed on Niger Sunday show the gravity of the situation, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute. The strenuous measures they have put in place or threatened to put in place show not only how seriously they are taking this crisis, but also the urgency the regional body and larger international community feel in trying to force a return to normal that will likely prove elusive, he said. The response from the bloc towards Niger differs from how it dealt with recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, which did not involve the threat of force if constitutional rule wasn't reinstated. In the last few decades it has sent troops into member countries a handful of times. In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war. In 2017 it intervened in The Gambia to prevent the new presidents predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Approximately 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues. Economic sanctions could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest U.N. data. The country relies on imports from Nigeria for up to 90% of its power, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The sanctions would suspend all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger. In a televised address Saturday, Col. Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a plan of aggression against Niger and said the country would defend itself. Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force, said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher in conflict resolution and peace missions at the Centre FrancoPaix. Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear." Associated Press reporters Angela Charlton in Paris, Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria, and Edouard Takadji in NDjamena, Chad, contributed. An American woman and her child were allegedly kidnapped near Haiti's capital city on Thursday, according to the nonprofit organization she works for. The woman, Alix Dorsainvil, 31, is from New Hampshire but lives in the Caribbean nation and is married to the organization's director, Sandro Dorsainvil. El Roi Haiti Outreach International, a faith-focused humanitarian group, announced the kidnapping of a staff member Thursday. On Saturday, the organization identified her as Alix Dorsainvil and said the couple's child was also kidnapped. Dorsainvil is the organization's community health nurse. Dorsainvil and her child were taken from the organization's campus near Port-au-Prince "while serving in our community ministry" Thursday morning, according to a statement on El Roi Haiti's website. They remained missing Saturday. "Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family," the statement said. "Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus." On Thursday, the U.S. State Department ordered non-emergency U.S. government workers at the embassy in Port-au-Prince and diplomatic family members to evacuate and advised all American citizens in Haiti to leave. "We are aware of reports of the kidnapping of two U.S. citizens in Haiti," an unsigned email from the State Department's press office said Saturday. "We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners. We have nothing further to share at this time." Dorsainvil's father declined to comment, saying the family has been asked not to speak to the press during ongoing negotiations. The kidnapping comes amid what human rights advocates have said is a larger wave of abductions and killings in Haiti. The National Human Rights Defense Network warned of the surge two weeks ago, reporting that at least 40 people had been abducted and 75 killed from May 1 to July 12. Five days before Dorsainvil's kidnapping, Haitian journalist Blondine Tanis was kidnapped for ransom, abducted as she was arriving home after leaving the radio station where she works, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported. In July 2021, Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated; the next month, an earthquake devastated a large swath of the country. Kidnappings surged after the quake, and gangs amassed power through violence in the two years since Moise's killing. As the international community has struggled to address rising gang violence in Haiti, Kenya announced Saturday that it would lead a multinational police force to "help train and assist Haitian police restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations." The announcement ended an eight-month search for a country willing to accept leadership of such a force, requested in October by Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry. International officials have estimated up to 10,000 personnel would be required, drawn from law enforcement - rather than military forces - in other countries. Kenya committed 1,000 personnel, and several Caribbean countries have indicated they would contribute. Other countries are also expected to send law enforcement officials. Unlike a United Nations peacekeeping force, the multinational group does not require U.N. Security Council approval. But Kenya indicated that it would seek a council mandate. Kenya also said it would send a police "assessment mission" to Haiti "within the next few weeks" to "inform and guide the mandate and operational requirements" of the deployment. The State Department's travel advisory on Thursday warned Americans not to go to Haiti due to "kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure." The Caribbean nation has been plagued by violence and unrest, is experiencing shortages of gasoline and medical supplies, and has an ongoing cholera outbreak, according to the U.S. government. Last week, those at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti were already under orders not to leave and were prohibited "from walking in Port-au-Prince." The State Department ordered U.S. personnel not to use public transportation or taxis, visit banks, use ATMs, drive at night or travel anywhere without prior approval. "U.S. citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible," the advisory reads. The State Department also warned that kidnappers use sophisticated methods, often demand ransom and sometimes physically harm their targets. "Kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens," the travel advisory says. Dorsainvil "has been living and working in Haiti for some time now," El Roi president and co-founder Jason Brown said in an email. "Our team at El Roi Haiti is grateful for the outpouring of prayers, care, and support for our colleague. We continue to work with our partners and trusted relationships to secure their safe return." She graduated from Regis College, a small private university in Weston, Mass., with a bachelor's degree in nursing in 2014, the school said. Antoinette Hays, the school's president, said in an interview Regis has run programs in Haiti for more than a decade. While the school does not send undergraduate students there, Hays said she was unsurprised Dorsainvil chose to work in the country given Regis's ties there. A photo on El Roi's site appears to show Sandro and Alix Dorsainvil with their arms around each other, green hills in the background. "My name is Alix. I'm a nurse from New Hampshire, but now I live in Haiti," Dorsainvil says in a video about her work on the organization's website. "Sandro invited me to come to the school to do some nursing for some of the kids. He said that was a big need they had." Sandro Dorsainvil, El Roi's director, grew up in Port-au-Prince in poverty, secured a degree in developmental psychology and biblical counseling and began working with El Roi ministries, which include religious, literacy and vocational programs for children and adults, according to the organization's website. He graduated from Lustre Christian High School in Montana in 2014. A 2021 alumni newsletter from the school reported that the couple were married in January 2021, were working at El Roi and had adopted one son while fostering two girls. In a video of their wedding posted to YouTube, the couple exchanged vows that often referenced their shared Christian faith and the depth of their relationship. "There is no life that I'd like to live without you by my side," Sandro Dorsainvil said, standing next to the bride in front of a wooden cross adorned with white flowers. "It is my honor and my utmost blessing to seek God with you by my side forever." In her vows, Alix said, "It's been an amazing journey doing life in Haiti with you and watching the Lord work miracles before our eyes." Michael Birnbaum, Helier Cheung, Karen DeYoung and Widlore Merancourt contributed to this report. The Washington Post's Michael Birnbaum, Helier Cheung, Karen DeYoung and Widlore Merancourt contributed to this report. BELGRADE, Serbia Pro-democracy Russians in Serbia protested Sunday after two prominent anti-war activists and critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin said they faced problems with entry and residence permits in the Balkan country. Several dozen activists held banners reading "We came to live in peace" and "I love Serbia and I want safe and happy life here," as they gathered at a central square in Belgrade, the Serbian capital. The rally came days after Serbian police refused to extend a residency permit for Vladimir Volokhonski and weeks after another prominent activist, Peter Nikitin, spent more than one day at the Belgrade airport because of an entry ban, according to the two activists. Serbia's authorities have cited unspecified security concerns in both cases, they said. There was no immediate response to an email request for comment from police by The Associated Press. "We are here today to protest against the pressure ... Russian antiwar activists (have been) experiencing here in Serbia recently," Nikitin said. "None of us understand how anything we do can threaten national security of Serbia ... we have no idea what's next." About 200,000 Russian citizens are believed to have fled to Serbia since the start of the invasion of Ukraine as the fellow Slavic nation does not require visas for Russians. The Balkan nation has maintained friendly relations with Russia and has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow, despite condemning its invasion of Ukraine. Serbian authorities have not commented on either Nikitin's or the case of Volokhonski. Nikitin and Volokhonski both have been active in organizing protests against the invasion of Ukraine and Putin's crackdown on political opponents. The two formed the Russian Democratic Society in Serbia, which gathers democracy-minded Russians in the Balkan country. Volokhonski said he believed the refusal by the authorities to extend his stay in Serbia "is connected to our activities is Serbia, our Russian Democratic Society events here, or our activities to help Ukraine, to support our political prisoners in Russia." The United States recently imposed sanctions against Serbia's pro-Russia intelligence chief, Aleksandar Vulin, accusing him of crimes and corruption. Serbian media have reported that Vulin wiretapped a Russian opposition meeting in Belgrade in 2021, which he has denied. Nikitin said many Russian fellow-activists residing in Serbia have been travelling over the summer and they too could face problems upon return. He adds that "that is why we felt it is important to come out and draw attention to this." DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia's war on the country, officials said Sunday. The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said one official, who spoke early Sunday on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Russia was not invited, the official added. Hours later, the head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andriy Yermak, confirmed the talks would be held in Saudi Arabia, without naming Jeddah as the location. "The Ukrainian Peace Formula contains 10 fundamental points, the implementation of which will not only ensure peace for Ukraine, but also create mechanisms to counter future conflicts in the world," Yermak said in a statement. "We are deeply convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis, because the war is taking place on our land." Yermak;s statement described the 10 points as being "discussed individually and in groups with representatives of more than 50 countries on an almost weekly basis." Previously, Ukraine has described the 10-point peace formula as including the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine. Other peace plans have been floated amid the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin just finished meetings in St. Petersburg with African leaders about their own proposed plan. China and Pope Francis also been working separately on their own. No details of those plans have been released. Saudi Arabia did not acknowledge the upcoming summit Sunday and did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, the official who spoke to AP said. A high-level official from U.S. President Joe Biden's administration also is expected to attend the event, which is being planned by Kyiv, the official said. Details remain in flux and the official did not offer dates for the talks, nor did Yermak. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the summit citing diplomats involved in the discussion, said the talks would take place Aug. 5 and 6, with some 30 countries attending. News of the summit comes after U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited the kingdom Thursday. The official who spoke to AP said the summit would be the next step after talks that took place in Copenhagen in June. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended an Arab League summit in Jeddah in May to press those nations to back Kyiv. Arab nations largely have remained neutral since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022, in part over their military and economic ties to Moscow. Saudi Arabia also has maintained a close relationship with Russia as part of the OPEC+ group. The organizations oil production cuts, even as Moscows war on Ukraine boosted energy prices, have angered Biden and American lawmakers. But hosting such talks also help raise the profile of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has sought to reach a detente with Iran and push for a peace in the kingdom's yearslong war in Yemen. Ties remain strained between Riyadh and the West over the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, which U.S. intelligence agencies say was ordered by Prince Mohammed. For Ukraine, the talks coincide with its efforts to beef up its security posture. Yermak also said Sunday that Ukraine will begin talks with the United States next week on a bilateral agreement on security guarantees. He said the talks stem from a declaration by leaders of the Group of 7 nations earlier this month laying the groundwork for each nation to negotiate agreements to help Ukraine bolster its military. Yermak said Ukraine is looking for specific and long-term commitments that will ensure Ukraines ability to win now and deter Russian aggression in the future. U.S. officials had not confirmed the negotiations. Madhani reported from Rehoboth Beach, Del. Associated Press writer Andrew Katell in New York contributed to this report. (Tribune News Service) Donald Trumps political action committee spent $40.2 million on legal costs in the first half of 2023 to defend the former president, his advisers and others, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The political group, Save America, is set to disclose the figure in a filing on Monday, said the people, who asked not to be identified before the information is released. The figure is substantial enough that the PAC has requested a refund on a $60 million contribution it made to another group supporting Trump, and signals a potential money crisis for the campaign, the New York Times reported late Saturday. The disclosure is set to come as Trump, whos leading polls for the 2024 Republican nomination, braces for yet another indictment, this time in Special Counsel Jack Smiths probe into the aftermath of the 2020 election and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Hes already been indicted in a federal case over his handling of classified documents and in New York state court where he faces charges over alleged hush money payments to an adult film star. Trump was hit Thursday with new obstruction charges in the criminal case over classified documents, including allegations that he and two employees tried to delete surveillance footage at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The campaign of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose standing in GOP primary polls has been dropping, criticized the spending. Communications director Andrew Romeo said the legal expenses wouldnt help Republicans retake the White House. Trump has spent over $60 million on 2 things: falsely attacking DeSantis and paying his own legal fees, not a cent on defeating Biden, Romeo posted on X, formerly Twitter. Trump isnt turning down anyone ensnared in his legal troubles seeking help, particularly those who cant afford the expense, people close to him said. 2023 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Drug smuggler stripped naked on the street during a fight with his pal Sam Mooney snaps himself in the nip; he stripped naked during a fight with an associate THIS is the Irishman who told Australian cops he had something up [his] arse before being caught trying to smuggle cocaine in Kinder Surprise capsules he had inserted into himself. Sam Mooney (28), from Ballinteer, south Dublin, was jailed for three years and three months on Wednesday after pleading guilty to smuggling 100g of the drugs into Melbourne Airport last December. Mooney previously hit the headlines in Ireland after gardai had to call for back-up when he and a close associate, stripped completely naked in public after a street brawl before telling officers theyd kick their heads in while punching, spitting and kicking a garda car. Gardai were so concerned for their safety that they had to pull back and wait for reinforcements, before arresting the pair, who had been fighting with each other. Mooney and his associate were known to gardai at the time. His associate, who cant be named as he is currently before the courts, had been caught transporting a handgun in Tallaght in 2014 and later told detectives he was doing it because of a drug debt. Sam Mooney was stopped by cops at Melbourne airport Mooney, who refers to himself as The Don, also told Australian police that he was smuggling the cocaine into Australia because of a 13,000 drug debt in Ireland. He was facing drugs charges in Ireland when he travelled Down Under and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to turn up in court here after being arrested in Australia. Mooney, who previously spent time in Australia in 2017, flew into Melbourne from the Middle East on December 28 and told border force officials that he was on a 10-day trip to visit pals, but his luggage was swabbed and came back positive for cocaine. A search of his luggage did not find any cocaine. The Melbourne Herald Sun newspaper reported that Mooney was then passed on to Australian Federal Police who took him to hospital for medical scans to see if he was carrying drugs inside his body. While he was being transferred, Mooney told officers Ive got something up my arse. He excreted five yellow Kinder Surprise capsules filled with cocaine before telling officers he had one more inside which came out a short time later. The drugs weighed a total of around 100g. His lawyer told the court that Mooney had problems with drug addiction and an impulsiveness as a result of an acquired brain injury from a serious assault. Mooney spent two weeks in an induced coma after suffering serious head injuries in that assault in August 2017. However, he had shown serious signs of his impulsive behaviour well before that assault. Gardai were called to Broadford Walk in Ballinteer on January 17, 2016 after he and his associate were involved in a violent bust-up outside Mooneys home. When gardai arrived at 11.25am that morning they found a trail of blood which led to a house and when they approached the property on foot, the pair, who were soaked in blood and high on drugs and alcohol, came running out at them and threatened them. Sam Mooney snaps himself in the nip; he stripped naked during a fight with an associate The officers retreated as the pair came at them and started kicking, punching and spitting at the patrol car, while shouting they would kick your heads in. They then stripped completely naked and gardai were so concerned about their behaviour that they moved away from the immediate vicinity while waiting for back-up to arrive. When more gardai arrived, Sam ran back towards to the house while his associate picked up a flower pot and threw it at officers. Both men were eventually arrested and Mooney received a 14-month suspended sentence while his associate received a one year suspended sentence. Both were already known to gardai at the time. Mooney had four previous convictions for offences including affray and threatening and abusive behaviour. His associate had more than a dozen convictions, including one for possession of a firearm which gardai found when they stopped a vehicle he was in after seeing him throwing a latex glove out the window. The associate was caught with the Webley and Scott revolver at the Tallaght bypass in 2014. He claimed he was transporting the weapon because he owed a 3,000 drug debt, but refused to say how much he was getting for it or who he was working for. The court heard his parents had struggled to control him as he was being negatively influence by a peer group. He was sentenced to three years but the judge suspended the sentence completely on the basis he would take up employment upon release. However, that man is now back before the courts on drugs and weapons charges. Mooneys father told Australian authorities this week that he would provide his son with a job in his milk delivery business if he stays drug free upon his release. Mooneys parents as well as his girlfriend travelled to Australia for his sentencing hearing. The judge described Mooney as a young man with a good family upbringing whos been undone by drug addiction. He sentenced him to three years and three months and with time served he will be eligible for supervised release from August next year. One of his brothers, Keith, was also described as coming from a respectable family when he was jailed for five years in 2018 after he bashed a man in the face with a rock, leaving him with multiple facial fractures and a dislocated eye socket. Keith Mooney carried out the brutal attack at St Endas Park, Rathfarnham on June 26, 2017 after interacting with the victim and then asking him for 20 but the victim said he didnt have the money. Keith then took out his penis and asked for 20 for that and the victim said please dont do that. Keith then punched the victim in the face a number of times before grabbing a rock and beating him multiple times in the head until he lost consciousness. The victim suffered fractured ribs, a dislocated eye socket, a broken cheek bone and required 35 stitches to his head after the attack. He was sentenced to five years but the final 18 months were suspended. Description The Farmingdale United Methodist Church, 407 Main Street, will welcome the Rev. John Calhoun on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at 9:30AM. Rev. Calhoun has been a missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church since 2000. He has served in Moscow for five years and in the Ukraine for eight years, and currently serves as the pastor of the English-speaking United Methodist Church of Vienna, Austria. The community is invited to hear him share his experiences. His majesty publishes 1,000 word manifesto on his plans for our kingdom and vows to win legal battle over speeding ticket 27/7/23 Driving Licence ID of King James Carey, of Preston Hill, Stamullen, Co. Meath pictured outside the Four Courts after a Circuit Civil Court hearing. Pic: IrishPhotoDesk.ie A man, who proclaimed himself the Sovereign King of Ireland during a failed court case yesterday vowed: I will win on appeal before he published online a 30-point, 1,070 word manifesto on future plans for his kingdom. Failed former council election candidate James Carey garnered headlines around the world on Thursday after he identified himself as His Majesty, the Sovereign King of Ireland while failing in his legal bid to have a speeding ticket thrown out. Undeterred by his failure, Carey from Preston Hill, Stamullen, Co Meath, who has been involved in several remarkable legal cases since first running for office in 2009 confirmed yesterday his intention to appeal. And, in his subsequently published manifesto, Carey, or Brehon King Ri James Patrick Lacey-Switzer Lindsay-Windsor Kenny-Carey as he likes to be referred to, said he intends to: Elevate Dublin to become the capital city of planet Earth; Have Dublin enter and command the space race with a view to space colonization; Defeat China; Quadruple garda wages and increase by 100,000pc the national garda budget. Carey came to prominence this week when he claimed a garda who issued him with a speeding ticket had no lawful right to do so, nor did the garda have a lawful right to approach him. Carey outside the Circuit Civil Court in Dublin Carey, who was ticketed for going five km/h over the limit, told Judge Martin Nolan he had been driving on one of his private highways when he was stopped. Carey additionally took issue with Bus Eireann after he was told by a driver that he and his dog could not board a bus after his car broke down. He said the bus was part of his privately-owned public bus fleet and said the driver had no jurisdiction in refusing him access. At the start of the hearing, Judge Nolan told Carey that there would be no representation on behalf of An Garda Siochana or Bus Eireann. Carey subsequently claimed that he was entitled to both orders he sought because of this. 27/7/23 Driving Licence ID of King James Carey, of Preston Hill, Stamullen, Co. Meath pictured outside the Four Courts after a Circuit Civil Court hearing. Pic: IrishPhotoDesk.ie Judge Nolan told Carey that there was no king of Ireland and that his proceedings disclosed no proper cause of action. Such an order would amount to treason, Carey said. I own Ireland, I rule Ireland and I am your legal employer, Carey told Judge Nolan. Judge Nolan asked for a Garda presence in the court when Carey continued to address the court. Ultimately, Judge Nolan struck both of Careys applications. Carey said he was leaving the courtroom of his own volition and not because of any ruling the court may make against him. He told the judge that he would be appealing the decision and was informed that he has 10 days to do so. Careys latest legal wrangle follows on from several disputes in which he has been involved over the last decade. The man, who was a key member of the partys backroom team at both the Northern Ireland Assembly and Westminster, has been charged with several serious offences. Sinn Fein has been rocked by an investigation into alleged child sex offences involving a former employee at Stormont. The man, who was a key member of the partys backroom team at both the Northern Ireland Assembly and Westminster, has been charged with several serious offences. The accused, who is in his 40s, was working for Sinn Fein at the Assembly when the offences are alleged to have taken place. Sinn Fein said yesterday the man was immediately suspended after his arrest. The case is due to come before a court for the first time this week. The man worked at the Assembly and Westminster for several years He is accused of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity online. He also faces a charge of communicating with a child online for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification. He is further accused of attempting to get a child to look at an image of a person engaging in sexual activity. The offences are alleged to have taken place on dates between May 2020 and August 2021. During that period, the man was working for Sinn Fein at Stormont. There is no indication yet where the alleged communication with the child took place or if Assembly equipment was used during the interactions. A Sinn Fein spokesperson told the Sunday World the man was immediately suspended from his employment and membership of the party some time ago as soon as the party became aware of his arrest. It is not known when the man was first arrested. The Sinn Fein spokesperson added: The PSNI has not made contact with Sinn Fein about this investigation. Anyone with information that can assist the investigation should bring it to the police. The Northern Ireland Assembly was asked if it had been contacted by police in relation to the case. In response, a spokesperson said the Assembly did not comment on PSNI investigations. I hope he dies a horrible death TWO SISTERS who were sexually abused by their father have said Hell is too good for him after the remorseless predator was given another seven years in prison for brutally attacking his eldest daughter. On Thursday, paedophile dad Oliver Berry (66) received a consecutive seven-year sentence on 25 sample counts of abusing Sharon Berry to follow a 13-year jail term handed down to him three years ago on 103 counts of the sexual abuse and rape of daughter Jennifer. Breaking her silence for the first time after the court case, Sharon who was supported by Jennifer throughout the four trials it took to bring Berry to justice said of her father: He has no empathy, he has no remorse, there is just no good in him. Hell is too good for him, I hope he dies a horrible, horrible death. Jennifer and Sharon speaking with Patrick OConnell Over a two-day sentencing hearing at the Courts of Criminal Justice, former Irish Defence Forces soldier Berry sat impassively in the dock as details of the horrific campaign of abuse he perpetrated on his daughters were detailed. Prosecutor David Perry told the court that Berry had pleaded not guilty to all 25 sample counts on the indictment but on June 9, following his fourth trial for the offences, the jury returned a unanimous verdict on each counts. Serial abuser Oliver Berry The counts were sample counts he said, reflecting sexual assaults on Sharon that occurred as often as three times a week between July 31, 1980, and July 30, 1986 between her seventh and 13th birthdays. Speaking after the case, Sharon said it had taken four trials to get justice but it has been worth it in the end. He denied it every step of the way, she said. He played on my mental health on every occasion claiming I wasnt competent to give evidence. There is no guilt in that man at all. He is pure evil. Sharon said that after she and Jennifer came forward several family members, including their own mother, Susan Darby, had turned their backs on them. She just turned her back on me and that was hard, she said. Sharon said in the years since the abuse she had tried to take her own life on a number of occasions. I have regretted that I couldnt protect Jenny. That kills me because I love her, she said. The hardest thing for me was that I had to leave Jenny and my brothers, because they were only babies at the time, behind. I missed growing up with my family. Sharon grew up living in No.3 Newpark, Kinnegad and lived there until she fled her home aged 15. Ms Berry said Sharon was often the subject of physical abuse by her father, who would hit her with his fists and sometimes a fishing rod. Sharon had told the jury, he said, the first occasion on which she was sexually abused occurred when she was just seven years old and that it continued until she was aged 12. During those years, Sharon estimated that she was sexually abused by her father on up to three occasions per week at a time when her mother was frequently out of the house working evening and afternoon shifts. Jennifer and Sharon Berry The first occasion on which Sharon was abused occurred after Berry called her upstairs to his bedroom, closed the door and locked it before removing his trousers and underwear. The accused then got his daughter to lie on the bed beside him, rubbing her leg with his hand while he masturbated. He asked her to touch him but she refused out of fear and after about five minutes he let her go. The abuse continued on from there in her parents bedroom escalating to Berry touching his daughters chest and vagina while he masturbated. On some occasions, he also asked Sharon to take his penis in her mouth but she never did that. On one occasion, Berry abused Sharon in the bedroom she shared with Jennifer by getting into her bed alongside her and rubbing himself against her rear before later leaving the room. Sharon had told the jury that at a certain stage Berry had bought a green van and began driving her down to a canal bank near the family home called Darcys Bridge. After driving down a laneway, he would get Sharon into the back of the van and abuse her at this location. The court heard Sharon ran away at the age of 12, catching a bus and then a ferry before arriving at Victoria Station in London. There, she was picked up by the police and returned home to Ireland, after which the sexual abuse ended. She fled her home at the age of 15 in 1988 and resided in England before reporting the abuse in May 2009 to Detective Garda Andrea Coonan. The court heard that Sharon came forward to Gardai after learning that her father had a child with a new partner and she was concerned this child would suffer the same abuse she had. Berry was charged on September 15, 2011. Three subsequent trials collapsed before he was successfully convicted on July 9 of this year. During this period, Berry was also tried and convicted on 44 counts of the sexual assault and 59 counts of the rape of Sharons younger sister Jennifer. That trial heard how Berry was 25 years old when he first abused seven-year-old Jennifer and that on occasion he made her wear her mothers underwear as a prelude to rape. In one particular year when Oliver Berry was out of work, Jennifer was raped most days when she returned home from school for lunch. The court heard also that Berry continued to rape his daughter while she was pregnant with her first child as he told the victim the damage had now been done. Berry was sentenced to 10 years in prison after the 2018 trial but, after the DPP appealed the sentence to the Court of Criminal Appeal, it increased his sentence to 13 years in 2020. In Sharon Berrys victim impact statement, read out in court this week, she recalled leaving Jennifer behind her at Berrys mercy in Newpark as the most difficult thing she has ever had to do. When I left home for good when I was 15, I left my sister Jenny behind, she said. I suspected that she had been abused too. But I was practically a child myself and I had to get out of there. That has and still does affect me that I couldnt protect her. Addressing the court on behalf of Berry, Mr. Maurice Coffey defending said his client doesnt recognise the jurys verdict and maintains his innocence. Sentencing Berry to 7 years in prison, Ms Justice Patricia Ryan said the aggravating factors in the case included the serious nature of the offences which occurred over a considerable period, the injured partys age and the fact Oliver Berry was the victims father. This meant, she said, that the offences represented an enormous breach of trust. Ms Justice Ryan said the maximum sentence in respect of the first four counts was two years on each and 10 years on each of the latter 20 counts. She said the court, taking all matters into account, would impose a global sentence of seven years and, given the gravity of the offences, would order that the sentence be served consecutive to his existing sentence. It will start, she said, at the lawful termination of the sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal. Oliver Berry will now remain behind bars until March 17 2035. He will be 77-year-old on his release from prison. My workshop caused a shortage of cucumbers in Ireland Described by the Dubliner as a feast for the senses, a celebration of sexual expression and erotic freedom, Sexed Up promises to be a fun-filled night out for friends, solos and couples. Attendees can expect interviews, demos, audience interaction, performances and giveaways. Jenny (36) runs a variety of online workshops including Women On Top, Blow, Self Pleasure, The Principles of Sexual Freedom, and Sexual Confidence. Due to the growing demand for her workshops, she was inspired to launch her live tour. I did the first show in April in Dublin and the tickets sold out in 90 seconds, she says. I was shocked. I know thousands of people want to come to the online workshops, but I didnt know if that would translate to the in-person experience. The show is really about highlighting the importance of adult-based sex education. My whole view on sex education as science is that it can be a bit complicated and boring, but learning the basics on how to have a more satisfying sex life definitely shouldnt be. How can we learn the things that we need to know: learn about our bodies, about how they function, learn about anatomy. How can we do it in a way thats fun, thats unashamedly normal and really keeps pleasure at the centre? When I was creating the show, I wanted that to be the foundation of it. So, if someone was coming for one night only, what do they need to learn so they can take it into their sex lives immediately? so you can have a more satisfying experience, whether that is with themselves or with a partner or with multiple partners, whatever their story is. Jenny says the show is the first of its kind and promises a night full of laughter as she aims to educate audiences in an entertaining way. Its teaching sex skills, things like how to pleasure a penis, how to please a vulva, and also sex positions, she adds. I have contacted world-class performers and they have created choreography and performance very specific to what I wanted, and this is just to give people an idea of how they can get creative. How they can add things that they have around the house, like candles, into their life in order to spice things up a little bit. Theres nothing like this in the world. Even the performers, who are from all over the world, said they have never seen anything like this. I say Irelands first sex education show, but really its the worlds first sex education show. Jenny Keane's Sexed Up show There is never any nudity or live demos in the online workshops, all participants are anonymous and [computer] screens of others are not visible. Reflecting on her decade-long journey from starting out to launching her live tour, Jenny explains: My background in holistic sex education doesnt take a linear path in terms of a sex education course that you can take in university and then its four years long and you graduate with a degree. Mine started in California over 10 years ago. I had my eyes opened to the education that I never received growing up and I just started attending courses. Some were initially sex skills ones, such as how do you give a hand job or blow job? How do you ejaculate? What is female ejaculation? As I started to have more serious questions, I ended up studying somatic therapy [how the body expresses deeply painful experiences] specialising in trauma therapy, and ended up pursuing that path. Jenny began hosting one-on-one sessions and realised early on that the questions her clients asked and concerns raised were education-based. She then began running small group seminars as a means of addressing the most common queries. They were in-person and there were a couple of different topics, but mostly around female orgasm, she says. What was it? Where does it happen in the body? How can you orgasm? How does your body function? How can you access parts of your body to experience more or different types of orgasms? With the onset of the pandemic, Jenny, who was also teaching yoga at the time, launched her seminars online and promoted them via her Instagram page, which currently has a following of over 117,000. The Zoom workshops were initially attended by 100 people. Before long, she had increased the capacity to accommodate 500 participants and places were snapped up in less than 24 hours. The following weeks workshop had 800 participants and things just snowballed from there, she says. For the Blow workshop, we used cucumbers and apparently that caused a national shortage of cucumbers in Ireland, Jenny laughs. Before the workshop I thought, Oh my goodness, theyre going to need something to practice on. I would use a suction cup dildo and I had this image of thousands of people trying to get some suction cup dildos a couple of days before a workshop. I said, Do you know what: go to Lidl and get a cucumber. Jenny assumed the interest in her workshops, which she has now capped at 1,000 people, would wane, but that hasnt been the case. Most recently, Blow, for example, sold out in an hour. Woman On Top sold out in three hours, she says. I dont really have a schedule and kind of go with the flow of whats happening. It will probably be September or October before I announce new dates. Its every couple of months. Jennys clients, she says, come to her usually out of desperation or because they are searching for inspiration. She says one of the biggest sexual beliefs that we have been given is that sex is something we all know how to do. She explains: Sex is actually made up of a huge amount of different types of skills like communication, seduction, kissing, hand skills, mouth skills, movement and breathing. When we begin sexually exploring in our youth, we tend to try everything and some of those things work for us and some dont. Some of those things we get praised for, so were like, OK, Im good at that. Some of those things we might get shamed for or even slagged off. I mean, the amount of women who tell me theyve been told theyre not good at blow jobs, and this will stop people from pursuing the things they are good at. Theres never this idea that sex is something they can learn. Its this given in society that if you want to become an accountant, you have to learn the skills that you need. If you want to learn how to drive, you have to learn the skills that you need in order to be able to drive. Its socially acceptable if you dont know how to do those things and to seek out a mentor or someone who can support you. A promo poster for her upcoming event in Belfast When it comes to sex, its not as socially acceptable to seek out help and support, Jenny says. This is something that shes passionate about addressing. If you are not naturally good at certain things when it comes to sex, you can learn ways of doing things that will better support your own body or someone elses. For me, its really important that Im answering the questions and designing workshops based around the questions that people have and the things that are topical for people at the moment, she says. For example, the Principle of Sexual Wellness [workshop] would cover the difference between desire, arousal and libido. Often these get interchanged, like: I have no desire for sex or I have a low libido, and its teaching people what the difference is. I think one of the big things as well in that workshop is teaching the difference between desire and fantasy because that can get very confusing. I would get messages from people telling me, I sometimes fantasise about having sex with my husbands best friend, so does this mean that I dont actually love my husband and I love his best friend instead? It can ruin relationships not knowing the difference between fantasy and desire. And its very simple; I always say fantasy is something that starts in the head, but it doesnt necessarily mean its something that you want to pursue. A sexual desire will maybe start in the mind, but it is something that you want to pursue. Theres a huge difference between a sexual fantasy and desire, and hearing that for people can be just so relieving. Via the Woman On Top seminar, participants are encouraged to examine and reframe their thoughts in relation to their own body image. And then looking at things like how to take the lead, which is an important thing when it comes to getting moving into an on top position, Jenny adds. So, teaching people how to become comfortable doing this and then obviously then moving from friction-based pleasure to sensual-based pleasure. Friction-based pleasure would be the pounding, which most people experience. Sensual is much more about the rhythm, the flow, the kind of circular motion that really supports pleasure in female hips essentially and the base of female bodies. Blow [workshop] is how to pleasure a penis; so hand techniques, mouth techniques, combo techniques. Through her blog and social media, Jenny tackles topics that many steer clear from discussing, such as the use of lubricant. I just think theres a stigma and taboo around lube when it comes to injecting it into your sex life, and its because of this idea that our sexuality has a shelf life, Jenny says. That, especially for women, we get to a certain age and suddenly we are old and dry, and so suddenly using lube can be this signal that we are not good enough and were not young enough, but this is absolutely not true. There are so many people that need to use lube for so many reasons. If you have an active menstrual cycle, your ability to be aroused is changing pretty much weekly. And the speed in which you become aroused is changing weekly. When it comes to perimenopause and post-menopause and all of these things, its really important to know without using lube does not mean that youre less than. Using lube is a really beautiful way to add another layer into your sex life. If you find your mind wandering or you get a little bit bored, sometimes adding a flavour [flavoured lube] to that experience can just be a little bit activating for your mind. The 27-year-old had special software on his phone that monitored his internet activity A PERVERT who tried to cover up how he used social media to access a controversial website linked to pornography has been told to complete a two-year probation order. Michael McShane (27) accessed OnlyFans then deleted his internet browsing history five days later. He admitted breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (Sopo) imposed in February 2020 for the possession of almost 140 indecent images of children. Downpatrick Magistrates Court was told that as a registered sex offender, the 27-year-old had special software on his phone that monitored his internet activity. His Sopo also bans him from deleting his browsing history. Despite this, on April 8 his designated risk manager received an alert he had used his phone to access OnlyFans, an online subscription service where people post videos and images of themselves in return for money. While it has a range of content creators including personal trainers, fitness experts, chefs and musicians, the majority produce pornography. When McShanes phone was examined, there was no trace of his visit to OnlyFans. A prosecution lawyer said he had failed to notify his risk manager that he was planning on using social media. A defence lawyer said there is work still to be completed with probation to address his clients offending. District Judge Amanda Brady told McShane, from Saul Road in Downpatrick, she could have jailed him for the really, really concerning breach of the terms of his Sopo. She added: You have been in front of the Crown Court for sex offences, have been given probation, a suspended sentence and have actually served a custodial sentence for breaching your Sopo, yet you are back for breaching again. Im hoping that at some stage the messages gets through to you about this type of behaviour. But if you come back again, as far as Im concerned, the only option will be a custodial sentence. McShane was prosecuted for child images in 2020 after he inadvertently posted a number of them onto a sport clubs Facebook page. Of the almost 140 images found, 55 were classed as category A the most serious 47 as category B and the rest as category C. He admitted a charge of possessing an indecent photograph and making indecent photographs. The preacher also said: We need to stand up against the sin of homosexuality. The PSNI is investigating an alleged hate crime after a preacher was filmed in Belfast city centre accusing LGBTQ+ people of wanting to rape our children. Thousands of people took to the streets of Belfast as its largest ever Pride parade made its way through the city on Saturday. More than 250 different groups signed up to take part in Saturday's event, an increase of 25% on last year. The theme for Belfast Pride 2023 was Stand By Your Trans, and the parade was led off by trans, non-binary and gender diverse people. A number of posts appeared on social media about preachers in Belfast city centre. Alliance Party councillor Micky Murray posted a video in which the preacher says: Homosexuals have become so brazen that they wanted to rape the righteous, well thats whats happening today. They want to rape our children, they want to rape our country, they want to pillage and they want to pilfer all in the name of love. The preacher concluded by saying: We need to stand up against the sin of homosexuality. During the video two police officers can be seen observing the incident and then speaking to a man who appears to be trying to video the preacher. In his tweet Mr Murray said people had asked for evidence after some people had questioned the veracity of his comments. He had posted earlier in the day to highlight Christian preachers on Royal Avenue, on the day of the Belfast Pride parade and the police let them continue on. Mr Murray added: This is an absolute disgrace and a failure of policing. In response, Superintendent Christian Bradley said the police are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a male using a public address system in the Royal Avenue area of the city on Saturday, July 29 prior to the Belfast Pride Parade. Officers were present at the scene and gathered evidence on body worn video. This footage is being reviewed by investigators. The incident is being treated as a hate crime. However, there is currently no specific hate crime legislation in Northern Ireland. Head of Nations & Regions at Amnesty UK, Patrick Corrigan, posted stating: A person who uses threatening, abusive or insulting words is guilty of an offence if (a) he intends thereby to stir up hatred or arouse fear; or (b) having regard to all the circumstances hatred is likely to be stirred up... Public Order (NI) Order 1987. Waihi Volunteer Fire Brigade is amongst 26 fire stations around New Zealand which have undergone an upgrade or rebuild, providing a boost for regional economies and a key emergency service, Minister of Internal Affairs Barbara Edmonds has announced. None of the upgraded fire stations are in the Bay of Plenty. As well as the Waihi building in Hauraki, the 26 include fire stations in Auckland, Northland, Waikato, Hawke's Bay, Rangitikei, Wairarapa, Wellington, West Coast, Canterbury, Tasman, Otago, and Southland. Fire and Emergency New Zealand play a critical role in keeping communities safe. In order to do so, fire fighters need a base that is resilient, functional and fit-for-purpose, says Edmonds. Through the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund, the Government has invested $51.3 million for the replacement, rebuild or major refurbishment of 26 fire stations across the country. This injection has provided a boost to the capital works programme, ensuring more regional communities have a fit-for-purpose hub for their firefighters to respond from and store equipment." Edmonds says over the past three years upgrades have resulted in jobs for Kiwis from as far afield as Greymouth to Featherston and Balclutha to Taihape. "Everyone has benefitted, from labourers to suppliers and designers to engineers, right across New Zealand. When the Government called for shovel ready projects in the early days of Covid-19, Fire and Emergency was well-placed to raise its hand." The Minister says following establishment in 2017 and the amalgamation of over 40 rural and urban firefighting entities, Fire and Emergency had been well aware of the need to invest heavily in its network of over 650 fire stations. Work in the programme has ranged from complete rebuilds, partial refurbishments, seismic strengthening, and facility upgrades. In the quake affected areas of Canterbury and Kaikoura, new stations have been built to world-class standards ensuring crews have a safe space to come back to. The programme has been a huge success. Stations have been delivered on time and largely to budget, despite global challenges and supply chain disruptions. I want to thank everyone who was involved in these projects from start to finish. This investment will make a real difference in supporting our fire fighters for decades to come." The full list of stations under the programme is: 1. Okaihau Northland 2. Cavalli Northland 3. Kawakawa Bay Auckland 4. Waihi Hauraki 5. Huntly Waikato 6. Paeroa Waikato 7. Pokeno Waikato 8. Napier Hawkes Bay 9. Waipawa Hawkes Bay 10. Taihape Rangitikei 11. Featherston Wairarapa 12. Greytown Wairarapa 13. Stokes Valley Wellington 14. Titahi Bay Wellington 15. Seaview Wellington 16. Greymouth West Coast 17. Appleby Tasman 18. Peel Forest Canterbury 19. Christchurch Central Canterbury 20. Rangitata Gorge Canterbury 21. Sumner Canterbury 22. Darfield Canterbury 23. Kaikoura Canterbury 24. Balclutha Otago 25. Makarora Otago 26. Athol Southland One lucky Lotto player from Morrinsville will be toasting a special win after winning $1 million with Lotto First Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw. The winning ticket was sold at Paper Plus Morrinsville in Morrinsville. Powerball was not struck on Saturday, and has rolled over to Wednesday night, where the jackpot will be $23 million. Meanwhile, one lucky Strike player from Canterbury will also be celebrating after winning $200,000 with Strike Four. The winning Strike ticket was sold on MyLotto to a player from Canterbury. Thirteen lucky Lotto players will be on cloud nine after each winning $29,199 with Lotto Second Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw. One lucky player also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $55,342. The winning Powerball Second Division ticket was sold at Stellin Street Store in Lower Hutt. The winning Second Division tickets were sold at the following stores: Store Location MyLotto Northland New World Kerikeri Kerikeri MyLotto North Shore MyLotto (x2) Auckland Hilltop Superette Auckland MyLotto Waikato New World Aokautere Palmerston North Stellin Street Store (+PB) Lower Hutt St Martins New World Christchurch MyLotto Otago MyLotto Canterbury Fresh Choice Leeston Leeston Anyone who bought their ticket from any of the above stores should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the MyLotto App. With 100 per cent of Lotto NZs profits supporting thousands of great causes each year, every time you play one of Lotto NZs games, youre a Kiwi helping other Kiwis. Forget Bird of the Year. In 2023, the stakes are even higher. Introducing: Bird of the Century. This year, voters are not just electing their Bird of the Year. To celebrate our 100th birthday, were searching for the bird that has captured New Zealanders hearts over the last century, says Forest & Bird's CEO NIcola Toki. Nicola made the announcement that the world's favourite avian election will be themed to celebrate Forest & Birds centenary on Saturday at the organisations Centennial Conference. Seventy-five brilliant bird species are candidates in this years competition. This includes five extinct species added to the running for the first time ever: Matuhituhi | Bush wren a small and nearly flightless wren that once lived on all three main islands of New Zealand. The last North Island bird was seen in 1955, and South Island in 1968. Bush wrens were found on Big South Cape Island in 1964 and relocated to Kaimohu Island, where the last of them died in 1972. Tutukiwi | South Island snipe with its last refuge of Big South Cape Island invaded by ship rats, the South Island snipe became extinct in 1964 despite a rescue attempt mounted by the Wildlife Service. Two males were captured but died in captivity. Huia the last officially confirmed sighting of this iconic songbird was in 1907, but its likely the huia persisted into the 1920s. Unconfirmed but credible sightings even extend into the 1950s and 1960s from the Urewera Ranges. Piopio often considered the native thrush, the piopio was split into North and South Island species in 2012. But the last official records of this songster come from 1902 and 1905, with reports of sightings continuing into the 1970s. Whekau | Laughing owl the last confirmed record of the laughing owl was a dead specimen found in Canterbury in 1914, but sight and sound records persisted into the 1930s. Top, left to right: Huia by Auckland Museum Ref LB 9129 (CC BY 4.0); North Island Piopio, Turnagra tanagra, collected 8 September 1900, Waitotara district, New Zealand. CC BY 4.0. Te Papa (OR.000212). Bottom, left to right: South Island snipe by Don Merton/Department of Conservation Ref 10040147; Laughing owl by Buthbert & Oliver Parr, 1909 at Raincliff Station, Opihi River, South Canterbury; Bush wren by Don Merton/Department of Conservation Ref 10037276. New Zealands extinction record is devastating. The five extinct birds in this years competition are a heartbreaking reminder of the incredible biodiversity weve lost, says Nicola. Eighty-two per cent of our living native bird species are threatened or at risk of extinction. We cannot let any more end up with the tragic fate of the laughing owl or the huia. All 75 contenders can be viewed on the Bird of the Year website. Voting for Bird of the Century will open at 9am on Monday October 30 2023 and run for two weeks, closing at 5pm on Sunday 12 November 2023. The winner will be announced the following morning on Monday November 13 2023. Forest & Bird invites applications for campaign managers to champion each of the 75 competitors. You can apply to be a campaign manager here The inaugural Bird of the Year competition took place in 2005, as a poll included in Forest & Birds first ever email newsletter, with the tui taking out the title. In the intervening years, a simple poll has grown to become a national institution and beloved celebration of Aotearoas native birds, says Nicola. Weve had some crazy moments: voting scandals, a bat winning, a competition favourite booted for being too popular. We hope New Zealanders and people around the world will get involved in the fun of Bird of the Century 2023, discover the amazing stories behind our living and dearly departed feathered friends, and ultimately be inspired to speak up for them. In this article, we discuss 10 best August dividend stocks to buy. You can skip our detailed analysis of dividend stocks and the dividend capture strategy, and go directly to read 5 Best August Dividend Stocks To Buy. In the stock market, various strategies may gain popularity at different times, but investors consistently gravitate toward dividend stocks due to their ability to generate regular cash. As of the beginning of 2023, there has been a resurgence in the popularity and performance of tech stocks, while dividend stocks have been trailing behind in terms of investor interest and returns. Overall, the S&P 500 experienced sluggish growth in dividend payments during the second quarter of 2023. According to a report by S&P Global, 460 companies increased their dividends in Q2 2023, down 17.1% from the same period last year. The report also mentioned that total dividend increases were $9.80 billion during this period, compared with $19.3 billion in the second quarter of last year. However, this doesn't necessarily indicate that dividend stocks have lost their appeal. Also read: Dividend Growth Stocks: 25 Aristocrats The ongoing concerns over inflation and fears of a potential recession have prompted investors to refocus their attention on dividend stocks. Historically, dividends have shown strong performance during economic downturns, making them more appealing among income investors. We recently reported Refinitiv Lippers data which highlighted that the ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF received a significant boost with $33 million in net inflows during the two weeks ending on July 19. This surge represents the highest two-week increase for the ETF since January. To increase their cash flow, investors often prioritize companies with a history of strong dividend growth. By investing in such firms, investors can potentially benefit from both regular income and the potential for capital appreciation. According to a report by iShares, dividend growers outperformed dividend cutters and eliminators during both bull and bear markets from 1978 to 2021. These equities also recorded an overall strong performance than non-dividend payers during this period. McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD), Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) are some of the best dividend stocks to consider that have increased their dividends for decades. Story continues Dividend Capture Strategy: Within the broad category of dividend investing, various related strategies exist to help investors generate wealth. The dividend capture strategy is one of the known investment approaches where investors aim to profit from capturing dividend payments of specific stocks. The goal is to buy the stock just before the ex-dividend date, hold it long enough to receive the dividend, and then promptly sell it. By repeatedly executing this process with different dividend-paying stocks, investors can generate a stream of income from dividends. 10 Best August Dividend Stocks To Buy Our Methodology: This list features the dividend capture strategy for selecting notable dividend stocks set to trade ex-dividend in August 2023. The ex-dividend date signifies the last day to purchase a stock and be eligible for its upcoming dividend payment. The list is ranked chronologically, with earlier dates appearing first and later dates following in order. 10. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) Ex-Dividend Date: August 3 Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) is a California-based multinational financial services company that serves millions of customers around the world. After passing Fed's stress test, the company announced a 16.7% hike in its quarterly dividend on July 25 to $0.30 per share. This was the company's third consecutive year of dividend growth, which makes it one of the best dividend stocks on our list. As of July 29, the stock has a dividend yield of 3.03%. McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD), Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) are some other popular dividend growers to consider. In the second quarter of 2023, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) generated $20.5 billion in revenues, which showed a 20.6% growth from the same period last year. The company's net interest income also showed a 29% year-over-year growth at $13.1 billion. The stock will be trading ex-dividend on August 3. At the end of Q1 2023, 78 hedge funds in Insider Monkey's database reported having stakes in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC), compared with 87 in the previous quarter. With roughly 25 million shares, Eagle Capital Management was the company's leading stakeholder in Q1. 9. American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) Ex-Dividend Date: August 7 American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) is a New Jersey-based public utility company that provides water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across various states. The company saw growth in hedge fund positions in the first quarter of 2023, as 36 funds tracked by Insider Monkey owned stakes in the company, up from 31 in the preceding quarter. The collective value of these stakes is more than $1.5 billion. American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) showed strong earnings in the second quarter of 2023. The company's revenue for the quarter amounted to over $1.1 billion, which showed a 17.4% hike from the same period last year. The company ended the quarter with 794 million in cash and cash equivalents, up significantly from $85 million six months ago. American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK), one of the best dividend stocks on our list, will be going ex-dividend on August 7. The company has been rewarding shareholders with growing dividends for the past 15 years. It currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.7075 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.93%, as of July 29. 8. International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) Ex-Dividend Date: August 9 An American multinational tech company, International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) offers a wide range of tech and related services to its consumers. In its recently announced Q2 earnings, the company's revenue declined by 0.4% on a year-over-year basis at $15.5 billion. Year-to-date, its operating cash flow and free cash flow came in at $6.4 billion and $3.4 billion, respectively. International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) returned $1.5 billion to shareholders in dividends during the second quarter, which makes it one of the best dividend stocks on our list. On July 25, it declared a quarterly dividend of $1.66 per share, which was in line with its previous dividend. The stock has a dividend yield of 4.63%, as recorded on July 29 and will be trading ex-dividend on August 9. International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) was a part of 49 hedge funds portfolios, tracked by Insider Monkey, up from 43 in the previous quarter. The stakes these funds own have a consolidated value of over $1.47 billion. Among these hedge funds, Ken Griffin's Citadel Investment Group was the company's largest stakeholder in Q1. 7. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) Ex-Dividend Date: August 10 Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is next on our list of the best dividend stocks. The American financial services company is known for its global payment technology and is one of the world's largest payment processors. In fiscal Q3 2023, the company reported revenue of $8.1 billion, up 12% from the same period last year. During the quarter, it returned nearly $4 billion to shareholders in dividends and share repurchases. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) has been raising its dividends consistently since 2008. The company currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.76%, as of July 29. The stock will be going ex-dividend on August 10. As of the close of Q1 2023, 173 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey reported having stakes in Visa Inc. (NYSE:V), compared with 177 in the previous quarter. These stakes are worth collectively over $26 billion. Manole Capital Management made the following comment about Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) in its second quarter 2023 investor letter: We like to start out all of our discussions by telling investors who we are. We are FINTECH investors, and we define Fintech as anything utilizing technology to improve an established process. We realize that half of Fintech is financial, but we dont invest in traditional, credit sensitive banks. Having managed money during the Financial Crisis, we learned firsthand how certain opaque and balance sheet intensive financials could go bankrupt or insolvent. We prefer transaction-based businesses, generating recurring revenue, with sustainable margins, and significant cash flow. From our perspective, the perfect example of a FINTECH business is the secularly growing payments industry. Names like Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) or Mastercard, that generate revenue and profit per swipe or transaction, without the underlying credit sensitivity or risk associated with that underlying line of credit. Ex-Dividend Date: August 11 W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) is an Illinois-based company that supplies products across various industries and sectors. The company is a Dividend King with 53 years of consecutive dividend growth under its belt. It currently pays a quarterly dividend of $1.86 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.02%, as of July 29. This one of the best dividend stocks on our list will be going ex-dividend on August 11. In addition to GWW, investors are also paying attention to McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD), Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) due to their decades-long dividend growth streaks. In the second quarter of 2023, W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) posted revenue of $4.1 billion, which showed a 9% growth from the same period last year. The company generated over $450 million in operating cash flow during the quarter and returned $265 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. At the end of Q1 2023, AQR Capital Management was one of the company's leading stakeholders in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW). Overall, 32 hedge funds in Insider Monkey's database reported having stakes in the company, worth nearly $286 million. Click to continue reading and see 5 Best August Dividend Stocks To Buy. Suggested articles: Disclosure. None. 10 Best August Dividend Stocks To Buy is originally published on Insider Monkey. Valuable insights have been gained and a promising summer awaits for New Zealands tourism industry, as the country marks the first anniversary of its borders reopening fully to all visitors. One year ago today on July 31, 2022, New Zealand tourism operators welcomed visitors from all countries and a recovery process from the Covid-19 pandemic could properly begin. Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Rebecca Ingram says the year since has been a roller coaster but left tourism in a stronger and more reflective state. Tourism is not an island - it is connected to so many parts of our economy and our communities. The return of visitors made a difference to many New Zealanders." What I think the last year has highlighted is the need to keep adjusting for a different kind of future. For many operators, the recovery has been an opportunity to find new solutions and revise business plans. Les Morgan, of Sudima Hotels, says the last year has seen greater extremes in terms of seasonality. It has been challenging operationally in terms of recruiting and retaining staff and balancing that against the strong seasonality of 2023 so far. The Covid period also gave us a chance to rethink our business strategy, to really get back to basics and understand whats important to us. For Sudima, that has meant a greater focus on the domestic and corporate markets, particularly with the positive effects from the openings of new convention centres in Wellington and Christchurch. The recovery signals also gave Sudima confidence to deploy new technology. Sudima is, for example, experimenting with robots in restaurants, and were about to trial them in room service and housekeeping, says Les. Similarly, James Dalglish of GO Rentals, says his company got incredibly lean but had come out the other side stronger and able to seize opportunities through mergers and acquisitions. However, recruitment and replacing institutional knowledge lost had been a challenge. Probably the biggest challenge off the back the pandemic has been workforce. When you remove two thirds of your staff, and in our case many of them had been with us for 5,10 or 15 years, you lose a whole lot of IP. So when you come back out and youre growing the business again more than half of my co-workers have been with us less than a year. So for me, thats probably been a big reflection and I dont think there was any way to avoid that. For Shayne Forrest, of the Hobbiton movie set in Waikato, the last year has been an opportunity to change things up. You can always enhance and improve, so rather than go back to the same old, same old, weve looked at opportunities to improve so we can make sure were giving the best experience possible for our people. Which has been rewarded since people are coming back much quicker than we anticipated. Likewise, GO Rentals had found opportunity to embrace new innovations, rolling out more electric and hybrid vehicles. Theres a fantastic opportunity ahead in terms of moving from sustainability to regeneration, says James. Its interesting because a lot of us in the industry are still trying to work out what regeneration means and many of the smaller operators are still grappling with sustainability. For our company, it means a much greater portion of clean cars across both EV and hybrid options and enabling our customers to undertake greener journeys through Aotearoa. TIAs Rebecca says tourism is committed to rebuilding in a way that will benefit New Zealand and New Zealanders. Indications are that we are in for a good second summer of recovery, but we have our eyes set on the longer term also, with much work underway to do our part to make positive impacts on the environment and communities we are part of. Were proud of how the industry has held strong, with the support of Kiwis, and we want to make sure we continue to boost Aotearoa, New Zealand." A freight ship that lost its rudder as it departed Tauranga Harbour is still anchored off the city a week after the incident. Bulk carrier MV Achilles Bulker, was departing Tauranga harbour about 3.30pm on July 24 when it lost its rudder and subsequently suffered a steering failure in the harbours main channel. The vessel dropped anchor and was later assisted by tugs to a safe anchorage without further incident. The Panamanian registered ship was fully laden with a cargo of logs bound for Xingyu, China. The rudder was later found on the seabed in the harbours entrance, with evidence of previous damage and the bottom pintle, or bolt, missing. Currently, the ship is still anchored 6 kilometres northeast of the entrance to Tauranga Harbour, fully laden with logs and no rudder. Bay of Plenty Harbourmaster Jon Jon Peters the problems with the ship are still being investigated. Weather and sea conditions are calm and there is no immediate danger of grounding. For the safety of boaties, there is a 50m exclusion zone in place around the vessel, which will remain in place while it is anchored. The location of the MV Achilles Bulker, a week after losing its rudder. Supplied photo/Stuff. Peters said Maritime NZ was aware of the situation and that an update would be released next week. The Achilles Bulker is the second container ship that has recently failed to leave New Zealand to schedule, with the MV Shiling experiencing a series of mechanical issues that caused it to be detained at Wellington Harbour for about two months. After extensive investigation and testing, the ship eventually left on July 6 and was ordered to return to its home port of Singapore. -Connore Knell/Stuff. By the Watertown Daily Times, N.Y. (TNS) Akwesasne Akwesasne Mohawk Police have identified a body pulled from the St. Lawrence River near Ross Island on July 3 as that of Casey Oakes, 30, Akwesasne. Oakes was last seen, according to police, on March 29 boarding a small light-blue boat on the eastern end of Cornwall Island at about 9:30 p.m. Oakes disappearance coincided with the discovery of eight bodies in the St. Lawrence River. The bodies were believed to be the result of a failed attempt to enter the United States illegally, by boat. The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service said on April 3 that during the search for Oakes, a vessel matching his boats description was found near where the eight bodies were found. The boat was removed by police and placed in secure storage for further processing. Clothing identified as belonging to Oakes were also found. Police said in a release on Friday that an investigation into Oakes death and the deaths of eight foreign nationals crossing the river by boat in March is ongoing. A helicopter crew conducting an unrelated search discovered six bodies in the river, five adults and one child, on March 30. Two more bodies, a woman and a child, were found on March 31. The migrants were later identified as two families, one from Romania and the other from India. In April, the search for Oakes was intense. Marine units from the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, Hogansburg/Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Ontario Provincial Police were dispatched to search the waterways of the Snye Channel. A Zodiac marine patrol, divers and air support from the Surete du Quebec were also used. Police said a dry land search was conducted by Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Polices Emergency Response Team. Ross Island is in the Ontario portion of the St. Lawrence River, close to the Quebec side of the waterway. Police urge anyone with information to contact the Akwesasne Mohawk Police at 613-575-2340 or submit a secure tip by email at tips@akwesasne.ca ___ (c) 2023 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Key Insights Significantly high institutional ownership implies Quartix Technologies' stock price is sensitive to their trading actions A total of 4 investors have a majority stake in the company with 59% ownership Recent sales by insiders To get a sense of who is truly in control of Quartix Technologies plc (LON:QTX), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 47% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company. Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait. In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Quartix Technologies. Check out our latest analysis for Quartix Technologies What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Quartix Technologies? 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 Quartix Technologies does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Quartix Technologies, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Quartix Technologies. Andrew Walters is currently the largest shareholder, with 22% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 16% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 12% by the third-largest shareholder. Story continues 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. There is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time. Insider Ownership Of Quartix Technologies The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. 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 most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Quartix Technologies plc. Insiders have a UK46m stake in this UK114m business. This may suggest that the founders still own a lot of shares. You can click here to see if they have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 13% stake in Quartix Technologies. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Quartix Technologies that you should be aware of before investing here. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. 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 Rajeevraj Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,401 Thanked: 15,932 Times re: Which is the cheapest city in India for used luxury cars? Since a sparsely used luxury car is always on my radar as a next upgrade, I frequently do online window shopping. As far as I have seen - NCR region seems to be much cheaper than all other areas. Although not sure about how genuine it will be even if it seems to be sparsely used from a kilometer perspective. The older cars 6-7 years old start becoming significantly cheaper due to the 10/15 year old NGT rule. The south seems the most expensive with very high prices quoted. Especially Karnataka and Kerala. Partly tied to the higher road tax and increased initial costs. Mumbai seems to be somewhere in between both. I think I read recently in this forum itself, someone from Kerala flying to Delhi, buying a car there, driving it down and reregistering in Kerala and it was still significantly cheaper. In Kerala, the luxury used car business seems to be a huge one with some large organized players like Royal Drive and Motorwagon creating a premium experience and all seem to have a lot of inventory of different models. In context: The will-they-won't-they cage match between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to decide which billionaire is tougher doesn't appear to be happening after the Meta boss told employees he's not sure if it's going to come together. Speculation that the two were preparing to face each other in a bout has been around for weeks, but it seems Musk is going to escape a pounding. The Musk v. Zuckerberg fight has been making headlines for a while now. It began with Musk's June 21 post in which he declared being "Up for a cage match" with Zuck if the Meta boss felt the same way. Zuckerberg's response was an Instagram post reading, "Send Me Location," a reference to former UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and his feud with Conor McGregor. But the fight now seems unlikely to take place. According to exclusive audio heard by Reuters in a recording provided to the publication, Zuckerberg told employees at a company town hall that he's "not sure if it's going to come together." While that's not an absolute no, it does sound as if The Lizard vs. The Baby Billionaire cage match isn't going to happen. 39-year-old Zuckerberg was recently promoted to blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has been training in the martial art and MMA since the Covid lockdowns he now trains up to three to four times per week. Months before Musk challenged him to a fight, Zuckerberg posted a video of him sparring with fighter Khai Wu. In May, he posted images of him competing in his first jiu-jitsu tournament, where he won silver and gold medals. 52-year-old Musk, who once challenged Vladimir Putin to unarmed combat to decide the future of Ukraine, once said on the Joe Rogan show that he trained in Kyokushin karate, taekwondo, and judo when he was a kid. He seemed less serious about the fight than Zuckerberg, tweeting that he had a great move called The Walrus that involves lying on top of an opponent and doing nothing. He did, however, accept a training offer from UFC legend Georges St-Pierre and sparred with podcaster Lex Fridman, the latter of whom said he was impressed by Musk's strength, power, and skill. I did an impromptu training session with @elonmusk for a few hours yesterday. I'm extremely impressed with his strength, power, and skill, on the feet and on the ground. It was epic. It's really inspiring to see Elon and Mark doing martial arts, but I think the world is served pic.twitter.com/cq00A9Xnmw Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) June 27, 2023 A battle between the two did look like it would happen in June when UFC boss Dana White told TMZ that he'd been in talks with Zuckerberg and Musk and that "both guys are absolutely dead serious about this." Unless things change, it does seem that the answer of who would win in a fight between Musk and Zuckerberg will remain theoretical, even though it would be Zuckerberg, obviously. NASA engineers have achieved a significant milestone by testing hybrid printed circuits at the edge of space. The experiment occurred during a sounding rocket flight on April 25, launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility near Chincoteague, Virginia. The technology involved printing electronic temperature and humidity sensors on the payload bay door and attached panels, allowing real-time data collection during the SubTEC-9 sounding rocket mission. Space-Readiness of Printed Electronics The experiment was led by aerospace engineer Beth Paquette and electronics engineer Margaret Samuels from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Their primary objective was to demonstrate the space-readiness of printed electronics technology, which offers the unique capability of printing sensors precisely where they are required. Samuels emphasized that the technology serves as a space-saving measure, enabling printing on 3-dimensional surfaces with traces as thin as 30 microns, equivalent to half the width of a human hair. The team collaborated with colleagues from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, responsible for developing the humidity-sensing ink, along with partners from the University of Maryland's Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS). Together, they successfully created and validated the hybrid printed circuits. The use of printed circuits introduced a new level of functionality for smaller spacecraft, which are increasingly becoming a norm for both near-Earth and deep space missions. Brian Banks, an electronics engineer at Wallops, explained that this hybrid technology allows circuits to be fabricated in previously inaccessible locations for conventional electronics modules. Moreover, printing on curved surfaces holds the potential to be beneficial for small, deployable sub-payloads where space constraints are a significant challenge. The experiment marked a turning point in LPS's development and validation of printed-circuit technology. LPS engineer Jason Fleischer, who designed and printed the circuits for the April flight, used advanced printers capable of generating electronic traces thinner than the human eye can perceive. Read Also: More Americans Prefer NASA Missions Against Killer Asteroids Instead of Mars Expeditions: Survey Printing X-Ray Instruments In a separate investigation, the team achieved a milestone by printing X-ray instruments on flexible Kapton plastic strips, expanding the application of printed electronics to various space missions. Samuels explained that the team can now print antennas on curved surfaces, such as the exteriors of rockets or spacecraft, enabling improved signal transmission and reception angles in space. Unlike traditional antenna connections, which involve messy and imprecise wire bonding, the shift to printed connections signifies a significant improvement in stability and efficiency, maximizing the potential of precision antenna technology, according to NASA. Paquette envisions future missions that could utilize printed temperature sensors throughout a spacecraft's interior surfaces. This cost-effective approach could provide invaluable insights into how heating and cooling affect the spacecraft as it journeys close to celestial bodies like the Sun. The experiment's success caught the attention of engineer Ryan McClelland at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, who pioneers the utilization of "evolved structures," which uses computers and artificial intelligence to design and make spacecraft parts. Related Article: Are Talking Spaceships Coming Soon? NASA to Revolutionize Space Exploration with AI-Powered ChatGPT-Like Interface 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This insightful article will discuss the most populated countries by 2050 and their current population trends. If you want to skip how the expected population boom might strain the planet's resources and what mitigation measures are in place for that, read 15 Most Populated Countries In 2050. The global population will reach 10 billion by 2050, and the most populated countries in 2050 will face resource limitations. The increase will be prominent in LDCs (Least Developed Countries) and HIPCs (Highly Indebted Poor Countries), fueling economic challenges like insufficient employment opportunities and increased budgeting requirements for already resource-strapped governments. Population saturation, driven by high birth rates and increasing life expectancy, has caused a surplus labor pool in many economies. The International Labor Organization (ILO) 's "World Employment and Social Outlook" report indicates an upward trend in underemployment and vulnerable employment rates. The study states that in Africa alone, nearly 5 million workers and their families fell below the extreme poverty line in 2020, while 2 million people in Asia and the Pacific faced the same. As life expectancy increases in most parts of the world, population aging is a big concern. According to UN DESA, almost a quarter of the population will be 60 or older in all regions of the world except Africa. Moreover, the number of children 14 years and younger will likely decrease by 10% in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, while Europe will see a 9% decline in the young population between 2022 and 2050. These changing dynamics have interesting implications in regards to inflation in the medium-term future. You can read more on that in our list of the best countries for a comfortable retirement. Also, fertility in all European countries is below what is required to replace their existing populations. Consequently, nations like Bulgaria, Herzegovina, Croatia, Japan, the Republic of Moldova, and others might see a more than 15% decrease in their population by 2050. Story continues Population concentration trends projected to hit the planet 25 years from now aren't surprising; here's a look at 30 Countries With Highest Rates of Population Growth for more insights on that. Global Population Distribution in 2022 Asia and Africa dominate the Most Densely Populated Countries In The World, constituting over 75% of the total number of inhabitants worldwide. An overwhelming majority of this, approximately 60%, reside in Asia, which is also home to the world's two most densely populated countries, China, with a populace of 1.425 billion, and India, accommodating 1.428 billion individuals. Contrarily, Africa, and Europe accommodate 21% and 10% of the world population, respectively, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean, comprising 9% of the global inhabitants. The regions with the lowest density and population, Northern America and Oceania, together host merely 5% of the world's populace. As per medium-variant predictions of UN DESA's prospects, the global population will increase by 2.2 billion by 2050 to reach 9.8 billion. The biggest stakeholder in this upcoming population surge will be Africa, which will house 2,864 million people by 2050, up from 1,701 million in 2022. Maintaining an estimated fertility rate of nearly three children per woman by 2050, sub-Saharan Africa will be responsible for over half of the world's population increase from 2022 to 2050. Notably, in 2022, the region's population growth rate was reported to be 2.5% annually, the highest among all regions, more than tripling the global average of 0.8% per annum. However, despite Africa seeing a substantial population increase, Asia will remain the most populated continent in 2050, as its inhabitants will reach 4800 million by then. Latin America, the Caribbean, Northern America, and Oceania are projected to grow relatively slower. Notably, Europe is anticipated to experience a decrease in population by 2050 in comparison to its numbers in 2017. Post 2050, Africa is projected to be the primary driver of global population growth. The Tech Revolution in Populated Countries With population growth comes increased demand for digital services in consumer markets and businesses. Tech companies that provide these services, like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), could see major growth, owing to the growing populations. For instance, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been ramping up its efforts to penetrate deeper into populous countries like India, with plans to open its online store and physical retail stores. These markets' growing middle class and younger demographics present significant growth opportunities for Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL). Likewise, Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is trying to provide free internet to people in countries where connectivity is still a challenge through initiatives like Google Station. Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has been customizing its products; an example is the development of lighter, stripped-down versions of its apps, such as YouTube Go and Google Go, designed to work in areas with limited or expensive data. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) 's Airband Initiative also aims to extend internet connectivity to rural and remote areas in various countries. This helps bring more people onto the digital platform, thus expanding Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) 's potential market. Which Country Will Be The Most Populated In 2050? According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, India will become the most populated country in the world by 2050. The country surpassed China as the most populated country in April 2023, and the projections say that its population will reach 1,659 million by 2050. During the same time, China's population will hit 1,364 million, the 2nd highest worldwide. China's population growth rate has been slowing due to its aging population and the effects of the previously implemented one-child policy. In contrast, India has a younger demographic and a higher fertility rate, which cause faster population growth. Notably, these population forecasts are based on current trends and can slightly change because of government policies, economic conditions, healthcare advancements, etc. Let's now list 50 countries with the highest populations in 2050. 50 Most Populated Countries In 2050 50 Most Populated Countries In 2050 Our Methodology To list the world's most inhabited countries by 2050, we referred to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Population Division. UN DESA's World Population Prospects 2022 Edition presents the most credible projections on the planet's population by 2050. Other sources for this study were United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), The World Bank, and Pew Research Center, among others. According to the comprehensive population forecasts, here are the 50 most populated countries in 2050: 50. Peru Projected Population in 2050: 41.9 million Peru's population has been steadily growing, currently being 33 million people. The growth rate, however, has slowed in recent years, reflecting broader demographic trends. Urbanization is increasing, with about 78% of the populace living in cities, Lima being the most populous. 49. Spain Projected Population in 2050: 44.3 million Due to low fertility rates, Spain's population is 47 million and will reach 44.3 million by 2025. Immigration plays a significant role in Spain's population dynamics, attracting people from Latin America, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. Aging is a significant demographic trend in the country, with 20% aged over 65. 48. Morocco Projected Population in 2050: 44.9 million Morocco's population is also seeing a decelerating growth rate due to decreasing fertility rates. About 60% of Moroccans live in urban areas, a significant increase over the past few decades. The population is relatively young, over a quarter under 15 years old. However, the nation will be amongst the 50 most populated countries in 2050. 47. Uzbekistan Projected Population in 2050: 45.4 million Uzbekistan's current population is 34.9 million, with a steady but slow growth rate. A vast majority, 60%, is under 30, as per UNICEF, which indicates a youthful population. 46. Canada Projected Population in 2050: 45.8 million Canada's population of about 38 million has grown due to its liberal immigration policy, and it will be amongst the countries with the biggest populations in 2050. With one of the world's lowest population densities, urbanization is highly concentrated in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and similar cities. Canada is also amongst the Best Countries in The World According to Immigrants, so more people are eager to settle there. Canada's aging population and seniors are expected to outnumber children in the coming years. 45. Republic Of Korea (South Korea) Projected Population in 2050: 45.9 million South Korea's population growth has become a concern due to its stagnation. The country's population has been steadily decreasing due to low fertility rates. The Republic of Korea's population is 51.8 million, but it's expected to fall to 45.9 million by 2050. Despite the decline, South Korea will still be among the most populated countries in 2050. 44. Mali Projected Population in 2050: 46.2 million Mali has a fast-growing population owing to high fertility rates, typical of many Sub-Saharan African countries. Despite economic and political challenges, the country's population growth rate has remained high. 43. Saudi Arabia Projected Population in 2050: 48.2 million Saudi Arabia's population is expected to reach 48.2 million by 2050. However, the country is dealing with a youth bulge and high unemployment rates, which makes job creation a critical national issue. 42. Cote d'Ivoire Projected Population in 2050: 50.9 million In Cote d'Ivoire, the population is rapidly increasing because of high fertility rates, despite civil unrest and economic challenges. The West African nation's population has the potential for a strong labor force because of its young age, but it also presents socio-economic challenges. 41. Cameroon Projected Population in 2050: 51 million Cameroon's population continues to rise, driven by high fertility rates. However, the rapid growth strains existing resources and poses socio-economic challenges. 40. Madagascar Projected Population in 2050: 51.1 million Madagascar is also amongst countries with high fertility rates, so naturally, its population is projected to rise even further by 2050. However, the fast growth has intensified the struggle with poverty and environmental issues like deforestation as the need for resources to support the growing population increases. 39. Argentina Projected Population in 2050: 51.4 million Although Argentina's population growth is moderate, it is still experiencing a gradual increase. This South American country is urbanized, with most people living in cities. However, it has an aging population and emigration, both factors impacting long-term population dynamics. 38. Ghana Projected Population in 2050: 51.5 million Ghana is facing a youth bulge, and the majority of its population is under 25. The demographic trend presents opportunities for economic growth and challenges for resource allocation. 37. Italy Projected Population in 2050: 52 million Italy is also facing a pressing issue of low fertility rates and a high aging population. The country is one of Europe's most aged societies and deals with economic challenges linked to healthcare, pension costs, and a shrinking workforce. 36. Yemen Projected Population in 2050: 54 million Despite the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis, Yemen's population growth is relatively high. High fertility rates continue to boost population growth, resulting in a very young population. 35. Colombia Projected Population in 2050: 56 million Colombia's population growth reflects a gradual slowdown. Owing to improved access to healthcare and increased urbanization, the birth rate is declining and is slowly moving towards a population plateau. However, despite this, the country's total population will be 56 million by 2050. 34. Algeria Projected Population in 2050: 59.7 million Algeria's population consistently increases due to a relatively high birth rate coupled with a decreasing mortality rate. The country's population distribution leans toward youth, and a large proportion is under 25. 33. Myanmar Projected Population in 2050: 59.7 million Even in the presence of political challenges, high birth rates in Myanmar's rural areas and slowly increasing life expectancy sustain its population growth. Also, the country's population is mainly rural. 32. Mozambique Projected Population in 2050: 62 million Mozambique's population growth is quite vigorous because of improved child mortality rates. A considerable portion of the population is under 25, which indicates sustained growth. 31. Niger Projected Population in 2050: 66 million Niger showcases one of the world's most rapid population growth rates, fueled by its remarkably high fertility rate. Despite issues like poverty and food insecurity, UNDESA projects that Niger will experience the most substantial population gains by 2100, which will have increased by 578%. 30. Thailand Projected Population in 2050: 68 million Thailand's population growth is slowing as it is influenced by urbanization. An aging population is a demographic concern for the country, with a considerable portion set to reach retirement age soon. But as the healthcare sector is also improving, the existing population has a high life expectancy, which will keep the country highly populated by 2050. 29. France Projected Population in 2050: 68.9 million France's population growth is relatively steady as it is supported by immigration and a fertility rate higher than the European average. However, the issue of an aging population is prominent, with a growing percentage expected to move into the over-60 age bracket soon. 28. Angola Projected Population in 2050: 71.6 million Angola has the 6th highest population growth rate in the world, totaling 3.34% per year. This growth will solidify Angola's place amongst the world's most inhabited countries by 2050. 27. United Kingdom Projected Population in 2050: 71.66 million The United Kingdom experiences moderate population growth from natural increase and net migration. According to World Bank projections, the country's population will increase from 67.3 to 71.66 million in the coming two decades. 26. South Africa Projected Population in 2050: 73.3 million South Africa's population growth is stable but tempered by factors like urbanization, declining fertility, and the impact of HIV/AIDS. However, the population continues to increase due to improved healthcare and a large proportion of young people. 25. Afghanistan Projected Population in 2050: 73.4 million Afghanistan's population continues to rise because of a lack of family planning and high fertility rates. But challenges exist in providing education and healthcare, particularly for women, alongside economic stability. 24. Iraq Projected Population in 2050: 73.9 million Iraq will also be among the most populated countries by 2050, owing to its unregulated population growth. Internal displacement due to political instability and conflict adds complexity, but growth also reflects a trend toward urbanization. 23. Germany Projected Population in 2050: 79 million Germany's population trajectory is one of stabilization rather than growth. With low fertility rates, the country faces demographic challenges. However, immigration from EU and non-EU countries helps counteract the potential decline, making it one of the most populous nations by 2050. 22. Sudan Projected Population in 2050: 83 million Sudan is fighting political instability and humanitarian crises and still sees steady population growth. High fertility rates and a large youth population drive this trend and call for rapid population regulation efforts, as Sudan is also amongst the poorest countries in the world. 21. Kenya Projected Population in 2050: 84 million Kenya's population will reach 84 million in 2050, up from 53 million. Challenges associated with this population increase include providing adequate healthcare, education, and job opportunities. 20. Uganda Projected Population in 2050: 86 million Uganda's population growth is among the world's highest, growing at 3.22% per annum. Despite urbanization, many Ugandans still live in rural areas, relying on subsistence farming. 19. Turkey Projected Population in 2050: 95 million Turkey's population growth reflects a blend of natural increase and immigration. Fertility rates have declined in the country but still remain above the European average. As a transit and destination country for migrants, Turkey's population will likely see a 10 million increase by 2050. 18. Iran Projected Population in 2050: 98 million Although Iran's population growth has slowed due to effective family planning policies, it'll still be one of the most populated countries in the world in 2050. 17. Japan Projected Population in 2050: 104 million Japan's population has been shrinking due to low birth rates and an aging society. The nation has one of the highest proportions of elderly people worldwide and faces significant social and economic challenges. Despite this, urban areas, particularly Tokyo, thrive due to internal migration. 16. Vietnam Projected Population in 2050: 107 million Vietnam will be one of the most populated countries by 2050. However, its population growth is actually gradually slowing due to successful family planning initiatives. But the demographic transition towards an aging population creates hurdles for healthcare and social security systems. Click to continue reading 15 Most Populated Countries In 2050. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 50 Most Populated Countries In 2050 is originally published at Insider Monkey. Woman found in Forbach: at the heart of the case, a couple in full "social disarray" Fire in a home for the disabled in Alsace: at least 11 people "would be missing" Circumnavigation of the moon next year: Crew of the "Artemis 2" visits their spacecraft The county rectified medical corruption, and hundreds of people took the initiative to explain the problem and return the stolen goods... After a visit by an American official to Niamey. Analysts rule out military intervention to resolve Niger's coup crisis The authorities of Kazakhstan have suspended the work of the domain yandex.kz Nursing assistants trained as nurses in two years? 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"The version of the drone is not confirmed": what is known about the explosion on the territory of the plant in Sergiev Posad L'Orient-Le Jour: UAE wants to organize a meeting between Putin and Zelensky at the UN conference The daughter of the general director of "Piro-Ross" received messages from Ukrainian numbers after the state of emergency in Sergiev Posad 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. The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for scaling up testing and treatment for viral hepatitis, warning that the disease could kill more people than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV combined by 2040, if current trends continue. Marking World Hepatitis Day on July 28, under the theme of One life, one liver, WHO has launched a campaign which highlights the importance of protecting the liver against hepatitis for living a long, healthy life. Good liver health also benefits other vital organs including the heart, brain and kidneys that rely on the liver to function. Hepatitis causes liver damage and cancer and kills over a million people annually. Of the 5 types of hepatitis infections, hepatitis B and C cause most of the disease and deaths. Hepatitis C can be cured; however, only 21% of people living with hepatitis C infection are diagnosed and only 13% have received curative treatment. Just 10% of people living with chronic hepatitis B are diagnosed, and only 2% of those infected are receiving the lifesaving medicine. Undiagnosed and untreated "Millions of people are living with undiagnosed and untreated hepatitis worldwide, even though we have better tools than ever to prevent, diagnose and treat it," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "WHO remains committed to supporting countries to expand the use of those tools, including increasingly cost-effective curative medication, to save lives and end hepatitis. WHO will share new guidance to track countries progress on the path to the elimination of hepatitis by 2030. To reduce new infections and deaths from hepatitis B and C, countries must: ensure access to treatment for all pregnant women living with hepatitis B, provide hepatitis B vaccines for their babies at birth, diagnose 90% of people living with hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C, and provide treatment to 80% of all people diagnosed with hepatitis. They must also act to ensure optimal blood transfusion, safe injections and harm reduction. Vaccination, testing and treatment The reduction of hepatitis B infections in children through vaccination is a key intervention to limit viral hepatitis infections overall. The target for hepatitis B incidence is the only Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) health target that was met in 2020 and is on track for 2030. However, many countries in Africa do not have access to the birth dose hepatitis B vaccines. Gavis recent restart of its Vaccine Investment Strategy 2018 which includes the birth dose hepatitis B vaccine will jumpstart newborn vaccination programmes in west and central Africa, where mother-to-child hepatitis B transmission rates remain very high. To help eliminate mother-to-child transmission, WHO recommends that all pregnant women should be tested for hepatitis B during their pregnancy. If positive, they should receive treatment and vaccines should be provided to their newborns. However, a new WHO report shows that of the 64 countries with a policy, only 32 countries reported implementing activities to screen for and manage hepatitis B in antenatal clinics. Protecting people The report also shows that of the 103 countries that reported, 80% have policies to screen and manage hepatitis B in HIV clinics, with 65% doing the same for hepatitis C. Increasing hepatitis testing and treatment within HIV programmes will protect people living with HIV from developing liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. After years of increasing treatment rates, the rise in the number of people accessing hepatitis C curative treatment is slowing. WHO advocates for taking advantage of price reductions in medication to reaccelerate progress in expanding treatment. A 12-week course of medication to cure hepatitis C now costs $60 for low-income countries, down from the original costs of more than $90,000 when first introduced in high-income countries. Treatment for hepatitis B costs less than $30 per year ($2.4 per month). For people who want to maintain liver health, WHO recommends hepatitis testing, treatment if diagnosed, and vaccination against hepatitis B. Reducing alcohol consumption, achieving a healthy weight, and managing diabetes or hypertension also benefit liver health.-- TradeArabia News Service Key Insights Significantly high institutional ownership implies Arix Bioscience's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions A total of 6 investors have a majority stake in the company with 53% ownership Insiders have been selling lately Every investor in Arix Bioscience plc (LON:ARIX) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 40% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or 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 Arix Bioscience. Check out our latest analysis for Arix Bioscience What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Arix Bioscience? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. We can see that Arix Bioscience does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Arix Bioscience, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Arix Bioscience. Acacia Research Corporation is currently the company's largest shareholder with 26% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 8.9% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 5.4% by the third-largest shareholder. Story continues We also observed that the top 6 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held. Insider Ownership Of Arix Bioscience While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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 most recent data indicates that insiders own some shares in Arix Bioscience plc. In their own names, insiders own UK8.8m worth of stock in the UK147m company. This shows at least some alignment, but we usually like to see larger insider holdings. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 11% stake in Arix Bioscience. 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 11%, of the Arix Bioscience stock. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company. Public Company Ownership We can see that public companies hold 30% of the Arix Bioscience shares on issue. We can't be certain but it is quite possible this is a strategic stake. The businesses may be similar, or work together. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Arix Bioscience better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with Arix Bioscience (at least 2 which are significant) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. 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 Highlights: Russian President says the war is reaching Russia and its "symbolic centers" Russian Defense Ministry says it has thwarted an attack on targets in Crimea. One person was injured in a collision between a drone and a tower in Moscow. The attack was the latest in a series of drone strikes on Russian cities and towns near the border with Ukraine, which Moscow blames on the West. The Russian military says it will continue to use drones until the end of the year, when it will use other methods to target targets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that the war was reaching Russia and its "symbolic centers", hours after a drone attack targeted Moscow and halted traffic at one of its international airports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that the war is reaching Russia and its "symbolic centers," hours after a drone attack targeted Moscow and led to a temporary suspension of traffic at one of its international airports. Zelensky warned that "gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia, (reaching) its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and unquestionably just path," in a speech during a visit to the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. He stressed that "Ukraine is becoming stronger" and that Russia must prepare for new attacks targeting its energy infrastructure next winter. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced earlier today that air defense systems shot down 44 Ukrainian marches in one day, pointing to the downing of a Ukrainian march in the Moscow province and two other marches in the Moscow City towers area in the center of the capital. Emergency authorities said one person was injured as a result of a drone collision with one of the towers, and said air traffic had returned to normal at all airports after the airspace over the capital was temporarily closed. Russia's TASS news agency quoted "shipping sources" as saying that Vnukovo International Airport southwest of Moscow was briefly closed to air traffic early Sunday, before flights later resumed. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said one of the towers was lightly injured as a result of a Ukrainian drone colliding after it was dropped. Sunday's attack was the latest in a series of drone attacks, including an attack on the Kremlin and Russian cities near the border with Ukraine, which Moscow blames on Kiev. In July, Russia said it had shot down five Ukrainian drones that disrupted air traffic at Vnukovo airport. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the attacks "would have been impossible without the assistance provided to the Kiev regime by the United States and its NATO allies." These attacks rarely targeted Moscow and its suburbs, some 500 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, since the conflict began in February 2022, until drone airstrikes began in 2023. In the same context, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had thwarted an attack carried out by Kiev using 25 drones on targets in Crimea. The ministry said that 16 drones were destroyed by air defense systems, and the rest were shot down by electronic warfare means before reaching their targets, noting that the attack did not result in casualties or material damage. The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, General Kirilo Budanov, said the military would "soon enter Crimea" without providing details or time limits, in an interview with Ukrainian broadcaster TSN. Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Boustead Singapore Limited (SGX:F9D) is about to go ex-dividend in just three days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. Accordingly, Boustead Singapore investors that purchase the stock on or after the 3rd of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 18th of August. The company's next dividend payment will be S$0.025 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed S$0.04 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Boustead Singapore stock has a trailing yield of around 4.5% on the current share price of SGD0.885. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! As a result, readers should always check whether Boustead Singapore has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut. View our latest analysis for Boustead Singapore Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Fortunately Boustead Singapore's payout ratio is modest, at just 42% of profit. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. Fortunately, it paid out only 26% of its free cash flow in the past year. It's positive to see that Boustead Singapore's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Story continues Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. Fortunately for readers, Boustead Singapore's earnings per share have been growing at 13% a year for the past five years. The company has managed to grow earnings at a rapid rate, while reinvesting most of the profits within the business. Fast-growing businesses that are reinvesting heavily are enticing from a dividend perspective, especially since they can often increase the payout ratio later. The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Boustead Singapore has seen its dividend decline 2.2% per annum on average over the past 10 years, which is not great to see. Boustead Singapore is a rare case where dividends have been decreasing at the same time as earnings per share have been improving. It's unusual to see, and could point to unstable conditions in the core business, or more rarely an intensified focus on reinvesting profits. The Bottom Line Should investors buy Boustead Singapore for the upcoming dividend? Boustead Singapore has grown its earnings per share while simultaneously reinvesting in the business. Unfortunately it's cut the dividend at least once in the past 10 years, but the conservative payout ratio makes the current dividend look sustainable. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention. With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. To help with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Boustead Singapore that you should be aware of before investing in their shares. A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks. 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 Byline Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:BY) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript July 29, 2023 Operator: Good morning, and welcome to the Byline Bancorp Second Quarter 2023 Earnings Call. My name is Glenn and I'll be your commerce operator today. [Operator Instructions] Please note the conference call is being recorded. At this time, I would like to introduce Brooks Rennie, Head of Investor Relations for Byline Bancorp to begin the conference call. Brooks Rennie: Thank you, Glenn. Good morning, everyone. And thank you for joining us today for the Byline Bancorp second quarter 2023 earnings call. In accordance with regulation FD, this call is being recorded and is available via webcast on our Investor Relations website along with our earnings release and the corresponding presentation slides. Management would like to remind everyone that certain statements made on today's call involve projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the company. We caution that such statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. The company's risk factors are disclosed and discussed in its SEC filings. In addition, certain slides contain and we may refer to non-GAAP measures, which are intended to supplement, but not substitute for the most directly comparable GAAP measures. Reconciliation for these numbers can be found within the appendix of the earnings release. For additional information about risks and uncertainties, please see the forward-looking statement and non-GAAP financial measures disclosures in the earnings release. I would now like to turn the conference call over to Alberto Paracchini, President of Byline Bancorp. Alberto Paracchini: Thank you, Brooks, and good morning, everyone. We appreciate you taking the time to join the call this morning to review our second quarter results. The deck we will be referencing can be found on our website. Please refer to the disclaimer at the front. Joining me on the call this morning, our Chairman and CEO, Roberto Herencia; our CFO and Treasurer, Tom Bell; and our Chief Credit Officer, Mark Fucinato. Before we get into the results for the quarter, I want to pass the call on to Roberto for a few items. Roberto? Story continues Roberto Herencia: Thank you, Alberto, and good morning, everyone. Before Alberto and the team go over the strong results for the second quarter and answer your questions, I wanted to highlight an important milestone in our story. At the end of June, we marked the 10-year anniversary of the recapitalization of the Metropolitan Bank Group, MBG, which, as you know, we renamed shortly thereafter, Byline. At the time, the $200 million-plus recapitalization was the largest recap of a bank in Chicago in over 25 years. What has been accomplished in our 10 years is remarkable and a true story of transformation. Looking back to March of 2013, the quarter before we closed the recap, MBG had 12 bank charters, 88 branches and total assets of $2.4 billion. bank, money nick-pampoukidis-t-UV1rZqPuY-unsplash Byline, of course, has only one charter. And at the end of June, not including Inland, which, as you know, closed effective July 1 at 38 branches, 50% fewer and total assets of $7.6 billion, more than 3x. MBG had total deposits per branch of $25 million and non-interest-bearing deposits, the total deposits of 26%. Today, Byline has $153 million per branch and non-interest-bearing deposits to total deposits of 30% plus. We have a top quartile margin and better than median profitability in our peer group. Five acquisitions later, again, excluding Inland, but including the MBG recap, our Board and management team have shown their expertise in integrating and adding value post acquisitions. Growth has been evenly distributed between well-executed acquisitions and organic growth driven by talented bankers who have joined Byline amid disruption by larger bank mergers in our area. We expect this to continue over the next five years. There are a few critical factors that have supported our success. And this is not the forum to discuss those, but the one which I firmly believe is the main driver, people. Our investment in people, our colleagues and collaborators is palpable at this organization. It shows up in our engagement surveys and our ability to continue to attract, retain and inspire talent. I cannot emphasize enough how nuanced this topic is at Byline. Being home to the best commercial bank in town in Chicago and within the line of business that we operate is hard to replicate by others, especially larger players. This has been and will continue to be the key. To which, Byline was recognized a few days ago as one of Forbes America's Best Small Employers. We were the only Illinois bank and one of only six Illinois companies to be recognized. This is thanks to our team members who support our customers, serve and work in our communities and continually look for ways to do better today than yesterday, and of course, our dedication and commitment to the well-being of our people. I am as confident as ever in Byline's positioning as Chicago's largest community bank, our ability to outperform through the cycle and to deliver products and service offerings that improve lives for all our stakeholders. As you can tell, we are optimistic about Byline. And frankly, I'm just thankful to be part of the team that will steward the bank into the future. With that, I'll pass the call back to Alberto. Alberto Paracchini: Great. Thank you, Roberto. And now in terms of the agenda, I'll start by providing highlights for the quarter, followed by Tom, who will walk you through our results in more detail. After that, I'll provide some closing comments before we open the call up for questions. At the time of our call last quarter, we were coming off a challenging period for the industry that ultimately saw the failure of three institutions and was characterized by a degree of uncertainty that shook the confidence in our system. Our priorities at the time were to remain focused on executing our strategy, capitalize on opportunities to grow relationships and hire talent. We also wanted to remain vigilant on credit and manage our capital and liquidity conservatively. Lastly, we wanted to complete the Inland transaction. Our performance and results this past quarter show meaningful progress against those priorities. Before we jump to the highlights, let me first give you an update on the Inland transaction. As previously announced, the transaction closed effective July 1st and key milestones in the integration have been completed as planned. The bank subs have merged and former Inland employees were successfully onboarded into our systems. Our focus is now centered on integrating them into the company, our culture and their respective teams so they can get back out into the market. Up next comes the rebranding under the Byline brand and the product and systems conversion, which remain on track for completion later this quarter. Due to the timing of the closing, the impact of the transaction on the second quarter was minor, say, for some merger-related expenses. Next quarter, aside from the usual noise from onetime charges, you will see a full quarter of consolidated results. As we disclosed in our earnings release, pro forma for the acquisition, Byline now has approximately $8.8 billion in assets, $6.4 billion in loans and $6.9 billion in deposits with 48 branch locations. Moving on to Page 3 of the deck. For the second quarter, we reported net income of $26.1 million and EPS of $0.70 per diluted share. If we adjust for merger-related charges, net income was $27.3 million or $0.73 per diluted share, both figures representing record levels for the company since going public and up 9% and 20% on a quarter-on-quarter and year-over-year basis, respectively. Profitability and return metrics continue to remain strong across the board. ROA came in at 141 basis points, while ROTCE was 16.8%. On an adjusted basis, ROA was 148 basis points and ROTCE came in at strong 17.5%. Adjusted pre-tax pre-provision income was $42.5 million for the quarter, which put our adjusted pre-tax pre-provision ROA at 230 basis points, down 5 basis points linked quarter but up 43 basis points year-over-year. Total revenue was flat quarter-over-quarter at $90 million, but up $14.5 million or 19% over the prior year, driven by higher net interest income stemming from loan growth and higher rates. Non-interest income came in at $14.3 million, lower than last quarter as expected, but in line with the prior year. Adjusting for the impact of fair value marks on our servicing asset, non-interest income remained consistent between the quarters. Expenses came in at $49 million, inclusive of merger-related charges. If we exclude those, expenses were well managed at $48 million. Netting these two figures translated into positive operating leverage on a year-over-year basis. Moving on to profitability. The margin remained solid at 4.32%, declining only 6 basis points from the prior quarter, notwithstanding higher funding costs. Our adjusted efficiency ratio came in at 51%, down both against the previous quarter and lower by over 350 basis points on a year-over-year basis. Moving on to the balance sheet. Loan growth moderated consistent with guidance and the portfolio stood at $5.6 billion as of quarter end. Notwithstanding the environment, this was the ninth consecutive quarter of growth in loans, and we continue to see solid levels of business activity. Originations were solid, and we saw an uptick in payoff activity during the quarter. Results were driven largely by our commercial banking sponsor and leasing businesses. Our government-guaranteed lending business had a solid quarter with $141 million in closed loans, up from the prior quarter and 12% year-over-year. I'd like to acknowledge and give a shout out to our team who earlier this month was recognized by the SBA as the top 7(a) lender for the 14th consecutive year. We were also recognized as the top 504 and export lender in the State of Illinois for fiscal year 2022. In terms of liabilities, total deposits end of the quarter at $5.9 billion, up $104 million from the first quarter. Average deposits were also up 1.7% quarter-on-quarter, driven by flows related to new customers. As we anticipated, this quarter, we continue to see a shift in mix, that Tom will cover in more detail shortly, towards higher-yielding products consistent with a higher rate environment. Asset quality improved with NPLs decreasing 15 basis points to 69 basis points at the end of the quarter. Credit costs were $6.5 million, inclusive of net charge-offs, which were $4.3 million or 31 basis points, and we had a net reserve bill of $2.2 million. This quarter, we took advantage of opportunities to accelerate some NPL resolutions, which drove the uptick in charge-offs. The allowance for credit losses ended the quarter at a strong 1.66% of total loans. Capital and liquidity were further bolstered this past quarter with CET1 ratio increasing by 37 basis points to 10.6%, and our total capital and TCE ratio ending the quarter at 13.5% and just under 9%, respectively. With that, I'd like to turn over the call to Tom, who will provide you with more detail on our results. See also 25 Countries with the Highest Income Inequality in the World and 13 Safe Stocks To Invest In. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Do you know why the coffee belt is so special? It's like Mother Nature's VIP section for coffee plants. The coffee belt, aptly nicknamed Mother Nature's VIP section for coffee plants, encompasses the region between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, providing an optimal environment for coffee cultivation. Here, coffee plants lounge, basking in the warm tropical sun. The consistent and warm temperatures throughout the year ensure a perfect climate for their growth and development. When the rains come, it's like a coffee spa day, rejuvenating and nourishing the plants as they become the rock stars of the botanical world, drawing the attention of coffee enthusiasts and caffeine aficionados worldwide. The coffee belt in Africa is like the Earth's very own playground for coffee. It is located 23.5 degrees above and below the Equator. This area is known as the Tropics, specifically the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The Tropics Coffee Belt is a Dreamy Haven for Coffee Bean Bliss. The Tropics experience relatively consistent and warm temperatures throughout the year, resulting in a pleasant and stable climate. This climate is favorable for agriculture and allows for continuous cultivation of crops, including coffee and many others. Coffee plants require a well-defined rainy season and a distinct dry season. The Tropics typically have a distinct wet and dry season, which is crucial for coffee cherries to ripen properly. The rainy season allows the coffee plants to flower and produce cherries, while the dry season promotes the ripening of the cherries. The altitude in the coffee belt can vary significantly, but generally, coffee grows best at elevations between 2,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level. The high altitude provides cooler temperatures and slower maturation of the coffee cherries, resulting in higher-quality beans with more complex flavors. The secret to happy and thriving coffee plants lies in their very own enchanted soil recipe. For optimal growth, coffee plants require well-draining and nutrient-rich soil. The volcanic soils commonly found in tropical regions are especially advantageous for coffee cultivation due to their abundant minerals and nutrients. Coffee Wonderland: Countries in Africa's Coffee Belt Ethiopia Kenya Tanzania Uganda Rwanda Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Central African Republic Cameroon Gabon Equatorial Guinea Sao Tome and Principe The southern part of Cote d'Ivoire is located within the Tropics, making it close to the coffee belt. Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Ethiopia are the coffee belt major coffee fiesta countries. Kenya has established itself as a renowned player in the coffee world, particularly for its high-quality Arabica beans. Grown in high-altitude regions like the slopes of Mount Kenya, these beans benefit from the rich volcanic soils and cool temperatures, imparting unique flavors that are highly sought after by coffee enthusiasts worldwide. When you take a sip of Kenyan coffee, you're greeted with a delightful burst of fruity and wine-like notes that dance on your taste buds, making it a favorite among coffee connoisseurs seeking a memorable and distinctive brew. Rwanda has emerged as an exciting and promising coffee producer in recent years. With its growing coffee industry, Rwanda has been making waves for its delicate and floral Arabica beans. The country's coffee plantations in high-altitude regions with ample rainfall produce beans with a delightful sweetness and bright acidity. The unique combination of climate and meticulous farming practices has resulted in a cup of coffee with notes of citrus, jasmine, and a pleasing floral aroma. As more people discover Rwandan coffee's rich and nuanced flavors, it has quickly earned its place on the global coffee stage. Uganda, a rising star in the coffee world, is capturing attention with its diverse coffee offerings. The country's coffee production includes a wide range of both Arabica and Robusta beans, each with distinct flavor profiles. While Arabica beans from Uganda showcase fruity and floral characteristics, the Robusta beans contribute to a rich, full-bodied cup with hints of cocoa and nutty undertones. The favorable growing conditions in various regions of Uganda, coupled with the expertise of local coffee farmers, have contributed to the country's emergence as a significant coffee producer. As Uganda continues to refine its coffee production and gain recognition for its unique offerings, it further cements its position among Africa's top coffee producers. Together with Ethiopia, these coffee-blessed countries in the coffee belt form a dynamic and diverse group, each contributing to the global coffee market with its own distinct flavors and styles. So, the next time you savor that delightful cup of java, take a moment to appreciate the rich tapestry of flavors that originate from these coffee fiesta nations and let the magic of the coffee belt transport you on a flavorful journey around the world. So, the next time you sip that delicious cup of java, remember, it's not just a drink; it's a worldwide celebration led by our beloved coffee belt countries, Ethiopia proudly hosting the coffee fiesta. Wittgenstein famously said that what we cannot speak about, we must pass over in silence. An actor as good as Lee can hold a silence and make it say anything and does so ostentatiously, to comic effect, early in this piece. Maybe the play needs to trust in another wordless sequence, as a tragic counterweight, to alleviate the impression that there are a few notes missing in the emotional score. Still, its an intricate solo performance, tackling a complex internal landscape, and some desolating themes, with humour and poignancy. Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead THEATRE 2:22 A Ghost Story Her Majestys Theatre, until 20 August Horror is so often a vehicle that exposes societys innermost corners The Exorcist is largely seen as a metaphor for a young womans nascent sexuality, while The Shining is construed as a rejection of Americas imperialism and ill-gotten riches. The cast of 2:22 A Ghost Story (from left) Remy Hii, Gemma Ward, Dan MacPherson and Ruby Rose. Credit: Wayne Taylor Following in this tradition, an examination of spectral ghosts in 2:22 goes on to explore the ghosts of lives never lived, of past lives papered over by gentrification and the changing shape of a city. Jenny (Gemma Ward) is an exhausted mother whose woes are exacerbated by the sound of phantom footsteps circling her daughters cot at precisely 2:22am for the past three nights in their new doer-upper. Wrung out and at her wits end, she coaxes her husband Sam (Remy Hii) and their dinner party guests psychiatrist Lauren (Ruby Rose) and her builder beau Ben (Daniel MacPherson) to stage a vigil. A menacing red digital clock counts down to the moment of reckoning. A well-worn divide demarcates the group. Jenny is a believer, and her fears are reified by Ben, whose bullish demeanour belies a latent spirituality. Sam is the Scully to Jennys Mulder, his scientific background and pigheaded insistence on his own rationality placing them at an impasse. Lauren, like her field of practice that often invites conjecture on whether its art or science, catapults between the two sides. Gemma Ward (left) as Jenny, Dan MacPherson as Ben, Ruby Rose as Lauren, and Remy Hii as Sam share ghost stories as a digital clock counts down to the moment of reckoning. Credit: Eugene Hyland Under Anna Fleischles set direction, the stage is transformed into a haunting picture of domesticity the peeling wallpaper of the former occupants at odds with the well-appointed kitchen and ceiling rosettes. But while there are interesting parallels drawn between the incursion of a ghost and the arrival of gentrifiers or faith and reason Jenny is a lapsed Catholic, while Sam clings to science like it is a religion the acting, dialogue and poor character development ultimately let 2:22 down. MacPherson shines as the multilayered Ben, but Hii is one-note as the supercilious, poorly written Sam, while Wards overwrought Jenny lacks layers. Laurens vacillating between science and belief could have made for an interesting interrogation of selfhood, but in Roses hands, the character is rendered confused and incomprehensible. A blood-curdling scream accompanies every scene transition, initially providing an easy jump scare before becoming tiresome, but more grating are the numerous instances of shrill shrieks attributed to foxes having sex rather than heighten the tension, they diffuse it. There are Easter eggs as to the eventual twist, which lends the ending dramatic heft, but much remains unanswered. 2:22s most lingering scares lie in the campfire-style ghost stories shared among characters and in Bens monologue about modernisations discarding of the old. Here, we get a glimpse of what 2:22 couldve been. Reviewed by Sonia Nair MUSIC Trichotomy Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts, July 29 For a jazz band thats been together for more than 20 years, Trichotomy has made surprisingly few appearances in Melbourne. Having developed a solid following overseas, this exceptionally gifted Brisbane trio has probably toured Europe more often than theyve toured Australia. Jazz outfit Trichotomy incorporate electronics into their highly distinctive sound world. Credit: Samantha Covey So it was a rare treat to catch the band live over the weekend at The Counts: an elegant jazz club nestled within the Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts at Monash University. Support act Louisa Rankin opened the concert with a set of delicate originals, Rankins wonderfully pure-toned and mostly wordless vocals gliding over the lilting themes established by her empathetic trio. Trichotomys visit to Melbourne was prompted by the release of their superb new album To Vanish. Recently, the band has been exploring ways to incorporate electronics into their highly distinctive sound world. On Saturday night, Sean Foran (piano), Samuel Vincent (double bass) and John Parker (drums) utilised various effects to manipulate and expand the sound of their instruments via delay pedals, loops and samples created in real time. For the most part, these effects were subtly almost imperceptibly integrated into the bands acoustic arrangements: an unearthly piano shimmer here; an additional pulse or bass motif there. The electronics enhanced the bands already finely honed ability to shape pieces via constant shifts in tone and dynamics, allowing them to exchange graceful lyricism for sweeping drama in the blink of an eye. Individual solos morphed into collective conversations, as freely improvised passages unfurled within each intricately crafted tune. The trios razor-sharp reflexes were on especially vivid display during their final number: a brilliantly inventive take on Steve Reichs Clapping Music which transformed a purely percussive piece into an exhilarating synthesis of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic patterns that interlocked to conjure a restless but irresistible groove. Reviewed by Jessica Nicholas MUSIC/DANCE PACO PENA FLAMENCO IN CONCERT Melbourne Recital Centre, August 1 More than seven decades after he first picked up a guitar, Paco Pena still radiates a passionate dedication to the art form that has defined his life and career. Perhaps thats why after countless tours here and around the world Pena still sells out concert halls whenever he performs. Paco Penas passion for flamenco remains undimmed. Credit: Audiences never tire of him because he has never grown tired of flamenco, nor stopped searching for ways to communicate its beauty, drama and complexity. And its not just his passion that remains undimmed. At 81, Penas technical facility on the guitar is as astonishing as ever, though hes completely uninterested in virtuosic displays for their own sake. Opening Tuesdays concert with a series of solo guitar pieces, he remained half-hidden in shadows as he plucked elegant melodies from rippling, note-filled cascades. While a single spotlight above him was suitably dramatic, it was a shame his face and guitar were cloaked in darkness, as this was a rare opportunity to focus on the intimate relationship between Pena and his instrument. Gradually, the rest of the ensemble arrived on stage - another guitarist, two singers, two dancers and a percussionist. Here, Pena became more of an accompanist, leaning forward in his chair to feel and respond to the curl of a dancers hand or a singers aching cry. Vocalists Ivan Carpio and Inmaculada Rivero used gestures as extensions of their voices, with arms outstretched or clasped to their heart as they projected anguish and passion with equal vigour. Each time the dancers (Adriana Bilbao and Gabriel Matias) stepped on stage, all eyes were on them as they transformed the music into visible, shape-shifting energy. They formed a mesmerising pair at times moving with feline grace as they circled each other or united in a tender embrace; at times striding defiantly, fingers snapping and feet stamping in visceral, staccato bursts. By the time the company gathered for a celebratory finale, the audience was also on its feet, farewelling Pena and his ensemble as they sang and danced their way off the stage, creating the distinct impression this fiesta would continue long into the night. Reviewed by Jessica Nicholas THEATRE What Was That? Essence Theatre, Werribee Park Mansion Probably the longest-running production in Melbourne, What Was That? is a site-specific promenade performance for small groups. Set in the Werribee Park Mansion, it offers a chance to wander through the grand Italianate building at night, in a ghost tour that combines potted history, low comedy, and light horror. The ghoulish tricks in What Was That? give the long-running production a surprisingly effective fright night appeal. Credit: The stately home has a haunted past, incorporated into the show. It was built in the 1870s by the Chirnside brothers, Andrew and Thomas, who owned a vast pastoral empire and spared no expense on the property. But despite their wealth, the Scottish brothers had a dour look about them. Their severe-looking portraits hang above the opulent staircase to the upper level, and Thomas prone to depression and having been jilted in love died by suicide after rigging up a shotgun in the homes laundry. Another grisly death awaited the mistress of the house, and one of the familys children. There are more than enough ghosts to support the haunted house trope, and our guides to the spookfest are two servants a butler (Phil Cameron-Smith) and a head maid (Alaine Beek), soon to be out of a job as the Chirnside family sell the place and move on. The popular production What Was That? will stage its 1000th performance this month. Credit: Some of the jokes are unsophisticated. The inebriated butler is a boorish and puerile sort, though the earthy but mischievous Scottish maid is an enjoyable contrast, and the actors throw themselves into their roles, making it easy to be carried along by the fun. The 2023 Logies red carpet has succeeded where Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Wonder Woman 1984 and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles failed, by serving up sequels that surpassed the originals. It wasnt a revival of Water Rats, but a runway re-run of some of Australian Fashion Weeks greatest hits, worn by Lego Masters* host Hamish Blakes beauty entrepreneur wife Zoe Foster Blake, Home and Aways Emily Weir and NITV presenter Natalie Ahmat. Home & Away actor Emily Weir in Mariam Seddiq, NITV presenter Natalie Ahmat in Ikuntji Artists and Today Extra co-host Sylvia Jeffreys in Rebecca Vallance champion Australian designers on the 2023 Logie Awards red carpet. Credit: Getty Foster Blake shifted the focus back onto Australian talent after wearing Italian luxury label Gucci to last years awards. This time her stylist Jess Pecoraro selected a ruby slipper-looking red dress from local label Alemais, which opened Australian Fashion Week in Sydney at Carriageworks in May. The floor-length dress was made using 100 per cent recycled sequins to avoid any glitter guilt. 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 In Southport in the early hours of May 22, 1952, a young taxi driver, Athol Henry McGowan, was savagely murdered inside his vehicle. Witnesses reported seeing a man and his little dog at the scene. A suspect, Arthur Ernest Halliday, was identified. They talked to him, and he said, yes, he had a dog, but his sister has it now, Queensland Police Museum curator Lisa Jones says. She was in New Farm. And when they got to New Farm, the sister said, The dog has died, and Ive buried it. So just to be on the safe side, they dug it up. They did more than dig it up: they embalmed it and used it as evidence in Hallidays trial. The accused was reportedly so surprised to see the animal that he admitted ownership and was duly convicted to life imprisonment at Boggo Road Jail. The dog, Peter, is perhaps the most unusual piece of crime scene evidence on display at the Queensland Police Museum, the fascinating free museum at Queensland Police headquarters in Roma Street that celebrates its 130th anniversary in 2023. Constabulary items on show at the Queensland Police Museum in Brisbane range from the engrossing to the grisly. Credit: Queensland Police Media Advertisement Its collection fills several rooms. There are displays of weapons ranging from the Snider-Enfield Long Rifles used by Victorian-era troopers to modern handheld Glock 22 pistols, along with uniforms, vehicles and, chillingly, a petrol drum used in the horrendous 1973 Whiskey Au Go Go firebombing. The museum is one of several in Brisbane that fly under the radar but add to the richness of the citys cultural life see below for a list of some of the best small and secret museums worth visiting. Best little and secret museums to explore in Brisbane Queensland Police Museum Fans of true-crime podcasts, stop what youre doing and get down to the Queensland Police Headquarters. Rev-olution: Police on highway patrol in Queensland used to saddle up on a different set of wheels. Credit: Sally Jelbert The museum is a vivid record of policing in the state since 1864 and features evidence, uniforms, medals, weapons, two-way radios, vehicles and accounts of notable crimes, solved and unsolved. If youve ever wanted to sit on a highway patrol chopper, youre in luck. Check the website for details of monthly Sunday lectures, often given by retired officers involved in solving cases. 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Mon-Thu 9am-4pm and last Sun of month 10am-3pm (Feb-Nov), free. Advertisement MacArthur Museum This museum occupies the same offices used as HQ by US General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. Step in the office used by US General Douglas MacArthur at the MacArthur Museum. Credit: Nick Dent Exhibits cover MacArthur the man, the Pacific Campaign, and most pertinently, how life changed in Brisbane due to the threat of Japanese attack and the influx of thousands of American servicemen. MacArthurs office has been furnished exactly as it was in 1943. Artefacts include a propaganda matchbox distributed in the Philippines emblazoned with the generals famous promise I shall return. A Red Cross flag signed by dozens of Australian servicemen is perhaps the most vividly human war relic on display at this top-notch war museum. Level 8 MacArthur Chambers, 201 Edward Street, Brisbane. Tue, Thu and Sun 10am-3pm, $5-$10. Anzac Square and Memorial Galleries Operated by the State Library, the State War Memorial has three exhibition galleries commemorating service men and women. Advertisement The Anzac Square Memorial Galleries has exhibits marking Queenslanders involvement across several wars. Credit: Simon Langford The WWI Memorial Crypt is a sombre corridor of plaques dedicated to various regiments making up the 10,000 Queenslanders who lost their lives in the Great War. The World War II gallery lets you follow the progress of the War in the Pacific by tapping on an interactive map of the world. On special occasions you can also see the amazing 1962 wall-sized Venetian glass mosaic by Don Ross. And the Post-1945 room has screens telling the story of Australians in global peacekeeping missions and other active service situations. Dont forget to check out the statues around the square and the Shrine of Remembrance with its eternal flame, burning since 1930. 285 Ann Street, Brisbane. Sun-Fri 10am-4pm, free. Marks-Hirschfeld Museum of Medical History Satisfy your morbid curiosity (and give thanks for modern medical technology) at the Marks-Hirschfeld Museum, with such exhibits as 19th century enema kits, the dreaded tonsil guillotine (exactly what it sounds like), amputation saws and antique devices for blood letting. Open wide! Medical implements at the Marks-Hirschfeld Museum of Medical History throw light on a different medical age. Credit: Nick Dent Advertisement The museum is installed in display cabinets on three levels of the beautiful UQ Mayne Medical Building, built in 1938-39. Alongside snake oil medicines promoted by charlatans, an embalming pump and some nasty-looking pairs of forceps, youll also find medical breakthroughs such as the first purpose-built X-ray apparatus in Queensland (1896). Mayne Medical Building, University of Queensland, 288 Herston Road, Herston. Daily 8.30am-4.30pm, free. Commissariat Store Museum At North Quay, metres away from the futuristic development of Queens Wharf Tower, lies the oldest occupied building in Queensland. The Commissariat Store was built in 1829 to house provisions for the then-new penal colony of Brisbane. Credit: Nick Dent And with its iron-stained, rough-hewn tuff blocks and hand-forged iron bars, it looks it. The Commissariat Store was built in 1829 to house and distribute provisions to the new penal colony of Brisbane. Its now a three-level museum and home to the Royal Historical Society of Queensland. Displays detail the birth of the colony and convict hardship, and there are numerous relics and maritime objects. Scale models depict the Moreton Bay Penal Colony around 1837. 115 William Street, Brisbane. Tue-Fri 10am-4pm (except public holidays), $5-$10. Old Government House Advertisement Victorian Labor is bracing for tough criticism over integrity issues, with former anti-corruption chief Robert Redlich scheduled to speak publicly on Monday for the first time since he left the job in December. Redlich, AM, KC, will appear before the Integrity and Oversight Committees public performance review of integrity agencies, including the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Committee, the Victorian Ombudsman and the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner. Former IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich. It is unusual for a committee such as this to call on a former head of an agency. The acting IBAC commissioner, Stephen Farrow, will also appear before the committee. Senior MPs, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak publicly, said that Labor MPs on the integrity committee opposed inviting Redlich to appear but lost the vote. The government no longer controls the committee after a controversial deal in March with the Greens and Legalise Cannabis Party. The nations army chief says he expects the troubled MRH-90 Taipan helicopters to remain in use until their scheduled retirement next year despite one of the aircraft crashing off the Queensland coast on Friday with four service members on board. The remaining fleet has been grounded following the accident, pending further investigations. The four aircrew members who were identified with the consent of their families on Sunday have been missing since 10.30pm on Friday and are feared dead. Chief of the Australian Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart said the defence force always seeks to mitigate risks. Credit: Nine News The Taipan has suffered a series of technical issues during its service, most recently in March when one of the helicopters crashed during late-night exercises in Jervis Bay, on the NSW South Coast. Cheyenne, WY (82001) Today Mostly sunny. High 77F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low around 55F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Central Pacific Financial Corp. (NYSE:CPF) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript July 29, 2023 Operator: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for standing by and welcome to the Central Pacific Financial Corp. Second Quarter 2023 Conference Call. During today's presentation, all parties will be in a listen-only mode. Following the presentation, the conference will be open for questions. This call is being recorded and will be available for replay shortly after its completion on the company's website at www.cpb.bank. I'd like to turn the call over to Ms. Dayna Matsumoto, Group Senior Vice President and Director of Finance and Accounting. Please go ahead. Dayna Matsumoto: Thank you, Sarah, and thank you all for joining us as we review the financial results of the second quarter of 2023 for Central Pacific Financial Corp. With me this morning are Arnold Martines, President and Chief Executive Officer; David Morimoto, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; and Anna Hu, Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer. We have prepared a supplemental slide presentation that provides additional details on our release and is available in the Investor Relations section of our website at cpb.bank. During the course of today's call, management may make forward-looking statements. While we believe these statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they involve risks that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. For a complete discussion of the risks related to our forward-looking statements, please refer to slide two of our presentation. And now I'll turn the call over to our President and CEO, Arnold Martines. Arnold Martines: Thank you, Dayna. Hello, everyone. We appreciate your interest in Central Pacific Financial Corp. As we normally do, I'll start with an update on the Hawaii market, then I'll turn it over to the team to provide additional detail and insights on our financial and credit metrics as well as other key updates. The Hawaii tourism industry continues to be well supported by U.S. visitors with total visitor arrivals just slightly under pre-pandemic levels. Visitor spending continues to be robust, totaling $1.69 billion in May, an increase of 19% compared to the same month in 2019. Hotels in Hawaii continue to perform well with total state-wide hotel occupancy in June at 77%, up 1% from a year ago and an average daily rate of $389, down 2% from a year ago. Story continues Hawaii's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continued to decline to 3% in June and is outperforming the national unemployment rate of 3.6%. Year-over-year state-wide non-foreign payroll increased by 17,000 jobs or 2.7%. Labor market conditions are overall quite favorable in Hawaii. Real estate values in Hawaii remains a key strength. The Oahu Median Single-Family Home price continues to be around $1.1 million, and the Median Condo sales price was $510,000 in June. While home sales volumes are down year-over-year, there is continued strong demand and limited inventory with properties generally staying on the market for less than 20 days. Strong construction activity in Hawaii continues to drive economic growth. Private building permits are up 8% compared to a year ago and construction job counts are up 5%. Card, Client, Bank Photo by Oliur on Unsplash Government contracts awarded in Hawaii totaled $3.2 billion in the first quarter of 2023, which included a significant $2.8 billion award to Hawaii firms for the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Replacement Project. Overall, the Hawaii market continues to have a healthier outlook compared to the rest of the nation and is projected to avoid a recession. The Hawaii banking industry is also differentiated from the national industry with a high-value deposit franchise that is predominantly relationship based. CPB's deposit portfolio is diversified and long tenured. Our business model is based on longer-term customer relationships that are sticky and less rate sensitive. CPB has $6.8 billion in relationship deposits with approximately 50% of our customers having been with CPB for more than 10 years. Additionally, 65% of our deposits are FDIC insured or collateralized. During the pandemic, we grew our deposits responsibly with about 30% growth as compared to some of the challenged US regional banks that more than doubled their deposit portfolio size with surge deposits. In the second quarter, we continued a strong focus on liquidity and while some deposit mix shift continues, we were successful in growing total deposits. Our teams remain very focused on generating relationship based deposits and we see upside opportunity to continue to grow our market share. At the same time, we continue to prudently make asset growth decisions with a strong risk management focus. I'll now turn the call over to David Morimoto, our Chief Financial Officer. David? David Morimoto: Thank you, Arnold. Turning to our earnings results. Net income for the second quarter was $14.5 million or $0.53 per diluted share. Return on average assets was 0.78%, return on average equity was 12.12% and our efficiency ratio was 63.17%. Our balance sheet and liquidity position strengthened in the second quarter with our loan and investment portfolios modestly declining growth in the deposit portfolio and a cash position in excess of $300 million. Our loan-to-deposit ratio declined to 81% in the second quarter. We continue to moderate loan growth by being more selective and ensuring appropriate pricing and structure on new portfolio loans. In the second quarter, we continue to let the Mainland unsecured consumer loan portfolio runoff as we monitor the national economic outlook. We remain nimble and will look for opportunities as the operating environment evolves. On deposits, period-end total deposits grew by $59 million, which included core deposit growth of $10 million. Average total deposit balances also grew by $19 million sequential quarter. CPB continues to benefit from a granular and stable core deposit portfolio. Deposit flows and activity have begun to normalize and at the same time, our teams are highly focused on continuing to build new or deposit customer relationships. Net interest income for the second quarter was $52.7 million and decreased by $1.5 million from the prior quarter, primarily due to higher funding costs. This reflects a smaller quarter-over-quarter decrease compared to the first quarter, which declined by $2.1 million. The net interest margin was 2.96% in the second quarter, a decline of 12 basis points. Our total cost of deposits was 84 basis points in the second quarter and our cycle-to-date interest-bearing deposit repricing beta is 24%, which remains within our expectations. Second quarter other operating income was $10.4 million, which decreased by $0.6 million from the prior quarter, primarily due to lower income from fiduciary activities. Other operating expenses totaled $39.9 million in the second quarter, a decrease of $2.2 million from the prior quarter. The decrease was primarily due to lower salaries and employee benefits as we prudently manage our staffing levels and compensation expense in the current operating environment. Our effective tax rate was 23.6% in the second quarter and we continue to expect it to be in the 24% to 25% range going forward. In the area of capital, during the second quarter, we repurchased 23,750 shares at a total cost of $0.4 million or an average cost per share of $14.92. Our Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.26 per share, which will be payable on September 15th to shareholders of record on August 31st. Overall, our capital position remains strong, and our shareholders' equity has grown by $23 million year-to-date. I'll now turn the call over to Anna Hu, our Chief Credit Officer. Anna Hu: Thank you, David. We continue to have strong asset quality with nonperforming assets at 15 basis points of total assets and criticized loans at 1.3% of total loans. While we saw an uptick in nonperforming assets, it was related to two Hawaii construction loans to a single borrower, which were subsequently paid off in full in mid-July. Our loan portfolio continues to be well diversified by loan type and industry sector with low exposure to the US Mainland at 17% of total loans and construction at just 4% of total loans. The total Mainland consumer portfolio is $386 million or 7% of total loans as of June 30th, which was a $44 million reduction from the prior quarter as we continue to let the portfolio run off. Over 75% of the loan portfolio is real estate secured with a weighted average loan-to-value of 65%. Our commercial real estate portfolio is diversified by sector with low office exposure at 3.5% of total loans and low retail exposure at 4.5% of total loans. The office portfolio has a weighted average loan-to-value of 55% and 73 weighted average months to maturity. The retail portfolio has a weighted average loan-to-value of 64% and 63 weighted average months to maturity. We continue with our conservative underwriting policies, including tight loan-to-value and concentration standards and are being more selective in the loans we make. Our net charge-offs were $3.4 million for the second quarter, which equates to 24 basis points annualized as a percent of average loans. The increase in net charge-offs came primarily from our Mainland unsecured consumer portfolio due to the continued seasoning of the portfolio. Overall loss levels for the Mainland consumer portfolio remain within our original expectations and we currently believe these higher loss levels are peaking with the leveling off thereafter in subsequent quarters. Our allowance for credit losses was $63.8 million or 1.16% of outstanding loans. In the second quarter, we recorded a $4.1 million provision for credit losses on loans primarily due to net charge-offs. Additionally, we recorded a $0.2 million provision for unfunded commitments, our total provision for credit losses of $4.3 million during the quarter. Overall, our portfolio is diversified, strong and well positioned to withstand the near-term pressures from the environment. We continue to have a strong risk management culture and are monitoring the economic environment closely. Now I'll turn the call back to Arnold. Arnold? Arnold Martines: Thank you, Anna. In summary, Central Pacific continues to have solid liquidity, capital and credit. As we continue to navigate the current environment, I want to express my appreciation to our exceptional team of employees who worked tirelessly to serve our customers and the community. Thank you also for your continued support and confidence in our organization. At this time, we will be happy to address any questions you may have. See also 25 Most Sexually Active Countries in the World and 20 Least Sexually Active Countries in the World . To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 79F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low around 65F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Traveling on the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti even in an armored vehicle can be a nerve-wrecking adventure as unprecedented kidnappings and gang violence hold the country hostage. (Jacqueline Charles/Miami Herald/TNS) Oppn members visit to Manipur mere show-off KOLKATA : INFORMATION and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday alleged that the visit of members of Opposition bloc INDIA to Manipur was a mere show-off. The BJP leader alleged that when Manipur used to burn under previous Governments, those visiting the N-E State now did not utter a single word in the Parliament. When Manipur used to remain shut for months, they had not spoken a word, he said. Thakur said that when the delegation returns from Manipur, the members of the team will not allow Parliament to function. In this context, my request to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is to bring the same delegation to West Bengal, where atrocities are happening against women, he said. Does the Congress oppose the way the Mamata Banerjee Government is holding on to power through killings? he added. He asked whether the INDIA bloc will visit Rajasthan where crimes against women are taking place and submit reports on West Bengal and Rajasthan. 3 more businessmen were on killers radar Staff Reporter : In a chilling revelation, the police have come across a sensitive information related to a double murder case that shocked the city on Thursday. The perpetrators had targeted three separate businessmen in black to white money exchange schemes before finally zeroing in on Nirala Kumar who was shot dead along with Amrish Gole at a farmhouse in Kondhali area on Tuesday. The three businessmen had refused to accept the offers from the accused after suspecting something amiss. According to a police official closely involved in the investigation, the killers had been actively trying to convince separate businessmen for the past five months. They held several meetings with the three businessmen at different restaurants in the past three months. However, the potential victims sensed something amiss and declined the dubious offer put forth by the accused. One of the businessmen is a resident of the Tehsil Police Station area, the official added. The official also said that the prime accused, Omkar Talmale, allegedly had a desire for quick money and lured other accused persons into the crime. Omkar was active in Bajrang Dal from 2016-17, and that was when he came in contact with Vishal Punj, a leader of Bajrang Dal. Omkars friend Harsh Verma is a notorious criminal. Omkar and Harsh discussed the bogus money exchange plan five months ago and started executing it. For this, Omkar had purchased two pistols from a firearm supplier, Abdul Mannan, alias Mohd Rehman, a native of Bihar, and currently living in Gittikhadan, for Rs 1.20 lakh. The accused then approached the deceased businessmen - Niralakumar Singh (43) and Amrish Gole (41) - with the assistance of Vishal Punj, who introduced Omkar as a fellow businessman. Their initial meeting occurred on July 18 at a cafe within Chitnavis Centre, leading to subsequent meetings that ultimately trapped the victims in the deceptive scheme. The accused promised Rs 50 lakhs to four accused persons - Harsh Bagde, Harsh Verma, Danesh Shivpeth, and Lucky Turkel - for assisting in executing their plan. The accused had apparently enticed the victims with an offer to convert their Rs 2.80 crore in black money into white money for a fee of Rs 1.50 crore. Niralakumar Singh and Amrish Gole were shot dead by Omkar and his accomplices at a farmhouse in Kondhali. The investigation revealed that in a desperate attempt to cover up their crime, the killers dumped the bodies into the swollen Wardha River from a bridge on Amravati Road. The Talegaon police stumbled upon a half-burnt body, later identified as that of Nirala Kumar, which brought the gruesome murder to light. Postmortem investigations revealed that both victims suffered eight to ten gunshots each at point-blank range before their bodies were doused in petrol and set ablaze. Police seize Goles car Vishal Punj, an accused in the double murder case, has been expelled from the Bajrang Dal, on Saturday. A high-level meeting of office-bearers from Vishwa Hindu Parishad was convened on Saturday to address the situation. In the meeting, it was decided that Punjs expulsion from the organisation was necessary given the severity of the allegations against him. Prashant Titre, Prant Mantri of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, released a press statement informing about the decision.The police found Ambarish Goles car concealed within the premises of Omkars company in the MIDC area. The police seized the vehicle and called forensic experts to examine it for any potential clues. During the investigation, the forensic team made a crucial discovery - vital evidence including blood stains of the deceased. All have to try for peaceful solution to Manipur conflict: Cong Meitei people participate in a rally organised by COCOMI amid ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, in Imphal, on Saturday. (PTI) IMPHAL : CONGRESS leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said here on Saturday that the ethnic conflict in Manipur was sullying Indias image, and all parties must try and find a peaceful solution to end it. A delegation of 21 MPs from the Opposition bloc INDIA reached Imphal earlier in the day to assess the ground situation in the ethnic strife-torn State. The team of Opposition MPs would visit several relief camps to meet victims of the ethnic clashes during their two-day visit beginning Saturday. We have come here to meet victims of ethnic clashes and understand the problem. We want the end of violence and the restoration of peace at the earliest...The entire world is watching what is going on in Manipur, Chowdhury told PTI. He also said, The ethnic clashes have damaged the image of Manipur, the North-East region and India as a whole. We all have to try for a peaceful solution. We are here not to do any politics. The MPs reached Imphal by a commercial flight from Delhi. After their arrival here, the delegation went to Churachandpur, where fresh violence has taken place, to meet victims from the Kuki community in the relief camps there. From Imphal, they took a chopper to Churachandpur due to security issues. As only one helicopter is available, the members of the delegation were divided into two teams, and the chopper would make two trips to ferry them, a security official told PTI. One team, comprising Chowdhury, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, and others, departed for Churachandpur first to visit the relief camp set up at the Boys Hostel of Churachandpur College. Another team, comprising Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and others, went to visit a relief camp at Don Bosco School in Churachandpur, a source in the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) said. Asked about the BJPs allegations of politicisation of the Manipur issue, Gogoi said, We would have been very happy to be a part of an all-party delegation led by the prime minister. But he is completely missing from the scene. He has not uttered a single word about Manipur in Parliament. The NDA is completely missing from the scene, but INDIA is present. INDIA stands with the people of Manipur. We will do everything possible to bring peace to the state, he told PTI. Congress MP from Kerala, K Suresh, who is also part of the delegation, alleged that the Centre and the Manipur government have badly handled the situation. We have come here to assess the ground situation and meet victims of violence. After we return to Delhi, we will raise various issues, based on our observations here, in Parliament and will seek the Centres attention on such issues, he told PTI. The Congress MP also alleged that the BJP is indulging in polarisation and has supported one of the two warring communities. It is a problem created by the BJP to secure its political future in the State. The BJP has been trying to divide people on the basis of caste, religion and language, he claimed. After returning to Imphal, the team led by Chowdhury would go to a relief camp at Moirang College in Bishnupur district by road to meet victims from the Meitei community, the source in the MPCC said. The other team of opposition MPs will go to the Ideal Girls College relief camp at Akampat in Imphal East district and will visit another camp at Lamboikhongangkhong in Imphal West. On Sunday morning, the delegation of opposition MPs will meet Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan here to discuss the ongoing situation and possible measures to bring peace in Manipur at the earliest, the MPCC official said. The team is scheduled to return to the national capital on Sunday afternoon. Keep children safe from enticing advertising By Vijay Phanshikar : THIS is one challenge for which many families do not seem prepared properly -- to keep the children safe from the undue influence of glittering advertising that entices them to indulge -- naturally, in profligate spending. But almost every family with growing children is known to face this problem. The youngsters are all the time asking for products, including toys that are illogically expensive -- which parents may not be in a position to buy always. In many homes, parents are better placed financially and do not mind spending money on whatever their kids ask for. In average homes, however, there is always certain hesitation about spending unnecessarily. Spending money unnecessarily on things kids insist upon, however, is the smaller part of the challenge. The bigger and more important part is keeping the children safe and away from the undue influence of glittering advertising that attracts anybody and every body. The kids are the first constituency which the advertisers address. For, the children have an innate ability to drive the familys spending habits. When the kids insist upon having certain things or materials, the parents feel like fulfilling the little ones wishes -- may be at a high cost to the familys limited resources. Social scientists suggest that kids should be kept away from television advertisings undue influence on the young minds. But if we ask them how to achieve that impossible task, they duck the question. In sum and substance, thus, the real challenge is to keep the kids safe and away from enticing advertisements. Then there also are other advertisements that carry undesirable messages, which the kids should not get exposed to. But that is an altogether different issue. The main concern is to keep the children or youngsters in the family away from acquiring the habit of asking for only branded and expensive things. Not allowing the kids to spend hours before television is one method, all right. But in many homes, this solution is rejected as being impractical. When television is switched on for hours, then the families cannot keep their kids away from watching it. Many families create a TV-watching code also and adhere to it. But even in that limited time, the television does not stop influencing the young minds with rather undesirable message. Another method is to offer attractive alternative to television for the kids consumption. This is no mean a challenge, so to say. However, some families do find an effective answer to this issue. The kids in such families do not seem to be addicted to television, and are playing out in the yard or reading books or getting engaged in craft. In such families, however, elders also act as role models -- in the sense, the elders also stay away from television (so that the kids have an example to emulate, right in the family). There may not be any standard manner in which to tackle the problem, and every family will have to come up with its own response. No matter the details, most families do realise the toughness of the task of keeping children away from undue influence of enticing advertising -- either on television or in other media. Those who are aware of the issue do take steps to stave the challenge off. But there are countless families that are yet to wake up to the sad reality of wrong influence of advertising on young minds. LeT terrorist Afsar Pasha had played key role in Mangaluru bomb blast Staff Reporter : LeT terrorist Afsar Pasha had played key role in Mangaluru bomb blast In a significant breakthrough, the police have revealed that the arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, Afsar Pasha, played a crucial role in the Mangaluru bomb blast that occurred in November last year. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has, recently, discovered evidence linking Pasha to the incident, shedding light on his involvement in training the accused, Mohammad Shariq, in the manufacturing of cooker bombs, a police official said. Pasha had returned to India after completing bomb-making training in Dhaka several years ago. He had previously been involved in a blast in Bangalore. Despite this, his role in the Mangaluru blast was overlooked during earlier investigations. According to the police official, Pasha and Jayesh Pujari alias Kantha alias Shahir, were actively propagating Islamic fanaticism within the Hindalga prison at Belagavi where they were serving jail term. The accused were influencing several inmates. In the jail, Pasha provided training to Sharik on crafting cooker bombs, which were later used in the Mangaluru attack. The investigations have also revealed a concerning funding aspect linked to Pasha and his associates. The Popular Front of India (PFI) had transferred a substantial amount of Rs 5 lakh to Pashas account several months ago. The funds originated from the account of a person identified as Abdul Jalil, highlighting potential links between PFI and terrorist activities. The funds were purportedly used to support anti-national activities and provide various facilities to those involved. Smartphones were also reportedly made available to the accused within the prison walls, claimed the official. The police are now preparing a comprehensive report based on the information received from Pasha. The report has been shared with Director General of Police, ACS Home, Anti-Terrorism Squad, NIA, and Intelligence Bureau for further investigation. It is believed that the NIA and ATS could potentially extract more crucial information from Pasha and Kantha, given their expertise in handling terrorist cases. Jayesh Pujari alias Kantha who had made the threat calls to Gadkaris office after colluding and planning with Pasha. It may be mentioned that Pujari had made a threat call to Gadkaris public relations office on January 14, demanding Rs 100 crore and claiming to be a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang. At that time, he was lodged in the Belagavi jail. He made another call on March 21, threatening to harm Gadkari if Rs 10 crore were not paid to him. Pujari was arrested and brought to Nagpur on March 28 this year from a jail in Belagavi, and two cases were registered under provision of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Dhantoli Police Station. NEP will give due respect to every Indian language: PM Delhi Bureau & Agencies NEW DELHI, THE new National Education Policy (NEP) will give due respect and credit to every language in the country and those who try to politicise language for their selfish interests will have to shut their shops, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday. Delivering the inaugural address at the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam on the third anniversary of the launch of the NEP, Modi said the biggest injustice to students is judging them on the basis of their language, instead of their capabilities. The National Educational Policy will give due respect and credit to every language in the country.... Those who try to politicise language for their selfish interests will now have to shut their shops, the Prime Minister said. Education in the mother tongue is initiating a new form of justice for students in India. It is also a very significant step towards social justice, he added. Taking note of the multitude of languages in the world and their importance, the prime minister underlined that several developed countries have got an edge owing to their local languages. Giving the example of Europe, he said most countries make use of their own native languages. Modi lamented that even though India has an array of established languages, they are presented as a sign of backwardness and those who cannot speak English are neglected and their talent is not recognised. As a result, children in the rural areas remain the most affected. The country has now begun to shun this belief with the advent of the NEP. Even at the United Nations, I speak in an Indian language, he added. Modi underlined that subjects ranging from social science to engineering will now be taught in Indian languages. When the students are confident in a language, their skills and talent will emerge without any restrictions, he said. The Prime Minister said the world is looking at India as a nursery of new possibilities and several countries are approaching the Government for setting up Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campuses there. The world is looking at India as a nursery of new possibilities. Many countries are approaching us to open IIT campuses there. Two IIT campuses -- one in Tanzania and one in Abu Dhabi -- are already about to start operations.... Various global universities are also reaching out to us, expressing their interest in setting up campuses in India, he said. Modi said the NEP aims at making India a hub of research and innovation and has given equal importance to traditional knowledge systems and futuristic technology. He also asked schools to make students aware of subjects such as disaster management, climate change and clean energy. During the programme, the prime minister released the first instalment of funds under the PM SHRI scheme. The schools under the scheme will nurture students in a way that they become engaged, productive and contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive and pluralistic society, as envisaged under the NEP. The prime minister also released education and skill curriculum books translated into 12 Indian languages. The two-day Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam is being held at Bharat Mandapam at the old Pragati Maidan here. Politics fuels the rise of Bhindranwale By Kartik Lokhande : The Khalistan Files -- III The developments abroad and propaganda with active support of Pakistan had their bearing on the situation in India too. A heady mix of religion and politics brewed in Punjab around 1980. Political considerations, centred around short-term gains and shorn of foresightedness, aided the rise of Sant Bhindranwale, pushing Punjab and Sikh community into deeper trouble. As is known to all, and put crisply by legendary journalist B G Verghese in his autobiography First Draft: Witness to the Making of Modern India, As by-product of the rivalry between (Contd from page 1) Zail Singh, the Union Home Minister, and Darbara Singh, Punjabs Chief Minister, in the early 1980s, an obscure sant, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was built up by Zail Singh and soon grew to become larger than life. In the words of another acclaimed journalist-author of the time Khushwant Singh, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was an obscure, fundamentalist Sikh preacher, a school dropout. As per an account in Khushwant Singhs widely referred to book The Sikhs, Bhindranwale was thrust on to center stage by the Congress Party. He had a supporter in Giani Zail Singh, a former Punjab Chief Minister and then Home Minister in Indira Gandhis Cabinet (He would later become the nations President). Zail Singhs intention was to sow confusion in the Akali Partys ranks. He succeeded in doing exactly that but at a huge cost. The Congress puppet Bhindranwale was allegedly in the pay of Punjab government and allowed to go scot-free even when there were serious charges against him severed his strings and became an uncontrollable Frankenstein monster. He moved into Amritsars Golden Temple complex, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs. Kuldip Nayar, another legendary journalist of his time, traced the emergence of Bhindranwale on the political landscape of Punjab to 1977 when Janata Party-Akali Dal alliance Government had come to power after the defeat of Congress in Punjab Assembly elections. Zail Singh, the defeated Chief Minister, was most unhappy, not only because he had lost power but also because Gurdial Singh Commission appointed to look into his conduct as Chief Minister, had found him guilty of misuse of power, Nayar mentions in his autobiography Beyond the Lines: An Autobiography. Nayar goes on to record some more things in this context. According to him, Indira Gandhis son Sanjay Gandhi had suggested that some Sant be put up to challenge the Akali Dal government. Both Sanjay and Zail Singh, particularly the latter, knew how the former Punjab Chief Minister Pratap Singh Kairon had fought the Akalis. He had built up Sant Fateh Singh against Master Tara Singh, the Akali leader, who had become a hard nut to crack. Zail Singh and Darbara Singh, who was a CWC member and later became Chief Minister, selected two persons for Sanjays evaluation, Nayar stated on page-282 of his autobiography. This clearly hints how politics played out to sideline a respected man like Master Tara Singh, who vehemently opposed the idea of Khalistan (as recorded by Durga Das). Of the two persons shortlisted for Sanjay Gandhis evaluation, one did not look a courageous type in interview and hence was dropped. Quoting senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, Nayar states in his book, Bhindranwale, strong in tone and tenor, seemed to fit the bill. We would give him money off and on... but never thought he would turn into a terrorist. According to Nayar, Zail Singh too maintained contacts with Bhindranwale but denied this after he (Zail Singh) became President of India. Bhindranwales projection as a saint won him popularity among rural populace. Gradually, he started advocating violence, collected supporters who were armed with guns and ammunition. He started openly doling out threats to Hindus and non-Sikhs, and his appeals resulted in killings of Hindus. This sowed the seeds of disharmony in otherwise prosperous and culturally rich Punjab that historically celebrated diversity. He instigated violence and made the Sikh holy shrine -- The Golden Temple Complex -- as his base. He was always surrounded by his armed supporters (as was seen recently in case of Amritpal Singh). In fact, in his autobiography, veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar mentions his conversation with Bhindranwale. As per Nayars account, when he asked Bhindranwale why was he surrounded by so many armed men toting rifles and sten-guns, Bhindranwale asked back why did the police carried arms. When Nayar told him that the police represented the authority, Bhindranwale retorted, Let them ever challenge me, and I shall show them who has the authority. In Nayars opinion, Bhindranwale believed himself to be above the law of the land. The situation was worsening as the Government of the day put divisive politics and electoral gains before national interest and social harmony. Lawlessness became rampant. Internationally also, subversive activities against India were stepped up by pro-Khalistan forces. Dal Khalsa headed by Gajendra Singh hijacked an aircraft of the Indian Airlines in September 1981, and flew it to Pakistan. A drama unfolded. Pakistani authorities claimed to have persuaded the hijackers to release the passengers and the plan, and surrender. But, Pakistan did not hand over the surrendered hijackers to India for investigation and trial. Instead, Pakistan allowed hijackers including Gajendra Singh to live in Nankana Sahib Gurudwara, from where they continued to operate. Similar hijackings followed. Back in India, in 1983, things took an ugly turn when the Khalistani terrorists gunned down A S Atwal, Deputy Inspector General of Police, as he got out of the Golden Temple after offering prayers. Though the incident could have justified police action against the armed intruders occupying the holy precincts, it did not happen. Rather, the extremists led by Bhindranwale fortified their occupation with the help of Major General Shabeg Singh, a 1971 war hero who had trained the Mukti Bahini. Bitter over his dishonourable discharge from the Army a day before his retirement, the said officer joined Bhindranwale and fortified Akal Takht as well as the Golden Temple, where arms and weapons including rocket launchers, machine guns, anti-tank missiles were stockpiled by Khalistani terrorists. How out of hand the things had gone could be understood from an account that on Indian Republic Day -- January 26, 1983 -- Khalistan flag had been raised on top of a building in the Temple complex. (To be continued) Eviction hearings at the temporary Franklin County Municipal Court setup in the Convention Center, Tuesday, January 26, 2021. Columbus City Council will take up legislation Monday that would make sure landlords would have to accept rent from third parties such as family members or social service agencies who are paying for tenants. It also will consider a proposal called "pay to stay," allowing tenants who pay past-due rent with late fees before their landlord files an eviction action to use that as a defense during the action. Columbus City Councilmember Shayla Favor said these tenant protections aren't eviction silver bullets, but will help as the number of evictions in Columbus and Franklin County remain high after the COVID eviction moratorium was lifted, and rents continue to skyrocket. "Ohio has some of the most aggressive policies when it comes to evictions," Favor said, meaning if tenants are a day late in paying rent a landlord can toss them out. That's why third-party and "pay-to-stay" is important, Favor said. Third-party means that landlords must accept rent payment from agencies such as the United Way of Central Ohio or IMPACT Community Action, she said. "If it makes you whole at the end of the day, what does it matter?" she said. But she said some landlords have not accepted third-party payments, using that as a pretext for getting rid of tenants for other reasons, Favor said. Jyoshu Tsushima, managing attorney of the Tenant Advocacy Project for the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, said pay-to-stay legislation will have an immediate impact. "What this does is, it makes it a lot easier for tenants to get caught up," Tsushima said. "My impression is that it will encourage landlords to take rent then, to be more flexible in making it more possible for tenants to tender their rent," he said. Larger complexes often have automated systems that refuse rents if they are paid late, he said. As for third-party payments, Tsushima said that doesn't affect landlord rights. "It's really just common sense," he said. "If money is offered, the landlord should take it." Story continues This all comes when evictions are up significantly, here and nationwide, Tsushima said. According to numbers that City Council provided, 2,144 people were evicted in Franklin County Municipal Court in June, up from 1,992 in May, and 1,617 in June 2022. In the last two full years, the number of evictions filed in Franklin County jumped from 15,537 in 2021 (when the moratoriums were in effect until August of that year) to 20,897 in 2022. From January-June 2023, the highest number of evictions filed 1,054 were filed in the 43232 ZIP Code, a part of eastern Franklin County that includes the Eastland Mall area with its many apartments. The second-highest 829 was in the 43213 ZIP Code that includes Whitehall and part of Columbus' East Side. The companies filing the largest number of evictions during that period are three with many properties: 5812 Investment Group LLC (795), Link Real Estate Group LLC (612) and Towne Properties (296). Tsushima said there's no one reason for the high number of evictions, but one is large companies buying properties and maximizing rents. Dimitri Hatzifotinos, a local lawyer who represents 5812 Investment Group LLC, a property manager, said he has talked to City Council representing the Columbus Apartment Association. "We're not in favor of those ordinances," he said. With third-party payments, he said "99.9 percent" of that money comes after the tenant is delinquent. "The money never comes when current," he said. "Requiring that it is current, it doesn't have a lot of impact." When it comes to pay-to-stay, Hatzifotinos said that it would be preempted by state law, which he says would prohibit the city from interfering with a landlord's contract. "It will cost some litigaiton is what it will do," he said. But Aram Gosdanian, who owns Abbeyhill Realty and Management LLC in Columbus, another property manager, said he is open to legislation that keeps tenants in rental units. "Our company does everything possible to keep people in their homes," he said. Abbeyhill filed 120 evictions during the first six months of 2023, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records City Council provided. Gosdanian said it takes time and money to evict someone. He said his company has denied third-party payments before getting to court, but once in court, is open to them. City Council also will consider a $1.5 million contract with Legal Aid to provide representation to people facing eviction. City Council approved a contract with Legal Aid for that same amount in 2022. Favor said officials still can't offer specifics on how the $200 million from the affordable housing bond package that Columbus voters passed in November will be used. City officials have said that generally, the money would be targeted in these ways: $80 million to build affordable rental units; $50 million for affordable homeownership through the Central Ohio Community Land Trust; $40 million to preserve housing affordability in targeted neighborhoods that have seen home prices skyrocket, such as the Near East Side, Linden and Franklinton; $30 million for programs and housing for people dealing with homelessness. mferench@dispatch.com @MarkFerenchik This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: City proposals aimed at reducing the number of evictions in city After a flurry of activity this spring, bipartisan talks on Capitol Hill to stave off a looming insolvency for Social Security are officially on ice likely until after the 2024 election. In an interview this week before Congress left for summer recess, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) didnt mince words. I have no optimism whatsoever, he said of the chances of action this year. Cassidy has been a leader on the Republican side of those talks and, before they stalled, Cassidy and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) had enlisted a group of 14 senators from both sides of the aisle to explore solutions like adjusting the retirement age. The talks stalled and never produced a detailed plan. But even as the push to stave off insolvency moves to the back burner, there is some optimism that Congress might move on two smaller Social Security efforts one around education for retirees and another around public sector workers in the months ahead. There are a couple interesting Social Security things going on right now, said Shai Akabas, director of Economic Policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, who has been involved in the talks. If we can get some bipartisan agreement on some of these low-hanging fruit issues, it might help us build up the muscle memory to tackle the bigger problems. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) at the U.S. Capitol in June. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Of course those bigger problems are only going to become more unavoidable in the coming years with a recent government trustees report finding that Social Security will be in financial peril within a decade if Congress takes no action. The program only has the funds to continue paying out 100% of benefits through 2034. After that, benefits could be cut across the board by around 23%. The ideas for Social Security changes One smaller effort that has gained momentum is centered around how the Social Security Administration communicates with Americans to help them make better decisions about when to claim their Social Security benefits. The Social Security program gives retirees an option of when to start getting their checks. They can begin as early as age 62, but with a tradeoff: Those monthly benefits are locked in at a lower rate for the rest of their lives. The monthly benefit amount gets bigger the longer you wait to claim, topping out with maximum benefits for Americans who wait until age 70. Story continues For most people, it's wiser to wait until age 70, said Cassidy, who is also a co-sponsor of that effort alongside Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Their bill would push the agency to change the language it uses to describe how their benefits change with age. It would also require the agency to send paper statements to more Americans informing them how when they claim affects their benefit amount. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), left, and Chris Coons (D-Del.) at the Capitol. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) A second effort from Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Garrett Graves (R-La.) is focused on changing the rules around the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. The current setup can reduce the Social Security benefits for workers who receive a pension from a job not covered by Social Security. It is in effect, the lawmakers say, a penalty on public sector workers. Our teachers, police officers, firefighters, emergency responders, and other local and state public servants and their spouses or survivors have been wrongly penalized, Graves said. That bill currently has 288 co-sponsors in the House from both sides of the aisle. The chances of action The path ahead for both bills is unclear with Congress set to navigate an array of thorny issues in the months ahead including a possible government shutdown this fall. The education bill is seen as an easier lift because it requires little additional funding. Meanwhile, eliminating the Windfall Elimination Provision could be tougher because it's estimated to cost $182 billion over the coming decade. Akabas said theres a good chance the House of Representative will take up the Windfall Elimination Provision bill this fall, but support for action in the Senate is much more uncertain. Alex Lawson, executive director of a group called Social Security Works, suggests the price tag could be the challenge to address the windfall issue outside of a larger Social Security package. He called the provision a cruel policy that we should absolutely get rid of, but said that you're only going to get one bite of the apple when it comes to Social Security structural reforms. The education bill, on the other hand, you could definitely see that happening. As for the larger reforms to address Social Security's looming funding shortfall, Cassidy says anxious retirees will have to wait for action from Washington. Meanwhile, he is continuing to push ideas to shore up the solvency now as well as his "big idea" to create a $1.5 trillion investment fund to supplement future Social Security benefits down the road. Cassidy has been critical of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump also the current GOP frontrunner for offering few details on Social Security, but said once the political season is over, I'm hoping that sanity returns. He added that the prospect of these across-the-board cuts to benefits could mobilize voters in the coming years and increase the political focus on the issue. The question will be whether lawmakers can resolve deep differences with liberal lawmakers like Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on one side proposing a bill that would increase benefits by taxing wealthier Americans. Meanwhile, Republicans including Cassidy are not in favor of tax increases in order to increase the revenue side of the program, looking instead for solutions like raising the retirement age as a means to close the shortfall. Either way, the legwork that Sen. Cassidy and others have been doing over the past couple years will be really important when the time for that conversation comes," Akabas said. It will be instrumental in trying to move the needle when the stars align. Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Click here for politics news related to business and money Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance If only These two words paired together create one of the saddest phrases in the English language. In the end, more than anything else, we regret the small chances we didnt take, the priceless opportunities we were too busy to nurture, and the good decisions we waited too long to make. It made for a thrilling 48 hours as we meandered around the theme, Accountability Journalism: Nurturing Innovation for a Sustainable Future - with The Center for Journalism Innovation and Development CJID providing the platform towards enhancing accountability journalism for a sustainable future, at the very first West Africa Journalism Innovation Conference, a ground-breaking event. With over 300 journalists, media professionals, tech enthusiasts, stakeholders, the academic community, policymakers and government institutions from more than a dozen countries. It was a thriller hearing from Richard Gingras, the Vice President (News), Google as Keynote Speaker and the need to think about the future, and go pass the ifs of technology. Dapo Olorunyomi CEO, CJID/Publisher Premium Times outdid himself whether it was the goodwill or just chaperoning as moderator around conversations on Journalism and the challenges of Innovation. Musikilu Mojeed, President, International Press Institute and Editor was spot on, like the school principal as he moderated the session on accountability journalism and challenges of sustainability and alongside, speakers like Frank Aigbogun, Publisher, BusinessDay. Toun Okewale CEO of Women Radio, Mohammed Ali (not the boxer) Deputy Director, News Operation, NTA. We got heads up on innovating for press safety from Lawal Bakare of Safetity. Professor Umaru Pate, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Kashere, Nigeria, punched below and above the belt, and ended with those five Rs. I wont share the secret here. But if you know prof, you would know he took no hostages. There was a gallery of the creme de la creme of the practice, from gown to practice, it was reflective hearing Jude Ilo of the Centre for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC). Jake Epelle was his effervescent self, as they navigated Media and Democracy, Eugenia Abu, the aunty herself was dealing as Lanre Arogundade Executive Director of the international Press Centre looked at regulations and spaces for press freedom advocacy. The problem with mentioning names is that some names ultimately get lost in memory, but I must say the entire planning team did a fantabulous job. For me, and I dare say the larger Nigerian society, we must begin to understand that accountability journalism plays a pivotal role in shaping societies by holding those in power accountable, safeguarding democratic values, and fostering sustainable development. In an era characterized by information overload and the rise of disinformation, the importance of promoting innovation within journalism cannot be overstated. Whether as government, or as practitioners at the core of a thriving democracy lies a free press, which serves as a watchdog, scrutinizing the actions of governments, corporations, and other institutions. Accountability journalism empowers citizens with the information they need to make informed decisions and advocate for positive change. It delves into complex issues, exposing corruption, human rights abuses, and environmental threats, while also celebrating triumphs and achievements in society. The landscape of journalism has undergone radical changes due to the digital revolution. Innovations in technology and communication have redefined how news is gathered, disseminated, and consumed. The West Africa Journalism Innovation Conference recognized the critical role innovation plays in empowering journalists to tackle new challenges effectively. Many of us, especially of the old school acknowledge the fact that there is a need to embrace components such as Digital Storytelling, Data Journalism, Collaboration and Crowd-Sourcing, Artificial Intelligence and Fact-Checking, and Audience Engagement amongst many others. The era of he said, while speaking to, he confirmed, she reiterated, and unconfirmed sources is gradually fading out, if not actually almost gone. The West Africa Journalism Innovation Conference emphasized the need for sustainable journalism models. While I agree and many do too, that the five Ws and H will remain an anchor in news gathering, traditional revenue streams for media outlets are facing challenges, and embracing innovation can lead to the development of financially viable and sustainable news platforms. So, the Nigerian media space must therefore Diversify Revenue Streams, Build Media Literacy, and Support Independent Journalism. I must state here that my heart is glad at what the future holds for Nigerian and West African journalism with the new kids on the bloc, fast thinking, innovative creative and more, listening to the likes of Mohammed Akinyemi of Zikoko Citizen, David Adeleke of Rest of the World, Joshua Olufemi, of Dataphyte or Anita Igbine of Code for Africa. The networking was out of this world, meeting new friends, like Ahmed Sahid Nasralla of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, we could not get to talk, but my brother and friend, Dayo of ICIR, be assured that we have a lot of catching up to do. I am using this medium to thank all of us that were part of the Paradise Experience and to one of the most wonderful hosts I have met in recent times, Iretomiwa, and Debo, both of CJID. The CJID Secretariat did a wonderful job. The anchors and moderators like Tobi Oluwatola, ED CJID, Akintunde Babatunde, Busola Ajibola, Mboho Eno, Caroline Anipah all of CJID, Tolulope of News Central, Maupe Ogun-Yusuff, Channels TV, and Dr. Williette James of Fourah Bay College were all superb. A BIG THANK YOU to MacArthur Foundation, funders, media partners and all, let me say we may have ended the first West Africa Journalism Innovation Conference which has served as a catalyst for the region's media ecosystem to foster accountability journalism through innovation. Embracing technology, data, and audience engagement, while ensuring sustainability and media literacy, journalists in West Africa must be well-equipped to tackle pressing challenges and shape a brighter, more transparent, and sustainable future for their societies. As the conference concluded, it was evident that innovation is not just a means to an end; it is the lifeline that journalism needs to thrive in the digital age, till we see next yearMay Nigeria Win! The European Union (EU) has reportedly suspended its financial support and cooperation on security with Niger Republic with immediate effect. EU foreign policy Chief, Josep Borrell, made this known in a statement, saying that the development followed the military coup in the country. Recall that the coup leaders declared General Abdourahamane Tiani as head of state on Friday, ousting President Mohamed Bazoum. The EU, the United States, and other countries have called for the unconditional release of Bazoum from detention and the restoration of democratic order in the country. In addition to the immediate cessation of budget support, all cooperation actions in the domain of security are suspended indefinitely with immediate effect, Borrell said. Niger is a major recipient of Western aid and a key partner of the European Union in helping contain irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa. The EU also has a small number of troops in Niger for a military training mission. The European bloc has allocated 503 million euros ($554 million) from its budget to improve governance, education and sustainable growth in Niger over 2021-2024, according to its website. Key Insights The projected fair value for Ashtead Technology Holdings is UK2.95 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Ashtead Technology Holdings is estimated to be 34% overvalued based on current share price of UK3.95 Our fair value estimate is 33% lower than Ashtead Technology Holdings' analyst price target of UK4.40 In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Ashtead Technology Holdings Plc (LON:AT.) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's 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. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Ashtead Technology Holdings The Method 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 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. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK17.0m UK18.9m UK19.0m UK19.1m UK19.3m UK19.5m UK19.7m UK19.9m UK20.1m UK20.3m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Est @ 0.45% Est @ 0.69% Est @ 0.85% Est @ 0.97% Est @ 1.05% Est @ 1.11% Est @ 1.15% Est @ 1.17% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 9.0% UK15.6 UK15.9 UK14.7 UK13.5 UK12.5 UK11.6 UK10.8 UK10.0 UK9.3 UK8.6 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK122m We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. 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 (1.2%) 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 9.0%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = UK20m (1 + 1.2%) (9.0% 1.2%) = UK265m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK265m ( 1 + 9.0%)10= UK112m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK234m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK4.0, the company appears potentially overvalued at the time of writing. 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. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the 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 Ashtead Technology Holdings 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 9.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.114. 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 Ashtead Technology Holdings Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is not viewed as a risk. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Trade Distributors market. Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the British market. Threat Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Looking Ahead: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. What is the reason for the share price exceeding the intrinsic value? For Ashtead Technology Holdings, we've put together three essential aspects you should further research: Financial Health: Does AT. have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does AT.'s growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Boat safety in spotlight amid weather warning and holidays PHUKET: Security has been ramped up at major piers and marinas in Phuket amid expectations of increased tourist arrivals on the island during the long holidays from July 28 through August 2, the Phuket office of the Department of Public Relations of Thailand (PR Phuket) has announced. marinetourismSafety By The Phuket News Sunday 30 July 2023 09:00 AM Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket Over 234,000 foreign and Thai nationals are expected to visit Phuket during the long holidays from July 28 to August 2. Photo: PR Phuket "As the long holidays continue, Phuket tourism is bustling, especially in the areas of Phuket Old Town, Patong Beach, Kata Beach, Karon Beach, and the small islands off Phuket. There are a lot of tourists, including both Thai nationals and foreign visitors from Russia, India, China, Kazakhstan, as well as neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and others," PR Phuket said in a report issued yesterday (July 29). Adding to the urgency for enhanced marine safety, the Southwestern Meteorological Center (Phuket Met) on the same day (July 29) confirmed its weather warning for the remaining holidays from July 30 through August 2. The Phuket Met expects waves in the Andaman Sea to reach 3 meters and more than 3 meters in the thunderstorm areas. Small boat should stay ashore in such meteorological condition. As part of the measure to heighten the safety on vessels used for marine transportation and island tours, Head of the Phuket Marine Office Natchaphong Pranit conducted personal inspections at popular piers. Mr Natchaphong reiterated key demands for boat operators, such as checking their vessels before trips, ensuring the functionality of radios and readiness of safety equipment on board, exercising caution during navigation, and using AIS tracking all the time while at sea. Nothing has been said about the requirement to skippers to stay sober while navigating vessels, though illicit drug use was officially confirmed in Phukets most recent marine accident which left over 30 people injured in May. The PR Phuket report repeated the Phuket Met weather warning, stressing that small boats measuring less than 10 meters in length should remain at bay during rough weather until August 2. "In case of a marine accident, the situation can be reported to the 24-hour Marine Office Hotline 1199," PR Phuket reminded. This hotline can be used by ordinary people as well in cases such as a family suspecting something could have gone wrong with a member who went out to sea for fishing or any other activity and failed to return on time. No incidents on marine transport have been reported during the first two days of the extended holidays (July 28-29). Other marine incidents included the suspected drowning of a 22-year-old man from Senegal who went swimming at Freedom Beach despite red flags and was dragged into the sea. As of yesterday night (July 29), the man had not been found and was feared dead. According to Lertchai Wangtrauldee, Director of the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Phuket), over 234,000 people can visit the island of Phuket during the extended holiday, bringing B2.2 billion in tourism revenue. Ready to welcome holidaymakers, Phuket currently has 1,890 hotels with 101,556 rooms available. Hotel occupancy is forecast at 65.87% with an average stay of 1.7 days per visitor, Mr Lertchai said. Nine killed, over 100 injured in fireworks explosion in Southern Thailand NARATHIWAT: At least nine people were killed and more than 100 injured when fireworks exploded at a godown in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday (July 29). Safety By Bangkok Post Sunday 30 July 2023 12:36 PM Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook Thick smoke rises from the rubble following a fireworks explosion that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook The incident took place at around 3pm, reportedly while welding was taking place at the godown of the Weerawat Panit shop in the Muno market in the district near the Malaysian border, reports Bangkok Post. The explosion caused extensive damage to the godown and the market, a hub for cross-border product trade in Sungai Kolok district. As many as 200 houses in the area were severely damaged as well, according to the Ministry of Interior. Preliminary investigation suggests the cause is a technical error during the steel welding process, as the building is under construction, Narathiwat governor Sanan Phong-aksorn said late in the afternoon. A huge plume of smoke was seen rising into the air and numerous shops, homes and vehicles were badly damaged by the force of the blast some ablaze and some with their roofs blown off. I was playing with my phone inside the house then suddenly I heard a loud, thunderous noise and my whole house shook, eyewitness Seksan Taesen, who lives 100 metres away from the warehouse, told AFP. Then I saw my roof was wide open. I looked outside and I saw houses collapsing and people lying on the ground everywhere. It was chaos, he added. Sungai Kolok Hospital reported at 6pm that 115 people had been injured and nine confirmed killed. Of the injured, 14 were severe cases requiring urgent treatment. Other hospitals in the area were available to receive patients if needed, authorities said. Local media reported earlier that an unknown number of people were trapped inside their houses and rescue workers were trying to help get them out. Authorities quickly mobilised manpower and equipment to help with the rescue effort, damage assessment and numerous other urgent tasks to help those affected by the explosion. Soldiers from the 151st Infantry Regiment, Galyani Vadhana Camp were among those at the scene, along with officials and staff from tambons throughout the district. A total of 10 fire engines and 17 rescue vehicles were also deployed to the scene. The Muno tambon administrative organisation (OrBorTor) set up a temporary shelter complete with bedding for those displaced from their homes, along with a royal kitchen to cook and distribute food. Doctors and psychiatric nurses were also on site to offer help to those in need, and a damage notification point was set up near the accident scene. Saturdays incident occurred just days after an explosion at a fireworks factory in Doi Saket district of Chiang Mai, where eight people were injured. The provincial governor subsequently ordered inspections at all fireworks factories in the northern province to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) tried to broker a cryptocurrency transaction with a political donor while running for Congress in 2020, according to a New York Times report. In the previously unreported incident, Santos teamed up with Republican supporters to pitch a complex cryptocurrency investment scheme to a loyal donor during his first unsuccessful House bid. Santos and three associates claimed a wealthy Polish citizen wanted to buy crypto, according to the Times, but his funds were mysteriously frozen in a bank account. They asked the donor, a wealthy investor himself, to create a limited liability company that could supposedly gain access to the frozen money. But the plan made no sense to the skeptical donor, who likened it to a Nigerian prince email scam designed to lure unwitting victims into transferring money. He suspected that Santos and his colleagues might even be the targets of such a scam. When the donor asked for more information, he was told to first sign a nondisclosure agreement. Santos associate Michael LiPetri, Dominick Sartorio and another persons names were on the NDA, the Times reported. But talks ended when the investor sought changes to the agreement. LiPetri, now a lobbyist, downplayed his involvement to the Times. Santos' lawyer said his client only made the introductions between LiPetri and Sartorio's firm. The bizarre Polish crypto deal highlights how Santos intermingled political relationships and business opportunities as a candidate in ways that raise ethical red flags, according to a review of his early political career by the Times. FTX Execs Maxed Out Donations to Rep. George Santos In July 2020, a campaign contact connected Santos to Blue Flame Medical, a new company selling coronavirus testing kits founded by two well-connected GOP operatives. Santos signed on as a consultant who could earn 10% on any deal he orchestrated, the newspaper reported. He soon separated from Blue Flame without arranging any sales. The company, which failed to deliver on contracts, was later investigated by federal authorities but not charged. Story continues After leaving his Florida investment firm months later amid fraud claims, Santos opened a political consulting company with his campaign treasurer Nancy Marks and former colleagues. One of the firm's first clients was Congressional candidate Tina Forte. Santos encouraged her to hire his company without disclosing he partly owned it, her campaign manager told the Times. The consulting firm, Red Strategies, dissolved in September 2022 after irregularities in its campaign accounting. Santos' own campaign filings showed questionable discrepancies around fees paid to WinRed, a donation platform, according to the newspaper. In late 2022, as his election win looked likely, Santos coordinated a $20 million yacht sale between two donors and claimed in an interview he earned referral fees from such deals, according to the Times. Prosecutors allege Santos then solicited $50,000 from donors for a PAC, pocketing the money instead of spending it on ads. Santos has been charged with 13 felonies for misrepresenting his earnings, collecting unemployment, and siphoning funds from political supporters to his personal coffers. He has pleaded not guilty. House Republicans Introduce Bill That Aims to Bring Regulatory Clarity to Crypto The Times investigation suggests that Santos has a penchant for blurring ethical lines to enrich himself through transactional relationships with deep-pocketed political supporters. Both the mysterious Polish cryptocurrency scheme and the yacht sale capitalized on Santos' growing connections to Republican donors, whom he repeatedly treated as marks rather than constituents. The Polish deal also underscores Santos' early interest in the high-risk, high-reward world of digital assets. During his 2022 campaign, Santos boasted false claims of working for top Wall Street firms and attaining vast wealth by age 19 through crypto trading. In reality, records indicate he lived with financial constraints prior to entering politics. The outlandish resume helped Santos secure over $500,000 in loans from supporters he could not repay, prosecutors allege. While the Polish crypto deal did not pan out, it offers an illuminating window into Santos' business instincts circa 2020. He eagerly embraced get-rich-quick schemes that capitalized on hype surrounding digital currencies, according to the Times. And he consistently treated political supporters more like lucrative business contacts than committed constituents. Santos' brazen attempts to enrich himself have continued since taking federal office this year. The House Ethics Committee is currently investigating Santos over potential violations of finance rules, disclosure requirements and other standards of conduct. The cryptic Polish crypto deal adds one more data point to an emerging pattern of ethical impropriety. Editor's note: This story was drafted with Decrypt AI from sources referenced in the text, and fact-checked by Ozawa. 2017 : CCpur-Biren Govt Bhai, Bhai The reality in 2023 | Six years back he was the hero. Come to the present, that is six years hence and today he is an untouchable. It was on July 14, 2017 that many in Churachandpur hailed Chief Minister N Biren as Pu Biren, a term used for those one holds in esteem. Today the unspeakable is the case and the slogan used by a participant during a recent rally at Aizawl and earlier the unprintable words used at Churachandpur just a few days before May 3 should depict how fast the image of a man or a Chief Minister can change. On July 14, 2017, just a few months after assuming office as Chief Minister of Manipur, Biren took the first Cabinet meeting beyond Imphal, to Churachandpur. Besides ringing out the message that the BJP led Government is a Government with a difference, the Chief Minister conveyed the message that he is ready and willing to take everyone along with the idea of Manipur as a distinct geo-political reality. That Churachandpur was the epicentre of the 2105 storm against the three Bills passed in the State Assembly during the time of the Congress Government, made the first Cabinet meeting there all that more significant. Those in the media may recall the red carpet welcome rolled out for the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers at Churachandpur and the feel good factor that it generated. Back then it was all about Kuki-Chin-Biren Govt Bhai, Bhai or Kuki-Chin-Manipur Bhai, Bhai but come to 2023 and it is Kill all Meiteis-our oppressors in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh while at Imphal and the valley districts of Bishnupur, Thoubal, Imphal East and Imphal West, it is all about Annihilate the narco-terrorists-the Kuki-Chins. After Chura- chandpur, the Cabinet went to Kangpokpi where Kuki-Chin MLAs including some of the present 10 MLAs who have raised the separate administration call, turned out in their best to give a rousing welcome to the Chief Minister and his men. Back in 2017, the Chief Minister had called the first Cabinet meeting at Churachandpur a historic day complete with all the promises of the coming of a new Government which is committed to the development of the hill districts. Inclusive governance were the two words mantra that the Chief Minister used to score a point with the people and it did go down well with the Kuki-Chin folks of Churachand-pur. It was the same at Kangpokpi later too. This was in 2017, and fast forward to 2023 and there is the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) and Kuki Inpi, Manipur which have outrightly rejected the proposed Peace Committee on the ground that they cannot be part of any exercise that involves the Chief Minister of Manipur. From hero to villain, it has been for the Chief Minister in the span of just 6 years and while the term villain may be qualified by the prefix perceived, it stands that the task ahead can be anything but easy. The first and foremost task before the State Government is restoration of peace and normalcy. The question here is how to go about it. This is where the Chief Minister will need positive and productive counsel. This is not the time for N Biren Singh to look for only Yes Men, but genuine people who can command the respect and trust of the people, from either side of the clash divide. Reach out to eminent personalities, people who have been talking the language of peace and normalcy and not the war mongers. Manipur has burnt for too long and such a situation cannot be allowed to go on like this longer. As stated many times here, too many people have met senseless deaths. Too many houses have gone up in flames. There cannot be any winner and the only loser will be the people and Manipur. Zalengam : Kukis deadly dream- a threat to Nation | Wahengbam Rorrkychand Singh Manipur is reeling under the ongoing violence for more than two months. Over 130 people have died and thousands were injured while around one lakh people have been displaced as an impact of the pre-planned attack on the Meitei community by radical armed Chin-Kuki (CHIKIM) militants. With the passing of each day, the hidden agenda of the ongoing attack has become clear. The memoranda submitted by the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) to the General Secretary of the United Nations, New York/Geneva on 29 June 2023 and Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu on 30, June 2023 seeking urgent intervention to their demand for Kuki State by carving out the hill areas from the State of Manipur, say something significant. The body of Kuki-Zou requested the Prime Minister of Israel for his personal intervention, To grant Kuki statehood under Article No.3 of the Indian Constitution for self-governance free from the control and discrimination in all aspects by the majority community. In case of any hesitancy from the part of Government of India for creation of Kuki State..Your kind intervention is a must for declaration of Kuki Country as per, George Abraham Grierson 1904, (Linguistic Survey of India, Vol. III, Part III), and in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Paris Principles 1, 2, and 3 , by integrating all Kuki-Chin territories of Chin State (Myanmar/Burma), Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Bangladesh and Mizoram (India) and Kuki Hills in outer Manipur respectively, to be merged with one of the more friendly country in Southeast Asia, demanded the memorandum submitted by the WKZIC to the Prime Minister of Israel. The ongoing violence is an internal issue of the State (Manipur), however, the intention to submit a memorandum to the United Nations and the Prime Minister of a foreign Nation (Israel) is a deliberate attempt to escalate the internal issue while challenging the integrity and sovereignty of our Nation. Armed militants of CHIKIM are in constant violent and barbaric attacks on Meitei civilians, who are residing at Kuki dominated areas and villages adjoining hill areas since day one of the violence. Various radical frontal organizations like Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum(ITLF), Kuki Students Organization (KSO), Zomi Students Federation (ZSF) and Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) Sadar Hills are spewing hatred and churning anti-national propaganda. These radicalized civil bodies refuse to participate in the peace process initiated by both the Central and State Governments. No peace before solution is their stand, and instead of peace they have geared up for war to another level. Manipur is not the only place where CHIKIM murdered hundreds of civilians in their effort for the reunification of Zomi (people of Zo/Zomi). Kukis war with Naga (1992), Paite (1997), Karbi (2009), Dimasa (2011) and with other indigenous communities of North Eastern States of India and other communities of Myanmar and Bangladesh revealed the war-mongering characteristics of Kuki. Kuki in Manipur embraced Christianity and identified themselves as descendants of Joseph and Manasseh (fourteenth king of the Kingdom of Judah) in India. Demand for the Right to self-determination, Autonomy and Self-government at the cost of Indias integrity is unacceptable. The ongoing violence in Manipur is just the tip of the iceberg while the hidden agenda is their cherished dream ofZalengam (land of freedom). The same is reflected in the memoranda submitted to the United Nations and the Prime Minister of Israel. The US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, who considered the ongoing violence as an internal issue of Manipur, expressed his desire to assist in any way if asked. The interest of the US and such a special concern and love is not a surprise to many in the crisis-torn State of Manipur. When a peace rally with armed militants turned violent on May 3, 2023 the apex bodies of CHIKIM took a sudden U-turn from their earlier demand for the protection of tribal rights to a separate administration. Calculated attacks on civilians and scale of violence, the orchestrated drama of 10 Kuki MLAs, the overnight establishment of an IT team at the National capital and the deployment of armed cadres across the foothills of the State in a short period, filing series of cases at various Courts including Supreme Court of India just after the violence erupted on May 3, series of memoranda to national and international bodies suggest that the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Meitei (mostly Hindu) is a pre-meditated plan among the stakeholders. A patriot never wages war against his country and could not see his country falling apart. Only refugees and wicked people could think of war against their host country, where they are taking temporary shelter and people, who are sharing food and shelter with them. Four panchayat polls winning candidates in West Bengals South 24 Parganas district, allegedly kidnapped by activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress since July 27, finally returned to their homes on Sunday. All four of them were from the opposition camp and after returning, they alleged that they were being kidnapped by Trinamool activists to join the ruling party. They also alleged that during this time, they were being forced to sign some documents in presence of some local policemen who were in uniforms but refused to sign. Among the four, three Sushanta Mondal, Kamal Mondal and Puja Chattui were BJP candidates, and the fourth a CPI-M-backed Independent Narayan Mondal. Advertisement They had all won from Krishnachandrapur gram panchayat under Mathurapur sub-division in South 24 Parganas. Former CPI-M legislator and minister Kanti Ganguly, who filed the police complaint about the kidnapping of the four winning candidates, alleged that the local police were trying to downplay the incident by claiming that the there was no incident of kidnapping and the four candidates left their houses on their own. Even as a delegation of Opposition leaders boarded a flight to Imphal for a two-day fact-finding visit to Manipur, Union minister Anurag Thakur, in Bengal, came down heavily on the newly formed I.N.D.I.A bloc saying they never spoke up when the northeast state burned during their rule. Central minister Anurag Thakur was on a visit to Khanakul for the BJP party meet and then a visit to Kamarpukur Ramakrishna Math and Mission ,while speaking to the media persons he came down heavily on the State of lawless, corruption, pre poll and post poll violence, Anurag Thakur on Saturday said, This visit is just an eyewash. The Opposition alliance never spoke up when Manipur burned under previous governments. Hitting out at Congress Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is part of the 21-member delegation visiting Manipur on Saturday, Thakur asked if he was ready and willing to take the fellow Opposition leaders to a similar visit to West Bengal, which had been witness to widespread violence and bloodshed during and after the panchayat election earlier this month. Once they return from Manipur, I will request Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to bring them to Bengal as well. I want to ask him if he supports the atrocities on women in Bengal, said the Union minister. The central minister added, Bengal is a place of saints, philosophers, reformers, and revolutionaries. Communal harmony, and above all, humanity was given the first priority but under the rule of Mamata Banerjee and her TMC government a state of lawlessness, corruption, violence, bloodshed and atrocities on women prevails everywhere. Advertisement The chief minister has brought shame to Bengal. The constitutional rights of the people of Bengal have been throttled. Yet the chief minister is indifferent. I urge the members of the I.N.D.I.A alliance to also visit Bengal, he added. Trinamul minister Sashi Panja however blamed the BJP for instigating and provoking violence in Bengal during the panchayat election. Senior leader Panja said, The remarks once made by Anurag Thakur Goli Maro - Desh ke Gaddaro ko, he should have been behind bars for such unconstitutional remarks. However, he moves freely since he is with the BJP. Sashi Panja alleged that the BJP instigated and provoked violence during panchayat election In Bengal and now they are the one pressing for Presidents rule, it is really very ridiculous. An elderly woman identified as Khatun Bewa, 64, said to be a Congress activist, was lynched allegedly by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists at Ghoramara in Murshidabad district on Sunday morning. Bilal Mondal, the younger brother of the deceased, said that besides being a die-hard Congress supporter, she was also an ardent follower of state Congress president and veteran party Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. The brother has demanded exemplary punishment for the culprits. Some of the miscreants having backing of the ruling party started showering abuses in front of her house. As my elder sister protested, she was lynched in the process. We demand exemplary punishment for the culprits, Mondal said. District Trinamool Congress leader Ashok Das denied the allegations and claimed that the unfortunate event was the result of a quarrel between neighbours. Congress leadership in the district is trying to add political colour by unnecessarily dragging our name in this, he said. The total number of casualties in the state has touched 56 since June 8 when the polling date for panchayat election was announced. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress and its leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, terming them as Mr Bantadhaar and Mr Corruption Nath respectively. Addressing a huge Kaaryakarta sammelan of the BJP at Indore in Madhya Pradesh today evening, Mr Shah gave a clarion call to all party workers to devote themselves completely to ensure a thumping majority to the party in the crucial assembly polls in MP at the end of this year. Mr Shah alleged that the Union Congress Government gave merely Rs 2 lakh crore annually to MP during its reign from 2004 to 2014. He said PM Narendra Modis government has been giving Rs 7.5 lakh crore to MP. Advertisement Mr Shah charged that within 15 months of the Kamal Nath state government of Congress, MP had seen massive corruption in all fields. He said that Mr Bantaadhaar (Digvijaya Singh) had left a budget of merely Rs 23000 crore for MP in 2003 but now CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has taken it to Rs 3.14 lakh crore in 2023. Terming PM Modi, as the Messiah of the poor, Mr Shah said 91.90 lakh farmers of MP are receiving kisan samman nidhi. He added that 1.2 crore poor people are being given 5 kg grain per month free. The Home Minister also lauded the PM and the union BJP government for their decision regarding Article 370 in Kashmir and also on the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He called upon all BJP workers to ensure a victory for the BJP in the assembly polls. He also called upon them to ensure the return on Narendra Modi as the PM in 2024 in Lok Sabha polls. Mr Shah asserted that one seat (of Kamal Naths son Nakul Nath in Chhindwara) had gone to the Congress in the 2019 lok sabha polls, but in 2024 this seat must also come to the BJP and the party must win all the 29 lok sabha seats of MP. Samajwadi Party General Secretary and MLC Swami Prasad Maurya has claimed that Badrinath, Kedarnath and Jagannath Puri Dham were built by demolishing Buddhist monasteries. If the BJP people will find temples in every mosque, then Buddhists will find Buddhist monasteries in every temple, whose historical evidence is also present. Thats why it is better that every religious place should maintain the status of 15 August 1947, he said while addressing a press conference here on Sunday. Mauryas statement came in view of the demand for ASI survey of Gyanwapi mosque in Varanasi, which is pending before the Allahabad High Court. Advertisement However, the BJP has slammed the statement of Maurya and even the Samajwadi Party has distanced themselves from the issue. BSP chief Mayawati too has criticised Maurya for raking up such raking up controversy. Maurya further attacking the BJP, said that the BJP raises the issue of Hindu and Muslim everyday under a conspiracy. The BJP is spreading discrimination in the society regarding temple-mosque whereas our Constitution teaches to respect all religions, he said. The BJP finds a temple in every mosque. A Buddhist monastery is established in every temple. Badrinath, Kedarnath were earlier Buddhist monasteries. Shankaracharya converted the Buddhist monastery and established Badrinath Dham, Maurya said. He added that the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand has objected to my statement. I want to tell them that everyones faith is the same. SP leader Maurya said that in 1991 the Bill for the place of worship was also passed. There will be no change in any religious place except Ayodhya. He said that historian Charles Allen has also accepted that the Buddhist monastery has been converted into temples. He said that it is better to accept the truth than to hide it. Respecting all religions will end the hatred of the society but he refused to comment on Mayawatis statement. He said Mayawati has been his leader and he will not comment on her tweet. BSP supremo Mayawati in her tweet on Sunday slammed SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, saying that giving a statement that many temples including Badrinath were built by demolishing Buddhist monasteries and alleged that it is a purely political statement only giving rise to new controversies. Mayawati said: Maurya was a minister in the BJP government for a long time. Then why did he not put such pressure on the party or the government in this regard. Now creating such a religious dispute at the time of election is not his but it shows SPs disgusting politics and nothing else. SP spokesperson Rajendra Choudhury said that the statement of Maurya was his personal views abd the party has nothing to do with it. BJP MPs from the Northeastern states on Sunday said that the Manipur issue will not have any impact on other states of the region, adding that people have immense trust and confidence on Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. They said that the government is leaving no stone unturned to restore normalcy in the strife-torn state. The parliamentarians also slammed the Opposition, led by Congress, accusing it of politicising the Manipur issue. Advertisement Manipur situation will not affect other Northeastern states. People of North East have immense trust and confidence in Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji, and the government-led by BJP, BJP Rajya Sabha MP form Assam Pabitra Margherita told IANS. He said that is an accidental issue which happened in our beautiful land of Manipur. BJP government, party and all the stakeholders are trying to make Manipur stable so that peace and harmony prevail in the area. People do know upto what level the government is trying its best, he said. Margherita, who is also Political Secretary to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, criticised the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) MPs over their ongoing visit to Manipur. I appeal to the Opposition members who have arrived here (in Manipur) to not add fuel to the fire. Do your photoshoot but please dont create disturbance regarding peace and harmony, he said. Attacking the Congress, which was in power in several states of the region for long years, including Manipur, the MP said: Congress always tried to dominate people (during its regime). They tried to play with bloodshed. But, this government led by the BJP is trying to resolve all problems with mutual understanding peace and harmony. This is the basic difference between them and us. BJP Arunachal Pradesh MP Tapir Gao told IANS that, We have seen for long that any communal incident do not affect other NE states. It will not affect other states of the region this time also. He said that the Manipur incident is unfortunate for all of us and it is our duty to resolve the Manipur crisis. The Government of India under the leadership of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah is trying its level best to resolve the situation, Gao said. He said that the matter should be resolved amicably and both Meitei and Kuki have to live peacefully again. Peace will prevail in Manipur again. Gao, who represents the Arunachal East parliamentary constituency, also accused the Opposition of taking undue advantage on the situation in the Northeastern state. BJP Lok Sabha MP from Assam, Queen Oja told IANS that Manipur situation will not affect other Northeastern states. But, we are affected. No women like this kind of cruelty which has taken place in Manipur, said Oja referring to the ghastly incident of two women being stripped, paraded, and sexually assaulted on May 4 in Manipurs Thoubal district, the video of which had gone viral. Manipur police have arrested seven persons so far in connection with the horrific incident. This is not an issue to do politics. Many such incidents have happened during the Congress rule in Assam. In 2007, an adivasi woman was also harassed in Assam. She was paraded naked in Dispur. She has not got any justice so far. Whether it is with her or the women in Manipur, such things can never be forgiven. They should be given the stringent punishment. Referring to Prime Ministers statement on the beginning of the Monsoon session, the MP said, Modi government gives justice to everyone. Oja also criticised former prime minister Manmohan Singh saying that he never talked about the problems of North East. Ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur on May 3 and since then hundreds of people have lost their lives whereas thousands have been forced to take refuge in the relief camps. The Congress and other Opposition parties have been blaming Chief Minister N. Biren Singh for the current crisis in the Northeastern state and demanded his dismissal. At least two people were crushed to death when a truck laden with apples collided with a pickup jeep in The 21-member multi-party delegation of MPs of the Oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) that returned to the national capital after assessing the situation in the strife-torn state, will meet at the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharges chamber in Parliament on Monday to brief the situation of the northeastern state. The MPs who were part of the delegation will brief floor leaders of I.N.D.I.A alliance in the Parliament building at 9:30 am on Monday. On the first day of their two-day whirlwind tour, the opposition MPs visited several relief camps in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur and met victims of ethnic clashes. On Sunday, leaders met Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan and handed over a memorandum to her and requested her to restore peace and harmony by taking all effective measures, where justice should be the cornerstone. Advertisement In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent. You are also requested to apprise the Union Government of the complete breakdown of law and order in Manipur for the last 89 days so as to enable them to intervene in the precarious situation in Manipur to restore peace and normalcy, the memorandum reads. The leaders returned to the national capital on Sunday vowing to take the matter further in the Parliament from Monday. Most MPs who were part of the delegation had a similar complaint the pathetic condition of the relief camps where those hit by the violence across the states are living currently. The ruckus and war of words between the Treasury and Opposition benches over the prevailing situation in violence-hit Manipur may stall proceedings in both Houses of the Parliament, as they reconvene for the eighth day of the ongoing Monsoon Session on Monday. Members of the grand Opposition alliance, I.N.D.I.A, have been adamant on the demand that all listed businesses in both Houses be set aside for a discussion on the Manipur situation. The Opposition parties have been pressing for their demand since the beginning of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20. The government has said that it is ready for debate on the issue but the opposition has insisted on a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in both the Houses of the Parliament. The monsoon session of Parliament has seen disruptions since its beginning on July 20 with opposition members pressing their demand for a detailed discussion on Manipur and a statement from the Prime Minister. The 21-member delegation included Rashtriya Janata Dal Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, Trinamool MP Sushmita Dev, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sushil Gupta, Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, NK Premchandran from Revolutionary Socialist Party, Jayant Chaudhry from RLD, Kanimozhi from DMK, Thol Thirumavalavan from VCK among others. Phulo Devi Netam from Congress, Sandosh Kumar from CPI, Javed Ali Khan from Samajwadi Party, PP Mohammad Faizal from NCP, Aneel Prasad Hedge from JD (U), Sushil Gupta from AAP, Mahua Maji from JJM and Jayant Singh from RLD are also the members of the team. Key Insights UG Healthcare's estimated fair value is S$0.12 based on Dividend Discount Model Current share price of S$0.14 suggests UG Healthcare is potentially trading close to its fair value Industry average of 147% suggests UG Healthcare's peers are currently trading at a higher premium to fair value Does the July share price for UG Healthcare Corporation Limited (Catalist:8K7) 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 today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. 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 UG Healthcare Crunching The Numbers We have to calculate the value of UG Healthcare slightly differently to other stocks because it is a medical equipment company. In this approach dividends per share (DPS) are used, as free cash flow is difficult to estimate and often not reported by analysts. This often underestimates the value of a stock, but it can still be good as a comparison to competitors. We use the Gordon Growth Model, which assumes dividend will grow into perpetuity at a rate that can be sustained. The dividend is expected to grow at an annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.0%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.4%. Compared to the current share price of S$0.1, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. 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. Story continues Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = S$0.006 / (7.4% 2.0%) = S$0.1 dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the 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 UG Healthcare 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 7.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.908. 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 UG Healthcare Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Medical Equipment market. Current share price is above our estimate of fair value. Opportunity 8K7's financial characteristics indicate limited near-term opportunities for shareholders. Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine 8K7's earnings prospects. Threat Paying a dividend but company has no free cash flows. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. 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 UG Healthcare, we've compiled three relevant items you should look at: Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with UG Healthcare . 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! Other Top Analyst Picks: Interested to see what the analysts are thinking? Take a look at our interactive list of analysts' top stock picks to find out what they feel might have an attractive future outlook! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Singaporean 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 Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Sunday said that the division between tribal and non-tribal population in Manipur led to the present violence and seeds of the division were sown deliberately for a long time. Division between tribal and non-tribal population led to violence in Manipur. The division was done deliberately for a long time, Kamal Nath said in response to a question during a seminar organised by the Women Wing of Madhya Pradesh Congress on atrocities against the women. The seminar was organised at Radisson Hotel in Indore where the Congress Women Wing raised questions on social structure and sought to know why women are always abused and why governments make policies presenting women as suppressed. Advertisement I never believed that government policies can empower women alone. It cant happen untill the policies are farmed with women consultation. They can only say what is right or wrong for them, Kamal Nath said. Former chief minister Digvijaya Singh along with NSUI president Kanhaiya Kumar, Sobha Oza and Vibha Patel also attended the seminar. The women present at the seminar put various questions to the Congress leadership pertaining to the women security, social structure and inhumane acts in Manipur. Kamal Nath said that what has happened in Manipur has shammed entire country. He also expressed concern saying what will happen if the Manipur like situation occurs in Madhya Pradesh where tribal population is the highest. I am surprised that Chief Minister Chouhan came up with the Ladli Behna Yojna policy when elections are only four months away. Why didnt he think of women centric policies for the last 18 years? He is insulting tribals and women by offering them shoes, slippers or umbrellas. He only wants their votes. Such things show he has not done anything to empower them, Kamal Nath said. Former TV journalist and Digvijaya Singhs wife Amrita Rai, who also attended the seminar said that the women are competing with men at every stage and many of them have achieved highest posts with their efforts. She asked Kamal Nath what kind of policies would Congress introduce to empower women if they form government in Madhya Pradesh? There are no ifs and buts. Congress is going to form the next government in Madhya Pradesh. I am saying this with responsibility. Women should come forward to advise the government about how to make policies for them. Otherwise, things will remain the same. Many women related policies are running in Madhya Pradesh but there is no transformation. Most of the government policies are on papers only. I dont believe in such kinds of strategies, Kamal Nath responded back. Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday took a swipe at the BJP-led Central government and said that the party will be wiped out in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Parties believing in the ideology of Baba Saheb Ambedkar are coming togetherBJP will be wiped out. In the coming time, we (I.N.D.I.A alliance) are going to meet in Maharashtra where we will finalise the strategy ahead former Bihar Chief Minister said. Lalu Yadav joined a one-day RJD student wing meeting organised by Bihar Minister Tej Partap Yadav at his residence on Sunday. BJP and Narendra Modi are trying to destroy the Constitution. I am requesting all of you that leave everything and fight for the country, Lalu Yadav said. I.N.D.I.A or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance is a group of 26 opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by PM Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The first meeting of the Opposition parties was concluded in Bihars Patna on June 23 under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while the second such meeting was convened in Karnatakas Bengaluru and held by Congress on July 17 and 18. The next meeting will be held in Maharashtras Mumbai. Advertisement Unidentified men have shot dead a homeopathy doctor in Bihars Siwan district late. The victim doctor has been identified as Raj Bihari, a native of Mathurapur village under jurisdiction of Barharia police station. He was sleeping inside his house when he was shot dead by some unidentified people. Advertisement Following the noise of gunshot, the family members and local villagers assembled at the spot and took him to Sadar hospital in Siwan, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The police have taken cognisance of the incident and sent the dead body for postmortem. We have recorded the statement of the family members. The investigation is underway. We are making efforts to find some clues about the attackers, said sub inspector of Barharia police station. Another key commodity in your kitchen turmeric is going to be heavy on your pocket as its prices will skyrocket in the market. Prices of turmeric have doubled in many states in the last three months. In Maharashtra, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, Mandi prices are currently prevailing around Rs 14,000/quintal from earlier Rs 7000/quintal in April. The price of a key vegetable in the Indian kitchen, tomato, has already gone northwards. Jeera (cumin seeds), and tur dal are also the other two commodities that have been a matter of concern in terms of price rise. Advertisement Traders believed that unseasonal rains in the harvesting months of April-May, which have adversely impacted the output, and delayed sowing due to the late onset of monsoon, have led to a sharp rise in prices. Rains in April-May resulted in high moisture in the crop, allowing no time to dry. Due to this, nearly 7-8 lakh bags of 50 kg each, or 35,000-40,000 tonnes of the crop in Maharashtra were affected. If reports are to be believed, traders as well as farmers are also holding onto some stock in anticipation of higher future prices. The Spice Board of India has estimated turmeric production in the 2022-23 crop year (July-June) at 1.16 million tonnes (MT), recording a decline of 5% from 1.22 MT in 2021-2022. The Board has projected a decline of 10-20% in the sowing area of turmeric in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the current year. Export of turmeric can also be a matter of concern as the volume of turmeric export in FY23 rose 11% from the previous fiscal to 0.17 MT. India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in the world. A senior IPS officer, who is under investigation in the conman Monson Mavunkal cheating case, has levelled serious allegations against the Kerala Chief Ministers Office. G Lakshman, Inspector General of Police (IG), has alleged that an extra-constitutional authority functions from the Chief Ministers Office. Lakshman made the allegation in a petition filed before the Kerala High Court, seeking to quash the FIR registered against him in the Monson Mavunkal cheating case. Advertisement Lakshman, the third accused in the cheating case, in his petition submitted before the Kerala High Court said that an extra-constitutional authority functions from the Chief Ministers Office, and this authority mediates deals and compromises and even arbitrates on some of the states financial transactions. Even disputes sent by the HC to various arbitrators are resolved by this authority, he says in the petition. This invisible hand and extra-constitutional brain operates behind the scene and commands an officer of Ernakulam Crime Branch on illegal activities, says the IG in his petition. The police registered an FIR against him under Sections 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (use of forged documents or electronic records as genuine), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy). KPCC president K Sudhakaran is the second accused in the case. The petitioner, who is at present working as an Inspector General (IG) of Police, Training, submitted that a departmental inquiry under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules was conducted against him and he was given a clean chit. Lakshman said that the allegations in the FIR do not hold any grounds, as neither witness statements nor the investigation conducted by the special team provided any evidence against him. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) had also filed an affidavit in the High Court that no senior police officer was involved in the Monson case, he said, and added that he was falsely implicated in the case.The SIT has asked Lakshman to appear before it on 31 July. Responding to the development, senior Congress leader K Muralidharan MP said that IG Lakshmans disclosure is the first sign of the chief ministers bad times. He said that if Sivasankar, CMs former principal secretary, stays in jail for two more months, more than this will be exposed. Sivasankar will also reveal many things very soon. Many details in the gold smuggling case will surface then. Anyway, the first shot has been fired. Many more shots are there to be fired, said Muralidharan. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will inaugurate the new building of the Assam Legislative Assembly in the presence of state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati on Sunday. Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter on Saturday and said, Tomorrow is a historic day for Assam. Honble Lok Sabha Speaker will dedicate our first permanent Legislative Assembly Complex to the people. All existing and former Parliamentarians, members of the Assam Legislative Assembly, and other invitees will be present on the occasion. Pijush Hazarika member of Assam Legislative Assembly twitted, The Honble Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Shri @ombirlakota Ji, will inaugurate the newly constructed Assam Legislative Assembly building tomorrow, i.e., on July 30. On the eve of the auspicious ceremony, I visited the newly constructed Assembly Hall today and assessed the progress of the preparations for tomorrows event. Advertisement Earlier, Numal Momin, Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly told ANI that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will inaugurate the new building of the Assam Legislative Assembly on July 30. The Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Minister of Assam along with cabinet colleagues, and members of Assam Legislative Assembly will be present on the occasion. We are fully prepared for the programme, the Deputy Speaker said. The new building has new features. We are planning for e-Vidhan that is also very shortly will have in the new building. It will be a very modern assembly in Assam for the first time. Next assembly session will be held in the new building, Momin further said. He added that the construction of the new building was started long before during the Congress regime and it has been re-designed a little bit. After our government has come, we have intensified the works and on July 30 the new building will be inaugurated, Momin said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that when Pakistan attacked Indian soldiers in Uri and Pulwama in 2019, they forgot that Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister who replied suitably with a surgical strike unlike the meek response from Mauni Baba during UPAs term. At Uri and Pulwama they (Pakistanis) had attacked the Army and CRPF, but they forgot that the UPA government is not in power, it is the BJP government in power. And not Mauni Baba Manmohan Singh, but Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister, Amit Shah said. In 15 days, our jawans conducted surgical strikes and air strikes, entered Pakistans home and eliminated the terrorists and tore apart their hideouts of these terrorists, he added. Attacking the Congress during the Booth President Sammelan, Amit Shah said that during the Congress-led UPA government, Pakistan used to conduct terrorist activities in the country by the government did not respond adequately. Advertisement Earlier during the government of Sonia-Manmohan in 2004-14, Alia, Malia, Jamalia used to come from Pakistan, fire and bomb us and go. But the central government did not even respond, Amit Shah said. Speaking about the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Amit Shah accused the Congress leadership in Madhya Pradesh of not listening to the voice of the people from the state about Kashmir. Tell me, is Kashmir ours or not? Article 370 should have gone or not? Sreeman Bantadhar, you and Kamanath, listen to the people of Madhya Pradesh, Amir Shah said while attacking the state Congress leaders. Accusing Congress of keeping Article 370 in place for this long, Shah said, The Congress has been nourishing Article 370 like a baby for the last 70 years. Madhya Pradesh, for the second time, formed the Bharatiya Janata Party government and on 5th August 2019, Modi ji abrogated Article 370 and integrated Kashmir with the rest of India. Taking a veiled dig at the newly minted INDIA alliance of the opposition parties, Shah asked, Can anyone vote for those who opposed the abrogation of Article 370, even if they change their name? The Union Home Minister also slammed the Congress party for stalling the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple for so many years saying that Ram Lalla used to stay under the tent for so many years. In Ayodhya, Ram Lalla used to be under the tent for so many years. For 550 years so many people died, but the Mandir for Ram Janmabhoomi was not built. The Congress party was stalling it forever. One morning, the decision of the court came and PM Modi performed the bhumi poojan of Ram Mandir, Amit Shah said. Addressing Booth Sammelan in Indore, Union Home Minister Amit Shah thanked the people of Madhya Pradesh for supporting them. I want to thank the people of MP from the bottom of my heart. I thank the people of MP for giving us their blessings and showering us with votes in the 2014 and 2019 elections, he said. In the 2018 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Congress emerged as the single largest party with 114 seats and BJP got 109 seats. However, in 2020, the Congress government lost the majority followed by the resignations of some MLAs. After this, BJP formed the government in the state and Shivraj Singh Chouhan was reinstated as the Chief Minister. Madhya Pradesh will go to polls in the latter half of this year. The Madhya Pradesh elections are expected to set the tone for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls. For 45-year-old Gagan Wadhwa, life came to a standstill after he was diagnosed with mouth cancer as a result of chewing tobacco. The Delhi resident an avid gym lover had stage 3 cancer and was not able to open his mouth and the internal tissues of mouth got damaged severely and bursted. Doctors at Max Super Speciality Hospital Vaishali suggested immediate surgery followed by sessions of radiation therapy. Advertisement The therapy helped immensely in curing the cancer completely and gave Wadhwa a new life. Radiation therapy is an extremely targeted treatment precisely acting on cancer wherever it may be in the body. This allows the cancer cells to be killed or be reduced in number while safeguarding most of the healthy organs and tissues in the body, said Dr. Vineet Nakra, Radiation Oncologist at Max Super Speciality Hospital Vaishali, who treated Wadhwa. For treating Wadhwa we used intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) which are advanced therapies that deliver radiation with higher degrees of precision, hence the patient faces minimal side effects, Dr. Nakra explained. Cancers which are collectively known as head and neck cancers usually begin in the mouth, throat, or the voice box. It typically consists of anatomical sub sites like tongue, mouth, other parts of the pharynx like oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, salivary glands, nasal cavity, larynx (voice box), etc. Radiation therapy supports the cure of cancer in patients either alone or combined with other treatments. Also, it eases symptoms, extends the survival period in more advanced forms of cancers, and is a proven treatment modality for nearly every type of cancer. It is important to remember that head and neck cancer is treatable and can be managed successfully, patients can lead normal and healthy life after diagnosis and treatment, Dr Nakra said. Wadhwa has fully recovered and has been declared cancer-free, said the doctor, calling for increased awareness and early detection of such cancers while also discouraging the use of tobacco and alcohol. Thanking the doctors, Wadhwa said: I can go back to the gym and follow my passion. I want to convey to anyone facing such health issues in life to not lose hope and aim to beat it. With a delegation of opposition parties visiting Manipur, BJPs state chief Samrat Chaudhary has asked them to visit Bihar and West Bengal too. He further said that the situation in Bihar and West Bengal was even worse than Manipur. We have witnessed how police initiated lathi charge on BJP leaders during a protest march in Patna on July 13. They should also investigate it. The national commission of women came here and investigated the incident. Advertisement We are also going to the human rights commission and request it to investigate incidents that happened in Bihar and West Bengal, Chaudhary said. Everyone has watched the lathi charge that happened on July 13. We have also requested the Supreme Court to take cognizance of that incident, Chaudhary said. The leaders of 26 parties of INDIA are on a visit to Manipur. They will meet the victims and assess the situation there. The online gaming industry in India has gained currency in recent years and has particularly attracted the youths of our country. Given the humongous rise in the need for diverse and challenging games which were essentially accelerated during the pandemic and thereafter, it clearly evidences that online gaming is here to stay. The Indian Olympic Association too has recognised online gaming as a medal event for the Asian Games 2022 which testifies to the fact that online gaming is no longer treated as leisure activity and is at present a sector that has the potential to generate professional athletes, similar to other physical sports. As with any sunrise sector, the regulation(s) that are applicable to this sector are constantly changing. In a recent move, the Goods and Services Tax Council (hereinafter the GST Council) in its 50th meeting decided to levy a 28% tax on the full face value of the money deposited or chips bought by the user to play a particular online game. The move seems to aim at embellishing the exchequer with an estimated revenue of INR 20,000 crores annually. However, this move has failed to take into account the interests of the online gaming industry, with a potential to kill and wipe out the industry which was on multiple occasions regarded by PM Narendra Modi as a sunrise sector which not only has the potential to create jobs but also is capable of catering to the global market. Advertisement In the earlier tax regime, we found that there existed a clear distinction between online skill games like esports, puzzles, certain kinds of card games which were charged an 18% GST only on the brokerage fee earned by the online games platform offering such games (i.e. platform fee). This position was however not applicable to games of chance which also included gambling activities at a casino and were subjected to a 28% GST on the total bet value. While the present regulatory framework takes into account the settled judicial pronouncements distinguishing between games of skill and games of chance, the proposed regime of the GST Council fails to conform to the existing jurisprudence in this regard and intends to wipe off the trite law which distinguishes between games of skill and games of chance by placing both kinds of games on an equal footing. Moreover, taking games of skill at par with games of chance would negate the positive steps taken by the government to establish self-regulatory bodies (hereinafter SRB), whose primary job is to distinguish between the two. Hence, if the GST Council believes that there is no difference between games of skill and games of chance, then the SRB screening process to differentiate them is rendered infructuous. Further, the two main models of taxation in the gaming industry are Gross Gaming Revenue Model (hereinafter GGR) and Contest Entry Amount Model (hereinafter CEA) or Turnover Tax Model. The GGR model levies tax on the platform fee charged by online gaming platforms. On the other hand, the CEA model taxes the complete prize pool of the players. The government under the proposed regime has followed the CEA model, which would amount to a catastrophe for the industry given that the proposed tax liability would exceed the revenues that can be earned, thereby rendering the online gaming industry unviable. Globally, the gaming industry has shifted from the CEA model to a GGR model. While both the UK and France had previously followed the CEA model. However, as soon as the government realised the threat to the industry, it shifted to the GGR model which has proven quite successful in recent years. In an ecosystem where the player is being taxed approximately 40-50% (including the 30% income tax) on the total cash/ chip deposits, he would not be able to get a handsome return on investment thereby diluting the platforms chances of user retention. This would eventually force players to switch to illegal off-shore betting platforms, essentially, the black market operators and disincentivize the legitimate tax-paying players. However, the government justifies the move by claiming that the decision to impose 28% GST was not intended to kill the industry; rather, it was a moral dilemma that it faced and decided to tax essential commodities at par with online gaming. However, this in our opinion is an entirely flawed logic as the proposed regime mandates 28% GST on the total prize pool of the players thus in a way indirectly condemning them to play any online games that have a play to earn model. Thus, the need of the hour lies in urging the GST Council to reconsider its decision and it must be revisited primarily from the jurisprudential standpoint which has since the Lakshmanan case and in a catena of judgments in this regard has always been mindful of distinguishing a game of skill from a game of chance. Further, the GST Council must take into consideration the capability of the online gaming industry and how it has acted as a strong source of income for a significant portion of the youth of our country and how this move shall act as a strong blow in deterring fortunes of countless youths. Furthermore, it is also pertinent for the GST Council to note that a large number of marquee investors have invested heavily in this sector given its promising nature which shall amount to a funding winter resulting in the Prime Ministers dream of making India a digital economy to collapse. (The writers are from The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata) Key Insights Gildan Activewear's estimated fair value is CA$60.91 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of CA$41.11 suggests Gildan Activewear is potentially 33% undervalued Our fair value estimate is 23% higher than Gildan Activewear's analyst price target of US$49.64 Does the July share price for Gildan Activewear Inc. (TSE:GIL) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. See our latest analysis for Gildan Activewear The Calculation We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$422.3m US$546.8m US$579.1m US$605.7m US$626.5m US$645.0m US$661.8m US$677.4m US$692.2m US$706.6m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x5 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 3.43% Est @ 2.94% Est @ 2.60% Est @ 2.36% Est @ 2.19% Est @ 2.07% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 8.9% US$388 US$461 US$448 US$430 US$408 US$386 US$363 US$341 US$320 US$300 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$3.8b 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 1.8%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.9%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = US$707m (1 + 1.8%) (8.9% 1.8%) = US$10b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$10b ( 1 + 8.9%)10= US$4.3b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$8.1b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of CA$41.1, the company appears quite undervalued at a 33% 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 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 Gildan Activewear 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 8.9%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.202. 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 Gildan Activewear 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 Luxury market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Dividends are not covered by cash flow. Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Canadian market. Moving On: Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or 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. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Gildan Activewear, we've put together three important items you should explore: Risks: For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Gildan Activewear that you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does GIL'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 The report by a United Nations committee that says the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which functions with impunity because of the sanctuary provided by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, may be seeking a merger with Al-Qaeda to create an umbrella organization should cause concern. The report says that TTP may be seeking such a merger with a view to emerging as an organization that provides sanctuary to terrorist groups across South Asia. According to the report, the two groups are sharing training camps in the Kunar province of Afghanistan and may have decided to join hands with a view to wresting control over a portion of Pakistans northern territories, where the TTP has been targeting both military and civilian targets with impunity. While the immediate problem may seem to be that of Pakistan, which paradoxically had played a key role in allowing both TTP and Al-Qaeda to flourish, it is certain that such a merger, if it were to come about, would pose a threat to security establishments elsewhere, too. The report has highlighted how the TTP has increased its footprint ever since the Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan in August 2021, and says that other sanctioned groups may be supporting the TTP to avoid coming under the control of the Afghan regime. The UN document has identified Afghanistan as a region of global significance from the perspective of terrorism, and says some 20 terrorist groups are operating in the country with the ultimate objective of creating theocratic quasi-state entities. This means that they would strive to create pockets within Pakistan and elsewhere where their obscurantist interpretation of Islamic laws would prevail, and would have a significant impact on both religious freedoms and womens rights. While the Taliban regime has rejected the UN report, saying that Al Qaeda has no presence in the country, the fact is that amorphous identities and dual loyalties ~ to the TTP and Al Qaeda, for instance ~ makes the waters far too murky for Kabul to be so dismissive. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban regimes spokesman, tweeted on Friday: Al Qaeda organization does not exist in Afghanistan now, reports about this are incorrect. The Islamic Emirate does not allow anyone to use the territory of Afghanistan against the security of any other country. While hairs can be split on whether the Taliban allows anyone to use Afghanistan against the security of other countries, the fact that TTP has been doing just that is more than amply clear. If there is, as the UN report suggests, to be a coalescing of terror groups, Pakistan may not be the only target. This is a situation that others in South Asia must guard against. The report has been submitted to the Security Council, and it is hoped that members will sink their differences and take it seriously Advertisement The new Opposition coalition, INDIA, has given a notice for a no-confidence motion against the Modi government and the Speaker has admitted it. Earlier this month, 26 opposition parties formed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). This will be the 28th no-trust vote since Independence and the second faced by the Modi government. In 2018, a Congress MP brought a motion over the state of Andhra Pradesh, which was given a special category status for tax concessions to attract new investors. The motion was defeated after a 12-hour debate. The decision to move the motion by the Opposition bloc comes after the current monsoon session of Parliament faced disruption for four consecutive days on the Manipur issue. The fate of the present no-trust motion is already known. The ruling BJP can easily win the motion, as the math favours Modi. The BJP-led NDA has 332 members in Lok Sabha. The required majority mark is 272. The Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), not a part of the NDA, has decided to back the Modi government. It has 22 members in the Lok Sabha. The opposition INDIA bloc has a strength of 142 seats. The KCR-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), not part of the INDIA bloc, has backed the Opposition on the no-confidence motion. It has nine members in the Lok Sabha. The BRS also had submitted a no-trust motion separately, but the Speaker did not admit it. The Opposition claims though it will not win the vote, it will win the perception war. The motion will pressure Prime Minister Modi to come before Lok Sabha and answer questions. Modi has largely remained silent for over 80 days. The ethnic clashes began in early May between the majority Meitei group, who are overwhelmingly Hindu, and the mainly Christian Kuki and Naga tribes in the BJP-ruled state. The clashes have caused widespread national and international anger after some disturbing videos became public recently. A video of two women paraded naked by a mob sparked global outrage last week. A high-ranking member of the Biden administration also expressed condemnation. The face-off between the Government and the Opposition escalated over the issue, resulting in the nonstop disruption of Parliament since the Monsoon session began. Advertisement Having a considerable majority, the Modi Government has nothing to fear, yet it refused to be flexible and accommodating towards the Opposition. The Opposition, too, is confronting the Government with unruly scenes. So both sides are to be blamed. While it is the business of the Government to ensure the smooth running of Parliament, the Opposition is expected to provide constructive criticism. Debate, discussion, and constructive criticism are fundamental parts of law-making. Both sides must change their attitude. Modi must deliver a speech in Parliament after facing a no-confidence motion. The Opposition too has to raise their concerns during the no-trust vote debate. The lack of proper debate is weakening Parliament. Its essential to recognize the value of parliamentary debates in shaping public opinion and promoting democratic principles. Dismissing these debates as unproductive would be a mistake. Members debate bills before they vote on them. They must raise their concerns on the floor of the House. They could do so during question hour, short notice questions, calling attention motions, adjournment motions and finally, a no-trust motion. Since Independence, Indian Parliament has witnessed several debates. But over the years, disruptions rather than debate have become the norm. Even the former Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana lamented that the Parliament did not have adequate debates over scrutinizing the laws. M.P.s from both sides must use debates and discussion to represent their constituents views and allow for meaningful discussion of government policies. They must help make necessary adjustments and amendments to a bill so that it can effectively fulfil its purpose. There is a need for an effective Parliament. According to the Constitution, the legislature makes laws, the Government implements them, and the judiciary enforces them. Immediate and decisive action must be taken to implement necessary reforms and ensure that parliamentary institutions and processes become effective and powerful tools for sustainable growth. The Modi governments massive majority in the Lok Sabha does not mean it can ensure smooth functioning. The Opposition can be effective only if it finds the correct issues. That does not mean that only walkouts, shouting slogans, and disrupting the House will serve their purpose. The time has come for political parties to rethink their strategy of obstructing business and consider how to start debating and discussing issues. After all, Parliament is meant for two significant things budget scrutiny and law-making. NASAs spacecraft Voyager 2 is experiencing an unplanned communications pause and is currently unable to receive commands or transmit data back to Earth. Voyager 2 was one of two probes launched in the 1970s to explore planets in the outer solar system. Voyager 1, which is almost 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometres) from Earth, continues to operate normally, NASA said in a statement. Advertisement A series of planned commands sent to NASAs Voyager 2 spacecraft inadvertently caused the antenna to point 2 degrees away from Earth. As a result, Voyager 2 is currently unable to receive commands or transmit data back to Earth, the US space agency informed. This change has interrupted communication between Voyager 2 and the ground antennas of the Deep Space Network (DSN). Data being sent by the spacecraft is no longer reaching the DSN, and the spacecraft is not receiving commands from ground controllers. The spacecrafts antenna is no longer pointing towards Earth and NASA hopes it is a temporary problem. Voyager 2 is programmed to reset its orientation multiple times each year to keep its antenna pointing at Earth and the next reset will occur on October 15, which should enable communication to resume. The mission team expects Voyager 2 to remain on its planned trajectory during the quiet period, said NASA. As many as 173 people have lost their lives and 260 people have been injured in heavy rains across Pakistan since June, ARY News reported citing a report by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). According to the NDMA report, 69 men, 32 women and 72 children died in rain-related incidents in the country. Adding to that, 110 men, 76 women and 74 children were injured. Punjab recorded the highest number of casualties where 67 people died in heavy rains. Out of 260 injured in the monsoon-related incidents, 158 were affected in Punjab. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa witnessed the death of 47 people due to rain and ten people were killed in Balochistan, reported ARY News. Advertisement Moreover, the rainfall claimed 21 lives in Sindh, 12 in PoK and five in the Gilgit Baltistan region, the report added. Additionally, 11 persons have died in monsoon-related incidents in Islamabad, reported ARY News. Reportedly, 1485 houses were damaged in the deadly rainfall which stormed the country. According to the reports, the floods also swept away 475 cattle heads in the country. Pakistans Met Office has warned of urban and flash floods in Lahore and other areas while the city continued to receive heavy rainfall on Saturday, Dawn reported. The Pakistan Met Department warned of urban flooding in the low-lying areas of Lahore, as well as flash flooding in the citys nullahs. Consequently, rain-wind/thundershowers were expected at scattered places in Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northeast Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan, the forecast said, as per Dawn. Pakistans NDMA has meanwhile said flooding was expected in the tributaries of the Kabul River and Dera Ghazi Khans hill torrents from July 27 to 30. Has the moment arrived for India to become a technology-transfer premised complementary manufacturing hub in Asia which can create value-added jobs? Intensifying great power rivalry is having a telling impact on the stability of China-centric global supply chains, forcing transnational corporations to rethink global sourcing strategies. It is precisely with this in mind that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to a joint session of Congress during his state visit to America last month had declared: When India and the USA work together on semiconductors and critical minerals, it helps the world in making supply chains more diverse, resilient, and reliable. In a new paper, Ganeshan Wignaraja of the think-tank Gateway House iterates that the agreements on defence and critical technologies signed by Mr Modi and President Joe Biden, as well as the e-commerce investments promised by Amazon.com, are indicative of how India is being considered by the USA as central to new supply chains and its inclusion in the shift of existing ones away from China. Recent investments in India for the production of Apples iPhone 14 and the Mercedes-Benz EQS electric luxury sedan suggest that supply chain pessimism about the country has started to fade. The argument being made is that since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, both geopolitical and economic factors have coalesced in Indias favour. For example, India is a key target of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework launched by Washington which seeks to de-risk, if not decouple, global supply chains from China and promote global sourcing from more strategically trusted supplier countries. Decoupling is already visible in flows of capital and technology, adds Wignaraja, as evident in the delisting of Chinese companies from US exchanges, or how American venture investment group Sequoia Capital has spun off its Chinese funds. The global risks of supply chains concentrated in mainland China and Hong Kong are underlined by recent World Trade Organisation data. Exports from the two markets, which together represent a fifth of world exports of intermediate goods, decreased 15 and 27 per cent year-onyear respectively, during the last quarter of 2022. Shipments from the USA, which accounted for 8.1 per cent of world exports of intermediate goods, fell 3 per cent, while those of Japan, with 4 per cent, fell by 13 per cent. This downturn, coupled with rising labour costs in China and the countrys trade war with the USA has forced multinational companies to think afresh. Yes, it is both costly and logistically cumbersome to shift supply chains. But longer-term profitability considerations, says experts, are influencing a trend of Washington actively encouraging the relocation of production to friendly countries, the much talked about friend-shoring policy of the Biden administration. Low wages, fiscal incentives, and improved logistics have meant that Southeast Asian economies such as Vietnam and Thailand have been bigger winners in supply chain shifting than India thus far. But there is no reason why India cannot reap the gains from the shift, especially in manufacturing sectors such as automotives, pharmaceuticals, and electronics assembly which provide well-paid, skilled/semi-skilled jobs. These are no garment sweatshops of yore. Advertisement China issues multiple disaster alerts for mountain torrents, floods, waterlogging Xinhua) 09:03, July 30, 2023 BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday evening issued a string of alerts for multiple natural disasters. The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has issued an orange alert for mountain torrents in parts of Beijing, Hebei and Shanxi from 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday. The two departments also issued a red alert for mountain torrents in certain areas. Local authorities are advised to strengthen real-time monitoring and flood warning procedures amid measures to prepare for evacuation. The CMA simultaneously issued a yellow alert for floods in some small and medium-sized rivers in parts of Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Zhejiang, Fujian, Chongqing and Xinjiang, and renewed an orange alert for floods in southwestern Beijing, and in central and southwestern parts of Hebei. Parts of Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi and Henan face waterlogging risks from 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday, the CMA also warned. China has a four-tier weather-warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Generative AI, short-form video and the boom of immersive experiences are among the trends creating a wealth of new opportunities for the Tours, activities and attractions, says a report. The new report from Arival, the leading resource for the tours, activities and attractions sector, looks at the major trends that have been shaping the industry this year as well as offering a sneak peak of whats to come. Tours, activities and attractions are projected to surpass pre-pandemic levels by 2024, with some regions and individual operators already reaching that benchmark this year. Travelers are on the move, but the way they discover, plan and book has changed significantly. Those trends matter for operators and suppliers of tours, activities, attractions, says the report. Douglas Quinby, CEO and co-founder, summarizes the reports top six mega-trends: Generative AI has been a major focus in the tech world, and is being used to help companies optimize tour descriptions, booking automation, customer communication and helping guests to write reviews. Consumers are increasingly booking online; operators should make sure they are listed on Google Things to do and have optimized their SEO otherwise they risk not getting found. Short-form video has exploded in popularity with the likes of TikTok, Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts, allowing younger travelers to discover experiences via social media instead of search engines. Travelers are looking for immersive experiences that align with their values of sustainability and inclusiveness, such as Meow Wolf's art experiences or Chrissy Watts transformational Hood Tours. Augmented reality and projection mapping are increasingly being used to blur the lines between real and fiction. Responsible tourism is becoming more popular as a way to benefit local communities and protect the environment. Companies are experimenting with different modes of transport such as electric buses and self-driving cars to become more sustainable. -TradeArabia News Service Healthpeak Properties, Inc. (NYSE:PEAK) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript July 28, 2023 Operator: Good morning, and welcome to the Healthpeak Properties, Incorporated Second Quarter Conference Call. All participants will be in a listen-only mode. [Operator Instructions]. After todays presentation there will be an opportunity to ask questions. [Operator Instructions]. Please note this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Andrew Johns, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations. Please go ahead. Andrew Johns: Welcome to Healthpeak's second quarter 2023 financial results conference call. Today's conference call will contain certain forward-looking statements. Although we believe the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, our forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations. A discussion of risks and risk factors is included in our press release and detailed in our filings with the SEC. We do not undertake a duty to update any forward-looking statements. Certain non-GAAP financial measures will be discussed on this call. In an exhibit of the 8-K furnished with the SEC yesterday, we have reconciled all non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures in accordance with Reg G requirements. The exhibit is also available on our website at healthpeak.com. I will turn the call over to our President and Chief Executive Officer, Scott Brinker. Scott M. Brinker: Thanks, Andrew. Good morning and welcome to Healthpeaks second quarter earnings call. Joining me today for prepared remarks is Pete Scott, our CFO and our senior team is here for Q&A. Last evening, we increased earnings guidance and reported 4.8% blended same store growth. The balance sheet remains in great shape. Through streamlining and automation Our G&A for 2023 is expected to be 6% below our original 2022 guidance. We're operating in a volatile macro-environment where we have a strong handle on the things we can control. Fundamental driver of demand for our real estate is the desire for improved health, which is only growing. Equally important, we benefit from the impact of technology across our playing field of medical discovery and delivery. Story continues For example, Progressive Health Systems now have 10 plus outpatient locations for every one hospital, with a strategic plan to grow that ratio to 20 plus. The hospital remains the epicenter, but much of the growth as outpatient is made possible by technology. The shift in delivery aligns with our strategy to capture the outpatient real estate needs of leading health systems. And with tighter profit margins because of the cost of labor, health systems will increasingly seek knowledgeable third party capital like Healthpeak to expand their footprint. Similarly, technology will reinforce and expand the need for lab space. AI and machine learning will increase the probability of success in drug research and reduce development timelines. This will drive more capital into the sector. The data needed for the algorithms and the validations comes from the laboratory, which are highly regulated and controlled environments. A Nobel Laureate in chemistry recently said that she'd run her lab for 30 years, and never experienced the accelerating discoveries we've seen in just the last five years alone. The science is building on itself, including our understanding of genetics and improved testing, which will transform healthcare delivery. Today, it's reactive, we seek therapeutics after a problem arises, technology will drive the addition of proactive care where we detect issues and seek care before a problem arises. This will shift the allocation of healthcare spending and expand the total pie. Our outpatient medical and lab buildings will be a critical part of this future. A few comments on portfolio performance starting with outpatient medical where we have an irreplaceable portfolio and deep relationships with leading health systems. More than half of our square footage is now leased directly to a health system, which is 2X the level from 20 years ago as their business model has shifted towards outpatient care, and we've become a partner of choice. I toured a number of our buildings in recent months and saw very active parking lots and lobbies, a great sign for current and future leasing. Our concentration in high growth markets like Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Vegas, and Nashville will benefit our portfolio for the next decade plus. Moving to our lab business where we have significant market share in key sub markets, a diversified tenant base, and strong relationships. Biotechs have been doing what they should do in this environment, which is to conserve cash. So the default answer has been to make do with existing space. That mindset made perfect sense the past few quarters but will naturally run in cycles. Despite that backdrop, we've had solid leasing activity, primarily with existing portfolio tenants who accounted for 89% of year-to-date leasing. In each case, the broader market either isn't seeing the prospect, or is it a big disadvantage because we can tear up an existing lease in exchange for a larger, longer-term commitment. More recently, we've seen an uptick in leasing discussions, which may reflect the more benign outlook for the Fed and interest rates. I'll close with transactions. The market remains slow given the financing markets and inactivity from core funds and non-traded REITs, many of which have redemption queues. 17 Countries With Universal Health Care in 2017 GagliardiImages/Shutterstock.com Despite that backdrop, we've sold $130 million of fully stabilized but less core real estate year-to-date, at an attractive 5.4% cap rate and use the proceeds to accretively delever. We're currently having good discussions on a couple $100 million of additional less core asset sales. Subject to closing, which isn't guaranteed in this environment, we'll have flexibility to either accretively pay down our line of credit or buy back stock. I will turn it to Pete to cover financial results, balance sheet, and guidance. Peter A. Scott: Thanks, Scott. For the second quarter, we reported FFOs was adjusted of $0.45 per share, AFFO of $0.40 per share, and total portfolio same store growth of 4.8%. In addition, our Board declared a dividend of $0.30 per share, which equates to an AFFO payout ratio of approximately 75%. Let me provide a little more color on segment performance. Starting with CCRCs, same store growth for the quarter was a very strong 19.3%. Occupancy has increased 230 basis points year-over-year and we see additional upside with zero new supply in our markets. Total NREF cash receipts were $31 million in the quarter and for the full year we expect our cash receipts to exceed NREF amortization by 5 pennies per share. Turning to outpatient medical, we had another solid quarter with same store growth of 2.5%. Demand for our space is high and leasing momentum remains strong. We have executed 83% of our full year leasing budget and have an additional 15% in documentation. Re-leasing spreads were up 3.7% during the quarter, which again was at the high end of our historical 2% to 4% range. Trailing 12-month tenant retention was 81% which is a reflection of the quality of our assets and our time tested platform, which consistently produces sector leading customer satisfaction scores. Finishing with lab. Same store growth for the quarter was 3.8%. Year-to-date we have executed 461,000 square feet of leases, approximately 90% of that leasing activity has been with existing tenants, and we achieved positive re-leasing spreads of 52% on renewals. In addition, we have another 196,000 square feet of executed LOI with the majority of that activity occurring in July. All of our LOIs are with existing tenants, which further demonstrates the superior advantage that incumbent property owners like Healthpeak have in their respective markets. With the Biotech index up 10% since the start of the second quarter, we are seeing an increase in tenant capital raising activity. Equity markets are open for companies with positive data readouts. Venture capital investment increased over $1 billion sequentially with Series A rounds growing more popular. M&A continues with $80 billion of deals announced year-to-date. The IPO market is showing signs of life and reverse mergers are becoming more popular, providing an alternative for companies to go public. An important part of our lab strategy is proactive asset management to improve our tenant credit profile. As we had previously announced, we downsized Adverum in favor of Revolution Medicines trading a small cap credit for a $3 billion market cap company. During the second quarter we backfilled the significant portion of the Kodiak space to Lonza Bioscience and Bicycle Therapeutics. In both cases a significant credit upgrade. And at the cove, we proactively facilitated an assignment of the Harpoon Therapeutics lease to a private Biotech. A quick note on Sorrento Therapeutics. We've been paid rent in full through July on the four operating leases, and we hold letters of credit or security deposits of $2.6 million, so no impact on 2023 earnings regardless of the outcome. As you've probably seen, Sorrento was working on an exit financing package, but at this point, there are no details I can provide or assurances it will be completed. We hope to have clarity on a path forward in the near-term. Turning now to our balance sheet. In May, we issued $350 million of 5.25% fixed rate bonds bringing year-to-date issuance to $750 million at a blended yield of approximately 5.35%. Our net floating rate debt balance was approximately $150 million at quarter end. Our balance sheet continues to be a competitive advantage in this environment. Our net debt to EBITDA is 5.1 times with nearly $3 billion of liquidity. We have net floating rate debt exposure of approximately 2%. We have no bonds maturing until 2025. We have approximately $150 million of annual retained earnings and we have stable ratings from both S&P and Moody's. Our development spend is self-funded without the need for equity or asset sales from a combination of retained earnings and debt capacity from higher EBITDA. As Scott mentioned, any potential asset sales would be opportunistic and are not contemplated in guidance. Turning now to our 2023 guidance, we are increasing our FFOs adjusted and AFFO guidance by 1 penny at the midpoint to $1.75 and $1.51, respectively. As you can see from our year-to-date results, performance across our portfolio remains strong, and we are increasing our full year blended same store guidance range by 25 basis point to 4% at the midpoint. Please refer to Page 38 of our supplemental for additional detail on our guidance. With that operator, lets open the line for Q&A. See also 26 Biggest Marijuana Companies in the World and 20 Most Visited Countries in Asia. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. In the last few years, on Indias news channels, it is not uncommon to see anchors huffing and puffing hysterically about anti-nationals. In fact, the phrase has become near ubiquitous. Every time an individual does not conform to a dominant narrative, their patriotism is called into question. The horror of what is unfolding in Manipur should make us challenge these faux nationalists. Over the last few weeks I have been documenting testimonies from the state of those who have suffered, been killed, raped and tortured. Among the victims and survivors are a military veteran, a legislator of the ruling BJP and the ageing wife of a freedom fighter. The horror of what has been inflicted on them should make us banish the loose use of this banal and overused phraseanti-nationalfrom our political and media lexicon. Either that or we should start calling out those who are truly against the interests of an inclusive India. Illustration: Bhaskaran The country is still reeling from the viral video in which two women were paraded naked, one of them was brutally gang-raped. I spoke to the husband of one of the survivors. I served 28 years in the Army, he told me, I served in Sri Lanka, in the Kargil war operation. I fought in wars for India. But I could not save my wife. As his voice fell to a whisper he spoke of his sense of helplessness and fear. In my worst nightmares I never thought I would see such a day. I met Vungzagin Valte, a three-time legislator with the BJP and former adviser to the chief minister. Today, he is barely able to talk after he was crippled in a mob attack. His head was smashed. He was allegedly given electric shocks and he is unable to eat or walk on his own. Though the state government vows that it will pay Valtes hospital bills and says it has spent close to Rs50 lakh on airlfiting the MLA; his family says they are still struggling financially. They live in tiny rented accommodation13 of them in three small rooms. For medicines, physiotherapy and other expenses, they are dependent on the charity of friends and family. As houses have been torched and razed in Manipur, the elderly have not been spared either. An 80-year-old woman married to a freedom fighter was burnt alive. Their small village home proudly displayed medals and honours, most recently from president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. I have consciously not mentioned which of the victims I chronicle here are Kuki and which are Meitei. For a moment let us put aside the complex and unique history of Manipur that led to these ethnic clashes. For now let us remember that Manipur shares a long border with Myanmar and 4,000 weapons were looted during this crisis, including high-calibre ones like rocket launchers and automatic rifles. If anything, the crisis in Manipur calls on us to be genuine patriots. We should be asking tough questions and we should be able to offer empathy. To lose sight of the human tragedy in whataboutery and competitive politics, or in the banality of TV studio debates, would be a travesty. So, will the faux nationalists please sit down? editor@theweek.in Even as the video of two stripped-bare women from Manipur went viral, one is reminded again of how wars are constantly fought by men abusing the bodies of women. Rape and sexual violence is a centuries-old war crime, the conflict between men is always played out on its women, too. Women are, after all, male terrain. You win over a king, a tribe, a country, by shaming and taking over its women. The two women were humiliated through nakedness, even as more stories of rapes are emerging. The irony is not to be missed. Women are part of dressing the community in the northeast. Unlike the rest of India, women of this region are the main weavers of cloth. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur famously wear garments made by women bending over the loin loom. It is much smaller, hence easy to keep at home, and still a popular activity for local women regardless of there being zero interest in their traditional cultures outside their tribes. I mean, imagine if only Benarasis wore the dazzling Benaras saris, or if only women of Madhya Pradesh wore the chanderi. We would all be poorer for it, not just the weavers of the cloth. A Manipuri woman working a traditional loom | Shutterstock Manipuri textiles do not compare in allure, but they certainly do in craft techniques and heritage narratives. The arts and crafts of Manipur provide for a fascinating study of tribal culture. This is also seen in the Chin-Kuki-Mizo tribesethnic tribes that live in six of the seven northeastern states, the exception being Arunachal Pradesh. They are called the Mizo in Mizoram, and the Chin in Myanmar. Art and craft is how they dress, build their homes, household items and make jewellery from. The clothing of this region is extremely significant in storytellingeach motif, colour and shape speaks of ones place in society. It is like ones entire biography is told in a skirt or a jacket. Carolyn Niengneihmoi, a research scholar from Manipur University, says: Dresses are the identity of every nation or tribe. For the Chin-Kuki-Mizo, dresses are the unwritten constitution. It is a symbol whereby a mans social status and culture can be determined. Every shawl and loincloth is patterned with beautiful designs and chequered with different colours, which have immense cultural significance. Manipur is an extraordinarily beautiful land, surrounded by blue hills and nestled in an emerald carpet. Its dominant tribe is the Hindu Meitei, living in the valleys, whereas the Kukis live in the hills. The Meitei costumes are the innaphi, or the diaphanous dupatta wrapper, and the phanek or the sarong. The innaphis used to be made of coarse bark, but richer families make intricately designed ones in silk and cotton. It is very similar to the Bengal muslin, or the gossamer jamdani. The Kukis are largely Christian, thanks to the missionaries during the British Raj. The Kuki women wear a knee-length ponve, a sarong that is wrapped above their breast and down to their knees. The tuck is famously under the left arm. A petticoat, called the nih, is made of red and black stripes and is strung at the waist. The missionaries also introduced the Kukis to English, which modernised them in some ways. The community has a custom of Lawm, where boys and girls learn hunting and farming, as well as javelin, high jump and shot put. Like much of rural India, weaving in Manipur has taken a huge beating. It is now a leisure activity, and lack of marketing has made traditional clothes worn only during rituals and festivities. The civil strife will only push the marginalised into further poverty. @namratazakaria The 1978 Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Don had an edge-of-the-seat stunt scene set in a Christian cemetery, where the villains try to snatch a red diary from the hero. The diary, we are told, contains the names of all the baddies inhabiting Mumbais underworld. The fight ends with the baddies throwing the diary into a burning car. (If they had shot in a shamshangarh, they wouldnt have had to burn a car.) Bachchan then delivers the knockout linethat the diary that is burning is a nakli; the asli one, also red, is safe with him. The Rajasthan assembly had an equally exciting red-diary scene last Monday. Its hero Rajendra Singh Gudha, dropped two days earlier from Ashok Gehlots cabinet, produced a diary of the same colour as Don Bachchans, and claimed it contained damning data about the crimes of his CM. The CMs loyalists tore it from his hands, but Gudha claims to have a fairly good part of it still with him. Gudha says he had sneaked into the house of party colleague Dharmendra Rathore in the middle of a tax raid in 2020, and had slipped out with the diary to save the CM from infamy. That is much in Bachchan stylesneaking into a building that is swarming with armed guards, and leap-frogging from floor to floor with a diary tucked into his trouser waist! Rajendra Singh Gudha outside the Rajasthan assembly | PTI Diaries in the olden days were about chronicling history. Samuel Pepyss diaries chronicled the plague and the Great Fire of London, as also his own sexcapades. Then there were the gripping diaries of that pristinely pure kid Anne Frank who lived in an attic in Nazi-conquered Amsterdam. In India we had Anandaranga Pillai of Puducherry, the 18th century dubashi (interpreter) who chronicled his days under Francois Dupleix. These days, diaries are about secrets rather than chronicles. But what fogs me is why all mystery diaries are red. Gudha talks about a red diary, and flashes one in the assembly. Last month the police seized three red diaries from the Haryana home of BJP leader and actor Sonali Phogat whose death in Goa remains a crime mystery. Last September, the anti-corruption bureau found an incriminating red diary from the home of an associate of Delhis AAP MLA Amanatulla Khan who was being probed in a waqf board scam. The vanished diary of Sudipto Sen, the main accused in West Bengals Saradha scam, was said to have been red. The diary of Italys mafia-hunter Paolo Borsellino that went missing after his death in a 1992 bomb attack was red. I would bet all my Swedish kronor and hawala money (if I had any of either) to claim that several of those unseen diaries that have mystified us from news reports over the last few decades were redBofors boss Martin Ardbos diaries that carried the names of his kickback payees, the Jain hawala diaries that nearly ruined the careers of a whole generation of politicians from L.K. Advani to Sharad Yadav, and more. No one knows what is there in the Gudha diarythe snatched part or the retrieved part. That is much like Julius Caesars will, which the wily Mark Antony flashed before the mob, but not revealing its full content. No one knows whether that was actually Caesars will or something as worthless as toilet paper. The same with the Gudha diary. Show it, sir, if you have it and if it contains what you claim it does. Shut up, sir, if you dont have it. With elections round the corner, we have better political thrillers to watch. The million-rupee question is: why did Gudha bring the diary into the assembly? Had you or I been in his shoes, we would have kept the original in a bank locker and brought a photocopy. Right? prasannan@theweek.in Accountability or being responsible for ones actions, of being answerable, are basic tenets, not just of a democracy, but any civilised society. In the absence of accountability, chaos, anarchy and injustice will follow. And those in positions of power may misuse their authority in any way they please. Some days ago an absolutely chilling video of two women being paraded naked and molested by a mob went viral on the internet. The incident took place on May 4 in Manipur, which has been on the boil for some monthsMeitei versus Kuki tensions that were simmering for long erupted after a High Court order in April that granted tribal status to the Meitei community. Salil Bera Fresh protests by the Kukis began in Manipur and soon turned violent with clashes with the police and the local administration. The BJP government of N. Biren Singh responded with a crackdown, curfews and internet shutdowns. The violence, however, has not stopped entirely. Existing fault-lines and tensions between the largely Hindu Meiteis and the predominantly Christian Kukis have deepened and taken on a communal tinge, and violence, rioting and rape have followed. The violence in Manipur and attacks on civilians and churches have prompted the European Union to adopt a resolution, and the British parliament raised the issue in the House of Commons, while the US ambassador to India offered assistance to help solve the conflict. But the prime minister has been busy with world trips, and large defence purchases that sit pretty with international laurels. After months of studied silence, a gruesome gang-rape and the naked march of women survivors prompted the prime minister to make a measly statement that found a way to blame the opposition for rapes in their states! One would assume that any responsible central leadership would understand that the humanitarian crisis in Manipur is grave and the conflicts damaging from a strategic perspective and impose presidential rule and/or initiate peace talks with the stakeholders. Instead, our government has suspended opposition MPs like Sanjay Singh for demanding Narendra Modis presence in the house when Parliament debates Manipur. Biren Singh has refused to resign and callously said that hundreds of such cases (raped women being paraded naked by mobs) have taken place in Manipur and thus the internet shutdown. Right-wing media and social media have attempted to equate the trauma of the women survivors with previous gang-rape cases in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan or West Bengal. Meanwhile, panic has gripped Meiteis in neighbouring Mizoram, too, with rumours that similar conflict will start there, too. Who then should be accountable? Why do citizens vote if not to look to the government to maintain rule of law even in times of conflict? Isnt the basic duty of an elected government, especially a double engine government (led by the same partyBJP in the state and the Centre), to safeguard the lives and livelihood of its people and de-escalate conflict? As I type these last few lines out at a Mumbai cafe, a familiar face appears at the table; an acquaintance from the film fraternity. He orders himself a latte and begins to chat. He talks of how hes beginning to work more overseas and is soon going to shift his family abroad because there are no guarantees anymore in India. You never know who will enter your house, or if a mob will attack you. I mean look at Manipur! Its too bad you know! Cant live in India anymore. I voted for Modi in 2014, but I never thought it would come to this. I nod silently. That is what the people of Manipur must be saying, too. The writer is an award-winning Bollywood actor and sometime writer and social commentator. National Gas boss Jon Butterworth has said that gas will still have a role in powering the UK even as it moves towards net zero Heat pumps are only for the privileged who can afford them, the chief executive of Britains gas network has said. Jon Butterworth, chief executive of National Gas, said many people would struggle to heat their homes unless they were offered alternatives such as hydrogen-powered boilers. My personal view is that I worry electrification feels like its for the privileged and that isnt what our country is about, he said in an interview with The Telegraph. Weve got to electrify everything that we can. But I struggle to see how you electrify a flat in London with an air source heat pump. I just dont see how thats possible. The population decent, hard working families need options that are affordable. Mr Butterworths warning comes as both the Conservative Party and Labour rethink their commitment to the green agenda, fearing costly net zero policies could put off voters. The Government has been pushing to roll-out heat pumps nationally and has banned gas boilers from 2035 in an effort to encourage people to switch. However, public uptake of heat pumps, which are powered by electricity, has been poor. In 2021, the devices made up just 2pc of all heating systems sold in the UK the lowest share in Europe, according to the European Heat Pump Association. Many people have been put off by the high costs of installing a heat pump as well as the upgrades needed in some cases to make the devices work effectively. Mr Butterworth said: Youve got to have mega insulation, really good quality insulation, before you can start to electrify without it being an exorbitant cost. Heat pumps just can never be the option for all households. Mr Butterworth is running Britains gas network at a pivotal moment for the sector. National Grid, which until recently ran the gas network, is phasing out fossil fuels from power generation as the grid increasingly sources its electricity from renewables. At the start of this year, National Grid sold off a 60pc majority share in its gas transmission and metering business to Macquarie Asset Management and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation. Story continues The assets have been rebranded as National Gas. Mr Butterworth, who began his career in the sector at 16 as an apprentice with British Gas, became chief executive of National Grid Gas Transmission and Metering in 2021 and has continued at the helm since the sale. He is presiding over what net zero supporting politicians and campaigners hope will be the decline of natural gas. Jess Ralston, of the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit, said: Were looking at quite a change in the role of gas. Its probably not going to be used for our power anymore and its going to stop being used for heating. However, Mr Butterworth is adamant that it will remain an essential part of Britains energy sector. Weve got to think of a joined up system, he said. When the wind doesnt blow, gas is absolutely vital. If we hadnt had gas in 2022, there were 260 days when we would have had rolling blackouts, and for 26 of those days we would have had a full blackout. There is public pressure for electrification at speed without thinking through the big picture. If we are not careful, we will over electrify. But when it comes to the winter, we need a lot of gas ready to roll. 85pc of Britains homes currently have gas boilers, meaning a rapid transition away from gas will be difficult. New energy efficiency requirements for constructions means new-build properties will be far better equipped Mr Butterworth points out that most of the houses that are going to be around in 2050 are already built. He said: It is a big ask to try and electrify all of them. We need to do the right thing for everybody and give them choice. For Mr Butterworth, hydrogen is the future for Britains gas network. The gas, which can be produced by electrolysis without releasing any carbon, has been touted as a way to heat homes by repurposing natural gas boilers. We can electrify where we can electrify but we need to recognise that we must have hydrogen if this country wants to maintain its position as one of the great trading nations on earth. However, it is expensive and the technology is nascent. Infrastructure must also be refitted to cope with the gass smaller molecules. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said earlier this month: There was a time when people thought you just have something that looks like a gas boiler and well feed hydrogen into it. The problem with that is the hydrogen molecules are very small. You have to replace potentially quite a lot of piping. So Im not sure that home heating will be all through hydrogen. Hydrogen has also proved unpopular with the public. Plans to roll out a hydrogen boiler trial in Whitby have been ditched after locals pushed back. The same looks likely to happen in Redcar. Mr Butterworth said: Its not that people dont want hydrogen. They dont want air source heat pumps either. They just want to keep their gas. Hydrogen is likely to have a much larger role in powering heavy industry than peoples homes, said Ms Ralston. These sectors require high levels of thermal power that cannot be delivered efficiently from electricity. Hydrogen is going to be massively important for those heavy industries like steel-making, glass, ceramics, cement, she said. However, electricity is also insufficient for many other industries, Mr Butterworth argued. There are about 300,000 businesses, from fish and chip shops to hotels, restaurants, biscuit manufacturers, that need gas to do their business. We can be romantic about electricity but they need thermal energy at scale to do what they need to do. If the future of the gas network is hydrogen, there is still an affordability issue there too, and the existing gas network also needs massive upgrades to be able to carry it. National Gas is starting to repurpose Feeder Nine, an enormous high pressure pipeline down the east coast of England that delivers to heavy industry. It also has a test site up on the Scottish border called Future Grid. Here, National Gas is using decommissioned parts of the network to assess the impact of transporting hydrogen on the pipelines. Mr Butterworth said: Weve cut up all parts of the system from around the country over the last few years, recycled it, welded it back together and then injected it with high pressure hydrogen for all sorts of tests. Ultimately, National Gas intends to repurpose the existing transmission network the system of enormous pipes that take gas at scale from high pressure LNG terminals in the North Sea, the Irish Sea and storage and then dispatch it through gas turbines to cities. The process will take 20 years and tens of billions of pounds. Mr Butterworth expects around a fifth of the UK gas network will be supplying hydrogen within a decade. Further in the future, hydrogen could replace natural gas altogether, he said. We could get to 100pc by 2050, if we mandate hydrogen boilers and work with industry to change some of their kit. The Government needs to provide more certainty to encourage investment in hydrogen, he said. Mr Butterworth said: Were just waiting for the policy on what that would look like, before investors will start to put serious money into hydrogen. The UK can learn from the German approach, he said. There, the government has delegated heating decisions to local authorities. Mr Butterworth said: There is more devolved responsibility to deliver net zero by the equivalent of our mayors. That just takes more account of the demographics of society. The more you move decision making to the trench, the better the decision making is. However, if Whitby is a case in point, these decisions may also be more likely to simply be no to change. 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. Feminism as a concept began in the West in the 19th century but women in this part of the world were already confronting society centuries before the movement formally spread roots. Among such women, 16th century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna stands tall. In fact, Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Vidushi Sumitra Guha, who is an Indian classical vocalist, goes on to call Mirabai Indias first feminist. Mirabai was the first feminist and a visionary who voiced against the wrongdoings of the society. Despite being from the royal family, she questioned the norms of animal slaughter as an offering for gods. She stood up to all established norms of honour, and to the authority of every mortal man around her, said Guha. To honour her spirit, the musical Veer Meera A musical on Empowering Women celebrated the awakening and liberation of women by paying homage to Mirabais ideology her warrior spirit. Conceptualised and composed by Vidushi Sumitra Guha and her senior disciple Dr Samia Mahbub Ahmad, a Hindustani classical vocal musician in the Kirana Gharana, the show brought together an amalgamation of songs celebrating Mirabai and her bhajans. The compositions spoke about how the mystic stood against caste, creed, gender, inequality while the show also had bhajans written by the mystic herself. The songs sung by Guha were enacted through a dance recital by Kathak exponent Shinjini Kulkarni, the granddaughter of the Kathak Maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj. Artists performing during 'Veer Meera' program organised in Delhi Kulkarni explains that the script is written in such a way that it highlights how Mirabai was decades ahead of her time and provides lessons for all of us. The script of the show was written by Pandit Vijay Shankar Mishra. Reflecting on her journey, Guha says that shes had her own shares of trials and tribulations but her love for music never died. Hailing from Tirupati, Guhas mother was her first guru. She trained in Carnatic music and later went to Shantiniketan to pursue Philosophy Honours and married a Bengali. I first wanted to become a doctor because all my friends were pursuing medicine but life had other plans. I had children early in my life but I treated music as my third child. I learned Hindustani classical to hone my accent and have closely followed and been inspired by Mirabais journey, she said. I started from scratch because I didnt belong to any gharana family nor had any godfather but if you work with dedication, results show up one day, says Guha who has also sung a track for the second season of The Family Man series. The program also honoured three women achievers who reflect Meera Bais spirit 95-year-old Bhagwani Devi Dagar who is an athlete, Dr Patil Pranjal Lahensingh, the first visually impaired IAS officer in the country who is currently the district magistrate of Shahdara, New Delhi and Shivpreet Pannu, professional speed climber who is also an Asian Youth Champion and national record holder. The musical was organised by Sumadhur Hansadhwani Trust, a non-profit organisation founded by Vidushi Sumitra Guha promoting Indian music and art form on July 26th in Delhi. It was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture to celebrate independent and powerful women in 75th year celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. After a delegation of the opposition alliance INDIA visited the violence-hit Manipur and called on Governor Anusuiya Uikey to submit a memorandum on their observations during the two-day visit, the BJP asked the opposition not to politicise the issue. Politics should not be done over the Manipur issue, BJP leader Sambit Patra said on Sunday, adding, "action should be taken with sensibility and there should be no sensationalisation." The BJP leader alleged that the opposition is running away from an open debate in the Parliament on the issue, and accused them of disrupting the proceedings. "From tomorrow, politics will begin again. Their strategy will be to disrupt the Parliament. When the home minister visited Manipur for three days, he called an all-party meeting there and had deliberations with them. He called an all-party meeting in Delhi too. For the first time in the country's politics, the home minister stayed for three nights in a northeastern state where insurgency was common earlier. But the opposition MPs went there only to do politics," he said, reported news agency ANI. He sought to know why the Congress, which was in power in Manipur earlier, did not fence the 400 km-long border between Manipur and Myanmar. "It is our government that did a complete survey; 10 km of fencing has been done and work is underway on the 80 km area. Why was this not done earlier." "None of their home ministers went to Manipur even for a day for discussion at the time when around 1,600 people were killed during their rule; when there was Naga-Kuki clash, when there was Meitei-Pangal clash, when there was Kuki-Paite clash," he said, and claimed that the opposition is only interested in politicising the issue. Union minister Anurag Thakur too urged the opposition MPs who returned from Manipur to join a discussion in Parliament. He accused the opposition members of running away from discussion in Parliament when the government had offered a debate on the ethnic violence, after the Monsoon session began on July 20. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made a strong statement on the atrocities against women in Manipur, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh before the Parliament convened for the current session."It is my appeal to the opposition members to tell the entire nation how Manipur used to burn for six months under Congress rule, hundreds of lives would be lost and yet no home minister or prime minister made any statement in Parliament," Thakur said. Govt not taking strong steps, say oppn leaders The delegation of 21 MPs of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) who returned to Delhi after spending two days in Manipur said the situation in the state is very serious. "There is fear and uncertainty in the minds of the people of Manipur. The situation in Manipur is very serious," leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said. "Uncertainty is looming large in Manipur. Thousands of people have been dislodged from their homes. They do not know when they will return to their homes. Farming has come to a halt," he said. "I do not know how the division between the Kukis and Meiteis will be bridged. No strong steps are taken by the government, be it the central government or the state government," he said. "I think there is a complete loss of faith in the Manipur CM (N. Biren Singh). Common people and masses are no longer supporting the Manipur CM," said TMC leader Sushmita Dev after the visist. RJD MP Manoj Jha dubbed the situation in the state "dangerous." "We want peace to be restored in Manipur. Our only demand is that both communities should live in harmony. The situation in Manipur is dangerous," he said. Reiterating Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion that the BJP would not partner with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi, on Sunday, said the saffron party's doors are shut to Kumar. He was reacting to Union minister Ramadas Athawale's recent remark that the JD(U) chief can return to NDA anytime. Lamenting JD(S)'s exit from NDA despite Kumar having good equations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Athawale had urged Kumar to skip the next meeting of non-BJP bloc, INDIA, to be held in Mumbai next month. Sushil Kumar Modi said the BJP is not ready for Kumar's return even if the latter wants to come back. Chiding Athawale, the BJP MP said he is neither a BJP spokesperson nor a spokesperson for the NDA and added that "he is the leader of a party and a Union minister so this must be his personal opinion." BJP has shut all its doors to Kumar, Modi said, adding, "he has become a burden, I doubt if RJD will be able to bear it for long. His capability to transfer votes has ended." He claimed that if not for PM Modi, Kumar would not have won 44 seats in the Bihar assembly elections. "In politics, you are important if you have the power of votes. Otherwise, you hold no importance," Sushil Kumar Modi said. Athawale had claimed that Kumar seems to be not happy in the INDIA camp. He was unhappy with the acronym INDIA but Rahul Gandhi prevailed, said Athawale, referring to speculations in a section of the media that emerged after the new name was announced at the meeting in Bengaluru earlier this month. Kumar himself dismissed such speculations and asserted that the new name of the opposition coalition was decided unanimously. With agency inputs Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, on Sunday, came down heavily on Shinde camp MLA Sanjay Shirsat who claimed that she was sent to the Rajya Sabha by Aaditya Thackeray because of her beauty. Shirsat had said it was another Maharashtra politician, Chandrakant Khaire, who belongs to the Uddhav Thackeray faction, who told him this. According to media reports, Shirsat's remarks came after Chaturvedi called the Shinde faction of MLAs "traitors." Shirsat had also said Chaturvedi has no right to call anyone "traitor" as she had deserted the Congress to join the Shiv Sena. Taking to Twitter, Chaturvedi called Shirsat a "traitor" who sold his "soul and integrity". "I don't need a traitor to tell me what I look like and why I'm where I am, who sold his soul and integrity for 50 boxes," she said in a tweet in Marathi. "Sanjay Shirsat is a perfect example of the widespread sickness in his views on politics and women, he definitely displays his own vulgar character through his comments, no wonder the BJP has kept him with them," she wrote. While addressing the 103rd episode of Mann Ki Baat radio programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that ahead of the Independence Day 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign will be launched to honour the martyrs. He also spoke about the steps taken to address the existing drugs issue in the country. India has set record of destroying over 10 lakh kg of drugs worth Rs 12,000 crore, he said. "Increasing participation of youth in campaign against drug abuse is very encouraging," said Modi. "To save the youth of Jammu and Kashmir from drugs, many innovative efforts have been visible. Programs like Musical Night, Bike Rallies are happening there," he added. Modi also mentioned the activities and efforts being taken in Chandigarh, and Punjab to tackle the drug menace. Modi also said that it is a huge change that over 4,000 Muslim women performed Haj without 'mehram' or male companion. "I have also received a large number of letters from Muslim women who recently returned after completing 'Haj'. These women performed 'Haj' without any male companion or 'Mehram'. Their number is not just 50 or 100, but over 4,000. This is a huge change, earlier Muslim women were not allowed to perform 'Haj' without any 'Mehram'. I would like to thank the Govt of Saudi Arabia for appointing women coordinators for Muslim women performing 'Haj' without 'Mehram', said Modi. Modi also mentioned the two American friends who arrived from California to take part in the Amarnath Yatra. People from all over the world are coming to our pilgrimages. I came to know about two such American friends who came from California for Amarnath Yatra, said Modi. He also thanked the US Government for returning the precious artefacts of India. A few days ago, there was a craze across social media, America has returned us over 100 rare and ancient artefacts. These artefacts returned to India are from 250 to 2500 years old. These rare things belong to different regions of the country... Even in 2016 and 2021, when I visited America, many artefacts were returned to India, said Modi. He also urged people to adopt Yoga in life and shared his experience in France, where he met Charlotte Chopin, a 100-year-old Yoga practitioner. An encouraging news from Uttar Pradesh, where a record of planting 30 crore trees in a single day has been made, was also mentioned during the session. "More than 60,000 Amrit Sarovars built during the Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' are increasingly radiating their glow. Work on building over 50,000 Amrit Sarovars is also underway. The people of our country are making new efforts to conserve water, he said. Modi also reached out to the people who were hit due to the recent heavy rains and natural calamities. "Past few days have been full of worry and trouble due to natural calamities. People had to suffer in many places due to many flooding rivers like Yamuna. Incidents of landslides have also occurred in hilly areas," he said. The power of collective effort was witnessed during these times, he added. The leaders of the Opposition's INDIA bloc, who are on a visit to the strife-torn Manipur, met Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan in Imphal on Sunday. The delegation also submitted a memorandum on their observations to the Governor. The 21-member delegation arrived in the state on Saturday to meet the victims of the months-long ethnic riots and study the ground situation. Addressing reporters outside Raj Bhavan after the meeting, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said if the Manipur ethnic conflict is not resolved soon, it may create security problems for the country. "The Governor heard our observations and agreed to those. She expressed sorrow over the incidents of violence and suggested that an all-party delegation should visit Manipur to talk to people to remove mistrust among communities," Chowdhury added. He said the visiting MPs will also present their observations on Manipur in Parliament. "We have requested a discussion on Manipur in Parliament as the situation is deteriorating every day," he said. Congress MP Phulodevi Netam, who visited the rehabilitation camps in Manipur, condemned the lack of facilities being offered to the displaced people. "About 400-500 people are staying in one hall. The State Govt is providing them only daal-chawal, children are not getting anything else to eat the entire day. There is no toilet or bathroom facility. The manner in which people are living in camps is very heart-rending," Netam told reporters. The INDIA leaders had visited the riot-hit town of Churachandpur in Manipur where they met Kuki leaders and members of the civil society besides ethnic strife victims in the relief camps where they were lodged. Besides Chowdhury and Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation includes TMC's Sushmita Dev, JMM's Mahua Maji, DMK's Kanimozhi, Jayant Chaudhary of RLD, Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD, N K Premachandran of RSP, JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, Aneel Prasad Hegde (JD-U), CPI's P Sandosh Kumar and CPI(M)'s A A Rahim among others. Earlier, on Saturday, the Opposition delegation said it aims to bring about "psychological healing" for the people over its two-day visit to the state. The leaders also targetted the BJP Government and said they were willing to accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he ever decides to visit Manipur. "We have always said that if the Prime Minister wants to lead an all-party delegation here, we would be happy to be a part of it. After all, we all want peace to return to Manipur at the earliest." The BJP, however, termed the Opposition's Manipur visit as a "show off' and "political to Manipur visit as a "show off' and "political tourism". India's semiconductor mission is not just about meeting domestic requirements but also aimed at contributing to a global demand for trusted manufacturing, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday. In an address at a conference, he told top executives of leading global semiconductor firms that their decisions and relationships have implications far beyond immediate business and can contribute to re-engineering the global economy. Jaishankar noted that an India-Japan pact on cooperation on the semiconductor supply chain was finalised this month and a similar agreement was sealed with the US in March as he argued that trust and transparency have emerged as key issues for the future of the digital domain and questions like who processes and harvests "our data is becoming crucial in a world of artificial intelligence." India has been trying to attract leading semiconductor producers to set up manufacturing facilities in the country in the backdrop of evolving geopolitical landscape and increasing global focus on ensuring resilient supply chains. Jaishankar noted that the depiction of a "chip war" may be somewhat overstated, but it has "more than a fundamental kernel of truth". "Our semiconductor mission is not just about meeting domestic requirements. It is also about contributing to a global demand for trusted manufacturing. Indeed, it is truly a powerful case for Make in India and Make for the World," he said. In his virtual address at the SemiconIndia Conference 2023 in Gujarat's Gandhinagar, Jaishankar also highlighted India's growing cooperation in the critical technology domain with the US and mentioned the MoU on semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership that was firmed up during US Commerce Secretary Gina M Raimondo's visit to New Delhi in March. "It sought to establish a collaborative mechanism that would represent a productive intersection of America's CHIPS and Science Act and India's semiconductor mission," he said. Jaishankar said cooperation in semiconductors was a focus of talks during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US last month. "Three US companies -- Micron Technology, Lam Research and Applied Materials -- made specific commitments that have been the subject of your deliberations as well," he said. Jaishankar said that India's entry as the latest member of the 'Minerals Security Partnership' is worth noting, given the importance today of diversifying and securing supply chains in that area. "Similarly, cooperation between the two countries has been a visible tailwind in the sphere of advanced telecommunications. Even as India's 5G rollout starts to gather momentum, it is noteworthy to seek Bharat 6G and the American NextG Alliance co-lead research," he said. "Launching Open RAN deployments and participating in the US Rip and Replace Programme is also worth noting. This collaboration today extends to new initiatives and additional domains and can be expected to grow steadily," he added. The Rip and Replace programme is aimed at purging equipment from Chinese telecommunications companies like Huawei and ZTE in view of anxiety over data security, spying and cyberattacks. "We see that, for example, in space where India is signing the Artemis Accords and promoting stronger ISRO-NASA collaboration. It is visible too in the creation of a Joint Indo-US Quantum Coordination Mechanism," he said. "The Innovation Handshake between Indian entities and the National Science Foundation (NSF) holds much promise. So too does the INDUS-X innovation bridge in defence technologies," he noted. The external affairs minister also talked about the India-Japan Memorandum of Cooperation on semiconductor supply chain partnership, describing Tokyo as a significant partner in the domain. "Just this month, we concluded a Memorandum of Cooperation on semiconductor supply chain Partnership," he said, adding it is expected to promote semiconductor design, manufacturing, equipment research, talent development and industrial resilience. "I should also mention our Quad partner Australia, because of their salience in raw materials, critical minerals and innovative research. Do note that we have an ongoing Critical Minerals Investment Partnership with that country," Jaishankar said. The external affairs minister further noted, "As political democracies, pluralistic societies and market economies, we all have understandable concerns of both privacy and security. It is, therefore, essential that those of us who are comfortable working with each other enhance our collaboration." In the global context, critical and emerging technologies (CET) have become an intrinsic element of the knowledge economy that is steadily unfolding. "If the very nature of our economic and social activities undergo a transformation as a result, it is not surprising that CET should now emerge as one of the important metrics of power. "Who invents, who manufactures, what are the market shares, where are the resources, who has the skills, where is the talent pool -- these are increasingly the crucial questions," he said. "The depiction of a Chip War may be somewhat overstated, but it has more than a fundamental kernel of truth. To a considerable extent, concerns in the CET field are influenced by how market shares and production dominance was leveraged in other areas," Jaishankar said. "Technology trade is not just trade, it is as much as about political science. The truth is that we are seeing the re-emergence of export controls as a response to strategic assertions of economic strength. How to do business needs to be tempered with where and with whom to do it," he noted. Manipur CPI(M) state secretary Kshetrimayum Santa said the Sixth Schedule must be implemented in the tribal hills of Manipur and the tribal land laws must be revised. Poppy cultivation must be legalised in the state, like in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, he said. Santa said there was an attempt by the RSS to implement 'Ghar wapsi' in the state. He pointed out that the fundamental forces with a political agenda, indulging in divisive politics, fuelled the ethnic strife that started on May 3. The CPI(M) secretary clarified that although many churches were destroyed during the riots, religion was not the root cause of the unrest. He also asserted that there was no attack against Meitei Christians, even though their churches were burnt, and there were no attacks on Naga Christians and their churches during the clashes. According to him, the riots broke out over the reservation issue. Despite being a member of the Meitei community, Santa's stance on the Meitei-Kuki issue is entirely different from the general Meitei political narrative. "As a Communist, I don't want to be identified with any particular community. The situation in Manipur is complex, and it is time to boldly speak the truth," he said. The government's failure to deliver justice in Manipur has exacerbated the situation. Apart from the complete failure of intelligence, the government took no action in the early days to quell the riot. Not a single bullet was fired, nor was a tear gas shell used. Moreover, on May 2, one day before the riot, there was a massive rally of BJP supporters, during which they reportedly threatened the tribals," he added. "Chief Minister Biren Singh took a provocative stance against the tribals. Allegations like illegal immigrants, poppy cultivators, and forest encroachers were used against the Kukis. The claims that the Kuki tribesmen have destroyed the forests are not true," he said. "The BJP governments at the centre and the state have sought the help of Kuki militants during the elections. It is the BJP leadership that has given money to Kuki militants and empowered them. BJP candidates won there," he said. He believes that the government should adhere to international agreements regarding refugees. It is incorrect to blame refugees for all the problems. The situation in Myanmar has worsened, and people are crossing the border to save their lives. India needs to treat the Myanmar refugees with a humanitarian perspective. When we talk about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), it is essential to show compassion and humanity towards our fellow human beings, he said. CPI(M) secretary suggested that the government should legalise poppy cultivation in the hills of Manipur, similar to what has been done in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh."Tribal land should be protected, and at the same time, tribal land laws should be revised," he added. While the CPI(M) is against the separate administration that the Kuki organisations are demanding after the riot that started, it is the stated policy of the party to provide sixth schedule status to tribal hills, which allows for greater autonomy over tribal land. Currently, according to the Kuki customary law, only the village chief is the owner of the land and the rest are tenants. Since the tribals are not getting ownership of the land, many are relocating to the valley and purchasing their own lands, which have proper land documents like Patta. The influence of Left parties in Manipur politics is decreasing day by day. Two decades ago, CPI(M) had MLAs in Manipur, and CPI had five representatives in the 60-member assembly. "We are against identity politics. We want to demonstrate that we are a different political party," said Santa. Although the party has a low membership, according to him, it holds a strong influence in central and state government employees' unions in the state. The Mizoram government has started the process of collecting biometric details of Myanmar nationals following an instruction from the Union ministry of home affairs, an official said on Sunday. More than 30,000 Myanmar nationals have taken shelter in Mizoram since February 2021 after the Myanmar military junta staged a coup in the neighbouring country. A pilot project of recording biometric data of Myanmar nationals was launched in all the 11 districts last week, state home department officer on special duty-cum-joint secretary David H. Lalthangliana told PTI. He said the exercise was being conducted in relief camps. In April, the MHA had instructed Mizoram and Manipur to collect biometric details of illegal immigrants. In June, the ministry reminded both the states to complete the exercise by September 30. David said the exercise could not be undertaken immediately as the original format needed to be altered to collect data from Myanmar nationals. The Mizoram government had previously conducted profiling of the Myanmar nationals on its own and issued identity cards to them. Chief Minister Zoramthanga had earlier objected to the instruction of the Centre to deport Myanmar nationals. Zoramthanga had said Mizoram could not push back the Myanmar nationals as they belong to the same ethnic group and he had to provide shelter on humanitarian grounds. Majority of the Myanmar nationals live in relief camps, while some stay in rented houses and others have been accommodated by their relatives. The government, NGOs, churches and villagers provide food to the Myanmar nationals, who also support themselves on daily labour. Though the rains subsided in many parts of Telangana, flood fear persists as river Godavari is still flowing above the danger mark. The state, which received record rainfall over the last week, has seen over 18 deaths in rain-related accidents. The water level of Godavari reached 56 feet at 10:00 pm on Saturday, especially in the Bhadrachalam area. "The Godavari water level reached 56 feet at 10:00 pm on Saturday. We are prepared to overcome the situation even if the Godavari flow comes up to 60 feet. We have already arranged rehabilitation centres and NDRF teams," Bhadrachalam RDO Madhavi told ANI on Saturday evening. #WATCH | Telangana: Godavari River flows above the danger mark at Telangana's Bhadrachalam. Relief operations are being undertaken in the villages here and all district officials are on high alert. (29.07) pic.twitter.com/lyLfzEDaay ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2023 As per reports, the river was flowing above the danger level of 160.95 metres at Sirpur town in Adilabad district. "But it will not pose any major threat as the flood volume is declining at all the downstream points barring Bhadrachalam," a senior government official told local media. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rain at isolated places in the districts of Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Jagityal, Rajanna Sirsilla, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem of Telangana in the next two days. Light to moderate rain or thundershowers is very likely to occur at isolated places over Telangana on Sunday. So far, 18 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents due to the downpour that lashed Telangana during the past week. Similarly, many north Indian states, including Maharastra, will experience rainfall in the coming days. In its forecast for five days, the IMD has said that rains will pick up pace in Mumbai after August mid-week. While a yellow alert is in place in Raigad and Ratnagiri districts, light to moderate rainfall will lash western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh between Sunday and Tuesday. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are also likely to experience light to moderate rainfall in the first week of August. When the Legislature passed the adult-use cannabis bill this spring, it was made clear that even though marijuana is fully legal as of Tuesday, dispensaries wont open until late next year, or even early 2025. So whats the deal with the shelves of edibles and THC-infused beverages at local retailers? It turns out that lawmakers made an exception for hemp-derived THC products in a groundbreaking deal that will keep a unique beverage industry chugging along before and after full marijuana-based products are available. It also assures these products are and will be available outside of official dispensaries. Thats a win for the Twin Cities breweries that began making hemp-derived-THC-infused beverages shortly after lawmakers clarified the allowed dosages in 2022, opening the floodgates for new products, and with them, a new source of revenue. (The federal 2018 Farm Bill allowed for hemp-derived THC products nationally, but the language was squishy, so most local companies werent willing to leap into making new products until Minnesota law specified dosages.) Dispensaries are not going to be online for another year, possibly two, so we have a runway to get hemp products established before the dispensaries open, which is nice for business, said Matt Schwandt, president and co-founder of Bauhaus Brew Labs in Northeast Minneapolis. Schwandts brewery was one of many that turned Minnesota into ground zero for the cannabis-infused beverage industry. National leaders Diana Eberlein, chair of the Cannabis Beverage Association, a national group for cannabis-based beverages, said she was shocked by the market in the Twin Cities during an April visit yes, for the marijuana-based 4/20 holiday. You dont know how it is operating in a market until you have boots on the ground, Eberlein said. I was shocked at how normalized it is to have THC beverages on a menu and just available everywhere. Minnesota law now specifies that hemp-derived THC beverages can be served in bars, taprooms and restaurants. The new law also regulates and taxes these products for the first time. Story continues At the beginning of the legislative session, our main goal was to maintain what we were doing, said Bob Galligan, who lobbies for the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. So we went in and asked for more regulation. We knew taxes would be attached. Legislators listened and preserved the fledgling hemp-based market. As a result, Galligan said, Minnesota is the first state to allow beverages and edibles to be sold outside of a dispensary legally and without loopholes. Hemp-derived products will be taxed at the same 10% rate as all other cannabis products. The products must remain low dosage (under 10 milligrams of THC per serving), but they can be sold almost anywhere vendors are merely asked to register their business with the state. Its a huge boon for the economy, for Minnesotas cannabis industry reputation, said Chris Parrington, the Twin Cities-based director of government affairs for the national Cannabis Beverage Association. All eyes are watching us from afar, for those who know whats happening. Operators, service providers and regulators now have a huge responsibility to get this right. I truly believe we are going to see a lot more of this around the country. Why beverage? Eberlein was living in Seattle, where weed is fully legal, but had never tried THC in any form. I was a D.A.R.E. baby I thought it was a gateway drug, she said, referring to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education curriculum once commonly delivered in schools. But people were using it for anxiety, pain, other things. She tried smoking it but wasnt a fan. Edibles didnt appeal. But when she discovered a beverage additive, she liked being able to keep her dosage small while working THC into her everyday routine. It really impacted my life in terms of anxiety and stress, and I thought, People need to know about this, she said. Beverages are a natural way for consumers who might be used to purchasing alcohol to try THC, especially when its on a shelf next to beer at their local liquor store. Its a healthier version of self-medicating, Parrington said. I like the 5-milligram drinks. The smaller volume of THC reduces the stoner stereotype it takes a lot to accidentally over-consume. Its functioning stress and anxiety relief, as opposed to being comatose. The beverages have another benefit, too, when juxtaposed with alcohol: No hangover. Why Minnesota? The cannabis beverage industry in Minnesota developed organically and almost overnight. When the 2022 law codified dosage levels, Parrington said the first call he received was from a brewery owner who wanted to explore making THC beverages. Related Articles Given the states huge craft beer scene, it makes sense that breweries were eager to explore a new revenue stream. Many taprooms, a main source of income, closed for months early in the coronavirus pandemic. Packaging, bottling and canning lines, theyre expensive, Eberlein said. Brewers already had these setups, so it made it much easier for them to create beverages. Nationwide, beverages are only about 3% of the legal cannabis market, but Eberlein said that figure will rise as manufacturers recognize the demand. It helps Minnesotas position in the marketplace that it was the first state to fully legalize and regulate the hemp-based beverages. And that means money for producers and local retailers. Matt Kenevan, founder of Beer Dabbler events and owner of Dabbler Depot, a liquor store on St. Pauls West Seventh Street, has been selling the beverages and a small array of hemp-based edibles from the coffee shop adjacent the store. He said that without the extra income from those products, hes not sure his shop would have survived its first few years. I greatly, greatly appreciate the boost it has given my store to this point, Kenevan said. Without that income, I dont know if it was going to be a sustainable business. Kenevan said many liquor stores are struggling because people are drinking less. During the pandemic, everyone was drink, drink, drink, and now everyone is like I gotta slow down, and a lot of those people are drinking THC seltzers, he said. Kenevan said hes unsure if hell enter the adult recreational market when its open for business mostly because of challenges with banking and insurance. Hes now operating two Minneapolis shops selling low-dose, hemp-derived products and a third is planned for St. Pauls East Side. Logistical headaches Even in states where adult-use marijuana is legal, most beverage manufacturers prefer to use hemp-derived additives, because the beverages then can be sold nationwide, Parrington said. Its also easier to bank money made from hemp-derived products, since they are legal nationwide. Ten years ago, Parrington said, there was almost nowhere for cannabis retailers to bank their funds. Its illegal for a bank to knowingly engage in a transaction that involves illegal activity, Parrington said. So many are afraid to transact because of that federal illegality. But banking is evolving, and Parrington said its becoming much easier to find a bank that will take legally obtained money from selling cannabis. Still, he says, the banking laws need to be fixed, because millions of dollars earned through the legal sale of marijuana products are being stored under floorboards and in storage units. Kenevan said his original point-of-sale system dropped them after they started selling cannabis products. And its difficult to get a loan to open a cannabis-based business. Insurance is another sticky wicket, and its the reason Parrington is advising clients who produce cannabis beverages not to serve them on-site. Bauhaus Brew Labs Schwandt said his brewery chose to offer its Tetra beverages in the taproom anyway. We put our own policies around it, Schwandt said. Only two per customer per visit. You cant have alcohol and a THC beverage. He said the brewery was unable to get insurance coverage for on-site THC consumption. To my knowledge, no insurance company in the country offers coverage for this scenario. Id love to see insurance underwriters treat THC beverages consumed on-premise the same as alcohol. Overall, the industry still has some figuring out to do. But in the meantime, manufacturers and consumers are experiencing a whole new landscape. Parrington said no one is as surprised as he that a state known for its restrictive alcohol policies now is a leader in hemp-based product regulation. The thought of being able to go into a grocery store and get a THC beverage, but you cant buy a beer there its wild, he said. Related Articles An army jawan was reported missing from Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday evening, officials said on Sunday. Identified as Javid Ahmad Wani, a resident of Asthal, Kulgam, he had gone to Chawalgam to buy some groceries in his Alto but didnt return home. He was on leave since Eid ul-Azha and is posted in Leh, Ladakh. His car was found in Paranhal later last evening, officials said. Security forces have launched a massive hunt to track down the missing soldier. Acc to the family,25-year-old soldier,who had come back home on leave, was kidnapped from his vehicle in J&K's Kulgam ;they are appealing to set him free. Acc to reports,Javed Ahmad Wani, an Indian Army personnel,was posted in Leh (Ladakh) and went missing around 8 pm on Saturday pic.twitter.com/VnHw3LNFHQ DD NEWS SRINAGAR (@ddnewsSrinagar) July 30, 2023 His mother in a video message has appealed for his release ."My son is innocent and he is too young. I am seeking forgiveness if my son has committed any wrong. I appeal one and all to allow my son return home,"she said. This is not the first time that soldiers on leave have gone missing. Some were abducted by militants and later their bodies were recovered. However, no terror outfit has so far claimed responsibility in Wani's abduction. In November 2022, Jammu and Kashmir Police charged five Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in connection with the killing of a soldier in Budgam. Sameer Ahmad Malla, a soldier of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, was killed after he was abducted from Lokipora Khag in Budgam in March 2022. In a shocking incident, a 5-year-old girl was abducted, brutally raped and killed allegedly by a migrant worker in Kerala on Saturday. The child, belonging to a migrant worker family from Bihar, lived in the same building as the accused, who too hailed from the same state. The child, who was alone at her house with her siblings, was found missing by her parents on Friday evening. A search ensued and the police zeroed in on the accused via CCTV footage the same day but could not interrogate him as he was in an inebriated state. Her body was found dumped in a sack in a marshy area behind a local market in the nearby Aluva area. The accused was arrested last night. Soon after her body was recovered, the Kerala Police posted a public apology for not returning the child alive to her parents. "Sorry daughter," Kerala Police said in a Facebook post. "Our efforts to bring her alive to her parents were unsuccessful. The suspect who kidnapped the child was arrested," read the post in Malayalam. The incident triggered widespread anger in Kerala. Hundreds turned up for the child's funeral on Sunday, demanding strict punishment, especially the death penalty, for the accused. Many in the crowd broke down as the child's last rites were performed. "He should be killed in the same manner he killed the child. If the government cannot do it, hand him over to the public," one woman who attended the last rites of the child told PTI. Another woman said that it was a "shocking and heart-wrenching" incident. "It is unbearable. I could not sleep properly after hearing about this incident. Our laws need to be made more stringent. This should not happen again," she said. The Congress and BJP alleged lapses on the part of the police and bemoaned the lack of a proper system to monitor migrant labourers. BJP's Kerala unit president K Surendran said there should be a system in place to identify any criminal elements among the migrant workers and the alleged use of drugs by some of them. "There is no monitoring system in place. People are asking for a policing system based on the Uttar Pradesh model. Policing in Kerala is very weak. Proper investigation is not being carried out," he alleged. Meanwhile, Kerala labour minister V Sivankutty has said that the government would bring in a new law for migrant workers. Warning migrant labourers not to take advantage of the facilities offered to them in Kerala, the minister said such an incident should not happen again. "Kerala offers the best wage and the fare goes to Rs 1000 per day while it is just Rs 350 in places in Haryana. It is our culture, but migrant labourers shouldn't take advantage of that," he added. Political instability in Niger resulting from a military takeover that deposed the president this week threatens the economic support provided by Washington to the African nation, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Saturday. Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country's new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa's Sahel region. Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. Our economic and security partnership with Niger which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days, Blinken said. So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed. Blinken stopped short of calling the military actions in Niger a coup, a designation that could result in the African country losing millions of dollars of military aid and assistance. Speaking in Brisbane, Blinken said he had spoken with President Bazoum on Saturday but did not provide details. He cited the support of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other regional entities in trying to bring an end to the unrest. The very significant assistance that we have in place that's making a material difference in the lives of the people of Niger is clearly in jeopardy and we've communicated that as clearly as we possibly can to those responsible for disrupting the constitutional order and Niger's democracy," Blinken said. Blinken said the U.S. Embassy in Niger had accounted for the safety of all staff members and their families, while issuing a security alert advising U.S. citizens in the country to limit unnecessary movements and avoid areas impacted by the coup. The military group that conducted the coup, calling itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, said its members remained committed to engaging with the international and national community. This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security situation, the bad economic and social governance, air force Col. Major Amadou Abdramane said in the video released by the coup leaders Wednesday. He said aerial and land borders were closed and a curfew was in place until the situation stabilized. Bazoum was elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France. Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with Niger's military, while the U.S. and other European countries have helped train the nation's troops. Two buildings in Moscow were damaged in the latest drone attack. Russia's defence ministry said that in an attempted terrorist attack Russian forces have intercepted three Ukrainian drones over the city of Moscow. The drones smashed into the two office buildings causing damages. However the authorities said that there are no casualties. Several windows have been damaged at the corner of the building. Meanwhile, the drone attack on the Russian capital forced the closure of the airport in the city briefly, said Moscow city mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Moscow has held Kyiv responsible for the attack. The Kyiv regime's attempted terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the city of Moscow was thwarted, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram. "Tonight there was a Ukrainian drone attack. The facades of two office buildings in the Moscow City were slightly damaged. There are no casualties," Russia's TASS news agency reported. Later it was reported that one person has been injured in the attack. Moscow's Vnukovo Airport was closed for departures and arrivals, it said. Reportedly, the operations resumed as normal after an hour the operations. Earlier also drone attacks were launched by Ukraine. Such attacks would not be possible without the help provided to the Kyiv regime by the United States and its NATO allies, said Russia's foreign ministry. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities said that at least one civilian was killed and five others wounded in a Russian missile attack on the northeastern city of Sumy. "On the evening of July 29, an enemy missile hot an educational institution. Law enforcement officers are working at the scene, recording the effects," the national police forces said on Telegram. Earlier it was claimed that Ukraine used two drones to attack the Kremlin. However, Ukraine denied the attacks. Russia also alleged that Ukraine had carried an overnight drone attack on Crimea. According to Tass new agency reports, 16 drones were destroyed. At least 35 persons got killed in a blast during a convention of Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl party in Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday. According to authorities, over 200 persons suffered injuries in the attack. According to reports, police have cordoned off the area and the injured were rushed in ambulances to hospitals in Peshawar and Timergera. The Dawn, quoting a district official reported that Maulana Ziaullah Jan, a key JUI-F leader in Khar, also passed away in the blast. JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah condemned the attack and demanded a probe into the incident. He called the attack an act of terrorism. Hamdullah urged the government to provide the best medical care for the injured. The JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the province's caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan to investigate the incident. He also urged the party workers to reach the hospital and donate blood. "JUI workers should remain peaceful and federal and provincial governments should provide the best treatment to the injured," said Fazl. Chief Minister Khan condemned the blast and sought a report from the district administration. The condition of the majority of the injured people was stated to be critical. The nature of the blast is being determined. However, the initial report suggests it was a suicide blast. (With PTI inputs.) The death toll in a bomb blast at a political rally held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan increased to 44 and over 100 persons suffered injuries. Based on a preliminary investigation, Pakistan police said that it was a suicide attack. The attack happened during a convention of Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl party in Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Over 400 party workers had gathered for the convention. KP Health Minister Riaz Anwar confirmed the death toll and The Dawn quoted him as saying, It was a suicide attack, with the bomber detonating himself in close proximity to the stage. he added. According to reports, police have cordoned off the area and the injured were rushed in ambulances to hospitals in Peshawar and Timergera. The Dawn, quoting a district official reported that Maulana Ziaullah Jan, a key JUI-F leader in Khar, also passed away in the blast. JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah condemned the attack and demanded a probe into the incident. He called the attack an act of terrorism. Hamdullah urged the government to provide the best medical care for the injured. The JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the province's caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan to investigate the incident. He also urged the party workers to reach the hospital and donate blood. "JUI workers should remain peaceful and federal and provincial governments should provide the best treatment to the injured," said Fazl. Chief Minister Khan condemned the blast and sought a report from the district administration. The condition of the majority of the injured people was stated to be critical. The nature of the blast is being determined. However, the initial report suggests it was a suicide blast. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blasts and said in a statement, Terrorists are enemies of Pakistan and they will be eliminated. Pope Francis urged Russia to restore the Black Sea grain deal which facilitates the export of Ukraine's grain. The Pope made the appeal during his weekly Angelus message on Sunday. The Black Sea grain initiative was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations to ensure the supply of Ukraine's grains to the West and to African nations. Russia refused to renew the agreement on July 17 complaining that its own exports were being held up. Both Russia and Ukraine are major grain suppliers. In his message, the Pope urged Russian authorities to reverse the decision under which it had allowed Ukraine to export grain from their ports despite the war. "I appeal to my brothers, the authorities of the Russian Federation, so that the Black Sea initiative may be resumed and grain may be transported safely," Reuters quoted Francis as saying. He urged the crowd to continue praying for Ukraine. According to reports, global wheat prices have spiked since Russia walked out of the deal. Russia charged that sufficient supplies of grain haven't reached poor countries. In the recently held Russia-Africa Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to supply free grain to six African countries. Putin said Russia could supply grain to African nations replacing Ukraine. The Guardian reported that Putin offered to supply free grain to six nations - Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea. Putin said that Russia could supply grains in three to four months and offered 25-50,000 tonnes of free grain to each of the nations. Russian President Vladimir Putin, talking a day after a summit with African countries, said that Moscow does not reject peace talks with Ukraine. Putin said that the African peace initiative could be a basis for peace. He was addressing at a news conference after meeting with African leaders in St. Petersburg on Friday and hearing their requests for Moscow to proceed with their plan. There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented, Putin said while addressing at a news conference after meeting with African leaders in St. Petersburg on Friday. But there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement, he added, Reuters reported. Putin also said that it was difficult to implement a ceasefire while Ukraine was on the offensive. But the Ukrainian army is on the offensive, they are attacking, they are implementing a large-scale strategic offensive operation We cannot cease fire when we are under attack. We did not reject them In order for this process to begin, there needs to be agreement on both sides, Putin said on the question of starting peace talks. Earlier Moscow had said that Kyiv should accept its new territorial reality, while Kyiv has said that it won't concede any territory. Putin also said that there were no plans to intensify action on the Ukrainian front now. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had expressed disapproval of a ceasefire, as it would mean allowing Russia to keep control of nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Russia is currently occupying territory in the south and east of Ukraine. Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to Suwalki Gap, a thin strip of land between Poland and Lithuania, which connects Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, according to the Polish prime minister. "Now the situation becomes even more dangerous," Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki said during a visit to an arms factory in Gliwice, in southern Poland, where Leopard tanks used by the Ukrainian army are being repaired. He added that this is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory. Poland, a member of both the European Union and NATO, is worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and war-torn Ukraine on its borders. Those fears have grown since Wagner group mercenaries moved to Belarus following the group's short-lived rebellion. The rebels were asked to either join the regular Russian army or move to Belarus. The Poland-Belarus border has been a tense place for a couple of years with immigrants from the Middle East and Africa seeking to enter the EU by crossing into Poland. Polish government calls the migration a form of hybrid warfare and has responded by building a high wall along part of its border with Belarus. "They will probably be disguised as Belarusian border guards and will help illegal immigrants to enter Polish territory, destabilize Poland, but they will also probably try to infiltrate Poland pretending to be illegal immigrants and this creates additional risks," CNN quoted Morawiecki as saying. He added that there have been close to 16,000 attempts by migrants to cross the border illegally, pushed to Poland by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin. -- with PTI inputs Hirsh Vardhan Singh has become the third Republican of Indian origin to join the race for US President in 2024. He officially filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, according to The Hill. The announcement comes as Republicans are scheduled to meet in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15 to 18, 2024, for their national convention to formally select their party's next presidential nominee. In a three-minute video, the 38-year-old said, My name is Hirsh Singh, a lifelong Republican and an America-first, constitutional carry, and pro-life conservative who helped restore the conservative wing of New Jerseys Republican Party starting in 2017. "We need strong leadership to reverse the changes that have occurred in the past few years and restore American values. That is why I have decided to seek the Republican Party's nomination for the 2024 election for the office of president of the United States, Singh said. Who is Hirsh Vardhan Singh? Singh, hailing from New Jersey's Atlantic County, pursued his bachelor's degree in engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2009. He has been working in the aerospace and defense industries. He referred to himself as the only pure-blood candidate in the recent video because he never gave in to the COVID vaccinations. He ran in the Republican primaries for governor of New Jersey in 2017 and 2021, for a House seat in 2018 and for Senate in 2020 but failed to get the Republican Party's nomination, The Hill reported. Other Republican candidates Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, 51, is another Indian-origin person to join the fray. She was Donald Trump's first ambassador to the United Nations and the only woman in the Republican primary contest. Another Indian-origin person to join the crowded Republican field of candidates running for the top US post is millionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, 37. Despite being an outsider, he has now jumped to No. 3, behind just Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. However, Trump is leading in the race for the Republican nomination for 2024 despite his legal woes. Other candidates running for the White House include former Cranston, Rhode Island, Mayor Steve Laffey, Michigan businessman Perry Johnson and Texas pastor Ryan Binkley. As you might know, British American Tobacco p.l.c. (LON:BATS) recently reported its half-yearly numbers. It looks like the results were a bit of a negative overall. While revenues of UK13b were in line with analyst predictions, statutory earnings were less than expected, missing estimates by 2.1% to hit UK1.76 per share. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on British American Tobacco after the latest results. Check out our latest analysis for British American Tobacco Taking into account the latest results, British American Tobacco's 17 analysts currently expect revenues in 2023 to be UK28.0b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to shrink 6.8% to UK3.64 in the same period. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of UK28.1b and earnings per share (EPS) of UK3.62 in 2023. So it's pretty clear that, although the analysts have updated their estimates, there's been no major change in expectations for the business following the latest results. The analysts reconfirmed their price target of UK35.57, showing that the business is executing well and in line with expectations. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. There are some variant perceptions on British American Tobacco, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at UK47.00 and the most bearish at UK27.50 per share. Analysts definitely have varying views on the business, but the spread of estimates is not wide enough in our view to suggest that extreme outcomes could await British American Tobacco shareholders. Story continues Taking a look at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can understand these forecasts is to see how they compare to both past performance and industry growth estimates. We would highlight that revenue is expected to reverse, with a forecast 1.7% annualised decline to the end of 2023. That is a notable change from historical growth of 2.6% over the last five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in the same industry are forecast to see their revenue grow 3.8% annually for the foreseeable future. It's pretty clear that British American Tobacco's revenues are expected to perform substantially worse than the wider industry. The Bottom Line The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analysts holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Although our data does suggest that British American Tobacco's revenue is expected to perform worse than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates. Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have estimates - from multiple British American Tobacco analysts - going out to 2025, and you can see them free on our platform here. That said, it's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with British American Tobacco , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. 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 Otto von Bismarck had to trigger three wars to forge peace across Germany. A Prussian master of strategy, Bismarck manoeuvred Denmark, Austria and France into fighting a loose alliance of 39 quarrelling German states. In the end, he got what he wanted: three war victories that fused the states into a unified Germany, making it a major European power. Zubrzycki brings his own twist to a fairly well-known incidentthe Jodhpur maharaja pointing a gun at v.p. Menon after being forced to sign the instrument of accession. Much has been written about Indias own Bismarck, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who accomplished a far bigger national unification project with nary a battle. In the weeks before and after Indias independence, Patel coaxed, cajoled, threatened and arm-twisted 562 princely states into joining the Indian Union. But the birth of India was not entirely without bloodshedthe police action in Hyderabad, for instance, resulted in at least 25,000 deaths. All things considered, though, the unification was orderly enough to make Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev wonder: How did you Indians manage to liquidate the princely states without liquidating the princes? As it happens, John Zubrzycki has the answer. A scholar, journalist and former diplomat, Zubrzycki has written Dethroned: Patel, Menon and the Integration of Princely India, which tells the remarkable tale of how Indias dhoti-clad, no-nonsense first home ministertogether with his political aide V.P. Menonnegotiated the accession of the princely states. Zubrzycki takes the tale into the 1970s, when prime minister Indira Gandhi dealt the final blow to the princely order. She abolished the privy pursea sort of political pension for the royalsthereby erasing the last Bismarckian touch in Indias political integration. It was Bismarck who had invented pensions. At 337 pages, Dethroned reads like a breeze. Unsurprising, considering Zubrzycki has had practice condensing history and making it entertaining. His last effort was The Shortest History of India, a rundown on 5,000 years of Indian history in less than 300 pages. So which was the more difficult book to write? Oh, it is very hard to condense 5,000 years of history into, say, 250 pages, Zubrzycki tells THE WEEK in an interview, but telling the story of what happened to 562 princely states at the time of independence and afterwards was equally hard. The story of the princely states, even though it takes place over just a few decades, is quite a complex one. And, there are many competing narratives at play. Indeed, there are competing narratives but the competition remains thin. There is surprising dearth of accessible books in India that focus solely on the political evolution of princely states. K.M. Panikkars Relations of Indian States with the Government of India (1927) is a foundational study, while Menons post-retirement Story of Integration of Indian States (1957) remains a go-to book for researchers. But there is a view that the strength of these books double as their weakness as wellboth are first-hand accounts rich with, and corrupted by, personal and often partisan observations. Panikkar was the dewan of Bikaner, and Menon was a debonair civil servant who wanted history to make him look good. Ushering in a new india: Mountbatten addresses a press conference in New Delhi in June 1947, as Patel (to his right) and Menon (front row, extreme left) look on | Getty Images While there have been excellent studies of specific statesManu Pillais The Ivory Throne on Travancore, Rahul Sagars The Progressive Maharaja on Barodafew mainstream historians have written in detail about the events and people who midwifed Indias birth. In Ramachandra Guhas magisterial India After Gandhi, the integration of states is a subplot that serves the wider narrative. With Dethroned, Zubrzycki fills a crucial gap. While there has been some books dealing the accession of princely states, he says, most of those were written many decades ago, and none of them focuses also on what happened to the states after independence. None of them focuses on states that found themselves in Pakistan, and none of them focuses on what happened in the lead-up to Indira Gandhis de-recognition of the princes in 1971. So this is a first in that sense. Before he became a full-time writer, Zubrzycki was deputy foreign editor of The Australian. The nose for news has served him well in producing such works as The House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of Indias Most Glamorous Royal Family, Jadoowallahs, Jugglers and Jinns: A Magical History of India, and The Last Nizam: The Rise and Fall of Indias Greatest Princely State. I studied Indian history and Hindi in university, Zubrzycki says. I travelled to India several times, worked in India as a diplomat, as a journalist. It was as a journalist that I started to think about going deeper into Indian history, and not just writing news or feature articles about what was going on around me, which was fascinating in itself, but delving really deeper into what is an extraordinary history. I mean, there are so many aspects of Indian history that are just waiting to be analysed, researched, written and presented to the public in a way that is accessible. Journalistic flair shines through in Dethroned. In one of the more exciting chapters in the book, Zubrzycki brings his own twist to a fairly well-known incidentthe Jodhpur maharaja pointing a gun at Menon after being forced to sign the instrument of accession. According to Menon, the maharaja whipped out a revolver and said, I refuse to accept your dictation. Menon would later write that he stayed calm and told the maharaja that threatening him would not get the accession abrogated. Dont indulge in juvenile theatricals, Menon reportedly said. There are different accounts. As Zubrzycki writes, one historian described the stunt as a joke. The revolver was actually a seven-centimetre, gold-plated pen with a 22-calibre bore made in the maharajas magic props workshop. Mountbatten made light of the incident, and it became a standing joke among the three men. Zubrzycki writes that the maharaja later sought a reconciliation, asking Menon to contest elections from Jodhpur. The pen gun was gifted to Mountbatten, who donated it to the Magic Circle in London. In 2013, it was sold for 13,000 to the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. In Dethroned, Zubrzycki weaves such anecdotes, trivia and some razor-sharp sketches of people and places into a silky smooth yarn. He not just illuminates the labyrinthine plots and counterplots that determined Indias borders, but also delves into the motivations of people who played pivotal roles. The book has both brains and a beating heart. DETHRONED: PATEL, MENON AND THE INTEGRATION OF PRINCELY INDIA By John Zubrzycki Published by Juggernaut Price Rs799; pages 337 New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) A Delhi-bound Air India flight returned to Melbourne due to a medical emergency after being airborne for more than one hour on Sunday morning, according to an airline official. The flight AI309, operated with a Boeing Dreamliner, took off again after de-planing the unwell passenger and his family members and later landed at Delhi airport in the evening at around 2130 hours. The official said that one passenger was feeling unwell and a doctor onboard suggested that the passenger needed to be hospitalised. Since it was a medical emergency, the flight which was airborne for a little over one hour returned to Melbourne in the morning, the official said. Details about the number of passengers onboard could not be immediately ascertained. Seoul, Jul 30 (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was joined by senior Russian and Chinese delegates as he displayed his most powerful nuclear-capable missiles in a military parade marking a major war anniversary with a show of defiance against the United States and deepening ties with Moscow as tensions on the peninsula are at their highest point in years. Kim attended Thursday night's parade with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese ruling party official Li Hongzhong from a balcony looking over a brightly illuminated Kim Il Sung Square, named after Kim's grandfather, the founder of North Korea. Edited footage from North Korean state TV on Friday showed streets and stands packed with tens of thousands of mobilized spectators, who roared in approval as waves of goose-stepping soldiers, tanks and huge, intercontinental ballistic missiles wheeled out on launcher trucks filled up the main road. People were brought from around the country to the capital, Pyongyang, to fill the crowd, according to state media. The parade began with warm-up events that featured ceremonial flights of newly developed surveillance and attack drones, which were first unveiled by state media this week as they reported on an arms exhibition attended by Kim and Shoigu. The main event began with Kim arriving at the square in a limousine escorted by a formation of motorcycles. Kim saluted honor guards and military officials and walked down a red carpet to enter a building where Shoigu and Li greeted him at the balcony, as troops below chanted protect Kim Jong Un with our lives! Organizers broadcast messages in Russian, Chinese and Korean while introducing Kim's guests to the crowd, drawing cheers and applause. As the parade proceeded, Kim was constantly talking and exchanging smiles with Shoigu and Li, who respectively stood to his right and left at the balcony's center. Kim and Shoigu repeatedly raised their hands to salute the parading troops. The broadcast did not show Kim making a speech. Kim's biggest weapons were saved for the end, when his troops rolled out new ICBMs that were flight-tested in recent months and demonstrated ranges that could reach deep into the U.S. mainland, the Hwasong-17 and Hwasong-18. Some analysts say the missiles are based on Russian designs or know-how. North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun Nam spoke, describing the parade as a historic celebration of the country's great victory against U.S. imperialist aggression forces and groups of its satellite states. He condemned the United States for its expanding military exercises with South Korea, which the North portrays as invasion rehearsals, and also holding new rounds of nuclear contingency planning meetings with Seoul. The allies describe their drills as defensive, and say the upgrades in training and planning are necessary to cope with the North's evolving nuclear threat. We solemnly declare that if they attempt military confrontation as now, the exercise of our state's armed forces will go beyond the scope of the right to defense for the United States of America and (South Korea), Kang said, repeating previous North Korean threats of nuclear conflict. The U.S. imperialists have no room of choice of survival in case they use nuclear weapons against the DPRK, he said, using the initials of his country's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Clouds over Pyongyang in recent days made it difficult for satellites to monitor preparations for the parade, which took place at night. Satellite images showed what appeared to be a massing of people at the square at 1316 GMT (10:16 p.m. local) Thursday, said Dave Schmerler, a senior research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, which is part of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. North Korea's invitation of Russian and Chinese delegates was a rare diplomatic opening since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts say Kim is trying to break out of diplomatic isolation and boost the visibility of his partnership with authoritarian allies to counter pressure from the United States. The parade followed meetings between Kim and Shoigu this week that demonstrated North Korea's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and added to suspicions the North was willing to supply arms to Russia, whose war efforts have been compromised by defense procurement and inventory problems. North Korean state media also highlighted a message sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who thanked Kim for firmly supporting his war efforts in Ukraine. Putin said that interests between Moscow and Pyongyang were aligning as they counter the collective West in its policy to stand in the way of establishing a genuinely multipolar and just world order, according to the Kremlin's version of the letter. (AP) SRY Niamey, Jul 30 (AP) Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched through the streets of the capital, Niamey, on Sunday waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France. The protesters marched through the city to the French Embassy, where a door was lit on fire, according to someone who was at the embassy when it happened and videos seen by The AP. Black smoke could be seen rising from across the city. The Nigerien army broke up the crowd of the protesters. Russian mercenary group Wagner is already operating in neighbouring Mali, and Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to expand his country's influence in the region. However, it is unclear yet whether the new junta leaders will move toward Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners. Days after the coup, uncertainty is mounting about Niger's future, with some calling out the junta's reasons for seizing control. President Mohamed Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. The mutineers said they overthrew him because he wasn't able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that's just a pretext for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation. Everybody is wondering: why this coup? That's because no one was expecting it. We couldn't expect a coup in Niger because there's no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power, Prof Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, who is now in charge of the country. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum's predecessor and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. The AP cannot independently verify his assessment. While Niger's security situation is dire, it's not as bad as neighbouring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Niger had been seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle the jihadists in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nation's troops. Regional bodies, including the West African economic bloc ECOWAS, have denounced the coup. Some taking part in Sunday's rally warned them to stay away. I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business, said Oumar Barou Moussa, who was at the demonstration. It's time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. It's time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty. We need to stay together, we need to work together, we need to have our true independence," he said. Conflict experts say out of all the countries in the region, Niger has the most at stake if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance the international community has poured in. On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the US hinged on the release of Bazoum who remains under house arrest and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. On Sunday France condemned all violence against diplomatic compounds, whose security is the responsibility of the host state, said a statement by the government. Nigerien forces are obliged to ensure the security of our diplomatic and consular premises. We urge them to fulfil this obligation under international law, it said. The attack follows France's move on Saturday to suspend all development and financial aid for Niger. The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the country's democratically elected government. ECOWAS is holding an emergency summit Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria. The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020. If ECOWAS imposes economic sanctions on Niger, which is what normally happens during coups, it could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest UN data. However, in a televised address Saturday, Brig Gen Mohamed Toumba, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a plan of aggression against Niger and said the country would defend itself. Niger experts say it's too soon to know how things will play out. Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force, even if it is difficult to foresee how specifically that may happen and what form that may take, said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher in conflict resolution and peace missions at the Centre FrancoPaix. Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear, she said. (AP) SCY SCY Peshawar, Jul 30 (PTI) At least 20 people were killed and 50 others injured in a blast at an Islamic political party's meeting in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, according to a media report. The explosion took place at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers' convention in Bajaurs Khar, Geo News quoted police as saying. The police said that about 50 people were injured and have been shifted to a nearby hospital. Law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi told the Dawn newspaper that five ambulances had reached the site. Niamey (Niger), Jul 30 (AP) Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched Sunday through the streets of the capital, Niamey, waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France. The protesters marched through the city to the French Embassy, where a door was lit on fire, according to someone who was at the embassy when it happened and videos seen by The AP. Black smoke could be seen rising from across the city. The Nigerien army broke up the crowd of the protesters. Russian mercenary group Wagner is already operating in neighboring Mali, and Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to expand his country's influence in the region. However, it is unclear yet whether the new junta leaders will move toward Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners. On Sunday at an emergency meeting in Abjua, Nigeria the West African bloc said it was suspending relations with Niger and authorized the use of force if the president was not reinstated within a week. In the event the authorities' demands are not met within one week, take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force. To this effect, the chiefs of defense staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately, Omar Alieu Touray, president of the ECOWAS commission, said after the meeting. Days after the coup, uncertainty is mounting about Niger's future, with some calling out the junta's reasons for seizing control. President Mohamed Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. The mutineers said they overthrew him because he wasn't able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that's just a pretext for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation. Everybody is wondering: why this coup? That's because no one was expecting it. We couldn't expect a coup in Niger because there's no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power, Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who is now in charge of the country. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum's predecessor and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. The AP cannot independently verify his assessment. While Niger's security situation is dire, it's not as bad as neighbouring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Niger had been seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle the jihadists in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nation's troops. Regional bodies, including the West African economic bloc ECOWAS, have denounced the coup. Some taking part in Sunday's rally warned them to stay away. I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business, said Oumar Barou Moussa, who was at the demonstration. It's time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. It's time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty. We need to stay together, we need to work together, we need to have our true independence," he said. Conflict experts say out of all the countries in the region, Niger has the most at stake if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance the international community has poured in. On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the US hinged on the release of Bazoum who remains under house arrest and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. On Sunday, France's President, Emmanuel Macron said attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated. Anyone who attacked French nationals, the army, diplomats and French authorities would see an immediate response, he said. Macron said he'd spoken to Bazoum and his predecessor as Nigerien President, Mahamadou Issoufou, hours earlier, who both condemned the coup and appealed for calm. The attack follows France's move on Saturday to suspend all development and financial aid for Niger. The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the country's democratically elected government. ECOWAS is holding an emergency summit Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria. The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020. If ECOWAS imposes economic sanctions on Niger, which is what normally happens during coups, it could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest U.N. data. However, in a televised address Saturday, Col. Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a plan of aggression against Niger and said the country would defend itself. Niger experts say it's too soon to know how things will play out. Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force, even if it is difficult to foresee how specifically that may happen and what form that may take, said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher in conflict resolution and peace missions at the Centre FrancoPaix. Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear, she said. (AP) FZH Niamey (Niger), Jul 30 (AP) Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup this week marched through the streets of the capital on Sunday denouncing the country's former colonial power and lighting a door at the French Embassy ablaze before the army broke up the crowd. Black smoke could be seen across the city from the burning of the door, which was captured on video by The Associated Press. The Russian mercenary group Wagner is operating in neighbouring Mali, and President Vladimir Putin would like to expand his country's influence in the region. The new junta's leaders have not said whether they would move toward Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners. French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated. Anyone who attacked French nationals, the army, diplomats and French authorities would see an immediate response, he said. Niger, a French colony until 1960, had been seen as the West's last reliable partner battling jihadists in Africa's Sahel region. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nation's troops. At an emergency meeting Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorised the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government. Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country's new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa's Sahel region. Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew Bazoum because he wasn't able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that was a pretext for a takeover driven by internal power struggles. We couldn't expect a coup in Niger because there's no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power, Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Tchiani. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum's predecessor, and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. Niger's dire security situation is not as bad as that in neighbouring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Some taking part in Sunday's rally warned outside bodies to stay away. I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business, Oumar Barou Moussa said at the demonstration. It's time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. It's time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty." Niger has the most at stake of any country in the Sahel if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance it has received from abroad. On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic cooperation with the US hinges on the release of Bazoum who remains under house arrest and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. Macron said he'd spoken to Bazoum and his predecessor on Sunday. On Saturday France suspended all development and financial aid to Niger. The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020. If ECOWAS imposes economic sanctions on Niger, which is what normally happens during coups, it could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest UN data. In a televised address Saturday, Col. Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a plan of aggression against Niger and said the country would defend itself. Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force, said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher in conflict resolution and peace missions at the Centre FrancoPaix. Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear." (AP) FZH Kyiv, Jul 30 (AP) Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to December 25 from January 7, the day when the Russian Orthodox Church observes it. The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to abandon the Russian heritage, including that of imposing the celebration of Christmas on Jan. 7. It cited Ukrainians' relentless, successful struggle for their identity and the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays, fueled by Russia's 17-month-old aggression against the country. Last year, some Ukrainians already observed Christmas on Dec. 25, in a gesture that represented separation from Russia, its culture and religious traditions. The law also moves the Day of Ukrainian Statehood to July 15 from July 28, and the Day of Defenders of Ukraine to Oct. 1 from Oct. 14. The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups. The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their own calendars for the purpose of calculating Christmas and Easter. Ukraine's religious landscape has fractured for years. There are two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, one aligned with the Russian church, even as it enjoys broad autonomy, the other completely independent of it. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the branch that is separate from the Russian church, announced earlier this year that it was switching to the Revised Julian calendar, which marks Christmas on Dec. 25. Its leadership last year allowed believers to celebrate the holiday on Dec. 25. Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday that the rival Orthodox Church, which is aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, vowed to continue observing Christmas on Jan. 7. Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters Saturday that the move is a sign of something that has been happening for centuries and that has to do with the relations between the Catholic church and the Orthodox one. Zelenskyy on Saturday traveled to the war-torn Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia has illegally annexed, but only partially occupies, and met with members of the country's Special Operation Forces. Zelenskyy noted in an online statement that Saturday marks their official day of recognition and also the anniversary of the deadly attack on the Olenivka prison in the Russian-held part of the region in which dozens of prisoners of war were killed. Russia and Ukraine accused each other of the attack, with both sides saying that the assault was premeditated in a bid to cover up atrocities. A United Nations fact-finding mission requested by Russia and Ukraine was sent to investigate the killings, but the team was disbanded in January 2023 due to security concerns. Zelenskyy described the attack as one of Russia's most vile and cruel crimes in a video statement Saturday. In a separate Telegram statement, he hailed the soldiers in the Donetsk region for bringing closer the day when all our land and all our people will be free from the occupiers" and underscored the Special Operations Forces' role in the recent retaking of the village of Staromaiorske in the area. His visit to the east comes just days after Western and Russian officials said that Kyiv's forces intensified attacks in the southeast of the country as part of Ukraine's counteroffensive. Putin said Saturday that the intensity of Ukrainian atacks along the front line has gone down compared to two days ago. He reiterated that Russian forces are successfully repelling all attacks and in some parts of the front line are even mounting successful counteroffensive operations. (AP) SRY Niamey (Niger), Jul 30 (AP) Thousands of people backing the coup in Niger marched through the streets of the capital denouncing the country's former colonial power, and setting a door at the French Embassy ablaze on Sunday before the army broke up the crowd. The Russian mercenary group Wagner is operating in neighbouring Mali, and President Vladimir Putin would like to expand his country's influence in the region. The new junta's leaders have not said whether they would move toward Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated and anyone who attacks French citizens will see an immediate response. Niger, a French colony until 1960, had been seen as the West's last reliable partner battling jihadists in Africa's Sahel region. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nation's troops. At an emergency meeting on Sunday, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorised the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued its own 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government. Shortly after the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, the President of Chad, Mahamat Deby arrived in Niger to lead mediation efforts, according to the state radio station in Chad. ECOWAS has struggled to make a definitive impact on the region's political crises in the past but Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday that they had deposed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country's new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa's Sahel region. Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew Bazoum because he wasn't able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that was a pretext for a takeover driven by internal power struggles. We couldn't expect a coup in Niger because there's no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power, Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Tchiani. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum's predecessor, and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. Niger's dire security situation is not as bad as that in neighbouring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Some taking part in Sunday's rally warned outside bodies to stay away. I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business, Oumar Barou Moussa said at the demonstration. It's time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. It's time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty." Niger has the most at stake of any country in the Sahel if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance it has received from abroad. On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic cooperation with the US hinges on the release of Bazoum who remains under house arrest and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. Macron said he'd spoken to Bazoum and his predecessor on Sunday. On Saturday France suspended all development and financial aid to Niger. The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020. While the bloc has struggled to have much impact, the measures placed on Niger Sunday show the gravity of the situation, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute. The strenuous measures they have put in place or threatened to put in place show not only how seriously they are taking this crisis, but also the urgency the regional body and larger international community feel in trying to force a return to normal that will likely prove elusive, he said. The response from the bloc towards Niger differs from how it dealt with recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, which did not involve the threat of force if constitutional rule wasn't reinstated. In the last few decades it has sent troops into member countries a handful of times. In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war. In 2017 it intervened in The Gambia to prevent the new president's predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Approximately 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues. Economic sanctions could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest UN data. The country relies imports up to 90 per cent of its power from Nigeria, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The sanctions would suspend all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger. In a televised address on Saturday, Col. Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a plan of aggression against Niger and said the country would defend itself. Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force, said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher in conflict resolution and peace missions at the Centre FrancoPaix. Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear." (AP) PY PY Dubai, Jul 30 (AP) Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia's war on the country, an official said. The kingdom and Kyiv did not immediately acknowledge the planned talks. The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, as well as Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, the official said. A high-level official from US President Joe Biden's administration also is expected to attend, the official said. Planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv and Russia is expected not to attend, the official said. Details regarding the summit, however, remain in flux and the official did not offer dates for the talks. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the summit, said the talks would take place August 5 and 6 with some 30 countries attending, citing diplomats involved in the discussion. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press, nor did Ukraine's Embassy in Riyadh. News of the summit comes after US national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited the kingdom on Thursday. The official who spoke to the AP said the summit would be the next step after talks that took place in Copenhagen in June. Saudi Arabia's hosting of the talks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May attended an Arab League summit in Jeddah to press those nations to back Kyiv. Arab nations largely have remained neutral since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022, in part over their military and economic ties to Moscow. Saudi Arabia also has maintained a close relationship with Russia as part of the OPEC+ group. The organization's oil production cuts, even as Moscow's war on Ukraine boosted energy prices, have angered Biden and American lawmakers. But hosting such talks also help raise the profile of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has sought to reach a detente with Iran and push for a peace in the kingdom's yearslong war in Yemen. However, ties also remain strained between Riyadh and the West over the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, which US intelligence agencies assess that Prince Mohammed ordered. (AP) _ Madhani reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. RUP RUP Key Insights The projected fair value for Homeritz Corporation Berhad is RM0.72 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of RM0.47 suggests Homeritz Corporation Berhad is potentially 34% undervalued Peers of Homeritz Corporation Berhad are currently trading on average at a 99% premium Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Homeritz Corporation Berhad (KLSE:HOMERIZ) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Homeritz Corporation Berhad Step By Step Through The Calculation 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. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last 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. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM32.5m RM32.6m RM33.1m RM33.7m RM34.5m RM35.5m RM36.6m RM37.7m RM39.0m RM40.3m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -1.07% Est @ 0.32% Est @ 1.30% Est @ 1.98% Est @ 2.46% Est @ 2.79% Est @ 3.02% Est @ 3.19% Est @ 3.30% Est @ 3.38% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 13% RM28.9 RM25.7 RM23.1 RM21.0 RM19.1 RM17.4 RM15.9 RM14.6 RM13.4 RM12.3 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM191m 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 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 13%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = RM40m (1 + 3.6%) (13% 3.6%) = RM461m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM461m ( 1 + 13%)10= RM141m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM332m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM0.5, the company appears quite undervalued at a 34% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the 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 Homeritz Corporation Berhad 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 13%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.130. 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 Homeritz Corporation Berhad Strength Currently debt free. 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 Consumer Durables market. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Malaysian market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat No apparent threats visible for HOMERIZ. 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. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. 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. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Homeritz Corporation Berhad, we've put together three relevant items you should assess: Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Homeritz Corporation Berhad . Future Earnings: How does HOMERIZ'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 Malaysian 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 Niamey, Jul 30 (The Conversation) The West African nation Niger is under military rule following a coup in which President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown and held captive by members of his own guard. On July 28, 2023, coup leaders named General Abdourahmane Tchiani as the new head of state, while international observers called for democratic norms to be reinstalled. Where the coup leaves the country and what happens next is unclear. The Conversation turned to Leonardo A. Villalon, political scientist and West African expert at the University of Florida, for some answers. At first it was unclear whether this even was a coup. Although there have been indications of tensions both inside the military and between military and civilian leaders, a coup certainly wasnt expected. I was in Niger last month, and there was nothing to suggest that a coup was about to take place. And in contrast to what happened in Mali or Burkina Faso in recent years, the coup wasnt preceded by widespread protests or popular calls for a change in leadership. So, when members of the presidential guard seized Bazoum on July 26, it wasnt immediately clear what was going on, or whether their actions would be successful. The first real test for the coup leaders was whether the rest of the military would back their actions. If they hadnt, it could have set off widespread fighting in the country. But it has turned out so far, at least to be a bloodless coup. After initial wrangling between different factions over who would take control, the countrys generals did back the coup. Meanwhile, the democratically elected president continues to be held hostage under house arrest. Although it has so far been a bloodless coup, the consequences are nonetheless catastrophic for Niger and for the region. The nation is among the least developed on Earth, with high levels of poverty and a history of instability and coups. But it has emerged in recent years as a relatively stable force in the region and as a key ally for the West in dealing with terrorism and violence that has spiraled since a coup in neighboring Mali in 2012. That event, itself triggered by the NATO intervention in Libya and the fall of Moammar Gadhafi, kick-started a decade of instability in the region. Yet just two years ago, Niger saw its first ever democratic transfer of power from one elected president to the next. The election was by no means perfect, but it was rightly seen as a significant accomplishment. That is why this coup is particularly problematic: It represents a rolling back of the progress made in recent years in slowly building functional state institutions and democratic processes. The coup also has major consequences for the region. Neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso have broken away from former colonial power France, and the West in general, and moved toward Russia. Meanwhile Chad, another neighbor, is engaged in a problematic effort at a transition to an elected government. Against these countries, Niger represented a civilian-led pragmatic ally in international efforts to stem a tide of jihadist violence in the Sahel region. We have no clear indication at the moment how Nigers new military leaders will align themselves in this context. Thats the really interesting thing. Niger is often described as prone to coups. But with each previous coup, circumstances have allowed coup leaders to justify their actions as necessary, or at least as justifiable and understandable by some rationale. But that doesnt appear to be true for this latest takeover by the military. Nigers first coup in 1974 took place amid a backdrop of terrible drought and famine across the Sahel. That created a level of frustration and disappointment in the shortcomings of the countrys first post-independence government and provided a rationale for the military to overthrow it and to claim legitimacy with a renewed focus on development. The subsequent coups in Niger in 1996, 1999 and 2010 were all triggered by specific political crises. In 1996, the new democratic regime that had been installed in 1993 found itself gridlocked by institutions that made it difficult for the executive and legislative branches to work together. The military justified the coup as a necessary step to unblock this gridlock. Three years later, those coup leaders failed to follow through on their promises and were themselves ousted and soldier-turned-president Ibrahim Bare Mainassara was killed when they attempted to remain in power by rigging the elections. As promised by the leaders of the 1999 coup, within a year Niger had adopted a new constitution and elected a new government. Unfortunately, after two terms and 10 years in power, President Mamadou Tandja attempted to extend his mandate beyond the constitutionally allowed limits, triggering a prolonged political crisis. In the end, the military again stepped in, and in 2010 soldiers attacked the presidential palace and captured Tandja after a bloody gun battle. The military justified this coup as a necessary step to end the crisis and stop the erosion of democracy. All three of the previous coups in Niger could thus be presented as attempts to press reset on Nigers progress toward democracy. And in each case they were justified by the coup leaders in those terms. The same cannot be said about the latest coup. President Bazoum has only been in power for two years, and his 2021 election win, although contested, was in the end widely accepted. He came to power on a promise to improve the countrys security, invest in education and fight corruption and some real progress has been made in that direction. And there was no obvious political impasse or institutional gridlock on a scale that would have justified a coup. As such, it seems that this latest coup was very much driven by internal politics and dissatisfaction among parts of the military, rather than any clear triggering crisis. Beyond a very general claim of poor governance and a degraded security situation, there hasnt been a clear rationale articulated by those who are now in charge to justify the coup or to legitimize themselves as leaders. This marks a change not only from the coups of Nigers past but also contrasts with those in neighboring Mali in 2021 and Burkina Faso the following year. In each of those coups, military leaders claimed that they were ousting deeply unpopular regimes that were deeply corrupt and had proven ineffective at combating instability and violence. They presented themselves as leaders who would mark a break with existing political systems by establishing new alliances. It is very difficult to see a coherent way out of this. The coup leaders have suspended the constitution and closed Nigers borders. But it isnt really clear yet what the long-term plan is. In Mali and Bukina Faso, the ills of those countries were blamed on France, with coup leaders looking to Russia for support and accepting support from the Moscow-backed mercenary Wagner Group. The fear among those in the West and many inside Niger is that in the need to articulate a rationale, the new military leaders now will present the Nigerien experiment with democracy itself as a failure and similarly seek support from Russia and the Wagner Group. Wagners mercenary boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has already offered Nigers new leaders the support of his men, praising the coup as an anti-colonial struggle. In recent years, Niger has been the partner of choice for Washington in regards to the Sahel. It is seen as a linchpin in the fight against terrorism in the region, and its importance has escalated significantly as Mali and Burkina Faso turned to Russia. Neighbouring Chad is also a key ally for the U.S. But Chad is problematic, having been led by the autocratic Idriss Deby for 30 years until his death in 2021, only to be succeeded by his son, Mahamat Deby who is now himself leading a so-called transition that seems designed to keep him in power. With Chad, the U.S. has had to hold its nose while doing business. Niger, by contrast, was presented as a democratic model and seen as open, pragmatic and friendly toward Washington. We will have to see how things unfold, but it is clear that this coup could deal a serious setback to U.S. interests in the region. But above all, it is a terrible blow to Nigers efforts at building stable democratic institutions and to fostering the peace and stability that could better the lives of people living in one of the worlds poorest countries. (The Conversation) RUP RUP RUP Nagpur, Jul 30 (PTI) Investigators have found that jailed Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Afsar Pasha masterminded the Mangaluru bomb blast that occurred in November last year and he provided training in making cooker bombs to the accused in the case, a police official said on Sunday. Pasha, who had earlier received training in making bombs in Bangladesh, provided training to the Mangaluru blast case accused during their stay in a jail in Karnataka, he said. The probe also revealed that the now-banned outfit Popular Front of India had earlier transferred Rs 5 lakh to Pasha's bank account, he said, adding that a "comprehensive report" has been prepared by the police based on the information given by Pasha, and it has been shared with the country's intelligence agencies. Pasha is currently lodged in the Nagpur Central Jail after he was brought to the city earlier this month from a jail in neighbouring Karnataka in connection with a probe in threat calls made to Union minister Nitin Gadkari allegedly by gangster Jayesh Pujari, police said. "During the ongoing probe being conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the police, it came to light that Pasha was the mastermind of the Mangaluru bomb blast case," the police official said. "Pasha's involvement in training the Mangaluru blast case accused, Mohammed Shariq, in manufacturing cooker bombs came to light during the probe," he said. The blast occurred in an autorickshaw in Mangaluru on November 19 last year. Shariq, the accused in the case who hailed from Shivamogga in Karnataka, was in the autorickshaw with a pressure cooker fitted with detonator, wires and batteries when it went off. The police had said that blast was "not accidental" but an "act of terror" with intention to cause serious damage. Pasha was earlier convicted in a 2012 case of recruiting terrorists for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Jammu and Kashmir. He was allegedly also involved in the December 2005 terror attack at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. Pasha, who was lodged in the Hindalga jail in Karnataka's Belagavi in the Bengaluru blast case, was brought to Nagpur on July 14 in the Gadkari threat calls case. He is currently jailed here. "Pasha had returned to India after receiving training in making bombs in Dhaka several years ago. He was previously involved in a blast in Bengaluru. Despite this, his role in the Mangaluru blast was overlooked during earlier investigations," the police official said. "It has come to light that Pasha and Jayesh Pujari alias Kantha alias Shahir, were propagating Islamic fanaticism in the Hindalga prison at Belagavi during their incarceration there," he said. The accused were influencing the jail inmates. Pasha provided training to Shariq on making cooker bombs, a method used in the Mangaluru blast case, the police official said. The investigation also revealed that the now-banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) had transferred Rs 5 lakh to Pasha's bank account several months ago, he said, adding that the funds originated from the account of a person identified as Abdul Jalil, highlighting potential links between PFI and terror activities. The funds were purportedly used to provide various facilities to those involved in anti-national activities. Smartphones were also reportedly made available to the accused within the prison walls, the police official said. In September last year, the central government banned PFI for five years over its alleged links to terror funding and radicalisation activities. "The police have now prepared a comprehensive report based on the information received from Pasha. The report has been shared with the state Director General of Police, ACS Home, Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), NIA, and Intelligence Bureau for further investigation," the police official said. Jayesh Pujari had made threat calls to Nitin Gadkari's office after planning it with Pasha, the police said. Pujari had made a threat call to Gadkari's public relations office on January 14, demanding Rs 100 crore and claiming to be a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang. At that time, he was lodged in the Belagavi jail, they said. He made another call on March 21, threatening to harm Gadkari if Rs 10 crore were not paid to him. Pujari was arrested and brought to Nagpur on March 28 this year from the jail in Belagavi, and two cases were registered under provision of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act here. Kolkata, Jul 30 (PTI) Terming the dengue situation in West Bengal as alarming, the opposition BJP on Sunday alleged that the Trinamool Congress government is responsible for it. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar blamed Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor and senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim claiming he has failed to contain the spread of the outbreak. The TMC accused the saffron party of resorting to theatrics and 'cheap politics'. Majumdar, who took part in cleaning a neighbourhood in north Kolkatas Kankurgachi area with other party workers, alleged that the mayor has earned the sobriquet 'Dengue Hakim' for his failure to control the disease. He also alleged the state government of suppressing the real death figure due to the disease "to hide its failure." "So far our information goes, eight-nine deaths, caused by the disease have been reported but the government is concealing that figure," he said. Several cases of dengue have been reported in Kolkata, and two of them have died, according to officials. Reacting to Majumdars accusations, Hakim claimed that the BJP leader is busy doing politics over the disease. "The BJP is not concerned about people. It only believes in stunts and media publicity. We are aware of the dengue situation and taking whatever steps are required," said Hakim, also the municipal affairs and urban development minister. He asserted that dengue cases are reported during the monsoon every year and the situation is under control. Meanwhile, taking a jibe at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her recent claim that dengue is spreading in the state from neighbouring Bangladesh, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari wondered why doesnt she send a TMC delegation to Dhaka to discuss the issue with her friend Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Adhikari said, "The CM had made such an absurd comment to hide her failure to check the menace." The health department has said that they are taking all necessary measures to control the outbreak. The health department has also urged people to take precautions to avoid getting infected with dengue. They have advised people to use mosquito nets, wear long sleeves and pants, and keep their surroundings clean. New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal submitted a memorandum to the police over Saturday's clashes during Muharram processions in west Delhi, officials said. A senior police officer on Sunday said leaders and supporters of the two organisations submitted their memorandum at the Nangloi police station against the incident which left several police personnel and volunteers injured and caused damage to public property. As they submitted their memorandum, they chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans outside the police station before dispersing, the officer said. Police on Sunday registered three cases after an unruly crowd taking part in Muharram processions clashed with police and pelted them with stones in west Delhi's Nangloi area. Twelve people, including six police personnel, were injured in the clashes, they said. The police lathicharged the "unruly crowd" to disperse it, they had said. Police said on Saturday, "Several 'tazia' processions were being carried out in the Nangloi area and around eight to 10 thousand people participated in those. One or two organisers on the main Rohtak Road became unruly and tried to deviate from the route that was mutually decided in the coordination meeting with the 'taziadaran'." The police made efforts to convince them to stick to the pre-decided route and proceed to the designated burials. While most of them cooperated, a few of the participants became unruly and started instigating the public and pelted the police with stones, they had said. In my own shoes: Greetings! Happy, merry, congrats, sorry. A California college where President Barack Obama started his undergraduate studies will no longer give special treatment to the children of alumni. Occidental College, a private liberal arts school in Los Angeles, is the latest school to end legacy admissions in the wake of a Supreme Court decision removing race from college admissions decisions. A campus letter from the schools president said an applicants family ties to Occidental alumni could be considered in the past but had only minimal impact on decisions. Still, to ensure we are removing any potential barriers to access and opportunity, Occidental will no longer ask applicants about alumni relationships as part of the application, President Harry J. Elam Jr. said in a campus message on Wednesday. He cited the Supreme Courts decision. The school of about 2,000 students is known for being the campus where Obama began his college career in 1979. Obama spent two years at Occidental before transferring to Columbia University. Obama gave his first political speech at the college in 1981, urging its leaders to divest from South Africa. An Occidental spokesman said Obama was not a legacy student and his parents did not attend the school. Colleges across the nation have faced mounting pressure to end legacy admissions following the Supreme Courts decision. Seen as an extra perk for the white and wealthy, opponents say its no longer defensible without a counterbalance in affirmative action. Occidental announced the change a week after Wesleyan University in Connecticut ended legacy admissions. An applicants family connection to Wesleyan graduate indicates little about that applicants ability to succeed at the university, the schools president wrote. The U.S. Education Department is now investigating Harvards use of the practice after a civil rights group filed a complaint alleging that legacy admissions are discriminatory and given an unfair boost to white students. The complaint from Lawyers for Civil Rights argues that students with legacy ties are up to seven times more likely to be admitted to Harvard, can make up nearly a third of a class and that about 70% are white. Opponents have redoubled their efforts after the end of affirmative action. The NAACP has asked more than 1,500 colleges to end legacy admissions this month, and the group Ed Mobilizer revived a campaign urging alumni of 30 prestigious colleges to withhold donations until their schools end the practice. Democrats in Congress reintroduced legislation Wednesday that would cut federal money from colleges that favor students based on their ties to alumni or donors. State legislators in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York have proposed similar bills after Colorado banned the practice at public universities in 2021. Some colleges defend the practice, saying it builds an alumni community and encourages donations. Its unclear how many schools use the practice, but its most common at the nations wealthiest and most selective colleges. Some colleges abandoned the policy long before the Supreme Court opinion, including Amherst College and Johns Hopkins University. Some other prestigious schools say they have never used it, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Occidentals shift was announced among other efforts to promote campus diversity. The school will also expand outreach to schools with higher concentrations of low-income students and will work to increase the number of students transferring from community colleges, the president said in his letter. (AP) A Ukrainian drone was shot down early Friday outside Moscow, Russias defense ministry said. It was the third drone strike or attempt on the capital region this month. The ministry said there were no injuries or damage in the early morning incident. It didnt give details about where the drone was shot down, but said it took place in the Moscow Oblast, a region that surrounds but doesnt include the city itself. The shootdown adds to concern about Moscows vulnerability to attack as the war drags into its 18th month. Two drones struck the Russian capital on Monday, one of them falling in the center of the city near the Defense Ministrys headquarters along the Moscow River about three kilometers (two miles) from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and the fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down. The Ukrainian presidential office said Friday that at least one civilian was killed and three others were wounded in Russian attacks over the past day in the Donetsk region, where residential areas in 10 communities were shelled. The office also said that five civilians were wounded in shelling of the village of Novoosynove in the Kharkiv region and one wounded in shelling in the Kherson region. The city of Nikopol, across the river from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was shelled five times, the office said. The Ukrainian military reported that its forces took control of the village of Staromayorske in the Donetsk region. But its overall synopsis of fighting in the past day didnt indicate significant advances in Ukraines counteroffensive against Russian-held areas. On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Odesa, the Black Sea major port city that was hit by severe Russian missile and drone strikes over the past week, inflicting heavy damage on the citys landmark Orthodox cathedral and other sites in the citys historic center. Zelenskyy inspected the cathedral and visited medical facilities, his office said. (AP) U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday the United States stands with countries fighting Chinese bullying behavior as he launched bilateral talks in Australia aimed at countering Beijings growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Australian city of Brisbane late Thursday ahead of annual bilateral meetings on Friday and Saturday that will focus on a deal to provide Australia, a defense treaty partner, with a fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology. Ahead of a meeting with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, Austin said both countries share concerns about Chinas break from international laws and norms that resolve disputes peacefully and without coercion. Weve seen troubling P.R.C. coercion from the East China Sea, to the South China Sea, to right here in the Southwest Pacific, Austin told reporters, referring to the Peoples Republic of China. Well continue to support our allies and partners as they defend themselves from bullying behavior, he added. China has imposed a series of official and unofficial trade barriers in recent years against Australian exports including coal, wine, barley, beef, seafood and wood. The barriers are widely seen as a punitive reaction to Australian government policy that has cost Australian exporters as much as $15 billion a year. Australias icy relationship with Beijing was thawing since a change of Australian government at elections last year. Meanwhile, the sharing of U.S. nuclear secrets with Australia takes that bilateral relationship to a new level. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is planning state visits to both the United States and China before the end of the year. Under the AUKUS partnership an acronym for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States Australia will buy three Virginia-class submarines from the United States and build five of a new AUKUS-class submarine in cooperation with Britain. Australian media have focused on a letter signed by more than 20 Republican lawmakers to President Joe Biden that warned the deal would unacceptably weaken the U.S. fleet without a plan to boost U.S. submarine production. Albanese said he remained very confident that the United States would deliver the three submarines. The prime minister said hed been reassured by discussions he had with Republicans and Democrats earlier in July at a NATO summit in Lithuania. What struck me was their unanimous support for AUKUS, their unanimous support for the relationship between the Australia and United States, Albanese said. Marles agreed the AUKUS program was on track. Congress can be a complicated place as legislation makes its way through it, but actually were encouraged by how quickly it is going through it and we are expecting that there will be lots of discussions on the way through, Marles said. Fundamentally, we have reached an agreement with the Biden administration about how Australia acquires the nuclear-powered submarine capability and were proceeding along that path with pace, he added. Australia understood there was pressure on the American industrial base and would contribute to submarine production, Marles said. The AUKUS deal is forecast to cost Australia up to 368 billion Australian dollars ($246 billion) over 30 years. Albanese publicly welcomed Austin and Blinken at a media event before the three began a meeting with Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy and Australian Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd, a former prime minister. The relationship between Australia and the United States has never been stronger, Albanese told the two visitors. (AP) From what we can see, insiders were net buyers in Hongkong Land Holdings Limited's (SGX:H78 ) during the past 12 months. That is, insiders acquired the stock in greater numbers than they sold it. Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. See our latest analysis for Hongkong Land Holdings Hongkong Land Holdings Insider Transactions Over The Last Year In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Chief Executive & Executive Director Yau Chung Wong bought US$920k worth of shares at a price of US$4.00 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being US$3.59). While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Yau Chung Wong. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! Hongkong Land Holdings is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insider Ownership I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 0.08% of Hongkong Land Holdings shares, worth about US$6.6m, according to our data. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership. Story continues So What Does This Data Suggest About Hongkong Land Holdings Insiders? It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. But on the other hand, the company made a loss during the last year, which makes us a little cautious. We would certainly prefer see higher levels of insider ownership but analysis of the insider transactions suggests that Hongkong Land Holdings insiders are expecting a bright future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Hongkong Land Holdings you should know about. Of course Hongkong Land Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here The Senate has passed a massive annual defense bill that would deliver a 5.2% pay raise for service members and keep the nations military operating, avoiding partisan policy battles with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote. Senate passage, 86-11, sets up a clash with the House, which passed its own version of the annual defense bill along party lines earlier this month after pointed debates over social issues like abortion access and diversity initiatives. The sharply partisan arguments over the House legislation veered from a bipartisan tradition of finding consensus on national defense policy. The strong bipartisan vote for the legislation in the Senate Thursday evening, just before the Senate left for its August recess, could give it momentum as the two chambers next look to settle their differences in the fall. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said there is a glaring contrast between the two chambers defense bills. The Senate had no animus or acrimony, in contrast to the Houses partisan battles, he said. Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that I dont think either party got exactly what they wanted in the Senate bill. But he said the legislation would help the military improve recruitment and prevent conflict. The two chambers will now have to write a final bill, a test of the deeply divided House, in particular, as the traditionally bipartisan legislation was swept up in the disputes over race, equity and womens health care that have been political priorities for the Republican party. Wicker said talks with the House will start very soon and he feels confident they will be able to pass the legislation, as Congress has annually since 1961. We always have, Wicker said. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Armed Services panel, predicted the bipartisan Senate approach would mostly prevail. The fact that were going to have a strong bipartisan approach on it says that were probably closer to where were going to end up than what the House has done on a partisan basis, said Rounds. The massive Senate defense bill would set defense spending levels at $886 billion for the coming year, similar to President Joe Bidens budget request. Congress has to pass separate spending legislation to allocate the money, but the defense legislation lays out budget and policy for the Pentagon. The House debate earlier this month was marked by amendments from hardline conservatives that were adopted and pushed the bill to the right including proposals to roll back diversity and inclusion measures at the Pentagon and to block some medical care for transgender personnel. In the Senate, where most amendments need 60 votes to pass, additions to the bill were bipartisan and more focused on military policy, with many focused on countering potential American adversaries like Russia and China. One bipartisan provision would require two-thirds of the Senate to approve if a U.S. president tries to withdraw from NATO. Former President Donald Trump, who is running again for his old office, has been deeply critical of the military alliance and repeatedly questioned its value to the U.S. Rounds also joined with Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana to successfully push an amendment to the bill that would prevent agents of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land in the U.S. Another bipartisan duo, Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas and Bob Casey, D-Pa., pushed an amendment to increase Treasury Department oversight of U.S. investment into Russian and Chinese technology firms that work with sensitive technology, such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Another provision that won support from both parties would allow the Treasury Department to use sanctions against people and organizations involved in the international fentanyl trade. Also included is language sponsored by Schumer requiring the government to collect records relating to unidentified aerial phenomena the official term the U.S. government uses instead of unidentified flying objects and review whether they need to stay classified. The amendment would allow the release of some of those records over time. Still unresolved, though, is Alabama Sen. Tommy Tubervilles refusal to allow the quick confirmation of hundreds of military nominations and promotions in the Senate. Tuberville is protesting the Defense Departments abortion policy, which covers the cost of travel for service members seeking abortion and reproductive care. Tuberville has shown little interest in backing down even as some of his fellow Republican senators have encouraged him to drop it. He is preventing quick action on over 260 nominations of senior military officers, including a commandant for the U.S. Marine Corps and others, frustrating leaders at the Pentagon and his own colleagues. The House bill contains a provision that would end the Defense Departments new abortion policy. But that would not pass the Democratic-led Senate. Biden called Tubervilles hold outrageous in a speech at the National Archives Thursday evening. There is a growing cascade of damage and disruption all because of one senator from Alabama, Biden said. Bidens administration did appear to work out a deal on nominations with a different Republican senator late Thursday. After meetings with State Department officials during the day, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul released his holds on several department nominees. The Senate later confirmed more than a dozen ambassadors, including former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell as ambassador to Italy. Hours earlier, Paul told reporters he was working with the department to receive more information on projects in China that were funded by the U.S. government. (AP) The White House is taking steps aimed at increasing the supply of affordable housing while also bolstering protections for renters. The housing measures announced Thursday include providing communities with $85 million in funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to reduce barriers to affordable housing, such as zoning restrictions that in some places have become a hurdle to increasing the supply and density of affordable housing. HUD would provide grants upwards of $10 million. HUD recognizes that communities have unique housing challenges and thats why the resources announced today are not one-size-fits-all, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a statement. Today, we are acting to increase the supply of affordable housing, which is crucial to lowering housing costs. We look forward to continuing this work in partnership with local communities. The White House also announced that it was forming an inter-agency task force to develop ways to fund efforts to convert more commercial buildings to residential housing, especially zero emissions and affordable units. Across the country, office-to-housing conversions are being pursued as a potential lifeline for struggling downtown business districts that emptied out during the coronavirus pandemic. The mismatch between the demand for housing and the inadequate supply of affordable and available homes is at the heart of todays housing affordability crisis, Dennis Shea, executive director of the Bipartisan Policy Centers J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy, said in a statement. These measures are part of a larger effort by the White House to address a chronic housing shortage, with the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimating the nation needs 7.3 million affordable rental homes to make up the gap. Meanwhile, evictions have returned to levels seen before the pandemic and are spiking in several cities across the country. Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, welcomed the news but said more needed to be done. As rents rise, homelessness increases, public housing deteriorates, and millions of families struggle to keep roofs over their heads, robust federal investments and actions are badly needed and long overdue, Yentel said. But the administration cant solve this crisis on its own. Congress must also act with similar urgency and enact badly needed housing investments and tenant protections. Measures aimed at helping renters include a requirement that landlords notify public housing tenants 30 days before a lease termination due to nonpayment of rent as well as $10 million for tenant education and outreach. We must provide renters with the necessary resources to safeguard their interests and enhance their communication with landlords, Fudge said. HUD is dedicated to collaborating with renters and ensuring they are well informed about their rights. The White House noted the policy directed at renters builds on earlier efforts during the pandemic including providing 11 million emergency rental payments as part of $46.5 billion in emergency rental assistance and funding systems aimed at preventing evictions in several cities and states. Other measures highlighted Thursday but announced earlier include $27 billion from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with money designated for retrofitting homes as well as the construction of zero-emission buildings. A $3.2 billion U.S. Department of Transportation program will target low-income communities with poor access to transportation. (AP) The powerful algorithms used by Facebook and Instagram to deliver content to users have increasingly been blamed for amplifying misinformation and political polarization. But a series of groundbreaking studies published Thursday suggest addressing these challenges is not as simple as tweaking the platforms software. The four research papers, published in Science and Nature, also reveal the extent of political echo chambers on Facebook, where conservatives and liberals rely on divergent sources of information, interact with opposing groups and consume distinctly different amounts of misinformation. Algorithms are the automated systems that social media platforms use to suggest content for users by making assumptions based on the groups, friends, topics and headlines a user has clicked on in the past. While they excel at keeping users engaged, algorithms have been criticized for amplifying misinformation and ideological content that has worsened the countrys political divisions. Proposals to regulate these systems are among the most discussed ideas for addressing social medias role in spreading misinformation and encouraging polarization. But when the researchers changed the algorithms for some users during the 2020 election, they saw little difference. We find that algorithms are extremely influential in peoples on-platform experiences and there is significant ideological segregation in political news exposure, said Talia Jomini Stroud, director of the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin and one of the leaders of the studies. We also find that popular proposals to change social media algorithms did not sway political attitudes. While political differences are a function of any healthy democracy, polarization occurs when those differences begin to pull citizens apart from each other and the societal bonds they share. It can undermine faith in democratic institutions and the free press. Significant division can undermine confidence in democracy or democratic institutions and lead to affective polarization, when citizens begin to view each other more as enemies than legitimate opposition. Its a situation that can lead to violence, as it did when supporters of then-President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. To conduct the analysis, researchers obtained unprecedented access to Facebook and Instagram data from the 2020 election through a collaboration with Meta, the platforms owners. The researchers say Meta exerted no control over their findings. When they replaced the algorithm with a simple chronological listing of posts from friends an option Facebook recently made available to users it had no measurable impact on polarization. When they turned off Facebooks reshare option, which allows users to quickly share viral posts, users saw significantly less news from untrustworthy sources and less political news overall, but there were no significant changes to their political attitudes. Likewise, reducing the content that Facebook users get from accounts with the same ideological alignment had no significant effect on polarization, susceptibility to misinformation or extremist views. Together, the findings suggest that Facebook users seek out content that aligns with their views and that the algorithms help by making it easier for people to do what theyre inclined to do, according to David Lazer, a Northeastern University professor who worked on all four papers. Eliminating the algorithm altogether drastically reduced the time users spent on either Facebook or Instagram while increasing their time on TikTok, YouTube or other sites, showing just how important these systems are to Meta in the increasingly crowded social media landscape. In response to the papers, Metas president for global affairs, Nick Clegg, said the findings showed there is little evidence that key features of Metas platforms alone cause harmful affective polarization or has any meaningful impact on key political attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. Katie Harbath, Facebooks former director of public policy, said they showed the need for greater research on social media and challenged assumptions about the role social media plays in American democracy. Harbath was not involved in the research. People want a simple solution and what these studies show is that its not simple, said Harbath, a fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and the CEO of the tech and politics firm Anchor Change. To me, it reinforces that when it comes to polarization, or peoples political beliefs, theres a lot more that goes into this than social media. One organization thats been critical of Metas role in spreading misinformation about elections and voting called the research limited and noted that it was only a snapshot taken in the midst of an election, and didnt take into account the effects of years of social media misinformation. Free Press, a non-profit that advocates for civil rights in tech and media, called Metas use of the research calculated spin. Meta execs are seizing on limited research as evidence that they shouldnt share blame for increasing political polarization and violence, Nora Benavidez, the groups senior counsel and director of digital justice and civil rights said in a statement. Studies that Meta endorses, which look piecemeal at narrow time periods, shouldnt serve as excuses for allowing lies to spread. The four studies also revealed the extent of the ideological differences of Facebook users and the different ways that conservatives and liberals use the platform to get news and information about politics. Conservative Facebook users are more likely to consume content that has been labeled misinformation by fact-checkers. They also have more sources to choose from. The analysis found that among the websites included in political Facebook posts, far more cater to conservatives than liberals. Overall, 97% of the political news sources on Facebook identified by fact-checkers as having spread misinformation were more popular with conservatives than liberals. The authors of the papers acknowledged some limitations to their work. While they found that changing Facebooks algorithms had little impact on polarization, they note that the study only covered a few months during the 2020 election, and therefore cannot assess the long-term impact that algorithms have had since their use began years ago. They also noted that most people get their news and information from a variety of sources television, radio, the internet and word-of-mouth and that those interactions could affect peoples opinions, too. Many in the United States blame the news media for worsening polarization. To complete their analyses, the researchers pored over data from millions of users of Facebook and Instagram and surveyed specific users who agreed to participate. All identifying information about specific users was stripped out for privacy reasons. Lazer, the Northeastern professor, said he was at first skeptical that Meta would give the researchers the access they needed, but was pleasantly surprised. He said the conditions imposed by the company were related to reasonable legal and privacy concerns. More studies from the collaboration will be released in coming months. There is no study like this, he said of the research published Thursday. Theres been a lot of rhetoric about this, but in many ways the research has been quite limited. (AP) House Democrats are demanding the release of a transcript from a new FBI witness that they say contradicts Republicans claims in the expanding congressional inquiry into President Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on House Oversight Committee, sent a letter Friday to Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the committee, asking him to produce the transcribed interview this month with an FBI agent who worked on the investigation into the younger Bidens taxes and foreign business dealings. The witness was interviewed on July 17. This failure to release a transcript is the latest in your troubling pattern of concealing key evidence in order to advance a false and distorted narrative about your investigation of Joe Biden that has not only failed to develop any evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden but has, in fact, uncovered substantial evidence to the contrary, Raskin wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press. The Maryland lawmaker claimed the closed-door interview with the unidentified agent conducted by committee staff directly undermined testimony released by Republicans last month from two IRS whistleblowers who allege that the Justice Department interfered with their yearslong investigation into Hunter Biden. Republicans said the transcript will be released but is not yet ready. The transcript is going through the normal review process where the witness reviews it and makes any corrections needed, the GOP majority tweeted Thursday night. Once that process has been completed, we will release it. House rules allow only the majority party to release transcribed interviews from a committee investigation, meaning minority Democrats have no direct power over the matter. Raskin says in the letter that it is unusual for the release of a transcript to take this long. However, it is not unusual for committee staff to handle whistleblowers cautiously and keep sensitive information tightly held. The letter from Raskin comes days after Hunter Bidens plea deal in a criminal case unraveled during a court hearing. A federal judge in the case raised concerns about the terms of the agreement. Republicans like Comer claimed vindication, having slammed the agreement as a sweetheart deal. The judge did the obvious thing, they put a pause on the plea deal, so I think that was progress, Comer said Wednesday. I think it adds credibility to what were doing. The presidents youngest son was charged last month with two misdemeanor crimes of failure to pay more than $100,000 in taxes on over $1.5 million in income in both 2017 and 2018. He had been expected to plead guilty Wednesday after he made an agreement with prosecutors, who wanted two years of probation. Prosecutors said Wednesday that Hunter Biden remains under active investigation, but would not reveal details. (AP) U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has criticized fellow Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for supporting new standards that require teachers to instruct middle school students that slaves developed skills that could be applied for their personal benefit. What slavery was really about was separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives. It was just devastating, Scott, the sole Black Republican in the Senate, told reporters on Thursday after a town hall in Ankeny. So I would hope that every person in our country and certainly running for president would appreciate that. People have bad days, Scott added. Sometimes they regret what they say. And we should ask them again to clarify their positions. DeSantis has been facing criticism from Florida teachers, civil rights leaders and President Joe Bidens White House on the school standards. Vice President Kamala Harris, the nations first Black vice president, traveled to Florida last week to condemn the curriculum. Scotts comments came as he and DeSantis stumped in Iowa ahead of the state Republican Partys Lincoln Day Dinner, a gathering at which 13 candidates in the GOP presidential primary field, including front-runner Donald Trump, will be addressing an expected 1,200 activists on Friday. Scott, part of the GOPs most diverse presidential field ever, was asked for his take on the standards hours after DeSantis defended them during a gaggle with reporters as he campaigned. At the end of the day, you got to choose: Are you going to side with Kamala Harris and liberal media outlets or are you going to side with the state of Florida? DeSantis told reporters, citing Democrats criticism of the language. I think its very clear that these guys did a good job on those standards. It wasnt anything that was politically motivated. Responding on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to reporters posts of Scotts video, a super PAC supporting DeSantis on Thursday night called the posts incredibly sloppy or intentionally disingenuous, reposting video of DeSantis defense of the curriculum earlier in the day. (AP) In a bid to combat excessive waste and its environmental impact, the Big Apple has implemented a new measure called the Skip the Stuff law, which requires customers to make specific requests for condiments, utensils, napkins, and extra containers when placing takeout and delivery orders. Starting this week, restaurants and delivery services will no longer automatically include these items, unless requested by the customer. The Department of Sanitation revealed in a press release that the move is part of an effort to curb the staggering amount of single-use plastics discarded daily in the US. Bronx Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez, who introduced the bill, said that over $40 billion worth of plastic utensils are thrown away every day. The legislation aims to reduce the unnecessary plastic and other disposables provided by food establishments. The excessive plastic waste often ends up in landfills, posing a threat to ecosystems and water systems. The Councils Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection found that only 14% of single-use plastics are recycled, making the legislation a step towards a greener city for future generations. Under the Skip the Stuff law, New York City businesses found in violation will face penalties, starting with a $50 charge for the first offense, $150 for the second, and $250 for three or more offenses, effective from July 1, 2024. However, eateries will have a grace period until June 30, 2024, during which they will receive warnings instead of fines. New Yorks initiative has sparked interest in neighboring states. New Jersey is reportedly considering a similar ban on disposable items. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Political instability in Niger resulting from a military takeover that deposed the president this week threatens the economic support provided by Washington to the African nation, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Saturday. Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the countrys new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africas Sahel region. Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. Our economic and security partnership with Niger which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days, Blinken said. So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed. Blinken stopped short of calling the military actions in Niger a coup, a designation that could result in the African country losing millions of dollars of military aid and assistance. Speaking in Brisbane, Blinken said he had spoken with President Bazoum on Saturday but did not provide details. He cited the support of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other regional entities in trying to bring an end to the unrest. The very significant assistance that we have in place thats making a material difference in the lives of the people of Niger is clearly in jeopardy and weve communicated that as clearly as we possibly can to those responsible for disrupting the constitutional order and Nigers democracy, Blinken said. Blinken said the U.S. Embassy in Niger had accounted for the safety of all staff members and their families, while issuing a security alert advising U.S. citizens in the country to limit unnecessary movements and avoid areas impacted by the coup. The military group that conducted the coup, calling itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, said its members remained committed to engaging with the international and national community. This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security situation, the bad economic and social governance, air force Col. Major Amadou Abdramane said in the video released by the coup leaders Wednesday. He said aerial and land borders were closed and a curfew was in place until the situation stabilized. Bazoum was elected two years ago in Nigers first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France. Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africas Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with Nigers military, while the U.S. and other European countries have helped train the nations troops. (AP) The United States has announced $345 million in military aid for Taiwan, in what is the Biden administrations first major package drawing on Americas own stockpiles to help Taiwan counter China. The White House said Friday the package would include defense, education and training for the Taiwanese. Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. U.S. lawmakers have been pressuring the Pentagon and White House to speed weapons to Taiwan. The goals are to help it counter China and to deter China from considering attacking, by providing Taipei enough weaponry that it would make the price of invasion too high. While Chinese diplomats protested the move, Taiwans representative office in the U.S. said the administrations decision to pull arms and other materiel from its stores provided an important tool to support Taiwans self-defense. In a statement, it pledged to work with the United States to maintain peace, stability and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwans Ministry of National Defense also expressed its appreciation in a statement that thanked the U.S. for its firm commitment to Taiwans security. The package is in addition to nearly $19 billion in military sales of F-16s and other major weapons systems that the U.S. has approved for Taiwan. Delivery of those weapons has been hampered by supply chain issues that started during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been exacerbated by the global defense industrial base pressures created by Russias invasion of Ukraine. The difference is that this aid is part of a presidential authority approved by Congress last year to draw weapons from current U.S. military stockpiles so Taiwan will not have to wait for military production and sales. This gets weapons delivered faster than providing funding for new weapons. The Pentagon has used a similar authority to get billions of dollars worth of munitions to Ukraine. Taiwan split from China in 1949 amid civil war. Chinese President Xi Jinping maintains Chinas right to take over the now self-ruled island, by force if necessary. China has accused the U.S. of turning Taiwan into a powder keg through the billions of dollars in weapons sales it has pledged. The U.S. maintains a One China policy under which it does not recognize Taiwans as an independent country and has no formal diplomatic relations with the island in deference to Beijing. However, U.S. law requires a credible defense for Taiwan and for the U.S. to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern. Getting stockpiles of weapons to Taiwan now, before an attack begins, is one of the lessons the U.S. has learned from Russias invasion of Ukraine, Pentagon deputy defense secretary Kathleen Hicks told The Associated Press earlier this year. Ukraine was more of a cold-start approach than the planned approach we have been working on for Taiwan, and we will apply those lessons, Hicks said. Efforts to resupply Taiwan after a conflict erupted would be complicated because it is an island, she said. China regularly sends warships and planes across the center line in the Taiwan Strait that provides a buffer between the sides, as well as into Taiwans air defense identification zone, in an effort to intimidate the islands 23 million people and wear down its military capabilities. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in a statement that Beijing was firmly opposed to U.S. military ties with Taiwan. The U.S. should stop selling arms to Taiwan and stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait, Liu said. (AP) President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, a 4-year-old girl fathered by his son Hunter with an Arkansas woman, Lunden Roberts, in 2018. Our son Hunter and Navys mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward, Biden said in a statement. It was his first acknowledgement of the child. This is not a political issue, its a family matter, he said. Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy. Hunter Bidens paternity was established by DNA testing after Roberts sued for child support, and the two parties recently resolved outstanding child support issues. The presidents son wrote about his encounter with Roberts in his 2021 memoir, saying it came while he was deep in addiction to alcohol and drugs, including crack cocaine. I had no recollection of our encounter, he wrote. Thats how little connection I had with anyone. I was a mess, but a mess Ive taken responsibility for. An attorney for Roberts did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The president, who has made a commitment to family central to his public persona, has faced increasing criticism from political rivals and pundits for failing to acknowledge the granddaughter. According to a person familiar with the matter, he was taking the cue from his son while the legal proceedings played out. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private matters. Hunter Biden has four other children, including a son, Beau, born to his wife Melissa Cohen in 2020. He was named after the presidents late son who died of cancer in 2015, leaving behind two children. Bidens grandchildren have played a distinctive role in his presidency, often accompanying the president or first lady on trips and making regular visits to the White House. The president has also credited his grandchildren with persuading him to challenge then-President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020. (AP) Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, the Polish prime minister said Saturday. Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland. Poland is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it has worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border. Those fears have grown since Wagner group mercenaries arrived in Belarus since the groups short-lived rebellion earlier this summer. The Poland-Belarus border has already been a tense place for a couple of years, ever since large numbers of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa began arriving, seeking to enter the EU by crossing into Poland, as well as Lithuania. Polands government accuses Russia and Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize Poland and other EU countries. It calls the migration a form of hybrid warfare, and has responded by building a high wall along part of its border with Belarus. Now the situation becomes even more dangerous, Morawiecki told reporters. He added that this is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory. Morawiecki spoke during a visit to an arms factory in Gliwice, in southern Poland, where Leopard tanks used by the Ukrainian army are being repaired. (AP) Make Bitcoin better for activists and claim part of a 20 Bitcoin rewardworth over half a million dollarsoffered by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF). The foundation officially launched a bug bounty challenge to support open-source development on the Bitcoin protocol, centered around ten improvements to the Bitcoin user experience (UX) and mainly aimed at mobile wallets. These bounties come from conversations with global activists, Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer for HRF told Decrypt. They are features that many would like to see come to Bitcoin. Each bounty is worth 2 BTC (nearly $60,000 according to CoinGecko), and is aimed at a specific problem that Bitcoin faces today, with six aimed at improving mobile wallets. One bug bounty challenge looks at open-source design components for Bitcoin projects, which currently rely heavily on proprietary design software called Figma. The goal is to provide developers free access to a Bitcoin User Interface (UI) guide. Another challenge looks to help expand and bolster development of Nostr, an open source and censorship resistant social network backed by Jack Dorsey that has garnered substantial notoriety in the past few monthsespecially among the more technical crypto crowd. The bounties aimed at Bitcoin wallets include the ability to generate and memorize seed phrases when crossing bordersa common practice the HRF wants to support around the world. The 20 Bitcoin that are financially incentivizing these bounties come from the HRFs Bitcoin Development Fund, a branch of the Foundation that looks to help expand financial freedom for dissidents and human rights activists everywhere. HRF views Bitcoin and financial freedom as one aspect of the human rights struggle, Gladstein told Decrypt. The fact is human rights defenders are persistently attacked through their bank accounts... Bitcoin allows them to keep going. At the time of writing, none of the ten bounties have been claimed, although they will run through this year and up to the end of 2024. The bounties are a bit of an experiment, Gladstein concluded. if they go well, maybe other organizations can do the same. Former Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri is joining No Labels increasingly contentious effort to lay the groundwork for a moderate third-party presidential ticket in the 2024 election. He gives the embattled organization another prominent ally amid escalating concerns from Democratic officials that the No Labels campaign could unintentionally help Republican Donald Trump return to the White House. Nixon, a 67-year-old lawyer, is stepping back into national politics for the first time since leaving office in 2017 and will serve as No Labels director of ballot integrity. He said in an interview that he was drawn to the role after learning that well-funded groups aligned with Democrats were working to stop No Labels from securing ballot access in key states. He said that those seeking to block the groups right to appear on the presidential ballot are attacking a pillar of American democracy. What do I say to those Democrats? I say, Youre entitled to your opinion. But we are also entitled to use our constitutional and statutory rights to allow Americans to have another choice, Nixon told The Associated Press. President Joe Biden and Trump have dominated the 2024 campaign conversation so far. But No Labels, a Washington-based group that promotes compromise, national unity and centrist policy solutions, has been preparing for the strongest third-party presidential bid at least since Texas businessman Ross Perot earned nearly 19% of the popular vote in 1992. Working with an operating budget of roughly $70 million, No Labels is taking steps to secure presidential ballot spots in roughly 20 states this year; the group has done so already in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Oregon and Utah. While No Labels has yet to nominate candidates for president and vice president, its leadership insists there is a path to victory for a centrist third-party ticket if the two parties select unreasonably divisive presidential nominees. The groups critics across the Democratic Party are terrified that No Labels will siphon votes that would otherwise go to Biden, who narrowly beat Trump in 2020 with a coalition that included moderate Democrats, independents and disaffected Republicans. No Labels leadership has promised a series of checks and balances that would allow the organization to withdraw its presidential ticket if it appears the groups participation would help Trump win. No Labels has not outlined a detailed plan about that, and leaders acknowledge privately there is some urgency to come out with their specific safeguards, which would vary state by state. They intend to do so by early fall. Anxious Democrats are unconvinced. On Thursday, two prominent Democratic groups, the centrist Third Way and more progressive MoveOn, hosted private meetings on Capitol Hill with dozens of chiefs of staff and senior aides to House and Senate Democrats to emphasize the need to stop No Labels presidential ambitions. In a nod to the seriousness of the Democratic establishments concerns, the meetings were held in both the House and Senate Democrats campaign headquarters. We told them what we have been saying consistently now for a long time: This is dangerous, said Third Way co-founder Matt Bennett, who helped lead the briefing along with MoveOns executive director, Rahna Epting. The organizers detailed data showing that a No Labels ticket would undercut Biden in the general election and warned that it could handicap vulnerable House and Senate candidates is tight elections. They also questioned that No Labels promise to withdraw its ticket if necessary to stop Trump. No Labels leaders are furious. They are telling the elected leaders of this country right now that our ballot is a runaway train. And that is categorically false. That is propaganda. And that is why were bringing on a director of ballot integrity to stop it because its outrageous, said No Labels founder Nancy Jacobson, a former Democratic fundraiser. For now, Democrats are not willing to take Jacobsons word for it. I dont want to be doing this. Id much rather focus on other things. I am concerned, genuinely, Epting said. Theyre in over their head. They have not given any assurances that theyre clear and sober in their analysis. And when they talk about being able to put the horse back in the barn, they are not consistent about when or how theyre going to do that. Theyre just saying, Trust us, Epting said. We cant. We dont know you. And the stakes are too high. Meanwhile, Nixon joins a growing roster of former elected officials in both parties now affiliated with No Labels. Among the others: Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.; former Govs. Jon Huntsman Jr., R-Utah, Larry Hogan, R-Md., and Pat McCrory, R-N.C.; and former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat who became an independent late in his political career. Manchin and Huntsman, ambassador to China under President Barack Obama and to Russia under Trump, hosted a town hall in New Hampshire this month, driving speculation they may ultimately become the No Labels presidential ticket. No Labels plans to hold a presidential nominating convention next April in Dallas, and the group is showing no signs of backing off its 2024 plans. With a massive budget fueled by anonymous donations, No Labels can afford to be patient in the fights ahead. Democrats in Arizona filed a complaint this month with the secretary of state asking to have the group suspended until it discloses it donors. In May, Maines top elections official sent a cease-and-desist letter regarding No Labels voter registration efforts after claiming the group was misleading voters. The group Citizens to Save Our Republic formed a super political action committee this month specifically designed to stop No Labels. The groups members includes Bennett from Third Way, several advisers to the anti-Trump Lincoln Project and former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo. Nixon, who declined to criticize Biden or Trump, said he understands that he is walking into a political firestorm. But he said he is passionate about No Labels constitutional right to secure a place on the ballot. I feel calm. I feel correct. I think we have a high moral ground here, he said. (AP) Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on three additional charges in a case that accuses him of illegally possessing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, allegations that add fresh detail to the criminal case initially issued last month. Heres a look at the charges, the special counsels investigation and how Trumps case differs from those of other politicians known to be in possession of classified documents: WHAT ARE THE NEW CHARGES? There are three new charges against Trump, as well as a new defendant in the case. Prosecutors accuse the former president of trying to alter, destroy, mutilate, or conceal evidence, and of inducing another person to do so. They say Trump asked a staffer Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira to delete camera footage at his Florida estate in an effort to obstruct the federal investigation into his possession of classified documents. Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira schemed with Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta, to conceal the footage from investigators. A third count also accuses Trump of willfully retaining national defense information related to a presentation about military activity in another country. Investigators say Trump showed a classified document during July 2021 meeting at his Bedminster, New Jersey, resort to the writer and publisher of the memoir of his former chief of staff Mark Meadows. Details about that document and the meeting were included in the original indictment, but none of the charges had related to it until now. Trump had returned that document to the government on Jan. 17, 2022 nearly a year after he left office, according to the indictment. Trump was indicted last month on 37 counts related to the mishandling of classified documents. The charges include counts of retaining classified information, obstructing justice and making false statements, among other crimes. Trump is accused of keeping documents related to nuclear weaponry in the United States and the nuclear capabilities of a foreign country, along with documents from White House intelligence briefings, including some that detail the military capabilities of the U.S. and other countries, according to the indictment. Prosecutors alleged Trump showed off the documents to people who did not have security clearances to review them and later tried to conceal documents from his own lawyers as they sought to comply with federal demands to find and return documents. The top charges carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. After leaving office in 2021, the former president showed someone working for his political action committee a map that detailed a military operation in a foreign country, prosecutors allege in the document. On another occasion that year, Trump showed a writer, a publisher and two of his staffers none of whom had security clearances a military plan of attack. HOW IS TRUMP REACTING? A Trump campaign statement dismissed the new charges as nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden administration to harass President Trump and those around him and to influence the 2024 presidential race. In an interview Thursday night with Breitbart News, Trump called the superseding indictment harassment, repeating his insistence that his activities were protected by the Presidential Records Act. On Friday, Trump and a dozen other Republicans seeking the 2024 presidential nomination were expected at an Iowa GOP event. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? De Oliveira is due in court in Florida on Monday. Both Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty to the original 38-count indictment. Their trial is currently scheduled for May 20, 2024 deep into the presidential nominating calendar, and probably well after the Republican nominee is known and it was unclear if the addition of a new defendant could result in a postponement. Prosecutors, who had wanted the case to go to trial in December, wrote in a separate court filing Thursday that the new charges should not disturb the May trial date, and the Special Counsels Office is taking steps related to discovery and security clearances to ensure that it does not do so. Trumps lawyers have claimed that he cant get a fair trial before the 2024 election. HOW DID THIS CASE COME ABOUT? Officials with the National Archives and Records Administration contacted representatives for Trump in spring 2021 when they realized that important material from his time in office was missing. According to the Presidential Records Act, White House documents are considered property of the U.S. government and must be preserved. A Trump representative told the National Archives in December 2021 that presidential records had been found at Mar-a-Lago. In January 2022, the National Archives retrieved 15 boxes of documents from Trumps Florida home, later telling Justice Department officials that they contained a lot of classified material. That May, the FBI and Justice Department issued a subpoena for remaining classified documents in Trumps possession. Investigators who went to visit the property weeks later to collect the records were given roughly three dozen documents and a sworn statement from Trumps lawyers attesting that the requested information had been returned. But that assertion turned out to be false. With a search warrant, federal officials returned to Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 and seized more than 33 boxes and containers totaling 11,000 documents from a storage room and an office, including 100 classified documents. In all, roughly 300 documents with classification markings including some at the top secret level have been recovered from Trump since he left office in January 2021. HOW DID A SPECIAL COUNSEL GET INVOLVED? Last year, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland picked Jack Smith, a veteran war crimes prosecutor with a background in public corruption probes, to lead investigations into the presence of classified documents at Trumps Florida estate, as well as key aspects of a separate probe involving the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and efforts to undo the 2020 election. Smiths appointment was a recognition by Garland of the politics involved in an investigation into a former president and current White House candidate. Garland himself was selected by Democratic President Joe Biden, whom Trump is seeking to challenge for the White House in 2024. Special counsels are appointed in cases in which the Justice Department perceives itself as having a conflict or where its deemed to be in the public interest to have someone outside the government come in and take responsibility for a matter. According to the Code of Federal Regulations, a special counsel must have a reputation for integrity and impartial decision making, as well as an informed understanding of the criminal law and Department of Justice policies. DIDNT BIDEN AND FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE HAVE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS, TOO? Yes, but the circumstances of their cases are vastly different from those involving Trump. After classified documents were found at Bidens think tank and Pences Indiana home, their lawyers notified authorities and quickly arranged for them to be handed over. They also authorized other searches by federal authorities to search for additional documents. There is no indication either was aware of the existence of the records before they were found, and no evidence has so far emerged that Biden or Pence sought to conceal the discoveries. Thats important because the Justice Department historically looks for willfulness in deciding whether to bring criminal charges. A special counsel was appointed earlier this year to probe how classified materials ended up at Bidens Delaware home and former office. But even if the Justice Department were to find Bidens case prosecutable on the evidence, its Office of Legal Counsel has concluded that a president is immune from prosecution during his time in office. As for Pence, the Justice Department informed his legal team this month that it would not be pursuing criminal charges against him over his handling of the documents. DOES A FEDERAL INDICTMENT PREVENT TRUMP FROM RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT? No. Neither the indictment itself nor a conviction would prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024. And, as his indictment earlier this year in a New York hush-money case showed, criminal charges have historically been a boon to his fundraising. The campaign announced that it had raised over $4 million in the 24 hours after that indictment became public, smashing its previous record after the FBI search of Trumps Mar-a-Lago club. (AP) Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie continued his crusade against his former friend and ex-President, Donald Trump, amid Trumps dominant position in the Republican presidential primary race. As the GOP contenders gear up for the Fox News debate on August 23, Christie voiced concerns about the possibility of a candidate facing indictment becoming the partys nominee. In an interview with Neil Cavuto on Fox News, Christie expressed his apprehensions, stating, We have a front-runner right now who, when he gets on the stage for the Fox News debate on August 23, will be out on bail in at least two different jurisdictions, if not three. How are we going to beat the Democrats with a candidate who is going to be out on bail, facing numerous self-inflicted wounds in courtrooms across this country? Trump, who denies all allegations against him, recently lashed out at Special Counsel Jack Smith, accusing him of being a deranged and sick puppet of Attorney General Merrick Garland and President Joe Biden. Christie noted that Trump might face additional charges from Smith, a former Kosovo War crimes prosecutor, who handled former Virginia Republican Governor Bob McDonnells corruption case, which was ultimately vacated by the Supreme Court in 2016. During the interview, Christie dismissed other candidates critiques aimed at Trump, asserting that he is the only one unafraid to challenge or criticize the former president. He singled out former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, highlighting what he described as mixed messaging on whether Trump should run or be the GOP nominee. In response to Senator Mitt Romneys suggestion that Republicans rally around a non-Trump candidate to potentially sideline him, Christie acknowledged the sentiment but indicated it might be premature to do so. He recalled the 2016 Republican primary, where the field initially consisted of 17 candidates, but the numbers quickly dwindled after the first debate without any external pressure. Christie, who had been the U.S. attorney for the Newark office during President George W. Bushs tenure, drew from his experience to suggest that the superseding indictment from Smiths office indicates the presence of a cooperating witness within the Trump Organization, providing information on the ex-president. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Former President Donald Trump encountered a resounding chorus of disapproval from rally attendees in Erie, Pa., on Saturday when he inquired if he should take part in the upcoming GOP presidential debate. The debate, hosted by Fox News, is scheduled to take place in Milwaukee on August 23. Addressing the crowd, Trump acknowledged receiving numerous inquiries about his potential attendance at the debate. He had previously hinted at the possibility of skipping the event, citing Fox News as a hostile network and emphasizing his strong polling numbers, which position him as the frontrunner ahead of other candidates. Am I going to stand up there with guys polling at 0, 1, 2, 3 percent, maybe 4, and endure hostile questions? he questioned. The response from the audience was a resounding no, met with widespread cheers when Trump asked if he should skip the debate. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has consistently polled as Trumps closest competitor in the primaries, voiced his stance in an interview on Newsmax earlier in the month. He stated that no candidate is entitled to the nomination and that earning it requires showing up, making a case, and answering questions. DeSantis emphasized that he plans to participate in the debate and believes it presents an excellent opportunity for a substantial discussion about the future of the country. Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also joined the ranks of those urging Trump to attend the debate, stating that he would not let the former president evade participation. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley likewise emphasized the importance of Trump addressing his legal challenges on the debate stage. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie echoed the sentiment, asserting that Trump cannot avoid the debates if he is pursuing the presidential run. Christie emphasized the significance of fair play and respect toward Republican voters, stressing that Trumps absence would be both unfair and disrespectful. In response to the mounting pressure and calls for his participation, Trump stated on Saturday that he has not yet made a definitive commitment either way. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) At a moment of growing legal peril, Donald Trump ramped up his calls for his GOP rivals to drop out of the 2024 presidential race as he threatened to primary Republican members of Congress who fail to focus on investigating Democratic President Joe Biden and urged them to halt Ukrainian military aid until the White House cooperates with their investigations into Biden and his family. Every dollar spent attacking me by Republicans is a dollar given straight to the Biden campaign, Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. The former president and GOP frontrunner said it was time for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others he dismissed as clowns to clear the field, accusing them of wasting hundreds of millions of dollars that Republicans should be using to build a massive vote-gathering operation to take on Biden in November. The comments came two days after federal prosecutors unveiled new criminal charges against Trump as part of the case that accuses him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club and refusing to turn them over to investigators. The superseding indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that Trump and two staffers sought to delete surveillance at the club in an effort to obstruct the Justice Departments investigation. The case is just one of Trumps mounting legal challenges. His team is currently bracing for additional possible indictments, which could happen as soon as this coming week, related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election brought by prosecutors in both Washington and Georgia. Trump already faces criminal charges in New York over hush money payments made to women who accused him of extramarital encounters during his 2016 presidential campaign. Nevertheless, Trump remains the dominant early frontrunner for the Republican nomination and has only seen his lead grow as the charges have mounted and as his rivals have struggled to respond. Their challenge was on display at a GOP gathering in Iowa Friday night, where they largely declined to go after Trump directly. The only one who did accusing Trump of running to stay out of prison was booed as he left the stage. In the meantime, Trump has embraced his legal woes, turning them into the core message of his bid to return to the White House as he accuses Biden of using the Justice Department to maim his chief political rival. The White House has said repeatedly that the president has had no involvement in the cases. At rallies including Saturdays Trump has tried to frame the charges, which come with serious threats of jail time, as an attack not just on him, but those who support him. Theyre not indicting me, theyre indicting you. I just happen to be standing in the way, he told the arena crowd in Erie, adding that, Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it actually a great badge of honor. Because Im being indicted for you. But the investigations are also sucking up enormous resources that are being diverted from the nuts and bolts of the campaign. The Washington Post first reported Saturday that Trumps political action committee, Save America, will report Monday that it spent more than $40 million on legal fees during the first half of 2023 defending Trump and all of the current and former aides whose lawyers it is paying. The total is more than the campaign raised during the second quarter of the year. In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Bidens cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, the leadership PAC contributed to their legal fees to ensure they have representation against unlawful harassment, said Trumps spokesman Steven Cheung. At the rally held in a former Democratic stronghold that Trump flipped in 2016, but Biden won narrowly in 2020 Trump also threatened Republicans in Congress who refuse to go along with efforts to impeach Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said this past week that Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry into the president over unproven claims of financial misconduct. Trump, who was impeached twice while in office, said Saturday that, The biggest complaint that I get is that the Republicans find out this information and then they do nothing about it. Any Republican that doesnt act on Democrat fraud should be immediately primaries and get out out! he told the crowd to loud applause. They have to play tough and if theyre not willing to do it, we got a lot of good, tough Republicans around and theyre going to get my endorsement every singe time. Trump, during the 2022 midterm elections, made it his mission to punish those who had voted in favor of his second impeachment and succeeded in unseating most who had by backing primary challengers. At the rally, Trump also called on Republican members of Congress to halt the authorization of additional military support to Ukraine, which has been mired in a war fighting Russias invasion, until the Biden administration cooperates with Republican investigations into Biden and his familys business dealings words that echoed the call that lead to his first impeachment. Hes dragging into a global conflict on behalf of the very same country, Ukraine, that apparently paid his family all of these millions of dollars, Trump alleged. In light of this information, Congress, he said, should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles the weapons stockpiles to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime familys corrupt business dealings. House Republicans have been investigating the Biden familys finances, particularly payments Hunter, the presidents son, received from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that became tangled in the first impeachment of Trump. An unnamed confidential FBI informant claimed that Burisma company officials in 2015 and 2016 sought to pay the Bidens $5 million each in return for their help ousting a Ukrainian prosecutor who was purportedly investigating the company. (AP) The Biden administration has discovered a malicious computer code believed to have been concealed by China deep within critical U.S. infrastructure networks, including power grids, communications systems, and water supplies feeding military bases worldwide, the New York Times reports. American military, intelligence, and national security officials fear that the malware, possibly orchestrated by hackers associated with the Peoples Liberation Army, poses a significant threat to U.S. military operations, especially in the event of a conflict involving Taiwan. This dangerous malware is akin to a ticking time bomb, a congressional official warned, potentially giving China the ability to disrupt American military deployments or resupply operations by cutting off essential resources like power, water, and communications to U.S. military bases. Beyond military targets, this infrastructure often serves ordinary Americans, magnifying the impact and urgency of the threat. The malware campaign first surfaced publicly in late May when Microsoft detected suspicious computer code in telecommunications systems on Guam, home to a crucial American air base. However, more than a dozen U.S. officials and industry experts now assert that the Chinese effort predated the May report by at least a year. The extent of the codes presence worldwide remains unclear, causing concern and prompting Situation Room meetings at the White House involving top officials from the National Security Council, the Pentagon, the Homeland Security Department, and intelligence agencies. While the administration debates the primary objective of the operation whether to disrupt the military or civilian life more broadly in a potential conflict = initial searches for the code have focused on areas with a high concentration of American military bases. President Bidens administration has begun briefing members of Congress, state governors, and utility companies on their findings. Chinese officials have denied engaging in cyberoperations against the United States, despite accusations of past cyberattacks, including the theft of security clearance files from the Office of Personnel Management during the Obama administration. This latest intrusion appears different from traditional surveillance-focused attacks, as its primary intent appears to be disruption. U.S. officials warn that the code could be a tool for distracting attention from an overseas conflict during an attack on Taiwan or another Chinese action. Chinas potential advantage in a Taiwan confrontation lies in delaying American military deployments for days or weeks, granting them a window to assert control over the island by force. Furthermore, disruptions in U.S. infrastructure could capture the attention of American citizens, potentially diverting their focus from the conflict. While removing some of the malware is feasible, cybersecurity experts are concerned about Chinas ability to regain access using similar techniques. Additionally, the removal process risks tipping off Chinese hackers about U.S. detection capabilities and potential weaknesses, enabling them to further refine their tactics. The discovery of this sophisticated and elusive malware coincides with escalating tensions between the U.S. and China, heightening concerns over potential cyberwarfare. The Biden administration is now confronted with the challenge of safeguarding critical infrastructure, defending national security, and preparing for any future cyberthreats. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) A Jewish soldier has passed away after he was mortally wounded fighting against Russian forces occupying the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Maxim Schwarzman was a father of 2 who worked as a photojournalist until war broke out, when he immediately enlisted in the Ukrainian military. He was killed on July 15, with his death only being made official late last week. His friends told local media that Schwarzman joined the Ukrainian defense forces when Russia occupied his hometown Kalanchak, in the Kherson region, and was determined to root the Russians out of the country. War has a special kind of torture for those who wait, his wife wrote on Facebook. I have waited for my Protector. Now he will defend us from Heaven. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Tragedy struck the Stamford Hill, UK, frum community on Sunday as word spread of a horrific accident in France involving a frum family that resulted in the tragic passing of the 49-year-old mother, Mrs. Miriam Posen ah. The accident occurred around 6 PM Sunday on the A26 (direction Reims-Calais) between the municipalities of Neuville-Saint-Vaast and Angres, near a work zone. Three vehicles collided, including a van. In the latter was a frum British family of seven. The mother was RL tragically killed instantly, while the other family members ranging in age between 6 and 48 were all transported to the Cambrai hospital center. Besides for the mother, all of the frum family members are in stable condition. Belgium Hatzolah has personnel stationed at the hospital to assist the family in any way possible. The names for Tehillim are: In the second vehicle involved in the accident, consisting of four people, a non-Jewish 75-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man died. The two other passengers (a 14-year-old boy and a 79-year-old man) were in life-threatening condition and were transported by helicopter to the Lille University Hospital. Finally, in the third vehicle, the four passengers aged aged between 6 and 33 were lightly injured. The name of the victim was not released pending proper family notifications. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Israel Police opened an investigation on suspicion of insulting a public servant, defamation and incitement to violence after left-wing protesters produced signs with the names and photos of police officers who allegedly acted violently against protesters and distributed them among protest areas in Tel Aviv. Israel Police calls on the public to refrain from publishing photos that harm police officers and their families and slander them, the police said. Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said: This is a serious shaming phenomenon that weve never encountered before. These police officers have families and children, theyve contributed decades to security. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said: The shaming and incitement campaign by a group of anarchists against Tel Aviv police officers, the heroes who protect the safety of the residents of Tel Aviv and the citizens of Israel and have been working devotedly every week for six months to enforce the law and maintain public order is shocking and crosses all red lines. I support the heroic Israel Police officers and these officers who are moser nefesh in the field and also endure online attacks. Im confident that they will continue to do their job to the best of their ability as they have been doing so far. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Sponsored Content A burgeoning startup community is thriving within the Orthodox Jewish community, thanks to the pioneering efforts of Crown Ventures Accelerator. Crown Ventures https://www.crownventures.nyc/ was created to enhance opportunities for Yeshiva-educated founders within the technology and innovation sector, said Crown Ventures founder, Yehoshua Werde. Our vision is to create a comprehensive startup ecosystem to rapidly launch and scale profitable companies that will change the world for the better. Until now there was a big lack of support for tech in our community so [Crown Ventures] is a huge help, said Jacob Eisenbach Founder/CEO of Geeker.co. Hershy Goldstein, Founder/CEO of fridayapp.com, said he attended a Crown Ventures event because he wanted to be around the heimishe startup ecosystem. Its very inspiring to see young people from our community pursue this path, which until now wasnt as accessible to people from our community. I believe that Jewish Orthodox founders are talented, capable, knowledgeable, and innovative, but in the sphere of technology and innovation, they remain underrepresented, said Crown Ventures program Director, Ephraim Yarmak. Encouraging entrepreneurship is essential to the frum world. Im particularly excited about our community succeeding in tech, where its less about which school you went to, and more about talent and drive. Yeshiva-world founders are smart and driven, and with Seyata DeShmaya well see some amazing successes come out of this accelerator. Daniel Cotlar former CMO Blinds.com (Home Depot) and a Crown Ventures Mentor. Yedid and Tova Herskovitz, co-founders of Rapidream.com, a member of Crown Ventures echoed the widely held sentiment that we need more investment in tech in the Jewish world. Its really hard to break into the outside worlds tech bubble because a lot of us [Orthodox Jews] didnt go to Stanford or the other universities where most of the future tech leaders go, said Tova. A lot of business is about who you know, so if you dont have industry connections, it can be harder to break into the ecosystem and raise capital. Thats why its so great to finally have a place like Crown Ventures where you can meet other people in the community with whom you may have connections in common, and they can get to know you, trust you, and hear your ideas. This will make it easier for startups in our community to find investment. Current Startups in the Crown Ventures Ecosystem represent the cutting edge of what our community has to offer with incredible startups that have the potential to disrupt industries. A look at a few: Hatch: The first-ever Giving Intelligence Platform that harnesses AI to revolutionize fundraising, marketing, and volunteering. https://hatch.ai Rapidream: A cutting-edge design-to-code tool for software development, streamlining the process for designers and developers. https://rapidream.com/ Ritual: A platform providing personalized and science-backed tools for relationship support, addressing a critical area of mental healthcare. https://www.heyritual.com Weave: Pioneering a generative AI platform for enhanced collaboration within the life science industry. https://www.weave.bio Simbryo: Pioneers in the IVF space, using organoid technology and AI for a personalized IVF process. Were here because were lucky enough to be small investors in this, said Zach Firestone of Tiferes Ventures, a VC firm. Weve gotten to know these startup companies quite well thanks to Crown Ventures and we are incredibly impressed. Crown Ventures is providing an unbelievable service for the Orthodox Startup community and the startup community at large. All the companies in this cohort are world-class startups who deserve to be on that stage! Im looking forward to going even deeper with a number of these companies and to participating in future cohorts as well. Kudos to Crown Ventures and thank you so much for everything youve done! If you have a startup and would like to join the Crown ventures network, please send us an email at [email protected] Rory Bradshaw, 31, has been teaching yoga classes at a UK male prison for the last four years. Here's what his side gig is like, as-told-to Insider. Nick Cornwall Rory Bradshaw, 31, has been teaching yoga classes at a male prison in the UK for the last four years. Bradshaw says the side hustle has been rewarding and that he can make up to $500 a week. Here's what its like to be a prison yoga instructor, as told to Insider's Aaron Mok. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rory Bradshaw, a 31-year-old prison program lead based in London, about what it's like to teach yoga at a men's prison. Insider verified his income with documentation. It has been edited for length and clarity. At my full-time job, I manage a prison program teaching male inmates tech skills like coding. But on the side, I make money as a prison yoga instructor and it's been a real privilege. I first started doing yoga years ago when I was working at a community center in South London. At the center, there were women running free community yoga classes who encouraged me to attend, and I immediately connected with the practice. After getting a huge emotional, mental, and physical benefit from it, I started incorporating yoga into my own life and saw how it could support my work and relationships. Later, the women asked if I'd be interested in teaching a free yoga class at a men's prison in South London. I took the opportunity and trained to be a teacher, eventually teaching my first classes at the men's prison. I immediately fell in love with the job and have been teaching yoga classes at the prison two days a week regularly for the last four years. Since the prison regime starts very early, I typically wake up around 6 a.m., and travel an hour-and-a-quarter by bike and train to get to the prison. When I arrive, I go through security. Once I'm inside, I go cell-to-cell rounding up the guys to come. It's a real effort to gather them all together. Some days, the guys are still asleep, have a family visit, or have a healthcare appointment, which means they can't practice for the day. Other times, they're resistant to attend because they have preconceived notions about who yoga is for. I'm often met with comments like "it's just for women," "I'm not flexible," or "it goes against my religion" to which I respond by explaining how yoga can help alleviate their stress and anxiety. Story continues Despite these complications, I'm usually able to get around 20 people a combination of young fit guys, weak elderly men, and staff members to attend class that lasts for up to an hour and fifteen minutes. In my yoga classes, I take a trauma-informed approach, where I help the men process their life experiences by encouraging them notice their body sensations and focus on the present. Typically, my class starts with a meditation, followed by gentle movements and controlled breath work. After that, I gradually incorporate postures like child's pose, cat-cow variations, and sun salutations as I guide them through a flow. Once the class is over, I ask the guys for their feedback. We discuss what felt good and what didn't and I adjust my yoga routines accordingly. After the first class, I go to another wing of the prison and repeat the process for a second class before I take the long journey home. A typical work day is about six hours long. From what I've observed, yoga has made a positive impact on these men. The guys tell me they feel less back pain and more open in the hips, and I often hear guys say they feel lighter and more relaxed. Each class gives them space away from a very chaotic prison environment. It's common to see men who were, at first, resistant to the practice coming back week after week. Outside of the prison, people ask if I find the job scary. It's not. Aside from the banging, shouting, alarms, and dogs barking, it's just a class. It's not in their interest to be in any way aggressive or fearful towards me. In fact, the men are friendly, creative, and intelligent and we have a good time. Even though it's time consuming, prison yoga instruction is a side gig of mine. Depending on the prison budget, a standard yoga instructor in the UK typically makes between 30 to 50 ($38 to $64 US dollars) per class. If you teach multiple classes a day, you could make between 300 to 400 pounds ($386 to $514 US dollars) a week. Moving forward, I will be teaching yoga at a new prison once a week on a voluntary basis. I'll also be filming yoga content which will be streamed throughout the prison so all the guys can access it through their cells. I have ambitions to one day get yoga into every prison prison cell in the country. Overall, it's been a real privilege to be able to come into what's a quite harsh and challenging environment, and to be able to offer space to the men to look after their own well-being. Read the original article on Business Insider Douglas Emmett (NYSE:DEI Get Free Report) is scheduled to be releasing its earnings data after the market closes on Tuesday, August 1st. Analysts expect Douglas Emmett to post earnings of $0.48 per share for the quarter. Individual that are interested in participating in the companys earnings conference call can do so using this link. Douglas Emmett Trading Up 3.1 % DEI opened at $14.39 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average is $12.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 2.54 and a current ratio of 2.54. The firm has a market cap of $2.44 billion, a PE ratio of 28.22 and a beta of 0.96. Douglas Emmett has a twelve month low of $10.09 and a twelve month high of $23.85. Get Douglas Emmett alerts: Douglas Emmett Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th were paid a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.28%. Douglas Emmetts payout ratio is currently 149.02%. Insider Transactions at Douglas Emmett Institutional Trading of Douglas Emmett In other Douglas Emmett news, Director William E. Simon, Jr. purchased 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $12.42 per share, for a total transaction of $124,200.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 91,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,130,220. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Company insiders own 14.00% of the companys stock. A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of DEI. Toroso Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Douglas Emmett by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 18,656 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $230,000 after acquiring an additional 2,305 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Douglas Emmett by 13.3% in the first quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 378,533 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $4,674,000 after buying an additional 44,564 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Douglas Emmett by 5.1% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,544,021 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $19,039,000 after acquiring an additional 74,352 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC grew its holdings in shares of Douglas Emmett by 94.7% during the 1st quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 3,695 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,797 shares during the period. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Douglas Emmett by 400.1% during the 1st quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 56,908 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $701,000 after purchasing an additional 45,528 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.37% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Douglas Emmett from $20.00 to $15.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Douglas Emmett from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their target price for the stock from $13.00 to $15.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. TheStreet downgraded shares of Douglas Emmett from a c rating to a d+ rating in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Douglas Emmett from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Thursday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $15.78. Douglas Emmett Company Profile (Get Free Report) Douglas Emmett, Inc (DEI) is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), and one of the largest owners and operators of high-quality office and multifamily properties located in the premier coastal submarkets of Los Angeles and Honolulu. Douglas Emmett focuses on owning and acquiring a substantial share of top-tier office properties and premier multifamily communities in neighborhoods that possess significant supply constraints, high-end executive housing and key lifestyle amenities. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Douglas Emmett Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Douglas Emmett and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EQB (TSE:EQB Free Report) had its price target boosted by National Bankshares from C$78.00 to C$88.00 in a report issued on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports. Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Raymond James boosted their price target on EQB from C$87.00 to C$89.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. TD Securities upped their price target on EQB from C$87.00 to C$88.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on EQB from C$87.00 to C$88.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Get EQB alerts: EQB Stock Performance EQB stock opened at C$77.52 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$69.80 and a 200-day moving average price of C$64.53. EQB has a fifty-two week low of C$44.81 and a fifty-two week high of C$77.82. The company has a market capitalization of C$2.92 billion, a PE ratio of 10.20, a P/E/G ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.68. EQB Increases Dividend EQB ( TSE:EQB Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported C$2.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$2.50 by C$0.12. EQB had a return on equity of 12.12% and a net margin of 34.41%. The business had revenue of C$267.83 million for the quarter. On average, analysts forecast that EQB will post 10.6384181 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. This is an increase from EQBs previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.91%. EQBs dividend payout ratio is currently 19.47%. EQB Company Profile (Get Free Report) EQB Inc, through its subsidiary, Equitable Bank, provides personal and commercial banking services to retail and commercial customers in Canada. The company accepts term deposits and guaranteed investment certificates, high interest savings accounts, institutional deposit notes and covered bonds, as well as specialized financing solutions. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for EQB Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EQB and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kilroy Realty (NYSE:KRC Get Free Report) is scheduled to release its earnings data after the market closes on Monday, July 31st. Analysts expect Kilroy Realty to post earnings of $1.11 per share for the quarter. Persons that are interested in participating in the companys earnings conference call can do so using this link. Kilroy Realty Stock Up 2.1 % Shares of NYSE:KRC opened at $35.57 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.27, a quick ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Kilroy Realty has a 12 month low of $25.99 and a 12 month high of $54.61. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $30.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.66. The company has a market cap of $4.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.70, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.89. Get Kilroy Realty alerts: Kilroy Realty Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 12th. Investors of record on Friday, June 30th were given a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.07%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 29th. Kilroy Realtys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 107.46%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kilroy Realty Several equities analysts recently issued reports on KRC shares. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Kilroy Realty from $45.00 to $40.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 30th. StockNews.com started coverage on Kilroy Realty in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Kilroy Realty from $47.00 to $38.00 in a report on Thursday, June 15th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $43.50. Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of KRC. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new position in Kilroy Realty in the second quarter worth about $59,000. First Manhattan Co. acquired a new position in Kilroy Realty in the first quarter worth approximately $105,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Kilroy Realty in the 4th quarter worth approximately $53,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Kilroy Realty in the 4th quarter worth approximately $98,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC boosted its stake in Kilroy Realty by 344.6% in the 1st quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 3,223 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,498 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.93% of the companys stock. About Kilroy Realty (Get Free Report) Kilroy Realty Corporation (NYSE: KRC, the company, Kilroy) is a leading U.S. landlord and developer, with operations in San Diego, Greater Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Pacific Northwest and Austin, Texas. The company has earned global recognition for sustainability, building operations, innovation and design. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Kilroy Realty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kilroy Realty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Delta Apparel (NYSE:DLA Get Free Report) and Talon International (OTCMKTS:TALN Get Free Report) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, dividends, earnings and risk. Risk and Volatility Delta Apparel has a beta of 1.42, suggesting that its stock price is 42% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Talon International has a beta of 0.02, suggesting that its stock price is 98% less volatile than the S&P 500. Get Delta Apparel alerts: Insider and Institutional Ownership 54.5% of Delta Apparel shares are held by institutional investors. 9.4% of Delta Apparel shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 20.3% of Talon International shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Delta Apparel -1.00% -2.57% -0.89% Talon International N/A N/A N/A Analyst Recommendations This table compares Delta Apparel and Talon Internationals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Delta Apparel and Talon International, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Delta Apparel 0 0 0 0 N/A Talon International 0 0 0 0 N/A Valuation & Earnings This table compares Delta Apparel and Talon Internationals gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Delta Apparel $484.86 million 0.12 $19.74 million ($0.67) -12.91 Talon International $37.54 million N/A $1.72 million N/A N/A Delta Apparel has higher revenue and earnings than Talon International. About Delta Apparel (Get Free Report) Delta Apparel, Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, sources, and markets activewear and lifestyle apparel products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Delta Group and Salt Life Group. It offers on-demand digitally printed apparel products under the DTG2Go brand; silhouettes and fleece products; performance shirts that keep athletes dry under the Delta Dri line brand; ringspun garments; Delta Soft apparel products; and heritage, mid- and heavier-weight tee shirts under the Delta Pro Weight and Magnum Weight brand names, as well as polos, outerwear, headwear, bags, and other accessories. The company also distributes its products to various audience, which includes sporting goods and outdoor retailers, specialty and resort shops, farm and fleet stores, department stores, and mid-tier retailers, as well as through soffe.com website. In addition, it offers apparel, swimwear, board shorts, sunglasses, bags, and accessories under the Salt Life brand name; and craft beer under the Salt Life Lager brand through surf shops, specialty stores, department stores, and outdoor retailers, as well as through its saltlife.com ecommerce site. The company was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia. About Talon International (Get Free Report) Talon International, Inc. manufactures and distributes apparel components and accessories to manufacturers of fashion apparel, specialty retailers, and mass merchandisers. The company offers a line of metal, coil, and plastic zippers under the Talon brand name; apparel trim components, including tags, labels, buttons, rivets, leather patches, woven labels, heat transfer seals, tapes, ribbons, printed marketing material, polybasic, packing cartons, and hangers; Flex-It films, adhesive films, overlay films, seam sealing tapes; metal fasteners; stretch waistbands, shirt collars, and inner pocketing panels under the Tekfit brand, as well as packaging and other items; and specialty stretch technology for interlinings. It also provides outsourced trim design, sourcing, and management services, as well as supplies custom branded trim components. The company sells its products through its own sales force in the United States, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, as well as through sales representatives in Europe. The company was formerly known as Tag-It Pacific, Inc. and changed its name to Talon International, Inc. in July 2007. Talon International, Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Woodland Hills, California. Receive News & Ratings for Delta Apparel Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Delta Apparel and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in shares of GoldMining Inc. (NYSEMKT:GLDG Free Report) by 10.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,298,728 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 871,961 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp owned approximately 0.06% of GoldMining worth $11,251,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its stake in GoldMining by 101.1% during the 4th quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 36,400 shares of the companys stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 18,300 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning boosted its position in shares of GoldMining by 225.8% during the 4th quarter. Creative Planning now owns 43,472 shares of the companys stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 30,130 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. acquired a new position in shares of GoldMining during the 1st quarter valued at about $74,000. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of GoldMining during the 1st quarter valued at about $77,000. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its position in shares of GoldMining by 37.3% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 48,716 shares of the companys stock valued at $83,000 after acquiring an additional 13,241 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.12% of the companys stock. Get GoldMining alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, HC Wainwright boosted their price target on shares of GoldMining from $5.00 to $5.25 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 25th. Insider Activity GoldMining Stock Performance In related news, major shareholder Goldmining Inc. acquired 4,822 shares of GoldMining stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $9.61 per share, for a total transaction of $46,339.42. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 9,787,680 shares in the company, valued at $94,059,604.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . In the last quarter, insiders have bought 36,905 shares of company stock valued at $492,066. Shares of GLDG stock opened at $0.90 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $0.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.06. GoldMining Company Profile (Free Report) GoldMining Inc, a mineral exploration company, focuses on the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold assets in the Americas. It also operates a diversified portfolio of resource-stage gold and gold-copper projects in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. The company's principal projects include La Mina Gold Project and Titiribi Gold-Copper Project located in Colombia; Whistler Gold-Copper Project located in Alaska, the United States; and Sao Jorge Gold Project located in the State of Para, Brazil. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GLDG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for GoldMining Inc. (NYSEMKT:GLDG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for GoldMining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GoldMining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $260.00 to $240.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Wells Fargo & Companys price target would suggest a potential upside of 1.85% from the stocks previous close. Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Hershey from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Hershey from $252.00 to $249.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 12th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Hershey from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on Hershey from $264.00 to $262.00 in a research note on Monday, July 17th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Hershey from $269.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 28th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $263.33. Get Hershey alerts: Hershey Price Performance HSY stock opened at $235.64 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $251.90 and a 200-day moving average of $248.82. The company has a market cap of $48.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.12, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. Hershey has a 12-month low of $211.49 and a 12-month high of $276.88. Insider Activity at Hershey Hershey ( NYSE:HSY Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The company reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.12. Hershey had a return on equity of 55.74% and a net margin of 16.49%. The firm had revenue of $2.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.80 earnings per share. Hersheys revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Hershey will post 9.52 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other Hershey news, CEO Michele Buck sold 14,251 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.73, for a total transaction of $3,402,141.23. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,751 shares in the company, valued at $26,678,316.23. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, Director Pamela M. Arway sold 187 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.66, for a total transaction of $45,190.42. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 15,529 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,752,738.14. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Michele Buck sold 14,251 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.73, for a total value of $3,402,141.23. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 111,751 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $26,678,316.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 292,911 shares of company stock worth $76,238,787. Company insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HSY. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its holdings in Hershey by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 30,767 shares of the companys stock worth $6,665,000 after buying an additional 916 shares in the last quarter. Dakota Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the first quarter worth about $238,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hershey by 28.8% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,566 shares of the companys stock worth $339,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Hershey by 1.6% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,057,990 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,045,383,000 after purchasing an additional 216,715 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. grew its stake in Hershey by 10.8% during the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 32,183 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,972,000 after purchasing an additional 3,129 shares in the last quarter. 54.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Hershey (Get Free Report) The Hershey Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of confectionery products and pantry items in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International. It offers chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products; gum and mint refreshment products, including mints, chewing gums, and bubble gums; pantry items, such as baking ingredients, toppings, beverages, and sundae syrups; and snack items comprising spreads, bars, snack bites, mixes, popcorn, and pretzels. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Hershey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hershey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 3.4% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 205,313 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 7,289 shares during the quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $7,675,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of WFC. Defender Capital LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the 1st quarter worth $246,000. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the 1st quarter worth $124,000. Dakota Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the 1st quarter worth $222,000. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. raised its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 273,936 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $13,274,000 after buying an additional 770 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. raised its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 24.5% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 9,630 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $467,000 after buying an additional 1,895 shares in the last quarter. 72.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth WFC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target 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. Odeon Capital Group cut Wells Fargo & Company from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $43.75 target price for the company. in a report on Monday, July 17th. Citigroup upped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $50.00 to $52.00 in a report on Sunday, July 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $46.00 to $49.00 in a report on Friday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 18th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $48.13. Wells Fargo & Company Stock Up 0.8 % Shares of NYSE:WFC opened at $46.14 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $173.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.54, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Wells Fargo & Company has a 12-month low of $35.25 and a 12-month high of $48.84. The businesss 50 day moving average is $42.68 and its 200 day moving average is $42.29. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.16 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $20.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.11 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 11.15% and a net margin of 16.18%. Wells Fargo & Companys quarterly revenue was up 20.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.74 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This is a positive change from Wells Fargo & Companys previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 3rd. Wells Fargo & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.00%. 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. Further Reading 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. Calamos Advisors LLC lowered its stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS Free Report) by 11.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 162,849 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 20,358 shares during the quarter. Calamos Advisors LLCs holdings in Masco were worth $8,097,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in Masco by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 47,616 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,222,000 after buying an additional 198 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its stake in Masco by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 14,600 shares of the construction companys stock worth $681,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC raised its stake in Masco by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 6,369 shares of the construction companys stock worth $297,000 after buying an additional 205 shares during the period. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Masco by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 4,703 shares of the construction companys stock worth $219,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the period. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Masco by 18.8% during the 4th quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 1,499 shares of the construction companys stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.60% of the companys stock. Get Masco alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets MAS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Masco from $56.00 to $57.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Masco from $65.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 13th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Masco from $57.00 to $59.00 in a report on Friday. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Masco from $60.00 to $74.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Masco from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Masco has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $61.75. Insider Activity Masco Trading Down 1.2 % In other news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 10,000 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.95, for a total value of $549,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 70,198 shares in the company, valued at $3,857,380.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . In other Masco news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.95, for a total transaction of $549,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 70,198 shares in the company, valued at $3,857,380.10. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 188,040 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.77, for a total transaction of $11,239,150.80. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 200,305 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,972,229.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 287,151 shares of company stock worth $16,606,832. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock. Shares of MAS stock opened at $61.25 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $55.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $53.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 420.86. The company has a market capitalization of $13.79 billion, a PE ratio of 17.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.22. Masco Co. has a 12-month low of $42.33 and a 12-month high of $63.85. Masco (NYSE:MAS Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The construction company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $2.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.08 billion. Masco had a net margin of 9.73% and a negative return on equity of 403.37%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.14 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 3.59 earnings per share for the current year. Masco Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 11th will be given a $0.285 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 10th. This represents a $1.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.86%. Mascos payout ratio is 32.20%. Masco Company Profile (Free Report) Masco Corporation designs, manufactures, and distributes home improvement and building products in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company's Plumbing Products segment offers faucets, showerheads, handheld showers, valves, bath hardware and accessories, bathing units, shower bases and enclosures, sinks, toilets, acrylic tubs, shower trays, spas, exercise pools, and fitness systems; brass, copper, and composite plumbing system components; connected water products; thermoplastic solutions, extruded plastic profiles, specialized fabrications, and PEX tubing products; and other non-decorative plumbing products. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MAS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Masco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Masco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lowered its stake in SK Telecom Co., Ltd. (NYSE:SKM Free Report) by 6.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,620,574 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock after selling 114,427 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned approximately 0.37% of SK Telecom worth $33,238,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in SKM. Natixis Advisors L.P. raised its holdings in SK Telecom by 64.3% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 37,512 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $772,000 after buying an additional 14,678 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. raised its holdings in SK Telecom by 26.2% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 46,167 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $947,000 after buying an additional 9,595 shares during the last quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in SK Telecom by 48.5% in the 4th quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 33,800 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $696,000 after buying an additional 11,032 shares during the last quarter. Oversea Chinese Banking CORP Ltd bought a new position in SK Telecom in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $635,000. Finally, Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in SK Telecom by 70.2% in the 1st quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC now owns 18,237 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $374,000 after buying an additional 7,522 shares during the last quarter. Get SK Telecom alerts: SK Telecom Stock Performance NYSE:SKM opened at $19.98 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.95. SK Telecom Co., Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $18.26 and a fifty-two week high of $22.94. Analysts Set New Price Targets SK Telecom ( NYSE:SKM Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 10th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. SK Telecom had a return on equity of 8.39% and a net margin of 5.78%. The firm had revenue of $3.43 billion for the quarter. On average, analysts forecast that SK Telecom Co., Ltd. will post 2.02 earnings per share for the current year. Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of SK Telecom in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. About SK Telecom (Free Report) SK Telecom Co, Ltd. provides wireless telecommunication services in South Korea. The company operates through three segments: Cellular Services, Fixed-Line Telecommunications Services, and Other Businesses. The Cellular Services segment offers wireless voice and data transmission, Internet of Things solutions, platform, cloud, smart factory solutions, subscription, advertising and curated shopping under T Deal brand name, and metaverse platform-based services, as well as sells wireless devices. See Also Receive News & Ratings for SK Telecom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SK Telecom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pinnacle West Capital Co. (NYSE:PNW Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, June 21st, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 1st will be given a dividend of 0.865 per share by the utilities provider on Friday, September 1st. This represents a $3.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.13%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 31st. Pinnacle West Capital has raised its dividend by an average of 4.1% annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 11 years. Pinnacle West Capital has a dividend payout ratio of 70.2% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Pinnacle West Capital to earn $4.86 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.46 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 71.2%. Get Pinnacle West Capital alerts: Pinnacle West Capital Stock Down 0.3 % Shares of NYSE PNW opened at $83.80 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $81.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $78.51. The company has a market cap of $9.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.49, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.47. Pinnacle West Capital has a 12-month low of $59.03 and a 12-month high of $86.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Pinnacle West Capital ( NYSE:PNW Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $944.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $808.33 million. Pinnacle West Capital had a net margin of 10.33% and a return on equity of 7.50%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 20.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.15 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Pinnacle West Capital will post 4.13 EPS for the current fiscal year. Several research firms recently issued reports on PNW. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $80.00 to $78.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an equal weight rating and set a $78.00 price objective (up from $73.00) on shares of Pinnacle West Capital in a research note on Friday, July 21st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $85.00 to $89.00 in a research report on Friday, June 16th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $80.00 to $84.00 in a research report on Friday, June 23rd. Finally, KeyCorp increased their target price on Pinnacle West Capital from $55.00 to $61.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $78.11. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PNW. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Pinnacle West Capital by 12.3% in the first quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 651,032 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $51,612,000 after buying an additional 71,322 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC grew its stake in shares of Pinnacle West Capital by 21.8% in the 1st quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 4,130 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $327,000 after purchasing an additional 739 shares during the last quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in Pinnacle West Capital by 1.0% during the first quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC now owns 65,749 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $5,210,000 after buying an additional 674 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in shares of Pinnacle West Capital by 18.3% in the first quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 129,439 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $10,257,000 after buying an additional 19,985 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its stake in shares of Pinnacle West Capital by 5.8% during the 1st quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 63,721 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $5,049,000 after acquiring an additional 3,475 shares in the last quarter. 85.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Pinnacle West Capital (Get Free Report) Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, through its subsidiary, Arizona Public Service Company, provides retail and wholesale electric services primarily in the state of Arizona. The company engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity using coal, nuclear, gas, oil, and solar generating facilities. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Pinnacle West Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pinnacle West Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Inchcape plc (LON:INCH) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 3 days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least two business day to settle. This means that investors who purchase Inchcape's shares on or after the 3rd of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 1st of September. The company's next dividend payment will be UK0.096 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed UK0.29 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Inchcape stock has a trailing yield of around 3.5% on the current share price of 8.19. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing. See our latest analysis for Inchcape If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Inchcape paid out 54% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Inchcape generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Fortunately, it paid out only 30% of its free cash flow in the past year. It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. So we're not too excited that Inchcape's earnings are down 3.3% a year over the past five years. Story continues Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Inchcape has delivered 9.7% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. Growing the dividend payout ratio while earnings are declining can deliver nice returns for a while, but it's always worth checking for when the company can't increase the payout ratio any more - because then the music stops. The Bottom Line Should investors buy Inchcape for the upcoming dividend? The payout ratios are within a reasonable range, implying the dividend may be sustainable. Declining earnings are a serious concern, however, and could pose a threat to the dividend in future. Overall, it's not a bad combination, but we feel that there are likely more attractive dividend prospects out there. With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with Inchcape, you should know about the other risks facing this business. Be aware that Inchcape is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable... A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks. 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 AGF Management Ltd. lowered its stake in LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB Free Report) by 10.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 36,281 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after selling 4,182 shares during the period. AGF Management Ltd.s holdings in LyondellBasell Industries were worth $3,406,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Aspire Private Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries during the 1st quarter worth approximately $12,017,920,000. Community Bank N.A. bought a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 109.8% during the 1st quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 363 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the period. Finally, Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC bought a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.58% of the companys stock. Get LyondellBasell Industries alerts: LyondellBasell Industries Stock Up 1.5 % LyondellBasell Industries stock opened at $98.37 on Friday. LyondellBasell Industries has a fifty-two week low of $71.46 and a fifty-two week high of $101.30. The stock has a market cap of $32.00 billion, a PE ratio of 10.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.21. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $90.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $92.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.85. LyondellBasell Industries Increases Dividend LyondellBasell Industries ( NYSE:LYB Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.70. LyondellBasell Industries had a net margin of 6.40% and a return on equity of 28.95%. The business had revenue of $10.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.00 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 22.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that LyondellBasell Industries will post 8.81 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 30th were paid a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.08%. This is a boost from LyondellBasell Industriess previous quarterly dividend of $1.19. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 26th. LyondellBasell Industriess payout ratio is presently 54.11%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages recently commented on LYB. SpectralCast reissued a maintains rating on shares of LyondellBasell Industries in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. Scotiabank reissued a sector perform rating on shares of LyondellBasell Industries in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $100.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 11th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $102.00 to $104.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 1st. Finally, KeyCorp decreased their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $81.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $97.00. About LyondellBasell Industries (Free Report) LyondellBasell Industries N.V. operates as a chemical company in the United States, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Poland, France, Japan, China, the Netherlands, and internationally. The company operates in six segments: Olefins and PolyolefinsAmericas; Olefins and PolyolefinsEurope, Asia, International; Intermediates and Derivatives; Advanced Polymer Solutions; Refining; and Technology. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LYB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for LyondellBasell Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for LyondellBasell Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Calamos Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report) by 11.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 87,227 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 10,905 shares during the quarter. Calamos Advisors LLCs holdings in Entergy were worth $9,398,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. State of Michigan Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Entergy by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 55,302 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $6,221,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Entergy during the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. Keel Point LLC grew its position in shares of Entergy by 9.0% during the 1st quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 3,026 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $326,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc grew its position in shares of Entergy by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 12,381 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,393,000 after buying an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in shares of Entergy by 178.9% during the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 91,201 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $10,260,000 after buying an additional 58,497 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.41% of the companys stock. Get Entergy alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH assumed coverage on shares of Entergy in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. They set a buy rating and a $116.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Entergy from $134.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Entergy from $131.00 to $117.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of Entergy from $124.00 to $110.00 in a research report on Friday, July 7th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Entergy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, May 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Entergy presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $117.58. Entergy Trading Down 0.3 % Entergy stock opened at $103.27 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $99.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $104.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.84 billion, a PE ratio of 18.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.64. Entergy Co. has a 12-month low of $94.16 and a 12-month high of $122.46. Entergy (NYSE:ETR Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.20). The company 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 last year, the business earned $1.32 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Entergy Co. will post 6.69 EPS for the current fiscal year. Entergy Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 11th will be paid a dividend of $1.07 per share. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.14%. Entergys dividend payout ratio is presently 77.82%. 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. Read More 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. Sterling Financial Planning Inc. decreased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL Free Report) by 10.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,850 shares of the companys stock after selling 348 shares during the quarter. Sterling Financial Planning Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF were worth $354,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of QUAL. Diversified LLC raised its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 1.1% in the first quarter. Diversified LLC now owns 7,460 shares of the companys stock valued at $926,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Colony Group LLC increased its stake in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Colony Group LLC now owns 5,251 shares of the companys stock worth $587,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the period. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,862 shares of the companys stock worth $603,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,200 shares of the companys stock worth $397,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Waddell & Associates LLC grew its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Waddell & Associates LLC now owns 4,097 shares of the companys stock worth $467,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Price Performance Shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF stock opened at $139.93 on Friday. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF has a 1 year low of $71.96 and a 1 year high of $88.63. The firms 50-day moving average is $132.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $125.89. The stock has a market cap of $31.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.30 and a beta of 1.03. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Company Profile The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality index. The fund tracks an index of US large- and mid-cap stocks, selected and weighted by high ROE, stable earnings growth and low debt\u002Fequity, relative to peers in each sector. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA 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 USA Quality Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Calamos Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 2.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 414,962 shares of the companys stock after selling 10,893 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company comprises 0.7% of Calamos Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Calamos Advisors LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $142,506,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LLY. Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 193.3% during the first quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 88 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 97.8% in the 4th quarter. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC now owns 91 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. 87.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Eli Lilly and Company news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 178,302 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $426.40, for a total transaction of $76,027,972.80. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 101,688,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $43,360,108,584. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 178,302 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $426.40, for a total value of $76,027,972.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 101,688,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,360,108,584. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 stock was 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 $15,864,681.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 746,556 shares of company stock valued at $334,342,879. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 0.8 % Shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $458.48 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $448.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $390.02. The stock has a market cap of $435.22 billion, a PE ratio of 72.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 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 has a 12 month low of $296.32 and a 12 month high of $469.87. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.62 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $6.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.87 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.62 EPS. Eli Lilly and Companys quarterly revenue was down 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 8.78 EPS for the current year. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.86%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have commented on LLY shares. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $430.00 to $525.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 20th. SVB Securities increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $410.00 to $458.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $475.00 to $510.00 in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $551.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, July 21st. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $467.45. 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. Further Reading 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. Calamos Advisors LLC lessened its stake in 3M (NYSE:MMM Free Report) by 11.1% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 81,230 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 10,155 shares during the quarter. Calamos Advisors LLCs holdings in 3M were worth $8,538,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of MMM. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of 3M by 73,903.2% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,656,588 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $798,258,000 after purchasing an additional 6,647,593 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of 3M in the 4th quarter worth about $369,974,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in shares of 3M by 1,889.1% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,356,600 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $201,971,000 after purchasing an additional 1,288,400 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of 3M by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,132,871 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,567,502,000 after purchasing an additional 1,116,821 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Edmp Inc. raised its position in shares of 3M by 17,676.6% in the 4th quarter. Edmp Inc. now owns 962,958 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $8,030,000 after purchasing an additional 957,541 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.60% of the companys stock. Get 3M alerts: 3M Trading Up 0.6 % Shares of NYSE:MMM opened at $111.88 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $101.24 and a 200 day moving average of $105.96. The company has a market cap of $61.76 billion, a PE ratio of -39.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. 3M has a 12-month low of $92.38 and a 12-month high of $152.30. 3M Dividend Announcement 3M ( NYSE:MMM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 25th. The conglomerate reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.73 by $0.44. The company had revenue of $7.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.88 billion. 3M had a positive return on equity of 38.99% and a negative net margin of 4.43%. The firms revenue was down 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.48 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that 3M will post 8.94 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 12th. Investors of record on Friday, May 19th were issued a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 18th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.36%. 3Ms dividend payout ratio is presently -211.27%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, insider Khandpur K. Ashish sold 9,432 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.27, for a total value of $936,314.64. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 20,943 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,079,011.61. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes MMM has been the subject of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded 3M from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 20th. Barclays lifted their price objective on 3M from $93.00 to $96.00 in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reiterated an underweight rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of 3M in a report on Friday, July 14th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on 3M from $95.00 to $100.00 in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on 3M from $100.00 to $111.00 in a report on Wednesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $115.83. 3M Company 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. Featured Stories 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. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. trimmed its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 11.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 426,300 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after selling 57,312 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $43,167,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in ABT. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. grew its position in Abbott Laboratories by 15.0% during the 4th quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. now owns 673 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Alesco Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Alesco Advisors LLC now owns 2,435 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $267,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 3,743 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $411,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the period. Investment Advisory Services Inc. TX ADV lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Investment Advisory Services Inc. TX ADV now owns 22,785 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $2,307,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Finally, Patriot Investment Management Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Patriot Investment Management Group Inc. now owns 3,236 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $356,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. 73.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance Shares of Abbott Laboratories stock opened at $112.73 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $196.03 billion, a PE ratio of 38.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.03 and a beta of 0.68. Abbott Laboratories has a 52 week low of $93.25 and a 52 week high of $115.83. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $106.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $106.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 20th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $9.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.71 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 20.60% and a net margin of 12.83%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.43 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, July 14th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 13th. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is 69.62%. Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories In related news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 8,226 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.56, for a total transaction of $909,466.56. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,427 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,786,409.12. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 8,226 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was 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 of the companys stock, valued at $7,786,409.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.76, for a total value of $5,688,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 6,775,316 shares of the companys stock, valued at $770,759,948.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 108,226 shares of company stock valued at $12,148,467. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages have commented on ABT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $118.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com started coverage on Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley reissued an equal weight rating and issued a $112.00 price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Friday, July 21st. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, July 21st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $120.82. 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. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report). 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. Argonautica Private Wealth Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report) by 28.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 44,079 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 17,123 shares during the period. Argonautica Private Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in Pfizer were worth $1,798,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Pfizer in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC purchased a new stake in Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Arcus Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Capital Directions Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. 67.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Pfizer alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have commented on PFE shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Wednesday, May 17th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Pfizer from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Pfizer from $45.00 to $41.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 17th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of Pfizer from $49.00 to $45.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 18th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets lowered shares of Pfizer from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $38.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Thursday, May 11th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $45.88. Insider Transactions at Pfizer Pfizer Stock Performance In related news, Director Scott Gottlieb bought 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 8th. The stock was bought at an average price of $38.58 per share, with a total value of $38,580.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 6,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $231,480. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . Insiders own 0.05% of the companys stock. Pfizer stock opened at $36.07 on Friday. Pfizer Inc. has a 12-month low of $35.35 and a 12-month high of $54.93. The company has a market capitalization of $203.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.37 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The firms fifty day moving average price is $37.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $40.08. Pfizer (NYSE:PFE Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.23. Pfizer had a net margin of 31.25% and a return on equity of 37.53%. The firm had revenue of $18.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.49 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.62 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Pfizer Inc. will post 3.35 EPS for the current fiscal year. Pfizer Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 28th will be given a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.55%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 27th. Pfizers payout ratio is currently 32.28%. About Pfizer (Free Report) Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ideally, your overall portfolio should beat the market average. But every investor is virtually certain to have both over-performing and under-performing stocks. So we wouldn't blame long term Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX:BOQ) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 44% over a half decade. Contrary to the longer term story, the last month has been good for stockholders, with a share price gain of 9.4%. 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 Bank of Queensland To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' 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). Looking back five years, both Bank of Queensland's share price and EPS declined; the latter at a rate of 19% per year. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 11% compound annual share price fall. The relatively muted share price reaction might be because the market expects the business to turn around. You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Bank of Queensland's earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). 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. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Bank of Queensland, it has a TSR of -25% for the last 5 years. 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! Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market gained around 10% in the last year, Bank of Queensland shareholders lost 14% (even including dividends). However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 5% over the last half decade. 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. 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 Bank of Queensland , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Of course Bank of Queensland may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Australian 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 Dominican Republic has recognized Moroccos sovereignty over Western Sahara, Rabats foreign ministry said on Saturday, as a slowly growing number of nations back the North African nations claim. Morocco considers Western Sahara its own territory, but the Algerian-backed Polisario Front wants to establish an independent state there. The dispute has soured Moroccos relations with some of its neighbours, most of all Algeria. The Dominican Republics position was expressed in a letter by its foreign minister Roberto Alvarez, Moroccos foreign ministry said in a statement. The Dominican Republics stance aligns it with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, which opened a consulate in Western Sahara last year. Winning support for its rule over Western Sahara has been the ultimate goal of Moroccan diplomacy. Some 28 other states, mostly Arab and African, have opened consulates in the territory as tangible proof of their support for Rabat. Earlier this month Morocco won Israels recognition of its sovereignty claim over the territory, following a similar move by the United States in 2020. Algeria has strongly criticised Israels move. SOURCE: REUTERS Reforms of Irelands licensing laws will not be implemented in time to provide later closing times this Christmas, the Taoiseach has said. The Government is renewing antiquated licensing laws to allow pubs and clubs to open later. The current system is based on a patchwork of 100 laws some of which are more than 200 years old and two-thirds of which pre-date the foundation of the State. The legislative changes being brought forward by Justice Minister Helen McEntee were originally envisaged to be enacted this year. Leo Varadkar said next summer is a more realistic timeline for the new system to be in place. I think its unlikely to be the case for Christmas, you know that would mean getting the legislation published and enacted before Christmas and, even when it is enacted, its the whole licensing system that has to be gone through, he said. So I would say I can say, it would not be the case that those laws will be in place for this Christmas. But I would hope they can be in place for next summer. And again, its something I discussed with Minister McEntee and the Attorney General (Rossa Fanning) only in the last couple of days, and theyre trying to put some additional resources behind that Bill and to get it done so we can have a later summer next summer. [July 30, 2023] PlanHub launches, simbud, a new eSIM comparison tool that makes it easy to stay connected while travelling--without breaking the bank Tweet Mastercard reported a 31% increase in leisure travel in march 2023 compared to the same period in 2019. compared to the same period in 2019. 98% of phone providers around the globe plan to offer eSIM options by 2025. eSIM adoption rate grew by 152% between 2019 and 2022, according to Mobilise Global. MONTREAL, July 30, 2023 /CNW/ - PlanHub.ca, a renowned Canadian telecom plan comparator, is thrilled to announce the launch of simbud.com , a travel eSim comparator website specifically designed to simplify the way consumers choose eSim plans for their next trip. The amount of eSim providers has exploded. We have counted more than 25 including Airalo, Nomad, Holafl and more. Not to mention, national players are also starting to offer options for incoming travelers. Travelers today are embracing the convenience and cost-saving potential of eSim technology at an unprecedented rate. simbud.com understands the need to simplify the eSim selection journey, allowing travelers to effortlessly unlock the amazing advantages it brings. This smart choice can potentially lead to significant savings, making each adventure even more memorable and budget-friendly. simbud.com leverages PlanHub's extensive knowledge and expertise in the price comparison space to provide users with eSim plans from various service providers. The launch of simbud.com aligns with PlanHub's dedication to simplifying the telecom landscape. Users can easily compare plans based on coverage, pricing, data allowances and more. "Consumers interested in affordable data often face the challenge of limited options," says Nadir Marcos, CEO and Co-Founder of PlanHub. "simbud.com aims to bridge this gap by providing users with a convenient one-stop platform to explore and compare eSim plans hassle-free. We firmly believe that eSims have the power to revolutionise global connectivity and simbud.com is our commitment to simplifying this transition for travelers." As well as being a great tool for consumers, this fully customizable embeddable widget can also allow online media outlets to earn additional revenue generated from the widget through revenue sharing. About PlanHub: Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Montreal, PlanHub is an independent comparison platform focused mainly on mobile and internet plans in Canada. PlanHub.ca offers completely free, easy-to-use tools for sifting through thousands of plans offered by hundreds of telecommunications service providers. PlanHub also owns Branchez-vous , a Quebec-based technology website, and simbud , a global eSIM comparison platform. SOURCE PlanHub [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 30, 2023] University of Technology Sydney (UTS) hosts Decarbonising Australia Summit Tweet SYDNEY, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As a recognised leader in sustainability research, teaching and operations, and a university committed to becoming carbon neutral and climate positive by 2029, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is proud to be hosting the inaugural Decarbonising Australia Business Summit: Partnering with Japan on the Transition to Net Zero this week. Attendees to the Summit, organised by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), include 90 Japanese business leaders and hundreds of Australian industry, government and research representatives. Among the keynote speakers are Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Hon. Chris Bowen and Assistant Minister for Trade and Assistant Minister for Manufacturing, Senator the Hon. TimAyres. Summit sessions featuring UTS experts include: Panel session on UTS - Science + Industry Partnership in Action ; hosted by Melissa Edwards , Research Director of the Centre for Business and Sustainable Development, UTS, and with panellists Distinguished Professor Peter Ralph , Director Deep Green Biotech Hub, UTS and Richard Adamson , Founder, Owner, Chief Brewer, Young Henrys Brewery ; hosted by , Research Director of the Centre for Business and Sustainable Development, UTS, and with panellists Distinguished Professor , Director Deep Green Biotech Hub, UTS and , Founder, Owner, Chief Brewer, Young Henrys Brewery Networking session - UTS engineering expert in collaboration with industry partner addressing climate change ; with Julie Jupp , UTS Professor of Digital Engineering in dialogue with Digital Tech Company ; with , UTS Professor of Digital Engineering in dialogue with Digital Tech Company Case study: UTS and NTT on how to establish impactful industry/university Relationships; Moderator Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, Institute for Public Policy Governance, UTS, panellists Herve Harvard, Director, RAPIDO, Engineering, UTS, and Akifumi Nagatani, General Manager, Australian Global Business, NTT. UTS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Parfitt, said that as an institution with a proven track record in partnering with government and industry, both in Australia and overseas, in areas such as green energy and carbon emissions reduction, UTS was pleased to be selected as host of the inaugural summit. "We signed an Australian-first Power Purchase Agreement with a solar farm in 2015, signed an Australian-first precinct cooling agreement in 2016, and opened an Australian first plastic-free food court in 2019," he said. "Now, in hosting this important international conversation between Japan and Australia on decarbonisation, we are once again able to contribute toward a more sustainable planet." The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is among the top 100 universities in the world. As Australia's leading technology university, UTS drives positive impact through a range of global research and industry partnerships. Learn more at uts.edu.au. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/university-of-technology-sydney-uts-hosts-decarbonising-australia-summit-301887348.html SOURCE University of Technology Sydney [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] For the midday angel Candice inspires our otherwise dismal peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Taxing Local Crisis Cont'd 4 The People: Jackson County assessments in focus KC Regional Housing Alliance president and founder, realtor Stacey Johnson Cosby, joins FOX4's 4 The People to discuss Jackson County assessments Season Of FAIL Superstar Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals is Now in the Same Class as Willie Mays After Consecutive Huge Nights Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals is on a real heater right now. Golden Ghetto Costs Skyrocket Is Johnson County affordable housing war about protecting cities or keeping people out? Johnson County home prices now average $500,000. Can anyone do anything about it? Remembering High Water Mark Great Flood of 1993 remains a vivid memory for those who experienced the long-running disaster * Missouri Independent In the predawn hours of July 29, 1993, I sat with Earl Buck outside his New Franklin mobile home as the Missouri River rose two inches an hour on a sandbag levee he built with help from neighbors and volunteers. After three days of stacking, there were no more bags. Rock Chalk Friendly Gesture Kansas gave $180K megaproject consulting gig to LLC of top economic development official The Kansas Department of Commerce hired economic development official Paul Hughes, now of Catapult Kansas LLC, as a megaproject consultant. Northland Tragedy Today Suspect on the run after hitting a man with a car in Clay County On Sunday around 4 a.m. responders were sent to the area of northeast 120th St. between A Highway and Fishing River Road for a hit-and-run. Newspaper Talks Infrastructure Want a stadium in downtown Kansas City? Learn from that flooded-out 1998 Chiefs game | Opinion If the city can't keep the streets clear in a thunderstorm, what about a ball field? | Opinion Angel Remains On Top Candice Swanepoel Threw Out A TikTok This Morning Reminding IG Models Everywhere That She's Still The Queen Bee In the age of Instagram it's hard to stick out in a sea of hotness, but Candice Swanepoel does just that. Sure there's a whole new crop and generation of IG models from all around the world, but let's... Supreme Free Money Rules Supreme Court's student loan decision will lower US deficit according to new White House projection The Supreme Court ruling that upended President Joe Biden's plan to forgive student loan debt changed his budget math. Reporting Obvious Realization The chance of Trump winning another term is very real | CNN Politics Donald Trump is facing two indictments, with the potential for more.And yet he is not only in a historically strong position for a nonincumbent to win the Republican nomination, but he is in a better position to win the general election than at any point during the 2020 cycle and almost at any point during the 2016 cycle. Dems Rally Against 1st Son Hunter Biden 'broke the law,' Democrat Rep. Jim Himes says The Democratic wall of silence surrounding Hunter Biden is beginning to crumble -- with a prominent congressman admitting that President Biden's troubled son is a crook who should be "held accountable." Powering Up Future Two dozen lawmakers have electric cars. Not all are Democrats. AOC and two House Republicans have gone plug-in. Ted Cruz is thinking about it. Josh Hawley says, "Absolutely not." In all, at least 25 members of Congress drive electric vehicles, a POLITICO E&E News tally found. Ally Endorses Vengeance Zelensky after Moscow drone attack: War coming back to Russia Russian officials say one person has been injured after two drones crashed into offices Peace Talk Reminder No cease-fire while Ukraine is on the offensive, Putin says African and Chinese peace initiatives are 'impossible to implement' at the moment, Russian leader says. Terror Threatens World At least 40 people killed in blast at political event in Pakistan - reports Emergency services say more than 70 injured at gathering of Jamiat Ulema-e- Islam party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Holy Land Compromise?!? Potential Saudi deal would require 'significant concessions' to Palestinians - report New York Times reports Riyadh's demands for action on the ground unlikely to be approved by Israel's hardline coalition, PM may need to seek centrist government with opposition Strategy To Fix Economy Why the Federal Reserve has made everything more expensive to make things less expensive It seems like a contradiction: How would increasing the cost of monthly credit payments help to bring down the price of goods and services in the economy? Diva Returns Favor Cardi B Throws Microphone at Concertgoer Who Tossed a Drink at Her While Performing in Las Vegas After a concertgoer in Las Vegas threw their cup of liquid at Cardi B on Saturday, the "Bodak Yellow" rapper responded by tossing her microphone at them El Papa Against Starvation Pope urges Russian 'brothers' to restore Black Sea grain deal Pope Francis on Sunday called on Russia to reverse its decision to abandon the Black Sea grain deal, under which it had allowed Ukraine to export grain from its seaports despite the ongoing war. Local Lower Expectations: Gubmit Offers Jail Jorbs Mounting job vacancies push state and local governments into a wage war for workers At the entrance to Missouri prisons, large signs plead for help: "NOW HIRING" ... "GREAT PAY & BENEFITS. Exploring South Side History "Where's Waldo?" - A look into the namesake of a south Kansas City community In 1841, he purchased the first of his tracks of land near the current-day Waldo neighborhood. Cool Down But Katie Remains Hot Sunday is not as hot as previous days this week Sunday will have high temperatures around 88 degrees; scattered storms are possible starting in the afternoon. Sonic Youth - Sunday is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. Any youngster who has ever attended Catholic Schools knows intrinsically that institutional rules are arbitrary, subject to personal prejudice and quizzically backed up by the power of the Almighty bestowed upon clearly faulty Earthly rulers. These observations aren't news . . . In fact, the unfairness of Catholic schools provides a valuable lesson to students for which parents pay BIG BUCKS so that youngsters can understand the harshness and evil of the world in a relatively safe & consequence free environment. For the uninitiated . . . This understanding seems cruel and like some kind of unnecessary burden enforced upon Christians that imposes guilt and self-loathing on a faith tradition that preaches love and compassion. But we are initiated, and Sister Marcella wants you to shut up and do your work. And so . . . Catholics understand that an unimportant story of parochial school reprisal for public disagreements is just more mainstream media antipathy toward a religious practice that is a favorite target of corporate information outlets which helps distract attention from far more egregious sins than offending middle-class delusions of fairness . . . Check-it . . . According to the letter, hes being expelled because his parents . . . Have stated both verbally and in writing you do not agree with nor do you support the teachings of the Catholic Church. After prayerful consideration and discussion among our school administration it is obvious we no longer have a partnership with you, since the values of your family are not in alignment with those of our school. Therefore, the school administration has made the decision to disenroll your child from our school. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . In this collection we share nicer stories for Sunday that don't really fit anywhere else on this blog. These is hyper-local reporting that we often skip over for more captivating content. However, we hope the collection reminds readers that there are still many great people in KCMO doing wonderful things. Check TKC news gathering . . . Partnership helps Kansas City veteran get brand new roof A Kansas City-area veteran received a brand new roof Wednesday thanks to a partnership between Habitat for Humanity, Storm Restorations of America and Owens Corning. Overland Park ice cream shop Golden Scoop gets $50K grant for new location The Golden Scoop, a coffee and ice cream store that employs people with special needs, received a $50,000 grant for its new location. Hope Church gives free school supplies to over 1K Kansas City-area teachers Back to school season is around the corner, and that means both parents and teachers will be making some necessary purchases ahead of the school year. Prospect KC reflects on growth as 'The Spot' opens doors Friday The Spot, a branch of The Prospect KC, is finally opening it's doors officially on Friday, after a soft launch the past few weeks. It helps people not only get jobs, but fighting food apartheid. Chiefs' Justin Reid returns favor to fan who sent him gift Chiefs Safety Justin Reid finds the 11-year-old fan who drew him personalized pictures at training camp. Couple leads home repairs for local widow to raise money to adopt child One local widow got the gift of a lifetime on Saturday: free home repairs. It's thanks to a couple, who are working to a adopt a child and are involved with a national organization called Both Hands. Dream Factory kid inspired to volunteer after dream family trip to Florida Kinley Zimmer loved the rides, got to touch dolphins, and ate lots of ice cream. Kansas City Royals will honor their veteran groundskeeper with his very own bobblehead Trevor Vance has been keeping the field at Kauffman Stadium perfectly manicured for nearly 40 years. On August 1, Royals fans will receive a lawnmower-riding Vance bobblehead and see the groundskeeper throw out the game's first pitch. Chiefs legend Will Shields working to create more opportunities in tech for at-risk young adults The goal is to find great minds that may not have the opportunity to succeed in a tech field and give them one. 'They're not alone': KC nonprofit sends care baskets, support to postpartum moms A new nonprofit in Kansas City wants to support moms and their families in the postpartum stage. Developing . . . IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the worlds leading hospitality companies, has signed a management agreement with Almuhaysin Group to open the first Regent Hotel in the Middle East, in Saudi Arabia by mid-2024. One of the most prestigious waterfront locations in Jeddah, Regent Jeddah will provide uninterrupted views of the Corniche and Jeddahs Formula 1 racetrack, setting a new standard for modern ultra-luxury in Saudi Arabia. The new Regent Jeddah will join existing Regent properties in glamourous destinations such as Bali, Santa Monica and Hong Kong. The signing follows the opening of the iconic Carlton Cannes, A Regent Hotel, which is known to be the epitome of elegance and the Grande Dame of Cannes hotel scene. Luxury experience The debut of Regent in Saudi Arabia is aligned with the countrys Vision 2030 and will offer trailblazing luxury experiences to a growing number of travellers visiting the kingdom. Created to reinvent luxury travel, the brand builds on a storied heritage of innovation, extraordinary views, landmark destinations and exceptional service. World-renowned for new luxury and celebrated for bold new ideas, the brand has set the ultimate standards of travel and living for decades. Set to become an unrivalled destination for luxury experiences in Saudi Arabia, Regent Jeddah will be one of the first new generation Regent Hotels to open globally. Beachfront splendour Featuring close to 182 rooms facing the Red Sea, Regent Jeddah will provide a fresh new perspective of beachfront splendour offering guests an ultra-luxury hotel experience via a collection of spaces reflecting taste and luxuries across 29 stories. Additionally, with its five spacious penthouses and an unparalleled level of luxury and sophistication, the new hotel will attract corporate executives and Saudi guests seeking extraordinary hospitality. Catering to the most discerning travellers, the hotel will feature 1,500 sq m spa by Raison dEtre, who are also known for their work with Six Senses Spa, a 200 sq m health club and an indoor and outdoor pools, in addition to an array of exceptional epicurean experiences, including three concept eateries and lounge. Priority market Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, IHG Hotels & Resorts India, Middle East and Africa, said: Saudi Arabia is a priority market for IHG in the Middle East and the continual expansion of our global portfolio in the kingdom demonstrates our commitment to Vision 2030. The opening of Regent Jeddah next year in collaboration with our esteemed partner, Almuhaysin Group will bring a new era of luxury hospitality to the kingdom for domestic and international guests, as well as business travelers who seek luxurious experiences during their stay. He added: We are proud to introduce the iconic Regent brand that enjoys a global reputation for crafting the most refined luxury experiences for modern trendsetters. With its prime location and extraordinary facilities, Regent Jeddah is poised to become a landmark destination in the region." IHG currently operates 39 hotels across five brands in Saudi Arabia, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites and voco, with an additional 30 hotels set to open within the next three to five years.-- TradeArabia News Service The Phoenix rocket built by interns from United Launch Alliance launches from a Pueblo ranch on July 15, 2023. The rocket flew approximately 3,000 feet into the air. Rockets nearly 20 feet tall launched 3,000 feet in the air recently thanks to a United Launch Alliance and Ball Aerospace Student Rocket Launch at Hudson Ranch in Pueblo. The 15th annual event was held July 15 and featured the launch of two intern-built rockets dubbed Helios and Phoenix. The event provides United Launch Alliance interns the opportunity to experience a small-scale launch campaign and navigate the complexities of rocket design and development. Each rocket contained six to eight different payloads which included on-board experiments and instruments deployed after launch. The event is a comprehensive introduction to science, technology, engineering and math curriculum that provides hands-on experience. We are proud of the student rocket launch participants and the effort they put in to make this possible, said Tory Bruno, president and chief executive officer of United Launch Alliance. This is an enriching and rewarding experience for the interns and the payload teams as they get to see their hard work in action. "The lessons they learn through this program can contribute to and influence their future interest and success in the aerospace industry," Bruno said. United Launch Alliance interns hoist the Helios rocket upright as they prepare it for launch on a Pueblo ranch July 15, 2023. Arkansas Valley Conduit construction advances in Boone and Avondale An $862,547 contract to construct water delivery lines for Pueblo County water systems as part of the Arkansas Valley Conduit was approved by the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District board ofdirectors last week. K.R. Swerdfeger Construction LLC of Pueblo will construct the delivery lines to the town of Boone and the Avondale Water and Sanitation District. The delivery lines will connect the two water systems to the 130-mile trunk line, which is being built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The construction work, along with the design approved earlier this year, is being funded by a $1.2million American Rescue Plan Act grant from Pueblo County commissioners. The commission also committed $3.2 million to Avondale and $1.5 million to Boone for internal improvements to their water systems. Story continues This is a huge step forward, said Bill Long, president of the Southeastern board. The assistance provided by the Pueblo County Commissioners has moved the project ahead and it's wonderful that all the pieces are coming together. When completed, the conduit will connect a total of 39 water systems from Pueblo to Lamar to supply freshdrinking water from the Pueblo Reservoir. Those communities currently rely on groundwater wells. Kevin Karney, the Southeastern board member who chairs the conduit committee said, When you look at how far weve come in these last few years, and see the progress thats being made, its just incredible. This is what generations of people in the valley have been waiting for over the past 60 years. Test drive an electric car Aug. 5 at Pueblo Community College The Ready EV Electric Car Guest Drive event is set to run from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, at Pueblo Community College, 900 W. Orman Ave. Pueblo residents can see and test drive a wide variety of electric cars including the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Tesla Model Y and other popular electric cars from various manufacturers. Black Hills Energy is sponsoring the event which includes an Electric Vehicle Expo where representatives will detail methods of charging the vehicles at home, work and in public. To reserve a drive time, go to bhe.evnavigator.com/ecgd. Visitors should park in the lot on Pitkin Avenue and the event is in the parking lot on Arthur Street. Fresh Greens Colorado initiative kicks off Aug. 8 Fresh Greens Colorado, a vocational agricultural/tech program, will be unveiled at 5 p.m. Aug. 8, at Pueblo Diversified Industries, 2828 Granada Blvd. The program aims to provide specialized vocational training in agriculture and technology to individuals with disabilities. Participants will gain valuable skills, experience and the confidence they need to contribute to the industry and beyond. Cal Terri Weldon at 719-565-6698 for details. Mitch Brown Pueblo Diversified Industries names a new chief administration officer Mitch Brown has been appointed the new chief administration officer at the nonprofit Pueblo Diversified Industries. Brown is a Pueblo native with extensive experience in leadership and community engagement. He is an alumni of Colorado State University Pueblo who has a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor's in business management. Brown "brings a wealth of experience and a strategic mindset to our executive team," said David Pump, chief executive officer and president. "We are confident that he will be instrumental in streamlining our operations, fostering a positive work culture, and driving our company towards greater success." "I am thrilled to be joining the talented team at Pueblo Diversified Industries," Brown said. "I look forward to contributing to the overall growth and success of the company." Pueblo Diversified Industries is dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The use of wind generated electricity is among strategies Black Hills Energy is embracing as the company moves toward Clean Air Colorado goals. Black Hills Energy releases sustainability report Black Hills Energy has made strides toward its goal of meeting Colorado's Clean Energy goals by 2030, according to a recent report. In 2022, Black Hills Energy distributed approximately $5 million in energy efficiency rebates and incentives to Colorado residential and business customers, leading to annual energy savings of over 12 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. More than 7,900 Colorado customers participated in programs in 2022 to reduce their energy use and environmental footprint. We are pleased to share our sustainability journey to create a cleaner energy future for our customers, said Kellie Ashcraft, Black Hills Energy vice president of Colorado operations. Our report provides insight and transparency into our priorities. In early 2023, Black Hills Energy achieved a unanimous settlement agreement with all interested parties for its Colorado Clean Energy Plan the companys roadmap to cost-effectively reduce carbon emissions from electric utility operations by at least 80% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. The plan was approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and will add approximately 400 megawatts of new renewable energy resources to the Colorado electric system, providing customers with electricity from about 70% renewable sources including wind, large-scale solar and battery storage. Learn more at blackhillsenergy.com/sustainability. This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Let's talk business in Pueblo: Rocket launches and electric cars A quick truism from Kansas City insiders signals more gun control politicking from the 29th floor in the coming days & months. At least until Mayor Q secures his exit to the Beltway. What locals should now . . . KANSAS CITY MAYOR Q'S TEAM PLANS COMPREHENSIVE GUN CONTROL ADVOCACY IN HIS 2ND TERM THAT WILL EARN WHITE HOUSE ENDORSEMENT!!! The basics of the plan . . . Ahead of 2024 Kansas City will serve as ground zero for anti-gun debate with Republicans and Mayor Q will drive this talking point home with greater intensity and frequency. History supports this power move given that Mayor Q has sought legal sanction against gun-makers throughout his first term and now works to impose LOCAL legal limits on gun owners despite Missouri rules. Already most elected officials and the chattering class blame shift the historic KCMO homicide numbers against Jeff City Republicans. We can only hope & pray that more local tragedy doesn't inspire further advocacy and instead politicos focus on the legal & policy decisions over emotional shock value. Still, here's a recent preview of an even bolder anti-gun stance for his 2nd term . . . Check Mayor's Q's latest anti-gun tweet citing the rise in metro violence . . . "Too many guns in our metro. We should not live in a world where a 15-year-old male even feels the need to be armed. "Glad the young woman will survive despite being shot in the face. Hopeful the young man and many others learn from this preventable tragedy." Further reading via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . The Secret History of Gun Rights: How Lawmakers Armed the N.R.A. They served in Congress and on the N.R.A.'s board at the same time. Over decades, a small group of legislators led by a prominent Democrat pushed the gun lobby to help transform the law, the courts and views on the Second Amendment. Boom: Up to 60% of Americans could own guns, twice estimate A surge in "quiet gun owners," much like the so-called "silent majority" in political circles, is leading firearms analysts to believe that far more Americans own weapons than the accepted 30% cited in polls. Video We need to 'meet Americans where they are' on gun control: Matthew McConaughey ABC News Jon Karl interviews actor Matthew McConaughey on This Week. Biden Administration Is Withholding Funding From Schools With Archery and Hunting Programs The Biden education department is wildly, deliberately misinterpreting a bill to deny federal funds from a 1965 Act to schools with hunting and archery programs US Supreme Court's Alito temporarily blocks 'ghost gun' ruling U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Friday temporarily blocked a lower court's decision to strike down a regulation aimed at reining in privately made firearms known as "ghost guns" that are difficult for law enforcement to trace. Poll: A majority of Americans support universal background checks, gun licensing and an assault weapons ban The latest Mood of the Nation Poll shows that a bipartisan majority of Americans support universal background checks and gun licensing. A majority supports an assault weapons ban even while nearly half support eliminating most current gun laws. The politics behind gun violence in the US NRA is a powerful group but its policies run in conflict with the interest of the people Developing . . . Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. If the monthly rent in the ad seems to good to be true, it probably is. Experts chime in on how to avoid being taken by a sublet fraud. The City of Toronto is reminding pet owners about their responsibilities and requirements for owning a dog in Toronto and emphasizing the importance of keeping their dog leashed and under control at all times. Key Insights The projected fair value for Luceco is UK1.06 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of UK1.26 suggests Luceco is potentially trading close to its fair value Analyst price target for LUCE is UK1.43, which is 35% above our fair value estimate Does the July share price for Luceco plc (LON:LUCE) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Luceco The Method 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. 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: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK16.2m UK19.7m UK17.4m UK16.1m UK15.3m UK14.8m UK14.5m UK14.4m UK14.4m UK14.4m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Est @ -11.51% Est @ -7.69% Est @ -5.01% Est @ -3.13% Est @ -1.82% Est @ -0.90% Est @ -0.26% Est @ 0.19% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 10.0% UK14.7 UK16.3 UK13.1 UK11.0 UK9.5 UK8.4 UK7.5 UK6.7 UK6.1 UK5.6 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK99m 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 1.2%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 10.0%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = UK14m (1 + 1.2%) (10.0% 1.2%) = UK167m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK167m ( 1 + 10.0%)10= UK65m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK163m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK1.3, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. 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 Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Luceco 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 10.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.251. 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 Luceco Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. 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 Electrical market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the British market. Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio. Significant insider buying over the past 3 months. Threat Annual revenue is forecast to grow slower than the British market. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. 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. For Luceco, we've put together three additional items you should further research: Risks: For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Luceco that you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does LUCE's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Numerous German volunteer combatants have traveled to the war zone in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. That's according to Welt, which refers to data from the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), Ukrinform reports. According to the report, overall, the security authorities recorded the departure of 61 people "who have a connection to extremism or politically motivated crime." There are indications that 39 people left Germany "with the intention of participating in combat operations". Of these, 27 are pro-Russian and twelve are pro-Ukrainian. For the clear majority, the authorities have concrete information that they took part in combat operations. According to the BMI, these include both right-wing and left-wing extremists. At the same time, the number of volunteers from Germany fighting in Ukraine is higher. Authorities in this country, however, only collect data on people related to extremism. In addition, there are a number of ex-soldiers - some of them formerly trained in the Bundeswehr - who have joined the International Legion within the Ukrainian army. According to a spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Justice, in principle, participation in combat operations in Ukraine is not punishable. This applies "as long as they do not act as mercenaries, but as members of the regular armed forces or equivalent volunteer corps and militias." Voices in both the German government and opposition speak up in support for increasing military aid to Kyiv, including by sending long-range missiles, while the authorities are delaying the decision due to certain "fears". The opinion of some politicians was shared by WELT AM SONNTAG, Ukrinform reports. "Germany must immediately provide more Leopard 2 tanks, mine clearance and anti-aircraft systems, as well as ammunition and Taurus cruise missiles," said Roderich Kiesewetter, a Bundestag member with the main opposition party, CDU. It should be recalled that the politician touched on the issue in a recent comment to Ukrinform. According to Kiesewetter, the Bundeswehr has 600 Taurus systems, of which about 450 are not operational but could be upgraded for export to Ukraine. At the same time, there is a lack of political will to this end, he added. Kiesewetter, a former military officer, considers it a "deliberate delaying tactic," particularly because of the reluctance that the German government has toward the idea of Ukraine liberating Crimea. "The delay (in the supply of weapons) has the effect of prolonging (the war) and may lead to the war spreading to other countries, such as Moldova, Romania, the Baltic States or Poland," Kiesewetter warns. Markus Faber, a politician with the Liberal Party, which is part of the ruling coalition, is also in favor of providing Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles. The success of the cruise missiles already delivered by Great Britain shows how important these weapons are on the battlefield, he noted. The Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany, Oleksiy Makeiev, in turn, also called on the federal government to reconsider its attitude toward the supply of modern cruise missiles to Ukraine because such weapons save lives. The publication notes that the firm "No" in the Taurus debate is due to three factors: mistrust of Kyiv (part of the federal government still has some suspicion about the military motives of the leadership in Kyiv and the presumption that the missiles would be used against targets in Russia), fear of angering Moscow and the latters subsequent reaction, as well as the position of the United States, which has so far refused to provide ATACMS. Since the beginning of summer, Ukraine has been voicing pleas to get Germanys long-range Taurus cruise missiles. These are guided missiles with a range of up to 500 kilometers. It is claimed that the Taurus warhead is capable of destroying even bunker systems. A former doctor of the Kherson regional hospital is suspected of collaboration with the Russian invasion forces. This was reported by the Kherson Regional Military Administration on Telegram, Ukrinform saw "Law enforcers found out that in August 2022, the former doctor of the Kherson regional hospital became the acting chief doctor of the Aleshky Central District Hospital seized by the occupiers, the report says. While performing his duties, the man registered the medical facility under Russian legislation and paid salary to personnel in Russian rubles. At the same time, he engaged in anti-Ukrainian propaganda, advocating for staff to cooperate with the occupiers and forcing employees to participate in pro-Russian events. Read also: Russia expanding network of informants in occupied Kherson region Law enforcers have pressed charges against the suspect in absentia. As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine had exposed 31 more collaborators who joined the so-called "headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation" created by the aggressor state in the temporarily captured part of Kherson region. Comprehensive measures are underway to bring the perpetrators to justice. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, among the suspects are four former employees of the National Police Department in Kherson region, who voluntarily flipped to the enemy side. Read also: SBU detains Russian spy helping enemy prepare another air strike on Kharkiv In addition, Ukraine government started sharing with the Interpol personal data of traitors and collaborators from Kharkiv region, who may have moved to the EU. The Permanent Representative of Ukraines President for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Tamila Tasheva, recently said the Ukrainian authorities could hold accountable nearly 10,000 collaborators who sided with the Russian authorities in the occupied peninsula. The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed eight Russian drones last night, including four Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs and four reconnaissance drones. "In the early morning of July 30, 2023, the enemy attacked [Ukraine] from the southeast direction with four Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs. All enemy UAVs were destroyed in the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions by the forces and assets of the Air Force," the Ukrainian Air Force posted on Telegram. On July 29, Ukrainian air defenses also destroyed four operational-tactical reconnaissance UAVs. In the last w24 hours, Ukrainian aircraft launched up to ten strikes on areas where the enemy's manpower, weapons and military equipment were stationed. Earlier reports said that 36 combat clashes took place along the front line in the past 24 hours. The terrorist Wagner private military company will not have any combat effectiveness without the heavy military equipment and weapons used by its fighters in Russia's war against Ukraine. The UK Defense Ministry said this in an intelligence update published on Twitter, Ukrinform reports. British intelligence said that since mid-July 2023, at least several thousand Wagner troops have likely established themselves at a military camp at Tsel, in central Belarus. "Approximately 300 tents and 200 vehicles were identified in Tsel, Belarus. [] Imagery shows that since mid-July 2023, hundreds of vehicles have arrived at the previously mostly empty facility," the update reads. However, separate reports suggest most of the visible vehicles are trucks and minibuses with few armored combat vehicles. British intelligence says it remains unclear what has happened to the heavy equipment Wagner used in Ukraine. There is a realistic possibility that it was forced to return these to the Russian military. "Wagner's ability to secure heavy equipment and enablers such as air transport will be key factors in its future combat effectiveness," the UK Defense Ministry said. Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev, the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has stated that the Russian army fires long-range artillery and mortars in Sumy direction every day. As the Command of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Telegram, Nayev visited settlements near the Russian border in Sumy region and talked with local residents who suffer from shelling every day. The purpose of the commander's working trip was to familiarize himself with the living conditions of the local population and to examine the conditions of service and performance of combat missions by units to strengthen the protection of civilian and critical infrastructure objects in Sumy region, which has the longest border with Russia 564 km. Read also: Enemy launches 14 attacks on Sumy region "In Sumy direction, the enemy fires long-range artillery and mortars every day. However, Ukrainian soldiers have a clear task to respond adequately and, if necessary, to act proactively," Nayev said. According to him, the soldiers who defend this direction are highly motivated, know their combat task, and successfully perform it. "For greater protection of the civilian population, we work together with the regional military administration and do everything possible to ensure that every resident of Sumy region is confident in the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the commander emphasized. During the meeting with unit commanders, the Lieutenant General outlined a set of specific measures aimed at ensuring the defense capability of the territory and immediate response to enemy fire. Photo: Command of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Units of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated nine invaders and 49 quadcopters over the past day. "Over the past day, units of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated nine invaders, one truck, and 49 quadcopters," the Command of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Facebook. The final losses of the enemy are specified. As reported, the Air Force of Ukraine destroyed eight Russian drones last night four combat (Shahed-136/131) and four reconnaissance (operational-tactical level) UAVs. Ukraine will start negotiations with the United States of America on a bilateral agreement on the provision of security guarantees as early as next week. "These guarantees will be valid until Ukraine becomes NATO member which is the most reliable security guarantee. While the war continues in our country and we cannot join NATO, our state must have reliable guarantees for the transition period," Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak posted on Telegram. The Head of the President's Office noted that the work of the international working group, which he heads together with former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, had already resulted in the Joint Declaration adopted by the leaders of the G7 countries and Ukraine in Vilnius. According to him, more than a dozen other countries have already joined this declaration and new countries join almost every week. "Ukraine will conclude a system of bilateral agreements with the declaration participants which will contain specific security guarantees. We are currently working on bilateral agreements with each of these partners. We will start negotiations with the United States next week," Yermak stressed. As he noted, security guarantees for Ukraine will be concrete and long-term commitments that will ensure Ukraine's ability to win now and deter Russian aggression in the future. "These will be clearly described formats and support mechanisms. It is about defense and financial support, as well as sanctions and punishment for the aggressor," Yermak said. Security guarantees, he emphasized, are an important prerequisite for the recovery and development of communities, regions, and the whole of Ukraine. As reported, the leaders of NATO countries at the Vilnius Summit on July 11 published a final communique which states that Ukraine's future is in NATO and it will receive an invitation to join when all member states agree to it and the relevant conditions are met. At the NATO Summit in Vilnius, the creation of the Ukraine-NATO Council was announced and the Membership Action Plan was canceled. The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries agreed on the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius. Photo: Andriy Yermak / Telegram The next meeting of national security advisors and political advisors to state leaders on the implementation of Ukraine's initiatives to restore lasting and just peace will be held in Saudi Arabia. "The Ukrainian Peace Formula contains ten fundamental points, the implementation of which will not only ensure peace for Ukraine but also create mechanisms to counter future conflicts in the world," Head of the Presidents Office Andriy Yermak said at the meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine held in Ivano-Frankivsk. According to him, each point of President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula is currently being discussed individually and in groups with representatives of more than 50 countries on an almost weekly basis. "We are deeply convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis because the war is taking place on our land. At the same time, in the process of consultations with all stakeholders, we seek to take into account opinions and positions that do not contradict the key principles of international law and the provisions of the UN Charter," Yermak emphasized. He noted that the Ukrainian side used a three-phase structure in order to implement Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula. The first phase is meetings with ambassadors accredited to Ukraine, who are devoted to a detailed consideration of each of the points of the Formula. During the second phase, Ukraine initiates meetings of national security advisors to find optimal wording and mechanisms for implementing the Ukrainian peace plan. "We organized the first such meeting in partnership with our Danish colleagues. It was held in Copenhagen in June. The next meeting will take place soon and will be hosted by a Saudi city. We thank both kingdoms for their leadership and strong support of Ukrainian initiatives," the Head of the Presidents Office said. Ukraine seeks to involve as many countries that respect international law and the UN Charter as possible, Yermak emphasized. "President Zelensky said that our choice was to unite the world around Ukraine. The evidence of this choice is clear: we are engaging countries from the West, East, North and South," he added. According to the Head of the President's Office, the third phase of the Peace Formula approval will be an inaugural global summit at the level of heads of state which may take place by the end of the year. As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visited Saudi Arabia on May 19. Luxchem Corporation Berhad (KLSE:LUXCHEM) has announced that it will pay a dividend of MYR0.006 per share on the 30th of August. The dividend yield will be 4.1% based on this payment which is still above the industry average. View our latest analysis for Luxchem Corporation Berhad Luxchem Corporation Berhad's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. However, Luxchem Corporation Berhad's earnings easily cover the dividend. As a result, a large proportion of what it earned was being reinvested back into the business. Unless the company can turn things around, EPS could fall by 10.0% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we believe the payout ratio could be 71%, which we are pretty comfortable with and we think is feasible on an earnings basis. Dividend Volatility Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. Since 2013, the annual payment back then was MYR0.0142, compared to the most recent full-year payment of MYR0.02. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 3.5% over that duration. We're glad to see the dividend has risen, but with a limited rate of growth and fluctuations in the payments the total shareholder return may be limited. The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Earnings per share has been sinking by 10% over the last five years. Dividend payments are likely to come under some pressure unless EPS can pull out of the nosedive it is in. Our Thoughts On Luxchem Corporation Berhad's Dividend Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. We don't think Luxchem Corporation Berhad is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus. Story continues Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Luxchem Corporation Berhad that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Is Luxchem Corporation Berhad not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks. 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 During the Sunday Angelus in the Vatican, Pope Francis appealed to the Russian side to restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allowed Ukraine to safely transport grain. This was reported by Vatican News, Ukrinform saw. "Let's not stop praying for Ukraine, where war destroys everything, including grain. This is a grave offense to God because grain is His gift to feed humanity. And the cry of millions of brothers and sisters who suffer hunger rises to heaven," said Pope Francis. Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, the pontiff said: I appeal to my brothers, the authorities of the Russian Federation, that the Black Sea Initiative may be restored and grain may be transported safely. As Ukrinform reported earlier, on July 17, Russia withdrew from the agreement with Turkiye and the UN regarding the Black Sea Grain Initiative. After that, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced it would consider ships heading to Ukrainian ports as legitimate military targets. Photo: Vatican News President Volodymyr Zelensky paid a visit to a rehabilitation center in Ivano-Frankivsk where Ukraines defenders are undergoing treatment. The head of state reported this on Telegram, as seen by Ukrinform. "Ivano-Frankivsk. The rehabilitation center where our defenders are undergoing treatment. I would like to thank each of our warriors for their feat and heroism. Thank you from all Ukrainians for defending our country. We will definitely win! I wish you a speedy recovery!" Zelensky wrote following the visit. Read also: Zelensky congratulates Ukrainian medics on their professional holiday The president also expressed gratitude to Ukrainian medics: Doctors, nurses you are all fantastic. We are proud of your important work!" As Ukrinform reported earlier, on July 29, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi visited the advanced positions of Ukraines Special Operations Forces in the Bakhmut area where he congratulated the soldiers on their professional holiday. Investors who take an interest in Rome Resources Ltd. (CVE:RMR) should definitely note that the CEO, President & Director, Mark Gasson, recently paid CA$0.25 per share to buy CA$500k worth of the stock. That's a very decent purchase to our minds and it grew their holding by a solid 28%. Check out our latest analysis for Rome Resources The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Rome Resources Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by insider Klaus Eckhof for CA$800k worth of shares, at about CA$0.20 per share. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of CA$0.24. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price. Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid CA$2.8m for 12.37m shares. On the other hand they divested 114.00k shares, for CA$28k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Rome Resources insiders. They paid about CA$0.22 on average. These transactions show that insiders have confidence to invest their own money in the stock, albeit at slightly below the recent price. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! 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). Does Rome Resources Boast High Insider Ownership? I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It's great to see that Rome Resources insiders own 49% of the company, worth about CA$9.7m. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders. Story continues What Might The Insider Transactions At Rome Resources Tell Us? The recent insider purchases are heartening. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. But on the other hand, the company made a loss during the last year, which makes us a little cautious. Once you factor in the high insider ownership, it certainly seems like insiders are positive about Rome Resources. That's what I like to see! So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. When we did our research, we found 3 warning signs for Rome Resources (2 are concerning!) that we believe deserve your full attention. Of course Rome Resources may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Maryland police agencies purchased drones from the Chinese technology company DJI. Adrees Latif/Reuters Police agencies across Maryland are using drones from DJI, a Chinese technology company. DJI was added to a US investment blacklist after officials say they sold drones to Chinese police for Uyghur surveillance. Officials with the manufacturer say they have never turned over data from a US product to the Chinese government. Several law enforcement agencies across Maryland are using drones made by a Chinese company that was added to a US investment blacklist in 2020 and is banned in four states. Maryland police are using drones from DJI, a Chinese technology company that dominates the global drone market, local station WBAL TV reported. The US Treasury Department added DJI to a US investment blacklist in December 2021. The move came after US officials said the company sold drones to Xinjiang police for use in surveilling Uyghur residents, the Washington Post reported. The Uyghurs have faced systematic persecution from the Chinese government. Last August, the United Nations issued a report concluding the Chinese government's abuses against Uyghurs could constitute crimes against humanity. US officials have also raised concerns about data privacy, with four states and several US agencies banning the use of DJI drones, WBAL TV reported. Earlier this year, Arkansas became the latest state to enact the ban. Adam Welsh the head of global policy for DJI told WBAL TV the company had never given US data to the Chinese government. Furthermore, officials with Maryland state police say they have not found another supplier that lives up to the quality of DJI drones. "There are drones that are made here in the United States, but they do not come up, in our opinion, to the level that the DJI drones that we are using come to," Senior Deputy Michael Wilsinski told WBAL TV. Read the original article on Business Insider DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 30th Jul, 2023) The World Free Zones Organisation (World FZO) signed an agreement with the Adriatica Special Economic Zone, appointing Bari as the host city for the 10th edition of the Annual International Conference and Exhibition (AICE), taking place from 19th-21st June, 2024. The conference will run alongside the G7 Summit, which is also scheduled to take place in Puglia during the same period. The agreement was signed in the presence of Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Chairman of the World Free Zones Organisation, the Extraordinary Government Commissioner of the Adriatica Special Economic Zone, Manlio Guadagnuolo; Italy's Deputy Minister of Justice, Sen. Francesco Paolo Sisto, and the Italian Under-Secretary of State for Health, Marcello Gemmato. AICE is renowned as one of the world's most prestigious events in economic development and free zone operations. Bringing together key stakeholders, global experts, and industry leaders, AICE serves as an ideal platform for dialogue, collaboration, and the exchange of innovative ideas that seek to drive economic growth and development in international trade. Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Chairman of the World Free Zones Organisation, said, AICE 2024 will mark a milestone in economic development and free zones. We are delighted to collaborate with the Adriatica Special Economic Zone and the Italian Government in shaping the future of global trade and economic growth. AICE represents an exceptional opportunity for Italy, as it unites eight Special Economic Zones in Southern Italy under one zone and extends its impact to the entire South, potentially transforming the region into an extraordinary engine of economic growth, attracting foreign investments. World FZO is here to support this new course. At the World FZO, our commitment lies in shaping the future of Zones and creating value through public policies that uphold the system's values. AICE has consolidated its position as an ideal platform for leaders of Special Economic Zones and Free Zones to convene annually, exchange ideas, collaborate, and attract investments," Dr. Al Zarooni concluded. The event will explore various topics shaping the future of global Free Zones, including advancements in artificial intelligence, ICT, and digital transformation; embracing sustainable development goals (SDGs) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives within the framework of the Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones (GASEZ); exploring opportunities in the blue economy and infrastructure asset management. This is in addition to promoting SEZs as specialised areas for production chains, enabling investments in diverse sectors such as tourism, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. The Italian Government's support for the candidacy of the Adriatica Special Economic Zone led to its victory in the international competition held in Dubai on 3rd May, 2023, securing Italy's role as the host of this prestigious global event. AICE 2024 represents a unique and unmissable opportunity for Italy to showcase the Southern Italy Special Economic Zone, attracting investments from significant international players and contributing to the region's economic growth. Vienna, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2023 ) :Night trains have made a comeback in Europe thanks to their low-carbon footprint, but after years of neglect, the Renaissance has had a bumpy ride. Operators admit that the trains are outdated -- with passengers facing the occasional delays, technical problems, or malfunctioning toilets -- while companies compete in an overloaded network. Despite the challenges, national rail operators are giving night trains another chance while startups are jumping on the bandwagon as climate concerns are making travellers ditch kerosene-burning planes for cleaner modes of transportation. Sitting at the crossroads between Western and Eastern Europe, Austria has been at the heart of this revival with the backing of the government even as low-cost airlines threatened to relegate sleeper trains to the history books. Austrian rail operator OeBB, a pioneer in the sector, has Europe's biggest fleet of night trains, serving 1.5 million passengers in carriages that include bed compartments. The state-owned company considered abandoning its overnight services at one point, but it went in the opposite direction and invested in them instead. "Our night trains are nearly fully booked," OeBB spokesman Bernhard Rieder told AFP as summer travel is in full swing in Europe. OeBB runs 20 routes connecting Vienna and other cities throughout Europe. "We have a long tradition with night train service," Rieder said, pointing out how the Alpine nation's mountainous topography makes having high-speed connections difficult. OTTAWA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2023 ) --:A firefighter battling the wildfire in British Columbia, Canada, has been confirmed dead, the fourth such fatality during the country's record fire season this year, local media reported Saturday. The 25-year-old firefighter, contracted to British Columbia Wildfire Service, was working in a remote area when the vehicle he was riding rolled over a steep drop on a gravel road on Friday morning, police said. In July, firefighter Devyn Gale died after a tree fell on her near Revelstoke in British Columbia. Adam Yeadon died while fighting a wildfire near his home in Fort Liard in the Northwest Territories. Helicopter pilot Ryan Gould died in a crash while fighting a fire near Haig Lake in Alberta. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre said Saturday that there were 1,006 active wildfires nationwide, and the number of out-of-control wildfires was 623. This year, the number of wildfires in the country has reached 4,911, devouring about 123,000 square km of land. PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2023 ) :Army choppers have started a relief operation by airlifting the injured person to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Peshawar, Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) Hospital, which are kept on emergency. The Army choppers are being used to airlift the injured from district headquarters Khar to Peshawar wherein so far 35 have been killed as a result of the heavy blast during the ongoing JUI-F Worker Convention in Dubai Mor (Shindai Mor), Bajuar and more than 100 other injured. However, Information Minister Barrister Feroz Jamal confirmed that more than 200 people were injured, 15 are in critical condition and are being airlifted to CMH Peshawar while so far 35 persons declared dead, Rescue 1122 also confirmed the death toll. Pakistan army helicopter is being provided from Khar to Peshawar for seriously injured people and IGFC Major General Noor Wali reached Bajaur to supervise the activities. A total of 17 injured were shifted to Timergara Hospital while the rest of them are being shifted to Bajaur, Peshawar, CMH Peshawar and HMC. The alert call was issued to CMH and LRH in Peshawar. Rescue operations are underway by security forces and other law enforcement agencies as well. The area was cordoned off and the investigation was started. Security forces continue to donate blood to the injured, a doctor at Bajaur Hospital told APP. He confirmed that 35 persons were injured and more than 100 were reported as injured in a big explosion in the worker convention of the JUI-F in Dubai Mor in the Khar area, officials of the Rescue 1122 confirmed. The officials of Rescue 1122 also confirmed the increase in the death toll from 35. The official said that soon after the blast relief operations were in progress with the injured having been shifted to hospital and the officials of the law enforcement and security forces cordoned off the area. He said among the injured 15 persons were in critical condition and many of the injured are being shifted to Peshawar. Soon after the information, ambulances of Rescue 1122 and Edhi reached the spot, the official said, adding, Rescue 1122 is carrying out rescue operations at the accident site with the jawans of the Pakistan Army. DONETSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th July, 2023) The Kuibyshivskyi District of the city of Donetsk is being heavily shelled by Ukrainian armed forces, Mayor Alexey Kulemzin said on Sunday, adding that preliminary information suggested there were casualties. "Kuibyshevskyi district is under massive shelling. Preliminary information suggests that there are casualties. There is also a report of a direct hit on a house on the Kuibysheva Street," Kulemzin said on Telegram. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th July, 2023) The Russian forces have repelled 7 Ukrainian attacks in the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours, and the Ukrainian military lost up to 190 soldiers, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "In the Donetsk direction, air strikes, artillery fire and the actions of units of the Southern Group repelled 7 enemy attacks," the Defense Ministry said. The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces in this area amounted up to 190 servicemen, 2 armored combat vehicles, 4 cars, 2 US-made M777 artillery systems, and Msta-B and D-20 howitzers, the ministry added. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th July, 2023) US intelligence representatives are searching for a malicious computer code that they believe China has developed to target the US military bases infrastructure in the event of a conflict, including the one around Taiwan, The New York Times reported, citing US officials. The malware has allegedly been implemented in the networks managing power grids, communication lines and water deliveries essential for the operation of military bases in the United States and across the globe, the daily newspaper reported on Saturday. The code is "a ticking time bomb," as it could attack the US military infrastructure and interrupt or slow down US military operations, one of the officials told The New York Times. The malware allegedly has capacity to attack the US civil infrastructure as well, the newspaper reported. In March, US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly said the United States viewed China as its biggest cybersecurity threat. She added that China might be working to build up its cybercapabilities to put US infrastructure at risk. In May, US company microsoft issued a warning saying it was moderately confident that Volt Typhoon, a cyberactor attributed to the Chinese government, was developing capabilities that could potentially disrupt critical communications infrastructure between the US and Asia in the event of a crisis. Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SGX:Z74) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 2 days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company's books to be eligible for a dividend payment. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. Accordingly, Singapore Telecommunications investors that purchase the stock on or after the 2nd of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 17th of August. The company's next dividend payment will be S$0.078 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed S$0.099 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Singapore Telecommunications stock has a trailing yield of around 3.7% on the current share price of SGD2.66. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing. Check out our latest analysis for Singapore Telecommunications Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Singapore Telecommunications paid out 73% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. It paid out more than half (64%) of its free cash flow in the past year, which is within an average range for most companies. It's positive to see that Singapore Telecommunications's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Story continues Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. With that in mind, we're discomforted by Singapore Telecommunications's 17% per annum decline in earnings in the past five years. Such a sharp decline casts doubt on the future sustainability of the dividend. Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Singapore Telecommunications has seen its dividend decline 4.6% per annum on average over the past 10 years, which is not great to see. It's never nice to see earnings and dividends falling, but at least management has cut the dividend rather than potentially risk the company's health in an attempt to maintain it. Final Takeaway Has Singapore Telecommunications got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? It's never good to see earnings per share shrinking, but at least the dividend payout ratios appear reasonable. We're aware though that if earnings continue to decline, the dividend could be at risk. It's not that we think Singapore Telecommunications is a bad company, but these characteristics don't generally lead to outstanding dividend performance. Having said that, if you're looking at this stock without much concern for the dividend, you should still be familiar of the risks involved with Singapore Telecommunications. For example - Singapore Telecommunications has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of. A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks. 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 There has been a steady decline in the number of AM radio stations in the United States. Over the decades, urban and mainstream broadcasters have moved to the FM band, which has better audio fidelity, although more limited range. Now, there is a new threat to the remaining AM stations. Some automakers want to kick AM off their dashboard radios, deeming it obsolete. VOAs chief national correspondent, Steve Herman, in the state of Texas, has been tuning in to some traditional rural stations, as well as those broadcasting in languages others than English in the big cities. Camera - Steve Herman and Jonathan Zizzo. WASHINGTON - An American nurse and her child have been kidnapped in Haiti, a Christian aid group said Saturday, days after the U.S. government ordered its nonessential personnel out of the impoverished Caribbean country because of spiraling insecurity. Alix Dorsainvil and her child were kidnapped Thursday morning near Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince, El Roi Haiti said in a statement on its website. She is the wife of the group's director, who is Haitian, and the mother and child were taken from the El Roi campus "while serving in our community ministry." "Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family," El Roi said. "Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus," the group said. Their kidnapping came after the U.S. State Department issued an updated travel advisory Thursday, saying Americans in Haiti should depart "as soon as possible ... in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges." The U.S. government is "extremely limited in its ability" to assist Americans in the country who may need emergency help, it said, warning that "kidnapping is widespread." Washington also ordered its nonessential personnel and family of government employees to leave Haiti, which has seen compounding humanitarian, political and security crises. Gangs control most of the capital and terrorize the population with kidnappings, rape and murder. The State Department said Saturday it was aware of reports of two citizens kidnapped in Haiti. "We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners," a spokesperson said. A powerful explosion ripped through a fireworks warehouse Saturday in southern Thailand, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 100, a senior official said, as several nearby homes were leveled or damaged. The blast in the town of Sungai Kolok in the border province of Narathiwat is thought to have been caused by welding during construction work on the building. "A warehouse storing firecrackers in Sungai Kolok exploded this afternoon, the latest number is nine dead and 115 injured," Narathiwat governor Sanan Pongaksorn told AFP. "The fire is now under control. Preliminary investigation suggests the cause is a technical error during the steel welding process, as the building is under construction," he said. The explosion devastated a substantial area around the warehouse. Footage on local media showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the air and numerous shops, homes and vehicles badly damaged by the force of the blast, some ablaze and many with their roofs blown off. Some media are putting the death toll at 10 but the figure could not be confirmed. AFP photos from the scene show the warehouse reduced to rubble and twisted metal. The Bangkok Post cited the Ministry of Interior reporting that as many as 200 houses were damaged by the explosion in the border town on the frontier with Malaysia. Other media had said up to 500 homes could have been damaged. "I was playing with my phone inside the house then suddenly I heard a loud, thunderous noise and my whole house shook," Seksan Taesen, who lives 100 meters (110 yards) from the warehouse, told AFP. "Then I saw my roof was wide open. I looked outside and I saw a house collapsing and people lying on the ground everywhere. It was chaos," Seksan said. Video shot by Seksan showed a scene of turmoil at a local market that serves the district next to the Malaysian border, with dazed locals wandering around and emergency services rushing to help. Broken glass, roof tiles and other debris littered the ground. Several market stalls were shredded or otherwise heavily damaged. Explosions at workshops producing firecrackers and other pyrotechnics are not uncommon in Thailand. Saturday's deadly blast comes five days after 11 people reportedly were injured when a fireworks factory exploded in the northern city of Chiang Mai. The Southeast Asian kingdom also has a poor safety record in the construction sector and deadly accidents are common. Authorities in Pakistan said Monday the death toll from a blast in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had risen to at least 45 people. The explosion occurred in Khar, a town in the tribal area of Bajaur, located near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. It happened Sunday afternoon during a workers convention of a religious political party, Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI-F). A video of the meeting captures the moment of the blast. District Police Officer Nazeer Khan told VOA that evidence collected so far points to the blast being the work of a suicide bomber. In a tweet, Pakistani Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said an inquiry into the incident has been ordered. Pakistan has seen a surge in terror attacks since the Afghan Taliban took control in Kabul in August 2021. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, a militant outfit ideologically associated with the Afghan Taliban, has been behind most of those attacks. However, the group denied responsibility for this incident. China accused the United States of turning Taiwan into an ammunition depot after the White House announced a $345 million military aid package for Taipei, and the self-ruled island said Sunday it tracked six Chinese navy ships in waters off its shores. China's Taiwan Affairs Office issued a statement late Saturday opposing the military aid to Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. No matter how much of the ordinary people's taxpayer money the ... Taiwanese separatist forces spend, no matter how many U.S. weapons, it will not shake our resolve to solve the Taiwan problem. Or shake our firm will to realize the reunification of our motherland, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office. Their actions are turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot, aggravating the threat of war in the Taiwan Strait," the statement said. Chinas Peoples Liberation Army has increased its military maneuvers in recent years aimed at Taiwan, sending fighter jets and warships to circle the island. On Sunday, Taiwans Ministry of National Defense said it tracked six Chinese navy ships near the island. Taiwan's ruling administration, led by the Democratic Progressive Party, has stepped up its weapons purchases from the U.S. as part of a deterrence strategy against a Chinese invasion. China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, and Taiwan has never been governed by Chinas ruling Communist Party. Unlike previous military purchases, the latest batch of aid is part of a presidential authority approved by the U.S. Congress last year to draw weapons from current U.S. military stockpiles so Taiwan will not have to wait for military production and sales. While Taiwan has purchased $19 billion worth of weaponry, much of it has yet to be delivered to Taiwan. Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles to Taiwan. Mongolian finance minister Javkhlan Bold said it made no sense to shun Russia given Putin could work around the country - SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg Mongolia has signalled it is willing to help Russian President Vladimir Putin cement new gas supply routes to the East as international sanctions bite. Javkhlan Bold, Mongolias finance minister, said policymakers hoped to capitalise on opportunities that would see more infrastructure running through the country as the Kremlin redirects its energy supplies towards Asian countries like China and India. In an interview with the Telegraph, Mr Bold said he was waiting for the so-called Power of Siberia 2 pipeline transporting gas between Russia and China through his country to make progress in the coming months, adding that it was important that Mongolia explored new partnerships going forward. Our end goal is to get some revenues for letting [the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline] pass through Mongolia and to some extent we can also become buyers, he said. Mongolia buys almost all its gas from Russia, and Mr Bold said the government stood ready to engage with Moscow and Beijing on future projects. The original Power of Siberia gas pipeline runs directly into China through the countrys northern border with Russia. Mr Bold said shunning further opportunities would not make economic sense, despite Mr Putins decision to invade Ukraine. [Russia] still has options if Mongolia says no to the gas transit opportunity. It has access to the Chinese market via Vladivostok for example. And therefore does it make sense to say no to this revenue opportunity? Mr Bold added: We would be open to more opportunities because Russia has a back-up plan if we say no. Mongolia is heavily dependent on coal exports and is seeking to diversify its revenue streams as more countries including China set net zero goals. A squeezed outpost of democracy between China and Russia, the country has maintained a neutral stance throughout the war. The landlocked country no longer imports goods from Ukraine that used to come through Russia, which has pushed up prices. Story continues Mr Bold said he hoped to build stronger ties with Beijing in the years ahead, even though he described Chinas recovery after it ditched its zero-Covid policies as disappointing. However, he added that the countrys dependence on the worlds second largest economy had helped Mongolia to avoid a post pandemic disaster. If Chinas borders remained closed and we had a war, we wouldnt have imagined what disastrous effect that would have had, he said. Moscow has been pressing for a new Sino-Russian pipeline through Mongolia, though Chinese policymakers have been dragging their heels during talks to finalise the pipeline, a move that analysts say could help Beijing secure a lower price for gas as Mr Putins options continue to narrow. 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. France's finance minister said Sunday during a visit to Beijing that cutting all economic ties with China was "an illusion," as some Western countries question their reliance on the Asian giant. "We are totally opposed to the idea of decoupling. Decoupling is an illusion," Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told reporters at the French embassy. "There is no possibility of having any kind of decoupling between the American, European and Chinese economies." Le Maire nonetheless defended France's ambition to become more economically independent in certain sectors. But, he added, the concept of de-risking, which has become a byword in the West in recent months, "does not mean that China is a risk." "De-risking means that we want to be more independent... We don't want to realize, as we realized during the COVID crisis, that we have too much dependence on some very specific components," he added, citing microchips as one example. Le Maire's remarks come as some Western countries seek to reduce their economic dependence on China, particularly Germany, which counts the Asian country as its top trading partner and an important market for its automotive industry. The United States has also advocated de-risking from China, though U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said during a visit to Beijing earlier this month that a decoupling of the U.S. and Chinese economies would be "virtually impossible." China, meanwhile, has lashed out at Western efforts to de-risk, with Premier Li Qiang last month calling the concept a "false proposition." Le Maire is in China for high-level economic talks and will travel Monday to the southern tech hub of Shenzhen to meet with business leaders. Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup last week marched Sunday through the streets of the capital, Niamey, waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France. The protesters marched through the city to the French Embassy, where a door was lit on fire, according to someone who was at the embassy when it happened, and videos seen by The AP. Black smoke could be seen rising from across the city. The Nigerien army broke up the crowd of protesters. Russian mercenary group Wagner is already operating in neighboring Mali, and Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to expand his country's influence in the region. However, it is unclear yet whether the new junta leaders will move toward Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners. On Sunday at an emergency meeting in Abjua, Nigeria the West African bloc said it was suspending relations with Niger and authorized the use of force if the president was not reinstated within a week. In the event the authorities demands are not met within one week, take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force. To this effect, the chiefs of defense staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately, Omar Alieu Touray, president of the ECOWAS commission, said after the meeting. SEE ALSO: Soldiers Declare Niger General New Leader After Attempted Coup Days after the coup, uncertainty is mounting about Niger's future, with some calling out the junta's reasons for seizing control. President Mohamed Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Nigers first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. The mutineers said they overthrew him because he wasnt able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that's just a pretext for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation. Everybody is wondering: why this coup? Thats because no one was expecting it. We couldnt expect a coup in Niger because theres no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power, Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, who is now in charge of the country. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum's predecessor and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. The AP cannot independently verify his assessment. While Niger's security situation is dire, it's not as bad as neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Niger had been seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle the jihadis in Africas Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nations troops. Regional bodies, including the West African economic bloc ECOWAS, have denounced the coup. Some taking part in Sunday's rally warned them to stay away. I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business, said Oumar Barou Moussa, who was at the demonstration. Its time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. Its time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty. We need to stay together, we need to work together, we need to have our true independence," he said. Conflict experts say out of all the countries in the region, Niger has the most at stake if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance the international community has poured in. On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum who remains under house arrest and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. On Sunday, France's President, Emmanuel Macron said attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated. Anyone who attacked French nationals, the army, diplomats and French authorities would see an immediate response, he said. Macron said he'd spoken to Bazoum and his predecessor as Nigerien President, Mahamadou Issoufou, hours earlier, who both condemned the coup and appealed for calm. The attack follows France's move Saturday to suspend all development and financial aid for Niger. The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the countrys democratically elected government. ECOWAS is holding an emergency summit Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria. The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020. A group of Indian opposition lawmakers arrived Saturday in a remote northeastern state where deadly ethnic clashes have killed at least 130 people. They hope to pressure the government to take action against the violence which began in May. The delegation of 20 lawmakers from 15 political parties, who are part of a new opposition alliance called INDIA, are in Manipur state for a two-day visit to assess the situation as the ongoing violence and bloodshed have displaced tens of thousands in recent months. The conflict in Manipur has become a global issue because of the scale of violence, said Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, a lawmaker belonging to the opposition Congress party. "Our delegation is here to express solidarity with the people of Manipur in this time of distress. The top priority now is to restore normalcy as soon as possible," he added. Tucked in the mountains on the border with Myanmar, Manipur is on the brink of a civil war. Mobs have rampaged through villages, torching houses and buildings. The conflict was sparked by an affirmative action controversy in which Christian Kukis protested a demand by mostly Hindu Meiteis for a special status that would let them buy land in the hills populated by Kukis and other tribal groups and get a share of government jobs. After arriving in the state capital, Imphal, the lawmakers went to the Churachandpur district, where they visited two relief camps and spoke to community leaders. The conflict has triggered an impasse in India's Parliament, as opposition members demand a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the violence roiling the state. On Wednesday, the opposition moved a no-confidence motion against the Modi government. This means the government will soon face a no-confidence vote in Parliament, which is likely to be defeated, as Modi's party and its allies have a clear majority. But opposition leaders say the move could at least force Modi to speak on the conflict and open a debate. Two weeks ago, Modi broke more than two months of public silence over the conflict in Manipur when he condemned the mob assaults on two women in the state who were paraded naked through the streets. But he did not directly refer to the larger violence. He has also not visited the state, which is ruled by his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, since the violence broke out. Both houses of Parliament were adjourned at various times last week as the opposition stopped proceedings with their demand for a statement from Modi. Despite a heavy army presence and a visit earlier by the home minister, when he met with both communities, the deadly clashes have persisted. The violence in Manipur and the assault on the two women triggered protests across the country last week. In Manipur, thousands held a sit-in protest recently and called for the firing of Biren Singh, the top elected official in the state, who also belongs to Modi's party. Italy made an "improvised and atrocious" decision when it joined China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) four years ago as it did little to boost exports, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview published Sunday. Italy signed up to the BRI under a previous government, becoming the only major Western country to have taken such a step. Crosetto is part of an administration that is considering how to break free of the agreement. The BRI scheme envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with large infrastructure spending. Critics see it as a tool for China to spread its geopolitical and economic influence. "The decision to join the (new) Silk Road was an improvised and atrocious act" that multiplied China's exports to Italy but did not have the same effect on Italian exports to China, Crosetto told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. "The issue today is how to walk back (from the BRI) without damaging relations (with Beijing). Because it is true that China is a competitor, but it is also a partner," the defense minister added. After a White House meeting Thursday with U.S. President Joe Biden, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government was still deliberating on the BRI and announced a trip to Beijing soon. "We'll take a decision before December," Meloni told U.S. broadcaster Fox News in an interview that aired Sunday, adding that the issue required discussions with the Chinese government and within the Italian parliament. Meloni reiterated her view that it is a "paradox" that while Italy is part of the BRI, it is not the G7 country with the biggest trade with China and said that shows it is possible to have good relations with Beijing without the Belt and Road. NAIROBI, KENYA | Kenya is ready to lead a multinational force in Haiti and will deploy 1,000 police officers to the strife-torn Caribbean nation once its offer is accepted, the foreign minister said Saturday. Gangs control about 80% of the Haitian capital, and violent crimes such as kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery and carjackings are common. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry have for nearly a year sought international intervention to help support the police, but no country had stepped forward. "Kenya has accepted to positively consider leading a Multi-National Force to Haiti," Kenya's Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua said in a statement late Saturday. "Kenya's commitment is to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations," the statement said. Its proposed deployment still required a mandate from the U.N. Security Council and approval from domestic authorities, he said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone Friday night to Kenyan President William Ruto, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. Kenya is seen as a democratic anchor in East Africa and has participated in peacekeeping operations in its immediate region including in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. No other details about the Haiti deployment were immediately available. Spiraling violence Haiti, the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation, has seen compounding humanitarian, political and security crises, with gangs controlling most of Port-au-Prince. Guterres said this month that violence had continued "to escalate and spread," citing killings, kidnappings, rape of women and girls, looting, and the displacement of thousands of people. Guterres, relaying a request from Henry, began calling in October for an international, non-U.N. deployment to help support police in the troubled nation. The Security Council this month adopted a unanimous resolution encouraging member states "to provide security support to the Haitian National Police," including through "the deployment of a specialized force." But the text, which was focused on a one-year extension of the mandate for the special U.N. political mission to Haiti, BINUH, stopped short of making any direct plans for such a force. The council has asked Guterres to present by mid-August a report on all possible options, including a U.N.-led mission. Earlier this month, Blinken said the U.S. remained active in its search for a country to head a multinational force in Haiti. This week, Washington ordered nonessential personnel and family members of government employees to leave the country. Staff at the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince already live under tight security confined to a protected residential area and forbidden to walk around the capital or use any public transport or taxis. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Saudi Arabia is to host talks in Jeddah on August 5-6 about Ukraine. The meeting would include Western officials and representatives from up to 30 countries, including India, Brazil, Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Chile and Zambia. Ukraine and Western officials hope that the talks, which exclude Russia, can lead to international backing for peace terms favoring Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reports. About 100 soldiers from the Russian Wagner group have moved closer to the Polish border, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Saturday. Poland, a NATO member, is worried that any skirmishes on its border could lead to a spillover of war on its territory. Ukrainian soldiers have used North Korean rockets they claim were seized by a "friendly" country before being delivered to Ukraine, the Financial Times reported Saturday. Ukraines defense ministry suggested the arms were captured from the Russians. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that higher grain prices, which have risen since Russias exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, will benefit Russian companies as well as the worlds poorest countries. In his effort to woo African leaders, Putin said during a news conference Saturday in St. Petersburg that Russia will share its profits from spiking grain prices with Africa and other poor countries. Russia, like Ukraine, is a major grain exporter. He also said that Russia did not oppose peace talks based on the African or Chinese peace initiatives. His comments came a day after several African leaders, who came to St. Petersburg for a summit, urged him to end the war on Ukraine and renew the United Nations-brokered grain deal. "We feel that we have a right to call for peace, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told Putin, because the ongoing conflict also negatively affects us." Ukraines grain is vital to Africa despite Putins promises Thursday that Moscow can replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa, and he would give tens of thousands of tons of grain to six countries within months. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday that a "handful of donations" won't correct the adverse consequences of the canceled Black Sea grain deal. Under the Black Sea agreement, the World Food Program purchased and shipped 725,000 metric tons of grain to Afghanistan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen over the past year. The pact has allowed the WFP so far to procure 80% of its wheat purchases this year from Ukraine up from 50% in 2021 and 2022. Overall, nearly 33 million metric tons of grain were exported by Ukraine under the deal, which aimed to combat a global hunger exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Global wheat prices have risen about 9% since Russia exited the agreement on July 17 and began pounding Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube River. Ukrainian counteroffensive The Ukrainian counteroffensive, which began June 5, appears to be gaining momentum. On Wednesday, Ukraine started throwing its reserves onto a large-scale attack south of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where Russian defensive lines are at their strongest. On Thursday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video in which Ukrainian soldiers said they had taken Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region. Thats the fifth in a string of villages along the Mokri Yaly River in western Donetsk Oblast, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) east of the battles near Orikhiv. Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers said artillery fire at the Ukrainian troops had effectively razed Staromaiorske, and they reported more barrages Friday. Recent fighting has taken place at multiple places along the more than 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) front, where Ukraine deployed its recently acquired Western weapons to push out the Kremlin's forces. It is attacking without vital air support, however, and Russia is deeply dug in. Russia is trying to hold on to the territory it controls in the four provinces it illegally annexed in September Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kherson and Luhansk. In his news conference Saturday, Putin said there were no serious changes and no intensification of actions on the Ukrainian front for now. Russian attacks At least two people died, and buildings were damaged in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia after a Russian missile attack Saturday, Anatoliy Kurtiev, secretary of the city council, said on Telegram. "Unfortunately, a man and a woman died. Another woman was injured, he noted. Rescue crews were seen carrying the victims away in body bags while investigators were examining pieces of shrapnel next to a crater on the ground several meters wide caused by the attack. "The blast wave knocked out windows in high-rise buildings and damaged the building of an educational institution and a supermarket," Kurtiev said. Another Russian rocket attack killed one civilian and injured five more in the northeastern city of Sumy late Saturday, Ukraine's interior ministry said. Russian forces crossed into the Sumy region shortly after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022 last year, but Ukrainian forces took back control of the region a few weeks later. Reuters could not verify the details of the report. A lawyer for former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday rebuffed new criminal charges that he obstructed justice, saying that Trump could have destroyed security camera footage at his Florida estate if he had wanted to but did not and, instead, turned over the video to government investigators. The attorney, Alina Habba, did not directly deny the obstruction allegation in a Fox News Sunday interview. Instead, Habba said, "If there was an attempt for him to not turn over documents or he wanted something deleted, do you not think that that's something he couldn't have gotten done? Let's just use common sense. But he never would act like that. He is the most ethical American I know, Habba said. Special counsel Jack Smith leveled the new allegations against Trump last week in a superseding indictment that broadly accused Trump of illegally retaining 32 classified national security documents at Mar-a-Lago, Trumps oceanside residence. Trump now faces a total of 40 charges in the classified documents case. Trump kept the documents after his presidency ended in early 2021, instead of sending them to the National Archives as required by law, and, the indictment alleges, conspired to keep the entirety of the documents from federal investigators. The new indictment accused Trump of plotting with two aides, his valet, Walt Nauta, and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira to wipe out security camera video showing workers moving boxes of the documents in and out of a storage room to hide them from government investigators who had subpoenaed them. The indictment alleged that De Oliveira had a private conversation with the Mar-a-Lago employee in charge of the surveillance footage and told the employee "the boss wanted the server deleted. But the indictment said that the employee in charge of the footage replied, that he would not know how to do that, and that he did not believe that he would have the rights to do that. In the Fox news interview, Habba said, "No tapes were deleted. [Trump] turned them over. He cooperated, as he always does. ... If President Trump didn't want something turned over, I assure you that is something that could have been done." Fox host Shannon Bream pressed Habba about the indictment allegation that Trump tried to get the surveillance video deleted, but Habba replied, Shannon, I know the facts, and the facts are when President Trump gets a subpoena, it goes to the organization, the organization turns it over. Even as national polls show that Trump is far and away the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination to run against Democratic President Joe Biden for another four-year term in the White House, his legal perils are mounting. Trump is the first U.S. president to face criminal charges. In addition to the classified documents case in Florida, Trump faces New York state charges that he altered business records at his family real estate conglomerate to hide a hush money payment to a porn film star ahead of his successful 2016 election campaign to silence her claim of a one-night tryst with him a decade earlier. Watch related video by Veronica Balderas Iglesias: Trump has denied the already filed charges and any wrongdoing in other investigations. More charges related to Trumps efforts to upend his 2020 loss to Biden could be filed in the coming days. Security barriers have been erected around a courthouse in the southern city of Atlanta, Georgia, where a state prosecutor has signaled that she is nearing a decision whether to indict Trump and key aides in their effort to overturn his narrow loss to Biden in Georgia. In a taped phone call in early 2021, Trump asked Georgia state election officials to find him 11,780 votes, one more than he needed to overcome Bidens winning margin in the state. Smith, the Justice Department special counsel, has told Trump he is a target of his investigation into the role Trump played in trying to reverse the national outcome of the election and urging Trump supporters to fight like hell on January 6, 2021, to keep Congress from certifying that Biden had won the election. About 2,000 Trump supporters rampaged into the U.S. Capitol that day, clashing with police, ransacking congressional offices and delaying certification of the election outcome until the early hours of January 7. It was once Latin America's largest landfill. Now, a decade after Rio de Janeiro shut it down and redoubled efforts to recover the surrounding expanse of highly polluted swamp, crabs, snails, fish and birds are once again populating the mangrove forest. "If we didn't say this used to be a landfill, people would think it's a farm. The only thing missing is cattle," jokes Elias Gouveia, an engineer with Comlurb, the city's garbage collection agency that is shepherding the plantation project. "This is an environmental lesson that we must learn from: Nature is remarkable. If we don't pollute nature, it heals itself." Gouveia, who has worked with Comlurb for 38 years, witnessed the Gramacho landfill recovery project's timid first steps in the late 1990s. The former landfill is located right by the 148 square miles (383 square kilometers) Guanabara Bay. Between the landfill's inauguration in 1968 and 1996, some 80 million tons of garbage were dumped in the area, polluting the bay and surrounding rivers with trash and runoff. In 1996, the city began implementing measures to limit the levels of pollution in the landfill, starting with treating some of the leachate, the toxic byproduct of mountains of rotting trash. But garbage continued to pile up until 2012, when the city finally shut it down. "When I got there, the mangrove was almost completely devastated, due to the leachate, which had been released for a long time, and the garbage that arrived from Guanabara Bay," recalled Mario Moscatelli, a biologist hired by the city in 1997 to assist officials in the ambitious undertaking. The bay was once home to a thriving artisanal fishing industry and popular palm-lined beaches. But it has since become a dump for waste from shipyards and two commercial ports. At low tide, household trash, including old washing machines and soggy couches, float atop vast islands of accumulated sewage and sediment. The landfill, where mountains of trash once attracted hundreds of pickers, was gradually covered with clay. Comlurb employees started removing garbage, building a rainwater drainage system, and replanting mangroves, an ecosystem that has proved particularly resilient and successful in similar environmental recovery projects. Mangroves are of particular interest for environmental restoration for their capacity to capture and store large amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide, Gouveia explained. Experts say mangroves can bury even more carbon in the sediment than a tropical rainforest, making it a great tool to fight climate change. To help preserve the rejuvenated mangrove from the trash coming from nearby communities, where residents sometimes throw garbage into the rivers, the city used clay from the swamp to build a network of fences. To this day, Comlurb employees continue to maintain and strengthen the fences, which are regularly damaged by trespassers looking for crabs. Leachate still leaks from the now-covered landfill, which Comlurb is collecting and treating in one of its wastewater stations. Comlurb and its private partner, Statled Brasil, have successfully recovered some 60 hectares, an area six times bigger than what they started with in the late 1990s. "We have turned things around," Gouveia said. "Before, [the landfill] was polluting the bay and the rivers. Now, it is the bay and the rivers that are polluting us." WARSAW - About 100 soldiers from the Russian Wagner group have moved closer to the Belarusian city of Grodno near the Polish border, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Saturday. Poland, a former Warsaw Pact member that has been a full member of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance since 1999, has been concerned about the possibility that the war could spill over onto its territory since Russian invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Earlier this month, Poland began moving more than 1,000 troops to the east of the country amid rising concerns that the presence of Wagner fighters in Belarus could lead to increased tension on its border. "The situation is getting increasingly dangerous. ... Most likely they (the Wagner personnel) will be disguised as the Belarusian border guard and help illegal migrants get to the Polish territory (and) destabilize Poland," Morawiecki said at a press conference in Gliwice, western Poland. "They will most likely try to enter Poland pretending to be illegal migrants and this poses additional threats," Morawiecki said. However, he did not disclose the source of his information on the Wagner movements, and Anton Motolko, founder of the Belarusian opposition Hajun project, which monitors military activity in the country, told Reuters his group had not seen any evidence of the Wagner group moving closer to Grodno. The city has a potentially significant position because it is near the Suwalki Gap, a strategic strip of land along the Polish-Lithuanian border that divides Belarus, Russia's ally, from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Earlier in July, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was shown in a video welcoming his fighters to Belarus, telling them they would take no further part in the Ukraine war for now but ordering them to gather their strength for Africa, where they are involved in a number of conflicts, while they train the Belarusian army. The following day, some Wagner fighters arrived at the training ground of the 38th airborne assault brigade outside the city of Brest, just a few miles from the Polish border. Wagner's move to Belarus was part of a deal that ended the group's mutiny attempt in June, when they took control of a Russian military headquarters, marched on Moscow and threatened to tip Russia into civil war, President Vladimir Putin has said. Morocco's King Mohammed VI has expressed hope for a return to normality and reopening of borders with North African neighbor Algeria, which cut diplomatic ties nearly two years ago. "We pray to the Almighty for a return to normality and a reopening of the borders between our two neighboring countries and our brotherly peoples," Mohammed VI, 59, said late Saturday in a speech to mark the anniversary of his accension to the throne in 1999. The borders have been closed since 1994, leaving families divided after Morocco accused its neighbor of involvement in a jihadist attack on a Marrakesh hotel that killed two tourists. Algeria then sealed the frontiers. Since then, tensions have persisted between the regional rivals, exacerbated by their dispute over Western Sahara, where the Algiers-backed Polisario Front is seeking independence from Rabat's rule and has declared the territory a "war zone." Algeria severed ties in August 2021, accusing Rabat of "hostile acts," a move which Morocco said was "completely unjustified." Israel's recognition earlier this month of "Morocco's sovereignty" over Western Sahara added to tensions between Morocco and Algeria, which called Israel's move a "flagrant violation of international law." In his nationally broadcast speech Saturday, Mohammed VI expressed reassurance to "our brothers in Algeria, their leadership and their people that they will never have to fear malice from Morocco." LAST NOVEMBER something strange happened in Mountain View. A thick fog enveloped the headquarters of Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), the parent company of Google. Not the meteorological sortthis stretch of Silicon Valley is reliably sunny. It was a fog of confusion. Its cause was ChatGPT, an artificially intelligent conversationalist created by OpenAI, a startup backed by Microsoft (MSFT). The effect was, by all accounts, panic. ChatGPT was giving uncannily humanlike answers to questions put to it by users. And answering questions is the bread and butter of Googles lucrative search business. Were OpenAI and Microsoft, which in February launched an enhanced version of its Bing search engine, about to eat Googles lunch? Eight months on, the mist has mostly cleared. On July 25, the company reported another set of solid quarterly results. Revenues rose by 7% year on year, to $75 billion. It continues to create piles of cash: in the 12 months to June it raked in $75 billion of operating profit. Bing has taken no discernible bite out of Googles share of global monthly search queries, which remains above 90%. Most important, Google has put to rest any notion that it has fallen behind technologically. In May, Sundar Pichai, chief executive of both Google and its corporate parent, unveiled more than a dozen AI-powered products at I/O, an annual event for software developers. These included AI tools for Gmail, Google Maps and Google Cloud. Investors found it reassuring not least after a rushed launch in February of Bard, Googles chatbot, during which the AI helper made a factual error. Since then the firm has launched AI products and features left and right. On July 12, it brought out NotebookLM, an AI-assisted note-taking tool trained on a users documents. On the same day Nature, a scientific journal, published a paper by Google researchers describing an AI model that matched human doctors responses to questions about the right treatment for patients. A day later, it expanded a now less error-prone Bard, proficient in more than 40 human languages and over 20 computer ones, to the EU. Work on an AI model to eclipse ChatGPT, codenamed Gemini, is proceeding apace. Having nearly fallen below $1trn in November, Alphabets market value is back up to $1.7 trillion. Crisis over? Story continues In the short run, probably. Like all heart-in-mouth moments, though, the chatbot panic invites broader questions: about the current state of one of the worlds biggest firms, its future andas Google turns 25 in Septemberabout the demands of different stages of corporate life. The view from the top Alphabet is, without a doubt, one of the greatest business successes of all time. Six of its products Google search, the Android mobile operating system, the Chrome browser, Google Play Store for apps, Workspace productivity tools and YouTube boast more than 2 billion monthly users each. Add those with hundreds of millions of users, such as Google Maps or Google Translate, and, by one reckoning, humans collectively spend 22 billion hours a day on Alphabets platforms. The ability to command so much attention is worth a lot of money to the people who want a slice of it, namely advertisers. Since going public in 2004 Googles revenue, 80% of which comes from online ads, has grown at an average annual rate of 28%. In that period it has generated a total of $460 billion in cash after operating expenses, virtually all of it from advertising. Its share price has risen 50-fold, making it the worlds fourth-most-valuable company. Given these eye-popping numbers, it may seem churlish to ask why Alphabet isnt doing better. In fact, the question is warranted, and is being asked by Mr Pichai, his underlings and investors alike. The company finds itself at a delicate juncture not only, or even primarily, because of AI. The core digital-ads business is maturing, with sales growth no longer consistently in double digits and increasingly tied to economic cycles. At the same time, finding new sources of material growth is difficult for a company that brings in $300 billion in annual revenues. This quest is further complicated by investors calling for greater cost efficiency and capital discipline, which in turn requires a shake-up of its free-wheeling corporate culture. Consider the cash cow. Throughout the 2010s digital advertising seemed invulnerable to the business cycle. In good times, advertisers spent like there was no tomorrow. In worse ones, they diverted some of their non-digital marketing budgets online, where Google and other giants like Facebook (now Meta) offered to target adverts more precisely than a TV commercial or a page in a glossy magazine could. Now, as the online share of total ad spending touches two-thirds, businesses have smaller non-digital ad budgets to eat into. Insider Intelligence, a data firm, expects global sales of digital ads to increase by 10% or less annually in the next few years, down from a rate of 20% or so in the past decade (see chart 1). A slowdown last year offered a glimpse of the future, spooking investors. Nor can Google easily capture a bigger slice of the slower-growing pie. Trustbusters already believe its share is too high and have sued Google in America for abusing its search monopoly. Googles arrangement with Apple, whereby it pays a reported $15 billion a year to be the default search engine on the 2 billion or so iDevices, has also come under scrutiny. Although search remains immensely lucrative, with operating margins of nearly 50%, according to Bernstein, a broker, how people look for things on the internet is changing. Most product searches these days start not on Google but on Amazon, the e-commerce giant. According to Googles own executives, 40% of teenagers and young adults seek recommendations for things like restaurants or hotels on TikTok, a short-video app, or Instagram, a similar app from Meta. Google may entice some of these search-nevers, as Mark Shmulik of Bernstein calls them, to its platform, as YouTube is doing already with a TikTok lookalike called Shorts. Yet videos are unlikely to monetize as nicely as the search box. Then there are the chatbots and other generative AIs that, having been trained on a webs worth of texts, images and sounds, can serve up simulacra of human-generated content. Mr Pichais insistence that Alphabet is an AI-native company rings true. Most observers believe that deep pockets and ample talent will allow Google to solve the technologys teething problems, such as the bots tendency to hallucinate (make stuff up) or the high cost of serving up responses (which egg-headed Googlers are busy tackling). That still leaves open the question of how much money bot-assisted products, for all their expected ingenuity, will actually make. Set aside search, and Googles knack for creating extraordinary products is matched by its inability to monetise them. There is no reason to think that its AIs will be any different. Despite a rebound, Alphabets share price continues to lag behind that of Microsoft, which is already beginning to monetise generative AI in its office software (see chart 2). As for search, generative AI does not necessarily herald a financial bonanza. Today Google gets paid when users click on the links to merchants websites that appear next to the responses to search queries. Once the technological niggles with generative ai are solved in two or three years, experts reckon Google will have a choice to make, reminiscent of the innovators dilemma, a theory put forward by Clayton Christiansen that argues that incumbents are reluctant to innovate if it jeopardises their existing markets. If a chat with an AI is to feel natural, it cannot be peppered with ads and links. Google could show fewer ads and charge clients more for each. But advertisers may balk or, worse, defect. New bets Googles founders and, thanks to Alphabets dual-class ownership structure, its overlords, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, have long been aware that its primary revenue engine was going to slow at some point. They have sought to supplement it and, one day, perhaps replace it altogether. That was the main reason for the creation in 2015 of Alphabet. The holding company would house Google alongside various other ventures, including out-there moonshots, from self-driving cars to life-extending medicine. Most of the moonshots look as commercially questionable as the Apollo programme. Other Bets, the bit of Alphabet where most of them sit, haemorrhages money. Between 2018 and 2022 it notched up a cumulative operating loss of $24bn, more than six times bigger than its total revenues in that period (see chart 3). Other Bets consumes at least some of its parents capital spending, which ate up $31bn last year, and a material slug of its $40bn annual research-and-development budget. A deeper problem is that it is hard for any new venture to move the needle. Only a handful of industriesthink finance, government, health careare large and undisrupted enough to make a material mark on Alphabets top line. Conquering these markets requires huge investments for an uncertain return, and none offers the sort of capital-light quasi-monopoly that Google has enjoyed with search advertising. Alphabet has two health subsidiaries (Calico for life extension and Verily for less ambitious medical goals) and has invested around $15bn in the past six years in health-related startups. So far it has little to show for it. And although in December Google became one of four cloud providers to be awarded a $9bn multi-year contract with Americas Department of Defence, past attempts to enter procurement have run into opposition from the companys mostly progressive-leaning workers. In finance, Google offers a digital wallet, has invested in Lending Club, a peer-to-peer lender, and owned price-comparison sites for insurance and mortgages, which it shut down in 2016. These efforts are unambitious compared with those of Apple, which offers a credit card and has launched a buy-now-pay-later scheme. A bank boss with knowledge of Googles efforts says they are ultimately in the service of its ads business, the better to track users purchases, rather than a real attempt to become a financial player. Alphabets biggest wager is in a way less ambitious. It wants to become a force in cloud-based, AI-boosted business software. Perhaps three-quarters of Alphabets capital spending goes on building and equipping new data centres. To catch up with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, the two industry leaders, Google Cloud has in the past few years offered customers cut-price deals. Sales have been growing at an annual rate of 40%. The unit made its first profits in the past two quarters (albeit partly thanks to accounting changes). In a few years Google could become the worlds second- or third-biggest provider of business software, says Thomas Kurian, who runs Google Cloud. Enterprises want to solve many of the same problems that consumers want to solve, he explains, so things that Google has been working on for years in its consumer business, from voice recognition to AI-assisted search, offer it a leg up. Possibly. And the enterprise business is certainly large. Firms are projected to spend more than $3trn this year on information technology. But it is a cyclical business, and intensely competitive. Microsoft does not break out its Azure results but operating margins at AWS, which are disclosed, have been steadily falling, from 30% or more a few years ago to 24% today. Moreover, Amazon and, especially, Microsoft are formidable rivals. They have longstanding relationships with corporate clients. Google, by contrast, does not have a business-to-business bone in its body. Ten years ago Google Sheets may have been the best in the world, says a former executive. But it failed to wine and dine enough chief information officers to promote the spreadsheet software. Froogle living With revenue growth tougher to come by, some investors think Alphabet should focus on boosting returns by improving its overall margins. Many grumble that Alphabet shares trade at a lower price relative to earnings than Apple or Microsoft, and not much higher than the S&P 500 index of big American firms as a whole a letdown for a tech pioneer (see chart 4). In November TCI, a hedge fund with a stake in the company worth $6 billion at the time, wrote a letter to Mr Pichai demanding more discipline. It also noted that Alphabet had too many employees nearly 190,000, more than twice as many as in 2017 (see chart 5) who were paid too much. The typical Googler takes home nearly $300,000 a year, two-thirds more than a counterpart at Microsoft and more than twice as much as employees of Americas 20 biggest tech firms. Its scattershot approach to capital allocation, TCI seemed to imply, was tolerable only so long as it was concealed by strong returns from the core business. Since then two other big hedge funds with an activist streak, Pershing Square and Third Point, have disclosed large investments in Alphabet. As the company has grown, it has added layers of management. You are negotiating with VPs and SVPs all day, recalls one prominent ex-Googler. Many teams turn into mini-fiefdoms; some managers tell employees not to take their goals too seriously. Entry-level engineers report that it is easy to rest and vest coast while waiting to cash in your stock options. And you get fed chocolate-covered strawberries. Some of this looseness is by design. Messrs Brin and Page wanted to nurture a startup culture that allowed brilliant ideas to bubble up. And they do: one of those presented at the developers conference came directly from a five-person team. But clever products often get tied up in compliance reviews. Insiders joke that the best way not to have your product launch is to present it at I/O. The upshot is that many enterprising types leave, skewing the workforce ever more towards engineers working for internal customers, their managers, rather than seeking commercial success. Notably, all eight of the researchers behind Googles seminal paper on transformers, the computer science that gives chatbots their wits (and the T in GPT), have since left the company. Startups need a tinge of desperation to succeed, says Aswath Damodaran of NYU Stern School of Business. By contrast, Alphabet is a startup business with a sugar daddy, in the form of the deep-pocketed search operation. One way to tackle these problems would be to reinvent Alphabet from top to bottom. Hiving off the disparate businesses search, YouTube, Google Cloud and so on would, for instance, permit each to focus resources on what it does best. Another approach would be to settle on a new direction, rather as Apple transformed itself from a purveyor of pricey desktops to a mobile-phone behemoth and Microsoft went from peddling software on CD-ROMs to cloud-computing might. Yet a move as radical as breakup would require the blessing of Messrs Brin and Page, which is unlikely to be forthcoming. And reinvention comes with big risks. Investors and analysts remain deeply sceptical of Mark Zuckerbergs bet on the metaverse. Apple and Microsoft spent years in the wilderness before finding a second life. And radicalism is not Mr Pichais style. He is clever, in an understated way, and, as befits a former McKinsey consultant, shrewd. He has played a significant role in building the core business, which he ran even before taking over as Alphabets CEO in 2019. But he is no visionary. Mr Pichai and his lieutenants are therefore opting for incrementalism instead. He has talked about trying to do more with constraints. This seems to involve gradually introducing AI features to existing products and taking a more serious look at Alphabets expenses. The management astutely used the cloud cover of the chatbot crisis to force through some needed changes. It has pulled the plug on some Other Bets. Earlier this year Alphabet laid off 12,000 workers and merged its AI labs, DeepMind and Google Brain, which should enable more efficient use of its AI computing power and, if their distinct cultures dont get in the way, its human brainpower, too. On July 25, it promoted Ruth Porat, its veteran finance chief, to president, as well as a new role of chief investment officer, to steer the groups capital allocation. As the firm nears its quarter-century, then, it is, like a middle-aged person told to watch what they eat more carefully, determined to get rid of the flab, eschew risky behaviour and stay disciplined. If those efforts succeed, thinks one shareholder, Alphabet can keep increasing its bottom line even if overall sales slow, ensuring it stays enviably profitable. The incrementalist approach will, however, be put to the test, particularly as ai, generative and otherwise, progresses. Engineering chops, which Alphabet clearly still possesses in spades, will not be enough to harness the technologys potential. That is going to require commercial ingenuity, too. Google displayed this early on, when it developed the search-ad business model. Since then Alphabet has, in business terms at least, mostly been able to coast on that innovations spectacular success, allowing some of its commercial sinews to atrophy. If it doesnt flex them as the age of AI dawns, there are plenty of hungry rivals eager to muscle in. 2023 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on https://www.economist.com/business/2023/07/30/is-there-more-to-alphabet-than-google-search Recent moves by resistance groups in eastern Myanmar to set up an independent local government shows the growing sway of such groups and could inspire similar action elsewhere, say analysts. They also reflect persistent schisms within the broader resistance movement, the analysts add. The comments follow the June 12 announcement of an Interim Executive Council of Karenni State by an alliance of armed, political and civil society groups to manage government functions, independently of the military junta that seized control of the country in a 2021 coup. The council aims to protect the lives and property of the people, to deliver public services and to fulfill the fundamental needs of the people including education, health, food and other basic necessities, it said in a public statement the same day. A patchwork of armed groups across Myanmar has been fighting the junta since the military toppled the countrys elected government and crushed the protests that followed with deadly force. While the junta still holds the major cities and most towns, resistance groups are believed to control or contest roughly half the countryside. The groups which the junta brands as terrorists - have been taking over basic government functions in small pockets, but those in Karenni are the first to do so across the whole of one of Myanmars 14 states or regions. It is the new way Khu Plu Reh, the councils general secretary, told VOA this past Thursday the new setup was needed to fill the vacuum in basic services left by the previous state governments collapse after the coup. He said the council had already appointed people to head some of the 12 departments being created to run the schools, hospitals and other services. Those departments, he added, are working on wooing civil servants who refused to work for the junta, officially the State Administration Council, and devising ways to fund their operations though taxes, donations and other means. More than that, Khu Plu Reh said, the council is a step toward the federal democratic union they would like to see replace not just the junta but the centralized government Myanmar has had since independence from Britain in 1948. The creation of the IEC is the first step [to] what we want. We are creating our own ... administration body, we are creating equality, and also we ... reject all centralization, including [the] SAC, he said. It is the new way. In the months after the coup, groups opposed to the junta across the country drafted a so-called Federal Democratic Charter, a framework for a future constitution that would give Karenni and other ethnic minority-dominated regions of Myanmar more autonomy. The Karenni councils inception reveals the growing, but still not total, control resistance groups are gaining across much of the country, David Mathiesan, a Thailand-based Myanmar analyst, said. Its exactly where I think a lot of the revolutionary complexes are moving, he told VOA, referring to the combination of opposition armed, political and nongovernment groups joining forces on increasingly equal terms in expanding pockets around Myanmar. Partly inspiration He said the Karenni council was also likely to galvanize some other groups that may be waiting on Myanmars so-called National Unity Government, a shadow administration of leaders in hiding and self-exile vying to oust the junta, to show them the way forward. Its partly inspiration, Mathieson said of the councils impact. Its like, look, you can think local and you can do it yourself. You dont have to wait for the NUG to come and give you orders. ... If theres a catch phrase for explaining it all, its bottom-up administration, its bottom-up self-governance. Resistance groups in a few other states and regions seem to be making initial moves at setting up interim governments of their own, according to Mathieson and Aung Tun, an associate fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, a research group based in Singapore. Aung Tun said something similar appears to be happening in western Rakhine state. For Rakhine, for instance, theyre not saying that exactly, like an interim executive council, but they are doing ... similar things, basically. They have control [of] some areas where they implemented their own administrative system and judiciary system, and even in some areas taxation, that kind of thing, he told VOA. Mathieson said what the Karenni groups have done will be hard to replicate elsewhere, however, and that any new governing bodies spanning other states or regions or large parts of them may look different. About the size of Qatar, Karenni is one of the smallest and least populated states in Myanmar, and ethnically more uniform than most. The resistance groups there can also draw on the deep experience of the Karenni National Progressive Party, which has been fighting the military for autonomy for decades; party head Khu Oo Reh chairs the new council. Longer-term frustration Karenni also demonstrates the challenges the NUG faces trying to knit the countrys resistance groups together. The new Karenni state council has pledged to work with the NUG, and Khu Plu Reh told VOA relations between the two were good. The NUG publicly congratulated the council on its launch. In April, though, KNPP officials issued a public statement rebuking the NUG and a group of lawmakers ousted in the coup for openly promoting the creation of their own peoples administrations in parts of Karenni without their cooperation. Mathieson said the dispute reflects some degree of competition among the groups as well as lingering tensions between minorities and the National League for Democracy party. The NLD, dominated by Myanmars ethnic majority Burmans, led the national government toppled in 2021 and is seen by some as playing an outsized role in the NUG. Theres a longer-term frustration with how the NLD treated a lot of ethnic communities when they were in power, and then post-coup the way that the NUG still seems to have this NLD-centric, born-to-rule mentality that really grates with people, the analyst said. Aung Tun said it also shows the dearth of dialogue among resistance groups and the need for more. You have to have an agreement ... in terms of administrative power, in terms of executive power, in terms of judiciary power, in terms of financial power, in terms of resource allocation, that kind of stuff, he said. Its going to be a very complicated political process if they dont sit down together and agree a power sharing agreement. The arrest and disappearance of dissidents and anti-war activists has become a common occurrence in Russia. But the detention in July of former Federal Security Service officer Igor Girkin has marked a turning point in how the government of President Vladimir Putin treats even those who support its military goals. Known by the nickname Strelkov, meaning shooter, Girkin's journey from key operative to political threat sheds light on the Kremlins complex history with ideological extremists. Long before he became a wanted war criminal in the West, Girkin was a student at the Moscow State Institute for History and Archives, where he began his hobby of reenacting military history, especially that of the czarist White Army. An avowed monarchist, Girkin fell in with far-right circles that were arising amid the Soviet collapse, writing for the newspaper Zavtra, which combined the idolization of Soviet militarism with antisemitic Russian nationalism and opposition to Western democracy. However, his interest in war went beyond historical costume. He would fight in Russias brutal campaign against Chechen independence, as well as the 1992 intervention in Moldova that left the region of Transnistria as Russian-occupied territory. Girkin also volunteered alongside ethnic Serb forces in the Bosnian War and was present at the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslim civilians in Visegrad. Afterward, he is believed to have served in the FSB, where he reportedly rose to the rank of colonel before retiring in 2013. But this would not be the end of Girkins military career. Following the 2014 Euromaidan protests that toppled Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Girkin appeared in Crimea among the so-called Russian volunteers later revealed to be active-duty soldiers who brought the peninsula under Russian control. Next, he would surface in Ukraines Donbas region as the head of militants who seized government offices in Sloviansk to establish the separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic. Despite claiming to be a local uprising with no Kremlin involvement, much of the militants leadership was composed of Russian citizens with close ties to the security services, such as Girkins old newspaper colleague Alexander Borodai. Girkin himself would later admit that the war in the Donbas would not have occurred without direct Russian support. As defense minister of the small, breakaway state, Girkin imposed harsh discipline on enemies and allies alike, torturing and executing supporters of Ukraine, as well as petty criminals and even fellow separatist fighters, for infractions such as looting or abandoning their post. His biggest war crime was yet to come. On July 17, 2014, a Malaysia Airlines jet carrying 298 people was shot down over the Donetsk region, killing everyone on board. Evidence showed that the plane had been hit by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile fired from rebel-controlled territory. Deleted social media posts suggested Girkin had knowledge of the deliberate attack. He was found guilty in November 2022 by a Dutch court in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment. Publicly, Girkin denied any responsibility for the shooting and claimed it had been a false flag operation a military action meant to blame an opponent or rival mirroring Russian medias own shifting explanations and conspiracy theories about the crash. But this high-profile international attention made him a liability for Russia, which still denied involvement in the conflict. To make their denial more plausible, Girkin and other Russian citizens were removed from power and replaced with local separatist leaders. Upon his return to Russia in late 2014, Girkin criticized Russian leadership. As a true believer, he viewed the Donbas as historic Russian land and had expected the Kremlin to fully commit to annexing the region, as they had with Crimea. But for Putin, an ongoing stalemate in the Donbas provided a low-cost way to impede Ukraine's integration into Western institutions while maintaining enough plausible deniability to avoid the full weight of international sanctions. Dismayed by what he viewed as a betrayal of the cause, Girkin became an increasingly vocal critic of Putin. His media statements and interviews often undercut the official Kremlin line by revealing the extent of Russias involvement in the conflict. With Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Girkin gained renewed prominence as one of the countrys top military bloggers. While ordinary citizens and liberal activists were jailed for even referring to the special military operation as a war, Girkin and other far-right nationalists openly offered frank condemnation of the military strategy, as well as the top leadership, accusing them of incompetence and insufficient preparation. The bloggers criticisms, which did not oppose the invasion but called for a more aggressive campaign, allowed for the venting of discontent without disrupting Kremlin narratives, while also positioning Putin as a relative moderate. That calculus appears to have changed, however, with Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhins aborted mutiny in late June. In the face of such a public challenge to his authority, experts believe Putin can no longer afford to tolerate criticism, even from so-called patriots. Jailed liberal opposition figure Alexei Navalny has also weighed in, noting that despite his other crimes, Girkin should nevertheless be considered a political prisoner. It remains to be seen what will become of other ultranationalist Putin critics, some of whom have already rushed to distance themselves from Girkin. His arrest, coming on the heels of the Wagner mutiny, underscores the Kremlins struggle to control the very forces it has unleashed. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was joined by senior Russian and Chinese delegates as he displayed his most powerful nuclear-capable missiles in a military parade marking a major war anniversary. The show of defiance against the United States also served to deepen ties with Moscow as tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years. Kim attended Thursday night's parade with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese ruling party official Li Hongzhong from a balcony looking over a brightly illuminated Kim Il Sung Square, named after Kim's grandfather, the founder of North Korea. Edited footage from North Korean state TV on Friday showed streets and stands packed with tens of thousands of spectators, who roared in approval as waves of goose-stepping soldiers, tanks and huge, intercontinental ballistic missiles wheeled out on launcher trucks filled the main road. People were brought from around the country to the capital, Pyongyang, to fill the crowd, according to state media. The parade began with warm-up events that featured ceremonial flights of newly developed surveillance and attack drones, which were first unveiled by state media this week as they reported on an arms exhibition attended by Kim and Shoigu. The main event began with Kim arriving at the square in a limousine escorted by a formation of motorcycles. Kim saluted honor guards and military officials and walked down a red carpet to enter a building where Shoigu and Li greeted him at the balcony, as troops below chanted "protect Kim Jong Un with our lives!" Organizers broadcast messages in Russian, Chinese and Korean while introducing Kim's guests to the crowd, drawing cheers and applause. As the parade proceeded, Kim was constantly talking and exchanging smiles with Shoigu and Li, who stood to his right and left, respectively, at the balcony's center. Kim and Shoigu repeatedly raised their hands to salute the parading troops. The broadcast did not show Kim making a speech. Kim's biggest weapons were saved for the end, when his troops rolled out new ICBMs that were flight-tested in recent months and demonstrated ranges that could reach deep into the U.S. mainland, the Hwasong-17 and Hwasong-18. Some analysts say the missiles are based on Russian designs or know-how. North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun Nam spoke, describing the parade as a historic celebration of the country's "great victory" against "U.S. imperialist aggression forces and groups of its satellite states." He condemned the United States for its expanding military exercises with South Korea, which the North portrays as invasion rehearsals, and holding new rounds of nuclear contingency planning meetings with Seoul. The allies describe their drills as defensive and say the upgrades in training and planning are necessary to cope with the North's evolving nuclear threat. "We solemnly declare that if they attempt military confrontation as now, the exercise of our state's armed forces will go beyond the scope of the right to defense for the United States of America and (South Korea)," Kang said, repeating previous North Korean threats of nuclear conflict. "The U.S. imperialists have no room of choice of survival in case they use nuclear weapons against the DPRK," he said, using the initials of his country's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Clouds over Pyongyang in recent days made it difficult for satellites to monitor preparations for the parade, which took place at night. Satellite images showed what appeared to be a massing of people at the square at 1316 GMT (10:16 p.m. local) Thursday, said Dave Schmerler, a senior research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, which is part of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. North Korea's invitation of Russian and Chinese delegates was a rare diplomatic opening since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts say Kim is trying to break out of his diplomatic isolation and boost the visibility of his partnership with authoritarian allies to counter pressure from the United States. The parade followed meetings between Kim and Shoigu this week that demonstrated North Korea's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and added to suspicions the North was willing to supply arms to Russia, whose war efforts have been compromised by defense procurement and inventory problems. North Korean state media also highlighted a message sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who thanked Kim for "firmly supporting" his war efforts in Ukraine. Putin said that interests between Moscow and Pyongyang were aligning as they counter the "collective West in its policy to stand in the way of establishing a genuinely multipolar and just world order," according to the Kremlin's version of the letter. Kim also held a luncheon and dinner banquet for Shoigu and his delegation following a second day of talks about expanding the countries' "strategic and tactical collaboration and cooperation" in defense and security, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said. "Given Russia's need for ammunition for its illegal war in Ukraine and Kim Jong Un's willingness to personally give the Russian defense minister a tour of North Korea's arms exhibition, U.N. member states should increase vigilance for observing and penalizing sanctions violations," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. "China's representation at North Korea's parading of nuclear-capable missiles raises serious questions about Beijing enabling Pyongyang's threats to global security," he said. The parade capped the North Korean festivities for the 70th anniversary of the armistice that stopped fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korea, which triggered the war with a surprise attack on the South in June 1950, was supported by Chinese troops and the then-Soviet air force. South Korea, the United States and troops from other nations under the aegis of the U.N. fought to push back the invasion. The July 1953 truce was never replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula in a technical state of war, but the North still sees it as a victory in the "Grand Fatherland Liberation War." The anniversary events were more somber in South Korea, where President Yoon Suk Yeol visited a war cemetery in Busan to honor foreign troops who died while fighting for the South. In the face of growing North Korean threats, Yoon has pushed to expand South Korea's military exercises with Washington and is seeking stronger U.S. reassurances that it would use its nuclear capabilities to defend the South in the event of a nuclear attack. MONTREAL - A firefighter has died battling one of the massive blazes devastating Canada's forests this year, British Columbia's premier announced Saturday. It marked the third death of a firefighter during this devastating wildfire season. "I am devastated to learn that we have lost another wildfire fighter. My heart goes out to the family, friends and colleagues of this frontline hero," Premier David Eby said in a statement. Eby did not identify the contract firefighter, but authorities said the victim was at the Donnie Creek wildfire, near Fort St. John, in the northeast of the province. Two other firefighters have perished in separate operations this month, and a fourth person, a helicopter pilot, died July 19 when his aircraft crashed in Alberta, in western Canada, while taking part in relief operations. Canadian wildfires have burned some 12 million hectares this year, scorching an area larger than the size of Cuba or South Korea. "This wildfire season has been profoundly awful," Eby said, who hailed firefighters as heroes making "extraordinary sacrifices ... to keep us safe." British Columbia currently has 368 active fires. In total, more than 990 fires are ravaging Canada, 613 of which are considered out of control. Canada's geographic location means that it is warming faster than the rest of the planet, and in recent years it has been confronted with extreme weather events that have grown more frequent and intense by climate change. A senior Chinese leader landed in Pakistan Sunday to attend a government-sponsored ceremony this week, marking the 10th anniversary of their infrastructure development collaboration under China's global Belt and Road Initiative. He Lifeng, the Chinese vice premier and special presidential envoy, arrived in Islamabad amid tight security. The government declared a two-day holiday in the Pakistani capital starting Monday "to provide foolproof security" to the foreign delegation. The foreign ministry said Lifeng's visit "reflects the importance" the two countries attached to deepen their bilateral ties further. It noted that Lifeng would be the chief guest "at an event celebrating the decade of CPEC" and hold meetings with the country's leadership. The ministry referred to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC, which was introduced in July 2013 as a flagship project of the BRI. Both countries say CPEC has brought more than $25 billion in direct Chinese investment to Pakistan, establishing power plants, developing the strategically located deep-water Pakistani port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, and building transport infrastructure. "Over the past decade, as an important pioneering project of the BRI, CPEC has achieved fruitful results and become a new benchmark for the friendship between China and Pakistan," the Chinese foreign ministry said Saturday while announcing Lifeng's visit. The countries "are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad friends," the ministry added. CPEC aims to give landlocked western China the shortest possible access to international markets through the Gwadar port. The mega undertaking has created nearly 200,000 direct local jobs, built more than 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) of highways and roads, and added 8,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, ending years of blackouts caused by power outages in the country of 230 million people. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters in Beijing earlier this month that CPEC projects "are flourishing all across Pakistan," making a "tangible contribution" to the national development of the country and to regional connectivity. But critics say many projects have suffered delays, including several much-touted industrial zones that were supposed to help Pakistan enhance its exports to earn much-needed foreign exchange. The country's declining dollar reserves have prevented Islamabad from paying Chinese power producers, leading to strains in many ties. Pakistan owes more than $1.26 billion (350 billion rupees) to Chinese power plants. The amount keeps growing, and China has been reluctant to defer or restructure the payment and CPEC debts. All the Chinese loans both government and commercial banks makeup nearly 30% of Islamabad's external debt. Some critics blame CPEC investments for contributing to Pakistan's economic troubles. The government fended off the risk of an imminent default by securing a short-term $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout agreement this month. Security threats to its citizens and interests in Pakistan have also been a cause of concern for China. Militant attacks have killed several Chinese nationals in recent years, prompting Beijing to press Islamabad to ensure security measures for CPEC projects. Diplomatic sources told VOA that China has lately directed its diplomats and citizens working on CPEC programs to strictly limit their movements and avoid visiting certain Pakistani cities for security reasons. "They [Chinese] believe this security issue is becoming an impediment in taking CPEC forward," Senator Mushahid Hussain, the chairman of the defense committee of the upper house of the Pakistani parliament, told VOA in an interview earlier this month. "Recurring expressions of concern about the safety and security of Chinese citizens and investors in Pakistan by top Chinese leaders indicate that Pakistan's promises of 'foolproof security' for Chinese working in Pakistan have yet to be fulfilled," said Hussain, who represents Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's ruling party in the Senate. The United Nations says 19,000 refugees and asylum-seekers have fled to South Sudan since Sudan's military and paramilitary started fighting on April 15, and that those numbers are expected to more than double by the end of the year. Refugees and aid workers describe the challenges they're facing in this report by Henry Wilkins from Renk, South Sudan. At the entrance to Missouri prisons, large signs plead for help: "NOW HIRING" ... "GREAT PAY & BENEFITS." No experience is necessary. Anyone 18 and older can apply. Long hours are guaranteed. Though the assertion of "great pay" for prison guards would have seemed dubious in the past, a series of state pay raises prompted by widespread vacancies has finally made a difference. The Missouri Department of Corrections set a record for new applicants last month. "After we got our raise, we started seeing people come out of the woodwork, people that hadn't worked in a while," said Maj. Albin Narvaez, chief of custody at the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center, where new prisoners are housed and evaluated. Public employers across the U.S. have faced similar struggles to fill jobs, leading to one of the largest surges in state government pay raises in 15 years. Many cities, counties and school districts also are hiking wages to try to retain and attract workers amid aggressive competition from private sector employers. The wage war comes as governments and taxpayers feel the consequences of empty positions. In Kansas City, Missouri, a shortage of 911 operators doubled the average hold times for people calling in emergencies. In one Florida county, some schoolchildren frequently arrived late as a lack of bus drivers delayed routes. In Arkansas, abused and neglected kids remained longer in foster care because of a caseworker shortage. In various cities and states, vacancies on road crews meant cracks and potholes took longer to fix than many motorists might like. "A lot of the jobs we're talking about are hard jobs," said Leslie Scott Parker, executive director of the National Association of State Personnel Executives. Lingering vacancies "eventually affects service to the public or response times to needs," she added. Workforce shortages worsened across all sorts of jobs due to a wave of retirements and resignations that began during the pandemic. Many businesses, from restaurants to hospitals, responded nimbly with higher wages and incentives to attract employees. But governments by nature are slower to act, requiring pay raises to go through a legislative process that can take months to complete and then can take months more to kick in. Meanwhile, vacancies mounted. In Georgia, state employee turnover hit a high of 25% in 2022. Thousands of workers left the Department of Corrections, pushing its vacancy rate to around 50%. The state began a series of pay raises. This year, all state employees and teachers got at least a $2,000 raise, with corrections officers getting $4,000 and state troopers $6,000. The Georgia Department of Corrections used an ad agency to bolster recruitment and held an average of 125 job fairs a month. It's starting to pay off. In the first week of July, the department received 318 correctional officer applications nearly double the weekly norm, said department Public Affairs Director Joan Heath. Almost 1 in 4 positions more than 2,500 jobs -- were empty in the Missouri Department of Corrections late last year, which was twice the pre-pandemic vacancy rate in 2019. Missouri gave state workers a 7.5% pay raise in 2022. This spring, Gov. Mike Parson signed an emergency spending bill with an additional 8.7% raise, plus an extra $2 an hour for people working evening and night shifts at prisons, mental health facilities and other institutions. The vacancy rate for entry level corrections officers now is declining, and the average number of applications for all state positions is up 18% since the start of last year. At the Fulton prison, where staff shortages have led to a standard 52-hour work week, newly hired employees can earn around $60,000 annually an amount roughly equal to the state's median household income. The prison also is proposing to provide free child care to correctional officers willing to work nights. If prison staffing is too low, "it can get dangerous" for both inmates and guards, Narvaez said. Public safety concerns also have arisen in Kansas City, where a country music fan attacked before a concert last month waited four minutes for a 911 call to be answered and an hour for an ambulance to arrive. About one-quarter of 911 call center positions are vacant "a huge factor" in the longer wait times to answer calls, said Tamara Bazzle, assistant manager of the communications unit for the Kansas City Police Department. In Biddeford, Maine, a 15-person roster of 911 dispatchers dipped to just eight employees in July as people quit a "pressure cooker job" for less stress or better pay elsewhere, Police Chief JoAnne Fisk said. The city is now offering fully certified dispatchers $41 an hour to help plug the gaps on a part-time basis $10 an hour more than comparable new workers normally would earn. This month, Biddeford also launched a $2,000 bonus for city employees who refer others who get jobs. That comes a year after Biddeford adopted a four-day work week with paid lunch periods to try to make jobs more appealing, said City Manager Jim Bennett. To attract workers, other governments have dropped college degree requirements and spiced up drab job descriptions. Nationally, the turnover rate in state and local governments is twice the average of the previous two decades, according federal labor statistics. Uncompetitive wages were the most common reason for leaving cited in exit interviews, according to a survey of 249 state and local government human resource managers conducted by MissionSquare Research Institute, a Washington, D.C. -based nonprofit. The hardest positions to fill included police and corrections officers, doctors, nurses, engineers and jobs requiring commercial driver's licenses. Along Florida's east coast, the Brevard County transit system and school district have been competing for bus drivers. On days when drivers are lacking, the transit system has cut the frequency of bus stops on some routes. The school system, meanwhile, has asked some bus drivers to run a second route after dropping children off at school, often resulting in the second busload arriving late. Since 2022, the county has twice raised bus driver wages to a current rate of $17.47 an hour. The school board recently countered with a $5 increase to a minimum $20 an hour for the upcoming school year. The goal is to hire enough drivers to regularly get kids to class on time, said school system communications director Russell Bruhn. In Arkansas, the goal is to get foster kids into permanent homes in less than a year. But during the first three months of this year, the state met that target for just 32% of foster children well below the national standard of over 40%. More than one-fifth of the roughly 1,400 positions in the Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services are vacant. Many new employees leave in less than two years because of heavy caseloads and the "very difficult, emotionally tolling work," Mischa Martin, the Department of Human Services' deputy secretary of youth and families, told lawmakers last month. "If we had a knowledgeable, experienced workforce," she said, "they would be able to work cases in a better way to get kids home quicker." Latest developments: Pope Francis appealed Sunday to Russia to revive the U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain deal allowing Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports. The deal expired July 17. Addressing crowds in St. Peter's Square, the pope urged the faithful to continue praying "for martyred Ukraine, where war is destroying everything, even grain," calling this "a grave insult to God." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday he expects Russia to resume its attacks on Ukraines power grid next winter and pledged to do everything possible to protect his nations power infrastructure. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported Sunday that Russia has lost 245,700 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia invaded. This number includes 480 casualties suffered by Russian forces over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also lost 4,205 tanks, 8,178 armored fighting vehicles, 7,275 vehicles and fuel tanks, 4,795 artillery systems, 698 multiple launch rocket systems, 459 air defense systems, 315 airplanes, 311 helicopters, 4,011 drones, and 18 boats. News reports say Saudi Arabia will be the venue of a peace summit organized by Ukraine next month, seeking a way to end Russias war in Ukraine. The talks will take place in Jeddah, August 5-6. The meetings would include Western officials and representatives from up to 30 countries, including Brazil, India, and South Africa, according to The Associated Press, which also reports that a high-level U.S. official will participate. Western officials say they hope the summit can lead to international backing for peace terms favoring Ukraine. News of the talks came after U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited the kingdom Thursday. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the summit. Arab nations have overall kept neutral in Russias invasion of Ukraine, in part, because of their military and economic ties with Moscow. Also, Saudi Arabia, as an OPEC member, has kept a closer relationship with Russia, which also is a member nation. Hosting the summit will help boost the profile of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he is trying to improve relations with Iran and push for peace with Yemen, the AP reports. However, relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States remain tense after OPEC cut oil production. The ongoing Russian attack on Ukraine has led to a spike in energy prices. Also, U.S. intelligence analysts have ascertained that the Saudi prince was behind the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Putin promises Africa grain African leaders left Russia after a two-day Russia-Africa summit with no resolution on the resumption of the deal that allowed for the safe export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea corridor. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that higher grain prices, which have risen since Moscows exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, will benefit Russian companies as well as the worlds poorest countries. In his effort to woo African leaders, Putin said during a news conference Saturday in St. Petersburg that Russia will share its profits from rising grain prices with African nations and poor countries. Russia, like Ukraine, is a major grain exporter. That commitment, with no details, follows Putins promise to start shipping 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain for free to each of six African nations in the next three to four months an amount dwarfed by the 725,000 tons shipped by the U.N. World Food Program to several hungry countries, African and otherwise, under the grain deal. Russia plans to send the free grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and the Central African Republic. Fewer than 20 of Africas 54 heads of state or government attended the Russia summit compared to 43 who attended the previous gathering in 2019. Russian attacks A Russian missile attack killed at least one person and injured five in the Ukrainian city of Sumy, National Police said Sunday. The strike by Russian forces hit "an educational facility," spokesperson Maryna Polosina said. A video released by Ukrainian police showed injured people being carried away from the scene as smoke rose from a damaged building nearby. Moscow said Sunday that Russian forces thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to attack Crimea with 25 drones overnight. Sixteen Ukrainian UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] were destroyed by air defense fire," the Russian defense ministry said. There were no victims. Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow early Sunday, but there were no casualties, the Tass news agency reported, citing city Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. "Tonight, there was a Ukrainian drone attack. The facades of two office buildings in Moscow City (business district) were slightly damaged. There are no casualties," Sobyanin said on his Telegram channel. The Russian defense ministry said it downed three drones targeting the city and described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime." A security guard was injured, Tass reported, citing emergency officials. The Vnukovo airport on the outskirts of the city suspended flights for about an hour, according to Tass, and the airspace over and around Moscow was temporarily closed. Ukrainian counteroffensive Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on his official social media accounts Sunday that Moscow would have to resort to using a nuclear weapon if Kyiv's ongoing counteroffensive was a success. Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, a body chaired by Putin, said that Russia would be forced to fall back on its own nuclear doctrine in such a scenario. The Ukrainian counteroffensive, which began June 5, appears to be gaining momentum. Some information in this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.061 per share on the 21st of August. Based on this payment, the dividend yield will be 1.5%, which is fairly typical for the industry. View our latest analysis for Mueller Water Products Mueller Water Products' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Prior to this announcement, Mueller Water Products' earnings easily covered the dividend, but free cash flows were negative. Since a dividend means the company is paying out cash to investors, this could prove to be a problem in the future. Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 79.1% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 31% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward. Mueller Water Products Has A Solid Track Record Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2013, the dividend has gone from $0.07 total annually to $0.244. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 13% a year over that time. We can see that payments have shown some very nice upward momentum without faltering, which provides some reassurance that future payments will also be reliable. Dividend Growth Is Doubtful Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. Let's not jump to conclusions as things might not be as good as they appear on the surface. Over the past five years, it looks as though Mueller Water Products' EPS has declined at around 6.4% a year. Declining earnings will inevitably lead to the company paying a lower dividend in line with lower profits. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited. Story continues Our Thoughts On Mueller Water Products' Dividend Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. While Mueller Water Products is earning enough to cover the payments, the cash flows are lacking. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income. It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Mueller Water Products that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks. 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 Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. After he got over his initial shock, Roche realised he had a major problem on his hands. The videos made him look corrupt. To defend himself, he published a piece on Medium saying they had been illegally obtained and spliced out of context, and he denied being in cahoots with Ava Labs. It was too late. One after another, companies that Roche Freedman had sued filed motions to disqualify the firm from their cases. In October, the first of those motions succeeded: A federal judge in New York tossed Roche Freedman from a case it had filed against Tether, the operator of the worlds most used stablecoin. Roches career was left in tatters after a website called Crypto Leaks posted two dozen videos of him that had been secretly recorded during meetings with two associates. Credit: Within days, Roche was forced to resign from the law firm he had founded. With his career in tatters, he said, he enrolled in ethics classes and began to see a therapist. Roche was felled by his own loose lips and his overly cozy relationship with a client. But he also was the victim of an elaborate international setup. The question was: Who was behind it? The new sheriff Roche grew up in a working-class family in Buffalo, New York. The oldest of four siblings, he shared a bedroom with intellectually disabled twin brothers. Watching them struggle with simple tasks while he breezed through school made Roche feel both guilty and determined to succeed so he could one day provide for them. Roche felt groggy the morning after a dinner at the Connaught Hotel in London. Credit: Joshua Bright/The New York Times After attending Purdue University and working for a few years as a management consultant, he enrolled at Northwestern Universitys Pritzker School of Law. During his first semester, in the fall of 2013, he caught the crypto bug. Joe Delich, a classmate who later worked with Roche at his law firm, remembers him constantly checking the price of bitcoin on his laptop during classes. Roche cashed out before a big price drop, earning about $US100,000 ($147,000) in profits. He used the money to pay his tuition. As a third-year student, Roche collaborated with a professor on a paper discussing bitcoins virtues as the first currency free from government interference. That led to an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal. That was the first moment I thought, Oh, wow, maybe I can do something with this, he said. By then, Roche was a first-year associate at Boies Schiller Flexner, where he was developing a reputation as the kid who understood crypto. When a colleague in Miami approached him a few days after the Journal piece with a bitcoin-related case, he jumped at the opportunity. Loading The case pitted a man named Ira Kleiman against Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who claims to be bitcoins enigmatic creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Kleiman wanted to sue Wright for defrauding his brother David, a paraplegic computer forensics expert who had died in his mid-40s, out of billions of dollars of bitcoin they supposedly mined together in bitcoins early days. The facts were murky: There was evidence that Wright and David Kleiman had indeed been friends, and David Kleiman had been known to carry around his neck an encrypted hard drive that might or might not have contained the passwords to bitcoin wallets. But many people considered Wright a fraud, calling into question the notion that he had mined early blocks of bitcoin, much less cheated someone out of them. To Roche, that was one of the allures of the case. If he could make Wright hand over his files during discovery, he might be able to solve bitcoins great enduring mystery: Satoshi Nakamotos true identity. Roche and his young Miami colleague, Velvel Freedman, were soon devoting most of their time to the case. In 2019, with the Kleiman case slowly progressing toward a trial, Roche met a new client who was locked in a dispute with a crypto company. In a matter of days, he negotiated a lucrative settlement on the clients behalf. As a token of his gratitude, the client agreed to invest $US7.5 million with Roche and Freedman so they could start their own law firm. At first, Roche set up shop in a coworking space in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, but when the pandemic hit he joined Freedman in Miami. Their firm, Roche Freedman, soon made a splash. Roche had watched with increasing scepticism as a number of crypto startups rode bitcoins growing popularity by marketing new digital coins that surged in value and then crashed. It reminded him of pump-and-dump scams in which a group inflates the price of a stock by talking it up publicly before selling all at once and making off with the profits. Regulators didnt seem to be doing anything about it, so Roche decided he would. On April 3, 2020, Roche Freedman filed lawsuits seeking class-action status against seven issuers of digital coins, alleging they had pumped what amounted to unregistered securities with false statements and then dumped them, leaving retail investors holding the bag. It also sued four crypto exchanges for enabling the coin issuers conduct, foreshadowing some of the legal arguments the Securities and Exchange Commission used to sue Binance and Coinbase this month. (Binance and Coinbase have vowed to fight the SEC in court.) Those suits were just an opening salvo: Sixteen months later, Roche filed his biggest securities fraud case yet. It alleged that a British entrepreneur, Dominic Williams, and entities he controlled had swindled investors out of billions of dollars by aggressively promoting, and then dumping, a digital coin tied to a grandiose plan to revolutionise computing. Loading Williams had boldly proclaimed that his Internet Computer blockchain a decentralised network of computers powered by a digital token called ICP would supplant the big cloud services offered by Amazon and Microsoft and become humanitys primary computing platform. But after an initial surge that briefly made it one of the most valuable cryptocurrencies, ICP had plummeted 92 per cent a collapse that Roches lawsuit attributed to massive selling by Williams and other insiders. (Williams denied the allegations.) If crypto was the Wild West of finance, Roche had announced himself as the new sheriff. But sheriffs, as he would soon learn, make enemies. A big verdict Around the time Roche was working on his first pump-and-dump lawsuits, he befriended Emin Gun Sirer, a Cornell University computer science professor who was hatching a cryptocurrency project of his own in the Brooklyn coworking space where Roche initially worked. Roche agreed to do legal work for Sirers company, Ava Labs, in exchange for an equity stake and a small percentage of the cryptocurrency tokens it planned to issue. Roche had watched with increasing scepticism as a number of crypto startups rode bitcoins growing popularity by marketing new digital coins that surged in value and then crashed. It reminded him of pump-and-dump scams. Credit: Getty A year later, Sirers blockchain, Avalanche, went live. As crypto fever spread, its AVAX tokens rocketed to more than $US100, making Roche a multimillionaire. Roches compensation agreement with Ava Labs was supposed to be confidential, but anyone who wanted to gather intel on him would soon be able to find out about it. In February 2021, Roche Freedman fired one of its partners, Jason Cyrulnik. He hit back with a lawsuit that disclosed each partners share of the AVAX tokens. That fall, Kleiman v. Wright went to trial in US District Court in Miami. Roche gave a fiery opening statement during which he repeatedly pointed an accusatory finger at Wright. In the end, the trial didnt resolve whether Wright had really invented bitcoin, but the jury ordered him to pay $US100 million in damages to a company Ira Kleiman had inherited from his dead brother. (The judge later tacked on $US43 million in interest.) Roche and Freedman toasted over cocktails at a Miami restaurant. Their law firm stood to make more than $US10 million. With the Kleiman trial over, Roche turned to a project he and Sirer had been discussing: Ryval, a company that would help people raise money on Avalanche to pay for lawsuits. Roche saw it as a GoFundMe for litigation and thought it could level the legal playing field between individuals and big corporations. But while he was plotting his new venture, someone was plotting his downfall. Loading The setup In December 2021, Roche received an email from someone he trusted introducing him to Villavicencio, according to a copy of the message reviewed by The New York Times. Villavicencio presented himself as an associate of Ager-Hanssen, a venture capitalist who was interested in Roches new project. Roche had no idea who the two men were, but he welcomed the approach: He was raising money for Ryval, which had received some attention in the crypto press. After an introductory Zoom call, Roche agreed to fly to London at the mens expense the next month. They met at Ager-Hanssens townhouse office, where things soon took a strange turn: According to Roche, Ager-Hanssen pressed his index finger to Roches forehead I didnt think it was a gun motion, but I thought he was trying to intimidate me and said that if he was going to invest with him, he needed to know everything Roche was capable of. In hindsight, Roche wishes he had gotten up and left. Instead, he took it as a cue to sell himself harder. According to Roche, Ager-Hanssen spent the next couple of hours goading him into bragging about his relationship with Ava Labs while Villavicencio, who was sitting across a table from him, secretly filmed him. If crypto was the Wild West of finance, Roche had announced himself as the new sheriff. But sheriffs, as he would soon learn, make enemies. A week after the videos surfaced, Roche got another jolt: A friend of a colleague said he had heard rumours at a crypto event that Roches life was in danger, according to an affidavit later filed in court. Spooked, Roche and his fiancee hunkered down in a short-term rental in Brooklyn. Roche felt that his world was unravelling. He says he became so stressed that he stopped eating and lost 10 pounds. After several weeks, he and his fiancee returned to Miami but, still worried for their safety, moved to an apartment leased under a relatives name. A series of clues Plenty of people had reason to celebrate Roches downfall. First in line were Wright, the man who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, and Calvin Ayre, a gambling tycoon who bankrolls Wright. Wright quickly sought to exploit the videos, filing an unsuccessful motion to disqualify Roche Freedman from the Kleiman case. After the videos came out, Ager-Hanssen became CEO of nChain, a company that Ayre funds and that employs Wright as chief science officer. Roche represented a client in a court case against Australian Craig Wright, who claims to have invented Bitcoin. Credit: Domenico Pugliese Through a spokesperson, Ayre acknowledged that he and Wright were pleased when the videos came out. But they denied having anything to do with the London sting. Roche believes them because he thinks he knows who hired Ager-Hanssen: Williams, the British entrepreneur who was the target of Roche Freedmans biggest pump-and-dump lawsuit. A series of clues, documented by his former law firm in court filings, led Roche to that conclusion. The first is that on May 12, 2022, Williams wrote on Twitter that he was coming for his critics. That was the same day the cryptoleaks.info domain name was registered. Then, on June 9, 2022, the Crypto Leaks website went live. Billing itself as the defender of the honest crypto community, it posted two reports that aligned with Williams interests. The first espoused a complicated theory about the ICP token crash that Williams had previously floated on Twitter. The second attacked the Times for an article it had published about the crash. Williams tweeted a link to that Crypto Leaks report, calling it Gobsmacking. The Dfinity Foundation, a Swiss nonprofit that Williams created to oversee his blockchain, has since sued the Times for defamation in New York. The Times is seeking to dismiss the suit. The videos of Roche were the crux of Crypto Leaks third expose. After they were published, Williams and Dfinity filed a motion to disqualify Roche Freedman as plaintiffs counsel in the pump-and-dump lawsuit, saying Roches comments demonstrated a disregard for the integrity of the judicial system. In court filings opposing the motion, Roches former firm accused Williams of being behind Crypto Leaks and said the videos filmed at Jean-Georges showed signs of deepfake alterations. It also blamed Williams for the rumoured death threats against Roche. From the moment we saw Daryl Somers on stage to present the Gold Logie award it seemed a fait accompli; Sonia Kruger had won the Gold Logie. Kruger, who is set to co-host Channel Sevens 20th season of Dancing With The Stars this year alongside Somers, won the top gong at the 63rd annual TV Week Logie Awards. Sonia Kruger accepts her Gold Logie. Credit: Seven Kruger is a previous Gold Logie nominee and hosts a suite of shows for Channel Seven including Dancing With The Stars, Big Brother and The Voice. Krugers win comes after Channel Seven picked up the Logie broadcast from Channel Nine this year, and the network campaigned hard for their golden girl. Hamish Blake was the hot favourite to win a third Gold Logie, but in recent days odds had shortened on Kruger. Sonia Kruger arrives on the red carpet at the awards in Sydney. Credit: Hanna Lassen/Getty Images After another marathon broadcast, Daryl Somers took to the stage well after 11pm. Somers was dusted off to present the award, the former Hey Hey Its Saturday! presenter indulging in a too-long monologue before finally getting it underway. If were being honest, and its nearly midnight so we must be, Daryls entire bit was much like his career, a bit awkward and something wed rather not discuss in depth. After hosting the red carpet arrivals for Sevens coverage of the event, Kruger changed outfits for the award ceremony. Credit: Getty After a long but mostly enjoyable ceremony once again the Logies couldnt get out of its own way, fixating on the past, rather than embracing the future. Somers entire speech was tiresome, unnecessary, and (the biggest crime), just not that funny. Then came the moment wed all been waiting for, Krugers golden win and a win for Channel Seven too. To her credit, the 57-year-old was quick to pay tribute to the powers that be.Id like to thank God, AKA [Seven CEO]James Warburton, who had the genius idea of stealing an idea from Channel Nine [The Voice] and making it better, she joked. Id also like to thank my family, whose names escape me, and if my dad was here, he would just be so proud. Kruger was initially introduced to Australian audiences in the role of Tina Sparkle in Baz Luhrmanns 1992 breakthrough hit, Strictly Ballroom, and that appearance morphed into a long and successful career in TV. Its often become an easy gag that Sonia Kruger hosts everything in TV, and during her acceptance speech, Kruger spoke warmly about the value of presenting. I read a sign backstage that said, Hosting is not about what you do, but how you make other people feel, and you have made me feel so good. Krugers career has not been without controversy. In 2016, during an appearance on the morning show Today, Kruger called for a complete ban on Muslims entering Australia, in agreement with an opinion piece by commentator Andrew Bolt. The statement triggered widespread debate and condemnation. Fast forward to 2023 and Kruger has won the Gold Logie, handed out to the most popular personality on Australian television. Kruger kept her acceptance speech short and sweet, perhaps conscious of the long run time, signing off with a simple: Thank you so much, I dont know what else to say. The lump in my throat grew larger as I recalled my friends instructions. From the lift, count five shops to the left; if you hit the yum cha restaurant, youve gone too far. It was 2005, and I was standing in a shopping centre in Shenzhen, China, having taken the train from Hong Kong a journey thousands of Australian tourists make each year. I dont speak Mandarin, so my Chinese-speaking friend had instructed me, upon entering the store, which was stacked floor to ceiling with Hermes, Chanel and Burberry, to ask for the export quality bags and wait. When you buy a superfake, what are you really financing? Credit: Matt Davidson In China, to ask for the bags out the back, is to be taken on a wild orienteering course through the shopping centres stairwells to the roof, down a seemingly dead-end corridor and, after rotating an electric switchboard that is actually a door, into a room that to a superfake bag lover can only be described as heaven. Yes, I once trekked to China to buy superfakes, the high-quality fake handbags that, as I wrote about in this masthead last Sunday, have been allegedly substituted for the real thing by luxury emporium Cosette. (The company, which has stores online and in Sydneys CBD, has repeatedly denied selling fakes.) Hello, Im a style editor and a fashion snob. Im not alone. The late Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld described sweatpants as a sign of defeat; logos leave US Vogue editor Anna Wintour unsmiling; other style gurus baulk at seeing navy and green without a colour in-between. Looking both cool and hot: Rihanna performs at this years Super Bowl. Credit: Getty Images Until this winter, nothing sent my nose higher in the air than the sight of a puffer jacket. The involuntary cringe would begin moments before the quilted monstrosity, inevitably black, came into view. The sound of swishing nylon set my nerves on edge like fingernails on a blackboard. This photo of Pope Francis may be fake but it gave the puffer a push. Popularised by sportswear brand Eddie Bauer and couturier Charles James in the 1930s, the puffer has a long history, but it was only 10 years ago that people started talking about the style with an off-putting enthusiasm usually reserved for cross-training and craft beer. My puffer-phobia was born in the normcore trend of 2014, which celebrated the dad-dressing energy of Jerry Seinfeld: Fashion for those who realise theyre one in seven billion, said New York Magazine. A one-man resistance movement, I clung to camel overcoats that tested the strength of wardrobe rods and which, in the lightest of drizzle, acquired the smell of a cabbage-loving schnauzer. I protested in a Burberry trench that demonstrated my fashion credentials but looked odd on top of workout clothes. My recent travels confirm Australia doesnt exist. Not this one, anyway. Get north of Bali and this place is Terra Australis still, a myth. Australia? In Europe they roll the word on the tongue like a jube, searching for taste. Hmm, give me a minute. What flavour is it, this place name? It would be a cliche to mention kangaroos, of course, but the rascals just come bounding into the front paddock of the mind when you say the word. For the peoples of the northern hemisphere she is tucked away beyond the curve of the world, out of sight and significance. A Rorschach blot on the global map that sparks a few faded classroom facts in their heads: Englands, wasnt she? Penal colony? Origami Opera House harbour Then they might spare some brief grief for the reef. (That dobber Attenborough!) Credit: When asked to say what Australia means most will say its an Australian word for Canada. When pressed to explain the meaning of Canada theyll tell you its a Canadian word for Australia. Press them further and they describe a vast, benign place that exists as a catch-all for the real worlds sporadic totalitarian overspills and crop failures that is, a type of wan safe zone you wouldnt migrate to unless you were about to starve or thugs were readying to line you up against a wall. A smiling nonentity too boring to remember, like some middling looker who rocked a pair of cords at uni but never spoke a word. The best that can be said of Australias place in the world is that the globe doesnt bear us any grudges. I appreciate humanitys ignorance of Australia. Most of us have a field to till, a shoe to tie, a leaking pipe, a tooth cavity, or an ongoing battle with a neighbour to wage. Typically were as local as the nearest chemist. And what do you know, or care, of Angola? East Coast Tasmania James Vodicka (The Rambler Co) Closer to home, the destination on everyones list is Tasmania. The Rambler Co has the east coast covered from Flinders Island to Bruny Island in the second edition of its Australian Travel series. Find places to stay, from a rustic surfers shack on the shore of Bay of Fires to a luxury lodge in Freycinet, and get advice on where to hike, eat and explore while there. The inclusion of a beautifully illustrated guide to foraging for coastal creatures (think sea urchins and rock lobsters) ensures youll never go hungry. The Slow Traveller Jo Tinsley (Ivy Press) The idea of travelling with intention is not new but it has certainly gained traction of late. In her new book, Tinsley encourages travellers to leave less of a footprint, to be mindful of their arrangements and to take time to savour the experience. She also imparts her wisdom on topics such as eco-travel, foraging, the benefits of rail travel and the beauty of long-distance walks. After all, if we dont begin to traverse this planet more sustainably, one day many of these destinations wont be worth visiting. Cinematic Places Sarah Baxter (White Lion Publishing) Ever wanted to stay in the Tokyo hotel where Lost in Translation was filmed, or sing where they shot The Sound of Music in Salzburg? Travel journalist Sarah Baxter thinks the location of a film not only sets the scene but is as important to the mood of a movie as its stars. In this book, part of the Inspired Travellers Guide series, Baxter explores 25 destinations, from Amelies Paris to Rockys Philadelphia, and serves up plenty of fascinating filmic facts in between. Beyond the Cobblestones in Dublin Fiona Hilliard (Hardie Grant Explore) The land of limericks and leprechauns is a top travel spot, to be sure. The Curious Travel Guides latest offering is a compendium of the best places to stay, eat and explore in Dublin, a city thats undeniably rich in history and lore. Ditch the tourist trail for literary landmarks, lush parks and pubs favoured by locals; get an insiders guide to the best places to shop for home-grown knitwear, ceramics and glassware; and find carefully curated itineraries that ensure time is well spent, no matter how long the stay. (Available August 2). Boatlife Katharina Charpian (Gestalten) For many people, the aim of travel is to get as close as possible to the sea. Most are lured to the coast, but for others only a boat will do. This stunning tome takes a deep dive into life on the ocean wave and the freedom (and challenges) of living on a vessel. Offering endless inspiration for maritime enthusiasts, each chapter charts an incredible journey, such as one taken by a couple who sailed from Norway to New Zealand in their 40-foot yacht, Beaver. Wanderlust Nordics Cam Honan (Gestalten) This hefty tome is at once an exhaustive guide to Scandinavias best trails and a bounty of inspiration. From serene forests in Sweden to alpine tundra in Iceland, it will appeal to hiking diehards and enthusiastic explorers alike. With its vast landscapes and edge-of-the-Earth beauty, its no surprise this part of the world a top destination for many. Even if youre more plodder than hiker, the puffin trail of Mykines in the Faroe Island is surely one for the bucket list. Explore Australia 2024 (Hardie Grant Explore) The United States top foreign policy official has urged Australians to understand American concerns about Julian Assanges publishing of leaked classified information, saying the WikiLeaks founder is alleged to have endangered lives and put US national security at risk. In the sharpest and most detailed remarks from a Biden administration official about the matter, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Assange had been involved in one of the largest breaches of classified information in American history and had been charged with serious criminal conduct in the US. Blinkens comments, which represent a rare public display of disagreement between the US and Australia, highlighted the difficult task the Albanese government faces in its bid to convince the Biden administration to end its pursuit of Assange. The US is seeking to extradite Assange from Londons Belmarsh prison to face 17 counts of breaching the US Espionage Act plus a separate hacking-related charge. Independent senator David Pocock has sprung a test of the Albanese governments climate action convictions by forcing it to reject or support a proposed new law that would compel the government to ban new fossil fuel projects to prevent harm to current and future generations of children. Pococks Duty of Care and Intergenerational Equity Bill, to be introduced to the Senate on Monday, applies to ministers with power to approve or fund fossil fuel projects. It would bar them from making major decisions that are likely to increase greenhouse gas emissions when doing so would pose a material risk to childrens health and wellbeing now and in generations to come. Independent ACT senator David Pocock. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen His move targets Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, who has veto powers to block coal, gas and other major development approvals, and is a senior member of Labors Left faction, which has rank-and-file members campaigning to end fossil fuel developments. But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has already rejected any moratorium on new coal and gas plants as disastrous for the economy. Plibersek has already approved three new coal mines in two months. Stock markets have long moved to their own drummer, responding to forces that are sometimes quite different than what we expect. For investors, the key to success is to figure out just what force or combination of forces is going to impact the markets next. In a recent report from the UK-based Chatham House think tank, economy and finance program director Creon Butler points to climate change as the next market game-changer. In fact, Butler sees climate issues causing a sharp market correction within 5 years. Butler points out some of the potential fallout risks of a rapidly warming climate, and their influence on markets. His list of risks includes the emergence of new diseases, alterations in crop cycles reducing food supplies, tighter government regulation on carbon emissions, and a real estate pull-back from coastal areas. That last point, on property, is already impacting California, where several major home insurers have stopped writing property policies due to an increased risk from natural disasters. Whatever the reasons for the markets current equanimity on climate risks, a sharp adjustment looks increasingly probable. The longer it is delayed, the sharper it is likely to be and the more potential triggers emerge, Butler summed up. But its not all doom and gloom some stocks will thrive in this new climate-change era. Weve used the TipRanks database to pinpoint two names that will play a crucial role in shaping the emerging green economy. Lets check the details. Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP) First up, Brookfield Renewable, an owner and operator of renewable power assets. The company owns a diverse portfolio of energy assets around the world, including distributed energy and sustainable solutions as well as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power generation facilities. Brookfield is under 60% ownership of Brookfield Asset Management, one of Canadas largest alternative investment management firms. This gives the partnership energy firm solid financial backing, which it has used to build up its capabilities in utility-grade power generation installations. To date, Brookfield Renewable Partners has a power development pipeline, in renewable energy projects, totaling 126,000 megawatts. Some 5,000 megawatts of that capacity is on track for commissioning this year. Story continues This partnership firm will release its 2Q23 earnings on Friday (August 4), but in the meantime its helpful to look back at the Q1 results for a snapshot of where the company stood earlier this year. The top line in Q1 came to $1.33 billion, up 17% year-over-year and coming in $54.8 million ahead of the forecasts. BEP had a funds from operations (FFO, a key metric in partnership companies) of 43 cents per share, for a 13% y/y increase. Also important, Brookfield Renewable Partners increased its cash holdings in Q1, to $1.14 billion from $998 million at the end of December. This represented a 14% gain quarter-over-quarter. Scotiabank analyst Robert Hope is impressed by what he sees in this firm, especially in the risk/reward profile of its portfolio expansion and the firms solid cash/liquidity position. Hope writes, We see BEP as having one of the stronger growth profiles in our coverage universe with 13% / 12% FFOPU growth in 2023E / 2024E. It is also impressive to us that the company is able to generate this growth with limited single-project construction risk and while maintaining strong liquidity. We view Brookfield Renewable as a high-quality and high-growth way to participate in the global renewable power and decarbonization theme Looking forward, Hope gives BEP an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating with a $38 price target, suggesting a 29% upside for the year ahead. (To watch Hopes track record, click here) This renewable energy firm gets a Moderate Buy rating from the consensus of the Streets analysts, based on 6 recent analyst reviews that include 4 Buys and 2 Holds. The stock is selling for $29.38 and has an average target price of $36.07, implying a one-year upside potential of ~23%. (See BEP stock forecast) Sunrun, Inc. (RUN) Next up on our list is Sunrun, a leading firm in the residential solar power niche. Sunrun designs, builds, and installs a range of home-based solar power installations, offering customers package deals designed-to-order for each individual home. The packages include everything needed to fit the installation to the particular location and power needs, including rooftop photovoltaic panels, power storage batteries, and smart control systems, as well as connections to the local electric power grid. Sunrun doesnt stop with solar power home installations, though. The company also offers financing options, allowing customers to choose to pay in full up front or to amortize the cost as a lease, on a long-term or month-to-month basis. Customers can also take loans with Sunrun, to facilitate the purchase. Through the end of Q1 this year, Sunrun could boast of 700,000 customers, in 22 states as well as DC and Puerto Rico. Interest in solar power has been growing in recent years, supported by both governmental and societal pushes to promote clean power. This helped push Sunrun to more than 30% sales activity growth in the last quarter reported, 1Q23. The companys highest growth region was California, which has both a strong legislative push to promote solar power as well as a favorably sunny climate; Sunrun saw 80% sales growth in California in Q1. Looking ahead, Sunrun can feel secure its has $1.1 billion in annual recurring revenue, and the average contract life remaining is 17.6 years. Getting to the brass tacks, we find that Sunrun reported a total of 240 installed megawatts in Q1, generating $589.9 million in revenue, for 19% y/y top line growth, and beating the forecast by more than $72 million. The companys EPS was a net loss, of $1.12 per share, and missed the expectations, coming in 97 cents per share below estimates. Well see Sunruns Q2 results next week (Wednesday, August 2). Despite the earnings miss, the strong sales growth and revenue beat along with a leading position in an underpenetrated market got this stock notice from Mark Strouse, 5-star analyst with JPMorgan. Strouse writes of Sunrun, RUN is a leader in residential energy services including solar, storage, EV charging, home energy management, etc., an underpenetrated market that we expect to grow at a double-digit CAGR for the foreseeable future. The company has strong visibility into future revenue owing to long-term customer contracts, value per customer should improve as more services are adopted, and we believe RUN is positioned for market share gains owing to favorable ITC rules as well as the companys leading scale. Strouse follows up his comments with an Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating for the stock, plus a $38 price target that underscores his confidence in a 107% upside on the 12-month horizon. (To watch Strouses track record, click here) Overall, there are 16 recent analyst reviews for RUN shares, breaking down 12 to 4 in favor of Buys over Holds, for a Strong Buy consensus rating. The stock is trading for $18.33 and has an average price target of $34.69, implying that a gain of 89% is in store for the coming year. (See Sunrun stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Seoul, South Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been joined by senior Russian and Chinese delegates while displaying his most powerful nuclear-capable missiles in a military parade marking a major war anniversary. It was a show of defiance against the United States while deepening ties with Moscow as tensions on the peninsula have reached their highest point in years. Kim attended Thursday nights parade with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese ruling party official Li Hongzhong from a balcony looking over a brightly illuminated Kim Il Sung Square, named after Kims grandfather, the founder of North Korea. Kim Jong-un (centre) with Sergei Shoigu (to his left) and Li Hongzhong (right) at the military parade in Pyongyang on Thursday. Credit: AP Edited footage from North Korean state TV on Friday showed streets and stands packed with tens of thousands of mobilised spectators, who roared in approval as waves of goose-stepping soldiers, tanks and huge, intercontinental ballistic missiles wheeled out on launcher trucks filled up the main road. People were brought from around the country to the capital, Pyongyang, to fill the crowd, state media reported. The parade began with warm-up events that featured ceremonial flights of newly developed surveillance and attack drones, which were first unveiled by state media this week as they reported on an arms exhibition attended by Kim and Shoigu. The fear had overtaken Jessica Nunez when her 14-year-old daughter went missing in September 2019. She then saw a handwritten note that Alicia Navarro had left in her room: I ran away. I will be back, I swear, the Arizona teen wrote. Im sorry. Navarro was missing for almost four years before she reported to a police station in a small Montana town close to the Canadian border and notified authorities that she was the missing teen from Glendale, Arizona, police said. Navarro, who is now 18, was found safe more than 1600 kilometres from her home. She was reunited with her mother in a scene that authorities described as emotionally overwhelming. Missing teenager Alicia Navarro four years ago (left) and after she was found this week. She is by all accounts safe, she is by all accounts healthy, and she is by all accounts happy, Jose Santiago, a spokesman for the Glendale Police Department, said at a news conference. The search for Navarro led to a nationwide effort involving the FBI and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that generated thousands of tips to police about her whereabouts, according to authorities. Nunez posted a video on Facebook confirming that her daughter was found safe, saying it was a miracle her daughter was alive. For everyone who has missing loved ones, I want you to use this case as an example that miracles do exist and never lose hope and always fight, Nunez said. I do not have details but the important thing is she is alive. I want to thank the community and God for all that you have done. Rio Tinto Group (LON:RIO) First Half 2023 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: US$26.7b (down 10% from 1H 2022). Net income: US$5.12b (down 43% from 1H 2022). Profit margin: 19% (down from 30% in 1H 2022). The decrease in margin was primarily driven by lower revenue. EPS: US$3.16 (down from US$5.52 in 1H 2022). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Rio Tinto Group Revenues Beat Expectations, EPS Falls Short Revenue exceeded analyst estimates by 3.1%. Earnings per share (EPS) missed analyst estimates by 17%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to decline by 1.5% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, while revenues in the Metals and Mining industry in the United Kingdom are expected to remain flat. Performance of the British Metals and Mining industry. The company's share price is broadly unchanged from a week ago. Risk Analysis It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Rio Tinto Group, and understanding these should be part of your investment process. 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 ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- A federal prisoner who was supposed to be temporarily housed at the Lehigh County Jail escaped Sunday evening, but was captured a short time later. Officials said the prisoner escaped from the sally port, before he ever made it into the jail itself. That's a secured area where inmates are taken as they are transferred into a jail. There's no word yet from officials on how he managed to get away, but he was caught just 10 minutes later at the site of the old Banana Joe's nightclub in the 300 block of Hamilton Street. At this point, details are limited. Allentown Police noted that the incident had no connection to their department. The prisoner's name has not yet been released, and it's not known what federal charges he was being held on. Officials said he will now be facing escape charges on the state level. WEATHERLY, Pa. - A hostage situation in Weatherly Borough, Carbon County, on Saturday afternoon ended with no one injured, police said. Police responded to a home for reports that a man had threatened his girlfriend with a gun. She was able to escape the house, but the man barricaded himself inside. Officers on the scene were "met with hostility and requested to leave," the Weatherly Police Department said in a statement. Weatherly police called in Pennsylvania State Police for backup, after which the man surrendered without further incident. "We are proud of our officers as this incident was resolved without injury," the statement reads. "We would like to thank The Pennsylvania State Police for their cooperation and assistance." Deutsche Wohnen SE (OTCMKTS:DWHHF Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 54,100 shares, a growth of 19.2% from the June 30th total of 45,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently days. Deutsche Wohnen Price Performance DWHHF stock remained flat at $21.11 during mid-day trading on Friday. Deutsche Wohnen has a fifty-two week low of $18.42 and a fifty-two week high of $40.04. The stocks fifty day moving average is $21.11 and its 200 day moving average is $21.11. Get Deutsche Wohnen alerts: About Deutsche Wohnen (Get Free Report) See Also Deutsche Wohnen SE develops and manages residential properties in Germany. The company operates through Rental, Value-add, Recurring Sales, Development, and Care segment. The Rental segment offers value-enhancing management to residential real estate portfolio. The Value- add segment engages in the core business of letting. Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Wohnen Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Wohnen and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF Get Free Report) CEO Fran Horowitz sold 60,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.39, for a total transaction of $2,303,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 813,913 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $31,246,120.07. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Fran Horowitz also recently made the following trade(s): Get Abercrombie & Fitch alerts: On Monday, July 17th, Fran Horowitz sold 48,760 shares of Abercrombie & Fitch stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.90, for a total transaction of $1,799,244.00. On Wednesday, July 12th, Fran Horowitz sold 10,338 shares of Abercrombie & Fitch stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.07, for a total transaction of $372,891.66. On Monday, July 10th, Fran Horowitz sold 120,000 shares of Abercrombie & Fitch stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.42, for a total transaction of $4,250,400.00. Abercrombie & Fitch Stock Up 2.6 % Shares of NYSE ANF opened at $39.98 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $34.75 and a 200 day moving average of $29.53. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has a 12-month low of $14.02 and a 12-month high of $40.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a PE ratio of 57.12 and a beta of 1.49. Institutional Trading of Abercrombie & Fitch Abercrombie & Fitch ( NYSE:ANF Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 24th. The apparel retailer reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by $0.41. Abercrombie & Fitch had a net margin of 0.96% and a return on equity of 6.82%. The business had revenue of $836.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $814.93 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.27) EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Abercrombie & Fitch Co. will post 2.08 EPS for the current fiscal year. Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ANF. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 42.3% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 29,951 shares of the apparel retailers stock valued at $958,000 after buying an additional 8,902 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lifted its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 9.1% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 48,703 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $1,558,000 after acquiring an additional 4,049 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management lifted its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 41.7% in the 1st quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 318,200 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $10,179,000 after acquiring an additional 93,600 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 23.5% in the 1st quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 252,944 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $8,092,000 after acquiring an additional 48,078 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Divisar Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 43.2% in the 1st quarter. Divisar Capital Management LLC now owns 868,421 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $27,781,000 after acquiring an additional 261,824 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.03% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms recently weighed in on ANF. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $28.00 to $32.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $35.00 to $30.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 21st. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $24.00 to $33.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $41.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, June 12th. 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. According to MarketBeat, Abercrombie & Fitch presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $30.50. About Abercrombie & Fitch (Get Free Report) Abercrombie & Fitch Co, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Hollister and Abercrombie. It offers an assortment of apparel, personal care products, and accessories for men, women, and kids under the Hollister, Gilly Hicks, Social Tourist, Abercrombie & Fitch, and abercrombie kids brands. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Abercrombie & Fitch Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abercrombie & Fitch and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE Free Report) had its target price decreased by JMP Securities from $180.00 to $160.00 in a research report released on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. JMP Securities currently has a market outperform rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Several other research analysts have also weighed in on ARE. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $141.00 to $137.00 in a research note on Monday, July 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. They set a buy rating and a $142.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $198.00 to $166.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $180.00 to $145.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $160.88. Get Alexandria Real Estate Equities alerts: Alexandria Real Estate Equities Price Performance Alexandria Real Estate Equities stock opened at $126.51 on Wednesday. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has a 12-month low of $108.81 and a 12-month high of $172.65. The stock has a market cap of $21.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.54, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $117.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $130.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Alexandria Real Estate Equities Increases Dividend Alexandria Real Estate Equities ( NYSE:ARE Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.20 by ($1.69). Alexandria Real Estate Equities had a return on equity of 2.54% and a net margin of 20.65%. The firm had revenue of $713.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $700.22 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.10 earnings per share. Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess revenue for the quarter was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Alexandria Real Estate Equities will post 8.95 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 14th. Investors of record on Friday, June 30th were paid a $1.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.92%. This is an increase from Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess previous quarterly dividend of $1.21. Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess payout ratio is currently 147.18%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Alexandria Real Estate Equities news, Chairman Joel S. Marcus sold 7,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.20, for a total transaction of $916,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 351,354 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,935,458.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. KBC Group NV grew its holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 33.0% during the 2nd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 30,329 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $3,442,000 after acquiring an additional 7,526 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 86.1% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 10,196 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,157,000 after buying an additional 4,718 shares in the last quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its holdings in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 281,663 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $31,966,000 after buying an additional 2,185 shares in the last quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 12.6% in the 2nd quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 4,024 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $457,000 after buying an additional 449 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Core Alternative Capital boosted its holdings in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 22.5% in the 2nd quarter. Core Alternative Capital now owns 23,705 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,690,000 after buying an additional 4,359 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.60% of the companys stock. About Alexandria Real Estate Equities (Get Free Report) Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500 company, is a best-in-class, mission-driven life science REIT making a positive and lasting impact on the world. As the pioneer of the life science real estate niche since its founding in 1994, Alexandria is the preeminent and longest-tenured owner, operator, and developer of collaborative life science, agtech, and advanced technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, including Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Alexandria Real Estate Equities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alexandria Real Estate Equities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg monitors a cube-shaped Astrobee robotic free-flyer during an experiment on the International Space Station. (NASA Photo) About 900 members of the space community including astronauts, government officials, researchers and industry professionals are converging on Seattle this week for the International Space Station Research and Development Conference. But this weeks ISSRDC event is about more than just the ISS. The 12th annual conference, which is being held in the Pacific Northwest for the first time, comes as NASA and its commercial partners are making plans for privately operated outposts that will take the place of the ISS when its brought down from orbit. That fiery retirement party is currently set for the 2030-2031 time frame. Were at that critical juncture, said Patrick ONeill, marketing and communications manager for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, or CASIS. The center manages the activities that the ISS takes on in its role as a national laboratory, and is the organizer of the ISSRDC. For now, the ISS is one of only two space stations in low Earth orbit, or LEO. (The other one is Chinas Tiangong space station.) But the next seven years are likely to see the launch of multiple commercial LEO destinations, which have come to be known as CLDs in NASAs three-letter-acronym parlance. One of those CLDs could well be Orbital Reef, which is currently under development by a consortium that includes Jeff Bezos Blue Origin space venture. This conference is a great opportunity for us to learn about future avenues of inquiry that could be advantageous for other government agencies, and ways for us to build on the science thats been done previously, so that we can segue toward those CLDs, ONeill told GeekWire. Blue Origin, Boeing and other Seattle-area aerospace companies will be well-represented at the event, and the list of speakers includes some of the up-and-coming executives in Washington states space industry such as Colin Doughan, CEO of Marysville-based Gravitics, which is working on modules for future space stations; Kelly Hennig, chief operating officer of Kent-based Stoke Space, which is developing a fully reusable launch system; and Lisa Rich, chief operating officer of Redmond-based Xplore, which is pioneering a Space as a Service business model. Story continues Space station research will be Topic A for this weeks conference and ONeill said the guiding principles for managing that research have evolved since the creation of CASIS in 2011. Back in the day when CASIS first assumed management of the national laboratory, the mission statement was to leverage the space-based environment for the benefit of life here on Earth, he recalled. Whereas now weve expanded that a little bit: Its not just trying to benefit life on Earth, but also to enable a sustainable market in low Earth orbit. ONeill said more and more companies are see. And some of those companies arent the sorts of ventures that youd typically associate with outer space. For example, one space station research project involves Lamborghini, the Italian sports-car company, working in partnership with the Houston Methodist Research Institute. Theyre coming together because Houston Medical Research Institute is looking to create an implantable device for therapeutics, ONeill said. And Lamborghini was able to develop some carbon-fiber 3D-printed technologies and send those to the space station. Those [carbon-fiber materials] might end up being on the outside of that implantable chip. Medicine and the life sciences are high on the ISS research agenda, in part because minimizing the negative health effects of long-term weightlessness will be essential for future treks to Mars and other deep-space destinations. One of the speakers at this weeks ISSRDC is Arun Sharma, a stem cell researcher at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In May, Sharma and his team worked with Seattles Allen Institute for Cell Science on an space station experiment aimed at studying how zero-G conditions could facilitate the production of millions of stem cells for therapeutic applications. That particular experiment was flown as part of a privately funded Axiom Space mission. ONeill said Sharma has a unique perspective on space station research. He has done things through the traditional method of leveraging the space station, but now hes doing it through private-astronaut options which opens up new avenues, not only for people to access space quite literally, but also for them to be able to leverage the space station from an R&D perspective, ONeill said. In ONeills view, Seattle is the perfect place to highlight the blending of space-based research and down-to-Earth technologies which is where the space stations research program is heading. Seattle obviously has a very rich history in technology innovation. And theres also a variety of partners that are already affixed to the space station program or are getting further involved in space, whether thats Blue Origin, Boeing or Microsoft, he said. So its a very tech-laden community where those who are interested in becoming part of the space station research community can definitely come and check it out, and learn a little bit more about whats happening on station and how it applies to their R&D. This weeks International Space Station Research and Development Conference will run from Monday through Thursday at the Hyatt Regency Seattle. Check the ISSRDC website for further information on registration and the agenda. More from GeekWire: StockNews.com downgraded shares of American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE:AMH Free Report) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note released on Thursday. AMH has been the topic of several other research reports. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of American Homes 4 Rent from $33.00 to $37.00 in a research note on Friday, May 19th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of American Homes 4 Rent from $33.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, July 14th. VNET Group reissued a maintains rating on shares of American Homes 4 Rent in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of American Homes 4 Rent in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. They set an equal weight rating and a $31.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of American Homes 4 Rent from $36.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Monday, May 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $35.90. Get American Homes 4 Rent alerts: American Homes 4 Rent Price Performance Shares of NYSE AMH opened at $36.99 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $13.38 billion, a PE ratio of 37.74, a PEG ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.67. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $35.29 and a 200 day moving average of $33.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88. American Homes 4 Rent has a one year low of $28.78 and a one year high of $38.94. American Homes 4 Rent Dividend Announcement Insider Buying and Selling The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.38%. American Homes 4 Rents dividend payout ratio is presently 89.80%. In related news, Director Douglas N. Benham sold 8,000 shares of American Homes 4 Rent stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total value of $280,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 16,826 shares in the company, valued at $588,910. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Douglas N. Benham sold 8,000 shares of American Homes 4 Rent stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total value of $280,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 16,826 shares in the company, valued at $588,910. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Bryan Smith sold 25,000 shares of American Homes 4 Rent stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.25, for a total transaction of $881,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 94,478 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,330,349.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 91,789 shares of company stock worth $3,217,810 over the last 90 days. 6.32% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of American Homes 4 Rent A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of American Homes 4 Rent by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 93,983 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,956,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Homes 4 Rent by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 18,417 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $555,000 after acquiring an additional 304 shares during the period. Prudential PLC increased its holdings in shares of American Homes 4 Rent by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 20,896 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $657,000 after acquiring an additional 306 shares during the period. CWM LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Homes 4 Rent by 25.5% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,753 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 356 shares during the period. Finally, BOKF NA increased its holdings in shares of American Homes 4 Rent by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. BOKF NA now owns 61,124 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,922,000 after acquiring an additional 369 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.36% of the companys stock. American Homes 4 Rent Company Profile (Get Free Report) American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH), which does business as AMH, is a leading single-family property owner, leasing operator and build-to-rent developer. We're an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on acquiring, developing, renovating, leasing and managing homes as rental properties. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for American Homes 4 Rent Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Homes 4 Rent and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning. ADM has been the subject of a number of other research reports. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $100.00 target price for the company. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $98.00 to $90.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. Roth Mkm began coverage on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research note on Thursday, June 22nd. They issued a buy rating and a $92.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $94.00 to $85.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $87.00 to $85.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Archer-Daniels-Midland presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $99.50. Get Archer-Daniels-Midland alerts: Archer-Daniels-Midland Stock Up 0.7 % Shares of NYSE:ADM opened at $86.39 on Wednesday. Archer-Daniels-Midland has a 52-week low of $69.92 and a 52-week high of $98.28. The stock has a market cap of $46.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.81. The businesss 50 day moving average is $76.27 and its 200 day moving average is $78.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Archer-Daniels-Midland Announces Dividend Archer-Daniels-Midland ( NYSE:ADM Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 25th. The company reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.30. Archer-Daniels-Midland had a return on equity of 17.52% and a net margin of 4.14%. The firm had revenue of $25.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.15 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Archer-Daniels-Midland will post 7.23 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 17th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 16th. Archer-Daniels-Midlands dividend payout ratio is currently 24.03%. Insider Transactions at Archer-Daniels-Midland In related news, insider Fruit Molly L. Strader sold 1,455 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.80, for a total value of $126,294.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 10,809 shares of the companys stock, valued at $938,221.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Archer-Daniels-Midland Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Orca Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland during the second quarter worth about $1,775,000. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd lifted its position in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 200.8% in the second quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 177,067 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,379,000 after purchasing an additional 118,194 shares during the period. CBOE Vest Financial LLC lifted its position in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 60.5% in the second quarter. CBOE Vest Financial LLC now owns 218,649 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,415,000 after purchasing an additional 82,419 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its position in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 12.0% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 38,188 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,885,000 after purchasing an additional 4,083 shares during the period. Finally, Lion Street Advisors LLC lifted its position in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 46.1% in the second quarter. Lion Street Advisors LLC now owns 15,289 shares of the companys stock valued at $982,000 after purchasing an additional 4,824 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.13% of the companys stock. About Archer-Daniels-Midland (Get Free Report) Archer-Daniels-Midland Company procures, transports, stores, processes, and merchandises agricultural commodities, products, and ingredients in the United States, Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, and Nutrition. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Archer-Daniels-Midland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Archer-Daniels-Midland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ARGA Investment Management LP lowered its stake in AerCap Holdings (NYSE:AER Free Report) by 4.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 847,893 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 43,936 shares during the period. AerCap accounts for 1.8% of ARGA Investment Management LPs portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. ARGA Investment Management LP owned 0.34% of AerCap worth $47,677,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its holdings in shares of AerCap by 125.8% in the first quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 70,019 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,937,000 after purchasing an additional 39,005 shares in the last quarter. Westpac Banking Corp increased its holdings in shares of AerCap by 80.7% in the first quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 290,964 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $16,361,000 after purchasing an additional 129,900 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AerCap in the first quarter valued at approximately $2,661,000. Factorial Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of AerCap by 1.0% in the first quarter. Factorial Partners LLC now owns 20,200 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,136,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of AerCap by 2.4% in the first quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 646,010 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $36,325,000 after purchasing an additional 15,335 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.15% of the companys stock. Get AerCap alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms have commented on AER. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of AerCap from $74.00 to $77.00 in a report on Thursday, June 8th. Susquehanna lowered their target price on shares of AerCap from $75.00 to $70.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. TheStreet raised shares of AerCap from a c rating to a b- rating in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of AerCap in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of AerCap in a report on Monday, May 15th. They set a buy rating and a $71.00 target price for the company. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AerCap presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $74.00. AerCap Trading Up 3.1 % Shares of NYSE AER opened at $65.85 on Friday. The companys fifty day moving average is $61.75 and its 200-day moving average is $59.54. The stock has a market cap of $15.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.99. AerCap Holdings has a twelve month low of $39.73 and a twelve month high of $67.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.87. AerCap (NYSE:AER Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.00 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $1.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.77 billion. AerCap had a net margin of 24.08% and a return on equity of 14.03%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.23 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that AerCap Holdings will post 8.9 EPS for the current year. About AerCap (Free Report) AerCap Holdings N.V. engages in the lease, financing, sale, and management of commercial flight equipment in China, Hong Kong, Macau, the United States, Ireland, and internationally. The company offers aircraft asset management services, such as remarketing aircraft and engines; collecting rental and maintenance rent payments, monitoring aircraft maintenance, monitoring and enforcing contract compliance, and accepting delivery and redelivery of aircraft and engines; and conducting ongoing lessee financial performance reviews. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AER? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AerCap Holdings (NYSE:AER Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for AerCap Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AerCap and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aspire Capital Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG Free Report) by 2.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,865 shares of the companys stock after selling 117 shares during the period. Aspire Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF were worth $362,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 11.9% during the first quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,254 shares of the companys stock worth $217,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 34.0% during the first quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 10,468 shares of the companys stock worth $1,007,000 after purchasing an additional 2,657 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 5.9% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,076 shares of the companys stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 81.0% during the first quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 5,319 shares of the companys stock worth $512,000 after purchasing an additional 2,381 shares during the period. Finally, Interchange Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF during the first quarter worth approximately $266,000. Get iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Stock Performance Shares of BATS EFG traded up $0.78 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $96.70. 481,567 shares of the stock were exchanged. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.69 and a beta of 0.89. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a 52 week low of $67.58 and a 52 week high of $85.81. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $95.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $93.23. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Company Profile iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth 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 Growth Index (the 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of ASUSTeK Computer (OTCMKTS:ASUUY Free Report) from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report released on Wednesday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports. Separately, Morgan Stanley upgraded ASUSTeK Computer from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Get ASUSTeK Computer alerts: ASUSTeK Computer Stock Performance OTCMKTS ASUUY opened at $48.09 on Wednesday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $48.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.95. ASUSTeK Computer has a 1 year low of $40.00 and a 1 year high of $52.00. ASUSTeK Computer Dividend Announcement About ASUSTeK Computer The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th will be issued a $1.9078 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 3rd. ASUSTeK Computers dividend payout ratio is 56.03%. (Get Free Report) ASUSTeK Computer Inc researches and develops, designs, manufactures, sells, and repairs computers, communications, and consumer electronic products in Taiwan, China, Singapore, Europe, the United States, and internationally. The company offers Internet information services; maintenance and operating services for information hardware; services information technology and communication products; and leases real estate property. Read More Receive News & Ratings for ASUSTeK Computer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ASUSTeK Computer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Quantum Minerals (TSE:FM Free Report) had its price target trimmed by BMO Capital Markets from C$36.00 to C$35.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Raymond James lowered First Quantum Minerals from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and set a C$32.00 price target for the company. in a report on Friday, July 14th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on First Quantum Minerals from C$32.00 to C$42.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on First Quantum Minerals from C$40.00 to C$39.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on First Quantum Minerals from C$29.00 to C$28.00 in a research report on Friday, July 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on First Quantum Minerals from C$25.00 to C$22.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$34.39. Get First Quantum Minerals alerts: First Quantum Minerals Price Performance Shares of TSE FM opened at C$38.04 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of C$32.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$30.97. First Quantum Minerals has a 1-year low of C$20.11 and a 1-year high of C$38.25. The firm has a market cap of C$26.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -1.28 and a beta of 2.18. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 67.15. First Quantum Minerals Cuts Dividend First Quantum Minerals Company Profile The company also recently disclosed a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 19th. Investors of record on Monday, August 28th will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 25th. First Quantum Mineralss payout ratio is currently 21.01%. (Get Free Report) First Quantum Minerals Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties. It primarily explores for copper, nickel, pyrite, gold, silver, and zinc ores, as well as produces acid. The company has operating mines located in Zambia, Panama, Finland, Turkey, Spain, Australia, and Mauritania, as well as a development project in Zambia. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for First Quantum Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Quantum Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE:BAH Get Free Report) updated its FY24 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided EPS guidance of $4.80-$4.95 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $4.95. The company issued revenue guidance of $9.95-$10.32 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $10.12 billion. Booz Allen Hamilton Stock Performance NYSE:BAH traded up $6.98 on Friday, hitting $120.94. The stock had a trading volume of 1,456,964 shares, compared to its average volume of 702,822. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $107.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $99.15. The stock has a market cap of $15.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 59.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.61. Booz Allen Hamilton has a 52-week low of $87.99 and a 52-week high of $121.60. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.79. Get Booz Allen Hamilton alerts: Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE:BAH Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 26th. The business services provider reported $1.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.92 by $0.09. Booz Allen Hamilton had a net margin of 2.94% and a return on equity of 53.60%. The business had revenue of $2.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.86 EPS. The companys revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Booz Allen Hamilton will post 4.93 earnings per share for the current year. Booz Allen Hamilton Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. Booz Allen Hamiltons dividend payout ratio is presently 93.07%. BAH has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Booz Allen Hamilton from $115.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Monday, June 12th. 51job reissued a maintains rating on shares of Booz Allen Hamilton in a research note on Wednesday, May 31st. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Booz Allen Hamilton from $125.00 to $127.00 in a report on Friday. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Booz Allen Hamilton from $107.00 to $108.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Booz Allen Hamilton from $105.00 to $110.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Booz Allen Hamilton has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $112.00. Insider Buying and Selling at Booz Allen Hamilton In other Booz Allen Hamilton news, CEO Horacio Rozanski sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total transaction of $2,300,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 610,511 shares in the company, valued at $70,208,765. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, EVP Nancy Laben sold 20,261 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.00, for a total transaction of $2,269,232.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,255 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,716,560. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Horacio Rozanski sold 20,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total transaction of $2,300,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 610,511 shares of the companys stock, valued at $70,208,765. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 120,920 shares of company stock valued at $13,140,062. Company insiders own 1.76% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Booz Allen Hamilton Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BAH. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Booz Allen Hamilton by 17.2% in the first quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 6,707 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $622,000 after purchasing an additional 985 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its holdings in Booz Allen Hamilton by 9.5% in the 1st quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 5,402 shares of the business services providers stock worth $500,000 after buying an additional 469 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its position in Booz Allen Hamilton by 15.3% during the 1st quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 3,158 shares of the business services providers stock worth $293,000 after buying an additional 420 shares during the last quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC lifted its stake in Booz Allen Hamilton by 18.3% during the 1st quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC now owns 12,404 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,150,000 after acquiring an additional 1,922 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Booz Allen Hamilton by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,997,648 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $277,852,000 after acquiring an additional 115,861 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.45% of the companys stock. Booz Allen Hamilton Company Profile (Get Free Report) Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation provides management and technology consulting, analytics, engineering, digital solutions, mission operations, and cyber services to governments, corporations, and not-for-profit organizations in the United States and internationally. It also focuses on artificial intelligence services comprising of machine learning, predictive modeling, automation and decision analytics, and quantum computing. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Booz Allen Hamilton Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Booz Allen Hamilton and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CACI International Inc (NYSE:CACI Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 258,400 shares, a decline of 25.2% from the June 30th total of 345,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 153,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.7 days. Currently, 1.2% of the companys shares are sold short. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have commented on CACI shares. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of CACI International from $315.00 to $360.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of CACI International from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $405.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 12th. 888 reissued a maintains rating on shares of CACI International in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of CACI International in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $353.50. Get CACI International alerts: CACI International Stock Performance Shares of NYSE CACI traded up $4.77 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $350.14. 73,680 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 100,154. The firm has a market cap of $7.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.30, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.99. CACI International has a twelve month low of $245.32 and a twelve month high of $355.51. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $328.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $308.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. Insider Activity CACI International ( NYSE:CACI Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The information technology services provider reported $4.92 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.64 by $0.28. CACI International had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 13.60%. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.66 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.64 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that CACI International will post 18.4 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other news, Director Gregory G. Johnson sold 150 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.30, for a total transaction of $48,045.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 5,958 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,908,347.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.23% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CACI. Dark Forest Capital Management LP boosted its stake in CACI International by 262.5% during the 4th quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 87 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in CACI International during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Van ECK Associates Corp acquired a new stake in CACI International during the 1st quarter worth $39,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC acquired a new stake in CACI International during the 1st quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Quent Capital LLC boosted its stake in CACI International by 33.0% during the 1st quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 234 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.34% of the companys stock. About CACI International (Get Free Report) CACI International Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides expertise and technology to enterprise and mission customers in support of national security missions and government modernization/transformation in the intelligence, defense, and federal civilian sectors. It operates in two segments, Domestic Operations and International Operations. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for CACI International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CACI International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR Free Report) (NYSE:CNI) had its price target cut by National Bankshares from C$173.00 to C$171.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on CNR. CIBC cut their price target on Canadian National Railway from C$183.00 to C$177.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 13th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on Canadian National Railway from C$180.00 to C$174.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 7th. Desjardins raised Canadian National Railway from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Veritas Investment Research restated a buy rating on shares of Canadian National Railway in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$184.00 to C$192.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of C$167.21. Get Canadian National Railway alerts: Canadian National Railway Price Performance CNR stock opened at C$159.91 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 81.35, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Canadian National Railway has a one year low of C$144.71 and a one year high of C$175.39. The stock has a market cap of C$105.92 billion, a PE ratio of 20.11, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.68. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of C$156.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$159.00. Canadian National Railway Announces Dividend Canadian National Railway ( TSE:CNR Get Free Report ) (NYSE:CNI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 25th. The company reported C$1.76 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$1.83 by C($0.07). Canadian National Railway had a net margin of 30.60% and a return on equity of 25.38%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.93 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Canadian National Railway will post 7.678099 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 7th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.98%. Canadian National Railways dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.75%. About Canadian National Railway (Get Free Report) Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in rail and related transportation business. The company offers rail services, which include equipment, custom brokage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services including temperature controlled cargo, port partnership, transloading and distribution, logistic parks, customs brokerage, trucking, and moving grains in containers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Canadian National Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Carrier Global (NYSE:CARR Get Free Report) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $2.55-$2.65 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $2.58. The company issued revenue guidance of $22.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $22.24 billion. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have weighed in on CARR. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Carrier Global from $53.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Carrier Global from $49.00 to $57.00 in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Carrier Global from $54.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Carrier Global from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Carrier Global from $54.00 to $63.00 in a research note on Friday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Carrier Global has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $53.19. Get Carrier Global alerts: Carrier Global Price Performance Shares of CARR stock traded up $2.24 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $58.99. 8,727,343 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,049,512. Carrier Global has a fifty-two week low of $33.10 and a fifty-two week high of $59.17. The stocks fifty day moving average is $48.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.67. The company has a market cap of $49.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 1.23. Carrier Global Announces Dividend Carrier Global ( NYSE:CARR Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.03. Carrier Global had a net margin of 9.87% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The business had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.83 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.69 earnings per share. Carrier Globals revenue was up 15.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Carrier Global will post 2.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.185 per share. This represents a $0.74 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 22nd. Carrier Globals dividend payout ratio is 29.37%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, insider Jurgen Timperman sold 138,956 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.01, for a total transaction of $6,254,409.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Carrier Global Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Covestor Ltd increased its position in Carrier Global by 121.2% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 553 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the period. SVB Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Carrier Global by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 36,759 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,686,000 after buying an additional 321 shares during the period. Harbour Investments Inc. increased its holdings in Carrier Global by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 3,983 shares of the companys stock valued at $182,000 after buying an additional 324 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its holdings in Carrier Global by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 112,735 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,650,000 after buying an additional 341 shares during the period. Finally, Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Carrier Global by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,080 shares of the companys stock valued at $375,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.33% of the companys stock. About Carrier Global (Get Free Report) Carrier Global Corporation provides heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, fire, security, and building automation technologies worldwide. It operates through three segments: HVAC, Refrigeration, and Fire & Security. The HVAC segment provides products, controls, services, and solutions to meet the heating, cooling, and ventilation needs of residential and commercial customers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Carrier Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Carrier Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. So, when we ran our eye over United Parcel Service's (NYSE:UPS) trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on United Parcel Service is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.23 = US$13b (US$72b - US$16b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023). So, United Parcel Service has an ROCE of 23%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 14% earned by companies in a similar industry. Check out our latest analysis for United Parcel Service roce In the above chart we have measured United Parcel Service's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for United Parcel Service. How Are Returns Trending? It's hard not to be impressed by United Parcel Service's returns on capital. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 23% and the business has deployed 68% more capital into its operations. Returns like this are the envy of most businesses and given it has repeatedly reinvested at these rates, that's even better. You'll see this when looking at well operated businesses or favorable business models. Story continues The Bottom Line In the end, the company has proven it can reinvest it's capital at high rates of returns, which you'll remember is a trait of a multi-bagger. Therefore it's no surprise that shareholders have earned a respectable 84% return if they held over the last five years. So while investors seem to be recognizing these promising trends, we still believe the stock deserves further research. On a final note, we've found 1 warning sign for United Parcel Service that we think you should be aware of. If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning 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 China Literature Limited (OTCMKTS:CHLLF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,336,700 shares, an increase of 26.4% from the June 30th total of 1,057,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently days. China Literature Stock Performance CHLLF remained flat at $3.98 during midday trading on Friday. China Literature has a 52 week low of $3.98 and a 52 week high of $5.43. The company has a 50 day moving average of $4.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $4.48. Get China Literature alerts: China Literature Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Stories China Literature Limited, an investment holding company, operates an online literature platform in the People's Republic of China. The company promotes intellectual properties primarily through its online literature platforms, such as QQ Reading and Qidian; and New Classics Media, a film and TV drama series production house. Receive News & Ratings for China Literature Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Literature and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SGIOF Get Free Report) is one of 224 public companies in the Drug ManufacturersSpecialty & Generic industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its rivals? We will compare Shionogi & Co., Ltd. to related companies based on the strength of its dividends, valuation, risk, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability and earnings. Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Shionogi & Co., Ltd. and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Get Shionogi & Co. Ltd. alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Shionogi & Co., Ltd. 0 0 0 0 N/A Shionogi & Co., Ltd. Competitors 121 653 1406 19 2.60 As a group, Drug ManufacturersSpecialty & Generic companies have a potential upside of 21.27%. Given Shionogi & Co., Ltd.s rivals higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Shionogi & Co., Ltd. has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Shionogi & Co., Ltd. N/A N/A N/A Shionogi & Co., Ltd. Competitors -107.07% -403.08% -11.39% Dividends This table compares Shionogi & Co., Ltd. and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. pays an annual dividend of $19.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 45.4%. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. pays out 21.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Drug ManufacturersSpecialty & Generic companies pay a dividend yield of 3.3% and pay out 55.2% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. is clearly a better dividend stock than its rivals, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Institutional & Insider Ownership 22.6% of Shionogi & Co., Ltd. shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 20.3% of shares of all Drug ManufacturersSpecialty & Generic companies are held by institutional investors. 27.7% of shares of all Drug ManufacturersSpecialty & Generic companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Shionogi & Co., Ltd. and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Shionogi & Co., Ltd. N/A N/A 0.46 Shionogi & Co., Ltd. Competitors $683.67 million -$13.37 million 213.48 Shionogi & Co., Ltd.s rivals have higher revenue, but lower earnings than Shionogi & Co., Ltd.. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. 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 Shionogi & Co., Ltd. beats its rivals on 6 of the 10 factors compared. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. Company Profile (Get Free Report) Shionogi & Co., Ltd. engages in the research, development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceuticals, diagnostic reagents, and medical devices in Japan. It offers Fetroja, a multidrug-resistant for gram-negative bacterial infection treatment; Xofluza, an influenza virus drug; and Tivicay, an anti-HIV drug. It also develops Symproic for opioid-induced constipation treatment; S-120083 for Inflammatory pain; S-010887 for Neuropathic pain; S-117957 for Insomnia; sivopixant for Neuropathic pain, and Refractory/unexplained chronic cough; Zuranolone for Depression; SDT-001, Inattentive ADHD pediatric; BPN14770 for Alzheimer's disease; and S-237648 and S-309309 for Obesity. In addition, the company develops ADR-001 for Decompensated liver cirrhosis; S-723595 for NASH; S-588410 for Esophageal and Bladder cancer; S-488210 for Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; S-588210 for Solid tumor; S-222611 for Malignant tumor; S-770108 for Idiopathic pulmonary; SR-0379 for Cutaneous ulcer; S-005151 for Stroke and Epidermolysis bullosa; S-531011 for Solid tumor; and S-600918 and S-217622 for COVID-19, as well as S-555739 for Control of the aggravation of COVID-19. Further, it offers antibody test kits for COVID-19. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. has collaboration agreements with Nagasaki University, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and The Kitasato University to develop antimalarial drugs. The company was formerly known as Shionogi Shoten Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Shionogi & Co., Ltd. in 1943. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in Osaka, Japan. Receive News & Ratings for Shionogi & Co. Ltd. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shionogi & Co. Ltd. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cypress Capital Group boosted its holdings in shares of Realty Income Co. (NYSE:O Free Report) by 37.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,895 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 2,424 shares during the quarter. Cypress Capital Groups holdings in Realty Income were worth $563,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC increased its stake in Realty Income by 18.0% in the 4th quarter. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC now owns 4,100 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $260,000 after acquiring an additional 625 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in Realty Income by 40.9% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 227,362 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $14,424,000 after acquiring an additional 65,976 shares during the last quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Realty Income in the 4th quarter worth approximately $801,959,940,000. Everence Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Realty Income by 112.1% in the 4th quarter. Everence Capital Management Inc. now owns 20,130 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,277,000 after purchasing an additional 10,640 shares during the period. Finally, Caliber Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Realty Income in the 4th quarter worth approximately $292,000. Institutional investors own 80.52% of the companys stock. Get Realty Income alerts: Realty Income Stock Down 1.2 % Shares of O stock opened at $61.47 on Friday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $60.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.85 and a current ratio of 1.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.38 billion, a PE ratio of 43.29, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.78. Realty Income Co. has a fifty-two week low of $55.50 and a fifty-two week high of $75.11. Realty Income Dividend Announcement Analyst Ratings Changes The business also recently announced a jul 23 dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 1st will be paid a $0.2555 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 31st. This represents a dividend yield of 5.1%. Realty Incomes payout ratio is 216.20%. A number of equities analysts have recently commented on O shares. Scotiabank upgraded Realty Income from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and set a $69.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Realty Income from $71.00 to $71.25 in a report on Thursday, May 4th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $68.00 price objective on shares of Realty Income in a report on Thursday, July 20th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Realty Income from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 12th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $69.75. About Realty Income (Free Report) Realty Income, The Monthly Dividend Company, is an S&P 500 company and member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats index. We invest in people and places to deliver dependable monthly dividends that increase over time. The company is structured as a real estate investment trust ("REIT"), and its monthly dividends are supported by the cash flow from over 12,400 real estate properties primarily owned under long-term net lease agreements with commercial clients. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding O? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Realty Income Co. (NYSE:O Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Realty Income Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Realty Income and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. East Japan Railway (OTCMKTS:EJPRY Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,200 shares, a growth of 111.8% from the June 30th total of 3,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 103,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days. East Japan Railway Stock Performance East Japan Railway stock traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $9.56. 32,544 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 54,224. The business has a fifty day moving average of $9.27 and a 200 day moving average of $9.20. East Japan Railway has a 1-year low of $8.04 and a 1-year high of $10.04. Get East Japan Railway alerts: East Japan Railway (OTCMKTS:EJPRY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $5.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.78 billion. Analysts Set New Price Targets About East Japan Railway Separately, Jefferies Financial Group lowered East Japan Railway from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. (Get Free Report) East Japan Railway Company operates as a passenger railway company in Japan and internationally. The company operates through Transportation, Retail & Services, Real Estate & Hotels, and Others segments. It offers passenger railway, freight, bus transportation, travel agency, warehousing, financial, telecommunication, computer-related data, and dry cleaning, casualty insurance, and other agency services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for East Japan Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for East Japan Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Farmland Partners (NYSE:FPI Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $0.11-$0.18 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $0.22. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Farmland Partners Price Performance FPI traded down $0.26 during trading on Friday, hitting $11.44. 495,125 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 331,558. Farmland Partners has a twelve month low of $9.44 and a twelve month high of $15.12. The company has a market cap of $593.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.00 and a beta of 0.81. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $12.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.58. Get Farmland Partners alerts: Farmland Partners Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 29th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.10%. Farmland Partnerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 92.31%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farmland Partners Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Farmland Partners from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Saturday, July 22nd. A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FPI. Chilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Farmland Partners in the 1st quarter worth about $64,000. Federated Hermes Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Farmland Partners in the 3rd quarter worth about $84,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank acquired a new stake in shares of Farmland Partners in the 2nd quarter worth about $84,000. American Century Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Farmland Partners in the 1st quarter worth about $108,000. Finally, B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Farmland Partners in the 4th quarter worth about $132,000. Institutional investors own 52.37% of the companys stock. Farmland Partners Company Profile (Get Free Report) Farmland Partners Inc is an internally managed real estate company that owns and seeks to acquire high-quality North American farmland and makes loans to farmers secured by farm real estate. As of March 31, 2023, the Company owns and/or manages approximately 194,700 acres in 19 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Farmland Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Farmland Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals (NYSE:VTN Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 39,600 shares, an increase of 32.4% from the June 30th total of 29,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 34,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.1 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Credit Suisse AG bought a new position in Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals in the 2nd quarter valued at $96,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP bought a new position in Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals in the 4th quarter valued at $109,000. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. bought a new position in Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals in the 1st quarter valued at $136,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its position in Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals by 12.9% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 15,336 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $155,000 after acquiring an additional 1,750 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Shufro Rose & Co. LLC grew its position in Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals by 27.0% in the 4th quarter. Shufro Rose & Co. LLC now owns 23,500 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $237,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 22.21% of the companys stock. Get Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals alerts: Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals Stock Performance NYSE:VTN traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $10.26. The stock had a trading volume of 31,528 shares, compared to its average volume of 25,048. Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals has a 52 week low of $9.13 and a 52 week high of $11.34. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $10.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.27. Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals Dividend Announcement About Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 17th will be given a dividend of $0.0331 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.87%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. (Get Free Report) Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Invesco Ltd. The fund is co-managed by Invesco Advisers, Inc, INVESCO Asset Management (Japan) Limited, INVESCO Asset Management Deutschland GmbH, INVESCO Asset Management Limited, Invesco Canada Ltd., Invesco Hong Kong Limited, and INVESCO Senior Secured Management, Inc It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co lessened its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM Free Report) by 99.9% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 353 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 352,349 shares during the period. iShares Russell 2000 ETF makes up about 2.9% of WASHINGTON TRUST Cos portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. WASHINGTON TRUST Cos holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF were worth $63,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Planned Solutions Inc. raised its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Planned Solutions Inc. now owns 6,831 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,191,000 after buying an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Day & Ennis LLC raised its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Day & Ennis LLC now owns 4,241 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $740,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Group LLC raised its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Group LLC now owns 4,417 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $770,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. raised its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Family Firm Inc. now owns 5,970 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,041,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Forum Private Client Group LLC raised its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Forum Private Client Group LLC now owns 2,867 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $500,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.87% of the companys stock. Get iShares Russell 2000 ETF alerts: iShares Russell 2000 ETF Stock Up 1.3 % Shares of IWM traded up $2.51 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $196.43. The stock had a trading volume of 21,612,218 shares, compared to its average volume of 25,512,098. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a 52 week low of $162.50 and a 52 week high of $201.99. The firms 50 day moving average price is $185.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $182.96. iShares Russell 2000 ETF Profile iShares Russell 2000 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 2,000 smallest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Israel Discount Bank of New York raised its stake in The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA Free Report) by 10.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,616 shares of the aircraft producers stock after buying an additional 149 shares during the quarter. Israel Discount Bank of New Yorks holdings in Boeing were worth $343,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. boosted its holdings in Boeing by 12.6% during the 1st quarter. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. now owns 1,791 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $380,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Investment Management of Virginia LLC purchased a new position in Boeing during the first quarter valued at $216,000. Aureus Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Boeing in the 4th quarter worth about $2,690,000. Trust Co. of Vermont increased its holdings in Boeing by 7.6% in the 1st quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 3,844 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $817,000 after buying an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Boeing during the 1st quarter valued at about $324,000. Institutional investors own 60.22% of the companys stock. Get Boeing alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Susquehanna lifted their target price on Boeing from $260.00 to $270.00 in a research report on Thursday. SpectralCast restated a reiterates rating on shares of Boeing in a report on Wednesday, June 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Boeing from $225.00 to $245.00 in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America raised Boeing from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the stock from $225.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Boeing from $248.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Boeing presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $240.86. Boeing Price Performance Shares of NYSE BA traded up $4.94 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $238.69. 7,059,533 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,966,313. The Boeing Company has a 1-year low of $120.99 and a 1-year high of $240.13. The companys 50-day moving average price is $212.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $209.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $143.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -31.87 and a beta of 1.41. Boeing (NYSE:BA Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The aircraft producer reported ($0.82) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.99) by $0.17. The company had revenue of $19.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.59 billion. The companys revenue was up 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.37) earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that The Boeing Company will post -1.85 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Activity at Boeing In related news, EVP Howard E. Mckenzie sold 412 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.36, for a total transaction of $84,196.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 17,181 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,511,109.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Boeing Company Profile (Free Report) The Boeing Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, sells, services, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight and launch systems, and services worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Boeing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boeing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Israel Discount Bank of New York reduced its holdings in shares of AmerisourceBergen Co. (NYSE:ABC Free Report) by 6.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,832 shares of the companys stock after selling 197 shares during the quarter. Israel Discount Bank of New Yorks holdings in AmerisourceBergen were worth $453,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ABC. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen by 1.5% in the first quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 4,426 shares of the companys stock worth $709,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. increased its holdings in AmerisourceBergen by 21.4% during the first quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 81,314 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,019,000 after buying an additional 14,330 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC increased its holdings in AmerisourceBergen by 12.8% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC now owns 17,857 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,859,000 after buying an additional 2,023 shares during the last quarter. Equity Investment Corp increased its holdings in AmerisourceBergen by 6.8% during the first quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 566,250 shares of the companys stock valued at $90,662,000 after buying an additional 36,143 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its holdings in AmerisourceBergen by 1.3% during the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 7,116 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,140,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. 92.64% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get AmerisourceBergen alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at AmerisourceBergen In other news, CEO Steven H. Collis sold 10,499 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.87, for a total value of $2,024,942.13. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 257,967 shares in the company, valued at $49,754,095.29. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other AmerisourceBergen news, CEO Steven H. Collis sold 10,499 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.87, for a total value of $2,024,942.13. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 257,967 shares in the company, valued at $49,754,095.29. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Gina Clark sold 27,542 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $186.84, for a total value of $5,145,947.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,994,793.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 627,815 shares of company stock valued at $110,824,233. Company insiders own 20.10% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes AmerisourceBergen Stock Down 0.4 % ABC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. TheStreet raised shares of AmerisourceBergen from a c rating to a b+ rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of AmerisourceBergen from $200.00 to $212.00 in a research note on Monday, July 17th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of AmerisourceBergen from $174.00 to $192.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 11th. 888 restated a maintains rating on shares of AmerisourceBergen in a research note on Friday, May 26th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of AmerisourceBergen from $174.00 to $182.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $186.31. Shares of NYSE ABC traded down $0.77 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $186.56. 1,104,764 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,100,836. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.13, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.89. The stock has a market cap of $37.77 billion, a PE ratio of 23.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.56. The companys fifty day moving average is $183.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $169.52. AmerisourceBergen Co. has a fifty-two week low of $135.14 and a fifty-two week high of $194.79. AmerisourceBergen (NYSE:ABC Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.29 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $63.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.40 billion. AmerisourceBergen had a return on equity of 809.53% and a net margin of 0.65%. AmerisourceBergens revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.22 EPS. On average, analysts expect that AmerisourceBergen Co. will post 11.89 earnings per share for the current year. AmerisourceBergen Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th were paid a $0.485 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. AmerisourceBergens payout ratio is 24.94%. AmerisourceBergen Profile (Free Report) AmerisourceBergen Corporation sources and distributes pharmaceutical products. Its U.S. Healthcare Solutions segment distributes brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AmerisourceBergen Co. (NYSE:ABC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for AmerisourceBergen Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AmerisourceBergen and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lakeside Advisors INC. lessened its position in shares of General Electric (NYSE:GE Free Report) by 1.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 15,391 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 187 shares during the quarter. General Electric accounts for 1.1% of Lakeside Advisors INC.s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Lakeside Advisors INC.s holdings in General Electric were worth $1,471,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in shares of General Electric by 10.0% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 305,384 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $27,925,000 after acquiring an additional 27,682 shares during the period. Prudential PLC bought a new position in shares of General Electric in the first quarter worth about $1,518,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of General Electric by 2.9% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 11,748 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,075,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of General Electric in the first quarter worth about $388,000. Finally, West Family Investments Inc. bought a new position in shares of General Electric in the first quarter worth about $230,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.75% of the companys stock. Get General Electric alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades GE has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Argus upped their price objective on General Electric from $112.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on General Electric from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Bank of America increased their price target on General Electric from $108.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on General Electric from $121.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 25th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on General Electric in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $118.47. Insider Transactions at General Electric General Electric Stock Down 0.9 % In other General Electric news, SVP Scott Strazik sold 173,873 shares of General Electric stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.56, for a total transaction of $17,310,795.88. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 56,049 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,580,238.44. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . In other General Electric news, SVP Scott Strazik sold 173,873 shares of General Electric stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.56, for a total transaction of $17,310,795.88. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 56,049 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,580,238.44. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, SVP Michael J. Holston sold 58,292 shares of General Electric stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.68, for a total value of $6,102,006.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 70,537 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,383,813.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 239,419 shares of company stock valued at $24,144,151 in the last quarter. 0.67% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Shares of NYSE:GE traded down $1.03 on Friday, reaching $114.39. The company had a trading volume of 4,471,857 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,993,571. General Electric has a 52-week low of $48.06 and a 52-week high of $117.96. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $107.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $96.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $124.50 billion, a PE ratio of 13.57, a PEG ratio of 7.11 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. General Electric (NYSE:GE Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 25th. The conglomerate reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.22. General Electric had a return on equity of 9.30% and a net margin of 13.32%. The business had revenue of $15.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.76 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.78 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 18.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that General Electric will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. General Electric Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 11th were given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 10th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.28%. General Electrics payout ratio is 3.80%. General Electric Company Profile (Free Report) General Electric Company operates as a high-tech industrial company in Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. It offers gas and steam turbines, full balance of plant, upgrade, and service solutions, as well as data-leveraging software for power generation, industrial, government, and other customers. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for General Electric (NYSE:GE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. More companies are paying out special dividends this year. Here's what that means. The first half of 2023 was exciting for investors, as a new bull market was born and tech stocks went on a tear. Even supposedly staid dividends got a little spicier, as 36 firms in the broad-market S&P 1500 index paid out special dividends extra, one-time payments on top of their regular dividend payouts from January through June, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence . That's the highest rate in at least six years. Redistributing windfall cash via special dividends is a fairly common practice among energy and commodity companies. This year, investors also received extra payouts from firms including Ford (F), Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) and truck maker Paccar (PCAR). And more bonuses are likely coming. Costco Wholesale (COST) has been building up cash and is expected by many analysts to soon distribute much of that to shareholders, for example. It is always nice to receive an extra check, of course. "It's like chocolate Easter eggs: It's a thrill to find one," says Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist for CFRA Research . In many cases, if not most, a special dividend simply reflects a welcome policy of returning excess cash to shareholders. But special dividends can also pose conundrums for investors. They can be difficult to work into a budget for investors who depend on dividend income, and they complicate the analysis for those trying to value a stock. In some cases, such as when a company can't really afford it, a special dividend can be a bearish sign. To understand the corporate reasoning behind special dividends, it helps to consider dividends generally. Think of them as profit-sharing checks issued by more than 40% of U.S. public firms. (Smaller and fast-growing companies tend not to pay dividends because they want to re-invest in the business.) U.S. dividend payers typically make distributions every three months usually in cash, sometimes in stock. Story continues Most companies strive to maintain a steady payment and are conservative about committing to a dividend increase. If they can't support the dividend in perpetuity and must eventually cut the payout, the stock price typically plunges. "Dividend cuts are an abomination," says Jay Hatfield, portfolio manager of the InfraCap Equity Income Fund ETF . The cash challenge The market's premium on predictable dividends poses a challenge to firms in boom-and-bust cyclical industries as well as to firms receiving one-time cash infusions from, for example, the sale of a factory or some other asset. Those companies can either buy, develop or expand businesses; buy back their company's stock; or pay out the money as a dividend. Some firms have decided to ignore the market's preference for stable payouts and vary their regular dividend distributions according to their financial situation. For example, asset management firm Blackstone (BX), a member of the Kiplinger Dividend 15, the list of our favorite dividend stocks , makes four scheduled dividend payments a year. But the amount of each varies. Variable payouts are also common overseas. But most U.S. companies looking to share a cash surplus follow a hybrid strategy: They maintain a consistent payout with regular quarterly dividends and issue a special bonus when they can. The best special dividends, from an investor's point of view, are those that combine a reliable regular payment and a clear and consistent policy for the timing and amount of special dividends, says Grace Lee, lead portfolio manager of the Columbia Dividend Opportunity Fund . Otherwise, she says, "to the extent that a dividend is unpredictable, it is hard to put a value on it." Oil giant ConocoPhillips (COP) says it plans to return 9% of its market capitalization (the value of all of its outstanding shares) to investors each year in the form of dividends or stock buybacks . Conoco has issued special dividends ranging from 30 cents a share to $1.40 on top of its regular dividend (currently 51 cents a share) every quarter since the start of 2022. Over the past 12 months, the energy stock's total return (price change plus dividends) was 21% twice the return of the overall energy category, according to research firm Morningstar . Is a special dividend good or bad? "Not all special dividends are created equal," says Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers . Some firms struggle to pay dividends they can ill afford. Borrowing to pay a special dividend is especially controversial. The grocery chain Albertsons (ACI) borrowed $1.5 billion of the $4 billion it paid out in a special dividend in January, a move opposed by several states' attorneys general who worried it would weaken the firm. Special dividends in lieu of regular-dividend hikes might also indicate that a company is expecting a downturn in profits or cash flow, says Infracap's Hatfield. That's one reason the firms that use special dividends the most tend to be subject to swings in business cycles and have volatile stocks, he says. Finally, a special dividend can also serve as a hint that a stock is fully valued or even overvalued, says Alex Edmans, a finance professor at the London Business School . "If a company's shares are undervalued, it should prefer a share buyback," Edmans says. So it pays to be picky about investing in firms that rely on special dividends. A "poster child" for handling special dividends smartly, according to Hatfield: oil company EOG Resources (EOG). EOG's stated policy is to return 60% of free cash flow (money left after expenses and investing to maintain or expand the business) to shareholders through a combination of regular and special dividends and stock buybacks. Since January 2021, the company has raised its regular dividend from 37.5 cents per quarter to 82.5 cents and has issued seven special dividends. But EOG did not issue a special dividend in the second quarter this year. The company had already started buying back its shares, which over a volatile first half ended up with a price decline of more than 5%. In terms of deploying cash, "that is the way to manage it," Hatfield says. Hatfield nonetheless limits his stake in EOG, given its exposure to the ups and downs of the commodity market and economic cycles. It's the same with special dividends. Just like chocolate Easter eggs, you can't live on them, but they are a sweet treat sometimes best enjoyed in small bites. * Through June 30. Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here . Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund, Inc. (NYSE:IIF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,200 shares, a growth of 50.0% from the June 30th total of 4,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 34,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund Trading Up 0.5 % Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund stock traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $22.43. 41,960 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 31,136. Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund has a twelve month low of $18.91 and a twelve month high of $25.79. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $21.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $20.43. Get Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund by 1.7% during the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 593,931 shares of the companys stock worth $12,870,000 after buying an additional 9,800 shares in the last quarter. Karpus Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund by 13.7% in the 1st quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 290,399 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,651,000 after purchasing an additional 35,049 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 140,812 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,536,000 after purchasing an additional 827 shares in the last quarter. Almitas Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund by 129.5% in the 4th quarter. Almitas Capital LLC now owns 92,137 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,870,000 after purchasing an additional 51,991 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund by 45.2% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 72,811 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,478,000 after purchasing an additional 22,666 shares in the last quarter. 40.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund, Inc is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc The fund is co-managed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company. It invests in the public equity markets of India. The fund invests in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $22.45-$22.85 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $22.60. The company issued revenue guidance of $38.40 billion-$38.80 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $38.39 billion. Northrop Grumman also updated its FY23 guidance to $22.45-22.85 EPS. Northrop Grumman Price Performance Shares of NOC stock traded up $4.37 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $449.68. 1,127,039 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 715,098. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $450.29 and a 200 day moving average of $455.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Northrop Grumman has a 52-week low of $429.10 and a 52-week high of $556.27. The company has a market cap of $68.29 billion, a PE ratio of 14.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 0.51. Get Northrop Grumman alerts: Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The aerospace company reported $5.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.31 by $0.03. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 12.27% and a return on equity of 24.90%. The business had revenue of $9.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.32 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman will post 22.67 earnings per share for the current year. Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend Analyst Ratings Changes The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 30th were paid a dividend of $1.87 per share. This is a positive change from Northrop Grummans previous quarterly dividend of $1.73. This represents a $7.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.66%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 26th. Northrop Grummans dividend payout ratio is presently 24.78%. Several research analysts recently weighed in on NOC shares. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $520.00 to $500.00 in a research report on Friday. Seaport Res Ptn restated a buy rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $502.00 to $485.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Barclays downgraded shares of Northrop Grumman from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $580.00 to $450.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $581.00 to $569.00 in a research report on Friday, June 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $511.31. Institutional Trading of Northrop Grumman A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. IHT Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,371 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $613,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 2,147 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $992,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. State of Wyoming boosted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 76.5% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 60 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. First Manhattan Co. boosted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 2,828 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,543,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. Finally, Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. boosted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. now owns 912 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $408,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.68% of the companys stock. About Northrop Grumman (Get Free Report) Northrop Grumman Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense company worldwide. The company's Aeronautics Systems segment designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, and sustains aircraft systems in the United States and internationally. This segment also offers unmanned autonomous aircraft systems, including high-altitude long-endurance strategic ISR systems and vertical take-off and landing tactical ISR systems; and strategic long-range strike aircraft, tactical fighter and air dominance aircraft, and airborne battle management and command and control systems. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Northrop Grumman Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Northrop Grumman and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc. (NYSE:NUV Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 37,300 shares, a drop of 20.0% from the June 30th total of 46,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 303,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days. Institutional Trading of Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Raymond James & Associates boosted its holdings in shares of Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 195.3% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 2,486,790 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $21,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,644,526 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its stake in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 15.3% during the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,386,917 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $32,447,000 after buying an additional 450,637 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 2,199.0% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 268,956 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $2,313,000 after buying an additional 257,257 shares during the period. Tortoise Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 107.5% in the 4th quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 494,544 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $4,253,000 after purchasing an additional 256,234 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC increased its position in shares of Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 51.7% in the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 624,920 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $5,681,000 after purchasing an additional 212,964 shares during the last quarter. 18.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Nuveen Municipal Value Fund alerts: Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Trading Up 0.9 % Shares of NUV traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $8.72. 369,294 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 283,292. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $8.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $8.82. Nuveen Municipal Value Fund has a 52-week low of $8.25 and a 52-week high of $9.39. Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Announces Dividend Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Company Profile The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.028 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 13th. This represents a $0.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.85%. (Get Free Report) Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund also invests some portion of its portfolio in derivative instruments. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen Municipal Value Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. John Bean Technologies Co. (NYSE:JBT Free Report) Equities researchers at Zacks Research reduced their Q2 2023 earnings per share estimates for John Bean Technologies in a research note issued on Thursday, July 27th. Zacks Research analyst M. Das now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings of $1.12 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.22. The consensus estimate for John Bean Technologies current full-year earnings is $5.34 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for John Bean Technologies Q2 2025 earnings at $1.90 EPS. Get John Bean Technologies alerts: Several other research firms have also weighed in on JBT. TheStreet raised John Bean Technologies from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Monday, July 3rd. 888 reissued a reiterates rating on shares of John Bean Technologies in a research report on Friday, June 30th. Robert W. Baird reissued an outperform rating and set a $128.00 price target on shares of John Bean Technologies in a research report on Friday, June 30th. StockNews.com began coverage on John Bean Technologies in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, 58.com restated a reiterates rating on shares of John Bean Technologies in a research note on Friday, June 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $116.00. John Bean Technologies Stock Up 2.0 % John Bean Technologies Announces Dividend NYSE:JBT opened at $120.83 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.62, a PEG ratio of 6.48 and a beta of 1.43. John Bean Technologies has a 1-year low of $81.59 and a 1-year high of $125.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $116.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $109.80. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 25th were paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 24th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.33%. John Bean Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.80%. Institutional Trading of John Bean Technologies Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in JBT. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd boosted its stake in John Bean Technologies by 19.2% during the 2nd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 597 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY boosted its stake in John Bean Technologies by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY now owns 1,944 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $178,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY boosted its stake in John Bean Technologies by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY now owns 1,944 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $178,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Pitcairn Co. boosted its stake in John Bean Technologies by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Pitcairn Co. now owns 2,824 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $309,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its stake in John Bean Technologies by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 8,534 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,035,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.66% of the companys stock. About John Bean Technologies (Get Free Report) John Bean Technologies Corporation provides technology solutions to food and beverage industry and equipment and services to air transportation industries in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company operates through two segments: FoodTech and AeroTech. It offers value-added processing that includes chilling, mixing/grinding, injecting, blending, marinating, tumbling, flattening, foaming, portioning, coating, cooking, frying, freezing, weighing, and inspection. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for John Bean Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Bean Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Polaris Inc. (NYSE:PII Free Report) Equities research analysts at KeyCorp dropped their Q3 2023 earnings per share estimates for Polaris in a research report issued on Tuesday, July 25th. KeyCorp analyst N. Zatzkin now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $2.52 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $2.95. KeyCorp currently has a Overweight rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for Polaris current full-year earnings is $10.47 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Polaris Q4 2023 earnings at $3.56 EPS and Q4 2024 earnings at $3.40 EPS. Get Polaris alerts: Polaris (NYSE:PII Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 25th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.14 billion. Polaris had a return on equity of 57.98% and a net margin of 6.89%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.42 earnings per share. Polaris Trading Up 0.4 % Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on PII. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Polaris in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Polaris from $115.00 to $121.00 in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial upped their price target on Polaris from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Polaris from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on Polaris from $130.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Polaris presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $124.18. Shares of PII stock opened at $134.81 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $7.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.59 and a beta of 1.61. Polaris has a fifty-two week low of $91.86 and a fifty-two week high of $138.49. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $120.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $113.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 1.20. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Polaris Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PII. Carson Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Polaris in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $294,000. Shell Asset Management Co. lifted its holdings in Polaris by 31.8% in the 2nd quarter. Shell Asset Management Co. now owns 5,527 shares of the companys stock worth $668,000 after buying an additional 1,333 shares during the period. Selway Asset Management lifted its holdings in Polaris by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Selway Asset Management now owns 29,620 shares of the companys stock worth $3,582,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the period. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Polaris by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,008 shares of the companys stock worth $847,000 after buying an additional 283 shares during the period. Finally, Mendota Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Polaris by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC now owns 1,356 shares of the companys stock valued at $164,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. 88.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Polaris news, SVP James P. Williams sold 14,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $1,820,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 16,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,080,130. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.75% of the companys stock. Polaris Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 31st. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.93%. Polariss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.28%. Polaris Company Profile (Get Free Report) Polaris Inc designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles worldwide. It operates through three segments: Off-Road, On-Road, and Marine. The company offers off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles; military and commercial ORVs; snowmobiles; motorcycles; moto-roadsters, quadricycles, and boats; and aftermarket parts and apparel. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Polaris Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Polaris and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF Free Report) Stock analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q4 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for CF Industries in a research note issued on Tuesday, July 25th. Zacks Research analyst A. Barman now anticipates that the basic materials company will earn $1.39 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.29. The consensus estimate for CF Industries current full-year earnings is $7.86 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for CF Industries Q4 2024 earnings at $0.63 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $1.27 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $3.67 EPS. Get CF Industries alerts: CF Industries (NYSE:CF Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $2.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. CF Industries had a return on equity of 42.23% and a net margin of 29.26%. CF Industriess revenue was down 29.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.21 earnings per share. CF Industries Stock Performance CF has been the subject of several other research reports. Mizuho decreased their price objective on CF Industries from $101.00 to $83.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Barclays decreased their price objective on CF Industries from $105.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, June 1st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on CF Industries in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Scotiabank upgraded CF Industries from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and set a $95.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Finally, HSBC reduced their target price on CF Industries from $85.00 to $83.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CF Industries currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $90.20. Shares of CF opened at $81.23 on Friday. CF Industries has a 12 month low of $60.08 and a 12 month high of $119.60. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $70.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $75.34. The company has a current ratio of 4.46, a quick ratio of 3.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market cap of $15.83 billion, a PE ratio of 5.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.03. CF Industries Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 14th. CF Industriess dividend payout ratio is presently 10.70%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other CF Industries news, VP Douglas C. Barnard sold 17,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.28, for a total value of $1,041,760.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 24,789 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,519,069.92. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other CF Industries news, SVP Bert A. Frost sold 15,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.99, for a total transaction of $914,850.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 47,539 shares in the company, valued at $2,899,403.61. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Douglas C. Barnard sold 17,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.28, for a total value of $1,041,760.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 24,789 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,519,069.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.42% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of CF Industries A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of CF. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in CF Industries by 5.3% in the second quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 164,727 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $11,435,000 after buying an additional 8,299 shares during the last quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd boosted its stake in shares of CF Industries by 72.6% during the second quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 1,017,058 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $70,604,000 after buying an additional 427,673 shares during the period. CBOE Vest Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of CF Industries by 285.2% during the second quarter. CBOE Vest Financial LLC now owns 73,284 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $5,091,000 after buying an additional 54,260 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its position in CF Industries by 3.4% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 19,455 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,351,000 after purchasing an additional 644 shares during the period. Finally, Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in CF Industries by 3.9% in the second quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 4,376 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $304,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.79% of the companys stock. CF Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) CF Industries Holdings, Inc manufactures and sells hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities worldwide. Its principal products include anhydrous ammonia, granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate, and ammonium nitrate products. The company also offers diesel exhaust fluid, urea liquor, nitric acid, and aqua ammonia products; and compound fertilizer products with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Read More Receive News & Ratings for CF Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CF Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rayonier Inc. (NYSE:RYN Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,250,000 shares, an increase of 32.4% from the June 30th total of 1,700,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 492,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.6 days. Rayonier Stock Performance NYSE RYN traded up $0.15 during trading on Friday, hitting $32.68. The companys stock had a trading volume of 618,797 shares, compared to its average volume of 428,774. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $30.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.25. The firm has a market cap of $4.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.34 and a beta of 0.97. Rayonier has a 52 week low of $27.81 and a 52 week high of $38.47. Get Rayonier alerts: Rayonier (NYSE:RYN Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.08 by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $179.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $210.13 million. Rayonier had a return on equity of 3.44% and a net margin of 9.94%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 19.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.20 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Rayonier will post 0.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Rayonier Dividend Announcement Institutional Trading of Rayonier The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 15th will be given a $0.285 dividend. This represents a $1.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 14th. Rayoniers dividend payout ratio is currently 196.55%. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its stake in Rayonier by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 6,097 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $183,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp boosted its stake in Rayonier by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 29,135 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $960,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in Rayonier by 50.3% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 938 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. Lantz Financial LLC boosted its stake in Rayonier by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Lantz Financial LLC now owns 40,627 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,339,000 after buying an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Manhattan Co. boosted its stake in Rayonier by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 20,221 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $666,000 after buying an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. 81.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analysts Set New Price Targets RYN has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com lowered Rayonier from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday. Truist Financial assumed coverage on Rayonier in a research note on Monday, May 15th. They issued a hold rating and a $33.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup cut their price objective on Rayonier from $39.00 to $36.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. TheStreet downgraded Rayonier from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Thursday, May 11th. Finally, 51job reissued a reiterates rating on shares of Rayonier in a research note on Wednesday, June 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and two have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Rayonier currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $34.50. Rayonier Company Profile (Get Free Report) Rayonier is a leading timberland real estate investment trust with assets located in some of the most productive softwood timber growing regions in the United States and New Zealand. As of March 31, 2023, Rayonier owned or leased under long-term agreements approximately 2.8 million acres of timberlands located in the U.S. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Rayonier Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rayonier and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com cut shares of Regional Management (NYSE:RM Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday. Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of Regional Management from $35.00 to $28.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Regional Management currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $34.33. Get Regional Management alerts: Regional Management Price Performance Shares of Regional Management stock opened at $32.80 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.17, a current ratio of 60.55 and a quick ratio of 60.55. Regional Management has a fifty-two week low of $24.38 and a fifty-two week high of $41.87. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $30.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.66. The company has a market cap of $316.19 million, a PE ratio of 9.53 and a beta of 1.50. Regional Management Announces Dividend Regional Management ( NYSE:RM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The credit services provider reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.39. Regional Management had a net margin of 6.35% and a return on equity of 11.61%. The company had revenue of $135.38 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $133.81 million. Analysts expect that Regional Management will post 4.29 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 24th were given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 23rd. Regional Managements payout ratio is presently 34.78%. Insider Buying and Selling at Regional Management In related news, Director Basswood Capital Management, L acquired 10,081 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $26.19 per share, for a total transaction of $264,021.39. Following the transaction, the director now owns 558,608 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,629,943.52. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, CEO Robert William Beck sold 5,000 shares of Regional Management stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.72, for a total transaction of $148,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 75,322 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,238,569.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Basswood Capital Management, L purchased 10,081 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $26.19 per share, for a total transaction of $264,021.39. Following the purchase, the director now owns 558,608 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,629,943.52. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 9.80% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Regional Management A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in RM. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in shares of Regional Management by 145.6% in the first quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,999 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 1,185 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP raised its holdings in shares of Regional Management by 120.0% in the first quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 1,100 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA raised its holdings in shares of Regional Management by 76.4% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 1,977 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $74,000 after purchasing an additional 856 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its holdings in shares of Regional Management by 849.5% in the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 3,067 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 2,744 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC increased its holdings in Regional Management by 85.5% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 3,668 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 1,691 shares during the last quarter. 80.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Regional Management (Get Free Report) Regional Management Corp., a diversified consumer finance company, provides various installment loan products primarily to customers with limited access to consumer credit from banks, thrifts, credit card companies, and other lenders in the United States. It offers small and large installment loans; and retail loans to finance the purchase of furniture, appliances, and other retail products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Regional Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Regional Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Relative Value Partners Group LLC cut its stake in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (BATS:GOVT Free Report) by 3.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,813,100 shares of the companys stock after selling 72,977 shares during the quarter. iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF comprises about 2.9% of Relative Value Partners Group LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Relative Value Partners Group LLC owned approximately 0.16% of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF worth $42,390,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 24,695 shares of the companys stock valued at $642,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF during the 1st quarter worth about $1,071,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 338,812 shares of the companys stock worth $8,440,000 after purchasing an additional 10,375 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 10.4% during the 1st quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 406,752 shares of the companys stock worth $10,132,000 after purchasing an additional 38,476 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 34.3% during the 1st quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 558,798 shares of the companys stock worth $13,920,000 after acquiring an additional 142,658 shares during the period. Get iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF alerts: iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Price Performance Shares of GOVT stock traded up $0.07 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $22.76. 4,903,286 shares of the company were exchanged. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $22.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $23.10. iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Announces Dividend iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Company Profile The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th were issued a dividend of $0.0506 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 3rd. (Free Report) The iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond index. The fund tracks a market-weighted index of fixed-rate nonconvertible U.S. Treasury securities with a remaining maturity of one year or more. GOVT was launched on Feb 14, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GOVT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (BATS:GOVT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AmerisourceBergen (NYSE:ABC Get Free Report) and One Step Vending (OTCMKTS:KOSK Get Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, valuation, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership. Institutional & Insider Ownership 92.6% of AmerisourceBergen shares are owned by institutional investors. 20.1% of AmerisourceBergen shares are owned by 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. Get AmerisourceBergen alerts: Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for AmerisourceBergen and One Step Vending, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score AmerisourceBergen 0 2 11 0 2.85 One Step Vending 0 0 0 0 N/A Valuation and Earnings AmerisourceBergen presently has a consensus price target of $186.31, indicating a potential downside of 0.14%. Given AmerisourceBergens higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe AmerisourceBergen is more favorable than One Step Vending. This table compares AmerisourceBergen and One Step Vendings revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio AmerisourceBergen $238.59 billion 0.16 $1.70 billion $7.78 23.98 One Step Vending N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A AmerisourceBergen has higher revenue and earnings than One Step Vending. Profitability This table compares AmerisourceBergen and One Step Vendings net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets AmerisourceBergen 0.65% 809.53% 4.12% One Step Vending N/A N/A N/A Summary AmerisourceBergen beats One Step Vending on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About AmerisourceBergen (Get Free Report) AmerisourceBergen Corporation sources and distributes pharmaceutical products. Its U.S. Healthcare Solutions segment distributes brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. The company also provides pharmacy management, staffing, and other consulting services; supply management software to retail and institutional healthcare providers; packaging solutions to various institutional and retail healthcare providers; clinical trial support, product post-approval, and commercialization support services; data analytics, outcomes research, and additional services for biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturers; and pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and other products to customers in the companion animal and production animal markets, as well as demand-creating sales force services to manufacturer. In addition, this segment distributes plasma and other blood products, injectable pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other specialty products; and provides other services primarily to physicians who specialize in various disease states, primarily oncology, as well as to other healthcare providers, including hospitals and dialysis clinics. The company's International Healthcare Solutions segment offers international pharmaceutical wholesale and related service, and global commercialization services; and distributes pharmaceuticals, other healthcare products, and related services to pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals primarily in Europe. This segments also provides specialty transportation and logistics services for the biopharmaceutical industry. The company was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. About One Step Vending (Get Free Report) One Step Vending Corp., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and services micro market kiosks for corporations and businesses to provide packaged snacks and beverages along with customer loyalty solutions in the United States. It also offers Earn IQ, a marketing solution for small to medium sized businesses desiring to capitalize on brand recognition and strengthen brand loyalty. The company was formerly known as Rewards Nexus Inc. and changed its name to One Step Vending Corp. in March 2015. One Step Vending Corp. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Harrison, New York. Receive News & Ratings for AmerisourceBergen Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AmerisourceBergen and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Steve VanderVeen Engbertus John Berghorst was a business wizard. He was born in 1875. As a child, his friends and family called him Bert." Later, he wanted his acquaintances to call him B.J.W." the W representing William, his fathers middle name. B.J.W. was the son of Jan (John) and Henderkien Berghorst, and grandson of Egbert and Hendrika Berghorst, who had immigrated to Zeeland in 1856, and Lambert and Jennigien Tinholt, who had immigrated to Graafschap in 1847. Unfortunately, when Bert was three years old, a train-wagon accident killed his two-year-old-brother. When he was five, typhoid fever claimed his father. As a result, Berts mother sent Bert to live with his two unmarried uncles, Pate and Aalt Berghorst, who lived and farmed near Beaverdam. The Berghorst Windmill going up in Zeeland. On the farm, Bert worked hard and, when he was not working, learned in a one-room schoolhouse several miles away. While not working or in school, he learned to play the fiddle and mouth organ and led square dances for his neighbors. He also fiddled with farm machinery. After helping his uncles drill a water well and install a windmill to power a water pump, Bert decided, with his uncles backing, to start his own business. Next, he acquired a horse-drawn wagon which he filled with drilling equipment and windmill parts, then traveled from farm-to-farm. Because he did not leave a customers house until he had drilled the well and installed the windmill, B.J.W. would accept room-and-board as part of his payment. To advertise, he put his name on the windmill tail. Due to his successful dowsing intuition, his neighbors soon called him the Water Wizard. In 1900, B.J.W. opened in a machine shop on the corner of Main Street and Maple Avenue in Zeeland to fix drill bits and equipment for other well-drillers. There, he also fixed bicycles, boilers, engines, mowers, and threshers. Soon thereafter he began dating Katie DeVries, a schoolteacher who grew up on a farm near his boyhood home. They married in 1904 and rented a home on East Central Avenue. The next year, with their newborn son, Williard, they moved to a two-story building at 51 E. Main Street, where Bert operated his business. Story continues Berghorst Plumbing on Main Street in Zeeland c. 1905. Because farmers were asking him to run water from their wells to elevated storage tanks in their barns and from those tanks to their kitchen sinks, B.J.W. became a certified master plumber. B.J.W. also installed the first indoor toilet in Zeeland. Next B.J.W. offered electrical and steam-heat contracting. Then he started serving electrical and steam-heat contractors. Needing space for his business, in 1910, B.J.W. purchased the adjacent building to the east. In 1911, B.J.W. purchased his first car from A.J. Brouwer, a family doctor from Drenthe who also worked as a sales agent for Studebaker. That led to a car-selling partnership in which the doctor and the plumber would show pictures of Grand Rapids Auto Company-made cars on their rounds. But B.J.W. quit the business after an unhappy customer demanded to have his car repaired on a Sunday morning, when B.J.W. and family were in church. Meanwhile, B.J.W.s family and business had grown. In 1916, the family, now including four children, moved to a large home at 127 W. Central Avenue, outfitted with the latest electrical gadgets coffee pot, refrigerator, stove, waffle iron, and clothes-pressing roller-iron as well as underground sprinkling and a recreation trailer. To make himself more accessible to his customers, B.J.W. published both his home and business telephone numbers in the newspaper. The former Berghorst home at 127 Central Ave. in Zeeland. B.J.W. also made investments in other companies, including Zeeland Ornamental. Then, with John Moeke and Peter VerPlank, B.J.W. launched the Raber Lumber Company on the east end of Michigans Upper Peninsula. Unfortunately, that company failed. B.J.W. then bought out his partners and used the property as a family retreat and hunting ground. Over time, B.J.W. turned his business over to his three sons Willard (Bill), who took over operations; Harold, who took over bookkeeping; and Ford, who took over sales. In the 1930s, the sons narrowed the focus of the business to wholesaling only. B.J.W. died in 1963. In 1969, Ford Jr. joined the business and eventually became sole owner. His sons, Chuck and Ryan, later took over the business, presently located at 11430 James St. Information for this story comes from Michael Lozons Selling Service. Community Columnist Steve VanderVeen is a resident of Holland. Contact him through start-upacademeinc.com. This article originally appeared on Ionia Sentinel-Standard: Holland History: Zeeland's very own 'water wizard' Strategies Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (NYSEARCA:SPHQ Free Report) by 4.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 131,930 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 5,172 shares during the quarter. Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF makes up approximately 1.4% of Strategies Wealth Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Strategies Wealth Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.13% of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF worth $6,243,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of SPHQ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new stake in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF in the 1st quarter valued at about $150,000. Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 5.3% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 44,610 shares of the companys stock worth $2,226,000 after buying an additional 2,226 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 12.7% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 5,421 shares of the companys stock valued at $271,000 after buying an additional 610 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. increased its stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 23.7% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 3,463 shares of the companys stock worth $173,000 after acquiring an additional 663 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 44.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 8,505 shares of the companys stock worth $432,000 after acquiring an additional 2,618 shares during the period. Get Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF alerts: Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF Price Performance Shares of SPHQ traded up $0.48 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $52.20. The stock had a trading volume of 345,298 shares, compared to its average volume of 656,833. Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF has a 52-week low of $39.18 and a 52-week high of $52.48. The firm has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.07 and a beta of 0.94. The businesss fifty day moving average is $49.77 and its 200 day moving average is $47.64. Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF Profile The Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P 500 Quality index. The fund tracks an index of US large-cap stocks selected by return on equity, changes in net operating assets and financial leverage. Stocks are weighted by these quality factors, scaled by market cap. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SPHQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (NYSEARCA:SPHQ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC lowered its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report) by 0.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,667 shares of the companys stock after selling 112 shares during the period. Summit Trail Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $7,262,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 117,228.0% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 195,582,257 shares of the companys stock valued at $75,144,659,000 after buying an additional 195,415,560 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 27,977,191 shares of the companys stock worth $10,750,441,000 after purchasing an additional 1,377,174 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 16,508,966 shares of the companys stock worth $6,342,910,000 after purchasing an additional 175,871 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 20.3% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 10,690,133 shares of the companys stock worth $4,107,256,000 after purchasing an additional 1,807,554 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 13.7% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 9,992,611 shares of the companys stock worth $3,839,259,000 after purchasing an additional 1,201,936 shares during the period. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Up 0.9 % Shares of NYSEARCA:IVV traded up $4.30 on Friday, hitting $459.22. The company had a trading volume of 4,258,847 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,142,852. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $439.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $417.98. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a 1 year low of $349.53 and a 1 year high of $461.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $342.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.43 and a beta of 1.00. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Company Profile iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wabash National Co. (NYSE:WNC Free Report) DA Davidson issued their Q3 2023 EPS estimates for shares of Wabash National in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, July 27th. DA Davidson analyst M. Shlisky anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $0.97 for the quarter. The consensus estimate for Wabash Nationals current full-year earnings is $4.35 per share. DA Davidson also issued estimates for Wabash Nationals FY2023 earnings at $4.44 EPS. Get Wabash National alerts: WNC has been the topic of a number of other research reports. StockNews.com cut shares of Wabash National from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 13th. Raymond James cut shares of Wabash National from a strong-buy rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 5th. Wabash National Price Performance Shares of NYSE:WNC opened at $23.44 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a PE ratio of 5.65 and a beta of 1.61. The companys fifty day moving average is $25.13 and its 200 day moving average is $25.19. Wabash National has a 52 week low of $14.90 and a 52 week high of $30.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. Wabash National (NYSE:WNC Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $686.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $739.98 million. Wabash National had a net margin of 7.75% and a return on equity of 48.85%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.46 EPS. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wabash National A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mach 1 Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Wabash National during the 2nd quarter valued at about $542,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Wabash National by 17.5% in the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 781,152 shares of the companys stock worth $20,029,000 after purchasing an additional 116,225 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System grew its holdings in Wabash National by 8.5% in the second quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 57,665 shares of the companys stock worth $1,479,000 after purchasing an additional 4,534 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI purchased a new stake in Wabash National in the second quarter worth about $61,000. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new stake in Wabash National in the second quarter worth about $106,000. Institutional investors own 97.19% of the companys stock. Insider Buying and Selling at Wabash National In other Wabash National news, Director Larry J. Magee sold 13,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.15, for a total value of $339,950.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 111,874 shares in the company, valued at $2,925,505.10. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.13% of the companys stock. Wabash National Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 6th were given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 5th. Wabash Nationals payout ratio is 7.71%. About Wabash National (Get Free Report) Wabash National Corporation designs, manufactures, and distributes connected solutions for the transportation, logistics, and distribution industries primarily in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Transportation Solutions and Parts & Services. The Transportation Solutions segment provides dry van and platform trailers; refrigerated trailers; converter dollies; van bodies for dry-freight transportation; cargo and cargo XL bodies for commercial applications; insulated van bodies; stake bodies; platform truck bodies; refrigerated truck bodies; and used trailers, as well as laminated hardwood oak flooring products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Wabash National Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wabash National and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. West Fraser Timber (OTCMKTS:WFTBF Get Free Report) and Simpson Manufacturing (NYSE:SSD Get Free Report) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations and dividends. Profitability This table compares West Fraser Timber and Simpson Manufacturings net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get West Fraser Timber alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets West Fraser Timber N/A N/A N/A Simpson Manufacturing 15.78% 23.45% 13.27% Earnings and Valuation This table compares West Fraser Timber and Simpson Manufacturings gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio West Fraser Timber N/A N/A N/A $3.84 22.17 Simpson Manufacturing $2.16 billion 3.12 $333.99 million $7.96 19.86 Institutional and Insider Ownership Simpson Manufacturing has higher revenue and earnings than West Fraser Timber. Simpson Manufacturing is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than West Fraser Timber, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. 31.7% of West Fraser Timber shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 89.9% of Simpson Manufacturing shares are held by institutional investors. 0.7% of Simpson Manufacturing shares are held by company insiders. 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. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for West Fraser Timber and Simpson Manufacturing, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score West Fraser Timber 0 0 1 0 3.00 Simpson Manufacturing 0 1 1 0 2.50 West Fraser Timber presently has a consensus target price of $150.00, indicating a potential upside of 76.04%. Simpson Manufacturing has a consensus target price of $182.50, indicating a potential upside of 15.46%. Given West Fraser Timbers stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe West Fraser Timber is more favorable than Simpson Manufacturing. Dividends West Fraser Timber pays an annual dividend of $0.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. Simpson Manufacturing pays an annual dividend of $1.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. West Fraser Timber pays out 7.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Simpson Manufacturing pays out 13.6% 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. Simpson Manufacturing has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Simpson Manufacturing is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth. Summary Simpson Manufacturing beats West Fraser Timber on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks. About West Fraser Timber (Get Free Report) West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd., a diversified wood products company, produces and sells lumber, panels, and pulp and papers in western Canada and the southern United States. It offers spruce-pine-fir, Douglas Fir-Larch, Hem-Fir tree, and southern yellow pine lumber; treated wood products; and newsprint, wood chips, and other residuals and energy products. The company also provides medium density fiberboard panels and plywood; laminated veneer lumber wood products; and northern bleached softwood Kraft pulp used to produce various paper products, including printing and writing papers, specialty grades, and various tissue products. In addition, it offers bleached chemical thermo-mechanical pulp that is used to produce coated board grades, printing and writing paper, and paper towel/napkin grades, as well as specialty papers and tissue grades. The company exports lumber to the Far East, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. was founded in 1955 and is based in Vancouver, Canada. About Simpson Manufacturing (Get Free Report) Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs, engineers, manufactures, and sells wood and concrete construction products. The company offers wood construction products, including connectors, truss plates, fastening systems, fasteners and shearwalls, and pre-fabricated lateral systems for use in light-frame construction; and concrete construction products comprising adhesives, specialty chemicals, mechanical anchors, carbide drill bits, powder actuated tools, fiber-reinforced materials, and other repair products for use in concrete, masonry, and steel construction, as well as grouts, coatings, sealers, mortars, fiberglass and fiber-reinforced polymer systems, and asphalt products for use in concrete construction repair, and strengthening and protection products. It also provides connectors and lateral products for wood framing, timber and offsite construction, structural steel construction, and cold-formed steel applications; and mechanical and adhesive anchors for concrete and masonry construction applications. In addition, the company offers engineering and design services, as well as software solutions that facilitate the specification, selection, and use of its products. It markets its products to the residential construction, light industrial and commercial construction, remodeling, and do-it-yourself markets in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The company was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. Receive News & Ratings for West Fraser Timber Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for West Fraser Timber and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wharton Business Group LLC raised its position in Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J Free Report) by 0.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 64,205 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 496 shares during the quarter. Wharton Business Group LLCs holdings in Jacobs Solutions were worth $7,544,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its position in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 365,359 shares of the companys stock worth $43,869,000 after buying an additional 2,231 shares during the last quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 144,399 shares of the companys stock worth $17,338,000 after buying an additional 410 shares during the last quarter. Clarius Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 2,657 shares of the companys stock worth $319,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. lifted its position in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 5.5% during the 1st quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 4,635 shares of the companys stock worth $545,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ExodusPoint Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,129,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.11% of the companys stock. Get Jacobs Solutions alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have recently weighed in on J. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $165.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Jacobs Solutions presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $149.00. Jacobs Solutions Stock Performance J traded down $0.62 during trading on Friday, hitting $125.30. The stock had a trading volume of 363,198 shares, compared to its average volume of 516,977. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 1.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.78, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.84. The companys 50-day moving average price is $118.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $118.42. Jacobs Solutions Inc. has a twelve month low of $106.78 and a twelve month high of $138.05. Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.03. Jacobs Solutions had a net margin of 4.96% and a return on equity of 14.78%. The business had revenue of $4.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.72 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Jacobs Solutions Inc. will post 7.35 EPS for the current fiscal year. Jacobs Solutions Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 27th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. Jacobs Solutionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.25%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 6,666 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.20, for a total value of $767,923.20. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 601,290 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,268,608. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other Jacobs Solutions news, CFO Kevin C. Berryman sold 1,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.25, for a total value of $171,375.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 252,132 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,806,081. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 6,666 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.20, for a total transaction of $767,923.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 601,290 shares in the company, valued at $69,268,608. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 21,498 shares of company stock worth $2,526,406 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. Jacobs Solutions Profile (Free Report) Jacobs Solutions Inc provides consulting, technical, scientific, and project delivery services for the government and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Mexico, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through three segments: Critical Mission Solutions, People & Places Solutions, and PA Consulting. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding J? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Jacobs Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Jacobs Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:ZZHGF Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,068,300 shares, a decline of 18.7% from the June 30th total of 1,313,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently days. ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance Stock Performance ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance stock opened at $2.49 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $2.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $2.49. ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance has a 52 week low of $2.32 and a 52 week high of $3.55. Get ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance alerts: About ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance (Get Free Report) Featured Articles ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance Co, Ltd., an Internet-based Insurtech company, provides internet insurance and insurance information technology services in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through Insurance, Technology, Banking, and Others segments. It offers property and casualty insurance products, including accident, bond, health, liability, credit, cargo, household property, motor, and other insurance, as well as shipping return insurance. Receive News & Ratings for ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Weather Alert .Multiple rounds of heavy rain are expected this afternoon and tonight, and this will cause areas of flash flooding to develop across parts of southeast Missouri, far southern and southwest Illinois, and the Purchase Region of western Kentucky. ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible. * WHERE...Portions of southern Illinois, western Kentucky and southeast Missouri, including the following areas, in southern Illinois, Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski and Union. In western Kentucky, Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall and McCracken. In southeast Missouri, Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Mississippi, New Madrid, Ripley, Scott, Stoddard and Wayne MO. * WHEN...Through this evening. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Low-water crossings may be flooded. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Widespread rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches can be expected through late tonight, with locally higher amounts possible. Given the very saturated soils from recent rains, it will not take much heavy rain to cause flooding to develop. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. && One simple way to benefit from the stock market is to buy an index fund. But if you buy good businesses at attractive prices, your portfolio returns could exceed the average market return. Just take a look at Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSE:CTC.A), which is up 48%, over three years, soundly beating the market return of 32% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the returns haven't been quite so good recently, with shareholders up just 16% , including dividends . Let's take a look at the underlying fundamentals over the longer term, and see if they've been consistent with shareholders returns. See our latest analysis for Canadian Tire Corporation 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, Canadian Tire Corporation achieved compound earnings per share growth of 16% per year. We don't think it is entirely coincidental that the EPS growth is reasonably close to the 14% average annual increase in the share price. This observation indicates that the market's attitude to the business hasn't changed all that much. Quite to the contrary, the share price has arguably reflected the EPS growth. The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers). We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. This free interactive report on Canadian Tire Corporation's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. 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 Canadian Tire Corporation, it has a TSR of 63% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective It's good to see that Canadian Tire Corporation has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 16% in the last twelve months. Of course, that includes the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 4% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Canadian Tire Corporation better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Canadian Tire Corporation (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) you should know about. Canadian Tire Corporation is not the only stock that insiders are buying. 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 Canadian 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 Negotiations between Spains major parties to form a government from the highly fragmented parliament have begun following the July 23 general elections. None of the outcomes being discussed by the media, however, will solve any of the fundamental problems facing the working class. War, climate change, deteriorating living standards and the danger of the far-right cannot be solved on a national basis and without a frontal social assault on the wealth of the financial aristocracy. Alberto Feijoo, center, leader of the right-wing Popular Party, gestures to supporters outside the party headquarters following Spain's general election, in Madrid, Monday, July 24, 2023. The PP has a narrow lead in the election but without the majority needed to topple the coalition government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. [AP Photo/Manu Fernandez] On Saturday, the external vote of 233,688 ballots deposited by Spaniards living abroad led to a minor but significant redistribution of seats in the Spanish parliament. As a result, Spains social democratic Socialist Party (PSOE) lost one of its seats, which will now go to the right-wing Popular Party (PP). The result complicates the possibility of forming a government. To form a government, an absolute majority is needed in a first parliamentary vote in the 350-seat assembly. If it fails, a second vote with a simple majority is required. According to the revised seat count, the right-wing bloc of the PP and neo-Francoist Vox can count 171 votes137 from the PP, 33 from Vox and one from the right-wing regionalist Union of the Navarran People. This is five short of the absolute majority of 176 seats. Traditionally in these circumstances, PP minority governments relied on either the right-wing Basque nationalist PNV or the Catalan nationalists to support them. These parties have been key pillars in bourgeois rule in Spain, supporting entry into NATO, the European Union, the eurozone, post-2008 austerity on the working class and war abroad. After the July 23 elections, the PNV currently holds five seats and the right-wing pro-separatist Catalan Junts controls seven seats. Last week, the PNV refused the PPs appeal for support over its alliance with Vox. Vox has called for a ban on separatist parties, abolishing the regional system in which the Catalan and Basque nationalists enjoy a privileged position, and for the suppression of linguistic Catalan, Basque and Galician rights. Over the weekend, the PP opened the door to negotiating with the pro-separatist Catalan Junts in the framework of the Spanish Constitution. But this scenario is hardly likely. The PP minority government of Mariano Rajoy launched a brutal crackdown on the Catalan nationalists following the 2017 independence referendum that left over 1,000 injured. This was followed by threats to impose a military-led state of emergency on Catalonia, the removal and the detention of top officials of the Catalan regional government, and a show trial condemning nine of them to a decade in jail for sedition. Ever since, regardless of who holds power in Madrid, whether the PP or, as now, the coalition government of the PSOE and Podemosnow integrated in Sumarthe ruling class has used the Catalan national question to shift politics to the right, build a police state, and promote far-right forces. Vox grew out of this wave of Spanish chauvinism promoted by the ruling class. Another scenario is that the PSOE supports a PP-minority government, either through some sort of unprecedented grand coalition bargain or through abstention. In 2016, the PSOE abstained to allow the PP to form a government after two inconclusive elections. This was done through an internal coup within the PSOE removing the current prime minister and then PSOE leader, Pedro Sanchez, that forced the PSOE to abstain. The political cost was enormous. The PSOE was exposed as a free-market, pro-war party run by the banks, the intelligence agencies, and the military. It also exposed the left populist Podemos, which had promoted the PSOE as its likely partner in government. Once the PP was installed, Sanchez was brought back in to lead the PSOE. In 2018, amid mounting popular opposition to the PP and its repressive policies in Catalonia, Podemos organised a parliamentary maneuver, ousting the PP and replacing it with a minority PSOE government led by Sanchez. The Podemos-backed PSOE government continued the PPs austerity attacks on the working class and the right-wings repressive campaign against Catalan nationalism. The PSOE has so far refused to cede so openly to the PP and is seeking to form a government, aware that to do otherwise would provoke an angry response in the working class. In the July 23 elections, despite four years of pro-war, pro-austerity policies carried out jointly with Podemos since 2019, the PSOE obtained 7.7 million votes (31 percent) and 121 seats. This was a significant rise on the 6.7 million votes in the 2019 general elections, or the 6.2 million votes in the recent local elections last May. Most of its votes came from prior voters of the Catalan and Basque nationalists and from Sumar, which includes the massively discredited pseudo-left Podemos, led by acting Deputy Prime Minister and Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz. Sumar lost 600,000 votes as compared to the votes of Unidas Podemos in 2019, confirming the partys downward spiral after pro-war, pro-austerity measures in office. As the WSWS noted in its election perspective, The PSOEs vote increase, despite its political record, can only be understood as a partial and highly distorted class response directed against the threat posed by a PP-Vox government and the return of undisguised Francoites to power for the first time since the fall of the dictatorship and the transition to democracy in 1978. The PSOE will try to utilize the desire among workers to prevent a Francoite government to try to renew a pro-austerity, pro-war government with Sumar, backed by regionalist and separatist forces. PSOE and Sumar have already pledged 24 billion in cuts over the next year and to intensify Spains contribution to the US-NATO led war against Russia in Ukraine. Such a government would be even more right-wing than the current one, largely adopting the PP and Voxs programme while seeking to demobilize the class struggle with the threat that its collapse would herald a far-right government. It would count on the support of its affiliated trade unions, CCOO and UGT, which have worked to shut down a wave of strikes amid mounting opposition to the PSOE-Podemos government and the US-NATO war. Prior to the loss of the seat on Saturday, the PSOE-Sumar, with 153 seats, 23 short of a majority, required the support of the ERC (7), PNV (5), EH Bildu (6) and the BNG (1) to secure 172 votes against 171 for the right-wing bloc. With the loss of an additional seat to the PP, the PSOE now needs the pro-separatist Catalan Junts to vote in favour, rather than an agreement to abstain. Junts, the kingmaker of the elections, is publicly demanding a referendum on secession and amnesty to 3,000 activists and voters persecuted over the anti-Catalan campaign. Its leader, the former Catalan regional premier and now Member of the European Parliament Carles Puigdemont, faces possible arrest. In early July, the European Unions General Court of Justice stripped Puigdemonts parliamentary immunity. He has been living in exile in Belgium since 2017. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont speaks at a press conference in Alghero, Sardinia, on October 4, 2021. [AP Photo/Gloria Calvi, File] Negotiations are problematic, especially given that that the PSOE cannot be seen by the bourgeoisie to give ground to separatism. But they are proceeding nevertheless. On Saturday, Puigdemont tweeted that Junts would be open to vote for a PSOE-Sumar government if an agreement is reached on the Catalan conflict. This is an ambiguous term leaving open the possibility of shelving the referendum demand. The separatists are aware that support for independence has dwindled to historic lows. With less than a million votes in the elections, it was their worst result in over a decade since they started agitating for independence in 2012. In a clear indication that the Spanish bourgeoisie currently prefers a minority PSOE-Sumar government continue war at home and abroad, Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarenawho is close to the PPagreed not to present a European Arrest Warrant against Puigdemont, rejecting the request from Vox and the Public Prosecutors Office. If negotiations between PSOE, Sumar and the separatists fail, a repeat vote in December or January cannot be ruled out. Whatever government is formed, there is no golden road out of the crisis. A PSOE-Sumar government is not the answer to the far-right. To the extent that workers continue to accept the PSOE and Sumar as a lesser evil, this will only disarm them politically. The urgent task for the working class and youth is to secure their political and organizational independence from the PSOE, Sumar and the trade union bureaucracy and to prepare for mass struggles against austerity and war in a revolutionary socialist and internationalist offensive against capitalism. This means founding a Socialist Equality Party in Spain as a section of the International Committee of the Fourth International. NEW YORK An alleged swastika-scrawling skinhead was arrested on hate crime charges after an eagle-eyed Daily News reader recognized the wanted man walking on a Brooklyn street before flagging down a pair of beat cops. William Klare, 40, of the Bronx, was busted Friday afternoon on multiple charges for the vile attack this past Tuesday where he allegedly scrawled a huge swastika inside a local business. The arrest followed his random encounter with a freelance photographer who remembered the mans picture from the morning newspaper. It looked just like him so I followed him, said Dan Pollack, 56. He was definitely a fishy guy. The tattooed defendant, arrested on the street after a scuffle with police, was charged with hate crime charges of burglary, aggravated harassment, criminal mischief and criminal trespass, along with three other crimes. We all feel such relief and happiness, said Yoga Hell studio owner Katia Riva on Saturday. Thanks to the News for spreading the story so quickly. Were very glad they got him, its great. Hes getting what he deserved. Klare entered the business around 11:30 a.m. this past Tuesday through an unlocked door before drawing the swastika on a chalkboard, damaging a mezuzah and leaving the written message Nazi punk f--- off, police said. The suspect then exited the crime scene on foot, with police releasing security photos of the wanted man. Riva said neither she nor any employees recognized Klare after looking at the pictures. Yoga Hell specializes in Bikram yoga, conducted there in temperatures of 94 to 104 degrees. Pollock, after recognizing Klare from the papers Friday edition, tailed the suspect for about 45 minutes until tipping the officers from the 61st Precinct. He had previously called 911 and the NYPD Crimestoppers before the foot patrol officers made the arrest. Once in custody, Klare began shouting at the officers that they had the wrong guy. I heard the suspect yelling to the cops that he hadnt been in Brooklyn, said Pollock. He sounded convincing, so I apologized to the cops if it was the wrong guy. The owner said the store was open for business Saturday, and she refused to cancel any classes after the attack. Honestly, I didnt have hope for an arrest, said Riva. I was mistaken. Justice wins, everybody is happy. vivo Unveils V3 chip with 6nm Processes, Powering 4K Cinema Portrait Mode SHENZHEN, China, July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- vivo today held this year's Special Event of the 2023 vivo Imaging Conference in Xining, China, where it showcased a host of innovations in imaging technology. The company unveiled the V3 chip, a state-of-the-art 6nm customized V3 chip, as well as the latest algorithm technology. In addition, vivo revealed a periscope lens with the new "Vario-Apo-Sonnar" standards developed in partnership with ZEISS. During the event, vivo also announced the winners of the 2023 VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards, with Indonesia photographer Jiehan Herry Saputro 's "Let Me Fly" crowned the Best Photograph of the Year. Yu Meng, Vice President of vivo Imaging at the Special Event of the 2023 vivo Imaging Conference Yu Meng, Vice President of vivo Imaging; Li Zhuo, Senior Director of vivo Imaging Products; Sebastian Dontgen, Head of Category Management, Marketing and Sales, ZEISS Consumer Products; Zhang Yan, Product Manager of vivo Imaging Performance; visual artists Gao Yuan and Duan Yueheng; Song Wen, Founder of FIRST International Film Festival; and Bertram Honlinger, ZEISS Expert of Photography, attended the event to share their views on technological innovation and the future of mobile imaging. "At vivo, we are committed to advancing 'human-centric professional imaging'. To this end, we continuously enhance our expertise across optics, computing, and algorithm foundations to build imaging capabilities comparable to professional photography equipment. We aim to deliver the user experience of recreating what the human eye can see and make professional-grade imaging capabilities more accessible for everyone. In the future, vivo will stay committed to creating the best imaging technology and help users record life's most precious moments," said Mr. Yu Meng. At a time when everyone can be a creator, vivo has been dedicated to providing exceptional user experience with innovative mobile imaging technology. From industry-outstanding imaging chips and algorithms to expanding technological boundaries in partnership with other industry leaders, vivo continues to make efforts to boost its image technology strengths and improve the user experience in any scenario. Story continues Unveiling the latest V3 chip and algorithm technology The brand's latest V3 chip adopts a 6nm process and incorporates a newly designed multi-concurrent AI-ISP architecture and second-generation Frame Info Tunneling (FIT) technology. The technology upgrade delivers a superior user experience by enabling 4K cinema-like bokeh, automatic subject focus detection and switching, cinema-like skin optimization, and cinematic color processing. This makes vivo the first Android phone maker to enable 4K cinema-quality portrait video with post-processing functions. In addition to the launch of the new V3 chip, vivo has also announced a composite algorithm matrix solution. The company's new vivo Origin Imaging Engine (VOIE) enhances image quality, color, tone, and computing functionality by advancing the underlying algorithmic capabilities for three sub-modules: Color Restoration Engine, Ultra HD Engine, and Accelerated Computing Engine. vivo also developed the Hyper-Sense Portrait System and Vast-Sky Night System based on the common portrait and night scene user scenarios. Additionally, vivo has been continuously upgrading its algorithmic matrix and technological capabilities to ensure the best possible shooting experience in various scenarios. Building a prosperous image ecosystem with joint innovation vivo's long-term partnership with optical pioneer ZEISS has led to breakthrough innovations for X series, from generation to generation proving ZEISS technologies and iconic optical designs were adapted for vivo's flagships. ZEISS T* coating for superior optical quality and iconic ZEISS Style Portrait to name just a few. At the event, vivo and ZEISS jointly announced a periscope lens design with the new "Vario-Apo-Sonnar" standards. APO design is considered to have the level of the industry's top-quality control of chromatic aberration. For the very first time, the APO design will be adapted to a mobile imaging system enhancing a high performance zoom quality. Further leveraging the floating lens group technology in the periscope lens, aiming to provide ultra-high resolution and enhanced focusing capability, to enable users to achieve excellent macro shooting outcomes. At the same time, it also has a creamy bokeh effect that allows the subject to be further emphasized. The T* Coating is ZEISS's signature technology for anti-reflective coating on optical surface. The co-engineered rear camera system in the vivo's X series has achieved compliance with ZEISS T* Coating and reduced significantly unwanted lens flares in images under challenging lighting conditions such as nighttime, strong backlighting, and complex light sources. For vivo's upcoming X series flagship model, ZEISS T* Coating will be equipped with Multi-ALD technology to enhance further the image clarity, by reducing center reflectivity from 0.2% to 0.1% on the visible light spectrum. Compared with the previous generation of ALC coating, the reflectivity will be reduced by 50%. In addition to product innovation and joint development, being user-oriented is in vivo's and ZEISS' joint belief. vivo is committed to further diversifying the cooperation with ZEISS, including co-organizing the 2023 VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards. Sebastian Dontgen, Head of Category Management, Marketing and Sales, ZEISS Consumer Products said: "At ZEISS, we have photography in our DNA. To invite and enable even more users worldwide to enjoy creativity through cutting-edge smartphone image technology, it was a logical step for us to co-organize the 2023 VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards with vivo. The impressive results that we were able to experience again this year are a great acknowledgment of our partnership on imaging aspects." vivo has announced a deep collaboration with MediaTek for its X80 series. Additionally, vivo plans to team up with Sony for further collaboration on technologies such as 2-layer pixel (stack pixel) and HDR in the future. vivo will also actively expand joint innovation research by collaborating with more industry partners, and with educational institutes such as ETH Zurich and other universities, striving for technological breakthroughs and a more diversified and open mobile imaging ecosystem. Creating professional portraits and the ultimate night scene experiences vivo has formed a unique portrait style that blends clear texture, natural skin tones, and a balance of real and virtual effects across device iterations. In addition, the brand continues to research and develop 3D portrait technology with 3D facial reconstruction and virtual content. To this end, vivo has relied on its imaging laboratory platform to establish a 3D image laboratory with a proprietary cinema-like optical field system, capable of reconstructing extremely delicate 3D models of human faces and producing highly realistic visual effects in virtual environments. Based on experience gained from past products and real-life business scenarios, the company's 3D models achieve precise facial expressions, body postures and gestures. These technologies have been developed with three user scenarios in mind: generative portrait style, generative portrait editing, and various portrait special effects. Users will be able to take photos that perfectly balance real and virtual effects, edit photos powered by texture reconstruction and lighting estimation algorithms and freely change the lighting, hair and facial expressions. vivo has introduced enhancements to its technical capabilities in image quality, tone, and color for landscape shooting. The upgraded Vast-Sky Night System was designed to improve image quality and supply the most advanced quality solution for night scenes at all focal lengths. The upgraded SuperRAW technology offers exclusive parameter adjustment capabilities, meeting any professional imaging requirements for all focal lengths. Based on VOIE, vivo has also introduced a True Color Night model powered by AI learning to the Night Sky Imaging System. This enhancement enables adaptive tone and color adjustments for night scenes and for night scenes with high contrast, a comprehensive night HDR solution has been introduced to tackle viewing issues in preview, shooting and display modes. In addition, the new XDR Photo 2.0 adds a highlight color preservation mechanism for light sources with high dynamic range and saturation at night. This improves the overexposure for highlights without affecting the color performance of the light source and preserves the night scene. In the future, vivo will work together with Adobe, Apple, and Google to improve HDR photo standardization and overcome the inconsistent display of HDR photos on different devicesmaking vivo the only Chinese company involved in the development of the IOS standards for HDR photos. On top of vivo's original distinctive colors and ZEISS Natural Color, vivo's team has launched a series of rich and personalized colors, drawing inspiration from classic photography techniques, classic films, and masterworks. 2023 vivo VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards Winners During this year's Special Event at the Imaging Conference, vivo also announced the winners of this year's VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards. The top award went to Jiehan Herry Saputro 's "Let Me Fly", which is crowned the Best Photograph of the Year. In addition, the competition included awards in six categories: Portrait, Photo Series, Night, Landscape, Motion, and News. Two special awards were also announced: the X90 Series Best Photograph Award and the ZEISS Professional Imaging Award. Since its inaugural launch in 2020, the VISION+ Mobile PhotoAwards program has received nearly one million submissions from over 40 countries and regions. This year, vivo received submissions from India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and many other countries and regions. Note: Please be aware that some of the features and technologies mentioned in this press release may currently only be available in the Chinese Mainland market. The availability of certain capabilities and functions may vary depending on your location. About vivo vivo is a technology company that creates great products based on a design-driven value, with smart devices and intelligent services as its core. The company aims to build a bridge between humans and the digital world. Through unique creativity, vivo provides users with an increasingly convenient mobile and digital life. Following the company's core values, which include Benfen*, user-orientation, design-driven value, continuous learning and team spirit, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy with the vision of developing into a healthier, more sustainable world-class corporation. While bringing together and developing the best local talents to deliver excellence, vivo is supported by a network of R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Xi'an and more cities, focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, imaging system and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set up an intelligent manufacturing network (including those authorized by vivo), with an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million smartphones. As of now, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 60 countries and regions, and is loved by more than 500 million users worldwide. *"Benfen" is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right which is the ideal description of vivo's mission to create value for society. Stay informed of latest vivo news at https://www.vivo.com/en/about-vivo/news vivo released its latest V3 chip vivos algorithm matrix solution vivo and ZEISS jointly announced a periscope lens design with the new Vario-Apo-Sonnar standards ZEISS T* Coating will be equipped with Multi-ALD technology vivos latest creating Hyper-Sense Portrait System Upgraded SuperRAW technology Jiehan Herry Saputro s Let Me Fly, the Best Photograph of the Year Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vivo-unveils-major-optics-computing-and-algorithm-technologies-at-vivo-2023-imaging-conference-301888861.html SOURCE vivo Sinead O'Connor Was Planning Album, Tour, Possible Biopic Before Her Death Foo Fighters and Alanis Morissette kept the Sinead OConnor tributes coming earlier today (July 29) at Japans Fuji Rock festival, when they teamed for a cover of the late Irish artists 1987 hit song Mandinka. Were singing this song for a reason tonight, said Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl in reference to OConnors death earlier this week at the age of 56. Added Morissette, for a beautiful women with high intelligence and deep empathy, way ahead of her time, who is no longer with us. This is for her. More from Spin: Foo Fighters and Morissette have always had a special connection in that the Foos longtime drummer, the late Taylor Hawkins, got his start in Morissettes band at the height of her Jagged Little Pill-era fame. Morissette was on hand last September to perform You Oughta Know during Hawkins memorial concert at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, backed by the Foos and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. Since OConnors passing on Wednesday, her music has been saluted with covers by P!nk and Brandi Carlile, Tori Amos, and TV on the Radios Kyp Malone, among others. Meanwhile, Fuji Rock continues tomorrow with Lizzo, Weezer, Black MIDI, 100 gecs, the Blessed Madonna, FKJ, and Neal Francis. Foo Fighters kick off a new round of U.S. dates Aug. 4 in Spokane, Wa., while Morissette visits Manila this coming Tuesday and Wednesday. To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here. The post Sinead OConnor Was Planning Album, Tour, Possible Biopic Before Her Death appeared first on SPIN. Haim had some tricks up their sleeves for their second weekend on Taylor Swifts Eras Tour. Este, Danielle and Alana arrived on stage wearing dresses like their Bejeweled video gowns when they joined Swift on No Body, No Crime in Santa Clara, California, on Friday (July 28). hi from the step sisters! the real-life sisters wrote Saturday (July 29) on Instagram. They shared a series of photos and a backstage video from the night before at Levis Stadium that featured a look at their Bejeweled-inspired dresses. The trio guest-starred in Swifts self-directed music video that was released in October. More from Billboard we literally filmed this on our way to stage, Haim added in a caption on TikTok about Friday nights hijinks. No Body, No Crime has been a new Evermore-era song on the setlist since Haim joined the tour as an opening act. Swift and Haim debuted it live together on July 22 in Seattle. Their collab replaced Tis the Damn Season on the setlist. Related Taylor Swift and Haim Taylor Swift Debuts 'No Body, No Crime' With Haim at Eras Tour Concert in Seattle 07/29/2023 Swift will play Levis Stadium again Saturday night before heading to Los Angeles SoFi Stadium to wrap the North American leg of her tour with six concerts. Haim is among the opening acts for the remaining dates. Watch a clip of Friday nights No Body, No Crime performance below. | Taylor Swift performing no body, no crime with @HAIMtheband in their step sisters gowns #SantaClaraTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/SGHIfC1jah Taylor Swift News (@TSwiftNZ) July 30, 2023 Best of Billboard Click here to read the full article. The canine was led to safety by 15 good Samaritans during a rescue mission that reportedly took "about 16 hours" Michael Piesniewski For one New Hampshire dog, a day hiking with his humans turned into a strenuous rescue mission. Earlier this month, a pooch named Bruno and his owners were hiking Mount Jefferson, a popular hiking destination in New Hampshire, when the dog injured his paws on the "hot" and "jagged" terrain and was unable to move forward, according to New England Cable News (NECN). "Once his paws got torn up he basically said, 'Hey, I'm done walking, I'm done moving, I've had enough,' " Zippy, one of the volunteers, told NECN. "And he just sat down and refused to move any further." Zippy, along with other rescuers, were alerted to the incident after seeing an online post from Brunos owners. Zippy stated that the hikers were fairly dehydrated when approached, as they had since run out of food and water and obviously weren't planning to spend the night on the side of the mountain right on the trail," per NECN. Michael Piesniewski Bruno, who was unable to walk after he injured his paws on rocky mountain terrain, is fixed into a harness by volunteer rescuers. The volunteers then took turns carrying Bruno down the mountain for two-and-a-half miles. The entire rescue took reportedly took "about 16 hours" and, according to WMUR-TV, involved 15 rescuers, with six people carrying Bruno at a time before alternating. In video footage of the event, Bruno can be seen being fixed with a harness, his paws protected by bandages. Photos also show the canine in a sling attached to a rescuers back. Zippy reported that some of the harness handles began to rip off due to the dog's weight, the tough terrain and the awkward angles the rescuers had to hold the gear at. "I picked him up and put him on my back with the harness and we made it like that, slowly but surely made it across, until we got to the Cap's Ridge junction, when it got a little wider," he said, according to NECN. Related: Oregon Firefighters Rescue Dog While Battling Forest Fire and Reunite Pup with Her Family Story continues Michael Piesniewski Rescuer Michael Piesniewski and Bruno. Despite the rocky ride, Bruno was in "good spirits" during the mission and is currently on the path to recovery." He was the sweetest boy, rescuer Michael Piesniewski told WMUR-TV. Piesniewski, a dog owner himself, knew he had to help, and drove from Manchester to assist in the mission. "Bruno was just fantastic the whole time," Zippy added. "There were a couple of times he would look at me and he would grumble if I touched his paw while I was bandaging it, but other than that, he would just lay there and [knew] we were there to help." Michael Piesniewski Despite the rocky ride, Bruno was in "good spirits" during the mission. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories Mount Jefferson is the third tallest peak in New Hampshire. With a rising amount of hiking injuries and deaths across the United States this summer, due to factors like falls and extreme heat, animal officials are also warning of the dangers of attempting these paths with pets. Please, please be prepared before you hit the New Hampshire mountains, Holly Mokrzecki, founder of Granite State Dog Recovery in Manchester, told WMUR-TV. According to Mokrzecki, dog rescues increase during warmer months due to out-of-state hikers. Pet injury can be avoided with the right preparation, such as packing special harnesses and boots. A lot of these people that bring their dogs, [the] dogs are not conditioned to the mountains of New Hampshire, she said. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. In the new film Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy portrays the title character, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, as a profoundly complex man who on one hand was an ego-driven womanizer and on the other a deeply troubled genius drowning in self-doubt and regret. Kathy Hanousek remembers Oppenheimer as the guy in a suit and a hat for whom she once staged a play with the help of her friends in Oak Ridge, Tenn. I was just a kid, Hanousek said with a laugh. What did I know? But who else can say they did a play for Oppenheimer? It seemed like the thing to do at the time. Hanousek is a lifelong St. Paul resident save for her three years spent in Oak Ridge, a planned city built as part of the Manhattan Project, the three-year, top-secret U.S. government project that led to the creation of the first nuclear weapon. She was just 3 when FBI agents approached her father, Dr. Charles Rea. At the time, Rea had three children Hanousek and two younger siblings and had just purchased a home and started practicing medicine. This was 1942, beginning of 43, she said. One day, the FBI just showed up and said to him, Youre coming with us. Its a government thing for the war. My dad had no idea what it was about. But all of America was in the war. You just obeyed when you were told. And off he went, not knowing where he was going or what he was going to do. He was told it was likely his family could join him in time and that they werent telling him where he was going, but that it was in America. Once Rea arrived in Tennessee It was the boonies, Hanousek said, Smoky Mountain country he met Gen. Leslie Groves, the Manhattan Project director played by Matt Damon in the film. Groves told him the government would provide him all the materials to get a new hospital up and running. In just six weeks. Hanousek said her father responded with, Maybe you have the wrong man? Groves barked back, You can read, cant you? You will have all the equipment you need. I want you to staff the hospital. (Hanousek praised all the main actors in Oppenheimer, but added Damon could have been much more gruff to match the real-life Groves.) Story continues Rea turned to his alma mater the University of Minnesota to recruit 10 Minnesota doctors to join him, a list that Hanousek said includes William Bernstein, Burt Mears, Asher White, Joseph Ryan, Gerhardt Knutson, Leonard Kallestad, Frank Bryant, Vernon Lindberg, E. George Olsen and John Eneboe. My dad always said the doctors worked tirelessly, she said. They all got along. It was a common cause. Im sure my dad probably knew what was going on (with the Manhattan Project), but he didnt talk about it that much. I would never ask those questions as a kid. They were all friends and all young. Think about how young they were. The dean of the medical school referred to Oak Ridge as the Southern Branch of the University of Minnesota Medical School. Hanousek and the rest of the family soon relocated to Oak Ridge, where scientists were focused on trying to process uranium. She said the community grew from about 600 to 76,000 over the three years. I remember mud. And boardwalks. Lots of mud, Hanousek said. All the little kids, some of whom Im still friends with, didnt care about that, though. Over that time, Hanousek met many of the major characters in Oppenheimer when her parents hosted them. My dad always had lots of people coming to the house. It was good, old Minnesota hospitality, she said. That includes Oppenheimer, who I remembered because he had such a different last name. To me, he was just another adult who always wore a suit and hat. My dad dressed that way, too. They all did. Her time in Oak Ridge stuck with Hanousek throughout her life. She went on to marry Richard Hanousek, a real estate developer and CEO, and raise five children. Twenty years ago, she took a trip back there with her now-late husband. I was amazed at how much I could remember. I said, Turn right here, thats where I went to school. This is where we swam. Thats the tree where we did the play for Oppenheimer. When she first heard that the film was being shot by blockbuster director Christopher Nolan, she decided to prepare by exploring the library of Manhattan Project books her father left her. In particular, she recommends The Road to Trinity: A Personal Account of How Americas Nuclear Policies Were Made, by Maj. Gen. Kenneth Nichols, who led operations at Oak Ridge, and The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II, by Denise Kiernan. Hanousek saw Oppenheimer on opening night. She said it was long, but she praised the accuracy of the look and feel of the era. She suggested doing some light reading about the Manhattan Project beforehand, as the first hour can get confusing. She also said, once again, she was surprised at how many of the people portrayed in the film she remembered from her youth. It was a time when the whole country was working together, she said. Now, you wouldnt have that. I dont think you would have that now. After spending the last several years immersed in her childhood memories, one final question remains for Hanousek. Did she also see Barbie? No, she said with a laugh. I hope to. Is it any good? Related Articles Within a week span during July, more than $12 million of drugs and drug monies were confiscated by the California Highway Patrol around the Central Valley. The massive drug busts were a result of four CHP traffic stops, with three vehicles pulled over in Fresno County. The biggest seizure among them took place in Merced County. On July 21, CHP pulled over a Kia Soul for a traffic violation in Merced County. The officer ended up seizing 161 pounds of fentany-laced pills, 133 pounds of methamphetamine and 37 pounds of cocaine. Combined, the confiscated narcotics from that incident alone totalled $10.5 million. More drugs would try to be moved in the Valley in the coming days. Authorities said $1.3 millions of drugs were seized Monday in Fresno County after CHP stopped a vehicle and found 25 pounds of cocaine. The drugs had been hidden inside a Ninja blender box located inside the vehicle, according to CHP. On Wednesday, a CHP traffic stop in Fresno County led to a sergeant finding $120,000 in cash believed to be from the sale of narcotics. CHP said the money was located in a sophisticated hidden compartment constructed of a Jeeps transmission tunnel. Then Thursday, CHP said a sergeant discovered a vehicle with $286,000 of drugs inside. The traffic stop happened in Fresno County and approximately 6.5 pounds of fentanyl was found. Suspects from Mexico, Wash., Calif. A total of six people were arrested. Five of them were younger than 25 years old. Ponce Rosales 23, of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, was arrested from the Merced County bust. Rosales was a passenger in the vehicle. The driver fled the scene and hadnt yet been located. Rosales was taken to the Los Banos City Jail on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sale, transportation of methamphetamine across noncontiguous counties, possession of cocaine/fentanyl for sale, and transportation of cocaine/fentanyl across noncontiguous counties. Moises Delgado, 23, and Juan Carlos Suarez-Mendoza, 24, both of Wapato, Washington, were arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail for various drug related charges, stemming from the 25 pounds of cocaine found. Story continues Carlos Eduardo Paez Garcia, 31, of Fontana, California, was arrested for various criminal and drug related charges. Authorities said Paez Garcia was linked to the $120,000 in alleged drug money. And Diana Isela Leyva-Pacheco, 22, and Daniel Rosas-Gomez, 23, both of Seattle, Washington, were arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail for various drug related charges. They were booked following the seizure of 6.5 pounds of fentanyl. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration - DEA (DEA), two milligrams of fentanyl is a lethal dose. The fentanyl recovered in this case has the potential to kill 1.5 million people. Veteran filmmaker Oliver Stone has voiced his regret for voting for President Joe Biden, saying he fears the U.S. leader may take America into World War III. Stone was speaking to UK commentator Russell Brand for his podcast Stay Free, when he said: Biden is an old Cold Warrior, and he really hates the old Soviet Union which he confounds again with the Russian Federation, which is not communist. More from Deadline It seems that hes dragging us stupidly into a confrontation with a power that is not going to give. This is their borders. This is their world. This is NATO going into Ukraine. This is a whole other story. If we dont stop this, what Biden is doing, this guy is I voted for him I made a mistake, I was thinking he was an old man now that he would calm down, that he would be more mellow and so forth, I didnt see that at all. Stone added that, in making his documentary Ukraine on Fire, he had uncovered the causes of the conflict in Eastern Europe. You have to look at the reasons for this war, and whenever you do, the Americans like to simplify and say its a question of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Thats very simplistic and very black-and-white. He added that his doc explains the origins of this war in the coup detat of 2014 which was sponsored and supported thoroughly by the United States, it was a very deep plan to penetrate the Russian Federation. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The pregnant mom of three enjoyed a pampering session with her daughter on Saturday Kourtney Kardashian/Instagram Kourtney Kardashian and her daughter Penelope during their recent Hawaii vacation Kourtney Kardashian and Penelope Scotland are enjoying some pampering together! The Poosh founder, 44, and her 11-year-old daughter indulged in a mani-pedi together over the weekend, complete with nearly matching nail colors. On Saturday, Kardashian who is currently expecting a baby with husband Travis Barker shared photos of the results from their sweet bonding time on her Instagram Story. The first shot was a bird's eye view of the mom and daughters feet, complete with a cute painting nails emoji. While Kardashian opted for a shimmering light pink shade on her toes, Penelope picked a matte pink with a glossy top coat. Kourtney Kardashian/Instagram Kourtney Kardashian Gets Matching 'Mother Daughter' Mani-Pedi With Daughter Penelope Related: Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian Enjoys 'Prenatal Pilates' in Cozy Pink Pajamas See the Look! Kardashian then posted a snap of her daughter's hand held in her own, as she rested her arm on a brown blanket. "Mother daughter," the Lemme founder wrote over the image of the pair's nails. In both images, Kardashian tagged celebrity nail artist Lisa Kon. Kourtney Kardashian/Instagram Kourtney Kardashian Gets Matching 'Mother Daughter' Mani-Pedi With Daughter Penelope Related: Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian Shares Stylish Baby Bump Progression Pics See the Photos! The pregnant Kardashians star has been enjoying plenty of girl time recently. Earlier in the week, she donned a pink leather jacket and pink jean shorts to go watch Barbie after being given strict instructions by the girls to dress fittingly for the box-office-smashing movie. Alongside a mirror selfie of herself showing off her outfit, Kardashian wrote, Took the girls to see Barbie, had very strict instructions to wear my pink jorts. The star teamed her jacket and unbuttoned shorts with a black top. She styled her jacket so that her growing baby bump peeked out, and accessorized the ensemble with black knee-high heeled boots and black sunglasses. Kardashian also sported pink earlier this month during a vacation to Hawaii. The expectant mom wore a cut-out pink one-piece and matching sarong that highlighted her growing baby bump. She also wore a large straw sun hat. Story continues Aloha," she captioned the carousel of photos. 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The reality star announced that she was expecting her first baby with husband Travis Barker on June 16 at his Blink-182 concert in Los Angeles. Soon after announcing their pregnancy joy, the couple revealed that they are expecting a baby boy. The news was shared in a video on Instagram late last month, taken at the pairs baby sex reveal party. Kardashian is mom to Penelope, and sons Reign, 8, and Mason, 13, with her ex Scott Disick. Her husband Barker, 47, is a dad to three children with ex Shanna Moakler: daughter Alabama, 17, son Landon, 19, and stepdaughter Atiana, 24. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Jon George and several members of the Rufus Du Sol team are camped out in a suite of the Hotel El Ganzo in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, in a way celebrating the manifestation of two very personal projects. The first is their Sundream Festival, in which they are about to perform later on this evening. While the inaugural three-day fest launched last year in Tulum, this is the first edition in their now semi-permanent home on the southern tip of Baja California. More from Rolling Stone The second is Mate Maker, the hard kombucha the team are sharing while we talk. In between sips of the pastel can in his hand, George, the keyboardist and founding member of Grammy Award-winning Australian dance act, explains that the genesis of this Mate Maker project reaches back to 2018, when the lads first moved into their infamous Venice house that heady patch of earth which gave the groups label its name (Rose Avenue). While writing and recording their current smash, Surrender, they were trying to clean up their act a bit, seeking ways to become more health conscious. This was at a time when the band George, vocalist Tyrone Lindqvist and drummer James Hunt found itself at a crossroads. After spending the previous decade indulging in the libertine rock star lifestyle, they moved to the deserts of Joshua Tree to record their last album, focusing on mental and physiological health. As they told me at the time, they went from tequila shots and afterparties to ginger shots and after-show ice baths. We were catching a vibe, writing, and we started ordering hard kombucha and were like, This is sick! recalls George. Wed never had it in Australia, wed just relocated [to Los Angeles] so it became a thing we would always have at the house. You know different brands, trying em all out. Story continues Recognizing the category could find success in their fitness and outdoor-driven homeland, the boys played around with the idea of importing an existing brand down under. We kind of thought, Wait, this isnt happening in Australia why is that? asks George rhetorically. So we kind of incubated that thought for a while. And then Jezzy and I were going on a snowboarding trip to Mammoth. Mate Maker RUFUS DU SOL It was perfect timing cuz like, theres no better time to pitch it than like a five-hour car ride, Justin Jezzy Medcraft recalls, laughing at his sales pitch to George and Rufus longtime manager Danny Robson. So I locked the doors and I was like, Danny, this is what we want to do. And he was like, Well man, its funny cuz we were wanting to do the same sort of thing! That was on the way up, and then on the way home we kind of like, came up with our plan. So it was funny how that trip just solidified everything really quickly. The ease and relative pace of the project can be attributed to one fundamental ingredient: trust. The gents have known each other since childhood, as George, Robson and Medcraft all went to high school together. When the Rufus guys moved to LA, Medcraft was already in New York working as a global senior brand manager for drinks giant Diageo, already years into his decade-plus career in the spirits and beverage business. When this idea came up, it really felt like there was an underlying set of trust and friendship there thats ultimately what this whole idea was about, shares George. It was about building a business with your mates, something that we could all give to our friends, our community. And I think thats probably why it feels so special theres a lot of brands out there that get put together by random people, but theres legitimately over 20 years of mateship and friendship in this thing. So it feels special to be able to do it together. Quality was prioritized by all members of the Mate Maker project, as well as authenticity and transparency. In those aspects the guys dont really cut corners. First in their music, an impeccably produced hybrid of house, techno and live musicianship. Five Grammy nominations, a sold-out world tour now in its third year and a half-billion streams of Surrender are all evidence of that. rufus du sol surrender Surrender (Red Vinyl) Price: $39.98 $33.49 Buy On Amazon Then theres their new baby the Sundream Baja Festival. At one point, a team member confides in how the inefficiency of the sweat labor to financial ROI simply doesnt add up when compared to selling out an arena show. But the emotional reward of creating something meaningful and unforgettable for their rabid fanbase self-dubbed Du Sols more than justifies the weeks of planning, production and execution. And the same can be said of their hard kombucha. The can of Mate Maker Mango/Peach Smash lists just five ingredients: organic green tea kombucha, water, lemon and real mango and peach puree, made from 100% fruit. Naturally small batch brewed with organic, real and simple ingredients, Mate Maker adds no artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors or hidden ingredients you cant pronounce. The green tea is ethically-sourced, with no plastic used in the 100% recyclable packaging. Their partnership with One Percent for the Planet campaign means 1% of their sales revenue are donated to climate change-combating nonprofits. Its a sustainably minded drinks business with the goal of bringing people together, Medcraft explains. mate maker Mate Maker 24-Pack Price: $63.99 Buy Now On top of their Mango/Peach Smash and Blood Orange P.O.G flavors, the team debuted Pineapple Sundream at the festival. Inspired by the ancient fermented Mexican pineapple drink tepache, Rufus opted to first offer their new flavor to friends, family and fans in San Jose del Cabo. Its exciting for us, says George, knee bouncing animatedly. Like I was just turning up to barbecues and parties in Australia with pallets of these drinks and was super, super proud to be a founder of it. We havent jumped into any brand collabs and brand partnerships all over the place, adds Robson, revealing his judicious managerial instincts. Like what you say no to is as important as what you say yes to. Theres an element of trust with having your best mates involved that you want to make sure youre living up to something that were all gonna be proud of, Medcraft continues. Early on we had a couple products that might have taken that easy route that we werent happy with, but then at the end of the day were always like, Is this something that were gonna be proud of to release? And you know, theres a lot of trust between 20 years of friendship. I would never want to not be true to that, and so we all hold each other really accountable and thats probably why doing it with your mates is so good, because its easy to have those conversations, you know? Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. One of the most celebrated movies of 1998 was Saving Private Ryan, starring Tom Hanks, Jeremy Davies and Matt Damon. Written by Robert Rodat and directed by Steven Spielberg, the war film tells of a group of U.S. soldiers who are ordered to retrieve a man whose three brothers have all been killed in action. Released 25 years ago on July 24, 1998, Saving Private Ryan was a massive commercial success, making $217 million in the United States and $482 million worldwide. The first team-up of Spielberg and Hanks went on to win five Oscars, though infamously not Best Picture. Read on as Gold Derby celebrates the Saving Private Ryan 25th anniversary. Most critics loved the film, including Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times, who called it a powerful and impressive milestone in the realistic depiction of combat. Wendy Ides in Times (UK) said that the opening 24-minute war sequence is one of the greatest pieces of combat cinema yet made. And Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian wrote that Saving Private Ryan was an old-fashioned war picture to rule them allgripping, utterly uncynical, with viscerally convincing and audacious battle sequences. More from GoldDerby SEEThe Truman Show 25th anniversary: A bracingly intelligent film that was more than just entertainment With Hanks in the lead role, Spielberg behind the camera, and the films commercial and critical success, Saving Private Ryan was no doubt going to be a huge awards player going into 1999. It became the Oscar frontrunner after it was nominated for five awards at the Golden Globe Awards and won two: Best Drama and Best Director. Hanks lost Best Actor to Jim Carrey for The Truman Show, but Saving Private Ryan getting the final two victories of the night signified good things to come for the epic war movie. Story continues Saving Private Ryan went on to win Best Picture and Best Director at the Critics Choice Awards, and it received two nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards: Best Actor for Hanks and Best Ensemble. In addition, it received a WGA Award bid, won the DGA Award and PGA Award, and earned 10 BAFTA Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Film. Despite its summer release, Spielbergs movie remained popular with critics and audiences for months and looked poised to receive lots of Oscar nominations. At the 71st Academy Awards, Saving Private Ryan made it into 11 categories, including Original Screenplay, Actor for Hanks, Director and Picture. It didnt receive a surprise second acting nomination Davies, for example, had been singled out by many critics and won the Best Supporting Actor prize from the Kansas City Film Critics but for the most part it received all the nominations it could. The question was, could Saving Private Ryan go all the way and take the Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture? Only one movie was a potential threat Shakespeare in Love, John Maddens period comedy-drama starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes and Judi Dench. It won four prizes at the Golden Globes Screenplay, Comedy Actress for Paltrow and Comedy Picture. A bigger victory came at the SAG Awards, where it beat out Saving Private Ryan for Best Ensemble. Saving Private Ryan had been out of theaters for months, while Shakespeare in Love kept adding to its number of theaters throughout the 1999 awards season, gaining in steam with each passing week. SEEFinding Nemo 20th anniversary: Why the Disney/Pixar film just keeps swimming Shakespeare in Love didnt take DGA or PGA, but it did win WGA, and after receiving an astonishing 15 nominations at BAFTA, where it won Best Picture, it appeared like Saving Private Ryan wasnt going to coast to easy wins in the top categories at the Academy Awards. Shakespeare in Love received 13 Oscar nominations, two more than Saving Private Ryan. I would argue Spielbergs second Best Director Oscar was never in jeopardy as popular as Shakespeare in Love was, many thought of the film more as an actors showcase than a directors showcase, and the films director Madden was relatively new to theatrical movies. But Best Picture was likely a close race, both titles winning at the Golden Globes, Saving Private Ryan taking the PGA Award and Shakespeare in Love named Best Picture at BAFTA. At the Academy Awards on March 21, 1999, both titles had their share of wins. In technical categories, Saving Private Ryan won Sound Effects Editing, Film Editing and Cinematography, while Shakespeare in Love won Score, Art Direction-Set Direction and Costume Design. Original Screenplay went to Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard for Shakespeare in Love over Rodat for Saving Private Ryan, which mightve shown momentum shifting to the former film. Also, Paltrow claimed Best Actress and Dench took Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love, while Saving Private Ryan earned no acting prizes. However, Spielberg of course won Best Director, saying once he reached the stage, Am I allowed to say I really wanted this? Harrison Ford presented the Best Picture trophy, and he looked surprised when he opened the envelope and announced, Shakespeare in Love. The underdog comedy-drama did it, and it has been a controversial Picture win ever since. Despite its Oscar loss in the top category, however, Saving Private Ryan has endured for 25 years as one of the greatest war movies ever made, and certainly one of Spielbergs and Hanks finest efforts. Susan Stark in Detroit News called the film as compelling, intimate, and brutally realistic an account of men at war as youve ever seen. I couldnt have said it better myself. SIGN UP for Gold Derbys free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Attendees of this years Midsummer Scream got an early look at Saw X. The hook, as explained earlier this month, is that its a prequel set between the events of Saw and Saw II. That means well get Tobin Bells alive (but not well) Jigsaw without having to awkwardly pretzel him into a story taking place after his on-screen demise. Saw X follows Kramer traveling to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure that he hopes will cure his cancer. Spoiler alert: The entire operation is a scam aimed at the most vulnerable. More spoilers: John is going to get his righteous revenge, Jigsaw-style. Kevin Greutert, who directed the quite popular Sav VI and the less beloved Saw: The Final Chapter, is back in the directors chair. Saw X, which like Saw VI concerns the morality within the insurance industry, looks to be a continuity-drenched installment compared to Jigsaw and Spiral: From the Book of Saw. The 2017 release was a very loose continuation with a brief Tobin Bell cameo. The 2021 release attempted an in-continuity soft relaunch courtesy of producer and star Chris Rock. Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, who wrote the last two installments, are returning screenwriters with franchise vets Oren Koules and Mark Burg sticking around as producers. While both Jigsaw ($103 million on a $10 million budget in 2017) and Spiral ($40 million on a $20 million budget plus whatever it earned on PVOD amid the COVID summer of 2021) were profitable, neither was necessarily a glorious franchise relaunch. The latter pushed the whole series past $1 billion worldwide. That is still a rare feat for an R-rated franchise. Can Lionsgate relaunch Saw on the third try? It could just be that the Saw series, which initially ran over seven movies from 2004 to 2010, was just the right horror franchise at the right time. Its grindhouse mentality and ruthless brutality personified the post-9/11 decade in horror, just as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Last House on the Left spoke to a generation ravaged by participating in or witnessing the real-life carnage of the Vietnam War. It gave Hollywood its first new iconic onscreen boogie man since Screams Ghostface or since it was a different murderer every time in those films Tony Todds Candyman. Story continues Tobin Bells Jigsaw died in Saw III, a death that stuck even as the later sequels pretzeled themselves trying to keep him around in spirit. Its increasingly insane pinball continuity which makes The Fast Saga look like a simple straight line both became a key part of its popularity and a huge challenge in ensnaring new fans. The bad news is that this in-continuity prequel doesnt exactly scream welcome new fans. The good news is that presumably audiences may only have to be familiar with the first and maybe the second installment. That may be a smart play for enticing casual fans who checked out when John Kramer clocked out. Whether Saw X can succeed where Jigsaw and Spiral comparatively failed, theres really no harm in Lionsgate periodically trying as long as they arent spending more than $20 million on each attempt. Hey, maybe generational nostalgia for those first seven films will finally do the trick when Saw X opens on September 29, or just under 19 years after the first one. After all, as real ones know, if its Halloween, it must be Saw. Or, in this case, its its a month out from Halloween, it, well, you get the idea. The post Saw X: Tobin Bell Returns in Chilling First Trailer (Video) appeared first on TheWrap. Robotic arms work on the assembly line of T03 electric small crossover at a factory of Chinese EV startup Leapmotor on July 20, 2022 in Jinhua A coming influx of Chinese electric cars represents a security risk as they could be remotely controlled to paralyse Britain, according to the head of the industrys professional body. Britons face major security issues from Chinese cars, warned Professor Jim Saker, President of the Institute of the Motor Industry. In a report due to be shared with car makers and regulators, Prof Saker said there was no way of stopping Chinese cars coming under remote control. He said: The car manufacturer may be in Shanghai and could stop 100,000 to 300,000 cars across Europe thus paralysing a country. While regulators can test samples of cars for spyware or other security vulnerabilities, testing thousands of vehicles is not feasible, he said. A similar frailty of testing samples allowed Volkswagen to cheat emissions tests ahead of the Dieselgate scandal. Up to 30 new electric vehicle brands are eyeing up the UK car market, most of them Chinese. Companies like BYD and Ora, which already have agreements in place with UK dealers, will be joined by a raft of other car makers including Chery, Dongfeng and Haval. The Chinese Communist Party aims to create a significant export industry. The boss of Vauxhall-owner Stellantis last week warned of an invasion of Chinese electric cars. Carlos Tavares said Stellantis faces a brutal scenario where it must compete with Chinese-made cars which are a quarter less expensive while having to invest billions into electrification. Prof Saker, who also leads the Centre for Automotive Management at Loughborough University, pointed to a report published earlier this month, where MPs warned that China has successfully penetrated every sector of the British economy. The Government has been slow to wake up to the threat posed, the MPs said. Parliaments intelligence and security committee said in a report that the communist countrys ambition to become an economic superpower presented the greatest risk to the UK. Story continues It said Chinas state intelligence apparatus was targeting Britain and its interests prolifically and aggressively and was seeking to control key industrial and civil nuclear energy assets. Chinese car makers have better access to the crucial battery technology needed for electric vehicles (EVs), allowing them to bring vehicles to market faster. Many Chinese manufacturers have access to batteries through deals with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co, or CATL, the biggest supplier of lithium batteries for cars. China is also dominant in lithium production and refining, as it owns many of the mines which produce it. The country controls about nine tenths of the worlds lithium hydroxide supply. Mr Saker said the UK has sat on its hands over the threat of China weaponising its dominance in the market for key minerals like lithium. He said: Virtually every country is trying to fight against an overreliance on China, except the UK. Indeed, the UK Government only set up its own Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre in July 2022, far too late to have any impact in what should have been a long-term strategy. Britain should focus instead on hydrogen, since the technology does not require minerals like lithium to be imported from abroad and instead plays on advantages the nation already has, such as the potential for cheap wind power which can be used to make the gas cleanly, he added, providing an export opportunity. The Government was approached for comment. 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. After a series of traumatic events, Dawn was finally living her best life with husband Jimmy, daughter Christie and young son Jefferson. In Part 4 of Lifetimes V.C. Andrews Dawn limited series titled Midnight Whispers things were going well with Cutlers Cove, and she planned a stellar party for Christies 16th birthday. Attendees included Cutler family friend Bronson, Jimmys half-brother Gavin Longchamp and trainwreck sister Fern, as well as Dawns brother Phillip and dancer friend Trisha from New York. Phillip still hadnt gotten over his feelings for Dawn and essentially groped her during their dance in front of everyone. More from TVLine For some reason, Phillips wife Betty-Ann who he forced to dye her hair blond just like Dawn wasnt aware of her husbands creepy shrine to Dawn until she found it in a secret room in the hotel basement during the festivities. The next day, Phillip attacked Jimmy in the basement and started a gas leak, with Dawn finding Jimmy just in time to die with him in a fiery explosion. The hotel was destroyed in the incident, so Phillip and Betty-Anne moved into the family home to act as guardians over Christie and Jefferson. It didnt take long for Phillip to slither into Christies bed and attempt to assault her. She immediately took off with Jefferson and sought out her birth father Michael Sutton in New York. He was still a mess and couldnt help her, so she called up Gavin, and they were soon off to the Meadows plantation the place of her birth. VC Andrews' Dawn Luther and Charlotte were welcoming, if not kooky, hosts, and the displaced siblings enjoyed their time on the farm. But then Fern showed up to stir up trouble, toying with one of Charlottes dolls, much to Charlottes distress. It seemed like things were looking up once Fern finally left, but then Jefferson fell ill and was taken to the hospital. Story continues Phillip arrived at the hospital (he was the siblings guardian, after all) and forced Christie to go home with him. He again tried to assault his niece, but she fought him off and ran straight to Bronson. The police were called, and Phillip, despite being surrounded by men in uniform, still professed his love for Christie. That was the last straw for Betty-Anne, who revealed Phillips role in Jimmy and Dawns deaths. He was taken in away in handcuffs, still projecting his delusional feelings for Dawn onto Christie. A year later, Christie celebrated her acceptance into Julliard, well on her way to fulfilling her dream of playing at Carnegie Hall. Trisha told the young pianist how proud she was, and Gavin promised to always be there for her. What did you think of VC Andrews Dawns happy ending? Grade the finale below! Best of TVLine Get more from TVLine.com : Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Newsletter Click here to read the full article. KHAR, Pakistan A powerful bomb ripped through a political rally by supporters of a hard-line cleric and political leader on Sunday in Pakistans northwestern Bajur district, police and health officials said. At least 40 people were killed and nearly 200 wounded, including children, in one of the worst attacks in recent years. Senior police officer Nazir Khan said the workers convention of Maulana Fazlur Rehmans Jamiat Ulema Islam party was taking place on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajur district, when the bomb went off. AP video showed wounded people being carried from the scene in the chaotic aftermath. Bajur used to be a haven for Islamic militants. It is the former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, a militant group that is a close ally of the Taliban government of Afghanistan. The TTP was in recent years evicted from the area as a result of operations by the Pakistani military. The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan. In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere. In a statement sent to The Associated Press, the TTP condemned the bombing, saying it was aimed at pitting Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, also condemned the bombing. Such crimes cannot be justified in any way, he said in a message on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Though a separate group, the TTP remains a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021. The takeover emboldened the TTP. The group unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government last November and have since stepped up attacks across the country. Story continues Men gather at the site of a bomb blast in Bajaur district on July 30, 2023. 'Dust and smoke and some scattered limbs' One of the victims, Adam Khan, 45, was hit by splinters in his leg and both hands. He said it was around 4 p.m. when the explosion knocked him to the ground. There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs, he said. Initially, police said 10 people were killed but later more bodies arrived at a local hospital, bringing the death toll to 40. Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The Associated Press that so far 40 people had been martyred and nearly 200 wounded in the bombing. The JUI workers convention was arranged in a hall close to a market, but tents were later added because of the large number of supporters who turned out. The venue was being guarded by party volunteers with batons. The arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a senior party leader, was being announced when the bomb exploded. One of the worst attacks since 2014 The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. In February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters. Prime Minister Sharif and President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families. Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehmans party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt. Party officials said Rehman was not at the rally. Rasheed, the regional chief of the party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work. Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections. Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones, Rasheed said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bomb rips through political rally in Pakistan; 40 people killed woman working at desk, man with arms crossed, business sign A business sign has gone viral after they listed the one requirement they don't want in a potential job candidate. Posting to the subreddit "r/antiwork" an online forum where people can share any work-related struggles they are experiencing an anonymous Reddit poster shared an advertisement they had seen in which a business had strictly laid out the type of employees they wanted to work for them. A business sign claimed they refused to hire any 'liberal' employees as that would be 'detrimental' to their company. In the photo the business sign had hung up in their establishment, the management bluntly stated that they refuse to hire any "liberals" that send in job applications. "This is not because we disagree with their political views," the sign stated. "It is because working here requires superior reasoning, logic, and reading comprehension skills, and in our experience, Liberals are deficient in those areas." business hangs sign that claims they do not hire liberal employees Photo: Reddit RELATED: Woman Says Professionalism In The Workplace Should 'Burn' 'It's A Control Mechanism Powerful People Use' They continued, claiming that they find Liberals will often make decisions based on their emotions instead of logic, which is not what is required of their employees. "This would be very detrimental to our business," the advertisement added. In the end, the management at the unnamed business made sure to apologize for any "inconvenience" that this will most likely cause for people who have submitted their applications for the open positions. Many Reddit users pointed out that despite what the sign claims, it seems that this business does disagree with political views that aren't their own. There's also the issue that everyone, not just Liberals, uses emotion to make decisions. In fact, according to Gallup, research has found that about 70% of decisions are based on emotional factors and only 30% are based on rational factors. Story continues RELATED: Employee Says That He Is Only Allowed 59 Minutes Of Restroom Break Time Per Month 'I'll Run Out Of Break Time After 19 Days' Refusing to hire employees because of their political stance can greatly hurt the success of a business. This business claiming that they only want a certain type of employee to work for them neglects the chance to embrace a more diverse workforce. By considering candidates from diverse backgrounds or hiring people who may not fall into the same political party, companies can tap into a broader range of skills, experiences, and expertise, increasing their chances of finding the best-suited candidates for the job. Political beliefs should also not determine an individual's professional capabilities. Employees can keep their personal beliefs separate from their work responsibilities, ensuring a professional and inclusive environment. Instead of banning job candidates based on their political beliefs, this business should focus on creating a workplace that values diversity and ensures that all employees are treated fairly and respectfully. RELATED: Worker Confounded After Being Denied Accommodations For Her Time Blindness If You Struggle With Being On Time Youll Never Get A Job' Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences. This article originally appeared on YourTango Haley Kalil. Gotham/Getty Images Haley Kalil sure made an impression when she co-won the SI Swimsuit Swim Search in 2018. She returned to the publication each year thereafter through 21, and has posed for the annual magazine in Belize, Kenya, the British Virgin Islands and Florida. On July 26, the 30-year-old model and social media influencer shared a trio of Instagram pics from her previous photoshoots with the brand. The first, captured by James Macari in Hollywood, Fla., depicted Kalil in a bright blue two-piece swimsuit by rielli and neon accessories. The next, which was taken by Josie Clough in Scrub Island, featured a strappy white monokini by Charmosa Swimwear by N Hall. In the final photo, also captured by Clough, Kalil donned a rainbow one piece by Fashion Nova Sometimes I post these just to remind myself I was in @si_swimsuit , The Nerd Herd founder quipped in her caption. , five-time SI Swimsuit model Jasmine Sanders commented. To remind the world youre not only funny and characteristic but also beautiful, a fan added. [Im] just here to say that I love the fact that you left your stretch marks in the last photo and didnt blur them out , another follower noted. Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube! Since 2008, the three U.S. legacy carriers have been adding more and more fees. These are all the hidden fees to avoid, and how United, Delta, and American compare. Getty Images Theres nothing more upsetting than showing up at the airport on the first day of vacation to find out you have to pay $75 to check a bag to Europe and cant sit next to your family without paying $40 per person. In an effort to put a low upfront price tag on flights, airlines cover their costs through fees many of which are hidden in the fine print or arent disclosed until the buyer has selected flights and entered their booking information. Getty Images The fees that turn a $300 ticket into a $500 flight have long been the norm at low-cost carriers, but now, even U.S. legacy airlines United, Delta, and American are packed with fees. Its so bad that President Joe Biden proposed a new rule in September 2022 that would require airlines to be more forthcoming about additional fees. According to the proposed rule, airlines would have to disclose up front the first time an airfare is displayed any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or canceling your flight, and for checked or carry-on baggage. Getty Images Until then, the best option is to know what fees exist so you can choose your ticket type and pack your bags as an informed traveler. To start, we combed through the terms and conditions for the three U.S. legacy airlines United, Delta, and American to unveil common fees travelers face when they checkout online or show up at the airport. Showing Up With a Bag That's Too Heavy Next time theres someone repacking their entire suitcase at the check-in desk, have mercy; chances are theyre trying to save themselves $100 (or more). At all three airlines, checked bags have to be 50 pounds or under, so if a bag is 51 pounds, the traveler has to pay an extra (and unexpected) $100 or more. And if someone shows up with a bag thats 71 pounds or heavier, theyll get hit with a $200 charge. Story continues Those fees remain the same on international travel with Delta, while United doubles those charges for international flights (so a 51-pound-plus bag is $200 extra and a 71-pound-plus bag is $400 extra). American holds true to that $200 charge for 71-pound-plus bags on international flights, but charges $450 per 71-pound-plus bag for travelers in China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, and New Zealand. Phew. United: $100 to $400, per bag, each way American: $100 to $450, per bag, each way Delta: $100 to $200, per bag, each way Showing Up With a Bag That Isn't the Right Dimensions To avoid any hidden fees in regards to bag size, your bags have to be 62 linear inches or less, a rule that applies to all three airlines. Linear inches are measured by adding together the outside length, width, and height of a bag; so, if your bag is 25 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 20 inches high, its linear inches would be 63 inches, and youd be subject to an extra fee when you go to check your bag. United: $200, per bag, each way American: $150 to $200, per bag, each way Delta: $100 to $300, per bag, each way Checking a Bag on a Domestic Flight Before 2008, every airline passenger could check a bag to their destination, for free. But following American Airlines decision to charge checked bag fees for domestic flights, everything changed. These days, if youre flying domestically and want to check a bag, youll be charged between $30 and $35 for the first bag. United: $35 American: $30 Delta: $30 Checking a Bag on an International Flight in Basic Economy If youre flying internationally and have an economy tier ticket or higher, a checked bag is still typically free but basic economy travelers are the exception. On United, basic economy travelers are currently charged $70 to check a bag to South America and $75 Europe (still free to Asia and Australia), while American charges $45 on South American flights and $75 for travel over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Delta is a bit more varied, with charges running between $45 and $70 to South America, $75 to Europe, and free to Asia. United: $70 to South America, $75 to Europe, free to Asia American: $45 to South America, $75 to Europe, $75 to Asia Delta: $45 to $70 to South America, $75 to Europe, free to Asia Choosing a Seat in Basic Economy To keep fares low, United launched the basic economy fare tier in 2017 and American and Delta followed suit. At first glance, these tickets look great, but like a ticket with a low-cost carrier like Spirit, theyre riddled with hidden fees. If you want to select a seat on a United or American flight, youll pay extra, while Delta doesnt even allow you to choose a seat while booking, stating your seat will be assigned after check-in (within 24 hours of departure) and assigned seats may not be together. Seat selection, when available, can be purchased seven days to 24 hours prior to departure For a flight between Denver and Austin, the cost to choose a seat in basic economy in July 2023 starts at $34 on United and $21 on American. United: $34+, per person, per flight American: $21+ per person, per flight Delta: not available upfront, sometimes available beginning seven days prior to departure Bringing a Carry-on in Basic Economy Heres where the airlines diverge. With Delta and American Airlines, all travelers, including those in basic economy can bring one free carry-on and one personal item to all destinations. But on United, carry-on bags are not included in the fare unless youre flying to South America or across the Atlantic or Pacific. With United, youll pay $35 for a carry-on the same as a checked-baggage fee on domestic flights. If you forget (or dont know this rule), the airline states, Everyone else who brings a full-sized carry-on bag to the gate will be required to check their bag and pay the applicable checked bag fee plus a $25 gate handling charge. That comes to $60. United: from $35 American: free Delta: free Booking or Changing a Ticket Over the Phone If youre trying to use a flight credit to book upcoming travel or change your flight last-minute, you might need to call the airline for help. And if you need to talk to a human at United or American, youll pay extra. United says: A fee will be charged for tickets issued by United. Service charges for ticketing with a United representative in the 50 United States and Canada are $25 by phone, $30 at a City Ticket Office, and $50 in person at the airport. Meanwhile, there is no fee mentioned anywhere on Delta.com, and, according to an article by The Points Guy, Delta nixed their ticketing fee back in 2016. United: $25 to book a ticket over the phone American: $50 for changes to a trip not initially created by American Airlines Reservations or on aa.com Delta: free Flying With a Baby on Your Lap I always thought lap infants (a.k.a. kids who fly on their parents lap) flew for free. It turns out, that only applies for flights within the U.S. For a United flight to London where my 1.5 year old was on my lap, I had to pay an additional $168, which covers what they call a partial fare based on the destination. Thats almost 18 percent of my adult fare. Delta is super clear about what they charge for infants on laps, noting that they charge generally 10 percent of adult fare + international taxes and fees. American Airlines policy is more complicated. The airline says that infants under 2 years old can travel at no charge in the lap of their parent, but then notes that taxes and a percentage of the adult fare may apply on international trips. United: varies, but I paid $168 (18 percennt of adult fare) to get to London American: varies, but for international flights, there is likely a charge Delta: 10 percent of adult fare plus taxes and fees For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Heading back to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah this weekend, the UFC held its latest UFC 291 pay-per-view, headlined by the rematch between Lightweights Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. The two entered the Octagon with the symbolic "BMF" (Baddest Motherfucker) title on the line, following original holder Jorge Masvidal vacating the title with his retirement back in April. The two fighters last fought in April 2018 at UFC on Fox, with Poirer besting his opponent by way of a fourth-round TKO. At UFC 291, the two put on a competitive Round 1 with a cut above the eye causing issues for Gaethje that still was able to deliver offence despite the mounting pressure from Poirier. At the top of the second round, a noticeably calm Gaethje landed a right head kick that went through Poirier's guard, ending the fight with an impressive knockout. The co-main event was an interesting fight that saw Alex Pereira move up to Light Heavyweight to fight former champion Jan Bachowicz. Answering questions regarding his ability to fight at 185 pounds, Pereira earned a Split Decision victory (2928, 2829, 2928) in a three-round fight. Elsewhere in the card, Derrick Lewis shocked Marcos Rogerio de Lima with a TKO (flying knee and punches) victory in just 33 seconds, and Bobby Green defeated Tony Ferguson with an arm-triangle choke in the 3rd Round. It is interesting to note, the Welterweight fight between Stephen Thompson and Michel Pereira was scrapped after Pereira weight in at 174 pounds, three pounds over the division limit. Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov's Middleweight bout was also scrapped for unknown reasons. In case you missed it, leaked video of the Sony PlayStation 5 Project Q handheld surfaces. Carol Alt. Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images Over the years, Carol Alt has posed for SI Swimsuit seven times, including the magazines cover in 1982, after traveling to Kenya with photographer John G. Zimmerman. On July 27, the 62-year-old model and actress reminded her Instagram followers of her legendary status with a throwback photo from Miami Swim Week. Alt walked the runway with fellow brand icons Samantha Hoopes, Roshumba Williams, Vendela Kirsebom and Elsa Benitez. Alt wore a pink-and-white paisley swimsuit by Melissa Odabash with a matching cover-up slung casually over her shoulders. The snapshot was captured by Ezequiel DelaRosa at the W South Beach. Pretty in Pink, one of Alts 141,000 IG followers wrote in the comments. , Swim Search finalist Sharina Gutierrez applauded with emojis. Wow you havent changed a bit still a super model , Odabash observed. During the runway show on July 7, Alt walked the catwalk in a white button-up one-piece swimsuit and sheer sarong, as well as a blue bikini and coordinated cover-up dress. Check out both showstopping looks here. Alt last graced the SI Swimsuit Issue in 2014, when she participated in a legends feature for the brands 50th anniversary. Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube! Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. g / These travel writer-approved essentials are versatile, functional, and most importantly, stylish. Travel + Leisure / Tyler Roeland If I could sum up the inspiration for my European packing list, it would be: Grace Kelly hanging out on the French Riviera in the classic Hitchcock film To Catch a Thief. Translation: Timeless dresses to wear during car rides along the coast, classic sunnies to don at the beach, and crisp white shirts that never go out of style. For context: Im heading to France in August, where Ill spend three weeks making my way from Nice to Carcassonne, meandering along the Cote d'Azur, and winding through several Provencal towns. While I may not have access to Kellys iconic wardrobe, I do think its possible to draw some inspiration from her elegant, timeless aesthetic with just a few staple items. In fact, I plan to only bring a carry-on for my upcoming trip, which means versatility is key. All that dreamy inspiration aside, Im also an avid, practical traveler, and Ill be moving a lot during those three weeks where temperatures typically reach the mid-80s Fahrenheit, so I know comfort is an essential requirement for anything that takes up precious space in my luggage (meaning lots of tops with breathable fabrics, supportive shoes, and bottoms with stretchy waistbands). If you too are heading to Europe before summer comes to a close (or you just want to update your wardrobe with vacay-worthy pieces), look no further. Ive rounded up all of the clothes, shoes, and accessories that I plan on bringing in my carry-on for my jaunt to the South of France. Linen Top Amazon $24 $15 Buy on Amazon In the warm climate of southern Europe, linen is a lifesaver. Not only is it super lightweight and breathable, but it also takes up virtually no space in your suitcase. This tank top from Amazon-favorite brand Chigant makes the perfect linen blouse, and I love that this breezy pick can easily be paired with anything, whether the dress code calls of casual or fancy. According to a reviewer, it's a "great blouse" that's "very functional, and so light and airy for those hot summer days." Story continues Breezy Shorts Nordstrom $78 Buy on Nordstrom For days of walking along the coast or exploring quaint towns, Ill be reaching for an easy-to-wear pair of shorts. On extra warm days, Im a fan of wearing loose-fitting options like these relaxed BlankNYC linen shorts that come in a trendy green color, or this ruffled high-waist pair thats $27 at Amazon. Either of these neutral shorts could easily mix and match with any of the tops in your luggage so theres no need to pack more than one pair in your carry-on. Casual Mini Dress Amazon $35 Buy on Amazon I love a dress that I can toss on with a pair of sneakers and head out for a day of exploring or nice sandals for dinner by the sea. Personally, Im obsessed with this linen style from Dissh because it's simultaneously sophisticated and easy to wear. But, I also found this gorgeous linen dress at Amazon that has the same vibe at a fraction of the price. Either mini is a great addition to the packing list because it fits the feel of our SOF destination, hardly takes up any packing space, and creates a complete outfit with one compact garment. Flowy Midi or Maxi Dress Nordstrom $198 Buy on Nordstrom Im picturing frolicking through the lavender fields of Provence or enjoying a glass of rose while wearing a dreamy flowy dress. These long, floral print options from Free People, Reformation, and Amazon-favorite Zesica (which is starting at $40) will bring all of the effortless, classy vibes to your itinerary. While a maxi dress may take up a bit more space then its shorter counterpart, its similarly a one-garment outfit plus, Ive found that billowy dresses dont cling to your skin, and therefore feel fresher in between washes (a must on longer trips). Not to mention that the flowy construction will keep you cool in the heat. Summery Travel Bag Amazon $40 Buy on Amazon While exploring outdoor marketplaces or enjoying a flavorful meal al fresco, an on-trend rattan handbag will complete the look. This trendy pick is the perfect size for travel must-haves like your smartphone, wallet, and camera, and it has a secure snap-button closure and crossbody strap to keep your belongings safe and close to your person. It can also seamlessly slip into your carry-on and even serve as an organizer for the miscellaneous personal items (think: bras, socks, etc.) in your luggage to free up some space for other essentials. Oversized Button-Down Shirt Amazon $40 $30 Buy on Amazon Nothing says French girl style like a classic button-down shirt. It serves as a wardrobe chameleon, and this particular top from Amazon-loved brand Hotouch, which has a stamp of approval from T+L writers, is perfectly versatile; it can function in so many ways, making it a hero piece when packing space is of the essence: Pair it with casual shorts, heeled sandals, or toss it over your swimsuit as a classy swim cover-up. Versatile Tank Top Nordstrom $54 Buy on Nordstrom For more active days (or just particularly warm ones), it can be useful to have a sporty tank top on-hand. Im personally a fan of this Vuori racerback tank, and swear by its lightweight-yet-sturdy construction. Toss on this top (or the similarly versatile and comfy Missjoy High-Neck Ribbed Bodysuit) with a pair of denim shorts or linen pants. Not to mention, it takes up virtually no space in your luggage. As a matter of fact, Ive even been known to squeeze this tank into my personal item. Comfortable Sandals Zappos $140 Buy on Zappos For this particular trip, I plan to pack footwear thats functional during the day, but still looks elevated enough to wear to a nicer dinner. Ive tested (and loved) the Naot Kayla Wedges which have incredible support for long days on your feet. But, when I want to spice things up, I reach for the Vagabond Ines Sandals. Another ultra-comfy option: these fun, strappy Dr. Scholls sandals with arch support or these versatile Herstyle sandals that go with everything. Neutral Walking Sneakers Nordstrom $100 Buy on Nordstrom No matter where youre traveling to, functional sneakers are a must. But for the purposes of a French escapade, Im planning on bringing a totally neutral pair that would look equally lovely with a dress or shorts. You cant go wrong with a pair of classic Adidas sneakers, which are beloved by travelers for their cushy, arch-supporting footbeds. Or, try out T+L editor-favorite brand Cariuma, which is behind the ultra-comfy and supportive Oca Low-Top Canvas Sneakers that look good with everything. Pro tip: Id wear these on the plane to save space in your bag. Sophisticated Swimwear Nordstrom $83 Buy on Nordstrom No need to pack more than one swimsuit a sleek black one-piece is like the LBD of swimwear. The La Blanca Island Goddess One-Piece has a simple, classic cut that's perfect to throw on for a day by a Provencal pool or beach in Nice. For a budget-friendlier pick that still brings high-fashion realness, theres the Hilor Asymmetric Ruffle One-Piece thats less than $40. Packable Sun Hat Nordstrom $35 Buy on Nordstrom Im not always a big fan of wearing hats, but I have to admit that theyre both functional and stylish accessories. Currently, I'm eyeing this France-ready packable lace-tie hat, or this under-$30 pick that Amazon shoppers love. Both options are malleable enough to fold into your suitcase without losing their shape, then spring into action when its time to explore the beautiful French countryside. Luxe Pajamas Nordstrom $128 Buy on Nordstrom Personally, when Im enjoying a dreamy adventure abroad, I want my sleepwear to follow suit. I am currently obsessed with the silky-smooth pajama sets from Eberjey, which feel truly luxurious on my skin. The breathable fabric also stays fresh and clean after multiple wears, reducing the need to pack excessive sleepwear. Or, for a nightgown option, Im partial to this PJ Salvage jersey chemise. And, if youre looking for something a little flirty, theres this ruffled cooling set from Amazon-loved brand LuckyMore that's currently on sale for $28. Light Pants Nordstrom $219 Buy on Nordstrom Normally, blue jeans are a staple in my suitcase but for this upcoming trip, I decided to swap classic denim for a lighter hue. Im obsessed with these breezy, wide-leg white jeans from DL1961, which give off a timeless-yet-modern style that can be dressed up or down for endless outfit options. Heck, they're comfy enough to wear on the plane if you're really pressed for suitcase space. But, if you really want to forgo jeans altogether, might I suggest these high-waisted linen pants from Amazon-loved brand Eteviolet; they have a $28 price tag, come in tons of summer-friendly colors, and won't wrinkle or take up too much room in your carry-on. Vintage Sunglasses Amazon $349 Buy on Amazon An iconically shaped pair of sunglasses is a great space-saving accessory that can elevate your entire outfit while also serving an important function. These sunglasses from Maui Jim provide that stunning Hollywood starlet look and guarantee eye protection with polarized lenses. For a similar look without the steep price tag, go for this equally stunning pair from Sojos that's on sale for $15. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and well send you our favorite travel products each week. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Raymond Hall - Getty Images Cillian Murphy, star of Oppenheimer, has at least one thing in common with one of his Barbie counterparts; like Ryan Gosling, he is very private about his relationship. Murphy and his wife, Yvonne McGuiness, have only been photographed together in public once, in August 2016. "That work-life-balance thing is hard," Murphy said in 2019. "I have an amazing wife and I couldn't do this without her and her understanding. But it is a struggle. I think it is for any dad whose work takes him away, which it generally does, and which consumes him, which my work does." To keep life normal, he says, he's home at least six months a year. "I make sure that I try not to go from job to job to job, because that means you live in a bubble of set, hotel, set, hotel, plane, film festivals which, to me, is not reality," he explains. Here, get to know Murphy's wife, Yvonne McGuiness. McGuiness is Irish. Like Murphy, McGuiness is Irish. She's from Kilkenny, Ireland, and studied at Cork Institute of Technology and got her master's degree from the Royal College of Art in London. Her uncle, Jim McGuinness, is an Irish politician, according to the Irish Mirror. He's a Fianna Fail politician for the CarlowKilkenny constituency. Murphy and McGuiness met in the 90s. "That time, making Disco Pigs, was kind of the most important period of my life," Murphy explained. "The people I met there remain my closest friends They shaped me in terms of my tastes, in terms of what I wanted to do with my life. And it was around the same time I met my wife. She came on tour with us. It was so exciting, 20 years ago or whatever it waswe were all just kids, trying to find our waybut such a special, special time." They married in 2004. Murphy and McGuiness tied the knot in 2004, reportedly at her father's vineyard, Domaine des Anges in Provence, France. "The vineyard was under-capitalised and my then partner and I, having seen the place, decided to become involved in it," McGuiness's father Gay said in 2002. "Steadily from that point on, our involvement grew more and more until, ultimately, we bought the vineyard out around 1986 or 1987. Then around 1990 I bought my partner out." Story continues He added, "I had a general interest in wine though I hadn't and still don't have a great knowledge of wine. I like drinking wine, I know a little about it, but that's it. I was interested in the fact that it was totally different from anything I'd done before. And it's a very beautiful place." It's unclear if he still owns the vineyard. They have two teenage sons. Murphy and McGuiness they have two sons: Malachy, born 2005, and Aran, born 2007. They were first living in London, but then decided to raise their kids in Dublin, Ireland, to be close to their family and their grandparents. "We wanted them to be Irish, I suppose," he said. "It's amazing how quickly their accents have adapted. Even within a year of moving back, they are fading into this rakish west Brit kind of thing. Which I think, hopefully, will get them lots of girls when they're 15." McGuiness is an artist. Here's a description of the type of art she makes, via her website: "her work encompasses film, performance, sculptural and textile elements, sound and writing. She has an interest in embodied experience of place and belonging by staging live, public, interventions and performances which create surreal and dynamic moments of interaction and connection to place, time and communities. This is immersive work, which is collaborative and generally temporary. Her film installation work often reconstructs the documentation of these performances for gallery contexts." She has an Instagram, @ymcprojects, but it's private. You Might Also Like @gossipgalnews on tiktok A mom revealed the honest reason why she was forced to take her son out of America to get a simple procedure done. In a video, TikTok user @gossipgalnews, a mom of a 14-year-old, explained that she had been trying to find a doctor in America for her son that wouldn't cost her thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, due to America's lack of affordable healthcare, she was forced to look elsewhere. She took her son to Portugal to get simple dental work done after the high cost of having it done in America. "The audacity of American dentists, let me tell you what's going on," the teenage boy's mom began in her video. She explained that she was currently in Portugal to take her son to the dentist because, during his birth, something happened that led to his two front teeth being stained brown. RELATED: Dad Shares The Honest Moment When He Realized He Didn't Want To Raise His 4-Year-Old Daughter In America Anymore The stain on his teeth led to some self-esteem issues, so she decided to seek out a solution from a slew of dentists in the United States. "When he was about 6, I started asking dentists, 'Hey, can we fix this?' and I had no less than six American dentists tell me it would be thousands of dollars." RELATED: Financial Aid Student At Boarding School Shares The Strategic Way Privileged Kids Use 'Thank You' To Look Like They Belong The prices she was receiving ranged from $10,000 to $15,000 for essentially a teeth whitening procedure. Hearing the astronomical prices from American dentists, she knew she wouldn't be able to afford to have him get his teeth whitened in the States. While on a trip to Portugal, she had taken her son to get his teeth cleaned and, during the visit, she happened to mention to the dentist what she had been told in America about the price and was shocked to hear the Portugal dentist outright laugh. "They said, 'Oh yeah, we always know just by looking at the mouth, who has American dental work because it's always the most expensive with the [worst] supply, and it's just really bad work.' And then they went on to tell me that the problem could be fixed for 20 euro," she continued. Story continues The teen's mom remarked that she was blown away at the price of teeth whitening outside of America being close to $22 in USD. She claimed the Portugal dentist had been able to practically remove the brown stains from her son's teeth without her having to give up an arm and leg to do it in America. RELATED: A Woman Asked People In Other Countries If They'd Still Visit The US & The Answers She Got Are Eye-Opening The lack of affordable healthcare in America continues to be a challenging issue. Since the average household income in the United States is $87,864, as of 2023, that means the average American family spends at least $4,393 for out-of-pocket healthcare costs. The United States is one of the only countries that doesn't offer affordable healthcare options for its citizens. In 2021, U.S. healthcare spending reached $4.3 trillion, which averages to about $12,900 per person. By comparison, the average cost of healthcare per person in other wealthy countries is only about half as much. For dental work, specifically with dental insurance, the average cost for small issues, such as cavities or teeth whitening, is $978. Without dental insurance, the average costs can be around $1,007 and higher. Due to a lack of access to affordable preventive care in this country, it can lead to undiagnosed and untreated conditions, which would result in higher healthcare costs in the long run. RELATED: I Have No Teeth But My Husband Still Thinks I'm Beautiful In the comments section, many people shared the same frustrations as the teen boy's mom when it came to the high cost of healthcare in America. "We have dental insurance 2 cleanings & covers $2,000 a [year]. That barely covers anything [because] it's so expensive to get anything done!" one TikTok user pointed out. Another user added, "My childrens dental cleaning just went from $99 to $250. A childs cleaning is literally just fancy toothpaste. Im so mad." The unfair reality of the healthcare system and the high costs for simple procedures continue to be important topics of discussion among Americans. It's a disheartening thought that people, such as this mother, have to resort to seeking care out of the country just to save themselves thousands of dollars. RELATED: An Italian Mans Depiction Of A Day In The Life Of An American Is Devastatingly Relatable I Wake Up So Excited For Another Day Of Working Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences. This article originally appeared on YourTango For Warsaw resident Peggy Crabtree Berry, the Harry S. Truman Visitor Center allows her to connect with her heritage. Looking out from the centers panoramic overlook, she can see the land that once belonged to her ancestors. My family has been here since 1832, and when the dam came in, they took most of my grandfather's land to build the lake, Crabtree Berry said. So we went from a farming community and a ranching community to a tourist community. To construct the Truman Dam, many local farms were sacrificed in the flood that created the Truman Reservoir. It has since become a tourist attraction that brings visitors to the community and boosts the local economy. Budget cuts to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the Truman Dam and three surrounding properties, caused the centers hours of operation to be slashed to three days a week from April to September, plus select federal holidays. The visitor center does offer educational programs by appointment. Currently, it costs about $100,000 annually to operate the center. That figure accounts for support staffing, utilities, preventative maintenance and upkeep of the grounds, but excludes major repairs. The visitor center is operated by volunteers during its open hours. The visitor center closed during the pandemic, and for some time, there were concerns that the building would be permanently closed before it reopened in 2022. The Army Corps has since confirmed it has no intention of fully closing the building and has secured operational funding through 2024. But, due to the same funding constraints, the Army Corps is considering using some part of the visitor center to house office spaces. The area of the building that would be used has yet to be decided, but Crabtree Berry worries that the overlook is in jeopardy. The people around here feel like we gave up so much for the lake, Crabtree Berry said. For them to take away the visitor center and put offices in there, to us, it's just wrong. Story continues Officials from the Army Corps recognize the publics concerns and are working on plans to balance those with the funding struggles it faces. We don't have any plans finalized yet, said Emily Coffin, chief of the Army Corps Natural Resource Section. We're just in that discussion phase, looking at options for where offices could be located, and we would want to keep as much open to the public as we could. More: Lake level to reach unheard-of lows as Ameren fights against high energy use A blow to local tourism and the economy Local residents have received numerous complaints from weekday tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the Truman Dam from the visitor centers overlook, only to find the gates locked and the building closed. I've got an ice cream shop in downtown Warsaw, and people come in, and they complain, How come the visitor center is not open? said Crabtree Berry, who owns Back in Time Headquarters. Others feel that the restricted hours are limiting the economic growth of the community, as tourists can only visit the center on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or some federal holiday Mondays. Losing public access to the overlook would only exacerbate the losses. Warsaw, the surrounding cities, and all of Benton County could take a serious hit financially if we lost the overlook or part of the visitor center, said Lisa Treece, a local resident. We're already losing a lot having them be closed during the week. Warsaw lost another local attraction in 2021, when the Missouri Department of Conservation decided to close the Lost Valley Fish Hatchery Visitor Center. It was another popular tourist attraction and destination for school field trips. They see these things closing, and they're definitely concerned because tourism is such a big part of Warsaw, said U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, who represents Warsaws Congressional District. However, one silver lining could shine through if the Army Corps uses some part of the visitor center for office spaces. Having that dual space used by both personnel and the visitor center displays may be an opportunity to have the center open a little bit more often, since the staff would be there year-round, Coffin said. More: 'What's your M-O?' campaign boosts Ozarks tourism, generates millions in visitor spending The fight to preserve the overlook Members of the community reached out to Rep. Alford and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, both of whom are working to preserve the historic overlook. Senator Hawley is glad the Army Corps has committed to keeping the visitor center open, said Abigail Marone, spokesperson for Hawley. Now the Corps needs to make sure members of the public have full access to the facility. The priority should be public access, not government office space. Both Hawley and Alford have been in touch with the Army Corps about keeping the overlook area open for public use. It's a battle between the needs and desires of the local community, and the budget realities that we're facing, Alford said. I'm just hoping that we can reach some type of agreement when this is all said and done, and that everyone will be a winner in this situation. Alford suggested reaching out to the Army Corps as it finalizes it proposal for the visitor center, but the channels to communicate concerns are still being established. We want to definitely take the public's input into account, but we don't have anything set up at this point in time on how to collect any comments or or anything of that nature right now, Coffin said. Community organizations have also taken up the issue, including Concerned Citizens of Missouri and the Benton County Central Committee. Crabtree Berry serves as chairwoman for both groups. Initiative petitions have been circulating the community, gathering signatures of concerned citizens wanting to preserve the overlook. Local residents are understanding of the funding issues facing the Army Corps, but hope that some compromise can be made between preserving local landmarks and budget constraints. What we're fighting for is to get them to not take the overlook or at least not all of it for their offices, Treece said. We're not unwilling to compromise or work together for the best solution. For Treece, the overlook holds a special significance from her childhood that is irreplaceable. It was her fathers favorite place to visit every time the family visited Warsaw. My dad's now passed away, and so for me, it's extra emotional, Treece said. I don't want to lose my ability to go back in there and see what I saw with my daddy. If you only think of dollars and cents, it is pretty silly. But it's so much bigger than money. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Truman Lake Visitor Center faces uncertain future Last Wednesday morning, a toddler arrived at the emergency department of UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville with a swollen jaw. When emergency doctor Brandon Allen examined the boy, he discovered the childs teeth had rotted to the point that they were infected and nerves were exposed. He was in a lot of pain, Allen said. Unfortunately, Allen said, children often arrive in his emergency room with painful dental problems that could have been avoided with preventive care. Florida has the highest rate in the country of children going to hospital Emergency Departments for dental care, and the highest average charge for these visits, a new report reveals. More than 17,600 children visited Floridas Emergency Rooms for non-traumatic dental conditions and and additional 3,500 children and adults had to be admitted for life-threatening infections, according to 2021 federal hospital care data compiled by CareQuest Institute, a national nonprofit. We need to have robust access to preventive dental care so people can feel that the emergency department is not their only option, Allen said. In hospitals we dont do extractions. Were not dentists. Were open 24/7 so we are the default for access to care, but by the time they come to the emergency department, its too late when comes to doing anything preventative. The toddler, he said, most likely will need some, if not all, of his teeth removed. Children brought to emergency departments for dental care are more likely to be uninsured or covered by Medicaid and live in lower-income households, CareQuest researchers reported. These children may have Medicaid, but they cant access care, said Dr. Frank Catalanotto, president and founder of Floridians for Dental Access. They cant find dentists who take it, or the wait is too long, or parents have to travel an hour or two to find a dentist who might see them. The new research by CareQuest shows Florida is next to last in the country for children with Medicaid who had a dental visit in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available. Many children in Florida are walking around with rotten teeth, Catalanotto said. Most people dont realize how important this really is. Children do not learn as well when they are in pain. Story continues The most common diagnoses for the Florida children at the time of their emergency department visits were abscesses, dental caries, stomatitis, and chronic gingivitis conditions that are largely preventable with routine oral health care, CareQuest researchers found. Theres nothing for these children in the ER, Catalanotto said. All they get is a prescription for antibiotics and pain medication and they are told to go to a dentist. The relief of antibiotics and pain pills is temporary. In Florida, turning to a hospital ER for dental care is costly. Florida had the highest average charge for emergency department visits, ranging from $1,900 to $2,600 depending on the age of the child, the CareQuest report shows. In Florida, Medicaid covered about 80% of those visits. By contrast, Maryland had the lowest average charge ranging from $600 to $700, depending on the age of the child. In that state, Medicaid covered only 69% of those visits. Dental disease is almost entirely preventable, yet cavities are the leading chronic illness among children in this country, said Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, president and CEO of CareQuest Institute. Catalanotto said his organization, Floridians for Dental Access, plans to propose solutions to Florida legislators with the hopes they will pass laws or fund new programs to make dental care more affordable and accessible for children. Floridas Department of Health maintains a locator of providers who may offer reduced fees for dental services. And in June, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that increases the income threshold to qualify for subsidized coverage under the Florida KidCare program, which should give more families coverage. Florida KidCare covers dental, but services may differ with each plan and program. If more Florida children get dental insurance coverage, hopefully they will get a regular source of dental care that they can call even if they have a toothache on the weekend, said Lisa Heaton with CareQuest. Right now, many children likely dont have that. Parents are going to the ER because they dont have anywhere else to go. At UF Health Shands, Allen sees all the factors that result in children arriving at his hospitals with mouths full of decayed teeth and exposed nerves. Those factors, particularly in the low-income population, include lack of teeth brushing, poor access to dentists in their communities, transportation issues, and consumption of sugary drinks. Floridas rankings are disappointing but the report shows there is real opportunity, he said. We are going to need a real investment in oral hygiene for our states pediatric population. ------- Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Ive worn this versatile dress all over the world. Travel + Leisure / Madison Woiten Some people love picking out outfits before a big trip but I am not one of them. In the chaos of often last-minute packing for myself and my family, trying to figure out what clothing pieces go with what while keeping it minimal enough to all fit in a carry-on is often just another layer of pre-trip stress. Thats why when I discover any easy and versatile one-and-done outfits, Im sold. My latest obsession is the Madewell Layton Slip Midi Dress, and just this year, Ive worn it all over Mexico City, Seoul, and the California Central Coast. As a matter of fact, thanks to an epic, 24-hour Madewell flash sale, its an additional 30 percent off its already discounted price tag; all you need to do is use the promo code "HOTDEAL" at checkout to unlock double savings and get it for $56. Madewell $98 $56 Buy Now The Madewell Layton Slip Midi Dress is made with soft and sustainable Lenzing Ecovero fabric, so it's just as comfy as it is stylish and eco-friendly. But, what really makes it a real gem is its versatility; I love that it pairs just as easily with laidback dad sneakers as it does with dressy sandals and heels. I can dress it up to go out for drinks, or dress it down to take an architecture walking tour. If its chilly outside, I layer a cardigan or jacket on top, and pro style tip: you can also wear a T-shirt underneath it for more coverage and to create a 90s-inspired look. But of course, if its a hot, sunny day, just wear it as is for a lightweight, breezy outfit. Related: These Clever Reversible Swimsuits Are Total Game-changers for Packing and They Start at Less Than $50 Even as a petite 5 foot 2 inches tall person, it hits at just the right midi length thanks to the adjustable straps. Though some slip dresses can be too clingy and show every bump and curve, I'm delighted to report that this V-neck dress drapes beautifully to be super flattering and comfortable, even after a full vacation meal. However, the brand does note in the description that it does run small and to order a size up, which I did and find to be accurate. Story continues The Layton Midi Slip Dress comes in seven solid color options although its only the gatehouse green, dried rose (coral pink), antique purple, and rosy hibiscus (magenta) hues that are one double sale. Luckily for me, these are the ones I haven't tried yet, and Ive definitely scooped up a couple for my wardrobe. Beyond my travels, Ive worn it to the park with my kids, out to dinner with friends, and for running errands around town. Amazon $98 $58 Buy Now Take it from me, the Layton Midi Slip Dress is going to be the M.V.P. of your closet. And, at under $60, this is a deal that pretty much cant be beat in my book. Make sure to use the promo code "HOTDEAL" at checkout so you can enjoy the double savings during this Madewell flash sale. And, if you need more vacation outfit inspiration, keep scrolling to explore other travel-friendly slip dresses that deserve a spot in your suitcase. Shop More Slip Dresses at Amazon: The Drop Darcy Slip Dress Amazon $45 $23 Buy Now Xxxiticat Satin Slip Dress Amazon $40 $25 Buy Now The Drop Ana Midi Slip Dress Amazon $55 $50 Buy Now Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and well send you our favorite travel products each week. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at Minden-Tahoe Airport in Minden, Nev., on Oct. 8, 2022. (Bridget Bennett/The New York Times). The political action committee that former President Donald Trump is using to pay his legal bills faced such staggering costs this year that it requested a refund on a $60 million contribution it made to another group supporting the Republican front-runner, according to two people familiar with the matter. The decision signals a potential money crisis for Trump, who has so far refused to pay his own voluminous bills directly and has also avoided creating a legal-defense fund for himself and people who have become entangled in the various investigations related to him. It comes as Trump runs a campaign while under indictment in two jurisdictions and, soon, potentially a third, while also paying the legal fees of a number of witnesses who are close to him or who work for him. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times It is unclear how much money was refunded. But the refund was sought as the PAC, Save America, spent more than $40 million in legal fees incurred by Trump and witnesses in various legal cases related to him this year alone, according to another person familiar with the matter. The numbers will be part of the Save America Federal Election Commission filing that is expected to be made public late Monday. That $40 million was in addition to $16 million that Save America spent in the previous two years on legal fees. Since then, Trump has been indicted twice and has expanded the size of his legal team, and his two co-defendants in the case related to his retention of classified material work for him. The total legal spending is roughly $56 million. The $40 million figure was reported earlier by The Washington Post. The PAC was the entity in which Trump had parked the more than $100 million raised when he sought small-dollar donations after losing the 2020 election. Trump claimed he needed the support to fight widespread fraud in the race. Officials, including some with his campaign, turned up no evidence of widespread fraud. Story continues Trump used some of that $100 million for other politicians and political activities in 2022, but he also used it to pay more than $16 million in legal fees, most of them related to investigations into him, and at least $10 million of which was for his own personal fees. Save America began 2023 with just $18 million in cash on hand, which is less than half of what was spent on legal bills this year. Campaign finance experts are divided on whether Trump is even able to continue to use the PAC to pay for his personal legal bills, as he became a candidate last November. Trump has long told associates that lawyers and other people contracted to work for him should do so for free, because they get free publicity. And he has told several associates that legal-defense funds are organized only by people who are guilty of crimes, according to people who have heard the remarks. Earlier this year, Trump began diverting a larger percentage of every dollar he raised online away from his campaign and into his PAC, which he has used to pay for his lawyers. At the start of the 2024 campaign, Trump had devoted 99 cents of every dollar raised online to his campaign. But he shifted that formula to now give only 90 cents to the campaign and 10 cents to the PAC, which has served as a sort of de facto legal fund. The move drew sharp criticism from some of his rivals. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called it disgraceful on CNN during an interview in June. Hes going to middle class men and women in this country and theyre donating $15, $25, $50, $100 because they believe in Donald Trump and they want him to be president again, Christie said. Theyre not giving that money so he can pay his personal legal fees. Yet that increased amount diverted from Trumps campaign couldnt possibly begin to cover the high costs of legal fees that the candidate and his associates have incurred. And whatever money the super PAC returned to the political action committee to cover legal bills in theory means less money being spent in support of Trumps candidacy. A spokesperson for Trumps campaign, Steven Cheung, would not comment on the refund request. But regarding the overall spending on lawyers, he said, The weaponized Department of Justice has continued to go after innocent Americans because they worked for President Trump and they know they have no legitimate case. He characterized the legal actions against Trump and his allies as heinous actions by Joe Bidens cronies and said the PAC had contributed to covering legal costs to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed. A spokesperson for the super PAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Despite having his political action committee pay his legal fees, Trump, a wealthy businessman and celebrity, insisted Saturday at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, that he would spend his own money on his campaign if he had to. c.2023 The New York Times Company The first time Connor Berlin scrubbed into theater at Ukraines Mechnikov Hospital, he was given a hand-cranked neurosurgical drill thats long been outmoded in the United States. The Americans task: using this medieval tool to operate on a Ukrainian soldier with horrific head injuries from a suspected land mine. His left eye socket was totally destroyed, completely gone, and we had to reconstruct that entirely, said Berlin, 30, a resident brain surgeon at the University of Virginia, who is using his vacation time to volunteer in the city of Dnipro, less than 70 miles from the front line of Ukraines war against Russia. Some of the traumatic injuries to soldiers were seeing every day here are unlike anything you will ever see in the United States. The gruesomeness of what one man can do to another, it can be haunting, he said. Born in New York, Berlin is indelibly linked with Ukraine through his Jewish faith and his ancestors, who fled the country following a murderous, antisemitic pogrom more than 100 years ago. Today he believes he is the only neurosurgery resident from the U.S. operating there, giving him rare insight for an American into the human cost of the worst fighting in Europe since the end of World War II. From left, Rostilav Malyi, 28, cranial neurosurgeon, Nikita Lombrozo, 28, neurovascular neurosurgeon, Dmytro Cherevko, 26, spine neurosurgeon, and Connor Berlin, 30. (Connor Berlin) He sees dozens of bloodied, mutilated soldiers brought in on gurneys every night; staff juggling workloads outlandish even to overworked American health care professionals; intensive care units overflowing into hallways; water bottles used as IV bags; and bed sheets with holes cut in them for surgical drapes. The first day I came to the ICU, I almost cried, said Berlin, who is volunteering through Razom, a New York-based nonprofit organization formed in 2014 to support Ukraine. The ICU was just a converted operating theater, with five soldiers on ventilators who had suffered terrible, terrible maiming injuries. I thought to myself: What more can these men and boys give to their country? he recalled. There is nothing left to give. Story continues Berlin stresses that he does not want to be pejorative about the Ukrainian tools or staff using them; he wants to highlight the skilled, passionate people desperately trying to help but too often being overwhelmed. They dont have the fancy things that we have in the U.S., but despite their lack of resources, they still get the job done, he said, emphasizing he has learned as much as hes taught while working in the country. They dont complain; they are very adaptable, impressive individuals. And Im very inspired by a lot of them. His July 11 arrival came days after Ukraine launched a grinding, attritional counteroffensive. The Ukrainians are making some progress, picking their way through minefields but slower than some Western officials and experts expected. Dnipro, around 240 miles southeast of Kyiv, has been bombed by Russia throughout this war and bears the scars of burned-out buildings and dead residents. But most of the time it feels like a regular city, Berlin said, with locals going out to bars and restaurants and enjoying bucolic parks. A Ukrainian Army doctor from the 72nd Mechanized Brigade tends to an injured soldier's wounds, in Donbas, Ukraine (John Moore / Getty Images file ) It is only from his vantage point, in the regions main head trauma hospital, that he has seen firsthand what happens when modern weaponry meets the trenches, tanks and land mines of old, deployed on a scale Europe hoped it had long forgotten. Estimates vary, with the U.S. in November putting each sides casualties at around 100,000. Mechnikov Hospital has seen 17,000 civilian and military casualties since the invasion, Berlin said. Doctors there told The Associated Press this month that the hospital is busier than ever, treating civilians by day for everything from cancer to car accidents, before becoming swamped at night by wounded soldiers sent directly from the front lines. I hope others will be inspired Berlin has traced his family back to Ukraine, where in 1918 his great-great grandfather Yankel was killed in his backyard during a pogrom by locals. His great-grandmother, Lilly, fled to New York, giving birth to his grandmother, Ruth, along the way. He sees an echo of his own familys story of persecution and endurance in Ukraines fight against Russia, a conflict he describes as purely good versus evil. The Ukrainians he is helping today are clearly not the same people that punished my family over 100 years ago, he said. These are good people, freedom-loving people, democracy-loving people, kind, generous people, who deserve to live and deserve to have their country. But if I can come to this country, after everything that happened in my family, and find it in my heart to come here and help them, then I hope that others will be inspired to do the same, he said. As well as the hand-powered drill, his photo diary shows him and colleagues using a gigli saw a flexible but primitive cutting tool used to slice through bone. We rarely use them in the U.S. nowadays, but in Ukraine sometimes thats all thats available, he said. It still gets the job done. The nurse- and doctor-to-patient ratios are insane, he said. I am so inspired by them. Another of his photos shows him operating alongside Rostislav Malyi, a Ukrainian surgeon and fellow member of the self-styled dream team as their four-person crew jokingly calls itself. When he started working at the hospital, he gave Malyi, 28, his University of Virginia scrub cap, as a gift. He always wears it now, Berlin said in a message alongside the photo. I have built a very strong bond with these guys. We are in the trenches together. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A 15-year-old boy was shot Friday evening and died Saturday, according to Columbus Police. The boy, who was shot on Columbus' Near East Side, died at OhioHealth's Grant Medical Center downtown. A 15-year-old boy who was shot Friday evening on the city's Near East Side died Saturday at OhioHealth's Grant Medical Center downtown. Dereon Draper-Robinson was pronounced dead at 2:18 p.m. on Saturday as a result of the injury he suffered the night before, according to the Columbus Division of Police. Read More: Video shows suspected Ohio bank robber falling from drive-thru ceiling before arrest At 6:02 p.m. on Friday, police were dispatched to the 1200 block of Atcheson Street where they found Draper-Robinson suffering from an apparent gun shot wound. He was transported to Grant Medical Center in critical condition. Police are investigating the shooting as a homicide. No suspects have been identified and the motive for the crime is unknown, according to police. Police released no other details surrounding the shooting, including how many times Draper-Robinson had been shot. Anyone with information regarding this incident, is asked to call Columbus Police Homicide Unit at (614) 645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477). Detective Egelhoff is the lead detective on the case and is being assisted by Detective Lemmon. Read More: Police investigating after person killed in stabbing on Columbus' South Side mwagner@dispatch.com @MikeWagner48 This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police investigating shooting of 15-year-old The prophet Isaiah warned that days of moral confusion would come such that men would call evil good and good evil (See Isaiah 5:20). How do we determine what is right and wrong? Majority opinion? If 51% of the population claims something is moral Nazi Germany proved that majority opinion isnt always moral and can be evil. Personal feelings? What is right for me is morality. It is not hard to see the problem with this scenario. What is legal? Saudi Arabia has laws that fail to protect women against domestic violence. Most people around the world would agree that what is legal is not always moral. Love what feels right? Love is love. This is a slippery slope in terms of morality. Specifically, most people understand that pedophilia is morally wrong. Love can lead people down the wrong path of finding morality because it is feelings. Authenentic Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the ultimate standard of determining what is right and wrong. Your word is truth (John 17:17) and Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). The Christian Church is at a crossroads regarding homosexual marriage and allowing homosexuals to hold church office. Give in and let the world/culture/feelings define marriage or choose fidelity to Gods word. The Christian Reformed Church of North America (CRCNA) chose to be faithful to the word of God with regard to homosexual marriage and the ability of homosexuals to hold church office. Further supporting the CRCNAs position, the Belgic Confession, Article 29: The Marks of the True Church: It governs itself according to the pure word of God, rejecting all things contrary to it and holding Jesus Christ as the only head. It goes on to say: As for the false church, it assigns more authority to itself and its ordinances than to the word of God; it bases itself on humans more than on Jesus Christ. Advocates for the CRCNA (and other Christian churches) to cave to the world/culture, will choose feelings over fidelity to Gods word when it comes to homosexual marriage. Story continues Addressing Ray Buursmas main points in his recent article, titled, "My declaration concerning homosexual marriage," "It harms no one. More: Ray Buursma: My declaration concerning homosexual marriage I disagree. Some research has suggested that homosexuals are at a higher risk of anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse and suicide. Buursma also writes: It prevents no one from following Gods command to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Jesus said that he didnt come to abolish the law (Torah) and prophets but to fulfill the law. That means the Old Testament passages forbidding homosexual practice, for all people including pagans, still apply today. Christians cant pick and choose what commands of God to follow. (1 John 2:4) Buursma writes: It prevents no one from loving God with all ones heart, soul, strength and mind; it prevents no one from doing unto others as one would have done to oneself. Living in unrepentant sin separates a person from God. (Luke 13:3)Buursma writes: Based on science that demonstrates homosexual orientation is innate and unchosen. According to a report from two John Hopkins University researchers, "Some of the most widely held views about sexual orientation, such as the 'born that way' hypothesis, simply are not supported by science." Many Christians (gay and non-gay) will say the biblical message that the Christian church is preaching is driving homosexuals out of the church this is probably true. The church is at a crossroads it is my prayer that Christians will love their homosexual neighbors and be faithful to Gods word. Bill Sutton is a resident of Holland Township. He can be reached at suttonbillfamily@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: My Take: When it comes to LGBTQ and the church, we must follow God's word If youve received a debit card in the mail, dont throw it out; its not a scam! If you have a child in a Vermont public school, youll be getting a food benefit. Keep your eyes peeled for mail with the Vermont Department of Children and Families' logo. The Economic Services Division of Vermonts Department of Children and Families (DCF) is distributing Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer cards to families with school-aged children, to make up for food benefits children may have missed due to COVID-19. Though food benefit distribution has been underway for some time, households are now beginning to receive P-EBTs. We want to make sure no child goes hungry during this health crisis, DCF Commissioner Chris Winters said in an April news release. The P-EBT benefit will provide much needed support to Vermont households that typically rely on free or reduced meals at school to feed their children. How much money is on the card The minimum amount of money on the card will be $120. Benefits increase depending on whether or not a child missed school for reasons related to COVID-19. Benefits are $8.18 for each day an eligible child missed. Residents who get 3SquaresVT benefits will be issued this additional benefit on their card. Parents may have received a P-EBT debit card from Vermont's Department for Children and Families Economic Services Division in July 2023. It was mailed in a large envelope and included this brochure. Use it or it goes back to the federal government Benefits not used for 274 days will disappear permanently from the holder's account and go back to the federal government. For people that dont feel comfortable using benefits for themselves, DCF encourages folks to buy food and donate it to a local food bank. Vermont families may have received a P-EBT card in the mail that came pre-loaded with at least $120 be used on food purchases. Why did I get a debit card from Vermont's DCF Children eligible to receive the P-EBT must attend a school that offers free meals to all students through the Community Eligibility Provision or Provision 2; all children attending public schools in Vermont from the year 2022-23 are eligible, with no income threshold. Vermont will issue $9.9 million to approximately 80,565 students in 53,535 households over the course of this summer, according to the DCF. Story continues The benefits come through the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which issued temporary assistance to households without access to meals for children in schools. It allows federal approval benefits to be issued through summer 2023, through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT card systems. Child protection registry: Child abuse or parenting 'in todays complex world'? Some say Vermont DCF gets it wrong How to activate the debit card People receiving the P-EBT should be receiving two letters from the Department of Children and Families one containing the card and brochure discussing the terms of the card, and the other containing information on how to activate the card. A Vermont P-EBT card that was received in the mail on July 26, 2023. The card has $120 of pandemic relief money to be used on food purchases. To activate the card, one needs a birth date and a Social Security number, though neither of those are the recipient's actual birth date and Social Security number. It is your childs birthdate and a number issued by DCF. People that do not receive all materials, or have issues setting up their P-EBT, should contact the Economic Services Division at DCF at 1-800-479-6151. Vermont flooding: Children in state care need a home, assistance after flooding. Here's how you can help. Where to use it EBTs can be used at any participating stores, ATMs and farmers markets. The DFC has a website that locates participating stores near you. The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA) is offering a program to multiply 3SquaresVT or SNAP benefits into "Crop Cash," when benefits are used at farmers' markets. More information about using benefits at farmers' markets can be found on NOFAs website. Visit https://dcf.vermont.gov/benefits/ebt or call 1-800-479-6151 to learn more about the EBTs or to get assistance activating your card. Contact Free Press reporter Kate Sadoff at ksadoff@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont food benefit sent to many school-aged children as COVID relief A Delta Air Lines plane on the tarmac at San Antonio International Airport in Texas. Robert Alexander/Getty Images A new lawsuit against Delta Air Lines alleges a passenger sexually assaulted a minor and her mother. The lawsuit says the man was continually served drinks on board despite being obviously intoxicated. The plaintiffs are seeking $2 million in damages from the airline. A new lawsuit alleges that a man aboard a Delta Air Lines flight was served at least 10 vodkas on ice before sexually assaulting a woman and her minor daughter, who were seated next to him. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in New York's Eastern District, says the airline is to blame for the assaults, and claims working flight attendants did nothing to stop the man from consuming so much alcohol or prevent his behavior toward both women. Incidents of passengers misbehaving on flights have been on the rise since travel resumed post-pandemic, with numerous conflicts occurring between passengers or between passengers and airline staff. The plaintiffs, a woman and her 16-year-old daughter, boarded a flight from JFK airport in New York to Athens, Greece, in late July 2022 and were seated next to an unnamed male passenger, according to the court documents. As the nearly 9-hour flight continued, the man, who, according to the complaint, was already intoxicated upon boarding, was continually served drinks by the Delta flight attendants. After about ten drinks, the man began trying to speak to the young woman seated next to him, per the lawsuit. "A.A. told the Delta flight attendant that the intoxicated Delta passenger was very drunk and was making both her and her 16-year-old daughter feel unsafe by yelling, making obscene gestures, and touching her daughter inappropriately," the lawsuit reads. "The Delta flight attendant did nothing to help and just said 'be patient' before walking away." Soon after, the man ran to the restroom, where he threw up. While he was gone, the mother attempted to have their seats moved to no avail, the lawsuit states. "Distraught that her attempts to protect herself and her daughter were not working, A.A. called over yet another flight attendant for the fourth time," the lawsuit says. "Again, A.A. pleaded for help but the flight attendant nonchalantly said 'oh shoot I just gave him more wine.'" Story continues In response to the man's behavior, the teenage girl eventually had a panic attack, during which the male passenger reached under her shirt, per the lawsuit. Upon landing, the woman and her daughter were offered 5,000 "Sky Miles" as an apology, but employees did not notify police of the man's behavior, the lawsuit states. The plaintiffs are now seeking $2 million in damages, according to reporting from Fox News. In response to a request for comment, Delta gave Insider the following statement: "While we don't have any specific comment on this pending litigation, Delta has zero tolerance for customers who engage in inappropriate or unlawful behavior." The plaintiffs' lawyer, Evan Brustein, called the incident a "nightmare." "Airlines are supposed to not just land the plane safely but keep their passengers safe," Brustein said in an email to Insider. "What happened to my clients during this flight was not just a nightmare it was completely preventable." Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at scahill@insider.com. Read the original article on Insider The government of Kenya says it is ready to lead a multinational force into violence-torn Haiti and send 1,000 police officers to help the Caribbean nation deal with its deteriorating security landscape. The offer, made public Saturday by the African nations foreign ministry, is being welcomed by the Haitian government, which called it an excellent development. We have witnessed with much concern the worsening of the security situation due to the continuing criminal actions of gangs, Haitian Foreign Minister Jean Victor Geneus said. We welcome the declaration of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya. We greatly appreciate the support and solidarity of our brothers and sisters from Africa, the motherland. We stand ready to welcome and work with the assessment team from Kenya. In a statement posted by Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua, the Kenyan government said the African nation is committed to deploying the contingent of its police officers to help train and assist Haitis national police force combat violent gangs. The consideration of leading such an endeavor, the ministry said, comes at the request of Friends of Haiti Group of Nations. Kenya stands with persons of African descent across the world, including those in the Caribbean, and aligns with the African Unions diaspora policy and our own commitment to Pan Africanism, and in this case to reclaiming of the Atlantic crossing, the statement said. The offer is being welcomed by others as well. Dominican President Luis Abinader, who has been calling on the international community to help with the crisis in neighboring Haiti, said while visiting Puerto Plata Saturday that he will continue to advocate for more support beyond Kenyas welcomed offer. State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who just wrapped up a tour of the Pacific, spoke by phone Saturday to Kenyan President William Ruto about Kenyas positive consideration of leading a multinational force in Haiti. Story continues After a lull in violence and kidnappings by heavily armed gangs in the last two months, Haiti is now seeing a deadly and worrying resurgence that on Thursday prompted the U.S. Department of State to order the evacuation of all non-emergency personnel at its U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, and U.S. citizens in Haiti. Earlier in the week, dozens of Haitian families had sought refuge in front of the embassy after armed gang members invaded their nearby neighborhood in Tabarre. The crowd was forced off the embassys compound by Haitian police, using tear gas. Outside of the capital, another gang also attacked the population and set fire to an independent police station. In addition to the violence, a number of for ransom kidnappings were also reported. The victims include Dr. Reynold Grand Pierre, a prominent gynecologist and the director of family health at the Ministry of Public Health and Population; and a New Hampshire woman and her child. Alix Dorsainvil, a community health nurse, and her child were abducted Thursday morning from the El Roi Haitis campus near Port-au-Prince, the organization said. The kidnapping happened on the same day the State Department updated its travel advisory for Haiti and told Americans to leave due to the gang violence and kidnappings. While Haitis beleaguered police force has managed to make inroads against gangs, theyve struggled to maintain control of areas once they move in. The force also numbers roughly 3,500 on security duty on any one day throughout the country. Last week, during a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing on the response to the security situation in Haiti, Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio noted that you have a significant percentage of the national police, are applicants, currently waiting for the parole program that the Biden administration has created. Thats never a good sign when the people thats supposed to be doing [security] believe their best option is to leave the country, Rubio said. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Brian A. Nichols, who testified during the hearing, told the committee that the administration continues to consult with countries about the situation in Haiti is speaking with potential contributors to a multinational force, which we consider the fastest deploying solution, and specifically responsive to the request from the Haitian government as we contemplate other solutions that could include some type of peacekeeping operation in the future. But we believe its urgent to get forces on the ground that could support the Haitian national police as they carry out missions specifically targeting the gangs that prey on the Haitian people, Nichols said. Last year, as a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, which maintains international peace and security, Kenya was vocal about the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Haiti. While calling for practical proposals, the countrys representative also pushed for African nations to play more of a leading role in helping a strife-torn Haiti tackle stem the violence, leading to it emerging as a threat to regional peace and security. An assessment mission staffed by the Kenya Police is scheduled to arrive in Haiti within the next few weeks. This assessment will inform and guide the mandate and operational requirements of the mission, Kenyas government said. The proposed deployment still needs to be approved by the Security Council, which earlier this month gave Secretary-General Antonio Guterres until August 15 to report back on options to improve the security situation in Haiti, including a possible U.N. peacekeeping force and a non-U.N. multinational force. Guterres has called for a robust force to be sent to Haiti, where armed gangs now control at least 80% of the capital and and are behind an escalation in killings, kidnappings, rape of women and girls, looting, and the forced the displacement of tens of thousands of Haitians. Kenyas proposed deployment will crystallize once a mandate from the U.N. Security Council is obtained and other Kenyan constitutional processes are undertaken, the East Africa nations foreign ministry said. Also under consideration will be the reaction on the ground in Haiti, where the issue of foreign forces remains divisive though recent polling shows increased support for outside help. Among the discussions already taking place in some Haitian circle is the reputation of the Kenya forces, and if they can have an impact in Haiti. Kenya has participated in peacekeeping operations in neighboring African countries in the past but its police are also not above reproach at home where the force faces accusations of violence and calls for deep reform. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who met with Kenyas president in Paris last month to discuss support for the Haitian police, first requested help from the international community in October, asking that a specialized force be deployed to help his struggling police force. The request was supported by Guterres and the United States, which has a resolution before the Security Council for such a deployment. But with the Biden administration unwilling to lead a security mission, or field one with its own troops, Washington has had a difficult time getting other countries to raise their hands. The U.S. had hoped Canada would do so, but so far Ottawa has not shown any willingness to do so. In March, its top general, citing his involvement in the war in Ukraine, said he was concerned that his armed forces do not have the capacity to also go into Haiti. Another country under consideration has been Brazil, which has experience in Haiti and whose military in the past was instrumental in helping foreign police units take on gangs in Port-au-Prince and take back control of gang-controlled areas after the 2004 uprising. A number of small Caribbean countries like Jamaica, and some police-contributing African nations to the United Nations, Rwanda, in particular, have offered to field a force, should someone else take the lead. The next steps will depend both on Kenyas assessment and whether the Security Council takes its offer. A confidential document circulating among some U.N. member countries, and obtained by the Miami Herald, spells out much of what is needed in a deployment and makes a strong argument for military, and not just policing, capabilities given the Haitian terrain and expanding prowess of the heavily armed gangs. Henry himself is also engaging in discussions with members of his government over what kind of force should be deployed, and what its mandate should be: secure strategic assets like roads and the fuel port, or go after the gangs. During his appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee Thursday, Nichols gave an indication on the U.S.s thinking about the role of a deployed foreign force. The security reality in Haiti, he said, depended on where one was. In Port-au-Prince, the capital, the security situation is extremely bad and requires urgent assistance, Nichols told U.S. senators. Other parts of the country, the situation is substantially better, he said. A force need to provide security around key infrastructure sites....so the Haitian national police can interact with the populace and provide security. We also need to grow the police force in tandem with the deployment of a multinational force. WASHINGTON Pooja Tanjore doesn't agree with the conservative policies of Republicans Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, but she's glad they are running for president in 2024. "I am really happy to see Indian representation and political involvement...Indian Americans are choosing to be involved in their communities to make change," Tanjore said. Tanjore, a 22-year-old voter from Ashburn, Virginia, is one of more than 4 million Indian Americans who are more represented on the largest political stage heading into the 2024 presidential election. A few Indian Americans have led states as governors and members of Congress. At least one, Bobby Jindal, even made the GOP primary debate stage during his 2016 presidential campaign. But none have captured the presidency. Vice President Kamala Harris broke barriers as the first woman to hold the office and the first woman of color to hold the office, frequently speaking about her Indian mother and Black father. This year, Indian Americans have hopes Haley or Ramaswamy could run at the top of the 2024 Republican ticket. Pooja Tanjore 'Inspired' Arun Agarwal first learned about Nikki Haley in 2004 a time when Indian representation in politics was rare. The CEO of textile company Nextt was traveling to South Carolina for business and quickly became one of her most ardent supporters. I was really not involved in politics at all but I saw a story about this young Indian American trying to run for the (South Carolina House of Representatives seat) and I just called her at that time, Agarwal, a 54-year-old voter in Dallas, Texas, told USA TODAY. "After three to four calls, I got her office number...I said I was inspired by what she is doing." He saw Haley's story as similar to his own. She was the daughter of immigrants rising in political stature and willing to break glass ceilings in her career. He came to the U.S. from India in 1990 against his parents wishes. Story continues Arun Agarwal Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter It was custom in India for children to take over their family business at the time, Agarwal said, but he desired a different path in life one that he could create himself. I did not want to go into the business there, because it was not a fair, level playing field, Agarwal said. You always get to know someone to get ahead. But when I came here, you know, I saw things differentlyif you can be different, if you can innovate, you can succeed. When Agarwal moved to Dallas and later opened Nextt, he said Haley supported him. Her visit to India, while she was South Carolina governor from 2011 to 2017, was one example of that. "She visited our manufacturing partners there, again to say Bring this manufacturing to South Carolina because we being in textile and South Carolina being such a big textile state, it was a good match for the state," Agarwal said. He said he believed Haley truly supported him for the long term. "Still, every time I meet her, I would ask her, 'What should I call you? Ambassador or governor?' The reply is always the same 'Call me Nikki,'" Agarwal said. 'I'm one of you' Dr. Joseph Chalil, a 50-year-old voter in Lake Worth, Florida, came to the U.S. in 1999 after working as a government physician in India for one year. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy Medical Corps and has taken on several roles, such as authoring scientific research papers and leading a health systems advisory board at Nova Southeastern University. "I have thought that Republican politics might be more in tune for hardworking Indian Americans who come here with no money in the pocket," Chalil said. "You know, build everything with our own sweat and hard work." Joseph Chalil Chalil emphasized that Ramaswamy sets himself apart from other candidates as a fresh face in the GOP field who appeals to younger voters with his business background. "You realize the guy's so much younger than I am, and so sharp... he's not like, 'I'm the politician, you vote for me or pay me $3,000 or $6,000 and I'll do this for you.' You know, there is nothing like that. Just hey, 'I'm one of you. You know, I want to change the way things are and I can fix it,'" Chalil said. He viewed politics in India 25 years ago to be "pretty dirty and pretty corrupt" and politicians serving for life contributed to that, he said. "(Ramaswamy) knows how the life of a businessman in the USA is how the tax system affects them, how the work ethics affects them, how does the family values change things versus a politician who has been running office year after year after year," Chalil said. Two 2024 Indian American GOP candidates: Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) ORG XMIT: PAMR432 While 2024 GOP contenders Haley and Ramaswamys stances differ on many hot-button issues, one characteristic connects both candidates: they are the children of Indian immigrants. Haley, 51, was originally born as Nimrata Randhawa to Punjabi Sikh parents Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa in 1972 in South Carolina. In her speech announcing her presidential bid, Haley emphasized the difficulties of being the only Indian family in her town and how her parents reminded Haley and her siblings how blessed they were to live in America. I see America leading the world in freedom and in peace. But this vision isnt just mine, Haley told the crowd in Charleston, South Carolina in February. It's the core of our nations history and it called to my parents over 50 years ago. I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants. Haley said she was more confident than ever that she can make her vision a reality because as a brown girl, growing up in a black-and-white world," she saw the promise of America unfold before her. Growing up, Haley worked at her parents fashion and gift boutique in South Carolina called Exotica International Inc. She later went on to serve as a member of the House of Representatives, South Carolina governor and the ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration. Vivek Ramaswamy, biotech entrepreneur and author from Ohio. Ramaswamy, a 37-year-old biotechnology entrepreneur, embraces his background in a different way. He was born to Vivek Ganapathy and Geetha Ramaswamy in 1985 in Ohio. During an interview with USA TODAY, Ramaswamy said his "unapologetic embrace of meritocracy in the pursuit of excellence" in every sphere of life was influenced by how his parents taught him hard work is the way to get ahead in the country. My parents came to this country with almost no money, Ramaswamy said. I've gone on to found multibillion-dollar companies and did it while meeting my wife, bringing two sons into this world (and) following our faith that my parents instilled in me. That is the American dream." He said that while he didn't grow up with money, he did have the ultimate privilege of having two parents who focused on education. "I think many kids of immigrants enjoy that same privilege," Ramaswamy said. An American 'first and foremost' Republican businessman Vikram Mansharamani, 49, wrote in a Substack newsletter last year after he announced he was running for the U.S. Senate seat for New Hampshire in the 2022 midterms that he was blessed to have been born in the U.S., where his parents immigrated after suffering from violence and poverty in India. However, he said that he doesnt particularly care for identity-driven politics. I don't think of myself as a first-generation Indian, Mansharamani, who lives in Lincoln, New Hampshire, said. I don't think of myself as an Indian American. I think of myself first and foremost as an American. Vikram Mansharamani Mansharamani argued that people need to develop a sense of identity that is based on the commonality of American ideals that everyone is capable and has opportunities to excel. What I seek is a diversity of perspectives...however, you need to have some basis of comparison that is not racially based for diversity, Mansharamani told USA TODAY, highlighting similar comments from Ramaswamy on merit and excellence. "It's focused on doing well regardless of your skin color that's the way I think about it, which is, you know, race and identity, who you are, how you feel what you've experienced in the world all comes through into your perspective." Ramaswamy told USA TODAY that part of what he sees in the Indian American community is the next generation living in more "comfortable circumstances" are coddled into embracing victimhood as an important part of their identity rather than standing out through their excellence. "We've turned victimhood into a currency," Ramaswamy said. "That's exactly how you get ahead, be it on a college application, be it a job application, identifying yourself as a victim itself has been a currency that's rewarded." Tanjore, the 22-year-old voter from Virginia, holds different views on Ramaswamy's comments. She was born and raised in the U.S. and pulled into politics after learning about her family's history of child marriage. Since then, she's advocated for women's rights and campaigned for several Democrats, including Hillary Clinton. "I don't think that it's we embrace victimhood," Tanjore said. "I think that it's our access to social media and the way we tell our stories is different and therefore we're more inclined to speak to those stories and experiences and explain why we are the way we are, and use it as a strength rather than stifling the things we've been through and running away from other experiences." She said her generation believes their individual identities are important to navigating the world, which ignites them to change the world. She also argued that her generation is not living comfortably. "We have seen two depressions and (an) entire pandemic. We've seen great polarizing debates, and political injustice, including an insurrection," Tanjore said. "We've seen the rollback of our abortion rights and health care rights." 'Growth of the community' Tanjore said that her political stances don't exactly align with those of the GOP. With regard to abortion, Tanjore emphasized her abortion rights stance in recognizing the importance of women having control over their own bodies an issue that both Haley and Ramaswamy have taken an opposing stance on. Tanjore also condemned the recent laws striking down the rights of LGBTQ+ youth, highlighting that there is a very limited understanding of what it means to be queer and trans. I personally believe that there are certain individuals on the GOP side that really fail to even try and actually learn what it means to be trans, Tanjore said. Foreign policy is something that Tanjore is passionate about, as she has studied in places like Germany and Scotland. Ramaswamys plan to cease U.S. military support for Ukraine and strike a deal with Russia is something Tanjore is critical of. Our country is considered the leader of the free world, Tanjore said. There's a reason for that. And if we stop supporting our democratic brothers and sisters across the world, when times are tough, what is it even for? If we believe in free speech, we believe in choice, freedom of religion we can't say that we believe those things and not also defend those things when its hard. While she doesn't think she will be voting for a Republican in the upcoming election, Tanjore is happy to see Indian Americans compete in the GOP field. "I think it really speaks to the growth of the community in this country. I can celebrate Nikki Haley's choice to be involved in pursuing this career without necessarily celebrating the fact that she pursues certain types of policies. It is great to see someone challenge (Donald) Trump on the GOP stage." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy have these 2024 voters 'really happy' YOVASO clubs in Fredericksburg and Louisa County were among the 21 award winners recognized during the annual Youth of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety Awards Banquet held July 15 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg. REACH Homeschool Group received the Speaking Out and Saving Lives Award in recognition of its spirit and commitment for engaging students throughout the school year in a variety of creative programs and activities that encourage safe and responsible driving and traffic safety. The homeschool group also received Outstanding Club Recognition. It had previously received the Club of the Year Award and continues to maintain the same high level of performance and best practices for peer-to-peer traffic safety programs. Windsor Kanazawa of REACH Homeschool Group received the Youth Leadership Award for demonstrating exemplary leadership skills and a commitment to working on safe teen driving and youth traffic safety programs at the local and state level, and taking an active role with her school club, with YAC, and with the Summer Leadership Retreat. Kim Ylisela of the homeschool group was named YOVASO Sponsor of the Year. The award is given in recognition of a teachers ongoing support and guidance to the schools traffic safety club and commitment to striving for excellence in club growth and development. Louisa County High School was a four-year recipient of Outstanding Club Recognition. The Louisa YOVASO club also received the Impaired Driving Prevention Award in recognition of its outstanding programs and activities to encourage Zero Tolerance and to prevent impaired driving among teens. Louisa County High Schools Sgt. Nathan Harris was named School Resource Officer of the Year in recognition of his ongoing support and guidance to the schools traffic safety club and commitment to striving for excellence in club growth and development. Clothes make the man, woman ... whatever Three years ago, I was barely aware of drag queens. I'm sure I had never heard of men dressing up as women in order to read stories to children in public libraries. Now it seems we have some sort of constitutional crisis if they're prohibited from doing so. I just have one question: Why? A recent piece in The Sentinel pointed out that, for years, women have been dressing as men to perform at Tulip Time. This doesn't seem to bother anyone. I'm surprised that, in this area where the Bible is supposedly so well known, no one has brought up Deuteronomy 22:5: "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God." Women in slacks? But, wait, men used to wear robes. What pertains to whom? By the way, before you get the name of Jesus tattooed on your ankle, or any such supposed act of devotion (I know people who've done it), consider Leviticus 19:28: "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD." One name for taking verses out of context like this is "cherry-picking." You find a verse that supports your point of view on some subject, and it becomes your rallying cry, regardless of what it meant when it was composed all those years ago in a very different society. Several chapters in Leviticus (11, for example) prohibit the eating of shellfish. Maybe I should start a protest outside Red Lobster. Albert Bell Holland A question for Republicans Recently, all of Michigan's Republican members of Congress have endorsed Donald Trump for president. I would like to ask them and all Republicans, for that matter, to address three issues that rarely get discussed in print or on TV: How can you support a man who, on Jan. 6, sat in his office watching TV and did nothing for 187 minutes? Isn't this treason, or at least dereliction of Trump's duty and oath of office? How can you support a man who betrayed his country? Trump has promised to pardon most of the convicted insurrectionists from Jan. 6. Do you Republicans support this promise, and if so, why? I thought you were the party of law and order! Trump's administration added almost $8 trillion to the national debt. How can Republicans support such deficit spending? Trump will never attempt to balance a budget, so by supporting him you were advocating more national debt. Story continues Henry Idema Grand Haven Christ and government I firmly believe in the separation of church and state. However, since the Ottawa Impact group on the board of commissioners frequently talk about their faith driving their decisions, its fair game for the rest of us to discuss faith-impacting decisions. Christian teachers throughout history have said that being proud is a serious sin. In "Mere Christianity," C.S. Lewis wrote that as long as we are looking down on other people, we cannot possibly be looking up at Christ to ask for his guidance. Jesus entire life on Earth embodied humility. He could have created a new kingdom in Jerusalem to fight against Roman tyranny. Instead, he humbled himself to serve others. He washed the feet of his disciples. He shared meals with the outcast and comforted the downtrodden. Being a Christian literally means to become like Christ, to emulate his love, his service and his humility. Its a nearly impossible task, but its something all Christians should strive for with his help. I believe many of the commissioners are trying to do the right thing. But perhaps they should ask themselves that old question: What would Jesus do? Would he threaten to withhold funds from programs that would result in hurting the already marginalized? Would he assert his power to push through resolutions that aim to divide people rather than unite them? Would he ignore pleas for support from those who dedicate their lives to helping others? Would he look for gotcha words to justify an agenda of exclusion? I ask our elected officials in Ottawa County to remember the words of Micah 6:8, What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Marla Walters Holland Township An open letter to District 2 County Commissioner Lucy Ebel As a long-time, tax-paying property owner and specific cause activist in District 2, I am very disappointed by the obvious deteriorating situation I observe in Ottawa County government which, in my view, is being caused by actions of the "OI Caucus" of county commissioners including you! The departure of Deputy Administrator Patrick Waterman is yet another blow to competent county government. Administrator John Gibbs total lack of experience in local government and his "management style" are obviously having a growing negative impact on Ottawa County operations. I am compelled to indicate my dismay about the future of our once proud, well-run, welcoming county. Historically, Ottawa County HAD been considered one of the best-run counties in Michigan. Today, our county is becoming the poster child for what can happen when voter apathy/inaction allows a small group of extremists to take over the government. It is truly scary to watch! Ottawa County, because of actions of commissioners like you, is in a downward spiral and no longer seems to be a well-run, fiscally conservative, customer-friendly place where we all belong. Based on the recall being mounted against you which I fully support it is hoped that the "sleeping voter majority" has been awakened! Even if the recall is unsuccessful, due to the onerous constraints that prior politicians have put on recalls, hopefully, it will serve as a wakeup call to voters for 2024. I should not have to remind you that you were elected to represent ALL of the residents in District 2 not just the minority who may agree with some narrow points of view being promoted by an extremist ideological group (Ottawa Impact). As my elected representative, I expect you to use common sense, logic and facts not pre-ordained outcomes dictated by Chair 1 or Chair 2 to work toward appropriate solutions to real problems within the county, such as mental health needs and low/moderate income housing needs. I harbor no ill will toward you personally, but the repeated lack of taking counsel from public input prior to the board of commissioners taking actions is not acceptable and a clear sign of a dictatorship, not a democracy "guiding" the board. Richard Yutendale Holland This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Letters to the Editor: Clothes make the man, woman ... whatever Astronauts watch giant spider cranes 3d-print landing pads on the moon. GOLDEN, Colorado The pace is quickening for using Earth's moon as a near-term, go-to location to land on, live and explore. As NASA's Artemis Program moves forward, so too do long-term plans by small and large firms, academia, along with international space agencies. That was in evidence at the twenty-third meeting of the Space Resources Roundtable, held here last month at the Colorado School of Mines. A record attendance of some 250 participants spoke on lunar economic models, results of in-the-lab tests, and legal and policy issues. A number of entrepreneurial groups shared their strategies to turn the moon into a hustle and bustle world of marketable services. The key glue that anchors future moon use is labeled in-situ resource utilization, or ISRU. ISRU involves the extraction of oxygen, water and other available materials for cranking out rocket fuel and to "gas up" life-support systems. Then there's pulling out metals on the moon, say to fabricate lunar housing, landing pads, along with other structures and products. Related: NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know A group of people in front of some buildings Off-world machinery "For years it has all seemed like pie in the sky do this, or do that. This is now becoming so real," said Angel Abbud-Madrid, director of the Center for Space Resources at the Colorado School of Mines. "There is also the international pressure to do this," Abbud-Madrid told Space.com, "and that's going to keep the program pushing forward. It's the competition, that's the reality." Abbud-Madrid added that the private sector is also a major force today. He underscored NASA's work with U.S. groups through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. That enterprise is to deliver science and technology onto the lunar landscape. Hopefully, these CLPS missions will tells us something about dealing with the moon, said Abbud-Madrid. First and foremost, he added, is coping with the lunar regolith, the dusty topside of rock and rubble. Story continues Down here on Earth, uses of simulants that imitate lunar regolith have their limitations for comprehensive testing of off-world machinery. On the moon there are electrostatic charges, radiation, lots of dust, and a scant vacuum. And don't forget to toss in one-sixth gravity for good measure. "Let's go and interact with it. I think that's going to be key for anything you want to do, be it for extraction, construction, collection, you name it," Abbud-Madrid said. A man sits to the side of a projection screen featuring a space resources slide. Future priorities For its part, NASA has been blueprinting a long-term vision for ISRU. The space agency has been hammering out goals, objectives, and flagging knowledge gaps in lunar science and the technologies required for making ISRU a dependable reality. Furthermore, NASA is sorting out its job while also scoping out how best to engage industry and draw upon non-aerospace industry talent. At the June 6-9 gathering here an ISRU "Envisioned Future Priorities" was detailed by Gerald Sanders, lead for NASA's In-Space Resource Utilization, Capability Leadership Team at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. "ISRU starts with the easiest resources to mine, requiring the minimum infrastructure, and providing immediate local usage," Sanders said. The initial focus is on the lunar south pole region, he said, but ISRU "will evolve to other locations, more specific minerals, more refined products, and delivery to other destinations." Sanders noted that efforts are underway to support ISRU approaches, not just backing their development on Earth, but also trial-running them on the moon itself via pilot projects. That way, he said, techniques and technology can be mastered before mission critical hardware is flown to and installed on the lunar surface. Lunar services That's all welcomed news for Ben Bussey, chief scientist at Intuitive Machines, a lunar services company set on providing access to the moon and its orbit for both science and exploration. Intuitive Machines (IM) is a major player within NASAs CLPS initiative to plop down payloads on the moons terrain by way of the groups Nova-C lander. The crafts maiden voyage to the lunar south pole is targeted for liftoff by years end. IM has also developed a hopper mobility platform, called Micro Nova. This propulsive drone can conduct regional exploration after it is delivered to the lunar surface. Micro Nova is designed to visit locales not accessible to a rover, such as lunar pits, to quickly access floors of large impact craters, as well as lunge into permanently shadowed regions of the moon. A bald man is standing in front of a science display. Water ice: ripe for ISRU? Bussey is a leading expert on prospective water ice within permanently shadowed lunar craters, such as those at the moon's south pole targeted for visits by early crews of NASA's Artemis program. As for how much ice is ripe for ISRU, Bussey said he's not sure we know today if that resource is a reserve. "Reserve means that not only is that resource there, but you are able to extract it economically," said Bussey. There is a cost of prospecting for that ice, extracting and refining it, and then to actually make money after taking those steps, he said. More MOXIE! As prelude to putting all the chips down on the idea of turning on the taps to lunar water ice, Bussey favors an experiment akin to the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment. That technology demonstration is better known as MOXIE. It is now being wheeled around within the underbelly of NASA's Perseverance rover now perusing Jezero Crater on Mars. MOXIE has repeatedly shown-off its ability to suck in the carbon dioxide-rich Martian atmosphere and puff out oxygen. "I would love someone to extract a litter of water from the lunar regolith. Show that you can do it. How hard is that to do? Then we can start to talk about it as a reserve," Bussey said. "You cant factor in using ISRU in a critical path until it has been demonstrated." McMurdo on the moon Lights illuminate McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Pulling out oxygen from lunar regolith is on the ISRU to-do list, Bussey added. Also, the moon's polar regions are rich in well-illuminated areas; sunlight is available for large fractions of the lunar day, roughly 28 days long. That makes it more-friendly than most places on the moon that have 14 days of sunlight and 14 days of darkness, he said. Related Stories: Antarctica and the Big Bang: Science at the World's Bottom Mining the moon to help save life on Earth (op-ed) Mining the Moon, the Gateway to Mars "The moon is still the right place to go," Bussey told Space.com. "Pick a place and you build up infrastructure, because that's how you get your foothold." Bussey said he's fortunate to have been to Antarctica twice. Both times he went through McMurdo Station run by the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National Science Foundation. "And because of that infrastructure I could go into the Antarctic plateau and do science and exploration," said Bussey. "We need to set up a McMurdo on the moon and the moon itself is McMurdo into the solar system." Russia has entered a dangerous new phase of its war against Ukraine since it exited the Black Sea grain deal earlier this month, weaponizing global food exports, stepping up attacks on Ukrainian ports and cities and increasing the risk of spillover into NATO countries. Russias escalation is unlikely to deter the U.S. and allies from following through on delivering F-16 fighter jets and long-range missiles to Ukraine in the coming months, which Moscow has repeatedly warned against. But it comes as Ukraine is struggling to make major gains in its grinding counteroffensive, and Russias strategy appears aimed at straining U.S. and European partners who have provided billions in assistance to Ukraine over the course of 16 months. Certainly, its an escalation, said Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations and who served as a senior director for Russia on the National Security Council under former President George W. Bush. Russia, I think, is clearly making an effort to continue to deepen the damage to the Ukrainian economy, he added. It has implications for Ukraines ability to continue the war effort, it raises concerns about attacks on NATO territory so its a reason to be concerned. Since pulling out of the Black Sea grain deal July 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin has targeted attacks on Ukraines southern city of Odesa, damaging the seaport and grain storage facilities and hitting residential and historical buildings, including an Orthodox cathedral. The grain deal, negotiated by the United Nations and Turkey, allowed for the export of Ukrainian grain through a Russian blockade on the Black Sea, clearing the way for 33 million metric tons of foodstuffs to move across the world, largely to developing countries, since it took effect in July 2022. But now, Putin is warning he views commercial ships in the Black Sea as legitimate military targets. The U.S. and the United Kingdom are warning Russia is plotting false flag operations, covertly mining the sea with the purpose of blaming Ukraine for any explosions. Story continues NATO and member countries bordering Ukraine are on high alert. Russia bears full responsibility for its dangerous and escalatory actions in the Black Sea region, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday during a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council. Russias actions also pose substantial risks to the stability of the Black Sea region, which is of strategic importance to NATO, he added. Allies are stepping up support to Ukraine and increasing our vigilance. We remain ready to defend every inch of Allied territory from any aggression. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday condemned a Russian attack on a civilian port on the Danube River in Ukraine near his country, tweeting that the escalation pose[s] serious risks to the security in the Black Sea. And Putin last week delivered a threat to NATO member Poland, accusing Warsaw of having designs on Belarus and saying an attack against Minsk would trigger a response from Moscow. Poland is dispatching an additional 1,000 troops to its borders with Belarus, concerned over Wagner mercenary forces exiled to the country after retreating from a short-lived rebellion against Moscow in June. Mary Beth Long, who served as assistant secretary of Defense during the George W. Bush administration, said Russia is seeking to maximize pressure on Kyiv and its allies in the lead-up to a slowdown of military operations by the winter. You cant escalate your way in or out of this, I think both sides know that. But theres more consequences to Ukraine because Russia is bigger, Russia is willing to strike civilians and its infrastructure, and it has shown that it can successfully do so, she said. Theres no real consequences to Russia, from Ukraine or NATO, theres no penalty to be paid for that, so that clears the way for him [Putin] to continue to not only strike against critical infrastructure and these nodes but to expand it. Long warned that Russia views the month of August as the best opportunity to inflict the most damage without a coherent response from the West, as American lawmakers are absent from Capitol Hill, European capitals are similarly quiet and NATO has no major meetings. I think Russias made the assessment that it has freedom of movement, in the next couple of months in particular, she said. It is doing everything it can to set the playing field before winter and it will continue to do so. While Russia is ramping up military tensions in the Black Sea, experts said its withdrawal from the grain deal is focused on the economic realm: sanctions relief and increasing trade. Russia really wants to make a deal, said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the International Security Program of the Center for Security and International Security (CSIS). The difficult trade-offs for the U.S. and the West are not going to be the military equipment ones, but the ones about economics and sanctions. Are we willing to ease those restrictions in the interests of opening up grain shipments? he asked. Putin has long criticized the deal as failing to meet his demands for the export of Russian grains and fertilizer and has given little to no signal that hes open to rejoining the agreement. During a meeting with African leaders in St. Petersburg on Thursday, the Russian president committed to delivering nearly 300,000 tons of grain to six African countries free of charge. The Russian president is also calling for sanctions relief on Russias agricultural bank, Rosselkhozbank, wanting it reconnected to the SWIFT international payment network. Absent Moscows cooperation, the options for shipping grain out of Ukraine are not attractive. While Ukraine is shipping grain and foodstuffs by rail and road, that amount is hundreds of thousands of tons less than can be moved through the Black Sea. The U.K. Ministry of Defense tweeted Wednesday that Russias Black Sea Fleet is altering its position in preparation to enforce a blockade against Ukraine, warning the potential for the intensity and scope of violence in the area to increase. Still, Cancian from the CSIS was optimistic that a solution surrounding grain exports from Ukraine would be reached in a relatively short time frame. Theyre likely to make a deal in a week or so, he said. This is, I think, unlikely to sort of linger for weeks or months. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Donald Trump is likely facing pressure to pay his legal fees as he faces indictments for two separate cases. Lindsay DeDario/Reuters Donald Trump is likely facing financial trouble over legal fees accumulated in the last two years. This NYT analysis came after his Save America PAC requested a $60 million refund. Save America has served as a legal fund for Trump, contributing over $40 million to legal bills. In the last two years, former President Donald Trump has incurred tens of millions in legal fees. Now, he's likely facing financial problems as his legal woes continue, The New York Times reports. This analysis comes as Trump's Save America political action committee which has fronted many of his legal fees requested a refund on a $60 million contribution they made to another PAC aligned with Trump, the Times reports. Meanwhile, Save America has already spent upwards of $40 million on Trump's legal fees, the outlet reported. Trump is also diverting a greater percentage of his donations towards legal bills. While Trump used to divert $.01 from every dollar donated to the Save America PAC, that contribution increased last month to $.10 for every dollar donated. Trump has been making notably expensive payments towards legal fees for several months. In November, he paid a $3 million lawyer retainer fee likely the largest sum he's paid for a lawyer, Insider reported. Maggie Haberman a New York Times reporter who has covered Trump for decades said the fee likely indicated he knew he was in sizeable legal danger. And Haberman was right, as Trump now faces indictments in two separate cases on on charges that he falsified business records related to a payment made to Stormy Daniels, and again in Florida on charges he retained classified documents when he left office. Meanwhile, on July 27, Trump's lawyers met with special counsel Jack Smith who is investigating the January 6, 2021 capitol riots over a possible third indictment. The former president is also under investigation regarding 2020 election interference in Georgia. Read the original article on Business Insider United Way Lenawee Monroe web logo July 30 is World Day Against Trafficking. This effort is primarily spearheaded by the United Nations Blue Heart Campaign to Reach Every Victim of Trafficking Leave No One Behind. Human trafficking is a humanitarian crisis that is a form of modern-day slavery. Not only is human trafficking prevalent around the world, but also cases of human trafficking are reported in all 50 states. The recent movie Sound of Freedom has also helped to highlight this human trafficking crisis. Laura Schultz Pipis, executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties The Lenawee Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition (LAHTC) is encouraging everyone to wear blue on July 30 in honor of World Day Against Trafficking. The group will also be helping the Lenawee Zonta Club host a FREE showing of the Ring of Silence film on Thursday, Aug. 24. at the Croswell Opera House. The reception starts at 5:30 p.m. with a showing from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and a Q & A after the film. Per the trailer, this film was created to passionately tell the stories of countless victims that have been trapped, bought, and sold into the underground world of human sex trafficking. Witness the signs, terror and manipulation that this business entails. Recommended for ages 14 and older. Panelists Amanda Davis Scott, MS, MA, LPC-S, CAADC (from Zonta) and Sister Patricia McDonald, O.P. (from LAHTC) will be on hand to help answer questions. Human trafficking victims are trafficked for a variety of purposes, such as commercial sex, agricultural work or other forms of labor. The face of human trafficking can be rich, poor, men, women, adults, children, foreign national or U.S. citizen. They are all generally vulnerable in some way, but all victims share the loss of a most cherished human right freedom. The Polaris Project hosts the national Human Trafficking Hotline and conducts extensive research on human trafficking. Their research shows there are 25 industries who utilize human trafficking in the United States. Human trafficking is a market-based economy that exists on principles of supply and demand. It is a high-profit enterprise with limited or low risks. It is illegal under international, federal and Michigan state law. The Federal Victims Protection Act of 2000 and the Michigan Penal Code address underage minors and adults involved in all forms of human trafficking, affected by the use of force, fraud or coercion (i.e. manipulation by traffickers or perpetrators). Story continues As a society, we are seeking better understanding of the nuances of trafficking. It is a power and control issue, similar to domestic violence and sexual assault. Because of the secretive, coercive nature of human trafficking, it is hard to find an exact figure of how many people are trafficked in the United States. Moreover, because of the use of force, fraud or coercion to keep people under the influence of traffickers much goes unreported. We do know that human trafficking is in every county and state in the United States. Please see the Lenawee Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition Facebook page for updated information on human trafficking activities: www.facebook.com/LenaweeantiHTCoalition. You can call 517-264-6821 for more information or to request a speaker as well. I have been a part of both the Monroe and Lenawee County Anti Human Trafficking Coalitions, collectively, for over 10 years. In Lenawee County, there has been an Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force or Coalition for over 11 years, formed initially through the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Their goal has been to promote education, awareness and advocacy of human trafficking. The Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition works closely with many community partners to address human trafficking and related domestic violence and sexual assault issues. They understand the nuances of this issue. There are other sources of information about human trafficking. ). The United Nations has the Blue Heart Campaign (www.unodc.org). The Department of Homeland Security has an excellent awareness campaign called the Blue Campaign (www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign). The Polaris Project is home to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888), and they have great information as well (www.polarisproject.org). There is also a very active Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force (www.mhttf.org). The Catherine Cobb Safe House is also a good resource on violence against women issues: 517-265-5352 or www.fccsoflenawee.org . For more information about the United Way and its mission regarding human trafficking, please contact us. Call us at 517-264-6821, email lpipis@unitedwaymlc.org, visit us at 136 E. Maumee St., Suite 15, Adrian, MI 49221, or visit our website at www.unitedwaymlc.org. Visit our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok social media platforms, too. Laura Schultz Pipis is the executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties. This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: United Way: World Day Against Trafficking highlights societal scourge You are the owner of this article. The American Heart Association presented Stafford County Public Schools with the Heart of Gold School District award for its participation in the school-based Kids Heart Challenge program. The division is the largest in Virginia with 100% participation in the program. I am so proud to partner with the American Heart Association and help lead the state in offering lifesaving programs to every student and every family in our community, said Stafford Schools Superintendent Thomas W. Taylor. The Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge programs provide instruction in the warning signs of stroke and the steps to hands-only CPR, two critical skills that absolutely save lives. Each school building and the administrative complex participated in the Kids Heart Challenge in 2023. In addition to providing lifesaving instruction, more than 2,000 students elected to participate in the challenge to be kind to their hearts and each other. More than 300 of these families completed Finns Mission as part of the challenge, learning the critical warning signs and the steps to hands-only CPR. Many students, staff and families also chose to donate or fundraise to help fund the associations life-saving mission. Donations help fund scientific research and educational programs that continue the fight against heart disease and stroke. In return, the association, along with its partner-company, US Games, was able to award about $7,600 to Stafford Schools for the purchase of new physical education equipment and wellness supplies that allow Stafford students and families to live heart-healthy lives. I am so honored and grateful to work with Dr. Taylor and his staff, who truly lead by example, said Marjorie ChurchBourne, school engagement director for the American Heart Association. Through his example, every school administrator chose a heart challenge and shared this opportunity with Stafford families. I am so proud of every Heart Hero in Stafford County, and thank them for their commitment to saving lives. By partnering with us in every school, they are absolutely leading the way in helping us turn bystanders into lifesavers. To learn more about the American Heart Associations Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge, visit heart.org/getstarted. To learn more about Stafford Schools, visit staffordschools.net. 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. Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 86F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 86F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow A mainly sunny sky. High 107F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. New Delhi: Steel pipes maker JTL Industries Ltd's consolidated net profit has more than doubled to Rs 25.37 crore during the June quarter, on account of higher revenues. It had clocked a net profit of Rs 12.08 crore during the April-June period of the preceding 2022-23 fiscal, the company said in a regulatory filing on Saturday. The company's revenues from operations also rose by 37 percent to Rs 504.80 crore, from Rs 368.03 crore in the year-ago quarter. Expenses were at Rs 471.66 crore, as against Rs 354.46 crore. JTL Industries Ltd (formerly known as JTL Infra Ltd) is the largest producer of electric resistance welded (ERW) steel pipes in India, with a capacity to produce more than 6 lakh metric tons per annum. The company also exports its products to various offshore markets. Prayagraj: Police on Sunday arrested slain gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed's lawyer Vijay Mishra from Lucknow in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case, officials said on Sunday. Several cases, including those under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Explosives Act and the Indian Penal Code, are pending against Mishra, they said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Deepak Bhukar said Mishra was arrested by officers from the Dhoomanganj police station. He was nabbed outside a hotel and legal action is underway, police sources said. Mishra was accused of sharing Pal's location from a Prayagraj court before the latter along with two policemen was shot dead on February 24. He was booked in an extortion case on May 21 after he allegedly demanded Rs 3 crore from a plywood trader in Prayagraj district. In an FIR at Attarsuiya Police Station in Prayagraj, Sayeed Ahmad, who hails from Dariyabad and owns a shop in the Muthiganj locality, alleged that Mishra had bought goods worth Rs 1.20 lakh from him on credit but refused to clear his dues. He alleged, in the FIR dated April 20, that Mishra dialled Saeed and demanded Rs 3 crore in the name of Atiq and his henchmen. Umesh Pal, the main witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two security guards were shot dead on February 24. Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, the main accused in this case, were shot dead by assailants when they were being taken in police custody for a medical examination in April. Ahmad's wife Shaista Parveen, also wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, is still absconding. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said over 4,000 Muslim women performing Haj this year without 'mehram' was a "huge transformation" and asserted that more and more people were getting the chance to go for the annual pilgrimage with the changes made by his government in the Haj policy over the past few years. Over 4,000 Indian women performed Haj without 'mehram' this year, the largest since the reform in 2018 which did away with the compulsion of a male companion with women on the pilgrimage. In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi said he has received a large number of letters this time from Muslim women who have recently returned from the Haj pilgrimage. "This journey of theirs is very special in many ways. These are the women who performed Haj without any male companion or mehram and the number is not 50 or 100, but more than 4,000 -- this is a huge transformation," the prime minister said. Earlier, Muslim women were not allowed to perform Haj without 'mehram', Modi said. "Through Mann Ki Baat, I also express my heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Saudi Arabia," he said. Women coordinators were specially appointed for women going on Haj without 'mehram', the prime minister said, adding the changes that have been made in the Haj Policy in the past few years are being highly appreciated. "Our Muslim mothers and sisters have written a lot to me about this. Now, more and more people are getting the chance to go for 'Haj'. The blessing given by the people who have returned from the Haj pilgrimage, especially our mothers and sisters through their letters, is very inspiring in itself," Modi said. His remarks come amid the BJP's assertions that various steps have been taken by the Modi government for the empowerment of Muslim women, including bringing a law banning triple talaq. For this year, a quota of 1,75,025 Hajj pilgrims had been allotted to India. The annual pilgrimage took place in June-end. Mya Prien joined teens from Ohio and West Virginia to convene the Youth Leadership Associations Leadership Summit, June 1824, at YLA Camp Horseshoe in Tucker County, West Virginia. Prien attends Courtland High School in Spotsylvania County. YLA prepares youth for more effective civic responsibility. Programs are open to every school, home school, community and youth organization. For more information or to get involved, call 304/478-2481; or visit ylaleads.org. New Delhi: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who snapped ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in August last year, can return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at any time. Speaking to the news agency PTI, Athawale, the Republican Party of India (A) president, said Kumar was part of the NDA earlier and despite the BJP getting more seats in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, he was made the chief minister. "Nitish Kumar can come back to us anytime," Ramdas Athawale, whose RPI (A) is part of the ruling NDA, said. Nitish snapped ties with the saffron party and walked out of the NDA in August 2022. He later formed a new government with the support of the 'Mahagathbandhan' (Grand Alliance). Athawale also said that the Janata Dal (United) supremo had reservations about the name of the Opposition's INDIA alliance and that there are divisions within the grouping on who will be its convener and the prime ministerial candidate. "I was in Patna yesterday and I was asked about the reported displeasure of Nitish Kumar who had left the Bengaluru meet of the opposition alliance early," Athawale said. "I said if he (Nitish Kumar) is not happy, he shouldn't go to Mumbai (for the next meeting of the INDIA alliance). He had been with the NDA earlier and can come back to us anytime," he added. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, known by its abbreviation 'INDIA', is an Opposition front announced by the leaders of 26 parties to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA. BJP's doors closed for Nitish Kumar: Sushil Modi BJP MP Sushil Modi on Sunday said that Union minister Ramdas Athawale's claim on Nitish Kumar's return to NDA is his personal opinion, but the saffron party has shut all its doors for the Bihar CM. "Even if he wants to come, BJP is not ready. Ramdas Athawale is neither a BJP spokesperson nor an NDA spokespeson. He is the leader of a party and a Union Minister so this must be his personal opinion but BJP has shut all its doors," Sushil Modi, the former Bihar deputy chief minister, told the news agency ANI. He also called Nitish a 'burden' and said that the capability of the Bihar CM to transfer votes has 'ended'. "He has become a burden... I doubt RJD will be able to bear it for long. His capability to transfer votes has ended. In the last Vidhan Sabha election, it was seen that had Narendra Modi not come, he (Nitish Kumar) would not have won 44 seats. In politics, you are important if you have the power of votes. Otherwise, you hold no importance," he said. Imphal: The visiting delegation of Opposition leaders from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) on Sunday met Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan, handing over a memorandum to her. The Governor and the visiting delegation, during their interaction, suggested that a multi-party delegation be sent to violence-hit Manipur. The 21-member delegation of the grand Opposition alliance, on Saturday, arrived on a two-day visit to the state, which has seen ethnic strife and violence since May 4. Addressing the media after meeting the Governor, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is part of the visiting delegation, said, "All 21 MPs handed over a memorandum to her. As we spoke with her over the Manipur situation, she expressed her pain and grief." The Congress MP added that they shared their first-hand account of the ground situation and shared their experiences during their two-day visit with the Governor. "We shared whatever we witnessed and experienced during our visit to the relief centres. She agreed with the suggestions that we put forward," he added. "She also proposed talks with the leaders of all communities in the quest for a solution and peace. She also suggested that both the ruling party (at the Centre) and the Opposition send an all-party delegation to Manipur as it is the key to addressing the sense of distrust among the people," the Congress MP said. Earlier, on Sunday, before the delegation called on the Manipur Governor, Chowdhury told ANI that the situation in Manipur was 'worsening'. "The situation in Manipur was overlooked. It is because the state and the central governments turned a deaf ear to the plight of the people here that the situation in the state is worsening. Peace should be restored at the earliest, as it is the key to ensuring communal harmony and social justice. We will urge the Governor to make all efforts to restore normalcy to the state at the earliest," the Congress leader added earlier in the day. Earlier, on Saturday, the Opposition delegation said its aim was to bring about psychological healing for the people during its two-day visit to the state. However, the BJP hit out at the delegation saying while the Centre was ready for a discussion on Manipur in Parliament, the Opposition was running away. Flanked by fellow members of the delegation on Saturday evening, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "We have always said that if the Prime Minister wants to lead an all-party delegation here, we would be happy to be a part of it. After all, we all want peace to return to Manipur at the earliest." The BJP, however, termed the Opposition's Manipur visit as a show off and political tourism. Accusing the Opposition of running away from a debate in Parliament on Manipur, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said, "The Opposition has the right to go anywhere. But, the Parliament is currently in session and the government is ready for discussion (on Manipur). So, why are they running away? For the last seven days, they haven't allowed the Parliament to function," Sushil Modi told ANI on Saturday. The 21-member Opposition delegation from both Houses includes Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh and Phulo Devi Netam of the Congress; Rajiv Ranjan Lalan Singh of the JDU; Sushmita Dev from Trinamool Congress; Kanimozhi from DMK; Sandosh Kumar of the CPI; AA Rahim from CPI(M), Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD; Javed Ali Khan of SP; Mahua Maji of JMM; PP Mohammed Faizal of NCP; Aneel Prasad Hegde of JDU, ET Mohammed Basheer of IUML; NK Premachandran of RSP; Sushil Gupta of AAP; Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT); D Ravikumar of VCK; Thiru Thol Thirumavalavan also of VCK; and Jayant Singh of the RLD. New Delhi: Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) in India fell to (-) Rs 40,936 crore in 2022-23, a sharp decline from a healthy Rs 2,67,100 crore inflows recorded in 2020-21. In fact, if the FPI inflows for the last three years are any reflection, they had recorded negative inflows in 2021-22 also, according to finance ministry figures. FPI inflows had entered the negative zone, as they stood at (-) Rs 1,22,241 crore in 2021-22. However, in 2022-23 the FPI inflows further fell to (-) Rs 40, 936 crore. There have been positive signs though in the first quarter of the current fiscal (2023-24), as FPI inflows stood in the positive zone at Rs 1,18,133 crore during the April-June period of the current fiscal. The sustained investment by FPIs is a reflection of their increasing confidence in the resilience of the Indian economy and the potential earnings of the corporate sector. Declining FPI inflows are a sign of investors losing confidence in economic growth. Meanwhile, the government on its part has been taking several steps to encourage greater FPI investments like issuing a common application form, to facilitate their registration with SEBI, allotment of PAN, and carrying out KYC for opening bank and demat accounts. the government has also liberalised the aggregate foreign investment limit up to the sectoral caps. Foreign government agencies and related entities have been exempted from clubbing of investment in case of a treaty or an agreement of the Indian government. Even resident Indians, other than individuals, that are registered as alternative investment funds in international financial service centres (IFSCs), have been permitted to become constituents of FPIs. BANGKOK: At least 10 people were killed and more than 100 were injured after a fireworks warehouse exploded in southern Thailand, government officials said. The explosion, which occurred on Saturday afternoon, destroyed 10 houses and partially damaged about 100 houses in a market in Narathiwat province bordering Malaysia, said Deputy Government Spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek. The local Public Relations Department said at least 10 people were killed and 118 were injured, Xinhua news agency reported. Authorities have now brought the fire under control and are searching for anyone who may be trapped under the debris, Ratchada added in a statement. Those wounded, including 14 in critical condition, were sent to local hospitals for treatment, she said. In response to the accident, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha instructed relevant agencies to provide support for the injured and those affected, the statement said. Peshawar: At least 35 people were killed and over 200 others injured on Sunday when a suicide bomber triggered a powerful blast at a hardline Islamic political party's meeting in a restive tribal district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. The explosion took place at 4 pm at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers' convention in Khar, the capital of Bajaur tribal district. At least 35 people were killed and over 200 injured in the blast, police and emergency sources said. Television footage showed panic-stricken people gathering at the site following the blast as ambulances arrived to move the injured to hospitals. Over 500 people were attending the convention when the blast occurred. DIG police Malakand Range Nasir Mehmud Satti said the initial investigation revealed it was a suicide blast. However, evidence is being collected to determine the nature of the blast. The area was sealed and a search operation has been initiated, he said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the province's caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan to investigate the incident. He also urged the party workers to reach the hospital and donate blood. "JUI workers should remain peaceful and federal and provincial governments should provide the best treatment to the injured," said Fazl. Chief Minister Khan condemned the blast and sought a report from the district administration. Police said that the injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital. The condition of the majority of the injured people was stated to be critical. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi told the Dawn newspaper that five ambulances had reached the site. JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said he was supposed to attend the convention today but could not because of some personal commitments. "I strongly condemn the blast and want to give a message to the people behind it that this is not jihad but terrorism," the JUI-F leader said, adding that it was an attack on humanity and Bajaur. He demanded that the blast should be probed, recalling that this was not the first that the JUI-F had been targeted. "This has happened before... Our workers have been targeted. We raised our voice over this in the Parliament but no action was taken." Hamdullah also extended his condolences to grieving families and urged the provincial government to provide the best medical facilities to the injured. Caretaker Information minister of the province Jamal Feroze Shah said an emergency was declared in hospitals of Peshawar and dir district. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following the Afghan Taliban's return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists including the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) responsible for cross-border attacks. In November last year, the TTP called off an indefinite ceasefire agreed with the federal government and ordered its militants to carry out attacks on Pakistan's security forces. On January 30, a Pakistan Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up during the afternoon prayers in a mosque in Peshawar, killing 101 people and injuring more than 200 others. In February, heavily-armed TTP militants stormed the Karachi Police chief's office in Pakistan's most populous city, sparking gunfire that killed three rebels and four others, including two police constables. The TTP was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007. The outfit, which is believed to be close to Al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. The TTP has also orchestrated the heinous Army Public School attack in Peshawar in 2014, in which over 130 students were killed. New Delhi: Two US nationals, who recently came to India to perform the Amarnath Yatra, found a special mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' address on Sunday. In his monthly radio broadcast, Modi spoke about two 'American friends', who had come to Jammu and Kashmir from California, for 'darshan' and said that people from all over the world are coming to our pilgrimage sites. "These foreign guests had heard somewhere about the experiences of Swami Vivekananda related to the Amarnath Yatra. They got so inspired that they themselves came for the Amarnath Yatra. They consider it as the blessings of Lord Bholenath," PM Modi said. "This is the specialty of India that she accepts everyone, gives something or the other to everyone", he added. During #MannKiBaat PM @narendramodi mentions about American tourists who visited the Amarnath shrine. pic.twitter.com/lVbqYcb6zk PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 30, 2023 The two Americans were spotted undertaking the annual pilgrimage on July 11. They said that visiting the shrine of Lord Shiva had been a 'dream come true' for them and that they had been waiting for this opportunity for many years. "We stay at a temple ashram in California. For years, we have dreamt of coming here for this yatra. We have watched 'aarti' videos on YouTube every day for the last few years. It is hard, impossible to describe how we feel. We just have incredible gratitude and are very happy," one of them said in a video shared by the news agency ANI. Clad in saffron robes and sporting long beaded hair, the two US nationals said they are devotees of Swami Vivekananda and drew inspiration from his visit to Amarnath. "We are devotees of Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda came to Amarnath and had a very important experience. He had a vision of Lord Shiva and for 40 years now, I have been thinking that I know this story. This is why we wanted to come here. It seemed like an impossible dream. Then, all of a sudden, by Bholenath's grace, everything came together and here we are after having his darshan," the other man said. They also said they found a particular kind of peace prevailing in these mountains. #WATCH | Two US nationals from California, undertake Amarnath Yatra in J&K. They say, "...Swami Vivekananda came to Amarnath, he had a very important experience. I have known of this story for 40 years...It seemed impossible & was a dream to come here. But by Bholenath's grace, pic.twitter.com/rY1UIhVtu5 July 11, 2023 Over 3.85 lakh pilgrims have so far paid their obeisance at the shrine -- located at the height of 3,880 metres -- since the beginning of the 62-day-long yatra on July 1. The annual Amarnath pilgrimage is scheduled to end on 'Shravan Purnima' coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan festival on August 31. PM Modi speaks about French Yoga teacher During the 103rd Episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke about a woman of French origin Charlotte Chopin, who is a Yoga teacher. He said that he had met her during his recent visit to France. "Charlotte Chopin is a Yoga Practitioner, Yoga Teacher, and she is more than 100 years old. She has crossed a century. She has been practicing yoga for the last 40 years. She gives credit for her health and this age of 100 years only to yoga," Modi said. "Let us not only embrace our heritage but also present it responsibly to the world," the prime minister expressed. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised renowned French Yoga teacher Charlotte Chopin for her passion for the ancient Indian practice at the age of 100. In his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi said that 'everyone should learn' from Chopin, who he met during his recent visit to France. "Charlotte Chopin is a Yoga Practitioner, Yoga Teacher, and she is more than 100 years old. She has crossed a century. She has been practicing yoga for the last 40 years. She gives credit for her health and this age of 100 years only to yoga," Modi said. ALSO READ | American Amarnath Yatris Find Special Mention In Mann Ki Baat, Here's What PM Modi Said He also said that she has become a prominent face of India's science of yoga and its strength in the world. "Everyone should learn from her," the prime minister said. "Let us not only embrace our heritage but also present it responsibly to the world," he added. Charlotte Chopin began practising Yoga at the age of 50 Charlotte Chopin began practising Yoga at the age of 50. She reportedly has been teaching the ancient Indian practice since 1982. During her meeting with PM Modi in Paris on July 14, she shared her views on how yoga can bring happiness and promote holistic well-being. She had also exchanged views on the increased interest in Yoga owing to the International Day of Yoga celebrations. In Paris, I had the opportunity to meet the remarkable Charlotte Chopin. She began practising Yoga at the age of 50. Shes going to turn hundred soon but her passion towards Yoga and fitness has only increased over the years. pic.twitter.com/zrWkMMTck9 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 14, 2023 Prime Minister Modi appreciated Chopin's deep faith in yoga and her ground-breaking work in the promotion of Yoga in France. In a remarkable tale of determination and perseverance, a farmer's wife from Maharashtra has shattered societal norms and achieved a significant milestone. Kranti Pawar Jadhav, residing in the rural region of Kurul Kambati in Mohol Taluka, exemplifies the power of women's empowerment. With unwavering dedication, she transformed her dreams into reality by clearing the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exam and securing the prestigious position of Police Sub-Inspector (PSI). Kranti's journey of rising from a constable to a police inspector is an inspiring saga of overcoming challenges and receiving unwavering support from her family, especially her farmer husband. Her success sends a powerful message to aspiring individuals, especially women, in rural communities, highlighting the transformative potential of education and the pursuit of one's dreams. Let us delve into Kranti Pawar Jadhav's extraordinary journey of empowerment and triumph. Rising Above Limitations: A Farmer's Wife's Aspiration for Education Kranti Pawar Jadhav's journey of empowerment began with the realization of her aspirations and the support of her husband, who recognized the significance of education in transforming lives. As a woman residing in a rural area with familial responsibilities, Kranti's path to success was not without obstacles. However, her determination remained unwavering. A Leap towards Success: From Constable to Police Inspector Recently, the MPSC exam results were declared, marking a defining moment in Kranti's life. Serving as a constable in the police force, she showcased exceptional dedication to her studies while simultaneously discharging her professional duties. Kranti's hard work bore fruit as she secured a commendable 28th rank among female candidates in Maharashtra. Endless Support from Family: A Pillar of Strength Kranti's success story would be incomplete without acknowledging the pivotal role played by her husband and his family. Encouraged and supported by her in-laws, siblings, and parents, Kranti managed to strike a balance between her responsibilities as a mother and her pursuit of education. Embracing Challenges: A Journey of Sacrifice and Resilience As Kranti's responsibilities increased due to her transfer to Mangalvedha Police Station, she encountered the challenge of managing her time for studies. In a demonstration of true determination, she adapted to a 24-hour duty followed by a 24-hour break, allowing her to dedicate significant time to her studies. An Inspiring Message for Aspirants: Nurturing Dreams with Diligence Kranti Pawar Jadhav's remarkable journey of empowerment serves as a beacon of hope for aspiring candidates. She urges them to focus on meticulous planning, dedicated practice, consistent revision, and seeking appropriate guidance. Kranti's achievements testify to the immense potential that lies within every individual, particularly women in rural communities, to break societal barriers and carve out a path of success through education and perseverance. IMPHAL: The ethnic conflicts in Manipur for over three decades have mostly been land-centric and in all of them, Kuki tribals are involved. The Kukis and their sub-tribes are hill tribes living in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and other northeastern states besides Myanmar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts in southeast Bangladesh. This northeastern region is culturally and ethnically diverse having more than 200 ethnic groups, including 34 in Manipur, with distinct languages, dialects and socio-cultural identities. In the ongoing ethnic violence, which broke out in Manipur on May 3, over 160 people have been killed and over 600 injured, huge destruction of properties took place, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Kuki tribals felt that if the Meitei community gets the ST status, their various rights, including the land rights, would be curtailed and Meitei people would be able to purchase and live in their existing lands. The ongoing conflict between non-tribal Meiteis and Kuki tribals can also be termed as hills versus plains conflict. Meiteis account for 53 per cent of Manipur's three million population, while tribal communities account for around 40 per cent. Out of these, Naga tribes make up for 24 per cent and Kuki/Zomi tribes constitute 16 per cent. The valley areas, where the Meiteis are living, are around 10 per cent of the total geographical areas of Manipur while the hilly areas comprise around 90 per cent territory. On September 13, 1993 militants belonging to National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah faction massacred around 115 Kuki civilians in the hills of Manipur. However, the Naga outfit rejects responsibility for the killings. In 1990, there were clashes over land. Kukis often claimed 350 of their villages were uprooted, over 1,000 killed, and 10,000 people displaced. In 1993, there were clashes between Meitei Pangal (Muslims) and Meiteis. A bus carrying Muslim passengers was set on fire and over 100 people were killed. Manipur had scores of militant outfits and violence was largely triggered by insurgents. A total of 23 underground outfits under two conglomerates 8 under the United Peoples' Front (UPF) and 15 are under Kuki National Organisation (KNO) -- are currently under Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Centre since August 2008. Manipur is also affected by activities of Meitei, Naga, Kuki, Zomi, and Hmar insurgent groups. To curb the illegal and unlawful activities by insurgent groups of northeastern states, a total of 16 insurgent organisations have declared unlawful associations and/or terrorist organisations under The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Out of these 16, eight are from Manipur. These are People's Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, the Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and its armed wing the Manipur People's Army (MPA), the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), the Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), the Coordination Committee (Cor-Com), the Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK), and the Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF). While the NSCN-IM and other Naga outfits in neighbouring Nagaland entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 1997, Manipur Valley-based militant outfits (Meitei groups) such as the UNLF, PLA, KYKL etc. are yet to come to the negotiating table. There are 2,266 Kuki cadres who have been staying in different designated camps in Manipur after the Centre and the Manipur governments signed the tripartite Suspension of Operation (SoO) on August 22, 2008, when Congress was in power in Manipur. Officials in Manipur alleged that the cadres of the Kuki National Army (KNA), Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) are instigating the poppy cultivators in the state against the government, which has been taking action against illegal poppy cultivators by destroying poppy fields in the forest lands, especially in the reserve and protected forests. However, an umbrella organisation of the Kuki outfits has dismissed the accusations. On March 10, the tribals organised protest rallies against the state government's actions against the illegal poppy cultivators and illegal encroachments of forest lands in three hills districts that were also allegedly backed by the Kuki militants. The rallies in several places turned violent, injuring many, while the Manipur government unilaterally withdrew itself from the SoO deal the very next day. However, the Central government is yet to approve the Manipur government's decision to withdraw from the SoO deal. The Manipur government also claimed that the Myanmarese immigrants came from across the border, encouraging illegal poppy cultivation and the drugs trade. On April 9, the Kuki Independent Army (KIA) looted 25 sophisticated arms from the armoury of Kuki militant groups staying in their designated camps at Chungkhao in Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar. The Manipur Police launched a probe into the looting of arms by the militants of the KIA (also known as the Kuki Independent Organisation), which is a non-signatory of the tripartite ceasefire pact with the governments. The arms loot took place three days after the Manipur police announced a reward of Rs 50,000 to any person who provides information leading to the arrest of KIA chief Thangkhongam Haokip (40). The hilly and forested Churachandpur district in southern Manipur, which borders Myanmar and Mizoram, is home to various Kuki-Chin militant groups. Ever since the non-tribal Meitei community members started demanding to categorise them as Scheduled Tribe around one and a half decades ago, the Kuki tribals and their various organisations have been strongly opposing the demand saying that if the Meitei community is declared as tribals, their (Kukis) share of benefits as tribals will be curtailed and the people belonging to the Meitei community will be allowed to purchase land in the hilly areas. Amid the ethnic violence, 10 tribal MLAs, belonging to the Kuki community, have demanded a separate state for the Manipur tribals. The 10 legislators, including seven ruling BJP MLAs, also sent a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in support of their demand. Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that the demand was made under tremendous pressure from various quarters, including the Kuki militants. Warsaw: Poland Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, on Saturday, claimed that over 100 troops from the Russian mercenary group, Wagner, are moving towards a thin strip of land between Poland and Lithuania, CNN reported. The Poland PM said that his government had received information that Wagner mercenaries went near the Grodno, a city in western Belarus close to the land, which is also known as the Suwalki gap or corridor. Thousands of Wagner troops are reportedly in Belarus following a failed military uprising in Russia. Morawiecki alleged that Belarus, a key ally to Russia, has been sending migrants westward in an attempt to overwhelm Polish border forces. And till now, this year, around 16,000 attempts were made by migrants to cross the border illegally, he added. The troop movements, Morawiecki added, appeared to be another element in this campaign to destabilize the border., according to CNN They will probably be disguised as Belarusian border guards and will help illegal immigrants to enter Polish territory, destabilize Poland, but they will also probably try to infiltrate Poland pretending to be illegal immigrants and this creates additional risks, he said, according to CNN. What exactly Wagner's troops are doing in Grodno is unclear, as Wagner has not commented on the reports. But deploying Russian-allied forces near the Suwalki corridor would represent an escalation that could rattle NATO and EU members. Earlier, the Lithuanian deputy interior minister said his country and Poland were considering blocking their respective borders with Belarus amid concerns about the presence of the Wagner mercenary group there, Al Jazeera reported. Following their brief insurrection against the senior military brass of Russia, the Wagner fighters have been staying in Belarus. The considerations are real. The possibility of closing the border exists, Arnoldas Abramavicius told reporters regarding the border closure, according to Al Jazeera. Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, took credit for arranging the agreement between Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin that put an end to the insurrection. Since then, Lukashenko has invited the Wagner forces to Belarus to assist in military training. Amanda Herbert was a child when she saw her father get so sick, he went to his local doctor, who took one look at him and rushed him to the hospital. Herberts dad was treated for a heart attack and, over the years that followed, congestive heart failure that would claim his life. The memories of the help he got first, at a primary care practice about 10 minutes from home in Caroline County, have stayed with her and helped shape the course of her career. In retrospect, thats where family medicine became an interest, she said. Just being there for your patients, especially in a rural area, youre kind of the first point of contact and I really just kind of enjoyed that. These days, the woman with the bright smile has a title in front of her name. Shes Dr. Amanda Herbert and shes on her way to becoming a family medicine physician with Mary Washington Healthcare, the same system that treated her father and other family members. Herbert is one of 21 residents in the first class of the new Graduate Medical Education program offered by MWHC. All the residents have graduated from medical school and earned their medical licenses. For the next three years, theyll complete their residencies and develop hands-on skills while rotating through units at Mary Washington Hospital and other health care facilities in the Fredericksburg area. Fifteen residents will focus on internal medicine, dealing exclusively with adults and their long-term illnesses and chronic conditions. Six others, including Herbert, will delve into family medicine and treat patients from the cradle to the grave. Family medicine is kind of what being a doctor means to me, Herbert said, seeing the family, seeing the babies, seeing geriatrics, all the people. A teaching hospital While there are lots of complexities involved in educating the next generation of doctors, the ultimate goal is relatively simple, said Dr. Stephanie Goldberg, the GME programs designated institutional officer. We will create pipelines of physicians who will come to the area to learn the area and stay here, she said. Fredericksburg, especially along the (Interstate) 95 corridor, is one of the fastest-growing areas in the community, and we know we dont have enough primary care physicians. We need to increase access to all-around care. The lack of family doctors is a problem nationwide. The Association of American Medical Colleges suggests the United States could have a shortage of up to 33,000 primary care physicians in the next decade as current doctors either retire or leave the field because of burnout. A 2020 report from the Virginia Healthcare Workforce Advisory Council, ranked Virginia 32nd in the number of GME opportunities and in keeping those who have graduated from Virginia medical schools in the state. There are many factors that influence where graduates from Virginia medical schools will ultimately practice, the report stated, but none is more influential than where they do their post-graduate training. Thats what convinced Mary Washington Healthcare to grow our staff from the inside, said Dr. Christopher Newman, chief medical officer who cited the programs benefits when he joined the healthcare system in 2019. Old family doc MWHCs program will last three years and eventually include 63 residents per year, 45 in internal medicine and 18 in family medicine. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education also has approved the Fredericksburg-based health system for residencies in general surgery and a one-year transitional program which introduces various sub-specialties, Goldberg said. The current focus is on primary care providers. Not only has MWHC embarked on being a teaching hospital for the first time, but its also taking a novel approach to a family medicine clinic. Goldberg says its similar to the old family doc who treated whatever ailed patients. That model hasnt necessarily been in this area, Goldberg said, but thats what were building here. MWHC repurposed a building off State Route 3 in Spotsylvania County for the Family Medicine Residency Clinic. It will be staffed by physicians who will maintain their own practices while they also work with residents as their preceptors, or instructors. Residents see patients first, make an assessment then share that with their preceptors who go over the diagnosis and how it was determined. Then, the two enter the examining room together. The preceptor checks out the patient to make sure nothing has been missed and goes over the care plan. And just like the family docs of old, the physicians and residents handle everything from biopsies and contraceptives to skin procedures and toenail removals. Adults getting their annual checkup can schedule their childrens visits and vaccines at the same time and place. The clinic has state-of-the art ultrasounds so patients dont have to go elsewhere for tests, a pharmacy on-site and a licensed professional counselor who will see patients and educate residents on how to screen their patients for behavioral-health issues. Its really comprehensive primary care where youre seeing patients through every stage and age of their lives, said Dr. Laura Helmly, program director. From scratch Helmly is certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment moving and manipulating muscles and joints, especially to treat chronic pain. She satisfied her love of teaching at a residency program at East Tennessee State University, then came to the Fredericksburg area last year to be part of the new GME program. Helmly and fellow physicians, Dr. Lyana Mahmoudi and Dr. Nora Hassan, who were both recruited from New York, reflected on their own residency training as they created a new program. They regularly discussed what they liked about their residencies and what their programs lacked. Its absolutely an amazing thing to be a part of, Helmly said. The opportunity to build a residency program from scratch like this does not come around often. Mahmoudi agreed, saying it was hard to resist the chance to be on the ground floor, especially the way the team has really accomplished quite a bit in a pretty short time. Almost 2,000 doctors applied for the 21 initial resident positions, which is very impressive for a new program, Helmly said. Mahmoudi said its exciting to see the growth among residents having their first experiences in the real medical world. Initially when they come, theyre pretty nervous and you really see them gain confidence, she said. Its pretty amazing how that happens, and its usually pretty quickly that they come up with their own plans. In a deeply distressing incident that has caused shock and anger among animal lovers and activists, a group of individuals in Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, mercilessly beat a stray dog to death based on mere rumors that it had bitten a man in the neighborhood. The horrifying act came to light after a video emerged, capturing the gruesome scene of 12 people brutally assaulting the defenseless canine with sticks. The assault on the dog was recorded by a compassionate dog lover who witnessed the incident. The video gradually went viral on social media and various animal rights WhatsApp groups, drawing widespread attention to the appalling act of cruelty. Ashish Sharma, an animal rights activist and lawyer, took immediate action and lodged a formal complaint with the Sihani police station, demanding justice for the innocent creature. Speaking to Zee Media, Sharma expressed his concern over the selective outrage displayed by residents' welfare associations (RWA) and individuals who claim to be animal haters when dogs bite someone. However, they remain silent when such heinous incidents occur. Sharma asserted, "Harming any animal is a punishable offense. I have filed an FIR, and I hope that appropriate action will be taken, and the culprits will be brought to justice soon." According to reports, the assailants had tied the dog's leg before subjecting it to the brutal beating. This shocking act has sparked widespread condemnation and calls for stringent action against those responsible. Authorities have registered a case under relevant sections of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and The Indian Penal Code, 1860. As the investigation unfolds, some of the culprits involved have been identified, and one has already been arrested. Authorities are actively pursuing the remaining individuals involved in the senseless act of cruelty towards the innocent dog. The incident has ignited a collective demand for increased vigilance to safeguard the welfare of animals in our society. The tragic incident serves as a stark reminder that animal abuse and cruelty cannot be tolerated. It highlights the urgent need for better awareness, education, and more robust measures to protect the voiceless and vulnerable members of our society the animals. Local Animal Rights activist Sunita, Ravinder Singh and Shubham gathered courage and made arrangements for the last rites of the dog. New Delhi: The latest 'Weekend Ka Vaar' episode of 'Boss Boss OTT 2' where host Salman Khan pulled up contestants for their foul language and misconduct in the house was quite a firecracker. The host first schooled Bebika Dhurve for being aggressive towards Manisha Rani during the 'Angel And Devil' task. He later pulled up Abhishek Malhan and Manisha Rani for their 'hypocrisy' when Elvish Yadav passed some derogatory words against female contestants in the house. In the end, Salman turned to Elvish and criticised his foul language, and use of violent and cringe-worthy comments on the show. Salman even played footage where Elvish used extremely foul language against Jiya and Bebika and promoted violent behaviour. Abhishek and Manisha were present when Elvish made these remarks but did not oppose him strongly. Salman asked Elvish why he boasts about his fans' army so much and whether they are 'paid' followers. After Elvish denied saying they are not the paid one, Salman said, "Agar Rs 500 bhi rakhenge apni price, toh dekhte hai kitne fans honge aapke." Salman said that the real army is the Indian Army which protects the people of the country. The B-Town superstar told him not to take defame his mother tongue, Haryanvi. At the end, Salman connected with Elvish's mom via a video call and made the popular YouTuber interact with her. Elvish broke down into tears upon seeing his mom on the screen and felt ashamed of his behaviour. After Salman left, Elvish and Abhishek apologised to Jiya and Bebika for what happened behind them. However, ever since the episode telecast, Salman has been trending online. A section of users have been trolling the actor and accused him of being unfair towards the contestant. The users took to social media and lashed out at the host and the BB makers for disrespecting Elvish on national TV. A few even thronged Salman's Instagram account and filled the comment box with derogatory messages and threats. Some of them even threatened to take down the ratings of the show as well as the app on which the reality show is streaming. For the unversed, Elvish Yadav entered the show as a wild card entry and has emerged as one of the most liked contestants. He enjoys a huge fan following on social media and is famous for his short YouTube videos. Elvish is known for his opinions and has been a part of multiple controversies in the past. Remote work or telecommuting is here to stay. All the naysayers out there need to get their heads out of the sand. The battle for worker empowerment is at an all-time high. The push from corporations to remote work during COVID was a quick pivot that paid off with record profits. But the workers that produced the results are getting jerked around when it comes to work-lifestyle choices in the COVID aftermath. Remote work is a continuing battlefield as many companies try to reverse telecommuting policies. Elon Musk has even called it morally wrong. But working remotely has been around longer than you think. Backstory The term telecommuting was coined in 1973 by NASA engineer Jack Nilles. Five IBM workers began working from home to test the productivity of remote work. The remote workforce expanded to 2,000 by 1983. The majority of the workforce was call center staff. By 1987 the number of remote-working Americans is estimated to be 1.5 million. Congress approved flexiplace in 1995 providing federal employees with work equipment for home. By 2010 almost 60% of all remote workers are employed by private companies. By 2018 70% of the world works from home one day per week. But the rapid expansion of remote work would not be possible without the ever-evolving technology to make it productive. Tools necessary for remote work There are countless communication and project management tools that are in the cloud. But the No. 1 tool over the past decade that has expanded telecommuting is the use of laptops in the corporate environment. Most companies use to supply desktops to their employees. You were in the office and in a fixed location. Desktop computers were significantly cheaper and more powerful than getting an equivalent laptop that was portable. For most office-type work, the hardware capability has far outpaced what is required to run the programs. And with many of the programs offloaded to a cloud data center, that takes even more load off the computer you use. Portability became more practical with lower hardware requirements and cheaper equipment. Its one of the reasons many places can get away with spending only a couple of hundred dollars on a low-end Chromebook. Collaborative software has greatly improved. The Google suite of tools allows teams to work on a single document incredibly easily. Tools such as Asana or Trello make it simple to manage projects, delegate tasks, and track progress. And of course, communication has email, MS Teams, or Slack for company communication so the team can work together from any location. Ego and insecurity is leading the backlash Most of the backlash really has nothing to do with remote work itself. There is a sinking commercial real estate market because of empty buildings. Most businesses are locked into rent agreements and feel well we are paying for space, better force everyone to use it even if there is no tangible benefit. At least until the renewal comes due. Leaders egos are getting in the way. Leaders are in situations where they dont feel they have proper control. And insecurity where managers may not feel needed and want to inject themselves regularly and unnecessarily into the day-to-day processes. Both of those have to do with their feelings. Nothing is based on cold hard productivity facts. True negative impact Remote work has had a negative trickle-down effect on other businesses in larger city areas. Mayors were asking businesses to have offices fully staffed as this impacted restaurants, shopping, or transportation services in city centers. How to effectively run a remote team I ran a project for five years that had a fully remote team prior to COVID. Our team was part of a larger group of other companies that were fully remote and spread across the county. And the client, you guessed it, was remote. To ensure that the team was productive, we implemented an SLA for the team. If you have been involved with technology at all, you will know the acronym SLA stands for Service Level Agreement. An SLA stipulates that if we enter into a business arrangement your service will meet certain trackable metrics. Our team had established metrics that had to be met and reported in a public dashboard where everyone had visibility. The dashboard was time-stamped, color-coded, and work was assigned to a team member. If someone started to slack off, the team could see who the offending member was and would handle the situation. No one on the team wanted to get called out for slacking off. Our team excelled. If you find yourself in the work-from-home debate as a leader, I encourage you to think about this. The dumbest thing about returning to the office: at least half of the communication between the staff is via email or a Slack channel when they are sitting right next to each other. The other half is people walking around the office to say something to someones face just so they can walk around a bit. Road home went nowhere After many years watching how the liberals elected officials of Colorado handle the homeless problems is mind boggling! It began with John Hickenlooper in 2005. He started a program called the Road Home which was funded with private money. It has never worked and what happened to all the money? Lets fast forward to 2023 with Mayor Michael Johnston! Since 2005 hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars have been spent on the homeless problem. Where are the results of those expenditures? What facts have been published to provide data that these fools have helped the homeless? Who is being held accountable for the waste? The homeless numbers are going up! Thats a good sign that whatever these people are doing isnt working. First town hall meeting the mayor has a homeless person demand police protection. Wait a minute, the taxpayers cant get protection because law enforcement has been degraded. Even if the cops come, nothing is done to the law breakers. How many studies, how many discussions does it take to figure this out? Why doesnt the mayor look at real solutions to the problem? Step 13 which has been in operation for many years is a great program that works every day. Why not use the AA programs? The homeless person needs a home make them get into an AA program. If they refuse leave them on the street. I am no rocket scientist but there are programs that really work for people that want help! You cant make this up! Where does all the money come from? This why Governor Jared wants to steal TABOR. Downtown Denver is a mess! Now they want to distribute the homeless all over so all the taxpayers can suffer, not just the people in downtown Denver. The illegals that have been bused in are now running out of benefits. What is the mayor going to do with them? Trig Travis Aurora Animal welfare violations It is striking how much Coloradans love animals, particularly dogs! Recent news of possible dog abuse has sparked outrage on social media. For this reason, I know that if positive change was going to occur anywhere, it would start here in Colorado. My husband and I volunteer at our local shelter, and it warms our hearts to witness the magical bond between people and dogs. For this reason, I was shocked to find out hundreds of dogs were suffering in horrific conditions at a commercial breeding facility in Iowa that was licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA routinely fails to enforce the bare minimum standards under the Animal Welfare Act and allowed this puppy mill to operate despite being cited over 190 animal welfare violations. The dogs were deteriorating but no violations were recorded and no help was given. With Goldies Act H.R. 1788, the USDA would be required to provide immediate assistance to suffering animals and to notify local law enforcement of documented AWA violations. There would be yearly unannounced inspections, and all AWA violations would be documented. Essentially, Goldies Act would allow for intervention before large-scale seizures, injuries, and death. Dogs in puppy mills are victims of cruelty. Please support laws that protect those most vulnerable in our communities. Join me in calling our federal reps asking them to co-sponsor Goldies Act. The dogs and those of us who love them thank you! Chas McAusland Erie Addressing a crisis So, you are concerned about the Climate Crisis and are not sure what to do about it. Know that you are not alone. Also know that the Climate Movement needs you, it needs everyone, to do everything we can to address this crisis. Here are some ideas: - Learn more about how our world is warming; the causes, consequences and actions that need to be taken to stop it. Start by visiting NASAs website on climate. https://climate.nasa.gov Talk about it, a lot, with friends, family, neighbors, everybody and anybody. Get involved; join a climate group or two. Ask how you can help. You undoubtedly have the skills they need. If you have money to donate, they could benefit from that too. Get political: take to the streets, contact elected officials, repeatedly, at all levels of government, and demand that they take action to address this crisis. They were elected to service the people, and there is no higher service than protecting the world we live in. Walk the talk; take steps to reduce your emissions. It is very freeing. Pace yourself; we are in this for the long haul. Ron Sadler Greeley Being mindful of age While applying online for a Florida middle school teaching position, it required that I give my date of birth. Earlier applying to a Colorado school district I never saw a requirement for my age. I appreciate the Job Application Fairness Act (JAFA) signed into law on June 2 by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis that forbids disclosure of age, date of birth, and dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. Any required educational document can be redacted to conceal age. I believe that President Joe Biden with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis should campaign for a federal JAFA. (Optional: Ironically as a 29-year-old Assistant Human Resource manager for a large Corporate America construction company in 1981, my office got an informal notice from the top to be mindful of age.) Mike Sawyer Denver AURORA Matt Glatt-Paulison had always wanted to work in health care, not where hed see blood, so he settled on the pharmacy and spent two years trying to get on with Kaiser Permanente in Colorado Springs. But a lot has changed since 2014, when he began working as a pharmacy tech for Kaiser. Jobs that once saw a clamor for applicants like Glatt-Paulison now linger unfilled, he said. It's not what it used to be, said Glatt-Paulison, a member of SEIU Local 105. The staffing shortage has meant missed breaks and lunches, or shortened ones, said Glatt-Paulison, adding he kept hoping conditions would improve. (Earlier this year, he moved out of the pharmacy and into the claims department.) It's not safe. I didn't feel like I could provide the level of care for our patients the way I wanted to. Hundreds of employees Saturday stood on the picket line outside the Kaiser Permanente Waterpark Administrative Facility in Aurora, joining hundreds of Kaiser employees in California, Washington and Oregon in a coordinated protest against the unsafe staffing and patient care crisis. There are about 3,000 union members in Colorado including Glatt-Paulison working for Kaiser and more than 85,000 in seven states and the District of Columbia. The Service Employees International Union is in the midst of negotiating its contract, which expires on Sept. 30. Negotiations began in April. The picket was not a strike, and health care services were not interrupted Saturday. Kaiser employees described a staffing shortage severe enough to lead to monthslong waits and delayed care. The staffing crisis is not unique to Kaiser. Health officials have been sounding the alarm for years because Americans are living longer with chronic health conditions. And as the gray tsunami of baby boomers head into retirement, the need for Medicare and age-related health care services will continue to rise. The exodus from the profession during the COVID-19 pandemic, too, has only exacerbated the staffing crisis. Over the next three years, Colorado is expected to face a shortage of 54,000 lower-wage health care workers and more than 10,000 registered nurses, according to an analysis by Emsi. Esmi, Economic Modeling Specialists International, conducts labor market data and economic analysis using an array of government sources. To address the national staffing shortage, Kaiser Permanente has committed to hiring 10,000 union-represented jobs, of which roughly 6,500 have been filed. Its unclear how many of those jobs will be in Colorado. Kaiser, though, is hiring a number of Colorado roles that include licensed practical nurses, medical assistants, lab and pharmacy techs. Our priority is to reach an agreement that ensures we can continue to provide market-competitive pay and outstanding benefits, Elizabeth Whitehead, a Kaiser spokesperson in Colorado, said in an email to The Gazette. The organization is confident they will reach an agreement with the union, Whitehead said. But they also questioned the national picket at this stage of the bargaining. Given where we are in the bargaining process, its clear the picketing by the Coalition isnt about drawing attention to new issues, but rather an attempt to create bargaining leverage. For those on the picket line Saturday, the protest was about earning a living wage not living paycheck to paycheck and providing for their families. Thats a slap in the face, in my opinion, said Patricia Johnson Gibson, vice president of health care at SEIU Local 105. You should take care of your employees in the same way you expect your employees to care for your patients. Kaiser Permanente, a nonprofit organization, posted $1.2 billion in profits the first quarter of this year after reporting $4.5 billion in losses last year, according to Healthcare Dive. Many of the front-line workers picketing Saturday in Aurora earn less than $25 an hour. According to Kaiser, more than two-thirds of the organizations workforce is composed of people from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups, and 75% of the companys employees are represented by unions. Across the health care industry, the average employee turnover rate last year was 19.8%, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' annual Saratoga survey. Kaiser had an 8.5% turnover last month, Whitehead said. In Colorado, Kaiser Permanente has 30 medical offices along the Front Range, including three in Colorado Springs, that serve more than 500,000 patients annually. During the Gulf War, Pat Abeyta, a former Army welder and mechanic, was among those sent to work the massive pits where rubber, wood, plastics and other trash was burned, sending toxic substances into the air. As part of the work, he helped keep children away from the military's trash that was dumped by the truckload into a hole the size of a building. "We had to stand guard to keep the kids out. The kids as soon as they see a bag, they want to tear it open and see what was inside. You know, maybe there was food or something they could use," he said. Now, 62, the Fountain resident believes the exposure from the smoke led to lost lung capacity over time and like many others is submitting a claim under the recently passed PACT Act for disability benefits. The Department of Veterans Affairs now assumes that numerous medical conditions, including several causing loss of lung function, were caused by exposure to the burn pits used during the Gulf War and during the post-Sept. 11 conflicts. For Vietnam War-era veterans, the law allows veterans exposed to Agent Orange in new locations such as Thailand, Laos and Cambodia to apply for monthly compensation if they have certain conditions, among other changes. Under the new law, the VA is granting claims that were previously denied. Charles Graves, assistant veteran service officer for El Paso County, said his office has filed 451 claims under the PACT Act. The data is not available say how many of those claims have been granted. Across Colorado, 2,312 claims have been granted and 2,740 claims are pending, according to data from the Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs. The state was home to 387,618 veterans in 2022, state data shows. For those who have their disability claims granted, the difference it can make to their monthly income can be substantial, with those granted 80% disability earning $1,900 a month and those granted 100% disability earning $3,621 a month if they are single, Graves said. Collectively, compensation and pensions paid to El Paso County veterans in the past fiscal year totaled over $1 billion, excluding retirement benefits, VA data shows. For Graves and others working to sign up veterans, and in some cases, their surviving spouses, some of the challenges have been getting the word out and helping veterans accept if they developed certain conditions they deserve the compensation. Matt Lewis volunteers his time to help veterans file their claims as the veterans service officer for VFW Post 6461 in Fountain, and he sometimes works with those who do not feel they deserve compensation, in part because they lost friends in conflict and they have friends who did not come home whole. He typically tells them: "Youve served your time. Its time for the government to take care of you." For Lewis, a veteran who went through a long claims process himself, helping veterans is a bit like therapy. Under the new law, widows can also qualify for the expanded benefits under the PACT Act a change that's helped Toni Sparks, who filed a claim in 2016 related to her husband's Vietnam-era deployment in Thailand. She was denied after going through the appeals process. Sign Up for free: Military Brief Your weekly local update on local military news and events, sent straight to your inbox. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. "Quite honestly, I didnt expect to succeed because I didnt succeed the first time," she said. "I would encourage anybody to keep on keeping on." Her husband, Calvin Sparks, who died in 2016, served in Thailand where he was the head of a squadron that photographed battle damage. Later in life, he experienced a laundry list of health conditions that fit the pattern of exposure to Agent Orange, such as diabetes. But since he served in Thailand, he didn't qualify. So Toni Sparks' initial claim was related to post-traumatic stress disorder from the ruins from war that he documented. When the rules changed under the PACT Act, she decided to apply again and was successful, with the help of the staff of the county's Veterans Service Office. "I am, of course, very grateful," she said. For those interested in applying, the deadline to file a claim or an intent to file a claim is Aug. 9 to receive benefits backdated to Aug. 10, 2022, according to the VA. El Paso County Veterans Services and several other agencies are holding a clinic to help veterans apply Aug. 7, 8, 9 from noon to 8 p.m. at the Colorado National Guard Center at 9510 Voyager Parkway. A team of nurses from the Veterans Health Administration will provide toxic exposure screenings and veteran service representatives with the Veterans Benefits Administration will help file claims and other services over the three-day clinic. The clinic is intended to help as many veterans as possible ahead of the deadline. Veterans can file for PACT Act benefits after the deadline, which could benefit some still serving. For example, active- duty service members exposed to the burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan or other areas will be allowed to apply for benefits if they develop certain conditions in the future. For Abeyta, while the burn pits have made it difficult for him to breathe, particularly in the morning, they did make practical sense at the time because the tons of trash the military produced in 1990 and 1991 couldn't be buried in the sand. It would have been uncovered and then blown away, he said. When U.S. troops returned to the Middle East a decade later, burn pits became common again, with some smoldering 24/7. The VA estimates 3.5 million service members were exposed to them. A 2019 DOD report said the military was operating nine burn pits, and the use of burn pits now has been prohibited unless there is no alternative. Academy School District 20 wont again stray from its book reconsideration policy in the future, a district spokesperson said following inconsistent book removals that critics argue favored Christian values over minority voices. Just as classes were letting out for the summer, administrators broke from written policy and quickly removed several allegedly obscene books that detailed the experiences of sexual abuse victims. A subsequent request to remove the Bible for similar concerns was left unanswered for more than a month. The move presumed school leaders individual discretion superseded policy. That will not be the case moving forward, D-20 spokesperson Allison Cortez said. Future book complaints will be required to follow the process laid out in district policy. They'll (district officials) look at it through an equal lens. They do their best to respond to all equally. In this situation, the timeline said otherwise, but that was not the intention, Cortez said. How it all began The saga began on April 27 when former Superintendent Thomas Gregory received an email co-signed by about three dozen district parents who requested he remove several books from school libraries due to alleged sexually explicit content they deemed inappropriate for young readers. Likening the literature to the promotion of obscenity to minors a felony under Colorado Revised Statute the parents requested several school libraries remove Identical by Ellen Hopkins, Lucky by Rachel Vail and Push by Sapphire, the latter of which was written by a queer Black author and was the basis for the Academy Award-winning film Precious. The district responded within a day, and Gregory swiftly encouraged school principals to pull the named titles from their library shelves, according to emails provided by District 20. The process he followed, however, strayed from established school policy and procedure, which requires the complainant to fill out a request for reconsideration of library materials form before a title can be considered for removal. Responding to a principals email asking if he could point to school policy to justify this action, Gregory wrote: No, but you are the boos [sic] of the school and are responsible for instructional and non-instructional materials within the school. When a community member raises a question, you are obligated to look into it. As an aside ... if they go the route of a formal 'reconsideration of library materials' request (policy) and it gets to my level, I will have the books removed anyway. This is saving everyone time. D-20's process for book removal The request-for-reconsideration process begins at the school level. The principal at the school in question will arrange a committee of teachers and parents to review the book and decide whether it should be removed. If dissatisfied with the decision, the complainant can appeal the process to the level of superintendent or designee. That decision can then be appealed once more to the school board, which has the final say in a book challenge. Confusion surrounded the reconsideration policy at the time of the books removals, Cortez said. D-20 is a site-based district, meaning principals have a certain level of autonomy in running their schools. This site-based management approach is used in the book challenge process, by which individual schools form their own committees as opposed to a centralized districtwide committee. One school can remove a book, while another can choose not to. Some at the time interpreted this site-based judgment to mean principals could act according to their own discretion on what is best, whether explicitly stated in policy or not. Others believed there was no wiggle room where policy was concerned and that the written process should not be circumvented. 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. Cortez said there should be no confusion moving forward: Policy comes first, and it should be followed as written. That said, policy is always subject to change. Parent 'copied what they did' Gregorys process, which pulled the books without committee review about a week after the initial April email complaint, left district parent Rob Rogers concerned. Rogers sent an email of his own on June 12, requesting the district remove the Bible from school library shelves. I basically just copied what they did, Rogers said. I figured that if policy was going to be bypassed using that specific criteria, then I could do the same thing. Rogers would not hear from the district until July 13, and the matter wasn't resolved until July 21, when all unofficially challenged titles were returned to school shelves. The process took more than four times longer than the previous challenge. Whether or not I have a personal issue with the Bible or with any book is truly irrelevant, Rogers said. If were going to (remove books) for whatever reason, then it has to be consistent, and it has to be equitable, and it cant be based on individual viewpoint. Rogers alerted the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national organization devoted to the separation of church and state, which requested D-20 be even-handed in enforcing its policies. According to FFRF co-President Annie Gaylor, based on the nature of Rogers request, the organization believes the district was engaging in content-based discrimination, viewing Gregorys quick action toward the initial request compared to Rogers to be favoring the Christian Bible over the suggested-removed titles. Our goal is to stop misguided book-bannings in school libraries that are being driven by extremist groups with agendas to suppress ideas and opinions with which they disagree, and in particular targeting books about LGBTQ issues or from a Black perspective, Gaylor said, adding that if these unwarranted bans cant be stopped, then policy should at least be applied equally therefore requiring the removal of the Bible for its sexual and violent content. In support of Rogers' tremendous activism, Chris Line, a staff attorney for the FFRF, began working the case for the organization. On July 21, 39 days after Rogers initial request, Line received a response from the district: The District must hold religious texts, such as the Bible, to the same standards it holds all other library books, subject to review and reconsideration before removal. After careful consideration, the District assures that the removal of library materials will be based on established policies and procedures. Therefore, any books recently removed without following the Districts procedure shall be reinstated and subject to reconsideration upon formal request. Cortez attributed the districts delay in response to several factors. Many staff members were in and out of the office on summer vacation, she said, including the principals and teachers who would be involved in book challenges. The district is also going through an active leadership change from Gregory to new Superintendent Jinger Haberer. The former superintendent had to consider what he could do before leaving and which responsibilities would transition to the next leader. Is it a great reason? No, but its a reality, Cortez said. Cortez said Haberer has demonstrated she is a policy-driven superintendent since taking office at the beginning of July. She also said the district values all stakeholder feedback equally across the board, whether its coming from a parent or a national organization like the FFRF. Confident organizations can say, Yes, we took a misstep. Going forward, this is how we will do it, Cortez said. I dont believe anything has been done out of malice. Theres just a lot of moving parts at play, but everybody has the students' best interests at heart. After a student was killed in an auto-pedestrian crash outside a Colorado Springs high school, the city is tentatively eyeing the need for more school zones outside of its high schools. A new school zone with five flashers was installed at Doherty High School in April in response to the death of 17-year-old Doherty student Giorgia Trocciola in March. But Colorado Springs long-held practice of installing school zones only around elementary and middle schools in areas with speed limits over 30 mph has been met with renewed opposition by school staff and parents beyond District 11. All of School District 11s high schools were built in the 1970s and 80s when Colorado Springs was predominantly a boundary system, Superintendent Michael Gaal previously told The Gazette. Most students went to their neighborhood school, meaning fewer had to commute to school by car. But the lack of school zones for high schools extends across developing districts too. Currently, Academy District 20s Discovery Canyon High School is the only high school that appears to have an existing school zone aside from Doherty, said city traffic engineer Todd Frisbie but only because it shares a campus with its elementary and middle schools. He said the practice can sometimes be attributed to a school already being surrounded by low-speed-limit neighborhood streets or low-volume roads, and even if theres no school zone with timed flashers, many students have the option to use push-to-activate flashing crosswalks. With every school, we ensure that there is a safe route, Frisbie said. If (students) have to cross a major street, we make sure theres a signalized location for them to cross. Installing school zones carries a hefty price tag. Costs could fluctuate from school to school depending on the needed number of flasher poles, which, equipped with a controller and solar panel, cost around $10,000 each. Auto-pedestrian crashes related to school activity is also relatively rare, Frisbie 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. The city traditionally takes a data-driven approach in installing safety measures, and if analysis shows safety performance is worse than expected, safety measures are then identified to improve its performance. Most of his departments money pool goes toward bolstering the safety of busy intersections, where the most serious and fatal crashes most often occur. Its in the citys best interest to spend those dollars where we potentially get the biggest reduction in those types of crashes, Frisbie said. Its more than just about schools, its city-wide. There are other areas of safety that wed like to improve, (so) we balance where the funding will best be utilized. But he has been working with school districts, including District 11, 20 and 2, that have reached out about installing them outside their high schools, he said. Anecdotally, I dont think Ive heard any parent, guardian, or staff member say they dont want school zones near their schools, District 11 spokesperson Devra Ashby said in a written statement. It would be nice to have them at all of our schools. In neighboring D-20, a spokesperson said the district requested the city conduct traffic studies at Rampart, Liberty and Pine Creek high schools and to consider including nearby middle schools in those studies. Frisbie said the city has not formally identified the next school zone candidates, but after conducting traffic studies and considering enrollment size, schools adjacent to busier roads with higher speeds would likely be prioritized. Caught speeding in a school zone? There is an upside, Frisbie noted. All speeding tickets issued in a school zone have a surcharge that goes to the citys school safety program, a pool of money used to maintain flashers and that is distributed to schools to help offset the costs of hiring crossing guards. Theres often leftover money annually to spend on capital improvement projects, too. The incident at Doherty wasnt like a wake up moment for us, he said of the city traffic depart- ment. We have been involved in the schools and school safety for decades. By Alvise Armellini ROME (Reuters) -Italy made an "improvised and atrocious" decision when it joined China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) four years ago as it did little to boost exports, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview published on Sunday. Italy signed up to the BRI under a previous government, becoming the only major Western country to have taken such a step. Crosetto is part of an administration that is considering how to break free of the agreement. The BRI scheme envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with large infrastructure spending. Critics see it as a tool for China to spread its geopolitical and economic influence. "The decision to join the (new) Silk Road was an improvised and atrocious act" that multiplied China's exports to Italy but did not have the same effect on Italian exports to China, Crosetto told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. "The issue today is: how to walk back (from the BRI) without damaging relations (with Beijing). Because it is true that China is a competitor, but it is also a partner," the defence minister added. After a White House meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government was still deliberating on the BRI and announced a trip to Beijing in the near future. "We'll take a decision before December," Meloni told U.S. broadcaster Fox News in an interview aired on Sunday, adding that the issue required discussions with the Chinese government and within the Italian parliament. Meloni reiterated her view that it is a "paradox" that while Italy is part of the BRI, it is not the G7 country with the biggest trade with China, and said that shows it is possible to have good relations with Beijing without the Belt and Road. (Additional reporting by Rami Ayyub in Washington, editing by David Evans and Susan Fenton) Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) has dismissed concerns about the age of President Joe Biden, arguing that the president is "succeeding at an extraordinary and historic rate." Murphy's statement comes as many have argued that Biden, who is turning 81 this November, is too old to serve as president. The debate concerning Biden's age has brought about discussions on age limits for the presidency, with even a few Democrats saying they will not endorse the president in his reelection campaign. REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES TEST HOW FAR THEY CAN GO IN CRITICIZING TRUMP "I guess age is relevant if it is an indicator that a candidate isn't up to do the most important job in the world, but Joe Biden is succeeding, and succeeding at an extraordinary and historic rate," Murphy said on CNN. "The amount of major legislation passed by this president, the first gun violence bill in 30 years, the first major investment in clean energy, the biggest infrastructure investment in the history of this country; all of that doesn't happen without Joe Biden. He is a master legislative tactician." Murphy also touched on Biden's business dealings regarding his son, Hunter Biden, saying that he is not concerned about Republicans' investigation and called it a "witch hunt." The senator added that there has "never been any evidence" that Joe Biden compromised his office. The Connecticut senator is not the only Democrat who has dismissed the president's age, as Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) brushed off concerns about Biden's age earlier this month. 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. Not all Democrats are on board with Biden serving a second term as president; however, as Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) said earlier this week, he would not back Biden's reelection bid in 2024. Instead, Phillips has argued the party should look to a "new generation of leadership" and elevate younger candidates to Congress. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER A poll from last month found broad concern over the president's age, with seven in 10 responding that he is too old to be president, including half of Democrats. The poll found 49% of Democrats said Biden is too old to be president, while 28% believed he is the right age, and 23% replied they were unsure. Former President Donald Trump, who is running for president again, is only four years younger than Biden, but many voters believe neither is the best option for president. A poll conducted from July 8-11 showed 61% of voters believe Biden is not the strongest candidate Democrats could nominate, while 53% of voters believe Trump is not the strongest candidate Republicans could nominate in 2024. Original Location: Democratic senator denies Republican claims that Biden is too old to be president Washington Examiner Videos Democratic Washington state Sen. Manka Dhingra was fined by the ethics board for using public resources when she encouraged people to register to vote at an abortion rights event last summer. Dhingra was fined $250 on Tuesday in an order from the ethics board and must pay back $92.43, the reimbursement amount she was given for her mileage to the conference, which was held the day after the United States Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. A BURNING ISSUE: BIDEN AND DEMOCRATS LOOK TO COMBAT EXTREME HEAT ACROSS THE US The board ruled that Dhingra violated a state code about ethics in public service, blocking state officers and legislators from using public resources "directly or indirectly, for the purpose of assisting a campaign for the election of a person to an office or for the promotion of or opposition to a ballot proposition." "While members remain free to voice their views on electoral participation, the use of public resources to solicit people to register to vote or advise them how to vote is not considered normal and regular conduct for a legislative office and would violate [the statute]," the board's order states as reported by the Seattle Times on Friday. The event was held in response to the court's ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, where Dhingra voiced her concerns alongside several state legislators and Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) about the need for increased protections for reproductive care. Inslee told reporters at the conference that shortly after the Dobbs decision, Democratic governors from California and Oregon came together to discuss a multi-state commitment to protecting abortion access and reproductive resources such as birth control. 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. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Dhingra told the outlet she would fulfill the reimbursements of mileage expenses and pay the ordered fine, noting she was invited by Inslee to "comment on the state response to the Dobbs decision." "I wasn't aware that I could not tell people to register to vote in my official capacity as a state senator," Dhingra said in a statement. Original Location: Washington state senator fined over improper use of public resources at Dobbs response event Washington Examiner Videos On Saturday around 450 folks who make up the Colorado Republican Party's central committee will vote on a proposal that would pave the way to closing their primary. I think it might be a good idea. But not for the reason you might think. As it stands not only can Colorados 950,000 registered Republicans vote in the primary but so can 1.7 million unaffiliated Coloradan voters if they so choose. They could also vote in the Democratic primary, just not both. If the central committee closes their primary only about 3,000 Republicans who make it to the state assembly, via the caucus system, would be the sole decision makers on who the Republican nominees are for future state ballots. District and county assemblies would do the same for their nominees. The shorthand on this is simple: If the Republicans close their primary, it disenfranchises not only 1.7 million unaffiliated voters from their primary, but it also disenfranchises the 950,000 Republicans from voting in their own primary. This effort is spearheaded by those who believe the Republican Party is too soft. They believe if only more Trumpy, more anti-abortion, hard-core Republicans were on the ballot theyd win in Colorado. The fact is even moderate Republicans cannot win in Colorado anymore. My biggest frustration with Republicans is their inability to face simple reality. We cannot rebuild a conservative movement in Colorado if we are unable to take an honest inventory of the political facts. The Republican label is radioactive in Colorado, and it will be for some time. Anyone who has the odor of Donald Trump or pro-life-from-conception on them will not win statewide or in any major metro or suburban area. Last year, Colorado had the most electable, sane, qualified, non-Trumpy, Republican candidates on the ballot in a year that should have been a red wave year. And still, they couldnt win. 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. The Republican Party in Colorado is broken beyond recognition. Colorado needs a new system to put electable conservatives before voters. Maybe those conservatives have Rs behind their name. Maybe they dont. If the Colorado Republican Party votes to disenfranchise all but 3,000 Coloradans it only hastens the destruction of the party. The central committee needs a 75% vote of all members, not just those present, to close the primary. In a move Stalin would be proud of, there is talk of passing a motion that absent members will be counted as votes to close the primary. Think of that move. The same people who are screaming about stolen elections are about to steal an election at their central committee meeting to make sure millions of people cant vote in their partys primary. This is how whackadoodle the Colorado Republican Party has become. Lets not forget the simple reality that you need all these voters youve just kicked out of your primary to vote for your nominee in the general election. Republican genius. Its time to start talking about the circle of life. Closing the primary only brings the full collapse of the party faster. Fine. Burn it down so something else can be created. People who want to bring political sanity to Colorado need to be talking about new ways of voting. Options might include a new party based on fiscal and business sanity, a new way to have primaries, perhaps open primaries like the city of Denver has, or new voting systems such as approval voting or ranked-choice voting. Conservatives need to get it out of their head that a fiscally bankrupt, out-of-touch, unhinged state Republican Party which is viewed little better than the Nazi Party by most unaffiliated voters is our way to win back limited government in Colorado. Colorado has changed around us. Republicans, its not just adapt or die. Its adapt or Colorado dies. Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics. Imagine the governor appoints Elmer Fudd, obsessed with shooting Bugs Bunny, to a Save the Rabbits Commission. Its like that, but in reverse. Once again, Gov. Jared Polis appointed an animal rights guru to serve as the representative for hunters on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission. It was a clear message from the governors office, hunters and anglers dont matter, said Grant Jerry, of Woodland Park, during a commission meeting Wednesday. At issue is the governors appointment of Gary Skiba, best known for promoting wolf reintroduction in rural Colorado. He wrote a book on it and convinced urban residents to unleash the wolves on country folk. An alarming trend has Colorados ruling political class contravening rural lifestyles and traditions. Maybe thats because nearly all rural areas vote Republican, and urbanites elect Democrats. Whatever the rationale, it needs to stop. The state needs cities, villages, farms and ranches working together. Whether wolf reintroduction would genuinely obstruct hunting by killing game remains unknown. Skiba said so. The best information we have is from Yellowstone, and as people point out Yellowstone isnt Colorado, Skiba said, as quoted in a publication of Western Colorado University. Yellowstone contains just over 1,000 residents. The density of Wyoming, with a population matching that of Colorado Springs, is 5.97 per square mile. Colorado contains 6 million people with a density of 56 per square mile. Skiba is right. Its nothing like Yellowstone. As reported by Colorado Politics reporter Marianne Goodland, Skiba belongs to Defenders of Wildlife. That organizations mission says: To engage in any arena to protect wildlife Congress, the courts, federal and state agencies, academia and public debate tirelessly and effectively. Skiba sued California for delisting gray wolves from that states endangered list. To go left of radical, one sues left-wing California. Wolves, forced on rural Colorado by Skiba and the Front Range, burden residents who dont need another threat to livestock, pets and more. Polis, a Boulder native, is married to an animal rights activist who also grew up in Boulder. We appreciate this couples care and concern for animals, a passion they routinely post on social media. Yet, Boulder and rural Colorado are separate worlds with starkly different approaches to animal and environmental protection. 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. Boulder hosts at least 60 organizations devoted to animal welfare that pump about $545 million into the economy. Boulder County commissioners and neighborhood organizations have a history of trying to outlaw hunting. Rural Coloradans drive pickups, carry guns and hunt. They hold the stewardship of wildlife and the environment as high values because they need these ecosystems to support how they live. Consider rural Brush on the Eastern Plains. As easily as one finds anti-hunting culture in Boulder, one finds businesses in Brush with names such as Access Firearms, Double Barrel Hunting Lodge, Narrows Mallard Duck Club, Indian Meadows Hunt Club and more. Any day trip to Boulder and the boondocks confirms a general stereotype: In the governors hometown, sustenance comes from Whole Foods; in farm country, it comes from chickens, sheep, cattle and wildlife. Past Polis appointments to the commission include an attorney for the anti-hunting WildEarth Guardians and a farm educator from Aspen. In 2021, Polis appointed animal rights activist Ellen Kessler a friend of the governors spouse to the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine. That appointment also drew objections from rural Colorado, where veterinary practices sometimes disturb animal rights activists. Kessler supported a bill forbidding dog and cat sales at pet stores. After Independence Institute President Jon Caldara criticized her support of the measure, Kessler responded with a classy email to the institute. Jon Caldera (sic) is a piece of sht Yeah, pet stores need to stop selling puppies and kittens. And you need to shut your ignorant yap, Kessler wrote. Polis signed legislation that allowed him to appoint anti-fracking environmentalists to the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission, who now jeopardize rural oil and gas jobs. He changed the commissions name to the Energy & Carbon Management Commission, which has more interest in restricting production than ensuring it. In 2019, the governor annoyed farmers and ranchers by asking the Colorado Department of Agriculture to focus on meatless food options in a state that relies on beef as the leading export. A crowd at the state fair booed him for doing so. We dont expect our Boulder-native-in-chief to understand or appreciate hunting or other key elements of country life. We expect earnest appointments that respect Colorados diverse population. Our governor should represent the entire state including those regions where hunters eat what they shoot and vote Republican. The Gazette Editorial Board The 988 suicide crisis hotline marked a one year anniversary recently. Reporting shows it received 5 million contacts in its first year, further evidence of Americas complicated mental health challenge that the U.S. surgeon general recently identified as a crisis. A driving force is often disconnection from friends and family, and that isolation is commonly felt by military members and veterans, both of which have long played a major role in Colorado. Data shows that two-thirds of veterans who die by suicide have had no contact with support services such as the Department of Veterans Affairs. And the VA reports that the rate of suicide among veterans is almost double the rest of the U.S. Leaders such as U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper of Colorado are taking notice and calling on their constituents and Americans alike to take simple yet meaningful action. In a fragmented information landscape, they should take note of the call to action and step up to help their sisters and brothers who defended this country. The campaign is called Warrior Call, and it will culminate on Nov. 12 as National Warrior Call Day. Marking of the date was passed by the U.S. Senate in 2022 and is expected to do so again in 2023, this time with even more support across the legislative body. Leaders in the U.S. House have also supported the initiative in a bipartisan manner. So, too, have scores of veteran advocates, Medal of Honor recipients and former leaders of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Warrior Call asks Americans to make a call to a veteran or service member and connect them with support if they need it, because isolation often is a precursor to suicidal ideation. In addition to post-traumatic stress, invisible wounds linked to an underlying and undiagnosed traumatic brain injury can mirror many mental health conditions and spark isolation and suicidal ideation. 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. In addition, the moral injury a service member might suffer witnessing death and damage up close and participating in it can do the same. We have an obligation to support the men and women in uniform who have sacrificed so much to serve our country and keep us safe, Sen. Bennet said. Troublingly, the suicide rate for vets in Colorado and elsewhere might actually be much higher. Many other deaths might not be reported or classified as suicide because the evidence doesnt support a death determination. This is a statistical gray zone, especially as society wrestles with alcohol and opioid addiction. A national study found significant disparities between state and VA data and a large error rate in how the VA accounts for deaths of vets. The group found that the suicide rate represented in the eight states was much greater, at 1.37 times the rate reported by the VA. And when researchers added in veterans whose deaths were from self-injury, including overdose deaths and other behavior closely aligned with self-harm or suicide, the rate of suicide was 2.4 times higher than the rate the VA reports. Warrior Call implores those partaking to point suffering individuals to resources, such as those hosted by Vets 4 Warriors or the 988 hotline. It is not hyperbole to say that one call can save a life. Veteran advocates across the nation have experienced this reality. By enlisting Coloradans to make a call to a veteran and assess their well-being, Warrior Call be it today, tomorrow or Nov. 12 on National Warrior Call Day must be part of a statewide commitment. It can make a difference, it can save lives. Frank Larkin is chief operations officer of Troops First Foundation and chair of Warrior Call. Why have rules and regulations? In response to the letter Its sad not funny: It is not only our beautiful city lacking attention. Out neighborhoods have gone down. I guess we have no neighborhood services because so many yards have been neglected and out streets. If the city wanted to make some money, it could probably afford to hire more bodies if they started ticketing people with weeds that are 18 inches or higher and make them clean up their yards. There is a RV parked on the street that has been there for two years and no license on it but someone has failed to do their job. There is also vehicles that have been on the street with weeds and debris just growing around it. Why have rules and regulations in place if they arent followed. Colorado Springs used to be a beautiful city, but it is no longer. I agree with Joan our mayor needs to take a drive around and see why nothing is being done to keep Colorado Springs looking great. Lets get those mowers out there and the neighborhood or code enforcement back to work again. Patricia Baca Colorado Springs Choosing judges wisely Re: The Shayne Madsen guest column Picking Colorados Judges published July 9 in the Gazette. Colorados voters wisely chose, decades ago, our states judicial selection system that spares us the spectacles of partisan elections and confirmation hearings suffered in other places. Why would we want to return to a system where litigants might worry if their attorneys donated enough to election campaigns for judges hearing their cases? Yet a recent op-ed commentator suggested Colorado adopt contested judicial elections and confirmation hearings, as allegedly inadequate information about judges is available to voters. The facts show otherwise. Objective information and transparency are built into every aspect of Colorados judicial selection and retention system. Judicial applicant transparency is provided through public access to applications. Nominating commissions made up of nonlawyers and lawyers of all political leanings review applications, interview applicants, and make finalist recommendations for the governors consideration. The public is notified of finalist selections and given an opportunity to provide comments to the governor before the appointment. Once judges are appointed, judicial performance reviews, available to the public at www.KnowYourJudge.com, offer information collected from parties, lawyers, jurors, and others who have appeared before or worked with our judges for all to consider in advance of regular retention votes. Suggesting that Colorados system lacks transparency is meritless. Proposed alternatives could politicize the judicial system and replace voters voices with those of political groups. Our system is designed to help judges decide cases fairly and impartially, on the facts and law, rather than allowing extraneous influences into the process. Colorado voters should reject suggestions that would do otherwise. Christopher R. Reeves 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. Denver Climate change deniers Most people have accepted the concept of climate change, and many accept the belief that man has contributed to this change because of our love and use of fossil fuels. However, a number of people who report on the weather in the media such as TV have been complaining about threats against them and their family. A number of them have quit these positions. The people who make these threats should explain their positions with facts and not just I dont believe the news and I dont trust them. Perhaps they will explain the constant temperature high records year after year. Are the people experiencing these temperatures lying? How about the terrible fires all over the world such as in Canada, Spain and Greece. Is it fake news? What about the water temperatures in the oceans that are feeding the rise in heat and hurricanes. The doubters will explain they havent personally checked the water temperatures and therefore have no knowledge of this information. Most of the worlds glaciers in the U.S., Greenland and Antarctica are either retreating at an alarming rate or have disappeared (especially in the U.S.). The climate doubters will explain that this is fake news although I would suggest a trip to Glacier Park. Why do climate change doubters believe the situation can be solved by threatening those people who report on the news? Its the old belief that if you dont believe there is a sun, you merely need to never look up and the sun will cease to exist. I challenge climate change deniers to make a fact based and intelligent defense of their views rather than threatening the messengers. Vincent Capozzella Colorado Springs What happened to the farm? As I read the Gazette article about the upcoming Rocky Mountain Flower Fest, I have to ask: When did the farm become a for-profit venue? Who now owns the farm? An event center, a wedding facility. What happens to the farm where kids could gather pumpkins and visit farm animals free of charge? I guess we can rack this up to progress, or is this someone pulling the wool over the communitys collective eyes? David Zeringue Colorado Springs A recent poll of registered voters shows majority support for Proposition HH, the property tax proposal that will appear on the ballot in Colorado this November. The same poll reveals that support disappears when voters learn what the measure does. Proposition HH will not reduce local property taxes. Instead, it will increase state taxes, likely ending taxpayer refunds. But only if voters approve it. With Senate Bill 23-303, lawmakers referred Proposition HH to voters and dictated the precise wording of the ballot question. The verbiage they chose paints a different picture from what the measure would do. It begins, Shall the state reduce property taxes for homes and businesses, including expanding property tax relief for seniors ? Its easy to understand why the Coloradans polled would support the proposal after reading this. The week before Gov. Polis and the Legislature released their plan, property owners received notices of valuation showing projected property tax increases of 60% or more in some counties. It appears the state is responding by offering to reduce property taxes. Not so. Voter beware Proposition HH would not reduce property taxes, as the ballot question says. The measure would reduce the residential assessment rate by 0.065% and exempt $40,000 from a homes value for tax purposes, but those changes will not reduce property taxes. In fact, regardless of whether the measure passes or fails, property owners will see the largest property tax increase in Colorado history this year. If HH wins at the ballot, property taxes for a median home will go up about 25%. If it loses, about 32%. In other words, the measure would slightly lower the increase in property taxes. In this sense, one could argue that it provides a modicum of property tax relief, but no amount of mental gymnastics can justify calling it a tax reduction. But this relief if you can call it that will come at the cost of your TABOR refund. The ballot question continues, Shall the state backfill counties, water districts, fire districts, ambulance and hospital districts, and other local governments and school districts by using a portion of the state surplus up to the Proposition HH cap as defined in this measure? At first blush, that sounds good, or at least benign. If the state has surplus money lying around, why not let them use it to fund fire rescue and schools? The ballot question, however, does not tell you the surplus comes from an overcollection of taxes from Colorado taxpayers. It does not tell you the surplus is the refund youre entitled to under Colorado law. It does not tell you the state needs your permission to keep that money and spend it elsewhere. And it does not tell you that to vote in favor of Proposition HH is to give that consent. Some years, Colorado overcollects taxes. When that happens, the constitution requires the state to send the surplus back to taxpayers as a refund. Thats why everyone got a $750 check in the mail last summer or $1,500 for joint filers. State economists project these refunds will continue for the foreseeable future. Hidden agenda The primary purpose of Proposition HH is to allow the state to keep your refund money, effectively increasing your taxes. The measure is on the ballot for one reason and one reason only. The state needs your approval to keep your money. Nothing else in the measure requires voter approval. The Legislature can provide property tax relief without voter approval. It can send money to schools and fire districts without voter approval. It can fund rental assistance without voter approval. But the state cannot keep your TABOR refund or raise your taxes without your approval. The media have called out the Polis administration on the bait and switch in HH. 9News anchor Kyle Clark explained, The governor proposed reducing property tax increases by using our own TABOR refunds. Hes right, but its worse than he described. Over the long term, Polis plan will take far more from our TABOR refunds than it saves us in property taxes. It exponentially increases the amount of taxes the state can take and keep each year. If voters adopt Proposition HH, state taxes will increase by up to $200 billion give or take over the next three decades by taking away taxpayer refund dollars. Proponents of the measure will say it expires after 10 years. But if voters approve HH, they are giving the Legislature the authority to extend it indefinitely without additional voter approval after the initial 10-year period. One thing in the ballot question is true. A portion of the state surplus will fund certain local services. But the rest will go into the Proposition HH General Fund Exempt Account essentially a slush fund for all the extra tax money the state will be taking from you. Locals lose 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. The ballot question leads voters to believe counties, water districts, fire districts, ambulance, and hospital districts all benefit from this tax increase. But ask yourself, why have the Colorado State Fire Chiefs not endorsed the measure? Why did over a dozen Colorado counties sue the state, arguing Proposition HH is unconstitutional? At best, Proposition HH throws your local governments under the bus by taking away some of their anticipated revenue increase while stuffing state coffers with your tax refunds. In addition to increasing taxes and failing to provide real property tax relief, it transfers more money and power from your local governments to the state. When voters learn all of this, support for the measure drops from 54% to 43%, according to the recent poll. Voters like what the Legislature tells them Proposition HH does, but they dont like what it actually does. The poll, conducted by Magellan Strategies, however, stops short of informing respondents of the full impact of HH. For example, in the section of the poll educating respondents on various effects, the pollster repeats the statement seen in the ballot question that HH expands property tax relief for seniors. Respondents are more likely to support the measure after the pollster explains this. But this characterization of the policy impact isnt entirely accurate. The alleged expansion in the senior homestead exemption is the same $40,000 exemption granted to all homeowners under the measure. And it comes nowhere close to offsetting the tax increase homeowners will experience this year. The pollsters also told respondents, If Prop HH is approved, annual property tax payments may still rise, but by smaller amounts and not as quickly. This would be new information to someone who only read the ballot question, which indicates HH will reduce property taxes. When the pollster explains that the measure will not reduce property tax payments, support for the measure falls. But even this understates how unhelpful the measure is to homeowners. A fake fix Not only does the measure fail to reduce property taxes or even keep them stable but it also does nothing to prevent large property tax increases in the future. After an initial reduction in the increase in taxes, HH allows property tax bills to grow just as quickly as they would without the measure. Taxes will continue to rise with property values, just as they do now. To prevent this, the state would need to create a mechanism that pushes property tax rates down as home values rise. Proposition HH guarantees no such protection. Supporters of the measure might point out that the measure includes a provision to cap property tax revenue increases at the local level. But it also gives each local government the authority to eliminate that cap unilaterally, without additional voter approval. The state constitution contained a mechanism to keep property taxes in check until voters repealed it in 2020 with Amendment B. As with Proposition HH, the legislature crafted the (extremely misleading) ballot language for Amendment B, which voters then approved. Repealing that constitutional mechanism led to the current property tax crisis. The same politicians who created that crisis are now using it as a pretext to come after our refunds. Fool Coloradans once, shame on the politicians. Fool us twice, shame on us. The nonpartisan state employees at Legislative Council Staff could tell voters the truth about Proposition HH in the Blue Book the voter information booklet that goes out to all registered voters. And they deserve credit for their work on the first two drafts. Unfortunately, whatever the nonpartisan staff writes must ultimately receive approval by a partisan legislative committee chaired by Senate President Steve Fenberg, the author of Proposition HH. Two of the other three prime sponsors of the bill also sit on the committee, and a majority of the committee either co-sponsored or voted in favor of it. Nonetheless, its unlikely the committee will have the two-thirds majority necessary to make any major changes to the language submitted by LCS. That means the nonpartisan staff has an even greater duty to explain to voters that the single largest effect of Proposition HH is to increase state taxes by taking away taxpayer refunds. They should state clearly that this effect is the one and only reason it is appearing before voters this November. Those points should be the first and second bullets in their topline summary of the measure. Legislative Council Staff knows theres a limit to how forthright they can be about the measure while still receiving committee approval for the Blue Book. That means it will be up to all of us to educate our fellow Coloradans. If youve read this far, you have the information necessary to do that.If you dont want to send billions of additional tax dollars to the state, explain to your friends and neighbors what Proposition HH really does. Ben Murrey is director of the Fiscal Policy Center at the Independence Institute in Denver. Colorado Republicans are preparing to again decide whether to cancel the upcoming primary election in order to prevent unaffiliated voters from helping pick the party's nominees to the general election ballot. The state GOP has considered and overwhelmingly rejected the move every election cycle since voters approved a 2016 statewide ballot initiative that opened Democratic and Republican primaries to voters who aren't affiliated with any party. But this year it's different, say GOP leaders who support amending party bylaws to make it easier for its governing body to call off the primary and let Republicans nominate Republican candidates. That could happen on Aug. 5 at a special meeting of the Republicans' state central committee in Castle Rock, which was initially called to elect a new state vice chair after Priscila Rahn, who won a second two-year term in the position in April, resigned last month to campaign for a seat on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. In addition to replacing Rahn, the central committee will also vote on a series of proposed amendments to its bylaws, including one that would effectively reduce the number of votes it will take to cancel the primary. Known as Amendment 7, the measure would count any central committee member who doesn't vote on a question under certain circumstances as "a vote in the affirmative." Drafted by Chuck Bonniwell, an attorney and newspaper publisher who sits on the state Republican Party's executive committee, the amendment is precisely worded so it would only apply to a potential vote to cancel the primary. If it's approved by the central committee, state Republicans plan to consider whether to close the party's nominating process at a subsequent meeting in late September. The proposed amendment has drawn a backlash from some Republicans, including two of the largest county GOP organizations in the state, which are both calling for its defeat. "The Arapahoe County Republican Party is overwhelmingly opposed to this unfair amendment which negates the voice of duly elected members of the Central Committee and their constituents the workhorses of our party who are also entitled to a voice through their elected representatives," said Arapahoe County GOP Chair Anne Rowland in a statement issued after the county's executive committee voted on July 25 to oppose the amendment. "To avoid the disenfranchisement of grassroots Republicans, no vote should ever be cast or counted, either in the affirmative or the negative, unless the CRC member who is guaranteed that right to vote casts that vote themselves or grants another individual the right to cast that vote in their absence by proxy, where allowed," she added. The statement follows a formal resolution approved a week earlier by the Weld County Republican Party, which said the proposal was "not only morally and ethically wrong, but it may also be a violation of both state and federal constitutions as well as Colorado state statutes." Added the county party's acting chairman, Hunter Rivera, in an email: Automatically making a non-vote a yes vote flies in the face of the principles this country was built on." Its backers, however, say the amendment is necessary to get around an unreasonably high requirement contained in the ballot measure that established the state's semi-open primary system. (A fully open primary, as exists in some states, would allow Democrats to vote in a Republican primary, and vice versa.) Under Proposition 108, which was adopted with the support of 53% of voters, it takes an affirmative vote by 75% of either major party's central committee membership to "opt out" of holding a primary and instead nominate candidates through party assemblies. Republicans complain that's an impossible threshold to meet, since it's rare that even 75% of the GOP's central committee members show up for meetings, meaning nearly everyone in those circumstances would have to vote "yes." State Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams said in a July 27 email to central committee members that the way the primary law is written, the party is already forced to factor no-shows into the equation under current rules, they count as "no" votes against reaching the threshold so the party can decide to treat them the other way. 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. "Please know from the start, the Party does NOT get to count non-votes as 'abstentions' for the opt-out threshold," Williams wrote. "We must assume them one way or the other because the government forces a vote of the total membership instead of members present." Added Williams: "If you support closing the open primary with the opt-out vote, then it only makes sense to support the Bonniwell Amendment and vote yes. Again, its important to stress that the Party is forced to assume the position of non-participants one way or the other." While his position on semi-open primaries hasn't been a secret he led an unsuccessful proposal in 2021 to cancel the primary and featured the position in his campaign for party chair this spring Williams stated for the first time in the email that he intends to vote for Bonniwell's amendment. "Colorado Democrats and leftwing unaffiliateds have violated our First Amendment right to the Freedom of Association. And the Bonniwell Amendment is a way to reclaim our right to self-governance as a private political organization," Williams wrote. "We should get to create our own rules and decide our own fate, not anyone else, especially radical liberals who will stop at nothing to pass the extreme agenda of Joe Biden and Jared Polis." Two years ago, just 33% of the Republicans' state central committee members voted in favor of opting out for the 2022 primary slightly better than in two previous attempts but still far short of the requirement. The GOP's roughly 415-member central committee is made up of party officers from each of Colorado's 64 counties, elected state-level and federal officials, and bonus members awarded to larger counties based on the number of votes received by the party's top-ticket nominee in the previous general election. While both the state Democratic and Republican parties opposed the ballot measure before it was adopted and leaders from both parties groused about the effects it would have on their primaries the Democrats haven't ever seriously considered canceling their primary, but Republicans have formally considered the move three times previously, in 2017, 2019 and 2021. It's a chance to reach out to the state's vast trove of unaffiliated voters before the general election, Democrats say these days, noting that voters who cast ballots for a candidate in a primary are exceedingly likely to do the same in November. Unaffiliated voters make up 47% of the state's electorate, with Democrats accounting for 27% and Republicans coming in just under 24% a sharp reversal for both major parties since a decade ago, when each group comprised roughly one-third of registered voters. It's impossible to win elections statewide or in competitive districts without winning over a good share of the unaffiliated, strategists say. That was one of the arguments in favor of Proposition 108 that it would boost voter participation and engagement. Proponents also maintained that unaffiliated voters are paying for primary elections so should be able to participate. The measure's chief sponsor, however, stressed that involving voters who weren't affiliated with either major party could result in better nominees. Kent Thiry, the wealthy former CEO of kidney dialysis giant DaVita Inc., founded the organization behind Proposition 108 and a companion initiative, Proposition 107, which established presidential primaries in Colorado and also passed in 2016. Thiry also sponsored a pair of amendments that won voter approval in 2018 to create independent congressional and legislative redistricting commissions. "Opening primaries to unaffiliated voters will introduce voters into our primary elections less interested in scoring political points and more interested in lawmakers finding common-sense, bipartisan solutions to the problems facing average Coloradans," Thiry said. Ernest Luning has covered politics for Colorado Politics and its predecessor publication, The Colorado Statesman, since 2009. He's analyzed the exploits, foibles and history of state campaigns and politicians since 2018 in the weekly Trail Mix column. An Eagle County judge improperly allowed a law enforcement witness to testify about her belief that the victim's account supported the filing of sex assault charges, Colorado's second-highest court decided in reversing the defendant's conviction. Previous court decisions in Colorado have established that prosecutors may not present evidence of the "screening" process that leads to criminal charges because the implication is that only someone deemed guilty is charged with an offense. Further, investigating officers may not testify about a witness' credibility. However, both occurred in the 2020 trial of Christian Arman Garcia-Chevez, where the dispute revolved around whether he and the victim had consensual sex or whether Garcia-Chevez sexually assaulted her. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals, in ordering a new trial, also cautioned the prosecution against committing misconduct. Although a jury found Garcia-Chevez guilty, it did not believe he used force, and it acquitted him of other offenses against the victim. He received a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. Case: People v. Garcia-Chevez Decided: July 20, 2023 Jurisdiction: Eagle County Ruling: 3-0 Judges: Lino S. Lipinsky de Orlov (author) Elizabeth L. Harris Michael H. Berger Background: Jeffco sex assault conviction reversed after appeals court says judge allowed expert to vouch for victim The prosecution questioned Karen Waddell, a former sheriff's detective who had since joined the district attorney's office, about how she developed probable cause to arrest Garcia-Chevez. "The sexual assault was obviously her (the victim's) description of the events, of the incident, and then his corroboration of what took place, his description of the event," Waddell responded. Garcia-Chevez's attorney objected, but County Court Judge Rachel J. Olguin-Fresquez allowed Waddell to continue. Waddell elaborated that she was able to verify "both individuals were telling me the basic information that supported the criminal " 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. The defense interrupted her again with an objection. Olguin-Fresquez ruled Waddell was not commenting on the parties' credibility, just the fact that "they corroborated" each other. On appeal, Garcia-Chevez argued Waddell's testimony effectively gave the jury reason to believe the victim over Garcia-Chevez. The Colorado Attorney General's Office denied that her statements were improper, as she was merely describing "what prompted her to take the next step in the investigation, which was Defendants arrest." The Court of Appeals panel disagreed with the government's benign interpretation of the testimony. Waddell "offered an opinion on the only issue the jury had to resolve on the sexual assault count: whether (the victim) was credible in claiming that she had not consented to engage in sex," wrote Judge Lino S. Lipinsky de Orlov in the July 20 opinion. It was not true, he elaborated, that the two parties' statements "corroborated" each other, given the discrepancy over consent. "By testifying she had probable cause to arrest Garcia-Chevez," Lipinsky de Orlov explained, "the investigator effectively told the jury that she believed (the victim's) allegations but not Garcia-Chevezs version of events." Given the lack of other evidence against Garcia-Chevez, the panel believed Waddell's testimony likely affected the verdict. It ordered a new trial. Garcia-Chevez also argued the prosecutor committed misconduct by asking the jury to place itself in the shoes of the victim which is inappropriate and by inserting his own legal views of Garcia-Chevez's arrest. The panel did not address whether the prosecutor crossed the line, but suggested the allegations had merit. "On remand, we are confident the prosecutor will conform to, and the trial court will enforce, the legal standards applicable to prosecutorial misconduct," Lipinsky de Orlov wrote. Heidi McCollum, the elected district attorney for the 5th Judicial District, did not respond to an email asking her to identify the prosecutor at trial. eyunni wrote: Faced with an estimated $2 billion budget gap, the citys mayor proposed a nearly 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the citys major cultural institutions and to subsidize hundreds of local arts groups. (A) proposed a nearly 17 percent reduction in the amount allocated the previous year to maintain the citys major cultural institutions and to subsidize (B) proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent in the amount it was allocating to maintain the citys major cultural institutions and for subsidizing (C) proposed to reduce, by nearly 17 percent, the amount from the previous year that was allocated for the maintenance of the citys major cultural institutions and to subsidize (D) has proposed a reduction from the previous year of nearly 17 percent of the amount it was allocating for maintaining the citys major cultural institutions, and to subsidize (E) was proposing that the amount they were allocating be reduced by nearly 17 percent from the previous year for maintaining the citys major cultural institutions and for the subsidization Meaning is crucial to solving this problem: Concepts tested here: Meaning + Pronouns + Tenses + Parallelism + Verb Forms + Awkwardness/Redundancy A: Correct. and for the purpose of subsidizing B: C: and proposed subsidizing and for the purpose of subsidizing D: and proposed subsidizing and for the purpose of subsidizing E: Hence, A is the best answer choice. Dear Friends,Here is a detailed explanation to this question-Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that the mayor proposed that the amount of money allocated the previous year for the purpose of maintaining the citys major cultural institutions and subsidizing hundreds of local arts groups be reduced by nearly 17 percent. The simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past. The simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that were ongoing over a period of time in the past. For referring to the purpose/intent of an action, the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb") is the preferred construction. Any elements linked by a conjunction ("and" in this sentence) must be parallel.This answer choice uses the phrase "to maintain...and to subsidize", conveying the intended meaning - that the mayor proposed reducing the amount of money allocated the previous year for the purpose of maintaining the citys major cultural institutionshundreds of local arts groups. Further, Option A avoids the pronoun error seen in Option E, as it uses no pronouns. Moreover, Option A correctly uses the simple past tense verb "proposed" and the past participle "allocated" to refer to actions that concluded in the past. Additionally, Option A maintains parallelism between "to maintain" and "to subsidize". Besides, Option A uses the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb" - "to + maintain" and "to + subsidize" in this sentence) to refer to the purpose of the action "allocated". Option A is also free of any awkwardness or redundancy.This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple past continuous tense verb "was allocating" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that were ongoing over a period of time in the past. Further, Option B uses the present participle ("verb+ing") phrase "for subsidizing" to refer to the purpose of the action "allocating"; remember, for referring to the purpose/intent of an action, the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb") is preferred over the present participle ("verb+ing" - "subsidizing" in this sentence). Additionally, Option B uses the needlessly indirect phrase "proposed a reduction...in the amount", leading to awkwardness.This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "proposed to reduce...and to subsidize"; the parallelism between "to reduce" and "to subsidize" incorrectly implies that the mayor proposed reducing the amount of money allocated the previous year for the purpose of maintaining the citys major cultural institutionshundreds of local arts groups; the intended meaning is that the mayor proposed reducing the amount of money allocated the previous year for the purpose of maintaining the citys major cultural institutionshundreds of local arts groups. Further, Option C uses the phrase "for the maintenance of" to refer to the purpose of the action "allocated"; remember, for referring to the purpose/intent of an action, the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb") is the preferred construction. Additionally, Option C uses the passive construction "the amount from the previous year that was allocated", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "proposed a reduction...and to subsidize"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the mayor proposed reducing the amount of money allocated the previous year for the purpose of maintaining the citys major cultural institutionshundreds of local arts groups; the intended meaning is that the mayor proposed reducing the amount of money allocated the previous year for the purpose of maintaining the citys major cultural institutionshundreds of local arts groups. Further, Option D incorrectly uses the simple past continuous tense verb "was allocating" to refer to an action that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that were ongoing over a period of time in the past. Additionally, Option D fails to maintain parallelism between "a reduction" and "to subsidize"; remember, any elements linked by a conjunction ("and" in this sentence) must be parallel. Besides, Option D uses the present participle ("verb+ing") phrase "for maintaining" to refer to the purpose of the action "allocating"; remember, for referring to the purpose/intent of an action, the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb") is preferred over the present participle ("verb+ing" - "maintaining" in this sentence).This answer choice suffers from a pronoun error, as the pronoun "they" has no logical and clear referent. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the simple past continuous tense verbs "was proposing" and "were allocating" to refer to actions that concluded in the past; remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to actions that concluded in the past, and the simple past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that were ongoing over a period of time in the past. Additionally, Option E fails to maintain parallelism between "for maintaining" and "for the subsidization"; remember, any elements linked by a conjunction ("and" in this sentence) must be parallel. Besides, Option E uses the phrases "for maintaining" and "for the subsidization" to refer to the purposes of the action "allocating"; remember, for referring to the purpose/intent of an action, the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb") is the preferred construction.To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):To understand the concept of "Simple Continuous Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):To understand the concept of "Infinitive" vs "Present Participle" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):All the best!Team_________________ RenB wrote: While Alaska, one of the 50 states in the United States, has fully vaccinated 16 percent of its population, the highest rate in the country, the state ranks 46th in vaccine administration, having used only 69 percent of its supply. Hence, Alaska has vaccinated more people than has any other state. Note, the vaccine is a single-shot vaccine, and a state is only allowed to vaccinate its residents. Which of the following is required for the assertion above to be true? A. More vaccines have been delivered to Alaska than to most other states. B. People in Alaska are more willing to get vaccinated than in other states. C. California that ranks behind Alaska in the proportion of people vaccinated does not have a higher population. D. Alaska's population is higher than that of other states. E. Alaska has more locations that deliver the vaccine than do most other states. Alaska has vaccinated more people than has any other state Inference: Out of the 50 states in the US, the number of people (residents) vaccinated in Alaska is higher than that in other states. We cannot infer much about the population of the state at this point. We can, however, infer that Alaska has used a higher number of vaccines than other states have. We can infer this because the premise states that a greater number of people were vaccinated in Alaska than in other states. % of people vaccinated = number of residents vaccinated / total number of residents. Alaska ranks 46th in vaccine administration Inference: Out of the 50 states in the US, Alaska stands at 46th position in the percentage of vaccines used. Let's assume that 100 vaccines were sent to each state, a state which uses the maximum number of vaccines ranks one (highest), and the state that uses the least number of vaccines ranks last (50th). Hence, we can infer, that the percentage of vaccines Alaska used was lower than that of many other states, i.e. 45 states used a higher percentage of vaccines sent to those states. % of vaccines used = number of vaccines used (equals to the number of residents vaccinated) / total number of vaccines that the state has received. Alaska used 69 percent of its supply Inference: 69% of the supplies were used to vaccinate the residents of Alaska. Combining this information with the first two points, we can further infer that to vaccinate 16% population, the state has used 69% of its supplies. We also know that the number of people vaccinated in Alaska is greater than that of other states, however, the ranking of vaccine administration is lower than many other states. A possible explanation for this paradox can be that the state received more supplies than other states. Hence, while it used more supplies than other states did, the ranking of vaccine administration wasn't that great. Let's hold on to this thought. B. People in Alaska are more willing to get vaccinated than in other states. C. California that ranks behind Alaska in the proportion of people vaccinated does not have a higher population. Show Spoiler P.S. The use of 'that' in the statement is incorrect. Better construction - California, which ranks behind Alaska in the proportion of people vaccinated, does not have a higher population. D. Alaska's population is higher than that of other states. E. Alaska has more locations that deliver the vaccine than do most other states A. More vaccines have been delivered to Alaska than to most other states. Option A. Want to discuss quant questions and strategies : Join the quant chat group today Power of Tiny Gains 1.01^(365) = 37.78 0.99^(365) = 0.03 Signature Read More A lot of moving parts to this question. Let's try to understand the facts presented -Answer choice elimination -Let's start with Option BThis option is out of scope and relies on common knowledge. The passage doesn't share the reason for vaccination. Was the reason to get vaccinated sheer willingness or the residents were incentivized or something else, we have no idea. We can eliminate this option.% of people vaccinated = # of residents vaccinated / total number of residents.From the premise, we know that the value of the numerator is highest for Alaska. This statement presents us with the rate of people vaccinated between the two states.Multiple possibilities exist for this observation -1) Population of Alaska is lower than the population of California2) Number of people vaccinated is lower in California and the population is the same as that of Alaska.3) Number of people vaccinated is lower in California and the population is more than that of Alaska.Hence, we can eliminate this possibility.This may be true. However, we cannot this must not be true for the statements to hold true. It's well possible that all states share the same population and the number of people vaccinated in Alaksa was greater than that of the other states.Hence, we can eliminate this possibility.Not relevant. Hence, we can eliminate this option.We know while Alaska used a greater number of vaccines than other states did, however, it ranked quite lower than most other states in vaccine administration. Let's revisit the formula again% of vaccines used = number of vaccines used (equals to the number of residents vaccinated) / total number of vaccines that the state has received.The numerator is highest for Alaska and the % of vaccines used is lower than most other states (as Alaska ranks 46th). This observation is possible when the value of the denominator is higher. Hence, the state must have received more supplies of vaccines than most other states._________________ GREENSBORO While U.S. Representatives found plenty to fight over in a Wednesday morning hearing on pandemic learning losses, North Carolinas Education Secretary used the opportunity to tout her offices efforts to advise school districts on effective academic recovery strategies. Catherine Truitt, a Republican elected statewide, was among education leaders and experts from across the country called to Washington to testify before the Republican-chaired House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. The hearing was entitled, Generational Learning Loss: How Pandemic School Closures Hurt Students. Republicans and Democrats on the committee voiced conflicting opinions over whether pandemic school closures made sense and on the usefulness of federal COVID-19 relief funding for schools. However, in her statement to the committee and responses to their questions, Truitt mostly focused on steps she said she and her staff took to better advise districts on how to use the relief dollars. Truitt said she set up a special office to study learning loss in North Carolina and offer advice to districts on how to best use their federal money. She said the state urged districts to focus on the most affected academic subjects and students, such as middle school math students, and to use strategies expected to be effective. Examples, she said, in response to a question from Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., include summer academies to help students transition into middle school and high school math boot camps, targeted teacher professional development, and high dosage tutoring for students. Guilford County Schools was honored by the Biden administration last year for its efforts to implement high dosage tutoring, aiming to provide students in need with at least three separate tutoring sessions of half an hour to an hour each week with a consistent tutor. Republican Rep. Aaron Bean of Florida, the subcommittee chair, asked Truitt how long it could take for students to bounce back. Its going to take multiple years to recover and some students may never recover, she said. Many were behind in their academic progress when the pandemic hit, which one could argue is why so many parents seeking alternatives to their neighborhood public schools. Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, the House Education Committee Chairwoman, wanted to hear Truitts thoughts on the idea of further federal spending. One of the arguments we hear frequently from the left is that the federal government must spend more money, and yet we have seen states like North Carolina be remarkably successful with existing resources, Foxx said. What would you say to Democrats who claim that learning loss cant be fixed without billions of dollars in new taxpayer dollars at the federal level? Truitt didnt explicitly reject or welcome the hypothetical billions of dollars, or say whether she thought learning loss could be fixed without them. In North Carolina, she said, some rural districts have tiny central office teams, and having to figure out how to best spend massive amounts of COVID-19 relief dollars over a limited number of years to best help their students, was very daunting for them. She said she wanted to make sure the committee understood how unique North Carolina was among states in setting up the new office to offer support and in quickly providing data to help districts make their decisions. Thats how I would answer that question, she said. Oppenheimer, the epic new movie directed by Christopher Nolan, takes audiences into the mind and moral decisions of J. Robert Oppenheimer, leader of the team of brilliant scientists in Los Alamos, N.M., who built the worlds first atomic bomb. Its not a documentary, but it gets the big historical moments and subjects right. The issues that Nolan depicts are not relics of a distant past. The new world that Oppenheimer helped to create, and the nuclear nightmare he feared, still exists today. Russian President Vladimir Putin is threatening to use nuclear weapons in his war in Ukraine. Iran is doing everything it can to develop nuclear weapons. China is expanding its nuclear arsenal. Hostile governments like China are stealing U.S. defense technologies, including from Los Alamos. Charges that Oppenheimer was a Soviet spy and a security risk a major focus of the movie have been disproved. In December 2022, the Biden administration posthumously voided the U.S. Atomic Energy Commissions 1954 decision to revoke Oppenheimers security clearance, calling that process biased and unfair. Declassified records reveal that Soviet spying on the U.S. atomic bomb effort advanced Moscows bomb program, but Oppenheimer was no spy. Oppenheimers perspective Oppenheimer joined the Manhattan Project, a nationwide effort to build an atomic bomb before the Nazis developed one, in 1942. The scientists he led at the Los Alamos site were probably the most talented group of minds ever assembled in a single laboratory, including 12 eventual Nobel laureates. In 1954, at the height of the McCarthy era, Oppenheimer was accused of being a communist and even a Soviet spy. Whats the truth? We know that in the 1930s, and until 1943, Oppenheimer was a Communist sympathizer. His brother, Frank, and his girlfriend, Jean Tatlock, belonged to the Communist Party of the United States, and Oppenheimers wife, Katherine, was a former member. For Oppy, as his students called him, Marxism was intellectually interesting, but it was also practical. Oppenheimer saw communism as the best defense against the rise of fascism in Europe, which, being of Jewish heritage, was personal for him. By 1943, however, Oppenheimers support for Communist Party causes shifted evidently, as he realized the enormity of his mission to produce an atomic bomb. That year, Oppenheimer helped U.S. Army security officers identify scientists he believed were communists. Russian overtures Oppenehimer was a top target for Soviet intelligence, which assigned him the code names CHESTER and CHEMIST. He was also being cultivated by Soviet intelligence officers. But being targeted and cultivated for recruitment is not the same as being a recruited spy. As the movie shows, in 1943, Oppenheimers academic colleague at the University of California, Berkeley, Haakon Chevalier, told Oppenheimer that a British scientist working in San Francisco could relay information to the Soviets. Oppenheimer rejected the approach, but for reasons that remain unclear, he did not inform authorities for several months. Over the ensuing years, Oppenheimer provided at least three versions of the story, sometimes involving his brother, Frank. It seems likely that Robert was trying to protect his brother from Army security. Archives made available after the Soviet Unions collapse now establish beyond doubt that Oppenheimer was not a Soviet agent. In fact, Soviet intelligence reports about the Manhattan Project reveal that at key points, Stalins spy chiefs were frustrated that their operatives had not recruited Oppenheimer. But the Russians did penetrate the Manhattan Project the greatest security breach in U.S. history. An excerpt from British security agency MI5s dossier on J. Robert Oppenheimer describes efforts to persuade Oppenheimer and other scientists to share information about their atomic bomb research with the Soviet Union. Spies all over Multiple scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project provided critical information about U.S. atomic bomb research to the Soviet Union. Oppenheimer focuses on Klaus Fuchs, a brilliant theoretical physicist who fled from Nazi Germany to Britain and became a British naturalized subject. From the time he started to work on Britains wartime atom bomb project, Fuchs was in what he later described as continuous contact with Soviet intelligence, providing theoretical calculations that were necessary to build the atom bomb. Gen. Leslie Groves, the military commander of the Manhattan Project, later blamed the British for failing to identify Fuchs as a Soviet spy. Thats correct. But the declassified dossier on Fuchs from Britains security service, MI5, shows that, at the time, the agency did not have any positive, reliable evidence of Fuchss communism. MI5 knew that Fuchs was anti-Nazi, but not that he was pro-Soviet. As I discuss in my new book, Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West, other spies at Los Alamos included a prodigious scientist, Theodore Ted Hall (code name MLAD, or Young); Julius Rosenberg (code name ANTENNA, later LIBERAL); and David Greenglass (BUMBLEBEE, CALIBER). Other Soviet spies, like the British scientist Alan Nunn May, worked in other parts of the Manhattan Project. These men had multiple motives for betraying U.S. atomic secrets. They were communist true believers and thought atomic weapons were too powerful to be held by one country alone. Moreover, they had a (misguided) defense that the Soviet Union was Americas wartime ally, so they were only delivering secrets to an allied government. But as Nolan correctly shows in the movie, when Chevalier approached Oppenheimer with the same argument, Oppenheimer retorted that it was still treason. Soviet espionage inside the Manhattan Project would change history. By the end of World War II, Stalins spies had delivered the secrets of the atomic bomb to the Kremlin. This accelerated Moscows bomb project. When the Soviets detonated their first atomic weapon in August 1949, it was a replica of the weapon built at Los Alamos and dropped by the Americans on Nagasaki. Even now, nearly 80 years later, secrets about Soviet nuclear espionage are still emerging. One Soviet agent whose espionage has only recently been revealed is George Koval (code name DEVAL), an American engineer who was drafted into the Manhattan Project, where he worked on polonium bomb initiators at a facility in Dayton, Ohio. After Koval died in 2006, at the age of 93, Russias ministry of defense disclosed that the initiator for the first Soviet atomic bomb was prepared to specifications provided by Koval. Putin posthumously honored Koval as a Hero of Russia, offering a champagne toast in his honor. New targets If Nolans film inspires audiences to read the deeply researched biography of Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, which inspired Nolan to make this movie, or other accounts of the Manhattan Project or the Cold War, they will find that the underlying tissues of science and espionage remain alive. Today, the world stands at the edge of technological revolutions that will transform societies in the 21st century, much as nuclear weapons did in the 20th century: artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biological engineering. Watching Oppenheimer makes me wonder whether hostile foreign governments may already have stolen keys to unlocking these new technologies, in the same way the Soviets did with the atom bomb. This is a rare opportunity to own a 1903 Victorian masterpiece curated to its stately half-acre in the heart of Helenas historic Upper West Side. The main home contains 5 large bedrooms (+1 bonus), 3.5 bathrooms, and features original wood finishes, updated windows, and abundant natural light. With its timeless charm, ample living space, functional floor plan, and convenient amenities, you can showcase this Golden Era mansion as an integral part of your best Helena life. Looking for versatility as well? Housed above the detached garage youll find a cute 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment complete with laundry and a full kitchen. Use this space for guests or as an income-producing unit. Or, capitalize on investment potential by seeking a lot line adjustment with the City of Helena to split the seven-lot parcel into two, each with its own paved driveway access into this corner parcel. Call Ryan Stavnes 406-465-3830, Michelle Johnson 406-461-9685, or your real estate professional. As you step through the grand front entryway and pass through the antechamber, you are greeted by a classic Victorian foyer that opens across to a grand staircase. Three sets of French doors line the foyer, each leading to large inviting spaces. Nearest the entrance, the bright front room currently serves as an office. Additional French doors connect it to the expansive living room which walks through a small enclosed porch attached to a much larger sun porch which was added in 2006. Opposite the living room, the formal dining room sets the stage for memorable gatherings. The last door off the foyer discretely holds the main floor half bathroom. Moving further into the main level, youll pass into the back hall which accesses the kitchen, basement, or second entry to the large sun porch. The kitchen continues the functional layout with an adjoining butlers pantry complete with a formal swinging door connecting it to the dining room. From the kitchen, you can also pass through the large laundry room to a back door or ascend the back-of-house stairs to the second landing. The second floor is a haven of comfort and privacy. Four generously sized bedrooms provide ample accommodation for family and guests, while two full bathrooms offer convenience and style. This level lends itself to modern comforts featuring a new ceiling fan, updated windows, and large closets. A versatile bonus room can be customized to suit your needs, and a second sun porch provides a delightful spot to bask in the sunlight and enjoy the fresh air. The attic of this Victorian gem is complete with a wet bar and entertaining space, multiple storage areas, an enclosed porch, a large bedroom, and a full bathroom offering endless possibilities for personalization. With a full basement providing additional storage and utility space, this house caters to all your practical needs. Outside, the property spans half an acre and encompasses an impressive seven city lots. This property already has two access driveways and two separate dwellings making it simple to apply to the City to split this half-acre into two residences each on their own large lot. Mature landscaping includes shade trees, fruit trees, bushes, and flowers. Excellent location - close to shopping, amenities, schools, downtown, trails, and Hwy 12. 801 Stuart St. presents an exceptional opportunity to own a piece of history in one of Helena's most sought-after locations. View More It will be two years this August since American Marc Fogel was arrested in a Russian airport. His family pleaded with members of Congress this week to get the 62-year-old home. They met with Montanas delegation. Marcs sister, Anne, lives in Missoula, which was reason enough for Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester, as well as Rep. Ryan Zinke to write the Biden Administration urging that Fogel be recognized by the U.S. State Department as wrongfully detained and released. Daines, a Republican, spoke on the Senate floor last week about the importance of Fogel being recognized by U.S. officials as being wrongfully detained. He likened Fogels detention in August 2021 to the February 2022 detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner. Both were using the prescription cannabis products for medical needs. Griner had cannabis oil in her luggage, Fogel had medical marijuana. One of the key differences between Brittney Griner and Mark Fogles cases is that less than three months after Griners arrest, the State Department classified her as wrongfully detained. Fogle deserves the same justice. And we should be using every tool at our disposal to bring him home, Daines said. Ive had the privilege of getting to know some of Marks family, some of whom are Montanans. They have been fierce advocates here stateside. But they fear they will never see their brothers face again, or hear their fathers voice, and we cant let that happen. Daines said hes also worked with Michael McFaul, U.S. ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama, on the wrongfully detained designation for Fogel. McFaul and Daines were high school debate partners in Bozeman. McFauls son was a student of Fogels in Moscow when McFaul was ambassador. This is the second year that Daines and Tester have asked the State Department to designate Fogel wrongfully detained. Marc Fogel has been unjustly imprisoned in Russia for too long, and I continue to call on the Administration to secure his return, Tester said in press release this week. I recently met with Marcs family, and I pledged to keep pushing to bring him home. I wont rest until this innocent American is reunited with his loved ones. The State Department has 11 criteria it considers before granting wrongful detention status for an American held by a foreign country. Fogel meets six of the 11, according to a resolution introduced last Wednesday by the 13 members of the U.S. House, including Montanas Western District Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Republican. This the first time a Montana member of the U.S. House has put forth a resolution advocating for Fogels release. A native of the Pennsylvania, Fogel made a career out of teaching history at schools attended by U.S. diplomats. He taught in Colombia, Venezuela, Oman, Malaysia and his last stop, Russia, where Fogel worked at the Anglo-American School of Moscow. Fogel had returned to Russia for a final year of teaching before a planned retirement, Daines said. The medical marijuana had been prescribed as an alternative to opioids for pain following multiple back surgeries. Five months after Fogels arrest, and a month before Russias invasion of Ukraine, The Moscow Times reported the teacher was being held for large scale drug smuggling, meaning a contact lens case containing marijuana and an e-cigarette containing cannabis oil. The United States at the time was warning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Times noted that Fogel had previously benefitted from diplomatic immunity, but the privilege ended the May before Fogels arrest. This spring, in an April background press conference, senior Biden administration officials said the wrongfully detained designation was not the gatekeeper to whether a family whose loved one is held abroad gets senior attention. At the background briefing, a senior Biden official said the administration had been in contact with the Embassy Moscow for Fogels release on humanitarian grounds. However, the question that went unanswered was why Fogel hadnt received the designation. Fogel turned 62 Thursday. His sentence is 14 years detention in a labor camp. Emergency Medical Dispatch in Washington County, Virginia, has earned statewide accreditation. Theresa Kingsley-Varble, the countys emergency management coordinator, officially received the state accreditation for the countys Emergency Medical Dispatch from the Virginia Department of Health on Wednesday. Kingsley-Varble credits her new deputy director, Bobby Osborne, hired on May 1, for securing the accreditation, saying Osborne put a lot of work into that. At Tuesdays meeting of the Washington County Board of Supervisors, the countys four-year emergency operations plan was reviewed and renewed by the board following a presentation by Kingsley-Varble. Also on Tuesday, the countys nine fire departments reached a mutual aid agreement through Kingsley-Varble and the Board of Supervisors. Over the years, we have been trying to draft an adequate mutual aid agreement between our fire departments, Kingsley-Varble said. Washington County helps provide all of these departments with monetary support, she said. In related business on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors matched a $2,429.21 grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry for forest firefighting, given to the Washington County Fire & Rescue. If you went into the board room of McDonalds and suggested they could improve their corporate performance by giving some of their profits to Burger King and Wendys youd be laughed out of the building. Yet that is precisely what the General Assembly of North Carolina has been doing with the current Republicans in power. The state legislature is responsible for our public schools, and yet, the Republicans in the majority in the General Assembly, they are taking money desperately needed by our public schools and giving it to charter schools and vouchers for private schools, schools that are not held to anywhere near the high standards our public schools are, yet do not have any better outcomes. Meanwhile, the public schools lack the resources they need for adequate textbooks and supplies, so teachers have to buy them out of their own inadequate salaries. The Republicans in the General Assembly are shirking their constitutional responsibility to administer the public schools for the benefit of all students. Giving money to private schools and then not holding those schools to the same standards as the public schools which are being starved by this misappropriation of funding is a crime against our public school students. Parents need to step up and hold these legislators to account for their dereliction of their constitutional duties. Remember, these kids who are in school today will be paying your Social Security. Thomas Blanton Granite Falls The film about the nuclear scientist Robert Oppenheimer is not just bad, noisy, hard to follow and far too long. It actually gets in the way of understanding one of the great events of our times. I have been amazed by the way so many people have claimed to have enjoyed it. I endured it. The only common complaints have been about the rather underpowered portrayal of the actual detonation of the first bomb on July 16 1945. What were these complainers expecting? A blast-wave in the cinema? Apparently people think it is not spectacular enough. I say, thank heaven for that. I have walked on the blasted nuclear testing grounds of the old Soviet Union in Kazakhstan, amid the total, desolate silence, and seen the traces still left years afterwards: the vast solid concrete slab, the size of a block of flats, tipped to a drunken angle by the blast; the shards of black glass all over the earths surface, mementoes of the day the heat of the bomb fused the desert sands into a sea of such glass; and the soft warnings of the scientists who accompanied me Do not linger here. Do not under any circumstances disturb the dust, in case you breathe it in. It is still lethal. Who needs another great big bang to know that this moment mattered? There is enough archive film of the tests, and of the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for those who wish to know. How can there be so little actual dialogue, in so long a film? Why does it jump about so wildly from era to era? Does there have to be so much smoking? We all know it is the past. Why does the director, Christopher Nolan, feel it necessary to accompany conversation, when it happens, with loud, driving music (and sometimes with unexplained crashing noises) to tell us this is all important? Why do we need to see Oppenheimer and his Communist mistress, Jean Tatlock, sitting in armchairs with nothing on or even more absurdly engaging in fantasy ghostly sexual congress during a committee session? Why was this film even made? Like his previous blockbuster and critical success, Dunkirk, I think it leaves the audience knowing less about the subject than they did before they went into the cinema. Here is a rather simple story. The US government grasps that, with a huge concentration of brilliant minds, and vast sums of money, it may be able to make a weapon more destructive than any in history. The possibility is not a secret. Scientists in several major powers, including Britain, have been examining this since 1939. British experts have already made major advances but the country lacks the money to carry them through. A large team of British scientists go to the USA to help in what they think (wrongly) will be a joint Anglo-American project. Hollywood, typically, makes little of the British contribution or of the later freezing out of Britain, which led to the 1945 Labour government restarting the UKs own independent nuclear weapons programme. A brilliant, brutal bureaucrat, General Leslie Groves, has proved he can work wonders by building the Pentagon in no time at all. He is picked to build the Bomb, and chooses Oppenheimer as his scientific chief. Oppenheimer is a left-wing eccentric with a messy sex-life and a tragic marriage (his wife is an ex-Communist who drinks far too much), who reads the Hindu scriptures for relaxation. He is not your ordinary suburban person. He has lots of Communist friends. But he is good at nuclear physics and good at managing other scientists. So Groves overlooks the politics and the rest, and gives him his head. Oppenheimer delivers the bomb, too late to be used on the Nazis but in time to be dropped on Japan. Bang. Hurrah. The war ends. Sorry about all the innocent people who got burned to death, but thats war and they shouldnt have attacked Pearl Harbor. The end. Except that it isnt the end. All kinds of worrying things are buried in the story. At one point, in 1942, one of Oppenheimers Communist friends, Haakon Chevalier, suggests that Oppenheimer gets in touch with the Soviet Union about the bomb project through a British scientist (and Soviet asset) George Eltenton. Oppenheimer realises immediately that the suggestion is treasonous and refuses it. But he does not report the contact to Groves or anyone else for eight months. When he eventually does, he tries to cover up Chevaliers role for four months. All this matters because very soon after the German defeat, it becomes clear that Stalin has penetrated the Bomb project, and has known for ages about it. And the USA, having been Stalins close ally until 1945, violently switches to being Moscows bitterest enemy, in a few short years. Suddenly, now that the Soviet Union is the enemy, all those Communist dalliances in the 1930s really start to matter. Just because the stupid gristle-brained Senator Joe McCarthy says so, doesnt mean that the American establishment hasnt been infiltrated by pro-Soviet Communists. Later intelligence disclosures, especially the Venona project whose material was released after 1995, confirm that it was. Oppenheimer, later in life ceases to be indispensable to the US nuclear bomb programme. Plenty of others can handle it. He has also become politically awkward as he clearly suffers from remorse over the uses made of his discoveries. But why is so much of the film devoted to an attack on an obscure American politician, Lewis Strauss, who took part in the campaign to remove Oppenheimers security clearance. No doubt Strauss was an unlovable man (though not without talent or achievements) but he would have got nowhere if there had been no evidence against Oppenheimer. Hollywood was badly scorched by stupid witch-hunts during the McCarthy years, and has never really seen straight over such issues, ever since. The danger was not imaginary, or purely the result of American hysteria. The truth is that there actually were Communists, and fellow-travellers, in the USA and in Britain, and that quite a few of them became actual agents of Stalin. Many probably got away with it. In unhysterical Britain, the nuclear scientist Alan Nunn-May, an actual Communist, was jailed for ten years for giving secrets to the Soviets. The German refugee Klaus Fuchs, who also gave British nuclear secrets to Stalin, was jailed for 14 years, and went to live in Communist East Germany when he was released. All of this has been known for years. But a film made in 2023 surely needs to get past these ancient 1950s Hollywood resentments. Here are several huge issues barely touched on. The scientists knew they were building a weapon of mass destruction, but excused themselves because Hitler might build one too. We now know that Hitler never got near building a bomb. The whole moral driving force of the project was a fantasy. In summer 1945 British intelligence assembled a group of captured German scientists, including the mighty and fabled Werner Heisenberg, at Farm Hall, a picturesque old house in Godmanchester, near Huntingdon. The house was bugged from basement to attic. The Germans were astonished at news of the Bomb, and plainly had never got within miles of making one,This has been public knowledge since 1992. Even more devastating is modern historical research about Japan. It is pretty clear that Japans surrender was not forced by the bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Japans fanatical leadership cared little about civilian deaths (they had not blinked when a firebomb raid in March 1945 killed at least 100,000 in Tokyo itself). In fact by the time the Bomb was ready to be used there were very few Japanese cities of any size left standing. The Japanese-American scholar Tsuyoshi Hashegawa, fluent in Japanese and Russian, concluded from Japanese and Soviet records that Japans surrender was mainly caused by Stalins decision to enter the war. The military leadership feared he would invade Japan from the North and seize large parts of the country, forever. It has long suited Japan and the USA to pretend that the two A-bombs ended the war. Japan can pose as a victim nation. The USA, which is embarrassed about being the only country to use the Bomb in war, can soothe consciences by saying the action saved tens of thousands of allied troops from death. But the worrying truth is known to academics and diplomats. So the second great justification for the use of the Bomb in 1945 melts away. President Trumans airy dismissal of Oppenheimer as a crybaby for doubting the morality of using the Bomb now looks callous and self-serving. Efforts have been made to polish Trumans image in recent years. But he was a nobody promoted to power by the notoriously crooked Tom Pendergast machine in Kansas City, Missouri. For sure, he was no great intellect. Oppenheimer, by contrast, was a powerful thinker. A great film could have been made out of this huge story. But this wasnt it. He was hit by a drone attack Moscow one of the tower blocks in the city center, the facades of which were damaged. Sergey Sobyanin According to the mayor of Moscow, Ukrainian drones attacked the city late Saturday night/Sunday dawn. According to the city manager, the damage is not serious, and there are no injuries, according to Szergej Szobjanyins Telegram channel. At the same time, Meduza, an independent Russian opposition portal edited from Latvia, knows that a security guard was injured in the so-called OKO-2 tower, which was hit by drones. The Russian security services also announced albeit in flowery language that there had been an explosion in the building. In addition, the windows of the high-rise building that suffered the drone attack were all broken from the first to the fourth floor, as well as the glass on the fifth and sixth floors. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, three drones took part in the attack on Moscow: one of them was eliminated by the Russian air defense, and two others lost control and crashed in an uninhabited area of Moscow. Parallel to all this, Moscows Vnukovo International Airport was also closed at dawn on Sunday: planes could not land here or take off for a while citing technical reasons. The restriction on air traffic has since been lifted, and the airport is operating at its usual pace without interruption. Vladimir Putin the drone attack on Moscow was reported to the Russian president this Dmitry Peskov Russian presidential spokesman told the Russian state news agency on Sunday morning. The Russian president was attending a naval parade in St. Petersburg at the time when he found out what had happened in the city in his absence. Kyiv has not yet commented on the events. CONCORD Habitat for Humanity Cabarrus County (Habitat Cabarrus) is once again welcoming families and individuals to apply for its affordable homeownership program. Applicants must be first-time homebuyers, demonstrate a need for affordable housing, have the ability to pay an affordable mortgage and be able to complete all program requirements. Selected homebuyers and age-appropriate members of the household will complete 250 sweat equity hours (16-17 years old, 100 hours) on home builds. The program requires members of their household to attend approximately 50 hours of homebuyer education courses prior to purchase. These unique requirements prepare future homeowners for success and have shown amazing results in Habitat Cabarrus 34-year history. Throughout the pandemic, Habitat Cabarrus homeowners had zero defaults on their mortgage payments. Homeownership has become a REAL challenge for those in the 30-60% median income range. As the cost of housing and living have increased upward of 38% over the past 10 years, we are so happy to be creating transformational opportunities for families and individuals to become first-time homebuyers. History has shown us the stability of homeownership impacts the family in more positive ways than just owning a home, it benefits the outcome of the children and helps to stabilize the surrounding neighborhood, says Bill Shelton, Chief Executive Officer at Habitat Cabarrus. Habitat Cabarrus is requesting applicants set an appointment to turn in applications with required documentation by contacting Willmarie Austin at willmarie@habitatcabarrus.org or 704-786-4001, Ext. 104. Habitat Cabarrus will post a virtual information session on its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/habitatcabarruscounty/ beginning Aug. 8 and it will be available on its YouTube ChannelHabitat Cabarrus, Aug. 9. The Habitat affiliate will hold two in-person information sessions in English and one in Spanish on the Homeownership Program. Attendance is recommended if applying, in person or virtually. To attend a session in person, RSVPs must be made to reserve a seat and space will be limited. All Habitat homebuyers pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering, or advocating in support of affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. To learn more, visit www.habitatcabarrus.org or call Willmarie Austin at 704-786-4001, Ext. 104. Information Sessions: Tuesday, Aug. 8 Kannapolis Train Station 201 S. Main St., Kannapolis 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Or 6-7 p.m. En Espanol lunes 7 de agosto El Puente Hispano 335 Ann St. NW Concord, NC 28025. 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10 McGill Baptist Church (in the Sanctuary) 5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Or 6-7 p.m. British telco provider BT announced that its startup and digital incubation team Etc will conduct technical and commercial pilots to convert or upgrade its street cabinets EV charging units over the next two years. BT said the pilots will provide viability to scale EV charging to more locations. The cabinets are currently used for providing copper-based broadband and phone services, and will be decommissioned as the ambitious nationwide upgrade to full fibre progresses. The first phase of the EV charging pilot will kick off in Northern Ireland in Autumn 2023 and will be showcased to the public as more pilot locations will be added in the UK later in the year. If the trial is deemed successful, BT said this could make an important contribution to decarbonising the transport system and support the UKs plans to get to net zero. With the ban on sales of internal combustion engine vehicles coming in 2030, and with only around 45,000 public charge points today, the UK needs a massive upgrade to meet the needs of the EV revolution, says BT managing director Tom Guy. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect for good in a whole new way by innovating around our cabinet infrastructure. The pilots are critical for the team to work through the assessment and establish effective technical, commercial and operational routes to market over the next two years. The UK Government has announced ambitions to grow the number of UK charge points from around 45,000 today to 300,000 by 2030, committing 1.6 billion in public funding to the effort. Forecasts for the public EV charging sector are evolving rapidly as consumer habits shift ahead even of the 2030 deadline for the end of internal combustion engine vehicle sales, but estimates generally see it climbing to be worth multiple billions of pounds by the early 2030s. BT has been purchasing 100% renewable electricity and will continue this through the EV charging pilots. WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange is unlikely to be released by the US until the 2024 presidential elections are done. That is the main takeaway from American statements on Saturday, refusing to accede to Australia's timid requests for his freedom. Following bilateral ministerial talks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, for once, openly: The actions that he [Assange] is alleged to have committed risked very serious harm to our national security, to the benefit of our adversaries, and put named human sources at grave risk of physical harm, grave risk of detention. So I say that only because just as we understand sensitivities here, its important that our friends understand sensitivities in the United States. The main game for the ruling Democrats in the US is to ensure that Joe Biden does not look foolish by losing the 2024 poll. And to that end, anything and everything will be done. The US is fully aware that Australia will not push back hard on any decision taken about Assange or any other matter. Biden has shown numerous times that, despite the pledges he made during the election campaign for the 2020 election, he will stick toin order not to rock the boat. Like the decision to pull troops from Afghanistan in June 2020, for example, despite the fact that the entire military-industrial complex was unhappy over losing a source of continued revenue. The compensation? The Biden administration did all it could to push the invasion of Ukraine and succeeded. Now arms sales for that country and to places like Taiwan ensure that the donations, from the likes of Raytheon and General Dynamics, will keep flowing into Democrat coffers. On China too, Biden has retained all the tariffs that Trump imposed, even though time and again it has been shown that they affect American industry and consumers much more than they hurt the US. Assange is thus, a very small pawn, in this game. Trump was instrumental in upping the ante against the WikiLeaks founder and any dialling down of the action against him could be used by Biden's enemies against him. Australia constantly talks of a legal process that is in train in the Assange case, and that this cannot be disrupted. But, in true colonial fashion, when Canberra wanted, it did disrupt processes in both Myanmar and Cambodia to bring jailed Australians home. Of course, neither of these countries has a "rules-based order" as in the US. That line has become just a sick joke. Assange is still being held in the UK's Belmarsh maximum security jail as he awaits the outcome of a second appeal to the UK High Court against an extradition order. In June, the Australian lost his first appeal against the order that aims to send him to the US for trial over alleged espionage charges. The second appeal was filed on 13 June. Since then his wife, father and brother have been campaigning for his release. Given all the legal processes that remain to be canvassed, Assange could well end up dying in prison. But that really is of not much import to the US and Australia; big money is at stake and that trumps everything. In the news business, were used to working with deadlines. And tomorrow marks an important one. Monday is the final day to nominate for the Inspire: Celebrating Womens Leadership Awards. There are extraordinary women leading across all sectors of our city. Governmental leaders are making crucial decisions to secure our safety and prosperity in city hall, from the floor of the Legislature and in dozens of other places. Business leaders are navigating challenging macroeconomic conditions. Philanthropic and nonprofit leaders are working to serve the needs of our most vulnerable populations. Educational leaders are inspiring the next generation of leaders. And the list goes on. The year 2023 marks the ninth year for the Inspire Awards, which celebrate women's leadership across several sectors, including business, entrepreneurship, government service, education, philanthropy, health care, nonprofit, as well as the Young Leader's Award, Inspire Scholarship and Woman of the Year. All nominations will be reviewed by the Inspire Advisory Board, which has the difficult but rewarding task of selecting the 2023 finalists and winners in each category. I am joined on the 2023 Inspire Advisory Board by: Ashley Abramson, Robin Eschliman, Charlie Foster, Mia Wilken, Staci Hass, Jen Landis, Meagan Liesveld, James Overcash, Diane Temme Stinton, Natalia Wiita and Sarah Wischhof. We are excited to return to Pinnacle Bank Arena for this year's awards luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Doors open at 11 a.m. Please visit InspireLincoln.com to nominate the "inspiring" women in your life. Whether it is a leader in your business organization, a neighbor, friend or associate, please share their story with us so we can recognize them for their contributions to our community. Thank you to the following Inspire sponsors for making this event possible: Union Bank & Trust, Woodhouse Auto, Speedway Motors, Woods Aitken, Primrose Schools, Ameritas, Doane University, Assurity and Filament Essential Services. If your organization would like to participate, call 402-473-7420. We look forward to shining the spotlight on these inspiring women and celebrating what makes Lincoln an incredible community for everyone. Photos: The 2022 Inspire Award winners Donna Gould Katherine Warren Vann Price Miriah Zajic Pam Dingman Shannon Schultz Lori Seibel Connie Duncan Ellie Hiser Taylor Streich Alaa Ismail Angie Muhleisen A skeptical grand jury that convened in December to investigate the February 2022 shooting death of an Alvo man at the hands of a Cass County Sheriff's deputy ultimately voted not to indict the deputy, clearing him of criminal wrongdoing in Andrew Stratton's death. The grand jury which spent much of two days in a Plattsmouth courtroom reviewing bodycam footage and hearing witness testimony in Stratton's Feb. 13, 2022, killing voted 14-2 not to indict Deputy Elliot Schmit, who shot Stratton seven times with his personally owned semiautomatic rifle, according to the grand jury transcript filed last month. Though they ultimately absolved Schmit of criminal misconduct, jurors were skeptical of the decisions deputies made in the lead-up to Stratton's shooting, according to a Journal Star review of the 515-page transcript of the grand jury's investigation. Jurors also raised their eyebrows at Schmit's brief-but-checkered history as a law enforcement agent and at the deputy's claim that Stratton was preparing to shoot a bow and arrow at him when Schmit shot the 34-year-old in the darkened basement of Stratton's father's home that night, according to the transcript. The jury questioned why deputies didn't call a mental health professional to help subdue Stratton, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had previously barricaded himself from law enforcement, prompting an armed standoff with the Nebraska State Patrol that Schmit acknowledged came to "a more peaceful resolution" than the 2022 incident. Jurors spent more than an hour watching and rewatching clips of bodycam footage from Schmit and other law enforcement agents on scene in an effort to determine whether Stratton had actually pointed at Schmit the compact bow found near his body. And the jury, at times, seemed dubious of Schmit himself. The deputy had been back on patrol for the Cass County Sheriff's Office for less than a month at the time of Stratton's shooting following a yearlong deployment to the Middle East, where he had been sent to help set up law enforcement operations in Jordan, according to his own grand jury testimony. Before his February 2021 deployment there, Schmit had been with the sheriff's office for approximately seven months. He started in Cass County in July 2020 four months after he was fired from the State Patrol for a pursuit policy violation less than a year removed from his graduation from the patrol's academy. Still, it was Schmit's own testimony, which he gave voluntarily, that seemed to help convince jurors not to indict him and then recommend several policy and procedure changes to the sheriff's office in an effort to prevent another such shooting, according to the transcript. "I never shot anybody before. That was one of the most traumatic things Ive ever done," Schmit told the jury, after indicating that equipment like a ballistic shield, pepper ball launchers or other "less-lethal" projectiles might have led to a different outcome if such equipment would have been available. If I couldve done it any other way, I wouldve," he said. "I had no intent of doing it this way. If if (Stratton) wouldve come and talked to us, he would still be alive. He ultimately chose it. It was a very unfortunate thing. I wish it had never happened. What led up to the shooting Two Cass County deputies, Schmit and Sgt. Karl Boehm, responded to Stratton's grandma's house in Greenwood at around 9:30 p.m. that night after the 34-year-old's dad, Gregg Stratton, called them there, according to the transcript. Gregg Stratton told Schmit and Boehm that his son had struck him in the head during an altercation that transpired earlier that evening at 23418 Alvo Road, where the two men lived. The elder Stratton warned the deputies of his son's diagnosis, that he hadn't been taking his medication and that he might have access to a bow and arrow. "Andrew needed some kind of help was, basically, his position on the events of that night, whether that was going to jail first and then getting the help or just getting (placed in emergency protective custody)," Schmit told jurors. "He felt that Andrew was out of control and needed something. At 10:15 p.m., the deputies left the house in Greenwood and drove toward Alvo, arriving at the house on Alvo Road at 10:27 p.m. Did an attempt (happen) to get any social worker or therapist involved?" an alternate juror asked Cass County Attorney Chris Perrone, who guided the grand jury through its investigation in December. "Because I heard 'schizophrenia,'" the juror said. "You wont get any evidence that that night there was any contact with social workers or mental health professionals or anybody like that," Perrone said. "So that could come down to the it could affect whether or not you decide to charge or not charge." Upon their arrival at the Strattons' house in Alvo, Schmit and Boehm knocked on the front and back doors without a response before Schmit asked Boehm, his supervisor, if they should call a captain to the scene. Instead, the deputies asked a third colleague, Deputy Mike McKnelly, to pick up Gregg Stratton from his mom's house in Greenwood and drive him to his Alvo property before they entered the home, where they planned to arrest Andrew Stratton on suspicion of misdemeanor third-degree assault. Back at his house, Gregg Stratton again warned the deputies that his son might have access to the compound bow, according to the transcript. So the three sheriff's deputies devised a plan to enter and clear the home, according to their grand jury testimony. Schmit, a 10-year military veteran with hand-to-hand combat experience, would lead the way into the house, armed with his own Colt M4. Boehm would be armed with a Taser. And McKnelly, the third man to enter the house, would carry his service pistol. After entering the home in a "T" formation, the three deputies cleared the main floor of the house without finding anyone, and as they prepared to descend into the basement, Schmit announced their presence again. Andrew Stratton called back from downstairs and the two began to negotiate the Alvo man's potential surrender. "He seemed very, kind of, all over the place," Schmit told the jury. "He was talking about everything from how he was the one that killed Osama bin Laden to he was downstairs strapped to a bomb." Schmit implored Andrew Stratton to come upstairs and talk things out, to resolve the standoff peacefully, he said. Honestly, I thought I was making some headway," he testified. "And then he just went silent and just stopped talking. When Andrew Stratton went quiet, the deputies initially planned to stay upstairs until reinforcements arrived. At least one trooper with the State Patrol was already on his way, according to the transcript. But, Schmit said, deputies soon heard a noise that sounded as if Andrew Stratton had fallen over. Fearing he was injured, Schmit and Boehm began a slow walk into the basement, sending McKnelly outside in case Stratton tried to flee from the house through a downstairs door. The deputies' decision to enter the basement was among the most frequent sources of criticism from grand jurors. My thought is: Were they rushing downstairs to just dissolve the situation as fast as possible?" juror No. 5 asked State Patrol Investigator Amanda DeFreece, who led the agency's probe into the shooting as a part of the patrol's Special Investigations Team. "Where on their list of importance was preservation of life?" the juror asked. "They couldve sat upstairs for 10 hours with him in the basement. I mean, you wouldve been in the same spot you were when you started, but he also wouldnt be dead. The shooting and the aftermath The decision to enter the basement already made, Schmit and Boehm inched downstairs into a darkened room and found themselves in what Schmit told jurors was "what is known as a fatal funnel." The deputies, holding flashlights, couldn't see Stratton, who was about 10 yards to the north of the staircase's landing and had line of sight to the bookcase that deputies were using for cover. "Its a very bad place to be," Schmit said. Perrone, the county attorney, asked him why they didn't retreat from the position they had placed themselves in. Its incredibly dangerous to turn around on those stairs like that, and that would mean crossing back across that fatal funnel again, which is also a huge no," Schmit said in part. As Schmit and Boehm concealed themselves behind the bookcase, Schmit said, he heard a metallic click coming from Stratton's direction one he believed to be the sounds of "a safety on a weapon of some kind or any number of potential threats," he testified. So Schmit peered around the corner and caught a glimpse of Stratton, who Schmit said was holding a bow in his left hand and had started to draw back an arrow to fire it toward the deputies. "He clearly had attempted to draw the string back and it had failed and his arm was his right arm was now up by his head," Schmit said. "OK," Perrone said. "And what are you thinking at that time?" Hes trying to kill me, but I still was trying to not kill him," Schmit said. "At that time I decided to issue commands or at least attempt it." Schmit ordered Stratton to drop his weapon, he testified. Instead, he said, Stratton started to draw an arrow back again. "Then you shoot at him," Perrone said. "Why?" Because I know that that arrow, if he gets to shoot it, will go through my armor that I'm currently wearing," Schmit recalled. "The soft armor does not stop arrows, which means whatever he does is going to severely injure me or kill me." A week after the shooting, Boehm told State Patrol investigators he thought Schmit fired four rounds. But investigators later determined the deputy fired nine times, striking Stratton seven times, including in the back and left arm, according to his death certificate. Schmit and Boehm stepped toward Stratton before Schmit turned back and ran to his cruiser to retrieve a medical kit to help provide first aid to the man he had just shot. Stratton died at the scene. Erin Linde, the pathologist who conducted the Alvo man's autopsy, testified that the shooting caused "extensive injury of all of (Stratton's) organs" that likely killed him in seconds. Footage from Schmit's bodycam was hindered by the lack of light in the basement and the angle the deputy had when he shot Stratton, leaving one of the grand jury's most consistent subjects of questioning whether Stratton had pointed the bow and arrow toward Schmit before the shooting without a definitive answer. Still, the State Patrol's Special Investigative Team concluded Stratton, who was wearing an arrow grip on his right hand, was pointing the crossbow toward deputies at the time of his shooting, Investigator Pedram Nabegh told jurors. Nabegh said the team came to that conclusion by analyzing the bodycam video, Stratton's autopsy bullet trajectories and the bow itself, which had a bullet defect on the front of the bow, which told me that it was, most likely, in a raised position" when he was shot. DeFreece, who led the State Patrol's investigation into the shooting, said the team concluded Schmit's use of force in the incident was justified, pointing to the "deadly force" Stratton seemed prepared to use against deputies. Skeptical of that assessment, jurors pressed DeFreece on the need for deputies to enter the basement at all. "So do you think that making the decision to go downstairs immediately was the correct one or do think that there should have been some type of further de-escalation done to prevent loss of life?" juror No. 5 asked. "I'd say thats a great question for Deputy Schmit," DeFreece said, later adding: "There was, I guess, no concern that we had at the appropriateness of them going ahead and going down and trying to contact him." Schmit told jurors that deputies had entered the house with the intent to arrest Stratton, accused of a misdemeanor crime. Schmit, who was reassigned to work at the county jail for nine months while the State Patrol investigated the shooting, returned to road patrol in December after the grand jury cleared him of criminal wrongdoing, the county attorney said. What the jury had to say I mean, youve watched the video and (you've had) ten months to bank on this thing, and given all the training youve had and everything else, is there anything youd do differently? juror No. 6 asked Schmit at the tail end of his December testimony. His response No, not with the resources available," he said seemed to inform the recommendations the jury emerged from deliberations with. Schmit told jurors that additional non-lethal weapons at his disposal such as a pepper ball gun, 40-millimter less-lethal launchers or a ballistic shield "wouldve made a difference" that night. The grand jury, which cleared Schmit of criminal wrongdoing after less than an hour of deliberating, unanimously recommended three policy and procedure changes for the Cass County Sheriff's Office. The jury recommended the agency expand its de-escalation and use of force training, particularly for incidents that involve subjects with mental health issues, and implored deputies to utilize "in-county resources," such as K9 units or infrared technology to help navigate standoffs. Jurors also implored Cass County to explore options to provide the sheriff's office with "more less-than-lethal equipment" like the kind Schmit said might have saved Stratton's life in Alvo that night. In the months since the jury convened, the sheriff's office has began to invest in new equipment and is reexamining their training practices but not on the advice of jurors, said Matt Watson, the office's chief deputy sheriff. Watson and Sheriff Bob Sorensen took office in January and, Watson said, weren't made aware of the jury's recommendations until the Journal Star inquired about their response last week. "Have there been changes? Yes," Watson said Friday afternoon. "Are there more changes coming? Yes. Have they been a direct result of that grand jury investigation? No." Watson said he and Sorensen both of whom started their careers at the sheriff's office but later moved to the Plattsmouth Police Department before returning after Sorensen won the seat last year following former Sheriff William Brueggemann's retirement have ordered an independent audit into the county jail's practices and plan to request another audit for the office's road patrol unit to address "everything you can think of." Even without the jury's recommendations in hand, he said, the sheriff's office is rebuilding its K9 unit, has started training with infrared equipment, is exploring new de-escalation training opportunities and has purchased the agency's first batch of ballistic shields. "The ballistic shields, again, I mean it's something we recognized right away that it's just almost unheard of for a law enforcement agency, especially of this size it's in an area designated as metro, we are part of the Omaha metro where we don't have shields," Watson said. "We didn't have a single one." Watson said he and Sorensen are trying to rebuild their sheriff's office from the ground up an undertaking he described as "chaos." "We're new, and we're trying to make connections that have been strained over the years with other law enforcement (agencies) and build partnerships to get us more resources, more tools. "And then just share knowledge and admit, like, publicly, 'Hey, we need help and we'll take it,'" he said. "We don't have egos over here." 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 (For the next two months, columnist Jim McKee will be contributing new columns on the first week of the month. On other weeks, the Journal Star will publish some of McKee's past columns. This one ran on Aug. 25, 2013.) Lincoln has had a number of neighbors in Lancaster County since its birth; many of the villages and proposed sites have fallen by the wayside, a few were annexed to Lincoln, others that have prospered briefly now have waned to a few houses and no businesses, and still others have become bedroom communities. One of the first settlers in Grant Township southeast of Lincoln was Mr. Cheney. One of Nebraskas earliest westward trails ran through the area, roughly paralleling current Nebraska 2 from Nebraska City, and it was this trail that saw the Capital Commission to Yankee Hill and the city of Lancaster in the summer of 1867, though there was little resembling a city or village on their route. When various inducements were offered to build a railroad connection to the new state capital in 1867, the Midland Pacific Railway was formed in Nebraska City. Ground was broken on June 5, 1868, and in early 1871 the line reached Grant Precinct, arriving in Lincoln that April, the second railroad to reach Lincoln. The station in Grant Township was named Cheneys Station in honor of the first settler, but the name first was shortened to Cheneys and ultimately simply Cheney. In 1874 Joel Converse platted and filed the plan for the village of Cheney. The triangular map had east/west streets numbered from 1 to 5 while the north/south streets were named Fleming, Smith, Showers and Lincoln while a northwest/southeast street paralleled the railroad. In 1874, the first school building came into being. It was replaced in 1879 to accommodate grades one through nine and again in 1915 when grades 10 through 12 were added. Although the railroad had arrived five years earlier, and the village was growing, the post office, headed by Isaac Wheeler, did not open until Sept. 28, 1876. Although through the years Cheney has had a lumberyard, grocery, three churches, a bank chartered in 1909, hardware, elevator, general store and dance hall above the grocery, the village never really bloomed, reaching the peak population of 49 in 1940. The post office and school closed near its most prosperous point in 1943. Once known more as the terminus of Old Cheney Road, it is now more widely famous for its ancestral connection to Vice President Dick Cheney, who also has aided in the pronunciation change from Cheen-y to chain-y. Cheney still has its own ZIP code of 68526, which shows a total population of 1,174, and as its next-door neighbors restaurants, a lumberyard, motels, service businesses, banks and even a hospital. Another sometimes-overlooked village in Lancaster County is Davey, 15 miles north of Lincoln in Rock Creek Township. Michael Davey, the towns namesake, immigrated to New York from Ireland in 1862, moving to Nebraska in 1870, where he briefly lived in a dugout. In 1885, the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad built through the eastern edge of his quarter section on its way to Lincoln. The following year a siding and depot were built and given the name Davey in his honor. On Oct. 14, 1886, the Western Town Lot Co. platted the 40-acre village, which they named after the railroad stop even though virtually all of the townsite was on land owned by Alfred Peterson. The five-square-block map showed east/west streets numbered 1, 2 and 3 while east/west streets were named Elm, Cedar, Maple and Oak. The depot sat at about First and Maple, and the post office, which was opened Feb. 1, 1887, by Patrick ODonnell, at Second and Cedar. The first store opened in 1886, and the first train arrived Oct. 18, 1886. By 1890, the Davey Mirror, though printed in Lincoln, gave the community an air of permanence. On July 29, 1903, the Farmers State Bank, with $8,000 in capital stock, opened. By 1916, there were three churches, but a fire that started in the Catholics' building, destroyed most of the businesses and buildings on the west side of Main Street. In 1942, Davey High School closed, having seen only 84 graduates in its 22-year history. Although William Jennings Bryan, Vice President Charles Dawes and General John J. Pershing all visited Davey, the village is far more interesting surrounding the businesses that left. On Jan. 1, 1949, the Farmers State Bank was purchased by G.A. Frampton. In 1960, his daughter Alice M. Dittman moved the facility to 14th Street and Cornhusker Highway in Lincoln, renaming it Cornhusker Bank. In 1943, Arthur and Ollie Christensen moved their fathers business to the northeast corner of 11th and M streets to the ground floor of the once-three-story Masonic Temple. First known as Christensens Farm Equipment and Tractor Supply, through the years it morphed into Christensens Appliances. The business prospered until the property was acquired by adjacent St. Paul United Methodist Church, which expanded its building to encompass the entire south half of the block. Having the same laundry detergent isnt exciting to most people, but to three women, it was everything. Jodie Meyer, Kathy Baca and Julie Reese Mills live on opposite sides of the country and share more than laundry detergent brands; they also share the same mom, Beverly Davis. Meyer, 65 is the oldest and lives in Lincoln. Baca, 61, currently lives in Arkansas, and the baby of the family, Reese Mills, 49, lives in Arizona. It was only recently that the three learned about each other after Reese Mills took a DNA test, prompting the three to meet in person for the first time. At first, it was the gap in their front teeth that the sisters noticed they had in common. Then it was Baca and Reese Mills curly hair that stuck out. Then Reese Mills pointed at Bacas feet to find that they shared the same baby toe. I have never seen another person with my baby toe, Reese Mills said. Finally, it was the Gain laundry detergent that all three sisters had been using. Its the little things that are important, like Gain, Reese Mills said. The three sisters are finally starting to learn each others little quirks, and theyve waited a long time. They were separated as children and arent quite sure how it all happened. Everybody has different versions of what may have happened, Reese Mills said. Were kind of going off the paperwork that we have, but nothing gives us specifics yet. The three sisters have four other siblings, one of which they have yet to find. Meyer was born in North Carolina with a sister who is two years younger. The two of them grew up with their grandmother, Genevieve. Baca was born in Chicago and was adopted along with Susan Baca, 60, who was born in Lincoln. The last three siblings were born in Arizona, where Reese Mills grew up with the only brother, Leroy, 52, and their mom. Patricia, however, left around the age of 18 and has since lost contact with the family. Reese Mills believes that Patricia was born between 1968 and 1970, but they havent been able to find a birth certificate or baby announcement, nor have they been able to find someone who has known her recently. The last memory Reese Mills has of Patricia was when they were waiting at a bus station for her to arrive, but she never got off. She said Patricia wouldve been about 18 at the time and they are not sure if she even boarded the bus in the first place. Its a lot of could-bes out there, because we dont know anything, Reese Mills said. Meyer and Kathy Baca only remember small glimpses of each other, and never enough to actually piece anything together. Susan and Kathy Baca found out about Meyer and their other sister when they were teenagers, but never heard about the siblings in Arizona. We always knew we were adopted, but we didnt hear that we had other sisters until junior high or high school, when my adopted grandma told me she was mad at us for something. She said we were acting just like Jodie, Kathy Baca said. Meyers grandparents wouldnt talk about Kathy or Susan either. Later, she found out that the two girls were adopted, although her grandparents wouldnt say by whom. Eventually, Meyer found out their adoptive grandma was actually a friend of Meyers grandma. They were best friends, Meyer said. They knew the whole time where they were, but they wouldnt tell us. Meyer remembers seeing Kathy and Susan when she was about 5 years old. Although she cant locate it, there is a picture of the four girls, which Meyer believes was the last time they saw each other. We were all in the same dress, but then, they were gone, Meyer said. I will always remember, and I said I was going to find them one day, but I didnt find them, they found me. Meyer has few memories of her mom as well. The last time she remembers seeing Beverly, she was an irritated teenager. I was 16 and I was an angry girl, so it didnt go well, Meyer said. I was not nice, lets put it that way. Reese Mills, however, has always known the other siblings were out there, she just didnt know where. She said Beverly had kept a family bible with personal records of the family. Last November, she decided it was finally time to begin finding her siblings. Ive been wanting to find them for decades, Reese Mills said. Its always been on my heart since mama passed away. I always wanted to find them. It would be 25 years after Beverly died before Reese Mills would take the DNA test through 23andMe. After having a mild medical scare last year, Reese Mills began thinking about life and decided she would cross some items off her bucket list. I said, Screw it. Im just gonna do it, well see what happens and well go from there, Reese Mills said. Reese Mills sent in her saliva sample and upon receiving her results, the sister who grew up with Meyer popped up as the top result with 28% relation. My account has attached me to over 5,000 relatives with the same DNA, Reese Mills said. I think the lowest one had like 1.9% relation in it. Those would probably be fifth and sixth family members removed. Reese Mills messaged the sister who had the highest relation, but she never got a response. The second highest result was her niece, Rachel, daughter of Kathy Baca, who helped the two connect. Reese Mills later got connected with Meyer as well. I was a hold out, Meyer said. Then (Reese Mills) sent me a text and said, You know what happened back then is done and were all innocent in it. So Meyer got on the phone with Reese Mills and the two talked for three hours, instantly forming a connection. The phone calls continued and since December, the three sisters have had weekly video calls on Wednesdays. For now, its just the three of them, but Leroy recently joined in on one of the calls. The sisters talk about everything during their weekly phone calls, including updates on the search for Patricia. My friends said theyve never seen me smile this much in my life, Meyer said. I always walked around and I was grumpy. After awhile, they decided it was finally time to meet in person. Last week, the three met up for the first time for a reunion and to celebrate Kathy Baca and Meyers birthdays which they found were only a day apart. Meyer and Kathy Baca met up first after flying in to Wichita, Kansas. They embraced each other in a long-awaited hug before jumping into a car together to make the road trip to see Meyer. It was fantastic, Reese Mills said. It was like we had known each other the whole time, so it was natural. We laughed, we sung, we talked, we ate. After arriving in Lincoln, the two bear-hugged Meyer for the first time. We kept saying, Were not doing it. Were not doing it. Were not going to cry, Meyer said. The three had tears in their eyes, but Meyer was adamant that none of them cried and lost it. They only had a few days together to make up for lost time, and while their first birthday party didnt have a pillow fight, there was a pajama party. We had to wear matching Snoopy pajamas, Meyer said. That was not fun. I am way too old to wear little skimpy pajamas. They spent their days together getting pedicures, visiting the Wildlife Safari park and even visiting Scheels for a Ferris Wheel ride. Had the three grown up together, they agreed these adventures and matching pajamas would have been frequently enjoyed. The amazing thing is that when we met, it was like weve known each other forever, Kathy Baca said. Kathy Baca and Reese Mills even had the opportunity to meet some great nieces and nephews. Between the seven siblings, there are at least 19 living nieces and nephews and 19 grandchildren that they know about. Were hoping that maybe, eventually, that we can all just be together as one, Reese Mills said. Its a transitional period, so were all going to have to get used to the ups and downs of each other because we all have different personalities. A trip to Phoenix in September is in the works for Reese Mills birthday, along with a Polar Express night for Christmas with more pajamas and hot chocolate. Meyer said that name tags are a priority, though, as Reese Mills has eight kids alone. While they are still relishing the excitement of finding one another, Meyer, Kathy Baca and Reese Mills are still longing to find out what happened and where Patricia is. No matter what, we are siblings and we deserve to know each other, Reese Mills said. Even if we never find out what happened, we deserve to know each other. Celebrities you didn't know were related Intro Melissa McCarthy and Jenny McCarthy Al Roker and Lenny Kravitz Blake Lively and Robyn Lively Christian Bale and Gloria Steinem Quincy Jones and Rashida Jones Nicolas Cage, Sofia Coppola and Jason Schwartzman Jason Sudeikis and George Wendt Julia Roberts and Emma Roberts Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci Katherine Waterston and Sam Waterston Jessica Capshaw and Steven Spielberg Brandy, Snoop Dogg and Ray J Domhnall Gleeson and Brendan Gleeson Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty Liev Schreiber and Pablo Schreiber Josh Brolin and Barbra Streisand Sissy Spacek and Rip Torn Alexander Skarsgard and Stellan Skarsgard Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has joined 18 other Republican attorneys general seeking to block a proposed federal rule that would prevent state officials from obtaining private health information about residents who have abortions or receive gender-affirming care in other states, where the procedures are legal. The change to HIPAA patient privacy rules, proposed in April by the Biden administration, would block states from accessing health information about residents who obtained lawful abortions or gender-affirming care for criminal, civil or administrative investigations or proceedings. Nebraska, it appears, has no direct legal interest in the federal rule change. Given that HIPAA is a federal program, prohibiting states from receiving information is neither overreach nor a reduction of states' rights. So Hilgers is, as he acknowledged in his statement on opposing the change, injecting Nebraska into national abortion politics by claiming that the Biden administrations proposed rule is based on the false premise that states want to treat pregnant women as criminals and punish medical personnel who provide lifesaving care. In fact, that is exactly what lawmakers want in states such as Idaho, that have passed or are considering laws that restrict out-of-state travel for abortions. Nebraskas 12-week abortion ban does not contain such a provision, another reason that the state has no direct interest in the rule change. But, as nine state senators delineated in a letter to Hilgers, Nebraska "has an unfortunate history of prosecuting women and health care providers for pregnancy outcomes" and pointed to a recent case in Norfolk in which a 19-year-old was sentenced to 90 days in jail for disposing of a fetus after an abortion. That, rightfully, caused the senator signees, including Lincolns Danielle Conrad, George Dungan and Jane Raybould, to ask Hilgers why he wants access to medical records from other states and if he plans to use those records, or turn them over to local authorities, to prosecute individuals who seek abortions where it is legal or those who aid others in seeking care outside Nebraska. The proposed rule change also extends to individuals, including minors, who seek gender-affirming care, some of which is banned in Nebraska, in other states, raising the same questions of prosecution for those individuals as well. Hilgers must directly answer those queries, by first saying whether the state will use the information for any kind of prosecution, then, if the answer is yes, why it is necessary to have access to the information without due process of a court order or subpoena. Regardless of the answers, however, Hilgers opposition to the proposed rule is concerning, if for no other reason than the fact that when given the choice between making personal health information more or less secure, he's chosen less. Photos: Nebraska Gov. Pillen signs bill limiting abortion, transgender health care WATERFORD A gourmet milkshake business known as Kravings is closing two stores, as the Waterford-based business owner deals with overdue tax bills and other issues. Owner Jordan Karweik announced the closing of Kravings stores in Burlington and Mount Pleasant, saying that he tried too quickly to grow the unique ice cream concept. Karweik is facing accusations of overdue state income taxes, overdue property taxes in Waterford, a municipal ordinance violation pending in court and a village demand for repayment of a $39,000 loan. In a video he posted this week on Facebook, Karweik says he accepts the blame for trying to expand too quickly after enjoying early success with the first Kravings shop in Downtown Waterford. We grew way too fast, he said. A lot of it is my fault. While the flagship shop remains, Karweik is closing the expansion outlets at 344 N Pine St. in Burlington and at 5509 Durand Ave. in Mount Pleasant. He said he and business partner Mike Ottelien have gone through a business divorce in which Karweik will keep control of the Waterford location and Ottelien will take over a planned Caledonia location that will not carry the Kravings brand. Were kind of splitting everything up, Karweik said. No different than what you would do for a regular divorce. Ottelien said he has withdrawn as a Kravings investor in what he described as an amicable split from Karweik and the Kravings business. Its sad, because it is a fun thing, he said. It just didnt go right. Ottelien said he plans to open an ice cream shop in Caledonia using a different name but he declined to discuss the location or other details. Kravings made its debut in January 2022 at 202 E. Main St. in Waterford to big crowds and rave reviews for its exotic milkshakes known as crazy shakes. Karweik already was known in the community as a former insurance salesman and a sometimes political candidate. The startup was so successful that Karweik and Ottelien within months announced plans for expansion in Burlington and Mount Pleasant. The Village of Waterford had approved a $75,000 forgivable loan of which Karweik used $39,000 under a development agreement to help the new ice cream shop. Village officials now say Karweik failed to comply with the agreement by not installing a handicapped-accessible ramp and new exterior siding on the building. They have ordered him to repay the $39,000, and they have ordered him to vacate the premises at 202 E. Main St. until the building improvements are done. Karweik could face fines if found guilty in a Waterford Municipal Court trial scheduled for Sept. 19. He has pleaded not guilty in the non-criminal municipal ordinance case. Separately, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue has placed a lien on Karweiks former home in Mount Pleasant because of $10,000 he allegedly owes in unpaid state incomes taxes. The Village of Waterford says he owes $4,000 in overdue property taxes on the Kravings site. In the Facebook video this week, Karweik called the Burlington and Mount Pleasant closings horrible, but he said followers should not regard the business venture as a failure. He said he hopes to resolve his differences with the Village of Waterford and revitalize the original Kravings store. Were taking a step backward to move forward, he said. Its a bump in the road. Fulfill your ice cream craving at Kravings, open now on Durand Ave. The finishing touches Nolan Weatherwax at your service Americana Debbie Wiegers Greg Mach a big asSIGNment The finishing touch Two handed Noah Kaphengest RACINE Racine Neighborhood Watch Inc. is preparing for its 32nd annual National Night Out on Tuesday. During National Night Out, Racine residents can attend neighborhood activities like block parties and community-building events. The purpose of this night is to foster relationships between the community and local law enforcement as well as promote crime prevention and safety. The event will feature food and games for residents. This comes as Racine Neighborhood Watch received a $3,000 grant from SC Johnson, which will be used to help with planning and to purchase giveaway items. Susan Feehrer-Laack, interim executive director of Racine Neighborhood Watch, described National Night Out as Americas night out against crime. The event features community events in cities across the country, with the official national website stating that millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide. Its really getting back to that neighborhood connectedness as well as creating positive opportunities for law enforcement to interact with the community, Feehrer-Laack said. Residents looking to attend National Night Out can find the neighborhood event closest to their homes by calling Racine Neighborhood Watch at 262-637-5711. RACINE The executive director of the Racine Public Library is stepping down after less than three years on the job. The library announced that Angela Zimmermann has resigned and that a new interim director would be appointed soon. Zimmermann submitted her resignation Thursday, and her last day on the job was Friday, according to the librarys announcement. No reason was given for the resignation. Zimmermann could not be reached for comment. Library Board trustee Damian Evans said the executive director handed in her resignation Thursday at the end of a regular board meeting. Evans called it a big loss for the library, and he was uncertain why Zimmermann decided to leave. I dont know if anyone knows exactly why, he said. Evans declined to comment further, saying the Library Board of Trustees has not had a chance to discuss the situation. Other library trustees could not be reached for comment. The board has scheduled a special meeting at 4:30 p.m. Monday to discuss Zimmermanns resignation. The library issued a brief announcement that was posted on its Facebook page, stating in part: After two and a half years with the Racine Public Library, Angela Zimmermann has resigned from her position as the executive director. Based in a two-story facility at 75 Seventh St., the Racine Public Library employs about 65 people and operates outreach libraries, a bookmobile and a home delivery service. Zimmermann took over as executive director in December 2020, succeeding Jessica MacPhail, who had held the position for more than 20 years. Zimmermann was previously director of the library in Mukwonago and before that Palmyra. During her tenure in Racine, the library emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, completed a $1.8 million interior renovation and joined in a regional merger of libraries to create the new Prairie Lakes Library System. Zimmermann also engaged in a political squabble with Racine city leaders earlier this year over pay raises for library employees. The executive director and her library trustees resisted the pay raises out of concern about whether future funding would be available to sustain the higher salaries. When a divided City Council in January approved a measure urging the pay raises, Zimmermann threatened to resign, but did not. Records of the Library Board meeting last Thursday show there were plans to discuss Board of Trustee oversight concerning employee HR issues. Included in the agenda packet was a memo from a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction official, who warned that library boards should refrain from getting involved in daily matters and should keep their focus at a high level. DPI official Shannon Schultz added: The board should not override or circumvent the director, as that will only undermine the directors authority with staff. Same fears, new tactics: How efforts to ban 'bad books' reached a record high in 2022 Same fears, new tactics: How efforts to ban 'bad books' reached a record high in 2022 Burned or banned: Outlawed books reflect fears and politics of the time 2022 set a record for book challenges, almost doubling from 2021 Most of the top challenged 2022 books cited LGBTQ+ and sexual content School libraries are being targeted more frequently Organized efforts are accelerating RACINE This summer, Racine Family YMCA is calling on residents to participate in its Back to School Supply Drive. Donations will go to the Young Leaders Academy program, a YMCA after-school initiative dedicated to helping kids stay on track. The YMCA is looking for residents to donate school supplies like backpacks, folders, rulers and notebooks. The organization will be accepting donations until Sept. 1. Its really for the underserved kids in our community that are coming to school with nothing and then (are) expected to learn, and theyre already starting a step behind from all the other kids who are privileged to have something as simple as a backpack and a notebook, said Hailey Haluska, an organizer of the event. Haluska said she believes this event will help lessen the load for some parents. Theres so many kids in need, so I think this small step could be an open door to other things as well, Haluska said. If we could take one thing off of the weight of parents, its a step in the right direction. People interested in donating can drop off items at the Racine Family YMCA Image Management Family Branch, 8501 Campus Drive. They can also bring supplies to the George Bray Center, 924 Center Street. Yes. Killeen has already committed $100,000; if funding is halted, it will all be for nothing. Yes. It's important for the city to follow through on its obligation to voters on this issue. No. The city has already spent too much taxpayer money on this. Cut off the funding. No. The ordinance is illegal. The city should have repealed it and adjusted city policy instead. Unsure. It's hard to say. There are some valid points on both sides of the argument. Vote View Results SALEM LAKES Authorities are still searching for the man who reportedly set a woman on fire in an attempted homicide before fleeing the scene early Sunday. The suspect is still on the run and we continue to ask for our community members to be on the watch for him and call with any information, said Kenosha County Sheriffs Department Sgt. Colin Coultrip Monday. We have been receiving tips on his location which we are working with our area partners to investigate these tips. As for the victim, she is still receiving treatment and in critical condition. Authorities issued a felony warrant for the arrest of Myron Faith Bowie, who is on the run and believed to be driving a black Cadillac SRX with Illinois license plate DQ46996, according to the sheriffs department. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous. Authorities have recommended charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide and domestic abuse. Bowie has been known to stay in the Chicago area at Logan Square and Wicker Park, according to authorities. The suspect was described as a Black male in his mid-30s, about 6 feet tall and weighing approximately 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing no shirt and pajama pants when he fled the scene. The incident occurred at 4:47 a.m. and sheriffs deputies, along with Salem Lakes Fire Department responded to a home in the 24500 block of 86th Place where a caller stated that her boyfriend had set her on fire and she needed help, according to authorities. The victim was transported to an area hospital with severe burns. Bowie and the woman had reportedly had an argument when the suspect told her he would kill her, her children and her entire family before setting her on fire and driving away, fleeing the scene. The incident remains under investigation and has sparked headlines across the region. The sheriffs department is seeking the assistance of the public. Anyone who knows where he is or has seen his vehicle is asked to contact Kenosha County Sheriffs Department Detective Bureau at 262-605-5102 or Kenosha Area Crime Stoppers at 262-656-7333 or 800-807-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards of up to $1,000. SIMMONS ISLAND Simmons Island on Lake Michigan in Kenosha is a popular stop for beachgoers. An Illinois man died in a reported drowning following a water incident that occurred in Lake Michigan at Simmons Island Beach Saturday night. The 58-year-old man was with his 28-year-old son, also from Illinois, when both were reportedly struggling while in the water shortly after 6 p.m., according to Sgt. Jeff Galley of the Kenosha Police Department. Authorities did not immediately release the man's name. Someone operating a Wave Runner (Jet Ski) tried to get near them to help them out, Galley said Sunday. While the younger man was able to hold on as he was being rescued, the older man was not and ultimately went under the water, Galley said. It sounds like he was under the water for 15 minutes before he was pulled out by the Coast Guard, he said. Kenosha Fire Department rescue personnel transported the older man to Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital and continued to perform life-saving measures enroute to the medical center. Unfortunately, he was pronounced deceased, Galley said. The pair had apparently been trying to fight the currents, which led to their exhaustion while in the water, he said. WATER SAFETY Waves crash against the shoreline on Simmons Island beach on Thursday, July 1, 2021. Neither Coast Guard nor fire department personnel on duty could immediately comment on the incident, which remains under investigation. Roseann Ventura, who along with another woman helped the younger man to shore, told the Kenosha News that the 28-year-old man apparently could not swim. She said the person on the Jet Ski who had rescued him had a dangerous task, holding onto the younger man while trying to control the device until they got to shore. Ventura said that the older man went under water, while the rescue effort was underway. The skier had gone back to try to find the older man and located him, she said. "The skier was searching for the father while I stayed to help with the young man who was in shock," she said. Ventura, 62, of Chicago, said that she was disappointed that others who were on the beach did not assist them with the young man who was exhausted and vomited as he was taken ashore. She said the older man was under water for more than 15 minutes before Coast Guard officials pulled him out. IN PHOTOS: Local police K-9 units Pleasant Prairie Officer Mike Algiers and K-9 Chase Local dealership provides wheels for new KPD K9 Local dealership provides wheels for new KPD K9 K9 officer Jaxx sworn in by Twin Lakes Police Department K9 officer Jaxx sworn in by Twin Lakes Police Department K9 officer Jaxx sworn in by Twin Lakes Police Department IRIS - POLICE DOG This years drought has not only stunted crops and made for unattractive lawns; it has also spurred the proliferation of damaging tree pests. The spongy moth, formerly known as the gypsy moth, has been able to reproduce at high rates and devastate tree populations throughout southern Wisconsin, thanks in large part to the dearth of moisture that has limited the growth of a type of fungus that kills the invasive insect. Spongy moths are most destructive in their caterpillar phases. The young moths attach to trees and deteriorate the bark and eventually the wood, preventing trees from leafing out. This is a statewide outbreak with over 200,000 acres of defoliation documented, a significant jump from last year, said Michael Hillstrom, a forest health specialist with the state Department of Natural Resources. Weve found areas of heavy defoliation from the Bayfield peninsula to Lake Geneva. Dry springs last year and this year, in conjunction with a spongy moth outbreak beginning last year, have made the situation worse, Hillstrom said. Drought conditions also add stress to trees, making them more susceptible to defoliation and mortality, he said. Ochsner Park in Baraboo has been particularly hard hit. Some trees never leafed out and may need to be cut down, city officials said. To get a closer look at the problem, the Common Council plans to hold its Aug. 8 meeting at the park. Counties experiencing significant infestations include Bayfield, Columbia, Dane, Douglas, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Marinette, Marquette, Racine, Rock, Sauk, Walworth and Waukesha, with more potentially on the way, said Bill McNee, another DNR forest health specialist. The DNR estimates that roughly 85,000 acres of forests were defoliated in 2022 as a result of spongy moth infestations and that the numbers are expected to be higher in 2023. McNee estimates that 100,000 to 200,000 acres of state forest could experience defoliation this year as a result of the invasive caterpillars. McNee described the spongy moth as a very weather-sensitive insect. The warm and dry springs, combined with mild winters the past few years, have allowed the populations to explode. Female moths can lay 500 to 1,000 eggs in one egg mass, he said. It doesnt take many survivors to have a five- or tenfold increase in the population, said McNee, noting that 95% of eggs and caterpillars can die in wet and wintry conditions. Even McNees highest 2023 projection of roughly 200,000 acres of defoliation is not abnormally large. The state record was about 350,000 acres in 2010, while Michigan had nearly 500,000 defoliated acres in 2021. Whether the infestation gets worse depends on precipitation and temperature, McNee said. Rodney Bethel, who lives near Sauk City, said he wrapped 14 trees in his wooded lot with burlap and has collected more than 5,000 dead caterpillars since June 2. He has observed defoliated oak trees near his property. Bethel contacted McNee, who told him that once the caterpillars pupate, their destructive behavior ends. McNee added that scraping of egg masses or spraying with horticultural oil in the fall will help greatly lower the population of the pest next year. During a spongy moth outbreak in the 1990s, wood mills in the Appleton area used lumber sourced from Michigan, said Andrea Diss-Torrance, the DNRs invasive forest insects program coordinator. The DNR began restricting those imports, but the pest had already spread through the movement of firewood and other lumber products. Spongy moth infestations are difficult to curtail early on because the pest has to be well established to detect it, Diss-Torrance said. Rules against transporting firewood have been in place for decades, but theyre difficult to enforce, she said. Firewood is also usually low-value lumber, which carries higher risks of insect infestation. Dont bring firewood home because you might bring something with it, and then you have a dead tree and huge expense, said Diss-Torrance. State Journal reporter Margot Amouyal contributed to this report. Over 880,000 residents of Fujian affected by Typhoon Doksuri Xinhua) 09:04, July 30, 2023 Members from a civilian rescue team transfer flood-stranded people with a rubber boat in Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, July 29, 2023. (Xinhua) FUZHOU, July 29 (Xinhua) -- More than 880,000 residents of east China's Fujian Province have been affected by Typhoon Doksuri, which made landfall in the province on Friday morning. Typhoon Doksuri landed on the coast of Jinjiang City at 9:55 a.m. on Friday, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain. It moved to Jiangxi Province on Friday night, where it gradually weakened into a tropical storm. The Fujian provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters on Saturday said that, as of 8:00 a.m. Saturday, 354,400 people have been evacuated and 146,200 people have been relocated to safer areas. More than 6,333 hectares of farmlands in Fujian have been affected, with over 151 hectares suffering complete crop failure. A total of 44 houses have collapsed and 178 houses have been severely damaged, with direct economic losses totaling 428 million yuan (about 59.99 million U.S. dollar). Official meteorological forecasts show that heavy rainfall will continue in many parts of Fujian. Six local observation stations have recorded their highest daily precipitation figures since 1961. The provincial meteorological bureau has issued warnings for possibile secondary disasters such as mountain torrents, mudslides, landslides, and urban and rural waterlogging in its coastal cities and northern regions, including Putian, Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Ningde. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Photo: . Phone scams continue to be one of the top scam files that Delta Police are contacted about. British Columbias crime rate rose in 2022, matching a pre-pandemic trend that lulled during the pandemic. Last year, crime rose in all of the provinces four main metropolitan areas: Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and the Fraser Valley. The uptick in crime across the province driven largely by acts of fraud and violent incidents corresponds to a relatively short-term national trend, according to the 2022 Police-Reported Crime Report from Statistics Canada on July 27. Canada has seen overall crime drop over the past three decades; however, since 2015, the Crime Severity Index (CSI) began trending higher, with a more rapid ascent of the Violent Crime Severity Index. The first year of the pandemic was marked by a decline in the overall volume and severity of police-reported crime, notably while lockdown restrictions were first implemented, driven by less non-violent crime. Before this drop, the CSI had been rising for five consecutive years beginning in 2015 (19 per cent over five years), stated the report. Across Canada, the index rose from 74.9 to 78.1, the second highest mark in 10 years, after a 79.9 index in 2019, which followed an all-time low of 66.9 in 2014. The Violent CSI rose to 97.7, the highest it has been since 2007 and in stark contrast to the low of 70.7 in 2014. In B.C., the index reached 100.4, which is still lower than the 104.3 seen in 2019 but higher than the 96.9 rating in 2021. Violent CSI, however, reached a rating of 100.8 in B.C., the highest score since 2010 and far higher than the low of 73.5 achieved in 2016. Simon Fraser University criminologist Neil Boyd crunched the numbers and told Glacier Media that while it is nonetheless worrying to see a bit of an uptick, put in perspective we are much better off than in, say, 1977. In 1998, B.C.s index was 166.9 and the violent index was 132.5. Canadas was 118.8 and 97.8, respectively. Youth crime also rose across Canada in 2022, to a rating of 50.2, up from 41.6 in 2021 but far from the 77.4 rating in 2012. Contributing most to this recent uptick was violent crime committed by youth, as the Violent CSI for youth rose from 64.9 in 2021 to 82.8 last year, a record change and highest the index has been since 2010. In B.C., the youth crime index hit 31.2 in 2022, in close range of the historic low of 28.1 achieved in 2021. Kelownas CSI reached 128, the highest since 2008; Abbotsford-Mission climbed to 85.3, the highest since 2019; Vancouver jumped up to 92.4, also the highest since 2019; and Victoria reached 75, in range of the past three years (73-76). In Canada, the Violent CSI rose five per cent in 2022, as police reported 874 homicides, 78 more than the year before. B.C. recorded 30 more homicides in 2022 than in 2021. And, violent firearm offences increased for an eighth straight year, the report stated. Finally, sexual assaults rose three per cent, to 90 incidents per 100,000 people a rate that has increased every year since 2014, except for 2020; Such high rates have not been seen since 1995. Boyd says crime rates are trending down overall as demographics is a big factor, noting males age 15-29 accounted for 18 per cent of the population in 1977, when homicides were at their all-time peak in the country. Those young men account for 80-90 per cent of crime and historically thats been the case in every era of human history, said Boyd. Accounting for the largest contribution to the CSI is fraud, which has nearly doubled in the past decade a trend Boyd says must be watched closely. What I would highlight is the increase in fraud and cybercrime, the changing nature of property crime. There is no drastic change in car theft, auto crime or break and enters, but the big change is every day in our lives we get emails and phone calls from people attempting to defraud us. The people who run these organizations can send these messages to an infinite number of people and as a consequence some vulnerable people will step up and take the loss, said Boyd. "Thats the burgeoning area of property crime," said Boyd, adding that the rates are likely much higher as these crimes are under-reported by individuals and banks, who are often exacerbated by the odds of recovering their losses. The report stated in 2022, the rate of police-reported fraud (which includes general fraud, identity theft and identity fraud) was 78 per cent higher than a decade earlier. Compared with 2021, fraud increased four per cent, to 459 incidents per 100,000 population in 2022 Aside from two years of stability in 2020 and 2021, [fraud] has generally been on the rise since 2011, the report stated. And, the rate of extortion (obtaining property through coercion) was five times higher in 2022 than in 2012, rising from five to 25 incidents per 100,000 population, statistics show. Boyd said fraud can have much greater impact on society than homicide, from failed marriages to suicide to the inability to retire, however those convicted, spend little time in jail. You can understand why we react the way we do to homicide but placed against the kind of losses a $300-million fraud can create, the effect Is much greater, said Boyd. The B.C. municipality that realized the sharpest decline in criminal incidents was Lytton, with a 76 per cent drop after much of the town burned to the ground in 2021. However, since CSI weighs population Lyttons index nevertheless rose by 22 per cent. Seeing the greatest percentage increases in their CSI were: Kimberley (107), Oliver (101) and Mission (77), whereas Falkland (56), Hope (52) and Clinton (47) saw the largest declines. But Kimberley still only has a total CSI of 30. Other notable or large municipalities with a low CSI include: District of North Vancouver (36), West Vancouver (57) and Delta (60). Notable or large municipalities that exceeded the provincial average of 100.4 were: Langley (229), Prince George (207), Richmond (180) and Victoria (157.7). [email protected] This article appears in the July 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. [Print version of this article] Maurizio Abbate Culture Is the Key for Peace This is the prepared text as edited of the presentation of Maurizio Abbate to Panel IV, A Culture To Emancipate and Expand the Creative Capacities of Every Human Being: A Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations, of the Schiller Institutes July 89 conference, On the Verge of a New World WarEuropean Nations Must Cooperate with the Global South! Mr. Abbate represents the National Institute for Cultural Activities connected to the Ministry of Culture, Italy. A subhead has been added. View full size Schiller Institute Maurizio Abbate Dear friends and colleagues from around the world, We are gathered here today to seek, with all our strength, useful ideas and solutions to resolve the terrible armed conflict that has been raging in the old continent for almost a year and a half. A fratricidal war capable of bringing death and destruction among the civilians in the territories directly involved and a very serious economic and financial crisis in the rest of the world, due to a system of speculation implemented with unprecedented wickedness by the food and energy multinationals. Corporations often controlled by the same masters. We are well aware that giants such as Vanguard and BlackRock share a majority of the shares of agribusiness multinationals through Monsanto, Cargill and DuPont. The same hold today in Ukraine about 19 million hectares of land devoted to intensive agriculture, which corresponds to 60% of Ukrainian agricultural land. Similarly, 100% of Ukrainian mines are now owned by multinationals. To ask why war broke out in this part of Europe, starting from those simple figures, therefore seems superfluous. The important thing, therefore, is not to analyze the causes of the conflict, but rather to try to understand how was it possible that the American public, as well as the European public, always attentive to the problem of peace, thanks to their peace movements, are today almost numbed by what is happening. War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. These were the slogans engraved on the facade of the Ministry of Truth described in George Orwells famous novel [Nineteen Eighty-Four]. This year, the European Union, in an almost grotesque way, has created a Peace Instrument to allocate nearly 8 billion for the purchase of weapons. Buying weapons to prevent conflict and build peace. This is stated, prominently, on the European Councils websitealmost a parallel to the Orwellian Ministry of Truth. If an institution such as the European Union can alter the foundations of freedoms, that is, the truth, by characterizing the supply of weapons, tools for killing, as useful tools for building peace, then the cultural and moral degradation of the institutions, as well as that of the media that should be exposing such lies, has become self-evident. Unfortunately, what I have previously stated about the concentration of food and energy production in the hands of a few power holders is also true for political institutions, the media, as well as those in charge of education. Why a New Cultural Renaissance Is Necessary Culture, which, emulating the teachings of Socrates and Plato, should be concerned with developing thoughts and indicating the models of society to be built in order to achieve nobler goals, such as general welfare and solidarity among peoples, is constantly downgraded to a kind of unimportant fashion. Such principles, at the same time, are subordinated to the interests of a few economic powers who have made contemporary society a huge market of precariousness in which everything can be sold or boughteven the right to life. [Ours is] a society in which social cohesion is being progressively demolished and upon which continuous alleged emergencies are being imposed, such as climate, health and finance, capable of altering national choices in agriculture, crafts, industry and society. Therefore, the time has come to stop this neo-barbaric drift caused by the globalization of economy and culture. A new social and cultural Renaissance must be initiated. To do so, a new paradigm is urgently needed for our Western communities, which must definitively abandon the principle of business as the centerpiece of society and put man with his material and spiritual complexity back at its center. Politics must redefine a harmonious system in which every man and woman has his or her own role in a synergistic and organic way. A society in which human beings must be judged and valued for who they are, for the values they express and succeed in embodying, rather than for what they possess. Only in this way can individual nations, free, independent, self-determined and with their own specificities, become communities again and contribute to the global growth of all humanity. The differences and peculiarities of peoples, generated by centuries of history and different cultures, must become the driving force to build a constructive dialogue for peaceful coexistence. A dialogue that leads to an equitable distribution of the resources of the planet on which we all live and which are often the cause of armed clashes and unprecedented violence due to the criminal desire to concentrate them in the hands of a few. As we develop this thesis and try to involve all those who share its aims, however, strong and persuasive signals must be sent out. It is imperative to make it clear to the world that so many free people, not only have no intention of bowing to the deliberate decisions autocratically made by globalist elites, but are ready for a global change of the paradigm imposed until now by those who believe themselves to be the absolute masters. Confronted with the holders of the major global media in a now imminent head-on clash, networking is needed. It is necessary to organize as many events as possible and use every single television, computer or radio channel to spread the news. Inviting foreign guests to local events must also become a habit capable of disrupting the mantra that only globalization can guarantee freedom, pluralism and democracy. ENAC, the National Institute for Cultural Activities in Italy, which I am proud to represent, is organizing a conference in Italy with the aim of re-establishing relations between Syria and Italy; economic and cultural relations that were interrupted for mere political interests and have not been reopened even in the aftermath of the dramatic earthquake that caused thousands of civilian casualties in Turkiye and Syria. At this conference, in which we would be happy to welcome any of those present today who would like to participate, we intend to send a clear and unequivocal message: While liberalism talks about peace and democracy causing wars and building walls, we respond with the strength of culture, the only one capable of guaranteeing and respecting individual differences while working on building a bridge made of friendship, solidarity and cooperation among peoples. This article appears in the July 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. [Print version of this article] IPC 7th Weekly Meeting Humanity Must Overcome Differences To Prevent Nuclear War July 21The International Peace Coalition (IPC) held its seventh weekly international meeting Friday, July 21, with representatives of 17 nations, most of whom reported on the mobilizations taking place in their respective countries, for the August 6 international Day of Action on the anniversary of the genocidal U.S. nuclear destruction of Hiroshima. View full size Schiller Institute Helga Zepp-LaRouche, the founder of the Schiller Institute, opened the call by emphasizing that the madness of the warmongers at the July 17-18 NATO summit is still escalating toward full-scale war, which will not be stopped until the truth about the cause and the intention is understood by the broad public around the world. Two systems now exist, she said, one a predatory system allied with the unipolar world of Global NATO, and the other is being led by the countries of the Global South moving to create a new system committed to ending colonialism for good. Zepp-LaRouche held up the case of Germany, where sovereignty has been completely lost, where the rules-based order (with no one knowing who makes these so-called rules) is destroying the economy. Everything that Germans built up after the destruction of World War II is now being destroyed, with businesses fleeing the country in drovesand this despite the fact that 70% of the population think that the government is doing a terrible job. The sovereignty of every country is under attack by the U.S.-UK-Global NATO war party. She reminded people that the sovereignty of every country is the first of her Ten Principles. We must make August 6 a clarion call for a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine. To do that we must live up to the Open Letter by Steve Leeper, the former head of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, that organizations worldwide must put aside any differences and unite on August 6 at the UN or elsewhere to stop the war drive. Reports on organizing efforts came in from around the world: Nicaragua: Bolivar Tellez Castellon of Nicaragua reported that a committee is being formed to mobilize support for August 6 and beyond, and several of the leaders are making short videos to rally support, which he is sharing with the IPC for worldwide use in Spanish-speaking nations. He noted that the country had been subjected to a fratricidal war for over 20 years, but is now working with Russia and China to achieve real development. Malaysia: Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, founder and director of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), announced that he had sent out the release announcing the August 6 event, and the Steve Leeper letter, to the 20-25,000 strong JUST mailing list. Dr. Muzaffar also reported that he had written to a number of peace organizations in Asia, calling on them to join the IPC. JUST is sponsoring its own event on August 6, which is under discussion as to the format. He said that getting a million people out on the street, either in New York City or worldwide, is a very large target, but a necessary one given that what is at stake is the human race itself. The current danger is the greatest in historyin 1945 only one side had nuclear weapons, now many countries have them, and they are far more deadly than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. We owe it to history, and to future generations, to succeed in our task. It is flourish or perish. Germany: Jimmy Gerum, who is serving as the press secretary for Humanity For Peace coalition, declared that every war is started with a lie, and we must mount massive pressure from individual independent journalists to break through the lies in the mainstream media. Guatemala: Raul Marroquin, of the Observatory for Human Peace in Guatemala, said he has been associated with Lyndon LaRouche and the Schiller Institute for many years. Now we see that the oligarchs of the world want to see the end of humanity, which we must act to prevent. France: Karel Vereycken, a leading member of the Schiller Institute in France, described the July 8-9 Schiller Institute conference in Strasbourg, the first in-person Schiller conference since before the pandemic, where 250 people heard from leading people from Russia, China, India, Africa, Europe, and the U.S. The French Schiller Institute is planning three events: August 6 at Notre Dame; August 9, the anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing, at the offices of UNESCO; and a later date on science, exposing the role of John von Neumann as the person who encouraged President Harry Truman to use the atomic bomb on the civilian cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Austria: A peace movement leader described the long-standing pride in Austria of their status as a neutral country, opposed to war but advocating active nonviolent neutrality, which is now under enormous pressure from NATO and the NATO-influenced media. He said his associates have held demonstrations for years on August 6 and August 9, and they will again this year as part of the International Day of Action. Sweden: Ulf Bejerstrand, who started the Voice of the People to allow people to break through the media lies, said that they have 50,000 followers on social media. He said that if people come together, they can defeat the warmongers. Sweden: Ulf Sandmark, the President of the Schiller Institute in Sweden, said they were planning an event in Stockholm on August 6. He said the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative was a severe blow, orchestrated by NATO and the oligarchs, precisely because it was a small but significant step towards cooperation and peace. Mexico: Carolina Dominguez of the Schiller Institute in Mexico, described their organizing in support of President John Kennedys June 10, 1963 speech seeking U.S.-U.S.S.R. cooperation for peace and development. She said that the youth in Mexico do not believe the NATO narrative, and that they respect Russia and the BRICS countries. She quoted Mexican hero, President Benito Juarez, who defeated the Habsburg occupation of Mexico, and who insisted that Respect for the rights of others means peace. She said the organization had distributed thousands of copies of the leaflet Urgent Appeal by Citizens and Institutions from All Over the World to the (Next) President of the United States! issued by Helga Zepp-LaRouche, calling for a return to the principles of peace advocated by JFK. United States: Elliot Greenspan, the head of the LaRouche movements outreach task force, described the efforts to bring various hyphenated-Americans, (from Pakistanis, Indians, Chinese, to Guineans and others), as well as religious organizations, together for the August 6 demonstrations, further insisting that the differences which certainly exist between these layers must be put aside to prevent a nuclear war. Dennis Speed, a U.S. national leader of the Schiller Institute, said that to get a million people out on the street, as Chandra Muzaffar had indicated, is a difficult but essential task if the genocidalists are to be stopped. He noted that the NATO sabotage of the Black Sea Grain Initiative was yet another case of these Malthusians working to starve millions of people to death, and that JFKs Food for Peace concept is crucial today. Germany: Barbara Spahn, of the German Schiller Institute, described the demonstrations they are holding in Frankfurt on August 5 and August 6, working with other institutions, including farmers, and others. Helga Zepp-LaRouche closed the meeting, praising the progress made thus far in the IPC, but insisting that it must grow faster to reach the goal. Each member must take the responsibility to reach out to other organizationspeace, religious, democracy, and other groupsto join the movement. She encouraged the use of the video by scientist Steven Starr on the devastation of a nuclear war, and also promoted reading Friedrich Schiller on how to bend the tyrants arm. This article appears in the July 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. [Print version of this article] Tatjana Zdanoka On Demonization of Russian Culture This is the prepared text as edited of the presentation of Tatjana Zdanoka to Panel IV, A Culture To Emancipate and Expand the Creative Capacities of Every Human Being: A Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations, of the Schiller Institutes July 89 conference, On the Verge of a New World WarEuropean Nations Must Cooperate with the Global South! Ms. Zdanoka is a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and a member of the Latvian Russian Union, Latvia. A subhead has been added. View full size Schiller Institute Tatjana Zdanoka We used to say: Dont bring me, My God, to live during an era of big changes. But we are living during an era of big changes now. The methods of management focused on unifying the population of Europe and the world according to values of homo economicusthe self-sufficient rational consumerare undergoing a systemic crisis. The economic person is not even an abstraction; it is a reduction, a flat projection of one of a set of measurements of any human being. The reality is that all peopleWest Europeans, East Europeans, the Chinese, Indians or Russianscannot be reduced to the sum of their economic requirements and to functioning as consumers of goods and the benefits. Each person exists only in the interrelations and the relations with other people, and these communications are irreducible to mutually advantageous or mutually acceptable economic exchange. These are social and political communicationsbelonging to language, culture, national or subnational community or to religious community. Both these communications and interests are unrealizable outside of community, outside of political space. The following phenomenon is evident: with the growth of integration on the contrary, awareness of the originality increases. There is the known mathematical rule: the process of integration must be accompanied by the process of differentiation. I often quote the words of Yehudi Menuhin: Either Europe will become the Europe of cultures or Europe will die. The title of my intervention is On Demonization of Russian Culture. There is no need to argue that the European Union is infected with Russophobia. Here is just one single example out of thousands. Figure 1 View full size European Parliament In Figure 1 you see the invitation to the discussion Pushing Pushkin: The Imperialism and Decolonization of Russian Culture co-hosted by Rasa Jukneviciene, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Lithuania, and Raphael Gluksmann, MEP from France. The main idea promoted by the organizers and guests of that discussion is that Russia has always used and continues to use any work of culture as a weapon of colonization. The burning hatred in Baltic states, in particular in my country, Latvia, toward everything Russian is irrational and caused by a complex of state inferiority of national elites. At this moment, the Russian minority of Latvia is on the verge of a catastrophe under the blows of the decisions taken by the ruling politicians, who represent exclusively the national majority. Since last spring, the situation has deteriorated significantly. The war in Ukraine has served as a signal for new persecutions of the Russian-speakers in Latvia. Four years ago, my colleague Inese Vaidere, a member of the European Parliament from Latvia, denounced me to the State Security Service for publicly stating that Russians in Latvia felt like Jews on the eve of World War II (saying that we cannot compare; the situation of Jews in Germany was worse). Now, another colleague, Sandra Kalniete, calmly tweets that we should take advantage of the window of opportunity that has opened to solve issues important to our people, first of all, the elimination of education in Russian and the demolition of the monuments to the Liberators of Latvia from the Nazi invaders. Ethnic Russians make up 25% of the population of Latvia, the Russian-speaking linguistic minority makes up 37% of the countrys population. This part of the countrys population is of mixed originsome represent the descendants of the citizens of the Republic of Latvia from the period 19181940, and some represent the labor migrants of the Soviet era. There are approximately 25% of Russian-speaking citizens among the voters of the country, since 12% of Russian-speaking permanent residents remain in a status close to the status of a stateless person and cannot vote. When speaking about window of opportunity, my Latvian colleague supposed: We can now achieve our goals without much international attention. Ethnic Cleansing What are those goals? It is a full-scale campaign by the Latvian authorities to dehumanize, suppress and marginalize the countrys Russian-speaking population. Latvian society is sinking in the wave of hate speech in the mainstream media and social networks. Columnists and commentators openly compare Russian-speaking compatriots with animals, a fifth column and aggressive occupiers. One of the members of the National Parliament (Saeima) of the ruling coalition party openly called for ethnic cleansing, aimed at increasing the proportion of ethnic Latvians in the countrys population. Signatures are being collected on a petition for the expulsion of disloyal citizens from the country and deprivation of their Latvian citizenship, as well as on a petition for a ban on my party, the Latvian Russian Union, which stands for the protection of the rights of the Russian-speaking minority. The European Union nominally has an instrument to combat this kind of manifestation. This is the Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of November 28, 2008, on combating certain forms and expressions of racism. This document does not have a direct effectit obligates the states to criminalize the respective acts in their legislation. The Latvian Criminal Code does have an article punishing incitement to national, ethnic, and racial hatred. The crux of the matter is that this article is only selectively applied in my country. Appeals to the police and state security bodies regarding the use of hate speech and calls for violence against Russian-speaking residents of Latvia are fruitless. Consistent refusals to initiate criminal proceedings are coming in. At the same time, charges of allegedly inciting hatred against the titular population have been brought against several journalists writing in Russian, the most prominent of them being Yuri Alekseev and Vladimir Linderman. The government has prepared a package of initiatives to destroy memorials dedicated to the soldiers of the Soviet Red Army who liberated Latvia from Nazi occupation during World War II. About 150,000 Soviet soldiers died in battles for the liberation of Latvia. In almost every family of Russian-speaking Latvians and in many Latvian families, the memory of the victims of the war and the ancestors who fought on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition is preserved. Through these new initiatives, people are deprived of the opportunity to preserve the memory of their families. Thanks to the efforts of our party, complaints were submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee and a temporary settlement was requested, i.e. a ban on the demolition of eight monuments until the complaints were finalized. All these requests were granted. However, the government ignored the UN HRCs decision, stating that it was only advisory in nature. During last summer and autumn more than 70 monuments to the liberators of Latvia from German fascist occupiers were dismantled, despite the decisions of the UN Human Rights Committee obliging Latvia to refrain from such demolitions. I was among those who addressed the Committee. Fate so decreed that the land on which one of the monuments stood belonged to my ancestors, victims of the Holocaust. It is the monument to Alyosha in the city of Rezekne, the capital of Latgale. In addition to the demolition of the World War II monuments, the authorities have recently taken on other sites. You see in Figure 2 the sculpture of Alexander Pushkin in one of the parks in Riga before it was recently demolished. The fight against monuments of the past continues with repressions against people living in Latvia today. Some of the elderly people are under risk to become illegals. The new retroactive norm provides annulation [French for cancellationed.], in the case of bad knowledge of Latvian language, of permanent residence permission for those who have acquired Russian citizenship. But [the] most grave consequences of the use of window of opportunity affect the young generation. The ongoing destruction of minority education started in 1995 (high education), continued in 2004 (secondary education) and 2018 (primary education). The latest amendments to the Education Laws in the Republic of Latvia are designed to completely abolish Russian language education. These amendments apply to both public and private schools. I will conclude my intervention with a fragment of the video clip produced by our team in 2003 when the mass protests of Russian-speakers against the education reform started. With the kind permission of Roger Waters, fragments of the famous Pink Floyd clip were used. School education in native languages of traditional ethnic and linguistic minorities is one of the most important values of the European Union. The Russian-speaking community of Latvia is one of such traditional linguistic minorities of the European Union alike many others, and its rights should be respected. This article appears in the July 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. Schiller Institute Strasbourg Conference The Blossoming of a New Paradigm [Print version of this article] View full size EIRNS/Chris Lewis July 21On July 89 the Schiller Institute held an international conference in Strasbourg, France titled On the Verge of a New World War: European Nations Must Cooperate with the Global South! Convened in the Grande salle de lAubette (Great Hall of the Aubette) situated in the historic central square of Strasbourg, known as the Place Kleber, over 200 people from all parts of the globe participated in two days of intense deliberation on causes and solutions to the current crises facing Mankindnot the least of which is the threat of thermonuclear war. Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder and leader of the Schiller Institute, in a discussion with colleagues following the conference characterized its uniqueness by the fact that brought together were people from different countries of the world, different backgrounds, philosophies and ideologiesboth right and left. But despite these differences, what was recognized by all was the absolute necessity to end the drive for global war and usher in a new paradigm. According to Zepp-LaRouche: [W]hat became very clear is the idea that we need a new paradigm, a new image of man to replace war and confrontation and hatred, with cooperation, with a sense of love and love for mankind. That was also a spirit which very, very clearly came out. She stressed that the Schiller Institute is playing a crucial role in todays global affairs as the only organization providing a platform where people with such a diversity of backgrounds can express their views without fear of censorship or retribution. Many participants openly conveyed their relief and satisfaction that such a platform exists! In the following pages, this issue of EIR provides transcripts of four presentations from panel IV of the conference, titled A Culture to Emancipate and Expand the Creative Capacities of Every Human Being: A Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations. The panelists, from Belgium, Italy, Latvia, and Germany, each address a different cultural theme underlying the current global strategic crisis. The entire panel should be watched in its entirety to provide oneself with an understanding of why culture is not only critical, but possibly the most important factor necessary for resolving the crisis and ushering in a new paradigm. Videos of all conference panels are available on the Schiller Institute website here. This article appears in the July 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. [Print version of this article] Prof. Luc Reychler What Would Erasmus Say About Peace In Ukraine? This is the prepared text as edited of the presentation of Luc Reychler to Panel IV, A Culture To Emancipate and Expand the Creative Capacities of Every Human Being: A Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations, of the Schiller Institutes July 89 conference, On the Verge of a New World WarEuropean Nations Must Cooperate with the Global South! Prof. Reychler (PhD Harvard, 1976) is a professor emeritus of International Relations at the University of Louvain and former Director of the Center for Peace Research and Strategic Studies (CPRS), Belgium. Subheads have been added. View full size Schiller Institute Prof. Luc Reychler In my presentation, I will share an analysis of the current war in Europe and reflect on how Desiderius Erasmus (14661536) would deal with it. As one of the greatest scholars of the Renaissance, Erasmus highlighted the folly of religious wars, (folly is the pursuit of a policy contrary to the welfare of the people of the states involved), and took on the Establishment of his time, whether it be princes or popes. Their excuses for going to war were criticized and satirized in writings, as in In Praise of Folly and The Complaint of Peace. He gave peace a voice. His comments, of nearly 500 years ago, are still relevant today, because, although wars are unique, and historically and culturally different, they are universally similar. Wars and counterwars purposefully commit atrocities. (Counterwars are fought against the country that started a war.) People, above all the soldiers, are still slaughtered, pierced, burned, shredded, suffocated, tortured, pillaged, etc. And, violence committed during war is applauded, called righteous and patriotic; the soldiers, dead or alive, get praised with medals. Erasmus warned that wars are attractive for people who have no experience or knowledge about war. His disgust with war is well expressed in the citation Dulce bellum inexpertis or War is sweet for the inexperienced. Before zooming in to the war in Ukraine through Erasmus glasses, let me focus on some facets of the war, which are not part of the official discourse in the West. They, however, invite us to a more balanced, comprehensive, and impartial picture. Facets of the War in Ukraine Omitted from Western Official Discourse 1. The war was anticipated. Several diplomats and scholars, including myself, expected a war. For example, in 2008, during the George Bush Presidency, William Burns, [then] Ambassador to Russia, who later served as Director of the CIA, cautioned that the expansion of NATO to Georgia and Ukraine would have deadly consequences. It would be the brightest of all red lines and create fertile soil for Russian meddling in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. 2. The war could have been prevented. The West, especially America made war prevention difficult by (a) her expansionist foreign policy, (b) reducing the art of diplomacy to coercive diplomacy and regime change, and (c) underestimating the risks and costs of an escalating proxy war. Hans Morgenthaus political realism was replaced by neoconservatism that urged democratic states to establish a new international order through military power, sanctions and regime change. 3. Russia started the war and is the main culprit, but the West and Kyiv are co-responsible. There are several indicators of co-responsibility. In 1990 Ukraine defined itself as a neutral country; the country would not become a member of an alliance. NATO would not expand to Ukraine. During the first 24 years of its independence, Ukraine did not experience war. The American interference in the domestic politics of Ukraine, in the name of regime change, was well underway before the Maidan revolution [in 2014]. This meddling in domestic affairs and NATOs stealthy expansion threatened Russias objective and subjective security. Russia spoke of its existential security. The U.S. and NATO ignored the security issue, arguing that the Alliance is peaceful and defensive. This public confession is painfully dissonant with the many wars that America, her allies, and NATO waged in the 21st Century in the Middle East and Europe (in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and in Serbia to support in 1999 the Kosovo separatist movement). The increasing political and geographical expansion of NATO to the Russian borders presented Russia with a crisis and a dilemma: to allow this to happen or to stop the expansion in time and thus avoid a fait accompli. 4. There is not enough space for an open discussion in Russia, Ukraine and in the West. An impartial, open, and critical discussion about prevention and co-responsibility would have contributed to a sound analysis and forecast, and a rational and realistic policy. It would significantly increase the chances of serious peace negotiations. In Russia, a critical conversation about the war and the eight years of civil war in Ukraine that preceded it, is impossible. That is also the case in Ukraine. In the public spaces of the free and democratic West, all noses are expected to point in the same direction. An open and critical discussion is discouraged by groupthink. This is a political-psychological phenomenon that prioritizes agreement and discourages critical commentary and alternatives. Characteristics are: the illusion of infallibility, the conviction that ones own morality prevails, the rationalization of ones own decisions, the stereotyping or diabolizing the opponent, and pressure and sanctions to enforce conformity. This undermines the chances of successful and cost-effective decision making and forms a one-sided and narrowly-informed public opinion. In wars, pacifists and peace researchers tend to be sidelined, sanctioned, and stigmatized as traitors, dreamers or psychological deviants. 5. The war in Ukraine is a vicious entanglement of an internal war and a proxy war with escalatory potential. Its an escalation of an eight years-long civil war in a pluri-national country. Fortunately, so far, it has remained a limited war, taking place within the borders of Ukraine. The war and counterwar has created a lot of suffering and destruction. Its a mega media event. Diplomacy is down. President Zelensky turned out to be a stand-up diplomat and appears almost daily at conferences or in the living room. It is a cynical war, for which the population and the front-line soldiers are paying. The Donetsk Basin in the East is, for 9 years, the most blood-soaked area. 6. The costs are high. During a war it is always difficult to find good statistics; they are usually rude and not reliable. The numbers are part of the psychological warfare. For example, not much attention is given to the casualties and destruction during the preceding (internationalized) civil and secession war in the Donbas. On April 9, 2018, the Washington Post reported that the Donbas was one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. After five years of fighting, more than 10,000 people were killed, 2,800 of them civilians. The war destroyed the infrastructure and a third of the hospitals and schools, homes, and election facilities. The number of refugees and displaced citizens was very high. For the current war, Pentagon documents published in April 2023 estimated that Ukraine suffered approximately 125,000 casualties, with up to 17,500 killed in action, while Russians had nearly 200,000 casualties, including up to 43,000 killed in action. With wars, not only are the costs (physical, material, economic, social, political, psychological, spiritual, and ecological) huge, but also the real and expected benefits and profits. Wars last as long as they are considered profitable by the main protagonists. 8. The war logic prevails. No serious efforts have been undertaken to boost the chances of de-escalation and the building of sustainable peace. Humanitarians and hawks [alike] continue to ask for more guns and more war. The Secretary General of NATO, [Jens] Stoltenbergs one-liner Weapons are the way to peace is a fitting title for a surrealist painting of [Rene] Magritte. The war looks like a huge cage fight, in which the outsider-supporters are safe spectators who empower the fighters and encourage them to win. 7. The war will probably end as a lose-lose operation. Violence may continue for a long time, intensify, and even lead to regional and third world or [general] nuclear war. The loss is not only for the Ukrainians and fighters on both sides of the battlefield (mostly young men, 40% to 50% of whom have no military experience), but also for the whole of Europe. For some spectators in the rest of the world, the war is a European tragicomedy. Building a Sustainable Peace How would Erasmus respond to the wars in the 21st Century and especially the war in Ukraine? I think he would criticize and satirize the excuses for ongoing war. For example, the misrepresentation of the war as the defense of democracy and of the democratic world. He would also tackle the propaganda on both sides. Above all, he would point at the stupidity of the war and the hubris and mediocracy of the warmongers. Only wise people build sustainable peace. Modern and smart weapons have not reduced the actual and potential atrocities of the war; and the weapons of mass destruction are waiting around the corner. Erasmus would also be a whistleblower and name the princes and kings, and the war profiteers who are responsible for the war. He believes that what cannot be refuted by argument and fact, can be parred by laughter. As a constructive pacifist, he would add peace-work to his critical analysis. This implies demanding a cessation of the war, because he considers peace to be more precious than the pursuit of triumph, and a frozen conflict less destructive, less costly, and less dangerous than a protracted war. The cessation of the war would go hand in hand with the reestablishment of communication and peace negotiations, but also with development. South Korea is a good example of a country that negotiated a cease-fire with North Korea in 1953 and decided (with the help of the U.S.) to use its talents to become a prosperous country. South Korea reminds us that it is not who wins a war, but who wins the peace that determines their future. A cease-fire in Ukraine combined with efforts to win the peace could be a formula to end the war. Erasmus stresses the relation between education and peace. He would recommend that the Erasmus program for education, training, youth and sports, gives also attention to the education of sustainable peace building and the prevention of wars. Finally, he would encourage people to take part in the building of sustainable peace. This may sound like a dream. But as he said 500 years ago, he would remind us that there are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other. For Further Reading Luc Reychler, Time for Peace: The Essential Role of Time in Conflict and Peace Processes. Peace and Conflict Series. University of Queensland Press, Oct. 1, 2015. pp. 292. Luc Reychler & Arnim Langer, editors, Luc Reychler: A Pioneer in Sustainable Peacebuilding Architecture. Pioneers in Arts, Humanities, Science, Engineering, Practice Series, Vol. 24. Springer, Jan. 2020. pp. 357. Luc Reychler, Principles of Sustainable Peace Architecture, 2021. Luc Reychler, Symfonie van een voorspelde oorlog (Symphony of a Predicted War). March 2, 2023. This article appears in the July 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. [Print version of this article] Liz Augustat World Peace, Based On Common Ethics and Values This is the prepared text as edited of the presentation of Liz Augustat to Panel IV, A Culture To Emancipate and Expand the Creative Capacities of Every Human Being: A Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations, of the Schiller Institutes July 89 conference, On the Verge of a New World WarEuropean Nations Must Cooperate with the Global South! Ms. Augustat is President of the international association Peace through Culture-Europe, Germany. A subhead has been added. View full size Schiller Institute Liz Augustat Peace through Culture is an organization whose main goal is to build bridges between ethnicities, countries, religions, traditions and different worldviews. Focused on our function as an inspirer and connector we have organized numerous conferences in Kazakhstan and other Eurasian countries. Looking back to our World Congress under the title Toward Spiritual Concord in Almaty [Kazakhstan] with more than 1,500 attendees, which was supported greatly by the then-President Nursultan Nazarbayev, I especially remember the late Prof. Dr. h.c. Hans-Peter Durr (19292014), the world-renowned German quantum physicist, Director of the famous Max Planck Institute for Physics, and winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize, who so often enriched us with his participation and insights. Our joint conversations are partially reflected in my contribution. Nuclear physicists are eagerly following the basic question on what is holding our world together at its core. So Prof. Durr also asked himself what actually is behind matter. He split matter into smaller and smaller parts hoping to eventually find the essence. But after 50 years of research, he came to the astonishing conclusion: The essence does not lie in matter, but actually does not even exist in the way we thought. What we think matter is, actually is vibration and energy; it is a structure of relations. Reality is quite different from what we have imagined it to be so far. Expressed in modern language there is no physical matter/hardware at the beginning, but only idea and software. In other words, and with the help of logic, it follows that the so-called physical or gross matter and the so-called subtle matter are two sides of the same coin, an inseparable unity of matter and spirit. This statement, so far assigned to the area of spirituality, is now getting substantiated scientifically by quantum physics step by step and is likely to radiate into all areas of society in the future. Our world is the One, and the Whole and cannot be dissected. This fact leads to fantastic consequences, because if we include ourselves in this world, we are distinguishable, but not separate. We are all part of this community, in this connectedness. In Sanskrit, this is called Advaita, the Oneness, the A-duality. When people wage wars against each other, they are hurting themselves at the same time, because all living beings are part of the ONE. When anything in the world suffers, we suffer with it, even if we do not know the reason. This is not to be attributed to sentimentality, but a deep ontological feeling that touches our common roots. Despite retaining our individuality, we are part of a higher unity, namely the whole of humanity. Reality around us constantly gives evidence to the collective liability mankind is caught in. Let us just take examples such as El Nino or the testing of nuclear weapons or the gigantic emissions of poison by industry into the air and the oceanseffects that do not stop at national borders nor at mountain heights nor at depths of the oceans. The Next Step Toward World Peace Worldwide cooperation, individual ethical responsibility, benevolence, and mutual understanding of cultures and traditions among peoples will be necessary to climb to the next step: toward world peace. So far, unfortunately, the United Nations has fulfilled the hope of uniting the world through joint political action just rudimentarily, in some individual departments. Can we create something similar in the field of international, intercultural, and interreligious understanding, and achieve effective results? Many years ago, my late father, Willy Augustat, introduced the concept of an International World Ethics Congress, from which a World Ethical Council subsequently would have to emerge. Such an institution would ensure that universal ethical requirements and corresponding parameters could optimally be considered in all major decisions at all levels. It is true that not all languages differentiate between the terms ethics and moral. However, we can clearly state that moral is a somewhat limited term used within society of either local or temporary significance (what to do or not to do, in the sense of customs and traditions). What was allowed and accepted in former times is no longer valid now, and vice versa! The current morals are part of the education and legal regulations within a country or group whereas the ethical foundation is already part of the human beingit is, so to say, inborn in the individual! Looking for universal principles we find them in all great world religions, which have a lot of basic ethical requirements for the individuals consciousness and character in common. Ethical Councils on a worldwide basis could be composed of impartial representatives of the academies of the humanities and social sciences, artists, scientists in general, and religious representatives; they would have to recognize all world religions in their original sense and represent ethics as the common foundation of all cultures and religions. Each candidate would have to be chosen by virtue of his knowledge and authority in a particular field and by virtue of the esteem and trust he enjoys in his own or related cultures. In this conceptual framework, national ethical councils would have to send representatives to the World Ethics Council, which needs to be on a par with the United Nations. All measures would only be adopted with the agreement of both bodies so that ethical standards are taken into account in every political and other far-reaching decision. Veto rights would not exist within the countries of the United Nations as they do today, but only on the part of the Ethical Council. In a future world community, the advantage of one must also be to the advantage of all others. All cultures of the world should be allowed to keep their substance and thus be included in the aspired overarching World Peace Culture. Unity in diversity, universal ethical principles such as Justice, non-violence, equality, freedom, community, and philanthropy are the values of today. The kickoff could take place in the frame of an Ethical Congress where the participants define and elect suitable candidates. Let us carry this idea to the next level of practical realization together! We are here today because we know that there is no other way left for us but to move forward toward peace, if life on Earth is to continue. We all are aware that the time is mature for a new paradigm, a profound change of consciousness. Going back to Plato and other philosophers, we must awaken our consciousness again to the cosmic law of cause and effect which at the same time is connected to self-responsibility for everyone. Fritjof Capra, physicist and futurologist, compares this approach with a global immune system that becomes active for protection of our Earth, a collective and almost instinctive response of humanity to the acute threat to its livelihood. This immune system consists of many people and groups who are tirelessly engaged in all places of our globe to regenerate us by neutralizing the harmful influences that are threatening our life everywhere. I am very happy that the Schiller Institute offers a strong network of such immune reaction for a peaceful future for all! And let me close with my fathers words: World peace can only build on a higher cultural consciousness and responsibility as well as awareness of necessary action! Thank you very much for your attention! Putin Discusses Ukraine War with African Leaders, Insists on Kievs Neutrality July 29, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)After the conclusion yesterday of the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a separate meeting on July 28 with representatives of several African countries that had made a peace proposal for the Ukraine crisis. Putin explained to them, according to the transcript on the Kremlin website, that Ukraines permanent neutrality is a sine qua non of Russian security. He also told the African leaders: As I said, we have thoroughly considered both your approach and your ideas for a peace settlement. They actually reiterate provisions of the peace plan that the Peoples Republic of China proposed in February to resolve the situation around Ukraine. In the 1990 document that ushered in Ukraines independence from the Soviet Union, Putin continued: Obviously, I will not dwell on the details of what we agreed upon as this would probably be inappropriate. But let me remind younot everyone knows this but we know it perfectly wellthat Kiev gained its independence upon the collapse of the Soviet Union under the Declaration of Independence, which clearly states that Ukraine is a neutral stateand for us, this has fundamental importance. The reasons the West started drawing Ukraine into NATO are not very clear to us. We believe this is what poses a fundamental threat to our security, because the advancement of the hostile military alliances infrastructure towards our borders is unacceptable, he said. Putin explained earlier in his remarks: Colleagues, I hope that you have a clear understanding of the nature and origins of the crisis. In any case we tried to make our view on that problem clear. We believe that the problem did not arise yesterday; it was provoked by some forces in the West which have been preparing for a hybrid war against our country for many years. They did everything to turn Ukraine into a tool to undermine the security foundations of the Russian Federation, to harm Russias positions in the world and to undermine our statehood. I am saying this with good reason. This is the first point.... But the second problem that led to the current crisis is exactly the coup detat in Ukraine in 2014. It was essentially an anti-constitutional violent armed state coup, which was actively supported by Western countries that ignored all norms of international law.... the Russian President said. After referencing the African peace proposals likeness to the Feb. 24, 2023 China peace proposal, Putin went on: For our part, we have never refused to take part in negotiations; we have always stated publicly that we are prepared for further dialogue. Photo: The Canadian Press The Surrey RCMP has announced the cancellation of the AMBER alert that was sent out on July 19 for two missing children and their mother. After roughly 10 days of searching, RCMP say they are relieved to update the public that the two children have been located safely on July 29 at approximately 7:20 p.m. and are in the process of being reunited with family. We recognize that many have been following this investigation closely since the AMBER Alert was issued, said Surrey RCMP Media Relations Officer, Corporal Vanessa Munn. We sincerely appreciate the assistance from the public, media, community and policing partners, who all played an important role in helping to safely locate the children. The two children left Surrey, B.C. in the care of their mother on June 28 for a planned camping trip in Kelowna. That camping reservation in Kelowna ended up being canceled, and the children were not returned to their father as expected on July 17. They were reported missing the following day. The last known location of the children was in Merritt on July 7 entering a gas station, while the mother was last seen in Kamloops on July 15 exiting a store. The location of the woman has not been released at this time. Additional information will be provided by the RCMP at an upcoming media availability on Sunday. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SUNDAY JULY 30, 2023 No Dog Days of Summer... Or Fall July 29, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)It may be hot and sultry outdoors, but the pace of strategically decisive events is only quickening on all fronts, so dont look for there to be any dog days of Summeror Fall, for that matter. On August 6, the Schiller Institute-inspired Humanity for Peace coalition will hold a rally in front of the UN in New York City, to demand not only a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine and the attendant danger of nuclear escalation, but also to establish a new security architecture for all nations, ending the division of the world into warring blocs. Sister rallies across the U.S. and in numerous countries around the world will echo those same demands, joining voices with those emanating from the Global South calling for an end to the era of colonialist poverty and wars. On August 22-24, the BRICS Summit will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, and despite ongoing blackmail and pressure tactics coming from London and Washington, the heads of state or government of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will take up their agenda of: 1) the expansion of the BRICS into BRICS-Plus, establishing the mechanism for inclusion of the 40 nations that have already stated that they intend to apply for membership; and 2) new, non-dollar payment mechanisms among these countries, to get off the Wests sinking financial Titanic with its deadly sanctions and debt-collection policies. Widespread discussion is underway on how best to establish a new, non-speculative currency to foster trade and development in the Global South, a discussion in which the ideas of Lyndon LaRouche are in wide circulation. London and Washington were hoping that Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to not attend the BRICS Summit in person would sabotage that summits ability to act decisively, but that is not happening. Nor is Russia isolated from the momentous changes underway in the global security and development architecture. On Sept. 9-10, Putin will attend the G20 summit in New Delhi at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi; and in October Putin will travel to China for the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. At the just-concluded Russia-Africa Forum in St. Petersburg, the President of Burundi Evariste Ndayishimiye stated: I would never call Africa poor; this is a common delusion. On the contrary, it is a very rich continent. President Ndayishimiye added that African states should also contribute to the development of all humanity. That is the new spirit of the age that lies within reach of all nations. This article appears in the July 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. [Print version of this article] PRESS RELEASE Humanity for Peace August 6 International Demonstration and Concert Humanity for Peace, a new global movement dedicated to promoting harmony and eliminating violence, issued the following release July 18, 2023. The danger of nuclear war has escalated to a point that no thoughtful person on the planet can ignore it any longer. Yet, in this atmosphere, there are still some who think there should be more weapons, more sanctions, and who think that a nuclear war can be won against Russia. It is very clear that those who have provoked the war, and continue to escalate it, do not care about the lives of the people of Ukraine or any other nation on the planet for that matter. This is NOT acceptable to those of us who care about the well-being of ALL of humanitythose who do not wish to see the human race wiped off the face of the earth. We, therefore, call on the citizens of the world to come together and raise our voices against this madness. Humanity for Peace is building a unified coalition, above ideologies, to stop this unfolding escalation toward nuclear war. We refuse to let humanity perish at the hands of insanity. August 6 will be the 78th anniversary of the unnecessary and genocidal nuclear bombing of Hiroshima by the United States, which was followed days later by the same crime against Nagasaki. Humanity For Peace is proud to announce that on this occasion, August 6, 2023, an international rally will be held to remind the world that nuclear war should never be fought and can never be won. Humanity is better than that, and we must reject the destiny of inevitable war as a morally repugnant and horribly cynical view. The main rally will be held at the United Nations in New York City, NY, from 14pm, which will be live-streamed over the internet. In solidarity with this, sister rallies will be held in other cities around the world. Please get in contact with us if you are interested in organizing another sister rally. There are currently over 20 organizations sponsoring the event. If your organization would also like to sponsor the event, please contact us. More information, including the current speakers list, can be found at HumanityForPeace.net. As President Kennedy said in his famous address to American University in 1963, war is not inevitablebut only if we work instead to create peace. The leadership in the United States and NATO is currently not working toward this goal, but rather are further escalating and inflaming the situation in Ukraine. For this reason, an international chorus of voices must be raised against this policy, and sound the call for peace! Join us August 6we must make this sentiment the dominant voice in the world! Our Demands are as follows: 1) The immediate ending of all funding and weapons to Ukraine. 2) Convene immediate unconditional peace talks. 3) The Dissolution of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 4) A new international security architecture must be created to end the division of the world into blocs, eliminating geopolitics. This new architecture must take into account the security concerns of every sovereign nation, large or small. Current List of Speakers Includes: Gerald Celente, Founder/Director of the Trends Research Institute and Publisher of Trends Journal magazine; Founder, Occupy Peace & Freedom Mike ter Maat, 2024 candidate for the Libertarian Party Presidential nomination, former White House economist, professor, entrepreneur, and pro-reform police officer Scott Ritter, former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer and author. He served in the Soviet Union as an inspector implementing the INF Treaty, served on Gen. Norman Schwarzkopfs staff during the Gulf War, and from 1991 to 1998 served as a chief weapons inspector with the UN in Iraq Nick Brana, National Chair of the Peoples Party, and an organizer with Rage Against the War Machine Jose Vega, staffer for the Sare for Senate campaign (NY), and also a LaRouche activist since 2014 Ahmadou Diallo, President and founder of the Guinean American League of Friends for Freedom, analyst for the Guinean community in New York and other U.S. states Rev. Dr. Terri L. Strong, Chairwoman of the Action and Global Concerns Committee for the National Church Women United Organization Affiliations for identification purposes only. Humanity for Peace Mozarts Requiem Concert Following the international demonstration, musicians from around the United States will offer their musical talents in a free concert to the public. Our principal conductor for the concert is Maestro Gurer Aykal, Permanent Conductor and General Music Director of Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, and professor emeritus and former conductor of El Paso, Texas Symphony Orchestra. Sunday, August 6, 2023, 6:00 pm8:00 pm Location: The Unitarian Church of All Souls at 1157 Lexington Avenue at East 80th Street, New York City Late last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race cannot be the reason for colleges to accept students. The high court ruled that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment does not permit such decisions based on race. The policy that many colleges used to increase the percentage of minorities they admitted was called affirmative action. They said the policy helped make their groups of students more diverse and improved the ability of minority groups to get higher education. Those opposed to affirmative action said the policy prevented some qualified students from getting into selective universities. Colleges in much of the U.S. were permitted to partly consider a students race in their admissions decisions for over 50 years. As a result of the high courts decision in June, most colleges and most universities must now consider factors other than race. Quotas in Brazil In Brazil, a version of affirmative action has been a part of admissions since 2012. The country has a law that permits both racial and economic quotas for its federal or public universities. Three researchers wrote about the effects of affirmative action in Brazil for the Journal of Economic Surveys. They condensed their findings in a piece for The Conversation, an online publication. Neil Lewis Jr. of Cornell University in New York state, Inacio Bo of the University of Macau and Rodrigo Zeidan of New York Universitys Shanghai campus worked on the article. They explained the background of affirmative action in Brazil and the kinds of students the policy affects. They say the policy has proved to be quite beneficial. Concerns about quotas The quotas became law in August 2012. At the time, many people worried that Brazilian students, who were already attending college, would suffer. They argued that professors would have to lower the level of their teaching in order to connect with a larger number of Black and indigenous students from poor areas. They said wealthy students with a good early education would leave for private universities. In some cases, the writers noted, wealthy students did go to other universities. Others said Black high school students in Brazil would not work as hard because they knew the universities were holding places for them. A study showed that this was true for students who were already achieving. However, the writers said students in a lower group worked harder because they knew they could continue with their studies. Overall, they said, the quotas permitted a larger group of minority students to continue their education. Only one of Brazils 81 senators voted against the law. In a story published in 2012, the New York Times quoted Brazils current president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as saying the policy would help some racial groups make up for lost time. Lula had been president from 2003 to 2010. The researchers talked about what they considered the difference between Brazils quota system and the affirmative action policy in the United States. In Brazil, at least half of the places at federal universities are held for students who are either poor or from racial minority groups. In the U.S., quotas have been unlawful for more than 40 years. But universities could use data about race and wealth to decide the best combination of students. In Brazil, most students, including those from wealthy families, hope to go to federal universities. The schools are both high-quality and cost-free. One concern about the federal universities, however, is that openings are limited. Some people will not get in and will have to find other schools for higher education. Benefits in Brazil The writers said, for those who do attend the federal universities, the last 10 years of quotas have had good results. The researchers said students admitted because of the quotas performed well. If they lacked learning compared to wealthier students, they learned the necessary skills by graduation. In addition, some quota students got better grades than the traditional students. The researchers said not all students from wealthy parts of Brazil with good high schools were guaranteed to do well in their university studies. When the affirmative action plan came out in Brazil, da Silva said it was hard to find Black doctors, dentists and bank supervisors. But Lewis, Zeidan and Bo said the students admitted because of affirmative action were seven percent more likely to have those jobs because of the policy. Many students, they said, would not have moved on to higher education if they did not have places set aside at the universities. What does it mean for the U.S.? The writers said the quota system helped diversify students in federal universities. Before 2012, it was difficult for Brazilian universities to make sure poor and minority students could receive higher education. Some universities developed policies to bring in more students from poor areas. However, that did not always make a clear difference in the race of students attending the college. The writers of the piece worried that a similar plan by American colleges and universities would not work as well as affirmative action. They advised university leaders that race-based polices work better than other systems. University leaders, they wrote, must findnew ways to make their campuses more diverse. How to achieve that may be a challenge, but it seems to remain a worthwhile pursuit. In their article, the writers said other nations should be able to enact policies similar to the ones in Brazil without worrying that students will be deeply hurt. The one group they said they are concerned about is the group of wealthier students who lost their places at the federal universities because of quotas. Those students face the high cost of attending private universities. Im Jill Robbins. And Im Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on an article first published by The Conversation. Quiz - Effects of Affirmative Action After 10 Years in Brazil Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ____________________________________________________ Words in This Story diverse adj. made up of people different from each other selective adj. choosing only top-level candidates factor n. something that helps people make a decision or a choice quota n. a limit, number, percentage or ratio of people who are permitted condensed adj. made shorter by removing parts that are less important campus n. the grounds surrounding an institution, especially a college or university challenge n. a difficult thing to do pursuit n. an effort directed at gaining, finding or completing something ___________________________________________________ We want to hear from you. Do you think affirmative action quotas will continue to work in Brazil? Here is how our comment system works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. The American space agency NASA has offered its satellite technology to Brazil to help identify destruction in the Amazon rainforest. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson made the offer during a recent trip to Brazil. The NASA chief visited the countrys space agency the National Institute for Space Research in the southeastern city of Jose dos Campos. Nelsons trip to South America also included visits to Argentina and Colombia. Brazilian Science Minister Luciana Santos showed Nelson around the institute and explained some of the space agencys programs. During a news conference, Nelson described one new NASA satellite that he said would be completed by January. He said the satellite, called NISAR, will even be able to capture images of what is happening in real time below the forest cover. "It is going to be able to look through the canopy of the jungle so that we can see if someone has burned the undergrowth and that would ultimately kill the big trees," Nelson said. NASA says the new satellite will support a project called SERVIR Amazonia. It helps provide Earth science data to scientists and decision-makers across the Amazon area to record environmental changes in near real-time. The project helps predict climate threats like deforestation and food insecurity. It can also provide data to emergency workers during natural disasters. Brazils space agency has launched a series of satellites in partnership with China since 1999. Those satellites aim to gather data on agricultural operations and the environment. Brazil depends on satellite imagery to watch over the Amazon. But cloud cover often makes it difficult for satellites to capture clear and timely images. The NASA chief said the satellites NASA plans to place into orbit early next year will add an "extreme ability to understand what is happening" to the rainforest. Nelson, a former U.S. senator who once flew to space, also met with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia. After the meeting, he told reporters he thanked the president for his continuous effort to save the Amazon rainforest." Nelson said that when he flew aboard NASAs Space Shuttle Columbia in 1986, he witnessed the destruction of the rainforest by the different colors he could see from his spacecraft window. Im Bryan Lynn. Reuters and NASA reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. _____________________________________________ Words in This Story canopy n. a cover or kind of roof used for protection or decoration ultimate adj. better, worse or greater than all similar things _________________________________________________ What do you think of this story? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. Here's how members of Wisconsin's congressional delegation voted on major issues last week. Readers can visit www.VoteFacts.com to research other top issues and individual voting records in the current 118th Congress and recent 117th Congress. House Veterans, Military Construction & NATO Funding: Voting 219-211, the House on July 27 passed a bill (HR 4366) that would appropriate $155.7 billion in discretionary spending and $161.7 billion in mandatory spending in fiscal 2024 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction and housing projects, U.S. support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the budgets of several other agencies. The bill provides $20.3 billion for the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund, which provides health coverage to veterans afflicted by cancer after being exposed to burn pits in combat zones. The bill prohibits the funding of programs that teach "critical race theory" or promote "diversity, equity and inclusion." In addition, the bill prohibits closure or realignment of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, which is drafting a competing version. Voting yes: Bryan Steil, R-1, Derrick; Van Orden, R-3; Scott Fitzgerald, R-5; Glenn Grothman, R-6; Thomas Tiffany, R-7; Mike Gallagher, R-8 Voting no: Mark Pocan, D-2; Gwen Moore, D-4 Defunding Biden Administration Climate Program: Voting 220-214, the House on July 26 adopted an amendment that would prohibit funding in HR 4366 (above) to carry out an executive order by President Biden leveraging the scale and purchasing power of the federal government to sharply reduce carbon emissions throughout public and private sectors of the U.S. economy. Under the order attacked by this amendment, the administration is pursuing goals such as a carbon-pollution free electricity sector by 2030 and the elimination of new-vehicle carbon emissions by 2035. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment. Voting yes: Steil, Van Orden, Fitzgerald, Grothman, Tiffany, Gallagher Voting no: Pocan, Moore Gun Rights of Mentally Impaired Veterans: Voting 228-206, the House on June 26 adopted an amendment to HR 4366 (above) affirming the gun rights of individuals adjudicated to be so mentally impaired that they cannot manage their own veterans' benefits. By law, the Department of Veterans Affairs must appoint a fiduciary to manage their benefits and report the individual's name to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) system, which would prohibit the individual from purchasing a firearm because of his or her mental condition. This amendment sought to ban funding to carry out the NICS reporting requirement. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment. Voting yes: Steil, Van Orden, Fitzgerald, Grothman, Tiffany, Gallagher Voting no: Pocan, Moore Senate $886 Billion for Military in Fiscal 2024: Voting 86-11, the Senate on July 27 authorized an $886 billion military budget (S 2226) for fiscal 2024 that funds a 5.2 percent pay raise for uniformed personnel while approving more than $60 billion for active-duty and retiree health care and hundreds of millions in military aid to Ukraine. The bill funds procurement of naval vessels, combat aircraft, armored vehicles and nuclear and conventional weapons systems while restocking arsenals that have been depleted by weapons shipments to Ukraine. The bill also requires a two-thirds Senate vote to approve any presidential decision to withdraw the United States from NATO. The bill reinforces the Australia-United Kingdom-United States partnership known as AUKUS, steps up training of Taiwanese military forces and increases U.S. naval exercises including freedom-of-navigation operations in the Pacific. A yes vote was to pass the bill, which must be combined with a competing House version. Voting yes: Tammy Baldwin, D, and Ron Johnson, R 10 Percent Cut in Military Spending: The Senate on July 27 defeated, 11-88, an amendment to S 2226 (above) that sought to make a 10 percent cut in every account in the $886 billion military budget for fiscal 2024 except those for personnel, health care and aid to Ukraine. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment. Voting yes: Baldwin Voting no: Johnson Flags on Federal Property: Voting 50-49, the Senate on July 27 failed to reach 60 votes needed to adopt an amendment to the 2024 military budget (S 2226, above) that would allow only the American Flag to be displayed on federal property. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment. Voting no: Baldwin Voting yes: Johnson Key votes ahead Congress is in summer recess. The Senate will resume legislative business in the week of September 4 and the House in the following week. VoteFacts.com News Reports is a nonpartisan, fact-based news service whose mission is to help civically engaged individuals and organizations track major actions in the U.S. House and Senate. Readers can visit www.VoteFacts.com to research other top issues and individual voting records in the current 118th Congress and recent 117th Congress. July 6, 1950 July 11, 2023 BEAVER DAM/MADISON Richard wrote the following portion of his obituary: "Richard was born in Flint, Mich., in 1950, to a factory-worker dad, Rudy, and a secretary mom, Vivianne. His parents always valued education and impressed upon him the need to get away from a factory culture and take his life in another direction. "Thus, Richard enlisted in the air Force for eight years in the 1970s and worked with the computer technology of that era. after discharge, Richard moved to Wisconsin where he used his G.I. Bill benefits to attend college. He graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 1986. in addition to obtaining a degree, he also met his future wife Cathi at UWEC they were married in 1990, after moving to Madison. "Richard worked for WHEDA for eight years, then at the flagship university of Wisconsin in their division of information technology for 25 years. He mentored many other younger staff in the arts of network administration. Richard was always happy to share tales of his adventures in maintaining the campus computer network, as well as the state-wide UW network, and various peering partners of the UW system. a special mention to co-worker tom Brennen for his vast knowledge in meteorology and tracking severe weather. "When the COVID pandemic happened, work from home became an unmistakable sign that it was time to retire and quietly slip away. at home, Richard and Cathi lived in the east side Schenk-at-wood neighborhood for 30 years and watched the transformation of that community into the boomtown it is today. "Richard was well-known to residents a regular feature walking one of several rescued dogs on his errands around the neighborhood. a special mention to the good folks at Bad dog Frida. Richard's terrier, scooter, was their very first canine visitor. Richard and Cathi were also long-time participants in the regional antique collector scene and regularly set up at postcard show in Madison, Milwaukee, and the twin cities. a special mention to Ann Waidelich of the Four lakes Postcard club and Dave Johnson plus all the good folks in the twin cities Postcard club for all their support over the years. sadly, the COVID Pandemic brought an end to those activities." Richard is survived by his wife, Cathi; and brother, Gary (Jill) Carlson of Fenton, Mich. Thanks to Agrace Hospice care. His regular nurse, dawn, and social worker, Ann were a great help and comfort to Richard. Per Richard's request, no service will be held. Anyone who knew Richard may contact Cathi to reminisce. Richard is surely now with his beloved rat terrier, scooter, going for walks together again. A mosquito tested positive Wednesday for West Nile virus in Twin Falls County. The mosquito was found 7 miles northwest of Buhl at the rivers edge and the county line. The Twin Falls County Pest Abatement District warn residents to act now to avoid catching the disease. Now is the time to reduce mosquito habitat on your property and avoid mosquitoes when they are most active at dusk and dawn, Aaron Ursenbach with the pest abatement district said in a press release. If you have something that needs to be treated you can visit the district website at www.tfcpad.org. Public Health officials remind residents to protect themselves and their families from mosquito bites by doing the following: Using insect repellent with an EPA-registered active ingredient like DEET, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitos carrying the virus are most active Wearing loose-fitting clothes with long sleeves and pants Installing screens on all windows and doors Checking for, and draining, any standing water around your home every three to six days. This includes clogged rain gutters, pools, bird baths, old tires and other outside water features West Nile virus can be painful and uncomfortable, Tanis Maxwell, from the South Central Public Health District, said in a press release. In some cases, people can develop serious, and even fatal, health side effects from the disease. Reducing your risk of bites also reduces your risk of catching this disease. Typical symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. People over 50 years old, with serious medical conditions, are at greater risk for serious illness from the virus. More severe infections may involve the central nervous system. More information is available on the CDC website, www.cdc.gov/westnile. Private equity investor New Wave Strategic Holdings Inc. teamed up with Malaysian government-backed fund Emissary Capital Partners Sdn Bhd to invest $50 million in the Philippines renewable energy market that can generate up to 1,000 megawatts of capacity. The proposal was presented to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during his three-day Malaysian state visit last week. The investment will partly fund companies in the RE sector including solar and wind farms in Northern Luzon. It is important that the Philippines develop a more mature eco-system with capital providers across various stages of the investment cycle. With Emissarys entry into the Philippines, we are providing more founders and entrepreneurs access to growth capital as well as a regional network that can help them expand across SEA, said New Wave director Enrique Gonzalez said. Part of the funds will also go to the electric vehicle industry and clean energy and smart grid enablers, he said. Our value proposition is more than capital. We help businesses scale within the Philippines and can open up regional Southeast Asia access, Gonzalez said. New Wave and Emissary Capital identified the early stages of RE projects as the most challenging for companies to raise capital because of the perceived risks. They said equipping developers with an additional war chest with value-added involvement in pre-development work would translate into attractive returns for the funds. Based on the parties estimates, the establishment of a 1,000-MW bankable concession could generate an additional foreign direct investment of over $1.5 billion to complete the construction and operation of targeted sites. The parties said the investment would support the governments target of increasing the share of renewable energy in the countrys total energy mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040 as outlined in the updated Philippine Energy Development Plan. It will also complement President Marcos commitment during the Asia-Pacific CEO summit in November 2022 and the governments pledges under the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Emissary Capital partner Erman Akinci said the Philippines presents the most exciting renewable energy market in Southeast Asia for the next five to 10 years, especially after it opened to foreign investors following the amendment of the implementing rules and regulations of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 in November 2022. Clean energy is both a local and regional commitment amongst ASEAN neighbors. We believe cross-border investment and trade will ultimately benefit the entire region and help ASEAN meet its collective goals. We hope our fund can contribute to this goal as well as generate healthy returns, Akinci said. New Wave and Emissary Capital also committed to leveraging their partnership with engineering, procurement and construction contractors to bring in more investors in the country. New Wave is a subsidiary of investment holding firm IP E-Game Ventures Inc., while Emissary Capital is backed by the Malaysian governments Penjana Kapital. It has two funds including a $50-million growth-stage tech fund that has invested in some of the leading tech companies in Southeast Asia. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Photo: RCMP The mother of two children who were the subject of an Amber Alert was spotted on CCTV video at a grocery story in Kamloops on July 15, 2023. The mother of two B.C. children who were the subjects of an Amber Alert for ten days has been charged, after the children were found safe. Verity Bolton, 45, is charged with two counts of abduction in contravention of a custody order. The womans 53-year-old boyfriend, Abraxas Glazov, has also been charged with two counts of abduction of a person under the age of 14. Surrey RCMP provided an update on the investigation Sunday after cancelling the Amber Alert Saturday night. Through investigative efforts, Surrey RCMP Serious Crime Unit identified a rural property in Alberta, just outside of the town of Edson where the children were believed to be. The Alberta RCMP Emergency Response Team was engaged, as our top priority was to ensure the safety of everyone involved, said Cpl. Vanessa Munn, media relations, Surrey RCMP. At approximately 7:20 p.m. Saturday night, the team found the children on the property, along with three adults. A man and woman, the mother and her boyfriend, were arrested. A third adult was detained but not charged. Bolton and Glazov are in custody awaiting a court appearance. The children, a 10-year-old boy and his eight-year-old sister, were returned to their father, who was waiting with investigators at a nearby RCMP detachment in Alberta. The children have been reunited with their family, who are extremely grateful. This is the outcome we have all been hoping for, and it is the direct result of the hard work and perseverance of the investigative team. We sincerely appreciate the assistance from the public, media, and other policing and community partners, who all played an important role in this investigation, said Cpl. Munn. During the 11-day Amber Alert, 435 tips were received, from all over B.C., Alberta and even as far away as New Brunswick. Surrey RCMP received invaluable assistance from our policing partners in Alberta, who stepped in to provide support without hesitation. We are deeply grateful to the Edson RCMP, Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit, Alberta RCMP Emergency Response Team, and RCMP Air Services. Their combined efforts played a vital role in helping us safely locate and recover the children, added Cpl. Munn. The Amber Alert was issued for the two children on July 19 after they were not returned to their father in Surrey. The children were supposed to be on a planned camping vacation near Kelowna with their mother. When they did not return home to their father on July 17 they were reported missing the next day. While a lot of questions remain, Surrey RCMP said they are limited as to the details they can provide, as the matter is now before the courts. Kenya is ready to lead a multinational force in Haiti and will deploy 1,000 police officers to the strife-torn Caribbean nation once its offer is accepted, the foreign minister said Saturday. Gangs control around 80 percent of the Haitian capital, and violent crimes such as kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery and carjackings are common. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry have for nearly a year sought international intervention to help support the police, but no country had stepped forward. Kenya has accepted to positively consider leading a Multi-National Force to Haiti, Kenyas Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua said in a statement late Saturday. Kenyas commitment is to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations. Its proposed deployment still required a mandate from the UN Security Council and approval from domestic authorities, he said. An Assessment Mission by a Task Team of the Kenya Police is scheduled within the next few weeks. This assessment will inform and guide the mandate and operational requirements of the Mission. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone last night to Kenyan president William Ruto, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. Kenya is seen as a democratic anchor in East Africa, and has participated in peacekeeping operations in its immediate region including in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. No other details about the Haiti deployment were immediately available. Spiralling violence Haiti, the Western Hemispheres poorest nation, has seen compounding humanitarian, political and security crises, with gangs controlling most of Port-au-Prince. Guterres said this month that violence had continued to escalate and spread, citing murders, kidnappings, rape of women and girls, looting, and the displacement of thousands of people. Guterres, relaying a request from Henry, began calling in October for an international, non-UN deployment to help support police in the troubled nation. The Security Council this month adopted a unanimous resolution encouraging member states to provide security support to the Haitian National Police, including through the deployment of a specialized force. But the text, which was focused on a one-year extension of the mandate for the special UN political mission to Haiti, BINUH, stopped short of making any direct plans for such a force. The council has asked Guterres to present by mid-August a report on all possible options, including a UN-led mission. Earlier this month, Blinken said the US remained active in its search for a country to head a multinational force in Haiti. This week, Washington ordered nonessential personnel and family of government employees to leave the country. Staff at the US embassy in Port-au-Prince already live under tight security confined to a protected residential area and forbidden to walk around the capital or use any public transport or taxis. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Nairobi, KenyaKenya is ready to lead a multinational force in Haiti and will deploy 1,000 police officers to the strife-torn Caribbean nation once its offer is accepted, the foreign minister said. Gangs control around 80 percent of the Haitian capital, and violent crimes such as kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery and carjackings are common. Kenya has accepted to positively consider leading a Multi-National Force to Haiti. Kenyas commitment is to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations, Alfred Mutua said in a statement. Its proposed deployment still required a mandate from the UN Security Council and approval from domestic authorities, he said. An Assessment Mission by a Task Team of the Kenya Police is scheduled within the next few weeks. This assessment will inform and guide the mandate and operational requirements of the Mission. No other details were immediately available. With Haitian security forces overwhelmed, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry have called for an international intervention to help support the police. Ahead of the Kenyan announcement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that progress was being made toward establishing a multinational peacekeeping force for Haiti. My expectation is that we will have some progress to report on that very soon, he said. Kenya has deployed its forces abroad for peacekeeping in the past, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. Haiti, the Western Hemispheres poorest nation, has seen compounding humanitarian, political and security crises, with gangs controlling most of Port-au-Prince. Guterres said this month that violence had continued to escalate and spread, citing murders, kidnappings, rape of women and girls, looting, and the displacement of thousands of people. Guterres, relaying a request from Henry, began calling in October for an international, non-UN deployment to help support police in the troubled nation. The Security Council this month adopted a unanimous resolution encouraging member states to provide security support to the Haitian National Police, including through the deployment of a specialized force. But the text, which was focused on a one-year extension of the mandate for the special UN political mission to Haiti, BINUH, stopped short of making any direct plans for such a force. The council has asked Guterres to present by mid-August a report on all possible options, including a UN-led mission. Earlier this month, Blinken said the US remained active in its search for a country to head a multinational force in Haiti. This week, Washington ordered nonessential personnel and family of government employees to leave the country. Staff at the US embassy in Port-au-Prince already live under tight security confined to a protected residential area and forbidden to walk around the capital or use any public transport or taxis. AFP Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Washington, DCThe Biden administration believes China has implanted malware in key US power and communications networks in a ticking time bomb that could disrupt the military in event of a conflict, The New York Times reported (Sunday in Manila). The Times, quoting US military, intelligence and security officials, said the malware potentially gave Chinas Peoples Liberation Army the ability to disrupt US military operations if Beijing were to move against Taiwan at some point. The systems affected, the Times said, could allow China not only to cut off water, power and communications to US military bases, but also to homes and businesses across the United States. The report comes two months after Microsoft warned that state-sponsored Chinese hackers had infiltrated critical US infrastructure networks. Microsoft singled out Guam, a US Pacific territory with a vital military outpost, as one target but said malicious activity had also been detected elsewhere in the United States. It said the stealthy attack, carried out since mid-2021, was likely aimed at hampering the United States in the event of a regional conflict. Authorities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Britain warned at the same time that Chinese hacking was likely taking place globally, affecting an extensive range of infrastructure. Discovery of the malware, the Times said, sparked a series of meetings in the White House Situation Room involving top military, intelligence and national security officials to track down and eradicate the code. The newspaper quoted one congressional official as saying the malware operation amounted to a ticking time bomb. The White House issued a statement Friday that made no mention of China or military bases. The Biden administration is working relentlessly to defend the United States from any disruptions to our critical infrastructure, including by coordinating interagency efforts to protect water systems, pipelines, rail and aviation systems, among others, said Adam Hodge, acting spokesman for the National Security Council. He added that President Joe Biden has also mandated rigorous cybersecurity practices for the first time. Reports of the malware operation come at a particularly strained point in US-China relations, with China aggressively asserting its claim that Taiwan is Chinese territory and the US seeking to ban sales of sophisticated semiconductors to Beijing. AFP Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Speaking at a two-day Russia-Africa summit in St.Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin has committed to gift tens of thousands of tons of grain to African countries in order to fulfill what he called Moscows crucial role in ensuring global food security. To fulfill its role in global food security, Russia aims to offer both commercial and assistance-based grain shipments to countries like Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea, Putin told African leaders. We will be ready to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, and Eritrea with 25-50,000 tons of free grain each in the next three to four months, the Russian president said. Putins move comes after a failed Black Sea grain agreement with Ukraine, despite Western sanctions limiting Russian exports and amid efforts to strengthen his countrys presence and influence in Africa. Since its first summit with Africa countries in 2019, Russia has intensified its efforts to gain business and influence on a continent where its Wagner mercenary organization has been operating in several countries. According to Putin, a parallel agreement pledging to expedite Russian grain and fertilizer exports had been disregarded in response to criticism from the West of Moscows decision to abandon the Black Sea grain arrangement, in which it had let Ukraine transit grain from its seaports despite the conflict. But the deals failure and Russias shelling of the Danube river ports, which Ukraine had been using as a detour for exports, have led to a 10% increase in world wheat prices over the previous 10 days. As the West steps up its diplomatic ventures into Africa, Beijing has renewed its commitment to the continent, with debt relief and reconstruction pledges for Ethiopia and calls on new administrations in Kenya and Nigeria. As part of Chinas top diplomat Wang Yis four-nation African tour, he has recently made a surprise stop in Addis Ababa, pledging to play a positive role in easing Ethiopias debt pressure. In Addis Ababa, Wang met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and said China supported Ethiopias domestic reconstruction and economic recovery after the deadly Tigray war. Ethiopia has an estimated US$13.7 billion in debt to China, much of it advanced by China Exim Bank between 2000 and 2021. Abiy said he appreciated Chinas strong support whenever Ethiopia faced difficulties and regards China as a reliable and great friend, actively taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative, according to Chinese sources. From Ethiopia, Wang flew to Nairobi, where the new administration of William Ruto has intensified engagement with the United States and the European Union in recent months. During the presidential campaign last year, Chinese lending became a major political issue, with Ruto blaming the loans for Kenyas debt troubles. But in a meeting with Wang on Saturday, Ruto said Kenya was keen to strengthen its relations with China to spur economic growth. Earlier this week (24-25 July), Wang attended the BRICS high representatives meeting on security affairs ahead of the summit next month. Wang was also expected to visit Nigeria, the most populous country and largest economy in Africa and where Beijing has pumped billions of dollars into ports and railways. 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 novel vaccine that targets inflamed brain cells associated with Alzheimer's disease may hold the key to potentially preventing or modifying the course of the disease, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions 2023. The meeting is in Boston, July 31Aug. 3, 2023. Previously, researchers at Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan developed a vaccine to eliminate senescent cells expressing senescence-associated glycoprotein (SAGP)a senolytic vaccine that improved various age-related diseases including atherosclerosis and Type 2 diabetes in mice. Another study also found that SAGPs are highly expressed in glial cells in people with Alzheimer's disease. Based on the findings from these studies, the researchers tested this vaccine in mice to target SAGP-overexpressed cells to treat Alzheimer's disease. "Alzheimer's disease now accounts for 50% to 70% of dementia patients worldwide. Our study's novel vaccine test in mice points to a potential way to prevent or modify the disease. The future challenge will be to achieve similar results in humans," said lead study author Chieh-Lun Hsiao, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow in the department of cardiovascular biology and medicine at Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine in Tokyo. "If the vaccine could prove to be successful in humans, it would be a big step forward towards delaying disease progression or even prevention of this disease." In this study, the research team created an Alzheimer's disease mouse model that mimics a human brain and simulates amyloid-beta-induced Alzheimer's disease pathology. To test the efficacy of the SAGP vaccine, the mice were treated with a control vaccine or the SAGP vaccine at two and four months old. Usually, people in the late stage of Alzheimer's lack anxiety, which means they are not aware of the things around them. The mice who received the vaccine had anxiety, which means that they were more cautious and more aware of things around thema sign researcher say could indicate a lessening of the disease. In addition, several inflammatory biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease were also reduced. The study found: The SAGP vaccine significantly reduced amyloid deposits in brain tissue located in the cerebral cortex region, which is responsible for language processing, attention and problem solving. The astrocyte cell (the most abundant type of glial cell in the brain and a specific inflammatory molecule) was shown to be decreased in size in mice receiving the vaccine. A reduction in other inflammatory biomarkers was also seen, implying that inflammation in the brain improved in response to the SAGP vaccine. A behavior test (maze-type device) on the mice at six months old revealed that those that received the SAGP vaccine responded significantly better to their environment than those who received the placebo vaccine. The SAGP-vaccinated mice tended to behave like normal healthy mice and exhibited more awareness of their surroundings. The SAGP protein was shown to be located very near to specialized brain cells called microglia, which play a role in the immune defense of the central nervous system. Microglia help clear damaging plaque formed by proteins; however, they also trigger brain inflammation that can damage neurons and worsen cognitive decline in a person, which could be one of the causes of Alzheimer's disease development. In Alzheimer's disease, an accumulation of brain proteins called amyloid beta peptides clump together forming plaques that collect between neurons and disrupt cell function, according to the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Vascular problems may also lead to a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, which usually protects the brain from harmful agents while allowing access for glucose and other necessary factors. This faulty blood-brain barrier prevents glucose from reaching the brain and prevents the clearing away of toxic beta-amyloid and proteins, which results in chronic inflammation and Alzheimer's disease progression. "Earlier studies using different vaccines to treat Alzheimer's disease in mouse models have been successful in reducing amyloid plaque deposits and inflammatory factors, however, what makes our study different is that our SAGP vaccine also altered the behavior of these mice for the better," Hsiao said. According to the researchers, previous research suggests that the SAGP protein is highly elevated in microglia, which means that microglia are very important cells to target in Alzheimer's disease. Hsiao said, "By removing microglia that are in the activation state, the inflammation in the brain may also be controlled. A vaccine could target activated microglia and remove these toxic cells, ultimately repairing the deficits in behavior suffered in Alzheimer's disease." According to the 2023 American Heart Association Statistical Update, about 3.7 million Americans, ages 30 years and older, had Alzheimer's disease in 2017, and this number is projected to increase to 9.3 million by 2060. The University of Montana will use a $3.6 million federal grant to help alleviate the shortage of nurses in rural areas. The grant, one of only eight in the United States given out by the Health Resource and Service Administration, will fund a new online, accelerated training program allowing Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) to get the training they need to become a Registered Nurse (RN) without physically moving to Missoula. Instead, theyll be allowed to continue working in their communities where theyre needed. Lily Apedaile is the director of the Office of Health Research and Partnership at UM. Her office will help implement the program along with the Missoula College Nursing Program and the Center for Children, Families and Workforce Development. Apedaile said theres plenty of LPNs in rural areas of the state that would like to move up to become an RN as a career advancement. The LPNs are either in skilled nursing facilities or working in clinics for hospitals and health care systems, and theres really not a great way for them to move up into that RN position where theres a huge need, Apedaile explained. Theres a shortage of LPNs, but theres a bigger shortage of RNs. So this is a great way for them to upskill. Apedaile said she constantly hears from health care partners across the state about the shortage of nurses and they always ask her if UM and Missoula College can do anything about it. Its a confluence of many things, she said. The nursing workforce is older, like most of the workforce in Montana. Baby boomers are retiring and leaving the workforce in general, and thats particularly true in health care. The COVID-19 pandemic was also hard on health care workers, so people are looking to shift to different fields, she added. Were starting to see a trend across the country where theres just fewer applicants to nursing programs, Apedaile explained. So theres just a lot of things impacting the workforce. The new LPN-to-RN Bridge Program will be developed at Missoula College. As a new model, the program will develop prior learning assessments to grant credit for experience LPNs have gained in their current role. That will allow them to bypass some course requirements. The program will also focus on public health nursing and health equity in Montana. The LPNs will do their classroom instruction online and their clinical and lab training will be done in their community. The application process for the new program will open in the spring of 2024 with the first cohort starting in the summer of 2024. The Missoula College Nursing Program is excited to be able to offer a pathway for rural LPNs to achieve RN status in a short period of time while working in their communities, said Linda Barnes, Missoula Colleges Nursing Program director. This grant will help to change the lives of many working nurses who are unable to travel long distances for continued education. The funding will also support RNs at partner facilities to serve as clinical instructors. This program will be an important part of recruitment and retention of nurses in rural communities by allowing existing LPNs to stay and train in their hometowns while also increasing the number of nurse educators in rural Montana, Apedaile said. For most of the year, White Sulphur Springs is a quiet little ranching hub of about 1,000 people in the rolling hills of central Montana. And then in July, the four-day Red Ants Pants music festival comes to town, drawing as many as 15,000 people. The bars get crowded, meals at restaurants take a little longer, the freestyle parking can get nutty, and residents getting gas at the Town Pump may have to wait behind an RV. But, you dont hear much serious grumbling from locals. Every single one of those visitors brings their wallet. Its been awhile since the last serious study of the festivals economic impact was done. But, in 2013, the states Department of Commerce estimated the festival spread as much as $2.8 million around Meagher County. And that didnt count the vendor fees, sponsorship revenues or camping fees, which now are $35 per person for the full festival, or $1,800 for the glamping Safari tent featuring real beds with organic linens. So by now, that 2013 total has likely doubled, maybe more. And, its not just bars, restaurants and hotels that cash in. Local artists sell their work from card tables on Main Street, theres a farmers market, the library has a used book sale and there are many other opportunities for visitors to make it rain. Last summer, an 8-year-old girl and her two visiting cousins set up a lemonade stand promising customers an increase in their pucker power. Some visitors gave them money and declined the lemonade. Altogether, the cousins split $120, money they said they would spend on candy and games and money their mothers said they would spend on school clothes. One of the artists on Main Street is a woodcarver named Blackfoot, an eager talker who sells walking sticks and totems with mysterious powers. He drifted down from Alaska a few years ago and is trying to put enough money together to drift back, although he doesnt seem in much of a hurry. For him, the Red Ants crowd is a rare financial windfall. I see a lot of smiles when its over, he said. I dont know anyone who couldnt use the money. In the packed Bar 47, a server says she makes more money in four days than she makes in four months. But, it comes at a cost. She said a woman who had been dancing all night paid her tab with bills she pulled from her sweaty bra. But, it spends the same, she laughed, and it pays for Christmas. Nearby, Chris Hedrich runs the small 2 Bassett Brewery with her husband Barry. And, each year during the festival their employees face a dilemma: stay and run the pub or go enjoy the music. They do a little of both by closing the pub early. But even when the pub closes, their beer still pours. When festival organizers awarded its beer contract to a brewery big enough to handle it, they didnt forget the little local guy. One of the main taps in the beer tent is reserved for 2 Bassett. Thats just great for someone our size, Hedrich said. We get to showcase a different one of our beers each day of the festival and we sell a lot of beer." At Twin Sisters Trading Company in town, commerce is so brisk that owner Alaina Gordon is too busy to talk. She eats standing up, taking bites between customers. Its a big weekend and everyone has to work really hard, she said. But, I dont know anyone who doesnt think its worth it. Theres a lot of money to go around. Inside the nearby festival, the money flows into local pockets, too. Those beers that fans line up for are Montana beers. And, the ribs and brisket that fans gobble up are local, too. Even the vegetables in the Asian stir fry are local. Vendors line both sides of the festival venue, selling everything from cowboy hats to artsy photographs, clothes and leatherwork. One guy last summer was selling guitars he made himself. And, in the shadeless campground theres also a bit of a black market for bags of ice. April Hale of Stevensville, Montana, has been a vendor at the festival for 10 years selling her Wildly Inspired jewelry. She makes good money, and earns it. Sometimes its hot, there can be a lot of wind and dirt, but I really, really love it, she said. There are a lot of people here from all over the country and I get to meet people from a market I wouldnt be able to reach otherwise. And long after the cow pasture where the festival is held is returned to the cows, the money rolls on. The festivals Red Ants Pants Foundation has dished out more than $160,000 in grants and programs supporting womens leadership and promoting rural communities. Earlier this year, for example, the foundation gave $1,000 to the tiny 4-H Council in tiny Liberty County so that every kid can participate whether they can afford it or not. "In addition to increasing women's leadership and supporting working family farms and ranches, enriching rural communities is an important pillar of our mission," said Red Ants Pants founder Sarah Calhoun. "We know people have a lot of responsibilities and options on how to spend their hard-earned dollars and we sure appreciate them coming to connect with good folks and celebrate rural Montana with us." Im writing to respond to a recent editorial from Brendan Beatty, the Montana Department of Revenue Director, explaining the property tax mess in Montana. Im still trying to decide if he really doesnt understand the property tax system or if he is engaging in an lame attempt to provide cover for the Republican Legislature and governors office. Though everyone talks about how complicated property taxes are, the basic framework is simple. Your property tax is determined by the value of your property times the state tax rate times mills levied by state and local governments. We all understand that property values are going up dramatically, and there isnt much we can do about that. Changing mills is also difficult, because many of the mills are statutory and the remainder depends on local governments acting. But we can control the state tax rate people pay for residential property. By doing nothing, the governor and super-majority Republicans ensured that residential property taxes will increase while other classes, that are already getting hefty tax breaks from the 2023 Legislature, will see their taxes drop even more significantly We have seen rapid appreciation of values before. In the past the Legislature has addressed increased values by reducing the state residential property tax rate. Everyone knew this was coming, and there were several bills in the Legislature to address the issue this way. In their wisdom the Republican super-majority decided not to act. Surprisingly, Beattys editorial only addressed the mills portion of the equation. Theres a reason for that. There are currently 18 different classes of property in Montana. Each one is taxed at its own rate. Imagine a big pie with 18 slices. The increased residential values is essentially adding more filling to one piece of that pie our residential property taxes. We cant make the pie much bigger because of caps put in place by the Legislature. The only option is to shuffle things around within the pie. But if you do that, you end up increasing the size of other pieces of pie, and their taxes go up. When the value of residential property increases like this and you leave the tax rate for residential property the same, other classes of property end up paying less. By refusing to adjust the residential tax rate, the governor and legislators protected corporate property payers like NorthWestern Energy and Burlington Northern while letting residential property taxes increase dramatically. Imagine that! Now lets talk a little about politics. There are numerous organizations dedicated to representing other classes of property. Those organizations have things like offices, budgets, and lobbyists. Naturally these folks dont want to see their state property tax rate go up. There is no organization for residential property taxpayers. Importantly the priority of the Republicans has always been to protect and promote corporate interests. They have reduced business equipment taxes, capital gains taxes, taxes on investment income, and on the list goes. All of these things have increased taxes on the rest of us and reduced the quality of our public services. The only tax they like is a general sales tax which falls heavily on consumers. We cant change the increase in residential property values. The state mill part of the equation is mostly statutory and difficult to change. If you eliminate the option of changing the tax rate for residential property because you dont want to increase taxes on corporations, you are left with reducing local mills. That means pointing your finger at local governments, and somewhat ironically, the voters themselves. Thats exactly what Republicans are doing. Like cats in a litter box, the Gianforte administration and Republican legislative leadership are scrambling to cover their mess. The increase in residential property taxes isn't a surprise. It isnt an accident or oversight. They knew this was coming, and they refused to do anything about it, because their priority is taking care of corporate board rooms. NEW YORK The explosion early on a June morning ignited a blaze that engulfed a New York City shop filled with motorized bicycles and their volatile lithium-ion batteries. Billowing smoke quickly killed four people asleep in apartments above the burning store. As the ubiquity of e-bikes has grown, so has the frequency of fires and deaths blamed on the batteries that power them, prompting a campaign to establish regulations on how the batteries are manufactured, sold, reconditioned, charged and stored. Consumer advocates and fire departments, particularly in New York City, are urging the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish mandatory safety standards and confiscate noncompliant imports when they arrive at the border or shipping ports, so that unsafe e-bikes and poorly manufactured batteries don't reach streets and endanger homes. These arent typical fires, said New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. The batteries dont smolder; they explode. The number of fire incidents has rapidly increased. Other cities across the country have begun seeing these issues as well, and municipalities that are not yet experiencing this phenomenon may be facing similar incidents in the future," Kavanagh told the commission Thursday at a forum focused on e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries. We have reached a point of crisis in New York City, with ion batteries now a top cause of fatal fires in New York, she told commissioners. With some 65,000 e-bikes zipping through its streets more than any other place in the U.S. New York City is the epicenter of battery-related fires. There have been 100 such blazes so far this year, resulting in 13 deaths, already more than double the six fatalities last year. Nationally, there were more than 200 battery-related fires reported to the commission an obvious undercount from 39 states over the past two years, including 19 deaths blamed on so-called micromobility devices that include battery-powered scooters, bicycles and hoverboards. New Yorks two U.S. senators, Democrats Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, introduced legislation last month that would set mandatory safety standards for e-bikes and the batteries that power them. Because mandatory standards don't exist, Schumer said, poorly made batteries have flooded the U.S., increasing the risk of fires. In many cases, authorities have been challenged to track the source of batteries manufactured overseas, many of them bought online or from aftermarket dealers. Earlier this year, New York City urgently enacted a sweeping package of local laws intended to crack down on defective batteries, including a ban on the sale or rental of e-bikes and batteries that arent certified as meeting safety standards by an independent product testing lab. The new rules also outlaw tampering with batteries or selling refurbished batteries made with lithium-ion cells scavenged from used units. Meanwhile, New York City officials also announced they had received a $25 million federal grant for e-bike charging stations across the city, which fire marshals hope will reduce the risk of fires. When they fail, they fail quite spectacularly, Kavanagh said in interview last week. Once one of these ignites, there is a huge volume of fire, often so much so that the person in their home cant get out and the firefighters cant get in to get them." Such was the case in April when two siblings, a 7-year-old boy and his 19-year-old sister, died when a scooter battery ignited a fire in Queens. Because of the fire hazard, some residential buildings have banned e-bikes. Last summer, the New York City Housing Authority sought to prohibit tenants in all of its 335 developments from keeping or charging e-vehicles in their units, only to back down a few months later after protests from delivery workers. Use of motorized bicycles grew dramatically in the city during the COVID-19 pandemic as homebound people turned more to food delivery workers for meals and groceries. With the rash of fires, delivery workers like Lizandro Lopez say they are now more mindful about precautions. As soon as the battery is charged, I disconnect it. You shouldnt leave it charging for too long, Lopez said in Spanish, because if you leave it on there too long, thats when you can cause a fire. E-bike batteries rely on the same chemistry to generate power as the lithium-ion batteries in cellphones, laptops and most electric vehicles products that were initially prone to overheating. Tighter regulations, safety standards and compliance testing drastically reduced the risk of fires in such devices, according to Robert Slone, the senior vice president and chief scientist for UL Solutions. The same can happen with e-bike batteries, he said, if they are made to comply with established safety standards. One feature most of these batteries lack is the ability to automatically shut off to prevent overheating and thermal runaways that lead to explosions and fires. We just need to make them safe, and there is a way to make them safe through testing and certification," Slone said, given the history that weve seen in terms of fires and injuries and unfortunately, deaths as well not just in New York, but across the country and around the world. 28 steps to take for fire safety 28 steps to take for fire safety #1. Make an emergency plan #2. Put together an emergency kit #3. Install smoke alarms #4. Test your smoke alarms monthly #5. Install carbon monoxide alarms #6. Make sure every member of your family knows what the alarms sound like #7. Teach every family member how to escape from any room #8. Practice escaping from your home twice a year #9. Ensure that every family member knows how to call 911 #10. Sign up for a first aid class #11. Learn to stop, drop, and roll #12. Check your home's electrical wiring #13. Replace frayed electrical cords immediately #14. Dont overload your outlets #15. Make sure your heat sources are in good working order #16. Store combustible materials in a safe place #17. Never leave open flames unattended #18. Clear debris and flammable materials away from the exterior of your home #19. Check your insurance policy #20. Take an inventory of your belongings #21. If you have time, close all doors and windows #22. Turn lights on in every room #23. Disconnect automatic garage door openers #24. Move furniture into the center of the room #25. Shut off your gas supply #26. Fill up sinks, bathtubs, and other containers with water #28. Download the American Red Cross App #27. Consider purchasing a NOAA Weather Radio 28 steps to take for fire safety #1. Make an emergency plan #2. Put together an emergency kit #3. Install smoke alarms #4. Test your smoke alarms monthly #5. Install carbon monoxide alarms #6. Make sure every member of your family knows what the alarms sound like #7. Teach every family member how to escape from any room #8. Practice escaping from your home twice a year #9. Ensure that every family member knows how to call 911 #10. Sign up for a first aid class #12. Check your home's electrical wiring #13. Replace frayed electrical cords immediately #14. Dont overload your outlets #15. Make sure your heat sources are in good working order #16. Store combustible materials in a safe place #17. Never leave open flames unattended #19. Check your insurance policy #20. Take an inventory of your belongings #22. Turn lights on in every room #24. Move furniture into the center of the room #25. Shut off your gas supply #26. Fill up sinks, bathtubs, and other containers with water #28. Download the American Red Cross App In 1953, more than 600 people came to Napa for Joe Paniagua and Joy Ann Fornasiers wedding, according to Napa Register reports from that time. The number alone must have been a sign of how enduring their marriage would be the couple recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Both Joe, now 92, and Joy, now 87, have lived in Napa all their lives and in the same house since 1953. To stay married for seven decades, right from the get-go, you have to have a deep love, said Joe during a recent interview at their Redwood Road home. And a deep trust. You're a good, man, Joy said to Joe. Through the many decades, we had a lot of support from people, she said. She always knew she had family and friends to rely on. Everything we have had in 70 years, we built together, said Joe. The two first met in the 1940s at a well-known Napa hangout: the Gildrome Roller Rink. The Glidrome was built and owned by Joys mother Ida Fornasier. The Fornasier family was quite entrepreneurial. At one point, Joys mother owned a sizable section of the corner where Silverado Trail, First Street and Juarez Street meet. Relatives ran a bar, cabinet shop, a drive-in diner, a service station, custom drapery business and more on the same block. Joe said he first met Joy when she was working at the rink. She was about 13 or 14 years old, he recalled. Joe then started helping out at the rink, cleaning bathrooms, helping manage the rink, and fitting skates on customers. In those days, skaters could attach clamp-on skates on any regular shoe, or wear shoe skates. We weren't boyfriend-girlfriend at the time, Joe explained. Until one day she was putting a set of clamp skates on a guy. Joe said he could tell she hadnt attached them correctly. I told her, Those clamp skates are going to fall off. Hmmmph, was Joys response. I bet you a kiss that they are going to fall off, said Joe. Youre on, said Joy. 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. Sure enough, the guy didnt make one round and boom, the clamp skates fell off. I was going to collect on that kiss, he recalled. Theres too many people; we cant do it around here, Joy told him. So we jumped in my Plymouth and ran up the hill to Tulocay Cemetery. Alone at last, we had a little kiss, he remembered. Then we shot back down the hill, back to the rink. And we got out of the car like nothing happened. Of course, teens being teens, not everything went so smoothly. I had a Harley-Davidson, remembered Joe. Her mother said she was not to touch that motorcycle. One day I gave Joy a ride around the block. Somebody saw us and turned us in. Ida banished Joe from the rink for three months. I would come to the outside of the rink and peck on the window. As long as the mother wasn't watching, shed come to the window and say Hi. The separation eventually came to an end. I got back in good graces, he said. The two of us were inseparable at the time. We both got older and everything just kind of clicked. We loved being together. Joy said she was drawn to Joes work ethic and personality. He was always busy, always doing something, she recalled. I thought he was good-looking. And he worked hard. In 1948 Joe graduated from Napa High School. By June 1953, Joy would graduate from St. Vincent High School in Vallejo. So we decided to get married, and I asked her mother for her hand, said Joe. In what was probably Napas wedding of the year more than 600 people attended the nuptials at high noon on Saturday, July 11, 1953 Joe and Joy married at the original St. Johns Catholic Church, which faced Main Street. Joy was 17, almost 18. Joe was 22. Bridal Party, Guests, Enjoy Elaborate Reception at Glidrome Following Ceremony, read one headline. Joy wore a wedding dress made by her mother and a veil made from lace that her grandmother bought in Venice, Italy, the newspaper reported. A double strand of pearls, the same worn by her own mother at her 1925 wedding, encircled Joys neck. In her shoe she placed a lucky sixpence. The wedding party at the Glidrome included food and punch, as well as traditional Italian candy and confetti, said the newspaper. Idas only requirement for the marriage was that Joe would build a house for her daughter. Fortunately for him, Joes father Edward Paniagua owned a lot along Redwood Road, almost across the street from what is today Redwood Middle School. Edward and his wife Mary had already built a duplex house at the property. Tearing out some fruit trees, a two-bedroom, one-bath cottage was added next to it. Joe and Joy have lived in that same house ever since. As their family grew, so did the home. Today it has four bedrooms and two baths. Redwood Road has also expanded, from two lanes to four. Yes, its a busy street, they acknowledged. And, yes, there have been challenges, especially with aging and health. The couple had considered moving into a retirement community, but decided against it. Multiple photos displayed on the shelves and walls of the Paniaguas' home tell the story of a growing family that came to include their four children, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Joes main career was as a sales rep for PepsiCo. For many years, Joy worked with her mother at Idas Custom Draperies. Theres no big secret to being married for 70 years, said the man who has lived in Napa since he was a newborn. You need to basically like the same things, said Joe. You enjoy each other's company, enjoy what you're doing. And we both want to do the same thing. We've kind of lucked out on that because out of people there's always something that one doesnt like and the other one, but there's nothing we didn't like. And so were just good to each other, took care of each other." Joanne Paniagua Gonsalves is Joe and Joys daughter. The couple also has three sons, Joe Jr., Jon and Jim. Her parents have always done everything together, noted Joanne. In today's world, you know, people have their separate lives going here or there. I mean, the world back then was much simpler. And that's what you did; you stayed together. And yeah, there were issues, she added, but I have to say that I have never seen my parents fight, ever. I've never seen them be even upset with each other. And if you were it was behind closed doors and we never saw it. They did everything for us kids. ... It's amazing. Theyve had a wonderful life. said Joanne. One final decision has been made. Years ago Joe bought a plot at Tulocay Cemetery that has room for them both, he said. When the time comes, well still be together, he said. Photos: 70 years later, Joe and Joy Paniagua's love rolls along Joe and Joy Paniagua of Napa Joe and Joy Paniagua Napa's Glidrome skating rink Joe and Joy Paniagua Joe and Joy Paniagua Joe and Joy Paniagua Joe and Joy Paniagua Joe and Joy Paniagua Joe and Joy Paniagua After adding residents for nearly its entire history, California can expect its population to remain roughly the same through 2060, new projections show, in a trend that would upend previous predictions and threaten the Golden States status as an economic powerhouse. 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 forecast from the states finance department comes on the heels of three years of unprecedented population declines totaling about 1%, as residents fed up with high housing costs and other quality-of-life concerns fled California in droves. A decade ago, the finance department had projected the state population would maintain its upward trajectory, reaching about 53 million people by 2060. But after accounting for factors including declining births, aging residents, and more people moving away in the years leading up to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials now project the population will hold steady at around 39.5 million. Adding those numbers has shown a reality thats different than what we expected, said Andres Gallardo, a demographer with the state. Although some of the pandemic-era demographic shifts appear to be stabilizing, the compounding effects of the changes could have a profound long-term impact, Gallardo said. For instance, birth rates which had already been dropping for years fell drastically during the pandemic, meaning that 20 years from now, fewer residents will be at the age to start having children. A stagnant population could mean a shrinking labor force as the state fails to replace retiring baby boomers, potentially resulting in a flagging economy mirroring the decades-long malaise from which some Rust Belt states are still struggling to emerge. You can draw a pretty straight line between places that grow in population and their economic potential, said Jeff Bellisario, executive director of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute. The core Bay Area counties are expected to see their populations remain mostly flat over the next four decades, according to the forecast. Santa Clara Countys population is projected to increase from 1.9 million to 2.1 million, San Mateo Countys is projected to decrease from 733,000 to 717,000, Alameda Countys is projected to increase from 1.6 million to 2 million, Contra Costa Countys is projected to increase from 1.1 million to 1.4 million and San Franciscos is projected to increase from 830,000 to 845,000. Even so, Stephen Levy, director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy in Palo Alto, said theres optimism the states tech and clean energy sectors, along with other engines of the California economy, will still attract workers, noting the states latest forecast is in conflict with the continuing job growth predicted by all of the regional planning agencies in California. Agencies rely on population estimates to determine everything from budgets to homebuilding targets. Levy added that if the state can make progress on its ambitious goal to build more than 2.5 million market-rate and affordable homes by 2030, it should be equipped to accommodate more residents and prevent those stuck in expensive and overcrowded housing from packing up and leaving. Essentially, a no-growth population projection assumes that we fail miserably in producing more housing, he said. Weary of the Bay Areas high cost of living, Michele De Marco, 53, moved from Mountain View to Nampa, Idaho, in July. Her husband will follow by the end of the year after he sells his upholstery shop. My husbands about to retire, and we cant afford to stay in California, De Marco said. We left because of all the fees and taxes and the fact that California is becoming so rundown the homelessness, the drug issues. Its gotten really bad. Bellisario, with the economic institute, said that negative perception of the state could only worsen if its population growth continues to sputter. For one, its political influence could take a hit California already had to give up a U.S. House seat in 2021 due to population decline. And more broadly, people may stop viewing the state as being at the forefront of progress nationwide. There is the civic pride and general clout of a growing population that has benefits, too, he said. Photos: Rural towns pile on perks to woo California's remote workers 21:45 Amid a buzz that Ravi, a Vokkaliga, would replace Nalin Kumar Kateel as the next state president, he said, "I have no information about it. At present I'm the former national general secretary, future is only expectation and aspiration, but I don't know anything about the future." Ravi was responding to a question that he has been dropped from the post of national general secretary to be appointed as state president. The party reshuffled its team of Central office-bearers on Saturday. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Ravi said, the state president post is a responsibility that cannot be obtained by asking for it, and it is something that has to be decided by the party leadership, as to whom to give it and when. "So, I'm clarifying that I'm not an aspirant for that post. Rest is all hypothetical, which cannot be answered," he added. Kateel, the incumbent, has completed three years as the state party chief, and is on an extension. BJP is yet to announce his replacement. The party is also yet to finalise the names for the Leaders of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. -- PTI Senior BJP leader CT Ravi on Sunday said he is not an aspirant for Karnataka state unit president post and the national leadership will decide on when and to whom it should be given. Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor-starrer 'Bawaal' has landed in controversy as the Ambassador of Israel to India Naor Gilon has mentioned in his long tweet that the Israeli embassy, is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie 'Bawaal'. He urged everyone even those who are not fully aware of the horrors of the Holocaust to get knowledge about it. In his long post on Twitter, he wrote, The Israeli embassy is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie 'Bawaal'. There was a poor choice in the utilization of some terminology in the movie, and though we assume no malice was intended, we urge everyone who may not be fully aware of the horrors of the Holocaust to educate themselves about it. The post further reads, Our embassy is constantly working to propagate educational materials on this crucial subject, and we are open to engaging in conversations with all individuals to foster a better understanding of the universal lessons derived from the Holocaust. 'Bawaal' is a romantic drama directed by Nitesh Tiwari. It is set against the backdrop of World War 2. In the movie, Varun is seen playing a history teacher who takes Janhvi Kapoor's character on a trip to Europe to visit World War 2 sites. It was shot in Paris, Berlin, Poland, Amsterdam, Krakow, Warsaw, Lucknow, and two other cities in India. The film was released on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video on July 21. In history, the Holocaust refers to the genocide of Jews in Nazi Germany. (ANI) Actor Ananya Pandays ramp walk for designer Rimzim Dadus show at India Couture Week 2023 truly proved that she is a stunning diva on the runway. Decked up in a golden shimmery ensemble, Ananya on Sunday oozed oomph with her hot walk at the gala. She owned the ramp on Sunday and how. The muse for the fashion gala expressed her excitement for the show and told ANI, I am feeling amazing and great. She made me a golden bird. So I am so happy. On being asked to share her way-to-go outfits, Ananya told ANI, I think people see me mostly in track pants and chappals and shorts. So, I feel comfortable in such outfits. They can be easily carried As the actor told she felt nervous while she walk on the ramp she added, I have to go with it. I started getting nervous in my ramp walk I dont know how it came out. somehow I managed that. I look out with my team before the show started. Ananyas Golden bird look featured a golden slit skirt with a leaf structure on it paired with a matching blouse with mesh and lace, radiating grace and sophistication. She chose earrings to accessorize her look, complementing her attire with a soft, subtle makeup style that accentuated her natural beauty. Rimzim Dadu, who is renowned for their originality and creative vision, keeps breaking down barriers with her ingenuity. She gave a magnificent homage to the collection this year, which captures the infinite variety of ocean tides by morphing from rigidity to rhythmic flow and from form to motion. Talking about her collection Rimzim Dadu told ANI, My designs are organic. I love playing with materials. Breaking materials apart or putting them together, for me serve as a starting point for my thought process. I love playing with metallics. They are usually part of all my collections. So. different shades of metallic like golden and silver, I love working with. On being asked about Ananya as her showstopper Rimzim told ANI, Ananya is a youth style icon and she embodies my design aesthetics. So I feel for us she was the perfect fit. Rimzim Dadus show marked the sixth day of India Couture Week 2023, which kickstarted on July 25. It will run till August 2. (ANI) Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said that the Indian Footwear and Leather industry is not only a major foreign exchange earner but being a labour-intensive sector, it also provides employment to approximately 4.5 million people, 40 per cent of whom are women. While addressing as a Chief Guest at India International Footwear Fair 2023 (IIFF) at New Delhi on Saturday, Commerce and Industry Minister said that India has the capacity to become worlds largest and best quality footwear manufacturer. The Minister said, "India is the 2nd largest exporter of leather garments, 3rd largest exporter of Saddlery and Harness and 4th largest exporter of Leather Goods in the world." Piyush Goyal highlighted that more than 95 per cent of the production units in this sector are Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) units. Piyush Goyal said, "Indian Size of footwear will be launched soon to help distinguish Indian Footwear around the globe and reduce dependence on foreign sizing trends." He suggested the industrialists explore Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) for technological collaborations, joint ventures of non-leather footwear, thus increasing the export of the country and enhancing the domestic market with Indian products. Goyal highlighted the beauty of Kolhapuri Footwear of Maharashtra and Mojari Footwear of Rajasthan and said that it should be an area of attraction for international buyers as well. He also said that the strength of India in this sector comes from the local raw material and its rich diverse history. He highlighted the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading in initiatives like undertaking grand infrastructure like 'Bharat Mandapam' - International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre complex, which will host the G20 summit in September 2023. The Minister said that testing facilities will be established by the Government as part of Indias Footwear and Leather Development Programme. He also highlighted the steps undertaken by the government for ease of doing business like decriminalisation of corporate offenses, reducing compliance burdens, creating a national single window for all approvals, World Class Infrastructure, etc. Goyal urged the stakeholders to expand the business while keeping the focus on quality and sustainability, eco-friendly process, waste management, and exploring renewable sources for electricity. The Minister further emphasised embracing competitiveness in the form of innovative designs for a bigger and better growth. He highlighted that the global market is very competitive and urged the exporters to develop innovative as well as sustainable products for which there is a huge and growing demand in the world. Goyal further said, "Not only do we need to enhance our design capabilities to move up the value chain, but also bring in more investments and technology to scale up the production and produce innovative products." He mentioned that institutions like CLRI, FDDI, and NIFT will collaborate with the industry in developing new products and technologies in tune with the changing trends and requirements of the market. (ANI) The accused has been identified as Gangu Razak. "Bandra Police arrested a car driver, Gangu Razak and registered a case against him under sections 188, 279 and 336 of IPC, for entering a car into Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde's convoy on July 27," police said. The police said that the driver of the car has got bail from the court. Further details are awaited. (ANI) Swamy, Sub Inspector from Saifabad (Hyderabad) Police Station on Sunday said, the car was speeding coming from the area where the Ambedkar statue was located and going towards the Telugu Talli flyover. The vehicle lost control while at high speed, colliding with the divider before ramming into a tree. The airbags deployed as the car got hit and prevented severe injuries to the occupants. It was found that the driver was in an inebriated condition at the time of the accident, police said. Further details awaited. (ANI) Three people were wounded, one fatally, Saturday evening in the Gresham neighborhood in the second triple shooting on the South Side within an hour. Gunshots rang out in the 7600 block of Peoria Street around 8 p.m., striking three people, according to Chicago police said. A 28-year-old man was shot in the face and later pronounced dead at University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. An 18-year-old man who was exiting a vehicle was wounded in the torso and taken to the same hospital in serious condition. Advertisement A 24-year-old woman who was driving in the area was shot in the foot and taken to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition, police said. Police said it was unclear where the shots were fired from. An hour earlier, three others were shot by someone on foot at a park in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side. A 40-year-old woman, a 56-year-old man and another male of an unknown age were found wounded in the 7100 block South Prairie Avenue around 7 p.m., police said. Advertisement Police said the victims were sitting in nearby Meyering Park when someone walked up with a handgun and started shooting at them, authorities said. The woman was shot in the leg and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition, police said. The 56-year-old man suffered a wound to the leg and was taken to UC Medical Center in good condition, while the second male who was shot in the back was taken to Christ Medical Center in good condition. No one was in custody for either shooting. The visiting delegation of Opposition leaders from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) on Sunday met Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan, handing over a memorandum to her. The Governor and the visiting delegation, during their interaction, suggested that a multi-party delegation be sent to violence-hit Manipur. The 21-member delegation of the grand Opposition alliance, on Saturday, arrived on a two-day visit to the state, which has seen ethnic strife and violence since May 4. Addressing the media after meeting the Governor, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is part of the visiting delegation, said, "All 21 MPs handed over a memorandum to her. As we spoke with her over the Manipur situation, she expressed her pain and grief." The Congress MP added that they shared their first-hand account of the ground situation and shared their experiences during their two-day visit with the Governor. "We shared whatever we witnessed and experienced during our visit to the relief centres. She agreed with the suggestions that we put forward,"he added. "She also proposed talks with the leaders of all communities in the quest for a solution and peace. She also suggested that both the ruling party (at the Centre) and the Opposition send an all-party delegation to Manipur as it is the key to addressing the sense of distrust among the people," the Congress MP said. Earlier, on Sunday, before the delegation called on the Manipur Governor, Chowdhury told ANI that the situation in Manipur was 'worsening'. "The situation in Manipur was overlooked. It is because the state and the central governments turned a deaf ear to the plight of the people here that the situation in the state is worsening. Peace should be restored at the earliest, as it is the key to ensuring communal harmony and social justice. We will urge the Governor to make all efforts to restore normalcy to the state at the earliest," the Congress leader added earlier in the day. Earlier, on Saturday, the Opposition delegation said its aim was to bring about psychological healing for the people during its two-day visit to the state. However, the BJP hit out at the delegation saying while the Centre was ready for a discussion on Manipur in Parliament, the Opposition was running away. Flanked by fellow members of the delegation on Saturday evening, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "We have always said that if the Prime Minister wants to lead an all-party delegation here, we would be happy to be a part of it. After all, we all want peace to return to Manipur at the earliest." The BJP, however, termed the Opposition's Manipur visit as a show off and political tourism. Accusing the Opposition of running away from a debate in Parliament on Manipur, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said, "The Opposition has the right to go anywhere. But, the Parliament is currently in session and the government is ready for discussion (on Manipur). So, why are they running away? For the last seven days, they haven't allowed the Parliament to function," Sushil Modi told ANI on Saturday. The 21-member Opposition delegation from both Houses includes Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh and Phulo Devi Netam of the Congress; Rajiv Ranjan Lalan Singh of the JDU; Sushmita Dev from Trinamool Congress; Kanimozhi from DMK; Sandosh Kumar of the CPI; AA Rahim from CPI(M), Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD; Javed Ali Khan of SP; Mahua Maji of JMM; PP Mohammed Faizal of NCP; Aneel Prasad Hegde of JDU, ET Mohammed Basheer of IUML; NK Premachandran of RSP; Sushil Gupta of AAP; Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT); D Ravikumar of VCK; Thiru Thol Thirumavalavan also of VCK; and Jayant Singh of the RLD. (ANI) Communist Party of India (Marxist) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas on Sunday wrote a letter to Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankar raising objection on the report on the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, and urged the latter to refrain from giving permission to lay the "parliamentary committee report" before the Upper House. "I am a member of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology and it is learnt that the Committee, on July 26, 2023, adopted a Report titled Citizens data security and privacy which contains a Report on the examination and Recommendations of the Committee on the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill," John Brittas said in a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman. "It is imperative to note that the said Digital Personal Data Protection Bill had neither been introduced before either of the Houses of Parliament till date, nor was it referred to the Standing Committee by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha or the Speaker, as the case may be, for examination," he added. CPI (M) Upper House MP from Kerala further said that according to the unequivocal provisions in Rules 331E (1) (b), 331H (a) & 331H (b) of Lok Sabha Rules and Rules 270 (b) & 273 (a) of the Rajya Sabha Rules, referred above, the Standing Committees are explicitly prohibited from examining any Bills that have not been referred to them by the Chairman or the Speaker after their introduction in either House. "Hence, it is evident that the above Report of the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology said to be adopted on 26th July 2023, is void ab initio and is ultra vires of the powers of the Standing Committee conferred by the Rules. The Rules proscribe the Standing Committee from examining such a yet-to-be-introduced Bill," he added. Brittas further said that it can be found beyond an iota of doubt that the impetuous action of the Committee in including comments and recommendations on this Bill is far beyond its jurisdiction and as such, renders the report liable to be nullified. "I may also bring to your kind notice that I had chosen to boycott the meeting of the Standing Committee on Communication and Information Technology held on July 26, 2023, protesting over the illegalities. In these circumstances, I may crave your indulgence to refrain from giving permission to present the aforementioned Report of the Standing Committee before the Rajya Sabha" he added. CPI (M) Brittas urged Rajya Sabha Chairman to remit the said report back to the Standing Committee, citing the matter of jurisdictional ouster. Opposition MPs on 26th July walked out of the IT Standing Committee meeting to protest against the adoption of the report on the Data Protection Bill. The MPs demanded that the report is improper and illegal without having the final bill vetted and discussed. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Maharashtra's Pune in August 1 during which he will lay the foundation stone of various development projects, a release from the Prime Minister's Office said on Sunday. As per the statement, later, the Prime Minister will be conferred with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award. The Award was constituted by Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983, to honour the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak. The award is given to people who have worked for the progress and development of the nation and whose contribution can only be looked upon as remarkable and extraordinary. It is presented every year on the 1st of August - Lokmanya Tilaks death anniversary. "At around 11 AM, Prime Minister will perform Darshan and Pooja at Dagdusheth Mandir. At 11:45 am, he will be conferred Lokmanya Tilak National Award. Thereafter, at 12:45 pm, Prime Minister will flag off metro trains and inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects," the statement informed. The statement added that Prime Minister will flag off Metro trains marking the inauguration of services on completed sections of the two corridors of Pune Metro Phase I. These sections are from Phugewadi station to Civil Court station and Garware College station to Ruby Hall Clinic station. The Foundation Stone of the project was also laid by the Prime Minister in 2016. The new sections will connect important places of Pune city like Shivaji Nagar, Civil Court, Pune Municipal Corporation office, Pune RTO and Pune Railway Station. "The inauguration is an important step towards realising the vision of the Prime Minister to provide the citizens with modern and environment-friendly mass rapid urban transport systems across the country," the statement informed. The design of some of the metro stations on the route draws inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Chhatrapati Sambhaji Udyan Metro Station and Deccan Gymkhana metro stations have a unique design resembling the headgear worn by soldiers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj - also known as Mavala Pagadi. The Shivaji Nagar underground Metro station has a distinctive design which reminds of the forts built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the statement added. Another unique feature is that the Civil Court metro station is one of the deepest metro stations in the country, having the deepest point at 33.1 m. The station roof is made in such a manner that direct sunlight falls on the platform. Prime Minister will inaugurate the Waste to Energy Plant under Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Developed at a cost of about Rs 300 crores, it will use up about 2.5 lakh MT of waste annually to produce electricity, it added. "Under the Housing for All, the Prime Minister will hand over more than 1280 houses constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana by PCMC. He will also hand over more than 2650 PMAY houses constructed by Pune Municipal Corporation. Further, Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of around 1190 PMAY houses to be constructed by PCMC, and of over 6400 houses constructed by Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority," the statement added. Prime Minister will become the 41st recipient of the award. It has previously been presented to luminaries such as Shankar Dayal Sharma, Pranab Mukherjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, N R Narayana Murthy, E Sreedharan among others. (ANI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday condemned activist Sambhaji Bhide for his alleged derogatory statement against Mahatma Gandhi, saying that 'Gandhi is seen as the leader of the history of India's freedom struggle'. Fadnavis said that they will not tolerate his (Gandhi's) insult. "I condemn the statement of Sambhaji Bhide. Mahatma Gandhi is the father of the nation. He is viewed as the leader of the history of India's freedom struggle," Devendra Fadnavis said while speaking to the media here. Stressing that action will be taken against Bhide by the Maharashtra government, Fadnavis added, "Such a statement against him is inappropriate, people will not tolerate it. State Government will take appropriate action in this case. Insulting Mahatma Gandhi will not be tolerated under any circumstances." Highlighting that Sambhaji Bhide is not associated with the BJP, Fadnavis said, "Sambhaji Bhide has no connection with BJP, he has his own organisation. No need to give it political colours deliberately." Further attacking the Congress, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the Congress party should not "stay quiet" when Rahul Gandhi speaks anything against Veer Savarkar. "The manner in which the people of Congress are taking to the streets over this, they should similarly do so when Rahul Gandhi speaks against Veer Savarkar. But they stay quiet at that time," Fadnavis said. Reportedly, Sambhaji Bhide, the founder of a right-wing organisation, made a derogatory remark about Mahatma Gandhi during a programme in Amravati district on Thursday. Bhide had come under a lot of criticism from Congress leaders for his statement. Similarly, in November last year, the Maharashtra State Commission for Women issued a notice to Bhide for not giving an interview to a woman journalist as she did not have a 'bindi' on her forehead. (ANI) According to the police, advocate Mishra was arrested for allegedly assisting Atique and his brother Ashraf Ahmed, in the murder of Umesh Pal. "One of the accused of Umesh Pal's murder, Vijay Mishra, was arrested from Lucknow. After presenting him before the court, he was sent to 14-day judicial custody. Some significant pieces of evidence were collected which showed his involvement in the murder case," said Deepak Bhukar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj. On being asked about Atique's wife, Shaishta Parveen, DCP Bhukar said, "We have found some leads about Shaishta Parveen and Zainab (Ashraf's wife). An investigation is underway in this matter". Further, he said that advocate Mishra is a history-sheeter. "Against advocate Vijay Mishra action has been taken under the Gangster Act in Prayagraj district. In addition, a case of extortion among others has also been registered against him at the Atsuraiya police station", said DCP Bhukar. Notably, Atique Ahmad and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead by men posing as journalists on the night of April 15, while they were being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj. The gangster siblings collapsed at the spot after being shot from point-blank range. All three assailants were sent to judicial custody by the district court. They were charged under the IPC sections, 302, 307, 302, 120 B, 419, 420, 467 and 468. Atique Ahmed was accused in the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal and also in the killing of a key witness in that case, Umesh Pal, in February this year. (ANI) "Parties believing in the ideology of Baba Saheb Ambedkar are coming together...BJP will be wiped out. In the coming time, we (I.N.D.I.A alliance) are going to meet in Maharashtra where we will finalise the strategy ahead..." former Bihar Chief Minister said. Lalu Yadav joined a one-day RJD student wing meeting organised by Bihar Minister Tej Partap Yadav at his residence on Sunday. BJP and Narendra Modi are trying to destroy the Constitution. I am requesting all of you that leave everything and fight for the country, Lalu Yadav said. I.N.D.I.A or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance is a group of 26 opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The first meeting of the Opposition parties was concluded in Bihars Patna on June 23 under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while the second such meeting was convened in Karnatakas Bengaluru and held by Congress on July 17 and 18. The next meeting will be held in Maharashtras Mumbai. (ANI) Chicago Fire Department members salute as a procession brings the body of a firefighter to the Cook County Medical Examiners Office on July 30, 2023, after he died swimming in Lake Michigan while off-duty. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) An off-duty Chicago firefighter died Sunday morning while swimming in Lake Michigan at 31st Street Beach, according to the Chicago Fire Department. Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said the firefighter was swimming with his family off the lakefront when he went underwater about 7:30 a.m. Crews quickly located the man and pulled him out of the water before performing advanced life support. Advertisement He was transported to University of Chicago Medical Center and pronounced dead at 9:07 a.m., according to the Fire Department and the Cook County medical examiners office. The Fire Department identified the firefighter as Engineer EMT Wilbert Hayes, 43. Nance-Holt said hes been on the job since 2009. Advertisement The loss of any of our members is a loss for the first responder community and the city as a whole, Nance-Holt said. She added that while the incident happened while the firefighter was off-duty, the Fire Department is conducting a full investigation to determine the status of this tragic loss. Firefighters, police officers and paramedics led a procession Sunday afternoon to pay tribute to Hayes while his body was transported to the medical examiners office. rjohnson@chicagotribune.com "Former Chief Minister of West Bengal Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, 79, is on mechanical ventilation. Relevant conservative medical management is being continued. His overall clinical status remains critical but stable," the hospital said. "He was admitted to Woodlands Hospital on July 29, 2023 with lower respiratory tract infection and Type II respiratory failure," it added. The hospital authorities said that a multidisciplinary medical team is monitoring his medical condition. "A multidisciplinary medical team comprising Dr Kaushik Chakraborty (medicine), Dr Soutik Panda (critical care), Dr Susmita Debnath (critical care), Dr Saroj Mandal (interventional cardiology), Dr Ankan Bandyopadhyay (internal medicine and pulmonology), Dr Dhruba Bhattacharya (internal medicine and critical care), Dr Asis Patra (anesthesiology), Dr Dip Narayan Mukherjee (infectious diseases specialist), Dr Semanti Chakraborty (endocrinology), Dr Somnath Maity (general medicine) and Dr Saptarshi Basu (physician and medical superintendent, Woodlands) is closely monitoring his progress," the hospital said. Earlier on Saturday, Union Minister Anurag Thakur wished for the speedy recovery of the former Chief Minister. "I pray for the speedy recovery of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. He has contributed a lot to West Bengal for a long time, may God give him a long life," Union Minister Thakur said while praying for his good health and recovery. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar also visited former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in hospital on Saturday. Representing the Communist Party of India (Marxist), 79-year-old Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 2000 to 2011. (ANI) In a significant move, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has recovered around 500 gigabytes of data from various electronic devices seized from the terror suspects who are in custody, the agency top sources told ANI. As per the source, the data recovered by the ATS has been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for further analysis. "During the investigation, ATS has recovered around 500 GB of data from various electronic devices seized by ATS from arrested terror suspects. All the data has been sent to FSL for analysis. The data included drone visuals of several locations and screenshots of Google locations of various places in the Pune district. It also has some images of Mumbai's Chabad House, the source told ANI. After a Google image of the Chabad House was recovered from both suspected terrorists arrested for planning an attack in Rajasthan, Mumbai Police beefed up security outside the Chabad House in Colaba. The agency on Wednesday arrested a man named Abdul Qadir Dastgir Pathan in Pune for providing shelter to the terror suspects Mohammad Imran Mohammad Yunus Khan and Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yakub Saki. Khan and Saki, wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for their alleged involvement in a terror-related case in Rajasthan, were nabbed from the Kothrud area of Pune on July 18. The ATS, which recently took over the probe from Pune Police, said that it recovered white explosive powder, laptops, parts of drones and books written in Arabic, among other things from Khan and Saki. However, an ATS official, on Sunday said, The drone was used to take some visuals but what visuals they have taken, needs to be identified therefore, the same data has been sent to FSL for further probe." Sources in Maharashtra ATS further informed that ATS has seized some electronic circuits which were meant to make bombs by the suspects. ATS officials have also informed that the terror suspects used a tent to stay in forest areas in Punes adjoining districts. As per the ATS officials, the terror suspects, after coming to Maharashtra, befriended a third person, a resident of Jharkhand, who managed to escape when the police nabbed the duo. However, the agency has formed several teams to trace the third absconding accused, the officials added. The teams have been sent to various locations in the state and out of the state, he added. On Friday, the agency said that they have arrested a man from Ratnagiri district for providing financial aid to suspected terrorists, who were taken into custody by the Pune Police on July 18. According to a press release issued by the ATS on Saturday, the person from Ratnagiri was earlier detained. However, he was arrested on Friday after a probe showed his involvement in the case. The latest arrest has taken the number of the arrested to four. As per the ATS, these suspects were brainwashed through various videos of individuals avaliable on YouTube, literature books and contents. Earlier, Maharashtra ATS further stated that both accused were booked under UAPA charges. "During the investigation, it was revealed that both were planning to carry out anti-national activities to disturb the unity and safety of the nation and for this, both had taken the training to make bombs and kept the required materials in their possession," an official statement said.(ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to hold meetings with groups of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs between July 31 and August 10 as the alliance gears up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Earlier on Tuesday, BJP leaders held a meeting in the national capital in which 10 groups of NDA MPs were formed to deliberate on programmes for the 2024 general election, party sources said. The groups have been formed as part of efforts to bring more synergy to the poll efforts of NDA constituents. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold Cluster -1 meetings with groups of NDA MPs from West Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Brij region on Monday at 6 PM at Maharashtra Sadan. BJP National President JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit shah will also be present at the meeting, a source told ANI. The Cluster -2 meetings with groups of NDA MPs from West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha are scheduled at 7 PM on Monday at the Parliament Annexe building. Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh will be present at the meeting. "Ten groups of MPs have been formed. PM Modi is to chair the meetings of each group," a source told ANI. Meetings on the first day will have MPs from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha, the source added. The BJP will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NDA, with the ruling alliance seeking to set the narrative for the 2024 poll battle. Sources said Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Amit Shah, and Rajnath Singh, along with BJP chief JP Nadda have been given the responsibility of coordinating with the NDA leaders. Four leaders including Bhupendra Yadav, Sarbananda Sonowal, Tarun Chugh, and Rituraj, have been given the responsibility for the NDA programmes. Four more leaders including Prahlad Patel, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and V. Muraleedharan are also associated with them. There will also be another team of ministers and MPs who will be assisting in these tasks. Apart from the Parliament, programmes will also be held in different state bhavans in the national capital like that of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. This is the first time that the leaders of the alliance will have region-wise deliberations. The BJP is working on a plan to secure a 50 per cent vote share in the Lok Sabha election along with allies, sources said. The BJP leadership has identified 160 relatively weak constituencies and the party is putting up extra efforts to turn around its prospects in those constituencies. With the opposition putting up a united front, the NDA led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), held a mega meeting on July 18. The BJP-led NDA has 38 parties under its fold. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'SVAnidhi' scheme for setting in motion a new wave of financial inclusion and digital literacy in cities and towns. "Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme has set in motion a new wave of financial inclusion and digital literacy in cities and towns. Due to this, the life of street vendors and hawkers has got dignity and stability. This scheme was brought with the aim of restoring self-employment, self-reliance, self-respect and self-confidence among street vendors," said Dhami. He said that the subsidy is being given by the Central and State Governments to street vendors on a total of nine per cent interest to the beneficiaries of 'SVAnidhi' scheme. Notably, PM's SVAnidhi scheme was launched with the aim to boost digital transactions among street vendors and it also provides loan facilities to them. "Under this, the subsidy is given on interest of seven per cent by the central government and two per cent by the state government. the three to four per cent interest which has to be paid by the beneficiaries after getting the nine per cent grant under PM Swanidhi Yojana, will also be borne by the state government in the coming times", said CM Dhami. CM Dhami interacted with the beneficiaries of 'SVAnidhi' Pariwar at the Chief Minister's residence. "Earlier, the poor man could not even think of going inside the bank. But today the bankers themselves are coming to them and providing them loans, this is respect and self-reliance", added CM Dhami. CM Dhami said, "Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the poor are taking loans from banks and are repaying them honestly". On this occasion, the Chief Minister also honoured the beneficiaries of SVAnidhi and the bankers and other people. In all the urban bodies of the state, under the PM Swanidhi Yojana started on July 1, 2020, more than 31 thousand hawkers in the state applied for loans in the online portal. In the first phase, a loan of Rs 10 thousand was approved for more than 16 thousand per applicant, in the second phase a loan of Rs 20 thousand was approved for about 6 thousand per applicant and in the third phase a loan of Rs 50 thousand has been approved for about 600 per applicant. "So far, loans worth Rs 31 crore have been disbursed to more than 22 thousand street vendors in all three phases of this scheme. Under the 'Main Bhi Digital' campaign, digital transactions were promoted by providing QR codes to about 16,000 street vendors through banks," said the Chief Minister. Under the 'SVAnidhi Se Samridhi' scheme, the beneficiaries and their families get eight welfare schemes of the central government - One Nation One Ration Card, Janani Suraksha, Matru-Vandan, Suraksha Bima, Jan Dhan, Jeevan-Jyoti Bima, Shram--Yogi Maandhan Yojana. "About 17,000 eligible hawkers and their relatives of 11 urban bodies of the state have been benefited by PM schemes like Yogi Maandhan Yojana and registration for building construction workers", added the Uttarakhand Chief Minister. The Chief Minister said that about 7 thousand people from outside the state are being benefited under One Nation One Ration Card, under the Janani Suraksha Yojana last year more than 73 thousand pregnant women benefited and a total of Rs 9 crore 64 lacks were transferred through DBT. "Deposits have been made in their accounts and a total of Rs 3 crore 13 lakh was given to the concerned ASHAs under the incentive head. More than 6 lakh mothers in the state have benefited under the Matru-Vandan scheme. PM Under the Shram-Yogi Maandhan Yojana, 39 thousand people of the state have benefitted," said Dhami. More than four and a half lakh (4.50 lakh) workers in the state are registered under the registration for construction workers. More than 30 lakh people in the state have been covered under PM Suraksha Bima Yojana. Under the Jan-Dhan Yojana, more than 34 lakh Jan-Dhan accounts have been opened in the state. More than 8 lakh people of the state have been covered under Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana.(ANI) Uttar PradeshChief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that the government is determined to provide security, convenience, and facilities to the traders. He mentioned that the government's commitment has led to prosperous businesses across the state, including Gorakhpur over the past six years. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was interacting with the owners of business organizations/traders at the Circuit House, Gorakhpur. After getting acquainted with everyone and gaining a deep understanding of their issues and suggestions, the Chief Minister stated that the government is developing Gorakhpur as a model safe city. He further said that the active participation of traders in the Safe City project is commendable since a secure environment is the foundation of prosperous business. He assured that the government will soon promote all municipal corporations as Safe Cities. As Gorakhpur is progressing with residential, commercial, and industrial attractions, the Chief Minister assured that he is also addressing the issues of overcrowding in traditional places like medicine and grocery markets. He announced that Kalesar and Jagdishpur will be developed as new commercial centers, and large warehouses will be constructed in these areas for the benefit of traders doing business there. "Gorakhpur has now become a preferred destination for investments today, while earlier people used to hesitate to invest here. Along with road connectivity, Gorakhpur also boasts excellent air connectivity. With a robust law and order system, the development process has accelerated, propelling businesses at a rapid pace", he said. Besides emphasizing on increasing the publicity of welfare schemes for the benefit of the traders, the CM directed the administration and police officers to maintain regular communication with traders and ensure prompt resolution of their issues. During the interaction with the Chief Minister, traders mentioned that the image of Gorakhpur has massively improved under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath. Former Mayor Sitaram Jaiswal also emphasized on the transformation that Gorakhpur has witnessed in the past six years. Nitin Jaiswal, the president of the Gorakhpur Industry and Trade Association, talked about the need for a bulldozer plant in Gorakhpur, considering the safe environment and the popularity of UP's bulldozer brand. He praised CM Yogi for the rapid growth in business due to road connectivity. Rajesh Nabhani, the president of the Chamber of Textile, mentioned that the shops on Geeta Press Road used to get flooded earlier, causing huge losses to traders during rainfall. He said that the Chief Minister's solution to the drainage issue has brought significant relief to the traders. RN Singh, the president of the Chamber of Industry, acknowledged the Chief Minister's efforts in industrial development and also requested relief in electricity rates and the establishment of a flatted factory in Gorakhanath Industrial Area. In response, the CM provided positive reassurances regarding these demands. In the meeting, several dignitaries were present, including MP Ravi Kishan, Mayor Manglesh Shrivastav, MLAs Fateh Bahadur Singh and Vipin Singh, Divisional Commissioner Anil Dhingra, District Magistrate Krishna Karunesh, BJP city president Rajesh Gupta, former Mayor Sitaram Jaiswal, Pushpadant Jain, and other senior leaders of traders' associations. (ANI) BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul on Sunday said her party would speak in the assembly on the Manipur issue over which a resolution has been moved by the TMC but it would also like to speak about issues faced by women in West Bengal. "They are getting this motion tomorrow and we will speak on it but along with that, we will speak on issues faced by women of West Bengal also," Agnimitra Paul said. Stressing the need to discuss women's issues in her own state first, the BJP MLA from Asansol South said, "In West Bengal Assembly, we need to first speak on West Bengal and then Manipur. We are ready to speak on both states." The date to move the resolution on violence in Manipur in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly was finalised in the Business Advisory Committee meeting on July 26. Reacting to the resolution on Manipur being brought by the TMC in the Assembly, Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendhu Adhikari had earlier said that it is a "politically motivated" move. "There must be discussion on the atrocities happening against women in West Bengal, it's not about just Manipur, this resolution (by TMC) is politically motivated...", West Bengal LoP Suvendhu Adhikari said. Meanwhile, the 21-member multi-party delegation of MPs of the Oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) that returned to the national capital after assessing the situation in the strife-torn state, will meet at the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharges chamber in Parliament on Monday to brief the situation of the northeastern state. The MPs who were part of the delegation will brief floor leaders of I.N.D.I.A alliance in the Parliament building at 9:30 am on Monday. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Sunday hit out at the delegation of the Oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) that visited the violence-hit Manipur calling it a political tourism. While addressing a press conference here, the former union minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not look towards the East but also follows the East. Before 2014 when the UPA government was there then they did not care about it. Since then all the groups have been in conflict. Peace was restored after 2014 and the infrastructure has strengthened in the last 9 years. The country knows the Opposition has gone there for political tourism. PM Modi does not look towards the East but also follows the East, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said. The 21-member multi-party delegation of MPs of the Oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) that was in Manipur over the weekend to assess the situation in the strife-torn state since May 3 returned to New Delhi on Sunday. After returning to the national capital, most MPs who were part of the delegation had a similar complaint the pathetic condition of the relief camps where those hit by the violence across the states are living currently. On the first day of their two-day whirlwind tour, the opposition MPs visited several relief camps in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur and met victims of ethnic clashes.On Sunday, leaders met Manipur GovernorAnusuiya Uikeyat Raj Bhawan and handed over a memorandum to her and requested her to restore peace and harmony by taking all effective measures, "where justice should be the cornerstone". "In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent. You are also requested to apprise the Union Government of the complete breakdown of law and order in Manipur for the last 89 days so as to enable them to intervene in the precarious situation in Manipur to restore peace and normalcy," the memorandum reads. Rathore further lashed out at the ruling Congress government by accusing it of not providing employment to the number of people who were promised the same in the election manifesto. Speaking further, he also accused the Congress party of providing employment through a third-party contract. He also alleged that there were frequent paper leaks before various examinations and blamed the examination mechanism of Rajasthan. Congress did not provide employment to the number of people it promised. Congress provides employment through third-party contracts. There are frequent paper leaks in various examinations, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said. (ANI) Environmentalist, social activist and former Deputy Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation Tikender Singh Panwar has filed an FIR against the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the four-lane building company GR Infra in Parwanoon Police station of Solan district of the state. A case has been registered for unscientific construction and violating the norms to build the road which caused landslides, flood and killed so many people during the heavy rains in the state.Tikender said that this was criminal negligence as norms have been violated and it had adversely affected the people, crops and ecology of the Himalayas. "I filed this complaint against two principal agencies one is National Highway Authority and another is against the company which is responsible for the building of Four lane road between Parwanoon to Solan region. The four-lane work which is being done is a threat to the ecology, environment, economy and people as many have been killed," said Tikender Singh Panwar. "This is criminal negligence, the rocks which have been cut unscientifically. There are set norms, there is a Border Road Organization Manual and we have a British manual in Shimla that how the roads are to be built and how the mountains need to be cut. It is clear that hills are not excavated vertically, they have cut the entire mountains in the region vertically, the apple season is starting and it has ruined the economy of the Apple farmers as crops will not be transported to the markets as the roads are sliding and closed. This has happened not only in the present year but it has been done during the previous years also after they have started building the four-lane in this region," said Panwar. "This is a part of the Himalayas which are sedimentary rocks and there are still plate moments. The work should have been done on the basis of the geological study. If that has been ignored that is more serious. There were no public hearings, no environment impact assessment was not done this is unfortunate," said Tikender. He said that more such cases would be registered in Kullu and other parts of the state where there is sheer negligence by the agencies concerned and it has caused damages."This is a kind of alarming bell in the region, we have seen in Kullu similar work has been done in Kullu also we are going to register another complaint," he further added. Panwar said that the development model which is being adopted is a threat to the ecology and economy of the region. He questioned that there was a big nexus working in the entire region and it was inviting more threat to the Himalayan region. "The entire development model is questionable, there are no scientific muck dumping sites, despite all this they are charging the toll and the road is not functioning. There is a big nexus of the multiple agencies involved in it. The entire biodiversity is gone." His FIR complaint read, "This is a complaint for criminal neglect leading to massive loss to the natural ecosystem, human lives, assets, financial loss to the people owing to their inability to carry their agriculture produce to the market. This complaint for criminal neglect is against the National Highway Authority of India comprising their executing and planning officers and the executing company, GR Infra Projects with their corporate office. Both the NHAI and the executing company, are responsible for the construction of four lanes fromParwanoo to Solan. Both have the responsibility of ensuring minimum damage to the hills whilst constructing this project. However, it seems that both have connived together and have either not consulted the geological department while preparing the project report or the said report is completely erroneous." "This can be substantiated by the fact that every year since the construction began there have been losses to both the assets and lives. Further, the design of cutting is erroneously manufactured for ill-conceived ideas and profits. Instead of cutting the mountain in slopes, they have been cut vertically and this will be a perpetual problem for the people in whose name this development project has been done. Both the NHAI and the executing company GR Infraprojects Limited are liable to be tried on criminal neglect. Also in this criminal neglect, whether it is circumstantial or there was a connivance in it should also be assessed," read the complaint. (ANI) Waves continue to batter the lakefront on Jan. 12, 2020, causing erosion near the South Shore Golf Course after storms passed through Chicago. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) On a tucked-away South Shore beach, there once were cool shallows to swim and buried shells to dig up. For those living feet away, there was the sound of the water, the constant, gentle splash on sand. Then the lake began to rise. With each inch came nearly 790 billion gallons of water. The beach disappeared. Its music changed. Advertisement Once upon a time, you could stand on the deck out there and see fish. It was so clear and the water was low, said Charlotte Mitchell, who has lived in a nearby condo building for four decades. Not now. Advertisement Since 2013, the lake has risen nearly 6 feet, going from a record low to near-record high levels last summer. On Saturday, waves nearing 20 feet pummeled an already drowning shoreline. A 3-foot wave can pack the power of a small car. A 20-foot wave? Maybe a freight train. As scientists predict more extreme weather fueled by climate change, Chicago is trying to keep its lakefront intact. Longtime condo residents Charlotte Mitchell and husband John Hayes view Lake Michigan from their condo on South Shore Drive near 75th Street in Chicago on Jan. 6, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) Powerful storms in recent years have punched holes in a large-scale shoreline project that was authorized more than two decades ago and is nearly complete. Other parts of the lakefront that fall outside the project like some areas in Rogers Park and South Shore are vulnerable. And some of the emergency work undertaken in the past two months failed to withstand last weekends storm. Long-term solutions dependent on more studies, additional funding and a complicated bureaucratic dance are uncertain. Meanwhile, beaches have been consumed. A South Side portion of the Lakefront Trail was shut down after a storm on Veterans Day and isnt expected to reopen until spring. At one community meeting about erosion, a science teacher stood at the microphone and called the situation a five-alarm fire. A damaged and closed portion of the Lakefront Trail is shown along South Lake Shore Drive and East Hyde Park Boulevard in Chicago on Jan. 14, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) During last weekends storm that closed portions of South Shore Drive, water surged above the retaining wall near the garage of Mitchells home, sending up towering spouts exploded by the wind. Mitchells husband, John Hayes, who remembered cars floating in the garage after a monster 1987 storm, said Saturdays storm was in a different category altogether. The sound, the sound was so loud, Mitchell said. With the waves crashing up against the terrace. Advertisement Boom. Large waves crash on the terrace of Charlotte Mitchell and John Hayes' condo building on South Shore Drive near 75th Street in Chicago on Jan. 11, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) Profound failure Last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received 31 requests for technical assistance relating to shoreline protection by July, with 29 alone coming from the Chicago Park District an increase that Army Corps Outreach Manager David Bucaro called unprecedented. In recent months, beaches were filled with boulders. More than 5,000 feet of jersey barriers and 1,000 feet of sandbags were installed along the shore to protect roadways from flooding. The Chicago Department of Transportation is evaluating the impacts of the storm at Morgan Shoal from 48th to 50th streets and working with the Army Corps to install boulders, according to spokesman Michael Claffey. The work is expected to begin in the coming months. In the meantime, the City will continue to monitor and assess the situation to implement proactive measures and respond appropriately in the event of extreme weather, Claffey said in an email. On a freezing afternoon in late December, heaps of lopsided stone and poking rebar slouched against the citys skyline past 47th Street. That stretch, a sunken graveyard, is what more of the shoreline would look like without the protections implemented in the last two decades, Bucaro said. Advertisement The amount of erosion and, really, failure of that existing revetment is pretty profound, Bucaro said, referring to the protective structure. And if we wouldnt have implemented this project, that would be pervasive up and down the shoreline. It would be in really, really tough shape." Lake Michigan waves batter the area where Fargo Beach was, in Rogers Park on Jan. 12, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Three unprotected North Side beaches experienced severe damage following two fall storms. Emergency work estimated at $3 million was completed at Juneway and Howard beaches, with Rogers Beach almost completed. After last weekends storm, Juneway looked largely the same as it did on a mild afternoon in early December. The horizon glowed above the murky water and boulders were piled up where the beach used to be. The triangular Quantum Dee sculpture stood upright. But additional protections are now planned for Rogers and Howard beaches, where the shoreline was hammered again. Like Juneway, these beaches will now be replaced with rock, and work is expected to be completed in February. Standing at Rogers was like standing in a wind tunnel. It was just a constant, howling gale," said Ald. Maria Hadden, 49th. It was a different type of storm, Hadden said. Different direction. Different waves. Areas that hadnt been as impacted before were severely impacted. Advertisement Tom Elliott had one of his first dates with his fiancee at Rogers Beach, and they later rented a nearby unit. Now theyre reconsidering whether they should try to buy in the building at a time when the lake is rising and first-floor residents have put up materials like plexiglass and plywood to keep windows from breaking and water from coming in. And it just makes you wonder if this is climate change literally knocking at our back door telling us this is a serious issue, you should pay attention to whats going on in the world, Elliott said. Or if this is more of an ebb and flow that happens over a period of time. Struggling shoreline Some shoreline protections, revetments of stone blocks and wooden posts constructed a century ago, eventually collapsed and rotted. Areas bolstered with steel sheeting fared better, but most of the shoreline was built with the fatal mix that failed to account for Lake Michigans fluctuations. Without the walls, the Tribune reported in the years leading up to the large-scale protection project, 20 feet of land could disappear each year. As lake levels rose to record highs in the mid-1980s and the revetments failed, the Tribune reported on studies from the Army Corps in January 1987 warning that within the decade, Chicago could lose parts of Lake Shore Drive, first to flooding and then erosion. A month later a storm with 14-foot waves shut down parts of the expressway. A foot of water in a bathtub isnt much, Mike Royko wrote. But in a giant lake, its more than enough to float all the worlds rubber ducks. Advertisement In the following decade, the Army Corps tested more than a dozen models, simulating harrowing storms like one from February 1979 with oceanlike waves. Revetments with steel sheet piles were eventually chosen as a solution that was more access-friendly and visually appealing than rubble mounds. Meanwhile, the shoreline struggled. It looks terrible, a chief planner in the Army Corps Chicago office told the Tribune in 1993 about the South Sides Burnham Park, one of the hardest hit locations. "The North Side is falling apart, but the South Side has already failed. In 1996, Congress authorized the Chicago Shoreline Protection Project and three years later, the federal and local partnership began work across more than 9 miles of the lakefront to protect Lake Shore Drive from flooding and the shoreline from erosion. The protection project was expected to be completed in less than 10 years, the Tribune reported, and came with a price tag of $300 million. A person steps over a broken section of the Lakefront Trail south of Fullerton Avenue on Jan. 14, 2020, following last weekend's storm. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) The Army Corps finished the federal share of the project in 2014 but two decades later, Morgan Shoal and Promontory Point are still incomplete. Morgan Shoal is one of the longest reaches in the project and is costly, officials said, while Promontory Point encountered opposition from the community over the revetments design. Advertisement The entire projects cost has risen to $536 million, but officials estimate its annual benefits at $194 million. Now theres a push for a study that reevaluates the shoreline, backed by local and federal agencies, along with congressional representatives, which could potentially bring aid to unprotected areas including the Rogers Park beaches and South Side locations like La Rabida Childrens Hospital. U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, a Chicago Democrat, who convened a recent community meeting to provide information and address concerns about erosion, is among the officials advocating for the study and for renewed attention on some South Side locations he said were not prioritized. Hadden agreed. We need to make sure that weve got an equitable plan as we move forward in this next assessment, the alderman said, ... not solely weighted on North Side, or even, in this case, central downtown communities, which is kind of what happened last time. Theyll find out next month if funding will be approved. If the study is funded this year, the best-case scenario is that construction would start in four to five years, the Army Corps Bucaro said. Advertisement Were doing the best we can with what weve been given, Bucaro said. We have been seeking to do this study for at least six years now. And when the lake levels were low, there was no interest in doing preemptive planning to address these issues. 'Enormous forces Human activity is changing the planets climate faster than at any time in modern civilization, heralding costly and, in some cases, life-threatening consequences, scientists concluded in a comprehensive 2018 report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For every 1 degree of warming, the atmosphere can hold 4% more water vapor that can turn into precipitation. As the planet warms and additional moisture sticks in the air, we could see more frequent and stronger storms. Theyre coming more often and when they arrive, theyre huge, said Guy Meadows, professor of sustainable marine engineering at the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Technological University. Storms raise lake levels and allow towering waves to hit farther up on the beach, causing erosion. As sand clears out, the lake bed deepens, allowing for even taller waves, continuing the cycle. For areas already hit by erosion, its a one-two punch. City worker Alonzo Owens takes pictures of waves crashing on East 73rd Street as his crew works a flooded area near South Shore Drive in Chicago on Jan. 11, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) Youre talking about enormous forces, Meadows said like Saturdays waves and surges that cracked trees, dislodged asphalt and upended sediment. Advertisement Even if youre getting hit by a 3-foot wave, Meadows said, Its the equivalent of getting hit by a Volkswagen. In addition, hardened shorelines, like those in Chicago, can decrease the dissipation of bigger waves. The worst storms typically come in the fall and winter seasons, Meadows said. I think were going to see much more variability in the next few decades, Meadows said. So what can you do about it? You just need to be prepared for big rainstorms, big floods, big shoreline erosion, big waves. Followed by episodes where all the equipment you bought last year sits in the barn and you wait for it to happen again. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects Lake Michigan levels to remain high over the next several months and to potentially break monthly records in January and February. Lake levels fluctuate on multiple scales, but climate change could be contributing to more pronounced variations, according to University of Michigan associate professor Drew Gronewold. Advertisement Global effects on precipitation are almost impossible to predict a year out, Gronewold said. But as temperatures and precipitation increase annually, the oscillations between water levels and extremes are likely to change in ways that we havent seen before, Gronewold said. He pointed to the more than 4-foot swing from 2013 to 2016, one of the highest rates of water level rise during a three-year period ever for Lake Michigan. Above-average precipitation was the dominant factor in the increase, but below-average evaporation was also a factor which can be caused by the freezing of the lake from a polar vortex. Does it make a difference to a community or to a planning group or to someone putting in infrastructure if you hit high water conditions every 10 to 15 years, or if you hit them every two to five years? Gronewold said. At what point does it become too frequent for people to tolerate? The Park District is sharing drone footage of the shoreline with other agencies to verify what residents and workers are seeing on the ground. Erosion issues are evident along the sea wall at the lakefront near 49th Street on Dec. 30, 2019. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) No one agency can really tackle this on our own, said Heather Gleason, the Park Districts director of planning and development. So we need to partner up with everyone. The footage, collected over sunny summer days and expected to be shared at future community meetings, shows the general stability of newer revetments and whats happened to those that are unguarded. Advertisement The citys Transportation Department is also working with the Park District and the Army Corps to assess the impacts of last weekends storm and determine how the existing shoreline protection plans need to be adjusted, said Claffey, the department spokesman. There is also the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study, which would look at future variability and design parameters to use going forward across all the Great Lakes, also backed by the Army Corps, but it has yet to be federally funded. We recognize that variability is going to be a challenge going forward, and we want to get ahead of it, Bucaro said. Running out of time Even if a new study is approved, residents like Charlotte Mitchell who live on swaths of private property in South Shore and Rogers Park have been told theyre largely on their own. Their condo boards are hiring engineers and beginning permit processes and have been given contact information for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Joyce Brown, a resident in Mitchells building, showed up at a recent community meeting exasperated. She was frustrated with the lack of answers on how the board could raise the retaining wall to prevent flooding, and felt that the South Side was being neglected. I left that meeting more concerned than when I walked through the door, Brown said. It might be a little easier for me to pack up and move, but not for everybody in this building. Weve got a lot of seniors who are retired now, bought their condos years ago. Advertisement Juanita Irizarry, of Friends of the Parks, which has advocated for a public lakefront, said theres a balance between the beauty and privilege of living on the water and what comes with that. Friends of the Parks certainly wants to be sensitive to peoples immediate pain, but we also hope that this is an opportunity to engage people about what climate change might mean in the long term and what we might want to do for long-term planning for that space, she said. Bucaro said the Army Corps mission has always been to address public infrastructure and federal funds can only be spent on public property. If residents want to place material below the ordinary high-water mark, it requires a permit from the corps. But there will be expedited permitting for affected residents. But some residents worry time is running out. At Richard Carthews Rogers Park condo, sandbag barriers and a fence were wiped out by Saturdays storm. Waves crashed over the retaining wall, washed up on to the terrace and filled the garage, soaking multiple cars. The driveway acted like a giant bathtub, he said. Frank McCoy pumps lake water from a flooded parking garage at the Breakers residential building in Rogers Park on Jan. 12, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Carthew said theres an irony to private property owners having to work through the Army Corps if they want to place something in the water. They have the authority to control the water, even if its privately owned, but theyre no longer taking responsibility for protection of that shoreline, he said. Advertisement The buildings management is now in talks with engineering firms to find a solution, Carthew said, but the buildings proximity to a public beach which they cant touch poses a challenge. Carthew worried any potential permits could get held up with red tape. But his larger fear came true Saturday That were going to have one heck of a bad storm and its going to cause great damage. And, really, theres very little we can do about it. mgreene@chicagotribune.com Reacting to the panchayat poll violence in West Bengal BJP MP Locket Chatterjee on Sunday slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and alleged that the state police were acting in connivance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC). BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said,"There were many incidents of violence during the panchayat elections. Women were attacked. The whole world has seen this. 55 people have been killed. There is nothing like law and order in West Bengal." The BJP MP alleged that panchayat poll elections were peaceful in other states while violence occurred only in West Bengal. The BJP MP said, "If you assess the panchayat poll elections in the state then you will see that in places like Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, Basirhat, Cooch Behar there was violence against women and ruckus was created regarding ballet boxes by hooligans as they entered the counting rooms with armed weapons." The BJP MP compared the violence in West Bengal with the war between Russia and Ukraine. She alleged, "The police of West Bengal acted as party cadres of TMC." Earlier this month while speaking on the viral video of Manipur, purportedly showing two women being paraded in the nude, Chatterjee said, We are also women. We also want our daughters to be saved We are also Indias daughters. West Bengal is also part of this country. Yesterday Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on incidents of assault against women in Manipur. He not only spoke for the daughters in Manipur but for daughters across the country." He said that the law and order in all states should be made strict to protect our daughters. Not just daughters of Manipur but daughters all over the country. So I urge you all to speak up for us also. Where will our daughters go for justice? There were incidents of violence against our daughters during the recent panchayat polls, MP Chatterjee added during the press briefing. The West Bengal panchayat polls held on July 8 in which the ruling TMC won by a landslide, was marred with widespread violence, looting of ballots papers and rigging. There were also reports of booth capturing, damaging of ballot boxes and assault of presiding officers from several districts such as Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur and Nadia. (ANI) Abbas and Haniyeh met together with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan behind closed doors, according to the Turkish leaders office. Palestinian media said the talks aimed to forge unity between Abbass Fatah faction, which predominately rules in Palestinian-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria, and the Gaza Strip-based terrorist group. Erdogan said that ongoing divisions among the Palestinian leadership were playing into the hands of those who want to undermine peace. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to travel toTurkeyon July 28, in the first visit to Ankara by an Israeli premier since 2008. However, thetrip was postponedafter he underwent surgery to implant a cardiac pacemaker. Since violently seizing control of the Gaza Strip from the P.A. in 2007, Hamas and Fatah have been locked in a Palestinian version of a cold war. The P.A.with the quiet support of Israel, the U.S. and other allieshas worked to root out any attempts by Hamas to undermine or overthrow its control in the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria. At the same time, Hamas, which has survived a maritime blockade, international isolation, multiple wars with Israel and pressure from other Islamic terrorist groups in Gaza, has continued to see itself as the sole leader of the Palestinian cause with the goal of destroying Israel. There have been numerous attempts at reconciliation by the Palestinian factions, most notably in 2014 when they formed a unity government that soon unravelled amid disputes over governance.(ANI/TPS) US envoys for Afghanistan Thomas West and Rina Amri have once again called for an inclusive government in Kabul which, at present is under Taliban rule, TOLOnews reported. Since the Taliban seized power, it has curtailed women's rights in the nation. Thomas West, a US special envoy, and Rina Amiri, a US special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights, met with representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in Astana two days prior to the Doha summit to discuss Afghanistan. The meeting's attendees discussed women's rights and inclusive governance in Afghanistan. Many agreed that inclusive governance & womens rights are integral to economic stability, security & peace, said Amiri there. "For two years, Afghan women have been far away from the public affairs of the society, and even if they made personal efforts to provide for their lives, they were not allowed. Afghan women are a part of Afghan society. The government has the responsibility to provide ways for their participation in public issues, in education and work, and their presence in the society," said Surya Paykan, a women's rights activist, according to TOLOnews. Some political observers think that convening such summits can help to resolve the nation's issues which have undergone a major regime change. "These types of efforts can benefit the people of Afghanistan because they can have a positive effect on the stability of Afghanistan, the region and the world," said Tariq Farhadi, a political analyst, reported TOLOnews. Meanwhile, according to MoFA deputy spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, a delegation led by Taliban's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi left Kabul for Qatar (Doha meeting) on Saturday afternoon to speak with US officials about a number of topics, TOLOnews reported. Takal tweeted that Muttaqi will speak about lifting sanctions and being removed from blacklists, freeing Afghanistan's bank reserves, and putting an end to airspace violations. Girls and women have been prohibited from enrolling in secondary education in Afghanistan since August 2021. Since last December, de facto authorities have prohibited women from enrolling in universities. The girls have been denied access to their basic human rights amid a terrible humanitarian crisis for almost two years, despite the Taliban government's assurances that it will only be temporary. (ANI) Israeli protesters have staged new nationwide protests days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed the bill to limit the judicial powers, according to Al Jazeera. The bill has been passed despite six months of protest against the shakeup of the court system since the country's founding. On Saturday, demonstrators opposed to the judicial reform that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing cabinet are pursuing. They flocked to the streets from northern Galilee to Tel Aviv for the 30th week now. The Israeli parliament's ratification of the "reasonableness clause" bill, the first component of Benjamin Netanyahu's reform package, on Monday, sparked an unprecedented crisis and exposed a widening societal divide. Israel's parliamentKnesset on Monday passed the Reasonableness bill, the first major legislation in the governments plan to weaken the judiciary. The bill inIsrael's parliamentwas passed by a vote of 64-9 with all members of the governing coalition voting in its favour. All the members of the opposition left the chamber when the roll call vote was taking place, according to CNN. The government is under constant pressure from protesters to stop more reform initiatives from moving forward after parliaments summer recess. They include major changes to laws shaping the balance of power between the Knesset and the High Court of Justice, splitting the attorney generals role and limiting the ability to petition against government actions,according to Al Jazeera. Thejudicial overhaulis a package of bills that requires to pass three votes in theKnesset. Netanyahu and his supporters have said that thejudicial overhaulis meant to rebalance powers between the branches of government. Meanwhile, critics said it poses a threat to Israel's democracy and the independence of the judiciary. Other elements of the overhaul will give the government more control over the appointment of judges and remove independent legal advisors from ministries. Those bills have not yet advanced as far in the legislative process as the reasonableness bill. (ANI) Poland Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, on Saturday, claimed that over 100 troops from the Russian mercenary group, Wagner, are moving towards a thin strip of land between Poland and Lithuania, CNN reported. The Poland PM said that his government had received information that Wagner mercenaries went near the Grodno, a city in western Belarus close to the land, which is also known as the Suwalki gap or corridor. Thousands of Wagner troops are reportedly in Belarus following a failed military uprising in Russia. Morawiecki alleged that Belarus, a key ally to Russia, has been sending migrants westward in an attempt to overwhelm Polish border forces. And till now, this year, around 16,000 attempts were made by migrants to cross the border illegally, he added. The troop movements, Morawiecki added, appeared to be another element in this campaign to destabilize the border., according to CNN They will probably be disguised as Belarusian border guards and will help illegal immigrants to enter Polish territory, destabilize Poland, but they will also probably try to infiltrate Poland pretending to be illegal immigrants and this creates additional risks, he said, according to CNN. What exactly Wagner's troops are doing in Grodno is unclear, as Wagner has not commented on the reports. But deploying Russian-allied forces near the Suwalki corridor would represent an escalation that could rattle NATO and EU members. Earlier, the Lithuanian deputy interior minister said his country and Poland were considering blocking their respective borders with Belarus amid concerns about the presence of the Wagner mercenary group there, Al Jazeera reported. Following their brief insurrection against the senior military brass of Russia, the Wagner fighters have been staying in Belarus. The considerations are real. The possibility of closing the border exists, Arnoldas Abramavicius told reporters regarding the border closure, according to Al Jazeera. Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, took credit for arranging the agreement between Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin that put an end to the insurrection. Since then, Lukashenko has invited the Wagner forces to Belarus to assist in military training. (ANI) A huge fire on Friday destroyed the government high school in Pakistans Khwazakhela tehsil, Dawn reported. Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper. However, no damage to human life was reported as the school was closed for summer vacation. The School guard Imran Khan told reporters that the fire started due to a short circuit in UPS batteries in offices and destroyed records, furniture, computers and other goods. He said no one was hurt in the incident as students and staff members were away due to summer break. Residents, however, contested the claim and said there was a high likelihood of UPS batteries being out of charge due to the prolonged power suspension. They insisted that the school guard was not present on the premises as the fire broke out, so they suspected the involvement of mischievous elements in it. The residents also said both TMA and Rescue 1122 personnel reached the school quite late despite being informed about the fire on time. Mazhar Azad told Dawn that the fire gutted around nine rooms along with veranda and offices destroying desks, chairs, fans, cupboards and other goods. He said the people couldnt learn about the fire as the school stood away from residential areas. The residents called for an immediate investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire and warned that if authorities didnt meet the demand, they would stage street protests. They said the school had both boy and girl students catering to the population of around five villages. They further demanded immediate rehabilitation of the school and the provision of goods to the schools to ensure that students dont suffer any learning losses. When contacted, deputy district education officer Fazal Khaliq said he visited the school shortly after learning about the fire. I conducted an initial inquiry and formed a team to ascertain the cause of the fire, he said, as per Dawn. He said it was the responsibility of the communication and works department to assess damage. (ANI) France has cut off financial support to Niger after a coup toppled the West African countrys democratically elected president, CNN reported. France in a statement called for the immediate return to the Nigerien constitutional order adding to the mounting international pressure on the coup plotters. The move came shortly after the European Union suspended all security cooperation to Niger on Saturday and announced that it would no longer provide financial support. Niger is one of the worlds poorest countries and receives hundreds of millions of dollars each year in assistance, as per CNN. A general who leads the countrys presidential guard, Abdourahamane Tiani, was declared the countrys new leader after President Mohamed Bazoum was detained earlier this week. EUs foreign policy chief Josep Borell said: This unacceptable attack on the integrity of Nigers republican institutions will not remain without consequences for the partnership and cooperation between the European Union and Niger, in all its various aspects. President Bazoum was democratically elected; he is and remains the only legitimate President of Niger. He must be released unconditionally and without delay. Leaders from Washington to Moscow have called for Bazoums release, so far to no avail. According to CNN, The African Union on Saturday demanded that Nigerien military personnel immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within 15 days. The AU warned it would take necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators, should the rights of political detainees not be respected. Borell and French President Emmanuel Macron both said they would be willing to support regional organizations, including the Economic Community of West African States, should they decide to bring sanctions against Niger. It is unclear to what extent international pressure would impact the decision of those attempting to seize power. Abdourahamane Tiani, a Niger general, following the military coup that sparked international condemnation, declared himself as the countrys new leader, by appearing on national television, CNN reported on Friday. Tiani appeared onTele Sahelwith a banner identifying him as President of the national council for the Preservation of the Homeland. The appearance comes a day after the West African countrys military endorsed the leaders behind the toppling of PresidentMohamed Bazoums government. Despite the move, an official loyal to the deposed president said there was infighting among the plotters while France has said thecoupis not final. Tiani said in the broadcast that Wednesdays coup was motivated by both the desire to preserve our homeland in a context of a deteriorating security situation, and poor economic and social governance, CNN reported. (ANI) At least five people were killed while 20 others were injured after the bus they were travelling met with an accident in Pakistan's Punjab province, ARY News reported on Sunday. The ill-fated bus was en route to Jacobabad from Sakhi Sarwar with pilgrims, when it met with an accident and overturned in Punjabs Rajanpur district's Fazilpur. The sources confirmed ARY News that five people were dead on the spot, while 20 others sustained injuries. Rescue teams reached the spot after being informed and shifted the dead and injured to a nearby medical facility. Road accidents in Punjab province have become very common. A similar incident was seen in Rawalpindis GT Road this month where one person died and three others were injured after a speeding dumper ran over five vehicles, ARY News reported, quoting rescue sources. ARY News is a Pakistani news channel. According to details, the incident took place near Lahore High Court (LHC) building at GT Road, where a speeding dumper ran over five vehicles. As a result of the incident, a man lost his life on the spot, while three others sustained wounds. Those injured were immediately rushed to the hospital. The rescue sources said the driver of the dumper lost control due to the failure of the brake. Earlier, inSheikhupura last month four passengers were killed and 30 others were injured. The passenger bus crashed at the Faizpur Interchange on the Sheikhupura Motorway, according to rescue sources. The unfortunate passenger bus was travelling from Multan to Sialkot. Sheikhupura also known as Qila Sheikhupura, is a city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. On May 31, at least six people had been killed while 30 others were injured when the passenger bus they were travelling in had turned turtle after skidding off a bridge in Khanewal, ARY News reported. According to rescue officials, the incident had taken place near Pull Rango. They had said the ill-fated bus was on its way from Lahore to Multan when it met an accident. The driver of the vehicle had lost control while trying to avoid hitting a motorcycle, due to which the bus overturned, they had added. (ANI) As per the details, the terrorists attacked the check post in Bara Spin Qubur in the limits of Khyber police station. The terrorists opened fire and hurled hand grenades. Police and the FC personnel forced retaliated, forcing the terrorists to flee the scene. Following the incident, security has been beefed up after the attack in the area. But every day is not the same. Earlier on Saturday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that at least three terrorists were killed by security forces in Khyber and South Waziristan District, reported The News International. A sniper from a terrorist group was killed on July 27 in a fire exchange between army troops and terrorists in the Bagh area of Khyber district. The military's media wing said, "Own troops effectively engaged the terrorists' location. Resultantly, 1 terrorist sniper got killed." Moreover, weapons and ammunition were also found with the killed terrorist, according to The News International. In a separate incident on July 28, two more terrorists were gunned down in an encounter between the troops and terrorists in the general area of Gomal Zam, South Waziristan District. The ISPR said, "The killed terrorists remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces as well as killing of innocent citizens." Furthermore, they said that they are still looking out in the area to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, The News International reported. Last week, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police said that 665 terror attacks were reported in the province between June 18, 2022, and June 18, 2023. This also includes 15 suicide bombs. In North Waziristan tribal district alone, 140 terror operations comprising eight suicide bombings, 37 IED and three hand grenade explosions, five rocket attacks, and 85 fire incidents were reported, according to the list of "Motive Wise Terrorism Incidents" published by the provincial police. (ANI) Several shots were fired for the second time at the Summer Carnival in the centre of Rotterdam. According to police, three persons were injured and officers also fired a number of bullets. Three people have been apprehended as suspects, reported Nu.nl. The police arrived only to find that one of the victims had been shot in the incident on Saturday evening. Officers then opened fire on the suspect. The victim and the perpetrator were both transported to the hospital, as per Nu.nl, a Dutch online newspaper. According to a police spokesperson, the third victim is a woman who collapsed while fleeing. As a precaution, she was rushed to the hospital. The shooting took place in the evening near the Bijenkorf. The Coolsingel Summer Carnival parade had already ended at that point. There were still stages where music could be heard, according to Nu.nl. Several explosions were heard, and many people fled in fear. Peace soon returned after that. Three people have been arrested, including the victim and the attacker. A third suspect was apprehended shortly after. He is suspected of being involved in the event. A shooting also took place on the Coolsingel in the afternoon. That was near Bourse. Nobody was hurt in the shooting. The perpetrator has fled, Nu.nl reported. (ANI) What will it take for Chicago to become the safest big city in the country? As members of Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities a funder coalition focused on identifying and supporting promising community-led solutions to Chicagos gun violence crisis its a question we ask ourselves often. We recognize were not going to get there overnight, and were not going to get there alone. Sustainable change of this scale is going to take significant commitment, collaboration and time. Advertisement We all have a role to play, and many are stepping up. Neighbors are coming together to build community, to keep their neighborhoods safe and to help people feel more connected to each other, all elements shown to create the critical conditions for reduced violence. Street outreach workers are disrupting cycles of violence and retaliation and connecting people at the highest risk of gun violence to cognitive behavioral therapy, jobs and other services that address their basic needs. Advertisement Community organizations on the South and West sides are sharing best practices, data, resources and training to stem violence and its traumatic effects. Our coalitions funders have invested more than $140 million in Chicago over seven years to support community-based approaches to violence reduction. Businesses have backed a plan to reduce homicides and gun violence in Chicago over the next decade. And the city, county, state and federal governments are beginning to adopt and fund proven violence prevention efforts at significant levels. We are grateful to see so many acting with courage, leadership and tenacity to make Chicago safer. This level of engagement, focus and collaboration did not exist when funders first came together in 2016 to determine what could be done to meaningfully reduce gun violence in Chicago. That year, Chicago experienced a dramatic spike in gun violence, representing nearly half of the nations total increase in urban homicides. Meanwhile, homicide rates in New York City and Los Angeles continued to rapidly decline, a trajectory dating nearly three decades. It was clear Chicago needed a more comprehensive and strategic plan to reduce gun violence. Since then, Chicagoans have made some important progress in building out the key pillars that will enable advances in public safety. Its now time to protect this progress and ensure the scale of the solutions matches the need. [ Opinion series: Turning the tide on Chicagos gun violence ] Chicago now has an infrastructure that supports community violence intervention, an evidence-informed approach that engages trained workers with deep community knowledge and relationships to reduce violence through tailored, community-centered initiatives. Today, more than 20 neighborhoods have some level of outreach, case management, trauma interventions, and job training and placement for those who are at the highest risk of being involved in violence. We now have evidence that participants in these programs experience significant, meaningful reductions in violence involvement. When funders first came together to identify and support promising solutions to Chicagos gun violence crisis, we also invested in the evaluation of these solutions. Initial evaluations of violence prevention programs such as READI Chicago, Chicago CRED and Communities Partnering 4 Peace, led by the University of Chicago Crime Lab and CORNERS, or the Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research and Science, at Northwestern University, suggest participants are less likely to shoot someone or be shot. 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 > Specifically, CORNERS found that Communities Partnering 4 Peaces efforts potentially prevented an estimated 383 nonfatal shooting victimizations and homicides from the start of the program until December 2021. It also estimates that participants in CRED are 50% less likely to be shot or arrested. The Crime Lab found that men who participated in READI have 79% fewer arrests for shootings and homicides. The existing reach of violence intervention in Chicago is far from sufficient, though; it serves only about 15% to 20% of individuals at highest risk of shooting someone or being shot. An analysis from CRED conducted by a leading consulting firm indicates that meaningful citywide impact requires engagement with at least 75% of these individuals. Advertisement With key infrastructure in place and evidence pointing to its significant impact, its time now to help community violence intervention reach the communities that are asking for it. Scaling this work will require support for expansion of services and organizational development for the the groups themselves. Most importantly, it will require everyone who cares about violence prevention to work together. Reducing gun violence significantly in Chicago will take more time than we want it to, and it will take a level of resources that will be challenging but critical to sustain. We remain deeply committed to partnering in this work and are inspired to see Chicagoans across different sectors pulling together public, private, nonprofit and philanthropic with community members leading at the heart of the work. If we all work together with a common and coordinated plan and if we stay the course to scale the most promising solutions, we can create a safer and more vibrant Chicago where every resident can thrive without the constant fear of gun violence. Esther Franco-Payne is executive director of Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities. Gillian Darlow is chief executive officer of Polk Bros. Foundation and a founding member of PSPC. Darlow is married to Editorial Page Editor Chris Jones. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Bhutan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are commemorating 50 years of unwavering partnership, The Bhutan Live reported. In Bhutan, UNDP has been working since 1973 and their enduring friendship has showcased exceptional progress and uplift for the Bhutanese people. As Bhutan approaches graduation from the Least Developed Countries Group, the UNDP has reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting the growth of Bhutan and sustainable development for years to come, The Bhutan Live reported. In all these years, Bhutan has benefited from the UNDP's support and together they have tackled the challenges and opportunities posed by a rapidly changing world. Keeping in view Bhutan's advancements, the UNDP has committed to extending its cooperation even after its graduation from the Least Developed Countries group. In the past 50 years, the UNDP has been instrumental in supporting the progress of Bhutan across various sectors. Human resource development, agriculture, health, tourism and energy have been sectors which received particular attention as the partnership between UNDP and Bhutan has resulted in benefits for the nation and its citizens, the report said. Bhutan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) journey demonstrates the transformative power of international partnerships that are founded on shared goals and mutual respect, The Bhutan Live reported. The positive outcomes of the collaboration between Bhutan and UNDP have been witnessed in economic growth, social development and the well-being of human beings. As Bhutan gears up to face new challenges as a graduation nation, the importance of its partnership with the UNDP cannot be overstated, according to The Bhutan Live reported. The partnership between UNDP and Bhutan transcends geopolitical boundaries and demonstrates the spirit of global solidarity in pursuit of a better world. (ANI) A local JUI-F leader was also among those killed in the explosion that took place at the workers convention in Bajaurs Khar, the district emergency officer told Geo News. The official confirmed the name of the deceased JUI-Fs Tehsil Khars Amir Ziaullah Jan. Over 50 individuals were injured in the blast, the officer added in his statement. The injured are also being shifted to Timrgara and Peshawar, he added. Samiullah, a cameraman for Geo News, was one among the injured and has now been sent to the district headquarters hospital in Lower Dir since he is reportedly in severe condition. According to reports, the explosion happened within the conference, and the area has been blocked off by law authorities. The police have not yet determined what caused the explosion. The blast reportedly took place inside the convention and law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area, Geo News reported. The television footage showed ambulances arriving at the scene. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi told Dawn that 5 ambulances reached theincident site. He added that around 50 wounded people have been shifted to the hospital so far. He feared that the tally of injured can increase. Speaking on Geo News, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said that he was also supposed to attend the convention but could not do so because of some personal commitments. I strongly condemn the blast and want to give a message to the people behind it that this is not jihad but terrorism, said the JUI-F leader, adding that the incident was an attack on humanity and Bajaur, Dawn reported. (ANI) The Indian Navy and Royal Oman Navy are working together to address security challenges in the region and the warship is part of the Western Naval Command Fleet, the officials added. The Sultanate of Oman is a strategic partner of India and an important interlocutor at Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) fora. India and Oman are linked by geography, history and culture and enjoy warm and cordial relations. While people-to-people contact between India and Oman can be traced back 5000 years, diplomatic relations were established in 1955 and the relationship was upgraded to a Strategic partnership in 2008, as per the Ministry of External Affairs. INS Visakhapatnam is the lead ship of the P15B class of guided missile stealth destroyers and was commissioned on November 21, 2021. The ship symbolises India's matured shipbuilding capability and the quest for the 'Make-in-India' initiative towards achieving 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. The crew of the ship abides by her motto 'Yasho Labhasva', a Sanskrit phrase that translates to 'Attain Glory'. It embodies the indomitable spirit and capability of this mighty ship to achieve success and glory in every endeavour. The motto inspires her crew to surmount all odds and uphold the glory of the Ship, Service and Nation always, said the Navy. (ANI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday warned that the war is "gradually returning" to Russia, adding that it is an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process." He stressed that Ukraine is "getting stronger." Zelenskyy's remarks come after Russia brought down three Ukrainian drones. According to the statement released by the Ukraine President's office, Zelenskyy said, "Russian aggression has gone bankrupt on the battlefield. Today is the 522nd day of the so-called "special military operation," which the Russian leadership expected to last for a week or two. Ukraine is getting stronger." "Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia - to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process," he added. He spoke about his visit to Prykarpattia's Ivano-Frankivsk, according to the statement released by Ukraine President's office. Zelenskyy stated that he held a meeting of the Congress of local and regional authorities of Ukraine in Ivano-Frankivsk. He warned that Russia can still attack Ukraine's energy sector and critical facilities during winter. "But we must be aware that, just as last year, Russian terrorists can still attack our energy sector and critical facilities this winter. Today we discussed with the communities the current state of preparation for all possible scenarios," Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy noted that during his visit to Ivano-Frankivsk, they discussed budgetary issues and the issue of urgent reconstruction, including the energy sector and various systems of ensuring life in the communities. On Sunday, Russia said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones that were attempting to attack Moscow. It is the second reported attack in Moscow in a week, CNN reported. The Russian Defence Ministry said three drones were intercepted. It, however, said that a business and shopping development in Moscow's west was hit. No casualties were reported in the drone attack. However, the fifth and sixth floors of a 50-storey building were damaged, CNN reported citing TASS news agency. Earlier, Ukrainian Minister Mykhailo Fedorov had said there would be more drone strikes to come as Ukraine ramps up a counteroffensive aimed at pushing Russian troops out of Ukrainian territory, according to CNN. Ukraine earlier claimed responsibility for a strike on Monday that struck two non-residential buildings. Russia termed the incident a "terrorist attack." On Friday, Russia said it shot down a Ukrainian missile over the Taganrog. However, Ukraine did not issue any statement regarding Russia's claim. (ANI) The defence minister of Italy has referred to his country's choice to join a major Chinese infrastructure project Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as "wicked." The present Italian Government is considering whether to keep participating in the scheme, CNN reported. Italys defence minister Guido Crosetto, in an interview with Corriere della Sera newspaper on Sunday, claimed that the BRI project, which Italy signed up for under its former government, has not done anything to boost the nation's exports. Beijing's international infrastructure investment programme, known as the BRI, a term established by China's Xi Jinping in 2013, was created to rebuild China's Silk Road, which linked Asia with Africa and Europe in order to boost trade and economic development, as per CNN. Each year, the effort has seen billions of dollars poured into infrastructure projects, including the construction of ports from Sri Lanka to West Africa, the paving of motorways from Papua New Guinea to Kenya, and the provision of power and telecoms infrastructure for people in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Critics claim that China is using the BRI to increase its global influence. In 2019, Italy became the only major Western country and the only country from the G7 group of advanced economies to join the BRI. Crosetto while speaking to the Corriere della Sera said, "the choice to join the Silk Road was an improvised and wicked act, made by the government of Giuseppe Conte, which led to a double negative result. We have exported a load of oranges to China, they have tripled their exports to Italy in three years. The most ridiculous thing then was that Paris, without signing any treaties, in those days sold planes to Beijing for tens of billions, he said, according to CNN. The question now, he said, is how Italy can withdraw from the BRI without damaging relations with Beijing. He described Beijing as a competitor, but also a partner. The BRI membership of Italy will end in 2024. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asserted earlier this year that "good relations" with China could exist without the scheme, CNN reported. (ANI) Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Bajaur Blast and held a telephonic conversation with JUI-F supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Federal Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mehmood. The attack's perpetrators will face severe penalties, Sharif said. PM Sharif gave the order to arrest the offenders right away and to use helicopters to transfer the seriously injured patients to other hospitals, according to ARY news. The death toll in the explosion that took place at the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) convention stands at 40, while 200 have been injured, reported Geo News. A Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) local leader was also killed in the suicide blast that happened on Sunday at the workersconventionin Bajaur's Khar. The deadly incident took place around 4 pm when the JUI-F leader was addressing theconvention, according to Geo News. According to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar Hayat Khan, the blast was a suicide attack, adding that 10 kg of explosives were used in the blast. (ANI) Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman has called for a high-level inquiry into the bomb blast at JUI-F workers convention in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur, which claimed lives of 40 people and injured 200 others, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed sorrow over the blast and called on Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan to hold a high-level inquiry. He prayed for the recovery of injured people and eternal rest for the departed souls. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) supremo urged his party workers to stay peaceful and immediately reach the hospital to donate blood for the injured people. He demanded that the federal and provincial governments provide medical facilities to injured people, according to ARY News reported. Maulana Fazlur Rehman held a telephonic conversation with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed serious concerns over the Bajaur bomb blast. He said that Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif to provide a helicopter for taking injured people to Peshawar. According to JUI-F spokesperson, Shehbaz Sharif has ordered to provide a helicopter. The spokesperson further said that the JUI-F supremo decided to travel back to Pakistan after cancelling his private trip to a foreign nation. At least 40 people were killed and 200 others were injured in a bomb blast that took place at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) workers' convention. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's caretaker Information Minister said that 200 people were injured in the bombing, according to ARY News report. JUI-F Khar Ameer Maulana Ziaullah Jan and Hamidullah were killed in the incident. Rescue teams and police contingents arrived at the spot and began taking the injured people to a nearby hospital for treatment. Law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area, according to ARY News report. Hospitals in Bajaur and nearby regions were put on high alert and critically injured people will be taken to Peshawar. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar Hayat Khan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has acknowledged that the first investigation indicated that the attack was a suicide bombing, Geo News reported. He further said 10kg of explosives were used in the blast and ball bearings were found at the site of the blast. He added that the bomb site is being used by the investigating teams to gather evidence, according to Geo News. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued instructions to look into the incident and find individuals at fault, according to the Prime Minister's Office. (ANI) The cooperation between India and Japan continues to deepen over time as the two nations share historical linkages with exchanges between the two countries being traced to the 6th century when Buddhism was introduced in Japan. As both nations deal with the challenges provided by an aggressive China in the Asian region, India's political ties to Japan have grown significantly over the past few decades. The commitment of India and Japan to a free and open Indo-Pacific, boosting economic cooperation, and encouraging people-to-people interactions is highlighted by their most recent strategic discussion. Their reinforced partnership, which marks a key turning point in their ever-expanding relationship, holds great potential for helping to shape a thriving Indo-Pacific region governed by inclusion and rules-based principles in the face of shifting geopolitical circumstances. In 2006, the bilateral partnership between the two countries was elevated to the status of Global and Strategic Partnership, which was further upgraded to Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014 after the summit meeting between the then leaders of the two countries Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then PM Shinzo Abe. Such an agreement was the testimony to a deepening, broad-based and action-oriented partnership between India and Japan and a reflection of a broad convergence of their long-term political, economic and strategic goals. In the lead-up to both the G20 and G7 summits, the visit of Japanese PM Kishida to India bolstered further commitment between the two countries to work together for the realisation of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. India and Japan have already developed various frameworks of security partnership including a 2+2 Dialogue involving Foreign and Defence ministers. The two countries regularly participate in joint military exercises such as the Malabar Exercise and have various partnership agreements ranging from defence equipment trade to military logistics. Moreover, the connections have continuously grown closer and wider in the area of commercial partnerships. The amount of trade between the two nations has amplified over the years. Japan is India's 13th-largest trading partner, whereas India is Japan's 18th-largest. With Japan's private sector investment in India steadily increasing, it is among the top five foreign investors in India. India also receives the most official development assistance (ODA) funding from Japan. A noteworthy illustration of Japan's ODA's achievement in India is the Delhi Metro. The cooperation between the two countries is getting ever stronger with an increasingly assertive China posing a challenge to both countries. The strategic doctrines of Japan both the National Security Strategy 2022 and the National Defence Strategy 2022 clearly expresses Japans intention to deepen bilateral and multilateral defence exchanges with India, with an emphasis on securing a free, open, peaceful, stable, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Japan has also been allowed by India to carry out projects in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which are in close proximity to the strategic chokepoint Strait of Malacca. A reflection of true Global Strategic Partners, India and Japan have been jointly developing infrastructure projects across Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Africa with a view not only to counter Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) but also to invest in the development of these regions and support the local community. The recently concluded 15th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue, led by Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi and Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, added another feather to this steadily growing partnership. It demonstrated both countries' unwavering commitment to strengthening their bilateral partnership on important regional and international issues. Given the current global climate, this dialogue is very noteworthy. The ministers emphasised the importance of creating an Indo-Pacific region that is free and open and is founded on common values and principles. Speaking warmly of India, Japanese Foreign Minister Hiyashi highlighted how crucial India is to achieving this kind of global vision. Moreover, during the 15th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue, the foreign ministers agreed to achieve the target of Japanese investments in India to the tune of 5 trillion Yen (about USD 35.9 billion) over the period of 2022-27. Several potential areas for collaboration in the field of critical and emerging technologies were explored including semiconductors, resilient supply chains, and digital public infrastructure. The way forward to further deepen the Defence Equipment and Technology Cooperation was also taken up by the foreign ministers. Earlier, Japan and India agreed to start a policy dialogue to promote cooperation in the development of semiconductors, hydrogen fuel and other advanced fields. The two countries aim to strengthen partnerships between Indian and Japanese private sectors in advanced industries. As India and Japan face geopolitical challenges and an assertive China, their strengthened alliance holds immense potential in ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, guided by inclusivity and rules-based principles. Japan and other East Asian countries are increasingly worried about China's assertive actions in the Indo-Pacific, territorial disputes, and border clashes. India has shifted its approach towards China following PLA's incursions in Ladakh and Doklam. The Quad's formation and Japan's inclusion in the Malabar exercises, alongside India and the US, were responses to China's aggressiveness. India and Japan are making strides in their bilateral defence and security cooperation, bolstered by Japan's evolving military policies and capabilities. Regular exchanges among their army, navy, and air force chiefs further reinforce this partnership. Efforts to deepen defence equipment and technology collaboration are also underway. Both nations share a similar outlook on major international issues, except for the Ukrainian conflict. The strategic dialogue between the two concurred on the necessity of early reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Japan is a major contributor to the United Nations, and India, with its substantial size and population, assert their rightful place in the UNSC. However, despite prolonged discussions, the current Permanent Five (P5) membersUSA, China, France, Russia, and the UKshow a cautious approach towards expanding the composition of the esteemed council. Relationships between India and Japan have greatly improved, overcoming historical obstacles to create a strong and complex cooperation. With an emphasis on regional and global concerns, economic cooperation, and cross-cultural interactions, their most recent strategic dialogue was another significant turning point in their relationship. As geopolitical dynamics continue to evolve, India and Japan's joint efforts to foster a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region demonstrate the strength and potential of their ever-strengthening relationship. *Dr Divya Rani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, BHU (Varanasi). She has been in teaching and research of International Relations for more than a decade.* (ANI) The Danish government will look for legal ways to enable officials to prevent the desecration of the Quran in front of foreign embassies in Denmark, the country's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has said, according to AL Jazeera. In a statement on Sunday, Rasmussen said, The burnings are deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals. These few individuals do not represent the values the Danish society is built on. The decision came after the Quran, holy book of Islam, was damaged and destroyed during rallies in recent weeks, placing Denmark and Sweden in the international limelight. The Danish government will therefore explore the possibility of intervening in special situations where, for instance, other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security, Rasmussen added. According to AL Jazeera, Ulf Kristersson, the Swedish prime minister, said in a separate statement on Sunday that he had been in close touch with Mette Frederiksen, his Danish counterpart, and that a similar procedure was already underway in Sweden. We have also started to analyse the legal situation already in order to consider measures to strengthen our national security and the security of Swedes in Sweden and around the world, Kristersson said in his Instagram post. Widespread protests have been organised in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Morocco, Qatar, and Yemen in response to the public burnings of the Quran in the Scandinavian nations. On Monday, last week, two extremist 'Danish Patriots' ignited an Iraqi flag and a copy of the Quran on fire in a tin foil plate by trampling on them, according to Al Jazeera. Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old resident of Iraq who is also a citizen of Sweden, burned several pages of the holy book earlier this month. (ANI) Max Midstreams Seahawk Oil Terminal sits about 4 miles across Lavaca Bay from a jetty at Port Lavaca. Credit: Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News PORT LAVACA On a rugged stretch of the Gulf Coast in Texas, environmental groups called foul in 2020 when an oil company sought pollution permits to expand its export terminal beside Lavaca Bay. Led by a coalition of local shrimpers and oystermen, the groups produced an analysis alleging that the company, Max Midstream, underrepresented expected emissions in order to avoid a more rigorous permitting process and stricter pollution control requirements. In its response, Max Midstream did not respond to those allegations. Instead, it cited what it characterized as the quintessential one-mile test by Texas environmental regulator, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, to claim that the groups and citizens involved had no right to bring forth a challenge because they lived more than 1 mile from the Seahawk Oil Terminal. The well-established Commission precedent has been repeated again and again, the lawyers wrote. Based on the quintessential one-mile test relied upon by the Commission for decades, none of the Hearing Requests can be granted. The TCEQ agreed, rejecting all hearing requests and issued the permit as initially proposed. But the agency says the 1-mile test cited by the companys lawyers doesnt exist. The Commission has never adopted a one-mile policy, said TCEQ spokesperson Laura Lopez. Instead, the Commission applies all factors set out in statute and rules. Indeed, the test is not codified in Texas law or TCEQ rules. Yet it appears consistently in TCEQ opinions going back at least 13 years as a means to restrict public challenges to air pollution permits. It has been cited repeatedly by industry lawyers and denounced by environmental advocates. This practice is arbitrary and unlawful, said Erin Gaines, an Austin-based senior attorney with the nonprofit Earthjustice. TCEQs practices prevent people from having a meaningful voice in the permitting process for polluting facilities in their community. Story continues U.S. law requires that states provide citizens with the opportunity to challenge pollution permits in federal court. The rules regarding who may bring forth challenges are laid out in Article III of the U.S. Constitution, which doesnt say anything about a distance limit. Dozens of Texas environmental groups have argued in petitions before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that TCEQ unlawfully restricts access to judicial review, including through the 1-mile rule, and litigants in the Max Midstream case have now challenged the use of the 1-mile rule in federal court and are awaiting a hearing set for this fall. A TCEQ spokesperson said the agency "has never adopted a one-mile policy." Credit: Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News The TCEQ, which is responsible for implementing federal pollution laws in Texas, issued its blanket denial that the rule exists despite a list of more than 15 cases compiled by Inside Climate News that centered on the 1-mile standard. In some, it was explicitly cited by TCEQ itself, or by industry lawyers. In others, the 1-mile standard is depicted on maps produced by the TCEQ. In each case, the distance standard is the main or the only justification offered for granting or denying citizens hearing requests. Last year the nonprofit Earthjustice reviewed 460 requests for air permit hearings between 2016 and 2021. It found that while requests from citizens living within 1 mile of a facility comprised 12% of the requests, they comprised 83% of the requests the agency granted; almost all of the remaining 17% of granted requests came from people who lived only slightly farther than 1 mile away. TCEQs actions speak for themselves, Gaines said. TCEQ routinely denies hearing requests from members of the public unless they own property within one mile of a facility. The 1-mile standard Texans who wish to challenge TCEQ permit decisions must file a request with the agency. Its executive director reviews those requests and recommends whether or not the agencys three commissioners, all appointed by the Republican governor of Texas, should grant them. To do that, the executive director assesses whether the challengers qualify as affected persons with legal standing to bring forth complaints. Texas administrative code considers an affected person anyone who will be affected by the application in a way that is not common to members of the general public. When formulating recommendations, the TCEQs Lopez said, the executive director considers many factors, only one of which relates to the location of the facility. However, a review of the agencys recommendations shows that the distance standard is regularly the only factor used to recommend rejection of hearing requests. It appears in writing as far back as 2010, when 36 people challenged a permit renewal for a gas processing plant in northeast Texas, mostly complaining about odorous hydrogen sulfide gas coming from the facilitys flares. The Executive Director has generally determined that hearing requestors who reside greater than one mile from the facility are not likely to be impacted differently than any other member of the general public, wrote the executive director at the time, Mark Vickery, who is now a lobbyist for the Texas Association of Manufacturers. For this permit application, the Executive Directors staff has determined that no requestors are located within one mile of the proposed facility. The permit renewal in question was not eligible for a hearing anyway, Vickery wrote, because it posed no changes from its original form. His recommendation: none of the requestors should be recognized as affected persons. The TCEQ commissioners agreed. All requests for a contested case hearing are hereby DENIED, wrote then-TCEQ Chair Bryan Shaw, who is now a lobbyist for the Texas Oil and Gas Association. Rule of thumb By 2014, the rule was well known among lawyers for industrial developers. That year, 16 members of the Danevang Lutheran Church in rural Wharton County requested a hearing over plans to build a gas-fired power plant in their tiny town. In written arguments to the TCEQ, lawyers for the plant developer, Indeck Wharton, wrote, A key factor the Commission frequently uses as guidance on the distance issue is the one-mile rule of thumb. While it is not an immutable rule, the Commission frequently uses it as a guide, the lawyers wrote. It is not found in any statute, regulation or guidance document. Instead, it is founded in common sense and experience. TCEQs executive director at the time, Zak Covar, then invoked the 1-mile limit. Although the church is within one mile of the proposed facility, the request does not claim that any person resides at the church, Covar wrote before the commissioners denied the church members request for a hearing and issued the permit as proposed. In 2017, the TCEQ received 16 hearing requests including from local residents, a Texas A&M University chemist and the Bryan Independent School District over plans by Saint-Gobain Ceramics and Plastic Inc., to build a facility in Bryan. Because distance from the facility is key to the issue of whether there is a likely impact the ED has identified an area of approximately one mile from the plant on the provided map, wrote the executive director at the time, Richard Hyde. A 2017 map produced by the TCEQ executive director shows the 1-mile radius around a proposed industrial facility in Bryan, as well as the locations of schools and citizens who requested a hearing to protest the facility's permit. Only Jane Long Intermediate School sat within the 1-mile radius. So TCEQ denied 15 hearing requests and granted the school districts. Later, the school district withdrew its hearing request, citing a settlement agreement with Saint-Gobain, and TCEQ approved the permit application. Two years later, when Annova LNG applied for permits to build a gas compressor and terminal on the Rio Grande delta, the nearby city of South Padre Island requested a hearing. The City stated that it is located more than one mile from the proposed terminal, wrote the executive director at the time, Toby Baker. Given the distance of the City from the proposed terminal, the ED recommends that the Commission find that the City is not an affected person. The commission agreed. Hearings were denied and a permit was issued. Also in 2019, 36 residents requested hearings over permits for a concrete plant in Midlothian. The nearest of them, Sarah Ingram, lived 1.2 miles away and expressed concern about the health of her children when protesting the pollution permit. As none of the requestors reside within one mile of the plants emission point, they are not expected to experience any impacts different than those experienced by the general public, Baker wrote. Commissioners denied all requests and granted the permit as proposed. In 2020, the nonprofit Lone Star Legal Aid filed a hearing request on behalf of Port Arthur resident John Beard over a developers plans to build an LNG export terminal. According to the request, Beard regularly spends time on Pleasure Island, an 18-mile long recreational area in Port Arthur that runs as close as 900 feet from the proposed terminal site, in his capacity as the chair of the Pleasure Island Advisory Board. In evaluating the request, the TCEQ only considered Beards home address, 4 miles away. When John Beard learned about plans to build a natural gas export terminal next to a Port Arthur recreational area he often visits, he asked the TCEQ for a hearing on the facility's permit through Lone Star Legal Aid. The agency denied the request because Beard lived 4 miles from the proposed facility. Credit: Pu Ying Huang/The Texas Tribune Beard is not an affected person in his own right because he is located almost 4 miles from the facility, wrote Baker, the executive director. Lone Star Legal Aid filed an 11-page response, claiming sites like Port Arthur LNG require the commission to consider a larger impact area than merely a mile, and that there are no distance restrictions imposed by law on who may be considered an affected person. TCEQ referred the question to the State Office of Administrative Hearings, where an administrative law judge agreed with Lone Star Legal Aid, writing, the Applicants own data indicated that operation of the Proposed Facility will result in increased levels of [nitrogen oxides] and [fine particulate matter] at Mr. Beards residence. The administrative judge declared Beard an affected person and ordered a hearing over the pollution permit, which was held in February 2022. A second administrative judge also agreed with some of Lone Star Legal Aids complaints and recommended that the TCEQ require Port Arthur LNG to use better pollution control technology that would lower emissions of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide from the facilitys eight gas compressor turbines. But the commissioners rejected most of the judges recommendations, calling them economically unreasonable, and approved the permit. Meanwhile, TCEQ has granted hearing requests for requestors who live within a mile. In 2015, a group called Citizens Alliance for Fairness and Progress in Corpus Christi requested a hearing over air pollution permits for a planned expansion at a Citgo Refinery, and identified group members living a few blocks from the refinery. Five years later, the executive director recommended granting the request because the Alliance identifies as members residents [sic] that reside within one mile of the proposed facility. Citgo withdrew its application before a hearing was held. Citgos Corpus Christi refinery behind a home in the Hillcrest neighborhood in October 2022. Credit: Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News Legal complaints The countrys landmark environmental laws, the Clean Air and Clean Water acts, require states to provide opportunities for citizens to challenge pollution permits in court, a process known as judicial review, so a judge may evaluate if permits are consistent with federal standards. Texas law provides such opportunities in its health and safety code, which reads: A person affected by a ruling, order, decision, or other act of the [TCEQ] may appeal the action by filing a petition in a district court. But multiple petitions to the EPA have alleged that Texas courts will only take up pollution permit complaints if the plaintiff has already been through a contested case hearing in administrative courts run by the state. Thus, by denying complainants requests for contested case hearings, often citing the 1-mile standard, the TCEQ controls their access to the courts. Participation in the contested case hearing process is a prerequisite to seeking judicial review of a TCEQ permitting decision, reads one 38-page petition filed with the EPA in 2021 by 22 Texas environmental groups, focused on TCEQs water pollution management. This empowers the TCEQ full discretion to deny any person the right of judicial review. Where federal law is concerned, requirements for access to judicial review are laid out in Article III of the U.S. Constitution. When states are charged with enforcing federal law, they may not impose limits beyond what the Constitution says, according to Gaines, the environmental attorney with Earthjustice in Texas. In another 61-page petition filed last year with the EPA over TCEQs air pollution management, 11 Texas environmental groups said the contested case hearing process is absent from the sweeping pollution management plans that Texas, like all states, must submit to the EPA for approval. That process, the petition says, includes an arbitrary presumption that only those who own property or live within 1 mile of a proposed new or modified source are affected persons entitled to participate in a contested case hearing. While not codified anywhere, this rule of thumb is used regardless [of] how large the source is, the character of the emissions, the size of a facilitys stacks, or local meteorological conditions, the petition said. For that petition, an Earthjustice analysis showed that TCEQ granted only 12% of hearing requests between 2016 and 2021 virtually all of them from people who lived within a mile or just slightly further from the applicants location. Early this year, the EPA responded to the 2021 petition and said it was informally investigating the allegations. If proven to be true, the allegations outlined in the Petition are concerning, Charles Maguire, the EPA deputy regional administrator, wrote in January. The EPA can revoke a states authority to implement federal environmental law if the state regulator does not meet program requirements, Maguire wrote, including failure to comply with the public participation requirements. A spokesperson for EPA Region 6, Jennah Durant, told Inside Climate News, Because both petitions are still under review, EPA cannot provide further details at this time.Durant declined requests for interviews with Region 6 administrator Earthea Nance and did not respond to questions about why only informal investigations were launched. If states start to deviate too much from national expectations about good implementation enforcement, which includes access to judicial review, the EPA can disapprove of the states plan, said Cary Coglianese, director of the Penn Program on Regulation at the University of Pennsylvania. Its not a threat thats used often and it cant be used lightly. The case of Max Midstream Max Midstream's Seahawk oil terminal at the Port of Calhoun County on June 7, 2023. Credit: Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News Diane Wilson filed her first hearing request with the TCEQ in 1989. Since then, shes filed over a hundred more, she guesses. Only twice has she been recognized as an affected person, in 1998 and 2015. You ask any activist out there, any grassroots person, and they will tell you the same thing about TCEQ, she said. Theyre in a big love affair with industry. Wilson, who leads an organization called San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper, filed a challenge with the TCEQ when Max Midstream sought its permit to discharge airborne toxins including hazardous air pollutants such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and fine particulate matter, all known by the EPA to cause cancer and other serious health impacts. Her organization, together with the Environmental Integrity Project and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, obtained data from Max Midstream's permit application for the Seahawk Oil Terminal, analyzed it and concluded that the company underrepresented expected emissions in order to avoid a more rigorous review process for larger pollution sources. That was when lawyers for Max Midstream cited the 1-mile rule. Based on consistent Commission precedent, the lawyers wrote. Only a property owner with an interest within one mile or slightly farther could possibly qualify for a contested case hearing. Its crazy they say that, said Wilson, 75, as she sat in a bayside park in Port Lavaca. She pointed across the water to the sprawling Formosa Plastics Corp. A plant that stood prominently on the horizon, some 7 miles away farther than Max Midstream. I have been here and watched releases from that plant come clear across the bay. Its like a fog come in. Diane Wilson in Port Lavaca, with the Formosa Plastics Corp. facility visible across Lavaca Bay. Wilson's attempts to fight a permit application by Max Midstream were rejected; the TCEQ cited the distance between the facility and her home in Seadrift. Credit: Christopher Baddour/Inside Climate News She submitted to the TCEQ analysis from Ranajit Sahu, a private environmental consultant in California who previously managed air quality programs and has a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology. He testified that harmful health impacts from the terminal could extend up to 5 miles away. She also pointed to a 2009 study, led by a researcher at Texas A&M University and published in the journal Ecotoxicology, which linked clusters of genetic damage among cows in Calhoun County to industrial emissions up to 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) away. The largest cluster identified was 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the industrial facilities. Nevertheless, in a 2022 opinion, Baker, the TCEQ executive director, sided with Max Midstream. Although Wilson had stated that she regularly spent time near the site of the proposed facility, her home was 16 miles away in the town of Seadrift. Baker wrote: Given the distance of Ms. Wilsons residence relative to the location of the terminal, her health and safety would not be impacted in a manner different from the general public. Therefore, the ED recommends that the commission find that Diane Wilson is not an affected person. The director used the same reasoning to recommend rejection of hearing requests from five residents in Port Lavaca, about 4 miles across the water from the Seahawk terminal a complex of huge storage tanks, marine loading docks and a pump station to move oil through a 100-mile pipeline. They included Mauricio Blanco, a 51-year-old shrimper who said he spends nine hours per day on the water close to the proposed facility, even though he lives 6 miles away. Also included: Curtis Miller, 61, owner of Millers Seafood, a national wholesaler of shrimp, fish and oysters started by his uncle in the 1960s, with its headquarters on the bayside in Port Lavaca. In official comments, he told the TCEQ he would be harmed economically by increased air emissions because carbon dioxide from the terminal will contribute to acidification of bay waters, harming the oyster population he depends on. Baker acknowledged Millers economic concerns, but concluded that based on his location relative to the terminal, Mr. Millers health and safety would not be impacted in a manner different from the general public. Curtis Miller, owner of Millers Seafood, stands by his shrimping fleet at the docks of Port Lavaca on Lavaca Bay. Credit: Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News Miller, a stout seaman covered in sunspots, said, I dont know what they base that on. I think we could be strongly affected here 4 or 5 miles away. From the docks at Port Lavaca, he pointed across the water at the Seahawk Terminal, the tallest feature on the horizon, looming large to the northeast. Does that look far away to you? he said. Then he pointed at a U.S. flag that was flapping to the southwest, directly from the plant to where he stood. Look which way the wind is blowing, he said. Thats our prevailing summer wind. In April 2022, the TCEQ commissioners agreed with the executive director and denied all hearing requests. It issued Max Midstream a permit authorizing 61 different emissions points to release up to eight different air contaminants at a collective rate of hundreds of pounds per hour. Emissions from this facility must not cause or contribute to air pollution as defined in Texas Health and Safety Code, the permit said. In June 2022, Wilson sued the TCEQ in federal court, alleging that it acted arbitrarily and unreasonably in determining that Plaintiffs did not qualify as affected persons based solely on distance. There are no distance restrictions imposed by law for this type of permit, reads a legal brief Wilson filed for the case in July 2023. She claimed TCEQ issued a pollution permit that was not compliant with state and federal law and asked the court to overturn it. A first hearing in the case is set for November. Disclosure: Texas A&M University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Join us for conversations that matter with newly announced speakers at the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, in downtown Austin from Sept. 21-23. The new Chicago police superintendent will take office as the number of Chicago homicides is coming down, consistent with the national return to normal after a 2020-21 spurt caused by pandemic shutdowns and protests over the police murder of George Floyd. The problem for Chicago is that the pre-pandemic normal means double the homicide rate of New York, Los Angeles and other cities successful at lowering the death toll. There is nothing in the economic or other conditions of our city that accounts for that difference; Chicagos rate of violent crime is something we and our institutions have brought about ourselves. Advertisement A strong new superintendent, with the right support, can engage the city in bringing down violence here as other cities have. [ Opinion series: Turning the tide on Chicagos gun violence ] Above all, a new superintendents effectiveness in reducing crime will depend on the active engagement of citizens in communities across the city. A great police chief once said, When things are going right, we dont police communities; they police themselves with our help. That kind of cooperation happens now in some Chicago communities. But it doesnt happen in our highest-crime neighborhoods. And we know from every study that a major reason for that failure is a lack of trust in the police. Advertisement To build that trust, the new superintendent will need to make changes in personnel and policies. Those changes will offend and anger forces within the department, but they will have political allies. If theres no one on the current slate of three candidates Mayor Brandon Johnson is sure hes ready to support in making those changes, he should reject them all and ask for alternatives. The new superintendent also needs to be free of political interference. The City Council confirmation process is a good opportunity for aldermen to make clear they will stop efforts to interfere in internal police decision-making. The most egregious example has been pressure from aldermen to maintain staffing levels in police districts serving their wards. The allocation of officers among districts should be determined by the professional judgment of the superintendent; officers belong where they can be most effective in reducing serious crime. Cities that have made real progress in crime reduction dont tolerate dysfunctional political interference in decision-making. [ David Greising: How will Mayor Brandon Johnson handle the limits of his power? ] Charlie Beck, in his brief and widely praised tenure as interim superintendent, made big changes such as moving officers from headquarters to the districts where they could work directly with communities. But when Beck left, most changes were reversed. An overwhelming majority of Chicago police officers have been profoundly dissatisfied with recent leadership and want a strong new leader. The new Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability has done a good job (except for a few late leaks) keeping confidential its deliberations about candidates. Its important to continue that confidentiality, as the Illinois Open Meetings Act expressly allows, to the commissions ongoing evaluation of the new superintendents performance in office. A chief executives authority is instantly diminished by public criticism from board members. In public proceedings, however, the commission and the new superintendent will be engaged in reviewing and approving changes in department policy. That discussion can be positive as long as it focuses on the practical impact of real policies, not political or ideological rhetoric about words on paper. [ Charlie Beck: Police reform is possible in Chicago, but it starts with officers ] Madison, Wisconsin, police Chief Shon Barnes, from left, Chicago police Cmdr. Angel Novalez and Chicago police Deputy Chief Larry Snelling are the finalists for the Chicago police superintendent. (Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal, E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune, John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) The new superintendent will need to be a vocal advocate for the proactive, day-in-and-day-out community engagement by police in every district that builds trust and reduces crime. One strength in Chicago today is the network of private violence prevention groups such as CRED and READI that help individuals move out of gangs and other criminal activity; those efforts work best when they operate seamlessly with local police. 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 > Another strength is the federal consent decree for training and continuing education of officers in constitutional policing and in techniques of positive community interaction; continued compliance with that decree is essential. As the state implements the Community Emergency Services and Supports Act, which establishes a mental health alternative to police response in all 911 districts, police developing a positive relationship to those new crisis response teams, and collaborating with them only when necessary, can be a big step in eliminating a major source of tension in community relations. Advertisement [ Paul Vallas: To achieve reform at CPD, take politics out of promotions ] We know from bitter experience how dramatically trust can be affected by leadership response to high-visibility incidents such as the police shooting of Laquan McDonald. Procedural changes, like prompt video release, can help, but the next incident may be something totally different. Whatever the specifics, the new superintendent will need to bring to it the trust-building principles of candor, recognition of inevitable honest mistakes and intolerance of deliberate abuse. Even more important than high-visibility incidents will be the day-in-and-day-out interactions between police and residents at the district level. The superintendent will need district commanders who can build a culture of trust. The new district councils elected in April are a promising vehicle for exchange of information both ways: from the police to the community about stops, arrests, crimes and clearance rates; and from community representatives to the police about sources of illegal guns and gang activities, key targets for police efforts. In an institution motivated to build community support, other ideas will emerge. Some cities that were once poster children for police-community mistrust have crime rates today that reflect a profound change in those relationships. In Los Angeles in the 1990s, for example, the Rodney King beating by police was the catalyst for new Justice Department authority to bring court action against a pattern and practice of abuse, and the city had more homicides than Chicago; today, it has a homicide rate less than half of ours. We need to give a new police superintendent the authority he needs and work together with him to bring that same change to every community in our city. John Schmidt is a partner at Mayer Brown LLP. From 1994 to 1997, he was the associate attorney general at the Justice Department, where his responsibilities included the creation and oversight of the COPS program, the Violence Against Women program and all other aspects of implementation of the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Two sisters were accused of importing cocaine during a weeklong cruise trip, a federal complaint showed. David Sacks/Getty Images A federal investigator filed a complaint against two sisters who recently went on a cruise. A dog helped discover 4.75 kilograms of cocaine in their backpacks, court documents said. The sisters denied smuggling narcotics, the complaint said. Two sisters recently took a weeklong cruise touring the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Mexico and came back with several kilos of cocaine hidden in the lining of their backpacks, a federal investigator alleged in a criminal complaint. The pair were aboard the MSC Seascape cruise ship and departed from the port of Miami on July 16, the investigator wrote. When the cruise returned to Miami about a week later, US Customs and Border Protection officers conducted an "enforcement operation" and encountered the sisters in their shared cabin, said the complaint, first reported by CourtWatch. Officers instructed the two to bring their luggage for a "secondary inspection," the court document said. The complaint doesn't say what triggered the search. A federal prosecutor assigned to the case didn't respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside working hours. When the sisters left the cabin with their belongings, a narcotic-detection dog that was brought aboard to assist with the search "exhibited a change behavior and alerted to the odor of narcotics" coming from one of the women's belongings, the complaint said, so the sisters were separated and searched. During the search, federal investigators allege, officers found "an anomaly sewed inside the lining" of the pair's backpacks. Inside each bag: two packages of cocaine weighing about 2.4 kilograms. In total, about 4.75 kilograms of cocaine was said to have been hidden in the backpacks, which Summer Louis, a Homeland Security agent, estimated in the complaint to be worth $15,000 to $40,000. An MSC Cruises representative didn't respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside working hours. Story continues The sisters denied knowing about drugs inside their luggage in statements to law enforcement, though one of the pair told investigators that she noticed her backpack was "heavier than she originally remembered" after she left her bag behind at a restaurant to use the restroom during their July 19 stop in Jamaica. One of the sisters told authorities that friends they had met up with in Jamaica asked if she wanted a bag to put her belongings in. The woman said she "did not notice anything suspicious about the bag because she did not see anything inside it" and took the bag back to the ship, the complaint said. CBP officers reviewed security footage from the cruise ship. On July 19, footage showed the pair leaving together and returning separately to the ship while wearing "dark-colored backpacks," the complaint said. Lawyers for the sisters declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment from Insider. Phone records also showed that one of the sisters sent a message two days before the cruise trip to a contact named "Kenny Jamaica." The text, as it appeared in the complaint, read in part: "I don't know what u doing but am not doing it no more so what ever u got going on let it stop playing with me and now you not going to pick up the phone." The sisters told investigators they were not asked or paid to smuggle drugs, the complaint said. Federal prosecutors are accusing the sisters of importing a controlled substance, though no charges have yet been filed. Read the original article on Insider 5,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, but no immediate threat to Ukraine DPSU The number of Russian Wagner company mercenaries in Belarus currently amounts to slightly over five thousand individuals, the spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine or DPSU, Andriy Demchenko, said on Ukrainian national television on July 29. "At present, according to our data, the number of mercenaries stands at just over five thousand persons. We observe that they continue to arrive on the territory of Belarus," Demchenko said. Belarus is allegedly supporting Russia in its activities by not only providing training grounds and infrastructure but also by accommodating the presence of Wagner mercenaries alongside regular army units, he said. Demchenko reassured the public that there have been no observed movements of hostile forces or mercenaries near the Ukrainian border, and the situation remains fully under control of Ukrainian forces. Read also: Lukashenko muses about Wagner attacking Poland to distract Ukraines NATO and EU allies "Ukrainian intelligence units, including the DPSU intelligence, are actively monitoring the evolving situation to assess any potential threat to Ukraine. However, currently, the presence of Wagner (fighters) on Belarusian soil does not pose a significant threat to Ukraine," concluded the DPSU spokesperson. Wagner in Belarus: What is known On June 24, a group of Wagner mercenaries, led by commander Yevgeny Prigozhin, ended a one-day rebellion following negotiations with self-proclaimed Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin presented three options to the Wagner group, including the possibility of exile to Belarus. Shortly after, reports emerged about the construction of camps in Belarus to accommodate the Wagnerites, with satellite images suggesting the existence of a probable Wagner field camp. Lukashenko denied the presence of such camps but offered assistance with accommodation if needed. Read also: Wagner mercenaries continue to receive salaries report Story continues The DPSU estimated that Belarus could potentially host around 8,000 Wagner PMC mercenaries. However, Ukrainian intelligence cautioned that it was too early to confirm the relocation of Wagnerites to Belarus. Later, it was revealed that the Wagnerites in Belarus would be providing combat training to Belarusian forces. This claim was first made by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and later confirmed by the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs in their negotiations regarding the training of Belarusian special forces on July 12. The DPSU announced on July 14 that Russia had withdrawn almost all of its military personnel from Belarus. Monitoring group the Belarusian Hajun reported the entry of the ninth column of Wagner mercenaries into Belarus on July 19. Read also: Coup in Niger: what Prigozhin is showing Putin As of July 20, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus announced joint training operations with the Wagner militants near the border with Poland. On the same day, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Baszczak announced the deployment of a contingent of troops to the eastern border in response to the presence of Wagner PMC mercenaries in Belarus. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius pledged support to Poland in the event of a potential Wagner attack from Belarus. On July 23, the head of the Polish defense department revealed plans to establish a new military unit near the border with Belarus. Subsequently, on July 28, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, Jarosaw Kaczynski, disclosed the governments decision to reestablish and create new military units, effectively doubling the size of the Polish army. 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 With thousands of types of wine grapes in existence, understanding wine can be difficult, and knowing how to order it can be intimidating. That reality led Randa Warren down a path that would eventually gain her the title of master sommelier. But the knowledge required of those who pass The Court of Master Sommeliers' exam for its highest title is extensive. When she passed the exam in 2007, it was only being given once a year. It took Warren five attempts to clear all three sections theory, tasting and service. To date, Warren is one of just 273 people worldwide to have passed the exam since its inception in 1969 and among those, just 25 are women. Warren remains the only person to have achieved the feat in the state. Randa Warren, Oklahomas only master sommelier, is among just 273 people to earn the title worldwide since 1969. What is a sommelier? What is The Court of Master Sommeliers? Merriam-Webster defines a sommelier as a waiter in a restaurant who has charge of wines and their service, or a wine steward. Commonly, sommeliers are employed to help restaurants create and maintain their wine and beverage programs, and are generally knowledgeable in wine and food pairings. The Court of Master Sommeliers is an international organization that sets standards and provides education for the way beverages, especially wine, are served and handled in restaurants, hotels and more. Master sommeliers hold the highest distinction when it comes to fine wine and beverage education. To gain the title of master sommelier, a person must pass all four levels of examination introductory, certified, advanced and master. Warren said almost anyone is eligible to take the introductory sommelier exam, but the process to take the higher levels is much more exclusive. More: From the edge of death to running marathons: Oklahoma chef shares her experience through food "You have to be invited to the next level, which is called the certified sommelier and that involves a little bit of the restaurant service and a tasting little mini tasting test and the theory exam, Warren said. So they're just trying to help you get ready for the big ones, which the third level is the advanced sommelier exam, and then the final level is the master sommelier exam, all of which you have to be invited to take when they feel that you're ready. Story continues The master exam requires global wine knowledge and an understanding of spirits and beers displayed through tasting, service and theory-based sections. Those who pass the exam receive their master sommelier diploma. Randa Warren's master sommelier diploma is pictured. Warren is among just 273 people to pass the exam and receive the certification since its inception in 1969. The journey to master sommelier Becoming a master sommelier was not the initial plan for Warren, but she became interested in it in her early 30s and has spent more than 20 years educating herself and others about wine. "I really just wanted to know how to order wine in a restaurant. It was kind of intimidating to me, and so I thought I could take some wine classes" she said. She began a home study program created by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, which at the time offered introductory, advanced and theory diploma courses. Warren soon found herself immersed in the world of wine and pushing to reach the next step in wine education, eventually landing at the threshold of receiving her master sommelier diploma. When the time came to attempt the master sommelier exam, Warren returned multiple times to pass all three sections. Each of the three sections of the master sommelier exam is unique and extensive. In the tasting portion, multiple wines are presented in a blind format for the person taking the exam to demonstrate their knowledge of wine types, flavors, aromas and more. But the required knowledge of wine does not stop at tasting. More: 'Wine about it': 10 Oklahoma vineyards, wineries and meaderies to check out Randa Warren, Oklahomas only master sommelier, smells a glass of white wine on July 7 at her Tulsa home. There's a theory exam, which can cover anything in the world about wine, whether it's the rivers in Germany or the soil in Piedmont in Italy, or the aphids that can attack the grapevines, Warren said. "I mean, there's so much about it. Everything in the world about wine is in that theory exam. Additionally, hopefuls must pass a service examination to prove their knowledge of proper techniques for everything from carrying and serving wine to glassware use and handling, decanting, proper serving temperatures and more. "After three attempts, I had to start over and retake everything that I had passed, so that was a blow, she said. The fourth time I took it, I passed two parts I passed tasting, so I had passed that back-to-back and I passed the theory and I came up just a little short on that restaurant service again. Because the test was only given once annually at that time, Warren committed to spending the year honing her skills in restaurant service by working unpaid in Tulsa restaurants like the Polo Grill. Warren made her fifth attempt at the exam in 2007 and passed all three portions, becoming Oklahoma's first and only master sommelier. "It's a very all-encompassing exam, and believe me, when you pass one part you're ecstatic, but when you finally pass all three, just it doesn't get much better than that, she said. Oklahomas only master sommelier, Randa Warren discusses her journey to obtaining the exclusive title. Life as a master sommelier in Oklahoma "The very next day after you pass, you're like, Well, what now? What am I going to use this for and and how can I propel my career with this? Warren said. How can I not only share the experience with others and help others, but how can I move forward in my career? Since passing the exam, Warren's plan has been to help others learn more about wine through classes and wine tastings. She also wants to see more Oklahomans join her as master sommeliers. "I feel like I want to help other people get involved in the program and to know that they can do it, but it is a lot of hard work. And a lot of people want to just kind of sail through things in life, but in these programs, you just have to have pretty thick skin, she said. If you fail something, you just pick up the pieces and come back and do it the next year and it just makes you a little bit stronger. In 2018, she wrote a book "60-minute Wine Expert: Taste Wine the Master's Way." Warren said her book gives people a "systematic approach to tasting, and is based on the things she would want to know if she were discovering wine for the first time. In 2018, Oklahoman Randa Warren wrote a book "60-minute Wine Expert: Taste Wine the Master's Way." "It took me 11 years to write a book which I probably should have done a lot sooner," she said. "It's a simple book that I really wrote it for, not just complete beginners, but people who have an interest in wine. Anybody could pick it up and then thumb through and say, Oh, here's a quick two pages on food and wine pairing or cheese and wine pairing, and here's how to taste wine. Here's some of the things to look for. Warren said the question she gets asked most often, is what her favorite wine is a question she says depends on the company, the location, the occasion, the meal and even who's responsible for the bill. More important than choosing a favorite, is experiencing the wine and the atmosphere it creates while appreciating the story that goes into every bottle, she said. "I like the camaraderie. I love thinking about wine as art, she said. There's so many associations with wine, and they're almost always very, very pleasant associations. So that's pretty much what I love that it brings people together and it just enhances it makes any simple time a great time." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Randa Warren is still Oklahoma's only Master Sommelier, 16 years later Reo, a 7-year-old shih-tzu, was not hurt in the carjacking. Clearfield City Police Department A 7-year-old shih-tzu named Reo was reunited with his family after being dognapped by a carjacker. Reo was in the back seat when a thief assaulted his owner and stole her car. The pup was dumped by the suspect at a homeless encampment and found a week later. A 7-year-old Shih-Tzu named Reo has been reunited with his family a week after he was dognapped by a carjacker who stole his owner's car. The dog's 74-year-old owner, a woman from Clearview City, Utah, sustained minor injuries last Sunday after a thief stole her keys while she was shopping in a grocery store. When the victim tried to prevent the thief from leaving, she "struck the victim with a portion of the car" and sped off. When the suspect was apprehended on Thursday, there was no sign of Reo, who was in the back seat of the vehicle when it was stolen. The 30-year-old suspect has since been charged with robbery, aggravated assault, theft of a motor vehicle, vehicle burglary, theft, and criminal trespassing related to the incident. The Clearview City Police Department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. After a public search, Reo was found dumped in a homeless encampment in good health and unharmed on Saturday, according to a statement released by the Clearview City Police Department. The pup had been dropped off with a random family at the encampment in Salt Lake City. "It appears this homeless family had no idea the dog was stolen and took good care of the dog while in their company," the department's statement read. "The dog was given back to the victim without issue." Read the original article on Insider Rhode Island Pride 2023 Here are 71 images from Rhode Island Pride that show that not even a downpour could keep them from celebrating Pride to the fullest! The history of Rhode Island Pride dates back to 1976. That year, lesbian and gay Rhode Islanders wanted to organize a march, believing it is essential that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people have avenues to educate the larger community, as well as opportunities to come together and openly celebrate who they are, according to the Rhode Island Pride website. Officials on the state and city level tried to stop the parade, but organizers sued to have the march take place. So, in 1976 a little under 100 people gathered to march for LGBTQ+ rights. In recent years, more than 125,000 come to the events around Rhode Island Pride. Scroll through to see the electric images from their June 2023 event! Images Courtesy the Talented Rhode Island Pride Photo Team: Jen Bonin, Chris Diani, Kevin Garcia, Willow Hicks, Renee LAbbe, Kristopher Laliberte, Paul Martin, Kat Murray, Bill Peresta, Andrew Sharp, Brooke Seminick, Erin X. Smithers, Ryan Welch WASHINGTON Severe storms on Saturday produced wind gusts of hurricane force around the District of Columbia, downing trees and leading to widespread power outages. First responders were busy in the first hours after the storm responding to calls of trees on top of homes and cars and called the damage in some neighborhoods "significant." Videos and photos from K Street in the heart of the district to neighborhoods in the sprawling suburbs of Maryland and Virginia showed nearly the same scenes uprooted trees and snapped limbs nearly everywhere you turned. The National Weather Service said wind gusts with storms that tore through the nation's capital were estimated to have topped 80 mph and were accompanied by torrential rainfall and frequent lightning. HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TV While many in the region questioned whether a tornado moved through, the FOX Forecast Center said it is possible parts of the district were the victims of what is known as a downburst a push of wind from a thunderstorm that can cause wind gusts in excess of 100 mph. These damaging wind events can down trees, cause structural damage and are a major threat to aviation. The storm was well-forecast, and a Severe Thunderstorm Watch and subsequent warnings were in place before the dangerous weather arrived. Data from PowerOutage.us showed at least 250,000 outages in the metro region after the storm, and authorities urged residents to only use 911 for life-threatening emergencies. As of Sunday morning, that number had dropped significantly to just over 80,000 outages reported. Dozens of embassies along what is known as Embassy Row in the northwest section of the district were included in those without power. Washington, D.C. radar from Saturday afternoon LIGHTNING STRIKE NEAR WHITE HOUSE KILLS 3, INCLUDING WISCONSIN COUPLE; 1 CRITICALLY INJURED Extensive tree damage was reported around the National Cathedral and the U.S. Naval Observatory, where the residence of the vice president is located. Story continues Nearly two hours after the storms, firefighters were still responding to calls and prioritizing reports where potentially hazardous conditions still remained. At least two people were injured in the storm after their SUV was crushed by a falling tree. Firefighters said both were transported to a local hospital with injuries that ranged from minor to serious. Authorities in Virginia said they are investigating the death of a 43-year-old man in Dumfries after a tree fell onto his home. Prince William County police said in a Facebook post that the death is "possibly related to storms." COSHOCTON Sometimes one career just isnt enough. I didnt consider trying my hand at visual art when I was a kid, said Peter Wolfgang. But for as long as I can remember Ive needed to have some sort of outlet for expressing myself. Today, Wolfgang is an artist with a distinct style, as seen on peterjwolfgang.com. Pastor Peter Wolfgang at Conesville United Methodist Church, with his painting "Tetelestai (It is Finished)" in the background. Since becoming a minister, religion has influenced his artistic works. I felt enchanted by the power and allure of visual art, he added, the way paintings, photography, and film especially could make me empathize with the world around me, and experience very human emotions: peace, longing, solitude, joy. I think its fair to say I was seduced by it. And recently he added ministry to his resume. Ive been appointed as a preacher at Conesville and New Moscow United Methodist Churches, he explained. In January of 2023, I moved into the church parsonage in Conesville, and I started preaching at both Conesville and New Moscow in February. Since my art studio is in my garage, he continued, a typical day for me for one of my at-home days involves me bouncing between reading, praying, working on sermons, and painting. My artwork involves dozens and dozens of layers of materials, and I need to let it dry in between applications. So Ill apply a layer to the canvas Im working on, then go inside to write a sermon for a few hours while it dries. Then I go back to the studio to work on art some more, then go back inside to write, and so on. Wolfgang, 42, grew up in Coshocton, and graduated from Coshocton High School in 1999. He did his undergraduate work in German and philosophy at New York University and then went to Columbia University to earn an MBA in statistics in 2008. He said he plans to apply to master of divinity programs this fall. His ministry started, he explained, in the spring of 2022 when his home church, Grace Methodist, caught fire. While trying to make sense of it, he recalled, I found a book about Job. I read it, loved it, and started a study group to read through it. I could see from the group I wasnt terribly bad when it comes to reading and talking about God. So I started a Sunday morning prayer meeting on Zoom with some friends back in New York City. Story continues Finally, he added, I decided to speak with someone about where I might want to go for divinity school. Nothing more. I was actually not looking for a job as a pastor at the time. In fact, I was looking at schools where I could study both art and theology. I thought I would likely head back east and attend school there. I sought out Reverend Kelly Brown, a senior administrator in the Methodist Church, to ask about where I should attend divinity school. Over the course of a few months, that turned into Kelly offering me the chance to serve the churches in Conesville and New Moscow. The Rev. Bob Mitchell at Roscoe United Methodist Church describes himself as, Pastor Petes mentor as he dips his feet into the waters of ministry. Peter has been an amazing blessing in ministry, assessed Mitchell. Ive heard back from his churches, and both speak so well of his faithful witness and his passionate service. Pastor Wolfgang has been a blessing to our community and promises to be a continued source of excellent guidance and spiritual growth. My faith in God and my artwork are deeply intertwined, Wolfgang responded. In a nutshell, we often think of the material and spiritual worlds as being separate from and indeed opposite of each other. Im interested in resurrecting what is spiritual from what appears dead, in reawakening sleeping little miracles in the mundane. For more information, log on www.peterjwolfgang.com/sermons. Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs whether theyre unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at ctnews@coshoctontribune.com. This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Peter Wolfgang's faith and art are intertwined Following the deaths of multiple wild horses during public land roundups in Nevada this summer, activists are pressing for urgent changes in the way the federal government controls the Wests sprawling equine population. This is probably the worst roundup Ive seen in a very, very, very long time, Laura Leigh, founder of the Nevada-based nonprofit organization Wild Horse Education, told The Hill. This is July this is a tense time on the range, even when there isnt a helicopter flying, Leigh said. The stallions are more agitated, the mares are more agitated; theyre going to be more likely to try to escape. Youve got the heat. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducts these gathers to both protect horse health and prevent unnecessary degradation of public lands, using helicopters to wrangle the animals into a corral and then onto a trailer. They are then transported to federal facilities, where they are either prepared for adoption or cared for on off-range pastures, according to the BLM. Activists have been fighting the gather and removal process for years, arguing that the practice is harmful to animal welfare and that the noise from the choppers terrifies the horses. Now, they are calling out what they see as the particularly brutal effects of the process over the past few weeks. From July 9-24 alone, Leigh and her team counted at least 19 wild horses that died during roundups in the eastern Nevada Antelope Complex-South and Antelope Complex-North gathers. Three animals suffered from broken necks, three from broken rear legs and several others from heat-related illnesses, the activists observed. By Thursday, they said the death toll was up to 21. One episode, captured on video last week, involved a Palomino stallion named Sunshine Man who endured a fracture while attempting an escape and was eventually shot, according to Leigh. He has mares, he has babies. Hes being pressured from above by the scariest predator hes ever known and drawn in near human beings that terrify him, she recalled. Story continues With this incident in mind, Wild Horse Education this week filed a lawsuit against the BLM in the U.S. District Court of Nevada, calling for judges to address what the group characterizes as abuse issues, policy violations and failures to take action that would reduce suffering. The BLMs helicopters chased stallions, mares and foals, causing such panic that many animals were injured or broke their legs and had to be euthanized, the lawsuit states. Leigh also found fault with the fact that these roundups take place in July, which animal rights activists still consider to be foaling season when mares give birth to their foals. The BLM, however, only prohibits the use of helicopters to gather wild horses during what the agency designates as peak foaling season, between March 1 and June 30. Science meets these definitions somewhere in the middle, with Colorado State University researchers characterizing primary breeding season as stretching from March 1 to Aug. 1. Its pretty easy to understand why a nursing mare or a pregnant mare and little foal would have difficulty, Leigh said. What people dont understand is that the stallions are also in high gear, trying to protect their families. The extreme heat conditions that have overtaken much of the country over the past few weeks have also affected the animals, Leigh continued, noting that death tolls could be much higher, as those that occur following transport are unknown. BLM does not count the deaths that occur once those horses are trucked off the range, hundreds of miles in a moving tin can, in a heatwave, she said. The BLM defends its process Jenny Lesieutre, a spokesperson for the BLMs Nevada Wild Horse and Burro Program, defended the agencys approach to gathers, stressing that agency staff members prioritize the well-being and humane care of all wild horses during all gather operations. The BLM mourns any loss of life that occurs during gather operations, and we work to minimize such incidents as much as possible, she said in a written statement. From the beginning of the operations on July 9 through July 19, the BLM gathered 1,173 wild horses, Lesieutre explained, noting that eight deaths have been connected to the operations, constituting about 0.6 percent of animals gathered. There have been an additional four animals that were humanely euthanized as an act of mercy due to pre-existing conditions, she added. In total, the BLM has said it aims to gather about 2,000 animals from Antelope North and 1,107 from Antelope South and treat and release 15 with fertility control typically injected as a vaccine from a distance, using a dart gun to limit population growth. Prior to initiating these gathers, the population of the north half of the complex was approximately 6,852 animals, and that of the south was about 2,122 animals or about eight times and six times their appropriate management levels (AML), per the BLM. Agency estimates indicate that there are about 49,268 wild horses and burros in Nevada, out of a total of 82,883 across the West. The maximum AML, defined by the BLM as the number of horses and burros that can thrive in balance with other resources, is 26,785 animals for the whole region. Regarding health and safety, Lesieutre stressed that the agency has an on-site veterinarian that monitors animal conditions and adheres to a Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program. Meeting these standards, she explained, prohibits contact with helicopters, as well as traveling excessive distances or gathering in extreme temperatures. Stressing that peak foaling season occurs in late April and early May, Lesieutre explained that the BLM avoids using helicopters through June as a precautionary measure, and that because foals grow rapidly, they can maintain speed with their mothers soon after birth. As far as the use of helicopters is concerned, she said pilots are better than horseback riders at keeping mares and foals together, and the historic practice of horseback wrangling resulted in more injuries. With respect to high temperatures, Lesieutre said these conditions are monitored closely and reviewed throughout the day to ensure animal safety. If temperatures exceed what is healthy and safe for the animals, the BLM will pause gather operations, she said. At the Antelope Wild Horse Gathers, operations have halted before temperatures reach 95 degrees. Pushing for humane alternatives Wild Horse Education is not alone in pressing for change the California-based American Wild Horse Campaign last week described certain BLM practices as inhumane and unacceptable, accusing the agency of keeping disoriented animals in holding pens amid triple-digit temperatures. The horses, captured during an Antelope Complex roundup, appeared to be distressed at the BLMs Palomino Valley Center for Wild Horses and Burros in footage published by a volunteer. There is a lack of shade at that Palomino Valley Center in Reno, and unfortunately, it is a tremendous animal welfare issue, Holly Gann Bice, director of government relations at the American Wild Horse Campaign, told The Hill. The BLM is fully aware of it, she continued. This is not the first time that this situation has been brought to their attention. Gann Bice stressed that while she and her colleagues are aware of the need for population control, they advocate strongly for humane alternatives to the helicopter roundups and removals. Fertility control is a great option, because it is administered to female horses in the wild, Gann Bice said. Its also not just more humane for the horses, but its also more cost-effective. The American Wild Horse Campaign, in a partnership with the Nevada Department of Agriculture, operates the Virginia Range Horse Fertility Control Program, through which the group uses dart guns to administer the porcine zona pellucida vaccine to female wild horses. The vaccine requires a primer and booster dose the first year and then annual boosters thereafter. It has been very successful, Gann Bice said. Foal births have actually gone down 66 percent compared to when our program began and 2020. Asked how the team members identify which horses have been vaccinated and which need boosters, Gann Bice said they take photos of all the animals, all of whom have some unique identifying markings. The American Wild Horse Campaign also cited some cause for optimism Friday, a day after the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee advanced major, bipartisan language that could change the way the BLM manages wild horses and burros. The language, included in the fiscal 2024 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies funding bill, would protect the animals from slaughter and increase the use of fertility control by allocating $11 million of the BLMs budget toward this method. The Senate committee decision comes a week after the House Appropriations Committee took a similar step, passing reforms supported by Reps. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill and accompanying report. The report outlines the committees support for a multi-pronged management strategy that includes the use of fertility control, targeted removals from the most heavily ecologically impacted and populated areas, expanding off-range holding facilities, and increasing the number of animals placed into private care. Also included is a recommendation that the BLM consider alternatives to the use of helicopters and manned fixed-wing aircraft in managing wild free-roaming horse and burro populations. Titus, with the support of Schweikert and Cohen, also recently reintroduced the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act, which would prohibit certain uses of aircraft in wild horse gathers. It doesnt have to be this way Leigh, from Wild Horse Education, said that while she supports Tituss bill, she feels that the legislation would be much stronger if it included provisions for investigating capture methods and for exploring safer options. Gann Bice, on the other hand, described recent congressional action as proof that it doesnt have to be this way, stressing fertility control is a winning solution for horse advocates, agricultural interests, environmental interests and the American taxpayer. But she emphasized that it doesnt make sense to blame the horses for ecological damage when they are largely outnumbered by livestock within their habitat. Leigh offered a similar perspective, noting that livestock can outnumber wild horses in an allotment area by 100-to-1. She also expressed concern that cattle grazing enclosures, which are often gated and surrounded by barbed wire, sometimes end up trapping errant horses without water or food. Thats not because we have too many horses. Its because the habitat is too fragmented, Leigh said. Habitat fragmentation and habitat loss is the main driver of problems for all wildlife, wild horses included. Although such cattle grazing can have major consequences, public lands ranching is only responsible for about 3 percent of the countrys meat supply, added Leigh, noting that the industrys time has come and gone. We never talk about how industry is impacting wild horses we try to blame wild horses for an impact to industry, she said. Chris Pritsos, director of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Nevada, countered this notion, stressing that the amount of land available to ranchers is an important factor in how much meat the U.S. can expect to have on the market. But beyond this consideration, he continued, the land is used by other wildlife, such as deer and elk, whose populations are also managed. To say that wild horses dont have to be managed, and that they can dominate the use of that land, is not right and infringes on the right of native animals, he said. Pritsos is a proponent of fertility control and co-administrates a multistate research effort that focuses on identifying the most effective management tools in a changing climate. One of their projects involves fitting female horses with long-term intrauterine devices. Regardless of which fertility control method is being used, Pritsos said he believes gathers are critical to accessing a critical mass of animals. If you are able to gather the horses, then you can individually treat them with the fertility agents and then mark them, so that then you know which ones have been treated, he added. Such strategies, Pritsos explained, are becoming even more important as the effects of climate change, extreme heat and drought take a toll on herd management. Those horses need help. Its really sad when you see these pictures of these horses, just dying out there because of malnutrition, lack of water, he said. Were all for protecting them, but they have to be managed. They cant just be allowed to overrun the range lands, Pritsos added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) African leaders have left two days of meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin with little to show for their requests to resume a deal that kept grain flowing from Ukraine and to find a path to end the war there. Putin in a press conference late Saturday following the Russia-Africa summit said Russias termination of the grain deal earlier this month caused a rise in grain prices that benefits Russian companies. He added that Moscow would share some of those revenues with the poorest nations. That commitment, with no details, follows Putins promise to start shipping 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain for free to each of six African nations in the next three to four months an amount dwarfed by the 725,000 tons shipped by the U.N. World Food Program to several hungry countries, African and otherwise, under the grain deal. Russia plans to send the free grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and Central African Republic. Fewer than 20 of Africas 54 heads of state or government attended the Russia summit, while 43 attended the previous gathering in 2019, reflecting concerns over Russias invasion of Ukraine even as Moscow seeks more allies on the African continent of 1.3 billion people. Putin praised Africa as a rising center of power in the world, while the Kremlin blamed outrageous Western pressure for discouraging some African countries from showing up. The presidents of Egypt and South Africa were among the most outspoken on the need to resume the grain deal. We would like the Black Sea initiative to be implemented and that the Black Sea should be open, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said. We are not here to plead for donations for the African continent. African leaders also called clearly for peace. This war must end and it can only end on the basis of justice and reason," said the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat. The disturbances that it causes in the supply of energy and grain must cease immediately" for the benefit of all, especially Africans. Story continues Putin said Russia would analyze African leaders peace proposal for Ukraine, whose details have not been publicly shared. But the Russian leader asked: Why do you ask us to pause fire? We cant pause fire while were being attacked. The next significant step in peace efforts instead appears to be a Ukrainian-organized peace summit hosted by Saudi Arabia in August. Russia is not invited. Africas nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations and have been more divided than any other region on General Assembly resolutions criticizing Russias actions in Ukraine. Delegations at the summit in St. Petersburg roamed exhibits of weapons, a reminder of Russia's role as the top arms supplier to the African continent. But African nations need more concrete results from such meetings, the AU Commission head told the summit. The trade balance between Russia and Africa, very unbalanced in favor of the first party, must be improved, Mahamat said. At the first Russia-Africa Summit in 2019, Putin vowed to double Russias trade with the continent within five years. Instead, it has stalled at around $18 billion a year. In addition, the strengthening of cooperation on peace and security and the fight against terrorism calls for more deeds and fewer declarations of intent, Mahamat said, while he and other African leaders were rushing to respond to a coup in Niger that could upend the regional response to a growing threat from Islamic extremist groups. Putin in his remarks on Saturday also downplayed his absence from the BRICS economic summit in South Africa next month amid a controversy over an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court. His presence there, Putin said, is not more important than my presence here, in Russia. The Air Force of Ukraine warned of a threat of a Russian drone attack on the night of 29-30 July based on their vector of movement. Source: Air Force of Ukraine Details: The Air Force initially reported the threat of Russian UAV attacks in Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts. Later, they warned of the same threat in other regions. Quote: "Air-raid warnings could be issued in the regions along the vector of movement of attack UAVs. If an air-raid warning is issued in your oblast, go to a shelter!" Update: At 02:32, an air-raid warning was issued in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. At 03:45, the Air Force reported threats of Russian attack UAVs in Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts. Later, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast was added to the list. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Cartoonist Scott Stantis on what it will take to stop gun violence. (Scott Stantis/For the Chicago Tribune) On each Sunday in July, the Tribunes Opinion section has published original essays dealing with a problem that takes so much of our attention 12 months of the year: the scourge of gun violence in Chicago. We hardly needed to reiterate the consequences of the status quo: Gun violence undermines Chicagoans sense of personal safety and traumatizes the citys most vulnerable citizens, it hurts the citys economy and, as anyone who has traveled to other countries well knows, it has tarnished this beautiful and widely loved citys international reputation. As intractable as the problem seems, we have to find a solution together. And that is why we made so much room for these pieces. Advertisement If you read this four-part series again straight through, and we think you should, youll be struck by how many thoughtful Chicagoans from all walks of life are committed to working for this change. For some, it consumes almost every waking moment. Like many problems with political and financial consequences, the world of crime and gun violence prevention has plenty of loud public voices with strong opinions, no bad thing in itself. But a lot of the most important work is done far more quietly, often in one-on-one settings when those involved are staring down the barrel of a gun and we arent employing a metaphor there. Not all of the hardest workers in this field seek acknowledgment; in many cases, we reached out to solicit their views. But as we wrap up this series on these pages, we acknowledge them nonetheless. Advertisement [ Opinion series: Turning the tide on Chicagos gun violence ] We thank all our varied contributors, not just for the op-eds that have dealt so wisely and creatively with this issue, but for their work itself. One conclusion flows out of almost every piece: Police cannot accomplish this mission by themselves. It is the job of the entire city. That message comes through forcefully from the faith leaders, social researchers, community leaders and anti-violence workers, as well as the law enforcement community. Another certainty: As much as everyone seems to have their own theory, some more valid than others, sudden increases or declines in crime are easier to measure than to explain. Thats partly because public perceptions dont always line up with the available data, and trends like a decline in crime may not be equally experienced by all communities. Perceptions matter, even when they distort reality, two participants in our series observe. David Olson and Don Stemen, professors of criminal justice and criminology who also are co-directors of the Center for Criminal Justice at Loyola University Chicago, say that too much focus on the weekly tallies of homicides and shootings leads to the widespread misperception that crime is out of control or there is nothing that can be done. Context always matters, the professors tell us. For example, despite the widely held perception that violent crime is increasing, the total number of serious violent crimes reported to police actually decreased almost every year from 2001 to 2022. Perceptions matter because, while crime and public safety in Chicago are hardly new issues, more time is spent by many leaders and concerned citizens on reporting or complaining about the problems than seeking or finding practical solutions. Advertisement Jason Little, a violence prevention outreach worker with Chicago CRED, revisits the corner where he was shot nearly 20 years ago in the North Lawndale neighborhood on June 29, 2023. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) 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 > Which makes the essays by community violence intervention workers like Jason Little, an outreach worker with Chicago CRED on the citys West Side, particularly valuable. A gripping story of resiliency, he survived a life hustling marijuana on the streets and near-fatal gunshot wounds to become a violence interrupter. His organization tracks shootings and beefs that, thanks in part to social media amplification, quickly lead to shootings, and members visit gunshot victims and their families and share stories that can move young offenders away from the impulse to respond to violence with more violence and self-destruction. I am no longer part of the problem, he concludes. I am part of the solution. We wish him well, along with others who are working to improve their lives against long odds, and we know that Little and other violence prevention workers would like to see others make the same commitment. Littles story, like so many others in the series, illustrates how hope not only can survive dire circumstances but also offer the sort of remedies that can be produced by those who care about shedding more light than heat. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Advertisement Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. It seems straightforward enough: A private landowner should be able to control access to their land. Thats the basic premise behind LandTrust.com, a private land listing site thats being called the Airbnb for outdoor recreation, according to an article by Idaho Statesman reporter Nicole Blanchard. (We believe) a landowner should be able to choose whatever type of access to their land that suits them, whether thats no access, allowing open public access, leasing to outfitters, enrolling in a state-run paid access program like Access Yes, or facilitating access through a platform like LandTrust, LandTrust CEO Nic De Castro wrote in an email to the Statesman. The idea seems simple enough: Private landowners list their land on a website (with an at best misleading name; this is far from what land trusts do), along with their price for outdoor recreationists to use that land. Just like booking a short-term rental, right? But we must recognize the implications of this so-called Airbnb of outdoor recreation. First, the Montana-based company is backed by Texas billionaire brothers Dan and Farris Wilks, who have gobbled up land in Idaho and in some instances gated their property, including to historic access roads to public lands. Yes, LandTrust could be a tool to help people De Castro labels multigenerational farm and ranch families, but it also provides an incentive for the wealthy to scoop up private land, gate it off just like the Wilks brothers have done and then sign up with LandTrust.com to rent out their property to the highest bidder. The Wilks brothers, who also got a controversial and restrictive trespassing law passed in the Idaho Legislature, have three properties listed on the site totaling 8,600 acres, according to Blanchard. Booking land could cost as much as $4,300 for five days of self-guided hunting or $4,500 for bear hunting with a guide, according to the listings. Looking for antler sheds? Thatll be around $100 per day. Bird watching and wildlife photography will run you $82 per guest per day, Blanchard reported. Story continues Its a win-win, all right, as De Castro says. Its a win for wealthy landowners to accumulate even more wealth and its a win for wealthy weekend warriors who are better able to outbid their less-fortunate outdoors enthusiasts for prime hunting, fishing and recreation land in Idaho. This is not the Idaho Way. In all, 63% of the land in Idaho is owned by the public, managed by the state or federal government through its various agencies. In Idaho, were accustomed to recreating, hunting, fishing, backpacking, huckleberry picking, mushroom hunting, shed gathering and bird watching, with little or no payment expected in return. And public land is always under threat in Idaho from anti-government types who dont want anything to do with government land. Keep in mind, too, that these are the same folks who have pushed anti-public lands legislation in Montana, according to Brian Brooks, executive director of the Idaho Wildlife Federation. The other implication hidden in this deal is that LandTrust could provide a slippery slope to whats essentially the privatization of Idahos wildlife. Just as an example of how that might play out, the Wilks brothers in Montana pushed to get legislation passed (fortunately vetoed by Montanas governor) that would have allowed them to build a fence on their Montana ranch to keep elk on their property and off public hunting lands, according to Outside magazine. Further, as Blanchard reported, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks gave Dan Wilks several permits to hunt trophy elk at his N Bar Ranch in what is typically a special permit elk hunt area with slim chances of drawing a tag. Outdoor Life reported that, in exchange, Wilks allowed several Montana hunters to access the 179,000-acre ranch to fill their own tags. We can see where this is going. But, as Brooks said, A billionaire has every chance to draw a tag and get a mule deer as some 16-year-old in high school. Put another way, a billionaire just because hes a billionaire doesnt and shouldnt have a better chance of bagging that prize elk than a 16-year-old kid from Melba has. Tom Page, an Idaho landowner whos on the board of the Idaho Wildlife Federation and the Western Landowners Alliance, told the Statesmans Blanchard that he doesnt have a problem with LandTrust and that it could benefit some Idaho families. But even he can see the writing on the wall. I think the era of free or low-cost hunting (on private land) is going away, he said. Maybe its just a sign of the times, and maybe its an inevitable change in what Idaho is becoming. For those of us who have grown accustomed to Idahos free, open and fair outdoor recreation, its a sad state of affairs. 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. After a man convicted of a sex trafficking offense was released from prison, he was hired as an Amazon driver and exposed himself to a woman during a package delivery, federal prosecutors said. Mark Pinnock, 32, of Boston, was convicted of sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl in 2014 and served an eight-year prison sentence before he was released in 2022 when he started working for Amazon under federal supervision, according to prosecutors. In July 2022, while delivering a package, he exposed his genitals to a woman working as a custodian at a condominium complex in Brockton, Massachusetts, prosecutors said. Pinnock went on to intimidate the woman and threatened to have immigration officials arrest her to stop her from testifying against him in court after she reported him to police, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts. Now, Pinnock has agreed to plead guilty to witness intimidation, the attorneys office announced in a July 28 news release. Information regarding Pinnocks legal representation wasnt listed in court records the morning of July 30. McClatchy News contacted Amazon for comment on July 30 and was awaiting a response. The intimidation and threats On July 25, 2022, Brockton police charged Pinnock with open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior after they said he exposed himself to the woman at the condo complex in the city, according to an information document charging him in the federal case. Since he is accused of committing the state crime while on federal supervised release, a U.S. district judge scheduled a hearing for Nov. 4 to revoke his supervised release, the information says. A week before the hearing, Pinnock had a co-conspirator, who wasnt identified by prosecutors, visit the woman at the condo complex to warn her against testifying against Pinnock in court, according to prosecutors. During the encounter, the co-conspirator stood with his hand in his pocket as if he had something in it, prosecutors said. Story continues Afterward, Pinnock sent a threatening, anonymous text using an encrypted messaging platform to a security guard at the Brockton complex, according to prosecutors. The message said let the cleaning lady know she would be arrested by immigration officials if she were to go to court, prosecutors said. Then, Pinnock called an Immigration and Customs Enforcement tip line three separate times saying the woman was illegally working at the Brockton complex and that she was gang-affiliated, according to the information. He made these calls in the hopes that ICE officials would detain or remove her from the U.S., the information says. If convicted on the charge of witness intimidation, Pinnock would face up to 20 years in prison, the release said. The latest case against Pinnock comes nearly ten years after he was caught with a 15-year-old at a hotel in Cambridge in December 2013, according to an earlier news release from prosecutors. Investigators learned Pinnock was sex trafficking the girl and had directed her to engage in sex acts for money in Boston, prosecutors said. As a result, he was sentenced to eight years in prison on Dec. 15, 2014, after pleading guilty to recruiting and transporting a minor to engage in prostitution, according to officials. Brockton is a city about 25 miles south of Boston. Day care worker took nude photos of children in bathroom, sent them to her ex, feds say Man sex trafficked 13-year-old he met on Facebook as she lived at group home, feds say Delta passenger gropes 15-year-old on flight and is arrested when plane lands, feds say A nurse and her child, both Americans, have been kidnapped amid crime and unrest in Haitis capital, a nonprofit connected to the woman said Saturday. The group, El Roi Haiti, said in a statement that Alix Dorsainvil, a community health nurse married to its founder and director, Sandro Dorsainvil, and the pairs child, were kidnapped Thursday morning from its location near Port-au-Prince. The organization said the two were taken while serving in our community ministry. Image: (Odelyn Joseph / AP) The State Department said Saturday its aware of reports of the kidnapping, is in contact with Haitian authorities, and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners. The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas, the department said in a statement. The kidnappings took place the same day the State Department ordered nonemergency U.S. government employees and families to leave Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure. Gangs have taken over a vast majority of Port au Princes street geography, making crime and chaos rampant and prompting more than 165,00 Haitians to abandon their homeland, according to a United Nations report last month. Gang attacks, extrajudicial killings, kidnappings and gender-based violence have become part of the daily lives of Haitians, forcing locals to flee their homes, the U.N. said in June. Some Haitians seeking safety and order have camped out next to the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince. The assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021 precipitated the chaos, as the nations government never recovered from the shock to its leadership. Haiti has also been ravaged this century by two devastating earthquakes including one shortly after Moises assassination and has struggled with political chaos, violence and poverty. Story continues El Roi Haiti, a Christian organization, said it would keep pressing for the return of Alix Dorsainvil and her child. We continue to work with our partners and trusted relationships to secure their safe return, it said. The organization described Dorsainvil as deeply compassionate and a loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family. In an El Roi Haiti video posted to Vimeo roughly three years ago, Alix Dorsainvil says shes a nurse from New Hampshire invited by Sandro Dorsainvil to care for school children in Haiti. He said that was a big need that they had, she said in the video. At first I didnt think that there was going to be much of a need there. But when I got there there were so many cases. Sandro Dorsainvil grew up in a rough neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, according to his El Roi Haiti bio. He attended a Christian high school in the United States before pursuing undergraduate studies at Liberty University in Virginia, it said. He ultimately returned to his homeland and founded the nonprofit with the idea faith can help revive the country. This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com A New Hampshire woman and her child were abducted Thursday near Haitis capital, officials close to the family said. The same day, the U.S. told citizens to leave Haiti immediately due to high gang violence and kidnappings. Alix Dorsainvil and her child were abducted Thursday morning from the El Roi Haitis campus near Port-au-Prince, the organization said. El-Roi is a faith-based humanitarian group that does outreach in Haitian communities. Dorsainvil, a community nurse, is the wife of the groups director and was doing work for the organization when she was abducted. Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family, the organization said. Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus. The U.S. Department of State said it is aware of reports of the kidnapping and are in regular contact with Haitian authorities. The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas, the agency said. Also on Thursday, the State Department ordered non-emergency staff at its embassy in Port-au-Prince to leave Haiti with their eligible family members. A Do Not Travel advisory, the highest level, was also reissued for Haiti advising U.S. citizens to leave the country immediately. The order and advisory come after recent armed clashes between criminal groups and police in the countrys capital. The National Human Rights Defense Network said at least 40 people were abducted, 75 murdered and several others escaped assassination attempts between May 1 and July 12, the Washington Post reported. A banned books display is seen at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, Calif., in September 2022. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI July 30 (UPI) -- A new law that was set to go into effect Tuesday and allow for librarians to be criminally charged for offering "harmful" materials has been blocked by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks granted a preliminary injunction Saturday after a coalition of libraries across the state filed a lawsuit stating the law, signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, violated their constitutional rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Brooks also denied a petition by defendants in Crawford County to have the case dismissed, court records obtained by UPI show. The judge appeared to question the necessity of the law, noting that Arkansas "already criminalizes providing obscenity to minors" and that librarians have often had safe harbor of prosecuted for disseminating materials claimed to be obscene. "That immunity has not been questioned since the Arkansas Supreme Court found the exemption 'reasonable on its face' nearly four decades ago," Brooks wrote, adding that it protected librarians from "meritless claims." "For more than a century, librarians have curated the collections of public libraries to serve diverse viewpoints, helped high school students with their term papers, made recommendations to book clubs, tracked down obscure books for those devoted to obscure pastimes, and mesmerized roomfuls of children with animated storytelling," Brooks wrote. "So, the passage of Act 372 prompts a few simple, yet unanswered questions. For example: What has happened in Arkansas to cause its communities to lose faith and confidence in their local librarians?" Brooks said that, though public libraries are overseen by state and local governments, they are "not to be mistaken for simply an arm of the state." Arlington police are investigating after multiple vehicles were found painted with racist and vulgar phrases and images early Saturday morning. Police received multiple reports of vehicles being vandalized with spray paint overnight, according to Arlington police: Around 5:54 a.m., officers responded to a home in the 2300 block of East Timberview Lane. A man staying at the house came outside to find someone had vandalized his vehicle overnight. Around 5:15 a.m., officers responded to a home in the 5500 block of Safari Trail where two vehicles parked outside had been tagged. Around 6:35 a.m., officers responded to the 900 block of Moorhead Court where they located two vehicles at two different homes that had been vandalized. Around 10:30 a.m., officers responded to a home in the 5500 block of Four Winds Drive where a vehicle was spray painted. All four residences are within a four-mile radius from each other. In an updated news release Sunday night, Arlington police said their investigation has determined that a total of 17 vehicles were tagged with graffiti between Friday night and Saturday morning. The vandalism occurred in several neighborhoods on the east and south sides of the city. These incidents appear to be random, police said in the release. We do not have any evidence that would indicate any of the victims vehicles were specifically targeted by the vandals. The victims are multiple races, genders and ages. Our detectives have been busy working to identify the suspects and canvassing the affected neighborhoods for information and surveillance video, the release said. Based on their investigation, we can now say we do believe all of these incidents are connected and were likely committed by the same individuals. There have been no arrests made. Arlington police ask residents who live near the areas of the vandalized vehicles to check their surveillance footage from overnight and call the non-emergency dispatch at 817-274-4444 if their cameras captured anything. Results of a previous attack on the Chonhar road bridge linking Ukraines Kherson Oblast and Crimea The Ukrainian Armed Forces have confirmed that they carried out a successful air attack on a bridge linking the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast with Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimea, near the town of Chonhar. The Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Telegram reported that the attack was carried out on the morning of July 29. "The Defense Forces of Ukraine successfully struck the Chonhar bridge in the morning of 07/29/2023. Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine!" the department said in a short message, without giving any further details. The Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast is connected to Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimea by both road and rail bridges in the north-eastern part of the Crimean Peninsula. Earlier, the Russian-installed head of the occupation authorities in Kherson Oblast, Volodymyr Saldo, said that on July 29the Defense Forces allegedly tried to destroy the railway bridge between the oblast and Crimea. At the time, he said 12 long-range Storm Shadow missiles were allegedly shot down by Russian air defenses. Russian authorities typically claim that all attacking missiles are shot down by air defenses. Meanwhile, Russian tourists claimed in social media chats that all cars had been stopped at a checkpoint in front of Chonhar, saying that the Chonhar bridge was closed because it had been "blown up." Moreover, damage to the bridge was reported by local residents. Read also: Could Ukrainian forces cut off Russian supply lines in the south? The bridges linking the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast with the north-eastern part of the Crimean Peninsula have been attacked several times. After an earlier attack on the Chonhar road bridge on July 5, the Ukrainian militarys General Staff confirmed that the bridge had been hit by Storm Shadow cruise missiles. The Russian invasion forces also said there had been an attack on the night of June 22 on the Chonhar road bridge. Story continues At that time, Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, succinctly reacted to the attack on the Chongar bridge, saying that "there will be more." The Kremlin has refused to comment on the attack on the bridge: the press secretary of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Dmytro Peskov, referred journalists to the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment. 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 Germany reports 61 citizens accused of extremism left for Ukraine, 39 specifically joined war on both sides Around 60 German citizens accused of extremism or politically motivated crimes are believed to be involved in the war on both sides of the front in Ukraine, Germanys Welt am Sonntag reported on July 29, citing data from the German Interior Ministry. Out of the total 61 German citizens who went to Ukraine, 39 specifically went to engage in the war. Among them, 27 are fighting on the Russian side, and 12 are on the Ukrainian side. German law enforcement authorities have gathered evidence indicating their involvement in combat. The individuals in question are identified as both left and right extremists, according to the German Ministry of the Interior. Read also: Poland to bolster military, border security over Wagner threat, says deputy PM The publication highlights that a larger number of Germans may be participating in hostilities in Ukraine, including ex-servicemen who joined Ukraines Foreign Legion a unit of Ukraines regular army. However, the authorities are currently monitoring only those individuals accused of extremism. Additionally, it is noted that German citizens have the legal right to participate in the war in Ukraine if they join regular armed forces or equivalent volunteer formations that do not operate as mercenaries. 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 Marielle Franco mural The Brazilian Justice Minister earlier this week announced a plea agreement with one of two police officers accused of assassinating Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco, a Black lesbian and human rights activist who was killed by gunfire from a passing car in 2018. Former police officers Ronnie Less and Elcio de Queiroz have been in custody for the crime since their arrests in 2019. At a press conference on Monday, AFP reported Justice Minister Flavio Dino said Queiroz confirmed his participation and that of Ronnie Lessa in the killing of Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, that took place on March 14, 2018, following a chase on the streets of Rio. Queiroz reportedly admitted he drove the car used in the assassination but claimed Lessa fired the gun that killed Franco. Dino said the investigation has pointed to a wider conspiracy involving elements of organized crime and paramilitary groups. Prosecutor Eduardo Morais Martins said Queiroz implicated Maxwell Simoes Correia, a former firefighter who allegedly hid the weapons used in the killing and played a key role before and after the attack, most notably by conducting surveillance on Franco and arranging the acquisition and disposal of the vehicle. Correia was arrested at his home in Rio on Monday, where he was under house arrest for obstruction of justice in the case. Francos sister, Anielle, thanked investigate for the progress to date but wondered aloud when justice would be served for those who ordered the assassination. Anielle currently serves as minister of racial equality. I reaffirm my trust in the federal police running the investigation and repeat the question I have been asking for the last five years: who ordered Marielles killing and why? Anielle wrote on Twitter. (@) Dino on Monday said the investigation is moving forward. Chengdu Universiade | Face-changing performance leaves indelible mark at opening ceremony Xinhua) 09:33, July 30, 2023 Face-changing performance debuts at the opening ceremony of the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Qing) A typical Sichuan Opera performance, face-changing made its debut at the Chengdu Universiade opening ceremony, showcasing this traditional cultural element to the global younger generation. CHENGDU, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Amid thunderous applause, the face-changing performance of Sichuan Opera made its debut at the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade on Friday night, putting the traditional practice to an unprecedented level with cyberpunk-style music and Chinese civilization features. Performers donned red, green, yellow and blue masks, shifting their expressions with lightning speed and showcasing an impressive display of four different masks. "Having 30 performers change faces accurately, skillfully and refined is an extremely challenging feat," shared Kang Yong, a national level actor from Chengdu's Sichuan Opera Research Institute. Kang Yong (R), leader as well as director of face-changing performing squad, helps performer Ren Xin with her headwear prior to an opening ceremony rehearsal on July 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) Remarkably, all those 30 performers are the college students from Sichuan Film and Television Academy, who had little exposure to the traditional art performance three months ago. They delivered the group performance that left the audience spellbound. The past three months witnessed them practicing tirelessly, with collective rehearsal sessions lasting up to nine hours per day. Despite the demanding schedule, each of them kept cherishing their aspiration to shine on the grand stage. "Performers used to change three faces, then advance to six faces, and those skillful performers can change nine faces, with the entire act lasting several minutes," said Kang. Through over 30 years of experience, Kang achieved his personal artistic breakthrough, astoundingly transforming his face 12 times in just 20 seconds. At the opening ceremony, Kang's final change to the "Panda Face" left the audience a memorable impression, with the hand-painted face of Hua Hua, the most lovely panda in the world, adding a distinctive touch of cuteness. Kang's final change to the "Panda Face" during the opening ceremony. (Xinhua/Wu Gang) "It is a bold step in inheritance and innovation, taking the traditional practice to new heights," said Kang. The face-changing of Sichuan opera, showcased at this global gathering of young minds, contributed to a deeper understanding of the Chinese civilization among the younger generation. Chen Weiya, the chief director of the ceremony, was confident that the cultural experience for the college students through the Universiade would have long-lasting effects upon their personal growth and appreciation for diverse cultures. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) A July 21, 2022, aerial view of the waters of Biscayne Bay surrounding Hibiscus Island, which is crowded with residential homes, in Miami. Miami and Miami Beach are expected to be profoundly affected by rising sea levels due to climate change. (Joe Raedle/Getty) One need only look around to see a significant increase in global temperatures, flooding, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes and more. There is one political party that promotes the increased use of fossil fuels and more gas and oil pipelines, and at least one state, Florida, has banned the use of the term climate change in government publications. In the interest of increased profits for gas and oil companies, this party has put its collective head in the sand, ignoring the existential threat to our planet. Advertisement The other guys are doing as much as possible, given the constraints of a divided government, to promote alternative power sources such as wind and solar that do not increase the temperature of our planet. If voters want to leave a livable planet to their children and grandchildren, they need to vote for the other guys. Advertisement David Grossman, Chicago It gets weirder and weirder I dont know how much weirder it can get, but nothing surprises me anymore. We are experiencing the highest temperatures on record. Huge wildfires. Torrential rains. Anyone who is a climate change denier must be living in an alternative universe. Then theres Donald Trump. Enough said. Hes still getting too much press coverage for his antics, which are getting even more bizarre. However, except for Chris Christie, no other Republican candidate wants to challenge him or Ron DeSantis on each mans extremist views. The latest is the plan to consolidate power in the presidency. Are we 1930s Germany or 2023 America? Republicans everywhere have succumbed to these fringe ideologies. Im a registered Republican, an endangered species in Illinois. Congress is dysfunctional, which isnt surprising but sad. I still dont know what we can do about the record mass shootings. We are a very polarized society today. Im sure the Founding Fathers would be turning over in their respective graves if they could see us as we are. All this, and were coming up on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, just three years away. Charles Wilt, Cary Pritzker, Dems owe us action Articles in the Tribune make me wonder when Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Democrats have abandoned the environment. Air quality is compromised by ozone and wildfire smoke, the country is in a stifling heat wave, there are water shortages in the Southwest, everyone pretty much agrees climate change is a problem and yet there are stories on projects that threaten the environment. Advertisement Adding two toll lanes to Interstate 55 would increase traffic congestion and air pollution. Working-class neighborhoods like Little Village, already suffering from air quality issues, would be further put at risk. This is a bad idea. How can the state even allow the high-risk drilling project in central Illinois to store tons of carbon dioxide underground? Drillers have worked 24 hours a day, and according to the Tribune (Theyve created chaos, July 24), farm families living right across the road were not informed nor consulted. There are significant safety issues with pipelines transporting carbon dioxide from all over the country to be stored in Illinois. And then there is the Lake County Forest Preserve District plan to give 52 acres of open space in the Waukegan Savanna to create an extended runway with a price tag of more than $180 million for a handful of corporate jets, which produce 14 times more pollution per passenger than commercial passenger planes. And at the same time, the governor and Democratic majorities in the legislature didnt approve converting the abandoned Route 53 right of way into a state park, which would improve air quality. I urge Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democratic Party to refocus on the core principles of the party, stand up for the environment and not bow to big corporate and big labor interests. All these anti-environment projects should be stopped right now. Bill Morris, retired Democratic state senator and mayor of Waukegan Hunger crises need our help Russias withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal with Ukraine is the latest blow to the worlds hungry. This alarming news comes after the new United Nations report showing 122 million more people are facing hunger worldwide since 2019. Advertisement With hunger worsening, everyone needs to take action from world leaders to citizens. Russia must rejoin the grain deal, which allowed food from Ukraine to be safely shipped to countries that depend on it. Ukraines massive supply of grain has been at risk since Russias brutal invasion began last year. With so many nations in severe hunger emergencies, we cannot afford to be losing food supplies. This years United Nations State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report revealed around 735 million people are currently facing hunger, compared with 613 million in 2019. Conflicts, drought caused by climate change, the pandemic, Russias invasion of Ukraine and high food prices have all put more people into the pit of hunger. 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 > But whats making it worse is the lack of resources to combat hunger. Just recently, the U.N. World Food Program, or WFP, announced reductions in food aid to West Africa, Haiti and refugees in the Middle East because of low funding. WFP depends on voluntary donations from governments and the public. I urge readers to tell Congress to support funding increases for global food aid. Host a hunger relief event to educate and encourage others to join you. You can also urge Congress to support the Farm Bill and reauthorize the Food for Peace program, which feeds the hungry and promotes peace. A critical aspect of Food for Peace is funding the peanut paste PlumpyNut that saves children from deadly malnutrition. Reauthorization of the Farm Bill should also include the McGovern-Dole program that provides school meals in impoverished countries. The only path to a world at peace is by defeating hunger, and each of us can lead in making this noble cause happen. Advertisement William Lambers, Cincinnati, Ohio Join the conversation in our Letters to the Editor Facebook group. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Russian troops attacked Sumy Oblast 25 times during the past day, and 122 explosions were observed. Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration Details: 17 settlements in nine hromadas, including Sumy, Krasnopillia, Bilopillia, Yunakivka, Myropillia, Shalyhyne, Esman, Seredyna-Buda, Nova Sloboda were attacked [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories ed.]. In particular, the Russians launched a missile attack on an educational institution in Sumy, destroying one of the buildings of the educational institution. Shalyhyne hromada came under mortar fire, there were two explosions. The Russians deployed mortars to attack Esman hromada, there were seven explosions. Krasnopillia hromada came under mortar fire, there were 15 explosions, and Russian forces also attacked the area, using a self-propelled howitzer; there were three explosions. 38 explosions were observed in Bilopillia hromada due to mortar fire, and eight explosions from tubed artillery occurred there. There were nine explosions from tubed artillery in the Shalyhyne hromada, and one residential building was damaged. The Nova Sloboda hromada came under attack using multiple launcher rocket systems (ten explosions), mortars (12 explosions), and grenade launcher (29 explosions). Two residential buildings, two farm buildings, and power line were damaged. The Yunakivka hromada came under artillery fire, there were eight explosions. Seredyna Buda also came under artillery fire, there was one explosion. The Myropillia hromada came under mortar attack, there were two explosions. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Australia's army chief says the military is grounding a fleet of military helicopters after a crash left four crew members missing. Lt Gen Simon Stuart said none of the army's 45 MRH-90 Taipan helicopters would be flown again until they were found to be safe. The crash took place during a US-Australian military exercise off Lindeman Island on Friday night. Australia has previously grounded its Taipans for safety reasons. "We are not flying the MRH-90 today and won't until we think it is safe to do so," Gen Stuart told reporters in Sydney on Sunday. Friday's crash happened at about 22:30 local time (12:30 GMT) over the Whitsundays, a group of islands off the coast of Queensland. The missing soldiers onboard the aircraft have been identified by the army as Capt Danniel Lyon, Lt Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Cpl Alexander Naggs. All belonged to the Sixth Aviation Regiment, based in Sydney. The helicopter went down during drills as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre, the largest bilateral military training exercise between Australia and the US. Canberra had announced before the crash that it would be replacing its ageing European-made Taipan helicopters with US-made Black Hawks. Officials had complained about having to repeatedly ground the fleet for maintenance and safety issues. The fleet was pulled from the skies after an engine failure in one of the helicopters during a training exercise in March, forcing the crew to ditch into the sea off the coast of New South Wales. There were no casualties and the other MRH-90s were returned to operations on 6 April with "risk mitigations". Gen Stuart said the current aim was to keep the Taipans in service until 2024 but "what happens between now and then, from what we learn from this incident, is yet to be determined". Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the recent crash as a stark reminder "that there are no safe or easy days for those who serve in our country's name". US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking in the northern city of Townsville, said the US would provide any assistance it could. Warning: This story contains spoilers for "Barbie." Greta Gerwigs Barbie had fans crying and laughing until the very last line of the film. According to Gerwig, who wrote and directed the box office hit that raked in $155 million opening weekend at the North American box office, that last hilarious line has several layers of significance. At the end of the movie, Margot Robbie who portrays "stereotypical" Barbie makes the decision to trade an eternity in Barbie Land for a human life in the real world. The last scene captures Robbie dressed in business casual attire as she is dropped off in front of an office building by America Ferreras character, Gloria, for what seems to be a job interview. However, when Robbie reaches the reception area, she proudly declares, Im here to see my gynecologist. Gerwig told USA Today in an interview published July 22 that with Barbie, it was important for her that everything operated on at least two levels. The director noted that while she wanted the line to serve as a "mic drop kind of joke" to end the film, she also found it to be "very emotional." When I was a teenage girl, I remember growing up and being embarrassed about my body, and just feeling ashamed in a way that I couldnt even describe," she explained. "It felt like everything had to be hidden." She added, "And then to see Margot as Barbie, with this big old smile on her face, saying what she says at the end with such happiness and joy. I was like if I can give girls that feeling of, Barbie does it, too thats both funny and emotional," Gerwig continued. "There are so many things like that throughout the movie. It was always about looking for the levity and the heart. In the week since Barbie premiered, fans many clad in head-to-toe pink or Barbie-themed costumes have celebrated Gerwigs storytelling and the movies stars for their performances. Story continues TODAYs Jenna Bush Hager was among the fans praising the film, sharing on-air that she cried multiple times during the movie, which she saw with her 7-year-old daughter, Poppy. Jenna shared her love of the movies storyline, which discussed what it means to be human, what it means to be a woman, what it means to be a mother, all of those things, she said. "I was weeping," she added. In addition to the overarching message of the film, fans on social media have been open about how they have resonated with one scene in particular, during which Ferrera's character delivers an emotional monologue. Ferreras big moment comes after Robbie's Barbie expresses that she feels like she will never be good enough. In the sprawling speech, her character explores the many contradictions of womanhood, including the dueling expectations of women when it comes to how they should look and behave. Theres no woman in my life who those words arent true for, Ferrera told the Los Angeles Times about her monologue. Not a single one. And when we hear the truth, it hits in a certain way, and you cant unhear it, right? This article was originally published on TODAY.com Rep. Bennie Johnson (D-Miss.), chairman of the Houses select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, said the hearings on the insurrection helped put significant pressure on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to begin a probe into former President Trumps efforts to overturn the election. I think our investigation made the case, Thompson said Saturday on MSNBC, adding I think those hearings, we held, put significant pressure on the Department of Justice to come forward. I think up until that point of the hearings, it could have gone either way. But I think the compelling argument that we made as a committee for millions of Americans as to how close we came to losing our democracy, [the Justice Department] really didnt have a choice, he continued. And when the special prosecutor was put forth, I think we helped make his case. His remarks come after Trump announced last week that his team received a letter from DOJ indicating he is target of special counsel Jack Smiths Jan. 6 investigation focusing on his effort to stay in power after losing the election in 2020 to now-President Biden. Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Bidens DOJ sent a letter (again it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment, Trump wrote last week on Truth Social about the letter. The Jan. 6 select committee under Thompsons leadership spent roughly 18 months in the last session of Congress investigating the insurrection including interviews with more than 1,000 witnesses and reporting its findings during a slew of public hearings. Following the release of its final report, the committee suggested to DOJ that criminal charges were the obvious next step. We were not as a committee a prosecutorial body. So actually, we had to move the documents over, Thompson explained on Saturday. But we had testimony. We had witnesses, we identified all the false electors who tried to make the case that Donald Trump was their candidate, all those things, people wouldnt have looked at it. Story continues And I think we actually helped the Department of Justice get to where they are now, he added. Thompson isnt the first member of the committee to chime in after the target letter, either. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) made similar comments last week, arguing the committees work compelled the DOJ to look into possible criminal charges against the former president. Im not sure that would have happened in the absence of the work that we did on the January 6 committee, Schiff said on the show. Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) have also commented. The former presidents legal woes only grew this week after Smith levied new charges against Trump in the classified documents case. The superseding indictment accuses the former president pushed to delete surveillance footage at his Mar-a-Lago resort and willfully retained an additional sensitive document bringing his total counts for the classified documents case to 40. If the Biden administration moves forward with an indictment in the Jan. 6 case, it would bring the total to three. He is also facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records over his alleged role in a hush money scheme ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The Hills Steff Danielle Thomas contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (front L to R) US President Joe Biden, Israel's caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid, outgoing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (back 3rd L), and Transport Minister Merav Michaeli (2nd R)stand after posing for a commemorative picture at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Lod near Tel Aviv, on July 13, 2022. (JACK GUEZ) They have known each other for decades, rubbing shoulders at countless international events, but there is little love lost between US President Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu as the Israeli prime minister faces a full-blown crisis over a contested judicial reform. For the Democratic president, a fervent supporter of Israel for a half-century, the dilemma has become increasingly public as he seeks ways to work with the most far-right Israeli government in history. While Biden continues to insist on the "ironclad" nature of America's support for its Israeli ally, he describes that country's government as the most "extremist" he has known. And while Biden has urged caution over the judicial reform, even denouncing it, the Israeli leader moves ahead unbudged, describing it as a "minor correction" despite the massive protests it has spawned in his country and the sharp criticism from abroad. It is striking: while Biden has involved himself in an Israeli internal matter to a degree rare for a US president, his influence remains clearly limited. - 'Regrettable' - The White House on Monday described as "regrettable" the approval by the Israeli Knesset of a key measure in the judicial reform plan, which backers insist provides a needed rebalancing of power between the branches of government. In an unusual move, the US president invited to the White House a New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, to underscore his opposition to a reform that Biden considers "a source of division." Beyond the reform itself, the Biden administration has not hidden its frustration over Israeli settlement in Palestinian territories, which has gone on despite repeated US calls for the two sides to de-escalate and avoid unilateral measures. But while Washington continues its pro-forma advocacy of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, it seems increasingly to be preaching in the wilderness. Story continues The latest tensions are reminiscent of those between President Barack Obama and Netanyahu in 2015, when Biden was vice president and the United States was negotiating a nuclear agreement with Iran, to the manifest displeasure of Israel. That agreement has been moribund since then president Donald Trump, who was close to Netanyahu, withdrew from the pact in 2018. Repeated efforts by Biden to revive it have been futile. These tensions surfaced again in a squabble over whether Netanyahu would be invited to the White House for the first time since he returned to power late last year. In a seeming snub to the prime minister, Biden last week hosted the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, a political moderate. In an ABC interview, Netanyahu denied being snubbed, saying Biden had indeed invited him to the White House, a meeting he said would probably take place in September. But the White House, clearly irritated, would confirm neither the venue nor the exact timing, saying only that the two men would "meet in the United States later this year." - 'Not going to happen' - Despite everything, experts agree that American support for Israel is not about to weaken. There have been calls, including from the left wing of the Democratic Party, for a reduction in US military aid to Israel. But American diplomats flatly rule that out. "I'll just say that that is not going to happen," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters. Each year, the US sends $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel. Max Boot of the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington said he expects that "we'll have tense relationships between Biden and Netanyahu going forward." "Part of why Netanyahu is willing to be so confrontational with Biden," he said, is that "he feels secure in the backing that he has from Republicans on the Hill, who basically adopted an Israel right-or-wrong position." That dynamic will not have escaped Biden, who is running for election to a second term in office next year. But Boot believes Netanyahu's close alignment to the Trump-led wing of the Republican Party carries a risk -- that of "alienating a lot of other sectors of American public opinion." In the meantime, the United States and Israel are pushing hard for a normalization of ties between the Jewish state and Saudi Arabia, which would be a tectonic shift in the Middle East that Riyadh intends to bargain hard for. "We're working on it," Netanyahu told ABC on Thursday. He was speaking as US national security advisor Jake Sullivan was in Jeddah for talks for the second time in a few months, and on the heels of a June visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. lb/bbk/dw/tjj Former Attorney General Bill Barr said that he opposes former President Trump getting the GOP nomination but declined whether to say he would support him in the general election if pitted against President Biden. I have made clear that I strongly oppose Trump for the nomination and will not endorse Trump, Barr told NBC News for a poll. When asked how he would vote if Trump faced Biden in the general election, Barr said, Ill jump off that bridge when I get to it. The NBC News poll reached out to 44 former members of Trumps administration to ask whether they would support Trumps third bid to the White House. Most did not respond, and just four, including his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, said they would support him during the 2024 presidential election. Barr has been a strong critic of the former president over the past year and has been one of several former Trump administration officials who have broken with the former president over a federal indictment that includes 40 charges of mishandling classified documents and obstruction of justice. Barr said last month that Trump was a consummate narcissist, adding that the former president regularly engages in reckless conduct. Barr has also called the indictment against Trump damning, saying that the former president was wrong to take classified documents. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. An ambulance at the scene of an explosion in Pakistan Rescue 1122 Head Quarters via AP At least 43 people were killed and 200 wounded on Sunday in a blast at a political rally in northwest Pakistan. The explosion occurred in the Khyber Pakhtunnkhwa province and was set off by a suicide bomber, provincial police chief Akhtar Hayat Khan told local media. The rally was organized by the Islamist Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl party, and one of its local leaders, Maulana Ziaullah, was killed in the blast. Officials believe Islamic State Khorasan, an ISIS affiliate, could be behind the bombing, as the group previously targeted Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl due to its relationship with the Taliban in Afghanistan, The New York Times reported. Islamic State Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K, does not think the Taliban is strict enough. Earlier this year, Pakistani Taliban militants attacked a mosque in Peshawar and launched an assault against the police headquarters in Karachi. Asfandyar Mir, a senior expert at the United States Institute of Peace, told the Times that Sunday's bombing "is yet another reminder that militancy remains ascendant in Pakistan and insecurity is likely to rise in the coming months." Groups like ISIS-K and the Pakistani Taliban, Mir added, "are trying to carve out space for themselves in the country, and that creates incentives for each of these groups to try to distinguish themselves" through their attacks. You may also like Homepage Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Saturday that U.S. assistance to Niger is in jeopardy, following a military takeover of the countrys democratically elected government earlier this week. Our economic and security partnership with Niger which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days, Blinken said at a press conference in Brisbane, Australia. So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed, he continued. However, the secretary of state has so far declined to label the apparent seizure of power in the country a coup. Regardless of what we call this, the fact remains that the very significant assistance that we have in place and thats making a material difference in the lives of the people of Niger is clearly in jeopardy, Blinken added. And weve communicated that as clearly as we possibly can to those responsible for disrupting the constitutional order and Nigers democracy. Members of Nigers presidential guard announced on Wednesday night that they had overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum. The group, which is calling itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the countrys new leader on Friday. While Blinken issued warnings on Saturday, France and the European Union opted to cut off financial assistance to the country, maintaining that Bazoum is only legitimate president of Niger and calling for his return to power, according to Al Jazeera. The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. TORONTO (AP) The Toronto Blue Jays strengthened their depleted bullpen Sunday by acquiring right-hander Jordan Hicks in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. Toronto sent minor league right-handers Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse to St. Louis for the 26-year-old Hicks. The Blue Jays (59-47) are tied with Houston in the wild-card race, four games behind Tampa Bay. Toronto trails Baltimore by five games in the AL East. A five-year veteran who had spent his entire career with the Cardinals, Hicks is 1-6 with a 3.67 ERA and eight saves in 11 chances. The hard-throwing Hicks has struck out 59 batters in 41 2/3 innings while walking 24. Toronto put closer Jordan Romano on the 15-day injured list Saturday because of a sore back. Romano left the July 11 All-Star Game in Seattle because of back pain and did not pitch for the Blue Jays again until July 20. He left with two outs in the ninth inning of Fridays 4-1 win over the Angels and was replaced by Yimi Garcia. Toronto lost Sundays series finale when Garcia, who was pitching for the third straight day, gave up Hunter Renfroes two-run homer in the 10th. It was the first time this season Garcia had pitched on three consecutive days. The Blue Jays could get more relief help when right-hander Chad Green returns from Tommy John surgery. Green, who had elbow surgery last May, signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with Toronto in January. The former Yankee made his third rehab appearance with Class-A Dunedin on Saturday and is expected to move up to Triple-A Buffalo next. Kloffenstein was 5-5 with a 3.24 ERA in 17 starts at Double-A New Hampshire. Robberse, who is from the Netherlands, was 3-5 with a 4.06 ERA in 18 starts for the Fisher Cats. Right-hander Mitch White was designated for assignment to make room for Hicks on Torontos 40-man roster. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports I've ridden Brightline trains a few times before and I wanted to compare its premium and smart classes. Christina Jane I rode the Brightline train on both of the offered class fares, smart and premium. Smart tickets on Brightline can start at $10 one-way, while premium tickets tend to start at $27. With additional offerings that enhance the experience, premium is worth the extra money. Since their inception in 2018, the Brightline trains in Florida are arguably some of the most efficient sources of public transport to be introduced to the state. With operations in six cities, including hotspots like Miami, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, Brightline stands as a paragon of efficient and enjoyable train travel. The passenger train offers two ticket options: smart and premium, both offering riders a different experience. I rode the train from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale with a smart ticket and rode premium from West Palm Beach to Miami. Here's how both of the fare classes compare, based on my experience. Premium tickets are typically about triple the price of smart tickets. You can purchase Brightline tickets online or in person at a station Christina Jane The most obvious difference between Brightline's smart and premium options are the ticket prices. Smart fares start at $10 one-way, and premium tickets often start at $27, depending on the time of travel and route being taken. For a smart ride from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale, I paid $17 one-way. My premium ticket from West Palm Beach to Miami was $37 each way. The difference in price between smart and premium can be significant even when comparing options on the same route. For example, riding the train from West Palm Beach to Miami can be $15 with smart or $37 with premium. I've found the closer you buy your tickets to the date you plan on riding the train, the higher the price will be, so plan ahead if you want to save money. As a premium-ticket holder, I got access to a not-crowded lounge with unlimited complimentary snacks and drinks. From cheese and salad to a fully stocked beverage bar, I found the eating options to be very impressive. Christina Jane Brightline offers passengers in both classes access to a lounge where they can comfortably await their boarding time. It's perhaps the biggest selling point when deciding whether or not to upgrade to a premium ticket. Story continues The lounge for premium-ticket holders includes an array of delectable snack offerings, like cheese and fruit, plus refreshing hot and cold beverages, like coffee and soda. After a busy morning that involved skipping breakfast to make the long drive to the train station, having some small bites to satisfy me until I reached my final destination was convenient. I was pleasantly surprised by the many options offered and how much of a difference complimentary food and drinks can make when you've been traveling. Upon request, Brightline also offers adapters and chargers for premium-ticket holders and access to a scanner, printer, or conference rooms in the stations. I found the smart lounge was more crowded and didn't have as many amenities. The smart lounge in West Palm Beach before it filled up. Christina Jane The smart lounge doesn't offer as much as the premium one, but it's still very comfortable. One con is that, depending on which station you're at, the lounge can get crowded as there are likely to be more people in the smart class than the premium. I found the crowds in the smart lounge to be a bit overwhelming, but the space emptied out fairly quickly as people went to board their train. Both the smart and premium lounges have ample seating space, free Wi-Fi, and charging ports to use as you wait to board, so the main thing you're missing out on lounge-wise with the smart ticket is the complimentary drinks and snacks. If you show up to the train station just in time to board your train, the lounge experience won't really matter but it may be worth having a premium ticket if you have to be at the station for a notable amount of time before your ride. The premium ticket allows you to choose preferred seats ahead of time, but smart seats are automatically assigned. On the left is the double seating on the train and on the right is the quad seating with a table in the center. Christina Jane Preferred seating on the train is available for premium passengers. Before purchasing your ticket online or at the station, you can select where you'd like to sit on the train. When choosing, you can see which seats face the rear or are next to a window or aisle. While riding in the premium class, I was traveling with another person so we chose to sit together on the train in a double-seat row. I rode the smart class alone and was assigned an aisle seat that was rear-facing and in a quad-seated arrangement with a full table in the middle. Thankfully, I was the only one in the section and the train was fairly empty. I imagine it would've been awkward to sit facing a stranger for an entire train ride ... or maybe it would've been a great opportunity to meet someone new! Premium-ticket holders receive priority boarding, which was nice but didn't feel necessary. Premium passengers can get on the train first. Christina Jane Premium-ticket holders are among the first to board at the Brightline MiamiCentral and West Palm Beach stations, with smart-ticket holders able to board shortly after. I don't think priority boarding is that enticing because, in my experience, the boarding process for Brightline trains is exceptionally smooth for smart passengers. Once the barrier separating the lounge from escalators that lead to the train tracks is lifted by a Brightline employee, passengers simply make their way to their seats. If boarding the Brightline train had the same stress levels as boarding a plane, priority boarding might've enhanced the travel experience, but it's a perk for premium fare that I don't think is a high selling point. Seats for both of the fare classes were fairly similar, but premium seats were a little bigger. I found seats in both smart and premium to be spacious. Christina Jane Seating on the Brightline Train includes single, double, or quad seating depending on where you sit in each car. Typically, smart seats are 19 inches wide, and premium seats are 21 inches wide. Aside from that, I found there aren't many differences between seats in smart and premium. Both fare classes have free onboard Wi-Fi, charging ports at every seat, tray or full-sized tables, and a great amount of legroom if you're seated in a single or double seat. Legroom may only be an issue if you are traveling alone and are placed in a quad seat with someone seated in front of you. Overall, I felt very comfortable traveling in both of the fare classes, and found the seating was of similar quality in both. Premium-ticket holders also receive complimentary food and drinks on board. I was offered drinks and snacks at the start of my ride when I was in premium class. Christina Jane As if the free snacks and drinks at the lounge weren't enough, Brightline premium riders are privy to complimentary food and drink service while on the train. After a staff member verified my ticket and greeted me with a revitalizing lemon-scented cool-packaged towel, I received a breakfast snack pack with Belvita biscuits, apples, cheese, and a bottle of orange juice. On the ride home later that evening, I got to choose some snacks and a beverage to enjoy during the trip. Smart-ticket holders can purchase snacks and drinks on the train and still expect to spend less than the cost of a premium ticket. If you choose the smart option you can still buy snacks and drinks on board. Christina Jane Smart-ticket holders don't receive complimentary snacks and drinks instead, they can purchase from an established menu. On my smart ride, I purchased a beverage and a snack from the menu. Buying the food and drink I wanted still cost less than upgrading to premium would've. My smart ticket was $17 one-way. I purchased popcorn ($3) and hot tea ($3.25) for a total of $6.25. This felt a bit overpriced seeing as how I could have gotten the same snack and beverage combo for the price of just one of those items elsewhere. Still, my snack, drink, and smart ticket still cost less than premium fare. Riders can also bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks on board in either class, which is even more cost-effective. Premium ticket holders receive a complimentary Uber to any destination of their choice within a 5-mile radius of the station. You can enjoy a free Uber ride as a premium passenger. Christina Jane One of my favorite perks of being a premium-ticket holder was taking advantage of Brightline's partnership with Uber, which gives premium passengers a free Uber ride anywhere within 5 miles of the station. This service can be used for going somewhere once you arrive at your destination or getting to the station if you're within a 5-mile radius. You book it when you buy your premium ticket. When I arrived in Miami, my first stop was for brunch at the Little Hen, about 2.6 miles and a 12-minute drive from the station. Without this premium perk, the Uber ride would have cost about $11, so receiving it for free already made the premium ticket worth it for me as a tourist. I enjoyed riding both classes, but I think the premium fare is the better option. Both classes were pretty solid, but I found premium to be worth the extra cost. Ronny Maye The premium option on the Brightline train outshines the smart one with its complimentary food and drink services and Uber ride, which significantly enhances the experience. However, I had a pretty seamless experience when riding with Brightline in both classes. The smart option will ultimately get you to the same destination for a fraction of the price. Read the original article on Insider Last weekend Ron DeSantis, with a straight face, told reporters he had nothing to do with the Florida Board of Educations new curriculum peddling a softer side of slavery. I wasnt involved with it. I didnt do it It was not anything that was done politically. Insert eyeroll here. It was anything but apolitical. All seven members of Floridas Board of Education are appointed to 4-year terms by the governor, and DeSantis attempts to restructure society through educational control are legion. Advertisement Did DeSantis momentarily forget his relentless anti-woke drive to dictate classroom instruction? Is education in Florida so abysmal that Floridians cant see the connection between his endless Stop Woke initiatives targeting minorities, and his latest attempt to rewrite their history? Political targeting and gaslighting are DeSantis specialties DeSantis, campaigning for president on a promise to destroy leftism, has targeted minorities at unprecedented levels. Civil rights are so tenuous in Florida that the NAACP, Human Rights Campaign, League of United Latin American Citizens, and Equality Florida have each issued travel and relocation advisories warning blacks, gays, and immigrants in Florida to take extra safety precautions. Advertisement DeSantis claim that his hand-picked Education Board acted independent of him is risible. Seven months before the new standards were released, DeSantis rejected a high school Advanced Placement African-American course, claiming it was woke and lacked educational value. Two months before the latest standards were announced, DeSantis signed a bill into law that bans diversity, equity and inclusion programs from Floridas public colleges and universities. When questioned, DeSantis first deflected, then explained how Floridas new classes will teach that slavery gave slaves skills they could use later in life. Theyre probably going to show that some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into doing things later in life. Suggesting that enslaved people were learning a trade that could personally benefit them later in life boldly erases yet another fundamental and horrific truth about slavery: enslavement nearly always lasted until the enslaved person died. DeSantis, who expanded Dont Say Gay to all grades in Florida, including high school, is obsessed with what he calls woke indoctrination in schools. His same Education Board has repeatedly rejected mathematics and social studies textbooks for public schools, championing the far-right book banning craze. Florida now ranks second only behind much larger Texas in the number of books banned to date. As of February, Florida had banned a hard total of 566 books. For perspective, Oklahoma, ranked as the nations 4th worst book-banner, banned 43. DeSantis dismisses alarm at Floridas book bans as a leftist hoax, the same thing he calls climate change. It doesnt take a calculator to understand that Floridas 566 banned books greatly exceed all other states except Texas. Perhaps math in Florida, like American history, is also a matter of perspective. Slavery benefitted the enslaved and other post-truths Post-Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Floridas Board of Education now mandates that students be taught, among other things, that enslaved people developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit. Under the new curriculum, Florida teachers must also deliver false equivalencies between slavery and serfdom, offense and defense as they teach that historical massacres of black people in America were examples of violence perpetrated against and by African Americans. One such massacre occurred in 1921 in Tulsa, Oklahoma when a white mob destroyed more than 35 blocks of nascent black wealth. One hundred years later, Americas black Wall Street has yet to re-materialize. Advertisement Categorizing this event under violence by and against African Americans is a shameful stab at bothsidesism. Blurring the lines between criminal offense and defense is always an attempt to reduce accountability. Criminal law recognizes that defending your family against a marauding band of arsonists frothing at the mouth isnt legally equivalent to starting the fire. Under Floridas stand your ground laws, long championed by DeSantis, Tulsas black residents could have pre-emptively macheted every white person who approached, given rampant lynchings and racial violence of the time. They didnt. The terror came to them. Slaughtering hundreds of black people who were financially successful against all odds, wiping out legacies of black enterprise that could have traced a different economic trajectory for black America, should never be minimized or mis-categorized. Aside from lying, false equivalencies erase historical context and permit conservatives to conveniently question why black Americans still struggle under economic opportunity that only appears to be facially equal. Like Trumps very fine people, on both sides defense of neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, bothsiding slavery is an attempt to defend the indefensible. In a post-truth political climate where alternative facts challenge the rule of law, its hard to say whats more dangerous DeSantis trying to re-write American history, or DeSantis claiming he had nothing to do with it. Sabrina Haake is a Chicago attorney and a Gary resident. A Boston man is accused of striking a police cruiser with the police officer inside, and then driving away from the scene while the cruiser was stopped to assist another motorist on Saturday evening, police said. The 29-year-old man from the citys Mattapan neighborhood, who was not identified on Sunday, was charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag said in a statement on Sunday. Marag said the man turned himself in to police on Sunday morning. He will be summonsed to answer the charges at Quincy District Court at a later date. As a criminal complaint has not yet been issued, the suspects name cannot be released at this time, Marag said. At approximately 8 p.m. Saturday, a Randolph police officer responded to the area of North Main Street to assist a vehicle that had run out of fuel, Marag said. While assisting the disabled vehicle, a 2014 black Jeep traveling northbound crossed over the double yellow line and struck the stopped cruiser. After striking the cruiser, the vehicle continued driving northbound, Marag said. The police officer who was inside the police cruiser was evaluated at the scene and declined further treatment, Marag said. A second Randolph police officer arrived on scene and attempted to stop the vehicle. Out of caution for the safety of the officers and other drivers, a decision was made not to initiate a pursuit and responding officers continued to assist the disabled vehicle, Marag said. Officers identified the suspects vehicle using photo evidence to obtain the license plate number. About a half hour later, Randolph Police Detective Sgt. Jason Fisher and Detective Christopher Jones were able to locate the vehicle, unoccupied, near the registered owners residence in the area of Wellington Hill Street. Upon locating the vehicle, detectives found it to have damage consistent with the crash, Marag said. The vehicle was taken to the Randolph Police Department and impounded. Story continues 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 Two women out for an afternoon walk outside Atlantic City found a body in a ditch and called police, who quickly found three more. That was 17 years before police arrested Rex Heuermann in New York this month. The 59-year-old architect who commuted from Long Island was charged with the murders of three of the four women whose remains were unearthed in suburban Gilgo Beach in 2010. There is no indication whether investigators suspect Heuermann in the killings in New Jersey. Sex workers in America are easy prey for serial killers. There have been clusters of sex workers murdered across the country and the world in recent decades and throughout history. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Recently, I wrote about a man in Nebraska named Adam Cutshall, who got a 3D-printed finger replacement 20 years after a tragic mishap. He made the mistake of using power tools while intoxicated and cut off his pinky. Due to the cost of a prosthetic, Cutshall was never able to afford one. So, he resorted to telling his story online in the hopes someone may be able to help. Luckily, New York City-based artist, photographer and IT engineer Paul Hodara came to the rescue and customized a 3D-printed prosthetic finger free of charge. CLICK TO GET KURTS FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TOS TO MAKE YOU SMARTER Point Designs prosthetic hand The need to restore independence READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP There are up to 45,000 finger amputations in the U.S. each year, and people are suffering without fingers due to various causes, such as accidents, medical conditions, workplace incidents, birth defects and traumatic injuries. However, they all deserve to be able to use their hands to their full capacity. Revolutionary prosthetics company Now, a revolutionary company, Point Designs, is working to help the health care industry through cutting-edge technology in the form of finger prosthetics. Combining clinical care and innovative 3D printing for upper limb prosthetics Professors Richard Weir and Jacob Segil, researchers at the Biomechatronics Development Laboratory at the University of Colorado, joined forces to establish this company. With their extensive research backgrounds, they bring decades of experience in neural interfaces, myoelectric control algorithms and the design of upper limb prosthetics. Along with the co-founders, Dr. Levin Sliker and Stephen Huddle are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of partial hand prosthetic design. The team at Point Designs is combining clinical care with innovative additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, to give hope to people who have received medical denials in the past when it comes to missing fingers or hands. Story continues Point Designs prosthetic hand holding a mug This is what Dr. Levin Sliker, now Point Designs CEO, told us about his company's history and future: "Point Designs is a company dedicated to producing innovative, durable and reliable prosthetic solutions for people with partial hand limb difference. In collaboration with certified prosthetists & orthotists (CPOs), Point Designs produces unique prosthetic devices for each individual. Since 2017, Point Designs has developed six different devices serving people with varying levels of amputation distal to the wrist. All devices developed at Point Designs are designed with strength, durability and function at the forefront of our minds. Our primary goal is to empower those with partial hand amputation to live their lives to the fullest. We've had the privilege of working with thousands of people in our community." HOW TO ADD SAFE BROWSERS TO YOUR MOBILE DEVICE Available models Point Designs offers 6 different models: Point Pivot+ This is for amputations at the base of the thumb or CMC joint Point Designs prosthetic fingers It has a strength of 150 pounds There are 19 locking positions There are three positions of rotation and three mounting positions DO NOT FALL FOR THIS MEDICAL EQUIPMENT SCAM POINT THUMB This is for partial thumb amputations at or near the MCP (metacarpophalangeal) joint It has 11 locking levels of flexion It has a strength of 150 pounds and is only 1-1.3 ounces, depending on the person's finger size It has three lengths depending on the measurement from fingertip to joint center Point Designs prosthetics hand Point Partial This is for partial finger amputations at or near the PIP (proximal interphalangeal) joint Uses one-handed positioning Point Designs prosthetics finger Strength of 150 pounds and weighs 0.5 to 0.7 ounces It has three lengths depending on the measurement from PIP joint center to the fingertip TO GET MY TECH TIPS & SECURITY ALERTS, SUBSCRIBE TO MY FREE CYBERGUY REPORT NEWSLETTER BY HEADING TO CYBERGUY.COM/NEWSLETTER Point Designs prosthetic hand Point Digit and Point Digit mini This is for full finger amputations at or near the MCP (metacarpophalangeal) joint Has 11 locking levels of flexion Strength of 150 pounds and weight of 0.71 to 1.3 ounces Comes in 11 lengths depending on your finger and hand size One-handed operation Point Designs prosthetic finger Point Endo The Point Endo is not currently available in the U.S., but it's designed to be a full-finger prosthetic that can be integrated with a cosmetic cover More about Point Designs' prosthetic fingers These prosthetic fingers can last two to three years. Individuals are fitted with custom-rolled silicone and 3D-printed nylon, upon which the titanium prosthetic fingers can be mounted. They offer over 30 colors in their silicone and, depending on the model, different materials for the suspension. Point Designs prosthetic fingers Testimonial from Point Design digits user Here's what one of the company's users has to say about Point Design digits: "I love to be an inspiration to others. When you get hurt like this you go to a dark place. You feel like you have no hope. I was told I would be out a year and was back in 5 months my surgeon couldn't believe it." Brad Bettinger, two Point Digits NEBRASKA MAN GETS 3D-PRINTED FINGER REPLACEMENT 20 YEARS AFTER TRAGIC MISHAP How to get a Point Designs prosthesis If you'd like to contact Point Designs, you can reach them here or have your clinician reach out to them here. According to the company, its prostheses are provided to patients via a certified prosthetist who manages the person's prosthetic rehabilitation. Point Designs prosthetic hand Kurt's key takeaways I can't say enough about the fantastic innovations coming out of Point Designs. Their revolutionary company is helping many people with prosthetics, offering innovative 3D-printed solutions to individuals with finger amputations. With various models and customization options available, they aim to provide hope and enable people to regain full hand functionality. Hats off to them. For more of my security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter Copyright 2023 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. After dedicating several years to advancing the mission of the Museum of Science & History (MOSH), CEO Bruce Fafard has announced his intent to retire in February 2024. Fafards retirement marks the end of an era for MOSH, an essential cultural institution in the community. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Fafard took the reins as CEO in October 2020, following a series of progressively responsible roles within the Museum. One of his main accomplishments was leading MOSHs recovery from the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through strategic efforts and the introduction of new programs, the Museum successfully restored its annual attendance to pre-pandemic levels. I first approached the Museum to volunteer my services at the start of the pandemic. It was clear to me then and remains clear to me now that this Museum is an essential cultural institution of this community. It has been a true honor to dedicate my full attention to MOSHs mission over the past several years, said Fafard. In the months ahead, I look forward to working with our Board to ensure a smooth transfer to the next leader selected to serve our incredible Members, staff, Board of Trustees and community partners. Under Fafards leadership, MOSH embarked on innovative initiatives to fulfill its mission of inspiring lifelong learning. Collaborations with Duval County Public Schools resulted in the establishment of an on-site voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) program. Additionally, the Silver Space Series was introduced, catering to seniors aged 55+ by providing planetarium shows and programming tailored to their interests. The Museum also celebrated the regions diversity with its Passport Series, featuring events such as a Black History Month collaboration with the Melanin Market and A Taste of the Philippines, showcasing Filipino cuisine. Reflecting on his time at MOSH, Fafard expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the community through the Museums endeavors. He pledged to work closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure a seamless transition to the next CEO, who will continue the Museums legacy of service and community engagement. Story continues Bruce has been an exceptional leader for MOSH. With every decision, he has prioritized the Museums best interests which is evidenced by his thoughtfulness in working with us to plan his well-deserved retirement. As a result of his leadership, MOSH is in a prime position to build upon its 80+ years of service to this community, said William Magevney, Chair of the MOSH Board of Trustees. To find Fafards successor, the MOSH Board of Trustees has enlisted the services of Kittleman, an executive search firm, to conduct a national search. Details about the position and application process will be made available later this summer at kittlemansearch.com and themosh.org. As Fafard prepares for retirement, he will continue in his role until February 2024, ensuring a smooth transition for the incoming CEO. Supported by a capable executive team, the Museum is also in the process of expanding its staff as it prepares for future operations on the Northbank of the St. Johns River. The MOSH Genesis capital campaign, overseen by Jill Davis, Maureen Mercho, and Christian Harden, will continue during this transitional period, ensuring the Museums growth and development continue unhindered. With anticipation building for the search for a new CEO, MOSH looks forward to continuing its tradition of enriching the lives of its members, staff, Board of Trustees, and community partners for many years to come. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] About The Museum of Science & History (MOSH): The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is located at 1025 Museum Circle near Friendship Park. MOSH chartered in 1941, remains committed to inspiring the joy of lifelong learning by bringing the sciences and regional history to life. Through funding from various sources, including the City of Jacksonville, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Inc., the State of Florida, and the National Endowment for the Arts, MOSH continues to serve as a vital educational and cultural hub for the community. Admission is $19.95 for adults; $16.95 for youth, students, active and retired military, and seniors. Children aged 2 and under and Museum Members enjoy free admission. Learn more at themosh.org. Museum funding is provided in part by the City of Jacksonville, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Inc., State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Historic Museums Grants-in-Aid Program assistance is provided by the Bureau of Historical Museums, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, Secretary of State. [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. LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William has served up a surprise to hungry members of the public when he dished out environmentally friendly burgers from a food truck in south London. In a video released on Sunday, the heir to the throne handed out "Earthshot Burgers" to highlight the work of last year's winners of his annual Earthshot Prize, which he set up to help develop solutions to major environmental problems. "Coming right up," the prince said as he served up the burgers to the stunned customers. "Morning everyone, nicely cooked, ready to go." The object for William, who had teamed up with the founders of YouTube channel Sorted Food which reviews kitchen gadgets and shares recipes, was to raise the profile and work of three previous Earthshot prize winners. "So the box you're about to eat in is built by a company called Notpla and there's no plastic involved, they've come up with a seaweed coating," the prince told the customers at the burger van. "The ingredients inside the burger are grown from a greenhouse in India from a company called Kheyti, and last but not least, the way we cook them has been on a thing called Mukuru Clean Stoves, and that is designed by a lady in Kenya who came up with the concept to reduce air pollution." He added: "Can't vouch for the taste, the quality but ... I'm rolling with it." (Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Susan Fenton) Polls suggest the 'yes' camp will win -- but human rights observers say Bangui has been strongarming voters to back the proposal (Barbara DEBOUT) The Central African Republic began voting on Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution that would allow President Faustin-Archange Touadera to seek a third term in a country which has endured several coups. In 2020 Touadera won a second term through to 2025, after a vote interrupted by several incursions by armed rebel groups, while he also had to overcome allegations of fraud. His rivals now charge that he wants to remain "president for life" -- under the increasingly visible protection of private Russian mercenary group Wagner, which first deployed to the CAR in 2018. The country of 5.5 million people is one of the world's poorest. Voting was scheduled to begin at 6:00 am (0500 GMT) but polling stations opened around one hour late. The polls are due to close at 4:00 pm, with some 1.9 million people called on to cast their ballots. Provisional results are not expected for eight days, while the constitutional court is scheduled to publish the definitive outcome on August 27, according to the national electoral authority. - Boycott - The proposed new constitution would extend the presidential mandate from five to seven years and abolish the two-term limit. Opinion polls suggest the "yes" camp is likely to triumph. "We know that the 'yes' camp is going to win -- but we shall put the emphasis on participation," national assembly vice-president and presidential majority spokesman Evariste Ngamana told AFP. The main opposition parties, civil groups and armed rebels have all called on voters to boycott the exercise. The opposition has notably complained about the lack of an up-to-date electoral register and says institutions tasked with guaranteeing a free and fair vote are not independent. In the capital Bangui, between 2,000 and 3,000 "yes" supporters turned out Friday for a final meeting to drum up further backing for the proposal. But observers said the vote might not inspire much interest among the general populace. Story continues "The majority of the CAR population, who are struggling to survive in a difficult economic and security context, doubtless have other priorities aside from this referendum which mobilises few beyond those close to those in power," said Charles Bouessel, analyst with the International Crisis Group. - Russian influence - Touadera has announced, meanwhile, that Russia and Rwanda, two states whose influence has been very much on the rise in the CAR in recent years, would be "supporting" security forces during the vote. A Wagner-linked source said earlier in July that several hundred of the Russian fighters would be in place for the poll. "It's a vote being pushed by the Russians and organised with their help -- the president of the constitutional court and of the national electoral body have been invited to Russia and doubtless have received instructions," a diplomatic source told AFP. Human Rights Watch says Russian embassy personnel in Bangui visited the former president of the constitutional court, Daniele Darlan, last year to ask for advice on how the constitution might be amended to enable Touadera to stay in power. HRW regarded this as a Russian attempt to influence the political process in the CAR. In September, the constitutional court inflicted a defeat on the political establishment by annulling a proposed committee to draw up a new constitution. But in January, Darlan was ousted. Government officials have cajoled and threatened referendum opponents, says HRW, and authorities also banned an opposition rally in the capital in a bid to keep a lid on hostility to the poll. Since December 2020, hundreds of Wagner fighters and Rwandan troops have been deployed to face an offensive led by an alliance of the country's most powerful rebel groups, which have found themselves pushed into rural areas. bur/imm/smw Weve been fighting extremist Republicans in the judiciary who would rather erase us, said U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is continuing to ring the alarm on Capitol Hill over what they see as assaults on Black freedoms following a wave of judicial and state-level actions taken by conservatives and the Republican Party. Black people are under attack, said CBC Chairman U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., during a State of Race and Democracy in America press conference last week. UNITED STATES MAY 9: Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, conducts a news conference following the CBCs National Summit on Democracy & Race near Capitol Hill on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Horsfords forceful rebuke is in response to the Supreme Courts decisions to overturn abortion rights last year and, most recently, outlawing affirmative action in the college admissions process earlier this summer. Additionally, Republican lawmakers across the country have attempted to implement what critics and some courts have concluded as discriminatory congressional maps in states. Democrats are now pushing back against the banning of books by Black authors in public schools and curriculums designed to minimize or significantly alter Black history. Congressman Horsford told reporters that the CBC will not stand by quietly as it happens. Weve been fighting to preserve our democracy for the people, fighting to protect voting rightsfighting to protect a womans right to choose, said the Nevada lawmaker. He added, Weve been fighting extremist Republicans in the judiciary who would rather erase us, who want to see us less free and with fewer fundamental rights. Last week, under Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis leadership, the Florida Board of Education put forth a controversial curriculum that would teach students that slavery benefited Black people. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., who attended last Thursdays CBC conference, slammed his home states new curriculum. Republican leaders in our state apparently want us to teach children that slavery wasnt that bad, said Frost, who said their goal is to condition this generation to white supremacy. Story continues WASHINGTON, DC MAY 18: Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) speaks at a press conference on Gun Safety legislation outside the U.S. Capitol Building on May 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. Rep. Frost joined Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) for a bicameral news conference to call for further congressional action to curb gun violence. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) DeSantis, a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, wants to ban Black history books and gaslight us into believing that slavery was just a work skills program, said Horsford. The congressional leader said the very notion is so ridiculous and incendiary that it insults every sensible American right now. Our democracy works best when the institutions we depend on from our schools to the courts are equitable, added Horsford. Our institutions cant serve the people when lawmakers are beholden to interests that want to privatize our schools and inundate students with misinformation about history. In recent weeks, Republican members of Congress came under fire for making controversial statements related to race. The incidents signaled that CBC members, who introduced various legislation to address a range of issues from policing, voting rights and school diversity, will likely not find success in a Congress partially controlled by Republicans. Among them is Republican Congressman Eli Crane of Arizona, condemned two weeks ago for referring to Black service members as colored people, as theGrio previously reported. Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama was also slammed for his refusal to agree that white nationalists are racists. In response to statements made by his conservative colleagues, Congressman Horsford told theGrio that some of them may need professional instruction as it relates to race. BALTIMORE MARCH 2: CBC chair Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., speaks during the Congressional Black Caucus news conference at the House Democrats 2023 Issues Conference in Baltimore, Md., on Thursday, March 2, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) In 2023, to have a member of Congress on the House floor refer to service members, veterans and their families in such a derogatory way, and to have a senator uphold white nationalists and not condemn them is why they need diversity training, said Horsford. He continued, Theyre proving every single day why diversity, equity and inclusion [are] needed, and I would encourage them to contact the Office of Diversity here at the U.S. Capitol. The CBC chairman told reporters that he issued a list of actions he and other CBC members want to see carried out to ensure Black Americans are not harmed by policies enacted by conservatives. Horsford ended the press conference with a message to far-right Republicans and white nationalist and extremist groups like Proud Boys and Moms of Liberty. Stop gaslighting us and saying we are racist simply because we are asking for an opportunity to succeed, he urged. You are fighting to erase and censor our history our truth, said Horsford. He added, We are here today to say we see what you are doing, and we will not let it stand. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post CBC denounces Republicans and white supremacy as Black people are under attack appeared first on TheGrio. BANGUI (Reuters) -Central African Republic held a constitutional referendum on Sunday which, if passed, could allow President Faustin-Archange Touadera to run for a third term in 2025. Touadera was first elected in 2016 for a five-year term and won reelection in 2020 for what was supposed to be his final term in office. The proposed new constitution would abolish the two-term limit and extend the presidential mandate from five to seven years, meaning the time Touadera or another candidate could serve as president would be unlimited. Mathias Barthelemy Mourouba, head of the country's electoral commission, told Reuters that provisional results are expected within seven days, but they will start releasing results from some polling stations on Monday. Opposition parties and some civil society groups called for a boycott of the referendum, saying it was designed to keep Touadera in power for life. Speaking after he voted in central Bangui on Sunday, Touadera said he was "serene because the new constitution was at the request of the Central African people". Turnout was meagre at a polling station in a northern suburb of the capital Bangui early on Sunday, with around two dozen voters in the queue, according to a Reuters reporter. "I'm hoping that my friends will come out massively to vote. What I really want is stability for the country to progress," said Laurent Ngombe, a teacher and one of the first people to vote. The land-locked country, roughly the size of France and with a population of around 5.5 million, is rich in minerals including gold, diamond, and timber. It has witnessed waves instability, including coups and rebellions, since independence from France in 1960. Touadera, 66, a mathematician, has struggled to quell rebel groups that have controlled pockets of the country since former President Francois Bozize was ousted by another rebellion in 2013. Touadera turned to Russia for help in tackling the rebels in 2018. Since then, over 1,500 troops, including instructors and private military contractors from Russia's Wagner group, have been deployed in the country alongside the national army. (Reporting by Judicael Yongo Writing by Bate FelixEditing by Bernadette Baum and Christina Fincher) CEO Carl Rudermans part in the 1 Global Capital fraud already has cost him money a $15 million civil penalty, another $750,000 cash dunning and real estate, as in 50% of the equity in a five-bedroom, 12-bathroom Aventura condominum. But, Wednesday, the Justice Department came for something else 3,400 investors over 42 states want Ruderman to lose: Time. Ruderman, 81, has been indicted on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Rudermans indictment puts the size of the 1 Global Capital fraud at $250 million, the lowest estimation to appear in any of the previous indictments or guilty pleas. Previous estimates ran up to $322 million. If convicted, Ruderman will be the fifth senior citizen in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Palm Beach metropolitan area to do federal prison time for participation in a fraud that financially skinned mom-and-pop investors across the country. Lake Worths Alan Heide, 1 Global Capitals 65-year-old former CFO, got five years and assigned $57 million in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Delray Beachs Steven Schwartz, 1 Global Capitals 78-year-old former chief operating officer, got sentenced to two years and $36 million restitution after pleading tuilty to conspiracty to commit wire fraud and securities fraud. Fort Lauderdale attorney Andrew Ledbetter, 81, got five years and $148 million restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud. Ledbetter raised $100 million from investors and made $3 million in commissions. Fort Lauderdale attorney Jan Atlas, 78, got eight months in prison and $29 million in restitution. When 1 Global Capital needed a legal opinion that what investors were offered wasnt a security, an opinion that would allow the fraud to continue with less regulatory oversight, Atlas provided it with a legal opinion letter saying exactly what 1 Global needed. He admitted the letter was a lie. Story continues Atlas and Ledbetter agreed to disciplinary revocation from the Florida Bar, accepting essential disbarment instead of going through the disciplinary process ignited by their criminal court guilty pleas. The Securities and Exchange Commission, which got the aforementioned money and land from Ruderman in a judgment, also got civil money penalties and disgorgement from, among others, unregistered brokers Henry J. Trae Wieniewitz, Roy Gagaza, Chris A. Dantin, Christopher D. Dantin, David P. Ortiz and Andrew White. Despite the penalties and restitution ordered, attorneys handling the ongoing distribution of funds to defrauded investors dont expect them to get all their money back. The 1 Global Capital scam The purported idea behind Hallandale Beach-based 1 Global Capital could be summed up as Amscot for small business. The company would make short-term, high interest loans to small businesses. The payback would come via automatic withdrawals from the borrowers bank accounts. Investors would receive their principal and a piece of the interest. According to the guilty pleas, nobody told investors about the corpulent commissions 1 Global paid brokers (including the unregistered ones mentioned above). Nobody told investors that Ruderman, the guilty pleas said, treated 1 Global Capital like his family ATM. The men behind the four guilty pleas knew what investors didnt. They also knew that if anybody determined 1 Global Capital was selling investors securities, more expenses and oversight would follow. They welcomed neither. Ledbetters admission of facts said, This also would undermine the ability of lndividual #1 (the name used for Ruderman in the guilty pleas) and others, including Ledbetter, from being able to profit from 1 Globals operations in the form of fees, commission payments, or other financial transfers. The first attorney 1 Global hired told the company it was offering a security and didnt let his fraudulent clients pleas sway him. Individual #1 became angry and demanded his money back from Attorney #1, indicating that he intended to pay to get the answer he wanted from Attorney #1, not the answer he got, Ledbetters plea said. Atlas gave them the legal opinion they wanted on May 17, 2016. Meanwhile, the guilty pleas say, Rudermans draining of accounts plummeted 1 Global into being a Ponzi scheme to keep at least some investors happy as the company barreled toward the bankruptcy it declared in 2018. Eventually, these transfers constituted amounts well in excess of [Rudermans] investment into the business, Heides admission of facts states. By late 2016, at least, these transfers constituted nothing more than misappropriations of investor cash that had not been deployed to a [merchant cash advance] agreement and were instead deployed at [Rudermans] direction for his own use. MEXICO CITY In Mexico, the political environment has been discouraging for an opposition that has been unable to position an alternative to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), who has dominated public opinion since his first victory in 2018. Yet things could be changing with the arrival of a disruptive leader who is rapidly changing the rules of the game by generating a wave of enthusiasm throughout Mexico, giving the opposition hope of winning the presidency in 2024. Her name is Xochitl Galvez. After being criticized by the president at his morning press conference, Senator Galvez requested the right of reply, and the president denied her. After obtaining a judicial order that would supposedly force the president to receive her, he refused to open the doors of the National Palace. From that moment, Galvez became a symbol of resistance, a leader of an opposition willing to fight the democratic battle to win the presidency in 2024 and remove AMLO and his party Morena from the presidency. MEXICO'S AMLO-BACKED RULING PARTY WINS GOVERNORSHIP IN LONGTIME CONSERVATIVE STRONGHOLD Xochitl Galvez, pre-candidate for the presidency of Mexico, during an interview with the media at the premises of the National Action Party to register as a candidate in charge of the Frente Amplio por Mexico. "Xochitl Galvez is intelligently handling the insults that come from the presidency. She smiles and responds with class, even humor. This has allowed her to expose the autocratic and disrespectful attitude that Lopez Obrador has historically shown," explained Alejandro Motta, a political analyst. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The life and story of Galvez, an indigenous woman who was born and raised in a poor community and who was able to overcome a series of obstacles to become a successful engineer and businesswoman, is an example of self-improvement and social mobility that connects and excites millions of Mexicans from different backgrounds and regions. Galvez was the head of the office of indigenous people in the Vincente Fox administration, a position from which she helped many indigenous communities throughout the country. She was the delegation head of Miguel Hidalgo in Mexico City, ran for governor of the state of Hidalgo and is currently a senator. Her professional success as a businesswoman and as a public servant has fueled her to become the leader that today is seen as the best alternative to beat Morena in 2024. Story continues In one of her first interviews with foreign media, Galvez explained to Fox News Digital the opportunities she considers most relevant in the relationship between Mexico and the United States. In a disruptive way, she suggests a solution that the U.S. government might like because it would somehow help stop illegal immigration. "There are two issues immigration and nearshoring," Galvez said. "Both countries can turn immigration into an opportunity rather than a problem. Mexico is having labor problems in some regions. Obviously, immigrants who cross Mexico could have an interest in staying and Mexico could, in some specific regions, take advantage of that human capital offering them education and making sure they would not be mistreated or locked up. "Mexican immigrants could also be seen in the United States as a great opportunity. I think we must approach the issue of immigration from a different perspective because all these people who emigrate are looking to work. They are not looking to go to crime, (in general). Xochitl Galvez, center, pre-candidate for the presidency of Mexico, at the premises of the National Action Party to register as a candidate in charge of the Frente Amplio por Mexico. "With the relocation of companies, nearshoring is a great opportunity for Mexico as it can generate much more labor. Nearshoring should not stay only in the north of the country; it could take place in the southeast of Mexico, where we must create more infrastructure and invest in human capital so that it is not just factories. Many companies that are coming from Asian countries are technology companies. Therefore, we must invest in a program for Mexican youth and women to study engineering and technical careers. Those, for me, are the two most important opportunities that Mexico has in the relationship with the United States." MEXICAN MILITARY'S ROLE IN DISAPPEARANCE OF 43 STUDENTS QUESTIONED FOLLOWING NEW REPORT'S RELEASE In an unprecedented alliance, the three opposition political parties PAN, PRI and PRD have joined with civil society to create the Frente Amplio por Mexico, with the different leaders competing to become the opposition candidate. Galvez is one of them and, according to polls, is the best positioned to be its candidate. "Xochitl Galvez has become a real threat to Lopez Obrador for several reasons: because she is a woman, because she has the potential to connect with popular sectors and because she undermines the credibility of the government's discourse that says that the entire opposition is conservative and belongs to the economic elite," Motta told Fox News Digital. "Lopez Obrador has become the best promoter of Xochitl Galvez. His constant attacks on the opposition have caused undecided segments and disenchanted opponents to consider that she may be different from the others." To encourage U.S. business leaders to see new investment and business opportunities in Mexico, Galvez explains that there are six priorities that must be urgently addressed: "strengthening the rule of law and fostering a culture of legality, committing to clean energy, resolving the water problem, investing in human capital, building infrastructure and restoring peace." Referring to the Mexicans who immigrate to the U.S., Galvez explained, "Many of my countrymen from my hometown are in the U.S. Many cousins have had to go looking for better opportunities. I did not migrate to the United States, but I did migrate to Mexico City. "And I can put myself in their shoes with respect to what it is like to come to a city that discriminates against you or to a country that does not see you as an equal. All those who leave are entrepreneurs. This government (of Mexico) seems to hate those who aspire to a better life." MEXICAN PRESIDENT OFFERS $385M FOR AMERICAN COMPANY'S CARIBBEAN PROPERTY IN ONGOING DISPUTE As a personal aspiration, even a personal dream, Galvez confesses that conditions should be created in Mexico for immigrants to return to their country. "I would love to find investment mechanisms so that immigrants who want to return to Mexico can invest in businesses that allow them to return with a job or a well-formed business," she said. "Many want to return but do not find employment opportunities. So, we would have to create a mechanism for investment funds for them as immigrants so that they could become business partners. For example, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, there is a lot of clean energy, and perhaps the indigenous people could have a wind generation project. Immigrants from Venezuela cover up during a dust storm at a makeshift immigrant camp located between the Rio Grande and the U.S.-Mexico border fence May 10, 2023, in El Paso, Texas. "Governments have lacked creativity. They must create the conditions for them to invest in Mexico and guarantee those investments that in the long run will allow them to have an income. That would be my dream, so they don't have to work all their lives. I ask my cousins, why don't you come back to live in Mexico? And they reply, There is no job that pays me what I earn there (in the United States)." "The candidacy of Xochitl for the Frente Amplio por Mexico is not yet a certainty, but it has already changed the mood of the opposition by creating an expectation of electoral success that did not exist until now," political communication consultant and partner at Zimat Consultores Andrea Castro told Fox News Digital. "With Xochitl, two factors are introduced into the electoral process: 1. The possibility of competition. Opinion polls show for the first time that citizens perceive the possibility of a contested election. 2. Uncertainty in the electoral process's outcome, unlike the secure victory for Morena that was envisioned just a few months ago," she said. "If Xochitl becomes the candidate, we will head towards a more vibrant process that encourages citizen participation and gives continuity to the recent public demonstrations in favor of the National Electoral Institute (INE) and the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN), which, although electorally irrelevant in numbers, did demonstrate the desire of a segment of the population to play an active role in defining Mexico's political future," Castro stated. She concluded that, "Although Xochitl is not yet competitive electorally, she is already a factor that could prevent Morena from having an absolute majority in Congress. Electoral competition, citizen participation and a plural Congress could be the result of Xochitl's appearance as an electoral figure, and all are good news for Mexican and North American democracy." Fox News' Peter Petroff contributed to this report. You are here: Business Ride-hailing driver Huang Xing shows his first customer order of the day during the wee hours in east China's Shanghai, June 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) China's online ride-hailing companies reached 318 by the end of June, five more than the number registered in the previous month, data from the Ministry of Transport shows. By the end of last month, the authorized ride-hailing vehicle certificates and driver licenses in the country hit 2.43 million and 5.79 million, respectively, according to the ministry. In June, China saw some 763 million ride-hailing trips, up 3.7 percent on a monthly basis. In 2022, online ride-hailing trips made up about 40.5 percent of total taxi trips, an increase of 6.4 percentage points from a year earlier. NBC Chicago PD star LaRoyce Hawkins has confirmed a delay to season 11 of the show as the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) strike continues. Speaking at an acting masterclass lecture at Louisiana State University, Hawkins, who stars as Officer Kevin Atwater on Chicago PD said that he is in support of SAG-AFTRA's strike action , but that it might delay filming for a short period. "Naturally, after the writers strike, it's going to take the writers a while to start warming up their rooms again and starting to conceptualize stories again," Hawkins said. "So we might need like a three-week buffer." NBC/Getty Related: Chicago Med stars share actors strike updates While filming for the NBC show normally begins in July, Hawkins said he's confident that he'll be back to work within the next two months as negotiations come to an end. "From my personal research, we have a big hill to climb before we can find an agreement," he said. "I'm faithful and optimistic that it will only be a couple more months, if that, that we're off." During the masterclass, Hawkins, who has played Kevin since 2014, also opened up about what makes his character tick on the hit show. NBC/Getty Related: Chicago Fire star says Mouch death after cliffhanger would be "huge hole in his life" "I think over time, I've been sitting with the character enough to really, part of my process is really writing like the character, reading like the character," Hawkins said. "I've been blessed to be able to over-imagine everything this character goes through. I have a background in comedy and poetry, so I keep the character fresh by either writing jokes or poems as the character ... to give him something to live through and goals to achieve outside of the cases he has to solve and the lives he has to save." Chicago PD airs on NBC in the US, and on Sky Witness in the UK. You Might Also Like The members of the band Hacia La Victoria met after they were partially or totally blinded during the protests which rocked Chile For Chilean band Hacia La Victoria (Onwards to Victory), performing songs in their hometown of Santiago is an act of protest. All of the band's members were left either totally or partially blinded by projectiles fired by police during the mass anti-government protests which swept through Chile in late 2019 and early 2020. Keyboard player Vicente Pascal was struck by a rubber-coated bullet in his left eye. "I lost my entire eyeball," he recalls. The band's drummer, Gustavo Gatica, lost his sight completely after both of his eyes were pierced by rubber bullets during a protest in November 2019. Photos of his blood-soaked face went viral on social media and his case became emblematic of the police repression of the protests. Gustavo Gatica was blinded at a protest against rising inequality on 8 November 2019 In total, more than 30 civilians were killed in violent clashes with police, and more than 400 were left with permanent eye damage from projectile weapons fired by the police. The conservative president at the time, Sebastian Pinera, acknowledged that excessive force had been used to quell the protests and promised reforms. This vow was echoed by his left-wing successor in office, Gabriel Boric, who promised to help victims of state violence. The eight musicians who make up Hacia La Victoria met through organisations supporting the victims. Support groups were created for the hundreds of people who suffered eye injuries They not only share a passion for music but also a desire to make songs that champion human rights. For Pascal, the very act of making music is something "revolutionary". "They shot [at us] to divide us, so to come together and create [music] is very valuable to me." The band uses music to denounce ongoing police violence in Chile and its members are among the most vocal critics of a new law, called Nain-Retamal, which broadens the powers of the security forces to use their weapons. The Nain-Retamal bill was hastily passed in April after a policeman was killed on duty while pursuing armed criminals. Daniel Palma was the third officer to be killed in under a month. Story continues Daniel Palma's killing triggered protests and further stoked fears amid a growing murder rate These killings in particular, combined with a rise in the murder rate by 32% from 2021 to 2022 nationwide, have stoked fears over security in Chile, which is one of the safest countries in all of Latin America. A poll published in April found that 95% of Chileans believed police should be able to use live firearms to confront instances of extreme armed violence. In 2019, this figure was only 49%. With security concerns high among the population, the government of President Boric backed the bill, despite initial concerns that saw it dubbed "the quick trigger law" by critics. For the band members, the government's decision to give the police more leeway to use their firearms without reforming the institution has been an act of betrayal. "I understand you can't do such a macro project one day to the next, but it's something else to go in a completely different direction," says Pascal of the passing of the bill. But opposition lawmaker Diego Schalper argues the new powers are necessary as crimes such as kidnappings and drug-related murders mount. "The government has a very serious security crisis on its hands," he told the BBC. Mr Schalper, who championed the Nain-Retamal bill, says that it gives police officers a guarantee that when they use their deadly weapons as part of their police duties, they will not face a hostile backlash. Three police officers were killed in the line of duty within weeks of each other this year As part of its efforts to tackle violent crime, the government is also allowing police to again carry Uzi submachine guns, 11 years after their use had been suspended following the killing of a teenager during a student protest by an officer armed with an Uzi. Just days after the Uzi was reintroduced this year, another young man fell victim to the submachine gun. David Toro, 19, was shot dead when officers stopped his car on suspicion of drug dealing. What followed is still under investigation but Toro never made it to a detention cell. The unarmed teenager was killed after an officer shot him with the Uzi several times. "They used a gun they don't even have training for," said David Toro's father Alvaro. Mr Toro maintains that his son had already stopped the car and was obeying police orders when he was pulled over. "The police use their power to threaten people and hide behind their uniform." Rodrigo Bustos, the director of Amnesty International's branch in Chile says Toro's case shows the danger the new law poses to civilians. "The Nain-Retamal law assumes that police force is applied rationally, but we know that that's not happening in practice," he says. The hundreds of cases of eye trauma caused by pellets fired by officers have made many wary of giving the police more leeway In his view, Nain-Retamal "does not have anything to do with protecting the police" and is instead all about minimising the punishment faced by officers guilty of mistreatment. Only a tiny fraction of the complaints made about human rights violations allegedly committed by state officials during the protests have gone to trial and even fewer have resulted in a criminal conviction. According to Amnesty International's most recent tally at the end of 2022, charges were brought in just 140 cases out of 10,938 complaints made. In the few cases that have gone before court, the Nain-Retamal law is already being successfully invoked by lawyers defending police officers. In May, five officers were acquitted of beating a civilian protester, with the court finding they had acted in self-defence. The band feels survivors of police violence have been left abandoned, sometimes with dire consequences for their mental health. Hacia La Victoria's singer, Sergio "Toto" Concha, was hit by a pellet in his right eye Four people who were partially or totally blinded during the protests have taken their own lives. While the band members are enraged by what they see as police impunity in Chile, they find solace through music, each bringing a mixture of musical influences that range from rock to rap, folk to funk. Their song Una Terrible Historia (A Terrible Story) tells the story of a young protester wounded by police and sums up the power imbalance they and others wounded by police in the protests feel: "El luchaba por lo suyo, anhelaba dignidad, el usaba solo piedras, ellos armas de verdad" (He was standing up for his ideas, he longed for dignity, he used only stones, and they real weapons") gravel-voiced Sergio "Toto" Concha sings over punctuated guitar strums that explode into a charged chorus. Graphic showing silhouetted figures on two mobile phones, one next to a Chinese flag and one next to a UK flag, separated by loops of razor wire China is pressuring Uyghurs living abroad to spy on human rights campaigners by threatening families back home, researchers say. Refugees and activists tell the BBC intimidating tactics are tearing communities apart. "My dearest son," said Alim's mother as she flickered into view. "I didn't think I'd see you before I died." Alim - not his real name - says he was overcome by the moment. The reunion over a video call was their first contact in six years, since he fled as a refugee to the UK. But it was bittersweet: someone else was in control of the call. Like all Uyghurs - a mostly Muslim minority from north-western China - Alim's mother lives under intense surveillance and control. They could never call each other directly. Instead, a middleman phoned Alim and his mother from two separate mobiles. He held the phone screens to face each other, so the pair could see wobbly images of each other - and hear muffled sound from the speakers. Alim says they barely spoke, and spent most of the call in tears. He doesn't know if the plain white wall he could see behind his mother was in her house in Xinjiang or an internment camp, where the Chinese government is alleged to have detained more than a million Uyghurs. China has long denied those charges. But Alim says he knew this contact with his mother would come at a cost - because the man brokering the call was a Chinese police officer. Uyghurs in China live under intense surveillance and more than a million have allegedly been detained in internment camps (file photo from 2019) When the officer called again, he asked Alim to attend meetings of Uyghur human rights activists, gather intelligence and pass it back to the Chinese state. "Whenever there was an anti-China protest in London, they would call me and ask who would be attending," says Alim, who shared with the BBC recordings of the phone calls requesting he work as a spy. Alim was offered money, too, so he could try to befriend the leaders of campaign groups - many of them UK citizens - by taking them to restaurants and picking up the bill. Story continues The officer suggested setting up a company as a front, in case suspicions were raised about his newfound wealth. Plenty of businesses had already been set up on behalf of others for that exact purpose, Alim was told. The implied threat, that his family may come to harm if he refused, has left him in a vicious bind. "They are using my family as hostages," Alim says. "I am living in a dark moment." Watch more on BBC Newsnight on BBC Two at 22:30 on Monday 31 July, or catch up afterwards on BBC iPlayer The tactics employed by governments to police their diasporas abroad are known as transnational repression. Research suggests this particular kind - controlling access to family members in the home country through video calls, in exchange for compliance overseas - is commonly used by Chinese police. Dr David Tobin at the University of Sheffield has conducted some of the most comprehensive research on the topic to date, with his colleague Nyrola Elima. They have interviewed and surveyed more than 200 members of the Uyghur diaspora in several countries. He says all Uyghurs living outside China are victims of transnational repression. "Family separation is the central tactic," he says. Even where phone calls are technically possible, relatives still living in China won't pick up, according to Dr Tobin. He says there is an assumption that calls will be monitored, and a fear that communicating freely will put them at risk. Dr David Tobin says all Uyghurs living abroad are victims of transnational repression This severing of family ties allows Chinese police to step in and offer tightly managed access - over video calls - as an incentive to comply, with the threat of repercussions for the family if they do not. In the UK, Dr Tobin surveyed or interviewed 48 Uyghurs, from a population of about 400 people. Of those, two-thirds reported having been contacted directly by Chinese police - and pressured to spy, refrain from advocacy work, or stop speaking to the media. And Uyghurs in the UK are far from the worst affected. In Turkey, traditionally a safe haven for Uyghurs where 50,000 live in one of the largest communities outside China, 80% of the 148 of respondents reported similar threats from Chinese authorities. Short presentational grey line Abdurehim Parac arrived in Istanbul in 2014, having fled China a year earlier. "Turkey was completely different to anything we'd experienced. We could travel wherever we wanted. The police didn't bother us," he says. "I couldn't believe such a life was possible." But in the past few years, the picture has changed for Uyghurs in Turkey. Reports that police based in China have pressured people to spy on each other have filtered through the community, splintering their sense of camaraderie. Abdurehim Parac says Turkey was a safe haven for Uyghurs, but China's tactics are driving the community apart In a video posted on Facebook, a young Uyghur man who appears to have been captured and beaten by his peers, offers a troubled confession - admitting to spying on behalf of Beijing. While the circumstances surrounding the scene are unclear, the footage has been circulated among the Uyghur community, and the man has been widely condemned online. The accumulation of stories like these is having an effect, Abdurehim says. "Young people are distancing themselves from Uyghur protests and meetings. They are worried that people there might be spies," he says. "China's plan is working." Dr Tobin thinks Turkish authorities are aware of what's happening and have been slow to respond. "The more dependent a country is on investment from China, the more likely it is to cooperate or to turn a blind eye," he says. Turkey is seen as having grown closer to China in recent years, and questions have been raised about its commitment to protecting its Uyghur community. The Turkish government did not respond to a request for comment. Short presentational grey line But China is not only targeting people in countries where it has economic supremacy. Julie Millsap, a US-born activist who works with the Uyghur Human Rights Project in Washington DC, says China has tried to pressure her through her in-laws. Julie Millsap, a US-born activist, says her husband's family in China faced police harassment for her work with Uyghurs Her husband is Han Chinese, part of the country's largest ethnic group, and the two met in China before moving to the US capital in 2020. After Julie began campaigning on behalf of Uyghurs, local police began dropping in on her extended family in China, saying they "wanted to be friends". She and her husband received threatening messages from her sister-in-law's phone, suggesting Julie's children may end up "as orphans". "They weren't written in a language style that she used," says Julie, who suspects the police were instructing her to send them. During a recent video call between her husband, in Washington DC, and his sister, in China, the police happened to stop by, allowing Julie to record the moment, and confront one of the officers directly. "He stammered and asked us not to misinterpret his intentions," she says. The officer told her police were arranging visits to all local families with US relatives, in light of the "delicate" relationship between the US and China. Julie Millsap confronted a police officer who dropped in on her sister-in-law in China Julie recognises that a white American and a Han Chinese family are afforded a degree of safety that Uyghurs are not. "But we're still talking about police harassment, about threats, about a daily reality that is anything but good," she says. She thinks it is alarming that Chinese authorities feel comfortable targeting foreign citizens and attempting to dictate their work. Short presentational grey line The US government is beginning to address the problem formally. In March, senators introduced the Transnational Repression Policy Act, listing a range of abuses including "coercion by proxy", which covers threats to family members overseas. If passed, the law would see the creation of a dedicated phone line to report threats, and prompt Congress to bring sanctions against perpetrators wherever possible. Abduweli Ayup, a Uyghur rights campaigner based in Norway, thinks the US legislation would be a step in the right direction, but that Western governments should go further. Each time a case is reported to the authorities, questions should be lodged directly with the Chinese government, requesting assurance that family members are safe, he says. "We are your citizens, your neighbours and your taxpayers. Our governments should take some responsibility," says Mr Ayup. Dr Tobin recognises the complications inherent in tackling the issue. "Saying 'would you like to speak to your family?' isn't a crime. We know it's a threat. We know it breaks communities, and causes mental health problems and trauma, but it is not a crime on British soil," he says. The UK Home Office says attempts to intimidate overseas critics are "unacceptable", that an internal review into transnational repression is underway, and all such incidents should be reported to law enforcement. In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in London called the allegations of transnational repression "totally groundless". The Chinese government "protects Uyghurs and their communication with overseas relatives in accordance with the law", it said. Alim chose not to report his case to the police, but confessed his predicament to a group of Uyghur rights activists in London. One of the group's leaders told us the requests were very common, and posed challenges to the integrity of the community - but insisted their advocacy work would continue. In their experience, almost all advances from Chinese police are rejected. Alim wrestled with the issue before reaching a decision. "I realised that betraying others for the sake of my family would mean selling out my nation, and I couldn't do that. "If that was the price I had to pay, so be it." He too refused China's offer. China balloon bubble about to burst Getty Images/sizsus The "Chinese century" is over. After all the prognostications, projections and proclamations of the past 20 years asserting that China would soon overtake the U.S. as the world's dominant superpower, the People's Republic is now facing twin perpetual headwinds, and has no realistic options for countering either of them. The first could accurately be described as the strongest long-term force driving the fates of all great powers: demographics. What was, for many previous decades,China's ultimate advantage its never-ending supply of working-age laborers peaked at almost exactly one billion people in 2010, according to the Chinese census. The next census, in 2020, revealed that for the first time since China's economic liberalization in the 1970s, the working-age cohort had shrunk, decreasing by more than 30 million. The U.N. estimates that this group will continue to contract, dropping to 773 million by 2050. (In other words, between now and then China is likely to lose a number of workers larger than the entire population of Brazil.) The under-14 population will also fall in that same period, from just over 250 million in 2020 to a median projection of 150 million in 2050. Not only will the workers be disappearing, but nobody is expected to replace them. (United Nations)Every age-related trend in China is going in the wrong direction. The nation's median age, once well below the Western world's, is now older than America's and headed further north with every passing year. Deaths outnumbered births last year for the first time since 1961. The fertility rate, which normally must be at 2.1 children per adult woman just to maintain a steady population, has slipped to below 1.1 a figure made worse by the fact that, unlike in virtually every other country on the planet, China doesn't have a relatively even gender split in its adult population, the long-term result of male favoritism combined with the central government's infamous one-child policy. Basic math dictates that tens of millions of these "extra" men will never start families of their own. To compound the problem even further, women in China have indicated lower interest in having children than ever before; more than two-thirds have expressed "low birth desire." According to Prof. James Liang of Peking University, fertility rates in Beijing and Shanghai have fallen to an astonishing 0.7, "the lowest in the world." In Japan, economic stagnation produced a period that was called the "Lost Decade." That stagnation eventually persisted so long that some began to refer to it as the "Lost Generation." In China, an even more ominous buzz-phrase has become popular online: The "Last Generation." Much has been made of the difficulties China will face in attempting to manage a rapidly-shrinking workforce against a rapidly-growing retirement age population, which is projected to double by 2050. But that issue may actually be preferable to what is likely to happen afterward, or perhaps sooner if some of China's older population doesn't wind up living as long as expected. Here are the UN estimates for China's total population between now and 2100: (United Nations)Notice the lower-end expectations at the end of the century: 600 million, 500 million, perhaps as low as 450 million. Even the median projection puts the number at around 750 million. This is not just a rogue estimate by a single U.N. agency the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences has issued an extremely specific prediction of 587 million. If you think China has ghost cities now, imagine that vast nation with barely one-third of the population it has today. What will happen to property values in a country where between 50 and 70 percent of its people have disappeared? What will happen to tourism? To retail? So many articles have been written about what happens when a modern society grows "too old," as has happened in Japan and Germany, among others. But how many have been written about what happens when the majority of a modern society vanishes altogether? To make matters worse, if that seems possible, all these numbers rely on official Chinese statistics, and the government has likely been overstating them. According to an extensive examination of different sets of books by University of Wisconsin Prof. Yi Fuxian, it's possible to find the "fudging" effects by comparing local and provincial data to that published at the national level. "For the official statisticians," Yi explains, "the primary school enrolment data should be reliable because public education covers every Chinese child. They were wrong, however, because primary school enrolment data in China is often inflated so that local authorities can claim more education subsidies from Beijing. According to a report by CCTV on January 7, 2012, the Jieshou city in Anhui province reported 51,586 primary school students, when the actual number was only 36,234, allowing them to extract an additional 10.63 million yuan (about $1.54 million) in state funding. On June 4, 2012, China Youth Daily reported that a middle school in Yangxin county, Hubei province reported 3,000 students, while the actual number was only 700." In a country as large as China, what do these figures look like when aggregated to a national scale? According to Yi, government data "showed that China had 366 million new births" between 1991 and 2010, "but the group aged 0-19 in the 2010 census was only 321 million." In other words, either 45 million of those children had died between birth and the census, or they never really existed in the first place. That was just one cohort, in one census, but it's hardly the only example. "In 2010, the population aged 3-14 was only 169 million, according to the 2010 household registration database, and 176 million, according to the 2010 census," Yi continued. "Yet, according to the Chinese statistics bureau, there were 210 million births in the 1996-2007 period." Again, either China has secretly experienced the greatest wave of mass child deaths that the world has ever seen, or the birth-rate numbers were always grossly exaggerated. China's demographic headwinds, therefore, may be hurricane-strength. To be fair, most major nations in the West also face declining birth rates and aging citizens. The enormous difference in projected demographics, at least in many of those cases, comes down to immigration. Even with a current fertility rate of only 1.6, the U.S. population projects to reach roughly 400 million by the end of the century, according to the U.N.'s median estimate. East Asian countries tend to have much more restrictive immigration policies, but nowhere is this as true as in the People's Republic. Since 1950, which is as far back as the data goes, China has never experienced a single year of net positive migration. Ever. As previously mentioned, Beijing faces not one but two enormous burdens going forward. The second should not come as much of a surprise, as it was intertwined with China's population burst during all the good years: the economy. Yes, the mighty Chinese economy, the boomiest boom that's ever boomed is going to become a big, big problem. Much of this problem will, of course, be caused by the enormity of the demographic crunch. But there are specific details that will amplify the impact of that crunch. A whopping 70 percent of Chinese household wealth is held in real estate. Seventy. Percent. (The comparable number in the U.S. is less than half that.) The demand for investment properties has been so high that China's construction eruption simply cannot be reasonably compared to those that have occurred in any other major economy, even ones that have experienced giant housing bubbles of their own. As this graphic from the Reserve Bank of Australia shows, "residential gross fixed capital" as a proportion of GDP is close to 20% in China the comparable proportions in Australia, Japan, South Korea and the U.S. are all around 5% or less. Keep in mind that China's population is shrinking, and will continue to do so with increasing velocity. According to the World Bank, home price-to-income ratios in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen exceed "a multiple of 40;" the same figure is "only" 22 in London and 12 in New York, two notoriously expensive cities in the West. It is likely impossible to overemphasize the potential economic damage that will likely ensue when previous decades of population growth, urbanization and the frenzied real estate investment that has accompanied them run into the brick wall of new decades with consistently fewer buyers and that doesn't mean "fewer buyers" in the normal sense of a bubble popping, but the literal absence of hundreds of millions of buyers over time. What will happen as those aforementioned ghost cities begin to multiply? And perhaps the more important question: How can China possibly make its all-important transition to a consumer-based economy when consumers as a whole have shoved so much of their wealth into properties that will often end up being worthless? How in the world is this supposed to work? How could it work? That consumer transition becomes more necessary every day, because China has no other realistic option for productive growth moving forward. For years, Beijing has obsessively pushed economic activity toward investment, which sounds appealing at first simply because of the connotations of the word. But the Middle Kingdom long ago started running up against the law of diminishing returns when it comes to endlessly increasing investment. As Carnegie's China scholar Michael Pettis explained earlier this year, "China has the highest investment share of GDP in the world. It also has among the fastest growing debt burdens in history. These are not unrelated. With growing amounts of investment directed into projects whose economic benefits are less than their economic costs, the surge in China's debt burden is a direct consequence of this very high investment share." Pettis is not strictly talking about central government debt here, but rather total debt within the economy. Given the prodigious real estate boom in the People's Republic, one could be forgiven for assuming that's mainly what Pettis is describing, and such data surely factors into the next two charts. But there are many other sectors that do as well. Below is a graph of the increase in all outstanding non-financial corporate debt in four nations the U.S., France, Thailand and Malaysia since the global financial crisis. For simplicity's sake, the debt level in each country was set to a value of 100 in the final quarter of 2007, and the data goes through the final quarter of 2022: (Federal Reserve) That's admittedly not the easiest visual aid to digest, so here's a summary: The total amount of such debt in the U.S. increased over those 15 years to a level of 220, or slightly more than double the amount that existed in 2007. Malaysia, which has posted the fastest average growth of the four countries in that time, wound up with almost the same relative amount of internal debt growth. France and Thailand, which have both had economic struggles in the post-crisis period, took very different paths and ended up at the bottom and top of the chart, respectively. Here's why the comparison is worth digesting. Below is the same exact chart, except with China added: (Federal Reserve)The enormity of the Chinese debt load makes the differences between the other four nations practically vanish. Notice the scale on the left side of the graph. Starting at a base of 100, the Chinese measurement reached nearly 5,000 last year, or 50 times what it was in 2007. There is likely no economist on the planet who would advocate multiplying any significant category of debt 50 times over, no matter what the reason. But this is as much the result of political pressure to hit government GDP targets as anything else. To go back to Pettis, he explains the Chinese view by saying that for Beijing, GDP is an input, whereas virtually every other country understands it as an output. In other words, most nations tabulate their economic activities and eventually spit out a number that is recorded as GDP. Many arguments are fought over exactly how to go about that calculation and what it means, but the basic premise is pretty much the same. In China, the central government determines what GDP shall be for the quarter, and then it's up to provincial and local officials to do whatever is necessary to hit their numbers, regardless of the actual necessity or utility of the projects. (Furthermore, if those officials can't even reach their goals by incessantly building bridges to nowhere, they may simply lie and claim success anyway.) Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Local governments are forbidden from directly borrowing money, so their administrators do what any local government apparatchiks worth their salt around the world do when they need money they're technically not supposed to have: They find a loophole and exploit it relentlessly. In China's case, that means forming "independent" corporations known as "Local Government Financing Vehicles," which are somewhat-inexplicably allowed to be the equivalent of Clark Kent putting on a pair of glasses to fool everyone into thinking that he's not Superman. The LGFVs can borrow money that local governments can't. So that's what they do. Especially when the alternative is to displease the Politburo. As you might imagine, this type of policy-making does not tend to result in more money allocated to things like expanding sick leave, pension reform, parental leave, debt reduction or anything else that fails to artificially goose GDP. Instead, funds are dumped into watermelon museums that nobody needs and endless Skynet (they seriously call it that) "internal security" cameras that people need even less. The ironic lack of social safety nets in an ostensibly Communist country, combined with a seemingly unstoppable regime of compulsive over-investment, has for many years resulted in the exact opposite of what China needs consumers have felt and still feel it necessary to have some of the highest savings rates in the world, which means they aren't becoming a larger part of the economy but rather a smaller part of it. Here's a graph published by Reuters, which shows that private consumption as a share of Chinese GDP has been falling for decades. A similar chart from the Reserve Bank of Australia compares household consumption in China to other major Asian economies: (Reserve Bank of Australia)All these factors, and likely many more, have recently produced a series of announcements that, at least to some, were not much of a surprise: "China's economy may never overtake the U.S.," declared Business Insider. "China Quietly Abandons Goal of Overtaking U.S. Economy," opined Newsweek. Nikkei chimed in that "China's GDP is unlikely to surpass U.S. in next few decades." "The next few decades" is probably generous. The Chinese economy, if measured by anything remotely approaching the slightest degree of accuracy, won't surpass America's because it can't. The structural forces that have allowed it to grow at breakneck speed for half a century are now the same forces preventing it from continuing to do so. Chinese labor costs today are significantly higher than costs for the same amount of labor in both its Asian neighbors and Latin America, including Mexico, where manufacturing for the American market is much more convenient despite the overhanging power of the cartels. In fact, Mexico became the largest overall U.S. trading partner in the first quarter of this year, after surpassing China to become the biggest trade partner specifically for manufactured goods last year. China's "factory of the world" status is slowly evaporating because cheaper workers can now be found elsewhere, which often come without problems like blatant IP theft across countless industries or figuring out whether any given supply chain involves Uyghur forced labor camps. The Chinese population is shrinking, meaning that domestic labor costs will continue to surge upward even as overall GDP growth falls. The government in Beijing is worried about "South Park" and Winnie the Pooh. China is no longer a place where capitalist dreams go to succeed, and indeed the fact that it ever was reflects one of the biggest mistakes the Western world has made since the fall of the Iron Curtain. President Xi Jinping probably won't be happy with the way the rest of the "Chinese century" is likely to turn out. If it's any consolation, he should be happier right now than he will be in the years ahead. Read more about China-U.S. relations and the future WASHINGTON Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie likened former President Donald Trump and his allies to the fictional Corleone crime family from "The Godfather series, albeit with no experience. Christie took aim at the new charges special counsel Jack Smith filed against Trump last week in his classified documents case, alleging Trump ordered to have surveillance footage destroyed at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Its pretty brazen, Christie, a former federal prosecutor, said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. These guys were acting like the Corleones with no experience. Prosecutors allege Trump, along with his valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago employee Carlos De Oliveira, attempted to delete surveillance video after investigators issued a subpoena for the footage. 'Everyone will be completely shocked': Christie expects a big win in New Hampshire primary Republican presidential candidate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during a campaign event, Monday, July 24, 2023, in Concord, N.H. Christie said Nauta was akin to Fredo Corloene, depicted in the series as the weaker and less intelligent brother in the crime family. The day after a grand jury subpoena is served, which includes the surveillance tapes, they go down to Mar-a-Lago and Walt Nauta appears to be the Fredo of this family, Christie said. They send him to go down there, and they sent him to go and delete it. This is bad stuff, Christie alleged. This was the withholding of confidential classified information from the government after 18 months of asking Donald Trump to return it voluntarily. Unlike most of his opponents in the 2024 Republican presidential primary field, Christie has shown no reluctance to go after Trump for his multiple indictments and other legal troubles. Christie has argued Trumps legal cases disqualify him from the presidency. Trumps alleged mishandling of the classified documents, Christie said, endangered national security. This is not what a former president should be doing and its certainly not something that someone who wants to be president should be doing, Christie said. Christie has said he wouldn't be inclined to pardon Trump if the former president is eventually convicted and the former New Jersey governor wins the 2024 race for the White House. But other candidates, including biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, have said they disagree and would lean towards issuing Trump a pardon. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chris Christie on Donald Trump, allies: 'Corleones with no experience' Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) blasted conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Sunday for claiming that Congress has no authority to create a code of conduct for the high court, which has been embroiled in ethics controversies. Senate Democrats have been considering implementing a code of conduct to hold the court to higher ethics standards, as is done for the congressional and executive branches of the federal government. But on Friday, Alito told The Wall Street Journal that lawmakers should stop trying to impose new rules on the justices. No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court period, Alito said of the lawmakers. He added that the organized bar of lawyers would normally defend the court against its critics, but that has not lately been the case, so I have to defend myself. On CNNs State of the Union, Murphy said that Alitos claim is just stunningly wrong. He should know that more than anyone else, because his seat on the Supreme Court exists only because of an act passed by Congress, Murphy said. It is Congress that establishes the number of justices on the Supreme Court. It is Congress that has passed, in the past, requirements for justices to disclose certain information. And so it is just wrong on the facts to say that Congress doesnt have anything to do with the rules guiding the Supreme Court, he went on. In fact, from the very beginning, Congress has set those rules. The Senate Judiciary Committee on July 20 approved a bill by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a staunch critic of the high court. The bill would require the Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct and create a process to probe potential violations. The bill follows a string of ethics controversies involving various Supreme Court justices, including Alito, who authored the courts opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade last year. Alito and his fellow conservative Justice Clarence Thomas are accused of failing to report lavish gifts on federal disclosure forms. Story continues Earlier this year, ProPublica reported that Thomas specifically accepted trips and gifts from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow. The investigative outlet also reported that Alito failed to disclose a gifted luxury trip and private jet travel but before that story was even released, Alito penned an op-ed in the Journal defending himself against ProPublicas claims. It is even more disturbing that Alito feels the need to insert himself into a congressional debate, Murphy said Sunday. And it is just more evidence that these justices on the Supreme Court, these conservative justices, just see themselves as politicians. They just see themselves as a second legislative body that has just as much power and right to impose their political will on the country as Congress does. They are going to bend the law in order to impose their right-wing view of how the country should work on the rest of us, he continued. And its why we need to pass this commonsense ethics legislation, to at least make sure we know that these guys arent in bed having their lifestyles paid for by conservative donors as we have unfortunately seen in these latest revelations. Related... Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) compared new charges against former President Trump that accuse him of working with Mar-a-Lago employees to delete surveillance footage at the club to the tactics of the fictionalized Corleone organized crime family. It appears that way, Christie said in an interview Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, when asked whether he sees a clear-cut case for obstruction of justice. Its pretty brazen. These guys were acting like the Corleones with no experience. I mean, the day after a grand jury subpoena is served, which includes the surveillance tapes, they go down to Mar-a-Lago, and Walt Nauta appears to be the Fredo of this family. They sent him to go down there. And they sent him to go and delete it. This is bad stuff, Christie continued. A superseding indictment against former President Trump included three additional charges related to the former presidents alleged efforts to work with employees to delete security camera footage in the case examining his willful retention of classified documents, bringing the total number of charges to 40. Christie, a former Trump ally-turned-critic and now 2024 GOP contender, pushed back on the claim from fellow Republican challenger Vivek Ramaswamy that there was no underlying potential crime committed and that this was simply an alleged process crime. You cant say there was no underlying potential crime here. This was the withholding of confidential classified information from the government after 18 months of asking Donald Trump to return it voluntarily. Not only did he not return it, he lied about having it. This is not the kind of thing we could do, Christie said. Christie, a former federal prosecutor, noted the potential harmful effects on our troops and our intelligence officers by having this stuff just laying around, and him willy-nilly showing it to whoever he feels like, to be a show off on the back deck at Mar-a-Lago. This is not what a former president should be doing. And its certainly not something that someone who wants to be president should be doing, Christie said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Labor, operating costs and unfinished business from 2023 were the biggest expenditures in the $84 million final budget for the 2024 fiscal year approved July 25 by the Carlsbad City Council. An interim budget of $81 million interim budget for the 2024 fiscal year was approved by the council in May, and was due to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (NMDFA) on June 1. "The interim budget process begins early in the year and final budget doesnt get submitted to NMDFA for approval until June. The primary reason for the variation is the projected revenue for May and June came in higher than expected," said Ward 4 Councilor Wesley Carter. Labor Costs General Fund $46 million Municipal Transit $1.2 million Golf Pro Shop $460,000 Solid Waste Disposal $2.3 million Sports Complex $760,000 Water and Sewer $6.7 million Operating Costs General Fund $14.8 million Solid Waste Disposal $3.2 million Water and Sewer $4.1 million Debt Service $2.1 million Total $39.8 million 2024 Total Projects Carryover Projects from 2023 $40.2 million New Projects $31.6 million Fiscal Year 2023 Actual Projects $23.5 million Carter was part of a city council budget committee along with Ward 2 Councilors Jeff Forrest and J.J. Chavez and Ward 1 Councilor and May Pro Tem Edward T. Rodriguez. Its a really good solid budget, said Forrest. Weve got some stuff in there within reason. Its a good safe budget that wont put the city in a bind, he added. More: City of Carlsbad passes 2024 $81M spending plan Carter said the budget committee worked with city administrators and the finance department to develop the 2024 spending plan. "These meetings along with public meetings with outside agencies are discussed at length before an interim budget is sent to council for approval by the end of May. Once approved by council, the budget is sent to NMDFA for approval," he said. Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway said the finance department, city administration and city council worked together to prepare a very responsible budget. Story continues More: Bill fixing lost tax revenue in Carlsbad passes NM House waits for governor's signature For several years now, our annual audit has turned up no findings or minor findings, and thats because we have such a great group of dedicated and hard-working individuals working in our finance department, he said. Fiscal year 2023 ends on positive note City of Carlsbad Finance Director Melissa Salcido said the City of Carlsbad started the previous fiscal year with $104 million of money available to spend on government operations. She said the city ended the 2023 fiscal year with an increased cash balance of $119 million. Melissa Salcido City of Carlsbad finance documents indicated the previous fiscal year ended with $44.9 million left in the general fund. Forrest the 2024 budget was similar to the 2023 spending plan. Weve known for a couple of years we were going to lose money from destination sourcing, he said. Passed by the New Mexico Legislature and signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, House Bill 6 (HB 6) changed the states tax code for taxes where a service takes place and not where the business that provides the service is located. HB 6 went into effect two years ago. Janway said the law impacted oil and gas communities like Carlsbad and Hobbs, where services operate outside the city limits of both communities. More: State lawmakers seek long-term fix for lost tax revenue for City of Carlsbad State Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R-55) and outgoing State Sen. Gay Kernan (R-42) had success passing Senate Bill (SB) 292 through the 2023 New Mexico Legislature. The governor vetoed SB 292 in April and the City of Carlsbad did not get the funds they were asking for. The measure would have provided $25 million in lost gross receipts tax (GRTs) revenue. Carter said the City of Carlsbad is conservative when it comes to crafting spending plans, which are based on GRTs. He said GRTs are the main funding source for the City of Carlsbad's general spending fund. "With the assistance of the finance department and administration, weve put together another great budget that allows for reinvesting in capital and infrastructure projects around the city," Carter said. Despite the setback in the Legislature, Forrest said the city is in good shape financially thanks to oil and gas activity. Weve got a lot be excited about with the amount of money coming into our city, he said. Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Extra $3M gives City of Carlsbad $84M spending plan for 2024 Not the norm Family of Modesto woman run over by landscaper speaks out, (modbee.com, July 15) Recent articles tell of the tragic death of a homeless woman, Christine Chavez, and remind readers about the similar tragic demise of Shannon Bigley in 2019. We are told about their lives how they were beloved by family, created TikTok videos and loved to sing. But these reports are all ostentatiously silent on whatever heartbreaking set of conditions or choices brings someone to be sleeping in the weeds in a municipal park on a Saturday afternoon. We all can imagine, but the reporting is too polite to say. The whole tone of recent articles seem to present homelessness as just another legitimate life-style choice. You might imagine these mishaps to be the result of irresponsible vagrancy, but you would be wrong. Many other entities bear responsibility. What message does this reporting, which normalizes homelessness, send to the community? Christine and Shannon might be alive today had homelessness not been normalized. And lets be honest, there is no solution to homelessness that doesnt include involuntary confinement. Paula OReilly-Green Modesto No justice Judge rejects trial in police shooting of Modesto CA man, (modbee.com, July 22) In the police killing of Trevor Seever, Officer Joseph Lamantia feared for his life because he impetuously put himself in that position. Rather than wait for a perimeter to be set up or for backup to come, he barreled around a corner and reacted to his own preconceived fears rather than calmly assessing the situation like most police officers are trained to do. I attend the Church of the Brethren. The quad area is surrounded on three sides by buildings, with two open-entrance corridors. The police could have easily entered those corridors, controlled the area and calmly announced their presence. Seever was not going anywhere, and no one else was there. Lamantia did not give Seever adequate time to react. He yelled at Seever, expecting immediate compliance, and then shot him. Story continues Have you ever been yelled at by a screaming policeman? It takes time to understand and react. It can be very scary for anyone let alone someone in a mental health crisis. Why did the Modesto Police Dept. fire Lamantia? Because he didnt follow proper procedure, thus leading to needless tragedy. Justice was not served here! This incident should have gone to trial. James Costello Ceres Opinion Much needed improvements Modesto police officers dispatched to multi-vehicle crash find homicide victim, (modbee.com, April 12) This week, double yellow lines and much needed resurfacing were completed on W Rumble Road, between Tully Road and Carver Avenue. This section of road has a dangerous, short double-curved section that, over the years, has seen multiple crashes and two traffic fatalities most likely due to excess speeding and inadequate curve warning ahead signs. This section also carries heavy school and crosstown traffic from both Davis and Prescott schools. Its great to see our city taxes going to good use. My thanks to the City Forestry and Road Department, City Manager Joe Lopez and especially Mayor Sue Zwahlen for taking steps to keep our roads and residents safe. Ken Westervelt Modesto Funding for tech New crime-solving technology coming to Turlock, (modbee.com, Jan. 19) As a nation that excels in innovation, driving technological advancements, protecting its citizens and championing the principles of freedom, we must remain vigilant in the face of emerging threats particularly those posed by China to safeguard our national security. As a global innovation leader, the U.S. holds a unique position in shaping the future. Technological advancements have transformed industries and propelled progress. China, with its ambition set to become a global technological powerhouse, has been known to engage in unfair practices to undermine U.S. technology that not only threaten the economic prosperity of our nation but also jeopardize our national security. We must stay ahead of China and any other country that threatens our technological edge. Innovation is what America does best, and leading the cutting-edge technologies and intellectual property safeguards our national security and protects citizens. Americas tech sector thrives when research and development is adequately funded. Tony Lopez Modesto Scapegoating Mayorkas Will this stab at solving immigration be any different? (modbee.com, June 14) While social, economic and environmental concerns drove more and more immigrants to seek shelter in the U.S., Congress sat on their agendas and did nothing to address, much less solve, the border crisis. Now, Rep. Jim Johnson and other House Trumpbots want to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for not waving his magic wand and making everything all right. Thats like firing the janitor because someone messed up the office. Jack Heinsius Modesto Lt. Gov. Candidates, Incumbent Delbert Hosemann, left, and challenger Chris McDaniel With less than two weeks until Mississippi voters go to the polls to vote in primaries for this year's statewide elections, one of the most hotly contested races continues to be the Republican primary for lieutenant governor. State Sen. Chris McDaniel is for the third time in his political career attempting to run to the right of a Republican incumbent. After running against sitting Republican U.S. Senators in 2014 and 2018, McDaniel is this time challenging incumbent Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, a lifelong Republican, who McDaniel says is secretly "Delbert the Democrat." The two men, though members of the same party, are very different in political style, record and background. While Hosemann launched his first statewide campaign with ads poking fun at his own name, McDaniel's U.S. Senate runs were far more ruthless. In 2014, just as he has in this year's race, McDaniel repeatedly said he respected U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, while also launching attack ads labeling the longtime Republican as not conservative enough and a member of an out-of-touch political class. State Sen. Chris McDaniel, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, addresses the crowd in the pavilion in Founders Square at the Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia Wednesday, July 16, 2023. McDaniel is running against incumbent Delbert Hosemann. In this race, Hosemann has largely pushed back against those kinds of claims, pointing to his record on running the state like a business, and also to endorsements from powerful national conservative groups like Right to Life and the political action committee for the National Rifle Association. While the two men have their clear differences, talking points in the race have largely come down to a question of conservative bona fides, leaving voters to wonder just how far apart they really are on policy. Here's where each candidate stands on some of the biggest issues: Republican incumbent Delbert Hosemann, greets the crowd before addressing the crowd in the pavilion in Founders Square at the Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia Wednesday, July 16, 2023. Hosemann is running against State Sen. Chris McDaniel for the Republican nomination. Abortion In recent days and weeks, the race has taken a sharp turn toward abortion. McDaniel has resurfaced decades old accusations that Hosemann was once "vice president of an abortion clinic." Hosemann is Catholic and a University of Notre Dame graduate who has been repeatedly endorsed by Mississippi Right to Life over the past 25 years and is endorsed by the national arm of the group in the race against McDaniel. The lieutenant governor has said he provided legal services to a women's health clinic in the 1970s and early '80s, before it ever began providing abortions. Hosemann has further said he was mistakenly included on some of the clinic's paperwork years after he left, a claim backed up by a 1998 memo written by the clinic's president and later obtained by the Associated Press. Story continues "In 1981 I quit representing them," Hosemann said at the Neshoba County Fair. "The guy ran the clinic said I didn't have anything to do with them after 1981 ... So, it's just false. It's just totally false." Yet, even after the 1998 memo was reported, McDaniel has continued to claim Hosemann is "a liberal on abortion," including in a campaign ad launched last week and at his speech at the Neshoba fair. "I'm going to be real clear about this, really clear, its objective and a verifiable fact, you can yell, you can scream, you can use your friends in the media to cover up for you, it's a verifiable fact that from 1976 to 1990 he was the vice president of an abortion clinic," McDaniel said at the fair, to both cheers and yells of "liar" from different segments of the crowd. Hosemann said his endorsements and his record should speak for themselves. "Mississippi Right to Life, they've been endorsing me for 25 years, and they've looked at all of that stuff," Hosemann said. Hosemann was secretary of state when the legislature passed the 15-week abortion ban that ultimately led to the downfall of Roe v. Wade. After that Supreme Court decision, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Hosemann appointed a nine-member study group to look at supporting women, children and mothers. One of the main recommendations of the study group was to extend Medicaid coverage for new mothers to 12 months postpartum, a policy Hosemann had also previously pushed for. After Republican Gov. Tate Reeves changed his position and endorsed extension, it ultimately passed and became law. "When we have healthy mothers, we have healthy babies a great example of post-Dobbs, pro-life policy," he said after the bill passed the House. McDaniel voted against extension on the floor of the Senate. Income tax One of McDaniel's biggest criticisms of Hosemann comes from his opposition to eliminating the state income tax during the 2022 legislative session. Reeves supported full elimination, and a bill to do so passed the House with support of Republican Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, but it never reached the floor of the Senate, the chamber that the lieutenant governor presides over. Instead, a compromise was reached, with a gradual reduction to a 4% flat tax. That still equates to the largest tax cut in Mississippi history. Hosemann has said the day might come for full income tax elimination, but he wants to be cautious and ensure that it is a fiscally responsible decision in the long run. During a speech to Mississippi newspaper reporters, editors and publishers in June, Hosemann said he wants to avoid the kinds of negative impacts seen in states like Kansas that have quickly cut or eliminated taxes in the past. "We are going through a tax cut. We will be looking at, in 2024-25 and as we go forward, we'll look at further reductions in either the grocery tax or the income tax, or both," Hosemann said. "We'll be looking at those and we will assimilate it in an organized fashion so that we don't leave our education without enough money, or our infrastructure without enough money, which you could do by some catastrophic Kansas situation. We didn't do that." To McDaniel, though, Hosemann's incremental approach is a sign that the lieutenant governor and the Senate have not been conservative enough. "As Republicans, we owe it to ourselves to fight for our principles and the body has not done that because Delbert Hosemann has stood in the way. There's no better example of that than the income tax elimination bill," McDaniel said at the same Mississippi Press Association conference. Education funding Earlier this year, Hosemann led a push to change the Mississippi Adequate Education Program formula, which funds public school in the state, in ways that would allow the Legislature to fully fund the program for the first time in more than 15 years. That plan ultimately failed to find support in the House, and MAEP was left underfunded for another year, though a compromise allocated $100 million to schools directly, outside of the formula. Hosemann has said he will continue to negotiate commonsense changes to MAEP that will make it easier for it to reach full funding. The Senate plan passed the chamber unanimously, with a yes vote from McDaniel. Ballot initiative restoration When the Mississippi Supreme Court struck down the medical marijuana ballot initiative in 2021, they also struck down the entire ballot initiative process. The decision was based largely on a technicality. The ballot initiative law required a certain number of signatures from each of the state's U.S. House districts. The issue was, the law was written when the state had five districts, and specifically used that number. The state now has four. McDaniel has advocated to restore the ballot initiative as it was, changing just the number of districts to fix the problem. "You have a constitutional right as a Mississippi citizen to get around the stubbornness and the obstructionists in your government. You are owed that right. It's important as free people that you have that right," McDaniel said at the press association event. "Give us a ballot initiative process that's workable. Delbert Hosemann has not and will not do that." Hosemann's position has been less clear. While McDaniel claims that Hosemann stands against the initiative, during the session the lieutenant governor specifically brought forward an attempt to resurrect the initiative restoration bill after it had died as a result of legislative deadlines. That move was successful in the Senate, but ultimately a compromise could not be reached with the House. Senate proposals have focused on increasing the signature threshold needed to get an initiative on the ballot. Under the previous law, the number was about 110,000. The Senate version of the bill would have increased that to almost a quarter of a million. Supporters of the Senate plan say it would lessen the impacts of spending from outside the state, while opponents say it would make it harder for voters to have a direct say. The House plan would have put in place an initiative process with roughly the same signature threshold as the previous law, although it had other differences from what was struck down by the court. Hosemann has said he supports restoring the initiative, but that it has been difficult to find support from key senators. Sen. John Polk, R-Hattiesburg, chairs the Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency committee, where the bills originated in the Senate. Polk has been skeptical of restoring the initiative process and has said citizens can still have a say in government without it through their elected representatives. Senate committee assignments One of McDaniel's earliest criticisms of Hosemann was over senate committee assignments. "Since he's been LG, I serve with only 16 Democrats. For some reason, he appointed 13 of those Democrats to powerful chairmanships," McDaniel said at the Neshoba fair. In Mississippi, senators typically only chair one committee. There are 45 senate committees, and 36 Republicans in the chamber. Of the chamber's 16 Democrats, 13 hold chair positions. There were also 13 Democrats chairing committees during Reeves' final four years as lieutenant governor. Even if every Republican senator chaired one committee, that would leave nine chair positions open. McDaniel has said there should be less committees, and they should all be chaired by Republicans. Hosemann, in a speech following McDaniel's, directly addressed the committee chairs issue. "Another thing I want to clear up. There are 45 committees in the Mississippi Senate," Hosemann said. "I only had 36 Republicans. Send me more Republicans." Hosemann added that he has put Republicans in charge of the most important committees where the most bills are considered. "Every bill that came out of the Mississippi Senate, the main and the only bills were drafted by Republicans that I appointed," Hosemann said. "I did have one Republican chairman that I was really disappointed in. That was my opponent. I appointed him head of the powerful Environmental Protection, Conservation and Water Resources (committee). I'll tell you what else I did. I put seven Republicans on there and four Democrats. I stacked it ... He didn't hold one hearing. He didn't pass one bill." The primary election will take place on Aug. 8, with a potential runoff on Aug. 29. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: See where the candidates for Mississippi Lt. Gov. stand on the issues Historically, being a successful farmer in California requires multiple skills across multiple disciplines, including biology, math, engineering, chemistry, soil science and meteorology. For generations, farmers passed these skills down to the next generation who used them with a healthy mix of intuition and elbow grease to hopefully remain profitable. We all know that California is the worlds breadbasket. The Golden State creates more than 13% of the nations agricultural production value. Californias top 20 crop and livestock commodities account for more than $25 billion in value. We are Americas premier agricultural state. So when talk in Congress turns to regulating big tech, most Legislators think of legislation that targets Silicon Valley. As it turns out, however, efforts by Congress to reign in Americas technological sector would likely hurt Americas competitive edge and dampen innovation. Californias farmers would also likely suffer as well and, with it, America and the worlds food supply. Opinion Todays farmer relies more on technology than ever before. Technology has transformed farming from relying on skills and lessons passed from one generation to the next to one increasingly dependent on computers and data science. Farmers leverage vast amounts of data to advance decision making in real time. Ag-tech has bridged the skills landscape through precision agriculture and robotic systems, allowing profitable farming to coexist with more efficient, safe and environmentally friendly farming methods. As the head of the Central Valley Business Federation, an alliance of 50 diverse business groups from Madera County to Kern County, we educate and advocate far and wide about the positive impact California and the Central Valley have on the everyday lives of not only Californians, but also on the U.S. and the rest of the world. We can and should say the same about technologys importance to the agricultural industry. With more than 250 different crops grown in California with some grown nowhere else in the country Californias massive economic impact could be diminished or threatened if not for techs outsized influence. Story continues The agricultural industry has seen multiple revolutions during the past 50 years. Advancements have, over time, expanded the speed, scale and productivity of farm equipment, leading to better, more efficient land cultivation. Today, 21st Century agriculture finds itself at the center of yet another revolution: Emerged and emerging technologies like sensors, GPS, robotics, artificial intelligence and the Internet increase yields, improve water efficiency, reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizer and create resilience and sustainability across crop cultivation. For example, farmers use drones to map and monitor crop growth and improve irrigation. In recent years, farmers have faced challenges associated with climate change and a rapidly growing population. This year alone has caused major concerns over prolonged rain and significant snow melt run-off preceded by significant drought conditions. Due to rapid population growth, which is estimated to hit 9.7 billion by 2050, the worlds demand for food has increased. To meet the estimated population growth, farmers will need to produce about 70% more food. In short, Ag-techs benefits provide Californias agriculture industry enormous advantages. Unfortunately, some members of Congress continue to push anti-innovation legislation that could handcuff Americas technology companies, including those that help California farmers compete and succeed. Its critical that California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, along with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, put techs role in agriculture front and center as they debate any future legislation dealing with Americas tech sector. Our leaders must pursue policies that empower and expand Ag-tech to help boost crop yields and use scarce resources more efficiently. Failure to do so would bring dire consequences for California farmers, American families and the rest of the world. Clint Olivier is the chief executive officer of Central Valley BizFed. The Port of San Diego is diving head first into the blue economy with its Aquaculture and Blue Technology Program. Aquaculture is a growing industry in the blue economy that can provide a sustainable source of food, packaging, beauty products, biofuel, and many other things. The global aquaculture market is valued at around $290 billion and is projected to reach $421 billion by 2030, as reported by Vantage Market Research. The Port recognized the growth opportunities of the blue economy sector and its strategic position within one of the worlds leading blue technology clusters and decided to launch the AQ&BT in 2015. So what are aquaculture and the blue economy? The World Bank describes the blue economy as the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs, while preserving the health of our ocean ecosystems. Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms in the Ports case, specifically seaweed and shellfish. Rafael Castellanos, the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners chair, talked to The Cool Down about how San Diego Bay is becoming known as the Blue Tech Bay. The future of ocean-based economic development is very bright and exciting, said Castellanos, who has been on the board since 2013. According to Castellanos, the shellfish aquaculture industry in the U.S. generates $300 million annually, and the global commercial seaweed market was valued at a whopping $16.6 billion in 2020. The Port created its Blue Economy Incubator (BEI) in 2016 to assist in the creation, early development, and initial scaling of sustainable aquaculture and Port-related blue technology ventures. It directly supports entrepreneurs by providing funding and other support services. Ideas to work sustainably within the marine environment can come from anywhere, said Castellanos. The best ideas will transition into concepts, design plans, and then prototypes. Story continues Those prototypes are then tested and validated in a lab setting before being deployed in the real world. It is a win-win situation, Castellanos told The Cool Down. The Port is learning from the pilot projects, which are addressing existing environmental challenges and informing future opportunities, and companies can make a strong case for commercialization once their pilot is finished. One of the more successful companies to come through the BEI is Sunken Seaweed, a startup company led by two marine ecologists, who Castellanos said are committed to pioneering sustainable seaweed aquaculture in San Diego. The companys quarter-acre ocean farm is 25 feet deep and consists of ropes, buoys, and anchors attached to existing pier pilings, with dozens of horizontal lines of seaweed growing under the surface. The Port recently reinvested in Sunken Seaweed so it could scale its farm and eventually sell seaweed to chefs and food production and distribution companies and thats just the beginning of the possibilities for seaweed. They are also exploring a range of products, including fertilizers, human food supplements, and livestock feed additives, Castellanos explained. Aquaculture has a controversial history, particularly with finfish farming. Many people are understandably concerned about the impacts on marine ecosystems. Castellanos assured The Cool Down that the Port is an environmental steward of San Diego Bay. As part of the BEIs thorough review process, the Port has experts who conduct extensive due diligence to understand the potential environmental risks of each proposed pilot project, he said. When the Port first decided to dip its toes into the aquaculture waters, Castellanos said there were some initial concerns among locals. However, since then, we have had time to familiarize local commercial fishermen with shellfish and seaweed aquaculture, the similarities that exist in terms of infrastructure and labor/skill sets needed and the potential for business opportunities in the future, he explained. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) projected the global ocean economy to be valued at $3 trillion by 2030. The U.S. imports about 90% of the seafood we consume, with more than half coming from aquaculture. Growing the domestic aquaculture industry with programs like the Ports BEI can help shift the tides of the $14 billion seafood trade deficit. Ocean development is driven by curiosity, ingenuity, and tenacity, and many very smart people are working hard to solve some extremely difficult problems, Castellanos told The Cool Down. We anticipate we will be rich in opportunities. Castellanos has big dreams for the Ports future in the blue economy. Like Santa Clara Valley is known as Silicon Valley, we hope San Diego Bay will be known as the Blue Tech Bay, he said, presumably wearing some shades. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Dennis Giangreco was about 10 years old when he met President Harry Truman at the Truman Library. Some six decades later, hes written his third book specifically on the man from Independence, Truman and the Bomb: The Untold Story. It might seem like a natural progression, but the line from Point A to Point B was far from direct. Giangrecos evolution into a respected historian followed an unlikely trail, to say the least. If you dont understand whats going on, its like a headscratcher, the Lees Summit resident said. A few years after meeting Truman, Giangreco embarked on a career that took him from promoting rock concerts at Volker Park to working at the legendary Woodstock rock festival in New York to heading the cleanup effort at the disastrous Altamont festival in California to founding and running the Westport Trucker underground newspaper while turning himself into a first-rate graphic artist and illustrator. Then he turned 20. A decade later, after a detour to the East Coast where among other accomplishments he was a founder of the still-popular counterculture magazine High Times his freelance writing efforts veered into the world of the military and eventually landed him a gig at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. He worked at the Military Review, the professional journal of the U.S. Army, for 20 years. Meanwhile, he began writing books. As a military history expert, Dennis Giangreco frequently appears at conferences and makes presentations, including this one at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. As D.M. Giangreco, he has authored or co-authored 15 books, including two with his wife, Kathryn Moore, a former history teacher in Lees Summit and historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. Oh, and he also has returned to his roots, organizing the revived First Sunday concerts at Volker (now Theis) Park. John T. Kuehn, a fellow military historian who wrote the foreword to Truman and the Bomb, describes Giangreco as a polymath. He does many things well. Dennis is legitimately a genius, and hes just inexhaustible, said Kuehn, a military history professor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and author of Agents of Innovation: The General Board and the Design of the Fleet that Defeated the Japanese Navy. Story continues If youre wondering how Giangreco found time to earn the doctoral degree that is pretty much a requirement for scholars in his field, well, he didnt. He didnt attend college at all. In fact, his education ended after his junior year at Center High School. Dennis Giangreco produced this poster for a concert by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention at the Cowtown Ballroom. It is on display at the Kansas City Museum. I had too many things I was doing, and something had to go, Giangreco said. And the least profitable of them all was school. Before cutting ties completely with Center, however, he came back long enough to take the school district to court. It seems school administrators didnt approve of his and other students long hair while allowing it for members of the resident rock band. He sought a temporary injunction against the school, which a U.S. District Court judge denied, bemoaning Giangrecos hair as like a girls hair. The teen had the last laugh, however. Giangreco said rather than appeal the judges ruling, he made a deal with school administrators. Nobody knows it was actually won, he said. The only reason I was doing it was for these other long hairs who wanted to have long hair just like the band members did. My agreement was Leave these kids alone. If you leave these kids alone, Ill just drop the whole thing. The administration agreed and kept its end of the bargain. Giangreco then headed off to greener pastures. The decades since have been filled with enough adventures to fill a memoir, if he had time to write it. One was his remarkable experience as a 17-year-old at the Rolling Stones free concert at Altamont Speedway known for the Hells Angels violent and fatal role as security and his relationship there with Grateful Dead band members. He wrote a fun story about it in 2019 to help mark the events 50th anniversary for the History News Network, where he is a frequent contributor. To many people in Kansas City, Giangreco is best known for the Westport Trucker, a midtown staple in the early 1970s. His collection is housed at the UMKC University Libraries. It actually ended up being one of the very oldest underground papers in the country, Giangreco said. It survived for 90-some editions over a period of years and years, six years I think it was. In underground-paper dog years, thats going on 100. The Legalize Cocaine issue was one of the Westport Truckers most popular. The Trucker was known for its counterculture content (its Legalize Cocaine issue was one of its most popular) and its cover illustrations. Giangreco managed the paper and did some of the writing and illustrating and most of the editing. That versatility came in handy when he landed at the Military Review, a seemingly odd partnership given his background. But he said the Army knew of his work background and was fine with it. It was a known history within the Army, and it was a known history within the Defense Department, and it was a known history within the New York publishing market, he said. Giangreco served as both an editor and art director at the Military Review but also managed to write at least five or six books while I was there. I was a busy guy. It was at the Military Review that he adopted the nom de plume D.M. Giangreco (his middle name is Michael), which has adorned all his articles and books since the mid-1980s. It just seemed the cleanest and most efficient thing to do, he said. Since the stuff with the yippies and High Times was all as Dennis Giangreco it was simpler to do what a lot of the Soviet authors do and just have first initial, middle initial, last name. So, in one of his worlds he remains Dennis and in the other he is D.M. Harry Pincus, whose illustrations have appeared in publications from Screw magazine to The New York Times, drew the early portrait of Dennis Giangreco. It is juxtaposed with more current photos of him and his wife, Kathryn Moore, who also is an author. Kuehn said there are military historians who span both worlds. You dont get to call him Dennis until you become part of the Dennis club, Kuehn said. With books such as Hell to Pay: Operation Downfall and the Invasion of Japan, 1945-1947 (2009; updated and expanded 2020) and United States Army: The Definitive Illustrated History (2011), Giangreco has become respected among military historians despite lacking a Ph.D., which Kuehn said is unheard of in the scholarly world. The people who are best in their fields recognize Dennis for what he is, he said. Hes just living proof that you dont need a Ph.D. to be a first-rate scholar. Still, Kuehn has a hard time reconciling the D.M. Giangreco of the 2000s with the Dennis Giangreco of the 1970s. Heres this 17-year-old kid whos friends with the Grateful Dead, Kuehn said. Its incredible. You see these things, and youre like, What? This is the guy that wrote Hell to Pay about planning for the invasion of Japan, or Truman and the Bomb, or won the Moncado Prize from the Society of Military History for his article on casualty estimates for the invasion of Japan. I mean, he helped start a marijuana magazine? He cleaned up after Altamont? Giangreco doesnt recommend his career path to others, especially the lack of college part. I know that not going to college hurts a lot of folks, and I dont advocate that people do it, he said. But six different university presses have published my works, including books. So, its like, me, it didnt hurt. The University of Nebraska Press Potomac Books imprint has published Giangrecos newest book, which has an Aug. 1 release date but is available online now. Giangreco expects it to be popular for academic use in high schools and colleges. Meanwhile, he has a contract to write yet another book about Truman: a second volume of The Soldier From Independence. Truman and the Bomb: The Untold Story is Dennis Giangrecos third book about former President Harry Truman. Giangrecos books about Truman Truman and the Bomb: The Untold Story by D. M. Giangreco is due out Aug. 1 (Potomac Books, $34.95). The book challenges myths about President Harry Trumans decision to use nuclear weapons, especially that the huge casualty estimates he cited for a possible invasion of Japan were a postwar creation devised to assuage guilt for the deaths of thousands of civilians. nebraskapress.unl.edu. The Soldier from Independence: A Military Biography of Harry Truman (2009) Dear Harry: Trumans Mailroom, 1945-1953, with Kathryn Moore (1999, reprinted edition 2017) Nearly four years after Lori Vallow killed her two children, the doomsday cult mom is expected to be sentenced to spend the rest of her life behind bars. Following much delay caused by the Covid pandemic and procedural hurdles, Fremont County District Judge Steven Boyce is expected to hand down 50-year-old Vallows sentence at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, on Monday. Vallow was found guilty in May of killing her seven-year-old son Joshua JJ Vallow and 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan sometime in late 2019 and taking their security benefits. She was also convicted of conspiring to kill her husband Chad Daybells first wife Tammy that year. The childrens bodies were found in June 2020 at a pet cemetery in Mr Daybells residence. Tylees remains were discovered burned, while JJ was strangled to death and found still in his pyjamas and with a plastic bag over his head and duct tape over his mouth. Vallows sentencing may mark the end of her legal saga in Idaho but her husband will be tried later this year on the same charges that she was convicted of Vallow is also facing charges of conspiring to kill in the death of her fourth husband Charles Vallow in Arizona. Evidence introduced during the six-week trial included bizarre testimony from family members that she called her son and daughter zombies and said she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse. Vallow and Mr Daybell apparently believed in an ability to use their minds to cast out demons from people and work on them. The convicted child killer is expected to be sentenced to life in prison. However, Mr Daybell is facing the death penalty in the case. Vallow has been held at Madison County Jail ahead of sentencing but will be transferred to the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction and then expected to be relocated to the Pocatello Womens Correctional Center, according to KTVB. Mr Daybell and Vallow were slated to stand trial together before Judge Boyce ruled in March that the cases would be severed. Story continues Four family members are expected to give victim impact statements at Vallows sentencing, according to previously submitted requests to the court following Idaho law. Vallows only surviving son 27-year-old Colby Ryan and her sister Summer Shiflet are expected to deliver their statements. JJs grandmother Kay Woodcock and Tammy Daybells aunt Vicki Hoban are also expected to address the court during sentencing. Vallows defence attorneys will also have an opportunity to speak on her behalf. Tylee Ryan and Joshua JJ Vallow were killed some time in late 2019 (Family handout) Once Vallow is sentenced, Arizona prosecutors are expected to submit requests for extradition. In Maricopa County, she has been charged with conspiracy to kill her fourth husband Charles Vallow, who was shot dead by Vallows brother Alex Cox, on July 11 2019. JJ and Tylee then vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to authorities for many months. Vallow was found guilty of killing her children (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) One month after the children were last seen alive, Tammy Mr Daybells wife and an otherwise healthy 49-year-old died suddenly and Vallow and Mr Daybell soon jetted off to Hawaii to get married on the beach. In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybells property in Rexburg, Idaho, and the doomsday cult couple were eventually charged with murder. Prosecutors argued that Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammys life insurance money and the childrens social security and survivor benefits. The issue of Ukraines accession to the European Union will become one of the major topics in the European community, the Head of the Ministry of European Affairs of the Czech Republic, Martin Dvorak The issue of Ukraines accession to the European Union will become one of the major topics in the European community, the Head of the Ministry of European Affairs of the Czech Republic, Martin Dvorak, said in an interview with Czech publication Ceske Noviny on July 29. Dvorak acknowledged that predicting the exact timing of Ukraines EU accession negotiations is challenging and unlikely to occur before the years end. Ukrainians have a very positive approach to their homework and are fulfilling it, he said, referring to the reforms Ukraine is carrying out in order for it to qualify for EU membership. Read also: Czechia to fully abandon Russian oil by 2024 Whether they will progress far enough in October to start accession negotiations in December, I cannot tell you right now, Dvorak said, referring to the October deadline for Ukraine, when the EU is expected to announce an official assessment of the progress in implementing reforms. The Czech politician stressed the importance of demonstrating ongoing support to Ukraine from the European community, assuring that they have not been abandoned and are on the right track. He expressed confidence that if Ukraine continues its efforts, it will achieve its desired goal of EU membership. Former Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski also shared his optimism regarding Ukraines accession on July 28, stating that he believes Ukraine will become an EU member by the end of this decade. 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 As we kick off a new week, let's take a look back at the week that was. Top stories this past week included: Our picks for The Herald News' 2023 All-Scholastics Softball Teams. It was a season to remember for Greater Fall River softball teams, especially for Case and Somerset Berkley. Here's a look at The Herald News' First and Second Softball All-Star Teams from the 2023 spring season. The Greater Fall River real estate report, featuring a renovated raised ranch in Swansea that sold for $540,000. The home on Sharps Lot Road has a modern farmhouse vibe and features three bedrooms, a stunning brand-new kitchen, and two renovated modern bathrooms. Check out this property, as well as other recent top-sellers. These were the most read stories of the week on HeraldNews.com: A humpback whale was found near Westport's beaches. Scientists want to know how it died. A crew of researchers conducted a necropsy of a young whale at Westport's Town Beach this past week. The dead humpback whale was spotted in the water near Gooseberry Island, and washed ashore at one of the private properties along East Beach Road. A young humpback whale found dead off the coast was dragged onto Westport Town beach for a necropsy on Tuesday. Its body was pulled by tugboat to Town Beach, where biologists and researchers from the International Fund for Animal Welfare attempted to determine how it died. Dead whale in Westport: A humpback whale was found near Westport's beaches. Scientists want to know how it died. Why did Fall River's DCM chief lose his job? The Herald News will go to court to find out. The Herald News and its parent company, Gannett, will be heading to Superior Court next month in the media outlet's public records lawsuit against the city of Fall River. For more than a year, The Herald News has attempted to obtain an investigative report and a separation agreement between the city and former Department of Community Maintenance director John Perry that was reached last June after a two-month investigation into possible wrongdoing. Story continues A hearing is set in Superior Court in New Bedford on Aug. 17. Herald News goes to court: Why did Fall River's DCM chief lose his job? The Herald News will go to court to find out. FBI arrests Swansea man who was at the Jan. 6 Capitol riots The Swansea man who admittedly took part in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol building was arrested by the FBI in Fall River at his place of business on Pleasant Street on Thursday and arraigned on a federal felony offense of civil disorder and a host of misdemeanor charges. Michael St. Pierre, 46 was arraigned Thursday afternoon at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston before Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell. Mike St. Pierre appears in a still frame of a video he recorded himself and live-streamed to Facebook in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, where he said he was going to march to the Capitol and break in. St. Pierre was later recorded on video hurling an object into the building. While St. Pierre was arraigned in a Boston federal court, his case will be tried by the U.S. Attorneys Office from the District of Columbia, which issued an arrest warrant on July 20. Local man charged in Jan. 6 riots: FBI arrests Swansea man who was at the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Here's what he's charged with Fall River police officer asks court to toss child porn case A Fall River police officer facing one count of possessing child pornography, a partially nude photo his 17-year-old girlfriend sent him, is seeking to dismiss the criminal case against him. Defense attorney Rene Brown indicated to the judge that Michael Morin, 38, was in the courthouse, but he did not appear in the courtroom during a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday. Brown asked Fall River Judge Cynthia M. Brackett to schedule a motion to dismiss hearing, which she scheduled for Aug. 24. Herald News Reporter Jo C. Goode has the story. 'Nudity is not pornography': Fall River police officer asks court to toss child porn case Fall River real estate boom: Over 2,000 market-rate apartments are in the pipeline A look at new and pending construction projects in Fall River shows a boom in market-rate housing construction, with thousands of new units in the pipeline. One reason Fall River has become a prime target for the redevelopment of former mill buildings and new market-rate housing construction, according to Ken Fiola, executive vice president of the Bristol County Economic Development Consultants, is location. See what's in the works, right here. Fall River real estate boom: Over 2,000 market-rate apartments are in the pipeline Taunton Daily Gazette/Herald News copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at kfontes@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today. This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Herald News Top 5: Humpback whale washes up in Westport Russian troops hit the building of an educational institution in Sumy The death toll from a July 29 Russian missile strike on Sumy the northern part of Ukraine had risen to two as of 11.00 a.m. on July 30, with another 20 people injured, of whom three were reported to be in a moderate condition in hospital. This was reported by Ukrainian news agency Suspilne, with reference to the Sumy City Council. DSNS DSNS DSNS DSNS A Russian missile hit the building of an educational institution in Sumy the previous evening at around 8.00 p.m. The four-story building of the educational building suffered significant destruction, with a part of the building being completely demolished by the force of the blast. An emergency response team is working at the scene of the attack. Rescuers are clearing away rubble and damaged structures. The State Emergency Service reported that rescuers had worked all night. Around 3.00 a.m. they managed to extinguish the fire at the missile impact site. There are 42 rescuers and 10 pieces of equipment working at the site. Read also: Russian invaders shell nine districts in Sumy Oblast The regional prosecutor's office reported that another building and two dormitories were significantly damaged. In the surrounding apartment buildings, windows were broken and walls were damaged by debris. Ukraines military said Ukraine, including the city of Sumy, had been attacked on July 29 with ballistic missiles fired from Russia. Sumy Region Prosecutor's Office Sumy Region Prosecutor's Office Sumy Region Prosecutor's Office Sumy Region Prosecutor's Office Sumy Region Prosecutor's Office 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 Bruno Le Maire, France's finance minister, said during a visit to Beijing on Sunday that cutting all economic ties with China was 'an illusion' (Pedro PARDO) France's finance minister said during a visit to Beijing on Sunday that cutting all economic ties with China was "an illusion", as some Western countries question their reliance on the Asian giant. "We are totally opposed to the idea of decoupling. Decoupling is an illusion," Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told reporters at the French embassy. "There is no possibility of having any kind of decoupling between the American, European and Chinese economies." Le Maire nonetheless defended France's ambition to become more economically independent in certain sectors. But, he added, the concept of de-risking, which has become a byword in the West in recent months, "does not mean that China is a risk". "De-risking means that we want to be more independent... We don't want to realise, as we realised during the Covid crisis, that we have too much dependence on some very specific components," he added, citing microchips as one example. Le Maire's remarks come as some Western countries seek to reduce their economic dependence on China, particularly Germany, which counts the Asian country as its top trading partner and an important market for its automotive industry. The United States has also advocated de-risking from China, though US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said during a visit to Beijing earlier this month that a decoupling of the US and Chinese economies would be "virtually impossible". China, meanwhile, has lashed out at Western efforts to de-risk, with Premier Li Qiang last month calling the concept a "false proposition". Le Maire is in China for high-level economic talks, and will travel on Monday to the southern tech hub of Shenzhen to meet with business leaders. sbr/ehl/thm/smw/ssy TikToker Ally Shapiro said she was forced to tape a safety booklet to her window for shade on a recent eight-hour flight from Nice, France, to New York. Ally Shapiro/TikTok A Delta passenger said she had to tape her window on an eight-hour flight from France to New York. Ally Shapiro showed herself taping a safety booklet to a window for shade on the flight on TikTok. She called the situation "insane" and said a flight attendant was "dismissive" of her concerns. A Delta passenger said she had to tape safety pamphlets to her window on an eight-hour international flight after a flight attendant told her that it was the only way she could get shade. Ally Shapiro, a content creator, uploaded a series of TikTok videos about her experience flying on Delta Air Lines from Nice, France, to New York earlier this month. In the first clip, which has over 4.1 million views, Shapiro shared a "POV" of the flight where she said she had to tape her "own window shade bc Delta decided not to include on an 8 hr flight." The video, posted on July 9, shows Shapiro using tape to stick a Delta flight-safety booklet to the window next to her seat and giving a thumbs-up to the camera when she finished. In the caption, Shapiro wrote: "I used to be a very loyal delta customer, but this was just insane." She also said she was made to remove the tape before landing in the US because she was told "management would be upset." Representatives for Delta Air Lines did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside of normal working hours. Story continues In a follow-up TikTok, which has received over 185,900 views, Shapiro provided context to what she said happened on the flight and shut down speculation that the airplane window may have been fitted with a button-operated shade-tint option. "This window did not have a tint," she said in the clip shared on July 10. "As you can see, I walked onto the plane, and it already had this tape on it because there was no window shade." She also said that the first flight attendant she spoke to about the lack of shade on the window wasn't responsive to her concerns. "The first stewardess was very rude to us, very dismissive, basically saying, 'What do you want me to do about it?' And I'm like, it's an eight-hour flight from Nice to New York. I need to sleep. I cannot be on this flight with 1,000-degree temperature and no window shade for eight hours," she added. Shapiro said she paid about $2,000 for the ticket. She later clarified in an email to Insider that it cost her closer to $1,400. She also said she did not bring the tape with her on the flight. "The other much more friendly stewardess gave us tape and gave us a safety booklet to tape ourselves on the window," Shapiro said. "As someone that already has so much anxiety when I fly, this was a really sucky situation for me, and I wish they could've handled it better or at least offer us a different seat because I cannot fly like this," she added. In an email to Insider, Shapiro said neither she or her boyfriend who accompanied her on the flight were able to get any sleep on the journey back to New York. She also said the Delta flight attendants shouldn't have been "surprised" about how upset she was at the situation. "They can't expect a customer paying anything, let alone $1,400 to sit on an 8 hour flight with a broken shade. I'm already a very anxious flyer and seeing a broken window made it much worse," she said. "They could have offered to switch seats, a larger mileage comp, a solution for the broken shade, or a refund." Shapiro, who said she is a loyal Delta customer and a platinum card holder, added that she was shocked the airline had not contacted her to provide her further compensation for the broken window shade. After raising her concern with a flight attendant on the plane, she said she and her boyfriend were offered 5,000 miles. Shapiro said she was given an additional 15,000 miles after she contacted the airline when her TikTok went viral. "The equivalent of $150 I believe," she said. "The crew knew there was an issue with the window, and should have had a plan in place. Once I spoke up about it, I was even told another passenger had the same issue with their window," she said. "Of course I wouldn't expect them to ground a plane for a broken shade, but when you charge people thousands of dollars - for a coach seat - you have an expectation of being able to have a working seat - that includes the shade." Read the original article on Insider Elon Musk launched a $100 perfume called 'Burnt Hair' in October 2022. We asked Insider staffers to test it out. Lakshmi Varanasi Elon Musk's Boring Company launched a $100 perfume called "Burnt Hair" in October. The company claims it smells "like leaning over a candle at the dinner table." We obtained a bottle and asked our colleagues what they thought of the scent. Elon Musk seems like he's on a mission to become a 21st century Renaissance man. He is the world's richest person; the founder of several companies including Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company; and the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter. Last October, he added "perfume salesman" to his list when he began selling a scent called "Burnt Hair" to the world. The unisex fragrance is sold through The Boring Company, where it was originally listed for $100. Within days of launching, though, Musk announced on Twitter that all 30,000 bottles of the perfume had been purchased. Now, it's being re-listed on eBay, from a discounted $86.69 all the way up to a pie-in-the-sky asking price of $99,420. The Boring Company describes the scent as "the essence of repugnant desire" which sounds, well, repugnant. At the same time, Musk's infrastructure and tunnel-building venture suggests that Burnt Hair recreates the smell of a candle on the dinner table "without all the hard work," which doesn't sound that bad. It isn't clear if Boring partnered with a perfumer to concoct its potion, or if it brewed up the batches itself. Boring didn't respond to Insider's request to explain. So we were left with several questions. Is it supposed to smell good? Is it supposed to smell bad? And if it actually smells terrible, as the name implies, would that technically make it a success? Insider decided to put the scent to the test ourselves. One of our editors ordered a bottle of Burnt Hair the day it was launched, and in late July, the package finally arrived though there were some quality concerns right off the bat with some of the perfume leaking out during shipment. Story continues A screenshot of The Boring Company's product listing for Burnt Hair perfume. The Boring Company The perfume comes in a velvety black box and the bottle itself is a garish red with the word "SINGED" printed at the bottom. In order to keep our study as objective as possible we conducted a blind scent test. We sprayed the perfume on strips of paper and asked members of Insider's newsroom to give it a whiff and tell us their thoughts before we revealed what it was. Notes of ash, cigarettes, regret, and ... horse hair? Several staffers said the scent reminded them of cigarettes. "It's like really smoky to the point where I'm like it almost smells like tobacco or cigarettes or something," said Madeline Renbarger, a reporter on the startups and venture capital team. At the same time she said she sensed some floral notes. Deputy media editor Nathan McAlone sensed "stale cigarettes." The cigarette-forward scent profile of Burnt Hair was seconded by those in the office who do smoke. Darius Rafieyan, another reporter on the startups and venture capital team, initially didn't detect a scent on the paper. "Wait, is there a smell on here?" he asked. Once he took a second whiff, though, he changed his mind. "Maybe there is, I can't tell. It smells like burning cardboard, like when you put a pizza box in a campfire." Rafieyan was one of the only Insider staffers who attempted to analyze the scent straight from the source. Upon sniffing Burnt Hair directly from the bottle he concluded that it actually smelled better than most perfumes. "I don't like it, but I like it a lot more than most perfumes," he said, "It's not super alcohol-forward, I don't really like most colognes or perfumes because they're so alcohol-y." For others, the scent brought to mind some pretty specific scenarios. We heard everything from "old lady in church" and "BO" to "wildfire in Colorado kind of vibes." Aviation reporter Taylor Rains said it smelled "like my grandfather just got home from the poker room after a night out." (On the bright side, she noted, "the bottle's really cute.") Another editor said the smell embodied "20-something regret" and "bad decisions." Senior tech correspondent Meghan Morris said the scent was the equivalent of a wine she once tried that had "notes of horse hair" in it, which she promptly poured down the drain. There were a couple of advocates Though most people didn't take to the smell, a small contingent of staffers liked it. Maddie Berg, a senior editor on the tech and trending news desk, smiled after sniffing the paper. "I think it smells good," she said. "It smells like someone who'd been at a campfire and working the farm or something. Like a burly country man." Another editor described the smell as "airy" and "cotton fresh" and added that she sensed notes of "sandalwood." Some people thought it was spot-on The premise of our unscientific exercise was to determine whether Burnt Hair stayed true to its promise, which was to conjure feelings of repugnant desire through the scent of burning hair. To that end there were a couple of staffers who thought the scent was as advertised. Brad Davis, director of business news, took a whiff and grimaced. "What is it made of?" he asked. "It's pretty grossIt does smell like burnt hair." He then began parsing through the list of ingredients (the official ingredients list on the packaging is "denatured alcohol, aqua, parfum, and isoeugenol"). Transportation reporter Tim Levin agreed. "It smells like they mixed something burnt with actual perfume something about it smells like an actual fragrance but something about it smells like it's on fire." Read the original article on Business Insider Donald Trump cried prosecutorial misconduct again this weekend while denying new allegations from federal prosecutors, who say the multiply indicted former president and his team tried to destroy surveillance footage from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. MAR-A-LAGO SECURITY TAPES WERE NOT DELETED, Trump declared in an all-caps rant posted to Truth Social on Sunday. THEY WERE VOLUNTARILY HANDED OVER TO THE THUGS, HEADED UP BY DERANGED [special counsel] JACK SMITH. WE DID NOT EVEN GO TO COURT TO STOP THEM FROM GETTING THESE TAPES, he continued. I NEVER TOLD ANYBODY TO DELETE THEM. PROSECUTORIAL FICTION & MISCONDUCT! ELECTION INTERFERENCE! In his next post, Trump accused prosecutors of targeting him with fake crimes, writing: Same as the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. They knowingly accuse you of a fake crime, a crime that they actually make up, you fight these false charges hard, and they try and get you on obstruction, the former president wrote. We are dealing with sick and evil people! According to the federal investigation, the National Archive first became aware of missing Trump administration documents in May 2021. After Trump and his lawyers allegedly failed to return the materials, the FBI executed a search warrant on Trumps Mar-a-Lago property in August 2022. Federal investigators say some 13,000 government documents were recovered, 337 of which were classified. Former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on July 29. Former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on July 29. Three new charges were added to Trumps case on Thursday, accusing him of further efforts to obstruct an investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents. He pleaded not guilty to 37 related charges last month. Investigators say that Trump, currently the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, ordered aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira to destroy a server with sensitive video surveillance on it. Story continues Trump denied the accusations in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday, saying: This is prosecutorial misconduct used at a level never seen before. If I werent leading [President Joe] Biden by a lot in numerous polls, and wasnt going to be the Republican nominee, it wouldnt be happening. It wouldnt be happening, he went on. Hopefully the Republican Party will do something about it. Trump appeared resilient at a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, over the weekend, telling cheering crowds: Any Republican that doesnt act on Democratic fraud should be immediately primaried. Related... Spending $20 to get $1 may not be the typical tactic that campaigns use to attract new donors. But for North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, the decision to offer $20 gift cards to donors who gave as little as $1 to his campaign was a no-brainer. If you're starting an online retail company today, if you're a young person, the first thing you do when you're going online is you offer a promotional thing. And of course, we did this, the long-shot GOP presidential candidate said during an interview on Fox News Sunday. The gift card ploy garnered Burgum attention from the media, legal experts, fellow candidates and small donors alike ultimately helping him secure the 40,000 unique donors he needed to meet the one of RNCs requirements to participate in the first Republican primary debate in August. The move was simply a smart business decision, Burgum, who launched a successful tech company before entering politics, said Sunday. The $20 gift card, these consulting firms wanted $100 per customer acquisition. This is one fifth the cost. And this is what we've done in North Dakota, is use creativity and innovation, solve a problem, do it for one fifth the price that a political party or the government might do it, Burgum told Fox News Shannon Bream. Burgum has secured his seat on the Milwaukee stage, after hitting the RNCs polling requirement last week. But on Sunday, he made a jab at the RNCs strict preconditions. These are clubhouse rules," Burgum said, "designed to keep fresh faces, fresh ideas, entrepreneurs and innovators off the stage because you set a limit like this. And, of course, it favors people who've helped national office, it favors people who've been, you know, pundits on TV. It favors people that have been career politicians and their name recognition." Dozens of former Cabinet officials under former President Trumps administration declined to publicly support the former presidents third bid for the White House, NBC News reported. NBC News reached out to 44 people who previously served in Trumps Cabinet during his four years in office to gauge whether they would support the former president during the 2024 presidential election. The outlet reported that most of the people declined to comment or ignored the requests and that only four said publicly they would support Trump for the presidency. Trumps Cabinet saw a higher rate of turnover compared with many of his predecessors, with many new officials rotating in and out of his administration over the four years. The only four former Cabinet members who NBC News reached out to who said they would support Trump are former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Russell Vought and former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage A spokesperson for Meadows told NBC News that he fully supports Trump. In May, Vought posted on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that the former president is the only person I trust to take a wrecking ball to the Deep State. Other former administration officials were reluctant to support Trump or have publicly said they will not support him. Former Attorney General Bill Barr told NBC News that he opposes Trump getting the 2024 GOP nomination but declined whether to say he would support him in the general election if pitted against President Biden. Top Stories from The Hill Story continues Former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney also said that he does not want Trump to get the Republican nomination for president. I am working hard to make sure that someone else is the nominee, Mulvaney told NBC News. I think hes the Republican who is most likely to lose in a general election, of all our leading candidates. If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be him. Other former officials who have not endorsed Trump yet include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, former chief of staff John Kelly and Joseph Maguire and Dan Coats, who each once served as director of national intelligence. Coats told NBC News that he would be supporting former Vice President Mike Pence for the GOP primary. The Hill has reached out to Trumps campaign for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WASHINGTON Donald Trump may have put them in the most powerful and prestigious jobs many will ever hold, but few who worked in his Cabinet are rushing to endorse him in his bid to return to the White House. NBC News reached out to 44 of the dozens of people who served in Trump's Cabinet over his term in office. Most declined to comment or ignored the requests. A total of four have said publicly they support his run for re-election. Several have been coy about where they stand, stopping short of endorsing Trump with the GOP primary race underway. Then there are those who outright oppose his bid for the GOP nomination or are adamant that they don't want him back in power. I have made clear that I strongly oppose Trump for the nomination and will not endorse Trump, former Attorney General Bill Barr told NBC News. Asked how he would vote if the general election pits Trump against President Joe Biden, a Democrat, Barr said: Ill jump off that bridge when I get to it. The Trump campaign declined to comment beyond pointing to three former Cabinet members as people to contact one of whom has endorsed Trump and two others who, when asked, didn't commit to endorsing him at this time. A presidents Cabinet gets a unique window into his priorities, temperament and managerial style. Tasked with running the administration day-to-day, Cabinet members see first-hand the impact of policies he touted on the campaign trail and put forward in office. They sit with him in regular meetings at the White House, listen to him vent and act as surrogates, crisscrossing the country to amplify his message. As president, Trump for the most part didnt seem to either prize or develop the reciprocal loyalty that might have turned his Cabinet into a campaign asset that would help validate his contention that his was a hugely successful presidency. "Theyre not friends; theyre not hanging on forever," Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center, said of Trump's Cabinet members. "Theyre going to skip out, or hes going to push them out in some instances." Story continues Those backing Trump's bid for another term include former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker; Mark Meadows, his final chief of staff; former budget chief Russell Vought; and former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, who in June tweeted "Trump 2024" above a tweet from Trump's main GOP rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. A spokesman for Meadows said he fully supports Trump, while Vought tweeted in May that Trump is the only person I trust to take a wrecking ball to the Deep State. Ive seen his willingness up close & behind closed doors, Vought added. My friend & former boss is going to finish what he started. Linda McMahon, the former head of the Small Business Administration, now chairs the board of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank staffed by a number of Trump allies and former administration officials. McMahon, through an institute spokesman, did not respond to NBC Newss inquiry about whom she plans to endorse. The upper reaches of Trumps government were something of a revolving door during his four-year term. In some cases, he jettisoned Cabinet members he deemed disloyal or incompetent; in others, the Cabinet members left him over policy disputes. Two resigned at the bitter end in disapproval of his actions during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. A Brookings Institution analysis of Cabinet members directly in the presidential line of succession showed that turnover in Trumps final year in office when he was running for re-election dwarfed that of every president since Ronald Reagan. Those whove not endorsed Trump at this point include his former secretary of state and CIA director, Mike Pompeo; a former defense secretary, Pat Shanahan; one former chief of staff, John Kelly; and two of his directors of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire and Dan Coats. Another former chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, is among those who wants Trump defeated in the GOP primaries. I am working hard to make sure that someone else is the nominee, Mulvaney said. I think hes the Republican who is most likely to lose in a general election, of all our leading candidates. If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be him. Former defense secretary Mark Esper told CNN in an interview earlier this month that he doesnt plan on endorsing anyone and believes Trump is not fit for office because he puts himself first and I think anybody running for office should put the country first. Mick Mulvaney in the Oval Office of the White House (Kevin Dietsch / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) Two former Cabinet members are now running against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination: former Vice President Mike Pence, and Nikki Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Coats said he is backing Pence. "I think he has all the qualities to be a great president," said Coats, a former Republican senator from Pence's home state of Indiana. "I know it's a steep climb for him, but I think the steps he has taken now show the integrity of who he is and his qualifications." A number of Cabinet members contacted by NBC News either declined comment or did not respond. That in itself is a source of frustration for some anti-Trump advocates, who would like to see more people who've worked closely with Trump speak candidly about the experience. "Incredibly, this guy [Trump] and this movement are not just alive, theyre thriving," said Miles Taylor, a former Trump administration official and fierce critic of the ex-president. "And that is really alarming to me. Theres an obligation for folks to paint a clear-eyed picture of what this means." In some cases, former officials publicly broke with Trump years ago, and there has been no sign that relations have thawed. Elaine Chao, Trumps former transportation secretary, resigned in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot. Trump has derisively referred to her as Coco Chao and she, in turn, has condemned his rhetoric. "When I was young, some people deliberately misspelled or mispronounced my name," Chao has said. "Asian Americans have worked hard to change that experience for the next generation. He doesnt seem to understand that, which says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans." Elaine Chao speaks onstage at a podium (Andrew Harnik / AP file) Through a spokesman, Chao did not respond to requests for comment. She is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. When NBC News asked McConnell in the Capitol last week if his wife would weigh in on the 2024 presidential race, he listened to the question, smiled and then walked onto the Senate floor without answering. Rex Tillerson, a former secretary of state, declined comment through a spokeswoman. He ran afoul of Trump early in the term. In a meeting in the summer of 2017, Tillerson privately referred to Trump as a moron, NBC News reported at the time. Trump ousted Tillerson the following year. James Mattis, Trumps first defense secretary, has been searing in his criticism of his former boss, though he declined to comment when asked if he supports Trumps candidacy. In a statement to Politico after the Jan. 6 attack, Mattis said that the U.S. would overcome this stain, while Trump will deservedly be left a man without a country. (As for Trump, hes described Mattis as the worlds most overrated general.) A few ex-Cabinet members have publicly spoken of Trump in admiring terms, though they havent gone so far as to endorse his presidential bid. There are probably some uneasy with what they saw, said Julian Zelizer, a history professor at Princeton University. But for many others, especially given the DeSantis factor, they are hedging their bets, he added, referring to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss struggling campaign. They are waiting to see how the field unfolds before jumping behind one campaign. The lack of stability in this primary especially with Trumps legal problems will result in caution. Ben Carson, Trumps former housing director, said in a statement to NBC that Donald Trump is my friend and would make a fantastic president, and if I have an announcement to make about 2024, Ill look forward to doing so in an appropriate way. Ben Carson (Zach Gibson / AP file) Ryan Zinke, who served as Trumps interior secretary and now is a Republican congressman from Montana, did not directly answer when asked by NBC News if he is endorsing Trump. He said his focus now is on Congress. I think the president is on glide slope right now, but hes got some hurdles, Zinke said of Trump. From an individual who worked for him, I know hes tough. Theyre throwing everything at him, and hes got some significant hurdles ahead. I take the indictment seriously, I think everyone should. So hes got some tough hurdles before him, but I tell you what, theres only one Donald J. Trump. Kelly Craft, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, could not be reached for comment. In her unsuccessful campaign for governor of Kentucky this year, Trump endorsed her rival for the Republican nomination, Daniel Cameron. Craft highlighted her ties to Trump during the campaign. Yet she has made a campaign donation to at least one of Trumps rivals Pence, whose campaign said it had gotten a donation from Craft. Federal campaign finance records show the amount to be $6,600. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Rebecca Dannenbaum, 48, and her dog Pop-Tart live in a pedestrian tunnel, to the left, where she and other homeless people have been living. Two non-profits, Venice Community Housing and Hollywood Community Housing Corp., have been selected to develop the lot, with plans for 140 housing units in two buildings on either side of the historic canal. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Time) Mayor Karen Bass has pledged to treat homelessness like the humanitarian crisis that it is and fast-track homeless housing. So why is she silent as the city attorney slow-walks, or possibly sabotages, a project for homeless and affordable housing on a city-owned parking lot in Venice? The Venice Dell Community has been years in the making. The project site, a flat 2.65-acre lot a few blocks from the beach, is that rarity that Bass and other Los Angeles officials desperately seek surplus city property, on the Westside no less, that can be turned into homeless housing. Seven years ago the L.A. Housing Department requested proposals to develop the property. After competitively scoring the applicants, the City Council and then-Mayor Eric Garcetti approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with the nonprofit developers, Venice Community Housing and Hollywood Community Housing Corp. Since then the developers have worked on the design, done community outreach, appeared at more than a dozen public hearings and secured necessary changes to land-use plans and zoning. At the request of neighbors, the developers lowered the building height and included ground-floor commercial space for local businesses. Roughly half of the 140 units are for homeless people, and the other half are for low-income individuals, with a quarter of the units set aside for low-income artists at the request of the community. Read more: We want to hear how you navigated the costly housing market in L.A. Tell us your story Twice in 2021, then 2022 the City Council approved a development agreement that allows the developers to have site control and apply for funding. They already have $6.3 million from the city, federal housing rental vouchers, and a commitment of Los Angeles County Measure H dollars to cover case management services for the formerly homeless residents. Along the way the project has garnered hundreds of supporters in Venice, but it also has hundreds of opponents, many of whom are vocal and litigious. One group has two lawsuits pending against the city and the developers. Story continues Nonetheless, the developers have persevered and made progress. Until now. In April, city officials in various departments stopped meeting regularly with the developers, saying in emails to Becky Dennison, the executive director of Venice Community Housing, that they were ordered to refer her to the city attorneys office. The Bureau of Engineering stopped working with the developers on a contract to build two replacement parking garages and draft a construction labor agreement. Read more: The median home listed in Los Angeles will soon cost more than $1 million up 30% in 5 years Suddenly halted was the application for permission to start relocating and compensating tenants in a four-unit building on the project site that is owned by the city of L.A. and must be demolished. But the housing officials refused to sign and submit it, based on direction from the city attorney, Dennison wrote with frustration in a June 6 email to Assistant Senior City Atty. John Heath. It was one of several she wrote to Heath and shared with The Times. Heath wrote to Dennison twice in late April saying he would get back to her as soon as possible. Then he stopped responding to her emails, she said. Is the city attorneys office going to respond at all to our inquiries? she wrote to Heath in May. Venice Dell Community is falling further and further behind as we wait. Heath declined to comment, as did a spokesperson for the city attorneys office, saying they dont comment on matters in litigation. Read more: Editorial: Bass has declared homelessness an emergency. Now let's see bold action Heres what we do know: A much-needed housing project that has been approved and reapproved by the City Council, that is six years into development, is being hamstrung by the city attorney, whose job is to facilitate the decisions of city leaders, not interfere with them. That is outrageous. Any delay in a project like this is costly. The process of relocating tenants could take a year, "and each month of delay impacts the projects ability to secure tax credit financing and project a construction start date," Dennison wrote to Heath in June. Homeless and affordable housing projects in wealthy areas are almost always controversial. Councilmember Traci Park, who lives in Venice, opposed it during her campaign last year. City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto has also opposed the project. In a letter she submitted to the City Council in May 2022 before she was elected, she criticized it as an overly expensive pet project of outgoing Councilmember Mike Bonin. Heath, whom Feldstein Soto hired, is a proponent of the Our Neighborhood Voices Initiative proposed for the 2024 state ballot that would overturn several recent state laws designed to make it easier to build housing. Whatever Feldstein Soto and Park may think of the project, it was approved by the City Council before they were elected and should not be undone now. City agencies refusal to interact with the developers at the direction of the city attorneys office has already slowed the project by months. This is the opposite of everything Bass has ordered in her directives to fast-track permanent housing for homeless people. Read more: Editorial: L.A.'s homeless numbers are grim. We must keep building housing and expanding services In a statement to The Times, a spokesperson for Bass said: "The Mayor's Office directed city departments to support the developer in submitting a critical funding application, which was submitted earlier this month." Read more: Editorial: Homeless people shouldn't spend weeks proving they're poor before they get an apartment In fact, Dennison says, one agency did respond promptly to an email she sent it in early June requesting its signature on that application for nearly $50 million in state funding. What she needs is for the mayor to direct her other departments to resume working with Dennison. The citys delays mean the developers will probably miss a key deadline to apply for tax credits that are essential for funding the projects, which means construction may be postponed to the end of 2025 instead of 2024. So much for fast-tracking housing. Meanwhile, labor and construction costs go up each year. "It is just frustrating and confusing because we have another project in Leimert Park that is being fast-tracked," Dennison said. "This project is not being given access to the same level of resources and expediting." The project still needs approval from the state Coastal Commission; a decision is expected in October. And there are two lawsuits filed by the Coalition for Safe Coastal Development, a Venice-based nonprofit dedicated to fighting this project. The group argues, among other things, that the project will make the neighborhood susceptible to tsunami flooding. When Bass came into office, she immediately ordered city agencies to expedite housing for homeless people. But in the case of the Venice Dell Community project, it looks as though city agencies are doing everything they can to slow down a housing project for the homeless. If Bass is committed to homeless housing on city land, she needs to make sure city agencies work with this ambitious and much-needed project, not against it. 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. When a public official argues that she is smarter than just about everyone including the Florida voters who elected her in the first place and the judges on the court she is trying to convince to stymie those voters you have to conclude she has a pretty high opinion of herself. Or that she is, well, high. In this case, that seems unlikely. In fact, it seems obvious that Attorney General Ashley Moody didnt smoke up before drafting her latest legal salvo against a citizens initiative supporting recreational use of marijuana. If she had, shed have the practical knowledge that legal marijuana just isnt that hard to get in Florida any more for anyone. Thats been the reality for nearly eight years, yet the parade of horrible outcomes that briefs filed by Moody, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and other opponents of recreational pot envision havent materialized. Her arguments might have made sense before Floridians became so thoroughly familiar with this issue. But this states residents understand the implications of expanding access to marijuana. They deserve the chance to make up their minds and Moody is wrong to try to sideline their opportunity. Floridas pot history Then again, one symptom of marijuana use is absent-mindedness. Moody seems to have forgotten that the Florida Supreme Court pretty much wrote the script for a recreational-marijuana amendment that would pass its scrutiny, in its 2021 opinions striking down a prior attempt. The supporters of the proposed marijuana-access amendment clearly paid close attention to that ruling, and have included language that makes it clear their amendment doesnt change federal law (which still holds marijuana to be illegal under criminal statutes, and classifies it as a Schedule 1 drug with high potential for abuse and, officially, no authorized medical use). David Bellamy: Florida should let the love flow for safe, recreational marijuana | Commentary Moody and her backers also have forgotten or are deliberately ignoring evidence that Floridians are perfectly capable of doing their own thinking on this issue. The first time medical marijuana made it to the ballot in 2014, it fell short of the 60% needed to become law. The objection, as reflected in polling and other gauges of public opinion: The wording of that amendment was so vague that an accommodating physician could authorize pot use for anyone who wanted it. Story continues Supporters of the medical cannabis initiative, led by attorney John Morgan, came back in 2016 with ballot language that was much more narrowly drawn. They ran a smart campaign featuring the very sick, suffering Floridians who would benefit from compassionate access to cannabis, and voters said yes. Memory may be a little cloudy on that issue, because as soon as access to medical marijuana became legal under Florida law, debate in Tallahassee switched to vicious battles over who would profit. With increasing boldness, the industry started pushing at barricades the 2016 amendment set on medical-marijuana authorization. Questions like Do you have cancer? Multiple sclerosis? Parkinsons? gave way to Do you have depression? Anxiety? How about stress? Uh writers cramp? And state officials did nothing about that. Now, the key question seems to be Do you have about $250, plus $75 for the state? Cool. Heres your card. Voters arent dumb Nobody can blame 2016 voters for that. State agencies and prosecutors could have enforced the narrower provisions. But now Floridians know what its like to live with increased access to marijuana. There have definitely been a fair amount of stems among the flower: People with the conditions listed in the 2016 amendment say usage has become so widespread that they sometimes cant afford or even find enough to alleviate their symptoms. And theres ample reason to be cynical about the way big-money interests managed to quickly freeze smaller players out of the industry, sparking extensive court battles. (On that issue, Moodys brief actually scores a fair point. By limiting legal possession to three ounces, the 2024 amendment could make it difficult for pot users to grow their own. Its easy to see why cannabis dispenser Trulieve, the deep pockets behind the 2024 amendment campaign, wanted that language.) The other horrendous outcomes Moody predicts seem unlikely, at best. She claims the proposed amendment, by allowing recreational use under state law, would blind voters to the possibility that they could be prosecuted under federal criminal law. Voters need clear guidance before being asked to lift state-law penalties for the possession of a substance that would subject users to devastating criminal liability under federal law, she argues. But voters are capable of looking around. They see whats happening in other states, where federal officials under both Democratic and Republican administrations stopped prosecuting possession, sale or usage of marijuana to the extent that any state law allows it. Floridians also drive past cannabis dispensaries on the regular, and never see them raided. We assume members of the Florida Supreme Court occasionally do the same. That leaves Moody with one argument: Courts not just Florida courts, but courts in the 38 states that have authorized medical cannabis and the 23 states that allow recreational use have all gotten this one wrong. Every single one of them, wrong. Thats a mighty slender thread to dangle something as momentous as shes proposing: That Florida justices toss all their previous decisions, ignore reality and set an impossible standard for future amendment proposals to meet. That justices strip from Florida voters the ability to make a decision that theyve already proven themselves perfectly capable of handling. We dont rank her chances of prevailing very high. (And were going to forgo the chance to make one more pot joke here.) We will add this: It must have been mighty stressful to craft the language that makes such a ridiculous argument sound even remotely reasonable. Fortunately, we are pretty sure the AG can find within a few blocks of her Tallahassee offices a friendly doctor and well-stocked dispensaries to get help with that. Assuming, of course, that she can spare the $250. The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com On each Sunday in July, the Tribunes Opinion section has published original essays dealing with a problem that takes so much of our attention 12 months of the year: the scourge of gun violence in Chicago. We hardly needed to reiterate the consequences of the status quo: Gun violence undermines Chicagoans sense of personal safety and traumatizes the citys most vulnerable citizens, it hurts the citys economy and, as anyone who has traveled to other countries well knows, it has tarnished this beautiful and widely loved citys international reputation. As intractable as the problem seems, we have to find a solution together. And that is why we made so much room for these pieces. If you read this four-part series again straight through, and we think you should, youll be struck by how many thoughtful Chicagoans from all walks of life are committed to working for this change. For some, it consumes almost every waking moment. Like many problems with political and financial consequences, the world of crime and gun violence prevention has plenty of loud public voices with strong opinions, no bad thing in itself. But a lot of the most important work is done far more quietly, often in one-on-one settings when those involved are staring down the barrel of a gun and we arent employing a metaphor there. Not all of the hardest workers in this field seek acknowledgment; in many cases, we reached out to solicit their views. But as we wrap up this series on these pages, we acknowledge them nonetheless. We thank all our varied contributors, not just for the op-eds that have dealt so wisely and creatively with this issue, but for their work itself. One conclusion flows out of almost every piece: Police cannot accomplish this mission by themselves. It is the job of the entire city. That message comes through forcefully from the faith leaders, social researchers, community leaders and anti-violence workers, as well as the law enforcement community. Story continues Another certainty: As much as everyone seems to have their own theory, some more valid than others, sudden increases or declines in crime are easier to measure than to explain. Thats partly because public perceptions dont always line up with the available data, and trends like a decline in crime may not be equally experienced by all communities. Perceptions matter, even when they distort reality, two participants in our series observe. David Olson and Don Stemen, professors of criminal justice and criminology who also are co-directors of the Center for Criminal Justice at Loyola University Chicago, say that too much focus on the weekly tallies of homicides and shootings leads to the widespread misperception that crime is out of control or there is nothing that can be done. Context always matters, the professors tell us. For example, despite the widely held perception that violent crime is increasing, the total number of serious violent crimes reported to police actually decreased almost every year from 2001 to 2022. Perceptions matter because, while crime and public safety in Chicago are hardly new issues, more time is spent by many leaders and concerned citizens on reporting or complaining about the problems than seeking or finding practical solutions. Which makes the essays by community violence intervention workers like Jason Little, an outreach worker with Chicago CRED on the citys West Side, particularly valuable. A gripping story of resiliency, he survived a life hustling marijuana on the streets and near-fatal gunshot wounds to become a violence interrupter. His organization tracks shootings and beefs that, thanks in part to social media amplification, quickly lead to shootings, and members visit gunshot victims and their families and share stories that can move young offenders away from the impulse to respond to violence with more violence and self-destruction. I am no longer part of the problem, he concludes. I am part of the solution. We wish him well, along with others who are working to improve their lives against long odds, and we know that Little and other violence prevention workers would like to see others make the same commitment. Littles story, like so many others in the series, illustrates how hope not only can survive dire circumstances but also offer the sort of remedies that can be produced by those who care about shedding more light than heat. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. An EF-1 tornado touched down in Foxboro Saturday, bringing gusting winds over 100 miles per hour, the National Weather Service said Sunday. One of the NWS survey teams confirmed an Ef-1 tornado touched down in a small neighborhood in Foxboro near the Mansfield town line and close to Easton. Several large trees up to 2 feet in diameter were snapped by the trunk by the twister with winds of up to 105 miles per hour, according to the NWS. Wild weather sends trees toppling down in Easton, Brockton Surveyors determined the tornado stayed on the ground for almost 300 yards before going into conservation land. Brockton, East Bridgewater areas of Easton also were damaged by high winds, the NWS says. At about 8:30, we heard the rain start and the grill on our deck flew from one end of it to the next, and the next thing you know the power went out, said Rob Citrano, who lives on Prospect Street in Easton. The police told me that the whole town looks like this behind us. Thats what they told me. Citrano showed Boston 25 News crews several fallen trees in his backyard. I didnt realize the tree behind me had come down until my neighbor came out with his light, and thats when I realized not only that tree came down, but a couple trees in my yard in the back right now are laying on our fence back there, Citrano said. A piece of our pool fence went flying into the woods. Easton police told Boston 25 News about five roads had to be shut down after the storm as trees and live wires came crashing down into the streets. Authorities said they received dozens of calls for damage, but they did not get reports of any injuries. Saturday was the second time in two weeks the Bay State community was grappling with tornado damage. On July 16, a tornado touched down 2 miles south southeast of North Brookfield. A tornado also touched down in Southern New Hampshire on Thursday. NWS: Tornado touches down just south of North Brookfield Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW El Paso's iconic Star on the Mountain is set to shine again as the search continues to identify vandals who damaged the city landmark. The El Paso Chamber, which oversees the mountainside landmark, said that the star has been repaired and is scheduled to be relighted Sunday evening. The Star on the Mountain had been dark after its light bulbs were broken and its wires damaged by vandals more than two weeks ago. El Paso's Star on the Mountain dates back to 1940, when it began as a seasonal Christmas decoration before becoming a nightly feature in 1993. Two unidentified men suspected of the vandalism were recorded by security cameras at 11:04 p.m. on the Wednesday night of July 12 on the mountain, said Crime Stoppers of El Paso. The unsolved case is the Crime of the Week. Crime: El Paso man arrested in satanic vandalism, burglary of Catholic church The men are accused of causing more than $10,000 in damage and shutting down a Borderland landmark. A security camera image of one of two unidentified men suspected of vandalizing El Paso's iconic Star on the Mountain landmark late the night of July 12. Both men appear to be in their 20s with average builds and were both wearing shorts, said Crime Stoppers, which has released two very grainy black-and-white photos of the men. The Star on the Mountain sits on private property above Scenic Drive and the El Paso Chamber warns that trespassers will be prosecuted. The El Paso Police Department has bolstered enforcement at the site, resulting in the arrests of eight people on trespassing charges last weekend. Seven of the accused trespassers were Fort Bliss residents and the eighth was an 18-year-old woman from Katy, Texas. A security camera image of one of two unidentified men suspected of vandalizing El Paso's iconic Star on the Mountain landmark late the night of July 12. The El Paso Chamber is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the vandals. Anyone with any information on the vandalism of the El Paso Star on the Mountain may anonymously call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-8477 (TIPS) or leave a tip online at www.cselpaso.org. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso's Star on the Mountain relighted, search for vandals continues Believe it or not, summer is winding down. No matter how hot it is, families minds must turn toward school. It may be a senior year in high school, or a 4-year college, trade school or a community college. All choices involve decision making on behalf of the student, the parents, educators, school boards and the community at large. There are critical decisions to be made because all the options have an ultimate goal: to prepare and/or be ready for a career that will provide a wage that allows people to provide for themselves. Elaine Harris Spearman Some may have more lofty goals, such as public service or work that is more soul satisfying than income producing. Either way that it goes, parents ultimately want the chicks to fly from the nest. Hopefully, as parents are grappling with the right path for their offspring, other lessons are being imparted. No. 1 is the development of a work ethic at an early age. It will serve them well as they age. Although many cannot fathom growing old, they surely will if they are alive. I suppose that at one time I gave no thought to growing old. But I must say that I am glad that I came to before it was too late. Those of a certain age who grew up with the Goodyear/steel plant work ethic understood that work was a necessary part of life if you wanted anything. Our parents struggled hard so we would do better than they did. They saw education as a way to rise above a segregated South and all of its trappings. Parents visions for their children keep children motivated. Others who understand that vision continue the ever-evolving growth. This discussion is a backdrop to an April article in the Wall Street Journal entitled Older Workers Are in Demand When Bosses Want Work Ethic. Kip Conforti owns two businesses in Pennsylvania where his top candidate is in his 70s. Why? He says he has grown weary of younger employees who, he says, arrive late for shifts, call out of work often and spend more time scrolling social media feeds than chatting with customers. Story continues The article says, More companies are also recognizing the need to include age in their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The employment of experienced workers makes great business sense, says a senior advisor at AARP. Several thousand companies signed a pledge with AARP to give workers older than 50 a fair shot in hiring. So, your young graduate may not be competing with other young graduates, it may well be with a graying older worker. Oh, so you may think that you are young and were bested by a senior, and therefore have grounds for an age grievance. Not so fast. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that age discrimination complaints dropped 45% from 2011 to 2021. Johnny C. Taylor, chief executive for the Society for Human Resources Management told the Journal, There is no official measure of discrimination claims on the basis of being too young because federal law protects only workers over 40 ... but grievances are filed from millennials and Gen Zers who say, Theyre unfairly passed over because of their generations reputation for flakiness. As the now young are considering career choices, they may want to note the following from Taylor: With the economy slowing down, companies need fewer people and need the people who are there to be OK with working harder. Taylor told the Journal that companies say they are weary of trying to convince young people to be something different, and their bottom line is becoming, Why dont we just hire people who are naturally predisposed to work harder? Governmental and Civil Service employees have always had greater protection against termination from employment than those in private industry. Realizing that unfair practices can exist anywhere, being younger will provide no basis to get away with being a terrible employee. That is why parents, relatives and friends need to exercise caution in the selection of mentors for their young people, particularly young men. Being taught good work habits, understanding job expectations, respecting those who are in authority and what it will take to be successful is worth far more than heres what you dont have to do. Elaine Harris Spearman, Esq., a Gadsden native, is an attorney and is the retired legal advisor to the comptroller of the City of St. Louis. The opinions expressed are her own. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Elaine Harris Spearman on the value of a strong work ethic Clark and Lisa Gill stand by the new signage marking Elephant Alley in Howell. HOWELL Clark Gill first heard the legend of the elephant in the alley in 2017 when he was opening Aberrant Ales at 219 W. Grand River Ave. The alley is right behind the brewery. Locals told Gill that, in the 1920s, a circus came to town and one of their elephants died. Instead of transporting it out of town, the circus buried the animal in the alley. After hearing the story, Gill and his wife, Lisa, did some research at the Howell Carnegie Library to find confirmation of the legend, but there was no evidence. Were still looking, but we havent found any proof, Gill said. Yet. Even without proof, the story is local lore and now part of the brewerys lore. For its first anniversary, Gill released "Elephant in the Alley," an imperial stout that comes back every year in November. It's just great folklore, Gill said. Some of the elementary schools still do tours back here. So, come springtime, we have a lot of kids traversing the alley here looking for the elephant, reading about the story, and it's just a great tie to the local community. Despite its renown, Elephant Alley was once unpaved and difficult to traverse. It's the last privately owned alley in Howell, and so hasnt been maintained by the city. In order to get official signage, Gill said, something had to change. So, he partnered with Lighting Hearth, Home Gross Electric Supply and Heart of Michigan to pave the alley a couple of weeks ago. While they worked, they dug a little more than six inches down to see if they could find evidence of remains but there was nothing. On Monday, July 24, Howell City Council approved the new signage, which was promptly put up Thursday. Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage It's definitely more walkable, Gill said. It works for our businesses to get deliveries, import and export and for consumer entrance, but then also for passers-by." The pavement, Gill said, unlocks new possibilities, like hosting elephant-themed events to celebrate the legend. Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @tess_journalist. This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Was an elephant buried in downtown Howell? We may never know Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. Getty/Edward Berthelot Kanye West, legally known as Ye, has been reinstated on Twitter, or X as it is now known. West, known as Ye, was banned for a second time in December after a string of antisemitic remarks. Ye won't be able to monetize his account and ads won't be placed alongside his posts, reported the WSJ. Kanye West is back on Twitter, now known as X, after being suspended for offensive tweets eight months ago. West, who changed his legal name to Ye, was banned in December 2022 after he tweeted an image containing a swastika and the Star of David. Ye made a string of antisemitic comments in the weeks leading up to his suspension, including in an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones where he also praised Adolf Hitler. At the time, Elon Musk said: "I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended." Ye's reinstatement was met with criticism from Jewish rights groups. "We are disgusted to see antisemite Kanye West unbanned by Twitter," wrote the non-profit Stop Antisemitism. "What was once a platform for debate and discussion has simply become a cesspool for bigots to spew their hatred." At the time of writing, Ye has not tweeted since his reinstatement. His account has a gold verification mark, which is typically reserved for businesses. According to the Wall Street Journal, Ye won't be able to monetize his account and advertisements will not be placed alongside his posts. The newspaper also reported that X had reinstated Ye's account after receiving reassurance that he wouldn't use the platform to share antisemitic or otherwise harmful language, citing a person familiar with the discussions. Ye previously had his account restricted in October 2022 after making comments about Jewish people which breached the platform's guidelines. Big brands including Adidas have also cut ties with Ye over his controversial comments. Read the original article on Business Insider On March 17, Gen. Mark Milley, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the leader of Ukraines armed forces, dialed into a call to discuss Russias invasion of Ukraine. Over the secure line, the two military leaders conferred on air defense systems, real-time battlefield assessments and shared intelligence on Russias military losses. They also talked about Elon Musk. Zaluzhnyi raised the topic of Starlink, the satellite internet technology made by Musks rocket company, SpaceX, three people with knowledge of the conversation said. Ukraines battlefield decisions depended on the continued use of Starlink for communications, Zaluzhnyi said, and his country wanted to ensure access and discuss how to cover the cost of the service. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Zaluzhnyi also asked if the United States had an assessment of Musk, who has sprawling business interests and murky politics to which U.S. officials gave no answer. Musk, who leads SpaceX, Tesla and Twitter, has become the most dominant player in space as he has steadily amassed power over the strategically significant field of satellite internet. Yet faced with little regulation and oversight, his erratic and personality-driven style has increasingly worried militaries and political leaders around the world, with the tech billionaire sometimes wielding his authority in unpredictable ways. Since 2019, Musk has sent SpaceX rockets into space nearly every week that deliver dozens of sofa-size satellites into orbit. The satellites communicate with terminals on Earth, so they can beam high-speed internet to nearly every corner of the planet. Today, more than 4,500 Starlink satellites are in the skies, accounting for more than 50% of all active satellites. They have already started changing the complexion of the night sky, even before accounting for Musks plans to have as many as 42,000 satellites in orbit in the coming years. Story continues The power of the technology, which has helped push the value of closely held SpaceX to nearly $140 billion, is just beginning to be felt. Starlink is often the only way to get internet access in war zones, remote areas and places hit by natural disasters. It is used in Ukraine for coordinating drone strikes and intelligence gathering. Activists in Iran and Turkey have sought to use the service as a hedge against government controls. The U.S. Defense Department is a big Starlink customer, while other militaries, such as in Japan, are testing the technology. But Musks near total control of satellite internet has raised alarms. A combustible personality, the 52-year-olds allegiances are fuzzy. While Musk is hailed as a genius innovator, he alone can decide to shut down Starlink internet access for a customer or country, and he has the ability to leverage sensitive information that the service gathers. Such concerns have been heightened because no companies or governments have come close to matching what he has built. In Ukraine, some fears have been realized. Musk has restricted Starlink access multiple times during the war, people familiar with the situation said. At one point, he denied the Ukrainian militarys request to turn on Starlink near Crimea, the Russian-controlled territory, affecting battlefield strategy. Last year, he publicly floated a peace plan for the war that seemed aligned with Russian interests. At times, Musk has openly flaunted Starlinks capabilities. Between, Tesla, Starlink & Twitter, I may have more real-time global economic data in one head than anyone ever, he tweeted in April. Musk did not respond to requests for comment. SpaceX declined to comment. Worried about overdependence on Musks technology, Ukrainian officials have talked with other satellite internet providers, though they acknowledged none rival Starlinks reach. Starlink is indeed the blood of our entire communication infrastructure now, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraines digital minister, said in an interview. At least nine countries including in Europe and the Middle East have also brought up Starlink with U.S. officials over the past 18 months, with some questioning Musks power over the technology, two U.S. intelligence officials briefed on the discussions said. Few nations will speak publicly about their concerns, for fear of alienating Musk, said intelligence and cybersecurity officials briefed on the conversations. U.S. officials have said little publicly about Starlink as they balance domestic and geopolitical priorities related to Musk, who has criticized President Joe Biden but whose technology is unavoidable. The federal government is one of SpaceXs biggest customers, using its rockets for NASA missions and launching military surveillance satellites. Senior Pentagon officials have tried mediating issues involving Starlink, particularly Ukraine, a person familiar with the discussions said. The Defense Department confirmed it contracts with Starlink, but it declined to elaborate, citing the critical nature of these systems. Other governments are wary. Taiwan, which has an internet infrastructure that could be vulnerable in the event of a Chinese invasion, is reluctant to use the service partly because of Musks business links to China, Taiwanese and U.S. officials said. China has its own concerns. Musk said last year that Beijing sought assurances that he would not turn Starlink on inside the country, where the internet is controlled and censored by the state. In 2020, China registered with an international body to launch 13,000 internet satellites of its own. The European Union, partly driven by misgivings about Starlink and Musk, also earmarked 2.4 billion euros, or $2.6 billion, last year to build a satellite constellation for civilian and military use. This is not just one company, but one person, said Dmitri Alperovitch, a cybersecurity expert who co-founded the Silverado Policy Accelerator think tank and has advised governments on satellite internet. You are completely beholden to his whims and desires. Reaching for the Skies Sir Martin Sweeting, a British engineer who founded the satellite design and manufacturing company Surrey Satellite Technology, was encouraged by a business associate in 2001 to meet with a chap who wants to put a greenhouse on Mars. It turned out to be Musk. Sweeting and Musk met soon after for breakfast at a space conference in Colorado, where the tech entrepreneur criticized NASA and talked about building a private space fleet. He was very focused, said Sweeting, whose company later received an investment from Musk and had him on its board of directors before it sold to Airbus in 2009. Musk was also interested in an emerging field of research where small satellites are placed in the sky several hundred miles above sea level, an area known as low-Earth orbit, Sweeting said. Their work together was one of the earliest examples of Musks focus on a technology that would help underpin Starlink. Satellites dating to the 1960s are typically bigger often the size of school buses and located higher in space, in what is known as geosynchronous orbit, limiting their communication capabilities. Smaller satellites can orbit at a lower altitude, allowing them to link up with terminals on Earth to beam high-speed internet service to far-flung locations. Many small satellites are necessary for this to work. Thats because as one satellite moves above a Starlink terminal on land, it hands the internet signal to another satellite behind it to keep up a single, uninterrupted flow to users below. Musk launched his first Starlink satellites into orbit in 2019. At the time, satellite internet was viewed as a fools errand. In the 1990s and 2000s, other companies had pursued low-orbit communication satellites with little success because of the expense and technical difficulties of getting them into space. But Musk had an advantage. SpaceXs rockets return to Earth after a trip to space and are partially reusable. This effectively gave him control of an express train to constantly deliver satellites to space, sometimes dozens at a time. Now nearly every week, a SpaceX rocket loaded with Starlink satellites takes off from a site in California or Florida. Each satellite is designed to work for about 3 1/2 years. There are so many in orbit that they are often mistaken for shooting stars. Astronomers have documented how the devices have interfered with research telescopes and warned about the risk of collisions. The night sky is one of the most glorious shows that nature puts on and humans are changing it forever, said Patrick Seitzer, an astronomer at the University of Michigan who studies orbital debris. Starlink provides internet download speeds typically around 100 megabits per second, comparable to many landline services. SpaceX generally charges individual customers about $600 for each terminal that receives a connection from space, plus a monthly service fee of about $75, with costs higher for businesses and governments. The company knows the location, movement and altitude of each Starlink terminal, experts said. The service, which officially debuted in 2021 in a handful of countries, is now available in more than 50 countries and territories, including the United States, Japan, much of Europe and parts of Latin America. In Africa, where internet access lags the rest of the world, Starlink is available in Nigeria, Mozambique and Rwanda, with more than a dozen other countries following by the end of 2024, according to Starlinks website. Everywhere on Earth will have high bandwidth, low latency internet, Musk predicted on the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020. Militaries, telecom companies, airlines, cruise lines and maritime shippers have flocked to Starlink, which has said it has more than 1.5 million subscribers. Rivals have struggled, though competition is growing. OneWeb, a British company, was so plagued by financial difficulties that it had to be bailed out by the British government and sold to a group of investors. Amazon, founded by Jeff Bezos, who owns the rocket company Blue Origin, plans a Starlink competitor, Project Kuiper, but it has yet to get a satellite into space. Lifeline on the Battlefield No event has demonstrated Starlinks power and Musks influence more than the war in Ukraine. More than 42,000 Starlink terminals are now used in Ukraine by the military, hospitals, businesses and aid organizations. During Russian bombing campaigns last year that caused widespread blackouts, Ukraines public agencies turned to Starlink to stay online. Without Starlink, we cannot fly, we cannot communicate, said one Ukrainian deputy commander who goes by the nickname Zub, or Tooth, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity for security reasons. Starlink entered Ukraine in February 2022, when Russia invaded and a cyberattack later attributed to Russia took down a satellite system run by the high-speed communications company Viasat that was being used by the Ukrainian military. With troops and commanders knocked offline, Fedorov, the digital minister, posted a plea to Musk for help. Within hours, Musk contacted Fedorov to say that Starlink had been activated in Ukraine. Days later, Starlink terminals arrived. The technology found in forests, fields, villages and mounted on the roofs of military vehicles has given Ukraines army a major advantage over Russian forces. It has enabled artillery teams, commanders and pilots to watch drone footage simultaneously while chatting online. The response times from finding a target to hitting it have been cut to about a minute from nearly 20 minutes, soldiers said. The huge number of lives that Starlink has helped save can be measured in the thousands, Fedorov said. But concerns among Ukrainian and Western officials about Musks hold over the technology have grown, coming to a head last fall when he repeatedly made comments about the war that raised questions about his commitment to Starlinks service in Ukraine. In September, at a private event on world and business affairs in Aspen, Colorado, which was attended by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others, Musk proposed a peace plan for Ukraine that included Russia annexing Ukrainian land. The proposal outraged many attendees. Around this time, questions arose about who would pay for Starlinks service in Ukraine. SpaceX had initially covered some of the costs, with the United States and other allies also providing funding. That same month, SpaceX told the U.S. Defense Department that it could not continue the arrangement and asked the Pentagon to take over funding. The company estimated the cost at nearly $400 million over 12 months, according to a SpaceX letter reported by CNN, which was verified by The New York Times. The Biden administration directed a top Pentagon official, Colin H. Kahl, to mediate. On Oct. 7, Kahl called Musk, who expressed fears that Ukraine would use Starlink to not just defend itself, but also conduct offensive operations to regain territory seized by Russia, which could cause significant Russian military casualties, a former administration official said. Kahl told Musk more people in Ukraine would suffer if Starlink was shut down. Musk nonetheless turned off access for some Starlink terminals in Ukraine. Late last year, about 1,300 Starlink terminals purchased through a British supplier stopped working in the country after the Ukrainian government could not pay the $2,500 monthly fee for each, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Starlink access also fluctuated depending on the movements of the war as Russia won territory and Ukraine fought to take it back. As the battle lines shifted, Musk used a process called geofencing to restrict where Starlink was available on the front lines. SpaceX uses location data gathered by its service to enforce geofencing limits. This caused problems. When Ukrainian troops tried retaking cities like Kherson in Russian-controlled areas in the fall, they needed internet access to communicate. Fedorov and members of the armed forces messaged Musk and SpaceX employees requests to restore service in areas where the army was advancing. Fedorov said SpaceX responded very promptly.Musk had other red lines that he would not cross. He refused Ukraines request last year to provide Starlink access near Crimea, the Russian-controlled peninsula, so it could send an explosive-filled maritime drone into Russian ships docked in the Black Sea, two people familiar with the discussions said. Musk later said that Starlink could not be used for long-range drone strikes. Other U.S. officials have weighed in. In June, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a Pentagon deal to buy 400 to 500 new Starlink terminals and services. The deal gives the Pentagon control of setting where Starlinks internet signal works inside Ukraine for those new devices to carry out key capabilities and certain missions, two people familiar with the deal said. This appeared intended to provide Ukraine with dedicated terminals and services to conduct sensitive functions without fear of interruption. Unlike traditional defense contractors, whose weapon sales to foreign countries are typically done through the federal government, Starlink is a commercial product. That allows Musk to act in ways that sometimes do not align with U.S. interests, such as when SpaceX said it could not continue funding Starlink in Ukraine, said Gregory C. Allen, a former Defense Department official who worked at Blue Origin. It has certainly been a long time since weve seen a company and an individual like this go pretty openly against U.S. foreign policy in the middle of a war, said Allen, who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Musks behavior has divided Ukrainian officials. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Twitter in February that SpaceX needed to pick a side. But Fedorov said questions about Musks commitment were unfair. When Ukraine was under heavy bombardment and facing major power outages in November, Musk helped expedite the delivery of about 10,000 Starlink terminals, he said. SpaceX and Elon Musk have shown through their deeds whose side they are actually on, Fedorov said. From Taiwan to Turkey In February, two undersea internet cables running between Taiwans main island and the outlying islands of Matsu were severed by Chinese shipping vessels. The incident interrupted online access across Matsu, intensifying concerns that Taiwans communications infrastructure was vulnerable. Taiwan, which China has claimed as its own territory, would seem to be an ideal place to bring in Starlink. But Taiwan was reluctant a concern increasingly echoed elsewhere as governments weigh the power of satellite internet against the risks of working with Musk. Taiwanese officials had spoken with SpaceX about Starlink, said Jason Hsu, a former Taiwan legislator who advises the government on digital infrastructure. But talks slowed partly because of tremendous concerns about Musk, whose financial interests are tied to China, he said. With roughly 50% of new Tesla cars estimated to be manufactured in Shanghai, Taiwan did not trust Musk to provide Starlink access if Beijing applied pressure to turn off the service, he added. We worry that if we order devices from Starlink, well fall into some sort of trap, said Hsu, now a senior research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School in Taipei, Taiwan. Elon has huge commercial interests in China. When a U.S. congressional delegation visited Taiwan in April, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, asked the Taiwanese president, Tsai Ing-wen, during a lunch about potentially using Starlink, according to committee staff on the trip. Tsai was noncommittal. Congressional aides concluded soon after that the service was not a viable option for Taiwan because of Musks links to China, the committee staff said. Audrey Tang, Taiwans digital minister, said the country struck a deal with OneWeb in June and had not ruled out working with any satellite provider. We want to test as many constellations as possible, she said. Musks influence has been debated elsewhere. In the European Union, concerns about Starlinks dominance influenced the 27-nation bloc to set aside 2.4 billion euros last year for a sovereign satellite constellation, to launch as soon as 2027. Space has become a highly contested domain where the European Union must safeguard its vital interests, said Thierry Breton, the European commissioner overseeing the project. The EU cannot afford to be reliant on others. To address government needs, SpaceX last year introduced a Starlink-related service, Starshield, that offered stronger security for handling classified material and processing sensitive data. Starlink also faces criticism from more authoritarian governments. When anti-government protests broke out in Iran last year, Musk made Starlink available there to help activists stay online. The Iranian government accused SpaceX of violating its sovereignty. China complained this year to a U.N. panel that SpaceX was putting so many satellites into orbit that it would prevent others from accessing space. In February, Turkey refused Musks offer to provide Starlink access after a major earthquake, which civil society groups viewed as an effort to prevent unfavorable news from spreading online. The government was afraid that Starlink is not under its control, and could represent a threat, said Cherif El Kadhi, a policy analyst tracking Turkey for Access Now, a digital rights organization. Musks dominance in space is unlikely to be equaled any time soon. In May, Amazon prepared to put its first two satellites into orbit, but the launch was put on hold after a problem was discovered in rocket testing. Since then, Musk has sent at least 595 more Starlink satellites into space. c.2023 The New York Times Company For decades holidaymakers have poured into resorts and islands in southern Europe for a relaxing break in the summer sun. But the scenes of tourists fleeing wildfires in Greece, or trapped indoors unable to enjoy baking beaches in Spain, may give some people second thoughts. Back-to-back heatwaves brought sweltering temperatures in the 40s to parts of Europe in July, which is expected to break records for the world's hottest month ever recorded. Climate change played an "absolutely overwhelming" role in the heat, scientists have concluded - and it is forecast to get worse as the average global temperature keeps rising. Europe is warming faster than most parts of the world, experts say. How are holidaymakers reacting? There is no sign of immediate panic. So far this summer, British demand for foreign holidays seems unchanged by the sweltering temperatures, says travel expert Simon Calder. The travel industry, travel agents and holiday companies say it is business as usual, he says. "People are still buying last-minute breaks to the Mediterranean. They want some sunshine, they want some heat, and they're prepared to pay for it," he adds. As for the future, holidaymakers appear split on whether the heat will stop them travelling to certain spots. Becky Mulligan, from Leicester, was evacuated from Rhodes, Greece during wildfires last week. It put her off travelling abroad for a while. "I always thought the hotter the better. I was completely oblivious to how hot it could be. I wouldn't go somewhere so hot again," she says. She would much rather go abroad in June when it is cooler, but says that the school holidays means her family can only travel when temperatures are hottest. "I feel stuck between a rock and hard place. "If you want to go to these countries, but you have to in July or August, how can we keep tourism going?" she asks. Story continues Simon Wheatley, from Cheltenham, was also evacuated from a Rhodes hotel along with his fiancee and three-year-old son. He says he is not put off from going back to Greece in summer. Simon Wheatley travelled to Rhodes with his family - this beach was later burnt by fire "We just feel we were in the wrong place at the wrong time," he says, but adds he would rather travel earlier in the year next time. He says that it is important to remember the crucial economic role of tourism. "These communities, villages and towns in countries like Greece, Spain, Turkey rely solely on tourists. If you end holidays there, you'll kill the poor people making money with their bar on the beach," he says. Some climate campaigners are frustrated with a lack of urgency over changing travel, given that flying contributes a significant amount to greenhouse gas emissions. Flying is responsible for 2.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 8% of UK emissions. Andrew Simms, co-director of the green think tank the New Weather Institute, says: "At first it might seem odd that many might still jump on a climate-polluting flight to holiday in exactly the places where 'global boiling', as the UN calls it, will make life harshest, if not intolerable." But people receive mixed messages, he says. "All day, every day, people are exposed to adverts promoting polluting high-carbon products and lifestyles that make them seem normal, when flying to hotspots should trigger an emergency warning," he says. Some people are likely to always risk booking a trip during a heatwave. But it is worth remembering that heat can be dangerous and even deadly, says Dr Ellie Murtagh, UK climate adaptation lead at the British Red Cross. "If you are travelling with older people, pregnant women, young children or someone with a chronic health condition; take extra care to make sure they're safe and healthy." Simon Calder says he hopes there will be a move back to holidays like those before "the jet age of mass air travel began". Places like the coast of Belgium, or resorts in the Netherlands and Ireland, could become more popular, as could travel to the UK, he suggests. "I would imagine that the North Sea and Baltic Beaches are going to get it a bit crowded next summer as a result of what we've seen this year," he adds. Greece Wildfires Could powerful heatwaves and summer wildfires, which have devastated communities and displaced tourists in Greece, become the new normal in Europe? Available now on BBC iPlayer (UK only) Sue Arnold said she was a 'victim of some policing sharp practice' A former police chief whose son was jailed for 23 years for smuggling 135 million worth of cocaine and heroin has criticised one of Britains biggest forces for its wrongful portrayal of her son as the kingpin of the operation. Sue Arnold, a former deputy police and crime commissioner, also claimed she and her husband have been the victims of some policing sharp practice. Mrs Arnold, 63, a former Conservative parliamentary candidate, questioned West Midlands Polices depiction of her son Jonathan as the ringleader of a criminal gang that imported two tonnes of drugs to the UK. The regional organised crime unit had described Jonathan Arnold as the head of the crime group who had enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, driving luxury cars and enjoying trips to Dubai. He had bought Ferraris, expensive watches and even spent the proceeds of crime on a new set of teeth, using his removals company Real Estates Removals as a front for his drugs business. Arnold, 30, had previously pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court to four charges of conspiracy to import and supply drugs, prior to being sentenced on Friday to 23 years and six months in jail. Jonathan Arnold had suffered with 'terrible addiction', his mother said But in a statement released to the Sunday Mercury, the Birmingham-based newspaper, Mrs Arnold said: After dedicating 10 years of my life to supporting as well as holding law enforcement in this country to account, I feel that my husband and I have been the victims of some policing sharp practice. The drug lord inference is more evidence that has left my husband and I dumbfounded by the polices wrongful portrayal of our son as the kingpin of the operation, presumably because it suits their narrative to imply they have snared the lead player. All loose ends are then tied up. In her role as deputy police and crime commissioner in Staffordshire, where she had also been a local Tory councillor, Mrs Arnold had been instrumental in a scheme to test pubs for cocaine, which had angered local publicans. She had also promoted a scheme to make offenders take personal responsibility for their unacceptable behaviour. Story continues But her sons fall from grace has left Mrs Arnold devastated and angry with the police. She said her son, who was educated at Repton public school, had suffered with a terrible addiction to the painkiller tramadol, which had led him to make reckless decisions. An only child, Arnold had been a gifted young athlete who, said his mother, had got involved with the wrong people, and ultimately a downward spiral. She said she and her husband still cannot fully comprehend where it all went wrong after a privileged upbringing. Removal company was legitimate But she also questioned the police and prosecutions claim that her sons furniture removal company was a front for his drugs empire. The removal company was a legitimate busines, Mrs Arnold said,, while claims he had bought luxury cars were also false. He had travelled to Dubai and rented a flashy car to look flash for the day, she said. His new teeth were the result of a teenage accident and needed replacing. Mrs Arnold said: No one is suggesting he has not had a privileged upbringing but again to imply his new teeth are ill-gotten gains is absurd. Weve even heard a suggestion he should have his teeth pulled out as they are somehow proceeds of crime. She also accused police of tipping off the media about her personal connection with law enforcement. She said: After dedicating 10 years of my life to supporting as well as holding law enforcement in this country to account, I feel that my husband and I have been the victims of some policing sharp practice. We fervently believe we have been persecuted by the police. The former chief executive and publisher said her sons conviction had led her to turn down the opportunity to become a deputy lieutenant in Staffordshire. We also accept our good standing in the community is in jeopardy with the prospect of reputational damage leading to possible ostracisation in the village community, she said. One pertinent aspect of that involves me recently refusing the opportunity of a lifetime to become a deputy lieutenant for Staffordshire, premeditating the shame it would bring on the Crown if I had accepted. 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. At a secret makeshift military base a nondescript van and pickup truck tow two gray objects covered by tarpaulin mounted on trailers. In the driving rain, they resemble something more akin to a Boston Whaler, rather than hiding one of Ukraines most closely guarded secrets. Perched on the banks of a secret lake, CNN was given exclusive access to the base where much-vaunted sea or surface drones are tested. As the tarps are drawn back, a gun-gray, sleek hull appears. Just over five meters (16 feet) in length, its narrow shape resembles a wide canoe. These naval drones, never before shown to journalists, are increasingly allowing the Ukrainians to attack and surveil the Russians in the Black Sea and on the Crimean Peninsula. A country with no real fleet to speak of is outmanned and outgunned off their own coastline, but these sea drones are proving a vital tool in countering the Russians. A government-linked Ukrainian fundraising organization called United24 has sourced money from companies and individuals all around the world, pooling the funds to disperse it to a variety of developers and initiatives from defense to soccer matches. The entire outfit is very security conscious, insisting on strict guidelines on filming and revealing identities. Those who CNN met with declined to give their full names or even their ranks within Ukraines armed forces. On a creaky wooden jetty, a camouflaged sea drone pilot says he wants to go by Shark. In front of him is a long black hardshell briefcase. He unveils a bespoke, multi-screened mission control - essentially an elaborate gaming center, complete with levers, joysticks, a monitor and buttons that have covers over switches that shouldnt be accidentally knocked, with labels like blast. The developer of the drone, who asked to remain anonymous, said their work on the sea drones only began once the war started. It was very important, because we did not have very many forces to resist the maritime state - Russia. And we needed to develop something of our own, because we didnt have the existing capabilities. Story continues Battles in the Black Sea Ukraine is now starting to show those capabilities, even if missions are have varying degrees of success. The latest versions of the drone seen by CNN weigh up to 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds), with an explosive payload of up to 300 kilograms (661 pounds), a range of 800 kilometers (500 miles) and maximum speed of 80 kph (50 mph). Multiple sea drone attack carried out on Russian assets in Crimea and the Black Sea have grabbed recent headlines, with dramatic videos posted online. Some, but by no means all, have been claimed by the security services themselves. Ukrainian defense sources confirmed to CNN that sea drones were involved in at least two recent attacks: the Kerch Bridge in July and in Crimeas Sevastopol port last October. On 14 July the Ukrainian security services, alongside the navy, claimed joint responsibility for the second attack in nine months on the much-derided Kerch Bridge. These sea drones are targeting the Russians in the Black Sea. They have hit the Admiral Makarov and the Kerch Bridge. - CNN The vital artery, a nearly $4 billion project by Russia and personally opened by President Putin, is a key target to disrupt and sever the resupply route for Russian forces in the illegally annexed peninsula and in occupied areas of the southern front. The pre-dawn attack left a section of the bridge unpassable and out of service until September. The developer, watching his brainchild churn water, says the these drones are a completely Ukrainian production. They are designed, drawn and tested here. Its our own production of hulls, electronics and software. More than 50% of the production of equipment is here (in Ukraine). The Russians have yet to adjust to Ukraines newest capabilities, they claim. It is very difficult for them to get into such a small drone, it is very difficult to find it, the developer says. The speed of these drones exceeds any sea craft in the Black Sea region at the moment. The speed and difficulties in detection may go some way to explaining how the drones that attacked the bridge traveled undetected in the dark across the Black Sea to the bridge. Targeting flagships Ukraine has also been aiming their new equipment at Russias Black Sea Fleet, which has cruised menacingly off the coast and become a recipient of many vicious volleys of missile attacks. Before the recent attack left a key piece of Russian infrastructure bruised, other attempted attacks had already put the Russians on notice. In October last year sea drones were responsible for the attack on the fleets flagship, the Admiral Makarov, which was docked in port in Sevastopol. Ukrainian defense sources told CNN that the internal security services (SBU) carried out the attacks. There was never any real proof given to the damage caused to the vessel, and it later reappeared without any major damage, but the fact that the Ukrainians were able to get within striking distance of the Admiral Makarov reinforces the success rate of the Ukrainians. The brazen attack also gave Kyivs forces a boost and some propaganda for the public. Especially since the Admiral Makarov was newly installed as the Black Sea flagship after the Moskva was famously sunk by Ukrainian forces in April 2022. Access to the drones is incredibly rare, but they have a top speed of 80 kph, are about five meters (16 feet) long and carry a payload of roughly 30 kilograms (660 pounds). - CNN Shark, languidly guiding the sea-drone from his control station, says :these drones are designed to destroy ships and the fleet such things that are used quite successfully and terrify the Russians. The damage sustained to the Admiral Makarov was unclear, but the intentions for Kyiv were on show. The developer argues their work in against Russian naval targets forces them further into the Black Sea, therefore making deeper missile strikes into Ukraine harder. 300, 400, 600 kilometers is a long distance that makes some operations impossible and makes other operations more difficult. He said that makes cities like Odesa safer. But after the bridge strike, the city came under days of intense air attacks from drones and cruise missiles launched from the Russian Black sea fleet. Twenty-five UNESCO World Heritage sites across the city were hit. Russia claimed it was responding to an area it says was housing sea drones. The drones capabilities and successes have given the developer some bravado though I think it will be five to 10 years or more before they (Russians) can effectively counter this type of equipment, he says. Their equipment is from the 20th century, ours is from the 21st. There are 100 years between us. CNNs Victoria Butenko contributed to this report For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com AFP Nine bodies were found and two people were missing Wednesday after a fire in France tore through holiday lodging for a group of adults with learning disabilities, an incident the president called a "tragedy".The fire at the timbered residence in the eastern town of Wintzenheim struck deep in the night with those on the upper floor unable to react fast enough to save their lives. The secretary general of the Haut-Rhin prefecture in eastern France, Christophe Marot, said there was "little doubt" the missing had been in the burning building and had not been able to escape.The fire, which came at the height of the nation's summer holiday season, is the deadliest in France since a blaze at a bar in the northern city of Rouen in 2016 killed 14 people. "We have located nine bodies and we are still looking for two," Philippe Hauwiller, who is leading the fire brigade search operation, told AFP.With the complex search efforts ongoing, he added: "The difficulty lies in accessing the affected levels, since there is a lot of rubble, a lot of collapsed parts and the stability of the floor is very uncertain."The local fire service told AFP authorities were alerted about the blaze in Wintzenheim, just outside the city of Colmar in the eastern Alsace region, at around 6:30 am (0430 GMT)."The fire was quickly brought under control despite the intensity of the flames," the prefecture the Haut-Rhin region said in a statement.It said seventeen people were safely evacuated, with one person hospitalised and another treated for shock.Those staying at the centre were part of a group of adults with learning difficulties, some of whom who had come to the picturesque and hilly region from the nearby city of Nancy for the holidays."In Wintzenheim, the flames ravaged a lodging which accommodated people with disabilities and their companions. In the face of this tragedy, my thoughts go out to the victims, to the injured and to their loved ones," French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X.- 'Little doubt' -Marot confirmed a total of 28 people had been inside at the time, with 11 initially reported as unaccounted for."Unfortunately, there is little doubt: all these people were present in the lodging and could not get out," he told reporters.People on the ground floor were able to quickly leave the premises but not those upstairs, he said.The missing and confirmed dead included 10 people with light learning difficulties and one supervisor, he said. Marot said there was no indication over the cause of the blaze and added an investigation would be opened by regional prosecutors.Deputy mayor Daniel Leroy said the residents when the fire broke out were "taken by surprise in deep sleep, everyone was asleep". The guesthouse "has been running for several years without problems," he added.The traditional semi-timbered building, built in the style of the Alsace region, was severely damaged by the fire, according to the firefighters.At mid-morning, the firefighters were dousing the scene of the disaster with the help of fire hoses, an AFP photographer said. The roof was consumed by the flames and, on the first floor, the charred wooden framework was visible. Other firefighters were clearing wreckage away from the scene of the disaster with smoke still rising up.Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on X she would head to the scene after the "terrible" fire."My first thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. I hail the mobilisation of the firefighters," she added.dsa-bar-sjw/jmm The kakapo, a chubby parrot resembling a green-feathered bowling ball has twice won the competition (DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION) Five extinct species have been included on the ballot to find New Zealand's most popular feathered friend as competition organisers hope to draw attention to endangered birds. New Zealand's annual avian beauty contest has proven highly contentious over the years. The kakapo, a chubby parrot resembling a green-feathered bowling ball which can't fly, couldn't run in last year's Bird of the Year competition. The twice former winner was dropped from the 2022 vote by organisers to help less popular species have a shot at the title. Feathers were also ruffled when a native bat was allowed to enter, then flew off with the 2021 title. This year, competition organisers Forest & Bird will celebrate their centenary by crowning New Zealand's most popular feathered friend in the last 100 years -- even if the potential winner no longer exists. "We're searching for the bird that has captured New Zealanders' hearts over the last century," said Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki at Saturday's launch. The environmental group has put 75 species on the ticket for this year's Bird of the Century contest, of which a quintet are thought to be extinct in New Zealand. They include the huia - a songster, whose last confirmed sighting was in 1907. Voters can also plump for the laughing owl -- also known as the 'whekau' -- whose shrieks were last officially heard in 1914. Toki says she hopes adding extinct species will trigger conversations about endangered birds. "New Zealands extinction record is devastating," said Toki. She said the now-absent species are "a heartbreaking reminder of the incredible biodiversity we've lost". "Eighty-two percent of our living native bird species are threatened or at risk of extinction," Toki added. "We cannot let any more end up with the tragic fate of the laughing owl or the huia." Voting opens at the end of October, closing on November 12 with the winner announced the next day. ryj/dgi/ssy The future of Wagner is in the balance after Yevgeny Prigozhins failed march on Moscow (Reuters) Amid the ravages of war, Sergey, a seasoned Wagner mercenary, found himself grappling with the relentless violence that has become a way of life and death on the front line. The savage conflict, the sense of betrayal from the Kremlin, and rumours of plots, all combined to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and dread. At the end he decided to abandon the Wagner group and the savage, meat-grinding combat of Donbas where corpses piled up, and towns and cities were razed. With the future of the mercenary group in the balance after Yevgeny Prigozhins failed march on Moscow and fear of future retribution, Sergey cannot forget the terrible things he witnessed in the months of bloody conflict. A heavily built, tattooed man of middle height, with a pugilists face, Sergey speaks slowly and deliberately, his gold fillings flashing. Unlike many of the Wagner fighters, Sergey was not recruited by Prigozhin from a prison. He was a gunner sergeant in the Russian army, before later joining Wagner and fighting in Syrias civil war. Sergey has now fought in the fiercest battles in eastern Ukraine: in Bakhmut, Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, places reduced to empty, desolate landscapes of burned and smashed buildings with bodies buried under the rubble. We are speaking in the capital of a central European state where he is in transit to another country. Sergeys eyes, hard and watchful, flick to the door of the bar we are talking in whenever someone comes in. Parts of Bakhmut which has been one of the most intense front lines during Russias invasion have been reduced to desolate landscapes of burned and smashed buildings (AP) Of course, we have made enemies, he says. People cannot imagine what went on in the front, you had to fight to stay alive. The Ukrainians came at us wave after wave. Prigozhin used to say, They have the same iron balls as us, and he was right, they are tough. When we were fighting we hardly got any sleep, there was danger everywhere. Someone you could be talking to could be shot 10 minutes later. You try to help, but the then you may have to move and you leave them lying there in pain, begging for help. Story continues We saw some of the young soldiers rolling the dead into lorries to be taken away. The thing is, some of the dead werent dead, they had been very badly wounded. We stopped that when we noticed what was happening. But I am sure there were times the wounded were buried with the dead. Can you imagine ending like that? In this world of flames and fury, panic and confusion, self-preservation was the all-consuming aim. Our daily routine was fight, eat when you could, pray and try not to get killed, says Sergey. I have had injuries, one was serious, shrapnel from a mortar round tore up my leg and thigh. I had two operations lasting hours. I felt maybe it was only a matter of time before my luck ran out. Everyone faces the same reality, and I chose to take a break. While he has fought on behalf of the Kremlin in Syria and Ukraine, Sergey insists he hasnt played any part in atrocities that would bring him in front of a Ukrainian or international court as a defendant. Prigozhin during one of his video rants against the Russian military leadership (AP) Investigators have been gathering evidence of murder, torture and rape by Russian forces in occupied areas. Would he be prepared to appear in court as a witness? Some very bad things happened there, Sergey says. I have seen bad things. It was not just one side the Ukrainians shot prisoners. But there were acts against [Ukrainian] civilians that shouldnt have happened, its been a dirty war His words trail away, he shakes his head, refusing to commit himself. Some of what Sergey says is undoubtedly self-serving. His account of leaving Wagner is contradictory in places. It is not possible to ascertain whether or not he harmed civilians. He is nervous about going into detail about his personal life and did not want the location of where his two children live with his estranged wife in Russia made public. Looking out onto the busy street, Sergey reflects: It is strange, isnt it? Sitting here, seeing all these people, families, children going about their lives, and then remembering things we have seen, done. I remember going to Ukraine before all the troubles started it was normal, nice, we all got on. It is a pity what has happened. Sergey knows Ukraine. Wagner fighters like him played their part in the descent into the troubles he mentions. After being discharged from the army having sustained injuries in an exercise, he joined Wagner nine years ago and took part in the separatist war in the east of the country which followed the revolution overthrowing the pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych, and the subsequent Russian annexation of Crimea. We were told that the Americans, the British, [and] Nato had carried out a coup against Yanukovych, the elected president. We were there to save our people in Ukraine, and also to protect Russias borders. Thats what we were told and thats what we believed, Sergey says. Wagner opened a headquarters in St Petersburg last year penal contingents were brought in as casualties mounted in Ukraine (AFP/Getty) We all know what happened this time. We were meant to be welcomed by the Ukrainians, especially the Russian speakers who were being oppressed. This was meant to be a short war, after which well hold parades and then go home. It has been badly handled, people realise that. Its now just a big mess, all f****d up. Sergey despairs of the way standards have dropped in the Wagner group and the penal contingents who have been brought in as casualties have mounted. When I first joined the company, military experience was a requirement, he says. There were strict controls: they checked your background, you had to even take a polygraph test. There was a small number who may have been to prison but most of them had been in the military before getting into trouble for things like drunken fights. We were active, we were professional, not just mobics [newly mobilised] and the idiots from jails we have now. The prisoners whove now been recruited have been told, Do six months on the front line and youll be free and well give you an advance of 250,000 roubles [2,135]. So thats what they do, just try and not get shot for six months. Why should they want to be heroes? Some of them are crazies who should never have been given guns. Many may be [convicted] killers, but very few of them will make soldiers. Despite these handicaps, Wagner had taken Bakhmut, Sergey wants to point out. But Prigozhin became enmeshed in a vitriolic dispute with the military hierarchy in Moscow, especially the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and General Valery Gerasimov, the commander in Ukraine, accusing them of sabotaging Wagner operations. Tensions rose, insults were traded, conditions were created for a perfect storm, speculation mounted, and there was a feeling that something big was going down. Members of Wagner group prepare to pull back after their attempted mutiny ended on 24 June (AFP/ Getty) Then came Prigozhins mutiny, a stunning twist in this extraordinary conflict. The aftermath saw Putin clinging on to power, but with his hold more fragile than ever before, and disquiet about what lies in the future. There were rumours of course, all armies love rumours. But only those at the top knew what had been planned. Prigozhin and very few others know the real story, says Sergey. There are people high up in government who must have known what was going on. This will come out at some time. Prigozhin, we think, is too powerful for now, but the others, some of them will pay a big price. Sergey insists that he had left the mercenary group before the attempted coup took place, with his contract coming to an end. He says he had no foreknowledge of the rebellion and is not wanted by the Russian government or Wagner. As part of the deal between Prigozhin and the Kremlin that ended the rebellion, brokered by Belarus president Aleksander Lukashenko, Wagner had to leave Ukraine and rebase in Belarus. Those who left the group were given the choice of joining the army or going home. Prigozhin, however, appears to be moving around freely. On Thursday he attended the Russia-Africa Forum in St Petersburg. Wagners highly lucrative operations in Africa have continued, and it appears to be business as usual with the Kremlins blessing. Belarusian soldiers attend training conducted by mercenary fighters from Wagner on 14 July (AP) Sergey says: There are all kinds of questions about what can happen next with Wagner. Will they be used to attack Ukraine? The Ukrainians will be well prepared this time. There is even talk they would attack Poland. Does Lukashenko really want a direct war with a Nato country? These are questions beyond me as just a soldier, but, anyway, I wont be involved. Sergey decided not to go to Belarus, and neither is he prepared to return to the Middle East for Wagner or join the operations in Africa options, he claims, the Russian government is encouraging some fighters to take up. Putin does not want thousands of our soldiers staying in Russia and out of Ukraine. Wagner will be missed in Ukraine, he says. Already some of the positions we took around Bakhmut are being taken back by the Ukrainians. We heard they took Klischiivka. Andriivka could be next. A lot of lives were lost to capture those places. But we also fought with discipline, and tactically we were flexible and could move without air support. We were better in that than the Russian army or the Ukrainians. Those who serve in Belarus or Wagner operations abroad may end up signing contracts, he believes, with the Concord group, Prigozhins management company. This company has already been registered in Belarus, we know, Sergey claims. The ordinary soldiers who took part in the operation [mutiny] did not really know what was happening. Some of them only realised they were going to Russia after they had been ordered by their officers. It was not something which had been rehearsed, he adds. Prigozhin complains that the war went badly for Russia because the troops were sent to Ukraine without clear orders and direction. But perhaps thats the mistake he made going to Moscow. Igor Girkin in a Moscow court after calling for the removal Vladimir Putin the former defence minister of the Donetsk Peoples Republic said Russia could not survive another six years of his rule (AFP/Getty) Life with Wagner is complex: betrayals. in-fighting, mutinous words against Putin this is a knife-edge existence. During the 2014 campaign in eastern Ukraine, Sergey met Igor Girkin, who had the nom de guerre of Strelkov, a former Russian army and FSB officer, who led one of the infiltration teams and, for a time, became the defence minister of the Donetsk Peoples Republic. Girkin was dismissed from his position in 2014 after a Malaysian Airlines plane was shot down, killing 298 people. Prosecutors in the Netherlands, where the flight had originated, indicted him and three others for murder. They were handed sentences of life imprisonment in absentia late last year. Girkin backed the current invasion of Ukraine, but like Prigozhin and the Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov became a fierce critic of the Kremlin over the way the war is being conducted. Girkin also began to attack Putin personally. Last week he called for the presidents removal, saying Russia could not survive another six years of his rule. He was arrested by the FSB a few days later and charged with extremism and has appeared in a Moscow court. Sergey points to Girkin as an example of the purge taking place after the failed coup. I didnt know him well but of course we all remember him, he says. He was a big man then. But what has happened now shows how someones fortune can change in wars no one can be sure of anything at the moment. Potawatomi Gathering powwow dancer. (Photo/Levi Rickert for Native News Online) PINE CREEK INDIAN RESERVATION Over 2,000 Potawatomi citizens from 11 Potawatomi tribal nations gathered this past week in southwest Michigan at the Pine Creek Indian Reservation, near Battle Creek and the tribe's Firekeepers Casino Hotel for the Potawatomi Gathering 2023. Hosted by the Nottawasseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, the Potawatomi Gathering kicked off on Monday with language workshops, On Thursday, Potawatomi leaders met to discuss common issues and on Friday the Potawatomi Economic Summit was held to discuss the various means each tribe is improving tribal business enterprises owned by the Potawatomi tribal nations. Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. The Potawatomi Gathering was established in the summer of 1994 by the Wasauksing First Nation to revitalize the Potawatomi culture, language, and identity. This year's gathering represents the fourth time the Nottawasseppi Huron Band has hosted the annual gathering. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Chairman Joseph "Zeke" Rupnick Due to rain during the day on Friday, a powwow planned at the powwow grounds of the Pine Creek Indian Reservation was moved to the Firekeepers Casino Hotel. A crowd of over 800 attended the powwow that attracted over five drums and hundreds of dancers dressed in regalia. Vererans from various parts of the country represented their Potawatomi tribal honor guards. Nottawasseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Chairman Jamie Stuck With blue skies with temperatures in the low 80s, the powwow was held on the reservation where Nottawasseppi Band of the Potwatomi Chairman Jaime Stuck welcomed the Potawatomi tribal nations to his tribe's homelands. Next year in 2024, the Potawatomi Gathering will be hosted by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi in Dowagiac, Michigan. {gallery}Potawatomi Gathering 2023{/gallery} About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net." Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net A block on Western Avenue in Koreatown, among many Los Angeles neighborhoods where development has pushed up home prices. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) My sister and I have called Westlake and Koreatown home our entire lives, but rising rent priced us out of our own community. Southern Californias high costs of living and limited homeowner support programs made it nearly impossible to find a better housing situation for our family. Growing up in a predominately low-income immigrant community, we assumed living in an overcrowded apartment was the norm. For more than 25 years, our family of four lived in a rent-controlled, cramped 450-square-foot studio with a walk-in closet and tiny bathroom. We converted the walk-in closet into a bedroom and our parents slept in a twin-sized bed right outside the kitchen. Our apartment was old, moldy and infested with roaches and hadnt been renovated since we moved in hence the rent being cheaper than the market rate for L.A. County. As we got older, we realized that we had lived in two scenarios identified by health and other organizations as threatening housing instability: living doubled up, meaning when adults beyond a head of household and partner have to share a home, and then living crowded , where the number of residents exceeds the capacity of the space, often leading to poor physical and mental health. An L.A. Times analysis published last year found that Los Angeles was the most overcrowded city in America as of 2020. Read more: We want to hear how you navigated the costly housing market in L.A. Tell us your story Right before COVID-19 hit, we held unstable minimum wage, temporary and stipend-based positions and struggled to pay rent. Then during the pandemic, we found it increasingly difficult to complete remote work and online school in our crowded living situation. As COVID cases subsided, we got our first full-time jobs and considered moving to a bigger place. But the cheapest apartments we looked at were at least half of our combined income. We were torn. On the one hand, we had stayed far too long in an uncomfortable living situation. Seeing apartment complexes in our neighborhood be demolished and replaced by luxury high-rises also made us fear that it was just a matter of time before we would be evicted. On the other hand, we could not justify spending so much on rent, especially since a rule of thumb is to spend no more than a third of your income on housing. And since we had both been laid off during the pandemic, we feared becoming unemployed again in the future. Story continues After crunching the numbers, we decided to pursue an option we previously considered out of reach: saving up to buy a home. Given the rising local costs of rent, in the long run wed be better off buying. We also wanted to repay our parents for all the sacrifices they made to ensure we had a roof over our heads, and for their love and support. So we continued to live in our crowded apartment while aggressively saving up for a down payment and for an emergency fund because we feared going back to job instability. As first-generation Latina home buyers, we did our best to navigate the process by combing through programs for buyers like us. Those didnt end up helping. Read more: More L.A. Latinos falling into homelessness, shaking communities in 'a moment of crisis' The first program we tried was Bank of Americas Community Affordable Loan Solution, which among other benefits provides up to $15,000 in down payment assistance for first-time home buyers in L.A. and a handful of other cities to purchase in a community that is predominantly Black, Latino or both. But we were told we were ineligible for the program because our combined annual income just exceeded the maximum limit of $136,650. At the same time, we are considered low-income in L.A. County, suggesting the programs cutoff is too strict to help everyone who needs it. Next we considered applying for the California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loan program, which provides a loan worth up to 20% of a homes sale price. However, the program also requires borrowers to pay 20% of the homes increase in value once its sold on top of paying back the original loan. We worried that borrowing this amount would ultimately hurt us by taking away a portion of our future equity. Then that consideration turned out to be moot: The program ran out of funds two weeks after launching, before we could even complete the preapproval process. We also found significant problems with the equity of these programs. Although the Community Affordable Loan Solution is meant to support Black and Latino communities, which have historically low rates of homeownership, it does not require individuals to identify as Black or Latino to qualify. Similarly, though the California Dream for All program was meant in part to reduce racial wealth gaps in the state, CalMatters found that 65% of the initial recipients were white. Only 34% of beneficiaries identified as Latino and just 4% identified as Black. Californias longtime affirmative action ban restricts the agencys ability to target funds for people of color. Fortunately, we finally found a home for our family in a different part of Los Angeles. Looking back, were grateful that our relatively low-cost living situation allowed us to save. Even so, families should not have to live in cramped, small living spaces to afford rent and tolerating these conditions should not be the only option renters have when trying to save up for a down payment. Read more: Op-Ed: How do we keep L.A.'s housing costs affordable? Build more homes Moreover, since we were unsuccessful with first-time buyer programs, we felt compelled to make the risky decision to deplete our emergency fund to place a 3% down payment. Although that enabled us to buy our home, we arent sure what the future holds for us. We cant say it was an easy process. Federal and state officials should evaluate how first-time homebuyer programs are designed, rolled out and made available particularly to Black and Latino applicants. Providers should consider offering assistance on a sliding scale based on income level rather than using relatively low cutoffs. Other alternatives might be to create down-payment assistance grants rather than loans, or loans that do not accrue interest until a home buyer reaches a small portion of equity (such as 3%). Such approaches may help people get into homes sooner and obtain equity faster. We hope to see better options for all low-income renters. Homeownership should not be this inaccessible, especially for people who are seeking to become the first in their families to buy a home and build generational wealth. Jennifer Nazario is a systems administrator at a network of college-preparatory schools and a first-generation college graduate with a masters degree in economics. Paula Nazario is an assistant director at UCLA and the first person in her family to go to college. She has a masters degree in public policy. 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. Shutterstock A 39-year-old mother of four died in 2021 after ingesting kratom, a legal herbal extract. The seller, Kratom Distro, has now been ordered to pay her family and estate $11 million. Kratom was banned by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 2016 but the move was quickly overturned. The family of a woman who died after ingesting a legal herbal extract with opioid-like effects has been awarded more than $11 million in damages. Krystal Talavera, a 39-year-old mother of four, was found unconscious by her partner, Biagio Vultaggio, on June 20, 2021. Vultaggio called paramedics, who took Talavera to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Talavera was found lying next to an open bag of kratom, a herbal extract from Southeast Asia with opioid- and stimulant-like effects, per media reports and the family's lawyers. In a Florida court ruling, seen by Insider, the drugs supplier, Kratom Distro, has been ordered to pay damages to Talavera's four children and estate in a wrongful-death lawsuit. Talavera's cause of death was acute mitragynine intoxication, according to The Guardian, which cited The Palm Beach County Coroner. Mitragynine is a major component of kratom. Kratom Distro did not fight the lawsuit, and the company's owner gave no comment on the judgment when approached by The Guardian. Kratom Distro did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Kratom was banned by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 2016, which classified it as a Schedule I drug alongside heroin, LSD, and marijuana, but the move was quickly overturned. Schedule I drugs have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, and while there are currently no FDA-approved drugs containing kratom, it is sometimes used to self-treat pain, anxiety, and depression, as well as opioid withdrawal. According to medical research, there could be as many as 16 million regular kratom users in the US. A lack of federal regulation has led to a state-by-state approach to kratom. Half a dozen states have banned the herbal supplement, which is part of the same family as coffee, with lawmakers in Mississippi and Louisiana looking to follow suit. Story continues The American Kratom Association has called for additional research. Kratom's safety and subsequent regulation should be determined through clinical trials, it said in a recent statement. Talavera was introduced to kratom by friends years before her death, per The Guardian. Her eldest son, Devin Filippelli, who graduated from high school a day before his mom's death, testified how the pair were due to have a celebratory dinner together the next day. He described how Talavera was the nucleus of the family and brought everyone together. In his court ruling, finalized on Thursday and shared by the family's law firm, district judge Donald Middlebrooks said that "there is of course no amount of money that will make up for the pain and suffering that Ms. Talavera's children are enduring because of their mother's death. The law nonetheless recognizes that the Defendant must pay something, however inadequate." Read the original article on Business Insider When police respond to reports of criminal activity, officers are entrusted with deciding whether the situation warrants deadly force, but must follow a fixed set of rules that allow them to use their duty weapons. In the wake of Boise police fatally shooting a second suspect in just over a month the fourth and fifth shootings by the citys force this year those use-of-force guidelines are facing scrutiny. Each incident remains under investigation by outside police agencies to review whether the officers who fired their guns at the suspects were justified in their actions and followed proper procedures. On Wednesday night, police shot and killed Macey Juker, 28, of Boise, who fired a rifle at officers after they responded to the citys North End neighborhood on reports of a person who was armed, police said. That incident followed one downtown in the early morning hours of June 24, when the department said an officer shot Payton Wasson, 22, of Nampa, after police observed him with a gun in his hand as he fled on foot. Per standard protocol, each police shooting launches a Critical Incident Task Force investigation. The Garden City Police Department is leading the review of the latest incident, while the Ada County Sheriffs Office is examining the shooting of Wasson, who died a day later in the hospital from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Ada County Coroners Office. The Boise Police Department also performs its own internal investigation of shootings that involve its officers. After a shooting namely when officers resolve to use force that ends someones life concern arises within the community. That response is both expected and understandable, said retired Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney, who now works as a national law enforcement consultant. With any critical incident, there are always questions that the community deserves to have answered, Raney told the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview. While it is difficult to wait for those answers, the important thing to focus on when these (investigations) are complete is that law enforcement has been objective and done a thorough job. Story continues When an officer is permitted to fire their weapon is legally well established and relatively straightforward, he said. The Boise Police Department procedures manual states that an officer shall not fire their gun as a warning. Nor are police permitted to shoot when doing so may unreasonably endanger people who are not involved in the alleged crime. Outside of firearms training and preventing an animal from suffering further, the policy manual allows a sworn officer to fire their weapon while on duty only in two circumstances: to protect themselves or others from imminent danger, including death or serious injury; and to help capture someone suspected of a felony whose escape would pose a significant threat to police or the public. The same guidance applies to police shooting at a moving vehicle. An officer may do so only when they have an objectively reasonable belief that a suspect represents a continuing threat of death or serious injury to police or others, or when the officer has no reasonable alternative course of action, according to Boises policy manual. Either an officer reasonably perceived that a threat to life or safety that caused them to shoot or, if they didnt, its not a good shooting, Raney said. Officials work around the perimeter of a multiblock crime scene Thursday after a fatal shooting Wednesday night near the 700 block of N. 20th Street in Boises North End. Four shots fired, three hit suspect, friend says Details about the shooting in the 700 block of N. 20th Street so far remain scant. Six officers fired their weapons at Juker, who died of multiple gunshot wounds in a shootout. Neighbors told the Statesman they had seen the man brandishing a rifle in the street. Police also have released limited information about the June 24 incident that led to Wassons death. Officer Chance Feldner, who has served 8 1/2 years with the Boise Police Department, shot Wasson while investigating a vehicle downtown near 5th and Main streets that officers suspected was involved in gang activity and/or narcotics sales, police said. A second man, Mario Garza, 26, of Kuna, was arrested in the incident for allegedly having fentanyl pills. He is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and remains in custody at the Ada County Jail. Garza declined to answer questions about the incident in a video interview from the jail with the Statesman. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday morning. A third person involved that night was released at the scene, Boise police have said. Jordan Smith, 26, of Caldwell who identified herself to the Statesman as Garzas girlfriend has since stepped forward and said she was there at the time of the shooting. As Smith, Garza and Wasson walked downtown, Smith said that five unmarked police vehicles pulled up shortly after 2:10 a.m. and that officers already had their guns drawn. Wasson took off running as police ordered him to stop and put his hands up, but he never turned around, she said. Smith said she distinctly recalled hearing four gunshots, and she said three of them struck Wasson from about 25 yards away. Smith never saw Wasson with a gun that night, she said. I watched one of my really good friends just get shot in the head three times, Smith said by phone. I just dont see a reason why Boise police even shot him, because he wasnt a threat to them. It was really, honestly uncalled for. A firearm was found next to Wasson, near 5th and Idaho streets, police said. Wassons mother, Marah Wasson, said in a Facebook post after her sons death that police shot him in the back of the head. The bullet was lodged in the front of his head still, no surgery was possible, she wrote. Your officer murdered my son. My childrens brother. He was only 22. He didnt deserve this. Citing the ongoing CITF investigation, Boise police spokesperson Haley Williams has declined to answer questions from the Statesman about how many rounds Feldner fired from his gun, as well as where and how many times Wasson was struck. Anytime somebody is shot in the back or shot in the head, everybody immediately has some skepticism about that, Raney said. Ive never seen an officer who was a good enough shot to hit somebody in the head on the run. Its not the way law enforcement is taught, which is to shoot at center mass. So its an unfortunate circumstance and well have to see what happens with the investigation. A very stacked system T. Greg Doucette is a First Amendment attorney who practices law in North Carolina. Hes gained a national following from his efforts over the past 15 years to document cases of police misconduct with a crowdsourced video archive on social media. Based on his prior experience as a civil litigator and criminal defense attorney, Doucette said hes cynical about the ability of communities across the nation to address upward trends in police use-of-force incidents, including officer shootings. The combination of legal precedents, state laws and growing law enforcement budgets work to protect officers even if they have shown to have engaged in wrongdoing, he said, which limits the capacity to fix such deep-seated problems. Its a very stacked system from a legal standpoint, and it makes it exceptionally hard to hold bad police officers accountable, Doucette said in a phone interview. It would take a tremendous amount of leadership to do a course correction, and the political will has to be there to do it, and I dont have any faith in our politicians to do it. Boise Mayor Lauren McLean and Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar each called Wassons shooting death a tragedy. Payton Wassons death is a tragedy, and his family is grieving a world-shattering loss, McLean said in a post on Twitter. I stand with Chief Winegars commitment to pursuing urgent and appropriate accountability, and know our community expects nothing less. Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar addressed the June 24 fatal shooting of Payton Wasson by a member of the city police force at a press conference the week of Wassons death at an area hospital. Doucette commended police departments that have a policy of handing investigations into shooting incidents over to outside law enforcement agencies to review whether officers who fired their weapons at suspects were in the right. Still, such investigations remain flawed, he said, because they almost always give the benefit of the doubt to the officer. In addition, Doucette said, the frequency of police shootings has left communities disengaged, despite the very real consequence of the loss of peoples lives at the hands of officers sworn to protect and serve citizens. There will be some public outrage, then there will be another shooting, and then we all move on, Doucette said. The publics natural tendency is to look away and the problem will take care of itself, but the public needs to stay informed, stay vigilant and demand change. Boises first police shooting this year happened in early January, when Sgt. Kirk Rush shot a 48-year-old Boise man who was walking on the Interstate 184 Connector. The man ignored commands, police said, and produced a weapon they didnt identify, which led the 18-year member of Boise police to fire his gun. The shooting was the second in which Rush was involved in a seven-month span. The man he shot was treated at an area hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening and charged with one count of felony aggravated assault with a felony enhancement for use of a firearm or deadly weapon. Later in January, another police shooting took place in a parking lot of the Meridian Crossroads mall along Fairview Avenue in West Boise. As police tried to take into custody a 32-year-old man who was a wanted fugitive by removing him from a car, he pulled out a firearm, police said, and was shot and killed by Officer Kip Paporello. For Paporello, who has 23 years with Boise police, the incident was his second shooting in less than three months, according to prior Statesman reporting. The years third shooting that involved Boise police took place in March. Officer Nicholas Quintana, who has five years in law enforcement and joined the department in January, and an unnamed Ada County sheriffs deputy each shot at a 22-year-old man after he pointed and appeared to discharge a firearm at the officers, Boise police said. At the scene, police recovered a BB gun that Winegar said looked very, very real, the Statesman previously reported. The suspect, Gavin Donithorne, was struck at least once in the shooting and taken to an area hospital. He was charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault on a police officer and one count of felony eluding. None of the CITF reports from the three police shootings has been completed in 2023. Critics argue that in reports like these, which contain reviews of officers split-second decisions, suspects with criminal backgrounds tend to receive less consideration over whether police entered a situation more prone to use force. In Wassons case, he had a criminal history that began when he was a minor and last entailed an incident in 2021, according to court records. He had juvenile drug charges and a case in which he pleaded guilty to felony fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer in a motor vehicle, and received probation. In July 2019, Wasson violated his probation and a judge imposed up to a three-year prison sentence, court records showed. Then, in February 2021, Meridian police tried to arrest Wasson on a felony warrant and he fled on foot when officers approached him in an apartment complex parking lot. After pleading guilty to disturbing the peace, Wasson received a 30-day jail sentence. Garza also has three prior felony convictions, and was sentenced to at least six years in prison after he and another man began shooting at each other in a Nampa Walmart parking lot in 2016. As a result of their respective backgrounds as convicted felons, neither Garza nor Wasson was permitted to possess a gun. Police have not said whether they began their investigation into the suspicious vehicle with knowledge of its connections to Garza or Wasson, or of their individual histories with law enforcement and the judicial system. The American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho continues to demand answers about the month-old fatal incident, irrespective of Wassons background. The family of this young man ... and the public deserve to know if the officer or officers (BPD has not let the public know how many officers responded to the scene) believed they were in imminent danger of death or serious injury, which is the criteria for discharging a firearm in the line of duty under Idaho code, Leo Morales, executive director of the ACLU of Idaho, said in a statement to the Statesman. While the young man did have a criminal history including a felony that would have meant he legally could not possess a gun its not yet clear if the police knew who they were investigating when the officer fired his weapon. Idaho Statesman reporting intern Noble Brigham contributed. The gate to former President Donald Trump's home at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Aug. 8, 2022. Photo by Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images A new indictment of former President Donald Trump on July 27, 2023, added another charge related to retention of classified documents to an existing indictment issued last month. The charges followed a long process of the National Archives and Records Administration asking the former president on multiple occasions to return the records he took with him after he left office. The Conversation U.S. asked Shannon Bow O'Brien, a scholar of the presidency at the University of Texas, Austin College of Liberal Arts, to discuss the history, law and customs associated with presidential archives. How do the archivists actually know whats missing? Isnt that hard to figure out? The archivists probably have a really keen idea of what is and what isnt missing, based upon things that theyve gotten out of other offices, like the vice presidents office and things that got deposited from the secretary of state, for example. There are a lot of papers that are referenced and cross-referenced, multiple copies or multiple things going in and out of offices. One scholar did a study of the presidents annual Christmas speech at the Ellipse in Washington. He looked at how the speeches from the Roosevelt administration to the present developed, and it was kind of a ring-around-the-rosy inside the West Wing and within the departments what went in, what went out, what went in, what went out. Who won and who didnt win. Everybody left their marks on the speeches. All of those changes and requests appear in documents, and if part of the conversation is missing from the National Archives, its obvious. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Sept. 17, 2020. Oliver Contreras-Pool/Getty Images We know from other presidents records that really comprehensive records are kept via daily manifests of what the presidents are doing. And while I am not a historian, its not unreasonable to assume that the other departments and agencies likewise have daily manifests of their top officials. So if they know that someone at an agency sent something over to the White House that was this or that, and it came back from the White House with this or that, then there should be a document somewhere thats got something from the White House on it and if youre missing that, thats a problem. Story continues Will the public find out what was in these documents, given that they are classified? The indictment against Trump spells out the grade of classification the documents had they get different levels based on the level of seriousness but only vaguely refers to the contents. Well be lucky to ever know if, and when, the documents get declassified, although some more description of the contents could come out during the trial. Whats the law that governs what happens to a presidents documents? Its the Presidential Records Act. It came about originally because these guys, the presidents, were just kind of doing whatever the heck they wanted with their records. Hoover donates his; FDR doesnt. The act, first passed in 1978, says administrations have to retain any documentary materials relating to the political activities of the President or members of the Presidents staff, but only if such activities relate to or have a direct effect upon the carrying out of constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties of the President. An administration is allowed to exclude personal records that are purely private or dont have an effect on the duties of a president. All public events are included, such as quick comments on the South Lawn, short exchanges with reporters and all public speeches, radio addresses and even public telephone calls to astronauts in space. Diaries and journals are off limits, but any papers to carry out the job are public records. Have there been other controversies over presidential records? Theres one that poses an essential question: What value can you place on history? In 1998, the Nixon estate felt his records had a monetary value of over US0 million and sued the government, which had seized the records, for what they believed their value amounted to. The actions of U.S. President Richard Nixon prompted numerous federal presidential record-keeping laws after the Watergate scandal. Don Carl Steffen/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Theres a two-decade background to the case. After he left the presidency, Nixon brokered a deal with the General Services Administration about the retention of his records, but when knowledge of it became public, there was considerable outcry. A large amount of material was to be withheld from public view, and there was concern the depth of Nixons true involvement in Watergate would be obscured. Congress responded and in 1974, President Gerald Ford signed the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act to specifically apply to Nixons presidential materials. It gave the archivists the power to seize materials from Nixons time in the White House and return those deemed private. Nixon immediately sued over who possessed his records. While he had already been pardoned when it was enacted, Nixon was concerned about his reputation and legacy. He wanted control over what the public saw about his time in office. One of the major issues in front of the court involved the disposition of documents he believed were private. Given the scandal associated with his resignation, should these documents be inspected by archivists for veracity? More important, did the government have the right to seize presidential documents? In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court rejected all of Nixons arguments. They said his privacy rights were still intact because the archivists were not making things immediately public but inspecting them and retaining public items while returning family ones. The court noted the unblemished record of the archivists for discretion. In 2000, the lawsuit was settled over the Nixon records, with the bulk of the settlement money going to pay attorney fees. Some observers were unhappy, because these documents should have already been considered public, but the decision was likely made to finally close this chapter on American history. In 2007, the Nixon library in California became public and integrated into National Archives. This story, which includes parts of an article originally published on Feb. 11, 2022, was last updated on July 28, 2023. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters. It was written by: Shannon Bow O'Brien, The University of Texas at Austin. Read more: Shannon Bow O'Brien does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Ashley Alder, chairman of the FInancial Conduct Authority, said lenders had a degree of discretion around who they have as customers - Bobby Yip/Reuters Jeremy Hunt has been urged to investigate the banking regulator as part of the drive to restore integrity after the debanking scandal. A group of prominent Conservatives and former financial industry figures have penned a letter to the Chancellor raising their concerns that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) may have inadvertently encouraged the culture within banking that led to Nigel Farage losing his Coutts account. The signatories were Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader, Danny Kruger, a Tory MP on the Commons Treasury Committee, Prof Daniel Hodson, the former deputy CEO of Nationwide Building Society, and Baroness Noakes, the former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a non-executive director of the Bank of England. The letter, a copy of which was passed to The Telegraph, raises questions about the FCAs approach and whether it had unintended consequences. The authors flag up the FCAs encouragement of what is known as environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, which encourages companies to act responsibly. They also note that an FCA source was quoted in a piece in The Guardian saying there was a real sense of disquiet inside the regulator at the departure of Dame Alison Rose. Dame Alison quit as chief executive of NatWest Group after admitting to briefing a BBC journalist about the reason a client, former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, had his account closed. Political views Mr Farages account was with Coutts, which is part of NatWest. Information released after Mr Farage submitted a subject access request revealed his political views were a factor in the decision. Part of the letter reads: The FCA has been actively pursuing an approach which involves forcing a change in culture and diversity of thought in banks and other financial firms. It has also played an active role in forcing through ESG changes, where the precise scope, meaning and application of environmental, social and governance is arguable, to say the least. Story continues It appears that the FCA has been making and applying vague rules, including those known as Principles, which are open to varied interpretation. A line later in the letter to Mr Hunt reads: Given the off the record briefings against you, there should be an investigation into the FCAs culture as part of the drive to restore integrity in the banking system. A Treasury spokesman declined to comment on the FCA. On wider topics, a Treasury source said: We have acted decisively to stand up for peoples right to free speech, but recognise more work needs to be done to deal with the root causes of the issue. Leaders of the FCA defended their approach in a recent appearance before the Commons Treasury Committee where they were questioned on the topic. Nikhil Rathi, the FCA chief executive, told MPs that the regulator had spoken to the Coutts parent company, NatWest Group, after the Farage story broke. Mr Rathi said: Youre not able to discriminate on the basis of political views either. Degree of discretion In the same appearance the FCA chairman, Ashley Alder, argued that lenders had a degree of discretion around who they have as customers. Mr Alder said: For banks as well as other commercial enterprises, its fundamentally up to them to choose who they do business with. A Financial Conduct Authority spokesman said: The views expressed in The Guardian are not those of the FCA. We are clear that it is for any board first and foremost to make decisions about the future of a firms CEO. As boards take those decisions, it is entirely appropriate for them to take account of views of their shareholders, in particular their largest shareholders. We have made it clear that the legislation requires that no one should be having their personal bank account closed on the basis of their legally held political views. The Treasury has asked us to have regard to its commitments on net zero and sustainable finance. Our approach to these issues has been focused on developing international standards and increasing transparency and trust, in a market which is growing quickly due to consumer demand. Separately, Arron Banks, the former Ukip donor and one of the self-dubbed bad boys of Brexit, revealed he had his bank accounts closed. Mr Banks claimed that Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England governor, had been made aware of the issue more widely at one point. A spokesman for Mr Bailey did not comment to the Mail on Sunday, which reported the claim. 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. Stock photo of a bookshelf. Getty Images A federal judge in Arkansas temporarily blocked a law on Saturday that would implement new censorship measures against books and libraries throughout the state. The law, Arkansas Act 372, had a temporary injunction placed on it by U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks, who wrote that the law was "likely to result in the abridgment of plaintiffs' First Amendment rights" and cause the plaintiffs "irreparable harm," per the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Brooks made his ruling on behalf of more than a dozen plaintiffs that had sued the state. Signed by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) this past March, Act 372 "removes the current exemption that protects librarians from criminal prosecution," according to a state Senate summary. This would allow librarians and booksellers to be held criminally liable if they provide a minor with books deemed "obscene." Under the new law, those who are charged "could be imprisoned for up to a year if convicted," the Democrat-Gazette reported. In a legal brief challenging the law, the plaintiffs, which include the Arkansas ACLU, wrote that Act 372 "threatens librarians and booksellers with criminal prosecution for providing protected expression to people with a constitutional right to receive it." The brief also noted that under the law, "librarians and booksellers could face criminal liability for providing a 17-year-old with a book that was only potentially 'harmful' to a 5- or 6-year-old." The law was slated to go into effect this August, and Act 372 could still be upheld following additional legal challenges from the state. "It's regrettable that we even have to question whether our constitutional rights are still respected today," Arkansas ACLU Executive Director Holly Dickson said. "The question we had to ask was do Arkansans still legally have access to reading materials? Luckily, the judicial system has once again defended our highly valued liberties." You may also like Homepage When Covid began to ravage the US, Donald Trump lied through his teeth but Nancy Pelosi flaunted her assets. Trump repeatedly claimed the virus would go away. More than a million deaths followed. Pelosi, then House speaker, treated us to watching her eat $13-a-pint ice cream out of fridges that cost $24,000. Let them eat artisanal desserts? Related: Filthy Rich Politicians: journalist Matt K Lewis on Trump, ethics and money in Washington Forbes pegs Trumps wealth at $2.5bn. Based on public filings, according to Matt Lewis in his new book, Filthy Rich Politicians, Pelosi and her husbands net holdings are estimated to be north of $46m. In 2014, Trump lied when he said his tax returns would be forthcoming if and when he ran for office. In 2022, Pelosi successfully fought an attempt to ban members of Congress from trading stock. She, it was widely noted, does not trade stocks. But her husband does. Practically speaking, that is tantamount to a distinction with little difference. Despite it all, when Trump tore into Washington corruption, promising to drain the swamp, his message resonated. A congenital grifter, he knew what he was talking about. Right now, your average member of the House is something like 12 times richer than the average American household, Matt Lewis says. And that, I believe, is contributing to the sense that the game is rigged. More than half the members of Congress are millionaires. Lewis is a senior columnist at the Daily Beast and a former contributor to the Guardian. With his new book, he performs a valued public service, shining a searing light on the gap between the elites of both parties and the citizenry in whose name they claim to govern. Subtitled The Swamp Creatures, Latte Liberals, and Ruling-Class Elites Cashing in on America, Lewiss book is breezy and readable. Better yet, it strafes them all. The Bidens and Clintons, the Trumps and Kushners, right and left all get savaged. Looking right, Lewis mocks Steve Bannon and Ted Cruz for their faux populism, which he views as self-serving and destructive. Story continues The very elites who seek to rule us also rile up the public to hate their fellow elites, Lewis bitingly observes. Although he claims to be a Leninist, Bannon is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School, Georgetown School of Foreign Service, Goldman Sachs, Hollywood. As for Cruz, he graduated from Princeton and Harvard Law. The husband of a Goldman Sachs managing director, he helped pave the way for making loans by a candidate to their own campaign a money-making proposition. In a 2022 decision, in a case between Cruz and the Federal Elections Commission, the US supreme court ruled that a $250,000 loan repayment limit violated the first amendment and Cruzs free speech rights. In plain English: a deep-pocketed incumbent can now tack on a double-digit interest rate to a campaign loan, win re-election, then essentially collect a handsome side bet. As Lewis notes, Cruz was already no stranger to ethical flimflam. Lewis also graphically lays out how swank vacation sites are de rigueur destinations for campaign fundraisers and political retreats being in Congress is now a portal to spas, tennis and haute cuisine and how book writing has emerged as the vehicle of choice for members of Congress to evade honoraria restrictions. Lewis quotes Marco Rubio telling Fox News: The day I got elected to the Senate I had over $100,000 still in student loans that I was able to pay off because I wrote a book. In 2013, Rubio received an $800,000 advance. A decade later, he branded Joe Bidens student loan forgiveness plan unfair. This, remember, is the same Florida man who once exclaimed: Its amazing I can call up a lobbyist at four in the morning and hell meet me anywhere with a bag of $40,000 in cash. Like many in government, Rubio blurs the line between the personal and the public. Lewis also tags Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a member of the progressive Squad in the House, for cronyism amid the throes of Covid. At the time, she proposed legislation that would have canceled rent and mortgage payments while establishing a fund to repay landlords for missed rent. The bill went nowhere but as luck would have it, Squad members Ayana Pressley (Massachusetts) and Rashida Tlaib (Michigan) took in rental income as Covid blighted the land. In 2021, Pressleys rental income surged by up to $117,500. As for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, perhaps the most visible Squad member, Lewis raps her for appearing at the 2021 Met gala wearing a backless gown emblazoned with the words Tax the Rich. AOCs Devil Wears Prada moment, Lewis says, underscores how far-removed todays Democrats are from being the party of the working class. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attends the 2021 Met Gala in New York City. Photograph: Ray Tamarra/GC Images It was not something Eleanor Roosevelt would have done. Such stunts feed the sense that our public servants are indulging in hypocrisy and taking advantage of the system, Lewis writes. Elsewhere, Lewis describes Greg Gianforte allegedly body-slamming Ben Jacobs, then of the Guardian, during a House campaign in Montana in 2018. Here, Lewis goes easy on Gianforte, who is now governor. Gianforte pleaded guilty, a fact Lewis acknowledges. With that plea, the Republicans lack of self-control went beyond the realm of alleged and into established fact. Filthy Rich Politicians closes with a series of proposals to boost confidence in the system. Lewis calls for a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and their families, heightened transparency and increased congressional pay. The prospects for his proposals appear uncertain. Last week, Josh Hawley of Missouri for whom, like Cruz and many other Republicans, Lewiss wife has worked and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York introduced the Ban Stock Trading for Government Officials Act. The public overwhelmingly supports the substance of the legislation. Whether Congress steps up remains to be seen. Let me tell you about the very rich, F Scott Fitzgerald once wrote. They are different from you and me. Several firefighters are at the scene of an apartment fire in Miami County Sunday morning. >>Pilot killed in Clark County helicopter crash identified Covington Firefighters were dispatched just before 11 a.m. to the 100 block of Regency Court on initial reports of an apartment, according to the Miami County Sheriffs Office. Dispatchers told NewsCenter 7 it is a working structure fire and could not provide any other information. Initial scanner traffic reports AES Ohio has been requested to the scene. We are working to learn the extent of the damage to the apartment and if anyone is hurt. NewsCenter 7 will continue to provide updates on this developing story. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, left, and former President Donald Trump. AP Photo Republican Alan Pincus told WaPo that DeSantis may have tanked his political future in Florida over his 2024 bid. DeSantis once led Trump in earlier Florida surveys of the Republican presidential primary. But Trump has continued to dominate the GOP race and DeSantis has had to reboot his campaign. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is at a major crossroads in the 2024 presidential race. He entered the race in May as the top challenger to former President Donald Trump, hoping to carve out a lane among Republicans who wanted to see a nominee who was laser-focused on conservative policies and had the results to back it up. But his campaign has stalled in recent weeks, forcing him to lay off staffers and recalibrate his message as he faces an emerging threat from the candidacy of Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. But at DeSantis' core is his political appeal in Florida, where he won reelection last November by 19 points over former Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, winning nearly every county in the state. With DeSantis continuing to lag behind Trump in the state, some Republicans are also rethinking the governor's continued strength in the state which launched him to national conservative stardom. And many of those same Republicans have also stated that a bloc of voters are turned off by DeSantis' decision to challenge Trump in the first place. Republican Alan Pincus who backed DeSantis for governor in 2022 and is running for Congress next year told The Washington Post that if DeSantis loses the GOP presidential primary, his political future in Florida may fizzle as well. "DeSantis has no chance of winning," Pincus told the newspaper. "He really hurt himself, maybe permanently." DeSantis once led in early Florida polling among the GOP presidential contenders. But even in the Sunshine State, he's fallen behind Trump in a head-to-head contest, the latest Florida Atlantic University/Mainstreet Research survey had Trump leading DeSantis 54%-37%. In the FiveThirtyEight average of national Republican presidential polls, Trump currently sits at 52.4%, well ahead of the second- and third-place contenders DeSantis (averaging 15.5% support) and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (averaging 6.8% of GOP primary support). Read the original article on Business Insider You are here: World Flash A worker wearing a face mask sprays anti-mosquito fog to fight against dengue fever in Yangon, Myanmar, July 29, 2023. [Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua] Myanmar saw a sharp decline in dengue fever cases and fatalities this year, with 6,685 cases and 30 deaths reported as of July 15, according to the Ministry of Health. While the country was previously among those with the highest dengue fever infections in Southeast Asia, this year's numbers are notably lower compared to the infections reported last year, said the ministry on Friday. "The number of infections till this time (July) of last year was relatively high," Than Naing Soe, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua on Friday. Soe attributed the decline to the strenuous efforts taken at the beginning of the year, including measures to combat the dengue virus. "First, we combated dengue by killing mosquito larvae. Then, we fogged around 30 houses near the patient's house to eliminate mosquitoes," he explained. To prevent further spread, the health ministry advised immediate hospitalization of children with fever during the rainy season. The ministry also distributed guidelines for treating dengue fever based on the World Health Organization's recommendations. Dengue fever, a viral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, presents symptoms such as headache, high fever, exhaustion, muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting, and rash. The peak of the dengue epidemic period in Myanmar occurs during the rainy season, particularly in June, July, and August, according to the health ministry. MELBOURNE In his first major public address to students, newly named Florida Institute of Technology John Nicklow told graduates to reflect and think on the impact they could have on the world, not just with equations but also community. A Florida Tech education is about so much more than equations and experiments. Its about perseverance, critical thinking, problem solving. And its about expanding your world and learning and working with others that are different from you and have different backgrounds from you, Nicklow said. Florida Tech President John Nicklow gives first major address to students during commencement More than 700 graduates from 28 different countries listened intently as Nicklow and others held the commencement program on campus Saturday. The commencement speaker was Jorge Mesquita, a 1983 graduate of the university. Mesquita serves as CEO of Blue Triton Brands in July 2021, managing a portfolio that includes leading water brands such as Poland Spring, Deer Park, Ozarka, Ice Mountain, Zephyrhills, Arrowhead, and Pure Life. Nicklow, a Pennsylvania native, previously served as provost for academic affairs at Southern Illinois University. He earned his civil engineering degree from Bucknell University and a doctorate in the same field at Arizona State University. Hundreds attended Florida Tech's commencent ceremony Saturday Nicklow, who began his term July 1, has already been making the community rounds. Saturday, he told students to stay focused on their lifes work. My advice to you today is short and simple: Take today to reflect and celebrate. Really celebrate. And then, get to work," he said. "And work hard. Keep learning. And maybe most importantly, keep contributing to your field of study, your career and your community. Your alma mater cant wait to see the difference you are going to make in our world. Florida Institute of Technology students ready for commencement Saturday. J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jdgallop@floridatodan.com. Twitter: @JDGallop. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: New Florida Tech president Nicklow gives first address to students WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump's political action committee is expected to report on Monday that it has spent about $40 million in legal fees in the first half of 2023 to defend Trump and his advisers, among others, the Washington Post reported. The New York Times separately reported that the PAC has sought the return of $60 million it made to another group supporting Trump, a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Post said the PAC's spending on legal costs has drawn scrutiny from prosecutors about potential conflicts of interest between Trump and witnesses. Trump's Save America PAC is expected to disclose about $40.2 million in legal spending in a filing on Monday, the Post said, citing people who spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump faces dozens of federal charges in Florida over the retention of sensitive government records at his home in the state. He also faces state charges in New York after a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. Citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter, the New York Times said the Save America PAC, which Trump is using to pay his legal bills, faced such staggering costs this year that it requested a refund on a $60 million contribution, signaling a potential money crisis for Trump. A spokesperson for Trumps campaign, Steven Cheung, would not comment on the refund request to the Times. But regarding the overall spending on lawyers, he said, according to the Times, "The weaponized Department of Justice has continued to go after innocent Americans because they worked for President Trump and they know they have no legitimate case." (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Ted Hesson; Editing by Don Durfee and Lisa Shumaker) (Bloomberg) -- Frances finance minister said talks with officials in China this weekend were positive and called for Chinese companies to invest more into Europe, especially in electric vehicles and other sectors to combat climate change. Most Read from Bloomberg This dialogue went very well - it was held in a very positive atmosphere and we delivered on many topics such as agro-industry and finance, Bruno Le Maire said Sunday in Beijing. Le Maire met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng Saturday for the first in-person economic talks since the Covid pandemic, with the two sides announcing they would work together to address concerns over the intellectual property rights of French cosmetics suppliers in China, among other topics. Both countries will hold a working meeting in France before the end of the year to harmonize regulations on cosmetics, they said. The purpose of the discussions on cosmetics and the other sectors was so France can export more goods and more manufactured goods to China, Le Maire said. We dont want to face some legislative hurdles or some other barriers but rather get better access and more balanced access to the Chinese market. An agreement on cosmetics would be welcome news to the global makeup industry and for France, which exports billions of euros worth of cosmetics to China each year. The European Union had raised concerns with China about the detailed product information that cosmetics companies such as LOreal SA and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE would have to provide in order to sell their goods in the country. Its unclear whether any deal would also benefit other international companies such as Japans Shiseido Co. Story continues Le Maire said he will travel to Shenzhen on Monday to meet with Wang Chuan-fu, the chief executive officer of electric carmaker BYD Co. The company is contemplating investing in a factory in Europe, where Le Maire said he was hopeful there would be more Chinese inflows into the green transition and green mobility. Europe and France need Chinas support on a variety of issues, including addressing climate change and dealing with developing nations debt, Le Maire said, adding he hoped there would be a deal done soon to resolve Sri Lankas financial issues. He dismissed the idea that any decoupling of the global economy is possible. However, derisking is another issue, he said, adding that derisking doesnt mean that China is a risk. --With assistance from Angelina Rascouet. (Updates with details on a working meeting between China, France in paragraph 3) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The House Republicans who craft the conferences government funding bills are showing signs of frustration as hard-line conservatives pressure leadership for further cuts to spending that some worry could be too aggressive. Some of the 12 Appropriations subcommittee chairs the so-called cardinals told reporters that they are struggling to see where those additional cuts could come from, as Septembers shutdown deadline looms. I just dont see the wisdom in trying to further cut to strengthen our hand. I dont know how that strengthens our hand, Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), a House Appropriations subcommittee chairman, said of conservatives push to further cut the already-scaled-back spending bills. I do think it puts some of our members in a very difficult spot, particularly those in tough districts, because theyre going to be taking some votes that become problematic, he added. The House left Washington for a long summer recess Thursday after being forced to punt a bill to fund agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. Conservatives are dug in on their demand for steeper spending cuts, to the chagrin of moderates who are wary of slashing funding even more. The chamber has passed just one appropriations bill, funding military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The internal divisions are gripping the party as time is running out: The House has just 12 days in September to move the remaining 11 appropriations measures and hash out their disagreements with the Senate, which is marking up its spending bills at higher levels, setting the scene for a hectic fall that could bring the U.S. to the brink of a shutdown. Those dynamics are putting GOP appropriators in a bind, leaving them searching for ways to appease conservative requests without gutting their spending bills. Weve done a lot of cuts, a lot of cuts, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-Texas) told The Hill this week. And so if its cuts just for cuts sake, I dont agree with it. But if its something that we can do without, thats fine. Story continues Not a lot of wiggle room left Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) Republican appropriators in the House announced earlier this year that they would mark up their bills for fiscal 2024 at fiscal 2022 levels, as leaders sought to placate conservatives who thought the debt ceiling deal struck by President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) earlier this year didnt do enough to curb spending. The Senate is crafting its bills more in line with the budget caps agreed to in the deal, but House Republicans are already fuming about a bipartisan deal in the upper chamber that would allow for more than $13 billion in additional emergency spending on top of those levels. House GOP negotiators also said they would pursue clawing back more than $100 billion in old funding that was allocated for Democratic priorities without GOP support in the previous Congress. While that move drew support from hard-line conservatives, the right flank was far from pleased when it heard appropriators planned to repurpose that old funding known as rescissions to plus-up the spending bills. In a letter to McCarthy earlier this month, a group of hard-line conservatives called for all 12 appropriations bills to be in line with fiscal 2022 spending levels without the use of reallocated rescissions to increase discretionary spending above that top-line. Otherwise, the 21 lawmakers threatened, they would vote against the measures. But that request could prove difficult for GOP appropriators to fulfill. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), chairman of the panel that proposes funding for the Department of State and foreign operations, said that appropriators are already dramatically reducing spending, suggesting that there are not too many remaining areas to trim from. My bill is below the 2016 levels, he said, later adding, When youre below the 2016 level and were still confronting China I think theres not a lot of wiggle room left. Its a challenge, but I think well get through it. I really do, he added. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), who heads the subcommittee that oversees funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Interior, scoffed at the idea of even steeper cuts to his bill. Then you just drop it on the floor and stomp on it. What else do you do with it? he told reporters. You cant make logical cuts in there. Republicans appropriators are voicing optimism that the conference will be able to sort out its differences on spending, but some also hope their levels will stick even though they include rescissions. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) whose panel handles funding for the Department of Energy, which is proposing offsetting billions of dollars in spending with clawbacks said it would be extremely difficult to craft his bill without the rescinded funds. And given our priorities in my bill, national defense with the nuclear weapons portfolio, nuclear cleanup, Army Corps including, all the community-directed fundings, I feel good about my bill, and I hope my numbers hold, he said. Because its gonna have to be in negotiations with the Senate and the White House as well, he added. Womack whose subcommittee crafts funding for the IRS and the Treasury Department said he doesnt think moving the goalposts on these numbers is helpful in strengthening our ability to negotiate with the Senate. August preparations for a busy September Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) Frustrations among appropriators are bubbling up as Congress inches closer to the fall, when lawmakers are facing a Sept. 30 deadline to approve funding or risk a government shutdown. With time running out, some House lawmakers say conversations may continue over the long August recess to try to hash out remaining differences. Well have to see, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said when asked about potential plans for talks between leaders and House Freedom Caucus members over the break. I mean, we got a lot of work to do. I think a lot of work [has] got to be done behind the scenes, he said. If not, you know, here You gotta beg the question about whether we should be gone for six weeks. We should be getting our job done. Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) echoed that sentiment, saying I would think so when asked if lawmakers will have conversations over the break. Adding to the August workload, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) suggested earlier this week that bicameral negotiations could take place over the weeks-long recess as lawmakers stare down the shutdown deadline. Not all Republicans, however, are viewing a shutdown as a risk. During a House Freedom Caucus press conference this week, Good said we should not fear a government shutdown, claiming that most of what we do up here is bad anyway; most of what we do up here hurts the American people. But that perspective does not jive with the view of McCarthy, who declared Thursday: I dont want the government to shut down. Multiple Republicans are ultimately expecting Congress to eventually pass whats known as a continuing resolution (CR), or a measure that temporarily allows the government to be funded at the previous fiscal years levels, to prevent a lapse at the end of September. But they also understand the task could be difficult in the GOP-led chamber, where Republicans arent happy about the idea of continuing funding at the current levels which were last set when Democrats held control of Congress. I think theres a very good chance that well see a CR, but I know theres a lot of work to get a CR done, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), another appropriator, said Thursday, noting there are a lot of members that dont want CRs that are tired of them. But Aderholt suggested a CR could notch sufficient GOP backing if theres a larger plan in sight that the party can support. The Speakers been very good about having a plan, he said, adding, I think thats what hes good at, and Im optimistic that he can come up with something. Emily Brooks contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The orange barrels on the left show the drivers that there is still one lane open in the direction they are headed from the view atop the Garrison Avenue Bridge. The bridge, built 101 years ago in 1922, brings motorists into downtown Fort Smith on U.S. 64. The bridge also takes people out of the state and into bordering Oklahoma. A week into the project to resurface the bridge, business owners on Garrison Avenue have seen vehicles back up to Towson Avenue almost a half mile away from the bridge during the lane reductions that are most notable at rush hour. The Arkansas Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation have pitched in for the $7.6 million bridge improvement project, which will take six months to complete. Jackhammer work on concrete has been going on for the first part of the project, said Jason Hughey, the Arkansas Department of Transportation engineer for District 4 in Fort Smith. The work on the bridge stopped for the Peacemaker Festival and pedestrians could still walk across it over the weekend of July 28, he said. Work will be done in intervals on the westbound and eastbound lanes. The pedestrian sidewalks on the bridge will be open in one direction or the other for the duration of the project. "There is no reason we can't have it open to pedestrians," Hughey said. The project will wrap up in late 2023 or early 2024. "Nobody will be happier than we are when we are finished," Hughey said. The next project for his crews will be resurfacing the Midland Avenue bridge from Fort Smith to Van Buren, he said. How will work affect business downtown? Foot traffic will be open during the construction work, although there may be times work will limit access atop the bridge for pedestrians. Also, for those who commute to downtown Fort Smith or the northside from Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, there is not an easy alternate route. Backups have occurred during busiest times of day. Story continues Jessie Burrows, the owner of Olen & Co. Market, 221 Garrison Ave., said people can get to the downtown businesses by avoiding Garrison and parking either in the farmers' market parking lot next to her building or other places. "It hasn't been terrible yet," Burrows said on day seven of the lane reductions. Burrows said extra parking is available for free. "You can reach any place downtown you want, you just may have a little more of a walk," Burrows said. "But maybe we could all use a little walk." She said she has been busy posting maps of the nearby streets and the alternate ways to get downtown. The vehicles are bumper-to-bumper during the morning rush hour and during the afternoon rush hour, starting about 4 p.m. when people who work at factories are getting off work or headed into work to start the day, she said. At Garrison Goodies, a candy shop in a renovated space at 317 Garrison, the traffic jams have not impacted business, said co-owner Kandice Garrett. Garrett said the candy store has 23 parking spaces in a lot in the back of the store. In April, crews resurfaced the Interstate 540 bridge between Fort Smith and Van Buren over the Arkansas River. The cost was $60 million to resurface the bridge, which was built in the late 1960s. The Midland Avenue bridge is another alternate route to get to from Fort Smith to Van Buren, and people from Fort Smith can find ways to park near downtown. The Garrison Avenue Bridge is an icon for Fort Smith that opened in 1922 near the Old Frisco Railroad Depot on S. Second Street. The bridge cost $1 million to build though it was supposed to have been half that amount thus earning the name "The Million Dollar Bridge." Most of the funding for its construction came from the state of Arkansas, with part of the funding from Oklahoma. About 25,000 vehicles travel on the bridge each day. Before 1922, a modified railroad bridge allowed pedestrians and vehicles to pass for a toll. The Arkansas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintenance of the bridge, and the cost of construction work is split between Arkansas and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Garrison Avenue bridge work is underway in Fort Smith Authorities are investigating a shooting at a party early Sunday. Morgan County Sheriff officials said around midnight Sunday, deputies received reports of a shooting at an outdoor party on Bethany Road. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] When officers arrived, they found one person who was shot. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The identity of the victim has not been released. According to deputies, approximately 200 to 300 people were at the party at the time of the shooting. TRENDING STORIES: Authorities have not said if they have determined the motive or if anyone has been taken into custody. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the Morgan County Sheriffs Office at 706-342-1000. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File Gov. Brian Kemp steadfastly defended Georgia against claims of voter fraud after the 2020 election. Kemp, who rejected Trump's push to overturn Biden's Ga. win, dismissed Giuliani's claims in 2020. "For somebody to manipulate that process to me is very troubling," Kemp told WSB Radio last week. Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia on Thursday said that he was troubled by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani's admission that he made false statements regarding the integrity of the state's elections, as the ex-personal attorney for former President Donald Trump for years had accused two election workers of mishandling ballots in Fulton County. Kemp who repeatedly rejected Trump's pressure campaign to overturn now-President Joe Biden's 2020 victory in Georgia told then-WSB Radio journalist Sandra Parrish that the accusations made by Giuliani were problematic given the raft of measures that have put in place to instill confidence in statewide elections. "There's a lot of people, including me, that were under a lot of pressure then from legislators and other people because of supposedly false statements that he had made," the governor said of Giuliani. "Which is really troubling when you're trying to have secure, accessible, fair elections in the state," Kemp continued. "For somebody to manipulate that process to me is very troubling." Giuliani's admission came as he filed court papers connected to a defamation lawsuit brought by Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss a mother and daughter poll worker duo who were accused by the former mayor of manipulating ballots during the vote-counting process at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta while they worked for the Fulton County Board of Elections. Trump for years has insisted, without evidence, that alleged voter fraud in Fulton County was a main culprit behind him losing the state to Biden by nearly 12,000 votes. Fulton, a Democratic stronghold, voted for Biden over Trump 73%-26%, or by 243,000 votes. Story continues When Giuliani sought to influence conservative state lawmakers in 2020 to entertain his election claims, Kemp was skeptical of the ex-mayor's narrative and at the time called his statements about the vote count in suburban Cobb County a "joke." "He doesn't know the Georgia Bureau of Investigation very well," Kemp said of Giuliani in December 2020. After the 2020 election, Trump continued to needle Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger over their refusal to boost his false election claims and prod legislators to reverse the outcome. The former president recruited primary challengers to defeat both men last year, but Kemp and Raffensperger easily won their respective primaries and went on to win their respective general election reelection contests. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- German counterintelligence warned public officials and policymakers that China has been increasing its spying activity in the country in a fresh sign of national security concerns over relations with the Asian superpower. Most Read from Bloomberg Chinas leadership has significantly stepped up its efforts to obtain intelligence information in recent years, and built up a worldwide network of contacts and is constantly striving to expand it, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution said in a notice published over the weekend. The counterintelligence body said that International Department of the Central Committee of Chinas Communist party (IDCPC) played a central role in the effort, and urged German officials to be vigilant in their interactions with its representatives. Exercise particular caution and restraint when contacting the IDCPC or its members, the note said, stressing that one should avoid any actions that could be interpreted as cooperation with a foreign secret service under German law. A separate report published by the German government earlier this month included China on a list of countries with massive spying activities in Germany, along with Russia, Iran and Turkey. Chancellor Olaf Scholzs administration is trying to reduce the countrys dependence on China as a major trading partner and is pushing Germanys biggest companies to make sure their risks in China are manageable as part of broader efforts to reset relations with the government in Beijing. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Q. Not sure how to handle this situation because I am a rather shy person. My sons godmother told him at his birthday party this spring that as part of his birthday present, she wanted to take him shopping for his school clothes and school supplies. A lot of the stores already have all the school supplies on sale and end-of-summer clothes are on sale, too. She calls a couple times a month but hasnt brought up the subject in her calls since then. I dont want to be pushy. Would it be proper for me to call her and tell her about the school supply sales and ask her when she would like to take him shopping? Or wait until she calls to ask? Hes going into the third grade and I have the list of what he is supposed to have which is very specific, so if she cant find some of the things, I will need to go get them later so I am hoping she will take him soon. A. How nice of your sons godmother to offer this as part of your sons birthday. If she does not have children in school, she may not be familiar with school dates, etc.; therefore, I feel you should be very comfortable in calling her to tell her about the sales and set up a date which is convenient for her and your son. I would recommend you make a copy of the list for her of what he is supposed to have and if she doesnt find it all, there should still be time for you and your son to have another shopping trip. Q. We have just moved into another school district. Where we lived before, it was not a common practice to give a grade school teacher a gift at the beginning of the year. I havent met any parents in our neighborhood who have younger children. Most of them have children in college, so grade school was a long time ago for them. Should we or shouldnt we and if we should, what should we give? A. I do not feel it is appropriate to give grade school teachers a gift at the beginning of the year. Why? I feel it makes the teacher uncomfortable perhaps because it may be meant to be a bribe for special treatment of the student or the teacher may just feel it is. A gift at the end of the year, maybe, but by that time you will know more about the general practice at this new school. Q. A new neighbor, who is a single mother with a very weird work schedule, has asked me to take her child to school every day when I take mine. I told her I would be glad to do so. She said she would pay me and I told her I was just happy to do it and did not want any money. She said she would talk to me about it again later when it is closer to school starting. Am I wrong about this? Dont tell me there are people who would take money to do this when it is not out of their way? A. No, you are not wrong about this. You are a good person and you are doing the right thing. In my mind, anyone who charges to do this kind of good deed, is not a good person, and not the kind of person I would even want to have around my child. WASHINGTON A freshman Republican lawmaker received bipartisan condemnation after he allegedly yelled at a group of high- school-age Senate pages for defiling the Capitol on Wednesday. New details shared with NBC News paint an even more disturbing picture of what took place that night. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., told the teenagers to get the f--- out of the rotunda, according to one source who witnessed the interaction and spoke on condition of anonymity. The source described Van Orden's demeanor as physically aggressive toward the pages. The lawmaker was screaming inches from the pages faces and shooed at them with his hands several times, said the source, who described previously unreported details of Van Ordens behavior. The summer pages are part of a prestigious Senate tradition that dates back to 1829, and were enjoying their last week on the job. After completing a long shift, a group of them decided to take advantage of a typically empty rotunda at that time of night to take in the Capitol sights. Van Orden approached the group. He had been hosting a beer and cheese event with constituents as he often does, a spokesperson said, and a photo posted to Twitter by a reporter for Punchbowl News showed empty alcohol bottles and trash in his office. The pages were lying on the rotunda floor and taking photos of the exquisite dome 470 feet above them, a Senate page tradition, according to former pages, when Van Orden, who was leading a large tour group, approached them. He called the pages jackasses and pieces of s---, according to a transcript written issued by a page minutes after the incident and first reported by The Hill. Wake the f--- up you little s---s. What the f--- are you all doing? Get the f--- out of here. You are defiling the place, the former Navy Seal shouted at the group. The source told NBC News that Van Orden, 53, also said, I dont give a f---who you are. Im a congressman. My name is Derrick Van Orden, and I represent the 3rd District of Wisconsin, and he called the group pieces of s--- multiple times. Story continues The pages, who were 16 and 17 years old, were visibly shaken, according to the source. Reached for comment regarding the source's allegations, Van Orden's office shared a statement that it gave to some reporters previously but did not dispute the account. The Capitol Rotunda served as a field hospital where countless Union soldiers died fighting to free men in the Civil War. I have long said our nations Capitol is a symbol of the sacrifice our servicemen and women have made for this country and should never be treated like a frat house common room. Threatening a congressman with bad press to excuse poor behavior is a reminder of everything thats wrong with Washington," the statement read. The U.S. Senate Page Program offers high school students from all 50 states the opportunity to work on the Senate floor, assisting lawmakers and staff with administrative tasks. They come here bright-eyed, ready to learn about America and serve the Senate, which they do, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a news conference Thursday evening. Theyre really invaluable to us. Several other senators, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., expressed their support for the pages and condemned Van Ordens behavior. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called on Van Orden to apologize in a tweet Saturday. This is inexcusable and embarrassing behavior for a member of Congress or any adult for that matter. The Congressman should do the right thing and apologize, said Tillis, who regularly sponsors pages from North Carolina. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., defended Van Orden, telling reporters on Friday that it wasnt the norm of the congressman. I guess the interns have some ritual of laying down or something like that. I think its a misunderstanding of all sides, said McCarthy, adding that he had spoken to Schumer about the incident and plans to speak to Van Orden as well. Other lawmakers have poked fun at Van Orden. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, himself a former member of the Senate, tweeted a photo from the floor of the rotunda, writing: TGIF after a rough week, Senate Pages? I got a great photo, how about you? This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Sunday urged GOP voters to leave former President Donald Trump and his legal woes in the rearview. While I think he was the right president at the right time, you know, earlier and while I think his policies were good, I don't think he's the right president at the right time going forward, Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, said Sunday during an interview on CBS Face the Nation. I think we've got to move forward. Otherwise, we will have a general election that's doing nothing but dealing with lawsuits. The former presidents legal troubles have been the topic dominating the Republican primary race, leaving little oxygen left for the cluster of GOP candidates looking to dethrone the runaway front-runner. Four criminal cases are playing out against Trump, two of which have yielded indictments. An indictment in a third, involving the former president's alleged efforts to stoke the Jan. 6 riot, is expected in the coming days or weeks. None of us want to be talking about indictments, Haley said of the rest of the crowded Republican presidential field. I don't even know if it's the third, fourth, or fifth indictment right now, but what I can tell you is, it's a distraction, and frankly, the media is talking about it nonstop. The issue isnt one that voters are focused on, Haley added. They want to know what's going to happen, how we're going to go and change government for the better. They're worried about the future for their kids and I think we owe it to them to be answering that, not how Trump's going to defend himself, she said. Grant Shapps said every single member of my family had been turned down when trying to open accounts - Heathcliff O'Malley for The Telegraph Grant Shapps has revealed he and his entire family were de-banked because of his role in frontline politics. The Energy Secretary said anyone wanting to enter public life risked being penalised by institutions as a result of additional bureaucracy. Mr Shapps recalled how every single member of my family, including his wife, teenage sons and siblings, had been turned down when trying to open accounts. My oldest son is 22, and he was outright refused an account by one of the challenger banks, he told the Sun on Sunday. The boss told him that it was because they have been told that they mustnt allow open bank accounts for politically exposed people. It is mad. Anyone who decides to devote their life to public service is essentially at risk of being penalised by banks. Woke culture in boardrooms Money-laundering regulations mean that banks must apply additional due diligence to politically exposed persons and consider whether they are more susceptible to involvement in bribery or corruption. They can also shut an account at any time with limited notice and are generally not legally required to explain their decisions. Criticising the extent of red tape surrounding high-profile figures, Mr Shapps noted that he had been asked for 18 years worth of P60 payslips on making a recent application to open a new account. He said while his 19-year-old son had banked with HSBC since he was very young, he had recently been presented with an enormous list of things it wanted him to provide, which included a request to explain the source of your wealth. Mr Shapps criticised woke culture in boardrooms in the wake of the row surrounding Nigel Farage, whose account with Coutts was closed after the top private bank decided the former Ukip leaders political views did not align with its values. Theyve gone too far with this, he said. They should get on with the job of being good at banking and not trying to second guess society there are laws, there are politicians, there are courts. Story continues Mr Shapps is not the only politically exposed person to speak out about his difficulties using financial institutions. Ivo Dawnay, the brother-in-law of former prime minister Boris Johnson, has claimed he was blocked from using currency exchange abroad because of his political links. Richard Tice, the leader of Reform UK, is also complaining to his own banks after his accounts were shut for what he believes to be political 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. Volos, central Greece, has been one of the worst-hit areas (Sakis MITROLIDIS) Two weeks of sweltering heat and wildfires have confirmed fears that Greece's ecosystem is under increasing risk, experts say. Some 50,000 hectares (123,500 acres) of forest and vegetation have been left scorched, according to estimates by the National Observatory of Athens. This makes the month of July the worst in 13 years in terms of burned land, said Charalampos Kontoes, a research director at the observatory. "It was a dry winter, and spring rains were not enough to maintain" moisture in the soil, Kontoes told AFP. Civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias this week said crews had battled more than 660 blazes this month, an average of 50 to 70 fires a day. Businesses and farms on the tourist islands of Corfu and Rhodes, Greece's second-largest island of Evia and the countryside near Volos, central Greece, bore the brunt of the damage this year. The Greek state association insuring farmers, ELGA, estimates that 50,000 olive trees and 2,500 animals and beehives have been destroyed on Rhodes. In the Volos area, the organisation said it had found "significant losses" in harvested grain and grapes, in addition to farm machinery and buildings. Major losses in livestock have also hit, it added. - Repetitive fires - Greece suffers forest fires every year. In 2007, they left 84 dead in the Peloponnese peninsula and Evia. In 2018, 103 people died in Mati, a seaside resort near Athens. Three people died in Evia two years ago, and five so far this year. "Repetitive fires endanger the ecosystem. The forests are transformed into agricultural-forest land, the brushwood into scrubland," said Nikos Bokaris, head of the Greek union of foresters. "The landscape tends to change and resemble African landscapes," he added. In Rhodes, where the fires broke out on July 18, a large part of the local fauna including the island's emblematic fallow deer was seriously affected, said Grigoris Dimitriadis, head of the local environmental protection association. Story continues In addition, the European Union's climate observatory Copernicus on Wednesday said smoke emissions from wildfires in Greece had been the highest for this period of time in the last 21 years. - Prevention - Kontoes noted that the mountains around in Athens go up in flames on average every six years. This affects the ecosystem of one of the most densely populated cities in Europe, which houses more than a third of the Greek population of 10.5 million, he said. Bokaris added that the situation is particularly problematic in the Greek capital as "there are few green spaces and concrete buildings create a closed thermal environment". The Greek government, which blames the fires primarily on the climate crisis, is often accused of not doing enough to protect biodiversity and prevent the fires. "This year, prevention started a little late -- but firebreaks or other preventive measures are not always a panacea when the fire takes on enormous dimensions," Bokaris said. The forecaster said Greece in 2022 received 55 million euros ($60 million) in European funds for fire prevention, followed by another 86 million this year. His proposal is to let the burned land regenerate and prohibit the conversion of "burned forests into areas for cultivation or construction", as often happens. "The climate crisis did not appear suddenly and cooperation between government, local authorities and volunteers is necessary to combat it," said Alexandra Messare of Greenpeace Greece. ak-hec/jph/cw/giv/leg Susan Donaldson James It has been almost four and a half decades since my then-20-year-old brother John Donaldson was murdered in the driveway of our home in Harvard, just yards from where my parents slept. In the early hours of April 6, 1979, as our Johnny sat in his car after working a night shift at a local hotel, six bullets were fired, one fatally piercing his brain. Attempts to solve the case over the years have brought occasional promise but always disappointment and frustration, as Channel 25s New Englands Unsolved recently documented. A former Harvard policeman, the last person to see Johnny alive, was briefly arrested in 1984 for being an accessory, but the evidence was circumstantial. He was released, sued the town and won. The .22 rifle used to kill my brother was never found. State police case files, which are routinely confidential, have changed hands repeatedly, and we have only had intermittent communication with law enforcement. Worcester County investigators gave us hope in 2008, when District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. pledged to take a fresh look at all cold cases and set up the Unresolved Case Squad within the state police. My family sat down with detectives to review suspects, evidence and challenges in the case. But we were later told that resources had dried up, and Johnnys case again went cold. No doubt, early on, investigators worked hard to solve Johnnys murder, but since then, we have had minimal communication. In 2018, a new set of detectives reopened Johnnys case, telling us they had some new leads. But after a face-to-face meeting with the Unresolved Case Squad in Worcester, none of our most pressing questions were answered. These files are not collecting dust, Early told me in a telephone interview last week. The problem is (families) dont see what (the squad) is doing. They are professionals and really good at what they do. Its not Barney Miller coming in with a cup of coffee. ... They are all victim-friendly and want justice for you. Story continues The pain for families is real and consistent every day. Its hard for them because the frustration builds up. Statistics from Project: Cold Cases, a national organization that works to bridge the gap between surviving families and investigators, point to a major reason why we and so many other victims families feel left out in the cold: the overwhelming number of unsolved cases that put a strain on resources. Of the 9,686 homicides in Massachusetts from 1965 until 2019, 3,749 remain unsolved. Nationally, one-third of the nearly 1 million murders remain unsolved, and that number is rising. Surviving families of these cold-case murders experience a unique kind of grief from the anguish of not knowing. The tentacles of an unsolved murder reach every aspect of our lives: family relationships, careers and even mental health. I am writing a memoir about the emotional toll this has taken on my family in the hope of giving others some measure of understanding. Psychologists say that healing from the trauma of a violent death comes from facing grief head-on. But how is that possible when families get forgotten as murder cases get colder and colder? We agree with the district attorney that allowing families to see the case files and putting confidential information in the public eye can jeopardize these investigations. But there needs to be more transparency in communication on the pace and progression of their activities. Massachusetts does have a Victim Bill of Rights that ensures the right to be informed of how a criminal case progresses through the system, what your role is in the process, what will be expected of you, and why. But the law doesnt address cold cases like Johnnys, which have not resulted in an arrest and entered the legal system. Updating that law would be a good first step. The state might take a cue from last years bipartisan federal Homicide Victims Families Rights Act,. That law establishes the right to request new investigators and the latest technology in a murder that has been unsolved for more than three years. It also requires law-enforcement agencies to keep victims families updated, and it specifically prohibits previous investigators from leading the renewed probe. Johnny would have been 65 this month. We three remaining siblings know time is against us two of the initial suspects are now dead. And yet we, like thousands of others in Massachusetts and around the country, never give up hope that someone, as in most murder cases, knows something. Or that some new clue, new advance in forensic technology, will provide a breakthrough. We are hoping that the airing of Johnnys story on New Englands Unsolved might jog memories, as might this article, to get us the answers to the questions about his death that never stop burning and some relief from the pain of not knowing. Susan Donaldson James is a former reporter for ABC News and is writing a memoir about her brothers murder, the insidious nature of buried grief and her journey from denial to acceptance. If you have any information or tips in the case, please call the TipLine for the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Worcester DA at (508) 453-7589 or email WorcesterDAunresolved@mass.gov This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Susan Donaldson James column on need for new cold-case law in Mass. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt delivers his State of the City address July 20 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. During Mayor David Holts rapid-fire State of the City address earlier this month, I did some counting. The mayor spent 30 minutes making his case for a new downtown arena. He mentioned 39 publicly funded projects from sidewalks, to community centers, to schools. He cited three national rankings for the city and listed 42 musicians who have performed in Oklahoma City. (Forty-three if you count young Elvis and old Elvis as two.) He thanked all eight city councilors by name. Heres the number that stood out: He took zero political jabs. When the public is exhausted from political mudslinging, such a speech is worth celebrating. Instead of throwing punches, Holt used his platform to rally everyone behind one idea: that Oklahoma City must continue investing in itself in order to continue its momentum. The bipartisan crowd of over 1,000 seemed largely behind him. Even those who disagreed with his proposals didnt feel like theyd been bashed and berated. As it turns out, the high road is a pretty nice place. More: OKC Mayor David Holt says he'll pursue vote on new NBA arena by extending MAPS 4 sales tax The mayors speech demonstrates what we want in our elected officials. We want leaders who unite us. We want leaders who bring us together because of our common interests not who divide us because of our differences. We want optimism; to be given hope for the future. Were not talking about pie-in-the-sky platitudes. Good leaders are rooted in reality. Theyre aware of the perils, the opponents and the obstacles. We yearn for leaders who can articulate a vision, appeal to our best instincts, and show us the path in tangible, practical steps. Granted, this may be easier in the mayors position than in a legislative one. There arent caucuses or partisan elections, or as many deep-pocketed special interest groups. And when youre getting besmirched by an opponent, sometimes you have to stand up and fight. But the mayors address reminds us that civility can work. Story continues Mayors and cities have to get things done, Holt wrote in a column for The Dallas Morning News in January. We cant afford to waste time on the nonsense that happens at the state and federal levels. He said it demands self-control on social media and in front of crowds and reporters, presumably and requires getting out of our bubbles to listen and learn. Cities like ours are doing things the way all of America once did by fostering a political culture that embraces pluralism, pragmatism and compromise. The mayor isnt without critics. He occasionally tangles with city councilors. People will disagree. Heck, I disagree with some of his positions. But as a society, we shouldnt have to agree point-by-point with our elected leaders to feel like were being heard. Recent surveys show that 70% of residents are satisfied with the citys direction. Seventy-two percent voted for the latest MAPS tax initiative. These numbers are not achievable by marginalizing half the population. Mudslinging may work as a campaign tactic. But governing and leading require a different approach. In the end, thats what matters most. More coverage Carlson: OKC has had an NBA team for 15 years. Now, it's time we built an NBA arena OKC Thunder 'commends' Mayor David Holt's call for new arena Russ Florence Russ Florence lives and works in Oklahoma City. His column appears monthly in Viewpoints. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Holt rallies everyone on idea: OKC must continue investing in itself A helicopter clipped power lines and crashed into a field in Ohio, killing the pilot and causing multiple car accidents on a nearby highway, officials say. The crash happened shortly after noon on July 29 while the pilot was crop dusting a corn field, according to a statement from the National Transportation Safety Board. The damaged power lines fell onto U.S. Interstate 70, near Springfield Township, leading to multiple vehicle crashes and causing the highway to shut down for hours while authorities worked to clear the damage, WHIO reported. Witnesses saw the helicopter moving erratically prior to the crash, the outlet reported. I saw him dip up over the horizon ... and then dip back down and I was like Whats going on? Arielle Griever told the TV station. I dont usually see the sprayers moving, you know, that fast (and) that sharp. The pilots name was Isaac Lee Santos, a 36-year-old from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the Ohio State Highway Patrol told the Springfield News-Sun. Santos worked for Helicopter Applicators Inc., a company that specializes in aerial spraying of herbicides and insecticides on farmland, the newspaper reported. The NTSB is investigating the crash but there is not much information available at this time, a spokesperson told McClatchy News in an email. An NTSB investigator is expected to continue to document the scene, examine the aircraft, request any air traffic communications, radar data, weather reports and try to contact any witnesses, the spokesperson said. Also, the investigator will request maintenance records of the aircraft, and medical records and flight history of the pilot. McClatchy has reached out to the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Helicopter Applicators Inc. for more information. Springfield Township is roughly 30 miles northeast of downtown Dayton. Lifeguards rescue pilot after plane towing banner crashes at crowded beach, officials say Plane crashes into roof of two-story Texas home, photos show. Three people injured Man illegally lands helicopter in Grand Teton National Park, then picnics, rangers say Jet engine pulls in worker at Texas airport, killing him, officials say CINCINNATI, Ohio Dog wardens found at least 30 dead dogs and dozens of living dogs in "the most horrible conditions they have ever seen" at an Ohio animal rescue, the Butler County Sheriff's Office said Friday. The dog wardens seized 90 living dogs and puppies from the Helping Hands for Furry Paws animal rescue in Madison Township, the sheriff's office said in a news release. At least 30 additional were found dead in various states of decomposition packed into five different refrigerators and freezers, some of which were not functional. Both adult dogs and puppies were being housed in several structures on two separate properties, according to the sheriff's office. One of the structures was a single garage that housed more than 25 dogs with no ventilation or air conditioning and had an indoor temperature of 89 degrees. Numerous animals were also housed together in cages filled with urine and feces, and one cage contained a mother and eight newborn puppies, the sheriff's office added. The animals did not have food or water. When dog wardens searched the main house, the sheriff's office said the odor was "strong enough to burn their eyes." They found 11 adult dogs inside, some caged together. "Conditions were so horrendous that Deputy Dog Wardens had to leave the structure numerous times to catch their breath," the release states. The rescue's owner, Ronda Murphy, is facing dozens of charges of neglect and cruelty to companion animals, both felony and misdemeanor counts. The incident is the latest animal cruelty and neglect case in the state. Last month, humane agents found nearly 150 dead dogs at a home owned by an operator of a nonprofit animal rescue organization. The 68-year-old operator is now facing 146 felony charges. The Butler County Sheriff's Office seized dozens of dogs from an animal rescue in Madison Township. What is Helping Hands for Furry Paws? Ohio business records show Helping Hands for Furry Paws was established as a nonprofit in July 2016. "Here at Helping Hands For Furry Paws, we are driven by a single goal to save as many dogs as we can. We love seniors and believe every dog deserves a chance," the animal rescue's mission statement reads. Story continues Its status with the Ohio Secretary of State's Office was changed to canceled in July 2021 for failure to file a statement of continued existence. The animal rescue's tax exempt status was also revoked by the IRS for failure to file informational tax forms three years straight, records show. Property records show Murphy owns two properties in Madison Township and one of the properties was listed as the primary address for Helping Hands for Furry Paws. Where were the surviving dogs taken? All of the dogs seized by the sheriff's office were taken to the Animal Friends Humane Society in Hamilton, according to a post on the nonprofit's Facebook page. "Currently, our staff and volunteers are working tirelessly to feed, water, cage, vet, and show all these new dogs love and compassion," the post reads. None of the dogs are up for adoption yet because they have to be held until the case against Murphy is resolved and the animals can be signed into the organization's custody. Pennsylvania animals rescued: See the 200 dogs and other animals rescued from a Pennsylvania home Latest state animal cruelty case In June, humane agents found 146 dogs "in varying stages of decay" and confined in crates at a home in Mantua Township, the Portage Animal Protective League said. The agency had obtained a warrant to search the home after receiving a tip that an animal-cruelty charge was pending in another jurisdiction against the home's owner, Barbara Wible. According to the agency, Wible was the president and co-founder of nonprofit animal rescue organization Canine Lifeline. In response to the incident, Canine Lifeline said in a statement that it was "shocked, horrified and confused to learn of the devastating revelations regarding its president and co-founder." Wible was hospitalized June 2 after she had collapsed in her home, the organization said. The organization added that volunteers were unaware of the conditions of Wible's home and the number of dogs she hoarded. "After first responders reported to her home in response to this medical emergency, an investigation was triggered that has uncovered overwhelming evidence of ongoing fatal animal neglect in both her current residence in Parma as well as her former home in Mantua," the organization said. Wible was indicted on 146 counts of fifth-degree felony cruelty to a companion animals on July 20. Animal hoarding a complex issue According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, animal hoarding "often encompasses mental health, animal welfare and public safety concerns." The issue can be identified as an accumulation of animals where a person is unable to provide minimum standards of care, including nutrition, sanitation, shelter, veterinary care and socialization, according to the Animal Humane Society. Hoarding is the leading animal cruelty crisis for companion animals in the United States, the organization said. Cases of animal hoarding can vary but in severe cases, animals are either found living in cages with poor conditions or already deceased, according to the Animal Humane Society. And in some cases, the guardians of these animals often believe they are helping their animals and deny their inability to adequately care for them. Animal welfare organizations have urged overwhelmed caregivers and hoarders to seek treatment and ongoing support. In my experience, all hoarders feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to protect their animals from society, humane agent Ashley Pudas told the Animal Humane Society. So removing animals from someones home can be an extremely difficult event to get through. It requires a lot of reassurance and patience. Contributing: Jeff Saunders and Diane Smith, Record-Courier, part of the USA TODAY Network This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 30 dead dogs found in animal abuse and hoarding case Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said it would be a mistake if President Biden opted to pardon his son Hunter Biden who is facing federal tax charges after a plea agreement appeared to fall apart during an initial court appearance this week. ABCs Jonathan Karl asked Goldman if Biden pardoning his son would be a mistake, noting that Biden has not come out publicly to say that he would. Yes, and I dont think theres any chance that President Biden is going to do that, unlike his predecessor, who pardoned all of his friends, and anyone who had any access to him, Goldman responded. President Biden has restored the integrity of the Department of Justice, he added. And I think youve seen that in this case, where he kept on and Merrick Garland kept on a Trump appointed US attorney to investigate the presidents son, if there is not an indication of the independence of the Department of Justice. Beyond that, I dont know what what we could look for. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has sharply suggested that the president would not pardon his son. Hunter Biden is facing tax and gun charges and was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay income taxes after reaching a plea deal with the Justice Department last month. After the judge overseeing his case questioned the scope of Hunter Bidens plea deal, Biden pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance last week in order to give the legal teams more time to come up with a new agreement. Republicans have compared the cases brought against the presidents son and former President Trump, with many claiming the Justice Department is a two-tier system of justice. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) floated the idea of an impeachment inquiry into Biden in connection to his son and family businesses. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A worker at the HS2 construction site at Euston in London The HS2 rail line has been given an "unachievable" rating by an official watchdog. It has been given a "red" warning for its first two phases - from London to Birmingham then onto Crewe - by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. The project aims to create high-speed rail links between London and central and northern England, but has faced major delays and criticism. The government says it remains committed to delivering HS2. The red rating came in the IPA's annual report on major projects, which was published on 20 July and gave a snapshot of progress on 244 projects. The IPA describes itself as the government's centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects, and reports to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. Under the IPA's grading system, a red rating implies: "Successful delivery of the project appears to be unachievable." The rating also means there are "major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which at this stage do not appear to be manageable or resolvable". "The project may need re-scoping and/or its overall viability reassessed." The phase of the project running from Crewe to Manchester was given an "amber" grading by the IPA, under which successful delivery of a project "appears feasible", but "significant issues already exist". The London to Birmingham leg of HS2 was due to open in 2026, but is now expected between 2029 and 2033. An eastern leg of the line running to Leeds has been scrapped, and instead a shorter high-speed line will link Birmingham and East Midlands Parkway. In March, the government announced it was delaying the Birmingham to Crewe leg by two years to cut costs. An HS2 spokesperson said construction on the line was now hitting a "peak", with "work intensifying and huge civil engineering structures taking shape along Phase One of the route". Story continues The spokesperson added the priority was to ensure that the initial high-speed services - connecting Old Oak Common in west London and Birmingham Curzon Street - were running by the current target of the early 2030s. Map showing route of HS2 rail line Management issues and unrealistic land valuations have caused costs to spiral. A budget of 55.7bn for the whole project was set in 2015, but the target cost excluding the eastern leg of Phase 2b from the West Midlands to the East Midlands has soared to between 53bn and 61bn at 2019 prices. Earlier this month, HS2 Ltd's chief executive Mark Thurston announced his resignation - he will leave his role in September after six and a half years. His resignation came as phase one of the project between London and Birmingham is under construction, with major work taking place at more than 350 sites. In March, Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced work at London Euston would be paused for two years after costs increased from 2.6bn to 4.8bn. A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said: "We remain committed to delivering HS2 in the most cost-effective way for taxpayers. "HS2 will bring transformational benefits for generations to come, improving connections and helping grow the economy." Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd took aim at fellow GOP hopeful Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for defending his states controversial curriculum on slavery. Anybody that is implying that there was an upside to slavery is insane, Hurd said in an interview on NBCs Meet the Press, before criticizing DeSantis for doubling down on the position. Real leadership would have stepped up and said, Hey, there is no upside to slavery. Slavery was not a jobs program. Nobody should imply thats what we did, and were going to change the language. And this would have been done, Hurd continued. But this is one more part of a fact pattern of Ron DeSantis being mean and hateful. DeSantis has faced sharp criticism from Democrats as well as from Black Republicans over a line in the revised education curriculum guidelines in Florida that directs teachers to give instruction on how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), the only Black GOP member of the Florida congressional delegation, criticized the line in the curriculum but gave the Florida Department of Education the benefit of the doubt, saying overall the new standards for African-American history are good, robust, & accurate. That being said, the attempt to feature the personal benefits of slavery is wrong & needs to be adjusted. That obviously wasnt the goal & I have faith that FLDOE will correct this, Donalds added in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. DeSantiss press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, fired back at Donalds in a post on X. Donalds is a Trump ally and supports the former president over DeSantis. Supposed conservatives in the federal government are pushing the same false narrative that originated from the @WhiteHouse, Redfern wrote. Florida isnt going to hide the truth for political convenience. Maybe the congressman shouldnt swing for the liberal media fences like @VP. Story continues Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), another GOP presidential candidate and the only Black Republican senator, slammed DeSantis for his defense of the curriculum, saying last week, There is no silver lining in slavery. Slavery was really about separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives, Scott added. It was just devastating. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd on Sunday would not rule out the possibility of a third-party presidential run with No Labels, an organization proposing a unity ticket as an alternative to the two-party nominees. Advocates of No Labels cite polling that shows many Americans hold centrist views and want moderate political candidates. Critics of the movement point to historical evidence that third-party candidates rarely are successful because of the Electoral College system. Many critics are concerned a third-party bid would help former President Trump win another term in office. In an interview on NBCs Meet the Press, the former moderate GOP congressman said he thinks its possible for a third-party candidate to win and said he did not rule it out for himself. Hurd did, however, echoed concerns of No Labels critics and said he would not want to help Trump ascend to the presidency once again. Im going to take time and deliberate. I wouldnt want something that would potentially lead to Donald Trump winning, Hurd said about a potential No Labels campaign. My focus right now is criss-crossing the country and talking about how we need common sense in complicated times and that the best way we solve our problems is by recognizing were better together. And thats why I need folks to go to HurdforAmerica.com and help me get on the debate stage, he added. Asked for his thoughts on the No Labels movement, Hurd pointed to his time as a congressman, when he was part of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which is affiliated with No Labels. The Problem Solvers Caucus aims to include an equal number of Democrats and Republicans as members and to work toward bipartisan legislation. When I was in Congress, I was part of the Problem Solvers Caucus that had a relationship with No Labels. Can a third-party candidate win in the United States? I think thats the case. I think the French President [Emmanuel] Macron is an example, and the Mexican president [Andres] Lopez Obrador is another example, Hurd said. But Im focused on, If we want to get rid of Donald Trump, weve got to do it in the primary. And if Republicans want to get rid of Joe Biden, its not by impeaching him. Its about nominating someone who can win in the general election. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. GOP presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson said took aim at Republican presidential candidates who have said they would pardon former President Trump if they are elected to the White House. CBSs Margaret Brennan asked Hutchinson on Face the Nation if he believed Trump should be pardoned for the good of the country, which is what former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has suggested. This comes as Trump faces additional charges in the classified documents case and a potential second federal indictment over his alleged involvement in attempts to overturn the 2020 election. No. First of all, there should not be any discussion during a presidential campaign, he said. You dont put pardons out there to garner votes. That is premature. Obviously, if theres a conviction . Brennan interjected him to ask if he thinks Haley is using pardons to gain votes. Well, I think that anybody who promises pardons during the presidential campaign is not serving our system of justice well and its inappropriate, Hutchinson responded. Haley, along with a handful of other GOP presidential candidates, have said they will consider pardoning Trump if they are elected to the White House. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Sunday doubled down on his pledge to pardon Trump amid fresh charges filed against the former president. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has also said he does not think it would be good for the country if Trump went to prison when discussing the possibility of a pardon for the former president last week. Former Vice President Mike Pence said last month that any talk of pardoning Trump is premature. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Hyundai Hit With Class-Action Lawsuit Over Faulty EV Plugs photo Electric Hyundai owners have been struggling to charge their cars at home, as the ports can overheat and prevent the car from charging at its full capacity. So much so that Hyundai is now being hit with a class-action lawsuit, which claims its customers deserve compensation. A Hyundai representative released the following statement to The Drive: "Hyundai is aware of isolated reports of charging interruptions with the IONIQ 5 when used in connection with certain level 2 home chargers. A software update is available for IONIQ 5 owners encountering this issue that reduces the likelihood of a stopped charging session by slowing the charging rate in response to charging temperature increases. Hyundai is further investigating the issue to determine the root cause and evaluate other possible solutions." The issue stems from the charging port and level 2 charging plug that come with the car. When charging at home, the port overheats and, according to some customer complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it can even get too hot to the touch. When that happens, the charging rate dramatically decreases to 28-amps, much lower than its 48-amp capability, or even stops completely. It will start charging again at its normal rate once it cools down but, by then, it's already wasted time and energy. If customers don't realize what's happening, they come out to their car in the morning without enough battery juice to get them to work. Not only that but affected customers' utilities bills are spiking, as they're paying for those longer charge times. According to the lawsuit, this issue affects the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, the Kia EV6, and Genesis GV60. In March, Hyundai issued a software update that was supposed to fix the issue. However, according to the lawsuit, instead of fixing the problem, the update just caps the car's charge rate to 23 amps, if it detects overheating, which is even lower than its 28-amp charge rate when it overheats. Story continues "Hyundai and Kia advertised these vehicles as charging at a rate of 48 amps, a far cry from the 23-amp rate trigged by the pervasive overheating defect. Purchasers and lessors paid for this capability, and these vehicles do not perform at a level even close to what was advertised," said automotive law firm Hagens Berman, who's representing the plaintiffs. According to Hagens Berman, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis violated consumer law by not addressing this issue and continuing to sell cars that are known to have this flaw. I assume Hyundai will eventually release a recall for the affected vehicles but we'll have to see how the lawsuit plays out for any customer compensation. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com Our group of wildlife conservationists recently received a wolf mortality report from Idaho Fish and Game that contained the following comments: Buckshot in back, unhealed wounds. Ran over once with snow machine. Stabbed, later found to have a bullet wound near the shoulder in hide. Many wolves with teeth shattered or no teeth from chewing on traps Compound fracture left front foot while struggling in trap. Died of sepsis following release. Snare still attached. Broke snare ~ 2 wks ago. Severe laceration around neck w/maggot infestation. Died am or previous evening. Pregnant female with 6 pups recovered from body cavity. Many of these people were financially rewarded through a trapping organization that receives state grants and contracts for killing your native wildlife. How people can inflict such violence on wolves that have been living on Idaho land for eons, long before we humans arrived with our domestic livestock. Wolves are part of Idahos heritage and shares the same strong family bonds as we do. Conservation biologists have understood for decades the importance of predators to any ecosystem yet the wolf slaughter goes on, delivering unimaginable and relentless misery and suffering. We MUST change this. Christine Gertschen, Hailey Support Pentagon audit I hope you see this as good news as I did. Bernie Sanders is submitting a bill that will require the Pentagon to be audited. It seems the Pentagon cant provide any proof of where 60% of the money they get goes. Were not talking about pocket change; were talking about over 500 billion dollars. So how does our Senators feel about this? It seems to me that if we had auditors for all the money given to each department, we could save trillions over a ten-year period. When I was in the military during the Vietnam war, I worked with a person in the Comptroller office. He told me that at the end of the fiscal year, they had to buy millions worth of plywood just to spend the money so they could as for more the next year. Story continues Even those companies that worked on a cost-plus basis, would purchase a piece of plywood to cut 8 inches off of it and throw the rest away. That way they could buy more and get more money. You probably, use a tax service or an accountant to do your taxes. Why not make the Government do the same. Jerry Johnson, Payette Protecting tennants Thanks to the City of Boise for considering a Tenant Protection Package consisting of fair and common-sense measures to protect renters from harmful practices. I look forward to seeing the finished product rolled out with effective marketing to ensure that new renters rights are easily accessed and understood by renters. While the Tenant Protections Package can have a positive impact on preventing some evictions, there is still a long way to go to ensure everyone in Boise has access to decent, affordable housing. Speaking on behalf of the Boise/Ada County Homeless Coalition, we urge you to continue to push for measures that expedite development of a variety of affordable housing projects. I understand there are many programs competing for funding from the city. Still, the housing crisis we are experiencing makes housing an urgent priority. Money and support infused into affordable housing is not only good for our city and its economy, it also radically changes for the better the lives of those who directly benefit giving them back their dignity and sense of self-worth, and even improving their health. Please prioritize programs to assist our neighbors who are struggling to afford just their basic needs. Pete Schroeder, Boise Risch off-base on dams About the only factual thing Senator Risch claimed in his op-ed was that hydro-power is is an important source of reliable and clean energy. This is true except when it comes to the four dams in Washington. Over fourteen years their annual average production has been 943 megawatts. This is minuscule compared to production from wind and solar. Reputable scientists (not hired by dam proponents) have proven that salmon need a riverine environment to the ocean. Studies have shown either taking out the four dams on the lower Snake or releasing massive amounts of stored water from Idaho would work, but either would jeopardize Idaho irrigators. Millions of acre-feet would be needed to create the same effect as breaching. It requires 4% surviving after the smolt to recover Idahos salmon. Presently its less than 1%. Crapo is correct only Congress can remove those dams. But the judge administering the Endangered Species Act can order 4%. This means: Breach the dams or drain the State of Idaho of our valuable water. Personally, I say breach the dams. Mitch Sanchotena, Nampa Dual-flush toilets Because of chronic water shortages Australia requires all toilets to be dual-flush. This means that a number one flush uses about one-half the water as a number two flush. Just in case nobody has noticed Idaho has an arid climate. As the population grows water shortages will happen more and more frequently. As rising sea levels flood the west coast many flooded out people will move here. Before it is too late we should change our laws to require dual-flush toilets for all new construction in Idaho. I know that some will complain about government interference with their freedom to wastewater. Some men still need their mothers to tell them to wear a coat when it is cold outside so mothers/legislators step up and make a useful law that will save Idaho water. This is what a community is all about. We take care of one another. David Rogers, Meridian Carbon border adjustment fees The 7/24 editorial accurately describes the hot mess were in as global warming heats the planet, making some locations uninhabitable. We know that extreme heat waves, wildfires, and flooding are not abstract or random phenomena, but a direct result of atmospheric heating from carbon pollution. If we ignore this looming existential threat, temperatures will continue to rise with dire consequences. A great way to reduce carbon emissions worldwide is to start charging foreign polluters for their emissions through carbon border adjustment fees. Since US-made products (like steel) release lower than-average emissions, that will both cut foreign emissions and help our industries compete. Congresss bipartisan PROVE IT Act, takes the first step by measuring product-related emissions by US and foreign industries. Ask your members of Congress to do two things: support the PROVE IT Act, which would pave the way to measuring emissions. And join the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucuses working for solutions in the U.S. House and Senate. Take 5 minutes to contact Representative Simpson or Fulcher, and Senators Crapo and Risch. The climate problem is bigger than partisan politics. Things are starting to boil, but we dont need to be like frogs in a pot of water. Linda Rytterager, Boise Freedom for some When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade it was followed almost immediately by the GOP-controlled states implementing draconian anti-abortion laws thus denying women sovereignty over their own bodies. Meanwhile, those same GOP-controlled states passed legislation that denied medical treatment to much of the LBGT+ community. More denial of individual sovereignty. In the same vein, the GOP-controlled House inserted poison pills in the Defense budget to stop the military from paying travel expenses for medical treatment that might involve an abortion. More personal sovereignty lost. When the Court said no to student loan forgiveness the result is thousands being mired in debt for decades just for getting an education. All this could indicate that the GOP leadership has managed to alienate a significant number of women; minorities; medical professionals; librarians; teachers; family and friends of the LBGTQ+ community; and, many serving in our military. Its amazing that the GOP, which frequently and loudly totes freedom, spends so much time and energy denying freedoms to so many Americans. All of this without even mentioning voting rights. Thats another attack on individual sovereignty. Appears that the only freedoms that the GOPs leadership is in favor of is their own. Gil Beyer, Sandpoint London In the heart of the English countryside, a multimillion-dollar set of the mythical land of Oz complete with the thatched roof houses of Munchkinland, and a yellow brick road to boot lies empty. Production on the set of "Wicked" a film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, and starring Ariana Grande has shut down in the U.K. for the foreseeable future, as the effects of the Hollywood actors' and writers' strikes are being felt far beyond Hollywood. London is the third largest center for movie production in the world. Major productions being shot in England's capital, like "Wicked" and the Walt Disney-produced "Deadpool 3," have paused all production until further notice. While U.K. labor laws prevent Equity the British performing arts and entertainment trade union from striking with Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Writers Guild of America, actors and writers in the U.K. have been marching in solidarity with their U.S. colleagues. Comedian Rob Delaney, a SAG-AFTRA member and one of the stars of "Deadpool 3," told CBS News at a solidarity march in Leicester Square last week that the strikes are necessary to make large Hollywood studios care about "quality and quantity." "They're like toddlers," Delaney said of the studios. "They say 'look at all the money' and then we ask for a nickeland they're like, 'No we don't have it.'" A member of the Equity, the British performing arts and entertainment trade union, speaks during a rally in London's Leicester Square to show their solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes in the U.S. Along with the Labour MP John McDonnell, many famous British actresses and actors attended the demonstration, including Rob Delaney, Andy Serkis, David Oyelowo, Hayley Atwell, Brian Cox, Simon Pegg, Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter. / Credit: Krisztian Elek/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images "I'd rather be on set today, but today's job is to be here making sure that people less fortunate than me get paid properly," he added. "Succession" star Brian Cox, also in attendance at the London rally, told CBS News that writers are the lifeblood of the industry. "You couldn't have a show like 'Succession,' with as many Emmy nominations as we've had, without great writing," he said. "It's nonsense to think that you can circumvent writers, you can't. They're the basis of what we do." Story continues Many film and television workers in Britain say that the best outcome for the industry globally is for SAG- AFTRA and the WGA to get the terms that they want. "The idea of being like the Hollywood film industry, or a Hollywood stunt person, is kind of almost like an outdated kind of myth now," British stuntman James Cox told CBS News earlier this week. "Because now, such a large chunk of the work is here in the U.K." Cox warned that the economic impact in the short term will be severe for peers in his profession. "It's the unknown element, which is probably the most distressing for most of the performers," he said. "To say, 'Now you guys are unemployed, we don't know how long for,' there's going to be kind of stresses and strains across the whole hierarchy of the film industry." Among the sticking points for writers and actors in the U.S. is the decline in residuals from film and television work due to the growing market dominance of streaming platforms such as Netflix. Another major issue has been the use of artificial intelligence, which British performers say also poses a threat to the livelihoods of film crews globally. "AI as a creative tool, is worrying becauseit can't really create anything," actor Simon Pegg told CBS News at Equity's SAG-AFTRA solidarity rally last week. "Only we can do that," he added. "So to rely on it is to rely on mediocrity, and we can't do that." For James Cox, AI threatens the fundamental value of movie making. He says audiences could lose the magic of cinema. "That's ultimately, probably, the question at the crux of the AI issue," Cox said. "What do the people want to see? Do they want to see something human, or something distinctly unhuman?" The approximately 11,000 members of the WGA have been on strike since early May, while SAG-AFTRA joined them on the picket lines in mid-July. Of SAG-AFTRA's 160,000 total members, about 65,000 film and television actors are on strike. The two unions are negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group that represents all major Hollywood studios, including Paramount Pictures, which along with CBS News is part of Paramount Global. Not enough water to go around: Colorado River Basin, ravaged by drought, plans for a drier future Uncovering Black cemeteries paved over in Florida | 60 Minutes Charles Barkley: The 60 Minutes Interview Boston public health officials are advising residents to avoid affected water bodies in parts of the city for 48 hours due to increased health risks from bacteria and other pollutants after a recent sewage discharge. The public health warning was issued Sunday regarding untreated overflows in the Fort Point Channel, at Jeffries Point, and near the Charles River. The latest untreated overflow in these areas ended at at 11:11pm Saturday, however the public is advised to avoid affected water bodies for 48 hours, officials said in a statement on Sunday. This event impacts the waters of the Lower Inner Harbor and East Boston, the public health warning stated, adding that the event also impacts the waters of the Upper Inner Harbor Fort Point Channel. The public is advised to avoid contact with affected water bodies for at least 48 hours after a sewage discharge or overflow, during rainstorms, and for 48 hours after rainstorms end, due to increased health risks from bacteria or other pollutants associated with urban stormwater runoff and discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater. State regulations require local public health departments to provide notice to the public when these discharges may create a risk to public health, including when a discharge lasts for more than two hours. For more information and updates about this discharge, check the Boston Water and Sewer Commission website and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority website. A combined sewer overflow occurs when a large storm overwhelms the combined sewerage system causing rainwater to mix with wastewater and discharge to a nearby water body. This prevents sewage backups into homes and businesses. More information about CSOs and public health is available at the City of Boston website. 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 Dirk Heinrich/AP Photo Twenty cheetahs were shipped to India from Southern Africa in a historic intercontinental translocation designed to restore the big cats to the country for the first time in 70 years. The first delivery was timed to coincide with the Indian prime ministers birthday last year. Amid huge fanfare leading up to the big day, enormous billboards across major cities in the country advertised this achievement of Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Cheetahsthe agile big cats known for their remarkable speed and striking appearancewere declared extinct in India in 1952. Now Modithe most powerful Indian leader in decadesseemed to be saying he could turn back time and bring these beautiful creatures home to a resurgent India. The results, so far, of this grandiose plan have been tragic. The first eight cheetahs arrived from Namibia last September, and another 12 cheetahs from South Africa were introduced to the Kuno National Parklocated in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradeshin February this year. India PM Modi Urges People to Get Out and Vote for His Party Despite Staggering Pandemic and Piles of Bodies Hopes across the country were sky high, but even before they arrived, scientists and conservationists were raising major concerns about this unprecedented plan. Kuno National Park emerged as the location for the reintroduction of cheetahs, beating out 10 surveyed sites in five central Indian states, according to the governments action plan. Studies by conservation researchers, however, disagreed. The action plan, devised by the Wildlife Institute of India, says that this decision was influenced by Kuno National Parks suitable habitat and abundant prey base. Scientists, again, disagree. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases wild cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh, India, on Sept. 17, 2022. Press Information Bureau/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images While the ambitious plan to reintroduce cheetahs was being put into action, there were murmurs of concern among Indias wildlife community. They said the plan was ecologically unsound besides being costly and may serve as a distraction rather than help global cheetah conservation efforts. Story continues Modi ignored their fears. In 2012, the Supreme Court of India had already intervened by putting a stay on the governments plans to import cheetahs, and in 2013, the apex court reaffirmed its position, emphasizing the necessity for the government to present a comprehensive study before any consideration could be given to introducing cheetahs from Africa. In 2017, the National Tiger Conservation Authority in India made an appeal to the apex court to reconsider its decision. Following the appeal, the Supreme Court granted permission in 2020 to introduce the cheetah on an experimental basis. Many raised objections. Flawed from the start As time passed, the fears of the wildlife community began to materialize as one by one, the big cats started losing their lives. Since March this year, a total of eightincluding three cubs born to a Namibian cheetah named Jwalahave lost their lives at the park, adding to the growing toll of cheetah deaths. Many argued the grand projectwhich cost $6 million so faris on the brink of failure. Dr. Arjun M. Gopalaswamy, a renowned big cat scientist in India told The Daily Beast: The project was already flawed but now these unforeseen deaths, inexplicable deaths have made it far worse than what we thought. He says the project is now at a salvage point. India, despite the mounting demographic pressure, has lost only one large wild species of mammals since its independence from the British in 1947the cheetah. And hence its reintroduction has a very special significance for the national conservation ethic and ethos. The Indian government believes that bringing back the cheetah will have equally important conservation ramifications. In saving it, one would have to save not only its prey base comprising certain threatened species but also other endangered species of the grasslands, some of which are on the brink of extinction, the Wildlife Institute of Indias action plan says. Amongst these are the caracal, the Indian wolf and three endangered species of the bustard familythe Houbara, the lesser florican and the most endangered of all, the great Indian bustard. The Indian government also cites the recovery of the wolf in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Idaho, and Banff National Park as examples of successful human-induced re-establishment of a large carnivore in an ecosystem. However, several experts have emphasized that the project was implemented without careful consideration and thoughtright from its genesis. Several researchers raised concerns about the planned introduction, stating that the decision was made without adequate consideration of the cheetahs spatial ecology. Spatial ecology is a scientific discipline that examines the essential impacts of space on the movement patterns of individual species and the overall stability of multispecies communities within an ecosystem. In a research paper led by Dr. Bettina Wachterhead of the Cheetah Research Project in Namibiaalong with Ruben Portas and Joerg Melzheimer for Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, Germany, the team stated that the plan for introducing cheetahs into Kuno National Park assumes that the abundance of prey will support higher cheetah densities, despite the lack of evidence supporting this assumption. According to these scientists, cheetahs in southern Africa live within a stable socio-spatial system, characterized by widely spread territories and low population densities of less than one individual per 40 square miles. They pointed out that Kuno National Parks small size increases the likelihood of released cheetahs moving well beyond the parks boundaries, potentially leading to conflicts with neighboring villages. Kuno National Park is smallless than 300 square milesand experts believe it is a poor habitat choice for the cheetahs. Dinesh Kumar Pandey, a former wildlife warden and conservationist with more than two decades of expertise, told The Daily Beast that the cheetah reintroduction plan was ill-advised. They should have introduced one or two cheetahs initially, instead of 20. He thinks experimenting and studying a smaller number of these big cats in the park could have led to a better understanding of how best to save the species. He thinks the cheetah project was a personal vanity project of the Indian prime minister. And the lack of proper planning is now leading to these felines losing lives. The $10 Billion Pet Cheetah and Chimp Industry Pandey also believes that people who were involved in the project in India didnt have any experience dealing with the species. And so when eight cheetahs died within a span of a few months after their move, nobody knew what was going on. In a letter authored by Gopalaswamyco-signed by eight conservationists from South Africa, Portugal, the Netherlands, Australia, and Indiaand published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, the scientists said the translocation plan is based on unsubstantiated claims that cheetahs in Africa have depleted their habitat space, that India possesses adequate room for them, and that conservation translocations have been proven successful. Given Indias demonstrated political will to save cheetahs as a way of correcting historical ecological wrongdoing, we recommend that India redirect its initial, massive Project Cheetah investment of 48 million [$61.6 million] towards global cheetah conservation efforts involving extensive habitat protection, ensuring adequate wild prey, ensuring connectivity between populations and enhancing humancheetah relations, the letter read. These should preferably be in other parts of Asia (for example, Iran) but could also be in Africa, where cheetahsthough under severe pressurestill remain extant in 3.1 million square kilometers. Former Indian environment minister Jairam Ramesh also joined the chorus of voices hitting out at Modis government over its handling of the cheetah reintroduction program. He said if science rather than vanity had been put at the forefront of the project we may not have witnessed the current tragedy. On the Defensive Amid all the criticism, drama and politics of the big cat deaths, the government of India stayed defiant. There were also claims that the officials responsible for overseeing the project in India neglected to share crucial monitoring information with experts supporting the project from Africa. Despite a lack of transparency, the government of Indias Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change stuck to their guns. In a statement after two cheetahs died within days of each other earlier this month, government officials said, Cheetah has been brought back to India after seven decades and a project of such a stature is bound to undergo ups and downs. A cheetah is loaded into a truck before being flown from South Africa to India, at Rooiberg veterinary facility, Limpopo province, South Africa, on Feb. 17, 2023. Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters The statement added: Global experience particularly from South Africa suggests that in the initial phase of reintroduction of Cheetah in African countries has resulted in more than 50 percent mortality of introduced Cheetahs. The authorities rubbished reports that said that at least two cheetahs died due to skin infections caused by radio collars used to track the big cats in the wild. The environment ministry attributed the deaths to natural causes. And yet, on July 24, the radio collars were removed from at least six cheetahs in the Kuno National Park. The Indian government also removed Madhya Pradeshs chief wildlife warden, Jasbir Singh Chauhan from his post after the deaths of two of the magnificent felines in quick succession. Chauhan is a widely respected wildlife expert in India whose removal shocked the community. The Supreme Court of India said last week that the eight cheetah deaths in less than one year at the Kuno National Park dont present a good picture and asked the Modi administration to not make it a point of prestigeand instead explore the possibility of shifting the big cats to other wildlife sanctuaries. Sources inside Kuno National Park told The Daily Beast: The Cheetah action plan says that there is space for 21 cheetahs in the park. Anybody with an iota of knowledge about population management and dynamics can understand that all cheetahs should not be released from their enclosures into the wild. We are putting all our eggs in one basket. The top officials at the Kuno National Park had allegedly sent a letter to the ministry in April, looping in the apex authority on big cats, the National Tiger Conservation Authority [NTCA] and the Wildlife Institute of India. In the letter, the officials recommended that some of the cheetahs be shifted to other places that had been surveyed earlier for cheetah translocation. As per the action plan, at least 10 potential sitesencompassing the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh had been surveyed in terms of the size and quality of the available habitat, prey base and scope of future development. Ultimately, three sites were recommended: Kuno-Palpur and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh and Shahgarh area in Rajasthan. They [BJP government] wanted to keep all the cheetahs here [in the Kuno National Park] in Madhya Pradesh, the source said. The receipt of the letter was not even acknowledged. Madhya Pradesh is ruled by BJP. In Rajasthan, the chief minister is from the Indian National Congressone of the biggest opposition parties in the country and BJPs archrivals. Can the Big Cats Be Saved? The veteran conservationist Pandey told The Daily Beast that the project needs to be steered in the right direction at this time. It will be a waste otherwise. He says that now the team that is overseeing the project will need to put their heads down and find out the reason behind these casualties. And then figure out solutions together, so other cheetahs are saved from facing a similar fate. Gopalaswamy, however, says there are no easy answers. They started off with a bad plan. They ended up having too many [cheetahs]. Its a very difficult situation. Now what are you going to do with them? However, managing fewer cheetahs does not necessarily imply an easier task. Gopalaswamy says: Demographic and environmental stochasticity will drive the population to extinction in a very short period of time. In simpler terms: in smaller populations, chance occurrences such as deaths or births exert a stronger influence on the overall population size. For instance, a random event leading to the demise of a few cheetahs within a small population can disproportionately impact the group, unlike larger populations where such fluctuations may have a less significant effect due to dilution. Environmental fluctuationsincluding food availability, climate variations, and habitat changescan have a more pronounced effect on smaller populations too. Despite all of these risk factors, the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests predicted in a 2010 report that Thanks to Project Cheetah, the cheetah may well roam the plains of India again. But going by the current mortality rate of the cheetahs, achieving that dream might take many more years. And if they cant stop the mortality of cheetahs at the Kuno National Park, Pandey added, it would be better to return them to their native habitat in Africa. 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. A "mass shooting" at a block party in Muncie, Indiana early Sunday left one person dead and at least 19 others injured. Dispatchers received a call for multiple people shot in the area of S. Hackley St. and E. Willard St. around 1:14 a.m. Initial information was that there was a "large party" at this location. Police said in a news release that there was no active threat to the community and that "multiple" victims were injured, including some critically. "Due to the number of victims and nature of the incident, multiple agencies were contacted to assist," the City of Muncie said in a press release. OXFORD SCHOOL SHOOTER ETHAN CRUMBLEY'S TWISTED JOURNAL ENTRIES REVEALED IN COURT: SUFFER JUST LIKE ME Police officers from neighboring Eaton were among those who provided assistance. Eaton Police Chief Jay Turner called the incident a "mass shooting." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Police did not say how many people were injured, but officials at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie told The Associated Press that 19 victims were treated in their emergency department for injuries related to the shooting, and more than a dozen remained at the hospital in stabilized condition Sunday morning. INDIANA FIRE DEPARTMENT ALERTED AFTER NEWBORN SURRENDERED TO SAFE HAVEN BABY BOX Criswell said some victims sustained critical injuries and were transferred by medical helicopter to other facilities. Delaware County Coroner Gavin Greene identified the man who died as 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, The Star Press reported. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Manvendra Singh Gohil is India's first openly gay royal. Sajjad Hussain/Getty Images India's first openly gay prince revealed his parents attempted to subject him to conversion therapy. He told Sky News the extreme measures they planned included brain surgery and electroshock therapy. Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil said parents have "no right" to subject children to such "torture." India's first openly gay prince said his parents tried to make him undergo conversion therapy in a interview with Sky News. Speaking from Jaipur, India, on Friday, Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil told the news channel that his mother and father would've gone to go to extreme lengths to try to make him straight. "My parents were planning to open up up my brain, perform a surgery on my brain," he said. "They were planning to make me undergo electro shock therapy." As his parents planned for him to receive the treatments in the US where conversion therapy has been widely discredited, he was ultimately able to avoid being subjected to such practices. "Fortunately for me and fortunately for them the American Psychiatric Association had said that homosexuality is not a mental disorder, so they were not successful," he added. Nevertheless, Gohil said he suffered severe "embarrassment" and "humiliation" while enduring the "pain and suffering" of his parents' futile attempts to change his sexual orientation. Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil pictured in Paris, France. Pascal Le Segretain/AIDES & Link/Getty Images "It was an absolute case of discrimination, violation of human rights, whether I'm a prince or not a prince, parents have no right to put their children into such kind of a torture," Gohil said. Gohil is the founder of the Lakysha Trust, an LGBTQ+ charity based in the Indian state of Gujarat. According to his bio on the website, his sexuality was revealed to his family in 2002 after he was hospitalized with a nervous breakdown. When he became comfortable enough to speak publicly about his sexuality in 2006, it said his family accused him of bringing dishonor to their clan and led to people in his home state of Rajpipla burning his effigy. Story continues But Gohil continued to speak out about his experience, the bio continued. In 2007, it said he was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and told her he said had no regrets about coming out publicly. Conversion therapy remains a widespread issue in India, Gohil says The American Psychiatric Association refers to conversion therapy as "sexual orientation change efforts" or "gender identity change efforts" to differentiate it from evidence-based therapy practices. According to Reuters, more than 20 states in the US have laws that can subject health care providers to fines, license suspensions, and license revocations for trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of people under the age of 18. In India, however, Gohil said conversion therapy was still a widespread issue: "It happens to so many individuals in India, I can give you so many numerous examples where parents are literally torturing their children." There have been a few signs of progress in recent years such as Tamil Nadu becoming the first Indian state to issue reforms against the practice in 2021, the Independent reported. Shinjiro Atae Gohil isn't the first Asian public figure to shine a light on issues facing the LGBTQ+ community over the past week. As The New York Times reported, Japanese pop star Shinjiro Atae came out publicly at a performance in Tokyo on Wednesday following a two-year hiatus. Speaking to the crowd of over 2,000, Atae, 34, said he had struggled for years to accept himself but finally had the courage to publicly say he is "a gay man." Shinjiro Atae in Los Angeles in June 2021. Frazer Harrison/FilmMagic "I don't want people to struggle like me," he added. Japan is the only G7 country where same-sex unions are not legal. In June, the country passed its first law on sexual orientation and gender identity seeking "promote understanding" and avoid "unfair discrimination," according to Human Rights Watch. However, it noted that the law falls short on the comprehensive nondiscrimination legislation equivalent to other developed economies that Japanese rights groups such as the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation have called for. Read the original article on Insider Japan's increasing military expansion poses significant challenges to regional and global peace: Chinese Defense Ministry 10:23, July 30, 2023 By Global Times ( Global Times The Chinese Ministry of National Defense on Saturday expressed strong opposition to the Japanese government describing China as its an "unprecedented and greatest strategic challenge" in a white paper released on Friday. The spokesperson noted that it is Japan that is moving further down the path of military expansion, posing a serious threat to regional and global peace, security and stability. The 2023 defense white paper, approved by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet, stepped up its extreme language over China, warning that Japan faces "the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II" as it plans to implement a new strategy that calls for a major military buildup, media reports said. It claims China's external stance and military activities have become a "serious concern for Japan and the international community and presented an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge." The white paper is the first since the Japanese government adopted a controversial new National Security Strategy in December, seen as a break from Japan's postwar policy limiting the use of force to self-defense, AP reported. Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said that the new defense white paper of Japan has clung to its erroneous perception of China, deliberately exaggerated the so-called Chinese military threat, and smeared China's legitimate defense and military activities. It also grossly interferes in China's internal affairs and stoked regional tensions, to which the ministry lodged a stern representation with the Japanese side. The Chinese military has always been a steadfast force in upholding world peace and stability, never challenging or threatening anyone, Tan said. On the contrary, Japan in recent years has continuously breached the constraints of its "peace constitution" and the principle of "exclusively defense-oriented policy," substantially increasing defense spending, advocating the development of so-called counterattack capabilities, and furthering its path of military expansion. By aligning with certain major powers to form targeted "exclusive circles," Japan is posing serious challenges to regional and global peace, security, and stability, the spokesperson noted. In response to the white paper which claims that Beijing is "amplifying its unilateral changes to the status quo by force and such attempts in the East China Sea and the South China Sea," Tan said China is a staunch defender and builder of the international maritime rule of law, and has maintained a consistent and clear stance on maritime issues. In contrast, certain countries, driven by self-interest, frequently dispatch warships and aircraft to relevant waters to flaunt their military prowess, seriously exacerbating regional tensions. On the Taiwan question, which is also hyped by the white paper that the military balance between China's mainland and Taiwan is rapidly tilting in favor of the former, the defense spokesperson said the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-Japan relations and is an inviolable bottom line. Japan bears serious historical responsibility concerning the Taiwan question, but instead of reflecting on its actions, it has persistently interfered in China's internal affairs, undermining the political foundation of bilateral ties and intensifying tensions across the Taiwan Straits. These actions are "highly erroneous and dangerous," warned Tan. He urged the Japanese side to abandon its zero-sum and confrontational thinking, and foster a correct understanding of China. It is essential to uphold commitments on significant issues like Taiwan and exercise prudence in the realm of military security. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also responded to the matter on Friday, warning that given Japan's history of militarist aggression during the last century, Japan's military and security moves have been closely watched by its Asian neighbors and the international community. It urges Japan, which has triggered intensive concerns over whether it will still stick to the path of peaceful development, to earnestly respect the security concerns of neighboring countries, deeply reflect on its history of aggression, stop seeking pretexts for rearming itself, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the wider international community through concrete actions. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) NEW YORK Notorious Preppy Killer Robert Chambers, convicted for the brutal 1986 Central Park strangling of a teenage girl in a blockbuster Manhattan case, was paroled from prison after serving 15 years on a separate drug rap. The now 56-year-old Chambers was released Tuesday from the Shawangunk Correctional Facility, according to state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision records. It was his second stint behind bars following his earlier incarceration on a manslaughter plea for the headline-making rough sex killing of victim Jennifer Levin. Chambers was freed on Valentines Day 2003 after serving 15 years in her death before his arrest four years later for operating a cocaine and heroin operation out of his Manhattan apartment which led to his 2008 conviction and imprisonment. Chambers will remain on parole on the drug rap through 2028, according to correction documents. Authorities said Chambers had repeatedly sold drugs to undercover agents, and he also pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer during his arrest. The 18-year-old Levin, an Upper East Side resident like her killer, was found dead in Central Park after she and Chambers met inside Dorrians Red Hand Bar on East 84th Street and headed to the park around 4 a.m. Her strangled, battered and nearly-naked body was found by a bicyclist two hours later beneath a tree behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with the 6-foot-4 Chambers making headlines as the Preppy Killer following his arrest for murder. The accused killer claimed the death was an accident Chambers said he yanked Levin from behind after she injured him during their sexual encounter. But prosecutors brought murder charges after finding scratches on Chambers neck and face matched up with bruises found on Levins hands that were consistent with a struggle. The killing set off a media frenzy, with the Hollywood-handsome murder suspect and his victim splashed across newspapers and television with a focus on the high-flying lifestyle led by teens on the Upper East Side. Story continues The murder suspect was soon dubbed the Preppy Killer, though Chambers was actually a college dropout with a cocaine problem. The killing was eventually revisited in a five-part documentary airing in in 2019. Chambers, charged with murder, took a plea to first-degree manslaughter in the ninth day of jury deliberations at his trial in 1988. Despite his claims Levins death was an accident, prosecutors suggested Chambers flew into a lethal rage set off by his impotence. After he was imprisoned for the killing, Chambers parole applications were rejected five times as the inmate racked up violations for heroin possession, assaulting a guard and weapon possession. Shortly after his sentencing in the death, he was caught on a video snapping the head off a small doll. Oops, I think I killed it, he cracked, holding the head in his hand. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty As Donald Trump faces mounting legal problems, the former president has consistently turned to one of his favorite YouTube channels, the fiercely pro-MAGA Right Side Broadcasting Network, to spin the news in his favor. And yet, RSBNas its colloquially knownis facing criticism for not being Trump-y enough from an unlikely source: current and former staffers. The YouTube channel has survived by attracting the most loyal Trump followers, who want to see the entirety of Trumps rallies, and by using cheaper, less experienced broadcasters to live stream and offer commentary on the former presidents latest moves. But more recently, people closely affiliated with RSBN have been detecting a slight shift in the channels editorial stance. And with a new pro-Trump streaming channel waiting in the wings, RSBN sources suddenly think their employer may soon be supplanted as Trumps favorite online streaming network. MTG Compares Trump to Jesus and Nelson Mandela in Interview With Her Boyfriend Five current and former RSBN staffers who spoke to The Daily Beast said the pro-Trump media group has been showing some warmth toward Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, much to the chagrin of these ride-or-die Trumpers. Its just a bad business move if youre going to go in on DeSantis, which obviously the base is not a fan of, and the poll numbers reflect that, one former RSBN correspondent told The Daily Beast. Another source familiar with RSBN operations said that when DeSantis initially entered the race, there were questions raised about how to cover him. This source said there was blowback from RSBN superfans that the network was uncritically covering DeSantis. We got blasted, this source said. RSBN also cut ties with a contributor over DeSantis criticism. Opinion contributor Preston Parra said on Twitter that he parted ways with RSBN because his views on DeSantis were seen as potentially unfavorable to the outlet. It was explained that Rons PR team might not want to work with an outlet that employed writers who criticized him in the fashion that I do on my personal social media, Parra added. Story continues Still, for all the drama over the network not being pro-Trump enough, one former employee who spoke with The Daily Beast suggested itd be difficult to be more pro-Trump. I didnt know that was possible, one former camera operator said. In a right-wing media landscape where personalities fall over themselves to praise Trump and look past his glaring deficiencies, the battle to somehow be the Trumpiest outlet may seem like a ridiculous competition. But Trumps ability to get his message out, without criticism or question, is integral to his electoral success. The allegation that RSBN is somehow insufficiently pro-Trump isnt the only criticism current and former staffers are leveling. These sources also claimed that RSBN has been uncharacteristically moving toward the GOP establishment. RSBN is becoming obviously a little more buttoned up, cozying up to the establishment, a former staffer said. This source continued that the network was on the record for Kevin McCarthy getting the speakership, and they noted that many people in the conservative base thought that position was kind of weird. USA-ELECTION/TRUMP Reuters/Lindsay DeDario While the network, which once billed itself as a rag-tag bunch of media outsiders, has since become the leading network for streaming Trump rallies, there is a new rival for that title. Live From America TV, which goes by the acronym LFA TV, wants to become what RSBN is for YouTube but on Rumble. (Rumble is the conservative video platform that hosts Trumps social media network, Truth Social, and is trying to overtake YouTube in its own right.) So far, LFA TV has enlisted former RSBN talent, including former pundit Mike Crispi, and RSBNs former vice president of operations, Liz Willis. In a phone interview with The Daily Beast, the founder of LFA TV, Jeremy Herrell, said he heard through the grapevine about RSBNs troubles, and he was looking to capitalize on it. From what I understand, if any anti-DeSantis stuff was talked about on air they werent going to put up with that, Herrell claimed. He further alleged that RSBN had become RINOs aligned with the establishment. We are in it for something completely different, Herrell said. For good measure, he added that RSBN was fake. Later in the interview, Herrell alleged that RSBN and Real Americas Voice, another far-right television channel where Herrell once worked, have made a push behind the scenes to blacklist LFA TV out of Trump rallies. The growing rift between RSBN and LFA TV may have come to a head Saturday evening, as Crispi and Willis broadcast the Trump rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, for the newer network. On the same riser at the rally, their old RSBN co-workers were right next to them. Crowd forming in Erie! a small portion of the THOUSANDS already waiting outside. Lets go! pic.twitter.com/MphUhpeJmT Mike Crispi (@MikeCrispiNJ) July 29, 2023 On Rumble Saturday afternoon, LFA TV found itself with prime placement, on the right-wing streaming platform in the picks section of the homepage, just below the far more established RSBN in the main square. A Trump campaign spokesperson didnt return The Daily Beasts request for comment. For all the hype about a new channel, Trump himself frequently does interviews with RSBNs director of programming, Brian Glenn. The ex-presidents top confidants have also spoken highly of Glenn, with one of Trumps allies, Siggy Flicker, sharing with The Daily Beast a video of herself aboard Trump Force One, calling Glenn an amazing host as the ex-president watched in the background on his way to a rally. He did enjoy the coverage on the day we were flying to South Carolina for his rally where 67,000 people were waiting for him, Flicker said. Still, Herrells excited to take on the more established Trump streaming venture and thinks its only a matter of time before RSBN goes up in flames. Where there is smoke, there is fire, he said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Occupiers Russian invasion forces have stepped up their attacks near Maryinka, Donetsk Oblast, deploying Storm-Z units, which are mainly made up of convicts, Captain Valerii Shershen, spokesperson of the Defense Forces of the Tavria Sector, said on Ukrainian national television on July 30. We continue to hold back a Russian offensive on the outskirts of Maryinka. There have been 18 armed clashes recorded in this area, Captain Shershen said. Read also: Ukraine holds the line near Avdiivka, as Russian forces step up assaults on Zaporizhzhya axis Of particular note is the escalation of enemy storming actions in Maryinka, focusing on the direction of Oleksandrivka Maryinka, involving the use of armored groups. Shershen said the Maryinka area was the hottest section of the front line. The town, which previously had a population of around 10,000 has been largely razed to the ground after months of fighting. There have been no civilians living in the area since November 2022. Read also: Crisis of insubordination grips Russian military command as commanders face dismissals, arrests ISW Shershen also said that in the southern part of the front, Ukrainian forces are advancing towards Melitopol and Berdyansk, two Russian-occupied cities on the coast of the Sea of Azov. Meanwhile, the enemy is attempting to counter-attack near the recently liberated village of Staromayorske in Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainian forces are facing reinforced defenses in the Robotyne area, with fresh enemy troops arriving from Mariupol, Captain Shershen added. Read also: Ukrainian army gains several hundred meters a day in south direction, National Guard Earlier, General Staff spokesperson Andrii Kovalyov reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces have consolidated their positions at the new front line following the liberation from Russian occupation of Staromaiyorske, a village in the westernmost part of Donetsk Oblast, near the border with Zaporizhzhya Oblast. 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 participants of the Miss Italia 2019 competition are presented on September 06, 2019 in Jesolo, Italy. Stefano Mazzola / Getty Images Contributor In July, the Miss Italy pageant banned non-"biological women" from competing. To protest, dozens of transgender men signed up for the contest to reveal the rule's hypocrisy. Trans activist Federico Barbarossa hopes the protest shows how "ridiculous" transphobic rhetoric is. After representatives for the Miss Italy pageant said that transgender women could not participate in the competition, transgender men registered for the pageant en masse to protest. In mid-July, Patrizia Mirigliani, the pageant's patron, told Italian station Radio Cusano she thought inclusivity for transgender women in pageants was "a bit absurd," and said she would not "jump on the glittery bandwagon of trans activism." Her comments were made after a transgender woman, Rikkie Valerie Kolle, won the Miss Netherlands contest for the first time. Mirigliani added, "ever since it was born, my contest has included in its regulations the specification that one must be a woman from birth." Her comments caused a stir in the transgender community, especially because, as NBC News reported, the Miss Italy contest feeds into the larger Miss Universe pageant, which is owned by Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, a trans businesswoman. In response to Mirigliani's statements, trans activist Federico Barbarossa decided to sign up for Miss Italy himself, since he technically fits the criteria to enter, and encouraged dozens of other trans men to do the same, according to reporting from GCN. The outlet notes that because the process of finalizing a name and gender change in Italy is difficult, many transgender men qualify for the pageant despite their identification they have Italian nationality or citizenship, are over 18, were assigned female at birth, and are still registered as female on various identity documents. Barbarossa said to PinkNews that Mirigliani's comments exhibit wider trends of discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in Italy. Story continues "I signed up as a joke at first, but I really wanted to blow away the sand castle built on biology that they've been hanging on to," he said to PinkNews. "Miss Italy is just another example of Italy's resistance to keep up with times, and their positions are so ridiculous that we were able to pull off a national campaign with a smile on our face, laughing at their struggle to keep up with so many subscriptions from 'female from birth' people, just as they requested." Representatives for the Miss Italy pageant and Barbarossa did not respond immediately to requests for comment from Insider, sent outside of normal business hours. Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at scahill@insider.com. The participants of the Miss Italia 2019 competition are presented on September 06, 2019 in Jesolo, Italy. Stefano Mazzola / Getty Images Contributor Read the original article on Insider Italy's defence minister Guido Crosetto pictured in May at the Trento Economy Festival in Trento, Italy Italy made an "improvised and atrocious" decision in joining China's Belt and Road (BRI) initiative, defence minister Guido Crosetto has said. Mr Crosetto claimed the initiative had done little to boost Italy's exports, making China the only winner. China has previously said both nations have seen "fruitful results" as a result of the BRI. Italy became the first developed economy to join the BRI in 2019 - a move criticised by its Western allies. The global investment programme envisions connecting China with Europe and beyond through rebuilding the old Silk Road trade route. Under it, China provides funding for major infrastructure projects around the world, in a bid to speed Chinese goods to markets further afield. Critics see it as a tool for China to spread influence. Both the EU and the US expressed concern when Italy decided to join the scheme four years ago. "The decision to join the [new] Silk Road was an improvised and atrocious act" that increased Chinese exports to Italy without having the same effect on Italian exports to China, Mr Crosetto told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. He said Italy now needs to work out how to get out of the deal without damaging relations with Beijing. "The issue today is: how to walk back (from the BRI) without damaging relations [with Beijing]. Because it is true that China is a competitor, but it is also a partner," Mr Crosetto said. As Beijing had become increasingly assertive on the world stage, Italy would have to think about how to withdraw "without producing disasters", he said. There has been intense discussion about whether Italy should remain in the BRI since May, when Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she wanted talks with China about possibly withdrawing. It is set to be automatically renewed in March 2024 unless Italy makes a formal request to withdraw from it by December this year. Story continues China's foreign ministry previously said it believed "China and Italy should further explore their cooperation potential" under the BRI and "strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation to seek more fruitful cooperation results." In comments quoted in the English language edition of the state-affiliated Global Times newspaper in May, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin added that the two nations have seen "fruitful results" in many fields as a result of the BRI. Beijing has since launched a diplomatic campaign to try to persuade Italy to renew the deal by sending senior officials to the country to lobby its case. The author outside a bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider I've traveled on trains all around the world, but Japan's bullet trains exceeded my wildest dreams. I rode the Hikari Shinkansen train between Tokyo and Kyoto. The train was fast, timely, clean, and comfortable. I've had the luxury of sitting underneath glass-dome windows as my Rocky Mountaineer train barreled between Colorado's mountains. I've peered into a rainforest as a commuter train headed out of Sydney, Australia, and into the bush. But nothing could have prepared me for the excitement of riding my first bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto. I couldn't decide if I was more thrilled to visit Kyoto the cultural capital of Japan or to ride a bullet train to get there. A bullet train at Tokyo Station in Japan. Monica Humphries/Insider The country is known for its high-speed Shinkansen bullet trains. And as someone who has been on trains around the world, I was eager to finally take this iconic journey. A Shinkansen bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider On a 12-day trip to Japan, I had planned an overnight stop in Kyoto, and the quickest way for me to get from Tokyo to Kyoto was by bullet train. The author stands in front of a bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider A few days before heading to Kyoto, I stopped at a train station to pick up my Japan Rail Pass and book a seat on a bullet train. A ticketing office for the Japan Rail Company. Monica Humphries/Insider The pass, which allows tourists unlimited rides on the country's Japan Rail routes, can be bought for seven, 14, or 21-day windows. I opted for a seven-day pass, which cost about $250. The author's ticket and JR Pass. Monica Humphries/Insider When I picked up the pass, I also reserved my bullet train ticket to Kyoto. Jishu Shrine in Kyoto, Japan. Monica Humphries/Insider Most trains have three types of seating. First class, which has extra fees; reserved seats, which can be booked ahead without additional costs; and first-come, first-served seats. A sign outlines the details of the JR Pass. Monica Humphries/Insider I wanted to guarantee that I'd have a window seat, so I booked my ticket to Kyoto a few days in advance. A view through the author's window. Monica Humphries/Insider Fast-forward to the day of departure, and I was heading to the train station to board my first bullet train. Like Japan's subways and buses, bullet trains are practically always on time, so I showed up at the train station early. The interior of the train station. Monica Humphries/Insider That wasn't the only reason why I wanted to get there early. Dining on bullet trains is a huge part of the experience, a Japanese coworker told me. Story continues Bento boxes at a food stall in the train station. Monica Humphries/Insider So I stocked up on snacks, sushi, and dessert at the station before the ride. An egg dish the author purchased at a train station. Monica Humphries/Insider After picking up a few snacks and interpreting the station's timetable, I headed to track 14 to board my train. A timetable for the bullet trains. Monica Humphries/Insider At exactly 10:03 a.m., the train pulled up. I was riding on the Hikari Shinkansen, which would take me to Tokyo in two hours and 34 minutes. Passengers wait to board a bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider If I was in a rush to get to Kyoto, I could've boarded the Nozomi train, which would've gotten me to the city 20 minutes faster. But since it wasn't included in the JR Pass, I opted for the slower ride. A view of a bullet train at Tokyo Station. Monica Humphries/Insider But don't get me wrong the Hikari train is still fast. According to Kyuhoshi, it hits a maximum speed of 186 miles per hour, which is similar to the Nozomi train's max speed. The Hikari just makes a few more stops. A bullet train pulls into a train station. Monica Humphries/Insider Source: Kyuhoshi But before I could go that fast, I needed to get on the train. People were standing in single-file lines to board, and once the doors opened, we all piled on. A train worker stands outside a bullet train as it pulls into the station. Monica Humphries/Insider I navigated to seat 12E, and to my surprise, it was comfier and roomier than some of the trains I'd been on before. The interior of a train car. Monica Humphries/Insider I had a tray table, which had information for the train's bathrooms, emergency phones, and trash cans posted. Below the seat was a small net storage compartment. The tray table at the author's seat. Monica Humphries/Insider Above the seats was room for small luggage, and each row also had a hook for storing jackets, bags, and hats. For larger luggage, there was more storage at the front of the car. The train had storage for both suitcases and jackets. Monica Humphries/Insider About a third of the way through the trip, a person and a cart full of food stopped at every row. She reminded me of a flight attendant on a plane. A person sold food to passengers on the bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider I purchased an onigiri bento box and a black, iced coffee. Together, the price was less than $5. A bento box the author ordered on the train. Monica Humphries/Insider After lunch, I headed to the bathrooms and explored the rest of the train. The back of a train car where bathrooms were located. Monica Humphries/Insider Some cars had expansive bathrooms for wheelchair users and other people with physical disabilities. These bathrooms were far larger than any train, plane, or bus bathroom I've ever seen. A bathroom on the bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider There were also bathrooms similar in size to a plane bathroom. A smaller bathroom on the bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider I wandered into the first-class car. Here, the main differences I spotted were larger seats and a footrest. A first-class car on the bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider Some cars also had rooms where passengers could take phone calls or smoke. A room all passengers could access on the train. Monica Humphries/Insider As I headed back to my seat, I almost felt like I was flying instead of riding a train, and the little hills on the journey felt similar to the stomach-dropping experience of a plane taking off. A blurry image of a train passing by while the author rides a bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider My 280-mile journey took exactly two hours and 34 minutes, and I was in Kyoto faster than any car could've driven. In fact, Google Maps predicts it would take nearly 6 hours to drive between the cities. A screenshot of the drive between Kyoto and Tokyo. Google Maps Overall, the experience outshined my past train trips. The author at Kyoto Station. Monica Humphries/Insider Views of Mount Fuji and Japan's countryside surpassed any previous views from train windows. A view of a mountain from the bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider The train was cleaner than public trains I've taken in the past. The interior of the bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider The food was delicious. My rice balls were fresh, and the baked goods I packed were quickly consumed. The onigiri bento box Insider's author purchased on a bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider And it was easily the fastest train I've ever traveled on. A bullet train pulls into a train station. Monica Humphries/Insider Luckily for me, I got to make the journey again just two days later to head back to Tokyo. The author at her seat on a bullet train. Monica Humphries/Insider Read the original article on Insider A federal judge has ordered the city of Miami to adopt a new voting map that is expected to shake up city politics ahead of the November elections. The new map removes one commissioners home out of his district and allows a candidate in another part of the city to step back into the race after a previous city map had drawn him out earlier this summer. On Sunday, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore ordered the city to implement a voting map that shifts the boundaries of Miamis five commission districts, including changes that impact who will vote and who can run in three races to elect commissioners in districts 1, 2 and 4 in November. District 1 Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, District 2 Commissioner Sabina Covo and District 4 Commissioner Manolo Reyes are running for reelection. In the new map, Commissioner Joe Carollos Coconut Grove home is outside of his district and in Covos district. Its unclear how soon Carollo would be required to move into his current District 3 to comply with city laws that require commissioners to live inside the district they represent. On Sunday, Carollo told the Miami Herald he is complying with the citys residency requirement, though he declined to discuss specifics. He did not say if he planned to move, though he suggested hes considering legal avenues. Whatever plans I have, Im certainly not going to share them with you, he told a reporter. Read case laws. City Attorney Victoria Mendez did not answer questions about Carollos residency. In a statement Sunday evening, Mendez only said the city plans to appeal. We appreciate the Courts valuable insight into the Citys Redistricting process, but the Court waited to long in making this determination pursuant to case law, Mendez said. The Court did not truly give the City Commission the presumption of good faith with regard to their legislative functions. Read more: Miami is fighting to block new court-ordered voting map before the November election Under the judges order, the city must transmit the new map to the Miami-Dade County Elections Department on Monday. Elections officials had set Aug. 1 as the deadline for a map to administer the November elections. Its unclear if the city can prevent the map from being used for these elections. Story continues The new map allows Miguel Gabela, an auto parts retailer, to challenge Diaz de la Portilla in District 1. In June, the commission had approved a map that didnt include Gabelas home, which threatened to curtail a campaign he began in February. On Sunday, Gabela said he was glad to be back in the race, though the shifting boundaries will force him to campaign in new areas while losing supporters elsewhere. Ive lost Grapeland Heights and part of Flagami, where Ive been walking since February, he said. ACLU makes its case The new map was drawn by attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union representing a coalition of Miami residents and advocacy groups who sued the city challenging new district lines that commissioners approved in 2022. The groups accused the city of adopting an unconstitutional, racially gerrymandered map meant to preserve a city commission with three Hispanic members, one Black member and one anglo member in a seat that has previously been held by a non-Hispanic white commissioner. The ACLU attorneys challenged the philosophy that drove the citys voting map for years in an effort to upend the thinking that fair racial representation on the City Commission requires packing Black and Hispanic voters into certain districts. The court got it right today by ordering a map that protects the will of the people, said Nicholas Warren, one of the lawyers on the case. Today is a big win for racial justice and democracy in Miami. Some commissioners said the redistricting lawsuit was less about a fair voting map and more about political ideology. Carollo said the plaintiffs and their attorneys have mounted a partisan effort to redraw the city districts to better position liberals in city politics, so that more left-leaning candidates have a better chance to win city elections. They took precincts that have performed well for liberal candidates and cut them up with enough in each district to try to turn more conservative commissioners that are being elected into much more liberal ones, he said. The citys mayor and commissioners hold nonpartisan seats, under the city charter. Reyes said he voted for the 2022 map to preserve the racial and ethnic balance on the board, and though he said a commissioners political affiliation is irrelevant to their work in City Hall, he echoed Carollos concerns. My main concern is that we have diversity on the dais, Reyes said. But it seems that diversity was exchanged for partisanship. Big changes in some districts Up for reelection this year, Reyes will also have new faces in his district. He said hes losing more than 50% of his current district population under the new plan, though hes confident in his record of improving parks, fixing roads and promoting new housing developments. Im available to serve my new residents, and I welcome everyone and commit to work hard like I have been doing in Shenandoah, Silver Bluff and Golden Pines, which were part of my district, he said. In May, the judge blocked the 2022 plan and ordered the city to draw a temporary map that would comply with the Voting Rights Act. The commission approved a plan in June, prompting objections from the ACLU. After arguments from both sides, the judge on Sunday ordered the city to adopt the ACLUs preferred map. The map is a temporary solution while the lawsuit continues. The case is expected to go to trial in 2024. Yanelis Valdes, an individual plaintiff and advocacy director at Engage Miami, praised the judges order in a statement Sunday. Its a new day for Miami voters who will finally have a fair say in our elections, Valdes said. The courts decision to reject the citys gerrymander and order the plaintiffs map means Miamis communities will get fair representation in government this November. President Donald Trump speaks as White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows (R) listens prior to Trump's Marine One departure from the South Lawn of the White House July 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images Very few members of Trump's former cabinet have endorsed his 2024 re-election campaign. NBC News reached out to over 40 former cabinet members, finding just 4 publicly endorsed Trump. Other former cabinet members burned by Trump are advocating against him. Of 44 members of former President Donald Trump's cabinet, less than 10% have publicly endorsed him in his 2024 presidential run. Only four of Trump's former cabinet members openly endorsed his re-election run, according to NBC News. Several didn't respond to the outlet or declined to comment, while some told NBC they were actively working to prevent his nomination. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Sunday. The four former cabinet members supportive of Trump 2024 were Matthew Whitaker, former acting attorney general; Mark Meadows, Trump's former chief of staff; Russell Vought, Trump's former budget chief; and Richard Grenell, former acting director of national intelligence, according to NBC. Requests for comment made to the four men through their websites, nonprofits, and social media were not immediately answered on Sunday. Meanwhile, other former members of Trump's cabinet have been vocal against his run for re-election, such as former Attorney General Bill Barr, who testified extensively against Trump before the House January 6 committee. In interviews, he's called Trump a "troubled man" who must face justice. "I have made clear that I strongly oppose Trump for the nomination and will not endorse Trump," Barr told NBC News. Asked if the 2024 race ends up in a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden, Barr told NBC he'd "jump off that bridge when I get to it." Similar comments came from Mick Mulvaney, another one of Trump's former chiefs of staff, according to NBC. "I am working hard to make sure that someone else is the nominee," Mulvaney told NBC. "I think he's the Republican who is most likely to lose in a general election, of all our leading candidates. If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be him." Story continues Trump wasn't shy about axing members of his administration when he felt they weren't performing or were working against him. The dynamic may be coming back to haunt him. "They're not friends; they're not hanging on forever," Barbara Perry, the director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia, told NBC. "They're going to skip out, or he's going to push them out in some instances." Trump said in October he would find it "very disloyal" if former Vice President Mike Pence or other members of his cabinet ran for president in 2024. Pence is running, though he is polling in the single digits well behind Trump. Read the original article on Business Insider French riot police patrol the streets of Nanterre during protests following the death of Nahel Merzouk earlier this month - Juan Medina/Reuters On a typical day Olivier patrols a mid-sized town in the Champagne region of France on the look-out for dangerous drivers. But recently, the 44-year-old police officer has either been driving around aimlessly or sitting idle in the police station. If he sees a minor offence, he turns a blind eye. The only part of his job he fully complies with are emergency calls. Like hundreds of other officers around the country, Olivier has answered union calls to perform only the bare minimum of duties as part of a nationwide revolt. The catalyst of the protest was a judges decision to jail a Marseille police officer rather than release him under supervision, ahead of his trial for beating a man in Frances riots earlier this month. The officer, a member of the anti-crime brigade, is one of four accused of violently attacking a 22-year-old man in Marseille, leaving him in a coma with a dent in his skull. The victim, known as Hedi, says he was not part of the protests and had just left work when he and a friend encountered a group of police officers in the early hours of July 2. Hedi had part of his skull removed and lost some of his vision in one eye after being beaten by police - Konbini The officers shot him in the head with a riot gun and beat him so badly he suffered a broken jaw and lost part of his vision in one eye. While he was in a coma, doctors had to remove a large part of his skull, leaving his head disfigured. The beating was captured on CCTV cameras, but police officers across France have seized on the judicial treatment of one of their own as indicative of a society that no longer values the work they do and the risks they take. Why are we working-to-rule? Because a police officer who leaves his house in the morning, may also find himself indicted in the afternoon and then placed in detention by the evening, Olivier, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Telegraph. For cops, theres never a presumption of innocence. Youre guilty right away. Because police are an essential service and not allowed to strike, hundreds more have revolted by calling in sick, resulting in fewer police escorts for suspects in court, and fewer night guards in French prisons. Story continues On Thursday, Gerald Darmanin, the interior minister, said about five per cent of police officers have gone on sick leave or have refused to work. Fireworks are fired at riot police during clashes in Paris - Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters In an interview with La Depeche, police in Toulouse also questioned the judges decision to place their colleague in pre-trial detention instead of house arrest, and expressed feelings of abandonment. Whats the goal? Apart from humiliating us and letting offenders think that anything is possible? one officer asked. Nicolas, one of 600 officers in Marseille who have taken sick leave, said he cant take it anymore and is considering leaving the force. We are not supported, neither hierarchically nor politically. So at some point, thats enough, he told radio station RTL. Riots broke out across France on June 27 after a police officer shot a French teenager of North-African descent during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb. But now the nation is discussing the alleged victimhood of the police themselves. We are not asking to be above the law, Olivier said. We just ask that we be respected in relation to our professions. We know that no one is above the law, but no one is below the law either. However, some of the officers in the Hedi case have not been co-operating fully with the justice system. No police officer wishes to collaborate in the investigation, even going so far as to have difficulty identifying themselves on the video, wrote investigators from the General Inspectorate of the National Police and Justice (IGPN) in their report, according to French news channel BFMTV. The Marseille officer - the only one in the group to have been carrying a riot gun - was placed in detention at the request of the prosecutor, in order to prevent the accused from consulting one another. While two of the accused acknowledged their role in the beating, the officer in pre-trial detention, who is identifiable by his T-shirt, claims to remember nothing from that night, denies his involvement, and said he does not recognise himself in the images. The fourth officer likewise claims to have no recollection of the night, and reportedly refused to be photographed for the victims identification, citing security issues. Hedi discussed his injuries in interviews with the French media this week. Sometimes I think Im going to wake up, but I always wake up with this deformed head, with these migraines, and with blurry vision. Its hard to bear, he told the French website Konbini, in which he appears shockingly disfigured. A firefighter attempts to extinguish a car set ablaze during protests in Paris - Pascal Rossignol/Reuters One of the police unions, Unite SGP Police, has subsequently issued a list of demands, including a special status for police officers in detention and anonymity for all agents facing legal charges. I think that weve reached a point where there has to be an evolution in the justice system and maybe in the police as well. We are not against evolution either, Olivier said, pointing out the need for better police training on the job. In France there have been a lot of changes over the last few years with the number of violent protests and were just fed up. Before the riots earlier this month, police forces had to deal with the yellow vest and pension reform protests. But Olivier said the most recent outbreaks were the worst he had ever experienced in his 23-year career, and was shocked that they reached his normally quiet town of 60,000 people. It was of a violence that Ive never seen, he said. The IGPN are investigating around 30 complaints against police related to the riots, including the death of Mohamed Bendriss, 27, and the blinding of his cousin Abdelkarim, 21, who was struck by projectile during the riots. Meanwhile, Valentin Gendrot, an investigative journalist who spent months working undercover as an officer in Paris, said he was astounded by the recent police revolt. I think police need to be reminded of their place because it seems there are a few police officers who think they have all the rights, but no duties, he said. Describing the six months he spent on the front lines in 2019, he added: I think some police officers feel such a sense of impunity that they think they can be both police and mete out justice. I saw police officers who delivered justice themselves. I saw police officers commit violence and beat people because they felt that the justice system didnt act fast enough, that it was too lax. So they rendered justice themselves. 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. A top economic development employee at the Kansas Department of Commerce bid on and won a $180,000 a year contract to consult for the agency. State officials maintain there was no conflict of interest in awarding the consulting contract to Paul Hughes, whose contract went into effect two and a half weeks before he left his government job. Hughes was the deputy secretary of business development at the Commerce Department, a role that included high-profile efforts to entice the Panasonic megaproject during a reelection campaign of Gov. Laura Kelly and Lt. Gov. David Toland that touted economic development successes. While Hughes was still employed by the state, he formed his own company, Catapult Kansas LLC. He then bid on and was awarded a contract to consult for the Commerce Department on megaprojects. "RFP procurement process was handled by the Department of Administration and complied with all procurement policies," said Commerce Department spokesperson Pat Lowry. "It was competitively bid, open to the public, followed all established policies, and the vendor met all criteria, therefore there was no concern of a conflict of interest." While deputy secretary, Paul Hughes bid on and won Commerce contract Paul Hughes, right, the former Commerce Department deputy secretary, shakes hands with Commerce Secretary and Lt. Gov. David Toland before the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Panasonic plant in DeSoto on Nov. 2. Procurement documents show bidding opened Feb. 26 and closed March 31 for a megaproject and headquarters attraction consultant. Generally, the purpose of bidding is to seek competition. But there was no competition in this case Catapult Kansas LLC was the only bidder. "I can't speak to why I was the only bidder in such a public process," Hughes said. "Procurement posts these RFPs and maximizes the responses by pushing new RFP notifications out to all contractors registered on their site." Lowry said Commerce wasn't concerned by receiving only one bid because that isn't uncommon. "The vendor awarded the contract met all RFP criteria and is fully capable of providing the necessary services," Lowry said. Story continues Kansas Secretary of State business records show Catapult Kansas LCC was formed March 12. The articles of incorporation list United States Corporation Agents Inc. at 2000 E. 13th in Hays as the registered agent and office with Legalzoom.com Inc., of California, as the organizer even though the contract requires the contractor to be based in the Kansas City metro area. Contract documents do list a Westwood Hills address for Catapult Kansas LLC and Hughes as the contact person. Johnson County property records show the address is a residence owned by Hughes. He listed that as his home address in his Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission statement of substantial interest form filed May 1, which also shows he is the sole owner of the LLC. Hughes' company was awarded the consulting contract on May 16, and it went into effect the same day but his job with the state didn't end until June 2. The Commerce Department posted the job opening for Hughes' old job on May 17. The position, which has a salary of $150,000 a year, has not been filled. The agency's online staff directory still lists Hughes as the deputy secretary. The contract runs through June 30, 2024, with options to renew for up to two additional years. Is it Kansas commerce department's bid approval a conflict of interest? The contract has a conflict of interest provision with language similar to a state ethics law governing contracting with current and former state employees. The facts of the situation don't appear to violate the law, especially because the contract was publicly bid and officials say Hughes as deputy secretary wasn't involved in preparing the contract. The job description for the deputy secretary of business development includes serving on the secretary's leadership team, supervising staff, making recommendations on hiring decisions and organizing consultant events. Under the terms of the contract, the consultant reports to the deputy secretary and the secretary of commerce. But Hughes and Lowry said Hughes wasn't involved on the government's side of making the contract. "No, that type of involvement is expressly prohibited by state ethics laws," Lowry said. "The procurement was handled through the Department of Administration and complied with procurement guidelines, statutes and procedures. "Additionally, we went to great lengths in drafting the RFP to ensure there was no involvement from any staff on the business development team in case there were any internal candidates that would be interested in the position." Hughes said he didn't inform agency officials that he was bidding on it. "I did not participate in the development of the RFP or posting of the position, which was done by the state's procurement office," Hughes said. "My response to the RFP took place several weeks after it was publicly posted. I did not discuss my interest in the role with Commerce because procurement rules prohibit doing so while the RFP is open." The contract also prohibits Catapult Kansas from employing, during the period of the contract, any state employees whose state job involves "services similar in nature to the scope of this contract." Paul Hughes is Kansas commerce's megaproject guru Paul Hughes, right, former deputy secretary of the Kansas commerce department, spoke to colleagues before the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Panasonic plant in DeSoto on Nov. 2. While a Commerce Department employee, Hughes was instrumental in introducing the concept of megaprojects to Kansas politics. He was the one who authored the agency's testimony advocating for the bipartisan APEX legislation, an ambitious set of taxpayer-funded incentives designed to entice what was, at the time, a secretive megaproject. He explained to lawmakers that a megaproject "is an economic development opportunity where the company will be spending $1 billion or more on their facility and equipment." He said Kansas had been considered for 11 such megaprojects, but had lost out to other states. Hughes later returned to the Legislature to ask for an extension to the APEX legislation, citing interest from several companies, though it failed to pass amid bipartisan hesitance. The program has been successful in securing investment from Japanese company Panasonic to build an electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto, plus a promised expansion of Wichita semiconductor manufacturer Integra Technologies. Panasonic was the crown jewel of economic development in the Kelly-Toland administration, with a groundbreaking ceremony a week before Election Day. But as deputy secretary, Hughes also had to handle administrative duties for managing a variety of divisions, offices and initiatives, Lowry said. As a contractor, Hughes will be focusing more exclusively on megaprojects. "Successfully recruiting megaprojects requires a significant amount of time and effort focused solely on that project, which is what this consultant role is tasked with," Lowry said. "The role I'm in now is accountable for sourcing new deal flow for the state, and managing these projects to their conclusion," Hughes said. "Additionally, I am overseeing the state's pursuit of a regional tech hub under the CHIPS Act. Previously, I was in a more strategic role, whereas now I report to a more junior level of the department's org chart." The contract specifies that Hughes' job is to attract megaprojects and corporate headquarters to Kansas. "This position requires extensive knowledge of executive decision-making considerations regarding corporate relocations as well as a strong network of contacts within the site selection industry," the contract states. "Additionally, previous experience with megaprojects and headquarter attraction efforts is required." There is an emphasis on certain industries, including advanced manufacturing, aerospace, logistics and agriculture. The contractor is also supposed to be on the lookout for more opportunities for electric vehicle batteries and semiconductors, the two industries of the current megaprojects. "The role must balance competing earnestly for the win and advocating on behalf of the client with the responsible deployment of incentive programs and other state and local resources," the contract states. The contract requires a monthly activity report outlining work on new leads and existing projects. Lowry said the reports aren't considered public records because the information is confidential. Kansas contracts out to economic development consultants Hiring contractors to perform economic development work isn't uncommon for the Commerce Department. The agency has contracts in place with other firms, including one in Mexico City focused on export opportunities in Mexico, another in the Tokyo area focused on foreign direct investment from Japan, another in the Los Angeles area focused on businesses opportunities on the West Coast, one in the Chicago area focused on the Great Lakes region and one in South Carolina focused on the East Coast. The agency also has a current bidding event for a contractor based in Europe focused on foreign direct investment from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. More: First, it was Panasonic and now Integra. Are tax-driven megaprojects good for Kansas? "The key for the state is obtaining these critical skills, and allowing that individual to focus exclusively on the duties and activities necessary to recruit these projects," Lowry said. "By using consultants, the agency is better able to find the best talent available." Kansas also has a separate megaproject liaison contract with a Kansas City, Kansas, consulting firm that is paid $150,000 a year. That firm was formed by Doug Bach five months after he retired as administrator of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. "These are completely different roles and duties," Lowry said of Hughes' megaproject consulting and Bach's megaproject liaison consulting. He said the liaison works with local communities on the Panasonic project and related supplier opportunities. "The megaproject contractor focuses solely on recruiting new megaprojects and headquarter projects to Kansas," Lowry said. "This requires subject matter expertise not only to identify these critical opportunities but how best to recruit them to the state. The skill set for recruiting is very different from the liaison role which is geared toward leveraging economic development opportunities once the megaproject chooses to land in Kansas." Jason Alatidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jtidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Alatidd. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas $180K megaproject consulting job went to deputy secretary's LLC By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA (Reuters) - Known as the capital of concrete, Pristina is trying to revitalize its dull and grey image with vivid graffiti on walls and buildings, helping transform public spaces into more inviting, vibrant areas. More than 100 artists from 28 countries have covered 2000 square meter of walls at Rruga B (Street B) in the city with art at a festival over the past three days. This road divides old communist buildings on the west with new ones on the east, which all have one thing in common - scant space for public use and an abundance of concrete. "When you see the concrete, it gives the impression that it is still under construction," said Agon Xhelili, organizer of the festival, Meeting of Styles Kosovo. "When artists see these locations they say: hell, this is the best place to paint." The non-profit organisation of the same name, Meeting of Styles, was created in the mid-90s in Germany, supporting artists who could legally paint thousands of square meters of abandoned areas. Since its creation, it has organized more than 400 events such as the one in Pristina, helping thousands of artists all over the world. Daniel Sharon, an artist from London participating in the event with his brother, was painting motifs from the 1950s black and white horror film, Creature from the Black Lagoon. "I think it will be really positive (visually and for tourism) if they allowed more public art murals," said Sharon. After the war ended in Kosovo in 1999, the Balkan country saw a boom in construction, though the government has said more than 70% of all apartments and houses were constructed without official approval. The government has promised to legalise most of them. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Bernadette Baum) Rishi Sunak will argue that the Labour policy would leave the UK more reliant on sourcing oil and gas from authoritarian leaders - Russell Cheyne/Reuters Rishi Sunak is set to warn on Monday that Sir Keir Starmers ban on new North Sea oil and gas exploration licences will force up household energy bills. During a visit to Aberdeenshire, the Prime Minister is expected to say that cutting back domestic energy supply would leave the UK more reliant on costly imports. Mr Sunak also believes the Labour policy has national security implications because it leaves the UK more reliant on sourcing oil and gas from authoritarian leaders such as Vladimir Putin. On his trip to meet energy industry leaders, he is set to portray the Conservatives as the only party backing North Sea oil and gas, part of an attempt to damage Labours electoral hopes in Scotland. He is expected to confirm that the Government will grant a number of new licenses to companies wishing to extract oil and gas in the North Sea. The renewed criticism of Labour energy policy comes amid calls for Mr Sunak to delay or pause efforts to help Britain reach net zero by 2050 after the Conservatives surprise Uxbridge by-election victory earlier this month. The expansion of the Ulez zone, spearheaded by Sadiq Khan, Labours London Mayor, was widely blamed for his partys failure to gain the constituency. While Mr Sunak and his advisers remain committed to the 2050 net zero target, they are considering ways to better protect families from the cost of eco policies. Sir Keir, the Labour leader, has attempted to frame his own flagship eco measures, such as clean energy targets, around the ability to bring down household bills. Labour would allow existing oil and gas sites in the North Sea to keep extracting if it takes office next year, but will not approve new drilling sites. A Number 10 source told The Telegraph: They are literally saying they eventually want to shut down the oil and gas fields in the North Sea, which is totally counter-productive. It is cheaper for us to supply energy than import it. If youre reducing or making that supply more expensive, then the costs go up. Story continues In the past, Mr Sunak has called Labours North Sea oil position bizarre, warning that it would bring weakness and dependency that would benefit dictators and autocrats. Grant Shapps, the Energy Security Secretary, said earlier this month that the Conservatives want to max out the UKs North Sea oil and gas reserves. Rishi Sunak has previously called Labours North Sea oil position bizarre - Russell Cheyne/Pool via AP Sir Keir has stressed that Labours North Sea policy would allow existing sites to keep extracting oil and gas for decades to come. Labour figures have also argued that the Conservatives failure to invest enough in renewable energy has kept household bills higher than needed in recent years. Mr Sunak is expected to announce new funding for the Acorn project, which captures carbon dioxide emission for storage in the North Sea. Estimates suggest it could create 21,000 jobs. The Prime Minister is also set to discuss his efforts to diversify the UKs energy supply, with a marked expansion in nuclear power seen inside the Government as being key to that ambition. The Tories are hoping to hamper Labours resurgence north of the border, with Sir Keirs team hoping to win up to 20 Scottish seats at the next general election up from a single seat now. There are a cluster of Conservative MPs in north east Scotland, but some Tories now hope they have a chance to take seats in the region off the SNP, whose long-held political dominance is beginning to show cracks. Humza Yousaf, the SNPs Scottish first minister, said his party would not turn off the taps tomorrow but argued there should be no further North Sea extraction without good reason. Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, told The Telegraph, that Mr Sunaks visit was a clear reminder that its the Conservatives who are backing Scottish oil and gas, and the drive to net zero that the industry underpins. 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 Timucuan Parks Foundation cordially invites the community to embark on a unique journey into the heart of Jacksonvilles wilderness parks with an event called Landscapes and Lager, celebrating photographer Tom Schifanellas work. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Join them on Wednesday, July 26, at Ink Factory Brewing, located at 602 Shetter Ave. in Jacksonville Beach, for an evening filled with breathtaking drone photography and the introduction of the new Timucuan Trails lager, specially brewed to support the nonprofits noble cause. Starting at 5:30 p.m., this event aims to engage park enthusiasts, especially young professionals, with the beauty of the regions natural wonders. Acclaimed photographer Tom Schifanella will captivate patrons with his awe-inspiring drone photography, sharing the inspiration and techniques he employs to capture the splendor of Northeast Floridas landscapes. Schifanella, renowned for his creative prowess in the advertising industry, skillfully merges still photography with mesmerizing drone footage, resulting in powerful images that have graced prestigious exhibitions and publications, including Southern Living, Arbus, and even National Geographics Planet or Plastic? photography exhibition, dedicated to raising awareness about global plastic waste. The Timucuan Trails lager is a delightful collaboration between the Timucuan Parks Foundation and Ink Factory Brewing. This special brew serves a dual purpose not only does it raise awareness and support for TPFs programming, promotion, and stewardship efforts in Jacksonvilles national, state, and city preservation parks, but it also acts as an outreach for TPFs burgeoning young professionals group. For every batch of this dry-hopped lager made with American pilsner malt and infused with mosaic, mosaic incognito, and mosaic cryo, the nonprofit will receive 10% of the proceeds. By savoring this lager, attendees will contribute directly to supporting TPFs mission of preserving, promoting, and enhancing Jacksonvilles natural areas through community engagement, education, and enjoyment. Story continues The venue hosting the event is Ink Factory Brewing, which offers much more than just a microbrewery. Its a lively hub that includes a taproom, an espresso bar, and a co-working space. Situated within a historic magazine publishing warehouse in Jacksonville Beach, Ink Factory Brewing has been a successful establishment since 2021. Dont miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to connect with nature and immerse yourself in the wonders of Jacksonvilles wilderness parks. Landscapes and Lager promises an evening filled with inspiration, community spirit, and the joy of supporting a noble cause. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] About Timucuan Parks Foundation: Timucuan Parks Foundation, a nonprofit organization, has been dedicated to preserving, promoting, and enhancing Jacksonvilles natural areas since its inception in 1999 as the Preservation Project Jacksonville, Inc. The foundations mission led to the identification and acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands in Duval County, creating the largest urban park system in the United States. Collaborating with park partners, including the National Park Service, Florida State Parks, and the City of Jacksonville, as well as various community organizations, TPF actively promotes environmental stewardship, emphasizes the health benefits of parks and preserves, and fosters an enduring appreciation for Jacksonvilles extraordinary outdoor spaces. For further information, visit timucuanparks.org or follow @timucuanparks. [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. At least 54 people died after a suicide bomber attacked a political convention organized by an Islamist party in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, police said. Shaukat Abbas, deputy inspector general of police, said 12 of those who died were under the age of 12. More than 100 were injured, 17 critically, in the attack targeting members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, who had gathered in the town of Khar, Bajaur district, close to the border with Afghanistan. Local police said the attacker detonated explosives near the conventions stage. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the terrorist groups media affiliate Amaaq News. The group said it was part of its ongoing conflict against democracy, which it views as hostile to the principles of true Islam and in opposition to its divine law. The local branch of ISIS has previously targeted JUI-F party leaders as it considers them apostates. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast, according to a statement released by his office. An investigation is underway, and the prime ministers office has requested a report from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the statement added. The leader of the JUI-F party, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, expressed deep sorrow and regret following the blast, in a statement released by his press office. Peace be upon JUI workers, the statement added. The federal and provincial government should provide the best treatment to the injured. One witness said more than 500 people were attending the convention when the blast occurred. A powerful explosion knocked me unconscious, Rahim Shah told Pakistani news outlet Dawn. When he came around there were people screaming and even shots were fired, he said, adding there was blood everywhere. Pakistani political parties are beginning campaign preparations ahead of elections due later this year. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Lebanese soldier runs for cover at the entrance to the Ain al-Helweh camp (Mahmoud ZAYYAT) At least six people were killed Sunday in clashes in south Lebanon's restive Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp, said Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement and a source at the camp. The fighting between Fatah and Islamists in the camp, which erupted overnight and subsided by the evening, killed a Fatah military leader and four of his colleagues, the secularist movement said. A Palestinian source inside the camp, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an "Islamist from the al-Shabab al-Muslim group" was also killed and six others including the group's leader were wounded. Lebanon's official news agency NNA gave a "provisional toll" of six dead and more than 30 wounded at Ain al-Helweh, the largest of the 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon located just southeast of the coastal city of Sidon. NNA reported that stray bullets also damaged homes outside the camp. Fatah in a statement confirmed the death of commander Ashraf al-Armouchi and four of his "comrades" during a "heinous operation". The statement denounced an "abominable and cowardly crime" aimed at undermining the "security and stability" of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon. A Lebanese soldier was also wounded, hit by shrapnel from "a mortar shell that fell in one of the military posts", the army said on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X. His condition was reported as stable. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in a statement called the timing of the clashes "suspicious in the current regional and international context". Mikati criticised "repeated attempts to use Lebanon" as a battleground for the settling of outside scores "at the expense of Lebanon and the Lebanese". "We urge the Palestinian leadership to cooperate with the army to control the security situation and deliver to the Lebanese authorities those who compromise it," his statement added. Story continues - 'Red line' - A ceasefire was agreed from 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) during a meeting of Palestinian factions including Fatah, also attended by members of the Lebanese Amal and Hezbollah movements, a joint statement afterwards said. An AFP journalist reported that the sound of gunfire, which continued through Sunday afternoon, lessened in the evening. The Palestinian presidency in a statement denounced the "heinous massacre and terrorist assassination" of the Fatah members. "This crosses all red lines and undermines security in Lebanon," the statement said. Fighting between rival groups is common in Ain al-Helweh, which is home to more than 54,000 registered Palestinian refugees who have been joined in recent years by thousands of Palestinians fleeing the conflict in Syria. By long-standing convention, the Lebanese army does not enter Palestinian refugee camps in the country, leaving the factions themselves to handle security. The camp has gained notoriety as a refuge for extremists and fugitives. More than 450,000 Palestinians in Lebanon are registered with UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Most live in one of the 12 official refugee camps, often in squalid conditions, and face a variety of legal restrictions, including on employment. str/jos/ami/srm The gun rights advocates are at it once again. They believe that their rights are being infringed. And, once again, they could not be more wrong. About a hundred supporters showed up at a farm outside of Ionia on Wednesday saying that their right to own firearms is being infringed by state and federal government. Among the speakers was Kyle Rittenhouse, who killed two protesters in Wisconsin a few years ago. Rittenhouse, from Illinois, criticized Michigan's recent gun laws that were passed. Rittenhouse stated that "Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her anti-freedom cohorts are hellbent on shredding Second Amendment rights for law-abiding Michiganders." If a person is truly "law-abiding," they will most certainly pass a background check, and therefore, be allowed to legally purchase a firearm. Where is the infringement? Jim Jeziorowski Wayne Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters Assault weapons and hand guns are seen for sale at Capitol City Arms Supply, Jan. 16, 2013, in Springfield, Ill. Visa is pausing its decision to start categorizing purchases at gun shops, a significant win for conservative groups and 2nd Amendment advocates who felt that tracking gun shop purchases would inadvertently discriminate against legal firearms purchases. Support U.S. spending on international priorities The United States federal budget is often a point of contention and debate on whether or not the U.S. is using it properly to help with the betterment of this country and our citizens. Debate has also arisen examining how the U.S. Congress could cut some of its spending, and some of these cuts that have been announced for the next fiscal year could have disastrous consequences for the U.S. One part of the budget that is at risk of being cut is the International Affairs Budget. This budget accounts for less than 1% of the overall federal budget, and is used to bring stability to fragile or conflict-affected populations, deal with environmental issues and natural disasters, helps implement agricultural programs to prevent hunger, broadly promotes American national security efforts and aids in fighting infectious disease. As global poverty and malnutrition rates drop, emerging markets are created for U.S. companies to reach and trade with. Today, 45% of all U.S. exports now go to developing countries. These programs also protect our national security by fighting terrorism and preventing conflicts. U.S. job creation and national security are all linked to the plight of the world's poor. However, work remains, especially as 265 million people globally were at risk of starvation due to the negative impacts of COVID-19 and increased global crises in 2022. Story continues As a Borgen Project ambassador, I have contacted my congressional leaders to help protect this integral part of the U.S. budget, as it will further global poverty reduction efforts, protect global health initiatives, boost U.S. job creation and advance our national security interests, and I hope that you will as well. Nicholas Maccani Livonia If I'd have known about Michigan property taxes, I wouldn't have built here Buying or selling a property in Michigan can be a costly endeavor. If you plan on buying or building a house in Michigan, be forewarned that your property taxes may either double or triple from what you are currently paying on your existing home. That is because when you buy a property in Michigan, taxes become uncapped when property changes owners. So, what this could mean is that if you buy a new home, you could pay almost double what your neighbor is paying, for the same house next door. If you buy a smaller home than what you had before, you could be paying the same tax amount on that smaller home, based on current values. This is all thanks to Proposal A from 1994, by then Gov. John Engler and the House GOP. It was a tax proposal put on the ballot for voters to decide between the worst of two evils. Google it. It also raised our sales tax from 4% to 6% and made you pay a transfer tax when selling a property in Michigan. This might have been fine when the average home in Michigan was selling for around $100,000, but now homes sell for four to five times as much. I think our lawmakers should investigate adjusting our property tax assessment in Michigan if they want to attract and retain young job seekers. Had I known about this tax assessment practice in Michigan, I would have built elsewhere. When you give tax breaks to the rich, you must make up for it in other areas. Kevin Duke Bruce, Mich. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters In auto insurance, you pay for what you get When it comes to Michigan auto no-fault insurance, "cheapest" definitely does not mean "best." In light of your article, "Michigan no-fault auto insurance: How to pick the cheapest options," (Detroit Free Press, July 20) I wanted to offer a few words of advice and caution for drivers. The best strategy for getting the best car insurance to protect you and your family at an affordable price is to comparison shop. Every year, talk to an independent agent and get quotes from multiple insurers. Remember that "cheap" auto insurance is going to be cheap for a reason. You may be paying less, but youre also abandoning protections you will desperately need if you are ever seriously injured in a car crash. Saving $30 or $300 dollars should not be at the expense of exhausting all of your personal savings and assets and being forced to one day declare bankruptcy due to crushing medical debts. Steven Gursten Ferndale To the "my vote doesn't matter" Americans According to a recent poll I read about, many Americans are pessimistic about democracy. As I see it, the biggest threat to democracy is not the rise of the MAGA Republicans, it is the apathetic voter. In a study by the Pew Research Center, the U.S. ranks 31st in the world comparing voter turnout among the voting age population. Voter turnout in the U.S. is much lower than in other countries, hovering around 60% in presidential elections and 40% in midterm election years. While there are still bitter feelings about the 2020 election, it is the 2016 election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton that proved more consequential to where we are today. Did you vote in 2016? Are you one of the many who thought Hillary had it won and didnt bother coming out to vote? Were you one of many Bernie Sanders supporters who felt bitter that Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination? Was that enough to make you stay at home on election day? The drop-off for Hillary in Detroit alone compared to Obama gave the state to Trump in 2016. Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions overturned Roe vs. Wade, weakened the powers of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and undid affirmative action of college admissions. Voting rights have been challenged everywhere. Affordable health care, childcare and access to higher education will remain out of reach for many Americans. Theres much more than I can expand on here but basically with the election of Trump, America took about a 60-year step backward in time. We will have to live with the decisions of this Supreme Court for a long time. Aside from that, however, the popular vote within each state decides who that state will go to. Ive heard it said we dont get the government we need; we get the government we deserve. Well, heres a shout out to you, low-information, apathetic voters. We are not in this mess because of rise of the MAGA Republicans, we are here because so many more Americans are willing to let democracy slip through their fingers. Eddie Dee Novi, Mich This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Letters: Readers on Michigan gun rights, property tax, no-fault reform Lexington police are asking the public for help in identifying any individuals responsible for leaving Aryan Freedom Network flyers in one neighborhood. Some residents of the Kenwick neighborhood woke up to find baggies on their sidewalk that had white supremacy propaganda flyers inside with rice. The flyer reads: You know who else was condemned for hate speech? Jesus Christ The flyer also advertises the Aryan Freedom Network and a website. A post was shared on the Kenwick Neighborhood Association Facebook page asking for anyone to report the baggies to police, and check home security footage to identify possible suspects. What we are interested in is who possibly left those flyers that is what we are very interested in identifying, said Lt. Dan Truex with the Lexington Police Department. Truex confirmed the department had received multiple reports of Kenwick residents finding the baggies outside of their homes and some baggies were booked into evidence. He said no other neighborhood residents had reported finding the baggies. He asked for anyone with surveillance footage that could identify a suspect to call police. Truex told members of the neighborhood that extra patrol will be out for all three shifts for the next two weeks to increase police presence. Hopefully this helps deter it from happening in the future, Truex wrote on social media. Truex was not able to share what charges a suspect could face for the flyers, citing an open investigation. Local officials have sent letters to Congress in support of a federal bill that would provide aid to states affected by unprecedented heatwaves. The letters authored by the US Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities that was obtained by NBC News showed support for the Extreme Heat Emergency Act, which was introduced last month. The bill proposes to include extreme heat in the definition of the Federal Emergency Management Agencys (Fema) list of major disasters, which would provide aid for states grappling with scorching temperatures. This summer is the hottest recorded in history, with more than 170 million Americans under heat alerts in this recent week, according to the National Weather Service. By including extreme heat events in the definition of a major disaster... this legislation will empower local governments to establish cooling centers, support vulnerable populations, assist the homeless, and enhance healthcare services during extreme heat events, an excerpt from National League of Cities CEO Clarence Anthonys letter read. Climate activists have pushed for the Joe Biden administration to declare a climate emergency, but the White House has yet to do so. President Biden met on Thursday with the mayors of Phoenix, Arizona and San Antonio, Texas, two of the cities that have been affected the most by the heatwaves. Phoenix has seen at least 26 days in a row of temperatures exceeding 110F. Maricopa County, where the city is located, has reported 18 heat-associated deaths between 11 April and 15 July. Meanwhile, San Antonio saw 15 straight days of 100F temperatures. At least 13 deaths in Texas have been blamed on the extreme heat. During the meeting on Thursday, Mr Biden called the rising temperatures the number one weather-related killer and announced a series of measures to protect workers, including a hazard alert notifying employers and employees about ways to stay safe from extreme heat. A protestor stands next to a digital display of an unofficial heat reading at Furnace Creek Visitor Center in Death Valley, California (AFP via Getty Images) Even those places that are used to extreme heat have never seen it as hot as it is now for as long as its been, Mr Biden said. Even those who deny that were in the midst of a climate crisis cant deny the impact of extreme heat is having on Americans. Story continues A congressional aide told NBC that Fema has only received three requests for assistance in regard to extreme heat events throughout its 44-year history. Every request has been turned down because the states requesting assistance did not demonstrate that state and local capacity had been exceeded. However, the aide noted that there is no official way to determine when a locals government capacity has been reached. Our agency has a well-established process for assessing if there is a need for supplemental federal disaster assistance where those needs exceed the state, tribal or local capacity, a Fema spokesperson said in a statement to NBC. There is nothing specific that precludes a declaration for an extreme heat incident. The city has begun closing streets and sidewalks across downtown Chicago as Grant Park prepares to host Lollapalooza Thursday through Sunday. The Office of Emergency Management and Communications announced several ongoing and upcoming street and sidewalk closures, advising motorists and pedestrians to take other routes. Most will reopen Aug. 7, the day after the music festival ends. Balbo Drive from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive is closed and will remain closed until Aug. 13. This closure will extend west to Michigan Avenue beginning at 8 p.m. Monday and continuing until Aug. 7. Jackson Drive from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive is also closed and will remain closed until Aug. 12. Like the Balbo Drive closure, it will extend west to Michigan Avenue at 8 p.m. Monday, continuing until Aug. 7. The OEMC said the stretch of Columbus Drive between Monroe Street and Roosevelt Road will close at 8 p.m. Monday too. Northbound center lanes on Columbus Drive between 13th Street and Roosevelt Road will also close Monday evening. Columbus Drive will reopen Aug. 7. The Congress Plaza circle will close from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive at 8 p.m. Monday and reopen Aug. 7. Monroe Street from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive will close Wednesday until the morning of Aug. 7. The OEMC said traffic control aides will be present downtown to help the flow of traffic. adperez@chicagotribune.com John Dingell. AP Photo/Paul Sancya The late Rep. John Dingell played a major role in the rise of the NRA's lobbying operation in DC. In the 1970s, Dingell advocated for the NRA, in an era where many Democrats backed the group. The New York Times examined a trove of documents which outlined Dingell's relationship with the NRA. The late Democrat Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, an institution in US politics who served in Congress from 1955 to 2015, played a significant role in enacting countless pieces of legislation over the course of generations, with his eye always on the constituents that he represented in his Detroit-area district. But a trove of documents recently examined by The New York Times also reveals the role that Dingell played in the rise of the National Rife Association's political influence beginning in the 1970s, with the congressman's efforts playing a major role in the development of the organization's lobbying outfit. "An organization with as many members, and as many potential resources, both financial and influential within its ranks, should not have to go 2d or 3d Class in a fight for survival," Dingell wrote in a 1975 memo obtained by The Times, where he outlined how the NRA could become a force on Capitol Hill. "It should go First Class." In addition to his congressional work, Dingell for years also served on the board of the NRA, stepping down in 1994 after supporting that year's highly consequential crime bill which included the landmark assault weapons ban that was overwhelmingly supported by most Democrats and vehemently opposed by Republicans. Although Dingell voted for the crime bill after intense lobbying from then-President Bill Clinton, the congressman almost immediately sought out ways to repeal the assault weapons provision after the larger bill was signed into law, according to The Times. In that year's midterm elections, Republicans flipped both houses of Congress fueled in part by intense opposition to gun control in a slew of rural districts anchored in the Midwest and South. Story continues As Dingell's staff pondered a potential repeal push in a 1995 memo, they also realized that "a solid explanation will have to be made to the majority of our voters who favor gun control." Rep. Debbie Dingell, who succeeded her husband in Congress in 2015, told The Times that the congressman needed police protection for several months after the assault weapons ban went on the books. (The ban expired in September 2004 and has yet to be renewed.) "We had people scream and yell at us. It was the first time I had seen that real hate," she told the newspaper. John Dingell continued to have talks with the NRA over gun policy throughout the rest of the career notably after the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, and the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. But according to Debbie Dingell, her late husband's views on the NRA and guns had shifted during his nearly 60-year political career. "I can't tell you how many nights I heard him talking to people about how the NRA was going too far, how they didn't understand the times," the congresswoman told The Times. "He was a deep believer in the Second Amendment, and at the end he still deeply believed, but he also saw the world was changing." John Dingell died in February 2019. He was 92 years old. Read the original article on Business Insider Lyle B. Hansen and Chester Langway inspecting the sub-ice core from the Project Iceworm drilling. Photograph by David Atwood, U.S. Army-ERDC-CRREL, courtesy AIP Emilio Segre Visual Archives. Study shows for the first time that Greenland wasn't covered in ice in the recent past. The data comes from long-lost ice cores obtained during a secret army mission during the Cold War. The implications for our climate mean it could raise sea levels by 20+ feet in the next century. Drilling thousands of feet down through a giant layer of ice wasn't an easy task, but that's what the army liked about it. Grabbing ice cores for scientists to study served as a perfect cover for their real intention: burying nuclear missiles within Greenland's ice sheet as part of a program known as Project Iceworm. The project, which took place during the height of the Cold War, didn't yield the results the army wanted. But by the time they abandoned it in 1967, scientists had gathered enough ice cores to help them study Greenland's ancient climate. Along with the ice, scientists grabbed 12 feet of sediment that sat beneath the ice sheet. Most scientists were only interested in the ice, so the sediment cores were labeled, stored away in a bunch of cookie jars, and forgotten. Not unlike that bag of peas fossilizing at the back of your freezer. That is until Danish scientists re-discovered the sediment cores in 2018 and shipped them to Paul Bierman, a geologist at the University of Vermont. There, Bierman's Ph.D. candidate Andrew Christ found something unexpected signs of life. They discovered that Greenland's ice had melted in the recent past, which was incredibly surprising, Christ told Insider. This initial discovery took place over two years ago, but the scientists have just now pinpointed when the country's ice sheet had melted. The team of 21 researchers published their findings last week in Science. Melting ice on a small Greenland tundra pond Josh Brown, University of Vermont Their paper indicates that only 416,000 years ago Greenland's ice sheet melted, and sea levels were from five to 20 feet higher compared with when the sheet was frozen. This means that the current ice sheet is much more sensitive to global warming than previously thought, the scientists reported. Story continues "The ancient frozen soil from beneath Greenland's ice sheet warns of trouble ahead," Bierman and his co-author Tammy Rittenour wrote in The Conversation. More sensitive to warming The melting appears to have occurred way earlier than scientists predicted. Previous estimates put a wide window on the thawing, saying it occurred sometime in the last million years. The Earth naturally cycles through warmer phases and cooler phases, according to the Climate Change Resource Center. Shooting back to 416,000 years ago, we were in a warmer period. The researchers believe this warmer period was caused by normal cycles because they measured the amount of gases that were present in the atmosphere by looking at the molecules that were frozen in the samples. J. Kasl and D. Garfield viewing a retrieved core at Camp Century in 1966. hotograph by David Atwood, U.S. Army-ERDC-CRREL, courtesy of AIP Emilio Segre Visual Archives They determined that greenhouse gas levels were much lower back then than they are today, Christ told Insider. So if the natural, moderate warming caused the ice to melt, it means the country's ice sheet is more sensitive to temperature changes than scientists originally thought, Christ explained. He and Bierman told Insider their findings indicate that the ice sheet is probably going to be sensitive to the changes we've caused to our climate. In the coming centuries, the climate crisis will cause the Greenland ice sheet to melt completely, the researchers said. "It's not going to happen tomorrow. But it's going to happen faster and faster," Bierman said. This will cause anywhere from five feet of sea level rise to 20 plus feet, the paper reported. What would that amount of water do to a city like Miami, or the island of Manhattan, for example? Using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's sea level rise viewer, Bierman showed Insider the consequences. Slowly, the water eats ups streets, then blocks, then neighborhoods. The viewer maxes out at ten feet, but Bierman said people should think about what would happen if the waters rose even higher Read the original article on Business Insider It was meant to be an inclusive gesture to New Zealands indigenous Maori community. But plans to introduce bilingual road signs featuring both the English and te reo Maori languages have sparked a divisive, racially charged debate ahead of the countrys looming general election. New Zealand or Aotearoa as it is known to the Maori recently hosted a public consultation on whether to include te reo Maori on 94 types of road signs, including for place names, speed limits, warnings and expressway advisories. The idea, according to the national Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (whose name means traveling together as one), is to promote cultural understanding and social cohesion with the Maori community, which makes up almost a fifth of New Zealands population of 5.15 million. But the idea hasnt gone down well with right-wing opposition parties, who have attacked the signs claiming they will jeopardize road safety. An extra language will mean less space for the English words, the theory goes, and smaller type will be harder for motorists to read. Signs need to be clear. We all speak English, and they should be in English, the main opposition National Partys spokesman Simeon Brown told reporters, insisting the signs could confuse people traveling at speed. That claim prompted criticism from the ruling Labour Party government, with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins accusing the opposition of thinly disguised racial politics. Im not entirely sure where they are going with this unless its just an outright dog whistle, he said. While the National Party has since insisted it is not opposed to bilingual signs per se rather, it says, it wants the government to prioritize other things like fixing potholes and improving traffic networks the issues has sparked heated debate in the run up to the vote in October where Labour are facing a tough fight to hold onto power. People walk past Maori language signs in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2018. - Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images New life for a once dying language For many in the Maori community, the plan is as much about signposting and preserving their cultural heritage as it is about understanding road directions. Story continues Slightly less than a quarter of New Zealands 892,200 Maori speak te reo Maori as one of their first languages, according to the latest government data. While opponents use this as an argument against the signs pointing out that 95% of New Zealanders speak English according to the most recent census in 2018 supporters use the same data as an argument in favor. Part of the reason that te reo Maori is not so widely spoken is that back in New Zealands colonial era there were active efforts to stamp it out. The Native Schools Act 1867 required schools to teach in English where possible and children were often physically punished for speaking te reo Maori. That led to a decline in the language that the New Zealand government of today is trying to reverse. It wants to preserve the language as part of the countrys cultural heritage and sees bilingual signs as one way of encouraging its use. As Maori language expert Awanui Te Huia, from the Victoria University of Wellington, put it: Having bicultural signage allows us to see our language as part of our daily surroundings and contributes to the development of a bilingual national identity. To this end the government in 2018 launched a five-year plan aimed at revitalizing the language. Five years ago just 24% of New Zealanders were able to speak more than a few words or phrases of te reo Maori; by 2021 that had risen to 30%. Over the same period, support for bilingual signs rose from 51% to 56%. The longer term vision is that by 2040, 85% of New Zealanders will value te reo Maori as a key part of their nationality; 1 million people will be able to speak the basics, and that 150,000 Maori ages 15 or above will use it as much as English. For Professor Tania Kaai, director of The International Centre for Language Revitalisation at Auckland University of Technology, bilingual signs are at least a move in the right direction. I would describe it as a work in progress because the language is still at risk of dying and it does not deserve to die no language does, Kaai said. Are bilingual signs safe? While the transport agency acknowledges some people have safety concerns over the plan, it points to the example of Wales in the United Kingdom, where it says signs featuring both English and Welsh have managed to improve safety by catering to speakers of the two most common local languages. It also says the parallel between New Zealand and Wales will be particularly salient if te reo Maori becomes understood more widely in the future as the government is hoping. Several other experts have downplayed the suggestion bilingual signs pose a hazard. Even so, the issue is not entirely clear cut. Kasem Choocharukul, an engineering scholar who specializes in traffic behavior, told CNN there is no evidence that bilingual road signs in themselves negatively impact a drivers comprehension. However, design and placement of road signs, as well as the languages and the context in which they are used, have to be treated with care, said Kasem, associate dean of the engineering faculty of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. Research by the University of Leeds suggests road signs consisting of four lines, or more, are likely to slow drivers response time significantly. Kasem said that in cases where signs featured multiple languages all based on the same alphabet for instance, both Welsh and English are based on the Latin alphabet greater care was needed to differentiate them, such as by using different colors or font sizes. The primary objective of these standards is to guarantee that all road signs are unambiguous, uniform, and legible to all, he said. Essentially, poor design can be dangerous, not multiple languages, if done badly. A bilingual traffic sign on the A465 in Tredegar, Wales. - Huw Fairclough/Getty Images/File A tale of two languages The example of Wales situated more than 10,000 miles away from New Zealand isnt as random as it may seem. Commentators say there are a host of uncomfortable parallels between the fortunes of te reo Maori and Welsh, which was also once in danger of dying out but has since witnessed a resurgence. At the same time as 19th century European settlers in New Zealand were punishing students for speaking te reo Maori, the British government was actively discouraging the use of the Welsh language, or Cymraeg, in the wake of widespread social unrest. In 1847 (20 years before New Zealands Native Schools Act) a British government report into Welsh linked the language to stupidity, sexual promiscuity and unruly behavior, prompting a drive to remove the language from local schools. This led to the notorious punishment known as the Welsh Nots. These were planks of wood with the initials W.N. on them that would be hung around the necks of students caught speaking the language in school. The turning point for Welsh came a century later, following a series of civil disobedience campaigns by the Welsh Language Society in the 1960s. One of these campaigns involved activists defacing and removing English-only signs on streets and roads. Bilingual road signs began to spring up. Three decades later, and the British Parliament was actively encouraging the use of Welsh. In 1993, it passed the Welsh Language Act to ensure the language shares the same status as English during day-to-day business in Wales. The language is now spoken by more than 900,000 people in Wales, out of a population of more than 3 million. James Griffiths, author of Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics of Language and a former CNN journalist, said Wales was a prime example of how sound policies could revive a native language, but he noted that, as in New Zealand, there had been resistance from some quarters. I think for a lot of people, if they speak the language of the majority, they dont appreciate the type of recognition and representation of having it on road signs, he said. Across the Irish Sea, bilingual signs bearing both Irish Gaelic and English have existed in the Republic of Ireland dating back to the start of the 20th century. The Hawaii comparison Other commentators draw parallels to how the US state of Hawaii has used road signs to encourage use of Olelo Hawaii which, like te reo Maori, is a Polynesian language. Before the passing of the Hawaii State Constitutional Convention in 1978, which made Hawaiian an official language of the the state, there had been concerns it might go extinct. In the 1980s, teaching of Hawaiian in schools began to pick up momentum and parents began making greater efforts to pass the language on to later generations, said Puakea Nogelmeier, professor emeritus of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaii. This momentum continues to build to this day, with Hawaiis Department of Transportation last year moving to introduce diacritical markings such as the okina and kahako dots and lines that indicate glottal stops or longer vowels to its road signs to help non-native Hawaiian speakers grasp correct pronunciations. According to a local government survey in 2016, about 18,000 residents now speak Hawaiian at home in a state with a population of more than 1.4 million. But Nogelmeier says that while it has become more common to hear conversations conducted in Olelo Hawaii, the battle to revive the language is far from over. Unlike in New Zealand, where the Maori people reached an agreement with the New Zealand government to preserve te reo Maori under the Maori Language Act 2016, he says the movement in Hawaii is driven primarily by the community, making the cause more decorative than functional and akin to a bit of a hobby. Nogelmeier also says that efforts in Hawaii are largely limited to using Olelo Hawaii for place names, rather than more complicated linguistic uses. He should know: On Hawaiian buses, it is Nogelmeiers voice that calls out the names of stops in the local language. Lost in translation Using indigenous place names also allows outsiders to have a better understanding of how to pronounce words and boost tourism. Both Wales and New Zealand have some famous tongue-twisters for those unfamiliar with the local language. Llanfairpwllgwyngyll or to give it its full title Llanfair-pwllgwyngyll-gogery-chwyrn-drobwll-llan-tysilio-gogo-goch is a little village on the Welsh island of Anglesey and lays claim to being the longest town name in Europe. That however it is dwarfed by New Zealands own Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a hill near Hawkes Bay which prides itself as the worlds longest place name. With New Zealand having wrapped up its public consultation on the signs at the end of June, one other challenge remains should the plan go ahead: ensuring there arent any translation bloopers. One road sign in Wales made national headlines in 2008 when local council officials sought a translation for a road sign that was meant to say: No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only. Their mistake was to email the in-house translation service and not scrutinize its reply too closely. Officials requested a sign that read: Nid wyf yn y swyddfa ar hyn o bryd. Anfonwch unrhyw waith iw gyfieithy. Only later did they realize that is the Welsh for: I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A man is dead after a motorcycle crash in Duquesne. Allegheny County dispatchers say emergency crews were called to Harden Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue at 8:32 p.m. Saturday. Neighbors who live in the area say they saw a man ejected from the motorcycle after crashing into a car. The windshield of a car was shattered where witnesses say the man landed. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner said 33-year-old Ja-Quan Washington, from Homestead, died at a hospital after an incident on Harden and Commonwealth Avenues. Witnesses say about 100 people were gathering at a home in the area when the crash happened. Channel 11 reached out to Duquesne police for more information multiple times but has not heard back at this time. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: 2 people hurt when vehicle crashes into Idlewild ticket booth 2 people injured in crash on Route 28 Giant Eagle issues ground beef recall due to potential plastic fragments in product VIDEO:RAW: 2 people injured in crash on Route 28; all lanes closed DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts A Randolph Township man has been sentenced to two years in prison for fleeing the scene of a crash that killed 22-year-old Kent State University student Colin Pho, shown here, while Pho was riding an electric scooter. A Randolph Township man has been sentenced to two years in prison for leaving the scene of a crash that killed a Kent State University student on an electric scooter last year. During his sentencing last week in Portage County Court of Common Pleas, Judge Becky Doherty also suspended 20-year-old Timothy M. Brind's driver's license for three years. The maximum prison sentence allowed under state law is three years, according to court records, while the driver's license suspension imposed by Doherty is the maximum. Brind pleaded guilty in May to third-degree felony failure to stop after an accident, the lone charge in a grand jury indictment. "It was a tragic accident, a tragic accident," said Frank Cimino, Brind's attorney. "The tragedy of it is significant for both families." The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Colin James Vinh Pho, 22, of Kent, was riding his electric scooter eastbound on Summit Road at state Route 261 in Franklin Township when a vehicle struck the scooter from behind at about 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 22, 2022. The then-unidentified vehicle fled the scene. Cimino said he believes Brind did so out of fear. "A young driver and shocked as far as what happened, basically the only thing I can gather," he said. Pho was taken by ambulance to University Hospitals Portage Medical Center and then flown by helicopter to UH Cleveland Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead soon after his arrival. Pho was a junior at KSU, majoring in computer science, with a concentration in game programming. He was from Ashtabula. More: 'We are still heartbroken': Father of Kent State student killed in hit-skip speaks out Jonathan Pho, Colin's father, said he understands Doherty's reasons for sentencing Brind to two years instead of three because Brind pleaded guilty rather than taking the case to trial. But the grieving father said he would have preferred the maximum sentence because he does not believe Brind has shown enough remorse. Story continues "So I do not think that two years is enough incarceration time to quote, unquote, rehabilitate him because he's a young kid," said Pho. "Two years is just a blip in his life. And so I believe that he would just go back to his same habits again and become a reckless, careless driver. So in my view, two years is not long enough. "He has a future. And unfortunately, my son does not. And unfortunately, we could not press any stiffer charges like vehicular homicide or involuntary manslaughter, because none of those were present in the facts of the case. So pretty much we can settle only on the two years, which, again, I am not happy about. But at least, at least, he's incarcerated and at least hopefully, we'll learn from the two years." According to a highway patrol crash report, evidence gathered during an investigation indicated that the scooter was in the right lane, but quickly moved into the left lane in front of the car, identified as a 2008 Dodge Charger owned by Brind. Evidence indicated that Brind attempted to swerve to avoid a collision, but struck the rear of the scooter. Pho has said he disputes the implication that his son was at fault in the crash. Pho says he is considering civil action against Brind but knows his chances of getting any monetary damages is slim. Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com. This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Man gets two-year sentence for fleeing crash that killed KSU student The X sign lights up at night. Noah Berger/AP Elon Musk had an X sign placed on the roof of the company's San Francisco headquarters on Friday. Social media users speculated about the logo's brightness, prompting one neighbor to share videos. The neighbor told local news station KTVU he was "annoyed" at the light pollution outside his home. A man living across the street from X's San Francisco headquarters said "it's hard to describe how bright" the company's new sign is. On Friday, Elon Musk had the logo installed atop the building's roof amid the company's transition away from its former name, Twitter. As social media users discussed the rebrand online, one viral post pointed out how the logo's bright lights are aimed directly at the building across the street. "I would be fucking LIVID. Imagine this fucking X sign right across from your bedroom," the post read. Christopher J. Beale, a journalist and audio engineer for KQED, responded to the post hours later with his personal insights. "Imagine no more. This is my life now," he wrote alongside a video showing the illuminated X logo from the window of his home. He also shared a separate video that showed the logo's lights pulsating and strobing in a night club-esque fashion at night. Beale's post quickly garnered attention from others, with many X users sympathizing with him and discussing the light pollution. "It legit hurt my eyes when they were testing it in daylight it's hard to describe how bright it is," Beale told one user. In an interview with local news station KTVU, Beale said he didn't anticipate the logo's bright lights when construction on the building began this week. Story continues "Around 11 last night they had it at full blast, strobing, and it lit this entire area up like it was daylight," he told the outlet. "Even with the shades down, it was to the point where we couldn't even watch the movie we were trying to watch in the living room and we had to move to the other side of the apartment." The new X sign atop the San Francisco headquarters on July 29, 2023. JOSH EDELSON/Getty Images He told KTVU that he is "a little annoyed" by the sign's brightness, but doesn't plan to file a complaint with the city. "I'm a little annoyed by it, but I'm a journalist, so I kind of just document things and I figure one of my one to 2,000 neighbors will handle the complaint to City Hall," he said. "I'm definitely not a fan of its location." Beale and representatives for X did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. The saga surrounding the headquarters and signage began on Monday when Musk attempted to remove the former Twitter sign from the side of the building. However, the San Francisco Police Department intervened and halted construction workers from completing the job, citing "a possible unpermitted street closure." The authorities later determined that "no crime was committed, and this incident was not a police matter." A worker removed the "Twitter" sign from the company's headquarters after owner Elon Musk renamed it "X." Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Following the new X logo's installation, the Associated Press reported that the city of San Francisco opened a complaint and launched an investigation. Patrick Hannan, a local Department of Building Inspection spokesperson, told AP that a permit is required to erect a sign on a building. Read the original article on Insider ABC News Matthew McConaughey, candidate for office? It could be more likely than you think. The actor spoke to ABCs This Week about his new grant program to address school safety issues following last years mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where he was asked whether some of those issues could be solved from a political standpointand if hed lead the charge. Could you see yourself running for something? host Jonathan Karl asked. McConaughey floundered, noting that the question centered on which arenathe political or otherwisedid he find himself the most useful. Matthew McConaughey Delivers Fiery White House Sermon for Uvalde Victims Theres a great question that Im still answering, he said. As of right now, to be a private citizen with my wife and to come up with an idea like the Greenlights Grant Initiativeto work with the government publicly to help them, not doing the job for them, helping them pull off what they set out to do in the first placethere is an argument that thats more useful, what Im doing right now, in a small way. McConaughey previously floated a run for Texas governor in 2021 after polls showed him with a lead against the incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. He ultimately decided against it, however, noting at the time that it wasnt the right moment for him. Its a humbling and inspiring path to ponder, McConaughey said in a video posted to his account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It is also a path that Im choosing not to take at this moment. Abbott won re-election last year against Democrat Beto ORourke. McConaughey spoke to Karl about his Greenlights Grant Initiative, a platform designed to make it easier for schools to wade through government bureaucracy and access federal safety funds. He also hoped the program would help cut through the divisions surrounding gun control, which he said are too rooted in partisan extremes. No one wants to be controlled. But responsibility is still something that we can all go, Yeah, I'll take responsibility, he said, later adding: The Second Amendment defenders could talk responsibility. They could look you in the eye and talk responsibility with someone from the other side of the aisle. Story continues 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. Max Verstappen is now within one race from another Formula One record after winning his eighth race in a row at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. Verstappen came from sixth on the grid at Spa-Francorchamps to finish over 22 seconds ahead of his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in second and over 32 seconds ahead of third-placed Charles Leclerc. The dominant victory was his 10th of the season and his eighth in a row. The record for the most consecutive race wins is held by Sebastian Vettel with nine. Staggeringly, it is the 13th straight win for Red Bull, dating back to last season, and 12th in a row this year, the first team in the sports history to win the first 12 races of the season. Its a new spot (winning from) P6. I knew that we had a great car and it was just about surviving Turn One. I could see it getting really tight so I was just going to stay out of that and it worked out, he said afterwards on Sky Sports. From there onwards we made the right overtakes and moves. I got a bit stuck in a DRS train at the start but once that cleared I could do my own pace. Again, really enjoyable. The Dutch driver continued to show why hes the runaway drivers championship leader Sundays win extended his lead to 125 points passing his opposition at will during the race. Verstappen celebrates on the podium. - Dan Mullan/Getty Images At one point during the race, Verstappen felt so comfortable that he even suggested he do a pit stop practice. I could also push on and do another stop a bit of pit stop practice, Verstappen could be heard saying to his team on their radio. The response was emphatic. No. Not this time. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Protesters demonstrate at Pan Pacific Park after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed in 2020 after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground with his knee. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) An appellate court has ruled that a sweeping Los Angeles County criminal justice reform initiative known as Measure J is constitutional, potentially paving the way for millions of dollars to be invested in social services and a host of community-based jail diversion programs. A three-judge panel of the state's 2nd District Court of Appeal on Friday reversed an L.A. County Superior Court judge's ruling in 2021 that struck down the voter-approved initiative. Measure J requires that 10% of locally generated, unrestricted L.A. County money estimated between $360 million and $900 million be spent on social services, including housing, mental health treatment and other jail diversion programs. The county is prohibited from spending the money on the carceral system prisons, jails or law enforcement agencies. Measure J was a landmark moment in L.A. County politics when the powerful Board of Supervisors acted on what community activists had been pleading with the board to do for years: reallocate how county money is spent to disrupt the county's reliance on its jails to house those with serious mental illnesses and people who committed low-level crimes in response to poverty or addiction. The supervisors voted in July 2020 to place Measure J on the ballot when those pleas were amplified, and made politically safer to address, after a national outcry over the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota and similar killings of unarmed Black people by law enforcement. About 2.2 million L.A. County voters, representing 57% of the ballots cast, approved the November 2020 ballot measure. However, the following December, a coalition of county unions (and two private residents) demanded in court that Measure J be stopped, arguing "the voters lacked constitutional and statutory authority to require the Board and County officers to take specific budget actions," according to court records. Read more: Judge says sweeping L.A. criminal justice reform measure is unconstitutional Story continues The opposition group was essentially led by the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, a union representing sheriff's deputies, which had spent more than $3.5 million on advertising on TV and social media to fight Measure J. In June 2021, L.A. County Superior Court Judge Mary H. Strobel ruled in favor of the unions, holding that Measure J was unconstitutional because it improperly restricted how the L.A. County Board of Supervisors could spend county money. The only question presented is whether the ballot process can be used to take this budgeting choice out of the hands of the current and future elected boards, Strobel wrote in her proposed ruling in June 2021. The court concludes it cannot. But, on Friday, the 2nd District Court of Appeal reversed Strobel's decision, holding that the California Constitution allows counties to implement such budgeting strategies into their charters. (Not all California counties have charters, but L.A. County is one, meaning it has some self-governing power allowed through its charter.) Measure J "neither impairs the exercise of essential government functions nor violates state law," the appellate court held. "Measure J thus is enforceable." Friday's news brought much celebration from community activists who spent hundreds of hours lobbying the Board of Supervisors for change. Read more: After year of civil unrest, Measure J asks voters to approve criminal justice reforms L.A. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who co-chaired the Re-Imagine L.A. County campaign, was cheering and overwhelmed with joy when called for comment. "This is a win that a lot of us have been waiting for, and its so powerful because it reaffirms this vision," Hernandez said. "Communities want ... our dollars to go to care, and I think when we talk about public safety, Measure J was our response to what we think public safety is and what it should look like." Derek Hsieh, executive director of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, said his organization is disappointed with Friday's court decision, and its attorneys will analyze the ruling to determine the organization's next steps in fighting Measure J. Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn said in a statement that the voters of L.A. County made it clear they want us to spend more money keeping people out of jail, and this appeals court has upheld their wishes. It remains unclear how Measure J will affect the county's budget, including the Sheriff's Department. After Measure J was struck down, the Board of Supervisors committed to budgeting exactly as Measure J called for. The supervisors created the Care First Community Investment fund and have allocated about $400 million to it over the last few years. Measure J opponents previously argued these types of funding cuts would harm public safety and cause crime rates to rise. Hsieh said it's hard to discern whether those funding changes have affected the L.A. County Sheriff's Department in part because the agency remains deeply understaffed with deputies working hundreds of hours in overtime. The supervisors have failed to train and hire new deputies, he said. "With the increasing criminal issues within L.A. County and the coming of the Olympics and other significant events, I dont think the supervisors are going to have a choice but grow the department's academies," Hsieh said. Megan Castillo, who serves on the fund's advisory committee, said the county must commit more. Since the beginnings of Measure J, the county chief executive officer and community activists have been at odds over how much money should be allocated for Measure J. The county CEO originally estimated that $360 million would be allocated for Measure J, while activists argued that number was closer to $900 million. Castillo, Re-Imagine LA Coalition coordinator, said if the supervisors want to follow the full spirit of Measure J, they will allocate more to address the county's under- and disinvestment in BIPOC communities that's led to over-policing and generational trauma. "This is a major victory for the people," said Castillo, policy and advocacy manager at nonprofit La Defensa. "The law enforcement special interest groups tried to use the judicial system to circumvent change for L.A. County residents because they fear the power of the people, and I think this (ruling) is a testament that says Measure J is truly here to stay." Times staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian and Keri Blakinger 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. Meghan McCain is appalled that the 2024 Republican field for the White House wont attack former President Donald Trump. The absolute dumbest part of this election is all of the GOP candidates running for President who arent actually running against Trump, she tweeted on July 23. Aside from (former New Jersey Gov. Chris) Christie, they all are just dancing around Trump or giving him props. Just drop out and endorse him if you think Trump is so great. I think McCain understands the problem better than she lets on. She knows why those Republicans demure. She knows because she is the McCain child who most loves politics. She knows because she loved her father and often talked politics with him. There is no way she avoided talking to him about the Trump problem when it confronted John McCain in Arizonas 2016 election for the U.S. Senate. The absolute dumbest part of this election is all of the GOP candidates running for President who aren't actually running against Trump. Aside from Christie, they all are just dancing around Trump or giving him props. Just drop out and endorse him if you think Trump is so great. Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) July 23, 2023 Despite attacks, John McCain wouldn't disavow Trump Back then, John McCain wasnt running against Trump; nonetheless, he had a Trump problem. So afflicted, he was under siege from Democrats and left-wing commentators. The reason? He wouldnt disavow Trump. By then Trump had already crossed a number of red lines in American politics, encouraging violence on the campaign trail, stereotyping Latin American immigrants and insulting a Gold Star family who had lost a son in the Iraq War. Meghan McCain with her father, Sen. John McCain, on "The View" in 2017. To add further insult, Trump had personally attacked McCain. Hes not a war hero, Trump said in 2015 of McCains time as a Vietnam War prisoner at the infamous Hanoi Hilton. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people that werent captured. Story continues Nonetheless, McCain would not disown Trump. He stood half-heartedly by the man he would not call by name: I support the nominee of the party. As Trump continued to violate the rules of conduct, McCain would criticize him, but then, once again, affirm his support for the nominee. Once more, Trump would tweet something stupid, and the news media would pounce on McCain. Eventually, the cycle turned to farce. Evel Knievel ran for president? It's not that crazy a premise. Think Donald Trump. McCain grew testy: Ive said everything I have to say about Trump. What more do you want me to say? You want me to repeat myself over and over again? Finally, in October 2016, the infamous 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape surfaced of Trump talking like a foul-mouthed frat boy on a bender, and McCain could no longer stand pat. He disavowed Trump. His Democratic opponent used his slow-motion divorce from the nominee as a whipping post. U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick cut an ad saying, The John McCain I once voted for wouldnt have chosen Sarah Palin or endorsed Trump. Johns changed. He cares only about his reelection. Donald Trump is a freak of nature The problem todays GOP field faces is roughly the same problem John McCain faced in 2016. They need Trump voters to win the election. As we all know by now, Trump is no ordinary politician. Hes a freak of nature. The 100-year flood. Is America on the brink of tyranny? Trump's plan if elected in 2024 should frighten us all. There is no playbook to defeat a politician who gets twice impeached, loses a general election, faces multiple felony indictments and still commands nearly 70% support from GOP voters, according to an April NBC News poll. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came the closest to challenging Trumps dominance, and then the feds raided Mar-a-Lago. It has been downhill ever since. DeSantis has gone through the refiners fire that all candidates who come within striking distance of the White House must endure. Hes fighting a three-front war against Trump, the Democrats and the news media. McCain went through this same refiners fire the first time he ran for president in 2000. As he closed in on George W. Bush in 1999, the news broke that Arizona Republican Gov. Jane Hull would be endorsing Bush, because the homegrown McCain has a bad temper (Doesnt that sound quaint in the Trump era?). Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Interactions with Sen. McCain are not particularly warm, Hull said as she feigned holding a telephone receiver from her ear. Youve got to hold it out there for a while, and let him calm down, she said. We all have our faults, and its something that John has to keep control of. Even former administrative aide Grant Woods piled on, saying McCain had been heavy-handed. People come away with great respect and admiration for him," Woods said. "But its kind of ridiculous to gloss over big flaws and pretend they dont exist. John McCain likes being the maverick but does not tolerate mavericks well. Governor Hull was not willing to be told how to do her job. Soon McCain would fall. But the presidential candidate would be back in 2008, when he confronted another force of nature, another 100-year event: Barack Obama. Phil Boas As Sen. McCain used to say, its one thing to kibitz from the sidelines. Its another to stand in the ring. Be grateful, Meghan McCain, that when you finally step in that ring which I believe you will the Trump problem will be history. Phil Boas is an editorial columnist with The Arizona Republic, where this column first published. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Meghan McCain attacks GOP, forgetting her dad's own Trump problem Two high-profile incidents in quick succession involving Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) have put the issue of aging politicians front and center. But the questions raised around mental capacity and fitness for office have no easy answers. Proposals that might begin to address the issue, such as term limits or cognitive tests beyond a certain age, confront an instant Catch-22. In order to be enacted, they need the support of politicians who might be negatively impacted by them. Meanwhile, the people around those politicians have generally no incentive to nudge them to change their minds. I think some of what drives these people to stay on forever is a personal power thing that they cant let go of, progressive strategist Jonathan Tasini said. The second thing that drives this, though, is the staff. I think what really gets ignored is how the staff cover for people who clearly cant function, because they themselves dont want to lose their power. This weeks incidents involved two of five current senators who are 80 or older. First, McConnell appeared to freeze up, for unexplained reasons, while delivering remarks to reporters Wednesday. The following day, Feinstein seemed confused during a committee roll-call vote. Feinstein started giving general remarks, when all that was required was that she cast her vote. Just say Aye, her colleague, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), could be heard telling Feinstein. Feinstein, 90, is the oldest sitting senator. McConnell is 81. There are specific concerns about both senators, separate and apart from the broader issue of elected officials seeking to remain in office in their ninth decade. McConnell suffered a concussion earlier this year in a fall at a Washington hotel an incident in which he also suffered a broken rib. The accident kept McConnell away from the Senate of almost six weeks while he recuperated. In the wake of Wednesdays incident, it has also been reported by multiple outlets that McConnell suffered two other falls this year one in Helsinki, and one at Washingtons Ronald Reagan National Airport. Story continues Medical professionals have speculated as to whether what happened Wednesday may have been a seizure or mini-stroke. The majority leader himself has professed to be fine. His staff have said of the incident that he felt lightheaded. The Feinstein incident was, in some ways, more worrisome, given that concerns have been raised about her cognitive abilities for some time. In late 2020, she asked the same question twice in succession, apparently unaware she was repeating herself, in a hearing with then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Last year, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that four senators, including three Democrats, had told its reporters about their worries regarding Feinstein. One congressional Democrat representing California anonymously described a meeting at which he or she had to reintroduce themselves to Feinstein repeatedly. Feinstein, who is retiring at the next election, has defended her own capabilities. Her staff has said she was preoccupied during Thursdays roll call vote. Other allies have suggested there is an element of sexism in the apparent desire to push Feinstein out. They note examples of past male senators, including Sens. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) and Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), whose capacities were widely believed to be diminished late in life but who did not face the same public pressure to step down. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 83, was one of Feinsteins most vigorous defenders in that regard. Pelosi announced she was stepping down as the leader of House Democrats last year, having spent 20 years atop her conference. But the McConnell and Feinstein episodes are also important because of the way in which they illuminate a larger picture. President Biden is 80 and prone to slips-ups, as when he recently twice referred to the war in Iraq when he clearly meant Ukraine. Former President Trump is 77 and, while rarely hesitant in the Biden fashion, he often launches into bizarre asides during his long campaign speeches. Its not as if the issue of aging politicians is off-limits. GOP presidential contender Nikki Haley has proposed mandatory cognitive tests for office-holders 75 and older. Her proposal was seen more as a shot across the bow of Biden and Trump specifically rather than an idea that had any real chance of being enacted. Haley, 51, talks often on the campaign trail about the need for new generational leaders. Talk also bubbles up intermittently about term limits for senators and House members. Term limits face the philosophical question of whether voters should be denied the chance to reelect who they wish for as long as they wish presidency excepted. There is also the practical difficulty that politicians are not eager to vote to, in effect, abbreviate their own careers. The fact is, politicians like pretty much everyone else are living to older ages, and some people stay physically and mentally sharp and other people deteriorate somewhat, said Tobe Berkovitz, a Boston University professor emeritus who specialized in political communications. The question is, should it be up to the voters or up to the doctors to decide when someone should be out of office. There is also the question of how any restriction on age or mental abilities would be codified or enforced. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is 81, and even his most staunch ideological opponents dont seriously question his mental capacity. For the moment, it seems most likely that the issue of aging politicians will remain a conundrum without an obvious solution. Its not that you reach 75 and you should be gone, said Tasini. The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Miami plastic surgeon has been accused of injecting blood contaminated with plastic into a liposuction patient. The doctors attorney says that didnt happen, and the complaining patient is upset over a refund not given for a Brazilian butt lift not done. Whats definite is 305 Plastic Surgerys Dr. Karl William Schwarz Dr. William Schwarz on the office surgery centers website has agreed to pay a $7,500 fine, up to $6,196 in case costs, take a five-hour continuing medical education course in risk management and a three-hour course in medical recordkeeping. A letter of concern also will be filed against Schwarzs license. Thats in the proposed settlement agreement that the state Board of Medicine will or wont approve during its Aug. 4 meeting. The Public Book for that meeting, posted on the board website, includes that proposed settlement as well the Florida Department of Health administrative complaint and the Schwarzs response via attorney Gregory Chaires. After Chaires gives a long denial of the blood accusation, he writes, as Dr. Schwarz wishes to put this matter behind him so that he may return his complete focus to his patients and family, he has decided to enter into the proposed settlement agreement. Schwarz hasnt faced any discipline since becoming licensed in Florida on June 28, 2017. The American Board of Plastic Surgery says hes been board certified since Nov. 11, 2017. READ MORE: Miami plastic surgeon fined for ignoring patient having post-liposuction problems A liposuction done, a BBL not done in Miami The Florida Department of Health administrative complaint says patient S.H. went to 305 Plastic Surgery, 564 SW 42nd Ave., on Jan. 26, 2021, so Schwarz could perform a liposuction with fat transfer and cell saver. A Brazilian Butt Lift or BBL is a liposuction procedure in which fat is sucked from part of the body and injected into the buttocks. The complaint describes the cell saver procedure as a blood transfer that involves recovering blood lost during surgery and re-infusion into the patient. Story continues Chaires letter said the 34-year-old woman was there for 360 liposuction (abdomen, waist, mid back, lower back, love handles) and BBL, both of which she had done by a different surgeon on Nov. 21, 2019. The complaint said Schwarz told S.H. he did the liposuction and the cell saver, but not the fat transfer due to the discovery of small beads of plastic during the liposuction procedure. But, the complaint also claimed that Schwarz, in doing the cell saver re-injection, injected blood that was recovered from the liposuction procedure after discovering plastic beads in the tissue removed from S.H. Also, Schwarz, the complaint alleges, noted in S.H.s operative report that (he) injected 990 cc of fat into each of S.H.s buttocks, though he had failed to inject any fat into either one of S.H.s buttocks. Chaires letter says Schwarz did find hard spherical, pea-sized objects that kept clogging the fat-sucking cannula when he performed the liposuction on S.H.s back area. But, the presence of those objects and patient safety were exactly why Schwarz didnt inject that fat into S.H.s buttocks. And, the cell saver procedure actually is done by the anesthesiologist, Chaires wrote, who had only material from S.H.s front. Chaires said the departments reviewing physician, Dr. Byron Pat Pazmino critically misunderstood the events that occurred during the surgery. The administrative complaint is framed upon the opinion by Dr. Pazmino, which incorrectly represents events that did not occur, namely the alleged injection/transfusion of red blood cells into the patient that were mixed with lipoaspirate contaminated with foreign bodies, Chaires letter said. The patient only received aspirate from the front of her body, which was obtained prior to and apart from the back of her body where the foreign bodies were identified. Chaires letter says S.H. came back the next day and was healing well and was without complaint. It also says, however, that she was upset because she was not given a refund for the butt lift not done. This editorial is part of Miami Dysfunction, a series that examines flaws in the city of Miamis structure of governance. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced his 2024 Republican presidential primary bid with a big claim. Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, Suarez boasted about turning his Democrat-dominated city into one that has successfully reelected this Republican mayor in 2017 and 2021 by nearly 80% of the vote. Suarez is right. He won election and reelection in Miami with 85% and 78% of votes cast, respectively. And that sounds impressive. But heres what he didnt say: Just 14% of voters went to the polls fewer than 31,000 in a city with more than 217,000 registered voters in 2021. Thats not a mandate from his constituents. Far from it. Poor voter engagement is not a Suarez problem its a Miami problem. Its partly though probably not entirely the result of the elections for mayor and City Commission taking place in odd years when no other big races are on the ballot. Off-cycle voter turnout is generally lower. So why does Miami put important decisions on the ballot when voters arent paying attention? In November, most of the City Commission will be up for reelection, and we doubt many residents know about it. Voter participation is an embarrassment for Miami-Dade Countys largest city a world-class destination, tech hub and financial center. Turnout hasnt surpassed 16% in any election in the past decade. It once got as low as 8.5% in a 2015 runoff, data from the countys Supervisor of Elections office shows. Miami has been plagued with scandal after scandal recently, from the payments Suarez received from a developer doing business in the city to a federal jurys decision that Commissioner Joe Carollo abused his powers to retaliate, by weaponizing code enforcement against two Little Havana businessmen who supported his opponent. Its impossible not to wonder whether voter apathy and the citys dysfunction are related. Story continues There are no perfect solutions to this problem. Voters, of course, need to show up. But we should make it easy. One idea that deserves serious consideration would be changing Miamis elections from odd-numbered years to midterms and presidential elections, when turnout is higher because voters are more engaged. Miami isnt the only municipality in Miami-Dade with such off-year election timing, but given its size almost 450,000 residents and $2.5 billion annual budget, it requires special attention. Theres evidence to back up the effectiveness of this solution. A 2016 study by Rice University found that cities in California that held mayoral races in the same year as presidential and midterm elections had turnout of up to 22 points higher. Faced with similar issues as Miami, places like Los Angeles changed the timing of their local elections. The number of voters casting ballots in L.A. grew 400% in 2020 compared to 2015, according to a study by the University of California San Diego. Moving elections to be on-cycle would be the best way to increase turnout, Aaron Weinschenk, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay who researches political participation, told the Herald Editorial Board. Every study that I have ever seen on local turnout . . . has shown that turnout is way higher in local elections when they occur during presidential elections or midterm elections. What is Miami waiting for? Mayors and council members arguably are even more consequential than governors, members of Congress and presidents. They directly impact your quality of life, from how much development is allowed in your neighborhood to what you pay in property taxes. Voters who sit on the sidelines may wind up with a government that doesnt put their needs first. That could easily mean younger and poorer constituents are overlooked. The median age of Miamis voting population age was 68 in 2013, the oldest among 50 U.S. communities analyzed for a project called Who Votes for Mayor?, by Portland State University and the Knight Foundation. The median age of Miamis adult population, meanwhile, was 45.2 years. Low voter turnout is just one of many reasons Miami is dysfunctional. The Herald Editorial Board has also advocated for a larger City Commission. All of these changes require political will. Moving elections requires a city charter amendment approved by voters. Voters, themselves, can put the amendment on the ballot, through an expensive and long petition process, or the City Commission can do it. The latter is, unfortunately, unlikely. Commissioners benefit when only their most faithful supporters show up at the polls. That ensures there are few repercussions for bad behavior like Carollos abuse of power, which has been common knowledge for decades. There are downsides to moving Miami elections to coincide with on-cycle contests. Local issues might be drowned out by bigger races for state and federal offices. Local nonpartisan races run the risk of becoming embroiled in a greater amount of partisanship. The turnout in the August primary in midterms isnt particularly good, though it increases in the November general election and in years when theres a presidential race. Theres no guarantee that politicians like Carollo wouldnt get elected, or that City Hall would be fixed if more Miamians voted. But greater voter participation could force elected officials to appeal to a larger number of constituents. Miami is an outlier Odd-year elections are a common American practice intended to push voters to focus on community issues. But less than a quarter of the countrys adult population usually votes in these contests, according to the study by the University of California San Diego. Miami stands out as being among the worst. Turnout in Miami Beach and Coral Gables, for example, was up to 13 points greater than Miami in the past four elections, even though those cities have odd-year elections. Miami had the ninth-lowest voter turnout in mayoral races among the 50 U.S. communities included in the project Who Votes for Mayor? Whats wrong with Miami? It depends on whom you ask. Some of the experts who spoke with the Herald Editorial Board blame a reduction in local news coverage, voters lack of understanding of the importance of city government, a transient population in parts of the city like Brickell and downtown and a feeling among voters that Miami is so bad theres nothing they can change. Those voters are mistaken. They can, and should, take responsibility to improve the city. Dont like Miamis dysfunction? Vote. Lake Michigans water might seem boundless but it's at risk as more communities draw from it. HOLLAND We live in one of the most water-rich places on Earth. The Great Lakes hold about one-fifth of all of the surface freshwater in the world. With all this water around us, we take for granted our fresh, clean water. However, across the country, water scarcity is increasing, and community drinking water supplies are drying up. We see our neighbors in other states struggling with their drinking water supplies, and their answer to this problem? Taking water from Lake Michigan. Waukesha, Wisconsin, located just outside of Milwaukee, is finishing a three-year construction project to switch its municipal water supply from failing aquifers to Lake Michigan. Joliet, a suburb of Chicago, was just approved to purchase Lake Michigan water. Foxconn Technology Group, a privately-held company in Racine, Wisconsin, was approved to divert seven million gallons of Lake Michigan water a day for company use. Is there anything governing these requests for Lake Michigan water? The short answer is yes. The Great Lakes Compact is a federal and international agreement between the Great Lakes states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec that governs all water diversions into and out of the Great Lakes basin, except those in Chicago, which are controlled by a separate 1899 Supreme Court case. Lake Michigans water might seem boundless but it's at risk as more communities draw from it. The Compact allows for two types of diversions: for communities that lie between the Great Lakes basin and any other basin, and for those in any county that straddles the basin. The first must be approved by the state the community is in, and the second by all basin states. Waukesha, Joliet, and Racine might seem like communities that are part of the Great Lakes basin, but they actually reside just outside, in the Mississippi River basin. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage The question of whether or not all of this water being taken from the Great Lakes will impact water levels and the overall health of the basin is a complicated question to answer. Story continues For those diversions governed by the Compact, a requirement for approval is water must be returned to the Great Lakes basin. This ensures that overall water volumes won't change much. It also functionally prohibits non-Great Lakes states and communities outside the region from requesting diversions. Right now the Compact protects the environmental health of the Great Lakes, but if demand for water outside the basin continues to grow, the basins health could be in danger. Why? Because the Compact will face continued pressure to allow outside water diversions as water scarcity threatens our nation's drinking water. In order to protect the health of Lake Michigan and the lakes and rivers we love so much, the integrity of the Compact must be protected. Devin White is a senior at Hope College. About This Series:MiSustainable Holland is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. This Weeks Sustainability Framework Theme: Environmental Awareness/Action: Environmental education and integrating environmental practices into our planning will change negative outcomes of the past and improve our future. This article originally appeared on Ionia Sentinel-Standard: MiSustainable Holland: More communities are taking Lake Michigan water In 2021, when Svyatoslav and Svitlana Iotko arrived in Sacramento with their three children, they were refugees, fleeing from a rapidly deteriorating situation in Ukraine that would flare into a full-blown geopolitical war just a few months later. Dnipro, their hometown, lies deep within the eastern European country but is surrounded on three sides by the Russo-Ukrainian wars front lines. The city has been the target of numerous airstrikes since the war began, including a bombing in January of this year that killed 46, including six children, and left hundreds more homeless. That war is still escalating, and so, too, is the number of Ukrainian refugees coming to Sacramento seeking a new life. Opinion Our region is now home to the highest number of Ukrainians per capita in the nation, and hosts the fourth-highest number of Ukrainian immigrants of any metropolitan U.S. city, behind only New York City, Chicago and Seattle, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. When the Iotkos arrived in Sacramento, Svitlana said family and friends advised them to look into Elica Health Centers, a locally-based, federally-qualified health-care clinic with 10 locations across Sacramento and West Sacramento. Svitlana Iotko helps her daughter Anastasia, 12, on July 21, who suffers from scoliosis during her physical therapy exercises at home in Fair Oaks. My daughter has scoliosis and the doctor at Elica was so nice that she referred us to physical therapy so we are pretty happy to have these people as friends, said Iotko. What they found was far more than just a medical clinic: Svitlana says Elica and its Immigrant Resource Center held their hands through the first two years of living in a totally new world. You dont know the system, you dont know what to do, and they guide you step by step, Svitlana said. All those people helped us as refugees, as new immigrants, to understand this system. Svitlana Iotko says Elica Health Center helped her and her family navigate the complicated healthcare paperwork when she arrived from the Ukraine nine months before the start of the war. We had a big cultural shock when we moved to California and Elica really helped us a lot because there are so many nice people that speak your own language and they help you feel like at home, said Iotko. Nearly 50 years of aid in Sacramento Elica serves thousands of refugees and immigrants from every possible country, said Dr. Grace Tidwell, Elicas chief medical officer. A diverse staff helps translate more than a dozen languages daily. We serve a really large community of folks from all over the world, Tidwell said. But the biggest thing we do is provide support theyre not able to get in any other setting. Health is related to so many more things than just a visit with your doctor. Story continues Elica not only provides comprehensive medical, dental, optometry, pediatric and behavioral health services, it helps link thousands of refugees, immigrants and low-income patients with social services across the region. The clinic has served more than 50,000 patients and had more than 200,000 patient interactions nearly half of them in languages other than English. Elica began as a community clinic in 1974, when current CEO Tatyana Bak emigrated from the Soviet Union and co-founded a clinic to serve Sacramentos immigrant population with Dr. Alexander Yanushkovsky, a fellow USSR immigrant, on J Street in Downtown Sacramento. The clinic was eventually renamed Elica, a popular Romanian girls name meaning noble. Elica has since been designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center, a federally funded nonprofit that serves medically underserved communities. From that clinic on J Street nearly 50 years ago, Elica now has 10 locations in addition to mobile clinics and a resource center. They can make an appointment with the doctor, ... explain to you what insurance plan to choose, they can explain your everything, Svitlana said. In my country, we could spend ... hours standing in the line just to see a doctor. At Elicas resource center in North Highlands, any community member can find assistance. When I see my patients, Im able to say Hey, we speak your language, Tidwell said. Elica is a place where everyone is welcome, and we aim to make everyone feel welcome. Dr. Grace Tidwell examines patient Tom Saetern of North Highlands for shoulder pain at Elica Health Center in West Sacramento on July 24. Saetern speaks English and lu Mien languages and said his parents immigrated to Sacramento from Laos and Thailand in 1981. He has been coming to Elica Heath Center for the past two years. I made an appointment Friday and they squeezed me in today, said Saetern. I know the pain theyre lost In early August, the clinic plans to re-launch its resource center with an upgraded and physically expanded clothes closet and food pantry, built with financial assistance from HealthNet, a national insurance provider, said Zarlasht Larmal, Elicas community support outreach specialist. Our community closet is just like a shop where you can come in and choose what you want and take it, Larmal said. Theres no restrictions. Larmal, who is from Afghanistan, sometimes helps translate for Afghan clients. I know the pain of coming here and I know their language, she said. Theyre lost. At the resource center, were trying our best to assist them with every need, from applying to medical care, to requesting interpreters or transportation. For those who have kids, were helping them translate so they can be enrolled in school. If theres any paperwork that needs to be filled out, were here. Right now, Elica is looking for donations of clothes for men and boys, and especially mens jeans for construction work; kitchen utensils and cookware to help refugees and immigrants set up their own homes are always needed, as are clothes hangers, personal care and hygiene items. Svitlana Iotko said Monday after she had to bring her son Oleksii Iotko, 10, to emergency because he almost broke his finger and Elica Health Center helped her with his follow up care. The Ukrainian family came to California nine months before the start of the Ukraine war and worry about their family back home. Iotko said she was very thankful to find a center that spoke her language and to see them helping other refugee and immigrant families. From immigrant to resident Svitlana and her family no longer use Elica for medical care because theyre covered for health insurance under Svyatoslavs new job. He now works at Highlands Community Charter Schools and she works at World Relief Sacramento as a part-time Community Navigator, helping new immigrants find their way in Sacramento and referring them to Elica whenever possible. (Elica is) immigrants-oriented, Svitlana said. They understand that people come from different cultures, and its important to be culturally sensitive. Svitlana Iotko hugs her daughter Anastasia, 12, who suffers from scoliosis after her physical therapy exercises at home in Fair Oaks on Friday, July 21. My daughter has scoliosis and the doctor at Elica was so nice that she referred us to physical therapy so we are pretty happy to have these people as friends, said Iotko. An internal survey recently done by Elica showed that more than 40% of Sacramentos newest immigrants dont know about the regions food banks, and more than 30% dont know where to find English classes. More than 70% of new immigrants surveyed didnt know where or how to get information about support programs. Elica, however under the radar it may be for most people living here, is exactly the kind of community outreach program Sacramento should be most proud of. Its website promotes Sacramento as an attractive city for new immigrants and refugees with good social programs, green parks, clean streets and good schools. Its sometimes easy to forget that theres a lot to love here in Sacramento and there are a lot of people who are grateful our community is a safe haven from the troubles of the wider world. The Thurston County jail will fully reopen by Aug. 1 after easing pandemic-related booking restrictions, according to Sheriff Derek Sanders. Booking restrictions have been in place since March 2020 to avoid crowding at the jail amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Sanders announced the reopening in a letter posted on the Sheriffs Office Facebook page. While we work to divert a great deal of individuals out of the criminal justice system, our community has experienced a significant lack of accountability from individuals who took advantage of our booking restrictions by repeatedly victimizing others, Sanders said. The time has come to bring those individuals before our courts. Sanders made loosening restrictions at the county jail one of his many goals when he took office at the start of the year. The change means law enforcement throughout the county will soon be able to book people suspected of lower priority misdemeanor and felony crimes as well as warrants. However, he said this move risks over-crowding the limited space at the jail. Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, our correctional facility was operating at its breaking point of max capacity as our jail is significantly undersized for a county of 300,000 people, Sanders said. Should we reach that point again, we will not jeopardize the safety of our deputies or the inmates, and booking restrictions may once again be enacted If restrictions are needed again, Sanders said he will start limiting bookings for the lowest-level misdemeanor crimes and warrants. Our jail must remain a space for domestic violence, DUI, felony property crime and violent crime inmates, Sanders said. For the past three years, law enforcement have released people accused of deprioritized crimes but still referred them to the Prosecuting Attorneys Office. In his Monday letter, Sanders listed some of the crimes that did not lead to bookings: Felony hit and run with injury Felony/misdemeanor theft Felony/misdemeanor property damage Trafficking stolen property Failure to register as a sex offender Fraud Criminal impersonation Identity theft Vehicle prowl Voyeurism Story continues Sanders said he plans to work with the Prosecuting Attorneys Office to resolve old criminal cases and ensure deputies are not arresting people prosecutors dont plan on charging. The Olympian has asked the Prosecuting Attorneys Office to explain what old cases may be resolved and what crimes it will prioritize going forward. The Sheriffs Office previously imposed booking restriction to comply with guidance set by county Health Officer Dimyana Abdelmalek. Abdelmalek has not issued a new order, aside from instructions for COVID-19 outbreak management, since Aug. 14, 2022, according to Public Health and Social Services spokesperson Renae Miller. Washington states COVID-19 emergency declaration ended on Oct. 31 and the federal public health emergency order expired on May 11. When the federal order ended, Miller said the health officers relationship with county jail administration returned to pre-pandemic status. PHSS stopped providing weekly COVID-19 reports at the end of May. But state data from Monday indicates the countys hospitalization rate reached 3.1 per 100,000 people over a seven-day period ending July 15. That rate is comparable to spikes in the first few months of the pandemic, but falls far below the peak rate of 37.8 per 100,000 which occurred between Jan. 9-15, 2022. There is the possibility of increased COVID-19 activity in fall and winter, as has been seen in prior seasons, and those who are able are recommended to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, PHSS said in a statement. Guidance on how to stay up to date on available COVID-19 vaccines can be found on the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention website. A motorcyclist struck by a hit-and-run driver last week in Kansas City has died, a police spokesman said. Police responded to a reported hit-and-run crash shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday at Independence Avenue and Van Brunt Boulevard, said Capt. Corey Carlisle, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department. The preliminary investigation showed that a motorcyclist on a blue and white Vitacci Titan ERS 250 motorcycle was headed east on Independence Avenue. The motorcycle struck the median at Van Brunt and its rider was thrown off. A white Honda Accord then struck the motorcyclist. The driver of the Honda left the scene of the crash and was later arrested by police, Carlisle said. The motorcyclist, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Police were notified Saturday that the person had died from the injuries. The motorcyclists death was the 50th traffic fatality of the year, which compares to 52 fatalities by this time last year, Carlisle said. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Sunday that the conservative justices of the Supreme Court see themselves as politicians amid recent controversy surrounding members of the nations highest court. During an appearance on CNNs State of the Union, guest anchor Kasie Hunt asked Murphy for his response to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alitos criticism of the latest push by the Senate to establish a code of conduct within the court. First of all, its just stunningly wrong. And he should know that more than anyone else, because his seat on the Supreme Court exists only because of an act passed by Congress, Murphy told Hunt on Sunday. It is Congress that establishes the number of justices on the Supreme Court. It is Congress that has passed in the past requirements for justices to disclose certain information. Murphy also said it is just wrong to say that Congress doesnt have the authority to set rules for the court, noting that its disturbing to see Alito insert himself into this conversation. And it is just more evidence that these justices on the Supreme Court, these conservative justices, just see themselves as politicians, Murphy added. They just see themselves as a second legislative body that has just as much power and right to impose their political will on the country as Congress does. They are going to bend the law in order to impose their right-wing view of how the country should work on the rest of us, Murphy concluded. And its why we need to pass this commonsense ethics legislation to at least make sure we know that these guys arent in bed having their lifestyles paid for by conservative donors, as we have unfortunately seen in these latest revelations. Alito, who has been an associate justice on the court since 2006, told The Wall Street Journal that Congress has no authority to regulate the Supreme Court as the Senate Judiciary Committee last week voted along party lines to advance a Supreme Court ethics reform bill. Story continues The ethics reform bill comes after the court received public scrutiny due to reports published about Alito and fellow Justice Clarence Thomas accepting gifts and trips from GOP donors. I know this is a controversial view, but Im willing to say it, Alito told the Journal in an interview. No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court period. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Oh, sweet day! Sunday is National Cheesecake Day, and to celebrate the iconic creamy treat, we have gathered nine places in Central Florida where you can enjoy a slice (or maybe two) of the tasty dessert. Better Than Sex - A Dessert Restaurant: One of the highlights of this menu is their Red Velvet cheesecake with a silky chocolate frosting and a soft dark chocolate cookie crust. Cheesecake Factory: There are so many options on this menu if you are looking for a slice of cheesecake- its hard to pick one! Those that sign up for their rewards program by July 30 can get any slice half price on July 31 and Aug 1. Sister Honeys: Located on Michigan Street, this bakery has all types of sweets. As fall approaches, their Pumpkin Mousse Cheesecake is a must-try with a graham cracker crust, caramel candy drizzle, and honey-roasted pecans. Publix: The bakery in this supermarket offers a variety of cheesecakes: banana cream, triple berry, brownie crunch, and more. Read: Sip & Savor: Foodie festival coming to Icon Park Charlies Bakery & Creamery: The bakery is known for its Turtle Cheesecake topped with caramel and milk chocolate -- The best thing: it sits on a slice of vanilla cake. Soco Restaurant: Located in the Thornton Park district, it is known for its Key Lime Cheesecake topped with berries. TooJays: The restaurant & bakery has several locations in Central Florida and is known for its classic Strawberry Cheesecake. Mecatos Bakery & Cafe: The Colombian bakery features a variety of sweet & salty treats, but on this day, you should try their traditional cheesecake infused and topped with guava. Light On The Sugar Bakery Cafe: The cozy cafe in Winter Park is a perfect spot to try a slice of New York cheesecake. Read: College Parks Turci Pasta celebrates soft opening of its new panini shop with BOGOs 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. Bryce Canyon is viewed from Sunset Point looking North at Bryce Canyon National Park in 1999. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI July 29 (UPI) -- U.S. National Parks, wildlife refuges and other federal land will be free on the anniversary of the signing of Great American Outdoors Act. The U.S. Interior Department announced that entrance fees would be waived on Aug. 4 for all federal land it manages. Other fees, such as overnight camping fees and cabin rentals, will remain in effect. The Great American Outdoors Act was heralded as "a bipartisan investment that improves visitor experiences, bolsters climate resilience, and invests in the economy by creating good-paying jobs in our national parks, wildlife refuges, recreation areas, and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools." Former President Donald Trump signed the legislation into law in 2020. It was introduced first in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., where it won 73-25 approval. It passed the U.S. House with a vote of 310-107, where it was co-sponsored by then Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico. Haaland was later tapped by President Joe Biden to serve as Secretary of the Interior. "The Great American Outdoors Act ensures that our public lands are safe and accessible for all visitors and staff by investing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects," Haaland said in a statement Friday. "I was proud to co-sponsor this historic law, which provides critical investments in our public lands to ensure they are ready to meet the challenges of climate change, while boosting the American economy by creating good-paying jobs." The law allocates $900 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and guarantees full annual funding for the first time since its creation in 1964. The fund is used for federal acquisition of land and waters and provides state grants for outdoor recreational facilities. It also establishes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund and earmarked about $9.5 billion over five years to carry out long-deferred maintenance projects on lands administered by the National Park Service, the Forest Service and other branches of the Interior Department. The funds provided by the law have since allowed the Interior Department to fund 276 deferred maintenance projects and improve the condition of more than 2,200 public assets across the United States and its territories. Two soldiers on the frontline of battle in Ukraine paused their military duties to get married. The wedding was donated and arranged by a charity that provides supplies to women soldiers. After a short honeymoon, the pair will return to fight in Donetsk, as they dream of growing old together. Taking a brief pause from their frontline duties as they fend off Russian soldiers in Donetsk, two Ukrainian soldiers wed in a private ceremony to celebrate their love before returning to war. The New York Times reported on the wartime nuptials of Maksym Merezhko and his bride, Yuliia Dluzhynska, who met prior to the invasion and enlisted in the Ukrainian army after the war began to stay as close to one another as possible Merezhko as a soldier and Dluzhynska as a medic. After a brief honeymoon, "we will go to war," the outlet reported Dluzhynska said. The pair's modest wedding was planned and donated to them by a Ukrainian charity that typically provides supplies for female soldiers such as combat uniforms and boots. As the Russian invasion of Ukraine drags into its 18th month, the charity has started providing wedding ceremonies, as well. Representatives for Zemliachky, the charity that donated the wedding, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. "We will live," The Times reported Merezhko said after the ceremony. "We will have children, then grandchildren, and we will babysit the grandchildren. I will teach my grandchildren to fish and plant potatoes." Dluzhynska's hope for the future was even simpler than her new husband's: "The main thing is to survive," she said. Ukrainian soldiers have continued organizing small wedding ceremonies during pauses in the frontline fighting in an attempt to celebrate their joy and maintain some semblance of normalcy despite the consistent sounds of bombings and air raid sirens around them. Insider previously reported on the wedding of Khrystyna Lyuta, a 23-year-old contract soldier who married a fellow soldier just two months after meeting him during the war. "War is war, but life goes on," Lyuta said. Read the original article on Business Insider A New Hampshire man is accused of driving the wrong way while intoxicated and without a license along Interstate 93 early Sunday morning, state police said. Jose Galindo Mendoza, 45, of Canterbury, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, open container and driving without a valid license, state police said. At approximately 12:30 a.m., state police received multiple reports of a wrong-way driver traveling northbound in the southbound lanes on I-93 between mile markers 41-44 in Concord. A short time later, a trooper located the vehicle on I-93 at mile marker 45 in the town of Canterbury, state police said. The trooper was able to successfully stop the motor vehicle in the left lane and made contact with the driver, later identified as Mendoza. Mendoza was bailed and released and is due to appear at the Merrimack Superior Court on Aug. 24 at 1 p.m., state police said. New Hampshire State Police Troop D was assisted on scene by Concord Police and Penacook Rescue. 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 Two New Hampshire troopers rescued a hawk who was unable to fly from the side of a road Saturday afternoon. Sgt. John Bishop was on patrol in Laconia on Rollercoaster Road around 4 p.m. when he found a car parked to the side with its hazard lights on, according to New Hampshire State Police. The driver of that car told Sgt. Bishop he saw a small hawk lying on the right side of the highway, unable to walk or fly. The hawk was alert and moving its head, but was in clear need of medical attention. After positioning his cruiser to protect the injured bird, Sgt. Bishop called a wildlife rehabilitator in Henniker, who said she would take some time to get to his location. In the meantime, the rehabilitator urged the trooper to wrap the hawk in a blanket and place him in a box. Having neither of those items handy, officials say Sgt. Bishop made an emergency call to Trooper Thomas McSweeney, who quickly arrived on scene with both a box and a sheet to cover the hawk with. After gently placing the injured bird in the box, Sgt. Bishop and Trooper McSweeney transported the hawk to Tilton where they met up with the wildlife rehabilitator. The hawk was placed in the care of the rehabilitator. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The coup has prompted concern that Niger, a former French colony, could pivot towards Russia West African leaders have threatened military action against Niger's junta after it took power in a coup last week. The leaders gave the junta seven days to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, who is being held captive. Earlier, the junta warned it would resist any "plan of aggression against Niger" by regional or Western powers. Meanwhile hundreds of coup supporters protested outside the French embassy in the capital Niamey. Leaders from Ecowas, the bloc of West African nations, held crisis talks in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Sunday to discuss the latest coup - which follows army takeovers in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso. A statement read out after the summit said that Ecowas had "zero tolerance" for coups. The regional bloc would "take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order" if its demands were not met within a week. "Such measures may include the use of force," and military chiefs are to meet "immediately" to plan for an intervention, the statement added. The Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel was at the meeting, and said Ecowas had taken decisive action because events in Niger were concerning. "Niger is playing a key role in fighting terrorism. If Niger stop playing this role this will give more space and more leeway to terrorists to expand in the region," Dr Leonardo Santos Simao told BBC's Newshour programme. He added that "no official negotiations" were taking place between Ecowas and the country's military junta. This is the first time Ecowas has threatened military action to reverse the coups that have taken place in the region in recent years. It last sanctioned military intervention in 2017, when Senegalese troops were deployed to The Gambia to force long-serving ruler Yahya Jammeh to leave office after he refused to accept defeat in elections. Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has gone to Niamey to tell the junta to step down, Chad's government said. Story continues He met junta deputy leader Gen Salifou Mody. It is unclear whether he will hold talks with Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, the head of the presidential guards unit who has declared himself Niger's new ruler. The West African leaders also announced the immediate enforcement of a no-fly zone over Niger for all commercial flights, the closure of all land borders with the country, and the imposition of financial sanctions against the junta. Ahead of their meeting, Gen Tchiani warned Ecowas and unnamed Western nations against stepping in. "We once again reiterate to Ecowas or any other adventurer our firm determination to defend our fatherland," the statement, which was read out on TV, said. The coup has prompted concern that Niger, a former French colony, could pivot towards Russia. The ousted president had worked closely with both regional and Western nations to fight militant Islamists. Burkina Faso and Mali moved closer to Russia after their own coups. In Niamey, some of the protesters outside the French embassy chanted "Long live Russia", "Long live Putin" and "Down with France", AFP news agency reports. They also set fire to the walls of the embassy compound. France would not tolerate any attack on its interests in Niger, and would respond in an "immediate and intractable manner", President Emmanuel Macron's office said in a statement. Map Niger's coup has been condemned by Western nations, but welcomed by the leader of Russia's Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has reportedly described it as a triumph. "What happened in Niger is nothing other than the struggle of the people of Niger with their colonisers," he was quoted as saying on a Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel, although his comments have not been independently verified. In Mali, the junta has brought in Wagner to help it fight militant Islamists. France announced the withdrawal of its troops last year amid growing hostility from the junta. It subsequently moved its regional military headquarters to Niger. In June, Mali's junta said the UN's 12,000 peacekeepers also had to leave following a decade of countering Islamist militants. The UN agreed, saying the withdrawal would be completed by the end of the year. On Saturday, France said it had suspended all development aid and budgetary support to Niger. The European Union and the US have made a similar decision. Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has suggested her fellow Republican Mitch McConnell the longtime powerful US Senate leader should step aside after an episode in which he physically froze and was unable to speak at the Capitol this week. Related: Mitch McConnell fell earlier this month, before freezing mid-sentence this week Appearing on CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday, Haley was asked by the host Margaret Brennan whether she still had confidence in McConnells ability to lead after the episode. I think Mitch McConnell did an amazing job when it comes to our judiciary, when we look at the judges, when we look at the supreme court hes been a great leader, said Haley, the former South Carolina governor and ex-United Nations ambassador during the Donald Trump presidency. But weve gotta stop electing people because they look good in a picture and they hold a baby well. She also said the 90-year-old US senator Dianne Feinstein, the 80-year-old president Joe Biden, and 83-year-old congresswoman Nancy Pelosi all of whom are prominent Democrats should know when to walk away. Haley has called for congressional term limits and mental acuity tests for politicians aged 75 and above. .@NikkiHaley says Sen. Mitch McConnell has "been a great" Republican leader, but tells @margbrennan, "We've got to have a new generation." "What I am saying about Mitch McConnell, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, all of them: know when to walk away," Haley adds. pic.twitter.com/VMC7ZwIkHN Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) July 30, 2023 A spokesperson for McConnell, 81, said last week that he intends to fulfill his term, which ends in 2026. He has led the US Senates Republican conference since 2007. McConnells office said that the senator felt lightheaded but has not released more details on what caused the episode in question. Story continues McConnell was hospitalized after he fell onstage earlier this year, leaving him with a concussion and a fractured rib. He also fell in Finland in February, and earlier this month while getting off a plane at Reagan national airport in Washington DC. McConnell survived polio as a child. The illness has long affected his gait. Publicly, Senate Republicans have backed McConnell. Anonymously, some have been more circumspect. One Republican senator told NBC News that McConnell has been relying more on his lieutenants and suggested he should step down. Id hate to see it forced on him, that senator said, according to NBC. You can do these things with dignity, or it becomes less dignified. And I hope he does it in a dignified way for his own legacy and reputation. Nikki Haley is once again pressing Washingtons greying political establishment to step aside after a pair of concerning moments involving two of the Senates oldest members grabbed headlines in recent days. The former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador spoke to CBSs Margaret Brennan in an interview that aired on Sunday; she is currently campaigning in early primary states as she seeks the GOP nomination for president. A central tenet of her campaigns message since its onset has been a call for a new generation of leaders to take the helm in both parties. As such, Brennan asked her about the moment that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze and appeared unable to speak at a press conference on Wednesday, after which he was led away by a colleauge. It was later revealed that the Senate GOP leader had suffered an undisclosed fall earlier in July while still recovering from a concussion suffered in the spring. I think Mitch McConnell did an amazing job when it comes to our judiciary. When we look at the judges, when we look at the Supreme Court, he's been a great leader. But I do think that this is one you know, we've got to stop electing people because they look good in the picture or they hold a baby well, she told CBS News. We've got to stop electing people because we like them and they've been there a long time. That's actually the problem. You need to have term limits, because we need new ideas, new solutions. We've got to have a new generation. Ms Haley added when pressed by Brennan on whether she had confidence in Mr McConnell remaining leader of the Senate Republican caucus: What I am saying about Mitch McConnell, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, all of them: know when to walk away, know when to walk away. We have huge issues that need new solutions. We need new generational leaders. We appreciate your service. We appreciate what you've done. But this is why we will fight for term limits. We've got to get it done in America. Story continues Her remark naming Senator Feinstein was an apparent reference to another moment that drew the attention of reporers this past week when the senior senator from California appeared confused during a committee hearing and launched into a speech calling for a vote which was already in progress. And persistent concerns about Joe Bidens age have followed him doggedly throughout his first term. The 80-year-old Mr Biden was already the oldest US president to be sworn into office in 2021, and is now facing some calls from progressives and others concerned about criticisms focused on his mental acuity to step aside and allow a younger politician to be the Democratic Partys standard-bearer. Nikki Haley is challenging for the GOP nomination (Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.) Ms Pelosis inclusion on the list is only notable given that she is the sole named party leader to have already given up her leadership position, willingly, earlier this year. The 83-year-old California congresswoman handed over command of the Democratic caucus to Hakeem Jeffries at the beginning of the year while Republicans struggled to annoint their own leader in a chaotic speakership election. Ms Haley was less certain in her interview with CBS whether Donald Trump, 77, would be included in her call for ageing politicians to step aside. But she maintained that he should take a mental acuity test, as she argues all presidential contenders should. And she relented after pressing from Brennan that Mr Trump was of course not who she had in mind when she made her call for leaders with new ideas, age notwithstanding. I just said we need a new generational leader, she noted. I mean, that goes ... for all of them. You can look across DC ... Of course, I'm talking about Trump. I've said that all throughout this campaign that it is time for us to have a new generation. We've lost Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president. That's nothing to be proud of, we should want to win the majority of Americans, we've got to start going with a new generation so that we can do that. WASHINGTON Presidential hopeful and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley took a slight dig at former President Donald Trump in an interview that aired Sunday, warning that his legal troubles could cost Republicans the 2024 presidential election. Trumps indictments and investigations could distract from other problems the country faces, Haley said on CBS Face the Nation. We have to move forward. We've got to quit living in the past, and I don't want there to be all of this division over the fact that we have a president serving years in jail over a documents trial, Haley said, referring to Trumps federal indictment over his alleged mishandling of classified documents. I want all of this to go away. It's why we have to have a new generational leader. It's why we need to move forward. We can't keep living with indictments and court cases and vengeance of the past," she added. Haleys comments come as Trump faces a possible third indictment for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. 'I'm one of you': Why Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy matter to Indian American voters in 2024 Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, July 28, 2023. Trump was first indicted by a Manhattan grand jury over hush money payments made to two women who claimed to have had sex with Trump before the 2016 election. Trump was indicted for the second time by a federal grand jury over his alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate after he left the White House. Special counsel Jack Smith filed new charges against Trump in the documents case last week, alleging Trump ordered Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage to be destroyed in relation to the case. Haley said, on the campaign trail, voters are not worried about Trumps multitude of legal problems, but they want to know what's going to happen, how we're going to go and change government for the better. If Trump secures the GOP nomination, Haley said Trumps legal cases will dominate the general election, which she doesn't think will be constructive. Story continues We will have a general election thats doing nothing but dealing with lawsuits. Haley said. None of us want to be talking about indictments. I don't even know if it's the third, fourth, or fifth indictment right now, but what I can tell you is, it's a distraction, she added. Former U.S. President Donald Trump enters Erie Insurance Arena for a political rally while campaigning for the GOP nomination in the 2024 election on July 29, 2023 in Erie, Pennsylvania. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Haley warns Donald Trump could cost GOP the 2024 presidential race North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presides over a military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War (Korean War) on Thursday. File Photo by KCNA/UPI July 29 (UPI) -- North Korea's Foreign Ministry this week vowed that the country would "annihilate" the United States, adding that the U.S. would be terminated this century. "Should the U.S. choose to offend our Republic, we will annihilate them by using all our military power that we have gathered so far," the North Korean diplomats said in a statement Thursday, the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice. "The Korean War in the last century marked the beginning of the downfall of the U.S. Now, the 21st century would see the irrevocable termination of the U.S. The rulers of the U.S. are well advised to forget, on no account, the lessons of history." The conflict-ending truce was reached between North Korea, China -- which had supported North Korea -- and the United States, which had supported South Korea in the war. South Korea did not agree to the armistice. The armistice allowed for the establishment of the demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea and the repatriation of prisoners of war. U.S. troops have since been staged in South Korea to help prevent another war and defend its ally in the case one begins. North Korea has a long history of provoking conflict with its southern neighbor in the decades since the armistice from kidnapping and assassinations of high-profile South Koreans to hijacking South Korean airliners in 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The reclusive nation also attacked U.S. military planes and ships through the years. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, North Korea lost a significant contributor to its economy. Now, with the war in Ukraine and rising tensions between the East and the West, North Korea has sought to strengthen its ties with China and Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and top Chinese officials reaffirmed the close military ties between the two communist nations, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday. In an effort to enhance crisis response and prevention within the community, Northeast Florida Advocates for Autism and Related Disabilities, Inc. joined forces with the Nassau County Sheriffs Office to host an intensive 8-hour training session. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The training was specifically designed to equip attendees with crucial skills to handle crisis situations involving individuals with specific learning disabilities and behavioral needs. Matthew Harrington, a distinguished Board Certified Behavior Analyst, was at the helm of the training, providing his expertise to the eager participants. Among those present were the Nassau County Sheriffs Office Resource Officers, Nassau County Fire & Rescue personnel, Nassau County School ESE representative, and various local advocates who actively support individuals with autism and related disabilities. The training fostered a robust exchange of knowledge and ideas, as participants delved into various scenarios and real-life challenges commonly encountered within the school setting. Participants explored evidence-based strategies for de-escalation, communication, and fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all members of the community. The Nassau County Sheriffs Office Resource Officers, who often work within the educational system, expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to gain invaluable insights into the complexities of autism and related disabilities. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Northeast Florida Advocates for Autism and Related Disabilities, Inc., and the Nassau County Sheriffs Office plan to build on this fruitful partnership by organizing additional training sessions and initiatives in the future ensuring that the community remains a place of safety and support for all its residents, regardless of their individual needs and challenges. [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. In some ways, Melanie Lawrence is living a future that awaits us all. She carries bacteria that's resistant to nearly every antibiotic, and is allergic or intolerant to the rest. Now when she gets an infection, which she does every few months, she has to hope her immune system can fight it without much help from modern medicine. Despite more than a century of antibiotic research and development, the world is quickly running out of these lifesaving drugs. Antibiotics, either found in nature or developed intentionally, are designed to kill bacteria. But bacteria have been evolving for more than 3 billion years and have learned to change themselves to survive. The more we use them, the more they adapt. In 2019, the last year for which data is available, more than 2.8 million Americans had antimicrobial-resistant infections and more than 35,000 died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Worldwide, deaths already top 5 million a year and are expected to grow into the tens of millions within a few decades. "We are truly right now in the midst of this crisis," Brenda Wilson, a professor of microbiology at the University of Illinois said in a recent American Society for Microbiology talk. The U.S. was making solid progress against antibiotic resistance before the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to improved infection prevention and control and better stewardship, deaths from antimicrobial resistance declined by 18% overall and 30% in hospitals from 2012 to 2017. But the pandemic pushed hospitals and other health care facilities near their breaking point in 2020, leading to an increase in antibiotic use, trouble following infection prevention and a significant increase in resistant infections in U.S. hospitals, the CDC found. Resistant hospital-onset infections and deaths increased at least 15% that year, although data outside hospitals is lacking. Overuse, both among people who would have recovered without the drugs and in livestock that get them to promote growth, not treat illness, helps drive resistance. Story continues Dealing with antibiotic-resistant infections already costs about $5 billion a year, said Brian Ho, who co-wrote a book with Wilson called "Revenge of the Microbes." And there's a tremendous human cost, in addition to the financial one. "A lot of what we do in medicine relies on our ability to handle bacterial infections that occur along the way," said William Hanage, who co-directs the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Minor injuries can become life-threatening without antibiotics. Many surgeries wouldn't be able to happen without knowing there were antibiotics to prevent any later infections. Patients need antibiotics if they're being treated with steroids or for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions that limit their immune response, as do people like Lawrence, who has cystic fibrosis, which makes her vulnerable to every passing bug. "We want to be able to handle these things," Hanage said. Urging action Lawrence, 43, traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier last month from her home in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, an hour south of Boston, to lobby the Senate for more funding and attention for antibacterial resistance. Cystic fibrosis patient Melanie Lawrence, who testified before Congress recently in support of the PASTEUR Act, hoping for more attention and funding to combat antibiotic resistance. She and others are encouraging Congress to pass a bill called the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions To End Up surging Resistance (or PASTEUR) Act, named for Louis Pasteur, the 19th-century Frenchman often considered the father of germ theory and modern microbiology. The bill was first introduced in 2020. It would create new incentives for drug companies to discover and develop antibiotics. Right now, there's no financial incentive for a company to spend as long as a decade and upward of $1.5 billion developing an antibiotic that someone will use only for a week or two limiting the amount a company can charge and which might be obsolete in four or five years as bacteria become resistant. "The market is broken because it's focused on volume. Antibiotics should not be used in high volume," said Dr. Helen Boucher, dean of the Tufts University School of Medicine, who also testified in favor of the PASTEUR Act. "PASTEUR reimburses for value, regardless of volume." Other places already have implemented similar financial models. In the U.K., the government this month signed contracts with drugmakers Pfizer and Shionogi, guaranteeing them a fixed annual fee of up to $13 million for the next decade for two new antibiotics. Rather than paying the companies based on the volume of drugs sold, the new subscription model removes any incentive for overuse. Also on the horizon are tests that help doctors quickly distinguish between an infection caused by a virus, which won't benefit from an antibiotic, and one caused by bacteria, which might. Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration cleared a test from Lumos Diagnostics of Australia that can rapidly identify a bacterial infection. And a study on July 13 found that the Karius Test, commonly used in hospitals, could distinguish among 700 types of microbes, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, in just one day. Still, Lawrence says, the world needs "more science, more attention to outsmarting these bacteria because we're losing the race at this point." Careful use Resistance develops when a small group of bacteria is different enough from the rest to survive an antibiotic onslaught. These remaining microbes then reproduce, taking over the infection, which is now unaffected by or resistant to the antibiotic. "We should not be taking antibiotics unless it's absolutely necessary," said Dr. Adi Shah, an infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. "Giving an antibiotic for unclear or unnecessary reasons is like sending bacteria or a fungus to a gym to work out and form stronger defenses." To limit the overuse of antibiotics, doctors are now prescribing them less often and for shorter periods. Where someone 30 years ago might have been prescribed 10 days of antibiotics, and someone 15 years ago would have gotten a five-day prescription, they're now getting the drug for two days. Hanage said there was never any magic to 10 days. When researchers started testing, they realized there was no real benefit to longer courses over shorter ones. Antibiotics also have been shown not to be useful for things like childhood ear infections, shaving at most a half-day off the course of an infection. But habits die hard. When that news arrived in Hanage's native Britain, emergency room doctors didn't stop prescribing antibiotics for ear infections, they just stopped writing the medical term for "ear infection" as their diagnosis. "Cultural change in medicine is a really difficult thing to achieve," he said. "It's rightly a 'small c' conservative field." Food supply The commercial raising of animals for food has contributed to the problem. For decades, breeders have fed their livestock antibiotics. At first, they started out trying to help sick animals get well. But they noticed that animals fed antibiotics got big faster. So it became standard practice to include antibiotics in the feed of every animal, from poultry to fish to pigs to cows. The nature of raising animals in the backyard or a big barn really motivates the spread of microbes and facilitates the spread, Johnson said. Those microbes have the potential to enter humans. In recent years, under pressure from advocates, some companies have promised to cut back on the routine feeding of antibiotics. But some of those promises ring hollow, advocates say, or have been hard to maintain in a competitive marketplace. Earlier last month, Tyson Foods, the largest chicken producer in the United States, moved away from the "no antibiotics ever" pledge it made in 2015. Instead, the company is transitioning to "no antibiotics important to human medicine" by the end of this year. It uses essential oils and botanicals like oregano and thyme, as well as probiotics as antibiotic alternatives, and says it is "making significant progress eliminating the use of antibiotics also important to human health from our chicken production." While most farms don't use "medically important" antibiotics, using disinfectants or other methods to prevent certain types of bacteria from taking hold can inadvertently favor other potentially dangerous bacteria, Johnson said. When bacteria develop drug-resistant genes, he said they can jump from one pathogen to another. This tends to occur in microbiomes, like the gut, which are rich in microorganisms and motivate the drug-resistant gene to spread between bacteria to survive. Drug-resistant genes can also hop from non-threatening bacteria found in animals to pathogens that are more harmful to humans. "Those resistances don't tend to go away easily," Johnson said. Facing resistance Lawrence has cystic fibrosis, an inherited lung disorder that makes her mucus sticky, which attracts lots of bacteria and other microbes. When she was diagnosed as a child, her parents were told she probably would not make it past age 16. She's obviously grateful for all the extra time, but anxious too. "In some ways, I'm just getting started. I have so much left in me," Lawrence said. She has been on antibiotics almost nonstop since her diagnosis. Oral antibiotics worked until puberty. By her teenage years, she had run out of those and had to go to the hospital for IV antibiotics that would take a week or two to work their magic. In her 30s, the antibiotics would take five weeks to knock out the bugs, and another two months after that for her body to finish healing. Now she gets the most cutting-edge treatment for cystic fibrosis, a combination of three medications approved by the FDA in 2019. In younger people, that therapy, called Trikafta from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, helps reduce infections and the need for antibiotics. But Lawrence, like other older cystic fibrosis patients with some lung damage, still has infections roll in every few months. Even during the pandemic, when she rarely left the house and wore a mask everywhere, antibiotic-resistant infections still found her. "It's in the soil. It's in the environment. It's everywhere," she said. Melanie Lawrence, pictured here with her son Myles, has been lobbying for more funding to fight antibiotic resistance, which poses a particular threat to cystic fibrosis patients like her. Shah, of the Mayo Clinic, said he noticed about six years ago that patients would come in with harder-to-treat infections. They were sicker than he would have expected, and the typical drugs didn't work or took longer to make a difference. Boucher, of Tufts, said she sometimes has to offer patients the choice of saving their life with an antibiotic, but at the cost of harming their kidneys or hearing or both. Some antibiotics damage the cranial nerves, which are involved in hearing and balance, as well as the kidneys. Dr. Lilian Abbo, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said she also has been seeing more patients resistant to first-, second- and third-line antibiotics, as well as antimicrobials drugs that work against viruses and fungi. "Even in children who are healthy, we're seeing resistance, which before we would not have seen," she said. "Most people may not be aware until it's their turn to experience it." It's tough, she said, when she has to tell a patient they need to be hospitalized to get intravenous antibiotics because pills aren't working against something as seemingly simple as a urinary tract infection. Sometimes, she'll try combinations of drugs. In a few cases, she has had to "simply tell the person, 'I've run out of options.' Those are heartbreaking." Changing times Climate change also is fueling antibiotic resistance, several experts said. "It's important to understand and acknowledge that as our global temperature rises, the number of microbes that are present in the environment and where they tend to flourish will change," said Tim Johnson, a professor at the University of Minnesotas College of Veterinary Medicine. "If the temperature is increasing in the soils or ambient, that promotes their survival in places where they normally just hang out but don't grow." Wound infections are worse in warming climates. More waterborne pathogens are becoming drug-resistant, in part because of agricultural use of antibiotics that flush into waterways. Increased flooding brings those pathogens into closer contact with people. In her recent talk, Wilson told the story of Aimee Copeland, a 24-year-old grad student when she fell off a zip line in 2012 and scraped her knee on rocks in the river below. Copeland's leg was stitched up and she was sent home with antibiotics, but the wound quickly got infected. Available drugs were no match for the naturally antibiotic-resistant bacteria she had picked up in the water. Kidney and heart failure followed; then came amputation of all four limbs. Stories like Copeland's will become more common, Wilson fears, as more bacteria and other microbes become drug-resistant. Bacteria don't all become resistant at the same rate. Group A streptococcus, for instance, which causes a variety of infections including strep throat, has remained mostly susceptible to penicillin for a century, Hanage said. The bacterium that causes tuberculosis, meanwhile, is increasingly resistant to most available antibiotics. It's not clear why this difference exists, Hanage said. "We need to understand more about that kind of thing because it will mean whether any of our interventions will be successful." What's next? Prevention is a growing focus, today and in the future. Lawrence does everything she can to boost her immune system and prevent infections, from exercise to power yoga to traditional Chinese medicine known as Qigong. Others put their hopes in probiotics, hoping that boosting "good" microbes will help stave off the "bad." More work on this in coming years should yield more specific and effective prevention tools, experts say. Vaccines, including some now under development, offer the potential to fight infections that would otherwise need to be controlled with antibiotics. A study published July 20 in The New England Journal of Medicine, for instance, showed an experimental vaccine given during pregnancy, can prevent dangerous group B streptococcus infections in infants. Nature also has offered a potential solution. Graham Hatfull, a professor of biotechnology at the University of Pittsburgh, studies bacteriophages, viruses that naturally destroy bacteria. For more than a century, researchers have tried to use phages as a treatment for bacterial infections. "In the next short while, we'll learn whether it's finally going to get traction and take off, or whether it's doomed to another cycle of disappointment," Hatfull said. Phages are extremely specific. That's good because they're like "targeted missiles to go and take out the bad guys in the body without disturbing the rest of your natural biology," Hatfull said. "In contrast, antibiotics are like cluster bombing. They get everything in their way." The downside of such specificity is that a phage might knock out the bacteria in only one sick person. But solving the problem of antibiotic resistance with phages or anything else will take time and especially money. "The impediment is ultimately more financial than it is intellectual," Hatfull said. The threat of antibiotic resistance has felt largely theoretical, but it is becoming more real all the time, experts said. "The alarm has been sounding. You hear the train far, far, far away. Hey, the train is coming. Now the train is getting closer," Abbo said. "By the year 2050, if we don't do something, it's going to be very, very serious." Contact Karen Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.com and Adrianna Rodriguez at arodriguez@usatoday.com. Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Antibiotics can (and will) stop working. Is modern medicine ready? The number of injured civilians in Russia's July 28 attack on Dnipro has increased to 10, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak reported on July 30. According to him, a 14-year-old boy received injuries caused by the blast wave and will be treated at home. On July 28, Russian forces attacked Dnipro with Iskander ballistic missiles and damaged an empty building of the Security Service of Ukraine and a 12-story residential building with no tenants. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia hits Dnipro with missiles, at least 5 injured Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Call out intolerance SLO mayor condemns racist hate speech after masked men display white pride banner, (sanluisobispo.com, July 25) Masked men sporting a white pride banner showed up in San Luis Obispo to share their anger and hatred with the people of our community. The Nordic runes decorating the mens banner and their Nazi salutes are easily recognizable as anti-Semitic gestures reminiscent of the types of activities that led to the genocidal behavior of Germany and its allies during World War II. Congregation Ohr Tzafon in Atascadero and its board of rrustees strongly condemns the actions and attitudes of these men. However, to see these activities as problematic only for Jews misses the totality of the message these men espouse. Their message is not just anti-Semitic, its contrary to our American values of inclusivity and respect for others. While we support a persons right to express views we find repugnant, we cant condone racism through silence. A civil society cannot allow this kind of behavior to become acceptable or normal. White supremacy demands being called out for what it is: hateful behavior designed to intimidate people and fan the flames of racism, discrimination, divisiveness and intolerance. William Alexander Atascadero Tourism money needed Coastal Commission should keep fighting to close Oceano dunes to off-roading | Opinion, (sanluisobispo.com, July 22) I have lived in Oceano since 2004 and I dont want to see my town turned into another Pismo or Avila Beach as suggested in this article. Off-roaders are a big part of Oceanos history, and they have frequented the beach and dunes long before the homes on and around the mesa were built and air quality became an issue. Oceanos beach is the only one in California where off-roading on the dunes is allowed, and one of the few where cars can drive on the beach. These are the attractions that are unique to Oceano that bring visitors here. If the dunes are closed to off-roading, there will be a significant decline in tourism affecting our entire county. The dune riding area has been dwindled down over the years to protect wildlife and mitigate air quality concerns. So why not let these recreationists continue to enjoy what little is left? Story continues A lot of our visitors come here from the Central Valley to cool off during hot summer months. They bring their families and friends, and the trips have become a tradition for many. What is important is that they bring revenue for our town. Betty Cary Oceano This ruling stinks Coastal Commission should keep fighting to close Oceano dunes to off-roading | Opinion, (sanluisobispo.com, July 22) Upon opening my mailbox, I got the shock of my life when I read this front-page story. After a lifetime of defending the Coastal Act, I was confronted with the new information that the Oceano Dunes were not on the coast! How could they be, if the California Coastal Commission has no jurisdiction? In 1972, 70% of Californians voted yes on Proposition 20, Vote the Coast. The California Coastal Act was written specifically to keep the irresponsible and destructive acts as well as development off our precious coast. Then the Coastal Commission was created to oversee the implementation, and it worked really well. All these years later, a full half century, to be exact, we still have some precious mostly pristine coast left. And now, we come to find out Oceano is not on the coast after all. I wonder where it really is. Perhaps Oceano Dunes has moved to Fresno! I sincerely hope our Coastal Commission fights on. This ruling stinks like an RV holding tank in the sand. Joseph John Racano Los Osos Save our marine life Central Coast CA sea lions hit by toxic algae bloom, (sanluisobispo.com, June 26) While people flock to our beaches to enjoy the sun and sand, many beachgoers in Southern California have been encountering an unexpected sight this past month: From San Diego to San Luis Obispo, dolphins and sea lions are getting sick and dying from the effects of an algal toxin, made worse by climate change. State funds have strengthened a network of rescue organizations and addressed the critical need to save these marine mammals. Authorized by the National Marine Fisheries Service, these mostly nonprofit marine mammal hospitals care for animals that are orphaned, entangled in ocean trash or suffering from diseases and toxins. Thankfully, were seeing less sickness now from the algal toxin than we were earlier in the summer, but were prepared for another uptick. As the network continues to respond to increasing threats facing marine mammals, state assistance is essential to safeguard these animals and our ocean. Dr. Jeff Boehm The Marine Mammal Center Sausalito Opinion Keep Diablo open Keeping Diablo Canyon open could cost ratepayers more than $20 billion, report says, (sanluisobispo.com, July 25) According to the article, continued Diablo operations for 20 years will require at least $20 billion, with the expense to be borne by some 15.8 million ratepayers. This means that each ratepayer will have to contribute about $1,266 over a period of 20 years (about $63 a year). This would be about $5.12 a month, roughly the cost of renting a new release on Amazon Prime. Seems pretty reasonable to me for a facility that produces massive amounts of reliable power 24/7 and emits no greenhouse gasses. According to California Energy Commission data, all the renewables in California can only meet less than a quarter of the states annual energy demand. When Diablo closes, our community will lose hundreds of millions of dollars in local tax revenue and some 1,500 high-paying jobs. Closing Diablo would be an act of senseless stupidity and harmful to our community. Mark Henry San Luis Obispo Reversing progress Nervous Republicans turn to New Hampshire in hopes of stopping Trump, (sanluisobispo.com, July 22) The GOP had a rock-solid opportunity to reject Trump as their party representative on July 18, 2015 after he made disparaging and disgusting remarks about John McCains military record. Kevin McCarthy had a great opportunity to disconnect himself from Trump in January 2021 by simply refusing an invitation to Mar-a-Lago. And Trump could have avoided federal criminal indictments in the classified documents case and in the upcoming election obstruction and conspiracy cases, but he ignored his lawyers. Through all of it about 40% of the nation still remains supportive of him. Why is that? In my opinion, its because he represents a clear path to reverse the progress of time. The GOP has much to gain by unloading the burden that has and continues to threaten our democracy. Theres been ample opportunity to stop him, but the desire to reverse the progress of time is strong. It will end once a trial is set in motion and a plea deal is accepted. But not until then. Brent Jorgensen Pismo Beach President Volodymyr Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said on July 30 that a meeting would be held in Saudi Arabia in the near future to discuss the implementation of Ukraine's peace initiatives. He said that national security advisers and political advisers to heads of state would attend the meeting. According to him, the three-phase Ukrainian Peace Formula will not only ensure peace in Ukraine, but also will create mechanisms to counter future conflicts in the world. We are deeply convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis because the war is taking place on our land, Yermak said at a congress of local and regional authorities in Ivano-Frankivsk. The first phase took place on June 27 in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark, and included a detailed discussion of each point of the proposed Peace Formula with foreign ambassadors. At the second stage, the best mechanisms for implementing the Peace Formula are expected to be discussed. The third phase, which may take place by the end of the year, implies that heads of states will discuss the Peace Formula at a global summit, according to Yermak. He added that Ukraine seeks to involve as many countries as possible in the Peace Formula. On May 21, Zelensky proposed holding a Peace Formula summit in July. President Zelensky said that our choice is to unite the world around Ukraine, said Yermak. The evidence of this choice is clear: we are engaging countries from the West, East, North and South. The 10-point peace formula, supported by many Western allies, includes the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, and the punishing of those responsible for war crimes. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia's war on the country, officials said Sunday. The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said one official, who spoke early Sunday on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Russia was not invited, the official added. Hours later, the head of Ukraines presidential office, Andriy Yermak, confirmed the talks would be held in Saudi Arabia, without naming Jeddah as the location. The Ukrainian Peace Formula contains 10 fundamental points, the implementation of which will not only ensure peace for Ukraine, but also create mechanisms to counter future conflicts in the world, Yermak said in a statement. We are deeply convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis, because the war is taking place on our land." Yermak;s statement described the 10 points as being discussed individually and in groups with representatives of more than 50 countries on an almost weekly basis. Previously, Ukraine has described the 10-point peace formula as including the restoration of Ukraines territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine. Other peace plans have been floated amid the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin just finished meetings in St. Petersburg with African leaders about their own proposed plan. China and Pope Francis also been working separately on their own. No details of those plans have been released. Saudi Arabia did not acknowledge the upcoming summit Sunday and did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, the official who spoke to AP said. A high-level official from U.S. President Joe Biden's administration also is expected to attend the event, which is being planned by Kyiv, the official said. Story continues Details remain in flux and the official did not offer dates for the talks, nor did Yermak. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the summit citing diplomats involved in the discussion, said the talks would take place Aug. 5 and 6, with some 30 countries attending. News of the summit comes after U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited the kingdom Thursday. The official who spoke to AP said the summit would be the next step after talks that took place in Copenhagen in June. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended an Arab League summit in Jeddah in May to press those nations to back Kyiv. Arab nations largely have remained neutral since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022, in part over their military and economic ties to Moscow. Saudi Arabia also has maintained a close relationship with Russia as part of the OPEC+ group. The organizations oil production cuts, even as Moscows war on Ukraine boosted energy prices, have angered Biden and American lawmakers. But hosting such talks also help raise the profile of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has sought to reach a detente with Iran and push for a peace in the kingdom's yearslong war in Yemen. Ties remain strained between Riyadh and the West over the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, which U.S. intelligence agencies say was ordered by Prince Mohammed. For Ukraine, the talks coincide with its efforts to beef up its security posture. Yermak also said Sunday that Ukraine will begin talks with the United States next week on a bilateral agreement on security guarantees. He said the talks stem from a declaration by leaders of the Group of 7 nations earlier this month laying the groundwork for each nation to negotiate agreements to help Ukraine bolster its military. Yermak said Ukraine is looking for specific and long-term commitments that will ensure Ukraines ability to win now and deter Russian aggression in the future. U.S. officials had not confirmed the negotiations. ___ Madhani reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Associated Press writer Andrew Katell in New York contributed to this report. A 30-year-old man was killed and other people were taken to a hospital after a shooting at a party in Indiana, authorities said Sunday. Police in Muncie responded an early morning call for multiple people shot at a large party, the city said in a Facebook post. CNN affiliate WISH reported a witness said people at the block party were carrying weapons and began firing, according to the news station. As of Sunday morning, victims were receiving treatment at a hospital and more critical patients were airlifted to other facilities, officials said. We are heartbroken to learn of this terrible incident, and our deepest condolences go to the families of the young man who was killed and everyone who was injured, the city added. No further details were released about the victims. Authorities also did not share information about suspects and motive. Authorities said there was no immediate threat to public safety. Muncie is roughly 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com One person riding a bicycle was killed Saturday night the bicycle was hit by a pickup truck, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The collision happened about 9:30 p.m. in Darlington County, said Lance Cpl. Nick Pye. The bicycle and a 1990 Nissan pickup were traveling east on East Mclver Road when they collided near the intersection with Palmetto Heights Drive, according to Pye. Thats close to Exit 164 on Interstate 95. The bike rider was taken to an area hospital and later died, Pye said. The Darlington County Coroners Office has not publicly identified the bicycle rider. Pye said the pickup driver was not hurt, and no other injuries were reported. The crash continues to be investigated by the highway patrol. Through July 23, 561 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported. At least 16 people have died in Darlington County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, 19 deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported. One person is in serious condition after a rollover crash in Cambridge Saturday night. The Cambridge Fire Department says the rollover crash happened during Saturday nights serious storms just after 9:00 p.m. on Memorial Drive. The victim who sustained serious injuries was transported to a nearby hospital. Shortly after 9 pm during the storm, Eng 2, Lad 3, Sqd 2, Res 1, & Div 1 w @CambridgePolice, @MassStatePolice , & @ProEMSCambridge worked the crash, Memorial Drive at the Brookline St overpass. One person was treated & trans to a med facility for serious injury. Group 4 on duty pic.twitter.com/IX4AXEEX4U Cambridge Fire Dept. (@CambridgeMAFire) July 30, 2023 Cambridge Police and EMS and Massachusetts State Police also assisted in the crash. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW For decades Indianas May primary had little relevance in the countrys process for choosing the president of the United States. Hoosiers went to the polls too late in the nominating cycle to have any influence. Nobody here was happy about it either. Indiana deserved to be in the spotlight, and its rich cross section of voters and Midwestern issues were always an afterthought as the primary candidates headed to their respective party conventions. More: Ron DeSantis to make appearance at luncheon in Hamilton County for 2024 presidential run Then 2008, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama happened. Then 2016, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz happened. The Democratic Party primary in May 2008 remains one of the most exciting political contests in recent memory. Clinton had the backing of much of the Democratic state party leadership (including then-Sen. Evan Bayh), but the enthusiasm of the Obama voters nearly made up the difference. More: 'A tough row to hoe': Mike Pence faces uphill battle for GOP nomination Clinton won the primary by just more than 1%. More than the results, however, it was exciting for Indiana to play host to media from around the world. In 2016, the Stop Trump movement failed in its objective of denying Donald Trump the delegates from Indiana needed for the reality television star to secure the nomination. While this race was not nearly as close as the Democrats in 2008, the media and various other actors gave Indiana its usual accolades. Hoosiers perform best when the whole world is watching. Will Indiana again be a battleground in the race for president? The last few weeks have given us some hints. Its much too early to predict what role Indiana will play in the presidential nomination process, said Indiana Republican Party chairman Kyle Hupfer. But recent history says that absent a landslide for one candidate through Super Tuesday, the process will not be over by the time it gets to Indiana. Recently, a political strategist whom I respect greatly told me that former President Trump has a firm base of 37% that will never desert him regardless of indictments, lost lawsuits, his faith in Faucistein and other dramas. Story continues Indiana has been more kind to Trump than most other states. He has been on the statewide ballot three times and has triumphed by an average of 20 percentage points. Mike and Karen Pence walk through pit lane Sunday, May 28, 2023, during the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His vice president (and announced presidential candidate) Mike Pence also has a track record of success in his home state. It would be a mistake to underestimate him (again). The wild card in next Mays primary, however, is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. His electoral and political accomplishments in the Sunshine State are simply remarkable. DeSantis won his first election for governor in 2018 by a margin of nearly 33,000 votes. He won reelection in 2022 by a margin of more than 1.5 million votes. DeSantis also captured 58% of the Latino vote. Earlier this month, I attended a DeSantis for President fundraiser in Indianapolis. The crowd was large, the contribution haul was larger, and the governor delivered a strong speech that was well-received by the enraptured audience. More: Takeaways from Donald Trump's remarks at the 2023 NRA convention in Indianapolis The event for Gov. DeSantis in Indiana blew out every goal we set for it, said Indiana State Rep. Chris Jeter (who served in the U.S. Navy with the Florida governor). Its a testament to the governors vision and courage to lead, which is what voters are responding to. His campaign is gaining momentum, and I believe he will peak at the right time both in Indiana and across the country. Will Trump retain his winning stranglehold on Indianas Republican voters? Will Pences unparalleled political network pull him through? More: 'Where do I begin?': US Sen. Todd Young rejects Trump for 2024 presidential bid Or will DeSantis remarkable political and military record prove irresistible to Hoosier GOP voters looking for someone to take on Washington, D.C.? Robert Vane May 7, 2024, may witness the most contentious Republican presidential primary since Ronald Reagan squeaked past Gerald Ford by two points in 1976. Indiana welcomes the political spotlight. All we ask is that you spend money while youre here. Robert Vane is the principal at public relations firm Veteran Strategies Inc. He was deputy chief of staff and communications director in the Mayor Greg Ballard administration and served in the United States Army. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana could play pivotal role in electing next U.S. president EDITOR'S NOTE: The Star Press received the following commentary related to the recent NATO summit. The mid-July summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Vilnius, Lithuania, was the second to take place following Russias invasion of Ukraine. But it was the first to take place following the most recent expansion of NATO. Finland joined in April. Nate LaMar, an international manager, has served as Henry County Council president from 2009-2019. On July 10, Turkeys President Erdogan ended his veto against Sweden. It is therefore now up to Turkeys Parliament to ratify Swedens membership. These are challenging, though encouraging, times for an alliance that had become moribund before the war. As a young lieutenant in Germany, I was fortunate to have a very atypical assignment working at the grassroots level of NATO. Instead of being stationed at a more common Cold War-era U.S. Army unit on a compound with thousands of soldiers, civilian employees, and dependents, I was the liaison/linguist officer for a detachment of 40 Americans on a Bundeswehr (German Army) base of 2,000 German soldiers and lived on the economy in a rural town. In such a small unit, officers wore many hats: I also served as Platoon Leader, S-2 (Intelligence Officer), Executive Officer, and acting Commander. By this time, as the Cold War was over, terrorism had become a bigger concern within NATO (IRA, PLO, ETA, etc.). Having earlier graduated from the Individual Terrorism Awareness Course at the JFK Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, NC, I taught counter-terrorism within our Group, whose area covered much of two German states. My unit was inactivated in 1992, at which point I chose to depart active duty, was honorably discharged, and returned home to begin my civilian career and, later, MBA school. VILNIUS, LITHUANIA - JULY 12: U.S. President Joe Biden waves to the crowd after he spoke at Vilnius University on July 12, 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Biden, who was in Vilnius to participate in the 2023 NATO Summit, lauded Lithuania and the Baltic countries for attaining freedom following the collapse of the Soviet empire. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776004527 ORIG FILE ID: 1537328950 Many more Cold War-era units in Germany were inactivated during this same period. As a result, NATO became a hollowed-out alliance, with most allies spending less and less on their defense (the so-called Peace Dividend). While it was refreshing to see many formerly Communist countries gain their freedom, with most becoming NATO members, many allies became dependent on Russian petroleum. Story continues Many of these newly-free NATO members partnered with various National Guards. For example, the Indiana National Guard helped train Slovakias Army, while the California National Guard helped train Ukraines Army. Some formerly Communist countries who did not join NATO became part of its Partnership for Peace (PfP). Although neutral, Austria, Ireland, and Switzerland are also PfP members. Kosovo, whose Security Forces are partnered with the Iowa National Guard, has applied to join the PfP. Having watched the NATO public forum simulcast from Vilnius, I was reminded that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are true frontiers of freedom. In fact, Vilnius is located about halfway between the border with Belarus, a Russian ally, and Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave on the Baltic Sea. Among the panelists were Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who co-chair the US Senate NATO Observers Group. They were joined by a French Senator and the speaker of Lithuanias Senate. All stated that China is watching NATOs response to Russias war in Ukraine very closely. Could Taiwan be next? As I now represent my employer on NATOs Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG), I am reminded that next years NATO Summit will take place in Washington, DC. At that time, our country will be in the midst of a Presidential election which could include an isolationist as one of the major party nominees. This is clearly not the time to turn back the clock to 1920s/1930s isolationism. Putin invaded Georgia in 2008 and Crimea in 2014. The world did nothing. Every time history repeats itself, the price goes up. Ukraine needs us and NATO needs our continued leadership of the alliance. Nate LaMar, an international manager, also served as Henry County Council President from 2009-2019. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Opinion: US needs to stand with NATO, not turn to isolationism A worker at the United Premium Foods processing plant in Woodbridge, New Jersey died after falling into the large machine while it was operating. Associated Press A woman died on Friday after falling into a meat processor at a plant in Woodbridge, New Jersey. OSHA and the Woodbridge Police Department are investigating the woman's death. United Premium Foods CEO said the company will "fully cooperate with the official investigation." The Occupational Health and Safety Administration and local police are investigating after a woman fell into a large meat processor in New Jersey on Friday. According to CBS News, a worker at the United Premium Foods processing plant in Woodbridge, New Jersey died after falling into the large machine while it was operating. A Woodbridge township spokesperson said police responded to a call for an industrial accident at the food processing plant at around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, according to USA Today. United Premium Foods did not immediately return Insider's request for comment, but the company's CEO Ken Mayer told CBS it is "devastated by the loss of our longtime employee, who was a beloved member of our company." "Our deepest condolences go out to her daughter at this difficult time," he said. "We are fully cooperating with the official investigation." OSHA and the Woodbridge Police Department are both investigating the woman's death, according to RLS Media, a New Jersey-based digital media company. United Premiums Foods and police have not released the woman's name. The Woodbridge Police Department did not return Insider's request for comment Sunday. United Premium Foods packages food items including Italian meat and other cured and smoked meats, according to News 12 NJ. United also mass-produces pet food, according to the outlet. Food processing plants can be dangerous places to work, where employees work in close quarters on dangerous equipment. On July 14, a 16-year-old boy died working in a poultry plant in Mississippi after he became trapped in equipment on a conveyor belt. A spokesperson for the Mar-Jac Poultry plant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi said an outside hiring agency misled the company by misrepresenting the boy's age, according to HuffPost. Read the original article on Insider Ukraine brought the war far from the front line into the heart of Russia again Sunday in drone penetrations that Russian authorities said damaged two office buildings a few miles (kilometers) from the Kremlin and a pig breeding complex on the countries' border. The attacks, which Ukraine didn't acknowledge in keeping with its security policy, reflected a pattern of more frequent and deeper cross-border strikes the Kyiv government has launched since starting a counteroffensive against Russian forces in June. A precursor and the most dramatic of the strikes happenned in May on the Kremlin itself, the seat of power in the capital, Moscow. Sunday's was the fourth such strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, showing Moscows vulnerability as Russia's war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month. The Russian Defense Ministry said three drones targeted the city in an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime. Air defenses shot down one drone in Odintsovo in the surrounding Moscow region, while two others were jammed and crashed into the Moscow City business district. Photos and video showed that a drone had ripped off part of the facade of a modern skyscraper, IQ-Quarter, located 7.2 kms (4.5 miles) from the Kremlin. When the drone hit, sparks, flames and smoke spewed from the building, with debris falling on the sidewalk and street. Windows were blown out, and metal window frames were mangled. A security guard was injured, Russia's state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials. Russia's Ria-Novosti news agency reported the building's tenants included several government agencies. Flights were temporarily suspended at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, and the airspace over Moscow and the outlying regions was temporarily closed. President Vladimir Putin, who was in his hometown of St. Petersburg at the time of the attempted attacks for meetings with African leaders and a naval celebration, was briefed, his spokesman said. Story continues Ukrainian officials didnt acknowledge the attacks but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address: Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process. A Ukrainian air force spokesman also didn't claim responsibility but said the Russian people were seeing the consequences of Russia's war in Ukraine. All of the people who think the war doesnt concern them' its already touching them, spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told journalists Sunday. Theres already a certain mood in Russia: that something is flying in, and loudly, he said. There's no discussion of peace or calm in the Russian interior any more. They got what they wanted. Ihnat also referenced an early Sunday drone attack on Crimea, Ukrainian territory which Russia occupied and illegally annexed in 2014. The Russian Defense Ministry announced it had shot down 16 Ukrainian drones and neutralized eight others through electronic jamming. No casualties were reported. Zelenskyy has vowed to take back all land Russian forces have occupied, including Crimea, and his efforts have been strengthened by the receipt and deployment of increasingly advanced Western weapons. In the earlier attacks on Moscow, Russia's Defense Ministry reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone outside the city on Friday. Four days earlier, two drones struck the Russian capital, one of them falling in the center of the city near the Defense Ministrys headquarters along the Moscow River about 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said air defenses downed four drones on Moscow's outskirts and jammed a fifth that was forced down. Russia has also blamed Ukrainian forces for attacking border areas, and on Sunday, the governor of one such region, Bryansk, said a Ukrainian strike damaged a pig breeding complex and injured three people. In Ukraine, the air force reported Sunday it had destroyed four Russian drones above the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Information on the attacks could not be independently verified. Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike late Saturday killed two people and wounded 20 in the city of Sumy in northeast Ukraine. A four-story vocational college building was hit, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said. Local authorities said that dormitories and teaching buildings were damaged in the blast and a fire that followed. While the attacks continued on the war front, so did the war of words. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy secretary of Russias Security Council, issued his latest nuclear war threat in a Telegram post Sunday. In it, he claimed Russian forces were preventing a nuclear war. He contended that if Ukraine, with NATO countries' support, succeeded in its counteroffensive, including if they seized part of our land, then Russia would go for the use of nuclear weapons. Western leaders have repeatedly warned of the dangers of making such statements. ___ Associated Press writer Andrew Katell in New York contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine CAIRO (AP) Palestinian factions met Sunday in Egypt to discuss reconciliation efforts as violence in the occupied West Bank surged between Israel and Palestinian militants. The main groups, Hamas and Fatah, have been split since 2007 and repeated reconciliation attempts having failed, so expectations for the one-day meeting were low. Participants at the closed-door meeting gave no indication of what was discussed. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who initiated the session in the Egyptian city of el-Alamein on the Mediterranean Sea, said at its conclusion only that the meeting was a first and significant step in efforts to end the long-running division. It came amid soaring violence in the West Bank, where Abbas and his Fatah group are based and exert limited self-rule. Israel has been staging near-nightly raids in Palestinian areas of the territory in what it says is an attempt to stamp out militancy, especially in areas where Abbas' security forces have less of a foothold. Those raids have led to some of the worst fighting in nearly two decades in the West Bank. Palestinians also say the Israeli raids undermine their own security forces and weaken their leadership. The meeting in Egypt was chaired by Abbas, presenting the aging and longtime Palestinian leader with a chance to portray an image of control and statesmanship to both Palestinians and the international community at a time when he is deeply unpopular at home and his room for maneuver is constrained by the Israeli incursions. The meeting was attended by other Palestinian leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip. Fatah and Hamas have been rivals since Hamas violently routed forces loyal to Abbas in Gaza in 2007, taking over the impoverished coastal enclave. Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade on the territory. For Hamas, joining the meeting was an opportunity to show Gazans that it is making an effort to mend the rift, even if nothing changes as a result. Another key group playing a central role in the fighting with Israel, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, boycotted the gathering to protest the detentions by the Palestinian Authority of its members, said to the group's leader, Ziyad al-Nakhala. Egypt has for years acted as a mediator in trying to end the infighting between Palestinian factions. It also helped broker truces in multiple rounds of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (C) meeting with a delegation of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ahead of talks in El Alamein (Thaer GHANAIM) Rival Palestinian political leaders meeting in Egypt decided on Sunday to form a committee on intra-Palestinian reconciliation, a move that one analyst doubted would end their 17-year rift. President Mahmud Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met for rare face-to-face talks in the coastal city of El Alamein along with representatives of most Palestinian political factions. The latest attempt at reconciliation aims to bridge the gap between the parallel governments of Hamas in the blockaded Gaza Strip and of the Palestinian Authority -- controlled by Abbas's secularist Fatah movement -- which administers Palestinian-run areas of the occupied West Bank. Abbas and Haniyeh were joined by the heads of other factions, except for the powerful Islamic Jihad and two other minor groups. Islamic Jihad had made the release of prisoners held by PA security forces a condition for sending representatives to El Alamein. Haniyeh earlier Sunday called on Abbas to end "security collaboration" with Israel and "political arrests", according to participants at the meeting. The Hamas leader also said "a new, inclusive parliament must be formed on the basis of free democratic elections". Hamas, which won the Palestinians' last legislative polls held in 2006, has repeatedly called for general elections. Abbas said Sunday "the coup d'etat and the division that befell us after... must end," referring to clashes between Hamas and Fatah that followed the 2006 vote. "We must return to a single state, a single system, a single law and a single legitimate army," Abbas added. - 'Kill' unity - To work towards this, the 87-year-old president announced "the formation of a committee to continue the dialogue... end divisions and achieve Palestinian national unity". A later statement from Abbas said he "hopes for an upcoming meeting soon in Egypt to announce to our people the end" of the 17-year split "and the return to Palestinian national unity". Story continues Palestinian political scientist Moukhaimer Abu Saada told AFP that the formation of the committee was no cause for celebration. "The best way to kill something is to form a committee for it," he said, speaking from Gaza. He said he doubted the move would produce any progress towards "ending the division or setting a date for Palestinian elections". Echoing a sense of despair among Palestinians, one Facebook user wrote that the talks in El Alamein -- which means "two flags" in Arabic -- showed the impassable distance between Hamas and Fatah who "fly completely different flags". On Sunday, Haniyeh called for "the restructuring of the Palestine Liberation Organization", the umbrella institution promoting Palestinian statehood. The PLO includes most Palestinian political factions, but not Hamas or Islamic Jihad. The PLO is "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people", Abbas said. He called for "peaceful popular resistance", while Haniyeh touted "comprehensive resistance". - Uptick in violence - Khaled al-Batsh, an Islamic Jihad leader, said the group had "hoped for a response from Mahmud Abbas to grievances and calls for the release" of its members detained in the West Bank. "We have been surprised by an unprecedented security incursion against resistance fighters," he said. Sunday's meeting came amid a resurgence of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly in the West Bank which Israel has occupied since the 1967. Violence linked to the conflict this year has killed at least 203 Palestinians, 27 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources from both sides. The spike has coincided with the tenure of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right administration, which took office late last year and includes members with a history of anti-Palestinian rhetoric. In the Gaza Strip on Sunday, hundreds of people demonstrated to demand an "end to division", said AFP correspondents in the coastal enclave. In Lebanon's largest refugee camp for Palestinians, Ain al-Helweh in the southern port city of Sidon, fighting overnight and on Sunday killed five Fatah members and an Islamist fighter. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called the fighting "suspicious in the current regional and international context", but Palestinian representatives in El Alamein did not comment on the clashes. az/bha/srm/ami Patagonia has set its sights on South End for its first North Carolina store. The Ventura, California-based upscale outdoor retailer has created an Instagram handle for Charlotte, that states Coming soon to South End. It also has posted a job listing seeking an on-site retail store general manager for the market. ALSO READ: Lowes opens first North Carolina outlet store, with more locations likely in 2023 The companys presence to date in North Carolina is limited to selling through other authorized retailers such as REI. Multiple sources confirmed to the Charlotte Business Journal that Patagonia is headed to Asanas Design Center. Keep reading here. (WATCH BELOW: Bystander shot after stepping in during convenience store robbery, police say) The teenage girl Pennsylvania State Police considered missing and endangered has been found safe. State police thank the public for their help to find her. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Emergency crews search for 17-year-old boy in Monongahela River Massive search for Beaver Co. teen ends; girl found safe Pittsburgh Police investigate bag left in bushes at Highmark Stadium during Riverhounds game VIDEO:Fishermen urge for signage on Monongahela River after 17-year-olds death DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts The Pentagon has approved an agreement with SpaceX to purchase Starlink for Ukraine, which the company's founder, Elon Musk, will not be able to disconnect. Source: The New York Times citing sources Details: In June 2023, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a Pentagon deal to buy 400 to 500 new Starlink terminals and services, according to the media outlet. Two sources familiar with the contract stated that the Pentagon will gain control over the Starlink signal settings on the territory of Ukraine, so that the new devices will be able to implement the objectives. As noted, this was done in order to provide Ukraine with terminals and services to perform tasks without fear of communication interruption. The publication reminds that Musk disconnected access to some Starlink terminals in Ukraine. About 1,300 Starlink terminals purchased through a British supplier stopped working in Ukraine at the end of 2022, after the government was unable to make monthly payments of $2,500 for each, according to two sources. In addition, the publication reports that access to Starlink also changed depending on the course of the war, as Russia was conquering territories, and Ukraine was fighting to get them back. Depending on how the front line changed, Musk used geolocation to limit Starlink's availability on the front lines. "This caused problems. When Ukrainian troops tried retaking cities like Kherson in Russian-controlled areas in the fall, they needed internet access to communicate. Mr. Fedorov and members of the armed forces messaged Mr. Musk and SpaceX employees requests to restore service in areas where the army was advancing," the NYT article reads. As noted, now more than 42,000 Starlink terminals are used in Ukraine by the military, hospitals, businesses and humanitarian organisations. Background: SpaceX took measures to prevent the Ukrainian military from using the Starlink satellite Internet to control drones in the region during the country's war with Russia. After the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation, asked Elon Musk to provide Ukraine with Starlink, and Musk responded, and on 28 February Ukraine received the first satellite internet stations, with deliveries continuing in March. Thanks to Starlink equipment in Kyiv Oblast, residents of the cities of Irpin and Romanivka were able to restore communication after the Russian army withdrew from the area. On 20 April, Fedorov said that the regulator had allowed all categories of users to use Starlink terminals, not just critical infrastructure. In early May, SpaceX allowed Starlink satellite internet subscriber kits to be moved from one location to another. Disconnecting mobile communications and the Internet is one of Russia's methods when attempting to occupy by creating an information vacuum in a certain territory and mislead people with Russian propaganda. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Zoe Petersen, Deseret News In February, I lost a friend to hopelessness. I knew he had been struggling for a long time. He took his life when the world became too overbearing. He was 22 years old. While every suicide is unique, the loss of my friend was part of a disturbing trend nationwide: suicides are increasing, especially among young men ages 15-24. In the struggle to make sense out of my grief, I reached out to my friend, the writer David Von Drehle. What a tragic story you have to tell today, he wrote to me. Loss of hope in a young person is so very sad to me, for it is almost always the case that a significant turn for the better is just around the next bend. I wish my friend could have seen around the bend, and I wish I could have seen him get there. The death of my friend caused me to ask some reflective questions: What is most important to me in life? What kind of friend do I want to be? How could my outlook on life shift in ways that would enhance my overall sense of fulfillment? When David wrote to me in February, he was a few months away from the publication of his new book, The Book of Charlie. Subtitled Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man, the book has appeared on bestseller lists since its release in May. When I read it, I knew why. The story of Charlie White, who was Davids neighbor for seven years, is a case study in adaptability during times of dramatic societal change and personal tragedy. Described by the publisher as a gospel of grit, it is a blueprint for the art of thriving rather than simply surviving. The Book of Charlie chronicles a life full of adventure. A physician, Charlie improvised techniques for early open-heart surgery, traveled through the Amazon as a guest of Perus president, and even skied the slopes of Alta on weekends away from Kearns Army Air Base. More than a travel log, however, the biography of Charlie, born in 1905, reflects more than a century of American history and serves as an instructive reminder that uncertainty, pain and change though often inescapable do not have the power to force us into a state of paralysis or pessimism. Story continues As a boy, Charlie endured the sudden death of his father. His first wife also died tragically. But he maintained a command over his own attitude and a strong resolve to press forward. He was born before radio and died in the era of iPhones, but Charlie learned to befriend change, even when change was uncomfortable or painful. David equates Charlie with the early stoics who taught that we must only worry about the things within our control. Preaching this same principle, President Russell M. Nelson who himself was refined by intense personal tragedy and is now a vigorous force of optimism in his golden years has told members of his church that the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. As I reflect upon my own fears and the uncertainties of a rapidly changing world, it is encouraging not daunting to know that I am solely responsible for choosing the attitude with which I will approach the world. When Charlie White was roughly my same age in the 1920s the future was as uncertain as it is in the 2020s. But Charlie learned to find the next step. And take it. He learned that life is never as sure as we might think, nor as hopeless as it may appear. I still mourn the loss of my friend and so many of my peers. Choosing a life of optimism does not shield us from tragedy, and we should not expect a positive attitude to protect us from all pain. Rather, a course of optimism and courage implies believing in times of pain and struggle that, as David said, a significant turn for the better is just around the next bend. We cannot control the hardships that befall us in life. But we can control our internal response to the external circumstances that lie outside of our control. This freedom serves as an equalizer for all human beings, regardless of our circumstance. Tragedy, uncertainty and change are out of our control. But hope is ours to choose. Addison Graham is a rising senior at Brigham Young University and a student scholar at the Wheatley Institute. Leer en espanol Phoenix approved a new $39 million contract for police body-worn cameras this summer, expanding the use of these cameras and the technology used to share footage from them. Since the cameras came into widespread use in Phoenix five years ago, footage from the body-worn cameras has redefined what is normal in criminal justice circles. But their impact on police shootings and police complaints remains contentious, and how to best use the pricey technology remains unclear. Today more than 90% of the largest U.S. law enforcement departments with 500 or more officers use body-worn cameras. Phoenix has been a forerunner in the use of body cameras since officers started testing the technology in 2013, according to Arizona State University criminologist Michael White. Phoenix increased its use of cameras in 2019, after a record high number of police shootings in 2018 and a resulting barrage of calls for reform. The flurry of deadly police shootings and the backlash against the arrests of protestors prompted the U.S. Justice Department to launch a wide-ranging investigation of the Phoenix Police Department, and for the city to hire Interim Chief Michael Sullivan. Home of Lillian Cocreham after the shooting of her two sons by Phoenix Police in October 2020 Under Sullivan, who came from the Baltimore Police Department as a reformer under a similar probe, Phoenix will expand the use of bodycam technology in the name of transparency. The new contract was approved in June. In October 2020, bodycam-wearing Phoenix police answered a domestic violence call at the home of Lillian Cocreham in central Phoenix. The call ended with police shooting and killing George and Emmett Cocreham, the adult sons of Lillian. The majority of the call was caught on body camera video, which played a part in an internal review of the shooting, but it did little to settle what happened that night. In camera footage police officers speak with Lillian Cocreham about her son who she felt afraid of on October 20, 2020 Phoenix was an early adopter of bodycams In 2013 the Phoenix Police Department gave cameras to 56 officers patrolling Maryvale. The Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety at Arizona State University published a study in 2014 that tracked some of the most significant impacts of those cameras. According to the study, the number of community complaints that were filed declined for the 56 officers, while complaints increased with other officers in the same precinct. Story continues Arrests by those same 56 officers went up. Phoenix police: Body-camera footage released of fatal shooting of man who resisted arrest The study also noted that the most common types of calls recorded involved domestic violence reports. The recorded domestic violence cases lead to prosecutors being 10% more likely to charge a crime and 3% more likely to get a guilty verdict, according to the study. However, the study flagged the need for more officer compliance in turning the cameras on. Fewer than 50 percent of incidents were recorded by officers who had been assigned a body camera, the study found. The study concluded that the cameras had benefited the department and the community. A decade later, some of those early findings still hold true; others do not. On Oct. 20, 2020, Lillian Cocreham called a nonemergency line to get help with her son Emmett Cocreham, who was having an angry outburst due to a lapse in medication. She told The Arizona Republic in an interview that she waited on the phone for 45 minutes trying to get a crisis counselor before having to call 911. On a recording of the call, she is heard telling the operator that she was scared her son would hurt her and kill her. A man in the background of her call sounds menacing, cursing at Lillian, and telling her to tell them to come over, and were ready, come on, bring it on. A pair of officers arrive at the house at about 8:45 p.m. The officers turn on their body cameras. Video stills from Phoenix Police Department Critical Incident Briefing on the Cocreham shooting Charging criminal cases The new city contract includes upgraded cameras and an improved system for storing and sharing the video evidence they record. The new contract will come with unlimited cloud storage and a management system that makes sharing that footage easier with other agencies. Something that prosecutors in the 2014 ASU study complained took too long. Even with the footage issues, the number of days it took to dismiss domestic violence cases dropped by about 30 days and getting guilty pleas dropped by 90 days, the 2014 study showed. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told The Arizona Republic that the initial problems with sharing footage were no longer an issue. The process has been streamlined. What remains a broader problem is having staff go through each piece of footage to redact victim or witness information before entering it as evidence or discovery. The office doubled its staff for this work to 24 this year. State trooper injured: DPS releases body-camera footage showing trooper getting shot during traffic stop Mitchell explained that the usefulness of the footage still remains limited. Most crimes dont happen on camera, and when the camera captures some of the crime, prosecutors have to deal with narrow fields of vision and mixed recording quality, she said. Mitchell added that educating a jury about what footage can and cant offer has become a part of the prosecutor's job. She said most people, and most juries, don't understand the camera limitations and need to be guided through footage used in court. Still, MCAO's policy remains: If the crime is caught on video, "every effort should be made to view that video, if at all possible, prior to charging it," Mitchell said. In some of the crimes that are captured on camera, including domestic violence calls, assaults against police or DUI stops, the footage helps capture what cant be expressed in a report or in testimony, according to Mitchell. It just takes the emotion of the moment, the stress of the moment out of the equation and, understanding the limitations of cameras, we can see with our own eyes what happened, she said. As more footage becomes available, her office will continue to see its further use in court. The bodycam footage from the Cocreham shooting starts when officers begin talking to Lillian outside her home. In the video, she tells the officer that her son Emmett wants to kill her. This footage was edited down, narrated and published online by Phoenix police through a Critical Incident Briefing. On the tape, Lillian sounds panicked as she tells police that Emmett and George are in the house. The video shows her blurred-out face talking to one of the officers. Its dark, and what is most clear is the house windows from which light pours out. She warns the officers that they shouldnt go into the house because they might get attacked. The police ask if there were any weapons in the house. She says she doesn't know. Lillian goes back into the house to try and get Emmett to come out and talk to the officers, but this sets George off, and he starts yelling at her. One officer reports that one of the brothers is looking through the windows with a flashlight and a handgun. The officer calls for backup. It later turned out that the handgun was a BB gun that looked real, but police also found a rifle in the house. After a cut, the video resumes in the back of the house with officers who are carrying rifles. The officers shout at Emmett and George, who are at the back of the house. Officers keep yelling at them to get closer. There is some discussion about one of the brothers holding what might be a gun, but guns are never clearly visible in the video. After one of the brothers yells back at the police that he cant hear what they are commanding, both brothers walk back into the house. Minutes later, Emmett walks from the side of the house toward the back door. Then one police officer shouts, Hes got a as George opens the back door. Oh, oh! one officer shouts. He fires his gun. Both brothers are seen falling. The Maricopa County Attorney's office closed the criminal investigation into the case in April 2022, without filing charges. But that didn't end the legal saga. Video still with markings from Phoenix police highlighting one of Cocreham brothers on Oct. 20 2020 Complaints National studies show that agencies that adopt body-worn cameras have seen a decrease in community complaints, much like the 2014 study in Phoenix reported a drop in complaints with the officers wearing cameras. White explained that the reasons behind the drops are not immediately obvious. It could be because people are less likely to make frivolous complaints against officers with cameras, or it could be that officers are less likely to act inappropriately knowing that a camera is on, White said. The department said that a big part of its commitment to transparency and accountability comes from a review of the footage. Videos are routinely reviewed by first line supervisors, Quality Assurance supervisors, the Compliance and Oversite Bureau, the Professional Standards Bureau, the Body Worn Camera unit and Executive Staff members, Phoenix Police Sergeant Phil Krynsky wrote in an email to the Arizona Republic. The department reviews both successful and challenging interactions and applies what they learn to evolve training, Krynsky explained. Lillian Cocreham filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city in September 2021. In her complaint, she details what happened that night and a list of reasons she believed that the shooting could have been prevented. Most notably, the complaint said, there was no objective evidence, photo or video that proved that George was holding a gun when police opened fire on both sons. Police shouted instructions at George and Emmett Cocreham but they shouted back that they couldn't hear. Effect on police shootings Nationally, one of the most commonly researched impacts of body-worn cameras has been their effects on police shootings. But studies are divided on what effects, if any, cameras have on the rate of police shootings. A study conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago between 2015 and 2019 found that implementing cameras had no significant effect on the use of force in the 800 law enforcement agencies that participated in the study. But White has been persuaded that cameras have had a positive effect, based on other studies. Just over half of the 30 studies have found reductions in use of force, he said. Its not an overwhelming number, but he believes analyzing the conflicting reports will reveal more about how each police department is affected by the use of cameras. Since the widespread introduction of cameras in Phoenix, the rate of police shootings per 100,000 people has climbed from 0.9 in 2019 to 1.4 in 2022, according to data pulled from Phoenix and the Census Bureau. Since 2017, criminal charges against police officers for murder or manslaughter have been increasing nationally year over year. The highest number of charges came in 2021 with 21 charges, according to a study by Bowling Green State University in Ohio. The number of fatal police shootings has also increased year over year for the last five years. In 2022 there were 1,242 people killed in police shootings in the U.S., according to a database managed by Mapping Police Violence. Jesse Showalter is a local attorney who represents families of police shooting victims and deaths in custody. He said he isn't sure if the number of civil cases against police has gone up, but camera footage has increased the ability to have a successful outcome in the cases, whether via settlement or courtroom win. He said that camera footage also plays a role in deciding if he can take a case to trial. I routinely turn down cases because I review the body-worn camera, and Im able to see from that body-worn camera that, legally, there is not a strong case to be brought, Showalter said. Cameras have changed our expectations in the short time they have been incorporated. Everyone expects officers to have a bodycam at this point, and so do juries, he said. Mitchell explained that the prosecutor's office does something similar when reviewing cases against officers in criminal court. When it comes to shootings involving police, her office reviews each piece of footage extensively. I absolutely think it has a significant impact on either the decision to charge or not charge, she said. Doug Clark resigns: Constable involved in fatal Phoenix shooting resigning after Republic investigation While the footage may not be the definitive evidence in these cases, they add something, whether its audio or visual, she said. One thing that it really conveys to people is just how quickly these things happen and how quickly we are asking our law enforcement to make these very, very split-second decisions, she said. Ben Laughlin of Poder in Action, a community organization that works with families whose loved ones have been shot by police, is upset at how police departments use bodycam footage. He said it is often first presented through Critical Incident Briefings, in which police use the footage to justify their actions rather than hold themselves accountable. Critical Incident Briefings, like the one in the Cocreham case, are narrated by police public affairs officers by providing information pulled from police reports and offering an interpretation of what took place based on the initial investigation. These briefing videos are made for every police-involved shooting in Phoenix within 14 days of the incident. But there have been times when those narratives fall flat, as new information comes to light, according to Showalter. I think body cameras have resulted in some acknowledgment that police should not necessarily be taken at their word, he said. Two years and seven months after her sons' shooting, Lillian Cocreham walked past the bullet holes in her home and complained about two things: police didnt tell her immediately that her sons had been killed, and they had initially told her that one son had shot another. In the Critical Incident Briefing, the officer narrating said that evidence suggested that George had fired a rifle. About a month after their deaths, detectives came to Lillian and admitted that officers had killed both sons, she said. The two officers who had fired at the brothers were Officer Adrian Juarez and Officer Laker Dohan, according to court records. The city decided to settle the case, and in June the City Council approved a $1 million payment to the family. The Police Departments Professional Standards Bureau started an internal investigation that remains open. Bullet holes remain in the backyard of Lillian Cocreham's home 2 years after the police shooting. Bodycam footage offers mixed value After other shootings, the footage, as presented now, does more harm than good, Laughlin said, suggesting that maybe we shouldnt be pouring more money into the program, especially when there are so many other needs our communities have. Roger Smith of Phoenix's Office of Accountability and Transparency said his department uses the footage as part of monitoring investigations. His office monitors the quality of investigations conducted over police shootings and other complaints against police conduct. Monitors in his office can use the footage to determine if the questions investigators asked and witnesses they interviewed were sufficient. Camera footage lets them see who was there and determine if investigators talked to the most relevant people. They can catch something investigators missed using camera footage, he said. You see a lot of things in terms of the officers' behavior, the civilians' behavior and the circumstances of the incident that need to be asked about in the course of the investigation. You get to ask better questions, because you're seeing those body cameras, he said. Smith explained that cameras have been doing what people expected from them, but it is the response to the footage where people are falling behind. This is the situation that sort of bugs me constantly, is the situation where you look at a body camera footage, or a piece of body camera footage, and everybody can agree, what we just looked at. And somehow the response is deficient, he said. Smith said he hopes to see more footage informing policy change and public conversations about police conduct. Laughlin agrees that the response needs to be improved. He said that he has never seen the city take the available footage and do a comprehensive investigation. He thinks the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice investigation could potentially be the first time Phoenix footage gets investigated on a large scale. The Police Department turned over 19,800 body-worn camera videos to the Department of Justice as it continued its investigation into the department. According to White, 95% of all the footage recorded by law enforcement agencies goes unseen. The next step for agencies is figuring out how to use the unseen footage best. Under the new contract, police will increase the capacity to upload an unlimited amount of footage from the cameras and store it on a cloud service. Expectations and doubts Phoenix polices biggest assets remain to be the men and women who routinely demonstrate hard work, determination, dedication, and resolve to bring justice to victims, according to Krynsky. The new $39 million technology will help officers work more efficiently, he said. Krynsky points out that the increased level of efficiency equates to savings in both investigative time, administrative costs, and an increased availability of department staff and resources. For Laughlin and the families of some police shooting victims, the cost of this technology doesnt make up for the limited accountability they feel is provided. They believe that exposure to violent policing comes more often from community members using their phone cameras than from body cameras. Just look at what happened in George Floyds case, Laughlin said. Showalter said that even in cases where video is available, people will more readily believe the story they tell themselves about what happened than what they see. He singled out the Philip Brailsford case, where Brailsford, a Mesa police officer, was charged with the second-degree murder of Daniel Shaver in 2016 after he shot Shaver in the hallway of a motel. Brailsford was found not guilty, but footage of what happened was captured on police body cameras. People look at that video and can still become just convinced that it shows a certain thing and then another half of people will be convinced it shows the exact opposite, he explained. He said that his concern with cameras is the need for more audio in some of the footage. The cameras that Phoenix uses have a 30-second advance recording from the point that an officer turns the camera on. But that 30 seconds is soundless. Sometimes that little bit of audio tells more of the story than what is seen, according to Showalter. Smith believes that the expectations society places on technology like cameras will never be met if people dont use the footage to make the changes they wish to see. Why are we not responding properly and consistently to what we see in the body cameras? Why are we ignoring certain things that we see in the body cameras? Why are we not properly training the things that we can clearly identify are improper, that we see in body camera footage? he asked. Even though it was used in her lawsuit, Lillian Cocreham cannot bring herself to watch the footage from the night her sons died. She listened to the audio during the depositions in her civil case, she said. "I had to listen to the tape, but I can't watch the video." She said. She could hear her son asking the police to back up because he couldn't hear what they wanted from him. She had hoped the video might have led to criminal charges, and even though there is an internal review still going on, she has lost faith in the process. She said that the lawsuit was the only thing she could think to do to expose what she saw as a faulty system. "I just wanted my voice to be heard because this can't happen again, this shouldn't happen to anyone else," she said. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix police body cameras cost millions while police shootings go up Jets parked at Pittsburgh International Airport in March 2020. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Airports are providing child care for airport employees to keep them in the business. Pittsburgh's airport will be the first to offer a childcare center in a terminal, NBC News reported. It comes as an airline and airport labor shortage complicates an increasing travel demand post-pandemic. As airports try to retain employees, they've turned to providing child care for workers to entice them to stay in the business. Pittsburgh International Airport joins a growing list of airports working to provide childcare to its employees. Uniquely, PIT is the first to offer childcare services in one of its terminals, NBC News reported. "This will be so convenient. With the facility right here, we'll be able pop in and check on him, which will give us peace of mind," Trudi Shertzer, an operations duty manager at the airport, told NBC News. Shertzer's husband also works in the airport as a wildlife manager, according to the outlet. The child care center, which is due to open in August, has 61 spaces available, NBC reported. It's available to the 6,000 employees at the airport, though the 475 airport authority employees will get first dibs, the outlet reported. Childcare is becoming an increasingly important benefit for airports to offer employees, who often work extended hours. The industry has tried to spruce up benefits as travel demand remains high but airlines continue to struggle with a labor shortage. "If you want people to work crazy shifts, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the day, you need to be able to accommodate their family life too," Thomas Romig, vice president at airport trade group Airports Council International, previously told Reuters on the topic. Childcare centers have popped up in California and Arizona airports, according to NBC. Denver International Airport and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport are considering following suit, the outlet reported. Read the original article on Business Insider MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Voting rights activists are returning to court to fight Alabama's redrawn congressional districts, saying state Republicans failed to follow federal court orders to create a district that is fair to Black voters. Plaintiffs in the high-profile redistricting case filed a written objection Friday to oppose Alabama's new redistricting plan. They accused state Republicans of flouting a judicial mandate to create a second majority-Black district or something quite close to it" and enacting a map that continues to discriminate against Black voters in the state. A special three-judge panel in 2022 blocked use of the the state's existing districts and said any new congressional map should include two districts where Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something close. That panels decision was appealed by the state but upheld in June in a surprise ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which concurred that having only one Black-majority district out of seven in a state where more than one in four residents is Black likely violated federal law. The plaintiffs in the case, represented by the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and other groups, asked the three-judge panel to step in and draw new lines for the state. Alabamas new congressional map ignores this courts preliminary injunction order and instead perpetuates the Voting Rights Act violation that was the very reason that the Legislature redrew the map, lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the case wrote. The new map enacted by the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature maintained one-majority Black district but boosted the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white 2nd Congressional District, now represented by Republican Rep. Barry Moore, from about 30% to 39.9% Lawyers representing plaintiffs in the case wrote Friday that the revamped district does not provide Black voters a realistic opportunity to elect their preferred candidates in any but the most extreme situations. They accused state Republicans of ignoring the courts' directive to prioritize a district that would stay under GOP control "pleasing national leaders whose objective is to maintain the Republican Partys slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Story continues Alabama has maintained the new plan complies with the Voting Rights Act, and state leaders are wagering that the panel will accept their proposal or that the state will prevail in a second round of appeals to the Supreme Court. Republicans argued that the map meets the courts directive and draws compact districts that comply with redistricting guidelines. The state must file its defense of the map by Aug. 4. The three judges have scheduled an Aug. 14 hearing in the case as the fight over the map shifts back to federal court. The outcome could have consequences across the country as the case again weighs the requirements of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting. It could also impact the partisan leanings of one Alabama congressional district in the 2024 elections with control of the U.S House of Representatives at stake. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement that Alabama's new map is a brazen defiance of the courts. The result is a shameful display that would have made George Wallaceanother Alabama governor who defied the courtsproud, Holder said in a statement. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki reportedly warned Saturday that a group of about 100 Russian Wagner mercenaries were moving through Belarus closer to Polands border. Poland, both a member of the European Union and NATO, has accused Belarus of wielding "hybrid warfare" in facilitating illegal migration at the Polish border, suggesting Minsk has encouraged migrants to fly into Belarus under the false promise of easy access to the European Union, the BBC reported. During a press conference at an arms factory in Gliwice, southern Poland, where Leopard tanks used by the Ukrainian army are being repaired, Morawiecki said about 100 Wagner mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, according to The Associated Press. The region is a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland. The Suwalki Gap also runs along Polands 60-mile-long border with fellow European Union member state Lithuania. Morawiecki claimed that the mercenaries might falsely present themselves as Belarusian border guards to help migrants move across to the EU. POLAND'S GOVERNMENT SAYS COUNTRY'S TOP PRIORITY IS SECURING EUROPEAN UNION'S BORDER WITH RUSSIAN ALLY BELARUS Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at press conference in Katowice, Poland on July 20, 2023. Morawiecki spoke out Saturday about Russian Wagner mercenaries nearing the border. "Now the situation becomes even more dangerous," Morawiecki said, adding that "this is certainly a step toward a further hybrid attack on Polish territory." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Thousands of Russian mercenaries have reportedly relocated to Belarus since last months short-lived rebellion orchestrated by Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who made his first public sighting since the failed-coup just days ago while attending an Africa summit in Russia celebrating the Niger coup. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a conversation last weekend that he would keep the Wagner mercenaries in central Belarus. WAGNER GROUP: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT RUSSIAN MERCENARY GROUP IN UKRAINE Story continues "They are asking to go west... to go on a trip to Warsaw," Lukashenko told Putin, referencing Polands capital city. "But of course, I am keeping them in central Belarus, like we agreed." Polands Interior Ministry said Thursday that Poland, Lithuania and Latvia could make the joint decision to shut down their borders with Belarus should incidents with Wagner mercenaries unfold on the frontier. Polish forces increase security measures as irregular migrants continue to wait in the buffer zone between the Belarus-Poland border on Nov. 18, 2021. Poland's government has accused Belarus of "hybrid warfare" in fueling a migrant crisis. The Poland-Belarus border has already been a tense place for a couple of years, ever since large numbers of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa began arriving. Poland's government has accused Russia and Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize Poland and other EU countries and has responded by building a high wall along part of its border with Belarus. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Three people were wounded, one fatally, Saturday evening in the Gresham neighborhood in the second triple shooting on the South Side within an hour. Gunshots rang out in the 7600 block of Peoria Street around 8 p.m., striking three people, according to Chicago police said. A 28-year-old man was shot in the face and later pronounced dead at University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. An 18-year-old man who was exiting a vehicle was wounded in the torso and taken to the same hospital in serious condition. A 24-year-old woman who was driving in the area was shot in the foot and taken to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition, police said. Police said it was unclear where the shots were fired from. An hour earlier, three others were shot by someone on foot at a park in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side. A 40-year-old woman, a 56-year-old man and another male of an unknown age were found wounded in the 7100 block South Prairie Avenue around 7 p.m., police said. Police said the victims were sitting in nearby Meyering Park when someone walked up with a handgun and started shooting at them, authorities said. The woman was shot in the leg and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition, police said. The 56-year-old man suffered a wound to the leg and was taken to UC Medical Center in good condition, while the second male who was shot in the back was taken to Christ Medical Center in good condition. No one was in custody for either shooting. Authorities have determined the man arrested in connection with the Gilgo Beach serial killings in New York is not connected with a series of unsolved murders in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Rex Huermann, 59, was arrested on 13 July and charged with six counts of murder in the deaths of Amber Castello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy and he is also the main suspect in Maureen Brainard-Barnes killing. The women, all women in their 20s who were working as sex workers, went missing in 2009 and 2010 before their remains were found along the stretch of a roadway in the Long Island shoreline community of Gilgo Beach. After Mr Heuermann was taken into custody, authorities in Las Vegas, South Carolina, New Jersey and Connecticut have probed possible links between the accused serial killer and local cold cases. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison told ABC News earlier this month that authorities were weighing an investigation against Mr Huermanna in connection with the Black Horse Pike Strangler case in Atlantic City. Similarly to the Gilgo Beach killing, the victims in the Garden State were also working as sex workers. Their bodies were found in a ditch in the Black Horse Pike hotel in 2006. But Mr Harrison has now told The New York Post that he believes someone else is behind the Atlantic City murders. We dont believe that the sex workers killed in Atlantic City are connected to Rex Heuermann, Mr Harrison said. Sam Taylor, whose 19-year-old niece Molly Dilt was one of the Black Horse Pike victims, told the Post that authorities have not been in contact with his family. He said he had briefly thought about the similarities between the Gilgo Beach case and the Black Horse Pike killings. When they announced that they caught a serial killer in New York, I just turned to my wife and said, Hey, I think they might have got the guy, Mr Taylor said. We dont know how my niece was killed or anything, but its kind of funny that this guy is murdering all the same type of people. Story continues Rex Huermann, 59, is charged with murdering Amber Castello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy (AP) Mr Heuermann was first linked to the Gilgo Beach murders thanks to the description of a witness who saw him leave the home of one of his victims. The witness gave the tip to police 13 years ago but it was only revisited last year when the Suffolk Police Department revamped an investigation into the murders. According to a criminal complaint, further cellphone records, chilling online searches and DNA evidence also tie Mr Heuermann to the crimes. Last week, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney was grilled in a press conference about the chilling alleged discovery of a mattress inside a huge vault in the basement of Mr Heuermanns home in Massapequa Park. The DA repeatedly refused to confirm or deny the existence of the potentially harrowing piece of evidence but did confirm the existence of the walk-in underground vault beneath the property that he shared with his family. The vault is big enough to walk into and its in the basement, he said, adding that like the rest of the house, [the vault] was cluttered. Mr Tierney noted that it will take time for the crime lab to test the trove of items seized for the likes of blood, hairs, fibres or other trace evidence which could indicate whether victims were killed at the property. The search of Mr Heuermanns home came to an end on Tuesday after investigators spent almost two weeks combing through the property (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Investigators previously revealed that a trove of around 270 guns had been seized from the home. Mr Heuermann has legal permits for 92 handguns and also owned several long guns. The search of the home came to an end on Tuesday after investigators spent almost two weeks combing through the property, seizing items and digging up the yard for clues about the murders or looking for trophies that the alleged killer took from his victims. Mr Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to the murders and is expected to be back in court on 1 August. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki claimed Saturday that the Wagner Groups mercenaries in Belarus were moving closer to the border of Poland, the Associated Press reported. Morawiecki said the troops are close to the Suwalki Gap, an important portion of Poland between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave. Poland is a member of NATO and the European Union, making possible threats against the country riskier for members of the two organizations due to mutual defense pacts. Polands government called the migration a form of hybrid warfare, and has responded by building a high wall, according to AP. Now the situation becomes even more dangerous, Morawiecki told reporters, adding that this is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory. The militant group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, fought extensively on behalf of Russia in the ongoing war, but gained notoriety after its brief mutiny against the Russian government. Prigozhin and his army relocated to Belarus after a deal was reached between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin and charges against the militant leader were dropped. The United Kingdom, also a member of NATO, continue to issue warnings earlier this week that the Wagner Group still poses a threat to the West. Their report, released Wednesday, claimed that despite the appearance of severed ties with the Russian government, Prigozhins army could be employed by other countries. Even when the Wagner Network has not acted as a direct proxy of the Russian Government, the Kremlin is likely to have benefited from its presence, the British Parliament said in the report. So long as the Wagner Network survives in some form, we believe that countries may still, despite an apparent failure of Wagner to deliver on their commitments, turn to the network for security reasons, despite the high price: atrocities, corruption and the plunder of natural resources. The news comes after Prighozin was spotted Thursday in St. Petersburg during a summit between Russia and Africa the first time hes been seen in Russia since leaving the country. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Pope Francis Pope Francis has condemned Russias withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and Moscows subsequent airstrikes on Ukrainian grain infrastructure at Ukrainian ports, according to a report by Vatican News on July 30. Let us not cease to pray for Ukraine, where war devastates everything, including grain, Pope Francis said. This is a serious offense to God, for grain is His gift to feed humanity. The cries of our brothers and sisters suffering from hunger reach up to the heavens, Pope Francis said during Sunday prayers in the Vatican in Rome. I appeal to my brothers, the authorities of the Russian Federation, that the Black Sea Initiative may be restored and grain may be transported safely, the Pope added. Read also: Zelenskyy meets with Pope Francis special envoy in Kyiv On July 17, Russia officially announced its withdrawal from the grain agreement, citing the repeated sabotage of the Crimean Bridge as the reason. Along with this move, Moscow also revoked guarantees of safe navigation in the Black Sea. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed continuing the grain agreement without Russias participation, in collaboration with Turkey and the United Nations. Read also: Pope Francis floats sending envoys to Kyiv and Moscow for peace mission However, tensions escalated as the Russian Ministry of Defense declared that it would consider all vessels heading to Ukrainian ports as carriers of military cargo. In a mirrored response, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry declared that it would treat vessels heading to Russian and occupied ports as military targets. Russia conducted training missile strikes in the Black Sea on July 21, after threatening to attack all maritime vessels heading to Ukrainian ports. During the exercises, the occupiers deliberately sank the Ukrainian corvette Ternopil, which had been captured in 2014 during the occupation of Crimea. 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 Pope Francis called on Russia to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has allowed Ukraine to export agricultural products via its seaports to help alleviate the global hunger crisis. "I appeal to my brothers, the authorities of the Russian Federation, so that the Black Sea initiative may be resumed and grain may be transported safely," the head of the Catholic Church said during his Sunday Angelus prayer. Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal on July 17, warning that its forces would attack all ships going to and from Ukrainian ports. The initiative, brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022, has played a crucial role in stabilizing food prices worldwide amid a surge caused, in part, by Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. After Russia pulled from the agreement, wheat prices skyrocketed. Francis urged people to continue praying "for martyred Ukraine, where was is destroying everything, even grain," calling this a "grave insult to God." Read also: Timothy Ash: Solutions need to be found for grain exports He is one of many global figures appealing to Russia to put the grain deal back on the table. Last week, a delegation of African leaders visiting St. Petersburg demanded for the Ankara-brokered deal to be reinstated. By refusing to extend the deal, U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken stated that Russia is "weaponizing food" by denying food supplies to those who need it and making food prices worldwide rise. "I hope that every country is watching this very closely." Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain suppliers. The deal allowed Ukraine to continue exporting its agricultural products through the Black Sea during the full-scale invasion. Russia has repeatedly threatened to pull out of the grain deal since its implementation, using it as a bargaining chip to demand sanctions affecting its fertilizer industry be lifted. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. World Youth Day is a week of religious, cultural and festive events held every two or three years (Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA) Almost two months after undergoing hernia surgery, Pope Francis heads to Lisbon Wednesday for a five-day trip for World Youth Day, a major Catholic event expected to draw a million pilgrims. The 86-year-old Argentine pontiff has a typically packed schedule in Portugal despite his health issues, which saw him spend nine nights in hospital in June -- his third stay in hospital since 2021. An outspoken Jesuit who loves being among his flock, Pope Francis is hugely popular among young Catholics and is likely to address issues they particularly care about, such as climate change. He is also expected to talk about the war in Ukraine. World Youth Day, a week of religious, cultural and festive events held every two or three years, is also an opportunity for the Catholic Church to show it is still relevant after many followers were left alienated by decades of scandal over clerical child sex abuse. Church organisers are expecting about one million pilgrims from across the globe, although the Portuguese government has suggested it could be up to 1.5 million. In his first trip abroad since his surgery, the pope is due to make 11 public pronouncements and hold numerous meetings, and on Saturday will visit the shrine of Fatima north of Lisbon. Americo Aguiar, the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon who is organising the event, said some elements of the programme might change, however, depending on the health of the pope, who regularly uses a wheelchair. "We are aware of the limits of the pope," Aguiar told AFP, saying organisers were doing their best to adapt, including reducing the amount of times the pontiff must get in and out of a car. Around 16,000 members of law enforcement, civil protection and medical staff are being deployed for the visit, officials said. Roads and metro stations will be closed, presenting a challenge for the city of 550,000 inhabitants already busy with summer tourists. - Meeting abuse victims - The pope arrives in Lisbon on Wednesday, the second day of World Youth Day, meeting with officials, diplomats and religious figures before a series of encounters with young people on Thursday and Friday. Story continues On Saturday morning Francis will visit the rural pilgrimage site of Fatima, where in 2017 he declared sainthood for two young shepherds who a century earlier had visions of the Virgin Mary. That evening the pope will lead a vigil in Lisbon's waterfront Parque Tejo, ahead of a mass held at the park Sunday morning. Preparations are already well underway for the visit, with World Youth Day flags in green, red and yellow adorning the main square. Pope Francis is also expected during his visit to meet privately with victims of sexual abuse by members of the Portuguese clergy. A report published in February by an independent commission found at least 4,815 children were sexually abused by clergy members -- mostly priests -- since 1950. The inquiry, based on testimony from over 500 victims, concluded that the Church hierarchy in Portugal "systematically" tried to conceal the abuse. The results of the inquiry, which was commissioned by the Church in the country, has been a damning blow to the institution in Portugal where 80 percent of its population of some 10 million people identify as Roman Catholic. - Distant relationship - But among some groups of Catholics, faith is still strong, particularly among students, noted Jose Pereira Coutinho, a sociologist at the Catholic University of Portugal. Americo Aguiar said the pope himself was hugely influential. "Many young people I've met don't regularly go to mass on Sunday... Pope Francis is a huge draw for these young people who have a very distant relationship with the Church," he told AFP. "This calls for a different model (of engagement) on our part." Initially scheduled for August 2022, but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Lisbon World Youth Day is the 16th international edition of what has become the largest gathering of Catholics worldwide. The brainchild of late Pope John Paul II, this year's event is the fourth presided over by Pope Francis, who became head of the Catholic Church in 2013. The last three events took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2013, Krakow, Poland in 2016 and Panama City, Panama in 2019. Lisbon is the pope's 42nd overseas visit and will be followed by a trip to Mongolia in early September and Marseille in the south of France on September 23. cmk/ar/ams/yad On the eve of high-profile testimony to a House committee, Hunter Bidens longtime business partner Devon Archer is wrangling with the Justice Department about when he should report to prison on unrelated charges. A jury in 2018 convicted Archer of two felonies for his role in a conspiracy to defraud a Native American tribe, but his 2022 sentence has been repeatedly postponed amid a long-running series of appeals. On Saturday, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York wrote to trial judge Ronnie Abrams and asked her to schedule a date for Archer to report to prison, after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals finalized an order days earlier upholding his one-year sentence. The court isnt expected to make a decision before Archer will meet behind closed doors with the House Oversight Committee, meaning that even if the court ultimately sides with the request Archer wouldn't have to report to prison before the meeting. And his attorney said in a statement that he will move forward with his planned appearance Monday. A spokesperson for the office of United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on the filing or the timing of the letter. But according to the one-page letter, filed by assistant U.S. attorney Negar Tekeei, prosecutors had asked Archers attorney to recommend a reporting date in light of the Second Circuit ruling but were rebuffed. Archers counsel, according to the DOJ letter, said it was premature to set a sentencing date because Archer was considering further appeals and intended to raise an error in the sentencing process. Archers lawyer plans to file a response to the U.S. attorneys demands by Wednesday. Matthew Schwartz, Archers attorney, also rejected the notion that theres any connection between Archers tiff with the Justice Department and his potentially imminent jail time. We are aware of speculation that the Department of Justices weekend request to have Mr. Archer report to prison is an attempt by the Biden administration to intimidate him in advance of his meeting with the House Oversight Committee, Schwartz said in a statement. To be clear, Mr. Archer does not agree with that speculation. In any case, Mr. Archer will do what he has planned to do all along, which is to show up on Monday and to honestly answer the questions that are put to him by the Congressional investigators. Story continues But the latest turn in the long-running conflict creates an odd backdrop to Archers planned appearance, which Republicans have been touting as a significant moment in their probe of Bidens business dealings. Archers appearance had previously been scheduled, and canceled, leading to Mondays rescheduling. Republicans view Archer as a key witness in their monthslong hunt to find an elusive smoking gun that links President Joe Biden to the business deals of his son, Hunter Biden, and other family members. No evidence has emerged that Joe Bidens decisions as president or vice president were influenced by his sons business deals, and he has repeatedly denied involvement in his familys business agreements. But Republicans are expected to use the closed-door sit-down to try to back up their investigative claims. Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) subpoenaed Archer in June, saying that he played a significant role in the Biden familys business deals abroad, including but not limited to China, Russia, and Ukraine and that the committee believed he had information relevant to their investigation. During a Fox News interview on Sunday with Maria Bartiromo, Comer called the timing of the letter odd, but stopped short of predicting what the former Hunter Biden business associate would tell the committee behind closed doors. I dont want to put words in Devon Archers mouth, Comer said on "Sunday Morning Futures," but Ill say this: He has an opportunity to come tomorrow to the House Oversight Committee and tell the truth. Oklahoma Senate Chamber at State Capitol (Photo/State of Oklahoma) Guest Opinion. We at the Cherokee Nation firmly believe in being good neighbors to all Oklahomans who share our home. The Oklahoma governors vetoes of the tribal-state compacts governing tobacco sales and motor vehicle registrations both widely supported, bipartisan bills were recently overturned by the Oklahoma State Senate. That sends a clear message that collaboration with tribes is essential for the state and that the governor's choice of conflict over cooperation is isolated and not held by most elected leaders across the state. The veto override is a significant step forward in preserving the carefully negotiated agreements that have served both Oklahoma and tribes, like the Cherokee Nation, well for decades. Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Tribal-state compacts are shining examples of successful collaboration in action. Over the years, they have benefited both Oklahoma and tribal nations alike, demonstrating the power of respectful partnerships. The Cherokee Nation is ready to continue working with all good-faith partners who share this same vision of collaboration. I extend a heartfelt thanks to the senators and representatives who supported the veto override. Their understanding of the importance of these compacts reflects a real commitment to finding common ground and respecting tribal sovereignty. The uncertainty caused by these vetoes has had troubling implications for Oklahoma citizens and businesses. By finalizing the process, we can put an end to this uncertainty and ensure the stability that comes from honoring these compacts. Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. Our tribal jurisdictions and sovereignty have been upheld by the highest court in the land the U.S. Supreme Court as well as numerous other federal and state courts. We will always defend these rights, as they have been at the heart of our government and people since time immemorial. Despite this commitment to protecting our inherent rights, Cherokee Nation, along with other tribal governments in Oklahoma, remains optimistic we will continue to find mutually beneficial solutions and leaders who value and respect our status as sovereign nations. Story continues As we move forward, let us embrace the spirit of collaboration and seek win-win outcomes that promote the well-being of all Oklahomans. Compacts are mutually beneficial, as they address shared challenges, promote economic development, and improve the well-being of both Cherokee Nation citizens and our neighboring communities. The recent vetoes are simply the latest hostile action by Governor Kevin Stitt, who has shown an unwillingness to work with tribes on any issue. He does not support tribal-state compacts. His attempt to end our gaming compacts did tremendous and lasting damage to our relations and killed discussions that may otherwise have been productive. He also allowed tribal hunting and fishing compacts to expire, which ended a revenue stream that netted Oklahoma more than $35 million between 2016 to 2021. Saving the motor vehicle compact preserves a highly successful program and prevents many Oklahomans, who drive with tribal car tags, from being put into a legal limbo over their vehicle registration. As part of Cherokee Nations agreement, the tribe contributes 38% of car tag revenues directly to Oklahoma public schools. School districts within and adjacent to the Cherokee Nation Reservation can use those dollars as needed for the benefit of all students. This years contribution was $7.8 million, and the tribe has given more than $84 million since 2002. Other car tag revenues support roads and bridges and law enforcement on the Cherokee Reservation, which benefit all Oklahomans who live and travel here. Governor Stitt seems to live in a world in which any exercise of tribal sovereignty always comes at someone elses expense. That is a world of Stitts own creation, and its phony. I see things quite differently, as do a growing array of civic, business and community leaders across the state. The rest of us see a world in which tribal sovereignty, including as expressed through tribal-state compacts, can benefit everyone. As Principal Chief, I will always stress the significance of our tribal sovereignty. It is the foundation of our tribal nation. And I will always stand up to any person or organization that threatens our rights. However, I know that together, in the spirit of Gadugi all of us working together for the greater good we can build a stronger, more prosperous Oklahoma that celebrates and respects all its residents. Chuck Hoskin, Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Tense and sometimes violent scenes played out in front of the French Embassy in Niger Sunday as thousands of people who support a military coup voiced anger over Frances influence in its former colony. Demonstrators shouted shouted support for Russian leader Vladimir Putin despite calls from the Kremlin to release the countrys democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. Some protesters tore down a plaque identifying the Embassy, stomped on it and then replaced it with Russian and Nigerien flags. Shouts of long live Putin, long live Russia and down with France could be heard among the crowds. Nigerien security forces were seen deploying tear gas in an attempt to disperse the protesters. One photograph from the scene showed people trying to start a fire outside the compound. President Emmanuel Macrons office said France would immediately retaliate against anyone who attacks French nationals or facilities in Niger. Much of the international community has condemned the coup, which saw members of the Niger presidential guard overthrow Bazoum and install a military junta called the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland. Demonstrators appeared to try to set the Embassy alight before being dispersed. - Stringer/Reuters Niger has a long history of military coups since its independence from France in 1960, though in recent years it had been less politically unstable. When Bazoum came to office in 2021, it was the countrys first democratic transfer of power. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday demanded that Bazoum be released and reinstated within a week. Should the junta remain in charge, the group said it would take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger, including the use of force. ECOWAS also announced a bevy of punitive measures, including closing land and air borders with Niger. The group said it would reject any form of resignation that may purportedly come Bazoum, who they consider a hostage. France and the European Union said earlier that they would support ECOWAS organizations if they decide to sanction the junta. The two had already cut off financial support for Niger. Story continues Nigers military leaders may have found one potential ally: the countrys eastern neighbor, Chad. Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno was in Niamey, Nigers capital, on Sunday, according to a source close to the Nigerien military, and photographed alongside a key figure in the putsch. Chad is not a member of the ECOWAS. Were going to get France out of Africa Niger was a French colony for more than 50 years before its independence in 1960. Diplomatic ties between the two countries were strong before Thursdays putsch, but many Nigeriens believe France has continued to act as imperial power when dealing with Niger, robbing it of natural resources and dictating how its leaders steer the economy. Niger is one of the worlds poorest countries and receives hundreds of millions of dollars each year in assistance. Niger has suffered too much under French orders. Ive been unemployed for 10 years because of their system, said Karimou Sidi, one of the demonstrators. We want freedom. Hadiza Kanto, a university student who had come to protest, said he supported the leaders of the coup because they are against France who robbed us all. Were going to get France out of Africa, Kanto said. Russia has, in recent years, attempted to capitalize on that anti-colonial sentiment to bolster its influence across the continent. Seventeen African heads of state traveled to St. Petersburg on Thursday for an Africa-Russia summit, though turnout was far lower this year than in previous years, likely due to the war in Ukraine. The anti-France and pro-Russia movement isnt new in the region. It has been observed in various countries in the Sahel in the past years, most recently in Burkina Faso where the military government demanded the departure of French troops from the country earlier this year. CNNs Martin Goillandeau and Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Russian military shelled the Kostiantynivka community in Donetsk Oblast on July 30 with artillery, killing one civilian and injuring two, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on July 30. A 57-year-old man died under the rubble of a residential building, while a 24-year-old man and an 81-year-old woman received shrapnel injuries. In total, the Russian military damaged 12 residential buildings and a gas pipeline. "Prosecutors are taking all measures to document war crimes committed by representatives of the Russian Armed Forces," the report reads. As of July 30, the General Prosecutor's Office has documented 100,818 war crimes committed by Russia against Ukraine. Read also: Ukraines counteroffensive lurches forward: Key moment looms as more forces committed Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called a story about the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia "exaggerated". Source: Putin during a press conference after the Russia-Africa summit, quoted by the Russian outlet Kommersant Quote: "The story of the abduction of children from Ukraine supposedly by Russia is exaggerated. There was an attempt to rescue them from orphanages, why would we leave them there? There are no problems with bringing children back to their relatives [in Ukraine ed.]." Background: In March, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the situation in Ukraine. Read more on the topic: Putin's path to The Hague through "filtration" and "rehabilitation": how Russia is abducting Ukrainian hildren Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that one of the points of the "peace initiative" of African countries on the ceasefire cannot be implemented in the conditions of the offensive conducted by the defence forces of Ukraine. Source: Interfax and Kremlin-aligned RIA Novosti, citing Putin in an interview with journalists on Saturday Quote: "One of the points (of the initiative of African countries) cannot be implemented there are things that may be difficult to implement or cannot be implemented. One of the points there is a ceasefire. But the Ukrainian army is advancing, they are on the attack, implementing a large-scale strategic offensive. There is no reason to turn to us for a ceasefire. We cannot cease fire when we are being attacked." Details: At the same time, he assures that there are currently no active hostilities on the front, the Ukrainian counteroffensive has allegedly been stopped on all fronts, and in one area, the Russian military has been on the attack. The Russian president also claims that Ukraine supposedly lost more than 400 tanks and more than 1,300 armoured vehicles since the start of the counteroffensive. Putin also said that no one wants any clashes between Russia and NATO, "but if someone wants it, we are ready." He also claims that Russia allegedly struck the places where the drones used by the defence forces to attack the Kerch (Crimean) Bridge were produced. Putin stated that he does not consider it his business to manage the troops, therefore he does not receive hourly reports on the "special military operation" (the term "war" is prohibited in Russia ed.), as the war against Ukraine is called in Russia, but he contacts the Ministry of Defence several times a day. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin reviewed a parade of warships and nuclear submarines in his native St Petersburg on Sunday and announced that the Russian Navy would receive 30 new ships this year. Forty-five ships, submarines and other vessels took part in Russia's annual Navy Day event, a traditional show of military might which takes place in the Gulf of Finland and on the River Neva in St Petersburg. Around 3,000 navy personnel also took part in a parade on land, the Kremlin said. Putin, accompanied by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, the head of the Navy, inspected some of the ships from a launch boat on the Neva before making a speech. "Today, Russia is confidently implementing the large-scale tasks of our national maritime policy and is consistently building up the strength of our Navy," said Putin. "This year alone, 30 ships of different classes are being added to the fleet," he said. He made no substantive comments on what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Four African heads of state attended Sunday's event and five other African countries sent representatives, according to the Kremlin. They were invited after a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg which concluded on Friday at which delegates discussed grain supplies and potential peace talks on Ukraine. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn) Putin at the Russia-Africa Forum in St. Petersburg, July 27, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claimed at the Russia-Africa forum in St. Petersburg on July 29 that he was ready to enter negotiations to end the war. At the same time, Putin repeated to African leaders the Kremlin propaganda trope that Ukraine, the United States and NATO do not want negotiations. "All contradictions should be resolved during negotiations, but the problem is that they refuse to negotiate with us, Putin was quoted as saying by the Kremlin-controlled news agency RIA Novosti. The basis of the conflict is the creation of threats to Russia by the United States and NATO, and they refuse to negotiate on the issues of ensuring equal security for everyone, including Russia, Putin said. Read also: Germanys economy minister describes Russia-Africa summit as Putin's PR show And Ukraine itself, or rather, today's Ukrainian regime, refuses to negotiate," Putin added, mentioning the order of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that there should be no negotiations with the Russian dictator after the Kremlin falsely claimed it had annexed the Ukrainian oblasts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson. "We are ready for these negotiations. But we cannot impose these negotiations. It is necessary to conduct a dialogue from that side as well," Putin said. During another meeting with the leaders of African countries, Putin stated that the "neutral status of Ukraine" is of fundamental importance for the Russian Federation, the Kremlin-controlled Russian state news agency TASS wrote. Read also: African leaders lean on Putin to return to the Black Sea grain deal report Ukraine was a neutral state when Russia launched its unprovoked full-scale invasion and war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Since then, Finland has abandoned its neutrality and joined NATO (with Sweden soon to follow), which has roughly doubled the length of Russias border with NATO states. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a large majority of Ukrainians (83%, in a poll conducted in October of 2022) say they want their country to join the defense alliance. Story continues Only 28% of Ukrainians were in favor of joining NATO in 2012 two years before Russia launched its covert war and initial invasion of Ukraine. Read also: Russia threatening Black Sea blockade, poor showing for RU Africa summit, Shoigu in NK 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 By Firas Makdesi and Kinda Makieh MASHQUITA, Syria (Reuters) - At 72, Syrian farmer Izzadin Zuhaira has survived war, displacement and a devastating earthquake in February. But the forest fires razing his home province of Latakia this week, turning his beloved orchards to ash, were the worst he had seen. "I've never seen any weather like this. The soil and the trees were so impacted by the heat that they lit up quickly," Zuhaira said. The retired civil servant had been living off the harvests of around 700 olive, pomegranate and walnut trees, but all of these were destroyed by the spreading fire. His modest one-storey farmhouse, which had already been damaged by years of war, was further cracked by the February earthquake, which left more than 5,000 dead in Syria and hit Latakia hard. "After the quake, the fires came and finished it off. It left us with nothing," Zuhaira told Reuters. Like other countries around the Mediterranean, Syria has been hit hard by wildfires this month, supercharged by strong winds and searing temperatures. Firefighters had struggled to put them out in Homs and Hama in mid-July, and the fires in Latakia raged for five days before rescuers could control it, Syria's agriculture minister Mohammad Hassaan Qatna said on Saturday. "There were multiple places, far away. The speed of the wind was a factor in the excessive spread of the fires," Qatna told Reuters during a tour of the area. Other challenges for the firefighters included poor telecoms coverage in the north, and the procurement of fireproof suits or spare parts for extinguishing equipment, he said. Syria's 12-year conflict, along with Western sanctions, a currency squeeze linked to neighbouring Lebanon's economic crisis and the government's loss of its northeastern oil-producing territories have triggered a financial meltdown. On Saturday, firefighters could be seen pumping water from a fire truck to extinguish flames on a wooded slope in Latakia. Story continues The ministry did not have a final figure yet of how far the damage had spread, but Qatna said the region's pine forests were badly hit. "Pine is like coal for these fires," he said. Syria has been severely impacted climate change in recent years, including rising temperatures and erratic rainfall which have led to forest fires and poor harvests. Dust storms, desertification and land loss had been threatening farmers' livelihoods for years, said Suhair Zakkout, the spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria. "Syrians were already especially vulnerable because of the impacts of more than 12 years of conflict, which makes it even harder for them to deal with the impacts of climate change," Zakkout told Reuters. (Reporting by Firas Makdesi in Latakia and Kinda Makieh in Damascus; Additional reporting by Maya Gebeily in Beirut; Writing by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Bernadette Baum) Vivek Ramaswamy has emerged as something of a breakout star in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, raising speculation over his future within the party. Many Republicans have praised the 37-year-old biotech entrepreneur, calling him an effective communicator with an impressive professional resume for a political outsider. While theres heavy skepticism that Ramaswamy will win any of the early-state primaries, many see him as a rising figure within the partys ranks. I think that his message is resonating well with the Republican activist crowd, and he is being positive enough with regards to [former President] Trump to basically be an alternative without being an anti-Trump guy, said GOP strategist and former Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis. I think that resonates with many of the Trump supporters and lets say soft Trump supporters who would like to move on, but yet see somebody whos not running kind of on a message of attacking Trump and his legacy, he added. Initially considered a long-shot candidate when he launched his campaign in February, the Woke, Inc. author entered the race known in part for his staunch opposition to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) policies. But the political outsider and first millennial to run for president on the GOP side has started to catch some momentum in the GOP primary. Hes garnered attention for some of his stances and proposals, including pushing every candidate in the GOP primary to commit to pardoning Trump over the Justice Departments indictment alleging the former president mishandled and obstructed attempts to retrieve classified documents. Other Republican contenders like Perry Johnson have also vowed to pardon the former president. Earlier this month, Ramaswamy gained some praise after a video went viral of him engaging with a protester who interrupted his Iowa event. After the woman turned to leave after interrupting his remarks, Ramaswamy offered for her to come back to ask a question. Story continues There is a division in our country and I think people are hungry to start talking openly again, and I think Vivek has a unique skill that hes able to really lead people and rally people around what this country was founded upon, which is free speech, which is an open debate, said Ramaswamy campaign senior adviser Tricia McLaughlin. I think thats what not only the GOP electorate is hungry for, but I think independents and even disaffected Democrats, she added. National polling, too, suggests voters are starting to give Ramaswamy a serious look. A RealClearPolitics polling average shows Ramaswamy placing third at 5.4 percent, behind Trump in first place with 52.4 percent and DeSantis at 18.4 percent. Still, most national polls show the biotech entrepreneur in the single digits compared to Trump, who remains the front-runner in surveys. Some early state polls in New Hampshire and South Carolina show Ramaswamy trailing some of the other GOP candidates, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.). Republicans also acknowledge more GOP voters will start to tune into the primary around next months debate in Milwaukee and note theres still months to go until the first early states primaries. Not all Republicans are buying the Ramaswamy hype. GOP pollster and consultant Whit Ayres said the GOP millennial is not a serious contender for the presidency and waved off Ramaswamys recent polling. Its a sign just like Herman Cain caught something in 2011 and Ben Carson caught something in 2015 and Andrew Yang caught something in 2020, Ayres said, referring to presidential candidates who appeared to have momentum at one point in their primary before sputtering out. New Hampshire-based strategist Matthew Bartlett similarly suggested that Ramaswamy doesnt have a viable path to the presidency. Putting it bluntly, Bartlett said, No one is expecting him to win, and he said he didnt see Ramaswamy going after the former president in the primary but was looking to cozy up to Trump. His campaign was not looking to end up in the Oval Office. His campaign was to promote himself and to some degree, his ideas and articulate that, he added. But that hasnt stopped members of the party from suggesting that Ramaswamy could have a bright future ahead, saying he could run for Senate, be picked for a presidential cabinet position or even selected as someones running mate. Theres so many people even after the Family Leadership Summit [who] said, Boy, what a young, positive, inspirational guy. He has a bright future. Hed be good in somebodys cabinet. He might be a vice president,' explained Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the influential Family Leader in Iowa. His biggest hurdle right now is crossing that threshold where people say, No, I think he can be president. So hes gotten a lot of people excited about his candidacy. Now he needs to make that transition: Now they can see me be president,' he added. Ramaswamy for his part has previously said hes not interested in being a vice presidential pick or taking a cabinet position, saying hed return to the private sector instead if he didnt win the GOP presidential primary. But his campaign argues he shouldnt be underestimated. I think Vivek has already done what everyone said he couldnt do. The fact that he is beating the most former vice president, multiple governors, the former U.N. ambassador, a sitting senator four or five months ago, no one knew who Vivek Ramaswamy is, McLaughlin, the senior Ramaswamy campaign adviser, said. And now hes third in national polls. That in itself is meteoric. Republican strategists, too, say that while Trump is still the front-runner in the primary, a strong showing in Iowa can help galvanize a candidate heading into the next few states. I wouldnt count anyone out thats coming in the top three in Iowa, said GOP strategist Alice Stewart, whos an alum of multiple presidential campaigns. And the objective of Iowa has never been to choose the party nominee, its to winnow the field. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. This article was originally published in The Texas Tribune. A coalition of Texas bookstores and national bookseller associations filed suit on Tuesday over House Bill 900, which aims to ban sexually explicit material from school libraries. HB 900 passed in the Legislature and was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year. It is set to go into effect on Sept. 1 and requires book vendors to assign ratings to books based on the presence of depictions or references to sex. In school libraries, books with a sexually explicit rating will be removed from bookshelves. And students who want to check out school library books deemed sexually relevant would have to get parental permission first. Plaintiffs in the suit include two Texas bookstores, Austins BookPeople and West Houstons Blue Willow Bookshop, as well as the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter They are suing defendants Martha Wong, chair of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission; Keven Ellis, chair of the Texas State Board of Education; and Mike Morath, commissioner of the Texas Education Agency. According to the official complaint, which was filed in an Austin federal court, the plaintiffs argue that HB 900 violates the First and 14th amendments by regulating speech with vague and overbroad terms and targeting protected speech. They go on to argue that HB 900 forces the plaintiffs to comply with the governments views, even if they do not agree, and that the law operates as prior restraint which is government action that prohibits speech or other expression before the speech happens. The book ban establishes an unconstitutional regime of compelled speech, retaliation, and licensing that violates clear First Amendment precedent and this countrys history of fostering a robust marketplace of ideas, the complaint says. Story continues The CEOs of both bookstores say it is not possible for them to comply with the rating system required of book vendors in HB 900. The sheer volume of titles they would need to rate is too much, Charley Rejsek, CEO of BookPeople, said in a statement. In a joint statement by the three bookseller associations, they said they are not questioning that content for students should be age-appropriate, but rather that they believe HB 900 does not accomplish such a goal. It robs parents, schools and teachers from across the state of Texas of the right to make decisions for their respective communities and classrooms, instead handing that role to a state entity and private businesses, the statement says. The complaint emphasizes how the plaintiffs believe HB 900 will shatter small bookstores in Texas, placing additional economic pressure on them. Supporters of HB 900, like Cindi Castilla, president of conservative think tank Texas Eagle Forum, characterized the proposal as a child protection bill. In a Senate education committee hearing in May, Castilla said explicit materials in books are educationally unsuitable for students and that taxpayers should not fund such books. Our schools must not sexualize our students or provide them pornographic reading material or introduce them to inappropriate materials that distract from the educational goals weve set as a state, she said. Lawmakers like state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney agreed, arguing that HB 900 is a tool to be used by communities to address harmful sexually explicit material. Opponents of HB 900 have been worried that by targeting so-called sexually explicit material lawmakers will be specifically targeting books that explore LGBTQ+ themes, including books such as Calvin and Being Jazz. Bill author Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, also condemned the book Gender Queer, a graphic novel that traces the authors experiences with gender growing up. Many librarians and booksellers, including representatives from the Texas Library Association and individual libraries across the state, testified to the House and Senate in May that the bill will slow down book sales and acquisition of books by school libraries. Such oversight has not been needed in the past and is not needed now, said Mark Smith, the former director of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The bill will interfere with student learning and achievement by blocking access to materials that have been restricted. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune, a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. (This is the last of a three-part series marking the 70 year anniversary of the signing of the armistice in Korea on July 27, 1953.) With neither side proving capable of military victory, the U.S. led United Nations Command (UNC) and the Chinese-North Korean alliance began truce talks as early as 1951. The Police Action would continue on. Why the term Police Action? The U.S. Congress never formally declared war on North Korea, China or the Soviet Union. While the U.S. supplied 90% of the troops, 22 other countries either contributed combat or medical assistance. They were all under the auspices of the United Nations. Since the UN itself cannot declare war, it declared this a Police Action. Remembering Korea: West Texans made an impact as the war ramped up From July 1951 to July 1953, the fighting continued, by settling into a military stalemate. Essentially, it was a stalemate between the three superpowers, the U.S., China and the Soviet Union. The war remained focused on gaining and losing ground near the 38th parallel where the war began. The two forces were constantly bombarding each other along the front. The U.S. possessed a large advantage in weapons, firepower (roughly 5:1) and air superiority, while the China-North Korean forces held a large advantage in the number of troops. While full-scale battles dwindled, major and minor skirmishes would not cease until the Armistice was signed. The fall of 1952 saw several smaller, but deadly battles. The Battle of Old Baldy was a series of engagements for Hill 266 in west-central Korea that lasted nearly 10 months. Several battalions on both sides looked to take the high ground. Old Baldy, which was one of the most prominent of a series of hills, earned its nickname due to the lack of trees and vegetation after constant artillery and mortar fire. It was the most important hill because it dominated the terrain in three directions. The battle lasted until March 26, 1953, with the UN suffering 357 losses and China losing 1,100. Story continues Map of the Korea DMZ from January 1951 to July 1953. The Battle of White Horse was fought between Oct. 6-15, 1952. White Horse was so-named for the crest of one of the hills in the Yokkok-chon Valley. During 10 days of battle, the hill changed hands 24 times. It was a microcosm of the struggle to gain ground during the three years of the war. The losses were much heavier during this prolonged struggle, with 3,500 UN losses and an estimated 10,000 Chinese losses. The Battle of Triangle Hill or Operation Showdown saw the UN forces, with support from the U.S. Air Force, against Chinas 12th and 15th Corps. This battle was part of the American forces plan to control the so-called Iron Triangle. The Iron Triangle was a key communist communications junction located between Cheorwon and Pyongyang in the north. The area 20-30 miles north of the 38th parallel saw heavy fighting between the Chinese and the U.S. Eighth Army from October November 1952. On the home front, President Harry S Truman saw a rapid decline in popularity as his rating fell to a mere 22 percent as the 1952 presidential primaries drew near. Without the support of the Democratic Party, Truman declined to seek another term on March 29, 1952. His firing of WWII hero, Gen. Douglas McArthur was also a contributing factor. Truman would be the last president eligible to run for more than two terms. Republican majorities in the House and Senate passed a constitutional amendment in 1947 saying that no person shall be elected to the office of president more than twice. On Nov. 4, 1952, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the former Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during WWII, won a landslide victory over Democrat Adlai Stevenson. Eisenhowers campaign pledge was to bring an end to the conflict in Korea. He made the startling statement, If elected, I shall go to Korea. Acting on this campaign pledge, Eisenhower went to Korea on Dec. 1, 1952. While there, the old soldier did what he did best - he visited the U.S. troops, their commanders, South Korean leaders and received briefings on the military situation in Korea. He astutely observed, Small attacks on small hills would not end this war. After Eisenhowers visit, the negotiating and the fighting would continue on into 1953. One of the small attacks on small hills was Pork Chop Hill, west of the above mentioned Iron Triangle, from MarchJuly 1953. During the two main battles for the hill, UN casualties stood at over 1,300 casualties with China and North Korea suffering over 4,000 casualties. One of the last battles of the Korean War was the Battle of Kumsong. South Korean forces refused to participate in peace negotiations, so the Chinese forces launched an attack along the Kumsong River and defeated the ROK forces. After an ROK counterattack, the Korean Armistice Agreement was finally signed on July 27, 1953, by the United States, North Korea and China. South Korea did not agree to sign, objecting to the continued division of Korea. One of the main sticking points in getting a signed armistice in Korea centered around prisoners of war (POWs). Even before the peace agreement was signed, both sides agreed to exchange sick and wounded prisoners. Levelland resident Alton Garner escaped the draft until April 1952 and was inducted into the U.S. Marines. Assigned to the 1st Medical Battalion, Alton was stationed west of Seoul in late 1952. In late April 1953, several Marines from the battalion were chosen to go to Freedom Village at Panmunjom where the UN prisoners were to be exchanged for communist prisoners from China and North Korea. Alton recalled that Most of the (UN) prisoners were clothed in either Russian or Chinese clothing. All the men seemed to have been brainwashed and one of them said he 'had spent 1,001 days in captivity.' The men were part of Operation Little Switch and Operation Big Switch. The exchanges lasted from April 20 through December 1953. The exchange saw nearly 796,000 communist prisoners and 13,000 UN prisoners exchanged (8,000 South Korean, 3,600 Americans and nearly 1,000 British). Nearly 23,000 communist soldiers declined repatriation. Twenty-one Americans, one Briton and 325 South Korean soldiers also declined repatriation. By the time the shooting ended, South Korea had lost 10% of its pre-war population of nearly 21 million. Scholars have noted that the rate of civilian casualties in Korea was higher than in WWII or the Vietnam War, with 2 million to 3 million perishing. Virtually all of the major cities were destroyed. South Korea was slow to recover the first eight years after the war. They were ranked among the poorest nations in the world after the war. After years of struggle and change, South Korea finally transitioned from an authoritative military state (1948-1987) to a liberal democratic state in 1988. Map of the Korea DMZ from January 1951 to July 1953. South Korea is now a thriving nation of a little over 51 million inhabitants. Some of the largest companies in South Korea that export to the U.S. are the Samsung Group, LG, Hyundai Motor and KIA to name a few. They are Americas sixth largest trading partner. Why was the Korean War important? It was important to not only the U.S. and South Korea, but for democracy around the globe. This is why we should remember and honor those who sacrificed during the so-called Cold War. We continue to be vigilant against North Korean provocations to this day. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Korean War part 3 small attacks, negotiations, armistice and aftermath The debris removal at the site of the Russian missile strike in the city of Sumy was completed on Saturday. Source: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Telegram Photo from Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Telegram Quote: "The debris removal in Sumy at the site of a Russian missile strike was completed just before evening. Terrorists hit one of the city's educational institutions. Two people died... My condolences to the relatives and friends. Twenty people were injured in this attack. The educational building of the school was completely destroyed: four floors were simply blown away by a rocket. Dormitories, houses, even a church and Sunday school buildings were damaged. Russian inhumans add arguments to the world every day that only the defeat of Russia and clear security guarantees for Ukraine can protect life from this terror." Details: Zelenskyy reported that a total of 285 people were involved in the rescue operation and removal of debris in Sumy. Background: One of the buildings of the educational institution was destroyed in the missile attack by Russian troops on Sumy on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, it became known about 2 dead and 20 wounded. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! PAVLIVKA, Ukraine - When four Russian cruise missiles ripped apart a grain storage facility in this southern village last week, shock waves shattered the windows of adjacent homes, sending broken glass everywhere. One shard left a nearly three-inch wound in the arm of Tetiana Lazarova, a nearby resident who jumped out of her bed after she heard the second explosion. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. "The sound was so foul," she said. "It felt like the world was ending." Like many of the farmers who live near Odessa, one of Ukraine's major port cities, Lazarova is convinced that Moscow's attacks on the port and its agriculture sector are aimed at extracting maximum pain following Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to terminate a United Nations-brokered deal allowing grain exports from the Black Sea. "They're sick! They are doing it on purpose!" she said, nursing a bandage on her arm as she stood among twisted scraps of metal strewn about the nearby homes. Odessa's grain industry suffered tens of millions of dollars in damage as a result of the near-nightly Russian airstrikes. The attacks destroyed at least 60,000 tons of grain, enough to feed more than 270,000 people for a year, according to the U.N. World Food Program. Follow-on attacks Monday targeted grain warehouses along the Danube River - a key alternative route for exports following the collapse of the Black Sea deal - and appeared to be aimed at crippling the country's entire agricultural industry, which accounted for about 20 percent of Ukraine's economy before Russia's invasion. On Thursday, another Russian missile hit Odessa's cargo terminal and administrative buildings, killing one employee, Ukraine's military said. Russia, one of the world's largest producers of fertilizer, said it backed out of the Black Sea deal because it was being implemented to benefit only Ukraine and was not resulting in a substantial increase of exports of Russian grain and fertilizer because of Western sanctions - a point fiercely disputed by the United Nations, the United States and international aid agencies. Story continues "Only upon receipt of concrete results, and not promises and assurances, will Russia be ready to consider restoring the deal," Russia's Foreign Ministry said. U.S. officials reject that Western sanctions are to blame and see Putin executing an explicit strategy. "This is very intentional," Samantha Power, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, told reporters this week after returning from a visit to Odessa. Not only is Putin using "food as a weapon of war," Power said, "but it also appears to be part of an ongoing campaign to decimate Ukraine's economy." Many Ukrainian farmers also face the danger of thousands of deadly land mines and other unexploded ordnance now strewn across their fields. The Black Sea deal, forged by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022, ended a four-month Russian naval blockade of Ukraine's ports that had dramatically curtailed Ukraine's exports, crippling its already war-battered economy. In the year that followed, the deal allowed Ukraine to export 33 million tons of grain and other food products. Power has made it her goal to salvage Ukraine's agricultural sector, announcing an additional $250 million to increase the rate of loading and unloading at Danube ports, expand access to financing for farmers who lost business in the war and cannot afford to plant new crops, and streamline Western border checkpoints to increase trade. The use of the Danube River as an alternative trade route has shown the most promise thus far. In March 2022, the Danube routes moved 55,000 tons of agricultural cargo but have now greatly expanded capacity, with 2.2 million tons moving in May. "That's almost a 4,000 percent increase," Power said. But that amount still falls far short of satisfying export potential in a country that expects to harvest 44 million tons of grain this year - cut nearly in half from a high of 86 million in 2021. On Thursday, African leaders attending a summit meeting in St. Petersburg urged Putin to halt his blockade and return to the grain deal. They have warned that restrictions on exports will worsen an already critical food crisis in some African nations. Andrii Dykun, chairman of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, says the United States has been "crucial for Ukrainian farmers," underscoring the benefit that loan assistance has provided for farmers whose profit margins have been wiped out by increased shipping costs or the inability to get their products to market. "Without that support we would not survive," Dykun said. Other farmers, however, are pessimistic that governments or international institutions will have enough impact to allow their business to survive. "It's not economically viable to trade grain to the world right now - at all," said Oleksandr Chumak, a farmer who employs more than 200 people across 8,000 acres of land. Chumak, who grows wheat, barley and other crops, said there were several months last year when the Black Sea deal moved exports quickly, but eventually Russia began restricting the movement of ships unpredictably, raising transport costs for farmers. "The last six months it wasn't working at all," he said. While he has been able to export some products via the Danube, it is too expensive to be profitable, he said. Other farmers, such as Anatoliy Artemenko, who grows wheat in the Odessa region, said it is still worth it to export his product, but that is easier said than done. "It just stays in storage - this year, next year - it just keeps piling up," he said. A key problem is competing for export contracts at a time of pent-up supply. "We were given a contract for 1,000 tons, and that's what we exported," Artemenko said. Russia is not the only problem for Ukrainian farmers. Poland's government, at the behest of its influential farm lobby, is pushing the European Union to extend import restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products - a move some Ukrainian farmers view as a betrayal from an otherwise staunch ally. "It's a complete disaster for us," said Dykun, the head of the agrarian council. "And from a country that always says, 'You are our brothers and sisters.'" For Power, restoring Ukraine's agriculture industry is key to making the war, which shows no signs of ending soon, more sustainable financially for the United States, which has expended tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance. Gainfully employed farmers are an "important source of tax revenue for the Ukrainian government," Power said. "And while the United States and Europe provide very significant direct budget support to the Ukrainian government," she added, "the goal has been, of course, to decrease that . . . over time as Ukraine's own economy recovers." Related Content No 'Oppenheimer' fanfare for those caught in first atomic bomb's fallout Doctors who put lives at risk with covid misinformation rarely punished Video shows 5 officers tackling mentally ill man. Experts question why. MIAMI Florida Democrats see a possible path to winning Americas once-foremost battleground state: Abortion and marijuana. National Democrats had all but written off Florida as a lost cause a former purple state turned solid red by the MAGA movement and Gov. Ron DeSantis. But key party leaders in the state, desperate to turn things around in 2024, are confident that citizen initiatives dealing with abortion rights and recreational marijuana legalization could fuel turnout and boost the partys chances. It will have a transformative impact on the election, said former state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat who was swept out of office last year amid Floridas red wave and is now running for the state Senate. When Democrats gathered in Miami Beach this month to raise money and strategize about 2024, they were buzzing about the prospect of what such high-profile citizens initiatives could mean. Republicans, they said, could suddenly find themselves at a disadvantage. I think its a perfect storm, said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, who included in that storm the backlash against DeSantis as well as 2024 being a presidential election year where turnout is routinely higher than in midterms. Some are skeptical that the initiatives will change the fortunes of the party. But as Democratic Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber put it, Once you reach the bottom, the only way is up. Fried said that Democratic volunteers and paid canvassers will help gather signatures for the pot and abortion amendments when they go out into the field. The party does not plan to help fund either initiative, but Florida Democrats are promoting the abortion rights initiative as well one dealing with clean water on the partys website. Theres no guarantee right now that either the abortion rights or recreational marijuana initiative will make the 2024 ballot. The pot amendment, funded almost entirely by the marijuana giant Trulieve, has already gotten over 1 million signatures, more than enough to qualify. But Floridas conservative-leaning Supreme Court still needs to approve the initiative and state Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody has asked the high court to reject the measure. Story continues Organizers for the abortion rights initiative, which would create a constitutional amendment banning restrictions on abortion before about 24 weeks, say they have gathered more than 400,000 signatures and are on pace to reach one million in the next couple of months. If approved, it would block Floridas current ban on abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy and this years six-week ban, which remains in limbo until the state Supreme Court decides on a legal challenge to the bans. The coalition backing the abortion amendment, which includes Planned Parenthood and American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, have made substantial donations to the effort and plans to spend millions of dollars to gather enough signatures by the Feb. 1 deadline. Trulieve has already contributed more than $25 million toward the marijuana initiative. No one doubts that Democrats face major hurdles ahead of 2024. Democrats were hammered in the last election and lost races up and down the ballot, including DeSantis nearly 20-point blowout victory over Charlie Crist, who campaigned on abortion rights. A recent win by Democrat Donna Deegan in the Jacksonvilles mayor race has buoyed the party faithful, but Democrats consistently trail Republicans in fundraising and more importantly, there are now nearly 542,000 more active registered Republicans than Democrats in the state. The big victories by Republicans also highlighted another major problem: an enthusiasm gap that could continue to haunt Democrats as they enter the crucial presidential election. Democratic turnout in key strongholds dropped in 2022 and opened the door to Republicans flipping populous counties, such as Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, that routinely went for Democrats in past elections. Ron DeSantis did not win by 19 points, Fried said. The Florida Democrats lost by 19 points. That is on us. As part of the effort to turn around Democrats fortunes, Fried is aiming to use the party for voter registration efforts instead of relying on outside groups. Florida Democrats, for example, put together a youth council to target and mobilize young voters. The hope is also that the abortion and marijuana initiatives will provide an incentive for infrequent voters to turn at the polls. And even if its not enough to help Biden win Florida which Trump won in 2020 it may make a difference in down-ballot contests. This isnt the first time that a party used citizen initiatives to drive voter turnout. The Republican Party of Florida was one of the major donors behind a constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage in the state about 15 years ago. Groups pushed the amendment even though it was already illegal under Florida law at the time. The anti-gay marriage initiative passed, with 61 percent of Florida voters approving it. But Democrat former President Barack Obama still carried the state that year over Republican John McCain. State Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat who once worked for Planned Parenthood, is convinced the abortion rights amendment will energize young voters who are disappointed with President Joe Biden and frustrated over gun violence and the inability to cancel student loans. In other words, it will turn out Democratic voters who would otherwise stay home in protest. The 33-year-old Eskamani said shes seen a surge of interest from people who want to help get the abortion rights measure on the ballot, recounting how organizers gathered 1,600 petitions at a recent Paramore concert in Orlando. She said the measure will remind voters that Republicans pushed to restrict abortion in the wake of the Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade last year. It reminds people what is at stake, it gives us a platform, Eskamani said. But Dan Smith, chair of the University of Florida political science department who has a lengthy record of researching ballot initiatives, is doubtful that the pot legalization amendment and the abortion rights measure will make a substantial difference in the 2024 race. He said measures like these affect races on the margins. Smith said his studies have shown that initiatives are more likely to spur turnout in midterm races, not presidential elections. He noted that last years referendum in Kansas where voters rejected a measure that would have allowed additional restrictions on abortion was held during an August primary race. If Democrats arent turning out in 2024 because of the race for president, having a measure on the ballot isnt enough to make up for that lack of enthusiasm, said Smith, suggesting that Florida Democrats would be doomed if their turnout mirrors last years elections, where Republicans dominated throughout the state and even won some traditionally Democratic strongholds. Republicans also remain skeptical that Democrats will rebound next year since the voter registration gap keeps growing. Christian Ziegler, chair of the Republican Party of Florida, contended that measures put in place by DeSantis and the GOP such as a law banning the instruction of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools will resonate with a majority of voters. No issue amendments, logo rebrands or other desperate attempts to put lipstick on a radical will cause Floridians to forget that Democrats are committed to an insane agenda featuring the indoctrination, sexualization and mutilation of our children, Ziegler said. Yet Screven Watson, a former executive director of the Florida Democratic Party and a veteran consultant and lobbyist, said that, on paper, having the two initiatives on the 2024 ballot should be a boost to the party. But it doesnt work if people dont get off the couch, said Watson who lamented past close elections where Democrats narrowly lost. The question is, will it work this time? CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to correct a quote from Christian Ziegler. Cascade County voters fill out their ballots in Exhibition Hall at Montana ExpoPark during the 2020 general federal election The Cascade County Elections Office announced Friday that it has notified close to 12,000 voters that the process of reviewing the countys voter rolls has begun. Roughly a quarter of registered voters in Cascade County can expect to receive notice that they are at risk of having their names removed as eligible voters if they do not respond to two notices within the next 60 days. The Elections Office has begun the NVRA process, the July 28 news release states, referring to the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. This Act lets voters confirm if they have moved, asks them to update their registration, and tasks the election administrators with removing people who do not respond to confirmation mailings and subsequently fail to vote in two federal general elections. Confirming voter registration lists was only one component of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). According to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the primary purpose of the NVRA was to enhance voting opportunities for every American. The NVRA is also known as the Motor Voter Act," because it mandated that voters in federal elections be allowed to register to vote when they apply for a driver's license or seek to renew an existing driver's license. The NVRA also demands that registered voters be allowed to vote-by-mail in federal elections, and that voter registration opportunities be offered at all offices that provide federally funded public assistance. As it relates to Fridays announcement from the Cascade County Elections Office, the NVRA requires states to keep their voter registration lists accurate and current by identifying persons who have become ineligible to vote because they have either died or moved outside the jurisdiction of local officials. The NVRA also allows for the removal of voters who have been convicted of a disqualifying crime or have been adjudged mentally incapacitated. Montana law allows for the removal of a voter from the official state registration if they have not voted in the past two federal elections and do not respond to requests for updated information within the allotted 60-day time period. Story continues Our county voter rolls, as reported by the Secretary of State, reveal 11,884 currently registered voters who fit these criteria, the Cascade County Elections Office news release states. The office has sent the first required NVRA notice. If no response is received back to our office within 30 days a second NVRA notice will be issued. If no response is received back within another 30 days, the voter will be inactivated as part of maintaining accurate voter registration lists. The Montana Secretary of States Office records Cascade County as having 49,811 registered voters. Accounting for these numbers, 23.9% of the countys registered voters are at risk of having their federal voter registration removed if they do not respond within 60 days to Elections Office requests for confirmation. With a large multi-year NVRA backlog in our records from prior years we will be contacting a high volume of voters and deeply appreciate your cooperation so we may process these as efficiently as possible to be sure our voter registration list is up to date, the Elections Office news release states. It is critical that, if you receive the above described notice, that you follow the instructions to fill it out and return it to the Elections Office at PO Box 2305, Great Falls, MT, 59403 to update your registration. This will ensure that you are not removed from the official voter registration list. The Elections Office added that they will be closing for essential training at noon on August 7 through August 10. For questions or voter applications please call 406-454-6808 or go to the Clerk & Recorder Office across the street at 121 4th St. This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Quarter of Cascade County voters at risk of losing voter eligibility Visitors to a New York amusement park became trapped, spinning backward over and over after a ride malfunctioned and wouldnt stop, videos posted on social media show. In the video, taken July 23 at Rye Playland, riders can be seen seated and moving in reverse at high speed while park staff look on in concern. Other visitors also gather around the ride, some recording with their phones, aware that something is going wrong. Guests at an amusement park in Westchester County, New York, were left traumatized after a ride malfunctioned and would not stop spinning. https://t.co/yS39Xo66Wq pic.twitter.com/4rXryuiM6r ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) July 29, 2023 This is why you dont get on these rides, a voice is heard saying amid yells and screams from the riders. The ride, called The Music Express, is intended to spin backward, WABC reported, but the problem is it wouldnt stop, witnesses said, adding that the ride kept going three to four minutes longer than it should have. Others said the riders were trapped for as long as 10 minutes, News12 reported. The Music Express is a fast-paced circular ride traveling a track with numerous peaks and valleys, the amusement parks website said. As the name suggests, loud music plays and lights flash wildly throughout the ride! The ride suffered an electrical malfunction, the parks general manager, Jeff Davis, told WABC. The rides operator activated an emergency stop, but when it kept going, maintenance cut off power to the ride, bringing it to a stop, according to the station. Safety is our number one priority and as such, the Music Express ride is currently closed as we work closely with the manufacturer, Davis told News12. He said the park is also in contact with the rides manufacturer and they are working to address the problem, the station reported. Story continues There were no reports of injuries. Flying cellphone hits head of man riding roller coaster at Ohios Cedar Point, he says 10-year-old thrown from carnival ride and is hospitalized, Illinois cops say Disneyland to expand once-banned alcohol sales in park. Not everyones a fan Riders thrown from derailed roller coaster, killing one, Sweden officials say Maine has a problem with its initiative and referendum system no one wants to talk about. Its simple: twice in the last seven years voters have approved questions that turned out to be unconstitutional in whole or in part. Unlike other states, including Massachusetts, from which it inherited its basic constitutional arrangements, Maine has no pre-clearance provisions to determine whether initiated laws can be enforced. Douglas Rooks In 2016, voters backed a plan for ranked-choice elections, the first state in the nation to do so. It was billed as a way to prevent splitting the vote for governor, which some insist although well never really know allowed Paul LePage to win two terms as governor without achieving a majority. There was one small problem: Maines constitution was changed in the late 19th century to require only a plurality vote in state elections, effectively cancelling the ranked-choice attempt to create a majority through multiple rounds. Though Democrats regularly propose constitutional amendments to alter that provision, Republicans understandably resent a system that also unseated Republican Congressman Bruce Poliquin even though Democrat Jared Golden finished second in the first round in 2018. Chances of such an amendment ever achieving the legislative two-thirds required are effectively nil, so its doubtful much has been accomplished. Other questions that year were similarly embattled. An income tax surcharge to fund education was repealed when Democrats failed to defend it. A recreational marijuana question was so poorly drafted it took lawmakers two years to authorize a workable system. But these snafus pale by comparison to the most recent referendum question weve considered and approved Question 1 in 2021, which shut down ongoing construction of Central Maine Powers project to connect Hydro Quebecs dams with Massachusetts ratepayers, at no cost to Maines. Many believed it was unconstitutional from the start, yet it took two years to establish that through a business court jury, by which time electricity prices in Maine and New England had soared and the original construction contracts must be renegotiated due to escalating costs. Story continues That brings us to this year, which features three referendum questions directly or indirectly related to the 2021 question, in a cascade of competing measures bound to confuse matters mightily by the time voting occurs in November. To start, theres an attempt to ban foreign contributions to referendum campaigns such as the 2021 battle. Since the (unconstitutional) effort would have short-circuited Hydro Quebecs contract, the company understandably wanted to convince voters to say no. That both Hydro Quebec and CMPs spending accomplished nothing 59% of voters said yes anyway is beside the point. All the saber-rattling about foreign contributions never would have happened had opponents not tried to shut things down despite the project being fully permitted by state and federal governments on both sides of the border. Had the contribution ban been in place, Hydro Quebec, providing electricity without greenhouse gas emissions, would have been shut out with major fossil fuel interests from Florida and Texas having the field to themselves. Next Era, the disappointed suitor for the power line contract, spent $20 million backing the referendum. So much for fighting climate change, one of Maines top priorities. The next question, creating Pine Tree Power to replace CMP and the other major utility, Versant, originally fed off the anger created by CMPs inept customer service, slow outage repairs, and a malfunctioning billing system all problems now ameliorated, if not solved. Pine Tree Power is designed as a unique entity not governmental, not a cooperative but a sort of hybrid with a board elected statewide. Whether voters would endorse such a scheme seems questionable; it could require borrowing as much as $13 billion, exceeding the combined debt of all Maines public entities. Finally, CMP created a separate ballot measure that would require specific voter approval for such borrowing, just to make sure were paying attention. There are other ironies. Along with Hydro Quebec, part of the provincial government, Versant is owned by the city of Calgary. This is already public power, though Canadian and not Maine-owned. Foreigners sounds scary, which could propel the question to passage, but one has to wonder how worrisome such investment by public companies really is. After all, the United States invaded Canada twice, during the Revolutionary War and again in the War of 1812, while its hard to recall any similar aggression southward. Attempts to change Maines referendum process have largely focused on numbers of signatures required and where they must be gathered, hardly the root of the problem. What we really need is a system a new law that requires questions to be legal before we vote. Douglas Rooks has been a Maine editor, columnist and reporter since 1984. His new book, Calm Command: U.S. Chief Justice Melville Fuller in His Times, 1888-1910, will be published later this year. He welcomes comment at drooks@tds.net This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rooks: Get ready for Maine referendum madness A 31-year-old man accused of killing his roommate lived with her body hidden in a closet for months, Las Vegas police reported. George Anthony Bone faces a murder charge following his arrest after Beverly Mas body was found Wednesday, July 26, Las Vegas police said in a news release. Police said they believe Bone killed Ma sometime in May, KLAS reported. He told police he hid her body because he feared going to jail, according to the station. Bone used Mas Amazon account to make purchases and responded to a text on her phone to allay suspicions, police told KVVU. Bone said he kept an ice chest by the closet door in case she rose from the dead like the movie The Grudge, police told KLAS. Bone led Mas sister to the body after she arrived with other family members to check on her after receiving an extremely high air-conditioning bill, KVVU reported. The sister called 911. Police ask that anyone with information call 702-828-3521. Son dismembers and burns his dad then mom helps hide evidence, Arizona cops say Jack-in-the-Box fight ends with man shot dead in drive-thru line, California cops say Car flips down stairs onto sidewalk before two flee, California video shows A Rowan County High School shared the news of a students death on Saturday. ALSO READ: He was love: Family of teen who drowned at Lake Norman working hard to preserve his legacy Jesse C. Carson High School sent out a message to the community about student Dalton Gay passing away sometime on Saturday afternoon. A school spokesperson told Channel 9 that Gay was a rising senior at the high school and was part of the Army JROTC program at South Rowan High School. The spokesperson also said Gays death was due to unexpected medical reasons. The school will be offering grief counseling on campus at 5 p.m. on Sunday. There will also be a service honoring Gay at Charity Baptist Church on Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/f2yLGaukrq Jesse C. Carson High School Athletics (@CarsonAthletics) July 29, 2023 The Salisbury Post reports, Gay was given the Medal of Heroism last year through the Army JROTC for trying to save the life of a hit-and-run victim. (WATCH BELOW: Family, friends pay tribute to student-athlete that drowned at Lake Norman) Russian tactical aviation fired on July 30 two air bombs at Ukraines Snake Island, located 35 kilometers from the mainland of Odesa Oblast, Southern Operational Command reported. This marks Russias third attack on Snake Island over the last month, the military added without providing further details. Russian troops also attacked agricultural enterprises in the Kherson Oblast and Kryvyi Rih district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with Shahed-136 kamikaze drones overnight, the military said. The attack was launched from the eastern coast of the Azov Sea. According to the report, all four drones were destroyed. The debris fell on the territory of one of the agricultural enterprises causing a fire and damaging a warehouse, Southern Operational Command said. There were no casualties, the military added. Snake Island was captured by Russian forces at the onset of the full-scale invasion due to its strategic importance. On Feb. 24, 2022, two Russian warships attacked the island and told the Ukrainian border guards to surrender. One of the Ukrainian border guards famously responded, "Russian warship, go fck yourself," a phrase which became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance. Occupying Snake Island effectively allowed Russian forces to launch a blockade of Odesa's Black Sea ports and direct missile attacks against Ukraine. On April 14, 2022, Ukraine successfully sunk the Mosvka, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Russian forces withdrew from Snake Island later that June. President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Snake Island to mark 500 days of Russia's full-scale war earlier this month. In a video shot from the island, Zelensky promised that Ukraine would reclaim every part of its territory currently occupied by Russia. Read also: Ukraines counteroffensive lurches forward: Key moment looms as more forces committed Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. 5 people wounded in U.S. Seattle shooting Xinhua) 10:35, July 30, 2023 SAN FRANCISCO, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Five people were wounded in a late Friday shooting in Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood, in the U.S. state of Washington, police said. Two victims were in critical condition, while two men and a woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries, said Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz. The shooting occurred just before 9 p.m. local time (0400 GMT Saturday). The people injured were in their 20s and had been attending a community outreach event for distributing food, clothes and toys, Diaz said in a news conference. "Honestly, this is really disturbing," he said. "When you have victims that were really just trying to do an outreach effort, trying to help people ... and this is what they end up getting hit with." It was not yet known if the victims were targeted and what led to the shooting. Police were searching for at least two suspects. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Russian troops attacked Novodmytrivka village in Kherson Oblast on July 30, hitting a residential building, Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported. The attack injured a 33-year-old woman. She was hospitalized, the authorities said. They did not provide further details. Earlier in the day, Southern Operational Command reported that Russian troops also attacked agricultural enterprises in the Kherson Oblast and Kryvyi Rih district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. The attack was launched from the eastern coast of the Azov Sea. According to the report, all four drones were destroyed. The city of Kherson and the oblast have become the daily target of Russian forces, garrisoned on the other side of the river since Ukraine liberated the city in November 2022. Read also: Ukraines counteroffensive lurches forward: Key moment looms as more forces committed Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Moscow was attacked by three drones, injuring one person, on July 30. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that the attack insignificantly damaged the facade of two buildings in the Moscow City district and nobody was injured. The Russian state-controlled news outlet TASS reported that a security guard was injured. Around 4:00 a.m. local time, Russian-backed media stated that a large explosion was reported in a 50-story building in Moscow. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed one of the drones was destroyed in the air over the Odintsovsky district of the Moscow region, the other two fell on the city of Moscow. Read also: Ukraines counteroffensive lurches forward: Key moment looms as more forces committed Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces shelled nine communities in Sumy Oblast on July 29, killing one and injuring five more people, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration and the Interior Affairs Ministry reported on Telegram. According to the post, Russia shelled the Sumy, Krasnopillia, Bilopillia, Yunakiv, Myropillia, Seredyna-Buda, Esman, Nova Sloboda, and Shalyhyne communities. As a result of the shelling in the Sumy community, an educational institution building was destroyed, killing one and injuring at least five other people. The building of a local Orthodox church as well as windows in several private homes in Sumy were also reportedly damaged. In Nova Sloboda, two private residential buildings and a power line were damaged. Further casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure have not yet been reported. Sumy Oblast is located on Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia. It has been the target of daily Russian shelling and attacks from across the border since parts of the oblast were liberated from Russian troops in early April 2022. Read also: Ukraines counteroffensive lurches forward: Key moment looms as more forces committed Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. An Iranian-made Shahed attack drone Up to 25 drones swarmed over Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimea in the early hours of July 30, in what looked to be one of the largest claimed attacks on the peninsula since Russia began its military occupation of the Ukrainian territory in 2014. The press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense reported the attack on its channel on the Telegram messenger, claiming Ukraine was behind the attack, but that it had been stopped. Read also: Ukrainian troops to enter Crimea soon says Budanov "Tonight, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack with twenty-five aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles on objects on the territory of the Crimean peninsula was stopped," the ministrys post reads. It gave no other evidence that the attack actually occurred, however. The ministry claims that Russian air defenses in Crimea managed to shoot down 16 of the attacking drones, while the on other nine were allegedly brought down by means of radio-electronic warfare. They said none of the drones reached their targets, but fell into the waters of the Black Sea and Cape Tarkhankut. There were no injuries or damage. Read also: Ukraine confirms successful destruction of Russian oil depot and warehouses in occupied Crimea Meanwhile, on the night of Sunday, July 30, Moscow was attacked by unknown drones. In particular, the IQ quarter tower in Moscow City in the west of the Russian capital, where the offices of several Russian ministries are located, was badly damaged. Members of the public in Moscow found ministry documents scattered on the ground below the impact site. The Russian authorities said three drones had attacked the Russian capital. One was shot down over the outskirts of the city, and the other two disabled and brought down by electronic warfare means, and crashing into the Moscow City district. One person was reported to have been injured. There have been several drone attacks on Moscow, the one before occurring on July 24, when drones hit an office building and the building of the Central Military Orchestra of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Story continues The Russian authorities typically claim all attacking drones are either shot down or brought down by electronic warfare means. 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 Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, claimed on July 30 that Russia would have to use nuclear weapons if Ukraine liberates occupied territories. "If we imagine that the NATO-backed Ukrainian Banderites' offensive is successful and they seize part of our territory, we would have to use nuclear weapons, based on the presidential decree issued on June 2, 2020," Medvedev, who is also a former president of Russia, said in a reference to the potential liberation of Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Russia. "We won't have any other choice." On Sept. 30 last year, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would annex Ukraine's four oblasts Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson after sham referendums in the occupied parts of these regions took place. Medvedev also congratulated his country with Navy Day, mentioning Russia's Poseidon nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle. The underwater drone is believed to be capable of carrying a 100-megaton nuclear warhead. Medvedev, a close ally of Putin, used to be seen as a more liberal representative of the Kremlin but has become one of Russia's most prominent hawks during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He regularly threatens Ukraine and NATO with a nuclear attack. However, he has become an object of ridicule since his numerous threats have failed to materialize. In January, Medvedev said a potential defeat of Russia in war against Ukraine "may trigger a nuclear war," adding that "nuclear powers have never lost major conflicts on which their fate depends." In May he said that, by sending weapons and training Ukrainian soldiers, NATO "increases the likelihood of a direct and open conflict between NATO and Russia." Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian troops launched a missile attack against Sumy on July 29, hitting a local educational institution, killing one person and injuring 17, Sumy City Council reported on July 30. The attack significantly damaged the four-story building, the authorities said. According to the report, three other people were hospitalized. First responders continue working at the site of the attack. Russian forces shelled nine communities in Sumy Oblast over the past day, Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported earlier. According to the report, Russia shelled the Sumy, Krasnopillia, Bilopillia, Yunakiv, Myropillia, Seredyna-Buda, Esman, Nova Sloboda, and Shalyhyne communities. In Nova Sloboda, two private residential buildings and a power line were damaged. Further casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure have not yet been reported. Sumy Oblast is located on Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia. It has been the target of daily Russian shelling and attacks from across the border since parts of the oblast were liberated from Russian troops in early April 2022. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia hits Dnipro with missiles, at least 5 injured Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Russian invaders have attacked Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with two Shahed drones, which have been shot down. Source: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration Details: The wreckage of the downed UAV fell on the territory of a private agricultural firm. A fire broke out, which was promptly extinguished. A warehouse was damaged. In addition, Russian troops attacked Nikopol district four times, hitting the city of Nikopol and Marhanets and Myrove hromadas [an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories ed.]. The aftermath of all the attacks is being established. There are no dead or injured. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! FIRST ON FOX - Russian warplanes engaged UFOs, "chased them and even shot at them" at least 45 times by 1993, according to classified Russian documents that investigative reporter George Knapp obtained and smuggled out of the country. That's just one snippet of information revealed in letters written by Knapp and investigative journalist Jeremy Corbell to the House's Oversight Committee before Wednesday's UFO hearing. Both letters, which were first obtained by Fox News Digital and published in their entirety below, were entered into the Congressional record. "Since 1969, the position of our military has been that UFOs pose no threat to national security and are not worthy of further study," Knapp wrote in his letter. "This dismissive attitude is directly at odds with what was revealed in documents, reports and internal memos." UFO WHISTLEBLOWER TESTIFIES HIS LIFE WAS THREATENED OVER SECRET ALIEN TECH RETRIEVAL Former Navy pilot Ryan Graves, ex-Navy commander David Fravor and former U.S. intelligence officer David Grusch testify before the House of Representatives subcommittee focused on UFOs while (left to right) George Knapp (red tie left of Grusch), Charles McCullough (light blue tie) and Jeremy Corbell sit behind them As the country's eyes and ears were glued to three explosive testimonies, Corbell whispered something to Charles McCullough as George Knapp listened in with a smirk. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP McCullough, who was President Barack Obama's former Intelligence Community Inspector General, represented Grusch in his Intelligence Community Inspector General complaint purposefully seated behind him. UFO WHISTLEBLOWERS TO TESTIFY UNKNOWN OBJECTS ARE FAR SUPERIOR TO US TECH, GOVT OPERATING WITH SECRECY These three men sat directly behind David Grusch, who was flanked by Navy pilots Ryan Graves and David Fravor during Wednesday's Congressional hearing about UFOs.f Grusch's testimony about recovered "biologics" of "non-humans" from alleged UFO crash sites made national - and even international - headlines, while details in Knapp's and Corbell's letters went under the radar. VIDEO: WHITE HOUSE'S STANCE ON UFOS Knapp has been reporting on UFOs, now referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), since 1987 and had a direct relationship with Sen. Harry Reid. Story continues And Corbell has become a go-to source for UFO whistleblowers and been acknowledged as essential in organizing witnesses for Wednesday's historic, bipartisan hearing. UFOS: IS THE GOVERNMENT HIDING SOMETHING? Knapp said he first heard whispers about crashed UFOs, "strange materials and reverse engineering programs being carried out in secrecy in the Nevada desert by intelligence operative and defense contractors," in 1989. That's what sparked his relationship with then-freshman Sen. Reid. READ GEORGE KNAPP'S LETTER TO CONGRESS He revealed Russia's 10-year study about UFOs, which he wrote "was likely the largest UFO investigation ever undertaken," that included thousands of case files from interviews with military personnel. The program's director told Knapp about the Russian warplane dogfights with UFOs. CONGRESSMAN HAS GRIM TAKE AFTER ACCESS TO UFO FOOTAGE: THIS TECH COULD TURN US INTO A CHARCOAL BRIQUETTE "In most incidents, the UFOs shot away at unbelievable speeds, but in three incidents, the Russian warplanes were dibbled and crashed. Two of the pilots were killed," Knapp wrote in his letter. "After those incidents, the MOD (Ministry of Defense) issued a nationwide order that UFOs should be left because, in the words of a top Air Defense official, they may have incredible capacities for retaliation." READ JEREMY CORBELL'S LETTER TO CONGRESS He brought this information back to the U.S., but for decades the topic of UFOs and aliens were a taboo subject that could ruin a person's livelihood and career. Then the Tic Tac UFO, named after its odd shape, was engaged in 2004 by David Fravor, retired Commanding Officer of the Navy's Black Aces Squadron. FOX EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: STRANGE OBJECTS ON OCEAN FLOOR MAY BE UFO CRASH DEBRIS He described it as a "giant flying propane tank" that was "far superior to anything we had at the time, have today or are looking to develop in the next 10-plus years." He described the object's physics-defying maneuvers and its lack of propulsion systems and control surfaces, such as wings or engines. A new office dedicated to studying UAP (UFO) sightings has finally secured full-funding in the upcoming 2024 defense budget. Fox News Digital has learned a 100-plus page scientific analysis for a contracted agency specifying the technological details and capabilities of the performance that was observed and documented during the multi-week, multi-vehicle "Tic Tac" UAP event series hasn't been available to the public. Over classification of UFO-related records and an alleged decades-long government coverup were the underlying basis of Wednesday's hearing. UFO LEGISLATION TO USHER IN NEW AGE OF TRANSPARENCY: 'LONG PAST TIME' Grusch, a decorated Air Force veteran, testified that the government "absolutely" has UFO tech and "biologics" of "non-human origins" since the 1930s and knows the exact locations where they're being held. Because of an open whistleblower reprisal program case against him, he said he can't say anything more in a public setting. Corbell wrote in his letter to Congress that the "UFO issue is emerging as a major topic of global importance" "UFOs are real. This is objective truth - not a subjective reality," Corbell wrote in the first two sentences of his letter. "And UFOs - whatever they represent - have been present and part of the human condition since at least the beginning of recorded history." LAWMAKERS CLAIM UFO COVER-UPS FROM PENTAGON, MILITARY: WERE FINALLY GOING TO SHED LIGHT ON THIS' The problem, Corbell says in his letter, is UAP "have proven that they can operate with impunity within our airspace" and occurs virtually every day. "Most alarmingly, UAP are witnessed, documented and often captured on corroborative multi-platform defense sensors and targeting systems while displaying the capability to outpace, outmaneuver and outperform our most advanced military weaponry; or any other known technologically advanced terrestrial nations military inventory and private industry holdings." Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who has spearheaded the fight for UFO transparency, said during the hearing, "We can't trust a government that does not trust its people." After listening to the witnesses' testimony for more than two hours, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., said there's "clearly a threat to the national security of the United States." The House's hearing followed the Senate's bipartisan legislation to declassify and release UFO-related records that brought political foes like Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., together. Russian occupiers have attacked the liberated Zmiinyi (Snake) Island in the Black Sea with tactical aircraft for the third time in July. Source: Operational Command Pivden (South) Details: The Russians dropped two unidentified bombs near the island, the operational command reports. In the middle of the night, Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drones were launched from the east coast of the Sea of Azov to target agricultural facilities in Kherson Oblast and Kryvyi Rih district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which were reportedly shot down by air defence forces. Read more on the topic: Battle for Zmiinyi (Snake) Island. Reconstructing the heroic tale of Ukraine losing and reclaiming the critical island Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Bryansk Oblast Suzemsky and Klimovsky districts of Russias Bryansk Oblast were allegedly shelled on July 30, Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz reported on his channel on Telegram. There were reports of shelling in the village of Zernove, Suzemsky District, at around 9.00 a.m., Bogomaz said. No casualties have been reported, the governor wrote. One residential building was damaged as a result of the shelling. Operational and emergency services are on-site, his post read. Read also: Mi-8 helicopter crashes in Russia, killing six Closer to noon, a new message appeared on Bogomazs Telegram channel reporting shelling in Klimovsky District. The shells hit the territory of a pig farm, the governers message read. As a result of the shelling, two women were injured. They have been taken to the district hospital, where they are receiving all necessary medical assistance. There was damages and fires were burning in the production facilities of the agricultural enterprise, said the governor. Emergency and operational services are working on-site. Subsequently, it was reported that another person had been injured in the incident. Bogomaz previously claimed on July 9 that two Ukrainian missiles had been shot down by Russian air defenses in Bryansk Oblast. 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 A building of an educational institution was destroyed in a missile attack by Russian troops on Sumy during the evening on Saturday, 29 July. Source: Suspilne Sumy; Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Quote: "The explosion destroyed one of the educational institutions buildings. The fire is still burning, and firefighters are extinguishing it. The place is surrounded by police. Windows in the neighbouring houses were smashed. The building of an Orthodox church located nearby was also damaged. The explosion in Sumy occurred before the air-raid warning was issued, around 20:00." Details: Suspilne also posted a photo of the strike. Background: On Saturday evening, Russian troops launched a missile attack on an educational institution in Sumy. The Oblast Military Administration reported that information on the damage caused and regarding casualties is being confirmed. Update: After midnight on 30 July, Suspilne Sumy reported that one person had been killed and five injured in a Russian airstrike on an educational institution in Sumy. "Work on dealing with the aftermath of the fire is underway," the message reads. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The Russians are taking measures to strengthen their systemic information and propaganda influence on young people in occupied Crimea. Source: Ukraines National Resistance Center with reference to the underground resistance movement in temporarily occupied Crimea Details: The National Resistance Center noted that as part of such events, the Russians held a "forum of young professionals called The Way of Victory.Mirror with the participation of more than 120 students from Russian-controlled universities of the occupied peninsula, as well as representatives of the Russian occupation forces from the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergencies and the prosecutor's office". The National Resistance Center stressed that the "forum" was organised by the so-called Federal Agency for Youth Affairs of the Russian Federation, and its main goal was to deepen the integration of young people from Crimea into the socio-cultural space of Russia. As a result of the so-called forum, an "interdepartmental council" has been set up to facilitate the implementation of military-patriotic education for young people. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Russians attacked Zmiinyi three times in a month The Russian military launched yet another attack on Ukraines Snake Island in the Black Sea on the night of July 30, using tactical aviation, Colonel Vladyslav Nazarov of the Southern Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has reported. During this recent attack, Russian aircraft dropped two air bombs of an unidentified type near the island. This incident marks the third such attack within a month. Read also: Journalists denied access to part of southern regions, seaports On July 13, the Russians targeted the island with a high-explosive aerial bomb. Located in the western part of the Black Sea, Snake Island was liberated during the summer of 2022. The liberation was accomplished on June 30 after the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched powerful long-range artillery strikes, prompting Russian occupiers to hastily evacuate their garrison and abandon the island. Read also: One year ago today, Ukraine sunk the Russian flagship Moskva At the time of the evacuation, the Russian Ministry of Defense described the retreat of their troops as a gesture of goodwill. The operation to liberate Snake Island was officially completed on July 4, and on July7, Ukrainian servicemen hoisted the flag of Ukraine on the island. 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 Kenya's Ruto said he was open to dialogue, but warned his opponent against anymore 'violent demonstrations' that put life and property at risk (SIMON MAINA) Kenyan President William Ruto said Sunday he would "not negotiate about the safety of our country" with his rival after agreeing to dialogue to end violent protests against his government. Both sides announced on Saturday that they would join a committee to resolve their differences "amicably" following a sustained campaign of opposition-led street demonstrations that left at least 20 people dead. Opposition leader Raila Odinga has staged nine days of protests since March against what he says is an illegitimate government responsible for an economic crisis hurting the poor. One of East Africa's most stable democracies, the unrest has provoked alarm at home and abroad and spurred calls for mediation to end the standoff. Ruto said he was open to dialogue, but warned his opponent against anymore "violent demonstrations" that put life and property at risk. "We will not negotiate about the safety of our country," he said at a church service in the coastal region of Kwale. The opposition Azimio alliance said the government had acted dishonestly before the talks had even begun, accusing them of releasing a "one-sided statement" that misrepresented their concerns. Azimio warned they reserved the right to protest if ignored. "Until we agree that each party has the freedom and right to bring its issues to the table and as we continue to pursue discussion, we shall continue with our engagements with the people," it said. - 'Work together' - Odinga, who claims last year's presidential election was "stolen", had ruled out talks without a third-party mediator. But following a meeting brokered by former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo the rivals agreed to form a 10-member committee of equal representation to iron out their differences. Azimio said the rising cost of living and repeal of a finance bill responsible for tax hikes remained their "priority" for discussion. Story continues It also said electoral reforms and an audit of the August 2022 election must be among the topics canvassed, along with accountability for police "brutality" during the protests. But Ruto said he would not discuss economic policy with the opposition when his government was "effectuating our manifesto that is heavy on reducing the cost of living." "We need to work together, our persuasions notwithstanding, to transform Kenya," he said. An earlier statement that said both parties agreed to discuss creating a permanent office for Odinga and put aside discussion of the finance bill was rejected by the opposition. "Azimio had nothing to do with it," it said. Some analysts cautioned against speculation that Ruto and Odinga could be brokering a power-sharing arrangement, and said it remained unclear what if anything the talks would yield or when they would begin. Odinga called off demonstrations in April and May after Ruto agreed to dialogue through a similar committee, but those talks broke down. Opposition protests following Odinga's election loss in 2017 continued until he brokered a surprise pact the next year with former president Uhuru Kenyatta that became known as "the handshake". str-np/giv Yvonne Nsabimana, Ngoma yAfrica Cultural Center founder and executive director, Michaelle Martial, spoken word artist and personal chef, and Pedro Hueramo Rico, Burning Sissy Valley co-director, pose for a portrait at Poetry on Main, which Martial founded to help spotlight local emerging BIPOC and LGBT poets and artists, in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Haitian poet and spoken word artist Michaelle Martial has shared her work in a variety of different spaces for over a decade in Utah. But she wanted a more permanent space for herself and other Utah artists of color to gather and perform. I saw a lack of representation and platforms for artists and writers to start off with, she said. Thats the desire that I have, is to create that space where I can collaborate with diverse populations here in Utah that may not have an opportunity for a space otherwise. Martial hopes that need will be filled by Poetry on Main her new gift shop, coworking space and small performance venue in downtown Salt Lake City at 702 S. Main Street, Suite 146. The items in the shop will spotlight local and Caribbean artisans. Martial also plans on hosting a handful of events each month, including poetry open mics and some of the events she already hosted through her LLC, Caribbean Nightingale: Cupcakes for Breakfast, a meet-and-greet event highlighting local Black authors and sweet treats; Relaxation Through Verse, a poetry and music lounge; and Taste the Culture, an Afro-Caribbean dinner and a show that Martial is partnering on with Ngoma yAfrica Cultural Center. The events, which will be a mix of free and ticketed, will require registration on the spaces website and are limited to about 50 people. In the future, Martial said the space might also offer a tea and coffee shop. Everybody is welcome, but an expectation is respect, she said. We have similarities, and were learning from each other. So we invite the community to come in and learn about different things that we do, to participate if they want to come for a show or activity or to shop. But people will be sharing some personal things, and I just ask people to keep an open mind and treat everyone with respect. Michaelle Martials poetry is on display at Poetry on Main in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Honoring those who came before Poetry on Mains first event takes place this weekend. The shop will host an open mic night on Saturday at 7 p.m. that is aimed at honoring LGBTQ and Black, Indigenous and people of color ancestors. It is held in partnership with Burning Sissy Valley, which works to create safe spaces for Black, Indigenous and people of color who are members of the LGBTQ community. Story continues Itll help us pay homage to people that once were here and we carry their legacy through storytelling, said Pedro Hueramo Rico, the organizations director. It is liberating because its like we can be queer, Black, brown, as loud as we want, and exist in a space where people just understand one another, right? Theres not a lot of like questioning, not a lot of misunderstanding. For Martial, the event is a way to honor her late friend and mentor Benjamin Cabey. The Salt Lake musician, poet and painter was a pioneering force in advocating for the states artists of color. Martial is dedicating Poetry on Main in Cabeys memory. He provided that figurative space for me, Martial said. Ben has taught me that the humanity that we give through the art is worth something and we deserve to be paid. ... Its important for artists, especially artists and artisans of color, to know that their work is valuable. Its contributing to the community. She added that Cabey, who she said always made sure artists were paid at least a small stipend for their work, also taught her that life can be fun. She said two weeks before Cabey passed away in October 2017, she attended a fundraising event where they both performed. He usually had a cane that he was walking around with, but when he got ready to dance, hed just throw away that cane on the side on the floor, she said. He was a close to 70-year-old man. Knowing that his health was declining and he was so willing to give to others and showing that life is worth living. He was the life of the party with a smile on his face. Pedro Hueramo Rico, Burning Sissy Valley co-director, answers interview questions with Yvonne Nsabimana, Ngoma yAfrica Cultural Center founder and executive director, left, and Michaelle Martial, spoken word artist and personal chef, center, at Poetry on Main, which Martial founded to help spotlight local emerging BIPOC and LGBT poets and artists, in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Advocating for each other The partnerships that are already emerging from the space are a strong indicator that the space will serve as the gathering place Martial envisions for Utahs marginalized communities. In addition to Burning Sissy Valley, Martial is also partnering with Ngoma yAfrica Cultural Center, which preserves African cultures and provides a support network for Utah families of African descent. Martial, Hueramo and Ngoma yAfrica Executive Director Yvonne Nsabimana all stressed how pivotal Poetry on Main will be for artists of color. Its hard for minority artists to have places where they can have an office to be more credible in what theyre doing and also a space where they can collab with other artists, which is very important when you are a minority in a majority-white space, like Utah, and there are resources you dont have access to or you dont know about, said Nsabimana, adding that having an address at the coworking space will allow minority artists to apply for funding and grants. Hueramo added that Poetry on Main will be a continuation of the historical collaboration that minority communities have engaged in. We are always finding opportunities to share resources and provide mutually to one another. I think its something that is just inherently in us, he said. If we look at historically what has happened to minoritized communities, thats just how we survived, right? Its literally finding our community, sharing our bread, sharing our resources. Its how we thrive. After 50 years a fixture of the Whitehall community closed its doors. Saturday was the last day people could visit Schneiders Dairy Retail Shop at the production facility on Frank Street. The company said they needed to close the store to create space for expansion and equipment upgrades. Tim McGuire took his granddaughter, Olivia to the store for the first time ever. She was the last customer before the doors closed. Its been here forever, McGuire said, Its a shame to see it go but I wanted to get Liv here for the first time cause shes never been and now she happens to be...the last customer in the store. The company thanked the surrounding community for their continued support over the years. The Whitehall and surrounding communities have supported our little retail shop, and for that we will always be extremely grateful. We have all shared memories here that will last a lifetime, said Schneiders Dairy. The company said they are working to find a retail solution for the future. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Cobb County Schools students ranked highest in Georgia Milestones grades in 2023 across metro Atlanta, according to a news release from the district. Cobb County students ranked No. 1 across the board in the subjects of ELA, math, science and social studies. I could not be more proud of our teachers and students for again placing Cobb above our metro peers. We have the best teachers, and their focus on academic excellence is continuously demonstrated. I am looking forward to another great year and seeing our one goal of student success achieved for all our students, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said. Georgia Milestones tests students who are in grades 3-8 in ELA and math and tests students in 5th and 8th grade in science. Also, the Across the metro and state, Cobb ranked highest in the percentage of students who scored as developing learners and above. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Cobb students had similar success to this last year, according to the news release. For the 19 Cobb middle schools, 100% of their Algebra I students scored as developing learner or above. Additionally, nine different high schools were among the top 50 high schools in Georgia for the percentage of US History students who scored as a developing learner or above. TRENDING STORIES: Cobb elementary schools also had similar success, according to the district. Test scores showed that 100% of fourth graders in two Cobb elementary schools scored as developing learners and above. The Georgia Milestones typically take place at the end of the school year. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Seann William Scott has revealed the paltry fee he was allegedly paid to star in American Pie. Scott, 46, starred as ladies man Steve Stifler opposite Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Biggs, and Alyson Hannigan in the hit 1999 comedy film. The actor recently told TV chat show host Rick Elsen that he only earned $8,000 (6,230) for his role in the movie, which went on to make $235m (183m) at the box office. Scott said that the sum had been a lot of money for me at the time, going on to divulge what he spent his pay cheque on. I remember afterwards I bought a used Thunderbird for like $5,000 (3,900) or maybe $6,000 (4,670), Im like, Oh yeah, baby, he said. Scott said he was unsure what happened to the remaining sum, speculating that the total fee was perhaps even less than $8,000 (6,230) because I ended up having to work at the LA Zoo as a churro guy. The Independent has contacted a representative of Universal Pictures for comment. Scott is the latest star to speak out about the disproportionate compensation actors have received for jobs. Earlier this month, Orange Is the New Black star Kimiko Glenn claimed she only made $27.30 (20) in 2020 from streaming residuals, which the actors union, SAG-AFTRA, defines as additional compensation paid to performers when a production is shown beyond the original use covered by the initial compensation. Jason Biggs, Thomas Ian Nicholas and Eddie Kaye Thomas plot to lose their virginities in 1999s American Pie (Moviestore/Shutterstock) Glenn, 34, joined Netflixs groundbreaking drama in its second season as inmate Brook Soso, who was thrown into prison for illegal activism. Matilda child star Mara Wilson and romcom staple John Cusack have shared similar horror stories from the industry amid the ongoing actors and writers strikes. Both SAG-AFTRA and WGA are in dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the production companies. Among SAG-AFTRAs chief demands which are similar to those of the WGA include increased wages, higher streaming residuals and assurances that their work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). When employers make Wall Street and greed their priority and they forget about the essential contributors who make the machine run, we have a problem, SAG president Fran Drescher said in an emotional tirade against studios. We are being victimised by a very greedy enterprise. This photo taken on July 29, 2023 shows the Pakistan Monument with a special illumination to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan.(Str/Xinhua) by Ali Jaswal ISLAMABAD, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has delivered infrastructure, trade and employment to Pakistan, resulting in sustainable development in the country, a Pakistani economist said. The enhancement in infrastructure through roads, railways and airport is not just going to provide connectivity within Pakistan but in the region and beyond, Badiea Shaukat, an economic consultant at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, an Islamabad-based think-tank, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Launched in 2013, CPEC, the flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking the Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation. "It will also bring Pakistan to that stage where it can build its regional connectivity with other Central Asian countries and the Western side of the globe. So, I think that CPEC in real term is a sustainable development model," the economist said. Shaukat said the project enhanced social equity and apart from the financial revenues, it gave a social boost to different segments of the society. CPEC is giving strong hope to the country amid contemporary challenges as it is providing employment opportunities and increasing connectivity, which is quite significant for the equitable environment of the society, said the economist. By the end of 2022, CPEC has brought 25.4 billion U.S. dollars in direct investment to Pakistan and has created about 236,000 jobs for the country, according to the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan. On the one hand, he said, CPEC is generating trade improvisation which is helping the local manufacturer with lower cost of trade. On the other hand, the regional connectivity is enabling the Pakistani exporters to export at a much lower cost to other neighboring economies, increasing the trade prospects for the South Asian country, Shaukat added. Reflecting on the decade-long journey of CPEC, he said that China came to Pakistan when it was going through a severe economic crunch and there was no foreign direct investment in the country. CPEC brought a renewed spirit in local Pakistani companies as they went into collaborations and joint ventures with Chinese companies, Shaukat said, adding that it provided a big opportunity to the local companies and the workers in terms of capacity building, technology transfer, and skill development. Shaukat said human resource generation is one of the most important aspects of CPEC as working on the latest state-of-the-art technologies considerably resulted in the skill development of Pakistani professionals and the labor force. On top of everything, the economist said the special emphasis on corporate social responsibility in CPEC projects has been vital in the socio-economic uplifting of the surrounding areas in particular and the country in general. "We see a strong humanitarian side under these projects, we have seen that there are a lot of corporate relief projects, which are initiated by the Chinese companies, and they helped at the local level, even at the county and the district and the town levels," he said. The Chinese have been distributing ration bags and helping out the victims, who were affected by natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes. "They are quite active, which delivers the local people a friendly gesture from these companies to develop a friendly environment," according to the economist. Authorities are continuing their search Sunday for a man connected to a kidnapping and domestic violence incident Saturday. Sacramento police say they were looking for Marvin Holloway Jr., a 39-year-old man who was believed to be barricaded Saturday afternoon at a home on the 3800 block of Kern Street in the East Del Paso Heights section of North Sacramento. He was suspected of kidnapping a woman on the 5500 block of Enrico Boulevard in south Sacramento earlier in the day, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office. Authorities said Holloway and the victim were in a romantic relationship at one time. When officers and deputies arrived at the home on Kern Street, Holloway was gone but the woman was located and not seriously injured, the Sheriffs Office said. Holloway is also wanted on suspicion in a separate case and has a felony warrant for stalking, the Sheriffs Office said. As of Sunday morning, Holloway remained at large, authorities said. Those with information of Holloways whereabouts are encourage to call Sacramento police at 916-808-5471 or the Sheriffs Office at 916-874-8477. Tips can be left anonymously through Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357 or via the P3 Tips smartphone app. In 2000, a man was reported missing while on a duck hunting trip in north Florida. Police thought he drowned and was eaten by alligators, even though his wife had a judge declare him dead six months later, suspiciously cashed in on an expensive life insurance plan, and married his best friend. It wasn't until six years later that his disappearance would be suspected as a murder, thanks to the man's pleading mother and a dogged reporter's ability to find the truth. That reporter, Jennifer Portman, is diving into the missing-to-murdered case of Mike Williams on a new season of Wondery's true crime podcast, "Over My Dead Body: Gone Hunting." Portman, now a managing editor of national news at USA TODAY, hosts the fourth season of anthology series, which has explored the motives driving people to do unspeakable things. In previous seasons, reporters unearthed the dark past of a beloved small town cop, found unexpected co-conspirators in a murder, and covered the famous feud between Joe Exotic and Carol Baskin. Jennifer Portman, managing editor of national news at USA TODAY. Now, Portman will take listeners through the dramatic story about how the facts of Williams' death came to light. How to listen to new season of 'Over My Dead Body' podcast The first two episodes will be available on Wondery+ starting Aug. 7, and everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music on Aug. 21. Host Jennifer Portman covered cold case for 12 years Portman covered the mysterious tale of Mike Williams as an investigative reporter and news director for the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network. Back story: Jennifer Portman kept Mike Williams case in the spotlight, gave Cheryl Williams a voice In her first six months with the paper, which she would later lead as the news director, she spotted a puzzling ad in the newspaper. Mike Williams' mother, Cheryl Williams was asking for information about her missing son. She pointed out several inconsistencies in the story that officials had settled on. Portman started doing research into all the documentation from the police, down to the alligators in the lake he was fishing at and the boat he was on. She thought there might be something to this story. Story continues She published an investigation in December 2006 debunking the belief that Williams drowned in the lake. The police admitted foul play. Mark Perez of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said her story made an impact. Throughout the next 12 years, she followed every twist and turn of the case. Every December, she wrote a column marking the day Williams went missing and reminding the public of his mysterious disappearance. She was there in 2018 when one of the killers was found guilty. So was his mother Cheryl. Mike Williams' mom Cheryl Williams holds up one of his missing person signs in front of the Four Oaks Community Church on Nov. 20, 2011, in Tallahassee. She wanted to make sure churchgoers didn't forget her son, who attended the church during earlier days. Mike Williams before his death Mike Williams was a 31-year-old real estate appraiser living in Tallahassee, Florida. On Dec. 16, 2000, as previously reported by the Tallahassee Democrat, he went on a duck hunting trip at Lake Seminole. It was also his wedding anniversary, but he left his wife and 18-month-old daughter behind. He never made it home to celebrate. At the time, police thought he stumbled out of the boat and was sucked under by his waders in the chest-high water. But investigators never found a trace of his body at the lake, even after a 44-day search. His wife, Denise, bought a $1 million life insurance plan from his best friend Brian Winchester six months before he went missing. She had a judge declare him dead and received nearly $2 million in Mike's policy payout, despite there being no trace of his body. Winchester and Denise got married approximately five years later. But their marriage fell apart over the next decade and an incident between the two put Winchester in jail for kidnapping and armed burglary. Denise Williams was the kidnapping victim. What came out of his brush with the law was the evidence needed to prove Mike Williams was murdered: the location of his body. The 2018 trial that convicted Denise Williams of first-degree murder, conspiracy and accessory after the fact laid out the wicked plot for love and money that she devised with Winchester. As host, Portman will walk listeners through that plan, and what went wrong, on "Over My Dead Body: Gone Hunting," available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Wondery+ and anywhere else you listen on Aug. 21. This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: 'Over My Dead Body' podcast: New season covers Mike Williams death The next meeting of advisers to state leaders on the implementation of the Peace Formula, proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will be held soon in Saudi Arabia. Source: Andrii Yermak, Head of the President's Office, in his speech at the meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, held in Ivano-Frankivsk, the President's website reports Details: Yermak says that in order to implement the Peace Formula, the Ukrainian side uses a three-phase structure. The first phase entails meetings with ambassadors accredited in Ukraine, which are devoted to a detailed consideration of each of the points, outlined in the Peace Formula. In the second phase, Ukraine initiates meetings of national security advisers in order to find optimal formulations and mechanisms for implementing the peace plan. Quote: "We organised the first such meeting in partnership with Danish colleagues. It took place in Copenhagen in June. The next meeting will take place soon. It will be hosted by a Saudi city. We thank both kingdoms for their leadership and strong support of Ukrainian initiatives." Details: The third stage of agreeing on the Peace Formula, Yermak added, would be the founding global summit at the level of state leaders, which could take place before the end of the year. As Yermak emphasised, Ukraine seeks to attract the widest possible range of countries that respect international law and the UN Charter. Quote: "We are deeply convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis, because the war is taking place on our land. At the same time, in consultations with all interested parties, we seek to take into account opinions and positions that do not contradict the key principles of international law and the provisions of the UN Charter." On 29 July, The Wall Street Journal reported that the second meeting on ending the war in Ukraine will take place in Saudi Arabia on 5-6 August, with representatives of 30 countries being invited to attend. Story continues Background: In May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed the idea of holding a global peace summit with the participation of as many states as possible in order to enlist their support for the Ukrainian Peace Formula. In June, a meeting of political advisers and national security advisers from one and a half dozen countries around the world, including three BRICS members and the USA, was held in Copenhagen. The participants discussed the key principles of achieving peace in Ukraine. Following a meeting in Copenhagen, the EU suggested that a peace summit on Ukraine could take place before the end of the year. In an interview on 27 July, Zelenskyy spoke of an upcoming meeting in Saudi Arabia. "There was already a meeting in Copenhagen, now a second meeting is planned in Saudi Arabia. I'm glad Brazil will be there. Then we will go to the summit on the Peace Formula," he said. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday called the House GOP investigation into Hunter Biden a witch hunt and said he has no concerns about the White Houses positioning on the matter. Murphy was asked to respond to accusations by House Republicans involving a 2017 text message Hunter Biden sent to a Chinese businessman that claims he was sitting with his father, the then-vice president at the time. Biden has maintained that he was not in business with his son. I dont have any concerns. I think this is a witch hunt, Murphy said during an interview on CNNs State of the Union Sunday, borrowing a phrase frequently used by former President Trump and his followers. If Hunter Biden has broken the law, he should be held accountable for it. I dont think hes being treated any differently than anyone else whos been accused of the crimes that hes been accused of, Murphy added. Murphys comments come after Hunter Biden, President Bidens son, saw a plea deal stall this week after the judge presiding over the case questioned the parameters of the plea agreement with the Justice Department involving tax and gun charges. House Republicans have also been investigating Hunter Bidens business dealings overseas, but the White House has maintained President Biden had no connection to any of the business dealings from when he was vice president. Murphy further dismissed a question on whether he was concerned about any apparent shift in the White Houses tone, when asked about the White House now saying President Biden was not in business with his son, when before he said they never spoke about it. Hes had a lot of trouble in his life. And Joe Biden has been open about it and I think has shown, as any caring father would, a lot of concern to try to help Hunter Biden recover, Murphy said. But there has never been any evidence that Joe Biden has compromised his office. In fact, the very opposite. The evidence around the allegations Republicans have made about Hunter Bidens involvement in Ukraine suggests that Joe Biden was working to root out corruption in Ukraine as he consistently did as vice president, and I think those facts will continue to come out, Murphy added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Senegal's public prosecutor on Saturday announced seven new charges against Ousmane Sonko, who is a vocal critic of President Macky Sall (SEYLLOU) Firebrand Senegalese opposition politician Ousmane Sonko said Sunday he had started a hunger strike from custody after being arrested this week, as his lawyers condemned his arrest. Senegal's public prosecutor on Saturday announced seven new charges against the politician -- a vocal critic of President Macky Sall who has faced a string of legal woes he claims are aimed at keeping him out of politics. "In the face of so much hate, lies, oppression, persecution, I have decided to resist", Sonko wrote, inviting "all political detainees" to join him on the strike. He is scheduled to be interrogated by a judge on Monday. In a press conference on Sunday in the capital Dakar, Sonko's lawyers said authorities had not respected his rights. One of them, the French national Juan Branco, appeared at the press conference despite Senegalese prosecutors filing an international arrest warrant against him on July 14. "We came here to tell you that we were not afraid", Branco said. "I swear to defend a man, Ousmane Sonko, whose body carries the hopes of an entire people, and therefore, of all humanity." On June 22, Branco said he had filed a criminal complaint against Sall in France for "crimes against humanity", and had requested a probe by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. His initiatives also named Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome and gendarmerie chief General Moussa Fall among more than 100 others accused. The move sparked Senegal's ire, with Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall lashing it as "childish and puerile" and falling far short of the benchmark needed for legal scrutiny. - Moral corruption case - Sonko's lawyers also argued that his arrest on the new allegations cancelled out his conviction in a high-profile moral corruption case, because he had been tried in absentia. According to Senegal's penal code, if defendants who are tried in absentia are arrested within a certain limitation period, any conviction is automatically annulled unless they expressly agree to the sentence within ten days. Story continues His sentencing to two years in prison on June 1 sparked clashes that left at least 16 dead. The sentence makes him ineligible to contest next year's presidential election. But the prosecutor said his arrest on Friday and the new charges announced on Saturday are unrelated to the moral corruption case. The new charges are over comments he has made, rallies he has held, and other episodes since 2021, including an incident at his home on Friday that led to his arrest. They include calling for insurrection, undermining state security, criminal association with a terrorist body and theft. On Saturday, a prominent Senegalese journalist and government critic, was also arrested and began a hunger strike, according to his lawyer. Pape Ale Niang had on Friday spoken about Sonko's arrest in a live streamed video on YouTube. prc/rox The News Africans applying to study in the United States face higher rates of visa refusal than people from other regions, a report based on data from the U.S. government, UN and World Bank said. The report looked at U.S. visa refusals for applications from every continent and showed that the rate of refusal increased to more than one in two (54%) in 2022 for African students from 44% in 2015. By contrast, refusal rates were constantly under 10% in Europe and mostly under 35% elsewhere. Southern Africa, where the average refusal rate for the period reviewed is 12%, is the exception within the continent. In 2022, African students from that region had lower U.S. visa refusal rates than South American or Asian students. But very high refusals for West African students place Africa atop the overall chart. Last year, seven in 10 applicants for a U.S. student visa from West Africa were refused. The data was published by U.S. higher education research company Shorelight and the non-profit Presidents Alliance group. Know More International student enrolment in the U.S. has shot up 72% since the turn of the century. There were almost 1.1 million such students as of the 2019/20 academic year. Most foreign students in the U.S. are from China (35%), India (18%), and South Korea (4%). Nigerians are sub-Saharan Africas major representatives with 1%, or about 12,860 students. At the same time, student visa refusals have been increasing in most places, except Australia, China, Brazil, South Africa and parts of Europe according to Shorelight. In South America, the refusal rate has more than doubled from under 10% during the Barack Obama administration. Among other reasons, refusals seem to be increasing because consular officers have stepped up scrutiny of prospective students financial documents and post-graduation plans, and reduced staff capacity at U.S. consulates, the report suggests. Alexanders view The authors question whether the increase in refusals reflect an overall negative public narrative toward international students and immigrants in general, especially those from certain countries and regions. Story continues While refusal rates elsewhere held steady between 2016 and 2020, a 15% rise for Africans coincided with former President Donald Trumps anti-immigration stance, including a travel ban that affected Nigeria. Many Africans want to leave their countries for security and seemingly better opportunities in North America and Europe. Pursuing higher education is often an attractive route in the absence of a permanent residency or second passport. One consequence is that a higher share of sub-Saharan immigrants than native-born Americans have some college education (as of 2018). College-educated immigrants have been repeatedly reported to be good for American productivity. Yet, student visa refusals are on the rise for Africans. Whether it stirs a greater supply of better education institutions on the continent, from localized U.S. universities to higher quality private schools, remains to be seen. In Rwanda for example, the presence of Carnegie Mellon Universitys $12 million Africa campus (opened in 2011) and the African Leadership University (opened in 2017) is turning the east African country into an alternative to studying in western countries. The View From a student loan company Lydiah Kemunto Bosire, the founder of educational technology platform 8B which provides financing for students, said guidance for consular officers asks them not to speculate about what a student might do post graduation. Despite this, she said, one of the key reasons offered for many denials is that the student did not demonstrate strong enough ties at home to give assurance that they would return to their country of origin after graduating. Bosire suggested a number of changes such as making sure consular officer follow U.S. State Department guidance, ensuring that universities tip the scale of power between a consular officer and student by getting a congressional letter of support for their African students, and making the issue a standing agenda in bilateral discussions between African governments. Notable Huy Fong Food, the California-based maker of the beloved Sriracha hot sauce, has been forced to scale back production due to a scarcity of chili peppers red jalapenos, in particular due to persisting droughts in northern Mexico, the Guardian reported. Normally the pepper is grown by irrigation, Paul Gepts, a crop researcher at the University of California, Davis, told the outlet. But the supply of water has been decreasing and if you dont have a certain minimum amount of water to irrigate your crops, unless there is rain, there wont be a crop. In addition to the droughts, there is a depleted water supply in the Colorado River, which supplies water to much of the Western United States and has been drastically overused for years, leading to the river and surrounding groundwaters drying up. In response, Arizona has stopped approving building permits for new single-family homes that rely on the wells in Maricopa County. Pollution caused by burning dirty energy sources like gas, coal, and oil to power our infrastructure has caused our planet to overheat, leading to more intense extreme weather events that wreak havoc on our communities. Sometimes, the effects of our changing climate appear in unexpected places, as in the case of the Sriracha shortage, which has gotten dire enough that bottles of the cult-favorite hot sauce are now appearing on the secondary market. The Guardian found bottles of Sriracha listed on Amazon, eBay, and Craigslist for as much as $120, turning the product from a kitchen staple to a collectors item. The droughts in northern Mexico are consistent with the environmental science axiom dry gets drier, [as the] wet gets wetter, which means that as our climate changes, areas will experience even more extreme versions of the climates they already have. In this case, we see a dry climate experiencing extreme drought, resulting in a shortage of a beloved food product. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet. File photo of a Piper PA-32 craft. Six people died after a single-engine Piper PA-32 plane crashed in Canada (Bob Adams/Flickr Creative Commons) Six people have died in Canada after a small plane crashed in the mountainous region in Alberta province, authorities said. The incident occurred in Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said on Saturday. The RCMP said an aircraft with five passengers and a pilot left Springbank Airport near Calgary on Friday night en route to Salmon Arm, British Columbia. However, contact with the aircraft was lost around 9.30pm local time (03.30 GMT Saturday), RCMP staff sergeant Ryan Singleton said. Shortly after the plane was reported overdue, a search was conducted by a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) squadron based in Winnipeg. Rescuers scouted through the crash site to find the passengers on board, but all six people in the plane had died, Mr Singleton said. Police said a Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules plane was dispatched to search for the missing aircraft and searchers located it on Mount Bogart, about 60km west of Calgary, by honing in on an emergency locator transmitter. The RCMP and Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue led the operations. Recovering the bodies of the pilot and the passengers was very challenging due to the difficult terrain. However, all six bodies have been successfully recovered, Mr Singleton said. The names of the victims have not been released yet. But the RCMP said the Transport Safety Board of Canada is conducting an investigation into the crash. A Transportation Safety Board spokesman said the aircraft was a single-engine Piper PA-32, and the board is investigating the crash. The sights and sounds of U.S. Air Force aircraft emanating from the Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range will be back and open to the public for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic when the site hosts an open house next week. The Kansas Air National Guard is hosting the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 5 at the range, 8429 W. Farrelly Road, southwest of Salina. According to the guard, the range usually hosts an open house every other year, depending on operational availability and weather conditions, but has not hosted such event since 2019 because of the pandemic. Visitors to the open house will have the chance to see aerial gunnery demonstrations by Air Force fighters, bombers and other aircraft. Additionally, military equipment and vehicles will be on display on the ground at the range. The F-16 Fighting Falcon was introduced by the U.S. Air Force in 1978 into service and remains a part of the Air Force's arsenal today. The aircraft is an example of something visitors at the Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range's open house next week may see and hear. What is the Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range? The site, a 34,000-acre target range 10 miles southwest of Salina, is one of three Air National Guard air-to-ground training ranges in the Midwest and the largest and busiest range in the guard. The site has served as a training location for the U.S. military since 1942, when it was constructed as Camp Phillips to prepare soldiers for combat in World War II. Continuing as a training site after the war, the Air Force acquired the range, renaming it Smoky Hill Air Force Base, and maintained it from 1948 until it closed in 1965. The national guard took over operations of the site in 1973 and it has since been assigned to the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Wing out of McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita. More: Kansas Highway Patrol needs dispatchers. Here's how to experience what it's like Free and open to the public Three gates, one located to the north along West Farrelly Road, to the east on Falun Road and to the south along Sundgren Road, will be open beginning at 8 a.m. with the demonstrations beginning at 10 a.m. While admission to the open house is free, there will be food, refreshments and memorabilia available for purchase using cash only. Additionally, visitors can bring their own food or drinks in a cooler. Story continues Visitors are also encouraged to bring their lawn chairs, sun screen and insect repellent as needed, but ear protection will be provided by the guard if requested. Finally, weapons, alcohol, drones and pets are prohibited on site, but registered service animals are allowed. This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Kansas Air National Guard hosting Smoky Hill Range open house Some southeast New Mexico communities continue installation of baby surrender boxes after one newborn was placed in an outdoor dumpster in Hobbs and another was allegedly killed by its mother and dumped in a hospital garbage can in Artesia. The City of Carlsbad contracted with Safe Haven Baby Boxes, an Indiana company to manufacture and install a box at the main fire station at 401 South Halagueno Street. More: Carlsbad takes final step to install baby safe surrender box at fire station Former City of Carlsbad Fire Department Chief Richard Lopez said the baby found in a dumpster on a frigid night in Hobbs in early 2022 was the catalyst for the project. The baby survived and its mother Alexis Avila was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder and abuse of a child resulting in great bodily harm. A Lovington jury found her guilty during a trial in April and she was sentenced to 16 years prison in state prison in May. The City of Carlsbad received a $10,000 grant from the State of New Mexico in 2022 to establish an infant surrender program. The Carlsbad City Council approved a plan on March 28 establishing policies and procedures for a safe surrender box. City of Carlsbad City Attorney Denise Madrid Boyea said the city was waiting for price quotes from contractors as no installation date was set. The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) defines a safe haven as a hospital, law enforcement agency or fire station. More: Artesia mother Alexee Trevizo accused of killing newborn released by court ahead of trial In New Mexico a baby that is three months old or younger maybe surrendered without threat of criminal charges for child abandonment, per a CYFD website. The City of Artesia Police Department and the City of Artesia Fire Department had discussions in June regarding installation of a safe haven box. City of Artesia Police Spokesperson Cmdr. Pete Quinones said there have been no further developments or discussions from the early talks. Story continues Artesia's Fire Station No. 2 on July 25, 2023. Fire stations in Hobbs, Roswell and Carlsbad have received or will receive a baby surrender box. Nothing has been set yet for Artesia. Artesia police arrested 19-year-old Alexee Trevizo May 10 and charged her with first-degree murder after she allegedly placed her newborn baby in a trashcan at Artesia General Hospital. Police investigated the alleged crime in January and said Trevizo gave birth to the baby in restroom at the hospital. The newborn was later found dead in a garbage can, according to Artesia police. New Mexico has two baby surrender boxes already in place at fire departments in Espanola and Hobbs, noted the Safe Haven Baby Box website. More: Carlsbad plans to install baby surrender box with $10K state grant Hobbs' safe surrender box was installed May 9 at Fire Station No. 1 said City of Hobbs Spokesperson Meghan Mooney. "The baby box is an environmentally controlled incubator device designed to keep an infant in a secure and safe environment with sufficient oxygen, a comfortable temperature and equipped with a transparent door and safety alarm to immediately notify the operators that an infant has been placed in the device," she said. Mooney said once the child is surrendered appropriate authorities are contacted in order for the child to receive medical treatment. "Fire Station No. 1 was chosen as the location for a baby box as it is considered a medical services provider with Staff available seven days a week, 24 hours a day and with regular monitoring," she said. In a press release, Hobbs City Manager Manny Gomez said the safe surrender box was more than a year in the making as city officials and the general public showed interest, support and encouragement. The City of Roswell has a safe surrender box in its possession, according to Mayor Pro Tem Cristina Arnold. She said the City of Roswell was asked in May of 2022 to look into the option of the safe surrender box. Arnold said city councilors and city administration worked on grants to cover installation and annual fees for the box. Arnold and fellow Roswell City Councilor Juliana Halvorson reached out to eight Roswell businesses and the Roswell Chamber of Commerce to raise $10,000 to purchase the safe surrender box. Instructions outside the City of Espanola Fire Department for a safe haven baby box inside the fire station. She said the safe surrender would be located at Roswell Fire Station No. 1 in near downtown. Installation of the box should be complete in the near future. The purchase and installation of the Safe Haven Baby is only the first phase of this project. The final phase is an education campaign through community engagement, Arnold said. She said social media, marketing and speaking to Roswell schools and community organizations is part of the community outreach. Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Southeast New Mexico moves forward on baby safe surrender boxes A busker performs on the street during the Car Free Day event in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, July 29, 2023. The second annual Car Free Day returned to New Westminster on Saturday, featuring live music, vendors, food trucks, and street performances. Blocks of streets were closed to vehicle traffic, creating a pedestrian-friendly environment aiming to promote a low-carbon lifestyle and community engagement. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) People walk on a street during the Car Free Day event in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, July 29, 2023. The second annual Car Free Day returned to New Westminster on Saturday, featuring live music, vendors, food trucks, and street performances. Blocks of streets were closed to vehicle traffic, creating a pedestrian-friendly environment aiming to promote a low-carbon lifestyle and community engagement. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) Performers dressed in "Mario" costumes pose for photos during the Car Free Day event in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, July 29, 2023. The second annual Car Free Day returned to New Westminster on Saturday, featuring live music, vendors, food trucks, and street performances. Blocks of streets were closed to vehicle traffic, creating a pedestrian-friendly environment aiming to promote a low-carbon lifestyle and community engagement. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) People dance on a street during the Car Free Day event in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, July 29, 2023. The second annual Car Free Day returned to New Westminster on Saturday, featuring live music, vendors, food trucks, and street performances. Blocks of streets were closed to vehicle traffic, creating a pedestrian-friendly environment aiming to promote a low-carbon lifestyle and community engagement. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) People enjoy the day while participating in the Car Free Day event in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, July 29, 2023. The second annual Car Free Day returned to New Westminster on Saturday, featuring live music, vendors, food trucks, and street performances. Blocks of streets were closed to vehicle traffic, creating a pedestrian-friendly environment aiming to promote a low-carbon lifestyle and community engagement. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) DENVER-- Monsoon season in the Southwest finally appears to be getting into full swing, with increasing moisture that's bringing storms and possible flooding, including the Denver area. Since the official start of the monsoon season on June 15, the monsoon rains have been slow to start this year, thanks to El Nino . But a shift in the upper-high eastward looks to bring monsoon moisture back into the Great Basin, Rockies and High Plains this week. This will help to increase the amount and coverage of daytime thunderstorms across the region. SOUTHWEST MONSOON SEASON IS HERE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Rain forecast through Thursday. The flood threat continues through Tuesday night as some slow-moving storms will bring a possible threat of flooding across Arizona, southern Nevada, Colorado and Wyoming. Stronger storms could produce localized flash flooding and wind gusts up to 60 mph. Winds could stir up dust in dry areas creating visibility concerns. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for Denver, Fort Collins and western Nebraska and Cheyenne, Wyoming. By Thursday and Friday, the flash flood threat spreads north into parts of Montana, Idaho, South Dakota and southern North Dakota. Thursday and Friday flood threat. Monsoonal moisture already got a head start over the weekend and into this week. Scenes from the Grand Canyon show dark storm clouds raining down on the national park over the weekend as monsoon moisture started edging in. Late last week, storms typical of the monsoon damaged homes in the Phoenix Metro area. Monsoonal storms then brought heavy rain and hail to northern Colorado on Monday. The National Weather Service in Boulder received more than a dozen reports of flooded roads in Fort Collins and Wellington. A rain gauge in Fort Collins picked up 3.51 inches of rainfall. Weather watchers in Fort Collins and Parker captured storm clouds rolling into the front range and flashing lightning on Monday night. "Some of that moisture can get up into the Colorado front range by the way, and so it feeds up there, and it can really do a number," FOX Weather Meteorologist Amy Freeze said. "But we have not seen this widespread across the Southwest on a consistent basis." Story continues The monsoonal rains will be welcome in parts of the Southwest experiencing a lengthy dry streak. The Southwest Monsoon Season is essential for those states which receive the most rain from June through September. FOX 10 reporter Anita Roman has called this year so far a "non-soon." Arizona has been getting monsoon rain, just not at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. Temperatures averaged 100 degrees in Phoenix throughout July, and the city has spent 38 days with temperatures above 100. March 22 was the last day of measurable rain in Phoenix. That 131-day dry streak could end this week as monsoon season gets going after a late start. 7 FACTS ABOUT MONSOON SEASON Phoenix averages about 7 inches per year and, from July through September, gets about 1 inch in July and August. Tucson, Arizona average monthly rain totals. Meanwhile, Tucson sees an average of 10.61 inches of rain yearly and sees the most rain in July and August, with about 2 inches of rain on average. Salem Police set a perimeter around Salem Center after a shooting took place in March 2022. The stabbing of a teen during a fight outside Salem Center in June paired with a string of violent incidents at the mall over the past year has some residents wondering how safe downtown is and if teens are to blame. Two days after the June 27 stabbing, a 17-year-old allegedly beat a 64-year-old unsheltered man to death. It happened just over a month after another stabbing left a man dead and a 15-year-old in custody. And it comes one year after a shooting injured a teen and sent downtown into chaos as officers searched for a 16-year-old, ending in a deadly shootout with police months later. Police have put more units in the downtown area and continue reaching out to business owners to encourage them to report suspicious activities, said Deputy Chief Jake Burke of the Investigations Division. "As our city has grown and changed, and so have the dynamics of violent crime which is being felt by our community members," Burke said. "We understand and share in their concerns because we want people to feel safe where they live, work, visit wherever they are in the city." Salem Center was closed after a stabbing occurred at the mall on May 12 in Salem. Law enforcement analysts are working to gather specific data on crime and whether the city is seeing a spike in crimes committed by juveniles, he said. The department expects to have the results by the end of the summer. "Anecdotally, we can say there is a concern about teens and young adults being involved in some of these (crimes), but until we do more of a dive into the data, it would be speculative to say that it's specifically people under 18 doing violent crimes," Burke said. Overall, the city has seen an increase in violent crime over the past 10 years. In 2022, Chief Trevor Womack cited a 35% increase in the violent crime rate since 2007. The department did not have data specifically on juvenile offenders. Teens and violence in Salem An analysis by the Statesman Journal of police press releases since January 2021 in the Salem-Keizer area found 20 serious crimes, including arson, murder, carjacking and assaults involving juveniles. Story continues Among these incidents were a 17-year-old caught allegedly with a gun at South Salem High School, an alleged attempted murder outside the Columbia Bank downtown and a robbery-turned-fatal-shooting outside Four Corners Elementary School. It is unclear if any of the cases are tied to gangs. Prosecutors and police declined to comment on ongoing criminal cases. Many of the cases involved unidentified juvenile offenders, who are only named if they are charged as adults. The recent conviction of a then-16-year-old in a murder-for-hire plot outside Hoover Elementary School in January 2021 indicates at least one of the crimes involving juveniles is connected to gangs. Gerardo Trujillo-Torres, now 19, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years for shooting and killing a man during a fake drug deal. According to court records, local drug dealers hired Trujillo-Torres, a known gang member, to kill their associate over a perceived drug debt. Trujillo-Torres recorded the murder on FaceTime. Salem Police Department's Gang Enforcement Team disbanded in 2019 after operating on-and-off for more than 20 years. The decision was driven by police leadership's preference for focusing on responding to emergency calls and on investigations based on criminal conduct, not a criminal's affiliation. A sign on the door alerts people to Salem Center mall being closed after a stabbing occurred at the mall on May 12 in Salem. Salem's gang team had been the only dedicated gang team in the Willamette Valley south of the Portland metro area. Burke said despite not having a specific gang task force, investigators still track violent crimes connected to them. "We only know the ages of those that were apprehended," Burke said. "However, as part of our initiative to combat violent crime, we are currently looking at all the data, including age, so that we can make more informed decisions on how to best address the issue of violence in our community." Fight leads to stabbing, arrests Just before 6 p.m. on June 27, patrol officers responding to reports of a stabbing found a teenager in a restroom at Salem Center with a stab wound. Police said an assailant stabbed the victim during a street fight involving "10 to 15 juvenile males" at the northwest corner of High Street NE and Chemeketa Street NE. The victim was taken to Salem Health with non-life-threatening injuries. Salem Police set a perimeter following a shooting at Salem Center mall in March 2022. Officers attempted to contact a group of male juveniles believed to have been involved in the fight. Police said one suspect ran and was caught soon after he allegedly threw a handgun away. Two other juvenile males were taken into custody after police determined they were involved in the fight. The three teens, two aged 16 and one aged 17, were arrested and taken to the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center. One of the 16-year-olds is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, and all the teens were charged with riot. The teens are not named because Salem Police does not identify minors involved in criminal investigations. Police said the investigation is ongoing. In a statement, officials with JLL, which owns Salem Center, said the safety of shoppers and employees is a top priority. During a recent visit to the mall, there were more private security guards patrolling the property than had previously been seen. A shooting took place shattering glass on an entrance to Salem Center mall in March 2022. Making Salem safe Burke said police are working to make people feel safe in Salem. "People want to be able to go downtown or to the mall or other parts of the community and feel good about going there with their kids and their families," he said. "I know that this is scary for the community." Efforts to combat violent crime downtown include increasing the number of patrol officers present as well as working with police partner agencies in criminal justice and social services to emphasize prevention strategies. But the department is coming up against budgetary and staffing constraints, police officials said. The Downtown Team and Downtown Bike Team no longer focus solely on downtown. The renamed Community Action Unit patrols all areas of concern throughout the city. Community engagement, such as meeting with youth groups like the Boys and Girls Club, is key to connecting with families, teens and establishing positive relationships with police, officials said. However, this work is staffing dependent, and responding to emergency calls often takes precedence. Womack said there currently are 178 sworn officers and 22 vacant positions. An audit of staffing levels by Hillard Heintze, a Chicago-based risk management firm, found the city would need to hire 60 more officers to address the need for more community policing, connect with residents and work on crime prevention. Meanwhile, Burke said witnesses, residents and businesses will be critical in helping combat crime downtown. "Our partnership with the community is also important," Burke said. "For example, we appreciate the community members who immediately call for police when they witness suspicious activity or crime happening: Their quick actions help us get officers to the area quickly, which in turn helps us locate and apprehend those involved in committing the crime." For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem Police look to keep downtown safe after stabbing The Department of the Interior just announced the approval of New Jerseys first offshore wind farm. Ocean Wind 1, located about 13 nautical miles southeast of Atlantic City, will have an estimated capacity of 1,100 megawatts and will be capable of powering more than 380,000 homes with clean energy. The project will include up to 98 turbines and three offshore substations. Ocean Wind 1 is being developed by Danish renewable energy company rsted and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Thats all great news for the future of renewable energy in New Jersey and the United States. However, one New Jersey county is attempting to fight against the construction of the wind farm, claiming that it will adversely affect marine life and also that the wind turbines will be visible from every beach in Cape May County. (Apparently, seeing wind turbines is a bad thing.) Claims that wind farms will harm marine life have persistently cropped up along with every offshore wind project in the United States. They are not based in reality, however rather, they are the result of a (so far) successful right-wing misinformation campaign financially backed by the fossil fuel industry, which sees renewable energy as a threat to its profits. Fossil fuels are, of course, much more harmful to marine life than offshore wind farms could ever be, having resulted in things like oil spills along with a litany of other adverse environmental consequences. Growing up in California, I had to put up with seeing oil rigs along the coast. Id rather have 1,000 of these wind turbines, and they dont spill oil, wrote one of Electreks commenters. Electreks Michelle Lewis communicated with the group opposing the New Jersey offshore wind farm and found, predictably, that their claims lacked scientific credibility. She wrote, in part: The Cape May folks state that they dont feel heard or respected by rsted, but its not clear what it is that they actually want. They cite a Harvard Gazette story in their press release I had to ask them for it, as there was no link called The Downside to Wind Power, which isnt about offshore wind farms; its about land-based wind farms. And they also sent me an article from the UKs conservative-leaning Telegraph by Bryan Leyland, a climate denial activist from New Zealand. Story continues Unfortunately, anti-offshore wind farm misinformation has spread all over social media, exacerbated by NIMBYism (standing for not in my back yard, a phenomenon when people reflexively oppose anything new being built in the area in which they live) and social media platforms like Facebook irresponsibly promoting conspiracy theories because they get a lot of web traffic. The good news, though, is that it appears that Ocean Wind 1 is moving forward despite all the misinformation, meaning that hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents will soon be enjoying clean, renewable energy whether they oppose it or not. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. BBB logo Better Business Bureau serving Canton Region and Greater West Virginia offers tips and advice for consumers to avoid fraudulent practices. Moving is stressful, expensive and time-consuming! That makes it a perfect opportunity for scammers. If you are relocating and need help transporting your vehicle, watch out for this scam. How the scam works You search the internet for a vehicle transport service, to get a quote. After browsing a few companies, you find one offering a great deal. All you have to do is send them a deposit of a few hundred dollars, typically by a digital wallet service, like Paypal, Zelle, Venmo and others. Once the deposit is made, you are given a pickup date, but when the date arrives, no one shows up. The company may tell you that the driver was held up, or you may not be able to reach your contact at all. Ultimately, you have lost any down payment to a fake company with no intention of transporting your items. Some versions of this scam are more extreme. A few consumers reported to BBB Scam Tracker a variation where the company transported their vehicles, but issues arose when they tried to pick their vehicles up at their destination. The company was asking for more money than previously agreed, essentially holding the car, truck or motorcycle hostage. One consumer reported this experience: I booked a shipment to have a motorcycle transported. The motorcycle was picked up at the location and never delivered to me. I had already made payment with PayPal for the cost of the transport, but the representative told me the funds were kicked back. I checked my PayPal account and did not receive a credit. I told him I didnt feel comfortable with this and refused to send him any funds. He then stated the bike would be placed in a storage unit and it would cost $900 to have it released. The consumer continued to receive Cash App requests for payments, which he refused to pay. The consumer has not been able to locate his motorcycle. Story continues How to avoid vehicle transport scams Do thorough research to find a reputable shipping company. When it comes to expensive services and important, high-dollar possessions, doing research is critical. Look for companies with verifiable contact information, good customer service, and reviews on third-party websites. Avoid companies without a website, have poor or no reviews, or are difficult to contact. A good place to start your research is on BBB.org. Watch out for deals that sound too good to be true. If a company quotes you a price significantly lower than the market value for a service or product, consider it a red flag. In this scam (and many others), scammers try to lure their victims with unrealistic prices. Think about how you make payments. Making payments through digital wallet apps are essentially cash payments. These services are designed to be used with people you trust. Also, never make payments for services by wiring money or with prepaid debit cards. Anyone who requests payment this way is probably a scammer. Paying with a credit card makes it easier to contest fraudulent charges. For more information Have a successful move with these resources and BBB tips at BBB.org/all/moving. With technology and scammers tactics continuing to change, visit BBB's Scams HQ at BBB.org/all/scamtips for information and resources on the various types of scams and warning signs. If you spot a scam, report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker. Your report can help boost consumer awareness and make scammers tactics less effective. For BBB information Visit BBB.org or call 330-454-9401 to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, read tips, find our events, follow us on social media, and more! This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Straight Talk: Don't fall victim to vehicle transport scam Close up picture of woman's eye with a tear drop falling on her lower eyelid. While Kolthom was being gang-raped by four paramilitary fighters in Sudan's war-hit Darfur region, she was also being racially abused. Warning: This article contains details some readers may find distressing. "They were very barbaric. They took turns raping me under the tree where I had gone to gather wood to [make a fire to] keep warm," she said in a quivering voice, down the phone line. We have changed her name and that of another rape survivor quoted in this article. Kolthoum, who is in her 40s, is from West Darfur's black African Masalit community, while her rapists were Arabs from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This paramilitary group is accused of carrying out many atrocities in a conflict that has increasingly assumed racial and ethnic overtones in Darfur. Kolthoum lived in El Geneina - historically a symbol of black African power in Darfur, and the traditional capital of the Masalit kingdom. She has now fled with her ill husband and children. Kolthoum says her rapists told her to leave the city as it "belongs to the Arabs", fuelling the fears of many black Africans that the RSF - along with allied militias known as the Janjaweed - want to turn the ethnically mixed region into an Arab-ruled domain. Sudan plunged into a civil war in mid-April, after its two most powerful generals - army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as "Hemedti" - fell out. Their feud has reignited the conflict in Darfur, which first broke out in 2003, causing the deaths of an estimated 300,000 people in the region. The latest conflict has forced more than 160,000 people, mostly from the Massalit community to flee to Chad. It is unclear how many people have been killed in the region, with the lowest estimate of the death toll in El Geneina put at 5,000. RSF fighters have also been accused of carrying out atrocities in Sudan's most populous state - Khartoum, home to the capital city. Story continues The paramilitaries control much of the state, with the army failing to push them back. The fighting has led to an exodus of close to two million people since mid-April. Both residential and commercial blocks have been destroyed in the fighting in Khartoum In Khartoum, the violence has not taken a racial or ethnic dimension. Arabs and people of other ethnicities are victims of the ongoing battles. Ibtissam, 24, told the BBC she was on her way to visit her aunt when three RSF soldiers stopped her. "They pulled their guns at me and asked me where I was going. When I told them that I was going to my aunt's house, they accused me of belonging to the army's intelligence services," she told me, her voice breaking. The soldiers then forced her to accompany them in their car and took her into a nearby house. "I saw another man inside the house, stripped to his underwear. I tried to run away. But one of the soldiers hit me so hard, I fell to the floor. They threatened to kill me if I moved or yelled again," she said, as she wept over the phone. "The three of them took turns raping me more than once. They then led me back into their car and threw me on the side of the road at sunset," she said. After a short pause, Ibtissam described how she felt "utterly humiliated and angry". "I wanted to commit suicide. But I held it together. I went back home and did not tell anyone what happened." The UN Human Rights office in Sudan said in early July that it had received reports of 21 incidents of sexual violence against at least 57 women and girls. UN human rights chief Volker Turk noted that "the RSF has been identified as the perpetrator" in almost all cases reported to his office. Both the UN and local rights groups believe these numbers are only a fraction of the real scale of the crime. Sudanese human rights activist Ahlam Nasser said she had no doubt that rape was being used "systematically" as a weapon of war to terrorise people. "[Rape] has been used in Darfur in the past and it is being used in this current war in Khartoum, particularly by the RSF," she said. The activist has now fled the country. She said she too had heard horror stories from some of the women back in Khartoum. "In some cases, mothers were raped in front of their children," Ms Nasser said. The UN says sexual violence is being used as "tactic of war to terrorise people" The RSF has denied its fighters are behind these attacks. In a voice recording sent to the BBC, its spokesman Mohammed al-Mukhtar said their fighters "commit to the highest ethical standards of warfare". "There are deliberate campaigns to tarnish the reputation of our fighters after the military victories we've achieved," he added. When I told him that I had spoken to women who had identified RSF fighters as their attackers, Mr al-Mukhtar said that people masquerading as RSF members were responsible for the atrocities. The conflict has left survivors of rape and sexual violence with little help. Most hospitals are no longer functioning, and it can be difficult to reach the few that are. Kolthoum and Ibtissam told me the pain will haunt them forever. "I will never forget what happened to me. A mark of shame will follow me forever, just like my shadow," Kolthoum said. I faced informal eviction in February 2022. This is a common and poorly documented experience of Treasure Valley renters. My landlord was a serial offender, and no one challenged her until I sued her in small claims court. Nicolette Clark Im sharing my experience with the court system to help the community understand why more renters dont take action, and why the onus should be on landlords to follow the law, instead of adding compounding barriers to lower-income people who dont have the money, knowledge, or time to deal with the legal system. Even with the difficult system we have, my story is proof that you can win and hold irresponsible, immoral landlords accountable. On May 26, a judge in Canyon County ruled in my favor, saying that I had been a victim of unlawful landlord conduct and ordered the return of my security deposit. Now that Ive cashed that check, Im sharing my story in hopes it emboldens the hundreds if not thousands of renters in the Treasure Valley who have gone through what I have (or worse) to take action to reform our system to prioritize renters rights over landlord greed. My landlords worst misdeeds werent addressed in the ruling. These included having my utilities turned off the homes heat in the winter and air-conditioning in the summer. My upstairs neighbors were forced to use their stove for heat because it was so cold; I slept next to my dog to keep warm. Because small claims is a short, linear process once it enters the courtroom, the judge usually moves to a quick decision based on testimony heard that day. What I didnt expect is that even though the judge ruled in my favor, the burden was still on me to collect payment. To get the funds my landlord owed me, I filed a writ of execution to enforce my judgment by garnishing her bank account. True to form, she closed her bank account in an attempt to keep me from garnishing the funds the judge ruled she owed me. The next choice I had was to file a motion for contempt, as a last resort, meaning I would have had to drive to Caldwell yet again for a court hearing where she could explain why she didnt pay the judgment. At this point, if she was found in contempt, she would face a misdemeanor, plus a conditional sanction 30 days in jail if she failed to comply with the court order. Story continues Two months after the judgment was issued, she finally paid me. Her excuse was that she was in Europe, though she was present at the court hearing when the judge ruled in my favor. Maybe youre wondering what my big payday looked like? It was just over $600, a laughable amount to most people, especially since Ive spent more than 100 hours on this case over the past two years, mostly while working three jobs and being a full-time law student. Its about the principle, not the money. Renters are trying to take the steps they need to further their dreams of education, a better career and homeownership. Idahos laws shouldnt stand in our way. Dozens of people were killed and more wounded in a suicide bombing at a political gathering in Pakistan (-) At least 44 people were killed and more than 100 others wounded Sunday by a suicide bombing at a political gathering of a leading Islamic party in northwest Pakistan, officials said. The blast targeted the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) party -- a government coalition partner led by an influential firebrand cleric -- as hundreds of supporters congregated under a canopy in the town of Khar, near the Afghan border. "The tent had collapsed on one side, trapping people who were desperately attempting to escape," said Abdullah Khan, who tried to help the victims. "There was utter confusion, with human flesh, limbs, and body parts scattered throughout the area, alongside lifeless bodies." Sabeeh Ullah, a 24-year-old party supporter who had his arm fractured by the blast, said the scale of injuries was horrifying. "I found myself lying next to someone who had lost their limbs. The air was filled with the smell of human flesh," he told AFP by phone. As the toll kept rising, Riaz Anwar -- the health minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province -- told AFP late Sunday 44 people had been confirmed killed and over 100 wounded. "It was a suicide attack, with the bomber detonating himself in close proximity to the stage," he told AFP. Pakistani media said there were some 400 people in the tent at the time of the explosion, and that multiple emergency crews were working the scene. Images from the blast site circulating on social media showed bodies strewn around, and volunteers helping blood-soaked victims to ambulances. Pakistan's national assembly is due to dissolve in the next few weeks ahead of elections expected in October or November, and political parties are already preparing to campaign. The blast coincides with a visit to the country by a senior delegation of Chinese officials, including Vice Premier He Lifeng, who arrived in the capital Sunday evening. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the blast Sunday on social media, offering condolences to the victims and vowing to punish those responsible. Story continues - Local Islamic State active - No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the local chapter of the Islamic State (IS) group has recently carried out attacks against JUI-F. Last year, IS said it was behind violent attacks against religious scholars affiliated with the party, which has a huge network of mosques and madrassas in the north and west of the country. The jihadist group accuses JUI-F of hypocrisy for being an Islamic group while supporting hostile governments and the military. The party's leader, cleric Fazlur Rehman, started political life as a firebrand Islamist hardliner but has softened his public image over the years in a bid to forge alliances with secular parties on the left and right. With the ability to mobilise tens of thousands of madrassa students, his party never musters enough support for power on its own, but is usually a key player in any coalition. Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks since the Afghan Taliban surged back to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan's home-grown Taliban group, Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has largely directed its campaign against security officials, including police officers. In January, a suicide bomber linked to Pakistan's Taliban blew himself up in a mosque inside a police compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing more than 80 officers. The militant assaults have been focused in regions abutting Afghanistan, and Islamabad alleges some are being planned on Afghan soil -- a charge Kabul denies. Pakistan was once plagued by almost daily bombings, but a major military clearance operation in the former tribal areas starting in 2014 largely restored order. The seven remote districts that border Afghanistan, of which Bajaur is one, were later brought under the control of Pakistani authorities after the passage of legislation in 2018. Analysts say militants in the former tribal areas have become emboldened since the return of the Afghan Taliban. One security analyst suggested Sunday's attack was more likely linked to the election rather than having a sectarian motive. "This is part of terrorism violence that seems to be ramping up in Pakistan ahead of elections to create a sense of instability that could eventually lead to a delay in the elections," said Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Center for Research and Security Studies. la-zz/ecl/fox/mlm/st NIAMEY, Niger Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched through the streets of the capital, Niamey, on Sunday waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France. Russian mercenary group Wagner is already operating in neighboring Mali, and Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to expand his countrys influence in the region, but it is unclear yet whether the new junta leaders are going to move toward Moscow or stick with Nigers Western partners. Days after after mutinous soldiers ousted Nigers democratically elected president, uncertainty is mounting about the countrys future and some are calling out the juntas reasons for seizing control. The mutineers said they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Nigers first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France, because he wasnt able to secure the nation from growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say thats just a pretext for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation. Everybody is wondering why this coup? Thats because no one was expecting it. We couldnt expect a coup in Niger because theres no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power, Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press. He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who also goes by Omar and is now in charge of the country. Tchiani was loyal to Bazoums predecessor and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. The AP cannot independently verify his assessment. While Nigers security situation is dire, its not as bad as neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also have been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Story continues Niger until now has been seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle the jihadists in Africas Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens, and the United States and other European countries have helped train the nations troops. Some taking part in Sundays rally also warned regional bodies who have denounced the coup to stay away. I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please please stay out of our business, said Oumar Barou Moussa who was at the demonstration. Its time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. Its time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty. We need to stay together, we need to work together, we need to have our true independence, he said. Conflict experts say out of all the countries in the region, Niger has the most at stake if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance the international community has poured in. On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum who remains under house arrest and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. France on Saturday suspended all development aid and other financial aid for Niger, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. France demands an immediate return to constitutional order under President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected by the Nigeriens, it said. The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the countrys democratically elected government. On Sunday, the West African regional bloc, known as ECOWAS, is holding an emergency summit in Abuja, Nigeria. More than 30 judges handle nearly 70,000 appeals and petitions in India's Supreme Court Scholars have hailed India's Supreme Court as the most powerful in the world - and not without reason. The 73-year-old court can nullify executive acts, parliamentary laws and amendments to the Constitution. It also has the power to initiate cases independently, appoint "friends of the court" to help it in cases, and set up expert panels to aid in its decision-making process. Today, 34 judges handle an overwhelming load of nearly 70,000 appeals and petitions, issuing some 1,000 judgements every year. Yet, despite its great authority and power, the "court is in crisis", say Aparna Chandra, Sital Kalantry and William HJ Hubbard in an exhaustive data-driven account called Court on Trial. And the authors find that one of the main reasons is the huge backlog of cases that also leave litigants in limbo and drain them financially. The new work of the troika of law scholars presents several striking findings, drawing from five distinct and exclusive datasets derived from records of over a million Supreme Court cases. Here are some: In November 2018, a whopping 40% of the cases in the court had been pending for more than five years - up from 7% in 2004. Another 8% of the cases were pending for more than 10 years. On average, cases took around 13 years and six months from initiation in trial courts to disposal by the Supreme Court. The top court's proceedings accounted for about a third of the total time, similar to the average duration at each tier of the judiciary. Case durations varied significantly, with the slowest cases taking more than four years to reach a resolution, while the fastest cases took about three months from filing to disposal. On average, tax matters took around four years to be decided in the court, making them the most time-consuming and impactful cases for the exchequer. As of November 2018, Constitution Bench - which deals with important questions of law - cases had been pending for more than eight-and-a-half years on average, going up to more than 16 years for cases with seven-judge benches. A five-judge or larger bench is supposed to sit to hear any substantial question of the interpretation of the Indian Constitution. Story continues Petitions against electoral bonds languished for a year, finally being heard by the court in April 2019 Most significantly the Special Leave Petitions (SLPs), the preferred means for civil and criminal appeals to the court, constitute over 90% of the court's total docket. This, say the authors of the study, crowd out writ petitions and constitutional challenges. "There is no clear benchmark for determining which types of cases deserve admission under the SLP route," they note. Then there are issues about what the authors say is the "pick and choose model" through which some cases jump the queues and get listed for early hearing. The researchers cite a case in July 2020 where the court dismissed a writ which argued that it gave priority to the bail application of a prominent journalist, while the petitioner's case was not being given adequate attention. The judges justified the swift listing of the journalist's case because it pertained to the "liberty and freedom of media." This, the authors say, gave rise to comparisons with a petition filed against the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir questioning the lack of a court-directed mechanism to review decisions on internet restrictions in the region, a case concerning the "liberty and freedom of media" of millions of citizens. The heavy backlog has allowed the court to avoid difficult cases by simply not listing them at all, the authors say. This form of "judicial evasion" keeps "important cases hanging, while it focuses on more mundane matters". The court took five years to decide on the challenge to the government's biometric ID scheme The authors provide compelling examples. For instance, the court took a full five years to decide on the challenge to the government's biometric ID scheme, Aadhaar, without issuing any suspension orders. During this period, more than a billion people enrolled for the scheme, effectively undermining the impact of the challenge. (In 2018, the court upheld the scheme, saying it was constitutional and did not violate the right to privacy.) Then there were the petitions questioning electoral bonds, which are interest-free financial instruments for making donations to political parties. The bonds were introduced in February 2018 to flush out illicit cash and make political financing more transparent. Critics say the bonds are "unconstitutional and problematic"- there is no public record of who bought each bond and to whom the donation was made. The authors highlight that the case languished for a year, finally being heard in April 2019, coinciding with the general elections. The court took up the petitions again this January, and in March was mulling whether it should be referred to a constitution bench. And this is a case which "touches on the very nature of India's democratic polity and its possible subversion", the authors say. The prioritisation of more mundane cases over pressing matters in the court system invites criticism that the "court uses its backlog as a shield to evade politically sensitive issues", says Nick Robinson, a fellow at the Harvard Law School. A protest in February to demand implementation of a Supreme Court verdict on pensions "Yes it does [invite the criticism of judicial evasion]," Madan Lokur, a former judge of the Supreme Court, told me. "But I must admit that the court has taken up some contentious issues for hearing, but also has dumped others like the electoral bonds case." Mr Robinson believes the backlog in cases had "long distanced the court" from its core goals. "Hearing so many ordinary cases isn't a requirement of the Constitution, but is a choice the court had actively decided to make". The court, he says, is "balancing different competing interests around access, correcting errors made by high courts, and setting out clear and authoritative precedent on major legal issues". Clearly, delays in the court are happening because of increase in litigation, limited judicial resources and the court's acceptance of a broad number of appeals. The authors of the new study advocate for a reduced caseload. India's Supreme Court crowns a three-tier judicial system: district courts, high courts, and the apex court. The authors of the study say the lower courts should handle the majority of cases, reserving only those that introduce novel legal issues or allow the Supreme Court to establish new, explicit legal guidelines to assist lower courts in future decisions. But high courts are also a part of the problem, says Mr Lokur. He says some judgements of the high court are "out of sync and the Supreme Court has no option but to interfere in them in appeal".(By the way, six million cases are pending in India's 25 high courts.) Mr Robinson says the Supreme Court "needs to decide what institutional goals it wants to prioritise". "Many have called on the Supreme Court to take fewer cases, but decide them with larger, more authoritative benches that set out clear precedent for the high courts to follow," says Mr Robinson. With a breathtaking pileup of more than 50 million cases clogging all of India's courts, the country's strained justice system remains an agonising crawl and a punishment for common people. The top court, clearly, needs to clean up its own backlog. "The court must appreciate," says Mr Lokur, "that it cannot correct every error". 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: As the planets hottest month on record comes to a close, 70 million people are under heat alerts in the US, where areas in the southern plains and Southeast could see record-setting highs of 115 degrees or more. While the Northeast and mid-Atlantic will get some relief Sunday, heat advisories and excessive heat warnings are widespread across more than 10 states, from Texas to Florida, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service warned heat indexes, which factor in humidity, could soar above 105 to 115 degrees across the southern Plains to the lower Mississippi Valley and the Southeast. Record hot highs and warm minimum temperatures are widely possible in these regions next week, the prediction center added. The Southwest gets some reprieve from the record-setting heat as high temperatures, though still extremely hot, return to more normal values for this time of year. Residents under shade during a heat wave in Miami, Florida, US, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. - Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/Getty Images Phoenix topped 110 degrees for the 30th day in a row on Saturday, hitting a high of 115 degrees. It is a record-setting 17 days of 115 degree-plus temperatures for Phoenix this year, surpassing the previous record of 14 days set in 2020, according to the weather service. The streak will likely end Monday, when temperatures are expected to fall below the 110-degree mark after rain showers move through the area. Even some cactuses couldnt take the heat in Phoenix, where the plants were seen collapsing and dehydrated animals were rushed to a rehabilitation center. The recent heat wave proved deadly in some areas. A 53-year-old woman in Illinois died Thursday in her apartment, where she didnt have air conditioning because her power had been disconnected, according to the Peoria County coroners office. In Texas, a 66-year-old woman died early Tuesday from the extreme heat after being taken to a hospital from her apartment in North Richland Hills, police said. Heat-related hospitalizations are also up. In Arizona, doctors are seeing an increase of patients with burns just from falling on the hot ground. Story continues Scientists said July will be the planets hottest month on record and human-induced climate change is the main factor leading to the high temperatures. To prevent heat-related illness, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises finding cool, indoor areas to stay, drinking plenty of fluids and regularly checking on vulnerable people, like young children and the elderly. CNNs Aya Elamroussi contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com ISLAMABAD, July 30 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and 35 others were injured after a blast ripped through a political rally in Pakistan's northwest Bajaur district on Sunday afternoon, local media reported. According to the reports, a blast hit a political workers' gathering of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in Bajaur, a district in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Police, security forces and rescue teams rushed to the site, and shifted the body and injured persons to nearby hospitals. It is feared that the death toll might further rise as several of the injured are in critical condition. The nature of the explosion is not known yet. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast yet. A teacher lost her job after she clashed with administrators over a new security system at Maplewood Career Center in Ravenna Township, which bars people without an ID from getting past the school's security system. Now, she's alleging the system is discriminatory and restricts the public from attending board of education meetings in a locked building, which she said violates Ohio's open meetings laws. Jennifer Case, who taught English as a Second Language through the Aspire program, administered by Maplewood, parted ways with the district shortly before her contract expired June 30. Case defied the career center's policy to bar people without an ID from a GED graduation at Maplewood on June 15. That same night, the Maplewood Board of Education was conducting its monthly meeting, and Case said holding the meeting behind closed doors violated the open meetings law. Maplewood launches School Safe ID system for visitors in December Maplewood Career Center requires all visitors to scan their ID before entering the building. In December 2022, the career center installed the School Safe ID system. Visitors to the building are instructed to scan their driver's license or state ID and receive a sticker. A sign at the school entrance asks visitors to ring the doorbell if they don't have an ID. Superintendent Randy Griffith said staff and students don't need to use the system. In the coming school year, he said the system will be expanded into "heavy customer service areas," such as the Maple Leaf Restaurant. "The safety and security of the students and staff at the Maplewood Career Center is of the utmost importance," he said Those who attend a board meeting but don't have an ID are instructed to ring the "doorbell" and are asked why they want to enter building. If they are there to attend the board meeting, Griffith said, they are let into the building and escorted to the board room. 'Civil disobedience' at graduation Aspire held its GED graduation at Maplewood on June 15. The day before, while setting up for the event, Aspire teachers were told Maplewood would not allow anyone in the building for the graduation if they didn't have a driver's license or state ID. Story continues Case said teachers were surprised and knew that at least a few people would forget their IDs. "Some Aspire students and families come from circumstances that make getting a traditional ID more difficult, like serving time in jail, being temporary Ohio residents, not having access to necessary documents, transportation or the funds to pay for the fees," she said. After thinking and praying about what she was going to do, Case said she decided to stand by the front entrance and open the doors for anyone who was turned away. "This was my way, albeit small, of enacting civil disobedience in my workplace," she said. "I could not comply with such an unjust and discriminatory policy." Case said she let a few people into the building, including an older couple who were "near tears" at the thought of missing their grandchild's graduation. Aspire's adult education director told her she was breaking Maplewood's security protocol, and Case said she believed she had no choice, and that the graduates deserved to have their loved ones present. "She repeated herself, and I repeated that I did not feel I had a choice," Case said. "I had to let our guests in no matter what, even if it meant the superintendent had to fire me." On June 21, Griffith sent Case a certified letter, stating that she was "relieved" from her duties with pay until her contract expired, and that Maplewood would not issue a new contract. The letter did not state a reason. However, another document in her personnel file described her actions as "insubordinate actions" and states that Case was "terminated for cause." The document was not signed, and it was unclear who wrote it. Griffith said the GED graduates were told by their instructor that a state ID would be required to get into the building, and the instructor told them to inform their guests. The graduates were emailed the information May 31 and June 12, and the same information was conveyed in a June 12 phone call to graduates. "No graduate or guest contacted the Career Center prior to the event to raise concerns about the Career Centers security system or to request alternative arrangements," Griffith said. NAACP of Portage County questions ID requirement to attend graduation Case, who also serves on the executive board of the NAACP of Portage County, addressed the incident at the Maplewood Board of Education's recent meeting. Renee Romine, president of the civil rights organization, attended the meeting at Case's invitation. Case told the board that she decided to let in anyone who was turned away. "I could not comply with such an unjust and discriminatory policy, and I knew that exceptions had already been made at the National Honor Society event." At that event, Case said, the system was overloaded and parents were allowed in the building without scanning their ID. Griffith said he was unaware of such an incident. Romine said she is concerned that people were turned away at the graduation, especially if it was true that others were permitted inside without an ID at the National Honor Society event because of a possible glitch in the system. "That tells me that the people at the graduation were less than, and not as important," Romine said. Sunshine law concerns Case claimed that Griffith "repeatedly" broke the state's open meetings act, also known as the sunshine law. That law, she said, states that board meetings may not be held behind locked doors. A board meeting was being conducted on the same night as the GED graduation. "For as long as Maplewood School Board has met in a locked building, the official that required the doors to be locked, namely Superintendent Randy Griffith, is liable under the open meetings act," Case said. Case asked the board to find a way to use the system to protect students during the day, while still allowing visitors to attend meetings and events at night. Student reaches out One of the students in Case's English as a Second Language classes emailed Griffith after her contract was not renewed. The student asked Griffith to reinstate Case to her position, citing the value of her lessons. Griffith replied to the email, explaining that Case had taken issue with the career center's security protocols. If Case is interested in continuing her employment, he stated, she should arrange an in-person meeting with Griffith. "Please know that a meeting will be at the discretion of Ms. Case, and such a meeting may or may not result in the outcome you desire," he stated in the email to the student. He apologized for the "unfortunate turn of events." Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com. This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Maplewood teacher let go after defying school's visitor ID rule FAIRHAVEN The state proposes temporary changes to make Benoit Square at the intersection of Main and Adams streets safer for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Reflective markers that would help direct the traffic would be a short-term measure that could be installed in the next month or two. Bill Travis, an operations manager for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and Sam Hopkins, a Mass DOT senior engineer, reviewed plans for proposed alterations at a recent Select Board meeting. Travis said the concept plan is meant to address concerns about the ability to merge into traffic due to the new residential development in the former Oxford School on Adams Street. Main Street traffic would have the right-of-way because it has the higher volume of traffic. Making the area safer for pedestrians Based on the concept that a shorter crosswalk would be safer for pedestrians, the proposal calls for the shortening the 60-foot crosswalk in front of the former school and narrowing the travel lane, which Hopkins said usually results in lower average vehicle speeds. Apartment hunting?: Take a look inside Fairhaven's new Oxford School apartments. 'They kept all of the detail' Cottage Street resident Will Gardner said he worries about safety but also hopes to see Benoit Square become more of a real business hub in the downtown area for Fairhavens financial security and make it a place where people want to gather. He called the proposed changes a good first step. I think what I'm hearing from my neighbors and what I hope the town keeps pushing for going forward is a design that really prioritizes the flourishing of those businesses in those areas and makes this a place where I say, I want to go for a walk to this place and be in this place, he said. What is the proposed plan for Benoit Square? The proposed plan would not eliminate any on-street parking spaces on the left side of Main Street and would maintain two-way operations on Main and Adams streets with a full stop on Adams Street. Story continues There was also a suggestion from a resident that the 30 spaces of public parking behind the former school are not being utilized, and it was noted that signage could help direct drivers to those parking spaces. No modifications at the signals are proposed, and there would be continued access to the development. The Select Board voted 4-0 for the state to proceed with its plans. Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter. This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Fairhaven town square to undergo temporary changes in developing area Photo released by the Knoxville Police Department. @Knoxville_PD/Twitter A lawsuit alleges that four police officers stood by and watched a man drown for 13 minutes. Mika Wheeler Clabo, 30, drowned in the Tennessee River after becoming trapped by vines. His mother is suing the officers for violating her son's civil rights in a wrongful death case. Tennessee police stood by and watched a man drown for 13 minutes, a newly filed lawsuit says. On the morning of July 25, 2022, Mika Wheeler Clabo found himself in the Tennessee River after appearing to flee from a Knoxville Police Department officer. Trapped by vines, Clabo struggled to free himself and gasped for air as he battled to keep his head above the water. A new lawsuit, seen by Insider, alleges that four police officers "refused to make a single rescue attempt and inexplicably warned off private rescuers, resulting in the victim's death by drowning." His mother, Kimberly Williams-Clabo, is now suing the officers, as well as the police chief and the city of Knoxville, for violating her son's civil rights and for wrongful death. The suit says that Clabo had previously struggled with heroin and had recently relapsed when he was seen "acting erratically." A police officer approached Clabo, who fled toward the water. Clabo then fell into the river at 10:14 a.m., at which point a rescue boat was called. More officers arrived at the scene, but they all seemed content that Clabo was "not going anywhere," with one allegedly telling him to "relax" and "hang out down there, dude" despite witnesses saying Clabo was "struggling hard" to keep his head above water, according to the suit. At 10:27 a.m., Clabo's head disappeared under the water, per the suit, which added that a medical examiner determined the cause of death to be accidental drowning. The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, alleges that by not acting themselves to help Clabo, and by warning bystanders not to help, the officers contributed to Clabo's death. Story continues The suit says that the officers "acted with no urgency whatsoever throughout the incident to respond to the life-or-death situation." "Mika deserved better than what he got from people who were supposed to be first responders," his mother's lawyer, Lance Baker, told The Washington Post. "The first responders were essentially bystanders looking on," Baker added. The Knoxville Police Department released a statement on Friday addressing the lawsuit. "While Mika Clabo's death was undoubtedly tragic, the KPD officers involved did not respond inappropriately, and the city will vigorously defend this lawsuit,' it said, adding: "The officers immediately called for assistance from additional specialized resources, and any suggestion that they prevented reasonable or safe attempts to rescue Mr. Clabo is not supported by the facts." Read the original article on Insider Hundreds of millions of people in northern China, including Beijing, remain under a red alert for heavy rain (Pedro PARDO) Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from high-risk areas of Beijing and another northern city as much of China was lashed by torrential rain on Sunday. Deadly storm Doksuri has been sweeping northwards over China since Friday, when it careened into southern Fujian province after battering the Philippines as a typhoon. The Chinese capital and surrounding region were drenched over the weekend, with officials warning of potentially hazardous conditions including floods, swelling rivers, mudslides and landslides. More than 27,000 people in high-risk areas of Beijing have been evacuated, and another 20,000 were relocated from parts of neighbouring province Hebei's capital Shijiazhuang, state media said. Hundreds of millions of people in northern China, including in Beijing, remain under a red alert -- the highest level -- for heavy rain through at least Monday afternoon. The alert covers Beijing's 22 million people and Tianjin's 14 million, as well as parts of Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Henan provinces. It is the first time since 2011 that such a heavy rainfall warning has been issued, according to local media. Chinese authorities have been cautious about heavy downpours since severe flooding in 2021 killed more than 300 people in central China, mainly in the city of Zhengzhou. In Beijing, residents were urged on Sunday not to go outside unless necessary, advice that appeared widely heeded with the usually buzzing streets empty of many cars or pedestrians. Companies were also told not to force their employees to come to work unless necessary. Many popular sites in the capital were temporarily closed, including the Forbidden City, libraries and museums. The sprawling National Centre for the Performing Arts, located near Tiananmen Square, cancelled opera and musical performances scheduled for Sunday. City officials ordered all school buildings to shut, as some students and teachers were using the facilities for training or extracurricular activities like sports during the summer break. Story continues On Sunday, the Ministry of Water Resources raised its flood warning after some rivers swelled beyond alert levels. In one mountainous village on the outskirts of Beijing, a local river was transformed into a gushing torrent, but no casualties were reported as 62 households in the surrounding area were evacuated the previous day, according to the local newspaper. Doksuri was initially categorised as a super typhoon as it tore across the Pacific Ocean earlier this week, but it lost some intensity as it neared the Philippines, where it killed more than a dozen people. It still brought colossal waves and howling winds of up to 175 kilometres per hour (110 miles per hour) to China's southeast on Friday, causing significant damage. More than 880,000 people in Fujian province were affected by the storm, state media said Sunday. The storm is hitting China after a summer of record temperatures, with scientists saying the extreme weather is exacerbated by climate change. ehl/lb/mca The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has raised the price of bottled water in their prisons by 50%. Adrees Latif/Reuters The Texas Department of Criminal Justice raised the price of bottled water for incarcerated people by 50%. This further limits access to water, as the tap water is often "simply filthy," one prison reform advocate told KVUE. Meanwhile, Texas faces a punishing summer, with several cities seeing over 30 consecutive days of triple digit temperatures. This summer marks one of these most extreme yet in Texas, bringing some of the longest heatwaves recorded in the state. El Paso, Texas hasn't seen a day below 100 degrees in over a month, and McAllen, Texas, is on track to beat its all-time record of 31 consecutive days hitting triple digits, the Texas Tribune first reported. Amid this punishing heat which is even still milder than last year, during which at least 306 people died of heat-related illness in Texas the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has raised the price of bottled water available in prisons by 50%, local outlet KVUE reported. KVUE confirmed the price change in an email exchange with the department. The water vendor had requested the price change, which the department accepted after being unable to find another vendor that could meet the agencies needs, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice told Insider. A case of bottled water now costs $7.20 rather than $4.80, and individual bottles went up from $0.20 to $0.30. Prison reform advocate Amite Dominick told KVUE that adds financial pressure on families where the breadwinner is incarcerated. Furthermore, Chivas Watson, a prison reform advocate who has previously been incarcerated in Texas, told the outlet the water quality is "simply filthy." "All inmates have access to clean water for free," a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice told Insider. "Water quality is monitored." Furthermore, many of those incarcerated are in facilities that reach 130 degrees and do not have universal air conditioning, KVUE reported earlier this month, making access to clean water even more essential. Over two-thirds of prisons in Texas do not have air conditioning in most living areas, according to the Texas Tribune. Story continues This move marks another development in the statewide battle for heat safety and access to water. For the past several weeks, construction workers in Texas have protested a new law that ended local ordinances mandating water breaks. Activists have dubbed it "the law that kills" as workers face punishing heat. This story was updated at 5 p.m. to include comment from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Read the original article on Business Insider Texas is in the midst of a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures reaching up to 120 degrees in areas. In San Antonio, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Sunday, the states legislature has only made things worse. We're certainly grateful for a president now that's treating this heatwave with the urgency that I think is necessary. Especially given the fact that one of the challenges that we have is, cities in Texas are fighting our legislature and our state government for local control, Nirenberg said on CBS Face the Nation. We're trying to protect residents and workers, and they are doing everything they can to prevent that from happening. In June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law that bars cities and counties from passing regulations that are stricter than state ones, overturning local rules like ones that mandate water and rest breaks for construction workers. The law goes into effect in September, if it survives a lawsuit brought by the cities of Houston and San Antonio. San Antonio leaders were considering an ordinance that would mandate water breaks, until the state legislation was passed. Now, the city is trying to make sure that there's a backstop to prevent the most vulnerable members, the workers in our community who deserve those basic things, Nirenberg said, as the city grapples heat thats caused a significant increase in emergency calls for heat-related illness and record demands for electricity. On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced new steps to protect workers from the extreme heat that has plagued many parts of the country in recent weeks, including a new heat alert system that will notify employers and employees about ways to avoid dangerous conditions. What the announcement from President Biden will do is make sure that employers and employees know their rights, that there are protections in place also to ramp up enforcement activities through OSHA, Nirenberg said. But the reality of the legislation I mentioned is the fact that [House Bill] 2127, which was passed by the legislature, upends 70-plus years of local authorities that have been adopted through city constitution, city charters, in cities all across the state. Michael Kohlhof. GoFundMe A Texas man lost his hands and toes after contracting a severe case of typhus from a flea bite. Michael Kohlhof, from Houston, was taken to hospital in June after developing flu-like symptoms. But shortly after arriving, he went into septic shock and was transferred to an intensive care unit. A Texas man lost his hands and parts of his feet after contracting an extreme case of typhus from a flea bite. Michael Kohlhof, 35, was taken to a hospital in San Antonio on June 19 after developing flu-like symptoms, including an upset stomach and a fever, NBC News reported. But hours later, Kohlhof's condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was rushed into the intensive care unit while medical staff tried to figure out what was wrong with him. By the next day, the handyman was on a ventilator, dialysis, and a cocktail of drugs including antibiotics, beta-blockers, and vasopressors in order to keep him alive while his organs were failing, a GoFundMe page set up by his family said. "He almost died once or twice," his brother Greg Kohlhof told KENS 5 News. "They were worried about him being brain-dead," he added. Kohlhof emerged from sedation on July 1, with doctors explaining that the cause of his condition was typhus, an infection spread by lice, fleas, or mites. "He was the victim of a severe and traumatic bite from one single flea with unimaginable consequences," the GoFundMe page said. Kohlhof's family wrote that the vasopressors that had helped to keep him alive had "complicated the outlook of his extremities," and that he had developed dry gangrene. Dry gangrene occurs when the blood supply to tissue is cut off and the area becomes dry, shrinks, and turns black, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. On July 10, surgeons amputated both of Kohlhof's hands "up to his forearms." He also lost his toes and parts of his feet. The family said they are still unsure how much of his feet can be saved. Story continues The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says typhus is found in tropical and subtropical climates and in the US can occur in places such as southern California, Hawaii, and Texas. The CDC added that if left untreated, typhus infection can lead to severe illness and damage to organs, including the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain. Read the original article on Insider The defence ministry said two of the drones smashed into an office complex in Moscow-City, a commercial development to the city's west (Alexander NEMENOV) Three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow early Sunday, Russia's defence ministry said, in an attack that briefly shut an international airport. While one of the drones was shot down on the city's outskirts, two others were "suppressed by electronic warfare" and smashed into an office complex. No one was injured. Moscow and its environs, lying about 500 kilometres (310 miles) from the Ukrainian border, had been rarely targeted during the conflict in Ukraine until several drone attacks this year. The attack reported Sunday is the latest in a series of recent drone assaults -- including on the Kremlin and Russian towns near the border with Ukraine -- that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv. The defence ministry called it an "attempted terrorist attack". "On the morning of July 30, the Kyiv regime's attempted terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the city of Moscow was thwarted," it said on Telegram. "One Ukrainian UAV was destroyed in the air by air defence systems over the territory of the Odintsovo district of Moscow region. "Two more drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of Moscow-City's non-residential building complex." Moscow-City is a commercial development to the city's west. City Mayor Sergei Sobyanin posted on Telegram that the "facades of two city office towers were slightly damaged". He added that there were "no victims or injured". - Airport briefly closed - The TASS state news agency reported that the capital's Vnukovo airport was "closed for departures and arrivals, flights are redirected to other airports". Within less than an hour, operations appeared to have returned to normal. Earlier this month, a volley of drone attacks briefly disrupted air traffic at the same airport, to the city's southwest. The attacks on Moscow come several weeks into a Ukrainian counter-offensive to claw back territory captured by Russia since large-scale hostilities erupted in February 2022. Story continues Russia's foreign ministry has said such attacks "would not be possible without the help provided to the Kyiv regime by the US and its NATO allies". On Friday Russia said it had intercepted two missiles over its southern Rostov region bordering Ukraine, with at least 16 people wounded by debris falling on the city of Taganrog. Shortly after, it said it downed a second S-200 missile near the city of Azov, with debris falling in an unpopulated area. On the other side of the border, a Russian strike killed two people in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, authorities there said. And at least one civilian was killed in a missile attack on the northeastern city of Sumy, according to Ukrainian national police, who added that there were five injured. According to public broadcaster Suspilne, the building was destroyed in an explosion at about 8:00 pm (1700 GMT). In early July, a Russian drone attack hit an apartment building in the same city, killing three and wounding 21. bur-leg/mtp USA Network There is plenty of good news for fans wondering how WWE Superstar and mom-to-be, Carmella, is doing away from the ring these days. It wasn't that long ago (May, to be exact) that Carmella announced she was expecting her first child with husband Corey Graves. It was a wonderful announcement made even sweeter when considering the pregnancy heartbreak she has experienced in the past. In an interview with PEOPLE earlier this week, Carmella revealed she had made it through her first trimester with fl The following is a transcript of an interview with San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg that aired on "Face the Nation" on July 30, 2023. MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to the ongoing heatwave, which has put much of the southeastern United States under dangerous heat alerts from Florida to Texas. San Antonio has set a record high heat index this month. And its Mayor, Ron Nirenberg joins us with more. Good morning to you, Mr. Mayor. MAYOR RON NIRENBERG: Morning, Margaret. MARGARET BRENNAN: What has been the impact of this high heat? The demand for electricity? What is it doing to your community? MAYOR NIRENBERG: Well we continue to set records every week with respect to electric- electricity demand. Our emergency calls for heat exhaustion, heat illness are up 50% since last year, which itself was a record breaker. So it is a dangerous heatwave that we're experiencing with- with just an unrelenting day after day heat exposure. So we're certainly grateful for a president now that's treating this heatwave with the urgency that I think is necessary. Especially given the fact that one of the challenges that we have is, cities in Texas are fighting our legislature and our state government for local control. We're trying to protect residents and workers, and they are doing everything they can to prevent that from happening. MARGARET BRENNAN: You're talking about President Biden making it now, through the Department of Labor, a heat hazard alert, so it will guarantee workers heat related protections. But I wonder in- in San Antonio, are you actually seeing employers deny outdoor workers water breaks? MAYOR NIRENBERG: Well, we had a case that actually is in the courts now last year where a young man died from heat exposure. But the challenge for us is, again, we need to make sure that we're doing everything we can to ensure that employees are aware of their rights, and that federal protections are known to the employers. And so we were contemplating an ordinance at the local level to mandate local water breaks, similar to what has been done in other cities. Legislation has been passed that purports to prevent local governments from doing that labor code, as well as preventing us from, you know, utilizing our local authority in many other areas. But again, what we're trying to do is make sure that there's a backstop to prevent the most vulnerable members, the workers in our community who deserve those basic things. Story continues MARGARET BRENNAN: So this was- you're talking about the fight you have with the state of Texas where there are rules limiting your ability locally to set regulations that would allow for water breaks. But it doesn't outlaw them, it just- I guess the governor has justified it saying that there are federal guarantees already. Why aren't those federal guarantees sufficient? MAYOR NIRENBERG: Well, what the announcement from President Biden will do is make sure that employers and employees know their rights, that there are protections in place also to ramp up enforcement activities through OSHA. But the reality of the legislation I mentioned is the fact that HB 2127, which was passed by the legislature, upends 70 plus years of local authorities that have been adopted through city constitution, city charters, in cities all across the state. In areas that go beyond just labor code, property code, agricultural code, commercial code. You know, local communities, local governments, are solving problems brought to us many times by our constituents, and legislation like that upends that process and prevents local residents from able- being able to address their concerns through the local governments that they elect. And I believe it's an affront to our democratic process. And that's why we're challenging it in court. MARGARET BRENNAN: All right. So that will continue that sounds like. I want to ask you as well about immigration. A federal judge in California, just struck down last Tuesday, the Biden administration's restrictions on migrants seeking asylum arguing that it was the Biden administration violating federal law. So if the Justice Department loses an expected appeal, what's the practical impact for a city like yours in this heat, with the migrants that are crossing? MAYOR NIRENBERG: Sure, well, since January 2021, San Antonio has seen like many other big cities, a surge in migrants and in San Antonio, it's- it's over 400,000 migrants since 2021. While we don't have authority to reform the immigration policies in America, what we are doing is treating people with compassion. And so we have worked with the Biden administration, with the Department of Homeland Security, to be able to fund a migrant resource center where we help folks who are coming through our city on their way to their sponsor families or to the next destination as they wait for their asylum hearings. The process now, we have to make sure that folks are getting their hearings, but they also have an opportunity to work in the meantime. So while you know we are in the midst of the further politicization and demagoguery that's happening in Texas with respect to the immigration crisis, I do have to thank folks who are trying to take one step forward in the absence of congressional action that we've been waiting for for 30 years. Our representative Tony Gonzalez has offered some legislation that would expand the work visa process. The reality is people are coming. While we don't have the authority to fix immigration at the local level, we do have an obligation to treat people with common humanity and dignity. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Mr. Mayor, thank you for your time today. We're gonna have to leave it there, but we'll be back with more Face the Nation in a moment. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg calls heat wave "dangerous" Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari on the economy Optimistic signs about the economy Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) Senator Grace Poe is seeking an investigation into the boat mishap in Binangonan, Rizal and wants those responsible to be held accountable. In a statement on Sunday, Poe said the loss of lives due to neglect should not be taken lightly. "Nakagagalit at nakalulungkot itong nangyaring ito. Hindi biro ang pagkawala ng ganung karaming buhay dahil lang sa kapabayaan o baka sa pangungurakot. Kaya dapat nating alamin sa imbestigasyon," she said. "Dapat mapanagot kung sinuman ang responsable sa trahedyang ito," she added. [Translation: This incident is saddening and infuriating. The loss of that many lives due to negligence and maybe corruption is no joke. That's why we must find out from the investigation.] Poe is the chairman of the Senate committees on Economic Affairs and Public Services. M/B Princess Aya left Binangonan at noon on Thursday en route to Barangay Gulod on Talim Island. The overloaded boat sank 45 minutes away from its destination, resulting in the death of 27 people. On Saturday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the search for missing passengers could be ended on Sunday. Poe said she wants to find out why the boat was allowed to sail despite bad weather conditions and why it was overloaded with passengers. She also noted reports saying passengers had no life vests. In a statement on Saturday, Sen. Raffy Tulfo said the PCG and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) should be held accountable for what happened. "(Dalawampu't pito) na buhay ang nasawi dahil sa lumubog na bangkang Princess Aya. Nangyari ito sapagkat naging pabaya na naman ang mga awtoridad tulad ng PCG at MARINA. Na gaya sa mga nakaraang trahedya sa karagatan, pinayagang maglagay ang lumubog na bangka kahit na masama ang panahon, overloaded at walang sapat na live vest dito, he said. [Translation: Twenty-seven lives were lost because of the sinking of the Princess Aya. This happened because authorities such as the PCG and MARINA were lax. Like in other sea tragedies, the boat was allowed to sail despite the bad weather, and it was overloaded and there were not enough life vests.] Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said the inquiry into the incident must be transparent. "Parang sirang plaka ang sabihin na dapat magsilbing wake-up call ang pangyayaring ito sa mga kinauukulan sa pasasagawa ng masusing pagsusuri sa safety protocols at enforcement measures para hindi na maulit ito. Hindi katanggap-tanggap na may natutulog sa pagtupad ng kanilang tungkulin. Kaya dapat lamang na patawan sila ng kaukulang parusa," he said in a statement on July 29. [Translation: We sound like a broken record when we say incidents like this should serve as a wake-up call to authorities to do a thorough assessment of safety protocols and enforcement measures so that this will not happen again. It is not acceptable for someone to be sleeping on the job when they have to fulfill their responsibilities. It's but right that they should be punished.] The following is a transcript of an interview with former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is running for president, which will air on "Face the Nation" on July 30, 2023. MARGARET BRENNAN: And we want to go now to Des Moines, Iowa, where former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina, is campaigning. Good morning to you. NIKKI HALEY: Hi, Margaret. It's great to be with you. MARGARET BRENNAN: There's so much to get to with you. I want to start on some of the news of this week and your vision. In a Haley administration, will you enforce all laws concerning classified information? NIKKI HALEY: Absolutely. You know, when I was at the United Nations, there were really strict rules on how you handled classified information. You couldn't even leave the room and leave something sitting on your desk. I mean, they gave you real strict instructions. And I think what we've seen is, there need to be instructions as a President leaves as well. As anyone leaves their post, I think we need to have someone go and reinforce what you can and can't do, and make sure that they do those inspections. I don't think that's been happening with presidents in the past. And I think we need to start doing that going forward. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we learned this week in that superseding indictment that as a private citizen, Mr. Trump on two occasions, one of them recorded on tape, showed classified documents related to war plans for Iran to others. In July 2021, he showed a plan of attack prepared for him by a senior military official. On another date, he showed a member of his political action committee a classified map for a military operation. These are federal crimes. Should Trump face prosecution? NIKKI HALEY: Well, I've said before that if these- if these accusations are true, it's incredibly dangerous to our national security. But again, this is coming down from a Department of Justice that, frankly, the American people don't trust. And so I think we have to wait and see what the evidence comes down as, he's got to defend himself. And we'll wait and see as that comes together. Story continues MARGARET BRENNAN: You don't believe this indictment, the recordings, and the evidence as collected by law enforcement? NIKKI HALEY: Well, I think we need to see it. You know, I think we've heard about it. I think that we know that there's something out there. But look, everybody's innocent until they're proven guilty. And like I said, if this is true, it's incredibly dangerous to our national security. And I think that will play out, but I think that we have to go and see what all the facts are. MARGARET BRENNAN: Two other defendants named in this indictment, Carlos De Oliveira and Trump bodyman Walt Nauta, were allegedly instructed to delete security camera footage. And the details in this indictment are very specific. It says just a day after Trump received the subpoena requesting the video, they went to the basement and looked at the security cameras. Two days later, De Oliveira took aside a fourth employee, went through a basement tunnel to a small room, and asked about how many days the server retained footage from those surveillance cameras. He then told another employee, the boss wanted the server deleted. Does that sound kosher to you? NIKKI HALEY: No, I mean, none of that sounds good. The same way it didn't sound good when Hillary erased her emails. I mean, what we're looking at Margaret is, we've had this going on for years where people are not held accountable. And what we want to say is there shouldn't be a double standard, it doesn't matter if you're Republican or Democrat, it doesn't matter if you're Hillary, or if you're Trump, you shouldn't be erasing anything unless you have something to hide. But everybody needs to be treated the same way. And that's what the American people are frustrated about. It's not that they don't want people held accountable. They just want everyone to be treated fairly. And right now, they don't trust the Department of Justice. They don't trust the intelligence agencies. I think they now have to go and prove that this is actually what took place. And I think Trump now has to defend himself. But let's not forget that we have watched things happen with Biden and Hillary in the past. And there are just as many questions there than there are answers. And what we're saying is, treat them all the same. MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay NIKKI HALEY: We need to know exactly what happened with all of them. MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you trust these career prosecutors who have been working on this case? Do you trust the Department of Justice? NIKKI HALEY: I don't know that the American people do trust the Department of Justice. MARGAET BRENNAN: Do you? NIKKI HALEY: I think it's upon them to show us that we can prove them. Because I think right now, we feel like there have been a lot of cover ups. And that's not what we want to see. MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you trust the Department of Justice yourself? NIKKI HALEY: Right now, if I become president, the first thing we're going to do is we're going to make sure we clean up any sort- we'll clean it up from the top and all of senior management. They have weaponized and put politics in the Department of Justice over years. That needs to end, that's not the role of the Department of Justice. You know, whether it's the Hunter Biden, where we now have more questions, and we have answers on what happened with foreign actors and what was paid and why it was paid. Or whether it's the fact with Trump and whether those things are actually the case and they had that information. Why did it take so long for them to come out about, you know, Hunter's laptop, and why are they continuing to move so aggressively on Trump? We want fairness. The American people want transparency, throw it all out there and let us decide. Don't hide certain things, don't push out certain things. Let's make it transparent. Transparency cures all things. That's what people want from the Department of Justice. That's what they want from the intelligence agencies. They don't want to have favoritism with anybody. MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. So you've said in the past, though, you would be inclined to pardon Donald Trump. That assumes he'll be convicted, that assumes he had something to hide here. Has your position changed? Would you still pardon him? NIKKI HALEY: Well, I've- what I've said is if he is found guilty, that is certainly showing that it was dangerous to our national security, but I'll take you back to Nixon and Ford. I mean, I think that one of the things we have to look at is not what's in the best interest of, you know, the president, but what's in the best interest of the country. We have to move forward. We've got to quit living in the past, and I don't want there to be all of this division over the fact that we have a president serving years in jail over a documents trial. I want all of this to go away. It's why we have to have a new generational leader. It's why we need to move forward. We can't keep living with indictments and court cases and vengeance of the past. We've got to start going forward. American people are not talking about these indictments. What they want to know is how we're going to deal with the debt and the reckless spending by Republicans and Democrats, how we're going to have transparency in our kids' schools and catch them back up again, how we're going to fix a lawless border, and how we're going to make sure that we actually start dealing with national security because America looks so weak right now. Those are the things I hear about in town halls. People are frustrated with the indictments, they're frustrated with the weaponization. They want to know how government's going to work for them. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. Well, on the issue of national security, that's exactly why I asked you about these very specific examples that endanger national security that were named in the indictment, allegedly. You have said in the past that you would support Donald Trump if he's the- wins the nomination, but he can't win a general election. Do you think then that he should drop out? NIKKI HALEY: Well, I think that he is going to be, you know, instead of working on all those issues that Americans want to talk about, what we don't need to be talking about is what Trump has to do to defend himself and so I don't think it's constructive. I don't think, you know, while I think he was the right president at the right time, you know, earlier and why I think his policies were good, I don't think he's the right president at the right time going forward. I think we've got to move forward. Otherwise, we will have a general election that's doing nothing but dealing with lawsuits. You know, you've got his first court case on the day of the Iowa caucuses. You've got another court case that's going to be in May when probably a Republican candidate is going to already be decided. We can't have a general election where we are handing it over to Kamala Harris because we're dealing with indictments and court cases and legal issues of President Trump. MARGARET BRENNAN: So it would help you get your message out and Republicans get their message out if he drops out. Is that what you're saying? NIKKI HALEY: Well, none of us want to be talking about indictments. I don't even know if it's the third, fourth, or fifth indictment right now, but what I can tell you is, it's a distraction, and frankly, the media is talking about it nonstop, but when I do these town halls, the American public is not talking to me about that. They're not asking me about indictments. They want to know what's going to happen, how we're going to go and change government for the better. They're worried about the future for their kids and I think we owe it to them to be answering that, not how Trump's going to defend himself. MARGARET BRENNAN: On one of the big issues of the day, according to our latest CBS News poll, a majority of Americans think climate change needs to be addressed. Most say it has to be dealt with right now. Republicans are apart on that, almost half say it doesn't need to be addressed. Do you think it does? NIKKI HALEY: Well, I think climate change is real. I think that we do have to focus on it. We all want an environment that has clean air, clean water to leave for our kids and our grandkids, but I think we need to be realistic with the American people. I mean, you know, if you really want to deal with the environment, why isn't anyone seriously talking to China and India, who are our biggest polluters? If we want to deal with the environment, let's focus on making sure we're not-- (CROSSTALK) MARGARET BRENNAN: -- John Kerry was just in China and India. NIKKI HALEY: And what did he come back with? Nothing. He came back with nothing. And China said we'll deal with the environment on our own hands. That's the problem is the Biden administration has been too nice to China on dealing with this. They're a massive polluter, but let's talk about what we want to do if we want to focus on energy. What we don't want to do is go hat in hand to Saudi Arabia, or get dirty oil from Iran or Venezuela. What we do want to do is look at what does transitioning look like. You can't do it tomorrow, but what you can do is transition and that's where we say that let's do an all-of-the-above energy approach. Yes, there can be solar. Yes, there can be wind, but you can't do it tomorrow. That's not realistic and we don't want to be dependent on other countries for our energy needs. So, let's be realistic about what it takes. Let's go after India and China and have the rest of the world put pressure on them to say enough is enough. I saw when we pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement, the reason we pulled out was not because we didn't want a clean environment. It's because we had all of these regulations pushed down on American businesses, and on the American people and China's role in the Paris Climate Agreement was, we will deal with it in 10 years. Well, as Kerry just found out, 10 years never comes for China. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the U.S. is also one of the biggest polluters in the world. So, what would you change here at home? What are you going to regulate to pull back on- go ahead. NIKKI HALEY: Well, that's just not true. I mean, I think if you look at China and India, we are nowhere near China and India. They get 60% of their energy from coal. If you look at what U.S. companies are doing, what we need to do is allow innovation to work. Let's bring in the private sector. Let's talk about what we can do to actually do this. When I was governor of South Carolina, when we recruited all those manufacturing companies, they all wanted to be green, not because I made them or regulated them to do it because they wanted to be to- good stewards of the community and we- we- we praised them for it, we continued to incentivize. That's what we want to do is have a conversation with the private sector and say, what could we do? How could we do it? When you make businesses your partners in having the good- having a good environment, you find out they're the biggest stewards of wanting to make things right, but don't ignore China and India in this process, not when 60% of what they use is coal. That's not the right way to look at it going forward. We need to start putting pressure on those that are really causing harm to our climate. MARGARET BRENNAN: You've said sanctions on China are not working. And that as President, you would push Congress to revoke permanent normal trade relations until the flow of fentanyl ends. Our two economies are incredibly intertwined. How do you hit China without having blowback here at home? NIKKI HALEY: That's the exact response that the Europeans would have told you about Russia and look at where that got them. That got them to where they're right on the border of a Ukrainian Russian war. What we have to understand is a massive (ROSSTALK) MARGARET BRENNAN: China is the second most powerful economy in the world NIKKI HALEY: And China is also our number one biggest national security threat, all you have to do is look at the infiltration they're doing in our country. They have gone and bought 400,000 acres of U.S. soil near our military installations. They are spending millions of dollars in our universities to steal our research and to spread Chinese propaganda. They have police stations in our country. They bought the largest pork producer in the world, right here in Iowa. They have Chinese front companies lobbying our Congress on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. They have stolen $600 billion a year in intellectual property. And when it comes to our military, they're doing nuclear MARGARET BRENNAN: So are you going to put more tariffs on them? NIKKI HALEY: hold on, that's not what I said. They're doing nuclear, they're doing artificial intelligence, they're doing cyber. But Margaret, they have built up the largest naval fleet in the world, they have 350 ships, they'll have 400 in two years. We won't even have 350 in two decades. Instead, our military's taking gender pronoun classes. We need to deal with China as the threat that they are. The way I would deal with it is number one, we wouldn't allow them to buy U.S. soil, we would take the- the land that they bought back from them. We would go and say no more, are we selling any sort of sensitive technologies that allow them to build up their military and threaten the U.S. We would stop that. We would tell our universities you either take Chinese money or American money, but the days of taking both are over and we get that Chinese infiltration out. And when it comes to fentanyl, the number one cause of death for adults 18 to 49 Margaret, is fentanyl. And don't think for a second China doesn't know what they're doing. So what I would do is say to China, we will end all normal trade relations with you when- until you stop killing Americans. We are losing too many. We lost more than the Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam wars combined. 70,000 Americans last year, it's unacceptable. We need to be strong with China. They're running all over us. We're waiting to deal with China tomorrow while they're dealing with America today. MARGARET BRENNAN: So you would kick out the Chinese manufacturers who have invested in the state of South Carolina? NIKKI HALEY: What I would say to the Chinese manufacturers is I would say, 'Look, we're going to make sure we know exactly what you're doing'. We only took less than 2%. But I wish- I wish the administration had told the governors what was going on, what we need to do is make sure there's no sensitive technology being stolen. We need to make sure there's no spying. We do whatever it takes, and let's get those American companies out of China, and let's start dealing with our allies. When we talk about India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, we don't have to be getting medicines from China, we need to be focusing on protecting the American people. And that's how you go and say, 'Okay, we're going to deal with China the way they deserve to be treated'. MARGARET BRENNAN: You have been speaking a fair amount about President Biden's seventh grandchild who you've said he should acknowledge. On Friday, he did, in a statement saying, 'It's a personal matter, not a political one'. Do you accept that request for privacy, given that there is a four year old child involved? NIKKI HALEY: Actually, when I was talking about the grandchildren, what I was saying is that we need to have term limits in Congress and we need to have mental competency tests for anyone over the age of 75. And I don't say that to be disrespectful. I don't care if you do it for 50 and older. What I'm saying is, these are people in DC that are making decisions on our national security. They're deciding the future of our kids' economy. We need to know they're at the top of their game. When you go and look at Biden and you- and you ask him what country he was in the week before, and he can't say it. When you go and ask him how many grandchildren he has and he doesn't know. When you go and see him falling asleep with leaders. That's concerning. And, and I know, when I was at the United Nations. Leaders watch the health- the health status of other leaders. They are watching Biden right now. You see what happened with McConnell, you see what happened with Feinstein. We have too many issues going on that we need to start making sure that we do this. And these mental competency tests are easy. It's saying, 'say four words that start with the same letter. What city were you born in? How many grandkids do you have?' These are things that people should be able to answer. MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so I want to follow up on that. But I think, are you saying that you believe the privacy of this child should be dealt with as a non-political matter? NIKKI HALEY: I haven't paid attention to what he said in terms of his interview. But of course, when it comes to family, we always want to keep that private, that's fine. But when you go and you talk about family values, and you talk about all of that, it's odd that he wouldn't acknowledge one of his grandchildren. MARGARET BRENNAN: If you're president, I assume to get a lot of what you need done, you have to work with leadership. You have just criticized Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader who is 81 and had some issues in front of a camera this week where he seemed to to freeze a bit. Are you confident in his ability to lead because he says he's gonna serve out his term? NIKKI HALEY: I think Mitch McConnell did an amazing job when it comes to our judiciary. When we look at the judges, when we look at the Supreme Court, he's been a great leader. But I do think that this is one- you know, we've got to stop electing people because they look good in the picture or they hold a baby well. We've got to stop electing people because we like them and they've been there a long time. That's actually the problem. You need to have term limits, because we need new ideas, new solutions. We've got to have a new generation. I hit Republicans and Democrats. We are $32 trillion in debt. We're having to borrow money just to make our interest payments. I would love to say Biden did that to us. But Republicans did that to us, too. And now they've opened up earmarks-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- So you're not confident? NIKKI HALEY: -- And for the first time, Republicans in the- in the- Republicans in the 24 budget asked for $7.4 billion dollars in earmarks. Democrats asked for $2.8 billion, who are the big spenders there? And so I'm saying we need to know the value of a dollar. What I am saying about Mitch McConnell, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, all of them: know when to walk away, know when to walk away. We have huge issues that need new solutions. We need new generational leaders. We appreciate your service. We appreciate what you've done. But this is why we will fight for term limits. We've got to get it done in America, MARGARET BRENNAN: Donald Trump is 77 years old, would he pass that mental acuity test? NIKKI HALEY: I don't know. I say everybody should take it. I'm willing to take I think everybody else should take it-- MARGARET BRENNAN: -- You didn't list his name when you listed all those older Washington lawmakers. Do you think he needs to-- NIKKI HALEY: -- I just said we need a new- I just said we need a new generational leader. I mean, that goes- that goes for all of them. You can look across DC. They're all that, of course, I'm talking about Trump. I've said that all throughout this campaign that it is time for us to have a new generation. We've lost- Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president. That's nothing to be proud of, we should want to win the majority of Americans, we've got to start going with a new generation so that we can do that. We have to leave all of these older diplomats and Democrats- and Democrats and Republicans behind. And let's start dealing with new solutions that the American people can feel like governments working for them again, MARGARET BRENNAN: Before I let you go, I do want to ask you your thoughts on Governor Ron DeSantis, he signed that law changing curriculums in the state of Florida with new standards, as you know, a lot of scrutiny about how slavery would be taught. Do you think he has overstepped by attacking some of the Black Republicans in Congress who have said they personally take issue with what he is doing and the language that he is defending? NIKKI HALEY: Well, I haven't read the actual curriculum that he proposed in Florida. But what I can say is it's the 21st century. And I think we can all agree that there was no- there were no positives that came out of slavery. And I think everybody can and should agree on that. MARGARET BRENNAN: Has he overstepped? NIKKI HALEY: Well, I mean, I think he needs to go and talk with the- with the Republicans and Democrats that have issues with this. I mean, he just should come out and say no positives came out of slavery. I think that's important to say. And I think that's what these- these Republicans and Democrats have asked him to say. We'll see what he does. MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood. Thank you for your time today. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Nikki Haley calls Trump accusations incredibly dangerous to our national security if true Trump's legal troubles continue to mount as he overshadows Republican presidential field Nature: Billfish in Mexico This article originally appeared in Nexus Media News. Duke Riley started out making maritime crafts, like sailors valentines and scrimshaws, entirely out of shells, bones and other natural materials that washed ashore on the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and greater New York. Then, on a walk in 2017, he picked up what he thought was a piece of bone. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a plastic brush used for scrubbing boats. The moment marked a turning point in his practice. I want to make pieces that reflect the actual condition of the shoreline, said Riley, an artist who splits his time between Brooklyn and a houseboat docked off the coast of Rhode Island. That meant mixing up his medium. Last year, Riley showed more than 200 pieces of art at the Brooklyn Museum made from thousands of pieces of plastic detergent bottles, toothbrushes and tampon applicators, among other things that he and fulltime garbage-picker Michele Klimczak collected from East Coast beaches. A discarded plastic bottle lies on the beach at Sandy Hook, N.J. on Tuesday, April 2, 2019. Humans produce about 8 billion tons of plastic each year. Plastic production is responsible for about 4.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions, nearly twice as much as what the aviation industry produces. Only about 9% of all the plastic ever produced has ever been recycled. It seeps into rivers and streams. It lives in the bellies of fish and seabirds. Microplastics pump through our veins and accumulate in our lungs. The scale of the plastics crisis is almost incomprehensible. But increasingly, artists and museums are bringing attention to the problem and challenging audiences to rethink their consumption habits. In May, the Venice Biennale of Architecture hosted Everlasting Plastics, an exhibition examining humanitys fraught kinship with the material through the work of five artists. Works included baskets made from recycled plastic bottles and sculptures that appear to be dripping in hot, molten plastic. From toys to camping coolers, plastic is deeply embedded in the culture of the United States, where polymers were perfected and exported, said co-curator Lauren Leving in a statement. Our toxic relationship with the material is now a global phenomenon. Story continues In June, artist Beverly Barkat unveiled a 180-panel globe made from plastic waste in Lower Manhattan. And in July, sculptor Willie Cole installed four chandeliers made from 9,000 discarded water bottles on Park Avenue, on Manhattans Upper East Side. In many respects, the issue is abstract and largely intangible, says Riley, pointing out that the plastics problem goes beyond what we can see. While there are no easy answers, I think art can help people begin to wrap their heads around it and find a way to talk about these problems. Brooklyn Museums Liz St. George, who curated Rileys exhibition, said she observed museum-goers reflecting on their personal consumption habits as they examined Rileys artworks. Theyll see a plastic item like a dental pick and say, I use this every day, she said. Artists arent just exploring plastics in their work, St. George said. Theyre also addressing the crisis in more tangible ways. Riley, for one, organizes clean-ups along the shores of Gunnison Beach in New Jersey. Back in 2008, artist Aurora Robson, who creates ethereal, starburst-like sculptures out of plastic, started Project Vortex, a collective of artists and designers who create and support projects to repurpose single-use plastics. The group has developed an academic curriculum on working with plastic debris, and Robson frequently teaches workshops to schoolchildren in which she encourages them to make art out of things theyd normally throw away. Robson sees the climate and plastics crises as problems of imagination requiring creative problem-solving above all. She said: If Im doing my job, Im instilling hope and making other people think, If she can do that with plastic, what can I do? Willie Cole, an artist in residence at Rutgers University, said his chandeliers show just how entrenched plastics are in everyday life and how difficult it will be to quit the stuff. The plastic bottles he works with recall the 70,000 cases of plastic water bottles that were distributed in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared the citys lead-contaminated water unsafe to drink. Cole describes himself as a perceptual engineer, whose work can offer a new way of seeing the world. He said he hopes his sculptures inspire viewers to rethink their own consumption habits. I cant change the world, he said. But I know that every time I make a chandelier, people donate their plastic water bottles to me. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Artists raise awareness of plastic waste using sculptures Late last year, Beth Crocker, a Tri-Cities banking professional with three young children, posted a question on Facebook. The West Richland resident wondered what child-friendly activities are available in the Tri-Cities. The post sparked a lively online conversation among parents. Inspired, Crocker and Chelsea Blair, a Richland resident who also has three young kids, decided to organize a coffee date for parents. They wanted to talk about local opportunities to serve families with young kids. The result is a fast-growing effort to establish a childrens museum somewhere in the Tri-Cities. The movement comes more than a decade after the Three Rivers Childrens Museum ended its 20-year run around 2012 after running into financial difficulties, according to Tri-City Herald coverage. Blair grew up going to the old museum and missed having it as an option for her own children. The two women expected five or six people to show up for coffee. More than 200 expressed interest and they realized they had an opportunity on their hands. Children play during a pop-up event organized by the Mid-Columbia Childrens Museum, a new effort that hopes to reestablish a childrens museum in the Tri-Cities. They rented meeting space and put their thoughts into a PowerPoint presentation for the February gathering. The meeting led to a formal effort to establish the Mid-Columbia Childrens Museum, led by a 12-member task. Blair is president and Crocker is vice president. Theyre based at Fuse SPC, the co-working space at The Parkway, in Richland. Childrens museum legacy If built, the Mid-Columbia Childrens Museum will build on the legacy of the Three Rivers Childrens Museum and a subsequent effort, Hands In for Hands On (HIHO) Tri-Cities, that formed in 2016 to bring a Pacific Science Center style childrens museum to the area. Children play during a pop-up event organized by the Mid-Columbia Childrens Museum, a new effort that hopes to reestablish a childrens museum in the Tri-Cities. HIHO too ran into financial issues. State records show it formally dissolved in 2019. Broadly, the Mid-Columbia vision is for a hands-on educational space that inspires curiosity in children up to about age 12. The Reach Museum in Richland is an excellent facility but is not a childrens museum, organizers say. Story continues Blair and Crocker say support for the idea exceeded their expectations. The museums Facebook page attracted 1,000 followers within days of its launch in June. By mid-July, it had 1,500 followers and more than 1,100 likes. We really see this as a community hub, Crocker said. A volunteer with the Mid-Columbia Childrens Museum assists children during a pop up event. A 12-member task force is building support to reestablish a childrens museum in the Tri-Cities. The two-pronged campaign is building support among families with hands-on pop-up events, as well as outreach to the business community. For the former, the task force assembled traveling exhibits they use to draw families to the pop-up events they hold throughout the summer. The pop ups let children build sail boats, create spin art, dig for dinosaurs, make flower arrangements and traverse obstacle courses. The Mid-Columbia Childrens Museum has shown up in Richland parks, at the Pasco Farmers Market and in Kennewick at Summers Hub and the Public Market. Children play during a pop-up event organized by the Mid-Columbia Childrens Museum, a new effort that hopes to reestablish a childrens museum in the Tri-Cities. August Pop-Up events The Mid-Columbia Childrens Museum will provide hands-on activities at upcoming Tri-City events. Aug. 1: Kennewick National Night Out, Southridge Sports and Events Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., 5-7:30 p.m. Aug. 10: Richland Pop Up Play Day Dino Dig, Goethals Park Natural Playground, 301 Goethals Drive, 9-11 a.m. Aug. 17, STEAM Kids, Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, 1-3 p.m. Business community takes note While the museum builds hosts families in local parks, the business outreach is paying off. Three Rivers Community Foundation stepped in as the fiscal sponsor while volunteers work to secure 501(c)(3) nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service. The foundation is able to accept donations on the museums behalf. Visit Tri-Cities, the regions tourism agency, is cheering it on. We are thrilled to see our community welcome and support this grassroots effort to establish a childrens museum for our region., Corbin Hunter, creative director for Visit Tri-Cities, told the Herald. The Tri-Cities is recognized across the Northwest as a place where innovation, science, and history is accessible and families thrive. The childrens museum can bring all of these great things in our community together. Washington River Protection Solutions, a Department of Energy contractor for the Hanford cleanup, sponsored its membership in the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. The offer of chamber membership was unsolicited, but welcome. Capital campaign The chamber membership raises awareness as the board begins raising money to pay for a feasibility study. The professional review will guide what size facility the museum needs, the types of exhibits and activities and even where it should go. The museum wants to raise up to $250,000 for the feasibility study and to buy a trailer for the traveling exhibits and gear. More than anything, the museum is committed to getting the details right. The museum will be a nonprofit, but to be viable, it must cover most of its costs through earned revenue such as sales, rentals and admission fees. Similar childrens museums typically half their operating costs, but some go as high as 70%. Grants and donations typically fuel the rest. For Blair and Crocker, the clock is ticking. They want the museum to open in time for their own children, now 1 to 6, to enjoy it before they age out in their teens. Developing a plan and raising money will take time, but Blair hopes to see something open within a decade. Not tomorrow, but...., she said. Contact information Follow the childrens museums progress on Facebook or at mccmuseum.org. Donate online through Three Rivers Community Foundation at bit.ly/44Jv4sW Sign Up: Boom Town Tri-Cities Stay up to date on Tri-Cities growth and development with our weekly business newsletter. Get the latest on restaurant and business openings and closings, plus the regions top housing and employment news. Click here to sign up. In your inbox every Wednesday. WEST PALM BEACH Defense attorneys for the South Florida couple accused of locking their adopted teenager in an 8-by-8-foot box say the teen has gone months and months on end without seeing the outside world since being removed from the home. The attorneys asked a judge this month for permission to collect psychiatric records from the facility where officials relocated the teen after arresting the parents on charges of aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment in 2022. They say the records may reveal a pattern of behavior so disruptive that even trained professionals have resorted to keeping the child under tight lockdown. The fact that our clients are to blame for not handling something in a way that no psychiatrist has been able to properly handle for the course of the year absolutely corroborates the fact that they did their best with a child with behavioral issues that they could not manage, said defense attorney Prya Murad. Circuit Judge Howard Coates denied their request, siding with prosecutors who argued that the teens behavior in the year following the alleged abuse has no bearing on Timothy and Tracy Ferriter's decision to lock the teen up for the vast majority of the day or night in 2021 and 2022. Assistant State Attorney Brianna Coakley warned that intruding on the teens psychiatric treatment could have a chilling effect on the child and others who have experienced suspected abuse at their parents hands. Coates agreed, dismissing the defense attorneys' proposal as a violation of the psychotherapist-patient privilege. Behind a Jupiter couple's charges: A secret locked room and a troubled family Parents kept teen in box inside Jupiter home's garage Police arrested Timothy and Tracy Ferriter on Feb. 8, 2022, after finding evidence that they locked their adopted 14-year-old in an 8-by-8-foot box in the garage for up to 18 hours at a time. Police said the wooden room contained a twin bed, a bucket, a stack of kids' books and a Ring camera affixed above the bed. A search warrant produced thousands of videos of the child locked in the room, many capturing the sound of the door closing and the deadbolt locking. Story continues The child described a pattern of physical and mental abuse at the parents' hands. The teen said a typical day was spent confined to the room before and after school, waiting for someone to bring leftovers to the locked room once the Ferriters and their other children finished eating. Coakley said at the July 21 hearing prosecutors don't need to prove that the Ferriters inflicted actual mental abuse on their child to earn a conviction; only that their actions could have reasonably resulted in it. Parents' attorneys have targeted teen's behavior The Ferriters' attorneys have characterized the teen as routinely dishonest, scrutinizing the child as intently as law enforcement scrutinized the parents. They are expected to argue that the teen's current behavioral issues are not a result of trauma at the hands of the parents, but are "long standing and have existed almost since he was adopted." More on the case: Did Florida's adoption system fail Jupiter teen forced to live in a locked garage room? Defense attorney Nellie King, who represented Timothy Ferriter before a dispute over legal fees prompted her abrupt departure from the case, said the child displayed a longstanding pattern of "dangerous and disturbing propensities," including theft and violent outbursts, while under the couple's care. Many in the wake of their arrest have pointed to a dearth of mental health resources and parenting support across Florida that leaves adoptive families with little recourse when faced with serious behavioral issues. Timothy and Tracy Ferriter, who adopted the teen 12 years before their arrest, are scheduled to go to trial Sept. 29. Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jupiter teen locked in parents' garage still under lockdown in Florida Yellow Corporation was founded in 1924, and serviced giants like Walmart and Home Depot before it began losing customers. Joe Raedle/Getty Images A trucking giant is in danger of shutting down for good, leaving 30,000 unemployed, WSJ reports. Yellow Corp. has serviced retail giants for nearly a century. The Trump administration approved a $700 million CARES Act loan to the company in 2020. After 99 years in business, a titan in the trucking industry is reportedly days away from shutting down. Yellow Corporation, a company that services Walmart, Home Depot, and more, is preparing to file for bankruptcy, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company laid off hundreds of nonunion employees on Friday, and 30,000 more are in danger of losing their jobs. The Nashville-based company received a $700 million CARES Act loan from the Trump administration in 2020 a decision that garnered scrutiny amid objections from the Defense Department. Its potential shutdown would put 22,000 Teamsters out of work. "Teamsters have kept this company afloat for more than a decade through billions of dollars in wage, pension and work-rule concessions," a union spokesman told The Journal. "Yellow couldn't manage itself, and it wasn't up to Teamsters to do it for them." The Teamsters told union members that the "likelihood that Yellow will survive is increasingly bleak" in a memo on Friday, per The Journal. Customers have reportedly been leaving the company for its competitors amid talks to sell parts of the business. The average income of truckers today is half the $110,000 per year they earned in 1980 due in part to the Motor Carrier Act passed the same year. The act deregulated the trucking industry by letting trucking companies to set their own rates. Representatives for Yellow didn't return Insider's request for comment by deadline. Read the original article on Business Insider Steve Hale hopped into the cab of a gray 2007 Range Rover and started the engine. The car, one of more than 80 vehicles parked outside a Meridian warehouse, slowly rumbled to life in Saturdays 90-degree heat. Within a few hours, it would be auctioned off sold to the highest bidder. As Hale sat in the front seat, his daughter, Brooklyn, opened one of the passenger doors and peered inside. She turned 15 in April, and the pair were looking to buy her a starter car for around $2,500. Well definitely be making some bids, said Steve Hale, of Middleton. She just got her license. She wants to get a car and pay us back. Steve Hale scope out the inside of a Land Rover as he and his daughter, Brooklyn, 15, browse for options for her first car. Surrounding the Range Rover, packed inside a paved lot like sardines, sat various trucks, sedans, SUVs and even a couple of classics, including a blue 1987 Chevrolet Corvette and a red 1992 convertible Jaguar, as well as a few motorcycles, boats and RVs. The sun glinted off the cars windshields as prospective buyers moved about them, inspecting under the hoods and checking out the interiors. All of the vehicles come from around southern Idaho. Bidders are allowed in fact, encouraged to examine the cars and start them up before the auction begins, but theyre not allowed to take them for a test drive. Every sale is final. Ken Heninger and his son, Mike Heninger, perused each line of vehicles, searching thoroughly for the next additions to their shop in Ontario, Oregon. The father-son duo scoop up used cars at auctions and sell them for a profit. Their business, named A2B LLC, because its vehicles get you from point A to point B, sells around 150 used cars a year. We dont come with a preset amount to buy or sell, Ken Heninger said. Im here looking for bargains. Were licensed to do that. Ken Heninger, left, and son Mike check out vehicles at Musick Auction in Meridian on Saturday. Next to the lot, inside the warehouse, is a world of fast-paced transactions. Its Musick Auctions first live auto sale since the pandemic began, and the attendees are keen to get a good deal. Cars are driven through while an auctioneer stands behind a podium and rattles off prices into a corded microphone. Bidders sit on fold-up chairs in the crowd, watching, checking their notes and waiting for the right time to raise their hands. Each vehicle takes about 2 minutes to sell. The weekend auction is scheduled to occur once a month at 1346 N. Hickory Ave. Story continues This is how we used to do it before COVID-19, Ken Heninger told the Idaho Statesman. You bid on the cars as they go through. And it goes really fast. Hes sure to avoid certain makes and models, including anything manufactured in Germany, like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Not because theyre bad cars, but because theyre expensive to fix, he said. Anything else is fair game. A motorcycle is driven through the building as it goes up for sale at the auction. Repossessions going up Josh Sharp, the owner of Musick Auction, said most of the vehicles at Saturdays sale are repossessed, which happens when a borrower falls behind on loan payments, giving the lender the right to seize the vehicle. Banks, credit unions, wholesalers and dealers work with Sharp to get their cars into the auction. In the last year, repossessions have skyrocketed, according to Ryan Hawkes, who appraises vehicles for Capital Auto Loan in Meridian. Hawkes calls himself a remarketer. He determines the current market value for the cars and has them cleaned them up to be resold. Theres a big problem with car loans right now, Hawkes said, a veteran of the auto industry. Even people with really good credit scores are defaulting on their payments. We started to see it creep up after last summer. Some of the cars hes appraised were repossessed from people who were living in them. One truck had been a temporary home for a mother and her daughter. An infant car seat was squeezed in the backseat among a slew of other belongings and a garbage bag full of Huggies diapers. This is the sad part of the business, he said. Bank-owned cars, like this one, comprise many of the vehicles in the auction's lot. But not all the cars are repossessed. Hawkes also helps individuals sell their cars by representing them at the auction. Sometimes a person will get a new car and need to get rid of on old one. Sometimes a person dies and a family member brings the vehicle in. Its a quick and simple way to offload a car, while still getting a decent return. Green stickers secured under the windshield wipers of some cars displayed Capital Auto Loans logo and its offer to finance up to 100% of a buyers bid price. (The auction) has a broad reach, he said. A lot of people have been taken advantage of at a dealership, so they dont feel comfortable going that route. Here, youve kind of peeled that back. The buyer sets the price Thom Brown, of Flagship Motors, a used car dealer in Nampa, was one of the bidders. He paid close attention to the auctioneer as people milled in and out of the warehouse. He told the Statesman he planned to bid on three cars during the hours-long auction that drew about 50-75 people from around the Treasure Valley. He also said he would pay cash. Roughly an hour into the auction, Brown bid on, and purchased, a red 2015 Subaru WRX, a compact sports car, for $4,600. He wasnt the only bidder interested. As the price went up and up, the auctioneer tried to bring him to $5,000, then $4,900. He shook his head. These guys are very slick, Brown later said. Theyre trying to get a certain amount of money for the car. Its their job. A Kia sedan is the first vehicle in line for bidding. In addition to the live auction, Musick Auction conducts weekly online auctions year-round. Its the largest online auction company in the state. Sharp said the cars sometimes sell for more than retail value, but usually, theyre sold for a reasonable amount. It all depends on whos bidding and how badly they want the car. The buyer sets the price, he said. Were trying hard to have cars that are just a step above average, Sharp said. We want them to be really clean and run well. Often, theyre a very good deal. Concerts in Canyon Countys wine district? Businesses said yes, residents no. Who won Renters, brace yourselves: Change is coming to Boise apartment construction. Youll pay Check your ZIP code with interactive map to see house prices in Boise, Treasure Valley NEW YORK (AP) At a moment of growing legal peril, Donald Trump ramped up his calls for his GOP rivals to drop out of the 2024 presidential race as he threatened to go after Republican members of Congress who fail to focus on investigating Democratic President Joe Biden. Trump also urged a halt to Ukrainian military aid until the White House cooperates with congressional investigations into Biden and his family. Every dollar spent attacking me by Republicans is a dollar given straight to the Biden campaign, Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. The former president and GOP front-runner said it was time for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others he dismissed as clowns to clear the field, accusing them of wasting hundreds of millions of dollars that Republicans should be using to build a massive vote-gathering operation to take on Biden in November. The comments came two days after federal prosecutors unveiled new criminal charges against Trump as part of the case that accuses him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club and refusing to turn them over to investigators. The superseding indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that Trump and two staffers sought to delete surveillance at the club in an effort to obstruct the Justice Department's investigation. The case is just one of Trump's mounting legal challenges. His team is currently bracing for additional possible indictments, which could happen as soon as this coming week, related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election brought by prosecutors in both Washington and Georgia. Trump already faces criminal charges in New York over hush money payments made to women who accused him of sexual encounters during his 2016 presidential campaign. Nevertheless, Trump remains the dominant early figure for the Republican nomination and has only seen his lead grow as the charges have mounted and as his rivals have struggled to respond. Their challenge was on display at a GOP gathering in Iowa Friday night, where they largely declined to go after Trump directly. The only one who did accusing Trump of running to stay out of prison was booed as he left the stage. Story continues In the meantime, Trump has embraced his legal woes, turning them into the core message of his bid to return to the White House as he accuses Biden of using the Justice Department to maim his chief political rival. The White House has said repeatedly that the president has had no involvement in the cases. At rallies, Trump has tried to frame the charges, which come with serious threats of jail time, as an attack not just on him, but those who support him. Theyre not indicting me, theyre indicting you. I just happen to be standing in the way, he said in Erie, adding, Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it actually a great badge of honor.... Because Im being indicted for you. But the investigations are also sucking up enormous resources that are being diverted from the nuts and bolts of the campaign. The Washington Post first reported Saturday that Trumps political action committee, Save America, will report Monday that it spent more than $40 million on legal fees during the first half of 2023 defending Trump and all of the current and former aides whose lawyers it is paying. The total is more than the campaign raised during the second quarter of the year. "In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Bidens cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, the leadership PAC contributed to their legal fees to ensure they have representation against unlawful harassment," said Trump's spokesman Steven Cheung. At the rally, in a former Democratic stronghold that Trump flipped in 2016, but Biden won narrowly in 2020, Trump also threatened Republicans in Congress who refuse to go along with efforts to impeach Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said this past week that Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry into the president over unproven claims of financial misconduct. Trump, who was impeached twice while in office, said Saturday that, The biggest complaint that I get is that the Republicans find out this information and then they do nothing about it." Any Republican that doesn't act on Democrat fraud should be immediately primaries and get out out! he told the crowd to loud applause. They have to play tough and ... if theyre not willing to do it, we got a lot of good, tough Republicans around ... and they're going to get my endorsement every singe time. Trump, during the 2022 midterm elections, made it his mission to punish those who had voted in favor of his second impeachment. He succeeded in unseating most who had by backing primary challengers. At the rally, Trump also called on Republican members of Congress to halt the authorization of additional military support to Ukraine, which has been mired in a war fighting Russias invasion, until the Biden administration cooperates with Republican investigations into Biden and his familys business dealings words that echoed the call that lead to his first impeachment. Hes dragging into a global conflict on behalf of the very same country, Ukraine, that apparently paid his family all of these millions of dollars, Trump alleged. In light of this information, Congress, he said, should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles ... the weapons stockpiles to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime familys corrupt business dealings. House Republicans have been investigating the Biden familys finances, particularly payments Hunter, the presidents son, received from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that became tangled in the first impeachment of Trump. An unnamed confidential FBI informant claimed that Burisma company officials in 2015 and 2016 sought to pay the Bidens $5 million each in return for their help ousting a Ukrainian prosecutor who was purportedly investigating the company. But a Justice Department review in 2020, while Trump was president, was closed eight months later with insufficient evidence of wrongdoing. Trumps first impeachment by the House resulted in charges that he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on the Bidens while threatening to withhold military aid. Trump was later acquitted by the Senate. JOED VIERA/AFP via Getty Images Statements made by Donald Trump during a rally at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania on Saturday gave no indication that the looming threat of incarceration for this, that and the other is warranted. To hear it from the man himself, everyone is to blame but him. Carving out plenty of time to rip into the Biden family, per usual, Trump drew comparisons between his family's legal drama and theirs, attempting to convince the crowd that he was being raked over the coals, while the "Biden crime family" was not. Throughout his speech, the former president lashed out at Joe Biden, going so far as to call him "A dumb son of a b**ch" at one point. Trump: We have a guy who is a dumb son of a bitch pic.twitter.com/ER7pNssDGn Acyn (@Acyn) July 29, 2023 "We have somebody who's not at the top of his game. Never was at the top of a game," Trump said, getting worked up as the crowd cheered him on. And while this obsession with the president is not new, or unique, the way in which he's ramping up the expression of his anger has taken a dramatic turn. Before his rally on Saturday, Trump posted a clip to Truth Social featuring a montage of Biden falling down over the years, interspliced with an image of a toothy wolf. Former President Donald Trump has been charged with obstructing Special Counsel Jack Smiths Mar-a-Lago documents investigation by allegedly trying to get security footage deleted after authorities requested it. Yet according to Trump lawyer and spokesperson Alina Habba, there was no obstruction because its common sense that Trump couldve easily had the footage deleted if he put his mind to it. On Fox News Sunday, anchor Shannon Bream asked Habba if, even though investigators ultimately obtained the tapes, there was an attempt to try to make sure that didnt happen. WATCH: Trump legal spokesperson @AlinaHabba joins to react to the new federal charges former President Trump faces in the classified documents case. Tune in! pic.twitter.com/KXQhOr6JlH Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) July 30, 2023 Well, lets be clear, Habba replied. If there was an attempt by somebody who lives in a hometake out President Trumpwho owns a company. He owns it, he owns the I.T., and he pays for all these employees. If there was an attempt for him to not turn over documents or he wanted something deleted, do you not think that thats something he couldnt have gotten done? Lets just use common sense. Bream didnt seem convinced by that answer. Thats the allegationis that he did try to talk to these employees and that these employees said, we may have to talk to someone else and I dont know if I can even do that,' she replied. Shannon, I know the facts, Habba insisted. When President Trump gets the subpoena, it goes to the organization and the organization turns it over. That is what actually happened. Story continues According to the superseding indictment, which charges Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira with obstruction in addition to Trump and his aide, Walt Nauta, de Oliveira told an IT employee that the boss wanted the server deleted. In response, the unnamed employee allegedly said he didnt know how to do that and that he didnt have the rights to do it. He then told de Oliveira to ask the security supervisor for Trumps business about it, the indictment states. Yet de Oliveira kept pressing the issue, telling the employee what the boss wanted, and asked, What are we going to do? Despite the allegations in the indictment, which now lists seven obstruction counts, Habba sought to make it seem like Trump never wanted to have the tapes deleted. If President Trump didnt want something turned over, I assure you that is something that couldve been done, she said at an earlier point in the interview. But he never would act like that. He is the most ethical American I know. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Former President Donald Trumps political action committee, Save America, has spent more than $40 million on legal fees since the start of this year, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The PAC, which raises most of its funds through small-dollar donations from Trumps supporters, is expected to report to the Federal Election Commission on Monday that it spent $40.2 million on legal costs in the first half of the year more than double the amount the group spent on legal fees in all of 2022. Save America spent over $16 million on legal costs in 2022, according to Federal Election Commission records. The political action committee must file its disclosure report covering the first six months of this year by the end of the day Monday. The Washington Post first reported the PACs spending on legal costs. Trumps team argues that the considerable amount of money being spent on defending the former president and members of his inner circle is necessary as Trumps legal troubles mount. In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Bidens cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, the leadership PAC contributed to their legal fees to ensure they have representation against unlawful harassment, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told CNN. Trumps team is also creating a legal defense fund to help offset some of the enormous bills incurred, two sources familiar with the planning told CNN on Sunday. The new fund, first reported by The New York Times, is expected to cover the bills of some of Trumps current and former aides and employees who have been wrapped up in various investigations into the former president. It will be called the Patriot Legal Defense Fund Inc., according to the sources, and will be led by Trump associate and adviser Michael Glassner. Special counsel Jack Smith brought new charges on Thursday against Trump, his aide Walt Nauta and a third defendant, Carlos De Oliveira, in the case alleging Trump mishandled classified documents after leaving the White House. Story continues The charges included allegations that Trump and his employees attempted to delete Mar-a-Lago security footage sought by the grand jury. Both Nauta and De Oliveira are being represented by attorneys paid for by Trumps operation. The former president was also indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on more than 30 counts related to business fraud in March and faces potential charges in the special counsels January 6 grand jury investigation, as well as an investigation by the Fulton County District Attorneys office in Georgia relating to claims of voter fraud after the 2020 election. Trump has expanded his legal team as his legal challenges grow. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (CNN) France and the EU have cut off financial support to Niger after a coup toppled the West African countrys democratically elected president. In a statement, France Nigers former colonial power called for the immediate return to the Nigerien constitutional order adding to the mounting international pressure on the coup plotters. The move came shortly after the European Union suspended all security cooperation to Niger earlier Saturday, and announced it would no longer provide financial support. Niger is one of the worlds poorest countries and receives hundreds of millions of dollars each year in assistance. Abdourahamane Tiani, a general who leads the countrys presidential guard, was declared the countrys new leader after President Mohamed Bazoum was detained earlier this week. This unacceptable attack on the integrity of Nigers republican institutions will not remain without consequences for the partnership and cooperation between the European Union and Niger, in all its various aspects, said Josep Borell, the EUs foreign policy chief. President Bazoum was democratically elected; he is and remains the only legitimate President of Niger. He must be released unconditionally and without delay. Leaders from Washington to Moscow have called for Bazoums release, so far to no avail. The African Union on Saturday demanded that Nigerien military personnel immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within 15 days. The AU warned it would take necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators, should the rights of political detainees not be respected. Borell and French President Emmanuel Macron both said they would be willing to support regional organizations, including the Economic Community of West African States, should they decide to bring sanctions against Niger. It is unclear to what extent international pressure would impact the decision of those attempting to seize power. An aide loyal to the deposed president told CNN there was infighting among the plotters. However, Nigers military have endorsed the coup. Niger lies at the heart of Africas Sahel region, which has seen numerous power grabs in recent years including in Mali and Burkina Faso. A key ally of the United States, France and other Western governments, Niger had been one of the few democracies in a region fraught with Islamist insurgencies. This story was first published on CNN, "France and EU cut off financial support to Niger following military coup." Former President Trump was met with a chorus of nos when he asked those in attendance at a rally in Erie, Pa., on Saturday if he should participate in the first GOP presidential debate next month. Trump noted that he has received many questions about whether he will attend the first debate hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee on Aug. 23. He has previously hinted that he might skip the debate, arguing that Fox is a hostile network and his strong polling that positions him as the frontrunner should mean that he does not need to debate with the other candidates who are far behind him. Am I going to stand up there by guys with 0, 1, 2, 3 percent, maybe 4, and have them ask me hostile questions? he said Saturday. Should I get up there with 10 or 12 hostile people and a hostile network and be abused with terrible questions? Trump asked the crowd. The response was a parade of nos, followed by widespread cheers after he asked if he should skip it. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage His comments come as he has continues to receive pressure from other GOP candidates to attend the debates. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has most consistently polled in second place to Trump in primary polls, said in an interview on Newsmax earlier this month that no one is entitled to the nomination, and the nominee should earn it. I think he should show up and make his case and answer questions like the rest of us, DeSantis argued. I think he ought to debate. Im gonna debate; Im gonna be there, he added. I think its a great opportunity for us to have a great discussion about the countrys future. Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy told NBC News that he would not let him get away with not attending the debate. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley also said Trump should appear on the debate stage to address his legal challenges. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said last month that Trump cant avoid the debates in his presidential run. He said the former president not appearing would not be fair and would be disrespectful to Republican voters. Trump said on Saturday that he has not made a commitment one way or another. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- Donald Trumps political action committee spent $40.2 million on legal costs in the first half of 2023 to defend the former president, his advisers and others, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg The political group, Save America, is set to disclose the figure in a filing on Monday, said the people, who asked not to be identified before the information is released. The figure is substantial enough that the PAC has requested a refund on a $60 million contribution it made to another group supporting Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified. The amount signals a potential money crisis for the campaign, the New York Times reported late Saturday. The $40 million figure was reported earlier by The Washington Post. The disclosure is set to come as Trump, whos leading polls for the 2024 Republican nomination, braces for yet another indictment, this time in Special Counsel Jack Smiths probe into the aftermath of the 2020 election and the attack on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Hes already been indicted in a federal case over his handling of classified documents and in New York state court where he faces charges over alleged hush money payments to an adult film star. Trump was hit Thursday with new obstruction charges in the criminal case over classified documents, including allegations that he and two employees tried to delete surveillance footage at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The campaign of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose standing in GOP primary polls has been dropping, criticized the spending. Communications director Andrew Romeo said the legal expenses wouldnt help Republicans retake the White House. Story continues Trump has spent over $60 million on 2 things: falsely attacking DeSantis and paying his own legal fees, not a cent on defeating Biden, Romeo posted on X, formerly Twitter. Trump isnt turning down anyone ensnared in his legal troubles seeking help, particularly those who cant afford the expense, people close to him said. (Adds details in third paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Former President Trump called for a pause on all aid to Ukraine until several federal agencies provide every scrap of evidence they have on alleged corrupt business dealings from President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pa., on Saturday that Biden has been dragging the country into conflict with the war between Russia and Ukraine and referenced the copy of the unverified tip that congressional Republicans released last week purporting to show evidence of a scheme to bribe Biden. The form included secondhand allegations that the Bidens were sent millions of dollars from the CEO of Ukrainian energy company Burisma, which was being investigated by the Ukrainian prosecutor generals office. Hunter Biden served on the board of Burisma at the time. Biden, while serving as vice president in the Obama administration, argued that Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin was corrupt and should be fired, threatening to withhold $1 billion in funding for Ukraine unless he was dismissed. No hard evidence has been shown to demonstrate that Biden pushed for Shokin to be fired to help his son, but Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly alleged a bribery scheme occurred. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage In light of this information, the U.S. Congress should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles until the FBI, [Justice Department] and [Internal Revenue Service] hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime familys corrupt business dealings, Trump said. Trump has previously pushed back against the U.S. providing financial aid to Ukraine in order to oppose Russias full-scale invasion of the country. He has claimed that if reelected as president, he could end the war between the two countries in 24 hours. The former president also referenced reports that have indicated that U.S. stockpiles of missiles and ammunition have become depleted as the country continues providing weapons to Ukraine. The Pentagon has requested additional funding compared to last year to help grow its munitions. Story continues According to Trump, he often hears complaints that Republicans learn of information like what has been alleged in the form on Biden and do nothing about it. He argued that any Republican who does not act on Democrat fraud should face a primary challenge for their reelection. They dont fight the way theyre supposed to fight, he said. Oh, thats too bad, but we have to worry about other things, Trump said, referencing what he claimed some Republicans have said in response to these types of allegations. You dont have to worry about other things. You got to stop it. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sisters Brooke Moffat, left, and Cami Munk, together called the Stitching Sisters, work on projects at Munks home in Murray on Saturday, July 22, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News Sisters Cami Munk and Brooke Moffat grew up in a creative household. Their father loved the arts, and their mom, a seamstress, frequently used her imagination to make all kinds of clothing, including costumes and wedding dresses. That environment fostered creativity, and all these years later, both sisters are still actively using their imaginations. Advertised as The Stitching Sisters, Munk and Moffat teamed up in March to design and create home accessories like baskets and bags for all the world to see. They will even have their own booth at the 15th annual Craft Lake City Do It Yourself (DIY) Festival at Utah State Fairpark, which is being held Aug. 11-13. It is billed as Utahs largest local-centric art, music, science and technology festival. But not everyone is in touch with their creative side, something Munk and Moffat didnt realize until they were well into adulthood. I thought that was a normal thing until probably in my 30s, and I was like, Oh, other people dont think like this, Moffat said. Brooke Moffat, one the Stitching Sisters, works on a cross stitch at her sister Cami Munks home in Murray on Saturday, July 22, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News As executive director of Craft Lake City, a DIY organization, Angela Browns mission is to elevate Utahs creative culture. She believes that everyone has a creative spark, but that some people lack enough creative self-esteem to unlock the full potential of their imagination. Brown also had a family that encouraged self-expression, which gave her the confidence to pursue a full-time career in the arts. Through artisan workshops at Craft Lake City, local Utahns are finding inspiration. All the time we hear people (say), Oh, Im not very talented or Im not very good because a friend dragged me to this class, and many times they end up becoming the superstars of the class and these are people that dont consider themselves creatives, Brown said. To her, creativity is a learned behavior, and it doesnt just apply to the arts. Theres a reason Craft Lake Citys annual DIY festival includes science and technology. And Munk, a communications manager, knows this well. Story continues Some people are creative in different ways, she said. I work with people that are creative with numbers and data, and I cant do that, but they can use the numbers and show the data in a way that tells a story, just like I can sew something or write something that tells a story. Peter Christie, Ballet Wests director of education and outreach, says creativity is more about the process than the final result. Its OK to make mistakes, because if everything goes according to plan, learning is not taking place. That fear of failure and harsh criticism holds people back from fully expressing themselves, but Christie points out that creativity is subjective. Theres no law, theres no right or wrong way to do it. Its just your way and what makes you happy. Thats whats important, he said. Creativity is not reserved for brilliant minds like Albert Einstein or Pablo Picasso. Everyone benefits from the creative process, and Brown mentions the positive impacts it has on mental health. When youre trying to work something out or you have feelings or emotions, I think a creative practice can be a great way to process those and work through those (emotions), she said. Sisters Brooke Moffat, left, and Cami Munk, together called the Stitching Sisters, work on projects at Munks home in Murray on Saturday, July 22, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News After her best friend died by suicide a few years ago, Moffat discovered the therapeutic power of cross-stitch. So when her father died in February 2020 and the pandemic hit shortly after, she began stitching her feelings. I had lots of emotions, she said. and so I started stitching, just snarky stuff. And I felt so much better. Christie believes the pandemic opened doors for countless others to find their creative sides, particularly older adults who were forced to embrace new technology to communicate. Christie says that made it less intimidating and helped seniors realize the endless potential of the internet, which can be a center for inspiration. Just scroll through TikTok, watch a YouTube video or search Google to find a new creative outlet. There are more resources available than ever for people to find their creative spark. So whats holding them back? Well, not everyone has the time to try something new, but Christie suggests beginning a new task in small doses. Break out a pen and pencil and just make a commitment to try something for 10 minutes a day, he said. and the nice thing about that accessibility is you can do it all on your own. You can do it in the comfort of your own home, your own living room, your own office, and no ones going to see you or judge you. Ultimately, every artist, no matter what talent level, progresses and matures. Munk and Moffat saw their creative confidence grow enough to be exhibitors at this years DIY Festival, something that Brown suggested. And Moffat has advice for anyone scared to create because of criticism. I think what really holds people back is that fear of negative feedback, she said. but with being open and showing it and sharing the process with other people, its been like the complete opposite. And it hasnt been people saying, Those colors are really ugly. Its Hey, did you make this one? and so I think including other people in your process helps with that fear of failure. And taking that leap to try something new can be amazing. These are times when we can either go inward or stick outside ourselves and tap into something thats really creative and beautiful, Brown said. And I think thats magic. That can make us feel so many positive emotions that lead to a positive impact on life. (Photo: Public domain) Opinion. Over the past few weeks, legislation that is important to Indian Country passed the U.S. Senate, which is controlled by Democrats who have a slight majority. Those bills are now heading to the U.S. House of Representatives, where Republicans have a slim majority. Two of the bills deal with housing for Native Americans, who often are homeless or live in overcrowded conditions both on and off reservations. In 2019, Native Americans represented about 1.5% of the general population of the United States, yet they make up more than 10% of the homeless population nationally according to a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report released in January 2020. The two housing bills passed in the Senate with strong bipartisan support. If they become law, both bills would help to alleviate the unacceptable problem of homelessness in Indian Country. This past Thursday, the Senate passed the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) Reauthorization bill as an attached amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 by a strongly bipartisan vote of 86-11. NAHASDA augments other HUD programs that directly impact Indian Country, such as the Indian Housing Block Grant and Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant programs. Bills that would reauthorize NAHASDA have been introduced in every successive Congress since 2013. Unfortunately, NAHASDA has not been reauthorized, which leaves these important housing programs vulnerable to the whims of Congress. The bill should be reauthorized to take away the possibility of defunding annually. The National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC), based in Washington, D.C. has been pushing for the reauthorization of NAHASDA for years. Our homes are the synergy in sustaining our living systems as tribes, including the economy. NAHASDA has been a successful and supportive program of that since its inception. NAHASDA is the mechanism for self-determination in tribal housing. Its enactment allows tribes to create their own Indian Housing Plan, where they can prioritize senior assisted housing, rental assistance or homeownership, NAIHC Executive Director Chelsea Fish (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma) said. Story continues Reauthorization of NAHASDA means increased programming resources and stronger accountability. Adequate housing is vital to sustainability of tribal communities. This passage represents strong bipartisanship efforts to recognize trust responsibility and further supports self-determination of tribes, Fish continued. After Thursdays vote the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) issued a statement. Native communities continue to lag behind the rest of the country in safe, affordable, and accessible housing. A simple but critically important step to combat this issue is to reauthorize and make NAHASDA permanent, and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) applauds its passage in the Senate, NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr. (Ponca Tribe) said. NAHASDAs overwhelmingly bipartisan passage in the Senate is a victory for Indian Country, and now the focus must turn to the House to fully realize this victory so that we can improve the lives of those living in our communities. In late July, the Senate passed the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2023 by unanimous consent and without amendment on July 18. Introduced in January by a bipartisan group of five senators, the legislation would require the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to process and complete all mortgages associated with residential and business mortgages on Indian land by certain deadlines. The bill will hold the BIA accountable to ensure mortgages will be processed and closed in a timely manner. NAIHCs Fish weighed in on its passage with Native News Onlines sister publication, Tribal Business News. It is essential that Native people have equal access to mortgage transactions, just like any other citizen in this country, Fish said in a statement. This bill focuses on aligning the processes of the BIA with standard practices in the private mortgage industry. The national nonprofit Mortgage Bankers Association cheered the legislation, saying it will improve accessibility of mortgage financing on tribal lands. This important legislation will reduce or eliminate [BIA] processing delays, improving access to credit by encouraging more lenders to participate in trust land mortgage lending, MBA Senior Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs Bill Killmer told Housingwire. Addressing these processing delays and improving credit availability will go a long way in helping more Indigenous and Native families buy a home. The overwhelming votes to pass these two Indian Country housing bills by the Senate highlights that Congress can get things done in a bipartisan manner when they put their mind to it. Im not sure you can say the same thing about the House, where ultra-conservative far-right Republicans and left-wing progressive Democrats often seem more interested in scoring political points than coming together on important policy for this country and for Indian Country. It is time for the House to stop the tug-of-war and get behind legislation aimed at improving the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives. If the Senate can work in a bipartisan manner, so can the House. Thayek gde nwendemen - We are all related. About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net." Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net Car and motorcycle show is Friday DOVER The Downtown Dover Car and Bike Show will be Friday on West Third Street. Registration is 5 to 7 p.m. and is $10. Awards for the top 30 vehicles, the top three motorcycles and the best of show will be presented at 8:30 p.m. Choice awards will be given by the Dover administration and city council. There will be food, and Spikeman will play music. The event, hosted by Kustom Kemps of Ohio, will be held rain or shine. Ohio Forestry Association to meet DOVER The local chapter of the Ohio Forestry Association will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Community Room of the Dover Public Library, 525 N. Walnut St. The featured speaker is Katie Gerber, ODNR service forester from District 9, who will talk about the WOW organization (Women Owning Woodlands). Benefit for the Roxy Theatre on Friday MINERVA The Roxy Theatre, 114 N. Market St., will host the local band Hot Cargo playing classic country and classic rock music at 7 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $10 and are available at the chamber office or at the door. All proceeds will benefit the Roxy. For more information, call 330-868-7979 or email minervachamber@gmail.com. Ask a Curator event is Saturday ZOAR Historic Zoar Village will host Ask a Curator from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, in the Bimeler Museum. Attendees can bring family heirlooms and antique shop finds. Becky Preiss Odom and Marlise Schoeny, curators with the Ohio History Connection, will answer questions about these items and discuss artifacts in Zoars current History in Pieces quilt exhibit, which is open through October. Fire department dinner is Sunday SCIO The Scio Volunteer Fire Department will sponsor an all-you-can-eat roast beef dinner from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sunday at 318 W. Main St. Cost is $15 for adults, $8 for 9 and younger. Proceeds benefit the Fire Department. Dennison Railroad Festival photo contest winners named DENNISON Winners of the 2023 photography contest sponsored by the Dennison Rotary Club were announced recently. The photo contest was held in conjunction with the Dennison Railroad Festival and photos were displayed at the Dennison Branch of the Claymont Library during the festival. Story continues Prizes consisted of award ribbons and cash awards for first-place winners. The list of winners, in order of finish, first through third place, follows by category: Adult Division Animals: Dan Lux, Egret with Shad;" Michelle Wittensolder, One Eye Open;" Lux, Upsidedown Sumac" Flowers: Jennifer Case, Admiration;" Jerry Dawson,Hello Spring;" Suzanne Lux, White Cut Lily People: Jerry Dawson, Out at First;" Hannah Mason, Play Time;" Dawson, Bottoms Up Scenery: Lux, Glade Creek Grist Mill;" Wittensolder, Country Church;" Lux, Conkles Hollow at Noon Open: Hannah Mason, Memory of a Fallen Soldier;" Wittensolder, Black and White Trees;" Mason, Worms Eye View of Vessel Youth Division First, Adrianna Fracchione, second, Francchione, third, Jayden Jackson Shredding event is Saturday DOVER The Tuscarawas County Literacy Coalition will host a document-shredding and destruction event from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 5, in the parking lot of First Federal Community Bank. A limit of four boxes of documents will be accepted per vehicle. E-waste also will be accepted, including laptops, keyboards, desktop printers, routes, modems, fax machines, personal computers (not including monitors), and hard drives. Televisions and monitors cannot be taken this year. For more information, call Jim Gill at 330-343-6123. Donate school supplies NEW PHILADELPHIA The United Way of Tuscarawas County and HARCATUS Head Start will partner to Stuff the Bus during the Ohio Tax Free weekend from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Walmart, 231 Bluebell Drive. Volunteers will be stationed at each entrance with a list of needed items along with collection boxes. The boxes will then be delivered to the school bus parked in the lot. Items collected will be distributed to Head Start classes throughout Tuscarawas County. Collection boxes are also located at the individual Parkway Auto Group dealerships on Commercial Parkway in Dover, The Barnett Realtors and McInturf Realty in New Philadelphia, and local Unified Bank locations. Andreas Furniture, City of New Philadelphia, Kraton, and Novogradac will be holding employee collections. Needed supplies include Pull-ups, crayons-regular/large, socks/underwear, tissues, glue and washable markers. Donations will also be accepted with checks payable to United Way of Tuscarawas County. New member for MWCD Board NEW PHILADELPHIA Jennifer Ponchak from Morgan County was appointed to fill a vacancy on the five member Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District Board of Directors. Ponchak was appointed to a five-year term. She fills the seat previously held by Joanne Limbach. Other members of the board include Robert S. Moorehead of Guernsey County, Gordon T. Maupin of Wayne County, Jim Gresh of Stark County, and Ronald E. Dziedzicki of Medina County. This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Roundup: Community news from the Dover-New Philadelphia region Two Flagler County men have been arrested following a raid that seized numerous narcotics from drug houses said the Flagler County Sheriffs Office. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<< According to a news release, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and SWAT Team served two narcotics-related search warrants simultaneously on Tuesday at 25 Wood Ash Lane in Palm Coast and 500 N Central Ave in Flagler Beach. Read: Casselberry homicide suspect appears before a judge The Flagler County deputies said during the raids Jason Rowe was arrested and taken into custody for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Sell and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Scott Andersen was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Sell, Trafficking Fentanyl, Possession of a Schedule II Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, authorities said. Deputies said the search warrants stemmed from several previous undercover operations conducted by SIU. Flagler County Sheriffs Office SIU and SWAT. Read: Man injured, suspect at large after shooting in East Orange County, deputies say Excellent work by our SIU and SWAT team to get these poison peddlers off the street, said Sheriff Rick Staly. There is no way to know how many lives were saved by getting this poison off the street. If you are selling drugs in Flagler County, we will find you and close down your drug business. Jason Rowe 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. GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Gunshots rang out in a crowd early Sunday, killing two people in the city that is home to Floridas flagship university, authorities said. Police officers had been conducting crowd control in downtown Gainesville, Florida, in a commercial corridor several blocks from the University of Florida campus when they heard gunshots, the police department said in a post. The post didn't disclose how many people were shot but said two of the shooting victims later died from their injuries. Police were seeking the public's help for any information on the shootings. Two women were shot and killed and now a 22-year-old man has been charged with murder, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said. In addition to two counts of murder, Tyquaveon Isaiah Hartzog was also charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime, SLED said in a news release. The shooting happened July 22 at an Exxon gas station/convenience store at 5009 Allendale-Fairfax Highway, according to the release. Thats in Allendale, between the campus of the University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie and Allendale-Fairfax High School. Allendale County Coroner Renique Riley said that 25-year-old Parris Lee and 34-year-old Herrinda D. Murdaugh were the shooting victims, WRDW reported. Lee was found partially inside a vehicle and died at the scene, while Murdaugh was discovered next to the vehicle and was taken to an area hospital where she died, according to arrest warrants. No other injuries were reported. Surveillance footage shows Hartzog with a gun in his hand as he got out of a Chevrolet Equinox parked at the gas station, arrest warrants show. Murdaugh is also seen in the surveillance footage, falling to the ground next to the Chevy with a gunshot wound, according to arrest warrants. When Lee was found, she also had been shot, the arrest warrants said. On July 23, Hartzog turned himself in to the Allendale Police Department, and brought the pistol that was used in the homicide, according to the arrest warrants. Hartzog told investigators that the shooting was in self defense, the arrest warrants said. Information about why Hartzog said he was defending himself was not available. A witness said Hartzog was in the backseat of the Chevy with the victims at the time of the shooting, according to the arrest warrants. There was no word on a motive for the shootings, or a connection between Hartzog and the victims prior to the gunfire. Hartzog was booked at the Allendale Detention Center, SLED said. No bond was set, according to Allendale County court records. Story continues In addition to SLED and Allendale police, the shooting was investigated by the Fairfax Police Department as well as the Allendale County Sheriffs Office. The case will be prosecuted by the 14th Circuit Solicitors Office, according to SLED. Funeral services for Lee will be held on Aug. 5 at First Thankful Baptist Church in Estill, and her burial will follow in the church cemetery, according to her obituary shared by M.F. Rileys Funeral Home. No memorial plans for Murdaugh have been announced, but are expected to be released by B. F. Cave Funeral Home, according to her obituary. An American F-15 jet takes off from Anderson Air Force Base in Guam on Feb. 17, 2023. (Chang W. Lee/The New York Times) WASHINGTON The Biden administration is hunting for malicious computer code it believes China has hidden deep inside the networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases in the United States and around the world, according to U.S. military, intelligence and national security officials. The discovery of the malware has raised fears that Chinese hackers, probably working for the Peoples Liberation Army, have inserted code designed to disrupt U.S. military operations in the event of a conflict, including if Beijing moves against Taiwan in coming years. The malware, one congressional official said, was essentially a ticking time bomb that could give China the power to interrupt or slow U.S. military deployments or resupply operations by cutting off power, water and communications to military bases. But its impact could be far broader, because that same infrastructure often supplies the houses and businesses of ordinary Americans, according to U.S. officials. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times The first public hints of the malware campaign began to emerge in late May, when Microsoft said it had detected mysterious computer code in telecommunications systems in Guam, the Pacific island with a vast American air base, and elsewhere in the United States. But that turned out to be only the narrow slice of the problem that Microsoft could see through its networks. More than a dozen U.S. officials and industry experts said in interviews over the past two months that the Chinese effort goes far beyond telecommunications systems and predated the May report by at least a year. They said the U.S. governments effort to hunt down the code, and eradicate it, has been underway for some time. Most spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential and in some cases classified assessments. They say the investigations so far show the Chinese effort appears more widespread in the United States and at American facilities abroad than they had initially realized. But officials acknowledge that they do not know the full extent of the codes presence in networks around the world, partly because it is so well hidden. Story continues The discovery of the malware has touched off a series of Situation Room meetings in the White House in recent months, as senior officials from the National Security Council, the Pentagon, the Homeland Security Department and the nations spy agencies attempt to understand the scope of the problem and plot a response. Biden administration officials have begun to brief members of Congress, some state governors and utility companies about the findings, and confirmed some conclusions about the operation in interviews with The New York Times. There is a debate inside the administration over whether the goal of the operation is primarily aimed at disrupting the military, or at civilian life more broadly in the event of a conflict. But officials say that the initial searches for the code have focused first on areas with a high concentration of U.S. military bases. In response to questions from the Times, the White House issued a statement Friday night that made no reference to China or the military bases. The Biden administration is working relentlessly to defend the United States from any disruptions to our critical infrastructure, including by coordinating interagency efforts to protect water systems, pipelines, rail and aviation systems, among others, said Adam Hodge, acting spokesperson for the National Security Council. He added: The president has also mandated rigorous cybersecurity practices for the first time. Hodge was referring to a series of executive orders, some motivated by concerns over SolarWinds, commercial software used widely by the U.S. government that was breached by a Russian surveillance operation, and the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack by a Russian criminal group. That attack resulted in the temporary cutoff of half the gasoline, jet fuel and diesel supplies that run up the East Coast. The U.S. government and Microsoft have attributed the recent malware attack to Chinese state-sponsored actors, but the government has not disclosed why it reached that conclusion. There is debate among different arms of the U.S. government about the intent of the intrusions, but not about their source. The public revelation of the malware operation comes at an especially fraught moment in relations between Washington and Beijing, with clashes that include Chinese threats against Taiwan as well as U.S. efforts to ban the sale of highly sophisticated semiconductors to the Chinese government. Many of the tensions in the relationship have been driven not only by technological competition but by mutual accusations of malicious activity in cyberspace. The United States has blamed China for a variety of major hacks against U.S. agencies and infrastructure, and accused the foreign power of spying from a bus-size balloon that traversed the United States in February, until it was shot down off South Carolina. For its part, China has accused the United States of hacking into Huawei, its telecommunications giant. Secret documents released a decade ago by Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor now in exile in Russia, confirmed that U.S. intelligence agencies did just that. But almost all of those cases involved intelligence gathering. The discovery of the malicious code in American infrastructure, one of President Joe Bidens most senior advisers said, raises the question of what, exactly, they are preparing for. If gaining advantage in a Taiwan confrontation is at the heart of Chinas intent, slowing down U.S. military deployments by a few days or weeks might give China a window in which it would have an easier time taking control of the island by force. Chinese concern about U.S. intervention was most likely fueled by Bidens several statements over the past 18 months that he would defend Taiwan with U.S. troops if necessary. Another theory is that the code is intended to distract. Chinese officials, U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed, may believe that during an attack on Taiwan or other Chinese action, any interruptions in U.S. infrastructure could so fixate the attention of American citizens that they would think little about an overseas conflict. The Chinese Embassy in Washington issued a statement Saturday after publication of this article, denying that it engages in hacking and accusing the United States of being a far larger offender. We have always firmly opposed and cracked down on all forms of cyberattacking in accordance with the law, said Haoming Ouyang, an embassy spokesperson. The Chinese government agencies face numerous cyberattacks every day, most of which come from sources in the U.S., he wrote, adding: We hope relevant parties will stop smearing China with groundless accusations. Chinese officials have never conceded that China was behind the theft of security clearance files of roughly 22 million Americans including 6 million sets of fingerprints from the Office of Personnel Management during the Obama administration. That exfiltration resulted in an agreement between President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping that resulted in a brief decline in malicious Chinese cyberactivity. The agreement has since collapsed. Now, Chinese cyberoperations seem to have taken a turn. The latest intrusions are different from those in the past because disruption, not surveillance, appears to be the objective, U.S. officials say. At the Aspen Security Forum earlier this month, Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, said Chinas recent hack targeting the U.S. ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was traditional espionage. The spy balloon shot down earlier this year also captured public attention, but generated less concern inside the intelligence community. Intelligence officials and others in the Biden administration viewed those operations as the kind of spy-versus-spy games that Washington and Beijing have run against each other for decades. In contrast, Joyce said the intrusions in Guam were really disturbing because of their disruptive potential. The Chinese code, the officials say, appears directed at ordinary utilities that serve both civilian populations and nearby military bases. Only U.S. nuclear sites have self-contained communication systems, electricity and water pipelines. (The code has not been found in classified systems. Officials declined to describe the unclassified military networks in which the code has been found.) While the most sensitive planning is carried out on classified networks, the military routinely uses unclassified, but secure, networks for basic communications, personnel matters, logistics and supply issues. Officials say that if the malware is activated, it is not clear how effective it would be at slowing an American response and that the Chinese government may not know, either. In interviews, officials said they believe that in many cases the communications, computer networks and power grids could be quickly restored in a matter of days. But intelligence analysts have concluded that China may believe there is utility in any disruptive attack that could slow down the U.S. response. The initial Microsoft discovery in Guam home to major U.S. Air Force and Marine bases was attributed by the company to a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group that the company named Volt Typhoon. A warning from the Homeland Security Departments Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the NSA and others issued the same day also said the malware was from the state-sponsored Chinese hacking group and was living off the land. The phrase means that it was avoiding detection by blending in with normal computer activity, conducted by authorized users. But the warning did not outline other details of the threat. Some officials briefly considered whether to leave the malware in place, quietly monitor the code they had found and prepare plans to try to neutralize it if it was even activated. Monitoring the intrusions would allow them to learn more about it, and possibly lull the Chinese hackers into a false sense that their penetration had not been exposed. But senior White House officials quickly rejected that option and said that given the potential threat, the prudent path was to excise the offending malware as quickly as it could be found. Still, there are risks. U.S. cybersecurity experts are able to remove some of the malware, but some officials said there are concerns that the Chinese could use similar techniques to quickly regain access. Removing the Volt Typhoon malware also runs the risk of tipping off Chinas increasingly talented hacking forces about what intrusions the United States is able to find, and what it is missing. If that happens, China could improve its techniques and be able to reinfect military systems with even harder-to-find software. The recent Chinese penetrations have been enormously difficult to detect. The sophistication of the attacks limits how much the implanted software is communicating with Beijing, making it difficult to discover. Many hacks are discovered when experts track information being extracted out of a network, or unauthorized accesses are made. But this malware can lay dormant for long periods of time. Speaking earlier this month at an intelligence summit, George Barnes, deputy director of the NSA, said the Volt Typhoon attacks demonstrated how much more sophisticated China had become at penetrating government and private sector networks. Barnes said that rather than exploit flaws in software to gain access, China had found ways to steal or mimic the credentials of system administrators, the people who run computer networks. Once those are in hand, the Chinese hackers essentially have the freedom to go anywhere in a network and implant their own code. China is steadfast and determined to penetrate our governments, our companies, our critical infrastructure, Barnes said. In the earlier days, Chinas cyberoperations activities were very noisy and very rudimentary, he continued. They have continued to bring resources, sophistication and mass to their game. So the sophistication continues to increase. c.2023 The New York Times Company A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee says a high-profile hearing on UFOs is just the start of their push for answers. And they are threatening to use heavier-handed tactics if the Pentagon and intelligence agencies stand in their way. Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) want more information on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) commonly referred to as UFOs beginning with new laws, a classified hearing and the possible creation of a select committee. The lawmakers said they are willing to use subpoena power if needed to get the answers theyre seeking from the federal government. If theres not a cover-up, the government and the Pentagon are sure spending a lot of resources to stop us from studying it, Burchett told The Hill. He added that they hope House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) can aid them in setting up a select committee to study the issue of UAPs as well as any government program that addresses them. If they dont get leadership approval, theyll just start holding field hearings because the public is demanding that we have transparency, Burchett said. The effort comes after three former military officials earlier this week and under oath gave bombshell testimony on the unexplained aerial objects, telling lawmakers that for years theyve been kept in the dark about the mysterious sightings and encounters. David Grusch, a former Air Force intelligence officer, gave the most shocking testimony when he said he was told of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program, accusing the military of misdirecting funds to keep such operations secret. The shocking testimony now has committee members questioning how Congress should begin to investigate the witness claims and demand more answers from the executive branch on programs it claims doesnt exist. Story continues Lawmakers hope to start with obtaining additional information and documents that Grusch said he submitted to the Pentagons inspector general after serving on two Defense Department task forces looking into UAPs. To get the information from Grusch who said he was unable to discuss specifics on what he told the Pentagons watchdog arm lawmakers want to sit down with the former official in a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) to get additional information from him. The group has been blocked, however, by officials that have informed them that Grusch doesnt currently have security clearance to discuss the issues in a SCIF, according to Burchett. I think well get there eventually, its just frustrating. Im ready to go and the American public are ready to go, he said. Luna argued the SCIF with Grusch would help lawmakers better understand the type of legislation they need to write regarding UAPs. She said she supports legislation that would declassify information on the phenomena. With a growing amount of bipartisan interest for more government transparency surrounding the issue, a need for reporting procedures for UAPs both in the miliary and commercial airspace and stronger and stricter punishment for those that try to silence whistleblowers, the topic is more important than ever, she said. There is currently a provision in the Senates version of the annual defense authorization bill, inserted by Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), that would force federal government agencies to hand over UAP records to a review panel with the power to declassify them. The bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, was passed by the Senate on Thursday and now must be reconciled with the Houses version, so the initiative could still be stripped out. Burchett also made an attempt to put an amendment into a Federal Aviation Administration bill to improve air travel, passed July 20, that would have required UAP sightings be reported to Congress. The initiative was blocked, which Luna said was an indication that we clearly have a battle ahead of us. Another avenue for lawmakers, should they not receive access to a SCIF, would be invoking the Holman rule. During Wednesdays hearing, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) vowed to do just that, saying that he would personally volunteer to initiate the Holman rule against any personnel, or any program, or any agency that denies access to Congress. The Holman rule is a House power through which they can strip the salary of a specific government position, fire civil servants or cut a particular program. Ogless pledge came after Grusch told lawmakers that the federal government for decades has secretly funded a UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program and that he believes the government is in possession of nonhuman crafts, based on interviews with 40 witnesses. Moskowitz told The Hill that while its too early to use the Holman rule as Congress must first figure out where these positions exist and then examine whether or not they should be funded he hopes that by discussing the rule it will create more transparency with the federal government. This is about government transparency. Im all for protecting national security, but that cant just be a shield to deny the American people the basics of what we know about UAPs, he said. And Burchett said if lawmakers start getting stonewalled by the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, he will have no hesitation to invoke the rule. Luna, meanwhile, said whether lawmakers use the rule depends on the response they receive from various agencies, programs and appointees. That process could start as soon as September when lawmakers consider the defense appropriations bill on the House floor. We know that enormous sums of money are being spent on UAP-related activity, whether its retrieval/recovery, research and reverse-engineering, or just security for whatever the government is hiding, she told The Hill. But none of that is on the books, so from a basic governance perspective, Congress needs to know where money is being misappropriated. The Hills Sarakshi Rai contributed reporting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Next week, Ukraine will begin negotiations with the United States on a bilateral agreement on providing security guarantees within the framework of the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine. Source: Andrii Yermak, Head of the President's Office, in his speech at the meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, held in Ivano-Frankivsk, reports European Pravda with reference to the Presidents website Details: Yermak says these guarantees will be valid until Ukraine joins NATO. He stressed that Ukraine is already working on bilateral agreements with partners. Quote: "And I will make a small announcement: we are to begin the relevant negotiations with the United States next week. Security guarantees for Ukraine will be concrete and long-term commitments that will ensure Ukraine's ability to win now and deter Russian aggression in the future. These will be clearly described formats and support mechanisms." Earlier: Member states of the Group of Seven at the NATO summit in Vilnius have agreed on a framework document concerning security guarantees for Ukraine The leaders agreed not on specific parameters of security guarantees, but on their framework, while specific bilateral treaties will be signed later. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! (Reuters) -Ukraine is to start consultations with the United States this week on providing security guarantees for Kyiv pending the completion of the process of joining NATO, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff said on Sunday. Andriy Yermak, writing on the Telegram messaging app, also said officials from a number of countries were preparing to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss Zelenskiy's peace plan for Ukraine, based on the departure of all Russian troops. Yermak did not say when the next meeting would take place but said the plan would be discussed in three phases, leading up to a meeting of heads of state and government. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the meeting in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, saying it would be held in Jeddah on August 5-6. The talks on security guarantees with the United States are a follow-up on pledges issued by the Group of 7 (G7) at the NATO summit in Lithuania earlier this month to draw up and honour security guarantees. "We are starting talks with the United States (this) week," Yermak wrote on Telegram. "Security guarantees for Ukraine will be concrete, long-term obligations ensuring Ukraine's capacity to defeat and restrain Russian aggression in the future. These will be clearly drafted formats and mechanisms of support." He said the guarantees "will be in effect until Ukraine secures NATO membership." The Western Alliance's Vilnius summit offered support to Ukraine in countering Russia's 17-month-old invasion and individual countries pledged new weapons, but no date for Ukrainian membership was set as long as the war continues. Members of the G7 agreed for each nation to negotiate agreements to provide security guarantees and help Ukraine bolster its military. In his comments, Yermak said more than 10 other countries had joined the G7 declaration and Ukraine was negotiating terms of future guarantees with each of them. Yermak spoke of the forthcoming meeting in Saudi Arabia at a gathering of regional officials in the western Ukrainian city of Ivano Frankivsk. Story continues He said an initial international meeting devoted to the peace plan took place in Copenhagen in June. In addition to calling for a withdrawal of Russian troops, Zelenskiy's peace plan also provides for the restoration of Ukraine's pre-war borders and the return home of all prisoners and deported children. Russia and Ukraine held a series of peace talks soon after Russia's invasion in February 2022, but these failed to produce any agreement. Ukraine, its military now bolstered by Western arms, now says it will not take part in any further talks until Russian troops leave. (Reporting by Ron PopeskiEditing by Chris Reese and Diane Craft) Amid the never-ending coverage of the latest offensive or counteroffensive in Ukraine, it is often unappreciated just how much worse the global economic repercussions from the conflict could have been. Russia is the worlds leading exporter of gas and provided around 50% of the EUs demand before the war; Ukraine, meanwhile, is a major exporter of grain, alongside Russia itself. The complete disruption of either of these channels would have resulted in catastrophe. The fact this didnt happen last year was largely thanks to two crucial agreements secured early in the conflict: the Black Sea Grain Initiative, whereby Russia allowed Ukraine to continue exporting grain via the Black Sea (which is under its control), and a deal that allowed Russian gas to continue flowing to Europe via Ukraine. But the former has just been suspended, and the latter could soon be terminated. The true cost of this war, it seems, is about to greatly increase. When the grain deal was brokered last July, Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the UN, called it a beacon of hope and rightly so. Reaching an agreement of this kind was a remarkable achievement and a big, if rare, victory for international diplomacy. It contributed to significantly lowering grain prices and avoided a collapse in Ukrainian exports (which only declined by around 30%) effectively preventing a potential global humanitarian disaster. Over the past year, more than 1,000 ships (containing nearly 33 million metric tons of grain and other foodstuffs) left Ukraine from three Ukrainian ports: Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. On July 17, however, Putin pulled out of the deal. Russias move didnt come out of the blue. As Western sanctions increased, the deal had started coming under growing strain, with the Kremlin claiming that the West wasnt holding up its end of the bargain, which allowed for more Russian agricultural and fertiliser exports. For this to happen, Russia insisted on reconnecting the Russian Agricultural Bank to the Swift international payment system and, among other things, the unblocking of assets and accounts of those Russian companies involved in food and fertiliser exports. But the most important demand was the resumption of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline, which runs from the Russian city of Togliatti to various Black Sea ports in Ukraine, and which prior to the war exported 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia annually. As part of the negotiations over the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Kyiv and Moscow struck a deal to allow the safe passage of ammonia through the pipeline but the latter was never reopened by Ukraine. Last September, the UN urged Ukraine to resume its transport, in view of ammonia fertilisers crucial role in supporting global agricultural productions, but to no avail. Then, last month, Russia once again demanded once the reopening of the pipeline as a condition for renewing the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Just a few days later, a section of it located in Ukrainian territory was blown up according to Russia, by Ukrainian saboteurs, in a deliberate effort to sabotage the grain deal. The governor of Ukraines Kharkiv Oblast, however, maintains that it was destroyed by Russian shelling. In any case, the fate of the deal was more or less sealed at that point: when Dmitry Peskov, Putins spokesman, announced a month later that the Black Sea agreements are no longer in effect, few were surprised. The decision came just a few hours after Ukraines strike on the bridge connecting mainland Russia to Crimea, though Moscow denied that there was a connection between the two events. Predictably, the West has chastised Russias decision to pull out of the deal. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country regrets Russias continued weaponisation of food, while the EUs foreign policy chief Josep Borrell claimed that Putin is using hunger as a weapon. Elsewhere, Polands Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau described it as nothing less than an act of economic aggression against the states of the Global South, which are most dependent on the Ukrainian grain, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that Russias decision is further proof on who is a friend and who is the enemy of the poorest countries. Such strong rhetoric masks a more nuanced picture, however. As Oxfam has claimed, based on data from the UNs Joint Coordination Centre, less than 3% of the grain from the deal went to the worlds poorest countries, including Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Yemen. By contrast, approximately 80% of the grain has been shipped to richer countries, mainly EU countries and China. Putin himself, in conversation with the President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, claimed that the deals main goal to supply grain to countries in need, including those on the African continent has not been implemented. Yet despite Putins claims of export challenges, Russia enjoyed record levels of wheat shipments over the past year so clearly this decision has much more to do with the exacerbation of West-Russia relations than it has to do with strictly economic issues. Likewise, it is fair to assume that Putins decision to send free grain to six African countries that have strong ties with Moscow has more to do with strengthening global alliances than actual humanitarian concerns. But with no end to the war in sight, and all sides engaged in increasingly brazen military brinkmanship, is anyone really surprised that a deal that hinged entirely on Russias goodwill has come undone? And the price will be paid by Western countries, too. Now that the Black Sea Grain Initiative has been paused, even greater quantities of Ukrainian grain will be transported overland across Europe through so-called solidarity routes set up by the EU. Yet problems had already arisen before the initiative collapsed, as cheap Ukrainian grain, much of which was exported by tax-avoiding shell firms, flooded local markets, where they undercut local produce and angered farmers. In response, in April, the governments of Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia introduced unilateral bans on Ukrainian grain until an EU deal was agreed that made it possible to reduce pressure on local markets, while at the same time enabling the transit of Ukrainian goods to traditional markets in non-EU countries. With the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, however, the pressures are likely to increase. At the moment, the future of the deal remains unclear. Putin left the door open to reviving it, saying that Russia will comply as soon as the Russian part (of the deal) is completed. However, the fact that Russia has launched several attacks on critical grain export infrastructure in the Odesa region suggests that a resumption of the deal appears unlikely anytime soon. And it appears a similar story of obstruction seems to be playing out with Russian gas exports. Despite the war, Russian gas has continued to flow through Ukraine into Europe softening the blow of the EUs intention of decoupling from Russian energy while allowing Ukraine to raise much-needed cash in the form of transit fees. In a recent interview with the Financial Times, however, German Galushchenko, Ukraines energy minister, said that Kyiv is unlikely to renew the gas transit deal when Ukraines supply contract with Gazprom expires in 2024. In practice, this would mean the closure of one of the last arteries still carrying Russian gas to Europe, a move which would severely weaken many energy-dependent EU countries. Recent analysis by Columbia Universitys Center on Global Energy Policy suggests that deliveries to EU countries could drop to between 10 and 16 billion cubic meters (45 to 73% of current levels), according to a June analysis by Columbia Universitys Center on Global Energy Policy, leaving Europe with a shortfall that cannot currently be replaced with greater liquefied natural gas imports from the US and Qatar. Moreover, the loss of even a small percentage of supply has the potential to raise prices across the continent, given the tightness of global gas markets. In Germany, for instance, the economy minister has hinted that the country will be forced to significantly wind down its industrial activities if the gas agreement isnt extended at the end of the year. For a country and indeed a continent already struggling with creeping deindustrialisation, the consequences could be devastating. This is especially worrying if we consider that, barring the same higher-than-average temperatures as last year, this winter Europe will have a natural gas deficit of at least 60 billion cubic meters. In other words, its not inconceivable that another gas crisis is around the corner and it might be even worse than last years. As the Ukraine war drags on, even the few safeguards put in place are coming undone. Instead of being diluted by diplomacy, the repercussions of this conflict have merely evolved. Blackmail by Russian occupiers at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has recently escalated because of the counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces. Source: Herman Halushchenko, Minister of Energy of Ukraine, on air during the 24/7 national joint newscast, quoted by Interfax-Ukraine Quote: "Now it is quite obvious that there is a certain escalation in this blackmail by Russia, and I think it is definitely connected with the development of the counteroffensive... They [the Russians ed.] are trying to raise the degree of tension quite significantly. The very fact that they are at the plant is a threat, so... the threat can be implemented at any time." Details: Halushchenko stressed that there is no evidence of any radiation accidents at the ZNPP. The minister also pointed out that there are currently four IAEA inspectors at the ZNPP but they are unable to access all the plants facilities, which, as Halushchenko noted, results in a lack of information. Quote: "Therefore, they also receive a limited amount of information, and this is a big problem. Because we, Ukraine... we are cut off from the official monitoring of what is happening there. We have only one official source, and that is the IAEA experts." Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! The state of preparation for the heating season in Ukraine is 60%, said Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine. Source: Shmyhal, at the meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, held in Ivano-Frankivsk, cited by Ukrinform news agency Quote: "The degree of readiness for the heating season is now 60%." Details: Shmyhal added that government-created headquarters in charge of preparations for the winter season have been working in Ukraine since May. Shmyhal noted that 4 nuclear power units, 9 thermal power plant units, and 6 hydraulic units have already been repaired. By the beginning of the heating season, the Ministry of Energy has a clear task to complete, to return 1.7 GW of capacity to the power system, he added. Quote: "We accumulate energy resources. We have 11.7 billion cubic metres of gas, which is 80% of the planned volume. We have 1.5 million tonnes of coal in warehouses out of the planned 1.8 million tonnes," the prime minister assured. According to him, since the beginning of the year, 14,500 kilometres of overhead power lines have been repaired in Ukraine; over 60% damaged thermal power plants, thermal power plants, and boiler houses have been restored. The Prime Minister noted that the purchase of municipal equipment for 12 regions that need it is currently underway; this procurement will cost UAH 50 million [approx. US$1,359 million ed.], and funding from international partners has been involved. Earlier: At the end of June, the Association of Ukrainian Cities stated that the number of appeals from municipalities to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the preparation of heat supply enterprises for the heating season is growing; in all cases, these appeals say there's a threat to remain without heating in winter. On 25 July, Shmyhal reported that in preparation for the heating season, 80% of the required volume of gas was already pumped into Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities, and the restoration of the energy sector continues. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A fragment of the downed Shahed Ukrainian defenders dealt a significant blow to the enemy on July 30 in Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts in the south and east of the country, shooting down four hostile Shahed attack drones, the Ukrainian Air Force has reported on Telegram. The invaders launched their attack from the southeastern direction using four tactical UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type, the air force said. Read also: Shahed drones are being manufactured in Russia, Ukrainian military says Thanks to the swift and effective response of the Air Force, all enemy drones were successfully neutralized within the airspaces of Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, Ukraines air force said. In addition, on July 29, the anti-aircraft defense forces eliminated four reconnaissance UAVs of the operational-tactical level, the air force said. Read also: New drone factory in Russia could significantly impact war in Ukraine report In the regular morning briefing at the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ukrainian military confirmed that Russia had conducted a nighttime strike on Ukraine using Shahed drones. During the night, the Russian Federation once again launched an attack on Ukraine using Iranian-made Shahed UAVs. Information regarding the consequences of this terrorist attack is currently being verified, an official statement from the General Staff reads 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 defenders have killed another 480 invaders and destroyed 14 tanks, 11 armoured combat vehicles and other Russian equipment over the past 24 hours. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces from 24 February 2022 to 30 July 2023 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses ed.]: approximately 245,700 (+480) military personnel; 4,205 (+14) tanks; 8,178 (+11) armoured combat vehicles; 4,795 (+9) artillery systems; 698 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems; 459 (+1) air defence systems; 315 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft; 311 (+0) helicopters; 4,011 (+4) tactical UAVs; 1,347 (+0) cruise missiles; 18 (+0) ships/boats; 7,275 (+28) vehicles and tankers; 711 (+1) special vehicles. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Consequences of the explosion in Moscow Two large blasts hit the Moscow-City business district of the Russian capital overnight on July 30, apparently from drone attacks, causing damage to two office buildings, halting traffic, and temporarily shutting down one of Moscows airports. The attack on the Russian capital was carried out by Ukrainian drones, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin calimed early on July 30. REUTERS/Stringer During the night, an attack by Ukrainian drones was carried out. The facades of two office towers in the (Moscow)-City were slightly damaged. There are no casualties or injuries, said Sobyanin. REUTERS/Stringer The Russian Defense Ministry has already accused Ukraine of an attempted terrorist attack. Read also: How Moscow drone attacks affect the war One Ukrainian UAV was destroyed in the air-by-air defense systems over the territory of the Odintsovo District of Moscow Oblast (on the south-western outskirts of the Russian capital), it said on Telegram. Two more drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of Moscow-Citys non-residential building complex. The attack is the latest in a string of drone assaults on Moscow, the last one occurring on July 24, when two buildings were hit. The Russian authorities typically claim that all attacking drones are brought down by air defenses, or jammed and disabled by electronic warfare systems. Kyiv is yet to comment, but Ukraine typically declines to claim responsibility for attacks on Russia. Later, Moscow emergency services reported one person had been injured in an explosion at the Vysota Oko-2 tower in Moscow-City. Traffic along Testivska Street in the Moscow-City area, where the drones damaged the facades of two office towers, has been blocked, according to Kremlin-controlled news agency RIA-Novosti, citing the transportation department. Videos of the Moscow-City explosions were later posted on social media. In one, the sound of the petrol engine of a drone can be heard, before an explosion and fireball erupts at the base of the Vysota Oko-2 tower. Another shows light from an explosion captured on a car dashcam. Story continues The first drone appears to have attacked the 10th floor of the IQ Quarter tower in Moscow-City, where the office of the Russian Ministry of Digital Development is located. Passersby found documents from this ministry on the street after the explosion, according to media reports. The same tower also houses two other Russian ministries the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. As reported by the Telegram channel BAZA, the cladding of the IQ Quarter in Moscow-City was damaged after the attack, affecting an office space. The glass of a neighboring tower was also damaged. Read also: Moscow mayor alleges drone attack against Russian capital Moreover, due to the attack, Vnukovo Airport had to close for takeoffs and landings, according by the Russian state news agency TASS. Vnukovo Airport was closed at approximately 4.40 a.m., and flights were redirected to other airports, causing delays, according to RIA-Novosti. Some aircraft had to circle in the skies over Moscow for several hours, awaiting clearance for landing. Other Moscow airports, such as Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo, operated as usual. Approximately an hour later, at 5.20 a.m., Vnukovo resumed flight operations. 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 President Volodymyr Zelensky said that war is gradually returning to Russia hours after the Kremlin accused Kyiv of targeting Moscow with drones, the latest in a series of attacks. The Russian Defense Ministry said three drones were intercepted Sunday but a business and shopping development in the west of the capital was hit. The fifth and sixth floor of a 50-story building were damaged, and no casualties were reported, state news agency TASS reported. Videos showed debris as well as emergency services at the scene. Ukraine is getting stronger, and the war is gradually returning to Russias territory, to its symbolic centers and military bases, Zelensky said in his daily address. This is an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair. A spokesman for Ukraines Air Force said the latest drone attacks on Moscow were aimed at impacting Russians who, since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, felt the war was distant. Theres always something flying in Russia, as well as in Moscow. Now the war is affecting those who were not concerned, the spokesman, Yurii Ihnat, said on Ukrainian television. No matter how the Russian authorities would like to turn a blind eye on this by saying they have intercepted everything something does hit. Ukraines military has increasingly been deploying unmanned aerial vehicles for more than just reconnaissance. Ukrainian Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whose Digital Transformation Ministry oversees the countrys Army of Drones procurement plan, had said there would be more drone strikes to come as Kyiv ramps up a summer counteroffensive aimed at pushing Russian troops out of Ukrainian territory. Moscow was targeted earlier this week. Ukraine claimed responsibility for a strike on Monday that hit two non-residential buildings, including one near the Ministry of Defense headquarter. Russia called that incident a terrorist attack, although the Kremlins military actions in Ukraine have regularly caused civilian casualties. Story continues A Russian missile attack in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy late on Saturday killed at least two people civilian and injured another 20, while a rocket strike on Zaporizhzhia left another two people dead. Both areas had been subject to lengthy bombardments over the weekend. Ukrainian authorities in Sumy said there had been 25 instances of shelling in a single day, while a military leader in Zaporizhzhia said Russian forces had carried out 77 attacks on 20 settlements across the Zaporizhzhia, hitting 31 residential buildings and other pieces of infrastructure. Though the strikes in Moscow did not reportedly cause any injuries or fatalities, they have unsettled residents of the Russian capital. One witness to Sundays attack explained how the incident upended some planned down time. My friends and I rented an apartment to come here and unwind, and at some point, we heard an explosion it was like a wave, everyone jumped, she told Reuters. There was a lot of smoke, and you couldnt see anything. From above, you could see fire. Ukrainian drones also targeted the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula on Sunday. Russias Defense Ministry said it intercepted 25 unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, shooting down 16 of them with air defense systems. The other nine crashed into the Black Sea after their signals were jammed by electronic warfare equipment, according to the ministry. There do not appear to have been any casualties, but CNN has not been able to verify claims made by Russias Defense Ministry. On Friday Russia said it shot down a Ukrainian missile over the southern Russian city of Taganrog. Ukraine did not comment on the attack, an apparent rare case of Ukraine using missiles inside Russian territory. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has introduced new tactical trainers that have passed military research tests for comfort and now await feedback from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Source: Ukrainian MoD Details: The ministry says over 10 Ukrainian companies have agreed to provide their models of comfortable ankle boots for test wear by potential users. The first stage of military testing for fit and comfort has been completed. Having received feedback from the soldiers, the officers will work on the technical specifications, taking into account the service members recommendations and suggestions. Then they will approve the sample for orders of new batches or to upgrade existing ones. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukrainian partisans carry out sabotage attack in Mariupol Ukrainian partisans carried out a sabotage attack on July 29 on a Russian military engineering unit deep behind enemy lines, the National Resistance Center, a state civil defense organization, has reported. The sabotage attack was carried out in the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea coast of Donetsk Oblast, the center said. Read also: Mariupol guerrillas persist with decommunization efforts despite risks The center said that during the attack, the partisans destroyed three military trucks, damaged the building where the military engineering unit of the occupiers is based, and disabled the production of "dragon's teeth" concrete pyramidal anti-tank obstacles used by Russian invasion forces to fortify the front line. Read also: "A year is like a day, like Groundhog Day." The mayor of Mariupol about the first days of the Russian invasion, the support of the people "Its not just cotton..." commented one of the members of the resistance group, using a Ukrainian euphemism for blasts at Russian military sites caused by Ukrainian missiles, rockets and drones, highlighting that the destruction at the engineering unit had been the work of a traditional sabotage group working behind enemy lines. Earlier, Ukrainian partisans claimed they had managed to destroy an ammunition depot of the Russian invasion forces in Russian-occupied Mariupol. 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 Sunday Express, a British tabloid, reported that the UK forces are training an elite Ukrainian Special Operations Forces unit in preparation to liberate Russian-occupied Crimea, which might happen by December 2023. Source: Sunday Express Details: The Sunday Express is a British tabloid that sympathises with the current Conservative government and has a circulation of about 150,000 copies. The Sunday Express reported that over 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers had arrived at a remote location in Dartmoor, England, to take part in special training. Sources told the Sunday Express that those soldiers will spearhead the operation to liberate Crimea while two other forces unnamed in the report will undertake attacks at the same time. The operation is to include airstrikes and attacks from both land and sea, with Ukrainian forces deploying equipment to undermine and paralyse the Russian troops. Meanwhile, armoured vehicles and tanks will carry out assaults in other locations. These operations will be supported by new stockpiles of long-range weapons supplied by the UK, the US and Germany. The training is being carried out at Battle Camp in Okehampton, Devon, now closed to all other military units and the public. A senior UK military source said on 29 July that emphasis was being placed on using agile NATO tactics to help Ukrainian troops "shape the battle space" before striking "at the heart of the enemy", as the Sunday Express put it. "The operation to retake it will be one deploying multiple assaults on Russian forces. [...] We can train them in our tactics and show how to use equipment, but success will come from the Ukrainians own ability to quickly adapt and overcome challenges," the Sunday Express said. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Editors Note: This is issue 98 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from July 15-28, 2023. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission. Ukrainian SOE Weekly is an independent weekly digest based on a compilation of the most important news related to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and state-owned banks in Ukraine. This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union within the project Supporting Ukraine in rebuilding and recovery implemented by the KSE Institute. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the editorial team of the Ukrainian SOE Weekly and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. Corporate governance of SOEs 1. The Verkhovna Rada adopts a draft law on the merger of GTSOU and MGU. On July 28, 2023, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak (Holos faction) reported that the Verkhovna Rada adopted Draft Law No. 9311-1-d on the corporate governance of Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU). The Energy Community Secretariat welcomed this law, naming it a milestone for corporate governance reform in Ukraine. The Secretariat emphasized that it has supported the Rada, the government, and GTSOU in making this reform happen in close collaboration with the IMF, the European Commission, the World Bank, and the independent corporate governance experts Andriy Boytsun and Oleksandr Lysenko. This bill built on its earlier version, No. 9311-1, which had been proposed by MPs Maksym Khlapuk (Holos), Yaroslav Zheleznyak (Holos), and other MPs. Draft Law No. 9311-1 was drafted by two members of the SOE Weekly team, Oleksandr Lysenko and Andriy Boytsun. In SOE Weekly's Issue 89, we reported that this draft law corrected the shortcoming of the governments bill and aimed to help Ukraine meet its commitments to the IMF and other international obligations. (See more in Issue 89). Draft Law No. 9311-1 was then finalized by the Energy Committee of the Verkhovna Rada, becoming Draft Law No. 9311-1-d. That version was submitted by the Committees Chair Andriy Gerus (Sluha Narodu), Maksym Khlapuk (Holos), and other members of the Committee. Story continues The bill incorporates the necessary safeguards to ensure the appropriate implementation of corporate governance elements at GTSOU. It envisages the following steps for that purpose: Merge Main Pipelines of Ukraine (MGU) with GTSOU, resulting in the liquidation of MGU. This implies transferring the shareholder rights over GTSOU from MGU directly to the Ministry of Energy and adopting a new charter of GTSOU that introduces a supervisory board as a governing body of GTSOU. After the merger is completed, GTSOUs new supervisory board should be appointed by 31 October 2023. In the interim, the current members of MGUs supervisory board will serve as GTSOUs supervisory board. The draft law was approved in the first reading in the Radas session on 13 July, and then approved in the second reading on 28 July. (It only needs to be signed by the President to become effective. SOE Weekly.) In SOE Weekly's Issue 97, we reported that Ukraine promised the IMF to complete the corporate governance reform of GTSOU by the end of October 2023. Under the commitment, Ukrainian authorities must transfer the GTSOUs shares from the Main Gas Pipelines of Ukraine (MGU) to the Ministry of Energy and adopt a new GTSOU charter. The charter must be developed with Ukraines energy regulator and the Energy Community Secretariat and approved by the end of July 2023 (a structural benchmark, carried over from the original IMF Memorandum, which we discussed in Issue 82 SOE Weekly). After Draft Law No. 9311-1-d becomes effective, GTSOUs charter must be amended to pave the way for a competitive, transparent, and merit-based nomination procedure for the new supervisory board that should be appointed by the end of October 2023 (a new structural benchmark, added after the first review of the IMF programme SOE Weekly), IMF said. 2. The Cabinet takes a step towards a competitive selection of GTSOUs supervisory board. On July 25, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to include Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) in the list of companies where independent members of supervisory boards are selected via a competitive selection supported by professional head-hunters. According to the Ministry of Economy, supervisory board members would be appointed through the SOE Nomination Committee with the involvement of international partners. In general, SOEs cannot run competitive selections during martial law, but a number of important state-owned companies are exempt from this restriction. (As we reported in Issue 92, GTSOU announced a Prozorro tender to procure the services of an executive search company to find candidates for independent supervisory board members for GTSOU, with an expected value of UAH 2 million (around 50,000), excluding VAT. According to Prozorro, the bidding took place on 30 June. Two companies competed, and Executive Search Ukraine LLC, a company operating under the Amrop brand, won the tender with a bid of UAH 1,740,000, or around 42,000. SOE Weekly.) Read also: Wheat prices rise sharply after Russian attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure Energy sector 1. Naftogaz takes over another few of Firtashs gas distribution companies. On July 18, 2023, Gas Distribution Networks of Ukraine LLC (Gazmerezhi brand), a Naftogaz subsidiary, reported that Sumygaz, Vinnytsiagaz, and Dnipropetrovskgaz joined Naftogaz Group. These gas distribution companies were part of fugitive oligarch Dmytro Firtashs Regional Gas Company (RGC) Group. The Naftogaz subsidiary, Chornomornaftogaz, manages the assets of Sumygaz, Vinnytsiagaz, and Dnipropetrovskgaz. Gas Distribution Networks of Ukraine LLC coordinates the newly joined teams, optimises their work, drafts their development strategy and gets them proper licensing, the company said. On June 29, 2023, Gas Distribution Networks of Ukraine LLC announced the acquisition of three more of Firtashs regional gas companies: Kyivoblgaz, Zhytomyrgaz, and Lvivgaz. Chornomornaftogaz was also appointed as manager of these companies shares. In SOE Weekly's Issue 71, we reported that Naftogaz changed the management of regional gas distribution companies Kharkivgaz and Dniprogaz on Jan. 16, 2023. Both were also part of Firtashs RGC Group. RGC accused Naftogaz of an attempted raid. In response, Naftogaz referred to the Cabinet of Ministers Decision No. 429-r dated May 28, 2022, which transferred the corporate rights of about 20 regional gas distribution companies to its subsidiary Chornomornaftogaz. Earlier in May 2022, Kyivs Pechersk Court seized shares of Firtashs regional gas companies because they evaded payment for the use of gas networks. (After that, the Cabinet transferred these rights to Chornomornaftogaz.) RGC then filed lawsuits to overturn the Pechersk Courts decision. This delayed the process of changing management significantly. In September 2022, Naftogaz established a new subsidiary named Gas Distribution Networks of Ukraine LLC to consolidate the regional gas distribution companies. 2. Ukrenergo to receive $240 million in grant aid from international partners. On 18 July 2023, Ukrenergo, the Ministry of Energy, and the Ministry of Finance, signed two agreements with the World Bank (IBRD), Ukrenergo CEO Volodymyr Kudrytskyi reported. Under the first agreement, German governments grants (provided to Ukrenergo via the IBRD) would be used to purchase and install STATCOM, special devices that improve the stable operation of the Ukrainian power system, Kudrytskyi said. The second agreement provides aid to Ukrenergo to buy high-voltage equipment like autotransformers to replace parts that had been damaged by Russian missiles and drones, the companys CEO added. In SOE Weekly's Issue 94, we reported that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) would support the Ukrainian energy sector with a 600 million aid package in 2023. The funds would go to Ukrenergo, Naftogaz, and Ukrhydroenergo. Infrastructure 1. The HACC extends the pre-trial investigation in the Pyvovarsky case for another two months. On 13 July 2023, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) extended the pre-trial investigation of former Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky for another two months. Pyvovarsky has been charged with abuse of power. According to the courts ruling, the ex-minister must appear at the investigator, prosecutor or courts request; notify the investigator or prosecutor of any travel or changes of residence; and refrain from communicating with other people specified in the case. As we reported in SOE Weekly (Issue 85), the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAPO) served Pyvovarsky with a notice of suspicion for allegedly causing over $30 million in damage to the state in 2015 by allowing private companies to charge half the harbour dues at Pivdenny seaport. Pyvovarsky then argued that the charges were unfounded, because according to the Law On Sea Ports of Ukraine, proceeds from tonnage tax are distributed between the user of the ports harbour (in this case, USPA) and the owner of the operational harbour (in this case, private company TIS). After he posted bail of Hr 10 million, Pyvovarsky was handed an amended suspicion accusing him of causing $43.6 million in damage. The pre-trial investigation was later extended until Aug. 22, 2023. (See Issue 88 for detail.) For a detailed overview of the Pyvovarsky case, see SOE Weeklys Issues 76, 77, 79, 80, 82, 83, 85, and 88. 2. The Cabinet to allocate more than 38 million loan to buy rails for Ukrzaliznytsia. On July 25, 2023, the Cabinets representative in the Verkhovna Rada Taras elnychuk reported that the Cabinet of Ministers approved a 37.6 million loan from the French government to purchase rails for Ukrzaliznytsia. (The resolution was not publicly available at the time this report was written. SOE Weekly.) The funds are received under the Framework Agreement between the governments of Ukraine and France under a special fund of the state budget for the implementation of the rail supply project for Ukrzaliznytsia. Read also: Ukraines south threatened with long-term economic, agricultural decline after Kakhovka dam destruction Other sectors 1. NABU and SAPO expose a Hr 450 million international corruption scheme at Polygraph Combine Ukraina. On July 21, 2023, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAPO) reported that they exposed a massive fund misappropriation scheme at the state enterprise Polygraph Combine Ukraina. Over Hr 450 million has been stolen. (Polygraph Combine Ukraina specialises in producing passports, ID cards, and other secure documents and printing products. SOE Weekly.) Five suspects were charged, including the former CEO, a former department head, and a private individual. Additionally, documents were sent to Estonia to notify two of its citizens (the CEO and manager of a controlled company) of suspicion, NABU said. The CEO of Polygraph in 2013 allegedly bought an Estonian company through proxies and insisted on using it as an intermediary to buy materials to make passports, ID cards, and drivers licenses. The intermediary company bought the materials directly from manufacturers and then resold them to the state enterprise at a price inflated by 4-6 times. During 2013-2016, the criminal group embezzled approximately half a billion hryvnias through this scheme, NABU claimed. NABU and SAPO did not name the charged former CEO, but according to the media, Maksym Stepanov was in charge of Polygraph at the time. He later served as head of the Odesa Regional State Administration and Minister of Healthcare. NABU further alleged that the charged CEO concealed the sale of 45% of his shares in a non-functioning company (with an actual market value of around $100,000) to another company under his control for $1.35 million. He then declared this money officially. Part of this money, $150,000, was transferred directly to the accounts of the CEOs close relatives. (That is, NABU suggests that Stepanov laundered $1.35 million in this manner. SOE Weekly.) The company under the former CEOs control registered patents for some of the protective elements used in Ukrainian passports. This way, every citizen receiving documents not only paid inflated prices but also donated to the official for his intellectual contribution, NABU said. At the beginning of 2022, the government supported NABUs initiative and changed technical requirements and images of protective elements in Ukrainian documents, getting rid of elements that had been patented by the suspect. Evidence from Estonia supports the existence of a criminal scheme and money laundering. As part of the joint investigation, Estonian law enforcement authorities held four individuals accountable for money laundering from Polygraph. French law enforcement is also working on verifying its citizens involvement in this crime. Stepanov confirmed on his Facebook page that he received his notice of suspicion. He wrote that he was currently away on a business trip but was working with his lawyer on this matter and was studying the case file in detail. Stepanov referred to NABUs accusations as nonsense and promised to provide more detailed comments in a few days. Privatization 1. The Cabinet approves technical changes to launch large-scale privatization through Prozorro.Sale. On July 18, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a resolution establishing the procedure for authorising and organising electronic auctions to privatize large-scale assets. According to the Ministry of Economy, the amendments approved by the government define technical requirements for electronic marketplaces that will be eligible to work with large-scale privatization. As of today, more than 40 such marketplaces have been accredited in the Prozorro.Sale system, but only those that meet these requirements will be able to be involved in large-scale privatization. The changes adopted by the Cabinet should also improve online bidding for small-scale privatization to reduce the number of dishonest bidders who disrupt auctions for the sale of state property. An e-auction participant who offers the second highest bid will not be allowed to refuse to purchase the asset in case the winner refuses to do so. If the first- or second-place bidders refuse to pay for the asset in full, they will have to pay almost 40% (i.e., 20% each SOE Weekly) of the starting price into the state budget. According to Deputy Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev, the government plans to launch a large-scale privatization process soon, which should significantly increase state budget revenues. In SOE Weeklys Issue 76, we reported that the Cabinet of Ministers approved an electronic auction procedure for the privatization of large-scale objects with more than Hr 250 million in assets. In Issue 90, we reported that the Verkhovna Rada unblocked the large-scale privatization. In Issue 93, we reported that the SPFUs large-scale privatization plans include three state-owned companies: United Mining and Chemical Company (UMCC), Odesa Portside Plant (OPZ), and Centrenergo. 2. The SPFU will be able to form separate pools of assets for privatization. On July 14, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a resolution that gave the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) the right to pool state assets to privatize them as a single lot. According to the SPFU, the main goal of the new mechanism is to increase the interest of businesses in investing in state assets. Pools attract more attention from investors who are interested in implementing large-scale projects and can make large-scale investments. Currently, the SPFU is selling one object at a time. Pools of privatization objects would be formed from enterprises operating in the same sector. The products of one of them can be used as raw materials for another, the SPFU explained. The new mechanism can be used for both small and large-scale privatization. Confiscation of the aggressor states assets, nationalisation, and asset seizure 1. Sense Bank nationalized, new executive and supervisory boards appointed. On July 21, 2023, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) announced its decision to pull off the market the last major Russian bank in Ukraine, Sense Bank (which had operated under the name Alfa-Bank until Dec. 1, 2022). The banks ultimate beneficial owners were sanctioned Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven, and Andrey Kosogov. The NBUs Executive Board also appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers to nationalise Sense Bank. Based on a decision of the NBU Board, the Deposit Guarantee Fund (DGF) introduced a temporary administration on 21 July. NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyi also said that the states share (by assets SOE Weekly) in the banking system is growing by 3.3% to 56% as a result of this nationalisation. He added that the NBU is prepared for any developments related to potential legal challenges from Sense Banks former shareholders against the decision to nationalise the bank. On July 21, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to purchase all the shares of Sense Bank from the DGF for Hr 1. On July 22, 2023, the Ministry of Finance and DGF signed a sale and purchase agreement for 100% of Sense Bank, under which the bank became state-owned. The DGF appointed the supervisory and executive boards based on proposals from the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, with the NBUs approval. According to the Ministry of Finance and NBU, Dmytro Kuzmin (former CEO of Universal Bank, former representative of PrivatBank in the supervisory board of PrivatBank Latvia SOE Weekly] was appointed as Sense Banks new CEO. On July 23, the DGF terminated the interim administration at the bank. On July 24, Sense Bank announced the start of work of the new executive and supervisory boards. Sevki Acuner was appointed as the chair of the supervisory board. (Acuner is a former EBRD Director in Ukraine and a former chairman of the supervisory boards of Ukrzaliznytsia and Ukrenergo. Acuner has also been the chair of Oschadbanks supervisory board since June 2019, but on Oct. 1, 2019, the Ministry of Finance terminated the powers of several board members, including Acuner, as the NBU did not approve these candidates. The NBU cited a conflict of interest and improper performance of duties among the reasons for refusing to approve Auners candidacy. According to the NBU, Acuner not only chaired the supervisory board of Oschadbank but also the supervisory board of two large SOEs, Ukrenergo and Ukrzaliznytsia, which are the banks clients. As the board chair of these companies and having a mandate to organise their work, he had leverage over the decision-making processes in these companies, the NBU claimed back then. The NBU also alleged that Auner did not properly perform his duties as the board chair of Oschadbank when the board extended the powers of the banks then CEO, Andriy Pyshnyi (now the NBU Governor), in violation of the requirements for competitive selection. Acuner and other disqualified members said in 2019 that they were shocked by the regulators decision. They also suggested that the real reason for their disqualification was the boards decision to extend the contract with Pyshnyi. At the end of 2019, Acuner sued the NBU at the Kyiv District Administrative Court. He considered the decision to terminate his powers at Oschadbanks supervisory board to be biased, illegal, and taken by the regulator in excess of its powers. In February 2020, the court upheld his claim and cancelled the NBUs decision. In July 2020, the NBU won the appeal. In May 2021, the Supreme Court issued a cassation decision in favor of Auner. Despite this, he was no longer a member of the banks supervisory board. SOE Weekly.) The supervisory board also includes: Andrii Pronchenko independent member; former managing partner of PwC Legal Ukraine, chief legal officer of DNA Payments Group; Rostyslav Dyuk independent member; chair of the board of the Ukrainian Association of Fintech and Innovative Companies (his former deputy Inna Tyutyun joined the banks executive board); Andrii Svystun deputy chair, state representative; former member of Ukrgasbanks supervisory board; and Vladyslav Vlasiuk state representative; former deputy chief at Patrol Police of Ukraine and former chief of staff at National Police of Ukraine; former Director of the Directorate for Human Rights, Access to Justice and Legal Awareness at the Ministry of Justice; current adviser to the Presidents Office and the secretary of the International Working Group on Sanctions against Russia (also known as the Yermak-McFaul Group). The executive board, except Kuzmin, includes: Olena Zubchenko deputy chair of the board; former head of Financial Policy Department at the Ministry of Finance; Oleksiy Shklyaruk member of the board, chief risk officer; former chief risk officer at Agroprosperis Bank and former head of SME Risk Division at Credit Agricole; Inna Tyutyun member of the board; deputy chair of the board of the Ukrainian Association of Fintech and Innovation Companies, former deputy chair of the executive board at Ukrgasbank; and Andriy Sokolov member of the board; former deputy head of Corporate Business Department at Bank Pivdenny. In SOE Weekly's Issue 91, we reported that the Verkhovna Rada adopted Draft Law No. 9107-1, which allowed the NBU to nationalise Sense Bank. In Issue 94, we reported that the law on nationalization of Sense Bank came into force. As we also wrote in Issue 94, ABH Holdings S.A. (ABHH), the nominal owner of Sense Banks shares, said that it was seriously concerned that the NBU would nationalise Sense Bank and only give a nominal amount to ABHH in compensation. ABHH said that it would complain to an international court in that case. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The incident reportedly occurred on a United Boeing 767 jet. Getty Images A United flight made an emergency landing after smoke filled the cockpit, per Aviation Herald. The jet was flying from Chicago to Zurich on Wednesday when it was forced to turn back. It was the same jet that recently deployed an evacuation slide midair, the Aviation Herald reported. A United Airlines plane made an emergency landing after smoke reportedly filled the cockpit just days after an evacuation slide was accidentally deployed midair on the same aircraft. The Aviation Herald reported that a United Boeing 767-300 travelling from Chicago O'Hare airport to Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday was forced to turn back due to "uncontained heat and smoke on the flight deck." According to FlightRadar, a site that tracks aircraft movements, N666UA departed at 3:50 p.m. before diverting over Alpena, Michigan and landing at O'Hare about three hours after its departure. The Herald reported the jet had the same registration number as the United flight that accidentally deployed an emergency evacuation slide in midair on July 17. The slide landed in Chicago resident Patrick Devitt's yard, CNN affiliate WLS reported, with members of his family members discovering the slide after hearing a loud noise. The Federal Aviation Administration said maintenance crew discovered that the slide was missing after the jet landed at Chicago O'Hare. At the time, a United representative told Insider: "We immediately contacted the FAA and are working with our team to better understand the circumstances around this matter." United didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours. Read the original article on Business Insider CHILLICOTHE The Ross County Veterans Council is fundraising to create a monument to honor the Ross County men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces during the Global War on Terrorism. Historians are using the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Sept. 11, 2001, as the start date and the final flights from Afghanistan, Aug. 30, 2021, as the ending date of the war. During this time thousands of Ross County residents served in the war and four servicemen were killed in action: The proposed Global War on Terrorism monument will be a Fallen Soldier Battle Cross that resembles a soldier's rifle inside a soldier's boots with a helmet on top The monument will be placed in the southwest corner of the Veterans Memorial Park on Yoctangee Boulevard. Gavin Colburn served in the U.S. Army and died in 2005 in Iraq. Aaron Reed served in the U.S. Marine Corps and died in 2005 in Iraq. Brad Clemmons served in the U.S. Air Force and died in 2006 in Iraq. Josh Gire served in the U.S. Army and died in 2011 in Afghanistan. The Veterans Council is hoping to honor the fallen soldiers before it's too late. The monument will be placed in the southwest corner of the Veterans Memorial Park on Yoctangee Boulevard. Johna Pulver with the Ross County Veterans Service Office helped design the proposed monument. Johna Pulver becomes emotional as she arranges the boots of fallen soldiers for the Eyes of Freedom display is set up in the armory at Yoctangee Park in 2021. The Eyes of Freedom exhibit honors those men lost in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The design includes a Fallen Soldier Battle Cross that resembles a soldier's rifle inside a soldier's boots with a helmet on top. The statue will be on top of a rectangular podium and each side of the podium will honor one of the four casualties of the Global War on Terrorism. Ross County has four monuments to honor war casualties: World War I monument by Bicentennial Bell Tower at Yoctangee Park Entrance, with 62 names World War II in Veterans Memorial Park on Yoctangee Boulevard, with 207 names Korean War monument in Veterans Memorial Park on Yoctangee Boulevard, with 25 names Vietnam War monument in Veterans Memorial Park on Yoctangee Boulevard, with 23 names Former U.S. Army Ranger Lt. Col. Bob Leach is working on a book detailing the stories of local veterans who died in service from Word War I to the modern era. He hopes to publish his book once the Global War on Terrorism monument is completed. Then, he hopes to advocate for a Spanish-American War memorial. Story continues "Our city and our county have dropped the ball on doing something to recognize, we had at least three soldiers who were killed in the Spanish-American War," Leach said. "Spanish-American War soldiers have not yet gotten the recognition they deserve from the local veterans community." Leach said additional funds from the Global War on Terrorism monument fundraiser will be used towards a Spanish-American War monument. Donations for the monument can be made by mail to the Ross County Veterans Council at c/o Veterans Service Office, 475 Western Ave, Suite C in Chillicothe, Ohio 45601-2288. Write "GWT Monument" in the memo line. Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at mbecker@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @BeckerReporting. This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Fundraising for Global War on Terrorism monument in Ross County The opposition has dismissed the referendum as a sham The Central African Republic president is asking voters to support abolishing term limits in a referendum backed by Russia's Wagner mercenary group. Wagner, which has troops and business interests in the country, is providing security for the referendum. The main opposition has called for a boycott of the referendum, accusing President Faustin-Archange Touadera of wanting to become president-for-life. Mr Touadera has grown ties with Russia since French forces withdrew in 2022. His supporters say that constitutional limits on presidential terms are "uncommon" in the region, and the proposed changes will help achieve stability and development. The CAR has been plagued by rebellions and coups for decades, with a powerful coalition of rebel groups trying to oust Mr Touadera. On Wednesday, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said hundreds of its fighters had arrived in the resource-rich country as part of "a planned rotation before the referendum", according to the Afrique Media website linked to the Russian group. It quoted Mr Prigozhin as saying that "we control the territory of CAR and we are convinced that the gangs will not be able to harass the population". A UN peacekeeping in CAR is also providing security for the referendum. But Wagner is increasingly seen as the main group on which Mr Touadera's government relies to remain in power, and to fight rebels. Wagner has had at least 1,000 forces in CAR since 2018, and has also developed huge business interests in the country. It reportedly trades in the minerals and timber industries. Earlier this week, Mr Prigozhin was photographed shaking hands with Ambassador Freddy Mapouka, a CAR presidential advisor, at a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg. France, the former colonial power, pulled its last forces out of CAR in 2022. It first sent about 1,600 troops to the country after a coup in 2013 unleashed a civil war. Story continues As CAR moved to restore democracy, Mr Touadera was elected president in 2016 and won a second term in 2020. But he has been accused of becoming increasingly authoritarian, and his critics say the referendum is the latest sign of his attempt to extend his power. If the changes to the constitution are approved, it would allow Mr Touadera to seek a third term in 2025. It would also raise the presidential term from five to seven years and allow the president to appoint more judges to the Supreme Court. The Murdaugh murder saga and its brutal twists have been covered just about daily for more than two years in thousands of newspaper and television news stories, in podcasts and documentaries. Alex Murdaugh, the wealthy good ol boy lawyer whose life was a lie and who murdered his wife, Maggie, and son Paul, is now in prison for life. But the media frenzy will not die. Eight books almost enough to make a bookshelf buckle and bend are being written about the sensational ruination of the 100-year Murdaugh bloodline by writers with solid non-fiction credentials or by insiders with unique viewpoints. Most of the writers were at Murdaughs murder trial in Colleton County earlier this year. A few other quickie books are already available. Works in progress have titles like Swamp Kings, Fall of the House of Murdaugh and A Family Man. They deal in detail with the collapse of the Murdaugh dynasty in South Carolinas legendary Lowcountry and the storys macabre themes of violence, corruption, blood ties, family dysfunction, power, lies, class differences, deception and wealth. The Murdaugh epic is fertile ground for all kinds of deep dives, says University of South Carolina American history professor Lauren Sklaroff, an expert in American cultural history. Theres not only a public fascination with figures like Alex Murdaugh and his alter ego dynastic elements a la Game of Thrones but its also a detective story with lots of loose ends, lots of really wacky things and unexpected things going on..... and it involves a wealthy family, Sklaroff said. The South itself is a kind of character, she said. Theres the Gothic South, the Mythic South, this fits into that as well, which might explain why there are so many books being authored on this. Its different than anywhere else. People are never tired of that, she said. Murdaugh Book Writers Valerie Bauerlein Valerie Bauerlein. The 52-year-old former reporter at The State and longtime national reporter for The Wall Street Journal won a contract from Ballantine/Penguin Random House in the fall of 2021 after writing an in-depth front-page article, full of flavor and facts, for the Journal on the Murdaugh saga. Shes been on book leave for more than a year, prowling the Lowcountry and intermittently returning to her Raleigh home for spells of writing. She hasnt chosen a title. Publication date is sometime next year. Story continues Michael M. DeWitt Jr. Michael M. DeWitt Jr. The 51-year-old editor of the Hampton Guardian the newspaper of Hampton County, the epicenter of the Murdaugh dynasty has already published Wicked Hampton County a backstory book about the countys colorful goings-on over the years. It paints the historical landscape of where these crimes took place. His upcoming book about Alex Murdaugh, to be called Fall of the House of Murdaugh, is scheduled for publication in November by Evening Post Books in Charleston. DeWitt, a multi-generational born and raised Hampton native, said, Its an epic history that starts at the end of the Civil War and goes all the way to the murder trial and even the aftermath of the trial a couple of hundred years and four or five generations of the Murdaugh clan. Jason Ryan Jason Ryan. A former reporter for The State and Beaufort Gazette newspapers, Ryan, 41, is the author of Jackpot, a book about a South Carolina marijuana smuggling empire in the 1980s, and two other books. His Murdaugh book, Swamp Kings, is to be published by Pegasus Books on April 2. The Murdaugh saga gripped me from the beginning, like most people. I felt myself drawn to the story and, I felt, uniquely positioned to dig as deeply as possible, said Ryan, who lives in Charleston and has conducted numerous interviews and spent hours looking at newspaper microfilm in county libraries. Ive just been in awe of the Murdaugh familys ability to manage affairs in this part of the Lowcountry, and its high time we get a deeper appreciation for the role theyve played.. Becky Hill Rebecca Becky Hill. As Colleton County clerk of court, Hill, 55, was at the center of the courtroom action during Alex Murdaughs six-week murder trial. New to writing nonfiction, Hill teamed up with Augusta, Ga.,-based reporter Neil Gordon, 59, to write Behind the Doors of Justice, billed as an inside look at the trial. The book was self-published in July with a first press run of 800 paperback and 700 hardcover books and a Kindle edition. It has photos by Gordons wife, Melissa Gordon. People up to 10 a day are still making pilgrimages to the Colleton County courthouse, Hill said. During the trial, Hill made notes every day about events, such as when she delivered the witness oath to Alex Murdaugh, and had access to exhibits introduced at trial. Hill went with jurors when they visited Maggie and Pauls death scene, and her witness to that event and its impact on jurors is in her book, she said. James Lasdun James Lasdun. An award-winning author who lives in upstate New York, Lasdun, 65, wrote an extensive piece in January on the Murdaugh saga for The New Yorker, weeks before Murdaughs trial began. Lasdun has signed a contract to write a book, tentatively called A Family Man, with W.W. Norton. Its very much about him (Alex Murdaugh) ... and family relations, to an extent, says Lasdun, who spent more than a year off and on writing his New Yorker story. I have a lot more I didnt put into the article but Im going to be reporting again. Lasdun, who has published both fiction and non-fiction, said he hopes to bring perspectives of character, psychology and setting to his work all those things that people go to novels for but at the same time be strictly factual. Im not going to try to imagine dialogue or anything like that, he said. Lasdun says it might be a year or two before his book appears. They werent concerned to rush it out, he said. Arthur Cerf Arthur Cerf. Cerf, 29, a bilingual French writer, spent several months in Hampton and Colleton counties, including attending Murdaughs trial, researching his book for a French publisher who publishes books on American true crime stories. His book will be called The Murders of the Low Country (Les meurtres du Lowcountry) and will be published next fall. I try to give a precise depiction of the trial of the century, which I hope will be fascinating for French readers. Here (in France) justice is not a show like it is in the U.S. - we dont have Court TV for example, said Cerf, a popular figure among the American journalists at the trial. Beyond the story of crime, corruption, power, influence and family, Im trying to depict this moment when a small community is caught in a true crime hurricane, what it is like when the circus arrives in a city like Walterboro. Eric Bland Eric Bland. Columbia lawyer Bland, 61, intends to do a book to be called Collision Course. Bland and his law partner, Ronnie Richter, were significant players in the Murdaugh saga. In September 2021, they filed a lawsuit against Murdaugh on behalf of the heirs of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaughs housekeeper, who died in a 2018 fall at the family house. That lawsuit sparked criminal investigations and led to numerous public disclosures about Murdaughs million dollar thefts over the years from his law firm, clients, friends and even his own brother. Blands book, which may be self-published, will describe how Bland and Richter, who dont shy from suing other lawyers for legal malpractice, were exactly right for the job of filing a lawsuit against Murdaugh, a long-respected lawyer and member of a legal family so prominent they were thought of as untouchables. Most lawyers will not sue other lawyers. Since then, Bland and Richter have recovered millions for their initial clients Tony Satterfield and Brian Harriott and other Murdaugh victims. Mandy Matney. The Lowcountry based podcaster/crusading journalist has been at the forefront of Murdaugh coverage for more than four years, with her first podcast on the Murdaugh murders for Fits News coming two weeks after the June 7, 2021, shooting deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Now an independent podcaster with Liz Ferrell, Matney is said to have plans for a book. Contacted last week by The State newspaper, Matney texted that an announcement on that front will be forthcoming and declined further comment. What value books? In an age of social media, are books still relevant? Yes, said University of South Carolina English instructor Nicola Waldron. Not only is there something comforting and intimate about the act of just holding a book, but a book itself can take a reader on a more personal journey that no other media can give, she said. Language in a book stimulates, encourages and invites a readers imagination in ways that you dont get through other media, which provide the audience with almost everything, Waldron said. If you didnt have a book, something would be lost. Book writers will also be able to explore questions that continue to color the tale: Did Alex Murdaugh really do it? How did he persuade his friends top banker Russell Laffitte and respected lawyer Cory Fleming to help him steal millions? Will the murder weapons a shotgun and a high velocity AR-type rifle ever be found? How much of the millions he stole is unaccounted for? Why didnt Murdaughs law firm catch on to his 15-plus years of thievery? Too much happened that nobody questioned, said Jay Bender, a longtime South Carolina media lawyer who served as a go-between for reporters and court officials at the Murdaugh trial. Bender, who has represented The State, said the huge audience, both in the Colleton County courtroom and nationally on Court TV, portends a good reception for Murdaugh books. I think the books will all sell very well. Waynesburg celebrated its 150th annual Rain Day on Saturday. The festival began decades ago when Caleb Ely. a local farmer, remarked that it always seemed to rain on his birthday, July 29. The event grew ever since, turning into a crowd-pleaser. Royalty is even crowned each year, with a Miss Rain Day and a Miss Rain Drop. Its supposed to rain on July 29 and Im just one of the lucky few of the Miss Rain Day girls to have it rain on July 29, Miss Rain Day Abby Ray said. Rain Day is truthfully one of the best events in the state of Pennsylvania, Miss Rain Drop, Isabella Wise Jr. said. Festival organizers said it has rained 118 out of the 150 years the festival has taken place. It rained over the area for the 2023 celebration. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Emergency crews search for 17-year-old boy in Monongahela River Adoptive mother, husband charged with murder of 5 year old in Westmoreland County James Harrison, Aaron Smith Headline Steelers 2023 Hall of Honor Class VIDEO:Woman shot outside Texas Roadhouse in Collier Township, another woman in custody DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Republicans are lining up megadonors to back their presidential campaigns: Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is supporting Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.); hedge fund manager Ken Griffin and venture capitalist David Sacks are potentially supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; former President Donald Trump has previously had the backing of reclusive billionaire Timothy Mellon; and Mets owner Steve Cohen is reportedly backing former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Republicans are lining up megadonors to back their presidential campaigns: Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is supporting Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.); hedge fund manager Ken Griffin and venture capitalist David Sacks are potentially supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; former President Donald Trump has previously had the backing of reclusive billionaire Timothy Mellon; and Mets owner Steve Cohen is reportedly backing former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The 2020 Democratic presidential primary was defined by the passions of small-dollar donors the mostly college-educated voters who jumped from candidate to candidate, providing Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and then-South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg with momentum and cold, hard cash to power their campaigns. But the 2024 Republican primary, which is just entering its adolescence, is set to be defined not by the passions of donors chipping in $20 in response to an email, but by millionaires and billionaires cutting checks worth tens of thousands of dollars, if not tens of millions, in response to a PowerPoint presentation and a sales pitch from a super PAC official. The billionaire and millionaire businessmen (and they are basically all men) in New York City, Florida and elsewhere who make those donations could determine which candidate, if any, ultimately emerges as the lead challenger to former President Donald Trump who maintains a massive advantage in national polling, as well as in polls of the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. This GOP donor class, which fears Trump is unelectable, is desperately searching for an alternative who can successfully challenge the former president. These campaigns are putting more emphasis on setting up their super PACs, and finding billionaires to fund them, than they are on actually running their campaigns, said Tiffany Mueller, the CEO of End Citizens United, a Democratic group focused on campaign finance reform. Were seeing a race to the bottom, where billionaires are buying our elections, and its bad for our democracy. Story continues The full influence of billionaire donors, and their early bets on candidates, will be revealed over the next few days, as each candidates affiliated super political action committee files midyear reports with the Federal Election Commission before a July 31 deadline. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, with the $80 million he raised for a state account and then transferred to the super PAC Never Back Down, was the early leader in the billionaire primary. His recent struggles including laying off campaign staff and sinking in polls of the early states have opened the door for Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who appears to be consolidating support among the Republican influencers and donors who are desperate for a non-Trump candidate to emerge. DeSantis had assembled the fiercest collection of megadonors at the start of the campaign. Real estate magnate Robert Bigelow promised to go without food to fund the Florida governors bid. Bigelow has already reportedly donated $20 million to DeSantis Never Back Down. Venture capitalist and Elon Musk whisperer David Sacks was also backing DeSantis bid, and could put money into groups to support him. And billionaire hedge funder Ken Griffin, one of the largest GOP super PAC donors and a man who has declared that the wealthy have an insufficient influence in politics, may also put money behind DeSantis in a bid to stop Trump. But there are clear signs that DeSantis grasp on the donor class is slipping as his position in the polls drops. The Financial Times reported earlier this week that Griffin and another major GOP donor, 81-year-old investor Nelson Peltz, were both reconsidering their support of DeSantis. Scott, who also has a reliable base of small-dollar donors, seems best positioned to benefit from billionaires wandering eyes. Politico has reported that the senator has met with Ronald Lauder, the billionaire makeup heir, and multiple GOP operatives agreed he is the candidate whom the moneyed class is most carefully eyeing at the moment. They see [Scott] as someone who can win both a primary and a general election, said one GOP operative who requested anonymity to candidly describe discussions with donors. Other Republicans have their own billionaire donors, of course. Steve Cohen, the founder of S.A.C. Capital Advisors, a hedge fund that pleaded guilty to insider trading charges in 2013, is reportedly backing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Trump has long had the backing of Timothy Mellon, a businessman and heir to the Mellon banking fortune, and of Linda McMahon, who headed the Small Business Administration under Trump and is the wife of WWE impresario Vince McMahon. Big Money Leads To Big Negativity Never Back Down, a super PAC backing DeSantis, paid for a bus that transported the governor around Iowa in recent days. Super PACs like Never Back Down are far more likely to air negative ads than traditional campaigns. Never Back Down, a super PAC backing DeSantis, paid for a bus that transported the governor around Iowa in recent days. Super PACs like Never Back Down are far more likely to air negative ads than traditional campaigns. This is quite different from the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. The Democratic candidates initially eschewed super PAC support, as primary voters frowned upon the Citizens United decision that led to the creation of super PACs, and focused instead on small-donor fundraising. In the first fundraising quarter of 2019, eight of the 16 announced Democratic candidates had raised more than $1 million from small donors, with Sanders leading the way with $15.2 million. Seven of those eight candidates raised more than half of their funds from small donors during that early period. The same cannot be said for the GOP candidates running for their partys 2024 nomination. Just four candidates DeSantis, Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley reported raising more than $1 million from small donors through the end of June. (Trump likely also raised more than $1 million from small donors, but the joint fundraising committee that collects most of his money does not report until the end of July.) And unlike the 2020 Democrats, none of the 2024 GOP hopefuls raised at least 50% of their total from small donors. Christie, who only raised $570,000 from small donors, posted the highest rate at 34%. (And many of Christies small donations likely came from Democrats eager to see him attack Trump on the debate stage.) In 2020, Democrats eventually did welcome super PACs into the race, as candidates from Warren to Joe Biden got desperate enough to put their scruples aside. But the extended period without super PACs, Mueller noted, kept the primary free of the negative television ads that are often run by super PACs. (Candidates of both parties are traditionally less likely to want to say they approved this message at the end of attack ads.) The ads were just overwhelmingly positive compared to the 2016 [GOP] presidential primary, Mueller said. And that helps the party in the end. Compare it to whats already happened in this cycles GOP primary: An anonymous group has attacked Trump as too friendly to transgender rights; a Trump-aligned super PAC has attacked DeSantis as a pudding-eating weirdo who wants to cut Social Security; and a DeSantis super PAC has aired an ad with an ersatz, AI-generated Trump voice. Circular Firing Squad Redux Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) essentially created the single-candidate super PAC during his 2012 presidential run. He wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed this week warning Republican donors to consolidate around a single candidate to defeat Trump. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) essentially created the single-candidate super PAC during his 2012 presidential run. He wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed this week warning Republican donors to consolidate around a single candidate to defeat Trump. Some of the biggest super PACs have already revealed their plans for the primary. Never Back Down plans to hire more than 2,500 canvassers in the early states to knock on doors for DeSantis. Trust In the Mission PAC or TIM PAC, get it? is going to spend $40 million on television ads backing Scott in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. A super PAC supporting Haley is planning an aggressive voter contact campaign. Right now, all of these efforts are mostly positive. Haley and Scott, in particular, are still introducing themselves and getting voters familiar with their biographies. The fear among anti-Trump Republicans is that these well-funded super PACs will soon turn into tools for the candidates to bash each other in a fruitless quest to get the front-runner into a one-on-one matchup with Trump. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal this week pleading with GOP donors not to endlessly fund no-hope candidacies. Republican megadonors and influencers large and small are going to have to do something they didnt do in 2016: get candidates they support to agree to withdraw if and when their paths to the nomination are effectively closed, Romney wrote, generously naming Feb. 26, the day after the South Carolina primary, as the date candidates should drop out. Romney himself essentially created the modern single-candidate super PAC in 2012, using the group Restore Our Future to pummel his opponents with tens of millions of dollars in negative advertising. But the creation may have ended up hurting him. In 2012, two of Romneys GOP primary opponents, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, used their own super PACs, each backed by a single billionaire donor, to extend the race. Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson funded Gingrichs group, while financier Foster Friess backed Santorums. (Both billionaires have since died.) Their super PAC funding enabled Gingrich and Santorum, especially, to remain in the race long after their campaign funds started to run short. In 2016, the super PACs kept candidates in the race, and instead of coordinating an opposition to Trump, who led the polls almost every day after his June 2015 announcement, the super PACs of the not-Trumps attacked each other in a fruitless quest to engineer a one-on-one battle. Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs super PAC attacked then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Kasichs super PAC attacked Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Rubios super PAC attacked former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Bushs super PAC attacked Rubio, Christie and Kasich. That cycle could soon start again. One GOP strategist noticing the start of a dust-up between DeSantis and Scott, over the formers defense of new standards regarding how the history of slavery is taught in Florida texted HuffPost earlier this week: Big 2016 vibes. Related... A Western Kentucky police officer has been charged with rape of a minor after his department discovered he had sex with a 17-year-old. Jeremy Taylor Wright, 27 of Caneyville, has been charged with third-degree rape and first-degree sexual abuse, Kentucky State Police said. State police Post 4 were notified by the Leitchfield Police Department of an internal investigation involving one of their police officers on July 27. During the course of the investigation, state detectives discovered while an officer, Wright had sex with the minor on July 22 in Bardstown. Wright resigned from the department and the investigation was turned over to state police, a release from KSP said. As a result of the investigation a warrant was issued on Friday and Wright was arrested. State police say more charges could be forthcoming as the investigation continues. Wright was lodged in the Nelson Co. Detention Center. Kentucky State Police was assisted by the Leitchfield Police Department. The investigation remains ongoing by Det. Robert Hartley. Forty-eight years ago this month, former Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa disappeared and hes never been seen since. On July 30, 1975, Hoffa had scheduled a lunch meeting with Anthony (Tony Pro) Provenzano, a mob-connected New Jersey Teamster official, and Anthony (Tony Jack) Giacalone, a Detroit Mafia captain at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant on Telegraph Road just south of Maple. Teamsters union boss Jimmy Hoffa's car, a green Pontiac Grand Ville, was found July 31, 1975, in the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Township. Hoffa called his wife from a pay phone to say hed been stood up at the meeting. He was never heard from again. The FBI theorized that the mafia had Hoffa killed to keep him from returning to the union presidency. His disappearance prompted decades of investigations, conspiracy theories and searches. A Bloomfield Township police officer stands beside Jimmy Hoffa's car after the labor leader's disappearance. Heres a look back at some of the searches in Michigan. Andiamo: Italian restaurant in Bloomfield Twp. has new menu item named for Jimmy Hoffa June 2013: Field in Oakland Township, Michigan A tip from the son of a former Detroit mob boss prompted the FBI to search a field in Oakland Township. Investigators using a backhoe dig through a foundation of what used to be a barn in Oakland Township as they search for the remains of Jimmy Hoffa on June 18, 2013. Acting on a tip, the dig began yesterday afternoon to find the Teamsters boss who went missing 30 years ago from a restaurant parking lot in Bloomfield Township. Anthony Zerilli, whos father Joe Zerilli was running the Detroit mafia when Hoffa disappeared, told a television interviewer that the former union president was buried on the property, which once belonged to another Detroit mafia leader, Jack Tocco. Because Anthony Zerilli came from the inner circle of Detroit organized crime, a former FBI case agent John Anthony called the tipster the most credible I've seen in 30 years. Zerilli was 85 at the time he offered the tip and was attempting to sell a manuscript online that detailed his theory of the case. FBI and local law enforcement officials walk back to their staging area after holding a press conference where they told the media that they had given up their search for the remains of Jimmy Hoffa at an overgrown farm field in Oakland Township on June 19, 2013. The three-day search brought crowds of onlookers to the site, but it ended as the others had. After a diligent search we did not uncover any evidence relevant to the investigation on James Hoffa, Detroit FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Foley III said. September 2012: Roseville Driveway A tipster said that a man who formerly owned the home at 18710 Florida Street, near 12 Mile and Gratiot, had served as a bookie for Giacalone and was up all night pouring concrete on the day that Hoffa disappeared. Story continues The FBI initially brushed off the tip, but Roseville police decided it was worth checking out. The home at 18710 Florida in Roseville, Mich. where Jimmy Hoffa could be buried beneath the driveway on Sept. 26, 2012. They asked the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to scan the property with ground penetrating radar. The scan detected an anomaly. That prompted the drilling of holes six feet deep in the driveway to check for possible human remains. The holes were dug as police and the FBI watched. Gawkers looked on as a television news helicopter circled overhead and satellite trucks parked nearby. "It's not him," Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said after an initial examination of a soil bore failed to show any signs of human remains. May 2006: Hidden Dream Horse Farm, Milford Township, Michigan Several dozen FBI agents spent two weeks and about $250,000 searching the 87-acre farm once owned by former Hoffa associate Roland McMaster. The search included pulling down a horse barn. In this May 24, 2006, file photo, workers, including Federal Bureau of Investigation evidence response team members, probe the ground near a demolished barn at a horse farm in Milford Township, Mich., where FBI agents investigating Jimmy Hoffa's 1975 disappearance. The FBI's recent confirmation that it was looking at a spot near a New Jersey landfill as the possible burial site of former Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa is the latest development in a search that began when he disappeared. McMaster was long suspected of being involved in Hoffas disappearance. A tip from federal prisoner Donovan Wells, who once lived on the farm with McMaster, was used to secure a search warrant. The FBI wouldnt say what Wells divulged but said that he did pass a polygraph examination. McMaster had sold the farm in 1977 and by the time of the search, he was 93. An unidentified worker and a Federal Bureau of Investigation evidence response team member, left, examine a dig site where a barn once stood at a horse farm in Milford Township, Mich., where FBI agents investigating Jimmy Hoffa's 1975 disappearance were working on May 26, 2006. The Teamsters leader had vanished from a restaurant in Oakland County's Bloomfield Township, about 20 miles away. He denied any knowledge of Hoffas disappearance and told the Free Press that he welcomed the search. "That's the poorest reporting I've ever heard," he said. July 2003: A backyard in Hampton Township, Michigan Acting on a tip from a Michigan prisoner serving a life sentence for murder, the Oakland County Sheriffs Office obtained a search warrant for the backyard of a home in Hampton Township, outside Bay City. The tipster, Richard Clarence Powell, told investigators that a briefcase buried there contained evidence of Hoffas death including a syringe used to inject drugs or poison. In this July 16, 2003 file photo, authorities search under a backyard pool in Hampton Township, Mich., for evidence linked to the disappearance of ex-teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. The search turned up nothing. The FBI has seen enough merit in a reputed Mafia captain's tip to once again break out the digging equipment to search for the remains of Hoffa, last seen alive before a lunch meeting with two mobsters nearly 40 years ago. Tony Zerilli told his lawyer that Hoffa was buried beneath a concrete slab in a barn in a field in suburban Detroit in 1975. In an apparent move to bolster his credibility, Powell told investigators to search under the crawl space of the house for the body of an autoworker missing since the 1970s, which they found. The backyard dig included removing an above ground pool but nothing was found there. Then Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said it would have been an absolute dereliction of our duty, to not pursue the tip. Then Bay County Sheriff John Miller told the Free Press Powell had twice failed a polygraph test, including the day before the search. "This guy is a car thief and a liar and a murderer," Miller said. May 2004: Detroit house A deathbed confession from Frank The Irishman Sheeran, published in the book I Heard You Paint Houses prompted a search of a home in northwest Detroit. Sheeran, a longtime mob enforcer, claimed in the book that he killed Hoffa with two gunshots inside a home in the 17800 block of Beaverland near Grand River and Telegraph. In this Friday, May 28, 2004 file photo, television crews set up camp outside a house in northwest Detroit, where investigators looking into the 1975 disappearance of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa ripped up floor boards. The FBI has seen enough merit in a reputed Mafia captain's tip to once again break out the digging equipment to search for the remains of Hoffa, last seen alive before a lunch meeting with two mobsters nearly 40 years ago. Tony Zerilli told his lawyer that Hoffa was buried beneath a concrete slab in a barn in a field in suburban Detroit in 1975. Sheeran was a friend of Hoffa but said he killed Hoffa for Pennsylvania mob boss Russell Buffalino. Sheeran said he would have been killed himself if he didnt carry out the hit. A forensic team led by Bloomfield Township Police and the Oakland County Prosecutors Office spent about two hours in the house, pulling floor boards from the hallway and vestibule of the house, where Sheeran described the shooting as happening. Lab tests found evidence of blood in the boards, but it wasnt Hoffas blood. "I feel like we're where we were the day before we got the tip," then-Bloomfield Township Police Chief Jeffrey Werner said when the lab results came back. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jimmy Hoffa: Searches in Michigan for former Teamsters president Im in good company as we commemorate National Whistleblower Day on July 30. After all, two Navy Sailors, Samuel Shaw, a Revolutionary War naval officer, and Richard Marven, a midshipman, were the first whistleblowers in 1776. Shaw, a midshipman, and Marven, a third lieutenant in the Continental Navy, were moved to act after witnessing the torture of British prisoners of war by Commodore Esek Hopkins, then Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy. In reporting the misconduct of the Navys highest officer, they both were punished, dismissed from the Navy, and later faced criminal charges filed by Hopkins. Appalled by the case, the Continental Congress enacted a whistleblower protection law on July 30, 1778, and even helped provide resources to support their legal defense. At the time, the law declared it the duty of all persons in the service of the United States, as well as all other inhabitants thereof, to give the earliest information to Congress or any other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the service of these states, which may come to their knowledge. The continuous issue we have today is what happens to whistleblowers after they have done their due diligence in reporting misconduct, fraud or ill will to others. Their truth-telling often significantly affects their careers, families, and life. In my journey of exposing the VA wait time scandal, I dealt with each of these consequences. Leadership put my VA public affairs officer career on hold, undermining it. My children suffered immensely while watching their mom, who was so dedicated to caring for and serving veterans for decades, be treated so unjustly. And I discovered how complicated and painful it is to deal with depression. But as the saying goes, challenges can make you stronger, and mine did. I learned many things along my journey, and I wanted to share some of my lessons learned of how to keep the faith in difficult times. Story continues Continue to do good work: It was devastating when I was removed from my high-profile VA Public Affairs Officer position and banished to the basement library as a clerk. No longer was I in the inner circle of leadership and influence, where I could improve policy, shape public opinion, or create information that would benefit the masses. Instead, my daily chores meant checking in library books, buying the newspaper and putting it on the rack for people to read, faxing documents, working with patients on computers, making copies, and even sharpening pencils. The most important thing that didnt change for me was to do this job to the best of my ability. After all, it was about supporting our nations veterans. Proactively manage stress : This took me a while since I immediately quit working out and cried for prolonged periods when I got home. It wasnt until I found yoga and meditation that I could feel some of the stress leave. Learn what not to do : When youre involved in a lawsuit, your legal counsel warns you to watch what you say and be careful of whom you trust. I went from having thousands of people in my network to a hundred or so. Suddenly being ignored by people I thought were my friends, or worse, being thrown under the bus by them, was devastating. I learned to heed my legal teams advice, and I sought those who had enough courage to speak to me in public, send letters on my behalf and stand up for me based on my previous moral work. Pray continuously : As a Catholic, I took comfort in Mass, the Rosary, reading the Bible, continuous prayers, and seeking Gods wisdom at critical junctures along the journey. Hold to your values: As a sailor, the Navys core values are honor, courage and commitment. As a public relations practitioner, our code of ethics includes advocacy, honesty, loyalty, fairness and independence. I embraced all of these values throughout the journey, and stayed true to what I knew as the truth and became determined to ensure that I stood up to evil, even if it meant standing alone. Although these are some insights I gained in the process, I also lost ground. What still haunts me to this day are the lives lost by those veterans trapped in the system, the crossroads VA faces, and the lingering aftermaths of the crisis my family still endures. The whistleblower journey is not easy, but for some, its a call we cant ignore. Paula Pedene is the author of the memoir A Sacred Duty, How a Whistleblower Took on the VA and Won. She also serves as the executive director of Honoring Americas Veterans, which produces the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade. Have an opinion? This article is an Op-Ed and as such, the opinions expressed are those of the author. If you would like to respond, or have an editorial of your own you would like to submit, please email us. Want more perspectives like this sent straight to you? Subscribe to get our Commentary & Opinion newsletter once a week. The Biden White House has tried to present itself as being above the fray of day-to-day squabbles, but increasingly, its jumping in, bashing the GOP and other critics at every opportunity. The administration didnt miss a chance this week to hammer Republicans over Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) floating that the House would move towards an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. They were quick with memos and statements to criticize the GOP attacks as a clown carousel and the idea of pursuing impeachment as baseless. And the White House issued a scathing rebuke of Fox New host Greg Gutfeld, who said that Jews captured and tortured during the Holocaust survived by having skills and being useful, calling out his comments as a dangerous, extreme lie. The new levels of punchy rhetoric preview the White House messaging strategy going into 2024, which is to fight back and call out what they consider extreme. President Biden and Vice President Harris arrive for an event to establish the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Tuesday, July 25, 2023, in Washington. President Biden and Vice President Harris arrive for an event to establish the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Tuesday, July 25, 2023, in Washington. Its a shift from their previous attitude, which was to let what they considered to be Republican chaos speak for itself. The cost is too expensive, both short and long term, to let them operate in a vacuum without showing that one, we know how to fight; two, that we will fight; three, we fight with facts and not with some flaming lies of information, said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist. Early in Bidens presidency, the White House was careful not to weigh in on controversial comments from the likes of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), hoping to avoid elevating her words and giving the far-right congresswoman more of a platform. When McCarthy was struggling in January to get enough votes to be Speaker of the House, they sat back and watched it unfold. Story continues Top Stories from The Hill Biden gently knocked the vote series at the time, saying, Its a little embarrassing its taking so long, but also added, thats not my problem. The White House had also insisted that Biden would not insert himself into the election, which ended up taking 15 ballots for McCarthy to finally clench enough votes. But this week, when the Speaker signaled that the House could move forward with an impeachment inquiry, the White House came out with multiple statements and highlighted quotes from fellow Republicans in his conference pushing back on the idea. It also released a memo about Republicans slams against the president overall, reflecting the Biden argument that the GOP is stepping up attacks on Hunter Biden and talk of impeachment because the economy is getting stronger and is now a less effective avenue for attack. Sign up for the latest from The Hill here Hunter Biden appeared in a Delaware court Wednesday, where his plea deal was put on hold by a judge who questioned the scope of the agreement. The White House this week touted Bidenomics after gross domestic product (GDP) numbers showed surprisingly strong economic growth. It rebuked GOP lawmakers for not embracing the data, pointing to Fox Business anchor Cheryl Casone, who said Thursday, There goes that recession talk, right? Even Fox Business is welcoming todays blockbuster economic growth numbers, the latest in a long line of proof points that Bidenomics is delivering for middle class families, spokesman Andrew Bates said in a memo. Thats because this strong growth report is objectively good news for the American people, which elected officials should support regardless of their political party. In the past, the White House has called out what it deemed antisemitism, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in particular has spearheaded the effort against hatred towards Jewish Americans. The rebuke of Gutfeld was particularly notable, considering it called the conservative media voices comments insulting to the memory of people who suffered the Holocaust. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage Over the last week, Vice President Harris has gone on the attack against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), a presidential candidate, over changes his administration has made regarding the way slavery is taught in his state. She quickly traveled to Jacksonville to deliver remarks over his recent moves. And press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has turned Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) into an almost-daily punching bag, chastising him for blocking military promotions over his opposition to the Pentagons abortion policy. Democrats argue that its significant the White House is getting punchier and not relying on the Biden reelection campaign to do it for them. I think the reason why its so important that it comes from the White House is because Joe Biden is a president for all people, and that White House works for all people, Seawright said. It helps weed out some of the foolishness, because I dont think we can afford at this moment to let false information go unchecked or go numb to bad or false information for the sake of political gain. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) speaks to reporters as he arrives to the Senate Chamber for votes on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Greg Nash) Another Democratic strategist argued the White House has picked its spots well, seeking to highlight when Republicans are fixated on issues that dont resonate with most moderate voters. The strategist pointed to the GOPs fixation on Hunter Biden as an example of something that is unlikely to move many mainstream voters. Democratic communications strategist Katie Grant Drew noted the window for moving legislation closes early in election cycles so it makes sense the White House is preparing for 2024. They know theyre going to have to defend against Republicans insatiable appetite for investigations and impeachments, and the best defense is a good offense, said Drew, a principal at Monument Advocacy. When top Republicans continue to spout controversial rhetoric and spend time on divisive issues that the vast majority of Americans dont agree with, the White House is going to use those moments to illustrate to the American people how extreme todays Republican Party has become. Jim Kessler, co-founder of the centrist think tank Third Way, said Biden and his team are wisely both selling their own victories and highlighting Republican dysfunction. Ultimately, though, Kessler argued the 2024 election will be decided by broader issues such as the economy, something the White House has leaned into with its recent messaging. This election is going to come down to the middle. The middle ideologically, the middle of the country geographically, and the middle class, Kessler said. These are places where Bidens got to win. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A broadcaster at the rightwing network Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) interrupted the programming ahead of former President Donald Trumps rally in Erie, Pennsylvania to reject the notion that he wanted to kill liberals, globalists, and insufficiently conservative or Trump-supporting Republicans, known as RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). Matthew Alvarez said on Saturday that There is something that is trending on Twitter right now ... I was interviewing people ... they were talking about how great the country is, how great the president is, and I heard something else that was spoken ... what Im hearing is somebody said, Well lets kill them all. That is not something that I agree with, obviously, he said, according to RawStory. Footage from the pre-rally interviews shows a Trump supporter saying that he will guarantee that Mr Trump gets back into the White House. Hes then asked what his opinion is on the globalists and RINOs and he appears to respond Kill them all to which Mr Alvarez says I agree with you on that. After the incident, Mr Alvarez backtracked to his viewers: So if there is something that happened, where somebody was speaking out there, I didnt hear those words spoken. Its very loud outside. All I know is Im here for God, for this country, for truth, for President Trump, that kind of thing. Definitely not a proponent of anything like that happening. A fellow host on RSBN added: It is very natural for someone to maybe agree with them, even if you didnt understand. They will take a clip of that and run with it. We all know thats not what you meant, he added. I didnt say it, I didnt hear the guy say it, Mr Alvarez responded. Guy at the Trump rally today says he is there to guarantee that Trump gets back in the WH. When asked what he thinks about the globalists and RINOs it sounds like he says kill them all. Interviewer then says, I agree with you. pic.twitter.com/ZavTMq4ITw Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) July 29, 2023 Ceres police officers and firefighters responding to a call asking for a security check at a residence Friday night discovered several so-called Molotov cocktails. The call came about 7:40 p.m. The incendiary weapons were found in a unit of an apartment complex on the 3100 block of Whitmore Avenue, Ceres Police Department spokesman Sgt. Dirk Nieuwenhuis told The Bee on Sunday. A fire crew responded to assist Ceres police with an altered patient, said the daily incident summary from the Modesto Fire Department, which covers Ceres. The name and condition of that person were not reported, and its not clear if that person is the woman arrested. Several Molotov cocktails were found in an individuals residence, the summary said. ... Units operated in the investigative mode and conducted atmospheric monitoring. Nieuwenhuis said a female suspect was arrested on charges including possession of destructive devices or explosives. The Stanislaus County Sheriffs Departments in-custody log shows that Katrina Ann Hopper, 47, also was booked on charges including child endangerment and possession of explosives with intent to injure or intimidate. She remained in custody Sunday morning, with bail set at more than $2 million. The online Britannica encyclopedia defines a Molotov cocktail as a crude bomb, typically consisting of a bottle filled with a flammable liquid and a wick that is ignited before throwing. It is named for Vyacheslav Molotov, the foreign minister of the Soviet Union during and after World War II, though Molotov was not its inventor. The bombs name was mockingly bestowed by Finnish soldiers resisting the Soviet invasion of their country in 1939, Britannica said. Big spenders in Tarrant County Tarrant County commissioners are butting heads over a proposed new law enforcement training facility. (July 19, 1A, Proposed law enforcement training center comes under fire) The budgeted cost is $45 million. It would be paid for by the American Rescue Plan, crafted by the Biden White House. As we all know, far-right politicians have called President Joe Bidens spending plans (largely meant to help American cities with infrastructure) socialism. And yet its the Democratic commissioners urging caution and further study before spending that large amount and the Republicans on the Commissioners Court who are ready to rush forward. Go figure. - Owen Daniel, Fort Worth Texas should do it like Arizona I recently moved to Texas from Arizona, which passed universal education savings accounts last year. Before that, the public school we were zoned for was poorly rated, so we chose to home-school for two years with no funding. Our final year in Arizona, we received universal funding, and it opened a world of possibilities for us: field trip, chemistry kits and rich online courses with certified teaching credentials. My kids love to learn now. I would be thrilled for Texas to take on a child-centered funding approach like Arizona did. - Heidi Nelson, Greenville Small towns are about love I see nothing referring to race in the lyrics of the Jason Aldean song Try That in a Small Town. Its just a fact that people in small towns take care of one another. If something tragic happens, we pitch in and help one another. We do not try to burn our town or businesses. Come to a small town and feel the love and compassion we have for one another. Theres nothing like waving at a car passing by or checking on your neighbors to ensure everything is fine. Try that in a big city. - Lisa M. Vaccaro, Nocona Government cant cut the fat I had to laugh when I read the July 22 headline, How the government can solve Americas obesity epidemic. (6A) Seriously? Sure, it sounds like a good idea, but given our governments limited abilities and often misguided efforts, putting it in charge of obesity would only end up with more people overweight. Lets let the government do what it does best, which is well, Ill get back to you on that. Story continues - Steve Himes, Fort Worth Risk of harm will teach them As a fifth-generation Texan, I think Gov. Greg Abbott is doing a fantastic job trying to fix the border problem. He has no help from the federal government saps. Abbott has taken a stand. When you are doing an illegal thing (no matter your age or sex) and there are no consequences, you will continue to do illegal things. When people understand how they can be harmed trying to enter the country illegally, they will eventually stop. It takes a consequence to break a habit. People can come into this country by legal means. Texans, stand with your governor. - Vanita Floyd, Hallsville Abbott has no authority to injure Does Nicole Russell consider herself a conservative Christian? Then how does she praise Gov. Greg Abbotts inhumane and cruel anti-Latino policies at the border? Texas doesnt have the constitutional authority to violate international laws and treaties with Mexico. (July 27, 11A, Texas is doing the job on border, and all Biden does is sue over it) Neither Texas nor Abbott owns the Rio Grande, and they cannot just install artificial barriers on an international boundary. Aside from the danger to human migrants, it also endangers nature and wildlife in the river. - Luis Torres, Fort Worth Portraying mayoral candidate Lily Wu as an insider in an outsiders clothing based upon her campaign finance reports is a bit unfair, to put it mildly. More importantly, its the wrong analysis for voters to use at the ballot box. Having written countless columns about national, state and local politicians, I understand there is plenty of fodder for criticism out there and campaign finance reports can be a goldmine of revealing data. But having successful professionals support your mayoral campaign does not equate to insider status any more than one plus one to the first power equals three. Suggesting to the contrary is nothing short of unbridled cynicism. True or false? Lily Wu has raised a record-breaking amount of money in this primary: True. A total of 329 contributions were for the maximum $500 limit: True. Americans for Prosperity threw $66,000 toward the campaign: True. That is all data publicly accessible data anyone can read about. How one elects to analyze the data as a prognosticator of future candidate performance is the key. One way to analyze the data the path taken by Dion Lefler (Wus Koch/D.C. connection is a third of her outsider run, July 27) is that a lot of wealthy people support the campaign, and some of those people do business with the city. A libertarian PAC has also supported the campaign, and this PAC is an influential one fueled by Wichitas most wealthy resident. All of the donors are insiders, which term is defined by Merriam-Webster as a person recognized or accepted as a member of a group, category, or organization: such as a person who is in a position of power or has access to confidential information. As the analysis continues, Wus acceptance of these funds to advertise her campaign to the masses makes her an insider as well, and her campaign flyers describing her as an outsider are basically laughable. She will thus be beholden to the insiders if she wins the election and will make decisions which benefit those individuals and not the city at large. Story continues Thats analysis, alright analysis that blows through about seven red lights on its way to the intended finish line. Heres more analysis: Lots and lots of Wus max-contributing donors are physicians and other skilled professionals who have no ongoing business with the city. They will be doing things like treating patients, performing root canals or representing clients in court. Those types of individuals are listed in the campaign reports also. So are non-max donors across all different industries. Perhaps these donors take a special interest in candidates who appear intelligent, articulate and presentable, meaning they will make our city look good. They like to hire those types of people too. If all of these successful people many of whom have zero business with the city believe Wu would do well in the job, perhaps its true. Voters will get to decide what they think. She would be beholden to the same sets of rules as every other elected official in the job. If she decided to selectively hand out city bonds like Halloween candy or have a separate VIP waiting room for insiders looking to make sweetheart deals, people would take notice pretty quickly. Then just maybe the topic would find its way into the newspaper. Money pervades politics because people pay attention to ads. Motivations vary. Instead of defining any max donor as an insider, how about we apply the term to those who never seem to leave the political arena? Theres nothing more dangerous in politics than an officeholder who has no other marketable job skills they will do anything to keep the job. Our goal should be to somehow draw the best and brightest into every campaign. Stamping a name like insider on new candidates and discarding them accordingly is what got us into this mess to begin with across all levels of government. It got us a bunch of insiders. Blake Shuart is an attorney in Wichita and a member of The Eagle Editorial Advisory Board. (Bloomberg) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the military to push ahead with anti-graft efforts and speed up modernization attempts during a recent visit to an air force unit. Most Read from Bloomberg Xi inspected the air force of Peoples Liberation Armys Western Theater Command on July 26, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. China celebrates its Army Day on Aug. 1. See: Chinas Military Probes Slew of Graft Issues Going Back to 2017 The leader called on the military to push ahead with disciplinary regulation and anti-corruption measures, according to the report. He also called for ensuring the partys firm grip on the army, Xinhua said. See: China Top Rocket Force Officials Under Graft Probes, SCMP Says Xi also told the military to beef up training and push for the quicker use of new equipment to boost its fighting capacity. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Yeshi Kassa is pictured speaking at Insider's editorial Spotlight event, "The Exiled Royal," on Wednesday, July 26. Insider Events Yeshi Kassa left royal life behind after the Ethiopian revolution in 1974. She told Insider she didn't disclose her royal heritage while working on Wall Street. She said she would never use her status to get a job: "Your work better speak for itself." Yeshi Kassa may be descended from royalty, but she doesn't let it influence her professional life. Kassa is the great-granddaughter of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, who was deposed during the country's revolution in 1974. Kassa previously told Insider that many of her relatives, including the emperor, were killed during the revolution while others were imprisoned. Meanwhile, Kassa lived in exile during the UK, and was studying at boarding school when the revolution began. She previously told Insider she pursued a career as a commodity broker in the UK before relocating to the US several years later when her family were released from prison. Seven female members of the royal family were released in May 1988 after 14 years of imprisonment, the Associated Press reported at the time. Speaking on Insider's editorial Spotlight panel, "The Exiled Royal," on Wednesday, Kassa said she worked in commodity exchange on Wall Street in New York City without disclosing her royal heritage. "I was a Wall Street baby, I was one of those people who screamed and shouted on the commodity exchange," Kassa said. "Nobody knew who I was." "I very rarely tell people who I am, but if I do need it for something, and I say who I am, most people will say, 'My goodness, it's Haile Selassie, of course we know about him.' And you will benefit from that," she added. Kassa added that she only uses her royal status to promote charitable events or help her voice be heard on certain issues. "But in terms of getting a job or something, your work better speak for itself," she said. "I've never used it like that." Story continues Kassa said she relocated from the US to Ethiopia in 2000 and worked in banking and on charitable initiatives, before returning to New York in 2015 to work on "Grandpa Was an Emperor," a documentary about Haile Selassie that was directed by Constance Marks. The documentary, which examines the events that led to the revolution, is available on streaming platforms including Apple TV and Amazon Prime. Read the original article on Insider Xi's special representative to attend Decade of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor celebration event Xinhua) 10:36, July 30, 2023 BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- He Lifeng, special representative of President Xi Jinping, will travel to Pakistan from July 30 to August 1 to attend the Decade of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor celebration event in Islamabad, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Saturday. He, vice premier of the State Council, will travel to Pakistan at the invitation of the government of Pakistan, Mao added. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by President Xi Jinping, and also the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Over the past decade, as an important pioneering project of the BRI, the CPEC has achieved fruitful results and become a new benchmark for the friendship between China and Pakistan, a foreign ministry spokesperson said. To mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of the CPEC, the Pakistani government will hold a grand celebration event in the country's capital Islamabad. He will attend the event and meet with the leaders of Pakistan, the spokesperson said. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad friends, and the friendship between the two countries is time-honored, the spokesperson noted. China hopes that this visit will be an opportunity for both sides to jointly implement the important consensus between leaders of the two countries, renew the traditional friendship, build on past achievements and upgrade the development of the CPEC, consolidate and deepen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, advance the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era and contribute to the development and prosperity of the region and beyond, the spokesperson added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) A GOP groups video advertisement that seeks to tie Gov. Andy Beshear to support for allowing minors to undergo gender reassignment surgery was removed from YouTube over the weekend for violating the websites hate speech rules. On Monday, it had been re-posted. The ad comes from Kentucky Values, a group affiliated with the national Republican Governors Association (RGA). It began airing statewide last Friday. Beshear has clarified in recent weeks that he does not support allowing gender reassignment surgery for transgender youth. He has never said that he supports the practice, and emphasized that in a recent television ad of his own. Leaders in the states LGBTQ-led push against Senate Bill 150 have stated that they had no issue with a ban on the practice, noting that it did not occur in Kentucky before the ban. Andy Beshear has always opposed gender-reassignment surgeries for minors which do not happen in Kentucky, Alex Floyd, a Beshear campaign spokesperson, said. However, Republicans say that his veto of Senate Bill 150, which included among several other provisions a ban on the practice, is proof that Beshear does support gender reassignment surgeries for minors. Courtney Alexander, RGAs national press secretary, said the ad is accurate and when it was down called the incident another example of big tech covering for Democrats and silencing the truth. Alexander celebrated the ads return to the platform and said RGA will continue to ensure Kentuckians know just how wildly out of touch Andy Beshear is with Kentucky values. It is unclear which part of the ad violated YouTubes hate speech policy, which is broadly defined to prevent content that the site believes incites hatred or violence against certain groups. The above message appears on the link to the Republican Governors Associations (RGA) 30-second ad titled Sick But True. We consider content hate speech when it incites hatred or violence against groups based on protected attributes such as age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status, the sites hate speech policy reads. This policy also includes common forms of online hate such as dehumanizing members of these groups; characterizing them as inherently inferior or ill; promoting hateful ideology like Naziism; promoting conspiracy theories about these groups; or denying that well-documented violent events took place, like a school shooting. Story continues The site removes tens of thousands of videos and channels each quarter that violate their hate speech and harassment policy. The ad blasts Beshear by tying him to what it calls the radical transgender agenda, which it states is bombarding our children everywhere we turn. It states that Beshears actions relative to trans rights are sick but true. Beshear supports allowing young children to undergo permanent gender-changing surgery. Beshear even vetoed a bill to ban doctors from performing sex change surgery even chemical castration on underage kids. Its sick, but true, the narrator says. Though the full 30-second ad has been removed because of the hate speech element, the 15-second version of the ad remains up on YouTube. That version does not contain the portion of the ad referring to chemical castration. Beshears race against Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron for re-election is expected to be tightly contested. Groups like the RGA and the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) have already poured millions of dollars into the race. The most recent public polling has Beshear up anywhere from 10 to 4 points over Cameron, though Camerons campaign has yet to air an advertisement of its own. Beshears campaign was already using the incident to rally support on Sunday afternoon. In a mass text asking for donations, the campaign sent a screenshot of YouTubes message on the video regarding its hate speech policy. National Republicans are telling such heinous lies about Andy and their latest attack ad was pulled off of Youtube for violating hate speech rules, the message reads. This is what Andy is up against, and we need your help to fight back. One Republican operative in Arizona suggested that the temporary removal of the video constituted election interference on YouTubes part. The Republican Governors Association launched a new ad Friday exposings radical agenda of allowing young children to undergo permanent gender-changing surgery. YouTube has already erased the ad (because) of hate speech. Election interference, Brian Anderson asked in a tweet. IAEA says fifth reactor at ZNPP shut down to facilitate repair work on the unit Russian invasion forces, who have controlled the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) since the early days of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have put the plants fifth reactor into cold shutdown, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on July 29. Read also: What will happen if Russia blows up the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant According to an IAEA statement, the Russians plan is to cool down the fifth reactor at ZNPP to facilitate repair work on the unit, which can only be conducted in a state of cold shutdown. The IAEAs report indicates that this action took place on the third day after the occupiers switched the fourth reactor from cold to hot mode. As per the IAEA, steam from the fourth reactor is now being used to purify wastewater at ZNPP, while all other reactors remain in cold shutdown. The plant, Europes largest, has a total of six nuclear reactors. Meanwhile, IAEA experts suggested that an external steam boiler be installed at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant to shift all reactor units to cold shutdown mode. Read also: Nuclear security specialist on potential terrorist attack at ZNPP On July 29, a group of experts currently present at the plant visited the fifth reactor to inspect the reactor core, spent fuel pool, and steam generator. According to their assessment, all equipment appeared to be in normal condition. The IAEA report also emphasizes that no mines or explosives were found inside the fifth reactor, but mines still remain around the perimeter of the nuclear power plant. Threat of Terrorist Attack at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant What We Know ZNPP fell under Russian occupation in March 2022, and since then, Ukrainian specialists stationed at the facility have faced continuous interference by the invaders. The Russian invasion forces have resorted to intimidation, kidnappings, and coercion, forcing the plants staff to sign contracts with Rosatom. Story continues On June 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the troubling claim that Russia is considering the possibility of carrying out a terrorist act at the ZNPP. According to the Ukrainian president, the Russians have already made preparations for such an action. Read also: Political games around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, supported the Ukrainian presidents claims, stating that the Russians have completed their preparations for a potential terrorist attack at the occupied ZNPP. Their alleged plan involves placing explosive devices near four out of six of the reactor units, with the cooling system also reportedly mined. More recently, on July 25, state nuclear operator Energoatom reported that the Russian invaders had intentionally disrupted the work schedule at the plant, switching the fourth reactor of ZNPP to a hot shutdown mode. Adding to the alarming situation, on July 28, Energoatom claimed that a ZNPP employee named Serhii Potynh had been kidnapped by the Russians, and that he was being tortured while in their captivity. 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 considers Pope Francis appeal to Russia on the need to restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative important. Source: Zelenskyy on Twitter, reported by European Pravda An important call by @Pontifex_pt to Moscow to restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The reaction of the world's religious leaders to the Russian missile terror and destruction of Ukrainian agricultural products is extremely important to protect the whole world, and especially (@ZelenskyyUa) July 30, 2023 Quote: "An important call by Pope Francis to Moscow to restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The reaction of the world's religious leaders to the Russian missile terror and destruction of Ukrainian agricultural products is extremely important to protect the whole world, and especially the peoples of Africa and Asia, who suffer the most from the threat of hunger, from a food crisis. Ukraine is and will be the guarantor of the world's food security. The key thing now is to stop Russian terror and fully implement the Peace Formula." Details: He added that Ukraine is and will be the guarantor of world food security. The main thing now is to stop the Russian terror and fully implement the Peace Formula, Zelenskyy said. Earlier on Sunday, Pope Francis called on Russia to restore the Black Sea grain initiative, turning to "his brothers, the authorities of the Russian Federation." Addressing people at St.Peter's Square, the Pope urged the faithful to continue to pray "for martyred Ukraine, where war is destroying everything, even grain," calling it "a grave insult to God." Last week, Pope Francis called for prayer for peace in Ukraine, recalling the night missile strike of the Russian Federation on the city of Odesa. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! In a video message on July 30, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that it's natural and fair that the war is returning to Russian territory. "Ukraine is becoming stronger. The war is gradually returning to Russian territory to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process," Zelensky said. "Russian aggression has suffered bankruptcy on the battlefield," he continued. "Today is the 522nd day of (Russia's) so-called 'special military operation,' which the Russian leadership expected to last a week or two." While Zelensky did not clarify what he meant by the war "returning to Russian territory," the statement came after earlier reports on June 30 that several high-rise buildings in Russia were hit by drones. Russia claimed Ukraine was responsible for the attack. The Ukrainian Air Force's spokesperson, Yurii Ihnat, said the drone attacks on moscow were aimed at affecting Russians who, since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, felt the war was distant. Theres always something flying in Russia, as well as in Moscow. Now the war is affecting those who were not concerned, Ihnat said. No matter how the Russian authorities would like to turn a blind eye on this by saying they have intercepted everything something does hit. According to the report, the offices of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Digital Development, as well as the Federal Agency for Nationalities, and several other agencies were located there. In his speech, Zelensky also warned Ukrainians that Russia can still attack Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure this winter, as it did last year. Zelensky said he met with regional officers to prepare for such a possibility. Read also: Ukraines counteroffensive lurches forward: Key moment looms as more forces committed Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian forces might try to resume their attacks on Ukraines energy sector and stressed that Ukraine must be prepared for this on local and state levels. Source: President Zelenskyy during a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Ivano-Frankivsk Quote from Zelenskyy: "Its clear that enemy [forces] will attempt to repeat terrorist attacks on Ukraines energy sector this autumn and possibly this winter. We have to be prepared for this at the highest, state, level and at the level of each individual city, village and town." Details: Zelenskyy explained that Ukraines energy sector has a two-pronged defence strategy: first, physically protecting energy infrastructure facilities from missile and drone attacks, subversive operations and cyberattacks. Second, the management of the energy sector and its constituent parts in a way that will ensure effective energy regeneration and distribution even during the war. "We will do everything we can on the state and security levels. The local communities responsibility is to help defence and security forces and government carry out measures to protect the energy sector, and to be prepared for difficult challenges and energy emergencies," Zelenskyy said. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited Ivano-Frankivsk, a city in the country''s west where he met with Ukrainian soldiers at a local hospital and held a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. Source: President Zelenskyy on Facebook Quote from Zelenskyy: "[Ive visited] the rehabilitation centre where [Ukrainian] defenders are undergoing treatment. I want to thank each of our soldiers for their feats and their courage. Thank you from all Ukrainians for defending our country. The victory will definitely be ours! I wish you a quick recovery!" Details: Zelenskyy also held a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to discuss the local governments preparations for winter and issues around local budgets. The president said that local and state budgets should be in line with [local] defence [capabilities]. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, must pass the laws necessary to start Ukraines negotiations on European Union membership. He urged people to put pressure on their representatives in the parliament to make sure those laws are passed. Source: President Zelenskyy in a video address Quote from Zelenskyy: "We presented our work on the Peace Formula, security guarantees for Ukraine until it joins NATO, and negotiations with the Alliance and the European Union to the hromadas. (A hromada is a local administrative unit often designating a city or town and its adjacent territories, or a group of villages ed.) People need to understand the specifics of our foreign policy, and they can help with some of it. In particular, [people can make sure] that Ukrainian MPs (members of the Ukrainian Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada - ed.) have a tangible incentive to work on solutions Ukraine needs. All the laws necessary to start negotiations with the European Union must be passed. If [an MP] is not ready to work constructively in Ukraines Verkhovna Rada, they must understand it would produce negative repercussions for them in their hromadas. They will feel it for themselves: either they support Ukraine, or they will have a hard time in Ukraine." Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it an inevitable and fair process that the war is gradually returning to the territory of Russia. Source: Zelenskyy in a video message Quote: "Russian aggression has exhausted itself on the battlefield. Today is the 522nd day of the so-called "special military operation" (the Russian term to describe the war in Ukraine ed.), which the Russian leadership expected to last for a week or two. Ukraine is becoming stronger. Gradually, the war returns to the territory of Russia, to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely just process." Details: At the same time, the president urged people to be aware that "this winter, Russian terrorists can still target our energy sector, critical facilities." "It is very important that local authorities across the country now, in summer and in September, are as active as possible in everything that needs to be done before the cold months of the year," Zelenskyy emphasised. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! From the pulpit at Scott Zion Baptist Church in Madison Heights, Pastor Russell Gary Lee talked about the endurance of his congregation. As history would have it, our theme for this day is we have come this far by faith, Lee said. On Saturday, Scott Zion celebrated its 150th anniversary as a community center for worship, education, and fellowship. From its immaculate inception in 1873 thats a long time 1873 to present Scott Zion Baptist Church has believed that God will lead and guide us with the word, Lee said. After a dedication ceremony in the current sanctuary, parishioners made their way across Galt Mill Road to unveil a new historic marker outside the original brick church building. Scott Zion Baptist Church is one of the largest and oldest African American congregations in Amherst County, the marker reads. Located about six miles northwest of Lynchburg, the Scott Zion community emerged after the Civil War when African Americans and some Native American people migrated away from agrarian communities along the James River and settled in the area. The first known burial in the Scott Zion cemetery behind the original church occurred around 1890. Tom Martin, chair of the Amherst County Board of Supervisors, said during the ceremony, The trials and tribulations have been mentioned this morning. But think about the faith and love that they had that helped overcome them, that built this church, this fine institution, and brought it to where it is today. On behalf of the board, we offer you our sincere thanks for the rock you are in this community 150 years of service is just proof that God is in this place, Martin added. Del. Wendall Walker, R-Lynchburg, said during the ceremony it breaks his heart to see other churches closing their doors. But here because of the obedience to God and the faithfulness, the doors are still wide open. So when people need help they know that they can come to Scott Zion Baptist Church because you care enough to help them. Scott Zion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in March 2022. Church Program Coordinator and President of Choirs Beryl Poindexter-Saied grew tearful talking about the occasion. Only thing I can say is theres so many precious memories here. The Dominican Republic has reiterated its absolute recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara, and underlined that it considers favorably the opening of a Dominican consulate in the town of Dakhla. The Dominican Minister of External Relations, Roberto Alvarez, had sent a written message to his Moroccan peer in order to bring to the attention of King Mohammed VI on behalf of the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, his countrys position on the Moroccan Sahara issue, a press release by the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday. The Dominican Republic reiterates its absolute recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara, and its Ministry of Foreign Relations considers favorably, the opening of a Dominican consulate in the city of Dakhla, the press release said. The Dominican Republic reaffirms that the autonomy initiative presented by the Kingdom of Morocco in 2007 constitutes the realistic, credible and serious solution for reaching a negotiated agreement between the parties to the Sahara issue, the press release added. The Dominican minister also informed his Moroccan peer that President Luis Abinader has expressed the wish to pay a state visit to the Kingdom of Morocco, in order to further strengthen political, commercial and cooperation ties between the two countries, the press release stated. Moroccos King Mohammed VI urged the government to speed up the implementation of Morocco Offer project in the field of green hydrogen as the country seeks to diversify its energy sources by increasing the share of renewables. I invite the government to speed up the implementation of this project, to make sure the requirements of quality are observed, to leverage our countrys significant potential in this regard, and to meet the expectations of leading global investors in this promising field, said the King in a speech he delivered Saturday on the 24th anniversary of his accession to the Throne. The King also cited the repercussions of the current global crisis and successive droughts that affected the cost of living. I have instructed the government to take the necessary measures to mitigate the negative effects of the current situation on the social segments and sectors that are most affected, and to make sure basic products are available on the market, he said. He also called for more efforts to enhance the resilience of Moroccos economy and urged the government to complete the implementation of the social protection project with payment of social benefits to the families concerned to start at the end of this year. I hope this direct income will contribute to improving the living conditions of millions of families and children, whose suffering I am sensitive to, he said. As regards water resources management a sector requiring greater commitment and vigilance I have made sure a national water program for the period 2020-2027 is developed, he said. I call for strict monitoring of all implementation stages and stress that there will be zero tolerance for any form of mismanagement, or chaotic, irresponsible use of water resources, the King added. King Mohammed VI of Morocco reiterated his call for open borders with Algeria, saying ties with the north African neighbor are stable My endeavors to serve the Moroccan people are not limited to domestic issues only. I am also keen to establish solid relations with sister nations and friendly countries, particularly our neighbors, he said. In recent months, many people have been wondering about Moroccan-Algerian relations. They are stable, and we look forward to seeing them improve, he added. I should like to tell the leaders and people of our sister nation, Algeria, that no evil will ever be done to them, nor will any harm ever come to them from Morocco. I want them to know that we attach special importance to the bonds of affection, friendship, exchange, and interaction between our peoples, said the King. I pray to Almighty God for things to return to normality, and for the opening of borders between the two neighboring, sister countries and peoples, he said. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $70 million risk-sharing agreement with Moroccos Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP) to develop foreign trade. This agreement is the second with BCP and is part of a program entitled 50/50 risk-sharing agreement for Moroccos Banque Centrale Populaire. It takes place in a context of tightening capital adequacy and compliance standards on the continent, AfDB said in a statement. This has led international banks to reduce the levels of their commitments and the number of their correspondents in Africa, stressed the statement, noting that this agreement will enable BCP to address this problem by supporting the continents local banks, faced with a decline in financing and confirmation lines with their correspondents. The agreement is meant to strengthen the capacity of African banks and their small and medium-sized enterprise customers by consolidating relationships of trust between the players in the African banking system, in order to speed up the development of regional and international foreign trade. It also intends to help SMEs operating in several African countries gain access to trade finance instruments. According to the AfDB statement, the direct beneficiaries are African issuing banks, whose trade financing activity is constrained by the lack of trade confirmation lines made available by international confirming banks. The indirect beneficiaries are local African SMEs and businesses that rely on issuing banks to honor their trade finance commitments. Morocco is closely following recent events in Niger and stresses the importance of maintaining the stability of this brotherly country. The remarks were made by Moroccos Permanent Representative to the African Union and UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi, at an urgent meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) on the situation in Niger. Morocco trusts the wisdom of Nigers people and vital forces to preserve the gains made, maintain the countrys important constructive regional role, and work towards realizing the aspirations of Nigers brotherly people, said the Moroccan diplomat. The Nigerien military announced on Wednesday July 26 evening the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum, democratically elected in 2021. The military junta presented itself as the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP). Several countries and international organizations, including the United States, France, the UN, and ECOWAS have condemned the coup and demanded the restoration of democratic legitimacy in the country. An increasing number of countries are exploring the potential to develop their geothermal energy capacity as governments look to expand their energy portfolios to include a broader range of renewable sources. As the U.K. assesses its deep geothermal potential, a major Japanese utility is betting big on geothermal energy in Germany, and Kenya is taking a regional approach to developing capacity. Greater investment in the sector is expected to continue supporting technological breakthroughs to draw investor interest and make operations more economically viable. Geothermal operations use steam to produce energy. This steam is derived from reservoirs of hot water, typically a few miles below the earths surface. The steam is used to turn a turbine, which powers a generator to produce electricity. There are three varieties of geothermal power plants: dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle. Dry steam power plants use underground steam resources, piping steam from underground wells to a power plant. Flash steam is the most common form, using geothermal reservoirs of water with temperatures above 182C. The hot water travels through wells in the ground under its own pressure, which lessens the higher it travels to produce steam to power a turbine. Finally, binary steam power plants use the heat from hot water to boil a working fluid, typically an organic compound with a low boiling point, which is then vaporised in a heat exchanger and used to turn a turbine. British Geological Survey (BGS) and Arup, a British engineering consultancy, recently developed a White Paper entitled The case for deep geothermal energy unlocking investment at scale in the UK, funded by the U.K. government. It aimed to assess the opportunities for constructing deep geothermal projects across the country to help diversify Britains renewable energy mix. To develop deep geothermal systems, companies must drill deep wells to reach higher-temperature heat sources at depths of more than 500 m. There is significant potential to develop these resources in the U.K., but the complex drilling operations come at a high cost, which has so far deterred developers. However, as technologies are improving, thanks to greater funding for research and development in the renewable energy industry, the number of areas where geothermal exploitation is economically viable is expected to increase. Most of the U.K.s deep geothermal resources can be found in deep sedimentary basinsacross the country. The White Paper recommends that the government promotes geothermal energy as one of the U.K.s renewable energy resources to boost investor confidence and promote awareness of the energy source. The establishment of a regulatory body could also support the development of new projects, while a licensing system could help streamline future projects. In Japan, one of the countrys biggest utility groups, Chubu Electric Power, announced plans to buy into a geothermal energy project in Germany. Chabu is purchasing a 40 percent stake in the company, which plans to develop first-of-its-kind geothermal power and district heating project in Bavaria. It will use Eavor-Loop technology developed by Canadian start-up Eavor, transforming sub-surface heat from the Earths core into renewable energy, without the need to discover underground hot-water reservoirs. Chabu already invested in Eavor itself in 2022 and hopes to promote the commercialisation of the new technology in Germany. Meanwhile, in 2022, Kenya which drilled its first geothermal well in the 1950s and opened its first power plant in 1981, came seventh in the world for geothermal energy production. Kenya produces around 47 percent of its energy from geothermal resources. It is one of only two African countries, alongside Ethiopia, that produces geothermal energy. The East African country hopes to assist neighbouring states with their geothermal ambitions, in a bid to support the regional development of clean energy resources in line with the global green transition. KenGen, the government entity that operates Kenyas geothermal power plant, is providing technical support to other countries in the region, having already drilled multiple geothermal wells in Ethiopia and Djibouti to assess their potential. And this month, the governments of Indonesia and New Zealand confirmed their cooperation in geothermal energy projects. Indonesia-Aotearoa New Zealand Geothermal Energy Program (PINZ) has been extended for 2023-2028, with a funding commitment of $9.9 million from the New Zealand government to develop Indonesias geothermal industry. This partnership has existed for over a decade, to support Indonesias clean energy transition. Several governments around the globe are increasing their investments in research and development into geothermal energy, aiming to diversify the renewable energy mix and reduce reliance on any single energy source. Investment into geothermal energy technology in recent years has already led to advancements that are expected to make new operations more economically viable, with further breakthroughs expected to come as the global geothermal market is established. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Temperatures in Iran are hitting record highs, rivers and lakes are drying up, and prolonged droughts are becoming the norm, highlighting a water crisis that is turning much of the countrys territory to dust. The desertification of Iran is occurring at a staggering pace, with officials last month warning that more than 1 million hectares of the countrys territory -- roughly equivalent to the size of Qom Province or Lebanon -- is essentially becoming uninhabitable every year. The situation has Tehran scrambling to gain control of the situation in a country where up to 90 percent of the land is arid or semi-arid. But the clock is ticking to stave off what even officials have acknowledged could lead to an existential crisis and the mass exodus of civilians. The warning signs were on full display this month. Temperatures in southwestern Iran hit a staggering 66.7 degrees Celsius (152 degrees Fahrenheit), higher than what is considered tolerable for human life. Iranian scientists warned that the water levels of Lake Urmia, which is in severe danger of drying up, are the lowest recorded in 60 years. And in what has become routine, advisories were issued about the threat of suffocating dust storms. As elsewhere in the world where temperatures are soaring, global climate change gets much of the blame. But the thermometer only tells part of the story on an issue Iran has been wrestling with for years. Exacerbated by decades of [international] isolation, mismanagement of local resources, rapid population growth, improper spatial distribution, and the consequences of a prolonged drought, Irans water crisis has entered a critical phase, environmental expert Shirin Hakim told RFE/RL in written comments. Water scarcity, and Tehrans failed efforts to remedy it, is well documented. The problem has led to grand dam-building and water-intensive irrigation projects that have contributed to the drying up of rivers and underground water reservoirs. Clashes with neighboring states and anti-government protests in hard-hit areas of Iran have erupted over scant water resources. And the degradation of soil has contributed to the increase of dust and sandstorms that have helped make Irans air pollution among the worst in the world. The accompanying loss of arable land has also harmed agricultural production, threatening livelihoods and leading to internal migration from the countryside to urban areas, which in turn could unleash a raft of related problems. Over time, the increased pressure on urban areas due to these migration patterns can strain infrastructure, natural resources, and create socioeconomic challenges, said Hakim, a senior fellow at the Berlin-based Center for Middle East and Global Order (CMEG) and fellow at the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center. Mass Exodus? Irans population has more than doubled since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, rising from about 35 million to almost 88 million, with about 70 percent of the population residing in cities. Tehran alone, Hakim said, has seen an average influx of a quarter of a million people per year for the previous two decades. But as water scarcity and desertification make more and more territory unlivable, there are fears that a huge segment of the population might eventually have no option but to flee the country entirely in the face of what is arguably Irans most pressing policy challenge. In 2015, Isa Kalantari, a former agriculture minister who at the time was serving as a presidential water and environment adviser, infamously predicted that, unless Iran changed its approach on water use, Approximately 50 million people, 70 percent of Iranians, will have no choice but to leave the country. In July 2018, a month that saw violent protests over water shortages in the southwestern city of Khorramshahr as the country faced its driest summer in 50 years, then-Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli described the water situation as a huge social crisis. Fazli said water scarcity could fuel migration and significantly change the face of Iran within five years, eventually leading to disaster. That deadline has passed, but the dire predictions and failed policies continue. Iran is currently ranked by the World Resources Institute as one of the most water-stressed nations in the world, based on the impact on countries agricultural and industrial sectors, and routinely has been listed among the countries where water scarcity could lead to conflict. That prospect became a reality earlier this year when Iran and Afghanistan engaged in deadly cross-border shelling. The clashes came after Tehran demanded that its neighbor release more upstream water to feed Irans endangered southeastern wetlands. Internally, the threat of renewed anti-government protests over the lack of fresh water like those seen in the southwestern Khuzestan Province in 2021 highlight the ongoing challenge to Irans clerical leadership. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification specifically addresses land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry subhumid areas. But those are not the only territories under threat in Iran. Vahid Jafarian, the director-general of desert affairs for Irans Natural Resources Organization estimated that the country was losing 1 million hectares a year to desertification. He warned on July 19 that even Irans wetlands are being turned into a center of fine dust as underground reservoirs dry up and the country pursues water-intensive industrial development. Kalantari, who last year said the fate of Irans clerical establishment could depend on the restoration of Lake Urmia, said in May that the drying up of what was once the largest lake in the Middle East could force the displacement of up to 4 million people. The Solution Iran has launched various initiatives to combat desertification, which Hakim said include dust and sandstorm management with countries in the region, the restoration of degraded soil and reforestation, addressing the overexploitation of water reserves, and the improvement of coordination among its various environmental bodies. Iran is also a signatory to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, is involved in efforts by the UNs Food and Agriculture Organization to minimize the effects of sand and dust storms, and has attempted to address environmental concerns in its five-year development plan. But Hakim said such measures have been largely overshadowed by the consequences of chronic environmental mismanagement and corruption. Noting the continuation of ill-conceived hydraulic infrastructure projects and the overexploitation of groundwater resources that compound Irans water crisis, Hakim added, these practices will likely contribute to increasing desertification threats without substantial improvements in how the country manages its water. By Michael Scollon via RFE/RL ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Donald Trump is facing new charges in the case over his alleged handling of government documents. The 77-year-old billionaire - who served as the 45th president of the US between 2017 and 2021 - has been charged with one count of wilful retention of defence information and two of obstruction. More specifically, Trump has been accused of pressuring an employee at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to delete security footage in an effort to obstruct the investigation. According to prosecutors, the footage shows the illegally-held files being moved. Carlos de Oliveira, a maintenance worker at Mar-a-Lago, has been named as the third co-defendant in the case, alongside Trump and Walt Nauta, Trump's valet. Nauta also received two additional charges of obstruction on Thursday (27.07.23). It's been alleged that Trump engaged in a scheme with Nauta and De Oliveira to delete footage of classified documents being removed from a storage room. Trump has been accused of instructing Nauta to travel to Mar-a-Lago to have the tapes destroyed. Nauta is alleged to have subsequently enlisted the help of De Oliveira as part of the plan to destroy the evidence. Trump has been charged with more than 30 violations of the Espionage Act as part of the ongoing case, and he was recently given a trial date of May 20 next year. The date actually represents a compromise for both parties, with prosecutors initially wanting to schedule the trial for December this year. Trump's team, on the other hand, had been keen to delay the trial until after the next presidential election, which is scheduled for November 2024. The businessman is currently preparing for another run at the White House. However, Trump could face a lengthy prison sentence if he's ultimately convicted. Trump has always denied the allegations, and the former president recently claimed to be the victim of a "coordinated hoax". Trump also slammed current president Joe Biden in a post on social media. Two improvements have continued building out Papillion's Veterans Park in recent months, enhancing the park's beauty and paying tribute to service members. The city recently installed an archway at the entrance of the Halleck Park Arboretum across from the Gold Star Memorial and POW/MIA wall. The archway features the Papillion seal and butterfly across from a seal for the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum on the opposite pillar. The designer of the installation, Joe Putjenter of Artistic Sign & Design in Omaha, has done multiple pieces for Veterans Park. "It was a natural evolution to go with his idea for the final design," Papillion Parks Director Tony Gowan said. "We worked with him and Omaha concrete company Artisan Stone." Gowan, along with Papillion Mayor David Black, has advocated for sculptures, particularly patriotic installations, that honor veterans surrounding the Honor Wall, which was unveiled in 2015 and commemorates Sarpy County veterans past and present. "The thing has always been, what do we do to honor the people who have served our nation? And what are those symbols?" Said Gowan. "We have the Gold Star Memorial, kneeling soldier at the POW/MIA and battlefield cross." They decided the next sculpture should be the symbol of the nation and something that's different than any other installation in the park. After deliberation, they decided to commission a bald eagle from Colorado sculptor Sutton Betti. "We designed it to be put atop a bunch of boulders so it looked like a mountaintop retreat," Gowan said. "We just finished the landscaping surrounding the area and it looks fantastic." The sculptures, including the eagle that was debuted May 28, and beauty of Veterans Park aren't just for daytime viewing. Each installation is low-lit to create vibrant visuals day or night. Former State Sen. Ernie Chambers has filed a formal complaint against a Douglas County judge over the $10 million bail he set for a woman accused of arranging a beating that left a man dead. Chambers filed the complaint against Judge Grant Forsberg with the Nebraska Judicial Qualifications Commission. The commission is charged with investigating allegations of judicial misconduct. Its proceedings are confidential unless it recommends discipline against a judge. Forsberg set bail at $10 million in June for Jessica Hernandez of Omaha. She is charged with manslaughter and evidence tampering in connection with the death of Carlos Salguero-Canar, a man she had dated. Hernandez allegedly arranged for another man, Nadim Zarazua-Hernandez, to beat Salguero-Canar. Zarazua-Hernandez is charged with manslaughter for allegedly beating Salguero-Canar to death June 2. Another jurist, Douglas County Judge Sheryl Lohaus, set Zarazuas bail at $200,000. The $10,000,000 bond is so outrageously ... excessive that its imposition by Judge Grant Forsberg rises to the level of official misconduct in office, Chambers wrote in his complaint. Chambers, the longest-serving state senator in Nebraska history, contended that setting such a high bail for Hernandez is unconstitutional and violates state law because it effectively denies her bail. Hernandez, who has two young children, would have to post $1 million in cash to be released from jail pending trial. Frankly, incredulity swept over me as I read the account of a Judge placing a woman of color under a ten million dollar bond, a virtual denial of bail, for allegedly instigating a fight between two men, one of whom was beaten to death, Chambers wrote. Chambers noted that the evidence tampering charge stems from allegations that Hernandez kept Salguero-Canars phone after his death and deleted his Snapchat and WhatsApp accounts. This case, in my opinion, evinces sexism, as well as racism, in view of the fact that the killer was given a $200,000 bond 10 percent of which he posted and was released while she remains locked up, in effect doing time, Chambers wrote. A phone message left seeking comment from Forsberg was not immediately returned. Nebraska law allows for judges to withhold any bail in cases of first-degree murder or first-degree sexual assault. There has been a trend of very high bails being set by judges in Omaha for people facing charges ranging from child sex assault to shooting a police officer. Forsberg set bail at $10 million in May for Pierre Brayman, a White man accused of manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident, in which he was driving, that killed his wife. Over the past 2 years, Douglas County or District Court judges have set bail at $10 million in at least four cases. Douglas County District Judge J. Russell Derr set bail at $50 million in 2021 for a man accused of child enticement and child pornography possession who had earlier skipped bail and fled the country. Chambers, who has a law degree and has described himself as the garbageman of the judiciary, has filed multiple complaints to the Judicial Qualifications Commission over more than 30 years. Many have been dismissed. But at least one Nebraska judge has been removed, and others have been suspended or reprimanded because of Chambers reports of their misconduct. At least two other judges have retired while facing investigations of complaints filed by Chambers. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of July 2023 The Union Pacific made Millard a village. Western Electric took it to a city. Annexation by Omaha turned it into a neighborhood. Its been 150 years since Omaha banker Ezra Millard platted his namesake community on either side of the railroads then-main line in October 1873. It was a far better name than what the railroad had been using Side-Track. With the right efforts it will soon change its name and character, the Omaha Daily Herald reported in 1872. The citizens who call it Millard are the sound and solid old farmers who have so long abided in and near Dr. (Harvey) Links. The ownership of old Millard traces to 1855, soon after Nebraska Territory opened to settlement. George and Cyrus Stevens came west from Maine. In 1857 the brothers purchased 160-acre military bounty land warrants from men they knew from their hometown, Seth Billington and Joshua Wing. From a history of their family, its known the Stevenses applied for adjoining tracts and fulfilled residency requirements by building small houses from cottonwoods. George and the former Mary Kofoed married in July 1858. Twelve days later, Cyrus drowned while crossing the Papillion Creek after a heavy rain. The railroad came through the Stevens land in 1865. Was this area, along the West Papillion, prime ground for a town? At that time, Dr. Link was the prominent settler. His land was northwest of 144th and L Streets. To build his first house, in the winter of 1856, he slid the wood from a Shenandoah, Iowa, sawmill, piece by piece across the still-thin ice of the Missouri River to be hauled to his land that was six miles from any settlement. Link served in the last territorial legislature. He established the areas first school in 1868 and served on the Millard school board for 24 years. He was president of the state medical association and was the states oldest practicing physician, with 50 years in the profession, before his death at 82 in September 1906. George Stevens sold the familys 320 acres in 1871, moving to Colfax County to farm. The buyer, Edwin Perley, couldnt reach agreement with the U.P. for establishing a village and resold the parcel several months later to Ezra Millard, again with the understanding that there would be a village. Once the sidetrack was put in, in September 1872, the locals wanted more. A depot for passengers and freight. A post office. A blacksmith. Businesses. Ezra Millard, the first president of Omaha National Bank and Omahas mayor from 1869 to 1871, employed U.P. survey engineers to plat his town. As with many railroad towns, the streets were parallel or perpendicular to the tracks. According to Alfred Andreas History of the State of Nebraska (1882), the railroad built a section house and depot by the end of 1873. Papillion merchants A.R. Kennedy and Hiram Pomeroy opened Millards first general store. The village gained a post office in September 1873, with Henry Kelsey the postmaster. Among the first buyers of residential lots in 1874 were Rebecca Fenton ($5) and Kelsey ($3). Andreas said Kelsey and Julius Schroeder built the first houses on the townsite. Christian Kaelber, once a stonecutter at Fort Kearny, bought Kelseys original farmhouse and moved it to a new lot. The first male born in Millard was Henry Kelseys son named for the town for which Ezra Millard bestowed a lot to Millard Kelsey (1875-1938). Kennedy and Pomeroy apparently didnt stay long in Millard, but they kindled a spark in business. John Schwab built the Millard Mills on the Papio in 1875, costing $7,500. Henry Karstens built the Millard House hotel in 1876. Listed in the Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory of 1879-80 were Samuel Cotner as postmaster and owner of a general store, J.A. Cox with a general store, Arunah Gage and John Hollenbeck Sr. as justices of the peace, Karstens as proprietor of the Millard House and saloon, John James Stewart the railroads station agent and a telegraph operator. Kaelber (he obtained Millards first liquor license in 1876) was a grain dealer, John Pederson a blacksmith and wagonmaker, Christian Poppenhagen and Schroeder as saloon owners (Poppenhagen also was a blacksmith). Fred Selp and William Von Dohren were carpenters and builders, M. Knuffka as shoemaker, and Charles Stutzner a building painter. More businesses came. Lars Johnson started a brickyard in the spring of 1880. At full capacity, he and five workers turned out 500,000 bricks annually. Cotner erected a grain elevator the next year with a 50,000 bushel capacity. Michael Tex opened a lumberyard in 1882. Henry Heitholt opened a wagon and carriage factory in a 40-by-50-foot building in 1882. John Lemke was a stock dealer. Charles Kolberman bought the Schwab mill in November 1881. Poppenhagen expanded his saloon to include lodging as the original Farmers Home hotel. Frederick Ebener was a druggist (his father was a physician) and operated a cigar factory. On Sept. 26, 1885, Millard became an incorporated village. Male voters petitioned the Douglas County Board for that status. The board adopted Millard as its official name the railroad and others were using Millard station. Kaelber, Lemke, Stutzner, Schroeder and Henry Simonsen were the interim board of trustees. Schroeder was chairman of the first village board. William Peters was treasurer and Kelsey clerk and justice of the peace. Subsequently elected were James Nelson, John Fritz, Kaelber and Poppenhagen. Next week: The rest of Millards story. As we creep toward the end of summer, its time for one more quick getaway. Whether youre an adventurer or a beginner, Nebraska state parks feature miles and miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails for travelers looking to enjoy the great outdoors. Hold on to your fishing pole, or just hold on to that fish! These parks offer beginner lakes and picturesque views of the Niobrara River, the Platte River and the Mighty Mo. If you want to get on the water, theres plenty of wonderful places to swim, kayak and canoe. Whether youre looking for a big adventure or a little relaxation, everyone can enjoy the beautiful scenery of canyon walls and waterfalls. Did you know Chadron State Park is Nebraskas first state park? The park features more than 100 miles of hiking and biking trails, making it a popular destination for travelers looking for an outdoor adventure. And the newest state park, Smith Falls State Park, is home to the states highest waterfall. Theres lots to do at Nebraska State Parks and the fun doesnt end just because the summer does. Lets reminisce on the diversity and the beauty of Nebraska state parks. While the Korean War is sometimes called the forgotten war, an event Saturday at Memorial Park made sure Nebraskans who served in the conflict were remembered. A ceremony hosted by Patriotic Productions honored Nebraskas veterans of the Korean War just after the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the war. The Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953. The agreement officially established the Demilitarized Zone at the border between North Korea and South Korea. Hundreds of people, including Korean War veterans and their families, gathered at the south end of Memorial Park for the event. Speakers included Korean War veterans, Nebraska Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly and Sally Ganem, the wife of former Gov. Dave Heineman. Hal Daub, an Army veteran, former U.S. congressman and Omaha mayor, led the ceremony. There were also Korean War reenactors at the event with vehicles and equipment used in the war and a half-size replica of the Korean War Veterans Memorial that opened in Washington, D.C., in 1995. Don Kane, a Purple Heart Army veteran who served in the Korean War, said he went on an honor flight through Patriotic Productions and remembers the many people who came out to welcome the veterans after their flight back to Omaha. Kane said that showed him and other veterans on the flight that their service had not been forgotten. There wasnt any dry eyes in the group, he said. It was like our homecoming. When he left the war, Seoul was little more than rubble, Kane said. He said visiting Seoul 64 years later and seeing how the city has developed showed him just how impactful the Korean War was. I realized that all Korean War veterans had a small part in creating this great city and country, he said. Ganem encouraged the crowd to thank veterans for their service whenever possible and to remember those who lost their lives while serving. As the Korean War Veterans National Memorial reads, freedom is not free, she said. Korean War veterans understand that freedom is not always free because for many veterans, they have their friends, their neighbors, their relatives killed in action. Kelly said one of the greatest honors hes had since becoming lieutenant governor was welcoming home the remains of Dale D. Thompson, an Army soldier who was previously unaccounted for after his platoon was ambushed in North Korea. Thompsons remains were interred in his hometown of Valentine in June. None of our veterans of the Korean War are forgotten, Kelly said. Even those who didnt make it home. Photos: Korean Armistice 70th Anniversary ceremony in Memorial Park The Nebraska Department of Transportation is seeking public input on ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The department has launched a survey on its website to seek public input in the development of Nebraska's Carbon Reduction Strategy, a document that will identify an approach to reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the transportation sector in Nebraska, according to a press release. States are required to develop a Carbon Reduction Strategy under the federal Carbon Reduction Program, which is intended to fund efforts to reduce carbon emissions from surface transportation. The transportation sector is the second-largest source of carbon emissions in Nebraska after electricity generation, the release said. Emissions in the transportation sector include burning of fossil fuels in vehicles and infrastructure-related emissions from things like road construction and street lighting. The survey and more information about the program is available at dot.nebraska.gov/travel/carbon-reduction-strategy-crs/. What's New Saddle Creek Road between Emile Street and Leavenworth Street will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work in the southbound lanes until Aug. 24. North 37th Street between Ames Avenue and Boyd Street will be restricted southbound for utility work until Wednesday. Miracle Hills Drive between Nicholas and North 120th Streets will be restricted westbound for utility work in the inside turn lane until Wednesday. North 20th Street will be restricted southbound at Burt Street for street repair until Thursday. Center Street between Morton Avenue and South 48th Street will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work until Aug. 7. The intersection of North 18th and Grace Streets will be closed for sewer work until late November. Around Omaha Intermittent lane and shoulder closures will take place on I-80 at the Giles Road, 84th Street, 72nd Street, 60th Street and 13th Street exits for a project to create accident investigation sites. Completion is expected in the fall. Northwest (north of West Dodge Road and west of I-680) Eagle Run Drive between North 140th Street and West Maple Road will have various lane restrictions for panel replacement until September. The 228th Street Bridge over Nebraska Link 28B (the western extension of the West Dodge Expressway) is reduced to one lane for bridge preservation and repairs through fall. A temporary traffic signal on either end of the bridge will control traffic. The 228th Street ramp onto the westbound West Dodge Expressway will be closed for bridge preservation and repair work until July 25. Blondo Street between North 117th Street and Papillion Parkway will have various lane restrictions for bridge repair until Nov. 10. The right lane of northbound 180th Street from Emmet Street to just north of Evans Street is closed until further notice to allow for construction of a right-turn lane into the new Costco warehouse store. Expect lane restrictions on 156th Street south of Bennington Road near Kempten Creek Drive through mid-August. Lanes will be narrowed, and flaggers may be used at times. State Street is closed from 156th to 147th Streets due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway until fall. Military Road from 168th Street to just west of 171st Street will be closed until early August to widen the road and add a right-turn lane at 171st Street. Fort Street is closed from 183rd to 195th Streets due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway until fall. North 108th Street between Burt Circle and Decatur Street will be closed with local access only for street widening until November. Northeast (north of Dodge Street and east of I-680) Leavenworth Street between Saddle Creek Road and South 49th Street will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work until September. Traffic in the southbound curb lane on North 16th Street and the northbound curb lane on North 17th Street will be shifted to the center lane between Cuming Street and Mike Fahey Street due to construction until Sept. 9. The Parker Street bridge over U.S. Highway 75 (North Freeway) will be closed for road improvements and to repair and paint several bridge structures through September. The right southbound lane of U.S. Highway 75/North Freeway at Weber Street is closed for road construction until Aug. 28. Westbound Dodge Street between North 38th Avenue and North 41st Street will be restricted for building construction in the outside curb lane until Nov 7. Dodge Street between North 72nd Street and North 76th Street/Rose Blumkin Drive will have varying lane restrictions for street improvements connected to the Crossroads redevelopment through December. North 65th Avenue between Lake and Miami Streets will be closed until Aug. 30 for installation of storm sewers under Omahas Clean Solutions for Omaha program. The intersection of North 16th and Wirt Streets will have various lane restrictions for street repairs through Aug. 2. North 16th Street will be closed at various points between Pinkney and Clark Streets for CSO sewer separation improvements through August 2024. Truck detour routes will be posted. Because of construction at the Kiewit corporate campus, North 15th Street between Cass and Mike Fahey Streets will be restricted to northbound traffic only until March 15, 2024. In addition, North 15th Street between Mike Fahey Street and California Street will be restricted southbound, and Mike Fahey Street between North 16th and North 15th Streets will have eastbound traffic shifted to the center lane. Grace Street between North 16th and North 18th Streets is closed for CSO storm sewer upgrades until Sept. 26. Burt Street between North 25th Street and North 27th Plaza is closed until Aug. 31 for bridge construction. Southwest (south of West Dodge Road and west of I-680/80) Millard Avenue between South 144th Street and Industrial Road will have various lane restrictions for ADA-conforming curb construction until Aug. 1. South 156th Street between Pacific Street and Wycliffe Drive/Nottingham Drive will have closures for street widening until November. Pacific Street between South 155th and South 157th Streets will have lane restrictions for street widening until November. South 168th Street between Q Street and West Center Road will have lane restrictions for street widening until December 2024. Southeast (south of Dodge Street and east of I-680/80) Shoulder closures on the inside lane and occasional nighttime lane closures (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) will occur on I-480 from 20th Street to I-80, I-80 from the Missouri River to Nebraska Highway 370, and I-680 from I-80 to Fort Street until the end of August while workers power-wash and seal concrete median barriers. Nighttime lane closures from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. are planned on the Kennedy Freeway (U.S. Highway 75) from the Interstate 480 interchange to Chandler Road, including entrance and exit ramps, to allow for milling and resurfacing of the roadway, through Oct. 31. South 48th Street between Howard and Leavenworth Streets will be closed for utility work until Sept. 5. South 42nd Street between the I-80 eastbound exit ramp and D Street will be closed for bridge reconstruction until December. West Center Road between South 102nd and South 108th Streets will be restricted to one lane in each direction due to utility work/water-main break until Aug. 14. 14th Street will be closed between Farnam and Douglas Streets, and curbside lanes will be closed on Farnam, Douglas and 15th Street until early 2026 because of construction of the new Mutual of Omaha tower. The eastbound curb lane on Douglas Street will be closed between 44th and Saddle Creek Road for construction until December. Q Street between South 120th and South 84th Streets will have various lane restrictions for street grinding until Aug. 10. Q Street between South 61st and South 72nd Streets will be closed for street improvements until late August. Westbound traffic on Q Street between South 84th and South 87th Streets will be shifted to the center lane for water-main replacement through Aug. 1. South 84th Street between Park Drive and Q Street will be restricted to one lane northbound as part of the same project. Mercy Road between South 68th Street and Aksarben Drive will have various lane restrictions for bridge repair until early August. I Street between South 108th and South 102nd Streets will be closed to through traffic for street widening until November. Grover Street between South 56th Street and South 59th Avenue will be closed for street reconstruction through December. Sarpy/Cass Counties 204th Street between Capehart and Westridge Roads near Gretna will close for construction through August as part of the Gretna Crossing Park project. Capehart Road east of 204th Street also is closed until early August as part of the same project. 192nd Street from Lincoln Road to the railroad bridge is closed through the fall for paving and bridge replacement as part of the CONNECTSarpy project. Platteview Road from Highway 31 to 210th Street is closed as part of the CONNECTSarpy project. The road will be closed until around January and Highway 31 will remain open. Giles Road from 188th to 192nd Streets will be closed until mid-August, also for paving. Lane closures are planned on 132nd Street between Highway 370 and Capehart Road in Sarpy County due to road construction until early August. Lane restrictions can be expected on U.S. 34/75 from Plattsmouth to the Bellevue bridges through September to allow for bridge deck repairs, and from Nebraska Highway 1 to Oak Hill Road in Plattsmouth through November 2024 to allow for road construction. U.S. 34 will have a lane closed in each direction over U.S. 75 and over the Union Pacific Railroad/BNSF Railway and South Fifth Street. The right lane is closed in both directions on Nebraska Highway 370/Cornhusker Road from 192nd to 180th Streets east of Gretna due to road construction. A portion of 234th Street north of Schram Road just west of Gretna is closed for replacement of a 550-foot area of culvert until December. Around Nebraska Intermittent overnight lane closures can be expected on Interstate 80 from Exit 426 (Ashland) to Exit 442 (Giles Road). Lane restrictions are planned on I-80 between Phillips and Giltner (reference posts 318.58 to 324.55) for road resurfacing, bridge repair and replacement of culverts and guardrails. Work will be performed from 7 p.m. to 10 a.m., through November. Lane closures also are planned on I-80 between the Utica and Pleasant Dale exits (reference posts 365.14 to 387.27) while contractors install guardrails in the median. Work will be performed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday through Friday. Completion is expected in November. Alternating lane closures are planned overnight on I-80 between Exit 382 (Milford) and Exit 395 (Northwest 48th Street) west of Lincoln because of bridge reconstruction and guardrail repair. Lane closures are planned on U.S. 275 from Nebraska Highway 36 to U.S. 30/East 23rd Street in Fremont while workers repair pavement and bridges. Completion is expected in fall. Nebraska Highway 79 is closed in Dodge County at North Bend from U.S. 30 to County Road R, with detours in place through the fall. In Iowa Interstate 29 is closed northbound between Nebraska Avenue and Avenue G (Exit 54A) in Council Bluffs , and southbound from North 25th Street (Exit 55) to Nebraska Avenue until November, due to road construction. Detours are in operation. is closed , and until November, due to road construction. Detours are in operation. The I-29 Exit 53B ramp to I-480 West and the Eighth Avenue West/B Road N entrance ramp in Council Bluffs are closed until November. and the are closed until November. The South Expressway from I-80 to 19th Avenue in Council Bluffs will be rebuilt until November, with lane closures expected while one-lane traffic is maintained in each direction. will be rebuilt until November, with lane closures expected while one-lane traffic is maintained in each direction. 400th Street south of Iowa Highway 92 in Carson, Iowa, in eastern Pottawattamie County, will be closed until Sept. 8 for replacement of a concrete culvert. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of July 2023 The semiconductor industry warned that there wont be enough engineers, computer scientists and technicians in the U.S. to support a rapid expansion this decade, threatening efforts to boost the domestic chip economy. Chipmakers are on course to add about 115,000 jobs by 2030, the Semiconductor Industry Association said, citing a survey it commissioned. Based on a study of current degree completion rates, though, about 58% of those projected positions could remain unfilled. Chip companies have long cited a struggle to find qualified U.S. employees. On July 20, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said production at a planned facility in Arizona will be postponed from late 2024 until 2025 because of a shortage of skilled workers. The move dealt a blow to efforts by the Biden administration, which is counting on federal incentives to revitalize semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. Were supposed to go from a $550 billion industry to a trillion-dollar industry in 2030, and thats going to take more talent, said John Neuffer, chief executive officer of the SIA. If we arent able to get our arms around this, our industry in general will falter. TSMC is one of a number of large chip companies a group that includes Intel Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. that have announced plans to build production facilities in the U.S. Theyre trying to take advantage of billions of dollars set aside by last years Chips and Science Act to bolster the domestic industry. Total industry revenue will grow to $1 trillion by 2030, almost double where it was in 2020, the SIA said. At that point, the field will need about 460,000 workers, according to the study carried out by Oxford Economics. Based on current trends, companies wont be able to fill 67,000 new positions. Not enough Americans are studying science, engineering, math and technology-related subjects, according to the SIA. And people from other countries who are acquiring those skills are leaving, the group said. At U.S. colleges and universities, more than 50% of masters engineering graduates and 60% of those with a Ph.D. in engineering are citizens of other countries. About 80% of those masters graduates and 25% of those who earn doctorates depart the U.S. either by choice or because immigration policy doesnt allow them to stay. The SIA CEO said that in the near term, the fix has to come from immigration reform that would allow the U.S. to retain more of the talent that its creating at its world-leading universities. Beyond that, the U.S. has to lure more students into the relevant education path, and the chip industry has to do a better job of attracting those that have the skills it needs. Neuffer said hes optimistic that lawmakers in Washington are ready to help address the skills shortage. The supply chain struggles during the pandemic may have actually helped matters because they raised the chip industrys profile, he said. No one is going to forget the chip shortages that we had and that chips are critically important, Neuffer said. One silver lining from the pandemic is theres a whole lot of people who give a damn about chips. Best-Paying Cities for Electrical Engineers Best-Paying Cities for Electrical Engineers Electrical engineer employment by industry New Mexico offers the highest wages for electircal engineers Best paying small and midsize metros for electrical engineers 15. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 14. Tulsa, OK 13. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 12. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 11. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 10. Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 9. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 8. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 7. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 6. SacramentoRosevilleArden-Arcade, CA 5. New Orleans-Metairie, LA 4. Austin-Round Rock, TX 3. Fresno, CA 2. Birmingham-Hoover, AL 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Evictions in Douglas County rose sharply this year, with more than 3,000 proceedings recorded in January through June, according to Nebraska Supreme Court data. In comparison, the county reported roughly 4,100 eviction proceedings throughout all of 2022. Housing experts say theres likely more than one cause contributing to this trend, and it will require more than one answer to slow it. A rise in evictions was among one of the top concerns across the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic as businesses closed and many were left without a steady income. Because of this, multiple preventive measures were introduced. Omaha enacted a temporary moratorium on evictions, and the federal government distributed millions of dollars to states in emergency rental assistance (ERA). Omahas moratorium concluded at the end of July 2021, and the effects of that have been slow and continue to this day, according to Scott Mertz, with Legal Aid of Nebraska. Data collected by the Tenant Assistance Project shows that during the latter half of 2021, after the moratorium was lifted, Douglas County would normally log 20 to 90 eviction hearings per week. Over time, that number has risen, and in 2023 weekly hearings within the county normally reach the hundreds, with at least one week recording more than 200 hearings. Legal Aid of Nebraska, which has attorneys in evictions court nearly every day to represent tenants, can witness more than 90 cases per day on busier days, Mertz said. Even last year, when evictions also were rising, he said a busy day for them would see 50 to 60 cases. Unlike the moratorium, ERA funding is still available, but its depleted significantly. The City of Omaha received about $122 million during two rounds of ERA funding, and since then, its dwindled to about $13 million that must be spent by Sept. 30, 2025, according to Greg Paskach with the citys Planning Department. Douglas County received separate ERA funding amounting to more than $10 million, according to Jane Gordon, executive director of the Christian Outreach Program in the Elkhorn area. The county has about $1.2 million left of that assistance. A lot of that money just isnt there anymore, said Tina Murray, senior director of crisis engagement programs with Together Omaha. Meanwhile, other Nebraska counties outside Douglas and Lancaster were without ERA funds for several months until Gov. Jim Pillen got involved. Former Gov. Pete Ricketts declined to accept $120 million in second-round ERA dollars, stating that he didnt believe Nebraska needed the aid and was concerned it would make people too reliant on government. The first round of funding expired in September. Pillen had a different take, and he accepted the roughly $48 million that was still available for Nebraska in May, stating he considered them a great investment. Fundamentally, Im a believer that if there are federal funds that are available with limited strings attached, thats a responsibility as your governor to get more than our fair share of that, he said during his monthly radio show in July. Its difficult to gauge how much the lack of assistance affected rural Nebraska. In the two Supreme Court reports within that time encompassing July through December 2022 and January through June 2023 there is no clear correlation in the number of eviction proceedings that took place across the state. Some counties saw evictions rise within that time, but just as many others saw eviction rates fall or remain the same. Mertz said it will likely take time to see the impacts of Ricketts and Pillens decisions reflected in the data. There are multiple possibilities for why Douglas County is seeing evictions rise despite having ERA funds available one being that fewer available dollars mean fewer renters can access it. In the county and the city of Omaha, officials are being more narrow in their selection of renters who receive assistance. Some renters have also reached their maximum limit for number of months they can receive the aid, Murray said. There are plenty of other contributors beyond that, including rising rents and a lack of livable wages and affordable housing. In the Omaha area in particular, Mertz said there are not enough affordable housing units to house all the people who need it. The rise in evictions is not only causing trouble for residents, its also adding strain to the services looking to help them. Mertz said the demand is so high that Legal Aid of Nebraska has had to turn away some potential clients. Together Omaha has hired additional staff to support the Tenant Assistance Project, Murray said. Together Omaha also offers a crisis line for people with housing needs, and so far in 2023, the line has received roughly 5,200 calls, Murray said. Thats compared to about 7,500 calls in 2022 and roughly 6,000 calls in 2021. There are multiple ideas for how to help curb this trend like additional case management and education about tenants rights but something most people agreed on is that the judicial process for evictions must slow down. Mertz said currently it is too cheap, quick and easy for landlords to get a case through evictions court, which discourages landlords from seeking resolutions through other measures like mediation. More people are doing this rather than trying to work with people, Mertz said. A glimmer of hope came when Nebraska Supreme Court Judge Jonathan J. Papik issued an opinion last week casting doubt on the constitutionality of eviction cases being heard without a jury. Though it wasnt an official ruling, Mertz said adding a jury trial to eviction proceedings would give more time for tenants and their landlords to work out an agreement. Paskach said Omaha officials are looking for more sustainable solutions with the citys remaining ERA dollars. A bulk of the $13 million the city has left wont go to direct aid to renters, but instead will go toward eviction prevention programming, he said. Direct assistance can be very helpful, but its not the solution, Paskach said. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of July 2023 BLOOMINGTON The Bistro marked 30 years in downtown Bloomington with its fifth annual Pridefest on Saturday evening, welcoming people from all walks of life to celebrate acceptance, diversity and love. Jan Lancaster, The Bistro's owner, held the first Pride Fest in 2018 for the self-proclaimed gay bar's 25th anniversary. "It has grown so much," Lancaster said. "It's incredible." Lancaster, who most people simply call "Mama," thought she would only garner about 200 to 300 people at the first event in 2018. "I didn't know what to expect," she said. "Actually, the first year, we had about 1,000 to 2,000. "And then, the last couple of years it's been 6,000 to 7,000 people." This year's fest featured more vendors and nonprofits than any other, Lancaster said. Tori Weinberg, director of marketing for YWCA McLean County, said, "These are our people, so we like being here." Weinberg, whose YWCA Stepping Stones tent was set up near Jefferson and Main streets, said people were visiting even before the fest kicked off officially at 4 p.m. with live music from Shuga Beatz. A "Pride Idol" music competition and a drag show were planned for later in the evening. "I look forward to the camaraderie of today. And I say that as like Stepping Stones in terms of you just want to spread love and help each other," Weinberg said. "It's super heartwarming to be here and commiserate with ... like-minded people." Melinda Woollen and her 15-year-old daughter, Amelia McClure, of Bloomington, said this year's fest was "fantastic." "This is so much bigger than last year," Woollen said. McClure, who counts herself among the LGBTQ+, said, "You're always seeing new people, new identities going on around you." Woollen said events like Pridefest are good not only for members of the LGBTQ+ community, but also for families. "It is really nice as a parent of someone in the LGBTQ community to be able to bring them out and let them experience and see that they have peers and mentors, and things that come together and they can meet new people within their community," Woollen said. Her daughter said, "I love that the people here, they aren't just part of the LGBTQ community. There are people who are here to support the LGBTQ community. "Because that is a beautiful thing to see. It shows that you aren't alone here. There are other people fighting for you too." Other tents included "Free Mom Hugs" a group of women giving hugs to anyone that passed the ACLU, various trinket and sundry vendors, barbecue and a booth called "Blessed at Pridefest." Clergy from five local religious organizations set up the tent where anyone, regardless of faith, could ask for a blessing. Rabbi Rebecca Dubowe of Moses Montefiore Temple said they had paper forms where people would fill out their deity and the blessing they needed, and one of the clergy members there would bless them. Kevin Chupp, pastor for the Mennonite Church of Normal, said religious organizations should be focusing on inclusion instead of exclusion. "To me it's important," Chupp said. "Our denomination is new to being more inclusive, and I think institutions in general are catching up to justice that has long been underway. "And for me, it's important for religious folks to see that there are religious clergy that are trying to be at the forefront rather than be way behind." Rev. Rebecca Gant from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal echoed this sentiment. "I think that we can model coming together (as members of different faiths) in diversity for a good cause for something that's really important for the cause of human rights," Gant said. "If religion's not for that, then what are we for?" Close Alannah Beyer, 16, Mary Morrow, 17, and Maggy Naber, 21, all of Normal, work on crafting a pride flag Saturday before the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park in Bloomington. People attending the second annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday pose for a photo. The parade offered free crafting stations and featured around 20 vehicles decorated in Pride flags, streamers and posters. Alex Jordine, 25, fastens a unicorn horn to the top of her jeep on Saturday before the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park. Anna Wenger, 12, of Bloomington, works at the free craft station before the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday. People decked out their vehicles with Pride flags and streamers for the second annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday. The parade was started last year as a way to safely celebrate Pride Month during the coronavirus pandemic. Free craft stations were available for participants and spectators of the second annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday. The parade was started last year as a way to safely celebrate Pride Month during the coronavirus pandemic. People decked out their vehicles with Pride flags and streamers for the second annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday. The parade was started last year as a way to safely celebrate Pride Month during the coronavirus pandemic. Amelia McClure, 12, and Anna Wenger, 12, both of Bloomington, pose Saturday for a photo before the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park. The two said Pride Month is a way for them to celebrate their identities. People decked out their vehicles with Pride flags and streamers for the second annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday. The parade was started last year as a way to safely celebrate Pride Month during the coronavirus pandemic. Mia Postelwaite, 15, of Normal, Mary Garcia, 16, and Amari Thornton, 14, both of Bloomington, pose for a photo during the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday, June 12, 2021. Photos: Pride parade kicks off Pride Month in Bloomington-Normal Alannah Beyer, 16, Mary Morrow, 17, and Maggy Naber, 21, all of Normal, work on crafting a pride flag Saturday before the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park in Bloomington. People attending the second annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday pose for a photo. The parade offered free crafting stations and featured around 20 vehicles decorated in Pride flags, streamers and posters. Alex Jordine, 25, fastens a unicorn horn to the top of her jeep on Saturday before the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park. Anna Wenger, 12, of Bloomington, works at the free craft station before the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday. People decked out their vehicles with Pride flags and streamers for the second annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday. The parade was started last year as a way to safely celebrate Pride Month during the coronavirus pandemic. Free craft stations were available for participants and spectators of the second annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday. The parade was started last year as a way to safely celebrate Pride Month during the coronavirus pandemic. People decked out their vehicles with Pride flags and streamers for the second annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday. The parade was started last year as a way to safely celebrate Pride Month during the coronavirus pandemic. Amelia McClure, 12, and Anna Wenger, 12, both of Bloomington, pose Saturday for a photo before the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park. The two said Pride Month is a way for them to celebrate their identities. People decked out their vehicles with Pride flags and streamers for the second annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday. The parade was started last year as a way to safely celebrate Pride Month during the coronavirus pandemic. Mia Postelwaite, 15, of Normal, Mary Garcia, 16, and Amari Thornton, 14, both of Bloomington, pose for a photo during the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade through Miller Park on Saturday, June 12, 2021. BLOOMINGTON As a Bloomington teen prepares to set off for the United States' oldest institution of higher learning, she's completing one more stint at the McLean County Fair and reflecting on her time in the 4-H program. Normal Community High School graduate Avani Rai, 18, has been part of McLean County 4-H for almost eight years and will head to Harvard University this fall. Since joining 4-H, Rai said she has been able to build her communication skills, take leadership positions and explore her passions through the various programs and events. "When you really think about building those foundational steps, 4-H is 100% the arena that offered me the opportunity to take advantage and grow when it came to those skills," Rai said. "Communication, leadership, all the above." 4-H is active at the county, state and national levels, with clubs and programs ranging from agriculture and robotics to politics and leadership. Rai said she first developed an interest in 4-H when a robotics club started at Benjamin Elementary School and took projects to the McLean County Fair that summer. What she did not know was that in addition to robotics, her father had signed her up for public speaking and leadership programs. "It was probably the greatest nightmare of my first 10 years of life, but I ended up going through with it, and I have multiple times," Rai said. Rai has been proactive in 4-H since then, joining competitions ranging from consumer education to intercultural topics and eventually becoming a teen teacher, or a 4-H-er who provides enrichment lessons and activities to disadvantaged youth. Carolyn Hansen, youth development educator with McLean County 4-H, said she has known Rai since her start in the program, and and has seen her contributions to 4-H and helping others. "I've seen her grow from a shy little 10-year-old to somebody who is just confident and successful with all that she does and all that she touches," Hansen said. "The programs and teams that she's involved in are good for any child, and it's an opportunity to create that leadership that we need in our younger generation." Although Rai is not taking part in any 4-H competitions this year, Hansen said she still volunteered to help at the fair. "That's the kind of initiative that you see and you want to see in any young person, just to offer their time and help," Hansen added. During her time as a teen teacher, Rai said in 2018 she joined the McLean County Hunger Ambassadors, a group of young people addressing food insecurity in the county, and then joined the Illinois 4-H Food Advocacy Team in 2020. The team, along with the Illinois Food Ambassador Summit, awarded $23,000 in grants to 30 youth-led food insecurity projects throughout the state. Rai later took to the national stage as an ambassador of 4-H's Healthy Living Delegation, along with 18 other youth leaders, representing Illinois 4-H at the Ignite by 4-H Summit in Washington, D.C., this past spring. "I'm very proud of her for what she has done, and she sticks with the issues that are most important to her," said Kathy Weinzierl, leader of the Olympia Pacesetters 4-H Club. "I'm feeling a lot of pride to know her and to see how she's grown." Weinzierl, who also is a leader with the Illinois Hunger Ambassadors, said she met Rai in 2018 at the Illinois Food Ambassador Summit in Bloomington. She was impressed by Rai's enthusiasm and focus on food insecurity, and soon found the teen instrumental in the group's work. The two stayed in touch, and Weinzierl asked Rai to join the planning committee for the Why I See You Service Awards in 2020. YICU seeks to recognize youth leadership and service in the community, in hopes that this will inspire other young people. "I've gotten to know her a lot more now and she's a dynamic speaker," Weinzierl said. "She is always involved with her school and talking with different counselors or organizations, just trying to get people to apply for it." She added, "I feel a lot of pride to know her and to see how she's grown, and I liked that she was in 4-H and hopefully she got her roots through 4-H to do that." Serving as a spokesperson for youth advocacy, Rai took part in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, which brought together advocates fighting for improvements to health and creating solutions to make an impact. Rai was joined by Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, White House Domestic Policy Adviser Ambassador Susan Rice, and Joshua Williams, founder of Joshua's Heart Foundation, a nonprofit that helps people affected by hunger and poverty. Rai shared her perspectives and experiences on these issues; how she and others are working to address issues of hunger, nutrition and health in her community; and her goals to mobilize other young people to help with these efforts. Outside of 4-H, Rai was involved with the Future Business Leaders of America's Phi Beta Lambda chapter; served as vice president and president of the Student Council at Normal Community; and competed in the National Speech & Debate Association, qualifying and reaching the quarterfinals twice in two years. Rai plans to study economics at Harvard, with dreams of becoming a lawyer and working on legislation in Washington, D.C. "4-H is such a wonderful community that I've been incredibly fortunate to take part in," Rai said. "I think it's one of the best-kept secrets we have in McLean County because there really should be so many more students involved, but when you're in 4-H it's all about taking initiative and finding mentors that will support you." "There are so many (programs) that are available, all you have to do is be willing to take that first step and explore all there is to offer," Rai added. To learn more about McLean County 4-H, visit go.illinois.edu/McLean4H Photos: Sheep, goat, beef and dairy Costume Show during the McLean County 4-H Show. How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region. 100 years ago July 30, 1923: Miss Ina Stout has received notification of her appointment as postmistress at Hopedale and will assume the duties of the office as soon as her commission arrives from Washington. A graduate of Hopedale High School, she was the head of the telephone exchange for several years and for the past two years has been conducting a millinery business in Hopedale. 75 years ago July 30, 1948: "The best outfit in my command," said Brig. Gen. Julius Klein as Bloomington's 396th anti-aircraft battalion neared the halfway mark in a two-week training period at Fort Sheridan. The unit's 200 guardsmen, participating in the first postwar camp session, have shown "amazing" progress even though many are recruits without previous military experience, said Klein, a former Chicago newspaper editor. 50 years ago July 30, 1973: Sen. Adlai Stevenson III, D-Illinois, charged that President Richard Nixon has betrayed "the trust of the Senate, his own attorney general and the special prosecutor" by refusing to release tape recordings and documents that could clear up conflicting testimony about the Watergate scandal. "I am sickened by the President's disdain for the orderly process of law," he said. "He does not seem to care about his own solemn assurances. They are made one day and are inoperative the next." 25 years ago July 30, 1998: The board of directors at the McLean County Prenatal Clinic has voted to dissolve the clinic, 902 Franklin Ave. in Normal, as of Sept. 1. Its services will be transferred to other community organizations, such as the McLean County Health Department. The clinic has had contact with more than 2,600 patients since it was established in 1993 by OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, BroMenn Healthcare, the health department and McLean County Medical Society. 101 years ago: See vintage Pantagraph ads from 1922 Gerthart's Union Gas and Electric Co. Hoover Dr. J.A. Moore Dentists Moberly & Klenner W.P. Garretson W.H. Roland Pease's Candy Thor 32 Electric Washing Machine The Kaiser's Story of the War Ike Livingston & Sons Gossard Corsets Cat'n Fiddle 'Stolen Moments' Case Model X The Johnson Transfer & Fuel Co. The Pantagraph want ads Franklin Motor Car Co. 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' Calumet Baking Powder Mayer Livingston & Co. Newsmarket 'The Emperor Jones' 'California Fig Syrup' Its often known, fairly or not, as the Forgotten War, sandwiched as it is between the enormity of the Second World War and the divisiveness of the one in Vietnam. Yet the Korean War (June 1950 to July 1953) represented a bloodbath on an enormous scale, taking the lives of some 36,500 Americans, as well more than 1 million North and South Korean soldiers, 600,000 Chinese troops, and more than 1.6 million Korean civilians. When war broke out on the Korean Peninsula, the Pentagon found that the post-World War II peacetime drawdown had left the U.S. with too few men to halt the North Korean advance. American troops from occupied Japan were rushed to the front lines, and as casualties mounted at a horrific pace National Guardsmen were called up to help fill the thinning ranks. In Illinois, 15 Guard units were federalized during the war, and although most remained stateside, many of the men in these units found themselves overseas anyway, serving as replacement (or filler) troops. This call for National Guard manpower eventually reached the 144th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, led by Bloomington attorney Col. Richard T. Dunn. Battalion Headquarters and Batteries A and B were based in Bloomington, while Batteries C and D were in LeRoy and Gibson City, respectively. The 144th, fielding trailer-mounted 40 mm single-barrel anti-aircraft guns and .50-caliber machine guns mounted on halftracks, was part of the Illinois National Guards sprawling 44th Infantry Division, with headquarters in Urbana. In February 1952, the 44th Division was ordered to Camp Cooke, Calif., for a two-year term of extended active duty. On the 14th of that month, Bloomington staged a farewell for its own battalion, the 144th, calling the event D-Day (the D for Departure). It included a torchlight parade to the Armory on South Main Street, where some 2,000 Guardsmen, family members and local residents gathered for a last hurrah, capped by a late-night dance. Lt. Col. Richard J. Nelson read a letter from Illinois Gov. Adlai E. Stevenson II, who grew up on East Washington Street in Bloomington. Stevenson, while tacitly acknowledging the exhaustion of the American public when it came to unending conflict (World War II was but seven years in the past), didnt shy away from placing this deployment in the context of the Cold War, maintaining such sacrifices are essential to defending freedom abroad. Even in peacetime, the separation of men from their families, friends and jobs is dismal, Stevenson said. But while my duty cannot be called happy, I will not call it tragic, wasteful or unnecessary, as some men do today. Demand for platoon leaders was especially high, and at one point an entire planeload of 44th Division officers flew to Japan in order to serve as ready replacements in combat units. The 320 or so men of the 144th were formally placed into federal service on Feb. 15, and three days later they were off to Camp Cooke. That summer, 22 Guardsmen, 13 of whom volunteered, made up the 144ths first levy (or quota) for overseas replacements. Eleven of the men headed to Europe (where the Cold War was still cold) and the other 11 to the Far East Command, which included Korea. The requests for more men continued throughout the year. We have been levied, re-levied, and levied again until our present battalion strength is 140 men, noted a 144th newsletter dated Nov. 17, 1952, from Camp Cooke, and sent to battalion alumni so those discharged could keep tabs on their old unit. In December 1952, the 144th removed to Fort Lewis, Wash., though before the move, Col. Dunn was transferred to division staff, with LeRoy native Maj. Judson Chubbuck taking command. Dunn returned to Bloomington in early February 1953 on his way to the Illinois Capitol to testify on National Guard legislation. He told The Pantagraph that not more than 25 of the local men who left Bloomington for California the previous year were still with the 144th headquarters at Fort Lewis, most others having been reassigned to other Army units or discharged (many in the 144th had their original 24-month commitment reduced by five months). The two Koreas never signed a peace treaty and thus technically remain at war, which explains why U.S. troops remain in South Korea to this day. Thankfully, the Forgotten War has not been forgotten in Bloomington. The Korean and Vietnam War Memorial in the northwest corner of Miller Park was dedicated in 1988. The memorial includes the names of 72 area men killed or missing in action during those awful years of 1950 to 1953. Highlights of Pantagraph Collection at McLean County Museum of History NORMAL Former employees, friends and family members of the Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's School will host a reunion from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Community Activity Center, 1110 Douglas St., Normal. Attendees will have the opportunity to share stories, photos and scrapbooks, and roam the grounds of the place that once was home to thousands of children. The Circle of Friendship sculpture at One Normal Plaza was dedicated in 2008 to honor the children who lived at the ISSCS from 1869 to 1979. Reservations for the reunion can be made by calling 309-275-1748. Reservations must be made by Aug. 26. Leave name and call back number. Photos: Sheep, goat, beef and dairy Costume Show during the McLean County 4-H Show. The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, is expected to use Mondays Mid-Year Budget Review to pave the way for the government to pursue a transformative economic agenda for the second part of the year. Sources close to the Ministry of Finance told the Daily Graphic that the government, through the mid-year policy and programme review, would adopt an aggressive approach to pushing for economic growth, with a focus on implementing various strategies to promote and support growth across various sectors. Mr Ofori-Atta last week told a forum with stakeholders that the review would not request additional funding for government expenditure. However, he insisted that the intentions were to prioritize investment in key sectors of the economy, such as industry and agriculture, to stimulate growth. In that vein, the government would energise the manufacturing sector through targeted industrialisation efforts, attract both domestic and foreign investments to drive economic diversification and boost production capacity. A source at the ministry said the prioritisation meant optimizing the use of allocated resources. Some analysts had said it could take various forms such as ensuring that ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) exhaust their existing allocation instead of seeking additional funding, as well as finding additional efficiencies across sectors to help direct more investments into the priority sectors of agriculture and industry. The Daily Graphic has also learnt that the government would also rely on the Mid-Year Budget Review to re-direct significant investments into agriculture. This will include the continuation of successful programmes such as the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative into its second phase, as well as programmes to enhance agricultural productivity and ensure food security for the nation, another source at the Finance Ministry told the Daily Graphic. The Finance minister at the same forum last Monday pledged food security for Ghanaians, stating, Affordable food is a must. The government will do all it can to ensure food security for Ghanaians. Prosperity dialogue During the stakeholder engagement, Mr Ofori-Atta said the Ghana Mutual Prosperity Dialogue Framework, a public-private partnership for growth, was expected to serve as the cornerstone of the reforms, which had been touted as designed to promote shared growth anchored on job creation, exports and import substitution. During the budget review presentation, the finance minister is expected to stress the critical importance of such strategic interventions in achieving sustainable economic growth and development. Sources at the Ministry of Finance argued that by addressing systemic weaknesses and building resilience in key areas, the government was seeking to create a solid foundation for the economy to flourish, amid uncertainties posed by global events of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. 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 U.S. Embassy Ghana, U.S. Commercial Service, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ghana (AmCham), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, D.C. will co-host the U.S. Ghana Business Expo on August 10-11, 2023 at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra. The event will prioritize opportunities to form new partnerships between U.S. and Ghanaian companies. Last year, our bilateral trade in goods totaled $3.7 billion and our bilateral trade in services is growing as well. Our trade relationship and the more than 100 American companies active in the Ghanaian market support jobs and economic prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic. "We look forward to the many new business relationships and connections the U.S.-Ghana Business Expo will generate, said U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia E. Palmer. The Expo trade pavilion will feature more than 40 companies. It will showcase visiting U.S. companies and trade associations, American Chamber of Commerce member companies, and local companies from various industries. The trade pavilion will be open to the public throughout the day on August 10 and 11. As part of the U.S. Ghana Business Expo, the U.S. Department of Commerce will lead a Global Diversity Export Initiative (GDEI) trade delegation that includes 19 companies and six trade associations, including the National Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Business League, U.S. Black Chambers Inc., Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development and the Organization for Women in International Trade. The GDEI delegation represents diverse communities and industries from across the United States with a focus on the information and communications technology, consumer goods, and automotive sectors. For more information about the GDEI companies and how to arrange business matchmaking meetings with them, please see: https://bit.ly/GDEI-Companies. Under the theme Leveraging U.S. Ghana Trade Relations for Growth and Prosperity, the U.S. Ghana Business Expo will feature panels on Sustainable Business Climate in Ghana: Fostering Growth and Prosperity and Strengthening Diasporan Relations: Catalyst to Promote U.S.-Ghana Trade, and keynote addresses from Senior Government of Ghana and U.S. officials. For more information about, and to exhibit at, the U.S. Ghana Business Expo, please visit: https://amchamghana.org/event/ 2023-u-s-ghana-business-expo/ 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 Former President John Dramani Mahama has criticized President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the behaviour exhibited by his appointees. Mr. Mahama said that President Akufo-Addo seems to have disregarded his previous advice to his appointees about seeking opportunities in the private sector for personal enrichment. Addressing the graduating class of 2023 at the Academic City University College, Mr. Mahama expressed concern about what he said was a significant deviation of President Akufo-Addo's appointees from the admonishment given by the president six years ago. During his speech, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer also cautioned graduates aspiring to enter politics for richness. He urged them not to use their leadership positions to pursue selfish ambitions but to prioritize serving the nation and its people. Mr. Mahama recalled the President's words from over six years ago when he emphasized that individuals seeking office should not do so for personal gain, but instead venture into the private sector if enrichment is their goal. He emphasized that the wisdom of these words seems to be forgotten in light of the current situation. In his advice to the graduands, Mr. Mahama stressed the importance of accountability and cautioned against using leadership positions for personal or partisan interests. Instead, he encouraged the graduates to unite and work toward the development of the country. Highlighting the challenges of leadership, Mr. Mahama emphasized the need for competent-based staff engagement wherever they find themselves in leadership roles. He concluded by reminding the audience that accountability is inevitable, especially with the increased awareness and demands of Ghanaian citizens to be active participants in the country's governance rather than mere spectators. The former President encouraged the graduates to adopt a selfless model of leadership that promotes the advancement of the nation and its people. 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 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: Zurijeta/Shutterstock Record-breaking heatwaves are sweeping across the northern hemisphere, affecting large parts of southern Europe, the US and China. On July 24, Sicily recorded blistering temperatures of more than 47.5 and wildfires are currently tearing through Greece. The heatwaves come as record numbers of fires continue to burn across Canada. A study by the World Weather Attribution group found that these heatwaves would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change. In fact, the heat wave that is affecting parts of China was made 50 times more likely by global warming. This is exactly what climate scientists have been warning us about for decadesclimate change makes many types of extreme weather event more likely, more intense and longer lasting. As a Ph.D. researcher examining extreme weather events and climate change communication, I have spent the past four years exploring how extreme weather events may affect the way the public feels, thinks and acts on climate change. One area of interest to researchers is how extreme weather events might reduce the "psychological distance" associated with climate change. While climate change can feel abstract and vague, extreme weather is something people can experience firsthand. But research offers contrasting results. Some studies have found that extreme weather events lead to an increased belief that human-driven climate change is occurring and greater support for climate action. Others find no effects or suggest that these effects are only temporary. However, we often underestimate how much the public already cares about climate change. In Britain, just 4% of the public say they are not at all concerned about climate change, while only 11% of Americans dismiss the issue. Given that most people are already concerned about climate change, an important question now is how to shift these existing concerns into action. Talking about climate change is a powerful way of mobilizing climate action, and extreme weather events provide helpful climate conversation starters. We can use these moments as opportunities to engage our families, friends and communities in discussions about how climate change may relate to these events and what we can do about it. So, if you decide to engage people you know in discussions about extreme weather and climate change, here are a few thoughts and guidelines to keep in mind. 1. Listen and share perspectives Extreme weather events can be traumatic and climate change can evoke a wide range of emotional responses. If the person you are talking to is comfortable discussing the topic, ask them about their experiences and observations. Encourage them to tell stories and affirm the validity of their emotional responsewhether they are afraid, angry, hopeful or worried. There is no one right way to feel about climate change, so listen to what they have to say and then share your own perspective too. 2. Talk about planning and preparation When discussing extreme weather events, some people may link their experiences to climate change, while others focus on various local factors that contribute to extreme weather risks. The risks associated with extreme weather arise from a combination of factors. These include the weather itself, which can be influenced by climate change, the level of exposure of people and places to extreme weather and the vulnerability of those to harm. Climate change, for instance, can affect the frequency, intensity and duration of wildfires. But emergency responses, evacuation procedures, firefighting and health care systems are crucially important to reduce risks. There are also significant equity and justice implications of extreme weather as different populations are affected disproportionally. It's also important to bear in mind that while climate change affects many extreme weather events, it does not necessarily affect every instance. Weather systems are complex and there are meteorological processes that scientists are still trying to understand. We also need to make sure the roles of local planning and preparation in minimizing the impact of these events are not overlooked. 3. Challenge arguments about politicizing the weather In May 2023, Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, dismissed concerns about global warming by claiming that he rejects the "politicization of the weather". Ontario premier, Doug Ford, recently made a similar argument about Canada's wildfires. In conversations, it's possible that someone might accuse you too of "politicizing" the weather. You can (respectfully) push back against this claim. This argument is a discourse of climate delay. Rather than denying the existence of human-driven climate change, climate delay discourses try to shut down climate discussions and cast doubt on the need to act very quickly. These arguments disingenuously assert that acting on climate is too expensive, too late or that someone else should take care of itand they are becoming increasingly common. If we shouldn't discuss climate change when extreme weather occurs, then when is the right time? If we want to protect lives, we need to talk aboutand act uponthe risks associated with extreme weather events and the disasters they can cause. If talking about climate change politicizes the weather, so be it. The politics of climate denial and delay affected this summer's weather, and our current decisions will shape our planet for thousands of years. The science is clear. Act now or face increasingly dire consequences. 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: Standing atop the mountains in the southern highlands of Peru is the 15th-century marvel of the Inca empire, Machu Picchu. Today, the citadel is a global tourist attraction and an icon of precolonial Latin American historybut it was once the royal palace of an emperor. Our international team of researchers has uncovered the incredible genetic diversity hidden within the ancient remains of those who once called Machu Picchu home. We detail our findings in a study published today in Science Advances. The puzzling remnants of a royal site The Inca empire once ruled a vast 2 million square km across the breathtaking Andes mountain range in South America. It was formed in 1438 by the first ruler, Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, and reached its height in 1533, before colonization by the Spanish. At the heart of the empire was the capital city of Cusco, and nearby was Pachacuti's majestic palace, Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was visited by the royal family and guests during the dry season of May to October as a place to feast, dance, sing and hunt. Although these elite Incas were buried in Cusco upon their death, the palace was maintained year-round by a few hundred servants who lived on site. These servants were buried in cemeteries outside the palace walls. Following Spanish colonization, knowledge of Machu Picchu was lost to the Western worldonly to be rediscovered by adventurers in the early 20th century. In 1912, the Yale Peruvian Scientific Expedition documented a staggering count of 174 individuals buried on site. These burials were often shallow graves, or were concealed under large boulders or natural rocky overhangs. While many lacked grave goods, ceramic artifacts were discovered buried alongside some people. These paint a vivid picture of cultural diversity, with styles from coastal and northern regions of Peru, as well as from the highlands of Bolivia near Lake Titicaca. This was the first clue that Machu Picchu drew people from all reaches of the Inca empire. It suggested the servants who lived at Machu Picchu came from a variety of places, bringing ceramics from their homelands. However, the artifacts could have also ended up in the area through trade. To find out where these people had come from, we would have to analyze their DNA. New findings from ancient DNA We sequenced ancient DNA from the remains of 68 individuals34 buried at Machu Picchu and 34 buried in Cusco. Using carbon dating, we dated the remains and found some of these people were buried before the rise of Pachacuti and the Inca empire. We then compared their DNA with that of Indigenous peoples living in the Andes today (past research has found these genetic lines have continued undisturbed for the past 2,000 years)as well as to ancestries from more distant regions of South America. It's worth noting these "ancestries" are based on DNA and don't necessarily overlap with the peoples' cultural identities, although they sometimes would. This map of South America shows different genetic ancestries represented in different regions. The black line shows the full extent of the Inca Empire, while the inset shows Machu Picchu and other royal sites. Credit: Salazar et al., 2023, Author provided Were the people buried at Machu Picchu genetically similar to those who had lived in the area since before Pachacuti's reign? Or were they related to ancestries from more distant regions? If the latter was true, we could safely assume they (or their parents) had come to Machu Picchu from faraway lands. Journeying to a life of servitude Of all the DNA samples we analyzed, we found 17 individuals had ancestry from one of the distant sources tested (colored on the map above). These included all regions of the Peruvian coast and highlands, as well as the Amazon regions of Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Only seven of the buried individuals had ancestry that could be linked to Peru's vast southern highlands where Machu Picchu and Cusco reside. However, we can't confirm they were local to Machu Picchu itself. The remaining 13 individuals had blended ancestry, including from as far away as Brazil and Paraguay. They might have been the offspring of individuals from different lands who met at Machu Picchuor could be linked to yet unknown South American ancestries. As for close family relationships, we only discovered one pair: a mother and daughter. Remarkably, all the individuals were buried together in the major cemeteries, irrespective of their ancestry. This could imply they were considered equal in status to one another, which in turn would suggest they were born elsewhere and arrived at Machu Picchu independently, occasionally forming relationships and having children. It's likely these people were from a class of "chosen women" called acllacona, and a similar class of men called yanacona. Individuals in these groups were selected from their homes at a young age and permanently assigned to state, aristocratic or religious service. After arriving at Machu Picchu, they would have spent the rest of their lives serving the royal estate. Although we don't know how much (if any) coercion was involved in the process of these people coming to Machu Picchu, analyses of the bones suggest they lived comfortable lives. Many lived to old age and showed no signs of malnutrition, disease, or injury from warfare or heavy labor. A diversity hotspot Importantly, the human remains we found that predated the Inca empire did not exhibit high levels of diversity. This suggests it was indeed the establishment of the Inca empire that led people from far and wide to Machu Picchu. Further, our examination of individuals from Cusco showed less diversity than at Machu Picchu, but more than other regional sites. This is probably because the extensive highland area had a long history of interactions between different peoples before the rise of the Inca empire. Our findings paint a captivating picture of Machu Picchu as a true hotspot of diversity within the Inca imperial realmsetting it apart as a culturally rich hub within the ancient landscape. More information: Lucy Salazar et al, Insights into the genetic histories and lifeways of Machu Picchu's occupants, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3377 Journal information: Science Advances 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: Wild bees respond differently to sampling traps with vanes of different colors and light reflectivity in a livestock pasture ecosystem. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10286-w Red means stop. Green means go. But to bees, colors reveal a smorgasbord of available food sources. Neel Joshi, associate professor of entomology for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture, said colors serve as visual cues to bees. Color helps them identify flowers from which they can collect nectar for food. For this reason, monitoring traps are often brightly colored to attract and collect bee specimens for study. Many different types of traps are commercially available, Joshi said, and vane traps that use blue and yellow vanes to attract bees are a common device to trap them. But their effectiveness varies depending on bee species and the environment in which they are used. Keeping count Joshi said many research goals require trapping bees. For example, his lab is currently sampling and documenting native bee species in six ecoregions of Arkansas. "There are about 4,000 species of wild native bees in the United States," Joshi said. "We have documented more than 200 species in Arkansas, but we think there may be as many as 400 or more native species in the state." Most bees in Arkansas are ground-nesting and tunnel-nesting species, and they are solitary bees, Joshi said. These include small carpenter bees, sweat bees, leafcutting bees and mason bees. Some, like carpenter bees, dig their own tunnels for nests. Mason bees, like blue orchard bees, use existing tunnels cut by other insect species into trees or wooden structures. Native bees are important pollinators, Joshi said. Along with other pollinators, including moths and butterflies, native bees benefit more than 75% of plants in Arkansas, including 35% of crop plants. "Monitoring their abundance and diversity is necessary to develop appropriate conservation and management practices to protect them," Joshi said. Building a better bee trap Roshani S. Acharya, a former graduate student in Joshi's insect ecology lab, led a research project to determine which colors worked best to attract bees to vane traps. Joshi said his lab team converted commercially available vane traps by refining the design and constructing new vanes from yellow, red and blue micro prismatic material that reflects light in selected color spectrums. "These colors reflect into the ultraviolet spectrum where bees see," Joshi said. The research has been published in Scientific Reports. The base material is plastic, chosen for durability and weather resistance, Joshi said. The reconfigured traps were placed in newly established livestock pastures that include pollinator-friendly native flower mixes that are frequented by wild bees. The traps were deployed only 24 hours at a time to avoid oversampling. "We only need enough bees to identify the species," Joshi said. Care was taken to preserve as many bees alive as possible. "We want to collect as few as possible because pollinators, including bees, are in decline," Joshi said. "Generally, while conducting biodiversity studies, we identify many of them in the field and released them immediately." Joshi said the different colors tended to attract different species of native bees, but the bright blue with micro prismatic material proved to be the most popular. "Thirty-six out of 49 species captured in the traps went to bright blue," Joshi said. "And of those, six were unique species that were not found in any other colored traps in the study. "These results showed that different light wavelengths and reflectivity from the vane traps influence bee capture rates," Joshi said. "Knowing this can help optimize bee sampling methods in different ecosystems." The traps are now being tested in native flower test plots on the experiment station's Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville. Exploring new monitoring techniques Joshi is actively exploring other methods of monitoring bees and other insect pollinators, including those that visit flowers during the night. This research is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Erica Westerman, an associate professor in biological sciences. Their previous project, supported by a University of Arkansas Provost's Collaborative Research Grant, provided valuable insights into the contribution of nocturnal pollinators. "Now that we know nocturnal pollinators contribute significantly to apple pollination, our next questions were who is visiting, and when?" Westerman said. To answer these questions, Joshi and Westerman and a team of undergraduate and graduate students are using infrared video recordings of flower clusters. They set up camera traps in an apple orchard on the Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center. After collecting hundreds of hours, undergraduate Conor Moriarty used an artificial intelligence program to isolate video frames containing insects visiting flowers, and then scored insect behavior. The team is currently using this technique to determine times of peak flower visitation by nocturnal pollinators, as well as identification and floral visitation behavior of other insect pollinators. "Our aim is to further enhance and refine this monitoring technique to record the diversity of bees and other pollinators and their activity patterns more effectively," Joshi said. More information: Roshani S. Acharya et al, Wild bees respond differently to sampling traps with vanes of different colors and light reflectivity in a livestock pasture ecosystem, Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10286-w Journal information: Scientific Reports By Mohamed Foday Conteh Justice Manuela Harding has sent Allen Cole on remand at the male Correctional Centre on Pademba Road in Freetown after the State alleged that he penetrated a 9-year-old class III pupil. The judge, on Tuesday 9th November this year, remanded the accused after the State Prosecutor, Oladipo Robin-Mason Jr. led in his third witness. The witness, Adama Harding, a Juba Zone Chairlady told the judge that she knew both the alleged victim and the accused in the matter as they lived in the same community. The chairlady said that it was during Ramadan this year while she was preparing food to break fast that the child and her mother came to her. She said that the mother informed her she would like to have conference with her and Kadie, wife of the accused. She said that she agreed after requesting that her husbands younger sister, Jebeh also be present. She said that the 9-year-old child victim told them that Allen penetrated her in his residence while his wife was away. The witness said that she advised the mother and the wife of the accused together with Jebeh to see a community nurse for examination. The woman told the court nurse asked them to visit the following day because it was already time to break the fasting. The next day the nurse confirmed that the child had been sexually penetrated. She said Allen told her he was innocent of the allegation and that it was a certain Ibrahim Police that used to play with the child. The chairlady said she told the accused that the Police will investigate the matter. The witness narrated how she went with the mother and daughter to the Police to file a report against Allen. In cross-examination by lawyer Jesse Jengo who was representing Allen, the woman agreed to have told the Police Allen allegedly named Ibrahim Police in the matter. She confirmed knowing Ibrahim but that she refused to summon him because the girl denied that it was not him. She affirmed her only reason for taking the accused to the police was because the victim implicated him. The witness said that although the accused denied the allegation, she was convinced by what the girl told her. The accused, Allen was in court to answer to allegation of sexual penetration of a child contrary to the Sexual Offences Act of 2012 as amended in 2019. He was said to have sexually penetrated the class III pupil earlier this year in a community in the west of Freetown. Lawyer Robin-Mason Jr. asked Justice Harding for an adjournment of the matter in order to engage the police witness in an interview. The matter will continue on Saturday 13th November this year. Copyright Politico Online 12/11/21 BRIGANTINE Residents wanted the city to develop a plan to address quality-of-life issues associated with short-term rentals. And the city wanted to create a proposal that would benefit everyone. So it hosted a meeting recently for the islands short-term rental property owners. The meeting informed them of the issues residents were having, suggestions from the community and ways to move forward. We had a great meeting with the short-term rental owners, Brigantine Mayor Vince Sera said Saturday. We shared the communitys concerns about how their lives are being negatively impacted by the current operations of the short-term rental properties on the island. Most of the owners were understanding, but were very concerned that the city was going to take aggressive action that would unfairly punish the good owners. Sera added that the city would take a balanced approach that will take into account the challenges and concerns of both the community and the short-term rental owners. It was understood that most seasonal and (short-term rental) property owners abide by the zoning laws, etc., and that their properties are not an issue, but they understand that it only takes one bad one ... in our case, four on 20th Street, to spoil the entire bunch, said Andrea Sullivan, a representative for the 20th Street neighbors who updated people about the property owners meeting via email. Brigantine has taken steps to ease concerns about short-term rentals over the years, having passed an ordinance in 2017 that required the properties to be licensed, undergo inspections and register with the city. This allowed the city to go after owners of nuisance properties in the form of fines or court summonses. The online rental platform Airbnb also has implemented ways to alleviate the issues that stem from guests partying. A global party ban in August 2020 decreased the rate of parties reported to the company over the past two years, according to Airbnb. The company also blocked certain one-night or two-night reservations over busy holiday weekends last year, like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. Airbnb also has a 24/7 Neighborhood Support Line that residents can use to contact the company with any concerns about the short-term rental properties in their neighborhoods. Brigantine takes steps to address party houses BRIGANTINE Andrea Sullivan describes the weekend on 20th Street in the city island as Mia Nevertheless, residents have consistently gone before City Council to express their concerns about short-term rentals. Issues residents have had with them include noise, parking, occupancy, trash and rowdy, hazardous behaviors displayed by guests, such as people standing on top of roofs. The city formed a subcommittee, consisting of Sera and other officials, to handle issues surrounding short-term rentals. Additionally, the city is looking to hire more staff to deal with short-term rentals. It has one code enforcement officer and one inspection officer who not only handle short-term rental properties but all other properties on the island. The island has more than 2,000 short-term rentals, Sera said. Were going to need the support of this community to back us up and say, you know, were doing whats right for the city of Brigantine, said Sera, adding that some of the houses 20th Street residents have had issues with only had four complaints filed against them within the past year and a half three for parking, one for noise. They can contact me anytime The owner of the two 300 block properties residents have complained about, said hes gone above and beyond to be a good neighbor. He said he has installed noise devices, provided private, off-street parking for guests and made sure guests dont bring more cars than he has parking to accommodate. He also uses security monitoring technology to ensure his properties arent over occupied and makes guests sign waivers saying they will abide by the neighbors rules, he said. Ive been so restrictive that some people dont even want to book with me because of all the restrictions I put in place, said the owner, who added he didnt believe his properties were problematic. Brigantine wants to ban one-night short-term rental stays BRIGANTINE Problems with short-term rental properties like Airbnb on the barrier island ha They all can contact me anytime. They can text me any issues and address it immediately, the owner said. But they refuse to do that. Said Sullivan in her email to neighbors: Some STR owners left the meeting enlightened, and most were not aware of the craziness/lawlessness that some of these McMonster STRs are wreaking on our neighborhoods. Many were actually sympathetic and understood the residents concerns and need for better restrictions, etc.; but, when the thought of having more restrictions imposed, higher rental license fees, taxes on their rental income, etc., were brought up, most balked, because its all about the economics. Ideas residents have pitched to the city include instituting a moratorium on short-term rental licenses, not issuing licenses to properties that were not in compliance with city codes and making short-term rental properties list maximum occupancy numbers. Others wanted to ensure owners arent turning garages or sheds into illegal rentals, asked the city to create zoning and code enforcement different from the states to ensure properties were regulated with the community in mind, and suggested that property owner or manager contact information be posted somewhere so people could call if there was an issue. Additional suggestions included eliminating one-day rentals, enforcing maximum occupancy numbers, only renting to people 21 and over, raising fines, following up on complaints, requiring short-term rental owners or managers to be on site or live in Brigantine, and issuing a three-strikes rule for repeat-offender properties. Although residents continually asked when these proposals could be enacted, Sera said any ordinances or official actions would not take effect until Jan. 1 of next year. We are going to surpass other municipalities in improving Brigantines quality of life, Sera said. I dont get things done fast. I get things done right. The short-term rental committee is working to finalize its plans. The citys attorney and staff will review the plans to make sure the changes are legal and enforceable. Then the plan will be shared publicly, and a town hall style meeting will happen before council begins to take action. We very much want to have public input before council makes its final decision, Sera said. Michael Atkins, a resident of Atlantic Citys Lower Chelsea neighborhood, sees it on a daily basis. People jaywalking, crossing the street when the crosswalk sign is red, even waiting between lanes in the center of the road while busy traffic is passing. Either youre going to wait for the light to change, or youre one of the people that expects people to slam on their brakes and stop for you, Margate resident Shawn Bowen said. As populations increase in the area during the summer, so does the number of people crossing streets in shore towns, along with the dangers that come with it. New Jersey is notoriously unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists, which can present specific issues for persons with disabilities or elderly persons, said Atkins, who also noted he had a comeuppance with safety infrastructure over Memorial Day weekend when he broke his collar bone while biking. We need to rethink street design to prioritize people who cant drive for physical or financial reasons. Its in the best interest of all of us, especially drivers, to design a transportation network that reduces car dependency. New Jersey is among the states with the most pedestrian fatalities, reaching a 30-year high in 2021 with about 220 people dying on the states roads, according to a study that year by Smart Growth America. According to the states 2023 Highway Safety Plan, reducing pedestrian injuries and fatalities continues to be a challenge in New Jersey, as more than 31% of the states total roadway fatalities in 2021 involved pedestrians being killed. Although there was a slight decrease from 174 pedestrian deaths to 173 from 2019 to 2020, there was a 28% increase in pedestrian fatalities in 2021, according to the plan. Ocean City reports packed holiday weekend Visitors packed Jersey Shore towns for the long Independence Day weekend, including Ocean City, which saw crowded beaches, heavy traffic and few parking spaces anywhere on the island. Last year in Atlantic County, a total of 34 vehicle crashes resulted in fatalities, according to State Police data. Of those, 11 were pedestrians. And this year, so far there have been 17 fatal crashes in the county, six of which killed pedestrians. Longport police Sgt. Ray Burgan said all of the crosswalks in the borough are potentially hazardous due to the high volume of foot traffic in these areas, especially during the summer. We have an influx of pedestrian foot traffic going to and from the beach area. Additionally, our traffic volume also increases. Many of these motorists are not familiar with the state laws as it pertains to stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks, said Burgan, who added police do their best to monitor these areas while also patrolling other areas of the borough. But pedestrians must do their part and ensure that it is safe before entering out into the roadway. State law requires drivers to stop and stay stopped for pedestrians whether theyre at a marked crosswalk, unmarked crosswalk or even a sidewalk if youre backing out of a driveway. The law was tied to the death of 21-year-old college student Casey Feldman, who was killed crossing Central Avenue at 14th Street in Ocean City in 2018 on her way to work as a waitress on the Boardwalk. Another law requires New Jersey drivers to approach pedestrians with caution, change lanes, pass with 4 feet of space if possible or otherwise slow to 25 mph and be prepared to stop. Failure to stop for a pedestrian is a two-point ticket, a $200 fine (plus court costs), 15 days of community service and surcharges on insurance, according to the state Attorney Generals Office. To educate people on pedestrian safety, the state has launched a shore pedestrian awareness campaign. $37.7M Stone Harbor beach project nears completion As the summer of 2023 warms up, a beach replenishment project in Stone Harbor and Avalon is winding down, the latest in a decades-long effort to keep sand on the beaches of New Jersey. The annual initiative is part of the Street Smart NJ Safety campaign, which was started in 2014. It is led by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration, New Jersey Department of Transportation and New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. The entities work in conjunction with local police departments that were granted funding from the Division of Highway Traffic Safety to decrease pedestrian deaths through education and enforcement. Police, officials and other members of the community analyze pedestrian-vehicle crash information, which includes injuries; fatalities; the areas where they happened; pedestrian demographics, like gender or age; the factors that caused the crashes, like speeding or distracted driving; as well as other factors, like the dates and times incidents occurred. They share their thoughts on pedestrian safety, from road safety infrastructure to resources available, and then implement a plan through high-visibility enforcement, especially in pedestrian hot spots. They also do public outreach and evaluate their findings through the campaign. The campaign started July 11 and will run through Aug. 14. Burgan said the funding will allow for the Longport Police Department to place an additional officer on the street to specifically focus on pedestrian safety. Atkins said pedestrian safety is key. Absecon Island has fantastic infrastructure already to be a safe place the Boardwalk, jitneys, trams and walk/bike culture are amenities other cities lack, said Atkins. It should be the goal to encourage tourists that get to A.C. by car to leave it parked for as much of their stay here as possible. For locals, providing safe infrastructure will provide them alternatives to sitting in seasonal tourist congestion. GALLERY: Busy summer roads and pedestrians The opposition members of Parliament with the Governor in Imphal The 21-member parliamentary delegation of the oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Sunday termed the Manipur ethnic violence as national security issue, saying the silence of the Prime Minister shows his brazen indifference towards the violence in Manipur. The parliamentary delegation of INDIA is on a two-day visit to Manipur who arrived in the state on Saturday. They visited relief camps in Churachandpur, Bishnupur and Imphal West districts and interacted with the affected people on the first day. On Sunday, the delegation met Governor Anusuiya Uikey and also submitted a memorandum. Governor welcomed the team and appealed to extend their fullest cooperation to restore peace and tranquility through a peaceful dialogue with the representatives of CSOs of both the communities to maintain status quo ante of aged old tradition of peaceful co-existence, Raj Bhavan said in a tweet. After meeting the Governor, Congress Lok Sabha group leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, the Governor herself expressed pain and grief. During this two-day visit, whatever we witnessed, whatever experience we gained, she agreed to what we said. She also suggested that together we should hold talks with the leaders of all communities and find a solution. Governor meets victims Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey on Saturday met two young tribal women, who were paraded naked by a mob in the state on May 4, and handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh each to their families. The Governor said that the entire country is ashamed of the incident, and necessary financial and moral support would be given to them (the victims). IANS A measure that loosens restrictions on people who remain under state supervision after being released from prison marks the latest effort by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker to change the way the criminal justice system operates in Illinois. The new law, which Pritzker signed Friday, modifies the conditions required to complete the final steps of a sentence, also known as parole and mandatory supervised release, which have historically ranged from mandatory drug testing to the need for permission to leave the state. The measure is part of a larger pattern of reforms championed by Pritzker and his progressive allies in the Illinois General Assembly that are meant to combat mass incarceration and make the justice process more fair. One of the most controversial of those changes, the elimination of cash bail, was upheld by the Illinois Supreme Court earlier this month. Unlike many of those measures, however, the legislation Pritzker signed Friday garnered bipartisan support as it breezed through both chambers of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly this spring. On Friday, Pritzker led a signing ceremony in Chicagos North Lawndale community alongside the main House sponsor of the legislation, Peoria Democrat and Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, and a number of others, including rapper and criminal justice reform activist Meek Mill. Our current supervision system too often operates unfairly with rules that make it simply a revolving door back to jail, Pritzker said, adding that many people have ended up back behind bars due to a noncriminal, technical violation. Thats not a system designed to improve public safety. Thats not a system thats promoting rehabilitation. Its a system that values reincarceration, he said. Under the new law, which goes into effect in January, people on parole and mandatory supervised release would no longer be required to take a drug test as part of their conditions for release unless reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use can be documented. In addition, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board now must reduce by 90 days a persons supervisory release term if the individual attains an associate degree or vocational technical certification or earns other educational standards. In the past, a 90-day reduction was granted only to people who earned high school diplomas or passed high school equivalency testing. The law also allows people under supervision to meet with state officials for their regular check-ins by phone or other electronic communication instead of in person, which is intended to remove obstacles to child care and employment. This is a community that has always wanted to work, but the stigma associated with having a criminal record and then being incarcerated makes it hard for individuals to secure employment, said Brenda Palms, the president and CEO of the North Lawndale Employment Network, where Fridays bill signing took place. The event was an upbeat affair, largely due to the appearance by Meek Mill, who spent a chunk of his adult life on probation following his arrest as a teenager. Onlookers had their phones ready to catch a photo of the Philadelphia-raised rap sensation as he talked about his drug and gun case, which, according to news reports, dragged on for about a decade in the court system after a judge sentenced him to two to four years in prison for probation violations that involved him riding a dirt bike and an alleged scuffle at an airport. Meek Mill was pardoned in January by then-Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. During his reelection bid last year, Pritzker had to fend off intense criticism from Republicans who accused him and other Democrats of pushing soft-on-crime policies at a time when gun violence in Chicago and other Illinois cities had been on the rise throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But with Democrats cementing control of all aspects of state government in the November election, the GOP has been unable to stop Pritzkers reform agenda. A sweeping ban on high-powered guns and high-capacity magazines remains in limbo amid multiple legal challenges. But Pritzker scored a legal victory on July 19 when the Illinois Supreme Court cleared the way for Illinois to become the first state to fully eliminate cash bail as a condition for pretrial release. That measure had been vigorously opposed by Republicans and pro-law enforcement groups. The elimination of cash bail was part of the SAFE-T Act, sweeping legislation passed in 2021 that supporters argue will help create a more equitable criminal justice system. Other major initiatives under Pritzker include legalizing recreational marijuana, which has been accompanied by about 800,000 expungements for low-level marijuana arrest records. Earlier this year, Pritzker signed into law a measure that abolished natural life prison sentences for most people convicted of committing crimes when they were under 21, giving them an eventual chance at a parole hearing before the review board. Some lawmakers have been pushing to make that law as well as a separate but similar 2019 law that pertains to other lengthy prison sentences retroactive. One criminal justice reform advocacy group has said that if the retroactivity proposal becomes law, it could affect more than 3,000 people in prison in Illinois. Asked Friday whether he supports the proposal, Pritzker didnt answer directly but said that he evaluates pardons and commutations on a case-by-case basis. Obviously, when you talk about thousands of cases, it is something that youd have to consider en masse through the legislature, Pritzker said. I think there is an understanding across the nation that those kinds of sentences that were meted out years ago may not be appropriate going forward and, therefore, shouldnt we apply some of what weve learned to people who have been convicted under those and sentenced under those guidelines? Pritzker also successfully pushed for a multiyear plan to divert some $240 million in state funding to anti-violence organizations that specialize in mediating street conflicts and providing therapy and other social services to those who may be at risk of being party to violence either as a victim or perpetrator. But Pritzkers budgets have also allowed police departments to hire and retain more cops. On Thursday night, the governor emphasized the role of law enforcement when he spoke to an audience of a couple hundred at a north suburban synagogue about the gun ban, which he signed into law in January in response to the mass shooting at Highland Parks 2022 Fourth of July parade. He stressed the need for more police officers to be used for the interdiction of illegal guns that end up on the streets in Chicago and other areas of the state. We have to do more of this. We just have to. And we have a challenge. We dont have enough police, Pritzker said. An American woman and her child were reportedly abducted on Thursday, July 27, in the vicinity of the capital city of Haiti, as stated by the faith-based humanitarian organization for which the woman works as a nurse. Kidnapping of an American Mother and Her Child Reports from the group El Roi Haiti indicate that Alix Dorsainvil and her kid were abducted from their home in Port-au-Prince. El Roi Haiti, president, and co-founder Jason Brown released a statement saying the kidnapping occurred while the victims were "serving in our community ministry" on the school's grounds. In the statement released on Saturday, July 29, Brown said, "Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family ... Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus." El Roi Haiti verified to ABC News that Dorsainvil is from New Hampshire but has been living and working in Haiti for some time. She is the organization's school and community nurse and the wife of the director, with whom she has a kid, as reported by the group. ABC News received confirmation on Saturday from a representative for the US State Department that it is aware of the news about the abduction of two US nationals in Haiti. The spokesperson said, "We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our US government interagency partners." The safety and security of the American people is the first concern for the US Department of State and its foreign embassies and consulates, the representative added. Also Read: US Unveils $340 Million Military Aid Package for Taiwan Amid Rising Tensions Against China Social Turmoil in Haiti Family members of US government workers and non-emergency US government employees in Haiti were ordered an evacuation on Thursday after the State Department confirmed the abduction. US residents in Haiti are encouraged to leave the country as soon as possible via commercial or other privately accessible transportation alternatives due to the unstable security situation and deteriorating infrastructure, according to a State Department recommendation. The State Department warns Americans against visiting Haiti owing to the high risk of abduction, as well as criminality, social turmoil, and a lack of adequate medical facilities. Since President Jovenel Moise was killed in 2021, Haiti has been experiencing a political crisis. Kidnappings, armed robberies, and other acts of violence are commonplace, and gangs control around 80% of the city. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, issued a request to form a multinational force for Haiti earlier this month, BBC News reported. To assist in training local law enforcement, Kenya has volunteered to send 1,000 police personnel. Any mission will need both official authorization from the Kenyan government and a mandate from the UN Security Council. Also Read: Russia Claims to Have Shot Down Ukrainian Missile; Several Injured @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In the fall of 1977, Bruce Behrman and Paul Soble opened a new restaurant in Richmonds Fan District. The restaurant space at Floyd and Robinson Streets was originally a drugstore started by W.S. Cavedo in 1916. When the druggist opened his shop, the neighborhood was sparsely settled and the Boulevard had not yet been paved. Cavedos drug store was in business for 60 years before closing. In 1977, the small 22-by-55-foot corner building was remodeled to become Sobles, a joint restaurant venture between Soble and Behrman. Soble, a former physical education teacher at Tuckahoe Junior High, told The Times-Dispatch about the pairs vision for the restaurant in 1977, What well have here is a neighborhood restaurant similar to the Strawberry Street Cafe but smaller and a little more personal, he said. This is something Ive wanted to do for a number of years. The restaurant owners maintained some of the old charm of the drug store and kept some display cases as well as the original Cavedos sign. The tiny space included a bar area, six tables and five booths and some outdoor patio seating. In 1978, a Times-Dispatch dining review described the restaurant as a quaint neighborhood restaurant bar. In the kitchen, along with three cooks was Sobles mother, Momma Soble, who concocted a few highlighted dishes for the restaurant including a chopped liver appetizer accompanied by an onion slice and saltines and Mommas chicken soup. The dining critic emphasized the hot deli sandwiches with spicy meats and melted Swiss cheese as Sobles strong suit. Sobles quaint and cozy atmosphere was welcoming during the week, but was not a good choice for a quiet, intimate weekend dinner. Sobles is noisy, cramped, echoing with amplified music and fun, the critic said. After 10 years in operation, Sobles lost its lease at the former drug store space and relocated to Robinson and Main Streets where it operated until Jan. 10, 2000. After 22 years in business, Soble and Behrman sold their restaurant to a three-way partnership that opened another restaurant in the space, The Devils Kitchen. Im real torn about doing it, Soble said of the sale, but both he and Behrman were ready to move on from the job which required many late nights. After nine months of running the city's beleaguered police department, Richard "Rick" Edwards was officially sworn in as Richmond's newest police chief on Monday. A longtime detective and 23-year veteran of the department, his appointment is well-deserved. Edwards, however, has his work cut out for him. Last October, Edwards took the reins as acting chief at an inopportune time: Former Police Chief Gerald Smith had resigned after losing the trust of the men and women he oversaw, and the community he served. Smith never really found his footing in Richmond. Some of it wasn't his fault. A protege of former Richmond Police Chief Rodney Monroe, Smith was brought in during the tumultuous summer of 2020, at the peak of social unrest after George Floyd was brutally murdered on a public street in broad daylight by a Minneapolis police officer. Smith was thrust into an unfamiliar city with a politically inexperienced mayor during a heightened state of conflict. From there, things only got worse. Then in July of last year, Smith inexplicably decided to embark on a public relations tour touting the department's arrest of two Guatemalan men who were allegedly plotting a mass shooting at Dogwood Dell on July Fourth without a shred of evidence. As the case fell apart no charges in relation to a mass shooting were ever filed Smith doubled down on the narrative in the weeks and months that followed. What appeared to be a blatant attempt to bolster much-needed confidence in RPD in 2021, the city experienced 90 homicides, the highest count since 2004 only backfired. Edwards, a giant of a man at 6 feet, 8 inches, stepped into the void as interim chief. Unlike his predecessor, he is well-liked by the rank and file and exudes a quiet, understated confidence, but policing has never been easy in a city with such a deep racial divide, one that craters along socioeconomic lines. Rooted in Jim Crow and segregation, Richmond's poorest neighborhoods only grew more so after desegregation and white flight, leaving majority Black communities with ever-concentrating poverty. As that poverty worsened, so did violent crime. Amid a string of high-profile police killings of unarmed Black men across the country, Floyd's death sparked nationwide protests and calls for social and racial justice. It also further eroded the relationship between the community and law enforcement, particularly in cities like Richmond. Calls to "defund the police," along with growing mistrust, led to an exodus of police officers across the U.S. Finding new recruits has never been harder: Richmond police, authorized to employ 755 officers, is currently short 165 a number that has only gotten worse in 2023. Edwards has said on numerous occasions that replenishing the force is a top priority. The needle appears to be moving in the right direction: At his first official press briefing as chief last week, Edwards said the number of police officer applications has risen 74% so far this year; 10 former officers have rejoined the force; and RPD has added another 15 part-time officers. Meanwhile, more than 200 of the city's officers have completed Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics training, which focuses on developing de-escalation and critical-thinking skills, with a goal of all officers undergoing ICAT training by year's end. ICAT training has been shown to reduce the number of use-of-force incidents: A University of Cincinnati study of the Louisville Metro Police Department in 2020 found that officers who received the training experienced 28% fewer use-of-force incidents compared to those who hadn't. Politically, police reform is proving to be challenge. In Virginia, there was ample momentum for reform after Floyd, leading to a special session under former Gov. Ralph Northam, along with calls for citizen review boards, with disciplinary powers, to oversee officer misconduct, but there has been widespread backlash. Many of those efforts have since stalled, according to a report released last month by the Virginia Advisory Committee to the U.S.Commission on Civil Rights. Across the state, law enforcement agencies have resisted citizen review boards, arguing that they undercut the authority of police leadership, and would result in review boards being staffed by people with no law enforcement experience. And opponents say attempts to roll back qualified immunity, which protects police officers from litigation, is only worsening the officer shortage. Dana Schrad, executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, told the advisory committee that 12,000 officers "had recently left the profession due to these legislative and accountability reform efforts." With fewer resources, some say efforts to combat the rise in gun violence and violent crime such as RPD's hotspots policing and camera surveillance initiatives are reinforcing discriminatory policing practices by focusing primarily on minority communities. There is agreement on both sides that improving police relations with the community should be a priority, according to the advisory committee report.Community policing opens lines of communication, leads to more effective crime-solving, and makes law enforcement generally more effective. There's also agreement that police are asked to do too much. Often, police officers serve as the first and only responders to incidents that should involve social workers or mental health experts. There is, however, a place to meet in the middle. Treating community members as "co-equals," instituting initiatives that require officers to engage with community members in more "non-enforcement" interactions something that Edwards has prioritized can go a long way, according to the advisory committee report. As the fourth police chief under Mayor Levar Stoney, who took office in 2017, the clock is already ticking for Edwards. Stoney will leave office in less than two years, which clouds the chief's long-term prospects. What the political future holds for Edwards or Richmond, generally is anyone's guess, but Edwards has already differentiated himself from his most recent predecessor in one critically important area: community relations. "I think policing is changing around the country, particularly in the urban environments," he said during an interview with the Times-Dispatch Editorial Board in December, acknowledging that policing in Richmond, and across the country, needs to move away from an "us vs. them" mentality. "Particularly in those areas where violent crime is a daily reality for folks, I think what everyone wants is good policing. Nobody wants to feel like their police department is an occupying army." Substantive police reform is no doubt needed, but it must come from the top. The crime rate is a potent political marker in cities like Richmond; how our elected leaders respond to it during spikes, this usually means ramping up the "law and order" rhetoric drives policing strategies. Hire and fire all the police chiefs you want, but this won't change without refocusing the political lens. For Nicole Chrimes and her son Aiden, closing on their new Habitat for Humanity home still doesnt quite feel real. It stills feels like a dream, Chrimes said during a dedication ceremony on Friday, July 28, as she thanked everyone who worked on her home. The Chrimes new home represents a first for Habitat for Humanity Powhatan, as this is the first time the organization has made use of modular construction. On Feb. 23, a huge crane set and married two halves of the semi-complete house on its foundation, after which local contractors and volunteers completed HVAC, electrical and plumbing connections, painted and installed new landscaping. Habitat partnered with Tyler Hudgins, whose firm, the Moseley-based Class A Lud Hudgins Inc., has worked with modular housing for more than 30 years. The Chrimes home came from Virginia Homes Building Systems. Modular homes have been successfully used already by a handful of Habitats around the country, providing improved economies of scale and allowing for a shorter build timeline. The homes are constructed to meet or exceed site-build standards and placed on load-bearing masonry foundations. They are also financed, insured and appraised to the same criteria as stick-built homes. A $3 million regional grant from Virginia Housing helped to fund a portion of this modular home. In 2021, Virginia Housing awarded the grant to the local planning district commission PlanRVA, which partnered with the Partnership for Housing Affordability to distribute funds to local nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity Powhatan. IN THE NEWS Pipeline work can resume, justices rule The U.S. Supreme Court allowed construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline to resume Thursday, as a lower court heard arguments on whether to dismiss lawsuits that seek to stop it again. News of the high court's action came during oral arguments before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Two weeks ago, a three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit ordered that construction be halted while it considers a request by Mountain Valley to dismiss two legal challenges of federal permits issued to the controversial project. A brief order from the Supreme Court did not detail its reasons for reversing the stays. Although the Supreme Court's decision allows construction to resume, the underlying question of whether the 4th Circuit has the authority to continue hearing the lawsuits and how it might rule remains open. STATUE: The lawsuit over Charlottesvilles statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee appears to be over. Lawyers for the Trevilian Station Battlefield Foundation, which sued the city last year over the disposition of the equestrian bronze figure that drew hundreds of white nationalists to the city in 2017, circulated a motion Monday to withdraw their legal action. The Trevilian Station foundation, which operates a Civil War battlefield in Louisa County, and another foundation sued the city in early 2022, alleging the city failed to fairly relinquish the statue when donating it to a local Black history museum. ODDS AND ENDS RENEWABLE ENERGY: The Roanoke Valley Resource Authority announced plans last week for an operation that will convert methane naturally produced underground as organic materials decompose in the Smith Gap Regional Landfill into what is called renewable natural gas. A system of wells and pipes will collect methane and other gases emitted by the western Roanoke County landfill and deliver them to an onsite processing facility operated by Archaea Energy. The processing facility, to be paid for and operated by Archaea, is expected to be operational in 2025. UPGRADED CHARGES: A grand jury has upgraded charges for Amari Pollard, the accused shooter in the Huguenot High School graduation shooting last month, to include a first-degree murder charge. Pollard previously stood accused of two second-degree murder charges. He has had one charge upgraded to first-degree murder, as well as an additional firearms charge, as of late Wednesday. THEY SAID IT Our motto at RPS is to teach with love. Ive learned as a father, the greatest gift we can give our children is our time. And that is exactly what were giving our children today 20 extra days of our time. Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras, talking about the 200-day school year being used in a pilot program that is among the first of its kind in the region. Richmonds Fairfield Court Elementary and Cardinal Elementary School in South Richmond added 20 days to their academic calendars in an effort to curb learning loss that was exacerbated by school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. BY THE NUMBERS $21.8M Approximate amount Virginia is working to recover after the state mistakenly paid insurers for people enrolled in the state Medicaid program who had already died. That includes $15.7 million that the state must repay to the federal government for its share of the cost. The Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Virginia paid at least that amount to managed care companies for about 12,000 deceased enrollees in the Medicaid program in 2019 through 2021. $44.6M Federal Aviation Administration funding that has been awarded for improvements at Virginia airports. Norfolk International Airport will receive the highest figure at $13,670,853 for runway rehabilitation, followed by $7,572,150 for Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport, $7,384,892 for Reagan Washington National Airport and $5,553,842 for Richmond International Airport. IN THE NEWS Atlantic Union breaks into Southside Virginia Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp. is moving aggressively into southwestern Virginia, a part of the state where the Richmond-based bank has not been active, with the $417 million acquisition of Danville-based American National Bankshares Inc. The deal creates a $23.7 billion statewide banking giant, with more than 130 branches hosting $19.1 billion of Virginians and North Carolinians savings, and with outstanding loans totaling more than $17 billion. American National has been in business for 114 years, and has 26 branches in Southside Virginia and nearby parts of North Carolina, as well as the New River Valley and Roanoke area. Its assets, including some $2.2 billion in loans, total just under $3.1 billion. CASINO: Richmonders will cast their votes a second time on whether the city will house a casino in Southside after the city received the go-ahead from a Richmond Circuit Court judge and the Virginia Lottery. The decision comes after the Richmond City Council voted 8-1 to request a second referendum be placed on the ballot at its regular June meeting after the first referendum failed. The Richmond Office of Elections confirmed the signed petition in a tweet Tuesday afternoon, emphasizing its authority to hold the vote. After nine months of running the citys beleaguered police department, Richard Rick Edwards was officially sworn in as Richmonds newest police chief on Monday. A longtime detective and 23-year veteran of the department, his appointment is well-deserved. Edwards, however, has his work cut out for him. Last October, Edwards took the reins as acting chief at an inopportune time: Former Police Chief Gerald Smith had resigned after losing the trust of the men and women he oversaw, and the community he served. Smith never really found his footing in Richmond. Some of it wasnt his fault. A protege of former Richmond Police Chief Rodney Monroe, Smith was brought in during the tumultuous summer of 2020, at the peak of social unrest after George Floyd was brutally murdered on a public street in broad daylight by a Minneapolis police officer. Smith was thrust into an unfamiliar city with a politically inexperienced mayor during a heightened state of conflict. From there, things only got worse. Then in July of last year, Smith inexplicably decided to embark on a public relations tour touting the departments arrest of two Guatemalan men who were allegedly plotting a mass shooting at Dogwood Dell on July Fourth without a shred of evidence. As the case fell apart no charges in relation to a mass shooting were ever filed Smith doubled down on the narrative in the weeks and months that followed. What appeared to be a blatant attempt to bolster much-needed confidence in RPD in 2021, the city experienced 90 homicides, the highest count since 2004 only backfired. Edwards, a giant of a man at 6 feet, 8 inches, stepped into the void as interim chief. Unlike his predecessor, he is well-liked by the rank and file and exudes a quiet, understated confidence, but policing has never been easy in a city with such a deep racial divide, one that craters along socioeconomic lines. Rooted in Jim Crow and segregation, Richmonds poorest neighborhoods only grew more so after desegregation and white flight, leaving majority Black communities with ever-concentrating poverty. As that poverty worsened, so did violent crime. Amid a string of high-profile police killings of unarmed Black men across the country, Floyds death sparked nationwide protests and calls for social and racial justice. It also further eroded the relationship between the community and law enforcement, particularly in cities like Richmond. Calls to defund the police, along with growing mistrust, led to an exodus of police officers across the U.S. Finding new recruits has never been harder: Richmond police, authorized to employ 755 officers, are currently short 165 a number that has only gotten worse in 2023. Edwards has said on numerous occasions that replenishing the force is a top priority. The needle appears to be moving in the right direction: At his first official press briefing as chief last week, Edwards said the number of police officer applications has risen 74% so far this year; 10 former officers have rejoined the force; and RPD has added another 15 part-time officers. Meanwhile, more than 200 of the citys officers have completed Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics training, which focuses on developing de-escalation and critical-thinking skills, with a goal of all officers undergoing ICAT training by years end. ICAT training has been shown to reduce the number of use-of-force incidents: A University of Cincinnati study of the Louisville Metro Police Department in 2020 found that officers who received the training experienced 28% fewer use-of-force incidents compared to those who hadnt. Politically, police reform is proving to be challenge. In Virginia, there was ample momentum for reform after Floyd, leading to a special session under former Gov. Ralph Northam, along with calls for citizen review boards, with disciplinary powers, to oversee officer misconduct, but there has been widespread backlash. Many of those efforts have since stalled, according to a report released last month by the Virginia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Across the state, law enforcement agencies have resisted citizen review boards, arguing that they undercut the authority of police leadership, and would result in review boards being staffed by people with no law enforcement experience. And opponents say attempts to roll back qualified immunity, which protects police officers from litigation, is only worsening the officer shortage. Dana Schrad, executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, told the advisory committee that 12,000 officers had recently left the profession due to these legislative and accountability reform efforts. With fewer resources, some say efforts to combat the rise in gun violence and violent crime such as RPDs hotspots policing and camera surveillance initiatives are reinforcing discriminatory policing practices by focusing primarily on minority communities. There is agreement on both sides that improving police relations with the community should be a priority, according to the advisory committee report. Community policing opens lines of communication, leads to more effective crime-solving, and makes law enforcement generally more effective. Theres also agreement that police are asked to do too much. Often, police officers serve as the first and only responders to incidents that should involve social workers or mental health experts. There is, however, a place to meet in the middle. Treating community members as co-equals, instituting initiatives that require officers to engage with community members in more non-enforcement interactions something that Edwards has prioritized can go a long way, according to the advisory committee report. As the fourth police chief under Mayor Levar Stoney, who took office in 2017, the clock is already ticking for Edwards. Stoney will leave office in less than two years, which clouds the chiefs long-term prospects. What the political future holds for Edwards or Richmond, generally is anyones guess, but Edwards has already differentiated himself from his most recent predecessor in one critically important area: community relations. I think policing is changing around the country, particularly in the urban environments, he said during an interview with the Times-Dispatch Editorial Board in December, acknowledging that policing in Richmond, and across the country, needs to move away from an us vs. them mentality. Particularly in those areas where violent crime is a daily reality for folks, I think what everyone wants is good policing. Nobody wants to feel like their police department is an occupying army. Substantive police reform is no doubt needed, but it must come from the top. The crime rate is a potent political marker in cities like Richmond; how our elected leaders respond to it during spikes, this usually means ramping up the law and order rhetoric drives policing strategies. Hire and fire all the police chiefs you want, but this wont change without refocusing the political lens. Edwards cant fix all of those problems. But if he stays true to his stated mission of transparency and community policing, Richmond just may be headed in the right direction. EDUCATION Mary Burrows has been named the new director of the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station. Burrows also serves as the associate dean for research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. Sandee Cheynet has been promoted to associate vice president of human resources at Virginia Tech. Jamie Edgin Swanson has been named chair of the Virginia Tech College of Sciences department of psychology. Saonee Sarker, who became dean of the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech on July 1, has been honored with the title of Richard E. Sorenson Dean by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. FINANCIAL Chris Frazier has been promoted to Southwest regional sales and lending manager for Farm Credit of the Virginias. REAL ESTATE Kit Hale, CEO and principal broker of MKB, REALTORS, has been appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to the Virginia Real Estate Board. Roanoke police are investigating a shooting that led to the death of a man Sunday morning. The Roanoke Police Department said it was notified at approximately 9 a.m. of a person with a gunshot wound on the 600 block of King George Avenue Southwest. The agency said responding officers found an adult male victim inside a car with what appeared to be a critical gunshot wound. Police said Roanoke Fire-EMS personnel arrived and pronounced the man dead on the scene. Roanoke police said Sunday afternoon that details about what led to the shooting are limited. No suspects were located on scene and no arrests have been made at this time. This is an ongoing homicide investigation, reads a press release from the department. The agency asks that anyone with information about the incident call 344-8500 to share what they know. The agency said texts beginning with RoanokePD to ensure theyre properly sent can also be sent to 274637. Calls and texts can remain anonymous, police said. Ping pong- or softball-sized; red, orange, yellow, green; splotchy or striped all sizes, shapes and colors of tomato were on display Saturday at the third annual Botetourt Tomato Festival. Once upon a time, Botetourt County was something of a tomato capital. Back in the early 1900s and late 1800s Botetourt and Roanoke counties together canned more tomatoes than anywhere in the country. You could not drive down the street without seeing tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes and we had over 150 canneries in this county, so since were a farmers market we try to celebrate our heritage of agriculture, Botetourt Farmers Market President Mallory White said. White said the farmers market has grown since 2020. She believes the growth is due to people who discovered homegrown produce during the pandemic continuing to return. I think during COVID, with supply chain issues and the food insecurity issues that were happening at that time, people became aware of how much your community can actually provide foods for you. Ever since that happened, farmers markets all over have, I think, seen an interest from customers in shopping locally and buying locally, White said. The tomato festival, which began in 2021, has certainly benefited from that. At 9 a.m., White said she hoped the festival would attract at least 1,000 people throughout the day. That draw is part of the reason the festival was not held in Daleville, where the regular farmers market takes place every Saturday. The festival needed more space to spread out this year, so it was moved to the Botetourt County fairgrounds in Buchanan. Daleville town center is undergoing a lot of construction right now hotels and Dairy Queen so its going to be awesome when its done, but theres simply not quite enough room for us to do a whole festival there right now, White said. The festival opened 9 a.m. Saturday and lasted until 1 p.m. Dozens of vendors set up tents in the fairgrounds to sell handmade and homegrown wares, from quilted cozies to pounds of you guessed it tomatoes. One local producer, Eric Layman, said he has picked a few two and three pound tomatoes this year, a little larger than bowling ball. Laymans family also once owned a cannery in the Blue Ridge, but then shifted to apples and now focuses on farm fresh tomatoes. Despite the areas history with tomatoes, White admitted that she has not always been a fan of tomatoes then she had a locally grown tomato and the rest is history. Heirloom tomatoes are very different from the ones found in supermarkets, White said. These days, White said she rarely goes a day in the summer without a tomato sandwich, which are at their simplest simply a piece of tomato between two slices of bread, spread with mayonnaise and seasoned with salt and pepper. Anyone who doesnt mind getting a little messy can also enjoy a tomato raw, garnished with some salt. The tomato festival isnt the only chance for folks to snag some Botetourt-grown tomatoes. Many of the produce vendors present Saturday also participate in the weekly Botetourt Farmers Market in Daleville. The tomato festival is one of three the farmers market hosts each year. The first festival the flower festival took place in June and the third, the honey festival, is slated for Aug. 19. Like this years flower and tomato festivals, the honey festival will be in Buchanan. Photos: From the Botetourt Tomato Festival Since 2015, the Coalition of Small and Rural Schools of Virginia has advocated on behalf of the 80 school divisions that make up our membership to bring awareness to funding discrepancies that exist for students who attend small schools in high poverty areas of rural Virginia. Our message has centered on inadequate facilities, significant and unexpected losses in enrollment, the increased cost of serving an at-risk population, and the difficulty of scaling services. After reading the recent Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report, it seems our advocacy has been right on target. According to the report, Virginia is underfunding public education to the tune of at least $1,900 per pupil. When a students economic or disability status is considered, the discrepancy is even worse. We trail our neighboring states, the Southeast, and our entire nation in several key funding benchmarks. These staggering statistics shouldnt be true in a struggling Third World country, much less one of the wealthiest states in the wealthiest country in the world. To have this data, provided by a nonpartisan committee tasked with advising the General Assembly on important issues, and not to immediately act is unacceptable by any standard. At the same time, credit should be given to many legislators, like Del. Israel OQuinn and Sen. Todd Pillion for advocating for increased appropriations to the At-Risk Add On funding stream. As a result of their support, the percentage for increased funding in this formula has increased by 46% since 2013. Despite the recent increases to this funding stream, Virginia still trails our neighbors in providing funding for at-risk students, identifying a 382% negative discrepancy with Maryland as the most appalling. Unfortunately, state funding for students with disabilities during that same period has declined by 16%. Although the report is clear that more resources are needed by educators who serve high need populations, it is unimaginable how abysmal this report would have been without the work of some Legislators, like those in the Southwest Virginia Delegation, who support adequate and equitable funding for public education. Furthermore, difficulty in scaling of services has long been an issue for members of our coalition. However, the Draconian reductions to support staff funding associated with the Great Recession had a larger, negative impact on small school divisions who serve students with robust, challenging, and diverse needs, than the impact on larger, more affluent divisions. As an example, many members of our coalition have enrollments of 2,000 students or less. The JLARC report determined that some per student costs are between 15% and 50% higher, depending on enrollment, for small school divisions. That fact, combined with the high concentration of poverty in our divisions and our disproportional number of students with disabilities, causes the inadequacy of education funding for rural students to be exacerbated. One thing I have learned after serving 28 years in public education is that timing in life is everything. The recent JLARC report is probably the most scathing testimony against Virginias model of education funding that I have seen in three decades of serving small and rural communities. However, Virginias $5 billion surplus is, without a doubt, the best opportunity our commonwealth has had in its history to address this critical and important need. Without question, this is a legacy moment for the Virginia General Assembly. On behalf of the 80 members of the Coalition of Small and Rural Schools of Virginia, I urge and beseech the members of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees to reconvene and adopt a budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year that addresses these critical and inequitable issues immediately. The needs of high poverty school divisions have never been more urgent nor has the commonwealths ability to address those needs ever been greater. This is not the time for political differences or upcoming elections to take precedent. The message from the non-partisan JLARC is clear. Our students and schools, deserve better. As planners begin to prepare the 2024-25 budget, our coalition also support the following recommendations from JLARC: 1. Designate the At-Risk Add-On (ARAO) program as a Standards of Quality-funded program. 2. Use the Identified Student Percentage (ISP) to rectify outdated free lunch estimates. 3. Consolidate ARAO with the Prevention, Intervention, and Remediation program as an SOQ funded program using a formula based on the ISP. 4. Add on economies of scale adjustment to the SOQ formula to provide additional funding to divisions with fewer than 2,000 students. 5. Include all division central office positions in the state funding formula. 6. Remove the cap on non-personal cost assumptions. 7. Account for facilities staff costs in the State funding formula. 8. Develop staffing ratios that accurately reflect how divisions are staffed. 9. Eliminate the cap on support positions. 10. Reinstate funded categories that were removed during the Great Recession. 11. Use an accurate federal fund deduction methodology. 12. Use current salary cost assumptions in the State funding formula. 13. Increase teacher salaries to be at or above the national average. 14. Develop accurate special education staffing needs estimates. MARION, S.C. Eliana Pinckney along with family members and volunteers distributed school supplies to more than 600 people while celebrating the life and legacy of her father, the late Sen. Clementa Pinckney. The junior at Temple University took time during the break to host the second annual Sen. Pinckney Day of Community Service at Amazing Grace Park Tuesday. The Clementa Pinckney Foundation encourages people throughout the state to participate in community service and wellness events on July 30. It feels amazing, Eliana Pinckney said about organizing the event. Its a goal of ours at the foundation to be able to put together events like this in communities across South Carolina. None of this would be possible without the help of our sponsors here in Marion. Pinckney said supporters like Pee Dee Community Action Partnership, Duke Energy, Absolute Total Care and several vendors helped give out supplies and resources to the community while working behind-the-scene during the entire process. Amazing Grace Park opened in memory of the late Sen. Clementa Pinckney and the eight people killed in a hate-crime by a gunman at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. The three-acre site hosts several community events throughout the year. We have enough book-bags and supplies to serve 1,000, Pinckney said. Were very excited, privilege and blessed to be able to give back to the community, especially in honor of my father. Her father served 19 years as a state legislator and became a pastor at the age of 18. Pinckney is carving on her own path of accomplishments. Everything is great, Pinckney said about school. I love Philly and I love all the things Im learning at Temple. An influencer broke down in court as she apologized to the two victims attacked by her dog. The English pit bull terrier Kaiser, owned by influencer Holly Snelgar, bit Jennie Lawrenson three times in December 2021 in Northern Quarter, Manchester. Myles Waldron, her partner, was also bitten when he attempted to rescue her. The Night of Dog Assault In a report by Lad Bible, Lawrenson and Waldron were sleeping in the apartment next to the Airbnb they had leased to Snelgar and her pals. The couple was awakened from their sleep at 4:30 AM local time by loud sounds. When Lawrenson entered the Airbnb, she saw Snelgar and her two companions making a "mess" and ordered them to leave. Lawrenson was standing in the apartment's entryway when the dog pounced and bit her on the arm. The influencer from Hampshire observed and was just laughing. Lawrenson yelled, so Waldron rushed to help her, exclaiming, "Get that f****** dog off her!" Waldron freed his girlfriend from the dog's grasp, but the dog nipped her leg as it fled. From the outside, they tried to secure the apartment, but the dog managed to escape and attack Lawrenson, knocking her to the floor and then biting and grabbing her. The dog also bit Waldron in the thigh. As soon as the police were called, Snelgar began a verbal assault and kicked one officer. Snelgar claimed to the police that she was blacked out and intoxicated at the time of the incident. Lawrenson spent three days in the hospital after sustaining wounds on both arms, her chest, shoulders, and legs from the dog. She also revealed physical scarring from the encounter and testified that she and her partner were terrorized and feared for their lives. "They allowed the dog to attack me on three separate occasions by not restraining it ... I don't understand why they didn't try to stop me being attacked three times ... I'm very lucky that I have a partner that came to my rescue and put himself at risk to save me," Lawrenson said in a statement read on her behalf. See Also: Germany: Reported Lioness in Berlin Most Likely a Boar, Officials Say Bitter Consequences During her hearing on Friday, July 28, Manchester Evening News reported that Snelgar apologized for her drunken and debauched behavior. "I will never forgive myself for what has happened, but I hope you find somewhere in your heart to accept my apology, I am truly so sorry," Snelgar told Lawrenson in court. The court ruled that the dog did not need to be put down since it had made considerable progress and was no longer a threat to anybody. The animal is presently in the care of a dog shelter. Snelgar must attend eight training lessons with the pet and use a leash at all times if the dog is returned to her. Snelgar was given a community order with 125 hours of unpaid labor and 20 days of rehabilitation activities to be completed over the course of two years. She is responsible for compensating Lawrenson for 300 (about $385) and Waldron for 200 (about $260). See Also: How the Russian Navy Uses Dolphin Defenses in the Face of Ukraine's Attacks? @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ROCK VALLEY, Iowa A Rock Valley woman was killed and a Sioux City man was injured in a crash after midnight Sunday morning. At 12:35 a.m. Sunday, the Sioux County Communications office received a report of a crash at the intersection of 300th Street and Filmore Avenue, northeast of Rock Valley, according to a press release from the Sioux County Sheriffs Office. Kaleb DeBey, 21, of Sioux City, was driving a 2020 Audi A4 westbound on 300th Street near Filmore Avenue. The vehicle failed to negotiate a curve, the driver lost control and entered the west ditch, according to the Sioux County Sheriffs press release and a crash report from the Iowa State Patrol. The vehicle then struck a cement culvert and became airborne. Passenger Halee Bliek, 35, of Rock Valley, was ejected from the car and became trapped underneath it when it landed. Bliek and DeBey were both transported by Rock Valley EMS to the Hegg Medical Center in Rock Valley. DeBey was treated for his injuries. Bliek, who according to the Iowa State Patrol was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead. High speed and alcohol may have been a factor in the crash, which is under investigation, according to the Sioux County Sheriffs Office. The Rock Valley Police Department assisted the Iowa State Patrol, Sioux County Sheriffs Office and Rock Valley EMS crews in responding to the crash. SIOUX CITY -- A man was killed and another injured early Sunday morning in a shooting incident in Riverside. At around 4:17 a.m. Sunday, Sioux City Police officers were called to a residence at 2013 Metropolitan St. in Riverside, where the caller reported he had been shot, according to a Sioux City Police Department press release. The caller was found in the back yard of the residence; he was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound. Officers found a second man in front of the residence who had also been shot. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The name of the deceased is not being released pending notification of his next-of-kin. Officers learned that gunfire was exchanged between the men following a disturbance at the residence, according to the press release. Sioux City Police investigators believe the shooting was an isolated incident and that there is no danger to the public. An investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information can call the Sioux City Police Department at 712-279-6440 or Crime Stoppers at 712-258-8477. Its deceptively hard to get an answer to the question How hot is it? these days. But if you look closely, youll get the gist. In El Paso, Texas, they have clocked triple-digit temperatures for more than a month at this point. In Florida, its getting hot enough that coral reefs are dying. And in Las Vegas, the concrete sidewalks are a sizzling 144 degrees. Dharna Noor knows all about the heat. She covers the climate for the Guardian. For her, this summer has felt both horrifying and inevitable. But Noor is particularly interested in climate solutions. And I called her up to talk about a tactic shes seeing more and more these dayslocal municipalities, and even just individual people, taking climate change to court. Sometimes, its people suing the government, trying to get it to regulate greenhouse gases better. Sometimes, its the government suing oil companies over their role in the climate disaster. And, sure, litigation is not new, but, Noor says, the broad implications of this litigation are. The new trend that weve seen explode over the past five years is this idea of holding somebody responsible for climate change itself. So, not the emissions from a particular coal-fired power plant or the emissions related to one specific highway, Noor said, but rather this idea that climate change itself has been created by specific actors. Advertisement Worldwide, there are hundreds of these lawsuits. Can we sue our way out of the climate crisis? Probably not. But on a recent episode of What Next, we looked into why a heck of a lot of lawyers are trying. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Advertisement Mary Harris: Youve said that it feels like somethings changing with climate litigation, and theres certainly more of it. What is it thats changing? Could you put your finger on it? Advertisement Dharna Noor: Theres a few big shifts that weve seen. The one thing that has made a huge difference is that, frankly, more people are talking about these suits, and that means that more people are filing these suits. As we see these cases start to gain steam, we are really starting to see the patterns in the ways that the folks filing these suits are aiming to use litigation to bring about climate accountability. Youve said that there are a couple of broad categories that these lawsuits fall into. What are they? Advertisement In the U.S., theres two broad categories of climate accountability lawsuits. The first one is the constitutional suits, and those are directed at governments, whether thats state governments or, in one case, the federal government. All of the ones that weve seen in the U.S. have been brought by youth plaintiffs, which is pretty interesting. Advertisement Advertisement Theyre basically saying climate change is unconstitutional, right? Yeah, exactly. For various reasons, they say that the governments enabling of the climate crisisand its refusal to stop, for instance, leasing fossil fuelsis threatening their constitutional rights. How does that work at the state level vs. the federal level? There actually are some states that include in their constitutions a right to a clean and healthful environment. Montana is one of them. But not all state constitutions include that kind of language. And so, there are other constitutionslike, for instance, the federal Constitutionthat dont guarantee any specific environmental rights, but of course do guarantee rights like those to life, liberty, and property. In those cases, the lawyers argue that the continuation of climate change and the governments perpetuation of it is in violation of those basic inalienable rights. Advertisement Advertisement I know theres been a lot of attention on this one particular case, Held v. Montana, where a group of young people sued the state of Montana because of that part of their constitution that guarantees them a healthy environment. I know you went there to look at how this trial played out in Helena. Can you tell me what you saw? Advertisement Being in the courtroom in Montana to see the Held v. Montana trial was pretty moving. It really felt like history was being made. Its the first of these to go to trial, right? Exactly. It was the first-ever trial in a constitutional climate lawsuit in the U.S. There are 16 kids who brought the lawsuit, and the majority of them actually testified and gave these really personal, really moving testimonies about the ways that climate breakdown has threatened their ways of life. We heard testimony from the named plaintiff, Rikki Held, whos now 22, and she talked about how climate change is threatening her familys way of life on their ranch in Broadus, Montana. Due to threats like drought, all of those essential components of ranch work have been threatened. She said that amid record heat and record drought in the past few years, its been a lot harder to know how exactly her family is going to get water for their cattle. She said that its been much, much harder to do ranch work for any extended period of time because of wildfire smoke in the summers. She said that unpredictable weather patterns in general have made it really difficult to think about what the future of the ranch could look like, not just for her, but also for her family one day, if she chooses to have one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This case being a very Montana case, I wonder if it limits its impact. If the verdict comes back in these kids favor, will it have any impact on places other than Montana? While the technical legal precedent will only apply within Montanas borders, I do think that theres something to be said for judges in other states and potential youth plaintiffs and others in other states looking to that kind of victory and saying, if youre a judge, Hey, maybe Im going to be more likely to take a case like this seriously. Or, if youre a kid somewhere else, maybe you look to these kids in Montana and you say, Hey, well, Im also really attached to my land in, I dont know, the beautiful state of Maryland. Advertisement But the Montana-ness of the lawsuit, its also being used as a cudgel by the government, which is being sued here. Theyre saying, Yes, there are all these climate changes happening, but you cant blame Montana for it. Like, that wildfire isnt because of what weve done here, necessarily. Were in a big world. And so, why are we being held accountable? Advertisement Totally. Honestly, this is a difficult point that the state has raised because theres some truth to the idea, obviously, that Montana is not solely responsible for climate change. Obviously, Montana is one small emissions piece of the larger global pie. That said, many experts who gave testimony at the trial noted that Montanas footprint alone is actually larger than that of some countries. And, as some of the attorneys on the case and some advocates raised, this idea that if were all responsible, then no ones responsible is really dangerous because obviously theres not going to be one particular lawsuit that targets everyone whos ever been responsible for climate change. And so, if nobody acts, then were going to just perpetuate the problem. Advertisement Advertisement Lets get into the second category you mentioned. This isnt individuals suing the government. Its the government suing oil companies. And a lot of these cases are focused on misinformationthe idea that oil companies knew about climate change early on. Can you tell me about why and how? Whats their proof here? There is a well-documented history of oil companies sowing doubt about the climate crisis. The Exxon Knew investigation dug up tons of information on that history of misinformation, PR campaigns, efforts to cover up climate science. There was a study just this past January that actually showed Exxon had made what it called breathtakingly accurate climate predictions back in the 1970s. It looked back at the climate scientists who were advising Exxon, and those scientists essentially made these really, really close predictions of what the climate crisis would look like and attributed those changes to fossil fuels. So, the idea is, if Exxon knew that fossil fuels were causing climate change and knew how bad it was going to be, then why didnt they do something about it? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It sounds like tobacco litigation. Could you tell me about one of these cases and the details that are coming out and how the government came to the decision to sue? Its a lot like tobacco litigation, and in many cases, thats by design. Many of the lawyers who are working on these cases are looking for Big Oil to have what theyre calling its tobacco moment. The most recent one of these misinformation lawsuits was filed just last month by Multnomah County, which is the largest county in Oregon. And this case focuses not only on the broad threats of climate change to Multnomah County, but rather it focuses on this really specific instance. So, in June 2021, there was this unprecedented heat dome that blanketed the Pacific Northwest. It killed dozens of people in Multnomah County, especially in Portland, and created this real crisis situation. And so, this lawsuit draws on all of that research showing that oil companies knew that the climate crisis was coming down the pipe if they didnt do something to change their products. And it also draws on research that shows that the heat dome that they saw in 2021 was exacerbated by climate breakdown. And so, they took these two things together and said, OK, then we should be holding fossil fuel companies and interest groups accountable for their role in that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im curious how a local government like Portland decides its in their interest to sue an oil company, because litigation is expensive. It takes a lot of resources. The fact that climate disasters are becoming so much more expensive for local governments is a huge catalyst for these lawsuits. Maybe they wont win everything. Frankly, theyre asking for a ton of money, like billions and billions of dollars to upgrade infrastructure and create climate mitigation plans and all of these kinds of things. But there is an idea that if youre going to be spending all of that money to deal with climate disasters, theres a desperate need to get ahead of the next disaster and to come up with the money to fund the changes that are needed before the next disaster happens. Advertisement Theres one more strategy that I want to make sure we talk about thats associated with these disinformation cases. This is using racketeering charges to go after oil companies. Can you explain whos doing this and when it emerged? The first racketeering climate disinformation case was brought last year by municipalities in Puerto Rico. This was a lawsuit over Hurricane Maria, right? Advertisement Advertisement Yes. It was a federal lawsuit against all these oil and coal firms for their role in 2017s Hurricane Maria. And it said that those oil and coal firms had been engaged in a kind of conspiracy that could be likened to what mob bosses had wielded in the past, essentially, saying, You all put your heads together. You decided on a strategy of covering up climate science, sowing doubt about climate change, and continuing to peddle your products anyway, and used a RICO suit to do that. Advertisement The Big Oil companies have been sued a lot. They have huge litigation teams, and they have a lot of money to sink into these cases. In the past, theyve managed to fend off accountability successfully. But I get the sense from talking to you that you think their luck could be running out. Why do you feel like that? Advertisement Honestly, because climate change is becoming an unavoidable threat. For so long, local governments have thought of climate change as something to put in the background. But now lots of leaders are saying, No, this is actually an integral part of what it means to run a government now. Were not going to be able to run our government unless we, for instance, invest in flood plains, invest in making sure our agriculture is drought-resistant, and invest in making sure that we have roads that dont flood every time it rains. And many of them are starting to say, Hey, if were going to be the ones who are held responsible for this, maybe we need some help in doing that. And maybe we shouldnt be the ones who have to bear the costs of this. Perhaps theres someone else who should be helping, and perhaps that someone else is the industry that created the problem in the first place. Advertisement Advertisement What would a tobacco moment for climate change really look like? Obviously, taking money from oil companies could make trafficking in fossil fuels a lot less appealing. But theres something else thats powerful about this comparison: It means you can look at whats happening now and compare it to what happened when Big Tobacco got taken to court. Then you can figure out, Is whats going on with these climate lawsuits really an inflection point? One big turning point in the tobacco litigation was the moment where more people started to get involved. So not just advocates. Yes, exactly. Were, in some ways, starting to see that now. Multnomah County in Oregon, for example, their case was brought by law firms that had focused on things like asbestos in the past and had never brought climate-focused litigation. Theres another moment that was really important with Big Tobacco, and that was the moment that the industrys trade associations and enablers got some of the heat. Were also starting to see that now. Theres lawsuits, for instance, that are targeting the American Petroleum Institute, which is the largest trade association for the fossil fuel industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The biggest difference for me between the Big Tobacco litigation and the Big Oil litigation is that tobacco was a huge problem for the U.S., right? It created all sorts of health risks. And like the oil industry, it made a lot of people very rich in the process. But our entire economy does not run on tobacco. The challenge ahead for climate litigation is much, much larger than what it looked like for the tobacco lawsuits. Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday. I was looking at what the oil companies had to say about these lawsuits, and I was struck by something the counsel for Chevron said. He looked at the disinformation lawsuits, for instance, and he called them wasteful. He said, The climate crisis requires a coordinated and thoughtful federal policy response, not a disjointed patchwork of lawsuits in state courts. And Im not sure I disagree with him, but in the absence of a coordinated and thoughtful federal policy, it seems like taking the oil companies to court and making them pay for massive litigation doesnt seem like a bad tactic to me. Is that part of the goal here? One of the main critiques that you hear of these kinds of lawsuits is that, really, this should be a space for legislation, not for litigation. But as youre saying, we really have not seen the kind of planned response to climate change that I think that we need and that advocates certainly think that we need. The idea of the litigation is not to solve climate change through the courts but rather its to use the courts to push the actors who would be responsible for that coordinated federal policy response to actually enact it. And a lot of it is an attempt to teach people that climate change is not all of our responsibility in the way that were sometimes told. The people who are most responsible for climate change are particular people with names and profit motives. And so, a lot of it is also about naming villains who bear responsibility. On Saturday, Zelensky visited Ukrainian soldiers on the front line near Bakhmut. Photo: Reuters War is returning to Russia, the Ukrainian president said Volodymyr Zelenskyafter the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Russian air defenses had shot down three Ukrainian drones over Moscow. The war is gradually returning on Russian territory, to its symbolic centers and military bases, he said, adding that the attacks were on Russian territory an inevitable, natural and completely fair process war between the two countries, reports the French news agency AFP. Ukraine is getting stronger,Zelenski said, but warned that he had to prepare on new attacks on its energy infrastructure. We must be aware that Russian terrorists can attack our energy sector and critical facilities this winter, just like last year. he warned. Zelensky spoke after three Ukrainian drones were shot down over Moscow. In the process, the facades of two high-rise buildings in the business district of Moscow were damaged, and Vnukovo International Airport was closed for a short time. Photos from the scene show it was on several windows were damaged in the corners of the buildings, and there are below them on debris scattered on the floor. Broken windows after the attack in Zaporozhye. Photo: Reuters The Ministry of Defense in Moscow also announced today that the Russian air defense destroyed 25 Ukrainian aircraft at night over the Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. Three people killed in attacks across Ukraine In the night from Saturday on On Sunday, Russian forces launched new attacks across Ukraine. One person was killed and five were injured in a rocket attack in the northeastern city of Sumi, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said, claiming that a Russian rocket hit an educational building, the BBC reports. In the city of Zaporozhye, two people were killed and one was injured after a rocket hit open area, and the shock wave damaged the windows on apartments and an educational institution, announced the secretary of the city council Anatoly Kurtiyev. Putin: Russia does not reject peace talks Russia does not rule out peace talks with Ukraine, but Moscow cannot agree to a ceasefire while the Ukrainian offensive is underway, the president said Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian army is on the offensive, attacking, carrying out a large-scale strategic offensive. There is no reason to ask us to cease fire. We cannot agree to a truce when we are attacked,Putin emphasized on press conference in St. Petersburg after meeting with African leaders. Russia started its offensive in February last year on Ukraine, currently a fifth of the Ukrainian territory is under Russian occupation. Putin asserted that currently on there are no active military operations on the front and that there is a Ukrainian counter-offensive stopped on on all fronts. Putin at the parade of the Russian Navy in St. Petersburg. Photo: Reuters When asked about the start of peace talks, Putin said that Moscow does not reject them. In order for this process to begin, there must be agreement from both parties, he said. According to him, the basis for the search for peace could be the African and Chinese peace initiatives. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky rejects the possibility of a truce while almost a fifth of Ukraines territory is under Russian occupation. Kiev demands the restoration of Ukraines 1991 borders, i.e. including the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. Moscow responds that Kiev must to accept the new realityreports the BBC. Putin on announced 30 new ships at the parade of the Russian Navy In Russia, meanwhile, they mark the Day of the Naval Forces. President Putin has announced that the Russian Navy will get 30 new ships this year. 45 ships, submarines and other vessels and approximately 300 members of the Russian Navy took part in the parade. The parade took place in the Gulf of Finland, located in the easternmost part of the Baltic Sea, and on the Nevi River in Putins native St. Petersburg. The parade comes as Russias aggression against Ukraine enters its second year and Ukraine has stepped up its offensive against Russian forces on its territory. The Russian Navy played an important role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which it attacked with cruise missiles from ships and submarines, among other things. Before the address, Putin is in the presence of the Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu and the Commander of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nicholas Yevmenovainspected some ships from a boat on Nevi. Today, Russia confidently implements the main tasks of its national maritime policy and consistently strengthens the strength of its navy, he said in a speech. The Russian Navy will get 30 new ships of various classes. Photo: Reuters Putin, without mentioning Ukraine, welcomed brave crews of ships and submarines. On behalf of Russia, our sailors give all their strength, show true heroism and bravely they fight like our great ancestors fought, he said in St. Petersburg, which hosted the Russian-African summit on Thursday and Friday. Todays parade was also attended by several leaders and representatives of African countries, including Mali and Burkina Faso. Pope: Destroying wheat is an insult to God Pope Francis called on Russia to renew the agreement on the export of grain via the Black Sea, from which one Moscow recently resigned. He also called for prayer for peace in Ukraine, which is suffering from Russian aggression. We pray for suffering Ukraine, where the war destroys everything, including wheat, and this is a grave insult to God, because wheat is his gift for the food of mankind,Francis said in the traditional prayer of the angelic adoration in front of about 11,000 worshippers on Saint Peters Square in Rome. Two weeks ago, Russia withdrew from the agreement on the export of grain through the Black Sea, within the framework which one Ukraine exported around 33 million tons of grain, which helped to stabilize food prices around the world. Francis warned on millions of people around the world who suffer from hunger. He also condemned the smuggling and exploitation of migrants and at the same time called for prayers for his journey on Portugal. Francis will be there in a hurry from Wednesday to Sunday to mark World Youth Day. On Saturday, the 86-year-old Pope will also visit the shrine in Fatima, which is considered one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites on the world, reports the Austrian press agency APA. Wagners mercenaries, currently located in Belarus, have approached the Polish border and could under the pretext of being migrants enter the territory of the European Union, Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki warned. He is convinced that the situation is getting worse. Mateusz Morawiecki said on Saturday at a press conference during a tour of the arms factory in the city of Gliwice that more than 100 of Wagners mercenaries had moved to the vicinity of the city of Grodno, near the Belarusian border with Poland and Lithuania. It is likely that, disguised as Belarusian border guards, they will help illegal immigrants enter the EU or even pretend to be illegal immigrants and try to infiltrate Poland in this way, he believes. Now the situation is becoming even more dangerous. This is definitely a step forward towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory, he added, according to Polish public broadcaster TVP, as summarized by Politico. Members of the Wagner group in Belarus PHOTO: AP As is known, after the short-lived June uprising against the Kremlin, several thousand Wagner fighters came from Russia to Belarus. READ MORE Ukraine and Poland confirmed: the Wagner family is in Belarus Doubts and fears were also triggered by the recent statement of the Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenkowho insists that Wagners mercenaries will remain in central Belarus. We would like to go to the west, on a trip to Warsaw. But of course I am keeping them in central Belarus, as we agreed, he joked in a conversation with Vladimir Putin. On Thursday, Polands interior minister said Poland, Lithuania and Latvia could jointly close their borders with Belarus if incidents involving Wagners group occurred there. A Nevada-based doctor and his office manager wife are facing charges for an alleged fraudulent scheme involving approximately $1.3 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans. The loans were procured through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), as unveiled by the indictment unsealed yesterday. Kofi Sarfo, 58, a medical doctor and owner and president of Vista Medical Associates, a Las Vegas medical practice, and his wife, Rose Sarfo, 54, the office manager and treasurer of the practice, are implicated in the case. The couple allegedly conspired to submit false loan applications to obtain EIDL and PPP pandemic relief funds. However, instead of utilizing the funds for their business, as per their loan application statements, the Sarfos are accused of using the funds to invest in stocks and cryptocurrency. The charges include one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud against both individuals. Additionally, Kofi Sarfo faces a separate charge of money laundering. If convicted, they could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for each count of wire fraud. Moreover, Kofi Sarfo could face an additional penalty of 10 years in prison for the money laundering charge. Small Business Spotlight Drive Traffic to Your Website Sell Your Business Advertise Your Business Here Small businesses around the country, particularly in the healthcare sector, should take note of this incident as a cautionary tale. It highlights the need for full transparency when applying for government relief funds and the consequences of fraudulent activity. The case is being investigated by the FBI Las Vegas Field Office, with Trial Attorney Kyle Crawford of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section leading the prosecution. The Department of Justice established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force in May 2021 to consolidate the resources of various agencies and improve efforts to investigate and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force is designed to identify, prosecute, and thwart the most egregious domestic and international criminal actors and assist agencies tasked with administering relief programs. The objective is to prevent fraud by integrating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to reveal fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the departments response to the pandemic and related fraud, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Small business owners are encouraged to stay informed about potential fraud schemes related to pandemic relief funds. Get the latest headlines from Small Business Trends. Follow us on Google News. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is urging Congress to pass the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, a legislation important for securing the financial future of small businesses across the country. The legislation, reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and previously introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), aims to prevent an upcoming tax hike on small businesses slated for the end of 2025. NFIB President Brad Close emphasized the potential impact of this bill on small business growth and expansion. Passing the Main Street Tax Certainty Act would stop an enormous tax increase currently scheduled to strike small businesses at the end of 2025, said Close. The 20% Small Business Deduction is set to expire in 2025, and without it, small businesses will have to limit their plans to grow, invest, and hire. Small Business Spotlight Sell Your Business Drive Traffic to Your Website Advertise Your Business Here The 20% Small Business Deduction, or Section 199A, permits pass-through small businesses to deduct up to 20% of qualified business income. If not made permanent, the deduction will expire after 2025. The Main Street Tax Certainty Act is designed to make this vital tax deduction permanent, providing much-needed tax certainty for small business owners nationwide. Greg Moreland, NFIB Pennsylvania State Director, applauded the reintroduction of the bill. Pennsylvania small business owners thank Rep. Smucker for re-introducing this critical legislation, he stated. The Small Business Deduction has been a crucial tax deduction for small business owners as it has allowed owners to reinvest in their business and employees. Several NFIB representatives have testified before Congress about the importance of making the Small Business Deduction permanent. NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations Kevin Kuhlman recently testified before the U.S. House Budget Committee, and NFIB Pennsylvania members David Cranston, Warren Hudak, and Georgia member Alison Couch have all shared their tax stories before Congressional committees. A recent NFIB member ballot indicates widespread support for the extension of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, with 91% of NFIB members endorsing a permanent extension. According to NFIBs 2021 tax survey, nearly half of small business owners (48%) reported that the uncertainty of expiring tax provisions is impacting their current or future business plans. Additionally, 81% of small business owners indicated that the Small Business Deduction is important in NFIBs 2019 tax survey. The Acts passage would provide a significant reprieve to small businesses still grappling with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the NFIB continues to rally for swift legislative action in support of small businesses nationwide. For the latest, follow us on Google News. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/delta-passengers-sue-airline-after-drunk-passenger-groped-16-year-old-and-her-mother-1112251824.html Delta Passengers Sue Airline After Drunk Passenger Groped 16-Year-Old and Her Mother Delta Passengers Sue Airline After Drunk Passenger Groped 16-Year-Old and Her Mother The family is suing the airline for what the suit claims is gross negligence, after Delta flight attendants overserved a passenger and ignored a mother and her 16-year-old daughter's cries for help to be moved away from the man. 2023-07-30T02:44+0000 2023-07-30T02:44+0000 2023-07-30T02:44+0000 americas delta delta air lines delta airlines delta airlines flight sexual assault sexual assault /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107882/72/1078827297_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_78d225d22d2348adea96547e3a838505.jpg A woman and her 16-year-old daughter are seeking $2 million in damages after flight attendants on a nine-hour flight blatantly ignored their pleas for help, adding that the attendants continued to overserve the man who was harassing them, the lawsuit claims.What happened to them during a flight was not just a nightmare, it was completely preventable, the plaintiffs lawyer, Evan Brustein, said, according to a New York outlet.According to the court documents obtained by a US outlet, during the flight from JFK Airport to Athens, Greece, Delta attendants continued to serve a blatantly drunk man who was seated next to the plaintiffs, giving him at least 10 vodka drinks and a glass of wine.The intoxicated passenger tried to speak to the 16-year-old who attempted to ignore him. Angered, he became aggressive towards the minor, yelling at her and making obscene gestures. He also demanded that she tell him his address and other personal information before grabbing her and putting his hands on her back, which frightened her.When the girls mother told their harasser that her daughter was a minor and still in high school, he allegedly responded that he did not care. The suit reveals that he then reached over the girl and began pulling on the mothers arm.After violently kicking the row of seats in front of him, he then put his head down for about thirty seconds, then shot up and ran to the bathroom where he could be heard throwing up.The mother and daughter asked again that he be moved to a different seat and that he be cut off from his drinks, but according to the suit, the attendants ignored their requests.Then, when the man sat back down in his seat, he was allegedly holding a glass of red wine.Things escalated when the flight attendants told the man to stop talking to the mother and daughter, which provoked him to start screaming profanity at the two women calling them f****** b******. The terrified daughter began to have a panic attack and put her head down on her mother's lap. Thats when the man allegedly slid his clammy fingers under her shirt and groped for the clasp on her bra strap."Trembling, petrified and crying," the teen leaped out of her seat and away from the man, the lawsuit states.But that's when the man proceeded to place his hand on the mothers leg, and allegedly began to move his hand up the inside of her thigh, prompting her to scream at him to stop before he also jumped out of her seat.Again, their pleas to the flight attendants went ignored, but a male passenger volunteered to switch seats with the teen girl and sat between the two women and the intoxicated man for the rest of the flight.Delta, which has not offered a comment on the lawsuit, offered the woman and her daughter 5,000 free airline miles and an apology. But the Delta staff also allegedly allowed the man to exit the plane without alerting local authorities or US law enforcement of his behavior. When the mother had demanded a Delta flight attendant contact the police she was told to calm down and think about it.Delta says they have zero tolerance for customers who engage in inappropriate or unlawful behavior.According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 2021 saw a tenfold spike in reported complaints to their agency regarding unruly and dangerous passenger behavior on airplanes.The FAA found that most sexual assaults on aircrafts are committed by men, and that typically, the victim is seated in the middle, or by the window, and the offender is seated by the aisle. The offender uses their seating arrangement to their advantage so they can barricade the victim from being able to get away from the offender, and keep the victim from calling for help. americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.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 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg delta, delta airlines, sexual assault, airplane, airlines, flight incident https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/denmark-not-ruling-out-introduction-of-measures-against-quran-burning-actions-1112268594.html Denmark Not Ruling Out Introduction of Measures Against Quran-Burning Actions Denmark Not Ruling Out Introduction of Measures Against Quran-Burning Actions Denmark will consider imposing restrictions on Quran-burning actions and other similar events. Over the past two weeks, multiple Quran-burning demonstrations took place in the country. 2023-07-30T20:16+0000 2023-07-30T20:16+0000 2023-07-30T20:16+0000 world quran the quran quran denmark turkiye /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/15/1112026815_0:143:2729:1678_1920x0_80_0_0_720acaaa268d95f89a2d3513d10d8ca8.jpg "The Danish government will explore the possibility of intervening in special situations where, for instance, other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security," the government said in a statement. At the same time, possible restrictions should not override the provision that "freedom of expression in Denmark has a very broad scope," the government said. The act of burning the Quran is a deeply offensive and reckless act, committed by several individuals, according to the statement. Over the past two weeks, multiple Quran-burning demonstrations took place in Denmark, carried out by the Danish Patriots extremist group, including in front of the Turkish embassy. Most Muslim countries have condemned the demonstrations, and some have summoned the Swedish and Danish ambassadors to issue them notes of protest. The Quran-burning demonstrations in Sweden was also one of the reasons cited by Turkiye for blocking Stockholm's accession to NATO. denmark turkiye 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 quran, the quran, denmark, turkiye, quran burning https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/europe-faces-hike-in-vegetable-olive-oil-prices-as-heatwaves-decimate-greek-crop-1112253482.html Europe Faces Hike in Vegetable, Olive Oil Prices as Heatwaves Decimate Greek Crop Europe Faces Hike in Vegetable, Olive Oil Prices as Heatwaves Decimate Greek Crop Cretan farmers have complained to Sputnik about a succession of heatwaves decimating vegetable and olive crops on the Greek island, putting agriculture prices on track for one of their worst performances in years. 2023-07-30T04:28+0000 2023-07-30T04:28+0000 2023-07-30T08:11+0000 greece spain italy mediterranean sea olive oil prices europe economy /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/1d/1092604224_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_ae08645c3fcd08364918fcd693190584.jpg Wave upon wave of heat have rolled across Europe this July. In Greece, Europes third olive oil producer, heatwaves have been pushing temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, triggering huge wildfires that have scorched large swathes of farmland, burned down olive groves and claimed at least four lives. Crete, Greeces holiday island, depends heavily on tourism and agriculture for income. The two industries have been competing this year for the Mediterranean islands limited reserves of winter rain that sustain it through its year-round planting and harvest season. Antonis Keramianakis, a vegetable farmer who owns greenhouse installations in the south of Crete, said that the extreme heat of the past two weeks had all but destroyed his entire crop of seedlings, which now need to be regrown. Other vegetable growers in the area face the same challenge, he said. Doubling the effort will push up prices of what limited crops of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and peppers will be available in the domestic and European markets when the time for harvest comes in fall and winter, the 42-year-old admitted. Ilias Stefanakis, a melon grower who owns 10 acres of land in Akrotiri, in western Crete, told Sputnik that Greece and the rest of Europe would see far less of this water-intensive crop on the shelves this year following a dry winter and the longest heatwave in the countrys history. Winter rain reserves were already low in April when the planting started, he said. Heat that set in earlier this month, days before the harvesting was to begin, spoiled much of the crop, while the rest had to be harvested prematurely to protect it from the heat. The impact of extreme heat will be even more pronounced in the olive oil industry where a lack of water during the hot season may affect production for years to come, Sputnik was told. Manolis Tsoupakis, a veteran Cretan olive oil maker who co-owns 3,000 olive trees, said younger trees needed around 4 gallons of water a day or else their productivity would drop for the harvest season starting November as well as for another two or three seasons. As winters become drier, the island has been struggling to stay self-sustaining, and the millions of tourists who have come to Crete this summer have been driving the demand for water upwards, making life harder for local farmers, Tsoupakis confessed. The 70-year-old said he did not expect a good olive harvest this season. Olive oil prices will grow markedly across the globe, he predicted, as heatwaves continue to batter not only Greece but also the worlds four major olive producing nations Spain, Italy, Morocco and Algeria. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230624/scientists-issue-warning-as-extreme-ocean-heatwave-hits-europe-1111445863.html greece spain italy mediterranean sea 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 europe food prices, europe heat wave, heat wave in europe, greece, wildfires, crops, drought, oliv oil prices, vegetableks prices, mediterranean islands China allegedly sequenced the COVID-19 genome days before the outbreak was known to the world. This revelation was confirmed by independent investigators, saying that it was part of Beijing's COVID-19 cover-up. China Allegedly Completed COVID-19 Genome Sequencing Days Before Outbreak According to the Express UK's latest report, the information about China's COVID-19 genome sequencing was revealed in the conversations between Edward Holmes and his colleagues. The Daily Mail UK reported that Holmes, a virologist professor at the University of Sydney, disclosed this information in private messages between three other scientists in Australia, the U.S., and Britain. The controversial discussions on the Slack messaging system were revealed in the Proximal Origins paper, which was published in the Nature Medicine journal. During their conversations, Prof. Holmes talked to his colleague Prof. Kristian Andersen, an evolutionary biologist at the Scripps Research Institute in California. Edward told Kristian that he should not be fooled by "George Gao. He added that the CDC had a genome sequence on December 26, 2019. "They told people it would not pass between humans. Endless cover-ups," he added. When Prof. Holmes mentioned CDC, he was referring to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Read Also: ADHD Diagnoses in UK Drastically Increase-NHS Struggling to Manage Patients What's the Issue? The issue with China's alleged COVID-19 genome sequencing is that it wasn't shared with the world in real-time. Instead, the Chinese CDC only shared this critical medical achievement for more than two weeks. The information was even relayed by a Chinese scientist who was defying Beijing during the peak of the outbreak. Prof. Holmes said that the Chinese CDC was definitely trying to rewrite what happened. "As more information about the early stages of the pandemic emerges, we see a disturbing pattern of efforts to hide critical information," explained Biosafety Now co-founder Bryce Nickels. Genome sequencing was critical during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic because its information can be used to develop effective vaccines and diagnostic tests. This is why China is being criticized for being late to share details about it. Related Article: [STUDY] COVID-19 Lockdown Babies Can't Communicate Well Compared to Other Children @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/france-urges-niger-to-ensure-security-of-embassy-in-niamey-1112265794.html France Urges Niger to Ensure Security of Embassy in Niamey France Urges Niger to Ensure Security of Embassy in Niamey Paris is urging the authorities of Niger to ensure the security of the French embassy in the capital city of Niamey, the French Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. 2023-07-30T15:41+0000 2023-07-30T15:41+0000 2023-07-30T15:41+0000 africa niger niamey france economic community of west african states (ecowas) french foreign ministry /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/1e/1112265632_0:149:3113:1900_1920x0_80_0_0_47f4408187989184d5544971b2f4e76d.jpg Paris is urging the authorities of Niger to ensure the security of the French embassy in the capital city of Niamey, the French Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.Up to 600 French citizens currently remain in Niger, the ministry specified. Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) earlier on Sunday suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze the assets of the rebels, their families and supporters, as well as imposed a ban on their movement, Omar Alieu Touray, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, said.In addition, ECOWAS decided to suspend commercial and financial transactions between its member states and Niger, as well as freeze Niger's assets in the community's central and commercial banks.On Wednesday, members of the Nigerien presidential guard said in a statement broadcast on national television that they had overthrown the president, Mohamed Bazoum, closed borders and imposed a curfew in the country "until further notice." It came hours after the presidential guard detained the president at his residence and sealed off access to public offices in Niamey. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230726/rebels-in-niger-refuse-to-free-president-despite-ultimatum-from-armed-forces-1112160911.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20220116/video-french-president-macron-dummy-allegedly-burnt-in-mali-during-protests-over-ecowas-sanctions-1092297319.html africa niger niamey 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 french embassy in niger, africa, noger, coup d'etat in niger, french foreign ministry https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/germany-may-face-irreversible-deindustrialization---cdu-chair-1112257349.html Germany May Face Irreversible Deindustrialization - CDU Chair Germany May Face Irreversible Deindustrialization - CDU Chair The German economy is expected to be the worst-performing among G7 nations this year, with the countrys gross domestic product likely to plummet by at least 0.3%. 2023-07-30T10:03+0000 2023-07-30T10:03+0000 2023-07-30T10:03+0000 economy germany christian democratic union (cdu) economy recession gdp sanctions nord stream pipeline /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107803/56/1078035661_0:106:2048:1258_1920x0_80_0_0_62f853e22380f09daa1feaf1ce4b4d55.jpg Germany is facing further economic decline and deindustrialization, Friedrich Merz, the chairman of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has told a German news agency.He pointed to the countrys grim economic indicators, including a summer rise in unemployment, a contraction in industrial production and a 16% increase in bankruptcies in the first half of 2023.The CDU chairman spoke after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) claimed earlier this week that Germany would be the worst-performing major economy in the world this year as the countrys manufacturing sector remains under pressure.This was echoed by Clemens Fuest, president of the Munich-based Ifo economic research institute, who told a US news agency that it looks like the German economy is really having a hard time getting out of this recession.The Ifo earlier reported that the German Business Climate Index declined to 87.3 points in July versus last month's 88.6 and the consensus forecast of 88.0. The index is calculated on the basis of a survey of about 9,000 German enterprises and remains the main indicator of the economic situation in the country.Paolo Raffone, a strategic analyst and director of the CIPI Foundation in Brussels, told Sputnik in this context that long term, reliable, low cost and abundant energy supplies from Russia have been pivotal to German industrial sector development and strength.Raffone warned that without the convenient Russian energy supplies, Germany has entered (again) a period of industrial difficulty that impacts the general economy and the life of people."Gunnar Beck, a member of the European Parliament for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) part, for his part, told Sputnik that Nord Streams collapse and Berlin's move to join the West's energy sanctions against Russia are "not the only source of Germany's declining economic fortunes.""The German government is pursuing very foolish policies in other regards as well. First of all, there is the so-called green transformation or green agenda. Germany is trying to replace not only Russian energy but all fossil fuels, and it's phased out nuclear energy," Beck said, adding that the Scholz government is aggravating the effects of a decline of energy imports from Russia and may soon face an even sharper economic slowdown. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230527/germanys-recession-is-eus-first-falling-domino-1110615851.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230724/german-business-fears-best-days-behind-it-as-economy-crushed-by-loss-of-russian-energy-1112105334.html germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.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 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg german economy, possible deindustrialization in germany, german government, germany's gdp, imf's forecast on germany, nord stream pipelines https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/judge-dismisses-trumps-475mln-defamation-lawsuit-against-cnn-1112263207.html Judge Dismisses Trump's $475Mln Defamation Lawsuit Against CNN Judge Dismisses Trump's $475Mln Defamation Lawsuit Against CNN A federal judge has rejected a $475 million defamation lawsuit brought by former US president Donald Trump against CNN for labeling his election fraud claims as the "Big Lie" and associating him with Germany's Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. 2023-07-30T13:17+0000 2023-07-30T13:17+0000 2023-07-30T13:17+0000 americas donald trump adolf hitler cnn us defamation /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/05/1108027035_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_b1dcfce31729c08b515a4f423594ca9d.jpg A federal judge has rejected a $475 million defamation lawsuit brought by former US president Donald Trump against CNN for labeling his election fraud claims as the "Big Lie" and associating him with Germany's Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. "Even if the phrase 'the Big Lie' could somehow plausibly compel a reasonable viewer to perceive Trump as 'Hitler-like,' or 'authoritarian,' such terms are not statements of fact subject to defamation laws ... CNN's statements while repugnant, were not, as a matter of law, defamatory," Judge Raag Singhal said in his ruling circulated by US media. Trump has on many occasions said he considers the results of the 2020 presidential election in several US states to be fraudulent, robbing him of election victory. The former US leader has also claimed to be a subject of a political witch hunt as a result of his efforts to prove election and voter fraud. In particular, CNN authors have called Trump's election fraud claims "the Big Lie," drawing a parallel with the expression used by Adolf Hitler in his book Mein Kampf to describe a propaganda technique. In October 2022, Trump filed a lawsuit against CNN, in which he claimed that the broadcaster "defamed him by making statement comparing him to Hitler and the Nazi regime" and by accusing him of "the Big Lie." https://sputnikglobe.com/20221111/me-me-me-trump-suggests-cnn-create-conservative-network-that-features-only-him--1103997853.html 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 donald trump against cnn, trump defamation laswsuit, defamation lawsuit against cnn, cnn compared trump to adolf hitler, cnn accused trump of bit lie, stolen election, 2020 us presidential election, election fraud https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/musk-says-twitter-headquarters-will-not-move-out-of-san-francisco-1112252263.html Musk Says Twitter Headquarters Will Not Move Out of San Francisco Musk Says Twitter Headquarters Will Not Move Out of San Francisco Musk said there have been many rich incentives for the company to move its headquarters out of the city, because the company is a "friend" of the city. 2023-07-30T03:47+0000 2023-07-30T03:47+0000 2023-07-30T03:47+0000 americas twitter san francisco san francisco /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0b/13/1104420677_0:0:3642:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_c641c14138d5bb0ce0d7105a4cf24de5.jpg "Many have offered rich incentives for X (fka Twitter) to move its HQ out of San Francisco. Moreover, the city is in a doom spiral with one company after another left or leaving. Therefore, they expect X will move too. We will not. You only know who your real friends are when the chips are down. San Francisco, beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friend," Musk tweeted on Saturday. Earlier in the day, a giant X sign appeared on the rooftop of Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco, as part of the social media platform's ongoing re-branding. US media reported that city officials opened a complaint and launched an investigation into the installation of the sign, saying that such works require a permit for safety reasons. On Monday, Twitter changed its logo from a blue bird to a black-and-white X logo. Musk specified that the new logo symbolized "the imperfections in us all that make us unique." americas san francisco 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 elon musk, twitter, san francisco, us, americas https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/russian-forces-repel-3-attacks-in-krasny-liman-direction-1112256182.html Russian Forces Repel Ukrainian Attacks in Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Krasny Liman Directions Russian Forces Repel Ukrainian Attacks in Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Krasny Liman Directions The Russian forces have repelled 3 Ukrainian attacks in the Krasnyi Lyman direction over the past 24 hours, and the Ukrainian military lost up to 140 soldiers and 6 pieces of military equipment, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. 2023-07-30T08:04+0000 2023-07-30T08:04+0000 2023-07-30T09:35+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine donetsk russia ukraine russian defense ministry ukrainian counteroffensive attempt /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/1e/1112256022_0:158:3081:1891_1920x0_80_0_0_9293928e4bd0ca4760b7d71633e7c9b9.jpg The Russian forces have repelled 3 Ukrainian attacks in the Krasny Lyman direction over the past 24 hours, and the Ukrainian military lost up to 140 soldiers and 6 pieces of military equipment, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.The Russian forces also destroyed the enemy's accumulations of manpower and equipment in several areas of Donetsk Peoples Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, the ministry said. "Over the 24 hours up to 140 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 armored combat vehicles, 3 vehicles, as well as a howitzer D-30 were destroyed", the ministry added.In the Donetsk region, The Russian forces have repelled 7 Ukrainian attacks over the past 24 hours, and the Ukrainian military lost up to 190 soldiers, the Russian Defense Ministry said."In the Donetsk direction, air strikes, artillery fire and the actions of units of the Southern Group repelled 7 enemy attacks," the Defense Ministry stated.The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces in this area amounted up to 190 servicemen, 2 armored combat vehicles, 4 cars, 2 US-made M777 artillery systems, and Msta-B and D-20 howitzers, the ministry added.The Russian forces have repelled a Ukrainian attack near the Uspenovka village in the Zaporozhye region over the past 24 hours, with the Ukrainian military losing up to 250 soldiers and 10 pieces of military equipment, the Russian Defense Ministry said.The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces in this area amounted up to 250 servicemen, tank, 3 armored combat vehicles, 4 cars, and Msta-B and D-20 howitzers, the ministry added. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230727/ukraine-has-lost-20-of-donated-western-materiel-in-counteroffensive---reports-1112192909.html donetsk russia ukraine 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 russian special military operation in ukraine, ukrainian crisis, ukrainian conflict, war in ukraine, krasny liman, krasnyi lyman, donetsk, ukrainian counteroffensive https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/russian-troops-prevent-ukrainian-forces-from-transferring-reserves-1112252059.html Russian Troops Prevent Ukrainian Forces From Transferring Reserves Russian Troops Prevent Ukrainian Forces From Transferring Reserves Russian forces have thwarted an attempt by the Ukrainian forces to transfer reserves to the front line in the Kupyansk direction. 2023-07-30T03:28+0000 2023-07-30T03:28+0000 2023-07-30T03:28+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine russia ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/09/06/1100444406_0:131:2501:1537_1920x0_80_0_0_1d678ad8c42cd531aef98e3ff2593729.jpg "In the area of the settlement of Novoselovskoye, the artillery of the [Russian] group [of forces] inflicted fire damage, as a result of which the enemy was forced to retreat," the spokesperson said, adding that Ukrainian troops suffered losses in manpower and equipment. In addition, Russian attack helicopters and aircraft have launched strikes on accumulations of Ukrainian manpower and firepower, the spokesperson said. In the course of offensive operations in the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces have captured two Ukrainian strongholds, two observation posts and three dugouts in the Novoselovskoye area, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik. russia ukraine 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 russia, ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/trump-lashes-out-at-biden-for-monumental-corruption-1112251541.html Trump Lashes Out at Biden for Monumental Corruption Trump Lashes Out at Biden for Monumental Corruption Trump announced at a rally on Saturday that he will appoint a "real special prosecutor" to look into the "Biden crime family" when he becomes president. The former president is currently battling his own criminal cases. 2023-07-30T00:32+0000 2023-07-30T00:32+0000 2023-07-30T00:32+0000 americas donald trump joe biden biden administration /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/09/1111771384_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_1bb79e03e62cbe8b028097282950806e.jpg "When we win the election a little more than a year from now, I will appoint a real special prosecutor to expose the monumental corruption of the Biden crime family once and for all," Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania on Saturday. Trump said that the Biden family had profited from Ukraine and now the Biden administration is spending billions of American taxpayer dollars on Ukraine. The former US president once again took personal credit for the lack of confrontation in Ukraine, as well as Taiwan, under his administration. Trump emphasized that now, under Biden, China is "building military installations in Cuba." "And less than three years ago, we had Iran, China, Russia and North Korea in check," Trump said, adding that now, "Russia and China are holding summits together to carve up the world." Trump said that Biden wants him arrested because he is successful in his election campaign and stressed that there is "one chance to save" America, and that is the 2024 presidential elections. "We need fair elections and we need borders," Trump said. He emphasized that globalists must be driven out of the US political system in order to get America to be powerful, wealthy, strong, proud and safe again. On Friday, Trump said that his possible sentencing would not stop his presidential campaign. Earlier this month, US media reported that Trump's attorneys were told to expect an indictment against the former president for his alleged role in efforts to overturn the 2020 US presidential election. The indictment would come amid a number of other probes into potential misconduct by Trump, including on his handling of classified documents, as well as in the middle of the 2024 presidential race, in which he has established himself as the Republican Partys leading candidate. 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 trump, former president donald trump, biden administration, president joe biden https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/ukraine-tried-to-attack-moscow-using-drones-russian-defense-ministry-confirms-1112252163.html Ukraine Terrorist Drone Attack on Moscow Thwarted - Russian Defense Ministry Ukraine Terrorist Drone Attack on Moscow Thwarted - Russian Defense Ministry On Sunday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin added that Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian capital overnight, damaging the facades of two office towers in the Moscow-City business center; there were no casualties. 2023-07-30T03:42+0000 2023-07-30T03:42+0000 2023-07-30T04:58+0000 russia ukrainian drone attacks on russia moscow russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107925/23/1079252371_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_07cd946ec8e8482fe0e1aa137594a216.jpg "On the morning of July 30, an attempt of a terrorist attack by the Kiev regime using unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs] on objects in the city of Moscow was thwarted. One Ukrainian UAV was destroyed in the air by air defense over the territory of the Odintsovsky District of the Moscow region. Two more drones were suppressed by means of electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of the Moscow-City non-residential building complex," the ministry said. Earlier on Sunday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram that Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian capital overnight, damaging the facades of two office towers in the Moscow-City business center; there were no casualties.Traffic was blocked along Testovskaya Street in the Moscow-City area, where the two office buildings were damaged, the city transport department said on Sunday morning.According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine also attempted to attack Crimea overnight using 25 drones, all of which were destroyed. The ministry specified that there are no casualties or damage as a result of the attempted terrorist attack.On Friday morning, the Russian Defense Ministry said that one Ukrainian drone had been shot down overnight while attempting to attack facilities in the Moscow region; there were no casualties or damage.On the morning of July 24, the defense ministry said that the Kiev regime attempted to carry out a terrorist attack in Moscow using two drones. There was no serious damage or casualties. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/drone-attack-on-kremlin-puts-ukraine-among-countries-sponsoring-terrorism---moscow-1110253368.html russia 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 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International moscow, russia, ukraine, ukrainian drones, ukrainian drone attacks on russia https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/veteran-us-army-officer-sizes-up-russias-naval-power-against-american-chinese-fleets-1112262558.html Veteran US Army Officer Sizes Up Russia's Naval Power Against American, Chinese Fleets Veteran US Army Officer Sizes Up Russia's Naval Power Against American, Chinese Fleets Today, Russia celebrates Navy Day, a national holiday that is observed annually nationwide on the last Sunday of July. 2023-07-30T13:07+0000 2023-07-30T13:07+0000 2023-07-30T13:09+0000 military russia navy earl rasmussen alexei rakhmanov russian navy modernization sanctions russian navy day /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/1e/1112262942_0:70:2487:1469_1920x0_80_0_0_0263c577aee3583ed06e9360f78fdf4b.jpg This years Navy Day is being celebrated as Russia continues to upgrade and enhance its naval capabilities, despite the US-led West doubling down with their endless economic sanctions.Yet even as Washington and its allies seem willing to pull all the stops in its economic war against Russia, it seems that the West's sanctions failed to harm Russias naval projects, says Earl Rasmussen, a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and an international consultant.He pointed out that Alexei Rakhmanov, who heads the United Shipbuilding Corporation, earlier revealed that the West's sanctions against Russias shipbuilding industry were feeble and had next to no effect whatsoever, brading them practically unnoticeable, since only 5 percent of the components for military shipbuilding are dependent on foreign imports.According to Rasmussen, the Russian Navy is currently considered the third strongest globally after the United States and China to include a strong submarine presence, and while many of its elements are either aging or are nearing their life expectancy, Russias efforts have focused on the modernization of both new and upgraded forces.He also argued that growing naval cooperation between Russia, China and Iran should be a cause for concern for the foreign policy and defense makers in Washington.One of the main concerns for decades has been the potential of Russia and China developing an alliance. The current US administration policies have accelerated this partnership as well as adding Iran, Rasmussen mused. Hence, three of the strongest regional players globally seem more aligned than ever with increased cooperation and strategic alignment. Current western policymakers seem to be living in a world of past years and have not come to fully appreciate todays reality.Rasmussens remarks come mere days after the conclusion of the Russo-Chinese joint naval exercise dubbed North/Interaction2023 in the Sea of Japan. This exercise involved Russian and Chinese warships and their crews practicing a variety of tasks such as convoying ships, anti-submarine warfare and naval combat. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/western-sanctions-wont-stall-modernization-of-russian-navy-1112242798.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/russian-navy-fleet-to-receive-30-ships-in-2023---putin-1112257009.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Andrei Dergalin Andrei Dergalin 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 Andrei Dergalin russian navy, russian fleet, russian navy day, russian navy compared to american, russian navy compared to chinese, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/vladimir-putin-african-leaders-participate-in-russian-navy-day-celebration-in-st-petersburg-1112254481.html Vladimir Putin, African Leaders Participate in Russian Navy Day Celebration in St. Petersburg Vladimir Putin, African Leaders Participate in Russian Navy Day Celebration in St. Petersburg African heads of states repeatedly stressed the importance of military cooperation with Russia and praised the might of Russian Navy. 2023-07-30T07:44+0000 2023-07-30T07:44+0000 2023-07-30T07:44+0000 russia russian navy vladimir putin russia-africa summit 2023 second russia-africa summit /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/1e/1112254320_0:144:3131:1905_1920x0_80_0_0_c7af65467a6e1f49e26b706e1efac04a.jpg Sputnik is live from Saint Petersburg, where Russian President Vladimir Putin and his African counterparts are taking part in the Navy Day Parade. It is expected that Putin will deliver a speech. African leaders came to St. Petersburg to take part in Second Russia-Africa summit, which was held under the motto "For peace, security and development" and to discuss the most pressing political and economic issues with Vladimir Putin in a series of bilateral talks.Russian Navy Day was established by presidential decree in 2006, and is traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of July. This date has a historic significance since it is timed to coincide with the Battle of Gangut the first grand-scale victory of Russian fleet in the Great Northern War with Sweden. While the exact dates do not match, the end of July is associated in Russia with victories at sea.Follow Sputnik live feed to learn more! 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 and African leaders participate in Navy Day celebrations in St Petersburg Putin and African leaders participate in Navy Day celebrations in St Petersburg 2023-07-30T07:44+0000 true PT1S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, russian navy, vladimir putin, russian navy day, navy day in russia, russian fleet Philippine Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri told local reporters last week he would be filing a resolution Monday to recommend ending bilateral talks with China and denounce its harassment of Filipino vessels in the South China Sea. He also suggested the country should continue its diplomatic protest against the superpower and file an appeal to the United Nations (UN) to act on their protest as one of their options, CNN's Philippine bureau reported. Zubiri: Senate Measure Intends to Give Executive Branch Extra Options Zubiri added his measure would express Manila's condemnation of Beijing's incursions in Philippine waters and its continued rejection of the 2016 Hague ruling, which nullified the Chinese Nine-Dash Line claim. His resolution was intended to provide the Malacanang with additional options to deal with China other than bilateral discussions. "The Senate can give its opinion." Zubiri said. "We can make suggestions. We can give the sense of the Senate, where we see anger at what is happening in the [South China] Sea." The proposed resolution followed senatorial colleague Risa Hontiveros's own resolution urging the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs to raise the issue of China's harassment of Philippine vessels in the contested waters to the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Read Also: Columnists Chime In on Ted Cruz's 'Barbie' Claims as 'Chinese Propaganda' Rumors of PH-CN Military Drills Arise Earlier this week, the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief, Gen. Romeo Brawner, told local reporters its Chinese counterpart was offering to hold joint military exercises and are looking at some white papers Beijing has sent their way. While there was no immediate comment from Brawner to confirm or deny the claims, military spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said he saw the video of Brawner's interview and reiterated that his conversation with the Chinese diplomat was "informal." On the other hand, Filipino House lawmaker and China critic Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan De Oro) told the Philippine Daily Inquirer such proposals were "absurd," and was planning to file a House resolution to express his opposition to it formally. Meanwhile, his left-leaning party-list colleague Arlene Brosas (GABRIELA) echoed the same sentiment, saying the country should never compromise its sovereignty and national security by kowtowing to foreign powers like China. The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to reporters' requests for comment. Related Article: Typhoon Doksuri in Philippines: Death Toll From Flooding, Landslides Rises to at Least 6 @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230730/watch-russias-ka-52-alligator-blast-ukrainian-outpost-to-pieces-1112262853.html Watch Russia's Ka-52 Alligator Blast Ukrainian Outpost to Pieces Watch Russia's Ka-52 Alligator Blast Ukrainian Outpost to Pieces Ka-52 reconnaissance assault helicopters destroy Ukrainian strongholds and command posts on regular basis, using guided missiles. 2023-07-30T13:48+0000 2023-07-30T13:48+0000 2023-07-30T13:48+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian crisis ka-52 ukrainian counteroffensive attempt /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/1e/1112263690_15:0:831:459_1920x0_80_0_0_b9f8e0c7fd7010e1d7c7bd5ce133c3ac.jpg The Ministry of Defense published footage showing a Ka-52 Alligator unleashing a guided missile against an outpost with Ukrainian troops, and completely obliterating it during the special operation. According to officials, a storage of anti-tank weapons was also destroyed.Ka-52 helicopters are designed to conduct battlefield reconnaissance and coordinate aerial attacks. Alligators are even capable of wiping out enemy tanks with special armor-piercing munitions. These attack helicopters were baptized by fire when battling jihadists in the war in Syria, and now they are proving to be very instrumental once again. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sergey Lebedev Sergey Lebedev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Russian Ka-52 Levels Ukrainian Outpost Russian Ka-52 Levels Ukrainian Outpost 2023-07-30T13:48+0000 true PT0M26S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sergey Lebedev russia special military operation in ukraine, ukrainian crisis, ukrainian counteroffensive attempt, ka-52, assault helicopters, russian helicopters Just six years ago, Ron Burke nearly had his first Hambletonian victory before What The Hill suffered the only disqualification of a first-place finisher in the races history. He and Yannick Gingras, also still chasing a win in the American classic, exited Saturday night (July 29) at The Meadowlands primed and ripe for revenge after sweeping the pair of $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations. The faster of the two eliminations went to Celebrity Bambino, who flambeed a crispy 1:50.4 jogburger to win in hand to Gingras. Celebrity Bambino planted onto the point to a :27.4 first quarter with French Wine securing the pocket and Up Your Deo in third. Gingras had the 7/2 third choice rolling undisturbed to a :55.3 half while Winners Bet, attempting to overcome post 10, found himself stuck plugging uncovered on the rim with Tactical Approach in tow. Foes gave chase to Celebrity Bambino that grew fleetingly futile to three-quarters in 1:23.3. Gingras chirped at the Muscle Hill colt and he spurted clear of competition in the lane. French Wine clung to second off the pocket ride, beaten 1-3/4 lengths, with Tactical Approach grabbing third from Winners Bet and Up Your Deo securing the last berth into the final. He was full of trot and I chirped to him in the middle of the last turn and he went like a good horse, Gingras said after the race. All through the wire he was trotting strong. The win by Celebrity Bambino put his bankroll at $462,920 after a promising freshman campaign rife with near misses and opportunities. He popped onto the scene with a win in the Peter Haughton Memorial elimination, but scratched in the final due to sickness and had a comeback tour that ended with a narrow defeat to Gaines Hanover in the 2022 Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot. We didnt do as well as we had hoped at the end of the year, but he raced well in the fall. I expected a lot from this colt all along, and even this year trip hasnt really worked out; there was always an excuse. But every time he went through the wire he had the bit in his mouth. Hes nice. A seven-time winner from 18 starts, Celebrity Bambino competes for owners Burke Racing Stable, J&T Silva Stables, Knox Services and Phil Collura. He paid $9.80 to win. While Celebrity Bambino showed sparks as a two-year-old, the Burke Brigades other elimination winner Point Of Perfect went 0-for-15 as a freshman. On the heels of two wins in six starts this season, Point Of Perfect captured the first Hambletonian elimination with a 16-1 upset in 1:51.2. Yannick Gingras hustled Point Of Perfect off the wings as the cavalry charged through the first turn, where Kierkegaard K made an uncharacteristic break. Point Of Perfect planted himself on the helm to a :27.1 first quarter but yielded control to Little Expensive up the backstretch, though only for a short time. Gingras circled Point Of Perfect back to the top before a :54.4 half and attempted to rate through the final turn. As the tempo slowed, 3-5 favourite Oh Well pulled first over under confident handling and strode to the leaders neck marching to three-quarters in 1:23. Oh Well continued his attack into the lane but Point Of Perfect reengaged, sliding to a slightly wider lead at the eighth pole. Point Of Perfect stayed game to the finish as the backfield came swooping late to claim a half-length victory in 1:51.2. Oh Well settled for second, with a trio of Canadian contenders rounding out the remaining spots. Osceola (Doug McNair / Gregg McNair) weaved through traffic to fly in for third with Ghostly Casper (David Miller / Ben Baillargeon) rallying for fourth and Southwind Coors (James MacDonald / Matt Bax) grinding to grab fifth the top five separated only by 1-1/4 lengths. Hes a pretty aggressive horse and we had some stuff in his mouth to try to get him to calm down a bit, and he wasnt really liking it, Yannick Gingras said of the colts tendency to gallop. Every time youd grab a hold of him, hed shake his head and make breaks. The breaks he made, it was always when he was on the move to do work. [Ronnie] changed a few things around and hes got him on point now. Hes perfect to drive, lets me do my job and he obviously did his tonight. Point Of Perfect has now won three races from 22 starts and has earned $217,146 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, J&T Silva Stables and Knox Services. The colt by Walner paid $34.60 to win. Gingras, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022, will try for his first Hambletonian victory next Saturday (Aug. 5). Last time I won both eliminations I picked the wrong one, Gingras said with a smirk after winning the second elimination. Gingras famously had a difficult choice following the first heat of the 2015 Hambletonian where he chose to drive Burke trainee Mission Brief, who finished second to the horse Gingras opted off of in winner Pinkman for trainer Jimmy Takter. Point Of Perfect and Celebrity Bambino, by winning their eliminations, earn the right to draw between post one and post five for the $1-million final next Saturday. Regarding his driving choice in the final, Gingras also said I dont need to wait for Tuesday. Its going to be [Celebrity] Bambino. HAMBO, OAKS DRAW TUESDAY: The press conference and post-position draw for the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks will take place Tuesday, Aug. 1 at Hogan Equine, 329 Trenton Lakewood Road, Cream Ridge, NJ. All are welcome to attend. The press conference will begin at 2 p.m. with Meadowlands track announcer Ken Warkentin serving as host. The post draws for both the $1-million Hambo and $500,000 Oaks will take place at 3 p.m. with Big M TVs Jessica Otten interviewing some of the pertinent players. (Meadowlands) Wins were coming fast and furious for top horsemen at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (July 29) and some impressive performances were put in by the horses they scored with. Driver Kevin Cummings had a natural grand slam, winning races six through nine including both $15,000 Open I features. In the top trot, Cummings drove Special Prosecutor from post four and traded leads with Dewanslittlelorie (Joe Chindano Jr.) to the quarter before settling in second behind that one at the quarter. Special Prosecutor took the pocket trip to three-quarters and made his move in the last turn. Cummings tipped Special Prosecutor on Dewanslittlelorie and grabbed the front at the top of the stretch. From there he trotted strong through the lane and held of a fast-closing Lougazi (Ray Fisher Jr.) to win by one-half length in 1:57.1. The first start since June 3 for Special Prosecutor ($7.80) turned into his fifth win of the year for owners Philip Hale and David Dewhurst, who also trains the winner. Then Cummings took the feature pace with The Longest Yard who finished in impressive style. After getting away six off the gate, Cummings followed early cover from Idealthecards (Kyle Cummings) who was out and rolling past the three-eighths. The top four maintained their positions around turn two and until halfway up the backstretch where The Longest Yard swung three-wide as they approached three-quarters and cleared before they got to the final bend. Cummings then let The Longest Yard roll into the stretch and he pulled away by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:53.2. The win for The Longest Yard ($7.90), who was recently acquired by current owner Mike Torcello, was his second of the year. Sam Smith was the winning trainer. Cummings completed his consecutive four-bagger with Johnny Boy (1:58.4, $9.10) and Stranger Things (1:55.2, $2.60). Torcello and Smith saw a total of four from their stable win during the evening. Besides The Longest Yard they added Johnny Boy, Sportskeeper (1:55.2, $3.00) and Ys Lotus (1:53.4, $5.40). Jim Morrill Jr. also had a hot hand on the lines as he drove four winners on the card as well. He had pictures taken with Da Boogie Man (1:58, $4.40), Northern Sportsman (1:56, $3.70) and the aforementioned Sportskeeper and Ys Lotus. When live harness racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Tuesday (Aug. 1) at 6 p.m. there will be a $432 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5 pentafecta in the 14th race. Tuesday also features the New York Sire Stakes and Excelsior two-year-old pacing colts and geldings who will be on hand to compete for a total purse of $166,300. (Batavia) Ladycorona has stamped herself as the top three-year-old pacing filly at Hippodrome 3R this season with her third straight triumph, taking a $7,500 division of the Breeders Trophy Series on Sunday afternoon (July 30). It was the second round of the series for three-year-olds pacers and Ladycorona (poctured above) started from post two in her division for driver Pascal Berube. YS Sensationalcity (Jocelyn Gendron) had the pylon post and left hard to control the inside as Berube also sent Ladycorona for the lead and those two battled neck and neck through a :27.3 opening quarter before Ladycorona won that battle. Berube then backed her off to a half-mile in just :59. Entering the backstretch, Berube had a stranglehold on his filly going by the three-quarters in 1:28.2 and went on to win with ease by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:57.3. YS Sensationalcity was second with Mach N Cheddar (David Pilon) third. Ladycorona, a daughter of Bettors Delight, is now five-for-10 this year including two wins in the series for trainer Yves Tessier and owner/breeder Sotirios Anastasopoulos. She paid just $2.10 to win. In the other Breeders Trophy Series division for the fillies, favourite Pocahontas Du Lac and driver/co-owner Pierre-Luc Roy did not disappoint the race fans as she wired the field in 1:58.4, winning by 1-3/4 lengths. Irish Mary (Berube) was second with Godiva Ice Cream (Robert Shepherd) third. The win was the first for Pocahontas Du Lac in nine starts this season. Last year, the Betterthancheddar filly was the Quebec two-year-old filly champion. She is trained by David Pilon while Roy co-owns with his brother Louis-Philippe Roy, Maude Larouche and Jean Allaire. She paid just $2.20 to win. Owner/breeder Guy Corbeil watched his homebreds sweep the two $7,500 divisions of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers. Both Fantome En Joie and Attitude were driven to victory by Stephane Brosseau for trainer Maxime Velaye. First up was Fantome En Joie, who was able to wire the field for Brosseau, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.1 over Kansas Panic (Shepherd) with Maximus BG (Gendron) third. The Shadow Play gelding earned his second straight win and fifth victory in just seven starts during his debut season. He paid $3.10 to win. Attitude also led wire-to-wire in his division as the favourite for Brosseau, winning by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:58 over Kingston Panic (Shepherd) with Albert Alpha (Jimmy Gagnon) third. The win was the third in seven starts this season for Attitude, who was also unraced as a two-year-old. The Leader Bayama gelding paid $3.20 to win. Corbeil, Velaye and Brosseau made it a triple on Sunday as their pacer Aladdin was a repeat winner in the $7,000 Preferred Handicap in 1:55.4 -- the fastest mile on the afternoon. The four-year-old Shadow Play gelding overcame a post eight start and won by 2-1/4 lengths over Siddhartha (Marie-Claude Auger), with Snap Test (Shepherd) third. With his three victories, Velaye is now one win away from leading trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau, who has won 15 races at the 3R meet. Berube led all drivers with four winners while Brosseau had a driving triple. Due to the Grand Prix Auto Racing in the town of Trois-Rivieres next week, there will be no live racing at 3R next weekend. Live racing will resume on Friday, Aug. 11 with the second round of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old trotters. To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R. (With files from Quebec Jockey Club) The Eldorado Scioto Downs track keeps producing speed, with two more track records broken on Saturday, July 29, including the one for aged mares in the $100,000 Cleopatra Invitational. Grace Hill (pictured above) took the mare feature by a nose in 1:48.4. Kobes Gigi and Tyler Smith left from the inside with Grace Hill and Tony Hall just to her outside from post three. Stretching Grace Hill a bit going to the quarter, Kobes Gigi yielded to Grace Hill at the :26.2 opening quarter. Grace Hill then looked comfortable setting fractions of :54.2 to the half and 1:21.3 to the three-quarters. Smith pulled Kobes Gigi at the top of the stretch and went after Grace Hill throughout the final eighth but came up a nose short. Violets Rainbow (Ronnie Wrenn Jr) got up for third and paced her first sub-1:50 mile, going in 1:49.4. When youre the favourite like that, more often than not, you land on the front, not that thats where you always want to be, said trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. But I thought she raced great. Nothings easy, especially here. I still felt pretty good [at the top of the stretch], but the other horse, shes a really nice mare and she was tracking her really good. But my mare, when she sees another horse, she digs in pretty good, so yeah, was it closer than I wanted it to be? Yeahit was a little too close for comfort. Tom Hill owns Grace Hill, a five-year-old mare by Always B Miki out of the Western Terror mare, Western Silk. In each of her eight 2023 starts, she has been the betting favourite and has visited the winners circle six times to boast $336,237 in seasonal earnings and lifetime bankroll to $1.58 million. In the Cleopatra, she was set off as the 1-5 favourite and paid $2.60 to win. Just 20 minutes later, Ohio-sired Charlie May shot up the inside passing lane to get the victory in the $100,000 #SendItIn Invitational in 1:47.4. Linedrive Hanover and Aaron Merriman left out of the seven-hole to cut the mile with Charlie May sitting in the pocket. After the :26.4 opening quarter, Little Rocket Man (Jeremy Smith) pulled first-up just before the :54.2 half. The field went by the three-quarters in 1:20.4 with those three horses then putting some distance between them and the rest of the field. With Little Rocket Man still in close quarters to the outside, Charlie May had to wait for the passing lane and took complete advantage, winning by a quarter length. The mile was only one-fifth off the track record for aged geldings set one week ago by Little Rocket Man. He got a great trip and Im proud of Scioto Downs for putting it on, said trainer Steve Carter. Also a five-year-old, Charlie May is owned by breeder Don Tiger. He is by McArdle out of the Western Hanover mare, Stipple Hanover. The gelding now has seven starts with two wins in 2023 sending his earnings to $336,140 this year and $1.89 million lifetime. Sent off as the third betting choice at 3-1, Charlie May paid $8.40 to win. On the undercard, another track record was broken as Pioneer AS and Tony Hall took the $33,000 Open Trot in 1:51.3. The four-year-old mare by Devious Man is trained by Anette Lorentzon for ACL Stuteri AB. Scioto also hosted three $40,000 divisions of the Ohio Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings with all three winners taking new lifetime marks. Aaron Merriman won the first two splits. In the first division, Merriman and Janelle Granny took the lead heading to the first quarter and never looked back, winning easily by two lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:52. Janelle Granny has hit the board in all seven starts this year for owner and trainer Betty Clegg. The Fear The Dragon colt has won three and finished second in the other four starts. Racing Rebel finished second with Dancin Moon third. In the second division, Merriman went gate-to-wire again, this time with Clever Cody, a back-to-back Sire Stakes winner. The son of The Panderosa was never challenged, winning by 2-3/4 lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:51.2. The Dr. Ian Moore trainee has won two of four starts this year for the Clever Cody Stable. With a late charge, Midwind Beach Boy finished second while Outer Banks slipped to third. In the final division of the night, Hundred Dollar Man and Montrell Teague fired off the gate, taking the early lead and cruised to an easy 5-3/4-length victory in 1:51.4, a new lifetime mark. The son of Lather Up has hit the board in all four of his starts for trainer Clyde Francis and Brenda Teaque Inc., winning two Sire Stakes. Dragons Better was second with Who Dey Nation third. Stakes action continues next week at Scioto with the Ohio State Fair Stakes for Ohio-sired horses, Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 3-5. Racing is held at Scioto Downs each Tuesday and Wednesday with a 3:15 p.m. first post and Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays with a 5:50 p.m. first post through Saturday, Sept. 16. (With files from Scioto Downs and Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association) As the 136th annual Scotts Bluff County Fair events started Saturday, 12 local teens competed in the Scotts Bluff County Fair Scholarship Pageant, earning awards and scholarships. Crowned as Miss Scotts Bluff County Fair Queen was recent Scottsbluff High School graduate Brooke Margheim. Sienna Osthoff earned the Scotts Bluff County Fair Teen Queen title. Janeva OBannon garnered the title of Miss Old West Balloon Fest Queen and Addison Peck was crowned Old West Balloon Fest Teen Queen. With Ray Richards and Shelly Steele-Morehead as the emcees for the night, contestants were judged on a private interview, talent, health and fitness, evening gown, and an on-stage question. Being well rounded in these categories was imperative to winning. The competitors also participated in an opening dance number, along with a choreographed piece with their Little Sisters during the pageant. One of the most unique and notable aspects of the night was that the woman passing on the crown to Margheim was Gerings Morgan Baird, who was recently crowned Miss Nebraska. I am super excited for her (Margheim), Baird said. She worked really hard this week and definitely left it all out on the stage. I am excited for her to have this experience and be able to go to Miss Nebraska next year. Margheim says she is ready to step into the role. Those are huge shoes to fill, she said. Morgan (Baird) is such an amazing role model. ... I cant say enough good things about her. She is so sweet and has helped me a lot and I will do my very best to follow in her footsteps. As the title winner, Margheim earned a $1,000 college scholarship. She was also awarded a $500 Teresa Scanlan scholarship. Margheim said she is glad to have a new platform for her chosen community service initiative, Setting the Record Straight, dedicated to detecting scoliosis early. Margheims initiative is from her own personal experience with the condition. In August of 2020, I was diagnosed with scoliosis, and that kind of kicked off my platform when I competed in 2021, she said. ...I am advocating to detect scoliosis at a young age through screening. She also hopes to inspire others. This is a way for me to connect with the community, and with other little girls and show them what it means to be a confident and courageous woman, Margheim said. Taking the title of Miss Old West Balloon Fest Queen, OBannon found success competing in her first pageant competition. OBannon sang and played piano to You Were Good to Me by Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler. She earned a $1,000 scholarship. OBannon said, I am completely shook. The experience has been very rattling and I am super-excited and thankful... I am so excited that I was able to meet all of my fellow competitors... They definitely gave me the confidence I needed to succeed on this stage tonight. As Miss Old West Balloon Fest, OBannons community service initiative will be healthy habits equal happiness. I think with this platform I can really educate the community on how to make healthy choices, she said. Old West Balloon Fests Teen Queen was Addison Peck. In competitions from throughout the evening, the spirit award was won by Kylie Backus; peoples choice, Janeva OBannon; and Miss Congeniality, Sienna Osthoff. In the teen competition, Wailynn Hooton was crowned as first attendant and Kylie Backus as second attendant. In the Miss Scotts Bluff County Queen competition, Jayln Wagner earned the first attendant title with Adrianna Casias as second attendant. All winners will fulfill the duties of their title around the county and state and will have the chance to compete for Miss Nebraska and Miss Nebraska Teen titles next summer. Close PHOTOS: Scotts Bluff County Fair Pageant The roughly 370 miles between North Omaha and the heart of southwest Nebraska arent slowing a group of Nebraskans from forging relationships that they hope will serve as a model for bridging the gulf between rural and urban communities. In less than a year, residents from either end of that span have crossed the state to experience how the other side lives from mock cattle auctions in Ogallala to a Juneteenth parade on Omahas North 24th Street. Momentum is gathering, and they have no plans to stop. We didnt get into this problem overnight and were not going to get out of it overnight, said McCook-area farmer Dale Dueland, one of the western Nebraskans participating in the exchange. Weve got to be committed to the long haul. This endeavors roots date to 2020, when longtime Omaha activist Preston Love Jr. wrote an open letter to rural Nebraska, encouraging residents across the state to put aside division and embrace one another. The fates of urban and rural Nebraska are inextricably linked, he argued, so why not focus on building a bright future together? The letter resonated with Nebraska Community Foundation President and CEO Jeff Yost. The two opened a dialogue that ultimately led to the idea of an exchange. It began with two busloads of folks from rural Nebraska traveling to North Omaha in November 2022. After lunch at Big Mamas Kitchen, Love led a driving tour of the community. The trip inspired volunteers out west to return the favor. In April, they hosted a two-day tour for a contingent of North Omahans including Love and other community leaders. The first stop: McCook and the famed Sehnerts Bakery, where they were greeted by members of the local community foundation affiliate. After breaking into groups, they toured McCook, including the historical homes of George Norris and Ben Nelson. From there they headed to Imperial. Dueland narrated the jaunt northwest on Highway 6 with information about agriculture, farmers cooperatives and water management. We learned a lot today, Love said later at dinner. A lot about your community, a lot about your people, a lot about the work that you do and how important that little center pivot is to your survival. We learned that, we go home with that and well take that message back. Its a bridge, if you will. There is certainly division to bridge. Nearly 60% of rural residents surveyed by the Pew Research Center in 2018 said their values dont align with those living in urban areas. More than half of city dwellers (53%) said the same about rural residents. Both groups said the other looked down on or misunderstood them. Polling closer to home has identified differences. Among rural Nebraskans, 66% described their communitys political views on social issues as conservative, compared to 48% in metro areas, according to the 2021 Nebraska Rural Poll conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. But there are commonalities. Similar percentages of rural and urban Nebraskans expressed positive views of their jobs, their friends, their families, their personal safety and their communities, according to the UNL poll. The national Pew survey found residents in both types of communities worry about drug addiction, availability of affordable housing, availability of jobs and infrastructure, among other issues. Both groups want a good place to raise children, a strong sense of community and access to recreation. Like every town and community in Nebraska, were loaded with people with inspiration, with hope, with prospects of having a good life, said Imperial farmer and local historian Charley Colton during dinner. Everyone in this room wants the best for their community. Outside of Imperial, the North Omaha tour bus pulled into the Wine Glass Ranch. Logan and Brianna Pribbeno are the fifth generation to steward the land. Brianna grew up in southern California and remembers thinking the rift between northern and southern California was silly. When she moved to Nebraska with Logan, she didnt think she would encounter that kind of divide again. Shes hoping efforts like the bus tour can close the chasm. I experienced very quickly that western and eastern Nebraska are very divided places, Brianna said. There are a lot of misconceptions about both sides of the state and how were each experiencing life. I want both sides of the state to come together. Lets find that common ground. The tours final leg included a mock auction at Ogallala Livestock Auction Market and a bus tour of Ogallala landmarks. As they headed back east on Interstate 80, driver D. Kevin Williams looked into the rear-view mirror and remarked on the horizon illuminated in a wash of red, orange, and pink. We left them a beautiful sunset. *** The visitors from McCook, Imperial and Ogallala arrived in North Omaha the Friday before Juneteenth. They gathered at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, just north of 24th and Lake streets to learn about the highest highs and lowest lows of North Omaha history. The trip marked the latest exchange in a flourishing connection. It was more like a family reunion, and we just didnt have enough time, said Lorraine Jackson, president of Omahas National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) chapter. We wanted more time. The group shared laughs and stories Friday evening over a meal prepared by the NCNW chapter. They also reflected on pain and hardship. That afternoon, the contingent watched as the City of Omaha renamed a portion of 21st Street near Logan Fontenelle Park in remembrance of Vivian Strong, a 14-year-old girl killed by an Omaha police officer in 1969. The killing left deep wounds in the community, setting off unrest that resulted in the destruction and closure of local businesses, many of which never recovered. Vivian Strong is part of our communitys pain, and we opened up the door and welcomed you into that side, Love said. Not just the Juneteenth-celebration side, but the pain. It made us closer to you because you now have seen that side. The pain of our family. The visitors and hosts returned to the church the next morning. After breakfast, they lined up along 24th Street to watch the Juneteenth celebration. Love frequently ventured into the parade route, bringing back North Omaha leaders to introduce to his guests. A week after the Omaha visit, the group reconvened for a virtual debrief. Those from out west expressed gratitude toward their Omaha hosts. Love said people hes talked to in his community were impressed by the initiative and see value in the burgeoning connections. Now that its on the table, it is being talked about, he said. Both groups say they arent ignorant of the difficult task ahead of them, but they are steadfast in their dedication to bringing historically distant Nebraskans together. For Reverend T. Michael Williams of Mt. Moriah, creating stronger connections and vibrant communities for future generations remains the goal. Were just setting the table, he said. Lord willing, theyll be able to eat from it. The next round of talks in the Astana format on Syria will be held in Kazakhstan before the end of this year, according to Athr Press. Russia has announced that the 21st round of talks in the Astana format on Syria will be held in Kazakhstan before the end of this year. This decision follows Kazakhstans agreement to host the meetings. The announcement was made by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who serves as the Special Representative of the Russian President for the Middle East and Africa. Bogdanov conveyed this information on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Forum. According to the Kurdish news agency North Press, Bogdanov stated, Our Kazakh partners have expressed their readiness to continue meetings in Astana (). Therefore, we proceed from the fact that there is already an agreement between the three guarantor countries, namely Russia, Iran, and Turkey, in order to hold the twenty-first meeting by the end of this year also in Astana. The announcement of the 21st round of Astana format talks comes shortly after a source from the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed discussions regarding a new meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Syria, Iran, and Turkey. This meeting is seen as part of the ongoing efforts to improve relations between Damascus and Ankara. Regarding the location and date of the Astana track meetings, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin asserted that they will take place, but the specifics are yet to be determined. He emphasized that these meetings have been highly effective in achieving a long-term settlement in Syria. Vershinin also acknowledged the significance of the Astana format, which has yielded positive results and continues to expand its scope. Furthermore, Vershinin praised the efforts of Kazakhstan in coordinating the talks and highlighted the countrys potential to contribute further to the process. The 20th round of Astana talks concluded recently, with the participation of representatives from Russia, Turkey, Iran, the Syrian government, the opposition, and UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen. Notably, this round marked the first quadripartite meeting after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured a new presidential term. Observers Note: In June, Kazakhstan unexpectedly announced it would stop hosting the Astana talks between Iran, Turkey and Russia on the Syrian issue. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The loss of vegetation cover was highlighted as a real disaster, according to Athr Press. Agriculture Minister Hassan Qatana has confirmed the successful control of all hotbeds of fire in the forests and northern countryside of Lattakia. The affected areas are now entering the cooling and monitoring phase. Qatana highlighted the joint efforts that led to the containment of 20 fire hotbeds since the outbreak of the fires in the Lattakia countryside. This achievement was made possible through the collaboration of fire system teams, comprising 101 firefighters and 29 bulldozers, along with the support of Ilyushin planes and helicopters from the Syrian army. Acknowledging the significant role of wind movement and speed in fueling the spread of fires, Minister Qatana expressed gratitude that houses near the fire sites were well protected. However, he also mentioned that it is difficult to assess the full extent of the current impact on the affected areas. The loss of vegetation cover was highlighted as a real disaster, emphasizing the importance of forests as the lungs of the earth. Vegetation plays a crucial role in preserving soil, biodiversity, and biological diversity. The minister stressed the need to consider the environmental and climatic system as an integrated whole. Minister Qatana cautioned that despite the suppression operations being near completion, the fires might not be entirely extinguished. Due to the vastness of the burned area, a prolonged period of cooling and monitoring is necessary. Additionally, considering the prevailing high temperatures and intensified wind speeds, any inadequately cooled spot could potentially become the nucleus of a new fire. It is important to note that the fires, which were extinguished six days ago, initially broke out in Mashqita and subsequently spread to Solas. The situation was further aggravated by the strong winds, resulting in multiple fires across approximately 20 different locations. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Jordan believes trade with Syria should be conducted in a balanced manner, according to Baladi News. The Jordanian Minister of Industry and Trade, Yousef al-Shamali, confirmed that despite the reopening of the Naseeb border crossing, the Syrian regime government is preventing the entry of Jordanian goods into its territory. On Sunday, July 30th, Shamali stated that his country is open to trade exchange with Syria, but the Syrian side is obstructing the entry of Jordanian goods. During his visit to the Irbid Chamber of Commerce, he emphasized that trade between the two countries should be conducted in a balanced manner, ensuring equality and justice for both sides. Jordan has no objection to trading with Syria, but despite the reopening of the Naseeb crossing, the Syrian side continues to prevent the entry of Jordanian goods. Jordan has made every effort to facilitate the reopening of the crossing, said Shamali. Highlighting the historical relations between Jordan and Syria, the minister mentioned Jordans support in welcoming Syria back to the Arab League. In addition to the trade issues, the Jordanian armed forces are actively working to combat drug smuggling across the Jordanian-Syrian border. The Naseeb/Jaber crossing was fully reopened in September 2021 after being partially opened in October 2018. The crossing had been closed for three years when Syrian army factions controlled the area, until the regime regained control. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. New regulations are about to go into effect to bar those who have been convicted of major crimes from obtaining citizenship in the United Kingdom. UK Citizenship Crackdown on Foreign Offenders On Monday, July 31, stricter regulations will apply to citizenship applicants who have served a 12-month jail term due to a change in the "good character" criteria. If an applicant has served a sentence of more than four years in prison, their request for British citizenship would likely be denied. Prior to this change, Evening Standard said that applications from those who had spent between 12 months and four years in jail were similarly very unlikely to be accepted until 15 years had gone since the conclusion of the term. Applications from those who had served less than a year in jail were likewise likely to be denied until at least ten years had elapsed. New guidelines are intended to be stricter and more specific on the good character standards, bringing the system in line with immigration regulations. The Home Office has announced that due to the changes, the regulations under which some criminals might be awarded citizenship after a set number of years would be scrapped. The British Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, made it clear that having British citizenship is a special honor. "Those who commit crimes shouldn't be able to enjoy the breadth of rights citizenship brings, including holding a British passport, voting and accessing free medical care from the NHS [National Health Service] ... I am cracking down on abuse of the UK's immigration and nationality system, by introducing a tougher threshold so that serious criminals cannot gain British citizenship." Braverman said this is just fair and right thing to do. The Home Office has also said that certain applicants may be able to demonstrate exceptional circumstances in support of their application for British citizenship. Also Read: UK Net Migration Reaches New Record High Despite Government Cutbacks, Student Visa Crackdown Failure to Expel Foreign Offenders? According to Daily Mail, this news comes after a watchdog last month criticized the Home Office for failing to expel foreign offenders. Based on a report, performance was not efficient, and there was an unacceptable absence of useful information and functional systems. David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, said the number of deportations of foreign national offenders has dropped by more than half in recent years. Meanwhile, a program that rewards ex-offenders with 1,000 ($1,200) for leaving the country may be misused. The Home Office was reported to be handling the cases of 21,094 foreign criminals, including 6,030 in prison, 1,036 in immigration custody, and 13,212 in the general population. However, because of Covid limitations and legal challenges, the number of expulsions from the UK has declined from a peak of 6,437 in 2016 to a projected low of 2,676 in 2021. Also Read: Illegal Migrants Commit Crimes' Very Quickly' After Arriving in UK, Suella Braverman Claims @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Both parties committed to working together on maintenance and rehabilitation projects for schools, according to al-Watan. On July 29th, 2023, a significant collaboration was established between the Ministry of Education and the Norwegian Refugee Council in Damascus. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed to facilitate cooperation in various areas related to education. The MoU was signed by Ghassan Shugri, the Director of Planning and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Education, and Andres Gonzalez Rodriguez, the Director of the Norwegian Refugee Council. The agreement aimed to foster joint efforts in rehabilitating schools and providing training for educational personnel. Under this memorandum, both parties committed to working together on maintenance and rehabilitation projects for schools. Additionally, the cooperation included initiatives to supply school bags and stationery to support students learning experiences. Training courses for teaching and administrative staff were also planned to enhance the overall quality of education in the region. The agreement did not stop at infrastructure and academic support but extended to other crucial aspects of education. It included provisions for compensatory lessons to help students pursuing basic and secondary education certificates catch up on missed material. Health awareness campaigns were also a part of the collaboration to promote well-being among students. Furthermore, the MoU focused on providing support to adolescents to engage in vocational education, equipping them with valuable skills for future endeavours. The cooperation also encompassed provisions for psychological and social support, recognizing the importance of students emotional well-being in their academic journey. By joining forces, the Ministry of Education and the Norwegian Refugee Council aimed to make a positive impact on the education sector in Damascus, contributing to the development and empowerment of students and educators alike. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria. Sunday, Faisal al-Mekdad, the Foreign and Expatriates Minister, undertook an unexpected diplomatic mission by arriving in Tehran, the capital city. Simultaneously, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) voiced criticism against the Global Coalition and the guarantor states of a ceasefire agreement for their failure to address Turkish attacks, intensifying tensions in the region. Additionally, Syria has been grappling with devastating wildfires this month, fueled by powerful winds and extreme temperatures. Mekdad arrives in Tehran in unannounced visit On July 30th, 2023, Faisal al-Mekdad, the Foreign and Expatriates Minister, arrived in the capital city of Tehran for an important diplomatic mission. He was accompanied by a delegation of officials. The purpose of his official visit was to engage in discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and other senior Iranian officials. According to SANA, the visit was organized in response to an official invitation, signifying the mutual interest in enhancing bilateral ties between their respective countries. During the talks, the two delegations aimed to address the latest developments in the region and on the international stage, seeking avenues for cooperation and collaboration. By engaging in these discussions, both parties sought to further strengthen the relations between their nations and foster a productive dialogue on issues of common interest. This visit reflected the commitment of both Iran and Syria to maintain communication and work toward regional stability and peace. Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Slams Global Coalitions Silence Over Turkish Attacks On July 30, 2023, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) expressed strong condemnation for the silence of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat Islamic State (ISIS) and Russia, as the guarantor states, regarding the continuous Turkish attacks on areas controlled by AANES, North Press reported. In a statement, the AANES criticized the Global Coalition and the guarantor states of the ceasefire agreement for failing to address the Turkish offensive, which has been escalating and causing significant harm to the region. The AANES held these parties responsible for the ongoing attacks carried out by Turkey. Just one day before, on July 28, a Turkish drone struck a village in the countryside of Qamishli, resulting in the death of four Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters. The AANES asserted that such attacks have the potential to undermine joint efforts between the parties involved. The AANES characterized the Turkish shelling as an expression of deep hatred that runs counter to all endeavours aimed at achieving stability and defeating terrorism, particularly ISIS. Furthermore, the AANES accused Turkey of committing severe and systematic violations of human rights in Syria, demonstrating a disregard for its extraterritorial obligations. The Turkish actions have been deemed threats to the security and stability of northern Syria, with deadly operations causing loss of life and violating the rights of civilians. As a result, these actions are in violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and the AANES called for thorough investigation and accountability. The statement also revealed alarming statistics about the frequency and impact of Turkish drone strikes in north Syria during the first half of 2023. Turkey had conducted 34 drone strikes, resulting in 73 casualties, including 44 fatalities and 29 injuries. Shockingly, civilians accounted for 27 percent of the total number of victims. The AANESs strong condemnation of the ongoing Turkish attacks highlights the urgent need for international attention and action to address the situation and protect the civilians in the affected areas. Russia Heightens Rhetoric Over U.S. Drones in Syria Amid Escalating Tensions Russia has boosted its rhetoric about the US role in Syria, after a series of incidents in which Russian warplanes harassed and even damaged US drones, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. In Syria, the US uses the Reaper drone and recently moved F-22 fighters to the Middle East to counter Russias threats. The Americans are in Syria to fight ISIS and back the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but the Syrian landscape is complex and Russia plays an important role in backing the Syrian regime, while Turkey, another player, also occupies part of Syria. According to Russian state media TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready for any scenario, but does not want a direct military clash with the US, adding that we are always ready for any scenario, but no one wants this. On an American initiative, we once created a special mechanism to prevent these conflicts; we have department heads that communicate directly with each other, and consult on any crisis situation. This shows that no one wants clashes. Russia has accused the US of dangerous approaches to Russian aircraft, essentially making the same accusation the US has made, upping the rhetoric and war of words. Russia hopes to balance the US claims, which are backed up by video footage from the drones. While the US claims are backed up by evidence, there is none that shows U.S. drones approaching Russian aircraft. Reaper drones do not fly very fast, especially compared to Russian fighter jets (Russian SU-34 or Su-35 jets can fly four times as fast as the US Reaper). It is the equivalent of a modern jet fighter against a World War II-era propeller plane. YPG Attack Kills 5 Syrian National Army Soldiers in Syria An attack by the Syrian wing of the terrorist PKK group, the YPG, killed five members of the Syrian National Army (SNA) and injured another six in Syrias northern Aleppo on Saturday, according to sources, Turkish The Daily Sabah reported. The fatalities occurred when YPG terrorists attempted to infiltrate SNA positions in four regions in the northern countryside of Aleppo province; sources told Anadolu Agency (AA) on condition of anonymity. The attempt was carried out simultaneously early in the morning from three different points, leading to armed confrontations between the SNA and the YPG. Sources added that the casualties occurred in the towns of Kaljibrin and Marea. The terrorists also suffered significant casualties while opposition forces continued to launch attacks on terror positions, the sources added. The YPG terror group continues to target SNA forces and civilian settlements in Afrin and Azaz from positions in Tal Rifaat despite a Turkiye-Russia deal that calls for the groups withdrawal from the area. On Oct. 9, 2019, Turkiye with help of opposition-based SNA launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River to secure Turkiyes borders, aid the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syrias territorial integrity. Pentagon files reveal flaws in U.S. claims about Syrian casualties in Baghdadi raid An NPR investigation into Pentagon documents has raised questions about the accuracy of the U.S. militarys claim that no civilians were killed in the 2019 operation against the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in northwest Syria. The Pentagons report stated that the airstrikes were necessary as the targeted men were enemy combatants who showed hostile intent by not stopping their vehicle after warning shots were fired. However, NPRs investigation found flaws in the Pentagons conclusions. Barakat Ahmad Barakat, a survivor of the airstrikes, recounts the incident where he and his friends were in a van approaching the hideout of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi when they were hit by U.S. airstrikes. His two friends were killed, and his right hand was blown off in the attack. Barakat disputes the claim of warning shots and says they had little time to respond before the airstrike hit the van. The Pentagon report suggests that there was no formal investigation into the incident because the allegations of civilian casualties were deemed not credible. However, experts, including Larry Lewis, who advises the military on reducing civilian casualties, believe that the military may have misidentified the men as enemy combatants. The report also mentions a top-secret document addressing the characterization of those killed and injured, but the Pentagon says there is no record of such a document. Ryan Goodman, former Defense Department special counsel, raises concerns about the Pentagons analysis, which may conflate decision-making in the heat of the moment with post-strike analysis. U.S. Central Command spokesman Major John Moore stated that the Pentagon had no plans to reassess the allegations. Barakat, who is now severely disabled, wants compensation for the incident. The Zomia Center, a U.S.-based nonprofit advocating for civilian victims of military strikes, has taken up his case and is requesting that the Defense Department reopen the investigation. Since the reporting on the declassified documents, several members of Congress, including Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, have called for accountability and for the Pentagon to reopen the investigation if necessary. The U.S. narrative about civilian casualties in the raid against Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi may be subject to further scrutiny. After quake, Syrias northern coast was ravaged by wildfires At 72, Syrian farmer Izzadin Zuhaira survived war, displacement and a devastating earthquake in February. But the forest fires razing his home province of Lattakia this week, turning his beloved orchards to ash, were the worst he had seen. Ive never seen any weather like this. The soil and the trees were so impacted by the heat that they lit up quickly, Zuhaira told Reuters. The retired civil servant had been living off the harvests of around 700 olive, pomegranate and walnut trees, but all of these were destroyed by the spreading fire. His modest one-storey farmhouse, which had already been damaged by years of war, was further cracked by the February earthquake, which left more than 5,000 dead in Syria and hit Lattakia hard. After the quake, the fires came and finished it off. It left us with nothing, Zuhaira told Reuters. Like other countries around the Mediterranean, Syria has been hit hard by wildfires this month, supercharged by strong winds and searing temperatures. Firefighters had struggled to put them out in Homs and Hama in mid-July, and the fires in Lattakia raged for five days before rescuers could control it, Syrias agriculture minister Mohammad Hassaan Qatna said on Saturday. There were multiple places, far away. The speed of the wind was a factor in the excessive spread of the fires, Qatna told Reuters during a tour of the area. Other challenges for the firefighters included poor telecoms coverage in the north and the procurement of fireproof suits or spare parts for extinguishing equipment, he said. SEATTLE A man who hit two protesters with his car, killing one of them, during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020 in Seattle has pleaded guilty to multiple felonies. Dawit Kelete, 30, pleaded guilty on Thursday to vehicular homicide in the death of 24-year-old Summer Taylor, The Seattle Times reported. He also pleaded guilty to vehicular assault and reckless driving charges. Attorneys as part of the plea deal have agreed to recommend a sentence of more than six years in prison and 18 months of probation. Kelete is set to be sentenced in September. On July 4, 2020, the Washington State Patrol said Kelete drove the wrong way onto Interstate 5, around a barricade of parked vehicles, and struck Taylor and Diaz Love. Taylor later died and Love was hospitalized with multiple injuries. Kelete was arrested shortly afterward and told police he was withdrawing from the narcotic pain medication Percocet and struggled with an untreated addiction, court documents said. Francisco Duarte, Keletes attorney, said Kelete asked about the victims from the beginning and has shown remorse. Duarte also claimed authorities were negligent and failed to protect the public and protesters. An attorney for Taylors family, Karen Koehler, on Thursday lamented the years its taken for the case to move through the court system, and said the family is focused on remembering Taylor, KING-TV reported. While it was a relief to know they wouldnt have to go to court, theres a lot of very sad, grieving people still, Koehler said. They are... resigned, that this is the best that can be done. Love, who suffered a traumatic brain injury, fractures, lacerations, and other physical wounds, is suing the state, city and Kelete. A trial date has been scheduled for next February. The lawsuit says Kelete was driving negligently and that state and city agencies failed to block all access ramps to I-5 and refused to protect vulnerable protesters. The State Patrol had closed the freeway during the demonstration, which was part of a run of nightly protests over the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Family described Taylor as someone who was dedicated to justice. She had been demonstrating and rallying in support of Black Lives Matter nearly every day of the protests. Cynthia Washington-Mattson remembers the days she walked the hallways of Mark Morris High School. The year was 1957, and the Longview School District was outpacing the nation with its completely integrated school system. This was largely thanks to Washington-Mattsons grandmother, Victoria Freeman, whose efforts led to the integration of the schools in 1924. In an interview with The Daily News this year, Washington-Mattson answered questions about her experience in a school system where nearly every student was white, and segregation was still federally legal. Elementary school was fun. ... We didnt know any different, Washington-Mattson said. We were just having fun, and there was no distinction in culture, because it was a mill town. But as I got to seventh, eighth (and) ninth grade, there was a different change in the school. The changes brought racial divides with it, she said. In 1961, it was Washington-Mattsons senior year of high school and three years before the Brown vs. Board of Education case cemented integration in schools as a civil right. One day, she was stunned when several of her peers attended an assembly in blackface. Audrey Woods and Ruby West Victoria Freeman died one month after the Longview City Council renamed Clearview Park in her honor. Her surviving daughters, Audrey Woods, le It was humiliating. They were making fun of our culture, Washington-Mattson said. She and a handful of peers walked out of the assembly in protest. They were then suspended for several days. Washington-Mattson said she kept in mind the words of her grandmother, Victoria Freeman, as inspiration. Grandma said, No matter what you go through, you keep that smile, because in the long run theyll know youre an OK person, Washington-Mattson said. And I had to smile, but it was hard. ... We were (thought of) as bad people because of the color of our skin. Freeman, a historic figure whose handprint on Longview led to the Victoria Freeman Park being renamed in town, was more than familiar with the hardships of the past brought on by the Great Depression and Jim Crow laws. Victoria Freeman Victoria Freeman advocated for civil rights until her death in the 1990s. A park in Longview was named after her because of the mark she left James Edward Freeman came to Longview in 1923, and with his wife Victoria they raised five children during the Depression. Longview was not immune to the segregation that darkened cities across the U.S., with specific neighborhoods designated as the Negro section, according to archives. The Ku Klux Klan met on the west side of town, Freemans daughter Audrey Woods and Cynthias mother told TDN in 1998. At the time, the separate private school where Black children were allowed to learn was in a tar paper shack, said Freemans daughter Ruby West in 1998. One day, Victoria Freeman took her son Oliver to Kessler School and sat him in his seat despite objections from the teacher. Freeman won that argument. Longviews schools were integrated in 1924, according to reports from TDN. I dont want you to pick a fight, Victoria Freeman told The Daily News when remembering her words to Oliver and her other son Calvin. But if anyone hits you, you give them what you got the best. The words of her strong-willed grandmother kept Washington-Mattson determined to break through some of the socioeconomic barriers brought on by systemic racism. The racism she experienced sometimes left her bitter against white people, but that was soon replaced with a desire to bring people together. She said thats how true equality happens. Ive seen a growth, she said. Yes, I have. But not a big growth. The schools need to teach more about all cultures. They need to know about the histories of every culture, and what they have brought into the world. ... Theres more to us. Sometimes it feels as though theres still a long way to go, she said. In 2006, Washington-Mattson was shocked to find someone had vandalized a sign at the Victoria Freeman Park, drawing swastikas and the words white power. Similar antagonisms happened during Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth celebrations, she told The Daily News in 2006. A Longview man was arrested in December for using racist slurs and antisemitic remarks on phone calls to members of the U.S. Congress. A racial discrimination lawsuit was filed in June by Anthony Vernon Simmons of Portland who alleges that one AMPM employee used a racist slur against him, and another racially profiled him by falsely accusing him of a crime. Education itself has become a hotbed of political issues like critical race theory, which school officials have repeatedly tried to explain is a college-level curricula that would never, and has never, been taught to early education students. Parents and some school board candidates pushed back against this in recent elections, some even calling local superintendents to ask whether it was appropriate to teach about cultural competency and equity. Were in a divided country. ... The one thing I want to see done is to take the -ism out of race and get everybody on the same page, Washington-Mattson said. I want all children at school today the minorities, all of the genders, the LGBTQ kids they need to know its all equal straight across. Its not about division. Indian security personnel gun down armed rebels Xinhua) 10:45, July 30, 2023 NEW DELHI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Indian security personnel gunned down around six armed rebels from a group called Naxals in the country's central state of Chhattisgarh on Saturday, local media reported. The encounter broke out in the state's Sukma district when security personnel were out on an anti-Naxalite operation, according to Press Trust of India. The Naxals opened fire on security personnel and faced retaliation, a police officer said, adding that the gun battle lasted for one hour. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Niger's coup leaders, headed by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, have warned their countrymen of regional and Western retaliation to restore democracy and reinstate ousted president Mohamed Bazoum to power. The BBC reported a statement claiming that the West African regional body ECOWAS was planning to approve a "plan of aggression" against Niger. The bloc did not immediately make any comment on the alleged statement other than their condemnation of the coup. Niger Slowly Aligns with Russia, ECOWAS Says The coup has prompted concern that Niger could pivot towards Russia after neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali did so through their own coups. Tchiani warned any Western or ECOWAS retaliation would mean opposition to the country's independence. "We once again reiterate to ECOWAS or any other adventurer our firm determination to defend our fatherland," he said in a televised statement. About two weeks ago, Nigeria's president and ECOWAS chair Bola Tinubu warned that terrorism and the emerging pattern of coups in West Africa had reached alarming levels and demanded urgent action. While the African Union and the West and their allies have condemned the Nigerien coup, Russia's Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly described it a triumph. In a Telegram post, the mercenary boss said the coup was "nothing other than the struggle of the people of Niger with their colonizers." He was recently reported to recover in Belarus with his men from the war in Ukraine and their own unsuccessful coup and has since told his fighters to prepare to set off on a "new journey" to Africa. However, Prigozhin's comments have not been independently verified. Read Also: Niger's Military Pledges Allegiance to Coup Plotters After Overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum Nigeriens Storm French Embassy in Niamey Meanwhile, hundreds of coup supporters protested outside the French embassy in Niger's capital Niamey over the weekend after the nation stopped its aid to the nation Saturday (July 29) and pulled out its troops in 2022 amid growing hostility from the junta in Mali. Chants of "Long live Russia," "Long live Putin," and "Down with France" were heard during the protest, French news agency AFP reported. In a statement, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would not tolerate any attack on its interests with Niger and would respond in an "immediate and intractable manner." Related Article: Presidential Guard Chief Declares Himself Leader After Holding President Bazoum Hostage @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Jul 17, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jordan Hicks (12) reacts after the Cardinals defeated the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports The Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline is around the corner, and two teams at the opposite end spectrum in terms of contending for a World Series swung an interesting deal on Sunday. The Toronto Blue Jays acquired right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for minor league right-handed pitchers Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein. OFFICIAL: Weve acquired RHP Jordan Hicks from the Cardinals in exchange for Minor League RHPs Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein. Welcome to the fam, @Jhicks007! pic.twitter.com/UceLI1J2sL Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 30, 2023 A Cardinal since he was drafted in 2015, Jordan Hicks posted a 3.98 and recorded 28 saves, appearing in five seasons in St. Louis. Best of luck in Toronto, Jordan! pic.twitter.com/as9WhghYb6 St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 30, 2023 Hicks, 26, had recently been approached by the Cardinals about a possible contract extension. The flamethrowing pitcher is an impending free agent and despite the teams perceived willingness to sell off pieces, the Cardinals and Hicks were in talks about extending his stay in St. Louis beyond 2023. Those talks seemingly didnt progress, as Hicks will now head north of the border. While Hicks has a 1-6 record with a 3.67 ERA in 42 1/3 innings pitched, theres plenty of intrigue here for Toronto. Even though Hicks has struggled with his control throughout the majority of his MLB career and is currently issuing 5.2 walks per nine innings, Toronto needed bullpen help after placing its closer, Jordan Romano, on the injured list Saturday. Additionally, Hicks has been putting his sinker and two-seam fastball, which both clock in around 102 mph, to better use lately. Jordan Hicks, Ridiculous 102mph Two Seamer With 20 inches of run. pic.twitter.com/F03YRI3BZO Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 8, 2023 Since Hicks assumed the closing role in St. Louis, he has allowed five runs (three earned) in 13 1/3 innings pitched. Hes walked just three batters while striking out 14. Hicks has a 2.03 ERA over his last 13 appearances, in which hes pitched to an 0-2 record with eight saves out of nine. The Cardinals are 11-2 in the last 13 games that Hicks has pitched, but hes also only appeared in 13 games over a month. Hicks last appeared for the Cardinals on July 24. So, in recent weeks, Hicks looked much more like the flamethrowing pitcher the Cardinals thought they had, and the Blue Jays are believers. Hicks joins a Toronto bullpen thats ninth in the majors in wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs, led by the now-injured Romano and Erik Swanson. The bullpen is a huge reason why the Blue Jays are just five games back of the first-place Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. In a landmark revelation that has sent shockwaves through the financial world, the esteemed Japanese financial giant SBI Group has unveiled its ambitious future plans for harnessing the power of Ripples innovative On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) and XRP in revolutionizing domestic and international remittances. The strategic move not only strengthens SBI Groups partnership with Ripple but also seeks to accelerate the adoption of XRP in Japan and beyond. The momentous announcement was made by SBI VC Trade, the crypto asset exchange business under the SBI Group, during a highly anticipated Zoom webinar held on July 28. The webinar featured a lineup of prominent speakers, including the illustrious Emi Yoshikawa, Ripples Vice President of Strategy & Operations, and the influential Tomohiko Kondo, the Representative Director and President of SBI VC Trade. The central focus of the captivating webinar was to discuss the recent court ruling in the Ripple case, providing critical insights into the implications and future trajectory of XRP. Moreover, the discussion encompassed the multitude of forthcoming opportunities for both XRP and Ripples ODL solution, outlining SBI Groups strategic initiatives for their seamless integration. Shortly after the enlightening webinar concluded, Tomohiko Kondo took to Twitter, sharing one of the presentation slides that were instrumental in driving the discussions. The slide offered a tantalizing glimpse into SBI VC Trades exciting future plans for leveraging the immense potential of XRP and ODL in Japan, showcasing the firms unwavering commitment to pioneering advancements in the ever-evolving crypto space. Delving into the operating mechanism, the revealing presentation slide disclosed that SBI VC Trade plays a pivotal and central role in facilitating the transmission of XRP. This critical role arises from SBI VC Trades position as Ripples esteemed exchange partner for ODL within the Japanese market. To enable smooth domestic remittances or remittances to countries like the Philippines, Japanese customers would utilize the services of local payment companies such as SBI Remit, a prominent subsidiary of the esteemed SBI Group, and Asian Net. The funds, denominated in Japanese yen, would then fluidly flow from these local payment companies to SBI VC Trade, facilitated by the newly-introduced multi-tenant system for ODL. Subsequently, SBI VC Trade would adeptly convert the assets from yen to XRP on the highly efficient and secure XRP Ledger. Upon completion of the necessary conversions, the assets would be seamlessly reverted from XRP to the recipients local currency, ensuring a hassle-free and swift remittance process. For recipients located in the Philippines, SBI VC Trade would further demonstrate its prowess by converting the received XRP to the Philippine peso. To enable this conversion, SBI VC Trade would leverage the impressive capabilities of coins.ph, a prominent and highly regarded crypto exchange based in the Philippines. The strategic collaboration between SBI VC Trade and coins.ph would serve as a powerful enabler, ensuring swift and cost-effective payouts to the grateful recipients. This groundbreaking revelation stands as a testament to the unwavering and close partnership between Ripple and the esteemed SBI Group. The strategic alliance is driven by a shared vision of harnessing the full potential of XRP, the XRPL, and ODL to facilitate seamless and efficient remittances within Japan and beyond. Notably, in June, SBI Africa had already announced its intentions to utilize ODL, provided Ripple emerged victorious in the SEC lawsuit. This decision served as a poignant demonstration of the mutual trust and respect shared between the two entities. Following the favorable ruling in the SEC lawsuit, SBI Group embarked on an exhilarating campaign for XRP, aptly named the Midsummer XRP Festival. This dynamic and innovative campaign features a host of exciting initiatives aimed at bolstering XRPs presence and adoption in Japan. Among these initiatives are an engaging XRP lottery, designed to ignite enthusiasm and interest, and spot & leverage trading campaigns, further enhancing XRPs appeal and utility. The strategic plans unveiled by the illustrious SBI Group signify an epochal chapter for Ripples ODL and XRP adoption in Japan. The ambitious vision projected by SBI Group foretells a future where digital asset remittances flourish with unprecedented speed, unrivaled efficiency, and unparalleled cost-effectiveness. As the crypto industry continues to evolve and shape the financial landscape, strategic collaborations between leading financial giants and innovative blockchain-based platforms like Ripple promise to redefine cross-border transactions. These momentous partnerships herald a new era of innovation, convenience, and trust in the realm of remittances and financial transactions. The seamless integration of ODL and XRP into Japans financial ecosystem showcases the transformative power of digital assets and paves the way for a more inclusive and interconnected world. As financial markets worldwide embrace these revolutionary advancements, the potential for further transformative collaborations remains limitless. As the legal battle between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis continues, a state judge has denied Disney's plea to dismiss a complaint that might eventually result in the corporation losing its own special district. DeSantis vs. Disney Since making a deal with state legislators more than 50 years ago, the Walt Disney Company has had virtual autonomy over the Reedy Creek Improvement District in the Orlando region. This jurisdiction offers the full complement of government services, including police, fire, and emergency medical services, and the authority to collect extra taxes, The Western Journal reported. In 2022, Disney officials fought hard to stop the legalization of Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, which forbids students in elementary and middle school from expressing their sexual orientation or gender identity. In response, Florida Republicans said they would end Disney's tax breaks and self-governance. They recently implemented the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in place of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which removed Disney's control over the board. Also Read: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Fires Staffer Who Retweeted Nazi Imagery Video Amid Campaign Reset In DeSantis' Favor According to a Reuters article, the new oversight board has filed a request to nullify any "backroom deals" that Disney may have had with the Reedy Creek board in the past. On Friday, July 28, a Florida court denied Disney's motion to dismiss the case. The verdict might be a setback for a related Disney complaint against DeSantis that accuses him of "weaponizing" the state government against the corporation. A Disney spokesperson told Reuters that the Friday judgment "has no bearing" on the federal lawsuit and that Disney is confident the case would clear its constitutional rights. "We are fully confident Disney will prevail in both the federal and state cases." In a report by the New York Post, a federal lawsuit was launched against DeSantis in April on the grounds that he had turned state government against Disney because of the company's objections to his education legislation. In addition to the Florida state government, the complaint names former acting secretary of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Meredith Ivey. DeSantis filed a motion with a federal court asking that the case against the governor be dismissed on the grounds that he has legislative immunity. Disney, however, has asked that the trial be postponed until the first day of the Republican National Convention in 2024, which is July 15. Mark Walker, a federal judge nominated by ex-President Barack Obama, was in charge of the case at first. Still, he had to recuse himself when he found out that "a relative within the third degree of relationship owns thirty shares of stock" in Disney, as reported by CNBC. Former President Donald Trump has selected Allen Winsor as the presiding judge in this matter. Also Read: Florida, Ron DeSantis Defend State's New Standards on Black History Curriculum @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A viral video spread online shows a black bear in a Chinese zoo standing on its hind legs on the edge of a rock formation and waving its paws at onlookers. The sun bear exhibit at the Hangzhou Zoo is said to be a top pick for tourists, yet there seems to be more going on than what meets the eye. A Human in Disguise? According to Hangzhou Daily, via The Straits Times, the video's original uploader believes the "talented" bear is really a person in disguise. The zoo issued a statement on Saturday, July 29, denying the accusation. It said that the day the video was shot, temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius so any person dressed in a suit could not have survived the heat. Even still, another Chinese news source said some individuals insist on thinking the black bear was really a person dressed up in a costume. They made a note of the bear's waddling and standing posture, which they compared to that of a person, and of the way, the bear's rear looked to be folded like a pair of trousers. Similar skepticism was expressed by commenters online. A reader noted, "Its posture is more (upright) than humans!" Another person said, "Bears' forelimbs cannot be spread out to the sides. This is undoubtedly a human being." A Weibo user observed that the bear in a video of the attraction makes it appear like it is wearing a leather jacket. Also Read: Baby Bison Euthanized After Encounter With Yellowstone National Park Visitor; Here's What Happened Previous Odd Zoo Exhibits It is not the first time that news about a zoo in China has made international headlines due to displays that raise eyebrows. British publication Daily Mail reported in 2019 that Yancheng Wild Animal World in Changzhou, a city in eastern China's Jiangsu Province, caused uproar by ordering its employees to dress like gorillas. A parent witnessed two zookeepers in full-body costumes leaping about the gorilla cage, and they looked completely out of place. The zoo said that the "human gorillas" were part of a planned April Fool's Day event to attract more visitors. It went on to say that it did not anticipate any confusion among guests due to the setup. Also, CNN reported in 2013 that a zoo in Luohe, Henan, had attempted to pass off a huge hairy dog as a lion. The tourist and her kid entered the cage labeled "African lion," but instead of a tremendous roar, they were welcomed with bark, as reported by Beijing Youth Daily. It was determined that the hairy animal was, in fact, a Tibetan mastiff. Additional animals in the park were reported mislabeled, too, including a white fox in the leopard enclosure and another dog in the wolf cage. To restore the animals to their proper exhibits, the park informed CNN that they had been temporarily swapped for unknown reasons. Also Read: Man Sleeping On Beach Wakes Up Face To Face With Crocodile @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Frenchman daredevil died after falling from a high-rise tower in Hong Kong. Based on reports, the building that he fell from is a 68th-story residential tower. Frenchman Daredevil Falls From 68th-Story Hong Kong Building According to The Strait Times' latest report, Mr. Remi Lucidi, a 30-year-old French national, died on Thursday, July 27. He was pronounced dead after falling from the Tregunter Tower complex in Hong Kong. The police investigation stated that Lucidi died while "practicing extreme sports." Hong Kong officials said Remi arrived at the Tregunter Tower around 6:00 p.m. The daredevil explained that he was just visiting a friend on the 40th floor. But, the individual he was referring to as a friend told the security that he was not acquainted with the Frenchman. Because of this, a security officer tried to stop Lucidi. However, he had already secured an elevator, as reported by The New York Post. Security cameras inside the building captured the man going to the 49th floor of the residential tower. After that, he was seen climbing the stairs to reach the top of the building. Residential staff and security officers made efforts to apprehend Remi. However, they were too late since the French national was nowhere to be found. Read Also: Dean Smith, Olympic Athlete Turned Hollywood Stuntman, Dead at 91 Daredevil Tried to Seek for Help The death of Lucidi is very tragic because he allegedly tried to seek help before falling from the 68th-story residential tower. An anonymous domestic helper working in the penthouse informed the police after seeing Remi at the window. Facebook Error The individual claimed that the daredevil knocked on the window to ask for help after getting trapped outside the penthouse. The source added that Lucidi desperately asked for help as he banged the window. After that, he fell off the building leading to his death. The accident of Lucidi saddened many people, even those working in the Hong Kong residential tower. Facebook Error The hostel's owner, Gurjit Kaur, said that when met Remi, he was friendly and humble. "He was healthy and fit and happy-faced. I feel very sad," he added. A hostel employee also shared his experience with Lucidi. The staff said that he had multiple conversations with the French national. The man added that Lucidi told him he was visiting Hong Kong to spend his vacation. Remi also shares his plan on going to hike a mountain. The hostel staff further stated that Lucidi wanted to hike a lot in Hong Kong. Related Article: Miami Music Festival: Student Dies After Attending Rolling Loud Hip-Hop Fest @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The logo of Korea Development Bank (KDB) is seen on a stone block outside the bank's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul in this 2021 file photo. Korea Times file By Yi Whan-woo Tensions between labor and management at Korea Development Bank (KDB) are escalating as the state-run lender is finalizing its plan to move its headquarters from Seoul to Busan. The plan has been long opposed by the unionized workers after it was brought up by President Yoon Suk Yeol last year as part of his balanced regional development policy. On Monday, the labor union plans to hold a press conference, which sources familiar with the matter say is aimed at protesting the management's decision to move the bank's whole operations to the port city of Busan. The decision came after management, through a feasibility study, deliberated over whether it would be optimal to relocate the entire operation or just partially to the country's southeastern city. The decision was mentioned in a report submitted to the Financial Services Commission (FSC). Under the plan, the minimum workforce, estimated to be 100, out of more than 3,000 employees, will remain at the KDB's current headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. On Sunday, the KDB separately released a press release that addresses its commitment to the development of southeast Korea, namely Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province. It listed support for fisheries, startups and renewables in the region. "Under the circumstances, the workers' side is expected to refute management's plan by citing its own study," a source said. It noted that workers had a financial think tank estimate the possible gains and losses if the KDB is relocated. The findings concluded that 7 trillion won in losses will occur within 10 years once full operation of the day bank is moved to Busan. Citing a Bank of Korea (BOK) study on regional development, the workers also concluded that it will disrupt economic added value worth 15 trillion won. Sources said the plan has already affected the KDB's competence, referring to the departure of nearly 100 workers, including 44 this year, after the plan was addressed. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its holdings in Southern Copper Co. (NYSE:SCCO Free Report) by 1.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 27,986 shares of the basic materials companys stock after buying an additional 469 shares during the period. Strengthening Families & Communities LLCs holdings in Southern Copper were worth $27,043,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Clearview Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Southern Copper during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in Southern Copper during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new stake in Southern Copper during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Southern Copper during the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank raised its holdings in Southern Copper by 248.5% in the 4th quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 697 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 497 shares in the last quarter. 7.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Southern Copper alerts: Southern Copper Stock Up 1.5 % SCCO stock traded up $1.25 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $85.22. 785,591 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,031,312. The company has a market cap of $65.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.70, a P/E/G ratio of 20.43 and a beta of 1.24. The firms fifty day moving average price is $73.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $74.19. The company has a quick ratio of 3.38, a current ratio of 4.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Southern Copper Co. has a 52 week low of $42.42 and a 52 week high of $85.72. Southern Copper Increases Dividend Southern Copper ( NYSE:SCCO Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.04 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.72 billion. Southern Copper had a net margin of 26.46% and a return on equity of 33.71%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Southern Copper Co. will post 3.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 23rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 9th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.69%. This is an increase from Southern Coppers previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 8th. Southern Coppers payout ratio is currently 115.94%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have weighed in on SCCO shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Southern Copper from $67.00 to $74.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 21st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Southern Copper in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Barclays boosted their price objective on Southern Copper from $53.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Southern Copper from a neutral rating to a sell rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $65.00 to $66.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Southern Copper from $55.00 to $56.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $62.86. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Southern Copper news, Director Bonilla Luis Miguel Palomino sold 500 shares of Southern Copper stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.50, for a total transaction of $39,250.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,014 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $472,099. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 1,500 shares of company stock valued at $113,840 in the last three months. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Southern Copper Profile (Free Report) Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals in Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile. The company is involved in the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; smelting of copper concentrates to produce blister and anode copper; refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes; production of molybdenum concentrate and sulfuric acid; production of refined silver, gold, and other materials; and mining and processing of zinc, copper, molybdenum, silver, gold, and lead. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SCCO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Southern Copper Co. (NYSE:SCCO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Southern Copper Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern Copper and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. International students fill out an application form during a special job fair aimed at hiring foreigners with a student visa at Busan Port International Exhibition & Convention Center (BPEX), July 20. Yonhap Number of multicultural households jump 25% since 2017 By Yi Whan-woo More foreigners are settling down in Korea as the number of Korean nationals declines, helping offset a steep fall in the country's total population that otherwise would have dropped below the 50 million mark last year, a study showed on Sunday. Conducted by Statistics Korea, the study showed the number of foreign nationals who are staying here for three months or longer reached 1.75 million in 2022, up 6.2 percent or 102,379 from a year earlier. The year-on-year increase comes after the number of foreign nationals dipped by 83,275 year-on-year in 2020 and then by another 45,676 year-on-year in 2021, due to international travel restrictions driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of Korean nationals went down 0.3 percent or 148,000 year-on-year to 49.94 million in 2022, falling for the second consecutive year. The country's entire population with Koreans and foreign nationals combined dropped to 51.69 million last year, down 0.1 percent or 46,000 from 2021. Vietnams major steel producers report Q2 profit plunge By Trang Nguyen Sun, July 30, 2023 | 9:26 am GTM+7 Three of the nations steel majors - Hoa Phat Group, Hoa Sen Group and Nam Kim - have reported significant profit declines in the second quarter of this year, while Vnsteel has posted a loss. Vietnam's largest steel producer Hoa Phat Group recorded a post-tax profit of VND1.45 trillion ($61.2 million) in Q2, down 64% year-on-year. Hoa Phat, listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) as HPG, earned net revenues of VND29.8 trillion ($1.26 billion) in the period, down 21%. Rolled steel produced by Hoa Phat Group. Photo courtesy of the group. In the first six months of 2023, HPG reported net revenues of VND56.67 trillion ($2.39 billion) and after-tax profits of VND1.83 trillion ($77.3 million), down 30% and 85% year-on-year, respectively. Hoa Phat sold 2.9 million tons of construction steel, billets and hot-rolled coils (HRC) in the first half of the year, down 27% year-on-year. The group said it will focus this year on investing in the Hoa Phat Dung Quat 2 Steel Integrated Complex project in the central province of Quang Ngai, and on restarting production at plants in Quang Ngai and the northern province of Hai Duong to ensure sufficient inventory. As of June 30, HPG's total assets had stood at VND176.29 trillion ($7.45 billion), up 3% compared to the beginning of the year, with cash and cash equivalents at VND13.25 trillion ($559.7 million), up 59%. Hoa Phat has targeted revenues and after-tax profits of VND150 trillion ($6.29 billion) and VND8 trillion ($591,279) this year, up 6% and down 5% year-on-year, respectively. HPG shares closed Friday at VND28,300 ($1.19). Meanwhile, Hoa Sen Group, Vietnam's leading steel sheet producer, posted net revenues of nearly VND8.65 trillion ($365.2 million) and after-tax profits of nearly VND14 billion ($464,200) in April-June, the third quarter of its 2022-2023 fiscal year, down 29% and down 94% year-on-year, respectively. In the first nine months of its fiscal year (October 2022-June 2023), Hoa Sen suffered a total loss of VND410 billion ($17.3 million) on net revenues of VND23,544 billion ($993.63 million), down 44%. At the end of June, the group's assets had stood at VND16.53 trillion ($697.9 million), down 3% compared to the beginning of the year, with inventories at VND6.25 trillion ($263.9 million), down 15.5%. The group has set a target of VND34-36 trillion ($1.44-1.52 billion) in revenue and an after-tax profit target of VND100-300 billion ($4.22-12.67 million) for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. It aims to sell 1.5-1.6 million tonnes of steel of all kinds in the fiscal year that started October 1, 2022, Hoa Sen said. On the HoSE, HSG closed Friday at VND19,300 ($0.82) per share. Nam Kim Steel, another major steelmaker in the country, posted Q2 after-tax profits of VND125 billion ($5.2 million) and net revenues of VND5.5 trillion ($232.3 million), down 37% and 23% year-on-year, respectively. Notably, Nam Kims Q2 profit followed three consecutive quarters of losses. In the first half of 2023, the company recorded net revenues of VND9.88 trillion ($417 million) and after-tax profits of VND76 billion ($3.2 million), down 31% and 89% respectively. At the end of Q2, NKG's total assets had stood at VND12.18 trillion ($514.4 million), down 9.5% compared to the beginning of the year, with cash and cash equivalents at VND1.08 trillion ($45.78 million). For the whole of 2023, Nam Kim Steel has targeted revenues and pre-tax profits of VND20 trillion ($844.7 million) and pre-tax profits of VND400 billion ($16.8 million), respectively. Nam Kim Steel, listed on the HoSE as NKG, closed Friday at VND19,800 ($0.84) per share. Meanwhile, heavyweight Vietnam Steel Corporation (Vnsteel) reported a Q2 loss of VND284 billion ($11.99 million) in Q2, compared to a loss of VND40 billion ($1.69 million) in the same period the previous year. Its Q2 revenue of VND6.75 trillion ($285.2 million) marked a year-on-year decrease of 29%. In the first six months of 2023, Vnsteel posted net revenues of VND15.1 trillion ($637.6 million) and after-tax loss of VND216 billion ($9.1 million). In the same period last year, it had made a profit of VND155 billion ($6.5 million). Vnsteel's largest shareholder is the State Capital and Investment Corporation (SCIC), which holds a 93.93% stake. The corporation is listed on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UpCOM) as TVN. As of June 30, 2023, the firm's total assets had stood at VND23.37 trillion ($987 million), up 5% compared to the beginning of the year, with cash and cash equivalents at VND1.51 trillion ($63.7 million) and inventories at more than VND4.66 trillion ($196.7 million). The corporation closed Friday at VND7,900 ($0.33) per share. 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. NORWAY A veteran state legislator has worked to secure funding for the Town of Norway, money he hopes will be used to help lift the town out of debt and improve its water infrastructure. District 91 Rep. Lonnie Hosey, D-Allendale, said he was able to help secure $500,000 from the $13 billion state budget Currently this year, Norway, as we know, got into some financial trouble. Were doing some infrastructure for them to try to get them back on base again. We have $500,000 in the budget this year for them. Theyre in debt over $500,000. So once we give them that money, theyre going to be trying to pay down some debt, Hosey said. With redistricting, Hoseys district has gained a portion of western Orangeburg, including areas of Springfield, Neeses, Livingston, Norway and Pine Hill. Norway Mayor Lynn Garrick thanked Hosey and Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, for their help in securing $500,000 in the state budget for the town. We are extremely grateful for Rep. Hosey and Sen. Hutto for their efforts on the towns behalf. We are going to pay off as much debt as possible, Garrick said. Hosey said much of the towns state funding was held up because it had failed to turn in required audits. Their money was held up based on those audits, where they could not get certain state funds that they have coming. Im hoping ... they can draw down the money and start doing some things in Norway that they need to keep the town going, the legislator said. Garrick said, The audits are diligently being worked on. Karen Ingram, communications director at the South Carolina Treasurers Office, said in April that the town had yet to turn in its audits from fiscal years 2015-21, resulting in $27,503.48 being withheld from the town. As of July, the towns FY 2015 audit had been turned in and funds withheld now totaled $18,163.06. In the meantime, the town has been securing grant funding to help improve its aging water infrastructure. The town announced during a July 10 Norway Town Council meeting that it had received a $730,400 Viability Planning Grant from the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program, or SCIIP. SCIIP reports that Viability Planning Grants go to very small systems serving 3,300 or fewer people that want to address viability concerns, or evaluate regional options, as well as identify capital improvements needs. No local investment is required. The mayor reported during the July 10 town council meeting that the towns Harrison Avenue Water Project was going forward and there would be a 3% increase on water/sewer rates in the town effectively immediately. The Harrison Avenue Water Project includes the upgrade of water lines. The town had initially received a $622,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Lower Savannah Council of Governments to complete the project in March of 2022, but eventually learned the project was going to cost more than the original bid. LSCOG Executive Director Dr. William Molnar said, "The $622,000 CDBG grant is now $890,000. (S.C. Department of) Commerce kicked in the overage due to high bids and hardship. The project includes all work necessary to upgrade water lines, fire hydrants and other appurtenances along Harrison and Winchester avenues and connecting roads that were not covered by the 2017 Winchester Avenue Ara Water Upgrades CDBG project." He continued, "The project will upgrade old iron waterlines that have reached the end of their design life and will provide for increased fire protection on the targeted streets." It was noted during a special Norway Town Council meeting held March 9, 2022, that the town was past due on a $58,155 bill to the Department of Public Utilities. The town then proposed to use part of its second half of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the debt. Garrick said she has no comment on the towns outstanding bill to DPU. DPU spokesman Randy Etters said, To my knowledge, there is an outstanding balance, but Im not in a position to speak on the amount. Etters said DPU has worked with the town on the repair of its water system. Weve been working with their team in trying to help them find some solutions through local and state entities that could help them repair what is a very challenging water-delivery system. I think a lot of their issues stem from the fact that they have significant leakage in their system. Small towns are finding it more and more difficult to maintain regulatory standards and things. Its just the way it is, Etters said. I will say the state is moving in the right direction using some of the infrastructure money to try to regionalize some of the systems to try to help some of these smaller towns out, he said. Etters said there are no plans to cut the towns water supply off. Theres a significant number of citizens over there that depend on that water for their lives every day. We just dont believe that its prudent for us to just go threatening disconnection. Its just not fair, but I will say DPU has to protect its existing customers, too. So we cant put any outstanding debt that they have on the backs of existing customers. So eventually somethings going to have to give, he said. Etters continued, Theres going to be some local- and state-level folks who are going to get involved. At that point, I think everything will get resolved. Hosey said, I know Mayor Butler of Orangeburg approached me to see what we could do to help them because they were doing what they could to help them, especially with the water situation. That water comes out of Norway to the school over there, too. So all kinds of things are going on that. We just didnt need to let it shut down. A whole lot people would suffer from that. Other projects Hosey said seeing the I-19 Corridor Authority Act become law is a priority for him. The bill would establish a 15-member authority representing Orangeburg, Bamberg, Allendale, Barnwell, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Hampton, Jasper, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Sumter and Williamsburg counties. Hosey has said he hopes the authority will help reduce poverty and other issues that have crippled an area sometimes referred to as the Corridor of Shame. It has gotten sidetracked this year. We had it going last year. I had it pass the House, got it in the Senate, got it back up in the House again, and it died in the Senate. They wont pass it, Hosey said. He said he will try to get it passed next year. Im interested in getting the bill passed for the people it will serve. So if a Republican has to stand in front of it to get that bill moved, I dont are. I just want the people to benefit from what that bill can do, he said. Hosey said he will continue to have town hall meetings to gauge what his constituents want. I try to listen to my constituency and what they have in mind. ... They dont want anything shoved down their throats, and you dont want to do that either. I try to gather information in the town halls, he said. GREENWOOD Lander University alumna Jordon Mack of Orangeburg is one of six South Carolina residents chosen to receive an emerging artist grant this year. The grants, awarded annually by the South Carolina Arts Commission, are intended to foster artistic excellence and encourage career growth by providing project funding and professional development opportunities. Mack, who graduated from Lander last year with a bachelor of fine arts, describes herself as a mixed media artist whose work speaks about life experiences, time and change. Although primarily a 2D artist, she is also interested in exploring the boundaries and limits of painting surfaces. Recently, I have taken interest in 3D textile installations. There are so many possibilities to them, she said. Mack became a serious artist in high school after learning to use oil paint for the first time. During her time at Lander, she said, I was able to explore material and find what interested me most. She said that Professor of Art Elizabeth Snipes, in particular, encouraged a lot of the risks I took with my work, and it made a big impact on how I approach my work today. Mack described her grant project as a combination of two-dimensional painted elements highlighted and blended with textile pieces. In the future, she hopes to do more in the sphere of public artwork. Its really nice seeing your work in galleries, but I think it would be interesting to see how my work would stand publicly, she said. BEIRUT Deadly clashes between rival groups in Saida's Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp renewed for a second day on Sunday, killing five more people and raising the total dead since Saturday to six as "dozens" of families fled their homes, security sources inside the camp told L'Orient Today. According to an official medical source, who preferred to remain anonymous, the total number of wounded who were transported to a hospital had risen to 40 by early Sunday evening, while those who were treated in the field were 30. Around 20 more people with minor injuries had yet to be treated. Among the injured was a Lebanese Army soldier who was hurt by shrapnel from a mortar shell that fell on a military barracks, the army announced on Twitter. The soldiers condition was described as stable. A camp resident told L'Orient Today they saw families with children leaving Ain al-Hilweh on Sunday afternoon, carrying bags with their belongings. Dozens took shelter at a nearby mosque. Armed groups Islamic factions stationed in the al-Safsaf neighborhood were fighting against Fatah movement factions stationed in the al-Baraksat neighborhood at the northern entrance to the camp, a source added. The echoes of machine guns and RPG shells were heard on Sunday as far away as Saida city. Fighters also used hand grenades, according to camp sources. Meanwhile, stray bullets reportedly hit houses in Saida, while L'Orient Today's correspond found smashed windows in LeMall Saida, an upscale shopping center. Bullets also hit houses in the nearby town of Mieh Mieh. There were no reported injuries in those incidents, though Saida residents called on one another to stay indoors for safety. Major General Mounir al-Makdah of the Fatah movement confirmed to our match that a Palestinian security official, Abu Ahmed al-Armoushi, and four of his bodyguards were the five people killed on Sunday. Several people accompanying them were wounded. He added that the situation is worsening and the clashes are fierce between Islamist extremists stationed in the Al-Tawari neighborhood and Al-Safsaf neighborhood and that they were targeting Fatah centers in the al-Baraksat neighborhood. Meanwhile, an official in the camp's Democratic Front, Fouad Othman, told our correspondent that the Palestinian Action Committee is in touch with both rivals and working to bring peace back to the camp. Clashes between rival groups are common in Ain al-Hilweh, which is home to more than 54,000 registered Palestinian refugees who have been joined in recent years by thousands of Palestinians fleeing the conflict in Syria. Earlier, on Saturday, "an Islamist from al-Shabab al-Muslim group was killed, and a leader in the group was among the wounded," said a Palestinian source inside the camp, who requested not to be identified for security reasons. The clashes pitted members of the Fatah movement against Islamist groups in the camp, the source said. That incident happened about two months after similar clashes killed a Fatah member in Ain al-Hilweh. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said "an assassination attempt targeting an Islamist activist" rocked the camp on Saturday. Othman on Sunday added that the Palestinian factions "demand and insist on" handing over the murderer. 'Suspicious timing' Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement Sunday that the "timing of the Palestinian clashes in Ain al-Hilweh is suspicious, given the regional and international circumstances, and is part of repeated attempts to use the Lebanese scene to settle foreign scores at the expense of Lebanon and the Lebanese people." "These clashes come at a time when Egypt is trying to put an end to the inter-Palestinian conflicts, and are part of the messages being transmitted via the Lebanese scene," he added, without naming those he was targeting with his remarks. Mikati added that the clashes "consecrate the security islands that escape the state." "A firm decision by the Palestinian factions to respect Lebanon's sovereignty is demanded," he said. "We call on the Palestinian factions, in coordination with the army, to hand over the instigators to the Lebanese authorities... We also call on the army and the security services to bring the situation inside the camp under control." "The [Lebanese] government is working to improve the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon through a national strategy, but the Palestinian factions must put an end to these recurrent clashes," Mikati added. Taking shelter The clashes were still ongoing on Sunday evening when a L'Orient Today reporter found dozens of families sheltering in a mosque just outside the camp, including children and the elderly. Volunteers distributed sandwiches. We left our home barefoot after a rocket fell in the buildings staircase, Hanan, a teenage girl, told L'Orient Today as she sat on the floor of the mosque with her family. Um Muhammad, another camp resident, held her grandchildren in her arms as she described running for safety. My fear for the kids led me to flee with them and take shelter here." Around her, children could be heard shouting from fear, while some women appeared to shake as gunfire still rang out from the camp. Reporting contributed by Muntasser Abdallah North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a "Victory Day" ceremony in Pyongyang, July 27, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Friday. Shoigu read Russian President Vladimir Putin's congratulatory message during the event. Yonhap Kremlin's move seen as attempt to secure Pyongyang's support on Ukraine war By Nam Hyun-woo North Korea is highlighting its improved relations with Russia by extensively covering Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang during the North's July 27 "Victory Day" ceremonies, marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement. At the same time, China, which has been viewed as the closest ally of North Korea, made cautious steps in the "Victory Day" ceremonies by sending delegations of relatively lower-profile officials compared to previous occasions. This move appears to be in line with Beijing's recent efforts to manage the intense rivalry with the United States. The July 29 edition of the North's propaganda weekly Tongil Sinbo featured a significantly high number of photos and articles of Russian Defense Minister Shoigu, who led the Russian delegation in last week's "Victory Day" ceremonies. In comparison, the weekly paid relatively less attention to Li Hongzhong, a Chinese Communist Party Politburo member who represented the Chinese delegation at the ceremonies. Similar behavior was observed in the July 27-28 coverage by the North's state-run Rodong Shinmun newspaper, which carried 84 photos of the Russian delegation while only printing 30 photos of the Chinese delegation members. During Shoigu's visits, North Korea and Russia displayed scenes of their improved ties, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Shoigu reaching a consensus on "matters of mutual concern in the field of national defense and security and of the regional and international security environment" during a meeting. The North also expressed "full-fledged support" for Russia's war against Ukraine. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks with a Chinese delegation that visited Pyongyang on the occasion of the "Victory Day" ceremony in Pyongyang, July 28, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Saturday. Yonhap In comparison, the Chinese delegation expressed cordial greetings on the traditional friendship between Beijing and Pyongyang, but refrained from making noteworthy remarks. "In the reporting on the Russian congratulatory delegation, the North used various expressions such as 'consensus of views,' 'strategic coordination and cooperation,' and 'united front,'" said Hong Min, director of the Korea Institute for National Unification, in his report released Saturday. "However, in the reporting of the Chinese delegation, there were no expressions indicating the two sides' close ties except for customary expressions of traditional friendship. The difference in reporting appears to be a result of Russia's proactive approach compared to China's more cautious stance, rather than the North's intention." Hong noted that China's cautious stance also appears in the level of rank of its delegation. China has sent its delegation to the Kim regime three times, which were led by former Vice President Li Yuanchao in 2013, Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee member Liu Yunshan in 2015 and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu in 2018. Their political status is higher than Li Hongzhong who is one of 250 members of the politburo. "It can be interpreted that China deliberately selected Li Hongzhong for the purpose of symbolic attendance, rather than showcasing close cooperation with North Korea," Hong said. "Amid the recent efforts to lower the tensions in the U.S.-China rivalry, Beijing seemed to have considered recent visits by high-ranking U.S. officials and U.S. messages urging China's cooperation on North Korean issues. By sending the delegation, Beijing apparently sought to prevent emphasizing its ties with North Korea overtly, while still demonstrating its engagement with the North." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walks with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a banquet for the "Victory Day" ceremony in Pyongyang, July 27, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, July 28. Yonhap THE National Investment Fund Holding Co Ltd (NIF) will be redeeming the $1.2 billion principal on its Series A Bond today. The Series A Bond provided an annual interest rate of 4.5 per cent for five years. Series B and Series C were over 12 years and 20 years respectively. During the dark days of World War II (1939-1945), Edward Algoo packed his bags and emigrated with wife Doris to Trinidad, from Guyana, after his oil company employer shut down operations there. Algoo found work at Trinidad Leaseholds Ltd (later to close as Petrotrin) and the couple would have seven children. Twenty-eight citizens have been authorised to proceed with individual legal actions against the Office of the Police Commissioner for significant delays in the decision-making process concerning their applications for firearm users licences (FULs). The matter came up for hearing yesterday before High Court judge Nadia Kangaloo. In recent days, we have seen public uproar over the spiralling crime situation, as well as public justification for maximum self-defence against bandits. The authorities have come out issuing warnings against citizens to not use excessive force against the bandits; mind you, these criminals use all the force available to them, including firearms and large groups, when executing home invasions. This photo, released by Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency, shows an unmanned surveillance drone during a military exhibition to mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War, which is celebrated as Victory Day in the North. Yonhap Experts doubt capability of North Korea's newly developed drones By Lee Hyo-jin South Korea is seeking to speed up the deployment of anti-drone killers after North Korea unveiled new surveillance and attack drones that appeared to be almost identical to the U.S. Global Hawk and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Defense analysts agreed on the need for the South Korean military to improve its counter-drone system against North Korea's evolving military threats, but viewed that the capabilities of Pyongyang's drones showcased during its latest military parade are exaggerated and do not pose immediate threats to the South. South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) is expected to hold a briefing session with local defense companies about its portable drone jammer project at the Government Complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. The state arms procurement agency is expected to share details of its project, which is aimed at equipping helicopters with anti-drone guns that are capable of neutralizing enemy drones. There are two approaches in neutralizing enemy drones the so-called soft kill system and the hard kill system. The soft kill system refers to jamming by releasing specific signals to interfere with an enemy drone's ability to receive and transmit signals. The hard kill system entails the physical incapacitation of a drone by shooting it down. DAPA said its current project would involve the soft kill system. North Korea's drone incursions in December last year raised the need for the South Korean military to improve its anti-drone system. The drone incursions revealed the limitations of Seoul's aerial defenses and systems to detection small UAVs. In this photo released by Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency, weapons suspected to be Haeil underwater attack drones are displayed during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War, on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, Thursday. Yonhap During Thursday's military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the signing of the 1950-53 Korean War armistice, celebrated as "Victory Day" in the North, the reclusive regime carried out demonstration flights of new military drones, according to its state media, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The two surveillance and attack drone models, dubbed Saetbyul-4 and Saetbyul-9, resembled U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-9 Reaper drones in their visual appearance, according to observers. Yang Uk, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said that the newly developed North Korean drones are merely look-alikes to the U.S. ones, and their capabilities would not match the advanced features of their U.S. counterparts. "The precise capabilities of North Korean drones remain unclear, but I'm pretty sure they do not have the same capabilities of U.S. ones. As we've seen through the North's failed satellite launch, the regime does not have the technology to develop cameras that are capable of conducting military reconnaissance works," Yang told The Korea Times. Earlier this month, the South Korean government retrieved from the West Sea the wreckage of the North's spy satellite launched in late May. South Korean and U.S. experts who jointly examined them concluded that the satellite was not capable of conducting military reconnaissance works. But Yang commented that the North may use the replicated drones to confuse the South Korean military, which requires Seoul to be better prepared against such tactics. Shin Jong-woo, a senior researcher at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, a think tank, also viewed that Pyongyang could not have copied the technologies of American aircraft. "The North claims that Saetbyul-4 are strategic reconnaissance aircraft, but if you look at the photos, the drones are not equipped with ultra-high frequency (UHF) antennae, which means that they cannot conduct long-range operations," he said. In this photo released by Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attend a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War, on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, Thursday. Yonhap One person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting on Tucson's south side early Sunday morning. Around 2:30 a.m., Pima County Sheriff's deputies were called to the area of Nogales Highway and Aerospace Parkway for a report of street racing, a news release said. On their way there, deputies learned that someone had been shot. When they arrived, deputies found three people shot, one of whom was dead at the scene. The other two people were taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Homicide detectives are investigating. No further information was released. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the anonymous tip line, 88-CRIME. PHOENIX Republican leaders of the Arizona House and Senate have reached a deal with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs to bring a proposal extending a half-cent Maricopa County transportation tax up for a vote when the Legislature returns on Monday. But a large faction of GOP lawmakers known as the Arizona Freedom Caucus remain staunchly opposed to the plan to ask voters to extend the tax that has been in place for nearly 40 years. It has paid for a massive expansion of the metro regions freeway and roads system and helps fund public transit services, including the light rail. And even if the deal confirmed by Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma to Capitol Media Services passes the Legislature and is signed by Hobbs, voters would still be able to reject the tax when it goes to the ballot next year. If the so-called Proposition 400 extension fails on any of those steps, residents of Arizonas other 14 counties would pay the price. Thats because without the approximately $20 billion the tax is expected to raise between 2025 and 2045, their cities and counties have to compete with Maricopa County for limited state transportation funding. Democrats are expected to rally behind the deal, even though House Minority Leader Lupe Contreras, D-Avondale, said they have still not seen the details. Theyve been solidly aligned with the leaders of the regions 27 cities, three tribes, Maricopa and parts of Pinal County that belong to the regional planning group called the Maricopa Association of Governments that is pushing the tax extension. MAG doles out the tax money for various transportation projects and crafted the initial plan that GOP lawmakers rejected. The one thing that we do know is that the cities, all the people that have been working on it, have blessed it, Contreras said. The individuals that we have been fighting for say they are good with it. Toma said Saturday that final details were still being worked out, and he was reticent to discuss it at length for fear of endangering a deal that already appeared shaky. Petersen provided a two-page outline of the agreement that showed it cuts MAGs planned allocation for transit from a range of 40-45% over the life of the plan to 37%. Freeways and major roadways get 63% of the total, an increase that could reach $2 billion over the 20 years the new tax will be in effect if approved by voters. The deal bars any of the sales tax money from being spent to extend the regions light rail system, cutting the total allocated to rail from 14% to just 3.5%, which can be used for major maintenance. It also bars the approved route for a 1.4-mile extension to the Capitol and cuts five years off the 25-year life of the tax as proposed by MAG. The Arizona Freedom Caucus remains unsatisfied, tweeting that the plan is still being sold as improving roads while nearly 40% goes to transit that only a fraction of people use. A clear NO vote, the post said. A MAG spokeswoman said the group supports the basic deal outlines but declined to comment further because discussions on final bill language were ongoing. And gubernatorial press aide Christian Slater said he would not discuss details. The Legislature is expected to adjourn for the year after Mondays session. The fight over the tax extension is now in its second year. Lawmakers approved MAGs plan on how to split the tax revenue between freeways, major roadways, transit and programs like air quality last year, but then-Gov. Doug Ducey vetoed it. That move surprised its backers and came after a low-tax group called the Arizona Free Enterprise Club urged the Republican governor to reject MAGs plan. This year, Toma, Petersen and Freedom Caucus members demanded major changes to the plan MAG had worked out with its members. Despite a host of tweaks agreed to by the regional planning group and Hobbs coming in at the last minute to negotiate on MAGs behalf, Republican lawmakers ended up passing their own plan without Democratic backing. It shifted more of the money to freeways and highways, cut transit spending to just 28% of the future tax revenues, and barred any sales tax cash from being used to expand the regions light rail system, which the new plan also does. Hobbs promptly vetoed it last month, leaving the fate of the tax extension plan in limbo as the GOP-led House and Senate took an unprecedented seven-week break. Some of the regions leaders began talking about a voter initiative to repeal a law that requires only Maricopa County to get the Legislatures approval to put a transportation tax on the ballot. Toma, Petersen and others believe the light rail is a hugely expensive boondoggle and that taxpayers across the county should not have to pay for extensions that will not benefit them. The plan to extend the rail lines from downtown Phoenix to the state Capitol drew particular derision, and they vowed to kill that. The major difference in the new deal is that it no longer splits the ballot question into two parts, a non-starter for Hobbs and MAG that they said endangered the whole plan. Other items were tweaked, and there is a tiny decrease in the overall tax rate needed to get support from some Republican lawmakers. Like the vetoed plan, the agreement will force MAG to move the Capitol extension at least a short distance away from the host of state office buildings teeming with Arizona employees, cutting its utility for commuters if the extension is built. That proposed line has already been paid for by the current tax, federal funding and cash from the city of Phoenix. A later extension is planned to run west from the Capitol and then along the Interstate 10 median to 79th Avenue, ending at the Desert Sky Mall and the Ak-Chin Pavilion. The new deal also limits air quality programs Petersen worried could be used to curb private vehicle use, allowing money only to be used to pave dirt roads and buy street sweepers. And like the vetoed plan, it says any projects must decrease congestion and not boost travel times. There are also new rules requiring bus lines to bring in more money, and the Legislature will get new seats on MAGs board. Sen. Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe, who leads her chambers Democrats, said shell have to wait to see bill language and then determine if MAG can still implement the transportation plan unanimously adopted by the regions cities. If they can, she said it will win Democratic support. A wild card not addressed in the two-page summary Petersen provided is the fate of a ban on city home and apartment rental taxes that Hobbs vetoed earlier this year. A new version passed the House and Senate on June 13 but is still sitting on Petersens desk despite court rulings that say legislation must be promptly sent to the governor. Contreras, the leader of House Democrats, said that Hobbs signing the rental tax ban is supposedly part of an all-around package. Petersen did not respond when asked about that part of the deal. Key details of transit tax set for debate Monday Where the money goes: 40.5% for highways 22.5% for major arterials and intersections 37% for transit including 3.5% for major light rail rehabilitation 0% for light rail extensions Restrictions: Intersection improvements must decrease vehicle congestion, lower travel times or improve safety Funds to meet federal air quality requirement can be spent only to pave unpaved roads and purchase street sweepers No funds for paths, bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure unless adjacent to streets or roadways No reduction or restriction of highway lanes allowed that will increase vehicle congestion or travel times Cost recovery: Mass transit must recoup at least 10% of costs from farebox revenues starting in 2027, rising eventually to 20% by 2031. Cities with underperforming bus lines will have to cancel the lines, raise fares, or make up difference with own funds Other conditions: Legislature gets to appoint four members to Maricopa Association of Governments Board; governor gets one Tax lasts only 20 years Preemption of state, cities and towns restricting or limiting sale or use of vehicles with internal-combustion engines The right of those accused of crimes to remain silent is absolute and cant then be used against them at trial, the Arizona Court of Appeals has ruled. And, more to the point, it doesnt matter if they pick and choose which questions from police to answer and which to turn away. In the new ruling, the judge rejected prosecutors claims that Giovani Melendez, a suspect in the shooting of another man, waived his constitutional rights when he agreed to answer some questions by police. Melendez claimed it was self-defense. What became a legal issue is that while Melendez answered some questions by a detective, he refused to answer others, making comments including, I still want to hold myself on some things and Ill pass this question. At trial, Melendez said he thought the other person was going to attack him. The appellate court noted that the prosecutor, questioning Melendez on the stand, specifically and repeatedly asked about those statements to police. And in closing arguments, the prosecutor again mentioned Melendezs decision not to answer certain questions. The jury sided with the prosecution, finding Melendez guilty of aggravated assault, and a trial judge sentenced him to a presumptive term of 7.5 years in prison. When Melendez appealed, an attorney for the state argued that he had effectively waived his Fifth Amendment rights because he did not remain completely silent. Appellate Judge Michael Brown acknowledged that, after being informed of his rights, he voluntarily spoke with the detective. Brown said there was nothing to suggest he was intimidated, coerced or deceived. But Brown, writing for the three-judge panel, said it is clear Melendez repeatedly told the detective he did not want to talk about the shooting, and that the detective, in her responses to him, affirmed that was his right. Nothing in the Miranda warnings informs a suspect that if he relies on his Fifth Amendment right to be silent, completely or partially, his exercise of that right can be used against him at trial, the appellate judge wrote. Logically, this means a court cannot properly find a suspect has waived that consequence, Brown continued. Instead, a suspect would reasonably presume the opposite that he can exercise his right to remain silent by refraining from answering all or some questions posed to him. What the state is arguing, the judge said, runs contrary to law. The warnings required by Miranda would have to be amended to inform a suspect that not only what he says may be used against him, but what he does not say will also be used against him, Brown wrote. The warnings have not been amended, he said. And allowing the state to penalize a defendant at trial for his earlier silence when he was not informed of that consequence would improperly relieve the state of its burden to prove waiver. It also would not be balanced, said Brown, as Miranda warnings emphasize the dangers of choosing to speak but dont warn suspects of adverse consequences of choosing to remain silent. Moreover, the problems of the states position are far-reaching, the judge said. He said allowing a jury to hear about a suspects silence, whether partial or complete, would make the assertion of that right more costly by, in essence, allowing a suspect to incriminate himself without being aware he was doing so. Nor was the appellate court convinced that the decision to answer some questions but not others somehow shows that the person being interrogated waived that right. In each instance, a suspect is exercising his right not to respond, consistent with what he is told he can do at the outset of the interrogation, Brown wrote. What it comes down to, the appellate court concluded, are basic principles of due process and fundamental fairness. In overturning the conviction, the appellate court said the prosecutors improper comments clearly affected the case. In essence, the judges said, Melendezs claim of self-defense asked the jury to accept his version of events and not those of the other person as advanced by the state. In bringing up his refusal to answer questions, they said, the prosecutor undermined his credibility. A reasonable jury would understand these comments (by the prosecutor) to mean that because Melendez failed to timely explain his version of events, it is more likely he was hiding the truth, Brown said. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said at a news conference she has not decided whether to retry the case. Arizona tribal leaders, advocates, community members and organizations are celebrating the 75th anniversary this month of Indigenous people in Arizona earning the right to vote. The power of the Native vote is 75 years strong, said Maria Dadgar, executive director of the Inter-Tribal Council, during a celebration honoring the anniversary of Native voting rights in Arizona held at Gila River Resorts & Casino Wild Horse Pass in Chandler on July 14. Dadgar said the celebration was to highlight the Indigenous people who fought long and hard to win the right to vote, and the celebration is to commend all the work that Indigenous people do and continue to do to protect that right. Arizona has one of the largest Native voting populations in the country, with more than 305,000 of voting age, according to the National Congress of American Indians. Indigenous people make up 6% of Arizonas overall population. Arizona has been described as ground zero for restrictive voting laws since the last election, said Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis. Even after gaining the right to vote in 1948, Native voters still face obstacles to casting their ballot, from voter suppression to racial discrimination. Its no accident that these laws targeted our tribal communities, Lewis said. Our community members show up on Election Day. We show up because we know that it matters who sits in those state offices. Indigenous people in Arizona did not gain the right to vote until July 15, 1948, after the Arizona Supreme Court struck down a ban originally outlined in 1924. In Arizona, the fight for Native voting rights started when Gila River Indian Community citizens Peter Porter and Rudolf Johnson filed a suit in November 1924, advocating for Indigenous people in Arizona to have the right to vote in state elections. That attempt failed when the Arizona Supreme Court determined that, although Indigenous people of tribal nations in Arizona were state residents, they could not vote because they were considered under federal guardianship. For the next 24 years, Indigenous people did not have the right to vote until Fort McDowell Yavapai tribal citizens Frank Harrison and Harry Austin tried to cast their votes in 1948. Their goal was to vote for Arizona leaders who would support their efforts to provide for senior citizens and families, but the Maricopa County recorder turned them away. They soon filed a lawsuit in hopes of overturning the Arizona Supreme Courts decision from 1924, and on July 15, 1948, the states high court ruled in favor of Harrison and Austin. In a democracy, suffrage is the most basic civil right since its exercise is the chief means whereby other rights may be safeguarded, Arizona Supreme Court Justice Levi Udall wrote in the opinion that established Indigenous peoples right to vote in the state. To deny the right to vote, where one is legally entitled to do so, is to do violence to the principles of freedom and equality, he said. Dadgar said Indigenous people fought long and hard to win their right to vote in 1948, yet they still face many obstacles and barriers when exercising their rights today. It is our hope that by meeting annually to celebrate the Native Right to Vote event, we will continue to stimulate dialogue in Arizona in a positive direction toward improving access to voting for all citizens, she said. We have come so far Several tribal leaders, advocates, community organizers, youth and community members gathered to honor the efforts of all 22 tribal nations in Arizona to protect and honor the Native right to vote. Lewis said its important to acknowledge that when Indigenous people gained the right to vote in 1948, they had been considered U.S. citizens for only 24 years, but it would be another 20 years before they gained access to the Bill of Rights. Protecting our voting rights doesnt end once you leave the borders of our sovereign nation, Lewis said. Protecting our rights on the reservation is just as important as protecting our rights off the reservation. For instance, Lewis said the water rights of the Gila River Indian Community were stolen from them 150 years ago. That historic theft occurred at a time when we couldnt vote, Lewis said. When we didnt have those basic civil rights to be able to advocate and to vote for leaders that would protect our sovereignty and our water rights. The fight to gain the right to vote came at a tumultuous time for Indigenous people, Lewis said, because it was during a time that tribal governments, land and culture were all being questioned. At a time when we had to fight for our place in the country that formed around us and on our lands, Lewis said. In so many ways, we have come so far since that time, but we all know were still fighting. Lewis said its not too early to start organizing and educating Indigenous communities about the 2024 election season. He said the stronger the Native vote becomes, the louder Native voices become. Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Tribal Council Member Mikah Carlos said its important for Indigenous communities to unite like this because they have been fighting hard to obtain their basic civil rights. Sometimes it feels like were not making any progress because were continuously having to fight, Carlos said, which is why we celebrate to remind ourselves that we do have victories. Even though the work is not done and Indigenous communities still have to fight, Carlos said the Native vote is powerful. I think if our vote wasnt powerful, they wouldnt be trying so hard to take it away, she added. The Young River Peoples Council from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community also attended the celebration. Youth Advisor Sommer Lopez said she was happy to bring them out because its important for them to learn about Native voting rights. Its important to celebrate it for us because it reminds people that it was not that long ago, Lopez said. Its something that we should remember because there was a lot of hard work and sacrifice put into it. Lopez said they do a lot of outreach within their community to get more people registered to vote and educate the youth so theyre aware and prepared for voting. When Lopez learned that Indigenous people in Arizona only gained the right to vote in 1948, she said she was shocked because she knew that her non-Indigenous peers didnt have the same type of history. Yes, Arizonas new universal voucher system is the law of the land. And under the latest iteration of the oft-expanded program, parents of any of the 1.1 million public-school students in the state may instead use the expanded empowerment scholarship accounts to divert the money public schools spend on their children to private schools of their choosing. But with that right comes some risk, state Attorney General Kris Mayes, a foe of the voucher program, told parents this week. In a statement Monday, Mayes, a Democrat, warned parents that pulling their children out of public schools to take advantage of the program could leave them vulnerable to bias and discrimination. She said various state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation and gender identity may not apply in private and parochial schools. That, she pointed out, could leave parents without legal recourse. She also mentioned federal laws that guarantee students with disabilities a free and appropriate education, and laws that guarantee parents access to their childrens educational records, do not apply to private-school students. Its important for Arizona families to be aware of the rights they give up when they leave the public school system, Mayes said. Republican backers of the voucher system, most notably state schools boss Tom Horne, immediately and unsurprisingly pushed back. Horne called Mayes warning nonsense, and, even while admitting that private schools do not have to admit students with special needs, said that once such students are admitted, the schools are making the commitment to serve their needs. And he added that parents are the judges of whether a school is doing an appropriate job and that parents would always be free to move their children to different private schools. For students without special needs, the situation may be even less clear-cut. While acknowledging that protections based on a protected class other than disability may be covered, Mayes spokesperson Richie Taylor said parochial schools and other religious organizations may be exempt from such laws. Horne said the voucher law as written was a legislative decision, including a provision that schools accepting vouchers do not have to change their creeds, practices, admissions policies or curricula. My job is to implement what the Legislature did, he said. To begin with, we heartily support Mayes in her overall opposition to the universal voucher law. Last week, Gov. Katie Hobbs estimated the laws cost at $943 million in state education funding during the current school year. Thats $319 million more than was projected in the state budget. This massive boondoggle is officially out of control. We are reminded of famed anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist (a longtime proponent of vouchers), who famously said, I dont want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub. Whether that libertarian, if not downright anarchic, goal is the primary goal of the voucher programs proponents or is merely seen as a desirable side effect, the impact is certain: The states ability to deliver quality education to its children will be deeply harmed by this program. As politicians recklessly expand this program to garner votes, Arizonas schoolchildren will pay the price. It will make our state a poorer place, less able to train the workforce well need in the future. And it will inevitably limit outcomes and lower ceilings for public school children. Its no shock that proponents of vouchers dont like the flaws of this runaway system to be pointed out to parents. But that doesnt make the warning any less accurate or any less needed. And Hornes Im just following the Legislatures orders is a weak justification. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writers: The community has heard the chief and me both speak frequently about the homicide spike that began in March of 2020 and persisted through 2022. We arrived at the start of my term at the Pima County Attorneys Office in 2021 to face a backlog of 144 homicides in desperate need of resolution going back to 2017. Over the following months, 116 more homicides occurred in 2021, pushing both regional public safety and PCAO workforces to their limits. We collectively knew that far too many Tucson and Pima County families were being negatively impacted and that reducing violent crime had to be a top priority for our community and local government. At PCAO, beyond significant organizational restructuring and a focus on prosecuting violent crimes, a deliberative body of the County Attorney and senior prosecutors called the Homicide Panel was re-started. We increased the frequency of the panel, meeting every Monday to hear presentations that helped us resolve homicide cases. To combat the rising tide of violent crime, especially the concerning number of homicides, the mayor and council working with the Tucson Police Department (TPD) adopted an evidence-based approach to resource allocation. This strategy involves a combination of proactive methods like Problem Oriented Precision Policing (POPP) and Place Network Investigations (PNI), which target high-crime areas with a historical concentration of violent gun offenses. The results, from last year to this: homicides are down 30%. From two years ago to now, homicides are down 37%. These local trends exceed a national downturn in homicides, and far exceed the decline in Arizona, with the City of Phoenix showing a 10% reduction. A review of the fine details: TPD has significantly enhanced its investigative capabilities to address crime promptly and effectively. Measures such as the implementation of a Tactical Investigations model for immediate support after crimes like homicides occur, active involvement in the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit, pursuit of Crime Gun Intelligence Center status, and the addition of a second National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) machine have contributed to the remarkable results. As a result of these initiatives and the addition of agency resources, the YTD homicide case resolution rate stands at an impressive 80%, well above the national average. PCAO handed out 18,463 gun locks last year though out community outreach efforts on nights and weekends, and TPD has removed more than 1,300 guns off city streets year to date. Perhaps most fascinatingly, the weekly Homicide Panel that was such a difficult strain on time and treasure, led to the creation of a weekly Think Tank where the brightest prosecutorial minds paired with the most seasoned homicide detectives meet in organic intel sessions where they discuss and dissect patterns of violent crime in our county. Our achievements reflect our steadfast commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our community through targeted and effective measures against violent crime, while seeking justice for victims. The conclusion is clear to all of us: Collaboration works. Pima County Attorneys Office continues to show that metro collaboration is both possible and optimal. The reduction in the homicide rate is attributed to so very many: Mayor and Council, County Administration and the Board of Supervisors, Public Health officials, the Sheriff, local police chiefs, and The Peoples Office, all in collaboration to resolve cases, to identify needs, and to act in prevention. We are energized by our progress. Rest assured, we will roll up our sleeves and do even more. Kevin Canfield Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Kevin Canfield Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Not everyone is in love with the proposed $814 million Improve Our Tulsa capital improvements package. Certainly not District 5 City Councilor Grant Miller, and certainly not local writer and author Michael Bates. They made up half of the panel that discussed the proposal Thursday night at Embassy Church. The event, sponsored by the Tulsa County GOP, was billed as the only forum where Tulsans would have the opportunity to ask questions and have both sides of the issue equally represented. Representing supporters of the package were City Councilor Christian Bengel and Mayoral Chief of Staff Blake Ewing. I can tell you your money is being well spent, Bengel said. There was a lot that goes into these projects, and I am just amazed when I go out there to look at these projects from the past and what is going to come from this new package that the citizens will gain that didnt get done previously. The earlier Improve Our Tulsa packages have funded street projects, and, to a lesser extent, maintenance of city facilities. The IOT 3 package headed to voters Aug. 8 includes $295.8 million for streets and transportation projects, but there is $270.4 million targeted for upgrading and maintaining city facilities. That includes $58.5 million for the Fire Departments vehicle fleet, $79.7 million for the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, and $47.5 million for a public safety center. You have seen what our firefighters deal with, right, at the academies and the shortages of vehicles, Bengel said. Were using antiquated fire apparatus; again, I challenge anybody to say that this package doesnt meet and do what the citizens of Tulsa need done immediately. Miller had concerns about specific elements of the projects, including providing $10 million for the Gilcrease Museum reconstruction and $5 million for Zink Lake infrastructure. But he was also critical of the lack of detailed project descriptions and what he described as a lack of time for councilors and citizens alike to do their due diligence on the proposal. We are talking about 63 days, to be precise, from the time we (city councilors) received a rundown of what these projects were going to be until we were asked to put this on (the ballot), Miller said. Im sorry, but its impossible to do your due diligence on $814 million in spending in 63 days. Mayor G.T. Bynum has noted that he has been working with city councilors since last year on the proposal, a process that has included multiple town hall meetings, public discussions with city councilors, and tours of city facilities. But Miller insisted that more due diligence needs to be done before the city places a price tag on a project and sends it to voters. He noted, for example, that the city originally planned to renovate the Gilcrease Museum before ultimately deciding it would make more sense to construct a new facility. Youre asking people to go out and spend money, their hard-earned dollars, to go in and create a recreational area (in the Arkansas River) that we may or may not be able to use, Miller said. Thats after the Gilcrease debacle where you asked people to spend $65 million, then didnt even realize that the museum needed to be rebuilt. So now you want people to trust you with this. Bates questioned the timing of the vote, saying it would have made more sense to put the capital improvements package on the ballot next year because it would give candidates for mayor a chance to set out their priorities. He urged Tulsans to reject the proposal and send it back to city leaders for another try. The way this was put together seems very cynical to me, Bates said. To put it on the ballot at the beginning of June for an August Election Day before people are back in school, before people settle back into their regular routines in school, in the middle of summer vacation. Ewing said voters have the option of rejecting the proposal but also reminded the audience that, ultimately, IOT 3 is about taking care of the assets they own. If you own an asset, do you have a responsibility to maintain that asset? Do we have a responsibility to keep the roof from leaking or to keep the boiler from exploding in the bottom of the Gilcrease or at the bottom of the Performing Arts Center? Ewing said. And we believe that we do have that responsibility, that responsibility to do right by you and to take care of the things that you own. And that is why it's on the ballot for your consideration. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Anna Codutti Tulsa World Breaking News Editor Follow Anna Codutti Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Nine months before Ashley Atwell was found dead in her apartment, she told a judge the father of her child strangled her while she was holding their baby in her arms. Special Court District Judge Deborah Ludi-Leitch issued an emergency protective order, and Tulsa County Sheriffs Office served the defendant five days later. But neither Atwell nor her alleged abuser appeared in court two weeks later, and the judge noted no contact from the plaintiff. With no other options, the judge dismissed the case. The emergency didnt end there, which became clear on the morning of July 24, when Atwell, 38, and two young women were found slain. Her baby had been in her arms, police said. Without talking specifically about Atwell taking steps for her and her familys safety, Suzanne Stewart, director of the Family Safety Center in Tulsa, said protective orders are a complicated process. And sometimes a very long process for people to be able to get this piece of paper that just says This person has to stay away from you and the kids for a period of time, she said in a Tulsa World interview Thursday. Any number of reasons could prevent a plaintiff from appearing in court to advance the protective order process, including threats from the defendant, Stewart said. But that makes it complicated because really the onus is on the plaintiff to prove why this person is still a danger to them, she said. Caleb Venson is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in Tulsa County District Court. He faces one charge of shooting with intent to kill related to injuries suffered by his child. The baby is expected to survive, police said. If a survivor of strangulation goes to Family Safety Center, that individual might learn they are 750 times more likely to be killed by their abuser. According to Stewart, those who try to handle the process on their own are at a great disadvantage, which is why Family Safety Center and Domestic Violence Intervention Services offers a wealth of resources for survivors both in the same building. The biggest problem is the demand for representation with the protective orders and the sheer numbers that get filed far outweighs the supply, Megan Martin, vice president of legal services for DVIS, said Friday in a Tulsa World interview. Of just seven attorneys at Family Safety Center, five serve clients at DVIS, with two from Legal Aid Services. They can assist with divorce, guardianship, paternity, child support, housing and medical/legal needs, Stewart said. In addition to getting the paperwork in place for protective order cases, the agencies provide ongoing assistance. Theres an advocate who can be with you even if you dont have an attorney with you to help you state your case and be support for you while youre going through that process, Stewart said. Cited in the Senate during the legislative session in April, World Population Review ranks Oklahoma first in the nation for domestic violence and third for domestic violence homicides. About 49.1% of Oklahoma women and 40.7% of Oklahoma men experience domestic violence in their lifetimes, including intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner rape, or intimate partner stalking, the report states. The most recent report from Violence Policy Center titled When Men Murder Women ranked Oklahoma second in the nation behind Alaska, as of 2020, for the number of women murdered by men. The year that report was released, the Legislature passed a law making strangulation a predicate crime: it might be a misdemeanor the first time, if there are no complicating circumstances, but any subsequent strangulation charge is a felony. Its basically one step closer to a fatality, Martin said of strangulation. She said attorneys hope the 2021 law change, as well as a law that will be effective Nov. 1, will send a stronger message about what happens when you strangle somebody, in the criminal justice system. The upcoming law removes the requirement that prosecutors show intent to cause bodily harm, which Martin said was a big point of contention when jurors in domestic violence cases provided feedback. So attorneys are looking forward to that (law) helping clear it up for the jury and lead to more convictions if that intent element is not part of the finding for strangulation, she said. On the Domestic Violence Court felony docket last year, about half of the cases involved strangulation, but about half will end up dismissed by prosecutors for reasons like lack of evidence or uncooperative victims. Martin, a 16-year veteran at DVIS, said the reports she gets from advocates helping clients with domestic violence and sexual assault have become especially troubling in recent years. The instances are getting more severe, she said. Even if its a first-time protective order or a one-time incident, they are definitely more severe than weve seen in the past. The Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Boards annual report last year, with data through 2021, shows Tulsa County jumping by 24.2% to be the highest in the state for domestic abuse crimes (not homicides) at 6,399. At the height of the pandemic, we hit a 20-year high in the number of domestic violence incidents, and Tulsa County was even higher than Oklahoma County, DVIS Director Tracey Lyall said, noting it was also a 20-year high for domestic violence homicides. Of 28 homicides investigated by Tulsa Police so far this year, six were victims in a domestic situation, according to a Tulsa World analysis. The numbers are troubling, with no signs of going down, DVIS spokeswoman Laurel Williamson said. She said its her hope that more efforts are made confronting the problem at its source by better funding treatment programs for offenders. We must change the narrative and the questions from why did the survivor stay? to why did the offender harm? Williamson said. Stewart pointed out that co-occurring themes for offenders include trauma and PTSD, addiction issues and homelessness, but mental health is not part of the states only program for domestic violence offenders. They may be ordered into alcohol or substance abuse treatment and/or testing, GPS monitoring, community service, or job skills programs, but not counseling. It makes it even harder for offenders to do what they need to do to be healthy, she said. Lyall noted how many perpetrators of domestic violence were abused themselves. I think theres a shortcoming in the states only program for offenders of domestic violence, that you cant consider their past trauma as part of their treatment in the domestic violence program, she said. Thats a little archaic. Its also becoming archaic to ask why does a survivor stay in an abusive relationship without seeking help? Several reasons might prevent victims from involving others, including addiction issues or just sharing parenting responsibilities. Having children is always going to present its own unique obstacle, Martin said. You cant just necessarily end the relationship and go down the road with your life. Youre tied to that person. Stewart pointed out survivors should never be deterred from seeking court intervention because theyre a parent. A lot of people are afraid to come in with a protective order with a kid on it but are afraid their child will be taken away, she said. Thats not how it works. DHS does not want to take your kids away, they just want to make sure theyre all safe. Addiction is also nothing that should get in the way of getting help to keep your family safe, Martin said, because of the confidentially DVIS can guarantee. Our clients get to choose what their representation, what their process looks like, she said. Stewart said she wishes Family Safety Center could guarantee that everyone who comes through its doors would be 100% safe, but everyone there will do all they can to deter further violence. They will do more listening than just telling a survivor what to do, she said, especially when it comes to a potential breakup. When you leave a relationship is the most dangerous time and survivors can gauge when its the safest time, if ever, Stewart said. Were here to provide as much safety as possible. Guidance for survivors and loved ones For those concerned for their loved ones, Suzann Stewart, Family Safety Center director, says watch for clues, be available, and offer to execute a safety plan. "Come up with a safe word you can text to someone. 'If I say lamb stew, you call 911 and come help me.'" The most important thing you can do for a loved one is keep the lines of communication open, DVIS Director Tracey Lyall said. "Don't close the door on them," she said, though it may be hard watching them go through an abusive relationship. If you have experienced abuse and know you might need to leave without notice, prepare a stash of cash, another set of car keys, identification and any vital documentation, put it in a box and leave it with someone you trust, Stewart said. Never post about taking action on Facebook. "We counsel people stay off social media," Stewart said. "Dont tell anybody what youre doing" except trusted family, friends, your employer, etc. If you observe threats against yourself or a loved one on social media, take screenshots for use as potential evidence, but never respond. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Tim Stanley Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Tim Stanley Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today When the store clerk held up the photo on her phone, Officer Clay Veldkamp thought the man in it looked familiar. But he didnt know for certain until he got back to his patrol car and pulled him up on his computer. If its someone who causes regular issues, we usually know them by name. Hes one we know, Veldkamp said of the individual, whose image was captured last week after he walked into a downtown Tulsa dispensary and stole a prerolled marijuana cigarette. The man, who has multiple previous offenses including larceny, public intoxication and indecent exposure, is someone who fits the profile of a habitual criminal, Veldkamp said. And those are exactly the kind of offenders Tulsa Police officials hope some new initiatives can help them see less of in the future. Rolled out in response to an increase in crime downtown, the initiatives include upping officers and patrols through the summer, and working with prosecutors to identify and crack down on repeat offenders. Capt. Billy White said: Tulsa has an awesome, growing downtown. We have so many events that come through. But with that we get a lot of sexual predators and a lot of violent people that are downtown causing problems. White said acts of violence and theft have been on the increase. Many of the offenders are transients, he said. But they reflect only a small percentage of Tulsas overall homeless population. This isnt declaring war on homeless people, but this is declaring war on criminal activity in the downtown corridor, White said. Veldkamp, a patrol officer, is one of the officers temporarily assigned to help with the new initiatives. On one of his mornings last week, he responded to a call about an individual throwing objects at passing cars, then checked in with several downtown businesses. Officials said working with business owners is key to the overall effort. Were going into businesses every day, seeing what theyre seeing, if they have any complaints, White said. A lot of its just establishing those relationships. Later that same day, Veldkamp met up with fellow Officer Olivia Slater and others from their special unit, which works out of the departments Gilcrease Division. The officers broke up a homeless encampment tucked underneath a downtown railroad bridge, resulting in the arrest of an individual with several outstanding warrants. Veldkamp said many habitual criminals take advantage of encampments to hide. Building trust with the homeless community is critical to the effort, he said. Most of them are just as willing to help us figure out who some of these regulars are, Veldkamp said. They are very respectful toward us and we try to be respectful of them, he added. Homelessness is not a crime in itself. The department also plans to launch a Downtown Corridor Facebook page, through which businesses can share information with each other as well as police. Were not going to tolerate the habitual criminal offenders in the downtown corridor anymore, and we want to get that message out, White said. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. White floral wreaths are placed, Thursday, in memory of the 23-year-old teacher who recently took her own life in her classroom in Seoul Seo2 Elementary School in Seocho District, southern Seoul. Newsis Over 30,000 teachers hold rally for enhanced rights and legal overhaul By Lee Hae-rin Amid condolences and calls for education reforms triggered by the recent death of an elementary school teacher, government-released statistics showed, Sunday, that a hundred teachers in the country have also taken their own lives in the last six years, highlighting a crisis in the education sector. According to the report requested and acquired by the ruling conservative People Power Party lawmaker Chung Kyung-hee from the Ministry of Education, Sunday, noted that 100 teachers from public schools nationwide took their own lives between 2018 and June of this year. The majority of these educators, amounting to 57, were elementary school teachers, followed by 28 high school teachers and 15 middle school teachers. Despite elementary school teachers constituting the largest percentage of the total 441,795 teachers in the country as of last year, the number of suicides in this group is alarmingly high. Of the 30 deaths, where the cause was identified, over half were attributed to depression and panic disorders. Other causes included family disputes, health-related despair, mandatory military service pressures and personal issues. The number of teacher suicides steadily increased from 14 in 2018's to 22 in 2022; it dropped slightly to 19 last year but marks 11 already in the first half of this year, hinting that the annual figure could be higher by year's end. By region, 40 percent of the deaths occurred in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, which has relatively more schools, students and teachers. In other parts of the country, Busan saw nine deaths by suicide, followed by other regions ranging from between eight and three deaths. The offices of education at Gwangju, Jeju and North Chungcheong Province reported no teacher deaths by suicide in the cited period. Meanwhile, the education sector faces a human resources shortage as it struggles to address the escalating work-driven mental health crisis faced by teachers. Teachers dressed in black gather to mourn the recent death by suicide of an elementary school teacher by participating in a large-scale rally in central Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap According to the Korean Educational Development Institute, the number of teachers' visits to psychotherapy centers operated by regional educational offices marked a record high of 36,367 during the first semester last year. Seventeen regional educational offices each run centers to help protect teachers' rights and provide them with psychological aid. Demand for such services has been on a steep rise, showing a 74.5 percent jump from 19,310 in 2020 to 33,704 in 2021. However, there are only 26 professional counselors active in these centers throughout the country as of June. Police and the education authorities are still conducting investigations into the death of a 23-year-old teacher who was found dead from an apparent suicide in her classroom in central Seoul, July 18. Her death triggered teachers from across the country to speak up about the harsh working environment they face from excessive parental complaints and to call for legislative reforms to enhance protections for teachers. Teachers from across the country hold a massive rally calling for the public education reform near Gyeongbokgung Station in Jongno District, Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap WASHINGTON Lawmakers broke for their August recess this past week with work on funding the government incomplete, fueling worries about whether Congress will be able to avoid a partial government shutdown this fall. Congress members have until Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year, to act on government funding. They could pass spending bills to fund government agencies into next year, or simply pass a stopgap measure that keeps agencies running until they strike a longer-term agreement. No matter which route they take, it won't be easy. "We're going to scare the hell out of the American people before we get this done," said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. Coons' assessment is widely shared in Congress, reflecting the gulf between the Republican-led House and the Democratic-led Senate, which are charting vastly different and mostly incompatible paths on spending. The Senate is adhering mostly to the top-line spending levels that President Joe Biden negotiated with House Republicans in late May as part of the debt-ceiling deal that extended the government's borrowing authority and avoided an economically devastating default. That agreement holds discretionary spending generally flat for the coming year while allowing increases for military and veterans accounts. On top of that, the Senate is looking to add $13.7 billion in additional emergency appropriations, including $8 billion for defense and $5.7 billion for nondefense. House Republicans, many of whom opposed the debt-ceiling deal and refused to vote for it, are going a different way. GOP leaders teed up bills with far less spending than the agreement allows in an effort to win over members who insist on rolling back spending to fiscal year 2022 levels. They also seek policy add-ons that Democrats broadly oppose. There are proposals to reduce access to abortion pills, bans on the funding of hormone therapy and certain surgeries for transgender veterans, and a prohibition on training programs promoting diversity in the federal workplace, among many others. At a news conference at the Capitol this past week, some members of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative faction within the House GOP, said that voters elected a Republican majority in that chamber to rein in government spending and it was time for House Republicans to use every tool available to get the spending cuts they want. "We should not fear a government shutdown," said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. "Most of the American people won't even miss if the government is shut down temporarily." Many House Republicans disagree with that assessment. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, called it an oversimplification to say most Americans wouldn't feel an impact. He warned Republicans would take the blame for a shutdown. "We always get blamed for it, no matter what," Simpson said. "So it's bad policy, it's bad politics." The slim five-seat majority Republicans hold amplifies the power that a small group can wield. Even though the debt ceiling agreement passed with a significant majority of both Republicans and Democrats, conservatives opponents were so unhappy in the aftermath that they shut down House votes for a few days, stalling the entire GOP agenda. Shortly thereafter, McCarthy argued the numbers he negotiated with the White House amounted to a cap and "you can always do less." GOP Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, followed that she would seek to limit nondefense spending at 2022 budget levels, saying the debt agreement "set a top-line spending cap a ceiling, not a floor." The decision to cut spending below levels in the debt ceiling deal helped get the House moving again but put them on a collision course with the Senate, where the spending bills hew much closer to the agreement. "What the House has done is they essentially tore up that agreement as soon as it was signed," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. "And so we are in for a bumpy ride." Even as House Republicans have been moving their spending bills out of committee on party-line votes, the key committee in the Senate has been operating in a bipartisan fashion, drafting spending bills with sometimes unanimous support. "The way to make this work is do it in a bipartisan way like we are doing in the Senate. If you do it in a partisan way, you're heading to a shutdown. And I am really worried that that's where the House Republicans are headed," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters this past week. McCarthy countered that people had the same doubts about whether House Republicans and the White House could reach an agreement to pass a debt ceiling extension and avoid a default. "We've got 'til Sept. 30," he said, "I think we can get this all done." In a subsequent news conference, McCarthy said he met with Schumer to talk about the road ahead. "I don't want the government to shut down," McCarthy said. "I want to find that we can find common ground." In all, there are 12 spending bills. The House passed one so far, and moved others out of committee. The Senate passed none, though it advanced all 12 out of committee, something that hasn't happened since 2018. In the House, Republicans gave up until after the recess on trying to pass a spending measure to fund federal agriculture and rural programs and the Food and Drug Administration, amid disagreements over its contents. They began their August recess a day early instead of holding votes Friday. It's a strong possibility that Congress will have to pass a stopgap spending bill before the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1. Understanding the significance of the US debt limit Understanding the significance of the US debt limit Congress came within just days of defaulting three times in the past 12 years Repaying the national debt would cost more than $90,000 per person The last time the US paid off the national interest-bearing debt was in 1835. A major depression followed two years later. "Extraordinary measures" are budgeting tactics used to keep the government from defaulting on its debt while terms are established to increase the debt limit Actual spending cuts are relatively small but give some politicians "winning" talking points Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Legalese: While legal problems mounted for the nations two leading 2024 presidential candidates last week, the states all-Republican congressional delegation zeroed in on the unraveling of Hunter Bidens plea agreement. Speaking on Newsmax, U.S. Sen. James Lankford seemed to suggest that U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreikas refusal to accept the deal as written signals a direct connection between President Joe Biden and his sons questionable business dealings while the elder Biden was vice president. Republicans hope to show that President Biden, as vice president, was illegally involved in his sons business dealings. No proof of such a connection has been made public. The White House is changing its story because more and more facts are actually coming out that are different than the story theyve been telling, Lankford said without elaborating. Theres a big difference between saying, I was never in business with I guess hes saying, I never signed a contract with my son on all the different business dealings that he did. Information such as that suggested by Lankford has not become public. On Friday, House Democrats said Republicans are withholding committee testimony that conflicts with two whistleblowers claims that Biden was given preferential treatment by the Justice Department. Its becoming more and more public now that Hunter Biden had all these sweetheart deals overseas with foreign entities and then part of the deal was he was connecting them with his dad when his dad was vice president, Lankford said. So you can say, I wasnt in business, but clearly he was part of the business. Thats coming out more and more. First District Congressman Kevin Hern told Axios there is overwhelming consensus among House Republicans to begin an impeachment inquiry against President Biden. None of Oklahomas delegation has commented on the latest federal indictment against former President Donald Trump, the GOPs leading 2024 candidate. He and an employee were charged Thursday with destroying surveillance video related to Trumps possession of classified federal documents after he left the White House. Trump now faces 30 federal charges in the documents case, plus state charges on an unrelated matter in New York. He is also under investigation for election tampering in Georgia and for his role in the Jan. 6, 2020, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Rx Rx: Lankford scored a success last week with the Senate Finance Committees approval of a pharmacy benefit manager or PBM reform bill that includes provisions he proposed. In theory, PBMs administer prescription drug plans and negotiate lower drug prices for employers and employees. Critics, including Lankford, contend that PBMs are now used to direct patients to the pharmacy chains that own them and to squeeze out independent pharmacies. This is one of those issues that occasionally we get pressed on to say, Are you opposed to free markets? Im not opposed to free markets. Im opposed to PBMs running my rural pharmacies out of business, Lankford said. Indian affairs: U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin and 4th District Congressman Tom Cole are co-sponsors of bipartisan legislation to guarantee funding of the Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education should the regular budget and appropriations process bog down which it almost always does. The process, called advanced funding, has been in place for the Department of Veterans Affairs since 2011 and was used for the Indian Health Service last year. This would be the first time to include the BIA and BIE. Mullin and Cole are tribal citizens. Defense: Lankford and Mullin were among the large majority to give the Senates version of the National Defense Authorization Act final approval. The bill would earmark at least $170 million for Oklahomas military installations, not including a 5.2% pay raise for uniformed and civilian defense employees. Lankfords contributions included legislation on critical minerals mining, passport processing, Border Patrol pay and drug cartels use of social media for recruitment. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mullin had a hand in the bills writing and successfully offered amendments to limit consideration of diversity and inclusion in decisions and to facilitate acquisition of unmanned aircraft. The bill next goes to conference committee to work out differences with the Houses NDAA. Farm Fresh: The Farm Bill reportedly is in trouble because of dissension within the Republican ranks. Some hardliners are demanding further spending reductions and further restrictions on abortion-inducing mifepristone that fellow GOPers say are unrealistic. We have a lot of very intense conservative friends whod like to see dramatic cuts, but you have to be practical, Third District Congressman Frank Lucas, a senior member of the Agriculture Committee, told CNN. Well see how practical we are this week. Dots and dashes: Mullin said Hilary Clinton was crazy to blame MAGA Republicans and their reluctance to combat climate change for the hottest summer on record. Second District Congressman Josh Brecheen is among 20 Republican House members the Club for Growth says it will back because of the concessions they squeezed from now-Speaker Kevin McCarthy in January. Lankford said he is troubled by the lack of faith-based anti-recidivism programs in federal prisons. Speaking in a Rules Committee meeting, Cole took a shot at radical left-wing schemes like critical race theory and contentious diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Lankford asked the General Accountability Office to evaluate coordination of Homeland Security and Drug Enforcement Agency interdiction operations. Brecheen joined Republican efforts to slash food stamp benefits, which have risen sharply the past few years. Fifth District Congresswoman Stephanie Bice questioned the increasing militarization of the IRS following reports that the Internal Revenue Services Criminal Investigation Division had spent $10 million on guns and ammunition since 2020; the IRS says it actually has slightly fewer armed agents than it did five years ago. Lucas signaled his opposition to a bill giving the Federal Communications Commission greater authority in the licensing of private satellites by saying it would be equivalent to allowing the FCC to regulate the design and operations of tractor-trailers simply because the driver uses a CB system. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Gov standings: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is the sixth-least popular governor in the United States which means hes still pretty popular, according to Morning Consults quarterly evaluation of chief executives. According to the survey, 51% of Oklahomans approve of Stitts job performance, compared to 40% who disapprove, a plus-11 differential. No governor had a negative net rating, with No. 50 Tina Kotek of Oregon at plus-6 (45%-39%). That was also the narrowest margin, tied with Tate Reeves (48%-42%) of Mississippi. The most popular governor remained Phil Scott of Vermont, with a 76% approval rating and a 54 percentage points margin. Tardy slips: In the same week it was revealed that the Oklahoma State Department of Education plans to downgrade Tulsa Public Schools accreditation because of a late report, several Tulsa-area lawmakers dinged the OSDE for being late to tell districts how much federal Title I money theyre receiving for the coming school year. I am concerned that this delay means teachers will start the school year without necessary materials because districts had to delay placing orders, Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, a former teacher, said in a press release. Title I dollars help struggling students achieve, said Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, a former teacher and administrator. These tax dollars help provide reading and math interventions with targeted curriculum, class materials, teachers and staff. I am pleased that school districts can finally start building a budget that will help Oklahoma kids. Going somewhere? Expect 12 to 18 weeks for passport application processing, U.S. Sen. James Lankford is telling constituents with foreign travel in their plans. Lankford said requests to his office for passport assistance are five times the normal rate. Dont book your flight until you have your passport in your hands, Lankford said in a column to constituents. To give you perspective, if you apply today for a passport, you probably wont have it in hand until Thanksgiving, even if you pay the extra fee to expedite it. I think the State Department needs to get a better definition of expedite. OneVoice: Barry Manilow wont be there, but the Tulsa Regional Chambers OneVoice task forces begin meeting in August. As a united legislative agenda for area towns, cities, philanthropic organizations, schools and chambers of commerce, OneVoice has a significant impact on northeastern Oklahoma. The formulation of that agenda begins with the task forces comprising Tulsa Chamber members and area chamber representatives. Credit check: S&P Global Ratings revised its outlook for the state of Oklahoma from stable to positive while maintaining a AA rating. AA is the second-highest rating, indicating a very strong capacity to meet obligations. Most states S&P ratings are some form of AA or AAA. Scholarship winners: Emily Joy Stattler of Mingo Valley Christian and Aileen Heard of Jenks are this years winners of the Republican Womens Club of Tulsa County scholarships. Stattler plans to attend Oral Robert University; Heard is headed to Oklahoma State. Meetings and events: Together Oklahoma will have a listening session at 6 p.m. Tuesday in OSU-Tulsas Tulsa Room, 700 N. Greenwood Ave. State Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Tulsa, will be featured at the Tulsa County Republican Mens Club meeting at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 9 at Oklahoma Joes, 6175 E. 61st St. Second District Congressman Josh Brecheen has announced several in-person town hall meetings for August, including: 2 p.m. Aug. 15, Salina Town Hall, 321 W. Ferry St., Salina. 4 p.m. Aug. 15, Adair Community Center, 533 E. Main St., Adair. 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16, Adair County Historical Museum & Train Depot, 83065 Highway 59, Stilwell. 8 a.m. Aug. 18, First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 110 W. Fifth St., Beggs. 10 a.m. Aug. 18, Warner Public Library, 207 Eighth St., Warner. Bottom lines: Attorney General Gentner Drummond is one of nine state attorneys general protesting Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. assessments against banks to cover the losses of Silicon Valley and Signature banks. Tedford and Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready, a Tulsa resident, were among the states delegation to the recent National Council of Insurance Legislators. The Freedom From Religion Foundation said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters should resign. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Peoria Avenue, Tulsa. The son of a navy veteran and devoted homemaker, Ted grew up in Sherman, Texas, where he was an Eagle Scout, sang in the high school choir, and was president of the Key Club. Ted attended the University of North Texas, where he met his future wife, Patricia Botefuhr, whose family was from Tulsa. Ted attended Yale Law School and Stanford University, receiving an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science. Ted also served as an officer in the Army Reserve. Ted taught at S.M.U. and worked for the University of California System before joining the brand new United States Peace Corps in 1963. Ted and Pat moved their family to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he was Associate Director of the Peace Corps. Ted maintained a dedication to the study of Ethiopia, authoring numerous books and articles. During the darkest days of the Communist government, Ted worked ceaselessly on asylum and amnesty cases, helping dozens of Ethiopians avoid torture and death. In 2018, Ted was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Star of Honor of Ethiopia by Crown Prince Ermaus, grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie. Next, Ted moved to India, where he was resident director of the Educational Resources Center in New Delhi, before working throughout the 1970s as Dean of Continuing Education in his hometown at Austin College. In the 1980s Ted was a Senior Visiting Fellow at the University of Tulsa before finishing his career as Professor of Political Science at OSU from 1988 to 2008, where he mentored generations of students. Green Tech Aps Denmark, a Danish investor, on Friday signed a partnership agreement with True Moto Care Vietnam JSC, committing an investment of US$1 million to Vietnams motorcycle maintenance market, which is valued at billions of U.S. dollars. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Poul Wiid, CEO of Green Tech Aps Denmark, pointed out that the motorcycle service industry in Vietnam holds significant untapped potential. According to the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM) statistics for the end of 2022, the total number of motorcycles was estimated at 72 million units. On average, Vietnamese people spend approximately VND800,000 ($34) to VND1 million ($42) per motorcycle annually for repair and maintenance, resulting in an estimated value of VND58-72 trillion ($2.4-3 billion). The scenario has enticed numerous businesses to get involved. The current market is predominantly characterized by makeshift, small-scale motorcycle repair and maintenance shops, according to Mai Xuan Huy, general director of True Moto Care Vietnam JSC. In addition, there has been a prevalent presence of substandard spare parts, and counterfeit and imitation products, causing distress among motorcyclists. Therefore, by investing $1 million in True Moto Care Vietnam, Green Tech Aps Denmark, which conducts consulting engineering activities, aims to establish standardized services for motorcycle maintenance and repair. The Danish investor will collaborate to provide True Moto Care Vietnam with management support and enhance service quality at their chain stores, dispatch experts to train personnel, and foster partnerships with European lubricant and spare part manufacturers. True Moto Care Vietnam, on the other hand, stated that they are in the process of developing an app that allows customers to conveniently book motorcycle repair appointments directly on their phones. At present, the company is collaborating with renowned brands like Shell engine oils and lubricants, GS batteries, IRC motorcycle tires, and NGK spark plugs. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! MANILA -- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday the country must boost its rice stocks and that he may seek a supply deal with India, worried about the potential impact of El Nino dry weather on the local harvest and about other suppliers. "I'm thinking about the national supply for rice," Marcos told officials in the northern province of Cagayan, where he went to assess the damage from Typhoon Doksuri. Marcos, who is also agriculture secretary, expressed concern about the global supply situation. "Everybody is preparing for El Nino, all of Southeast Asia. " The Philippines, one of the world's biggest rice importers, traditionally buys the staple grain mainly from its neighbour Vietnam. But Marcos said supply from Vietnam might become limited as other buyers crowd in. "I think we can make a deal with India. Maybe there's someone there we can talk to," Marcos said. A spokesman for India's food ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. India last week banned exports of non-basmati white rice - its largest rice export category - to ease domestic prices that climbed after rains caused significant crop damage. New Delhi left open the door for government-to-government deals, saying it would consider meeting the requirements of countries in need of rice. The ban is expected to halve shipments from the world's largest exporter of the grain. After the decision, prices of rice exported from Vietnam and Thailand soared to their highest in more than a decade this week. India accounts for more than 40 percent of world rice exports, and low inventories with other exporters mean a cut in shipments could inflate food prices already driven up by Russia's attack on Ukraine last year and erratic weather. "Everyone is buying simultaneously," Marcos said. "That's why I'm getting nervous over possible spikes in (local) prices even if we import." Philippine rice imports are handled by private traders. But the state agency procuring rice from local farmers for buffer stocking can import some volume upon approval by the president in an emergency. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse returned to Hanoi on Saturday morning, wrapping up his six-day visits to Austria, Italy, and the Vatican from July 23 to 28 with around 50 activities conducted with positive outcomes. The visits were made at the invitations of Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Pope Francis. Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told the press that the visits reaped successful results, adding that they would help promote the relations between Vietnam and Austria, Italy, and the Vatican. During the visits, President Thuong and his entourage carried out some 50 activities in various fields. Both Austrian and Italian leaders affirmed that they regarded Vietnam as a leading important partner in ASEAN and hoped that Vietnam would serve as a bridge between ASEAN and the EU, Minister Son said. Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son speaks to the press about the outcomes of State President Vo Van Thuongs visits to Austria, Italy, and the Vatican from July 23 to 28, 2023. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Regarding Austria, Vietnam has been working to develop the traditional relationship and multi-facet cooperation in general, as well as the high political trust between high-ranking leaders of the two nations in particular, Son remarked. Both sides agreed on measures to further implement bilateral deals, especially those in the fields of innovation, energy transition, and culture. The two also agreed to effectively execute the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), with the EU nation saying that it will soon ratify the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and urge the bloc to remove the 'yellow card' warning on Vietnamese seafood. The yellow card is a kind of warning issued by the European Commission to countries involved in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Minister Son noted that the Italian Parliament ratified the EVIPA during President Thuongs visit to this EU nation. The ratification of the pact is expected to pave the way for both sides to strengthen their cooperation in some potential areas including digital economy, hi-tech, green development, and smart agriculture. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong, his spouse, and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnamese officials pose for a group photo with Pope Francis in the Vatican on July 27, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency During his visit to the Vatican, President Thuong met with Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See. Vietnam and the Vatican agreed to conclude the 'Agreement on the Status of the Resident Papal Representative and the Office of the Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam,' marking a significant move in the bilateral ties, Minister Son said. Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church in Vietnam needs to continue better implementing the vocation of accompanying the nation and good Catholics are good citizens,' adding that Catholics and dignitaries in this Southeast Asian nation should actively contribute to the development of the country and the Church. The Vietnamese state leader during the visits also met with representatives of the Vietnamese communities in Austria, Italy and Europe, Minister Son noted. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check out the latest news in Vietnam today: Business -- Vietnamese wood and wooden furniture businesses have received a rising number of export orders since the end of the second quarter of this year, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Handicraft and Wood Industry Association Nguyen Quoc Khanh said on Friday. -- Novaland, a leading Vietnamese property developer, has announced its business performance in the second quarter, obtaining more than VND1.040 trillion (US$43.9 million) in consolidated net revenue and posting a negative profit of VND201 billion ($8.4 million), improving 72 percent and 51 percent, respectively, against the same period last year. Society -- A three-year-old boy from southern Binh Phuoc Province was wounded and required 30 stitches after being bitten by a dog on his neck and chin when he was strolling along the street during his family vacation in south-central Binh Dinh Province on Thursday. -- Police in Tien Giang Province on Saturday afternoon blocked the Rach Mieu Bridge, which spans over the Tien River and links Tien Giang with neighboring Ben Tre Province, to capture 31 armed men who were traveling in six cars to Ben Tre for a fight, a local police official confirmed the same day. -- The administration of My Tho City in southern Tien Giang Province is facilitating site clearance works for building two riverside roads and parks by the Bao Dinh River in the city, with a total investment of nearly VND2 trillion ($84.4 million), said a local official on Saturday. Politics -- Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse returned to Hanoi on Saturday morning, wrapping up his six-day visits to Austria, Italy, and the Vatican from July 23 to 28 with around 50 activities done with positive outcomes. World News -- Nicolas Petro, son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, has been arrested as part of an investigation into money laundering and illicit enrichment, Reuters cited the attorney general's office as saying early on Saturday. -- The wreck of an ancient Roman cargo ship from more than 2,000 years ago has been found off the coast near Rome, the arts squad of Italy's Carabinieri police said on Friday, Reuters reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A suspect has been arrested after he allegedly stabbed a foreign man to death on Sunday. Police in Ha Tinh Province, north-central Vietnam said the same day that the suspect is Tran Van Son, a 24-year-old man from Bui La Nhan Commune, Duc Tho District. The victim was Sinan Ergul, a 52-year-old from Turkey, officers added. Locals found Ergul dead with seeming stabs on the body at a shopping mall in the provincial capital city of Ha Tinh around 1:30 pm. Police are probing the case. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Jae-myung, right, and the party's former chairman Lee Nak-yon hold a flower basket during their closed-door dinner at a restaurant in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Democratic Party of Korea By Nam Hyun-woo The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is experiencing a turning point in its internal struggle between a faction close to Chairman Lee Jae-myung and those who are not, following a long overdue meeting between the incumbent and former leaders of the party. Former Chairman Lee Nak-yon, who exerts a significant amount of influence among the so-called anti-Lee Jae-myung faction, returned home in June after staying in the United States for over a year. His return has ignited a power struggle with the current chairman over the party's direction and message to the public, especially given the ongoing factional disputes since Lee Jae-myung assumed leadership of the nation's progressive party. According to DPK senior spokesperson Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, the two Lees had dinner in Seoul, Friday, and agreed that "the DPK's victory in next year's general election is necessary to prevent the Yoon Suk Yeol administration from going out of control." Though they agreed on the need for a DPK win at the next election, they still displayed differences in how to go about achieving it. During their dinner, the incumbant chairman noted that "the party's cohesion" is the top priority for an election victory, and that it is necessary to prevent internal conflicts. On the other hand, the former leader stressed that "audacious innovation" is required to reinvigorate the party, and that it should unite through that process. "The DPK's innovation should start by restoring its morality and democracy within the party," he said. The former chairman's comments are interpreted as calling for changing the existing leadership, under which the party's approval rating fell below the 30 percent mark in a poll released on Friday. His reference to "democracy within the party" is also seen as criticizing extreme actions taken by fervent supporters of the current chairman. After Lee took over the party, some supporters branded the former leader and members of a faction critical of the party chief as "the culprits" of the presidential election defeat. Given the agreement on party unity from both Lees for an election victory, the DPK is now faced with the task of reconciling its factions. One of the most difficult challenges in this process is setting the rules for candidate recommendations in the general election. In response to the party's call to reinvigorate itself, Lee has set up his own party innovation committee and given it the full authority to revamp the DPK's affairs. This, however, also faced criticism from within, as it is viewed as favoring faction members supporting the incumbent party leader. The committee is now gearing up to look into the candidate recommendation rules. The committee said on its own website that it had talks and meetings with regional members of the party urging the "increased rights of members who are paying membership dues" and "stronger candidacy standards for those who served three or more terms as lawmakers." The DPK's anti-Lee Jae-myung factions are crying foul that the new rules are biased against them, because the chairman enjoys the widespread support of members paying membership fees, while many of the current DPK lawmakers are from the non-Lee Jae-myung factions. DPK Rep. Cho Eung-cheon, who is known as one of the anti-Lee faction members, said in a radio interview with broadcaster MBC on Thursday that the innovation committee does not have the right to change the candidate recommendation rule and that "it would be no different from poking the beehive." This summer, demand for rooftop solar power is increasing in many provinces in northern Vietnam due to the insufficient electricity supply in the region. Due to the extremely high demand for energy during the summertime, many households are turning to rooftop solar panels to bolster their electricity supply. While solar panel installation has been popular in the south for many years, people in the north have held off due to the weather, which causes them to get slightly less sunlight a few months out of the year. This summer has been a challenge that has made many people rethink their approach. The persistently hot days mean that electricity supply has been inadequate. Many households have rushed to buy appliances that run on solar power. Depending on their own budget, they buy solar panels capable of powering electronic fans or air conditioners. Considering that there are always short power outages in the summer months due to high demand, many have turned to alternative energy sources, including rooftop solar panels. Although the power supply has now returned to normal, they continue to install solar panels as a precaution for next year's summertime. Rooftop solar panels are becoming increasingly popular In recent months, heatwaves and their impact on people's lives in Vietnam's northern region have been the hottest topic on everyone's lips. People complain that the weather this year is hotter than in previous years and that power outages are also more frequent than ever. "It's so hot like being in a boiler, there's nowhere to go to escape the heat," complained Tran Thi Nga, a resident on Tay Son Street in Dong Da District, Hanoi, while using a paper hand fan to cool down. On the bus, passengers exchange complaints about the heatwave. Quach Thi Luyen, who lives in Thach That District in Hanoi, recalled, "It was so hot that we had to 'evacuate' our children to my grandparents' house to escape the heat. Once, shortly after we arrived at their home, we learned that the electricity had been cut off out of the blue." Nguyen Thi Quy turns on the electronic fan with energy from her family's solar panel system in Vietnam. Photo: Tam Le / Tuoi Tre Teacher Pham Thi Lan, who returned to her hometown in Dong Hoang Commune, Dong Son District, Thanh Hoa Province, just this summer, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, "Our hometown has been experiencing power outages lately, of all times during the rice sowing season. I was worried and returned home, where I unfortunately encountered the 'power outage specialty.'" According to Lan's recollection, it was still quite hot around 6:30 pm when she came back to her hometown. "The power has been out in the whole community since morning," her mother said when she greeted her that day. "We've prepared two light bulbs and a rechargeable fan. We do not dare to use it during the day and put it aside for use at night to cool down." This summer, solar panels of various sizes are appearing on the roofs of some households in the northern region of Vietnam. Many people have no choice but to use solar energy as an additional source of energy to help them fight the heat. "It's so hot, so it's really helpful for us to have a rechargeable fan," said Nguyen Thi Quy, 75, a resident who lives in the same village as teacher Lan. Quy holds her grandchild in her arms while turning on the solar-powered fan. In Quy's family, there are two children and two elderly people, both of whom suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease, and rheumatism. She often suffers from shortness of breath, a rapid heartbeat, and dizziness. Fearing power outages, she had to buy a rechargeable fan. Quy installed two fans and a large lamp box in the yard, all powered by a solar system. Sometimes neighbors would come and ask her to share the fan with them on the hot days. "Households with a solar system on the roof have electricity for fans. This year, the rechargeable fans are in such a high demand that buyers have to order half a month in advance. If there is no electricity, it becomes unbearable," Quy said. Le Xuan Thanh, a neighbor who lives in the same village as Quy, also installed a small white solar panel on his roof. However, he only uses it to power light bulbs and asks his neighbor, who has a power generator, for electricity. "The panel can be fully charged during the day and used for lighting at night, which is sufficient and convenient," Thanh said happily. But he regrets that he does not have enough money to install a larger solar panel, "which would be enough for [his[ refrigerator, TV, and cooking. In Quang Yen, a district in Quang Ninh Province, northeastern Vietnam, Nguyen Thi Hoa decided to spend more than VND30 million (US$1,266) installing a solar system on the roof. "There are many people living in my house, including children. I persuaded my husband to install the system, which can be used for a long time. When the weather is sunny, we can use solar energy, which can significantly reduce the electricity bill," Hoa said. When Le Thi Thu, who lives in Le Chan District, Hai Phong, sent her children to visit their parents in their hometown this summer, she shipped along a rooftop solar power system worth VND12 million ($507). Since the day the solar system was put into operation, Thu has felt more comfortable. Thanks to the solar system, she can make daily video calls to her son without having to wait for electricity. The solar system helps to cool the houses "This year, there is a great demand for fans powered by solar energy or rechargeable fans although their prices have increased from VND800,000 [$34] to VND1.7 million [$72], they are out of stock," Nguyen Quy Minh, owner of a household goods store and electrician in Dong Hoang Commune, Dong Son District, Thanh Hoa, told Tuoi Tre. In addition to rechargeable fans and solar-powered fans, his customers have also been looking for fans that can run on a small battery, Minh said. "As the prices of all fans are rising, I do not dare to stock many products," he admitted. Besides selling home appliances, Minh has also developed a tool to generate solar power by connecting a solar panel to a small battery. If his idea proves successful after a test, he will sell the tool to customers. In this way, the consumers could use the tool at a cheaper price and there would also be no shortage of goods anymore. Nguyen The Dien, the owner of a big agency in Hiep Hoa Commune, Quang Yen District, Quang Ninh, said, "If we had sufficient supply, we would sell up to 2,000 solar panels by now. We have imported products mainly from China. It's unfortunate that Vietnam is not able to meet the high demand now." Dien's store supplies solar panels of one or two square meters in area. The store owner installs the panels for his customers and has been busy every day this summer. Nguyen The Dien installs a solar panel system for his customer in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tam Le / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Huu Lan, an employee of Thanh Hoa Province's power company, said the efficiency of solar panels in the northern region is lower than in the southern and central parts due to some seasonal characteristics. However, if people have sufficient budgets, installing rooftop solar panels is an effective and safe solution for active power supply, especially in summer when blackouts are more frequent than usual because of high demand. Depending on each household's finance, they may choose to install systems costing anywhere between several million dong and a dozen million dong, power fans, light bulbs, air conditioners, refrigerators, cooking appliances, and water heaters. If the budget is limited, it is better to use solar as a power source during the day and rely on the grid at night to power other things like cooking, refrigerators, and air conditioners that require much more electricity. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Tien Giang Province, southern Vietnam on Saturday blocked the Rach Mieu Bridge, which spans over the Tien River and links Tien Giang with neighboring Ben Tre Province, to capture 31 armed men who were returning to Ben Tre after a fight, a local police official confirmed the same day. The blockade was imposed at around 1:15 am when it was raining. Many of the suspects rushed out of their cars to run away but police officers managed to catch all of them. Searching the five four-seater cars and one seven-seater used by these 31, aged 25-35, police discovered and confiscated many guns, knives, and tear gas canisters. The gangsters confessed that they had used the weapons for a battle, but were arrested by police officers when they were en route to Ben Tre, according to a police report. Police arrest the 31 armed men on the Rach Mieu Bridge, which spans over the Tien River and links Tien Giang Province with neighboring Ben Tre Province in southern Vietnam, July 29, 2023. Photo: A.X / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! K-pop girl group BlackPink concluded the first night of their two-day concert held this weekend in Vietnam on an upbeat note, rousing tens of thousands of Blinks, the official fandom name for BlackPink, at the Hanoi-based My Dinh National Stadium to fever pitch. The four-member girl band kicked off the show, entitled Born Pink World Tour Hanoi, at 7:45 pm on Saturday with their captivating hits and dances. These Korean idols also touched the heart of their Vietnamese fans by saying 'Minh yeu cac ban' (We love you) and danced to Vietnamese pop star Hoang Thuy Linhs See Tinh. At 7:40 pm on July 29, 2023, as the show had yet to start, the organizer played some hits of BlackPink to warm up the atmostphere. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre The four-member K-pop band expresses love to their Vietnamese fans, repeatedly saying, 'Minh yeu cac ban' (We love you). Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre The mesmerizing choreography of BlackPink during the first night of their two-day concert in Hanoi, July 29, 2023. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre Unlike rumours prior to the show, the Born Pink World Tour Hanoi on Saturday night treated Blinks to a feast of solo performances by all of the four members. For instance, Jisoo performed Flower, Jennie sang You and Me and Solo, Rose with Hard to Love and On the Ground, and Lisa with Money. After their solo performances, they gave a superb gig of Shut Down. BlackPink continued to heat up the already-hot show with the catchy beats of Pink Venom. While performing Don't Know What To Do, the four members interacted with their fans by doing a series of adorable actions such as creating heart signs. A BlackPink concert-goer takes a photo before the show. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre An overview of the stage of the Born Pink World Tour Hanoi concert. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre The ambience at the Hanoi-based My Dinh National Stadium was significantly heated up as BlackPink members greeted their fans in Vietnamese. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre Thousands of people without tickets to the Born Pink World Tour Hanoi show still gather in front of the Hanoi-based My Dinh National Stadium to enjoy the show from a far. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre BlackPink concert-goers move to their seats when it was raining. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre At 5:35 pm on July 29, 2023, it began raining. Many concert attendees decided to buy single-use raincoats at a high price of VND30,000 (US$1.26) each. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre Some scalpers accepted losses and offered BlackPink concert tickets at low prices. Photo: Nguyen Bao / Tuoi Tre Concert-goers flock to the Hanoi-based My Dinh National Stadium early despite the hot weather. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre Two girls holding black and pink hammer-looking light sticks pose for a group photo at the Hanoi-based My Dinh National Stadium before the show. Photo: Nguyen Bao / Tuoi Tre According to the concert organizer, the two-day show will attract 67,000 fans. This is one of the biggest shows of international artists in Vietnam. Born Pink World Tour is BlackPinks ongoing second worldwide concert tour to promote their second album Born Pink. The tour began on October 15 last year in Seoul and is scheduled to conclude on August 26 this year in Los Angeles, the United States. Up to now, Blackpink has toured 21 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Spain, the UK, Germany, France, and China, where they performed lots of their hits such as How You Like That, Pretty Savage, Kill This Love, Lovesick Girls, Ddu-Du Ddu-Du, and Pink Venom. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! David Vance from Trillick, Dromore, Co Tyrone, who died after a quad bike accident on a farm on 27 July 2023.Photo: Funeral Times. Police said that the man, understood to be father-of-three David Vance, aged 60, "sadly passed away following a quad bike accident at the farm on the Blackhill Road, Dromore, Co Tyrone. Police received the report on Thursday, 27 July shortly before 4.30pm. PSNI officers attended, alongside colleagues from other emergency services. The incident is not being treated as suspicious and the Health and Safety Executive told the News Letter it is investigating the death of the farmer. Mr Vance's sister-in-law, Jennifer Vance, posted news of his sudden death on social media. My funny, lovely Brother-in-law Davy, she wrote, along with a symbol of a broken heart. Almost 120 people posted messages of sympathy and support in response to her. One of them, Alan Crane, wrote: So sorry to hear this, deepest sympathies to the family and wider family circle but especially Shannen Lauren & Jake. May he rest in peace. Fermanagh and South Tyrone UUP MLA Tom Elliott, who knows the Vance family, said David worked for the agricultural company, AI Services. "I am absolutely shocked, the Vances are very well thought of in the community, and very involved - so it is shocking," he said. "Clearly, I am thinking of the immediate family at this time. My thoughts and prayers are particularly with his daughters and son." He added: "David was always from a farming community. He travelled quite a lot and most people knew him, he was a very popular man in the area. The family is quite active in the community, and all very much involved in the Young Farmers Club and the local Trillick Pipe Band." Mr Vance also spent some of his time actively involved in farming, Mr Elliott added. Trillick And District Young Farmers Club also posted their sympathies on social media. "On Behalf of Trillick & District Young Farmers we would like to send our deepest sympathies to Shannen, Lauren, Jake and the Vance family circle on the loss of their father David Vance," it said. Story continues A family notice said that Mr Vance died suddenly as a result of an accident on 27 July. His address was given as Galbally Road, Trillick, Co Tyrone. He was described as "the beloved son" of the late Thomas and Mary and "loving father" of Shannen, Lauren and Jake. He was also the dear brother of Margaret (Betty), Gerald, Dorothy, Florence, Caroline, Yvonne, Andrew, Alan, Peter and the late Anne. Mr Vances funeral service was held today in Dromore Parish Church (Church of Ireland) at 2.00pm followed by burial in the adjoining churchyard. EXPLORA 1 is sailing from Portsmouth to Copenhagen for the first time. It is considered a major coup for the port, as they continue to welcome more luxury cruise liners to the city. Picture: Sam Stephenson. Explora 1, which weighs 63,900 tonnes, sailed to Portsmouth International Port yesterday on her second ever call. Politicians and port officials were welcomed aboard the 248 metre long ship greeted by friendly staff and elegant surroundings. Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Portsmouth City Councils cabinet member responsible for the port, said: Our attractive harbour makes it easy for us to attract cruise brands to the city and were delighted that Explora 1 has experienced such a unique arrival and departure. Were ideally placed to welcome small to medium sized, luxury, boutique ships, and the ports striking new sustainable terminal extension will go further to complement this range of ships when it opens later in the summer. NOW READ: Luxury cruise liner Explora 1 visits Portsmouth International Port Explora 1, operated by the Explora Journeys brand belonging to the MSC Group, is due to set sail to Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday (August 1). She will then depart on her first cruise, travelling on a seven-night sailing to Reykjavik, Iceland. The indoor swimming pool, one of the many luxurious things passengers can enjoy on board. Picture: Sam Stephenson. Passengers will get to see beautiful landmarks such as Lerwick, on the Shetland Islands, and Kirkwall, Orkney, along the way. Cllr Vernon-Jackson expects more ships like Explora 1 to visit Portsmouth as part of cruise schedules or unveiling events such as this one. He added: Its the citys supportive and friendly approach towards passengers to the city, whether theyre passing through or visiting to see attractions that makes the most impact and brings back regular callers time and again. Were looking forward to growing the number of cruise calls to the city and showcasing what Portsmouth has to offer. Explora 1 is the first of six boutique vessels, which will be built between 2023 and 2028. Holidaymakers are promised an experience called ocean state of mind where people can escape to the ocean, relax, create memories and reconnect with what matters most in life. The cruise liner, complete with a thermal area, two VIP double spa suites, beauty salon, fitness area and other wonderful features, headed to Portsmouth after leaving Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, on July 20. She also boasts three heated outdoor swimming pools, one heated pool with a retractable glass roof and 64 private cabins. Story continues Pictured is (L-R) Ella Howe, Andrew Williamson, Becky Zaffarese, Charlotte Saunders and Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson CBE. Picture: Sam Stephenson. SEE ALSO: Stunning progress being made to terminal extension With the Explora Journeys brand focusing on high end luxury, it fits with the ports aim of having more high-end vessels visiting the city. Andrew Williamson, passenger operations manager at Portsmouth International Port, said: It is an honour for Portsmouth to be the first UK port to welcome MSC Cruises newest brand, Explora Journeys as Explora I makes her inaugural call. "Explora Journeys have entered the market to redefine the classic luxury cruise experience, and perfectly reflect our cruise ambitions and the environmental values of the port. Arriving fresh from the first press preview in Barcelona, Explora I will spend the weekend with us welcoming cruise officials and representatives from across the industry, before heading to Copenhagen to pick up the lucky passengers embarking on the maiden voyage around Northern Europe and the Arctic Circle. The vessel also includes environmental supporting technologies which limit her emissions. More information about the cruises can be found on the MSC website. BAC NINH Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Sunday visited and had a working session with Samsung Electronics Viet Nam Co Ltd during his trip to the northern province of Bac Ninh. During the working session, the General Director of Samsung Viet Nam Choi Joo Ho expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese Government and Bac Ninh Province for their support and facilitation of Samsung's operations over the past 15 years. He reported on the current situation of Samsung's production and business activities and affirmed Samsung's commitment to long-term and sustainable investment in Viet Nam, as well as made some recommendations and proposals. In response to specific proposals and recommendations, the leaders of ministries and agencies affirmed commitments that Viet Nam guarantees consistent implementation of policies that have been committed to investors, always pays attention to making improvements to the country's investment environment, promotes the development of infrastructure, betters the quality of logistics services, and coordinates with businesses in training human resources. These efforts are aimed at creating favourable conditions for foreign businesses to operate stably and in the long term in Viet Nam. The Government is urgently instructing the Ministry of Planning and Investment to work with relevant agencies to propose solutions to attract investment and support businesses, in line with international commitments, while balancing the interests of all parties and encouraging existing as well as new investors, ensuring fair treatment among businesses. PM Chinh conveyed the words of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong acknowledging, thanking, and highly appreciating the investment activities and achievements of Samsung Group in Viet Nam, contributing to promoting the increasingly developed Viet Nam-Republic of Korea relationship. In the past two years, he had made four visits to the facilities of Samsung in Viet Nam and had five meetings and discussions with Samsung leaders, which PM Chinh said affirmed the Government's attention to FDI businesses. He noted that Viet Nam in the new development phase would base its growth on science and technology and innovation, which is in line with Samsung's development orientation, adding that the two sides would accompany each other in this journey. PM Chinh remarked that Viet Nam was promoting reforms in its business environment to attract investment, and focusing on three growth drivers of investment, exports, and consumption. Viet Nam has preferential policies for large investors, investment in high technology, digital technology, green growth, and investment to support Vietnamese enterprises, and Samsung is an investor that meets all these criteria, according to the Government leader. Chinh stressed that in the context of the global economic slowdown, Viet Nam wanted to continue attracting high-quality investment capital from the RoK, especially leading companies like Samsung, in high technology sectors, electronics. Viet Nam hoped Samsung continue to consider Viet Nam as a strategic production base, a base for research and development and for producing key products for the international market and would continue to operate sustainably and long-term in Viet Nam, do business in accordance with laws; contribute to training high-quality human resources for Viet Nam. Samsung's major projects in Viet Nam are concentrated in Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, and HCM City, with total registered investment capital of nearly US$19.8 billion. The total Samsung labour force in Viet Nam is around 100,000 people. Production accounts for 74 per cent of the total workers, engineers account for 17 per cent, office block accounts for 7 per cent, and there are only 261 foreign workers. VNS LAM ONG - Three police officers and one local resident now remain missing after a landslide caused by heavy rains buried part of a police station on Bao Loc Pass in the Central Highlands province of Lam ong on July 30. Since the morning of July 29, heavy rains have been pouring down in the province, especially in the districts of a Huoai, Bao Lam, Di Linh, and the city of Bao Loc. At 3:30 pm on July 30, National Highway 20s section passing through Bao Loc Pass suffered a severe landslide. As a result, dozens of tonnes of rock and soil blocks slid down covering the entire road surface of the pass, on which the Maaguoi traffic police station is located. Part of the station was buried. Initial information said the officers were back to the station after their mission of helping ease the traffic jam in the pass. VNA/VNS